The uncountable hours expend in the Carceri related section of Bluecrater Academy go no wasted. JJ quickly identifies the creature in front as another type of more powerful demodand, a Kelubar.
JJ shots some arrows at his enemy.
Kythel's blast of light illuminates the streets as it flies over the roofs and strikes true blasting the creature of the Abyss.
Marigold brings fervor to the group.
Maxim creates invisible protection on himself while moving forward.
"Arrrrgh, you will pay this, you soon will all be prisoners!" the Kelubar protests for the light pain, and starts a short ritual.
Summoning more kelubars to his side.
The citizens below the demodand pile rubble in what seems some kind of rectangular structure.
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The Cleric takes off at a run, heading right for the rectangular structure. The Cleric has a sinking suspicion that this build up of rocks is no monument to evil but some sort of gateway. With his Magic Circle, the cleric is hoping his presence and his magic will stop the demodand from realizing his purpose...
Marigold's Round 2
Marigold yells above the noise.
Using a combination of flight and fervor she rises up and over the nearby building, zooming towards the demodand and Kythel, who is already way ahead of her. There, hovering over the building's roof, she tries firing a ray of light to disrupt the demodand's summoning...
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Blessing of Fervour: +30ft Movement.
Shield: +4 shield bonus to AC (negates Magic Missiles)
Maxim joins the others in urgently moving forward , pulling up being the cover of a well.
From his vantage he shifts again towards their foe, much more stealthily...
Spotting the flying demodand, JJ brings out his flaming bow, places an arrow and shots it with his dominance of all known about the Abyss inhabitants.
The shot flies precise and lodges deep into the creature's skin.
Shouting in pain, the demodand loses his concentration and the summoning ritual is effectively disrupted!
Kikinnin rushes forward with fervor, moving as fast as his dwarven legs make him able, and trying to figure out a way to reach the flaying creature. As such he swears at the Kelúbar trying to bring its attention.
Kythel's run in the air has him quickly in the midst of all the citizens who look at them and halt on their construction. They look at each other "Help us! It wants us to build a prison!"
Marigold shots a searing light that goes straight towards the chimney of the building in front. Noticing it in the last moment, the halfling takes heroic energies to modify the trajectory!
The ray bursts on the creature cracking its magical resistance and leaving a painful blistering mark behind.
Maxim moves forward stealthily, effectively misleading the demodand's eye that has more to worry than a simple shadow.
Unperturbed, JJ steps forward and starts putting arrows in the air with fervor.
With deadly expertise, JJ's arrows lodge deep into the creature one after the other. Although the fire bursting in them does nothing to hurt it, the young man's terrain dominance let's him strike true bypassing any damage reduction.
With the last arrow, the demodand shouts agonizingly and falls down crashing to the street dead.
With the demodand dead the citizens gather around to thank you.
At that same time you are surprised by a strong tremor. Despite you have been exposed to constant tremors, this one goes farther than anyone before. Suddenly there is a bubbling geiser in the central lake that goes up a hundred meters before going down once more. The water has the benefit of putting off some of the fires but the current uprising of frothy water is unusual.
Going up the raising waters you spot a large shadow quickly emerging from the lake.
Putting the bow back over his shoulder, JJ pats it affectionately.
"Guess some of that archery practice must have paid off. Eventually. "
Then, as the lake bubbles, his eyes goggle out.
"Oh my.... I think we have some other problems. Anyone know where those wands to keep the lake level down are kept for emergencies? Because it looks like we are going from fire to flood, without a break between them."
"I have a spell that will aid in controlling the water level, at least temporarily. But we will need to get closer to see exactly how and where I will need to direct that water best".
"I'm m-more worried about wh-whatever j-just came out of the l-lake..." Marigold remarks, eyes wide. "D-did you see it? S-some sort of sh-shadowy thing..."
Unable to help herself, she shivers.
"And there m-might be m-more...we n-need to hurry down th-there and s-see what's g-going on!"
As you hurry up your flood fears do not confirm, instead it becomes clear the nature of the menace is completely different altogether.
The waters of the central lake have been steaming and bubbling periodically for some time, but the current water is unusual. Suddenly, a massive pale gray shape surges out of the boiling water with a thunderous roar! The creature's face is that of a deep-sea fish with protruding red eyes and a gaping fanged maw. Horns protrude from its brow and chin, and a spinysail-like fin runs along its back. Its lower body resembles that of an octopus in that it has eight tentacles, but the creature also sports long, lobster-like legs. The front pair of these legs ends in massive talons. A pair of huge wings or flippers unfurls from the creature's sides, lifting it out of the water and into the air. The creature's flesh is blistered in places, obviously scalded by the boiling water, and it roars again as it approaches the shore and a large group of panicked citizens.
This powerful creature is the legendary monster of the lake that has long haunted the tales of Cauldron's fishermen and lakeside dwellers. The Morkoth has lived in the lake for hundreds of years, ever since it was originally called from the Outer Planes by the kopru to guard their deep underwater lairs.
Since then, the morkoth has lurked in the depths,expanding its vast network of spiraling tunnels and occasionally swimming to the surface on exceptionally dark nights to pluck one or two victims from midnight swimsor early morning fishing trips for its own debased amusement. Stories spread of the lake monster, but before today the beast has never surfaced in daylight.
As it reaches the surface, it is clear it has already taken some damage from the boiling water. It leaps clear of the water on wings never used to fly, but after a few flopping false starts it takes to the air with a fury and vents its rage on the hapless populace nearby.
By when you reach the area the creature has completed an invocation ritual vrocks are by its side.
Kythel and Maxim are the first one to react. The waters of the lake are bubbling, releasing many toxins nearby the lake border.
The tremors continue around, buildings collapsing to side and side of the street and ashes falling from far up the sky.
"ಓಹ್-ಇಲ್ಲ! ಇದು ಎಲ್-ಲೇಕ್ ದೈತ್ಯ! ಎಚ್-ಬಿಸಿನೀರು ಅದನ್ನು ಎಸ್-ಮೇಲ್ಮೈಗೆ ಬರುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡಿದೆ!" Marigold cries, dismayed at the sight of such a beast and also dismayed that its existence had, at least momentarily, slipped her mind.
"Oh n-no! It's the l-lake monster! The h-hot water's made it c-come up to the s-surface!"
Kythel stays away from the edge and focuses on what next, his options are becoming limited from a long day and a set of foes whose abilities often resist the most potent of magics.
"My Lady, strike down this creature with faith and flame!"
Kythel casts Flamestrike on the Flying Fish Monster.
Damage -
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As the aquatic aberration erupts from the water, Maxim's stogie is clenched as he utters an oath;
"Hell's Teeth! The Morkoth! Thought that darn thing was but a legend!"
As the words sit on his lips, he shifts forward - moving at his best pace towards the creatures as his pistol is loosed from holster;
Kythel fails to pierce the magic resistance of the fiendish aberration and something terrible happens, the spell is reflected, the column of fire instead descending upon Kythel's head and everyone around!
Maxim quickly moves away of the group readying his pistol for shooting and trying to find a distance for easier shooting.
Noticing the group after Kythel's attempt to break its magical defenses, the Morkoth shrieks and turns towards you flying closer. At that moment you notice a couple of wands snatched by its rear extremities. It waves one of them.
A lightning bolt springs from the wand covering all the way towards you, centered on Kythel and avoiding Maxim, who is far away and .
The summoned vrock charges in the air over Maxim.
And takes a smack on the dwarf's right shoulder.
Kythel's eyes go wide as his own magic is reflected back upon him!
Reflex save DC 19
Kythel manages to roll completely out of harms way.
Then a bolt streaks towards him from the same damnable creature.
Reflex Save DC 14
Once again the nimble Cleric and former scoundrel manages to evade any harm completely.
JJ looks in horror as the beast rises, and then in further horror as Kythen's spell not only doesn't affect it, but is reflected back on the group!
JJ backs away from the rest of the group, shooting at the horror as he wonders what is really *is* and what type of defences it might have.
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Marigold's Round 2
Marigold's eyes widen as a double barrage of fire and electricity come her way and she rolls to one side as best as she can, avoiding the brunt of both blasts. Still, she feels her skin bubble and blister from the heat and she grits her teeth as she tries to ignore the pain.
Immune to magic!? Or just resistant?
Wary of trying to bring her own magics to bear against the beast directly she instead grants her allies and herself another blessing of fervor...and then takes to the air to put some distance between herself and the others, rising up to a height of roughly 25 feet or so.
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Blessing of Fervour: +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves
As the Vrock pauses above him, Maxim eyes the demon with a baleful gaze as he shifts away from its direct threat
Drawing on his magic, he evokes a spell that might blight the creature...
"Glitterstof!"
Kythel air walks upwards approximately 20'.
With his allies having created some distance Kythel grabs a hold of one of his rods, and casts yet another spell at the Lake Dweller.
Empowered Searing Light - Ranged Attack - Damage
Break SR - .
Morkoths are not natural of the Abyss but come from the plane of water . They have DR/magic, resistance to acid, cold, fire and electricity and are immune to poison. Their lowest save is Fortitude.
They have spell resistance and spell reflection (spells that do not pierce the SR are reflected to the source as target).
They are able to hypnotise those 20' around and have access to some magic like darkness, poison, unholy aura/blight, contagion, blasphemy, horrid
wilting, summoning and destruction.
This one in particular has been legend in Cauldron for centuries and seems stronger than any other you have read before.
With great cunning and skill Kythel avoids the reflected flames and the lightning bolt!
JJ's arrow sinks deep in the Morkoth body, but the flames on the arrow seem not strong enough to hurt him.
Marigold brings fervor to those around, but Maxim is too far away from the others. The halfling raises in the air.
To avoid conceding attacks to the vrock, Maxim just steps back and throws a myriad of magical dust on the demon eyes!
Before the Vrock can react, the dust gets on its eyes and starts clawing around unable to see.
Using one of his empowering rods, Kythel creates a ray of powerful light that flies through the air, only to be reflected back despite its heroic efforts!
The ray is badly reflected but nevertheless it strikes Kythel.
Kikinnin does something heroic!
"હું જોઈ શકું છું તે કરતાં તમે વધુ પ્રાણી છો ... શું તમે જ મારી ટનલને વસવાટ કરી છે? વાંધો નથી કે તમે પણ મરી જશો અને શહેરના બધાને પણ બદલોમાં!" the Morkoth shouts at you just before shaking its fins and limbs.
"You are more than mere mortals I see... Are you the ones that have made my tunnels inhabitable? Doesn't matter you will die and all of the city in revenge too!"
All of you feel a horrid wilting while the few citizens that remain around wither and crack crumbling to dust!
Remembering where he saw the dwarf before he made its petty trick on him, the vrock flies in the air and claws forward, only to pass through the air over the blond one's hair.
Kythel takes the rebounded spell and this time he cannot evade.
He grits his teeth in frustration at the strength of the foe. He briefly considers Air Walking over the water but if his magic is to be cancelled he would fall and simply boil alive.
Fortitude save - Kythel resists the worst of the magics of the creature but he still is injured badly.
Gritting his teeth the Cleric looks at the creature and snarls, "Resist this!"
Kythel calls to the Lady, "Let the water be his undoing My Lady!" The Cauldron of boiling water leaps to the command of the Head of the Order of Pharasma in Cauldron!
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JJ feels the unholy power try to suck the water from his very cells.
But this is a lad who has travelled to the abyss, albeit a relatively friendly bit, and has walked the frozen tunnels of the spellweavers. This is the nephew of Sir Alex, and the great (x a few) grandson of Surabar Spellweaver. And he is not impressed.
A halo of blue light covers JJ's body as his celestial heritage tries to restore the liquids that have been sucked from him.
Then, bow in hand and the blessing of the lady of Occitpus upon him, JJ unleashes his own volley in return.
Arrow after arrow streak forward toward the legendary Morkoth. "Beware my friends, stay far apart. This creature has an array of unholy powers. Also it's foul lair has made it resistant to acid, cold, fire, electricity and immune to poison. Sonic attacks may be its only weakness."
He shouts at the Morkoth. "એવું લાગે છે કે મારા પૂર્વજોએ મને એક હાજર છોડી દીધો છે! કેટલું વિચારશીલ!"
Marigold's Round 2
"Aieee!"
Marigold utters a pained shriek as the morkoth's magic sucks the moisture from her being, leaving her noticeably weakened and injured. While Kythel attempts to turn the waters of the lake against the beast she does what she can to heal the wounds of her allies - those within reach - as well as herself.
______________
"Thanks Marigold!"
As the foul emanation ripples o'er all, Maxim manages to avoid the worst, before opportunely ducking to make the Vrock miss also!
"Hell's Teeth! Feel sundered to the bone!"
From under the creature he levels his pistol, imbuing it with arcane energy and pulls the trigger - emptying both barrels into the creature!
He shifts backward again and reloads one barrel with an alchemical bullet
Unable to damage it directly, Kythel rises his hands to focus in the waters of the caldera that so many times have caused trouble in Cauldron. The bubbling liquid suddenly starts to raise, spilling water out of the lake limits but also engulfing the Morkoth in the process!
Despite its fire resistance the bubbling water starts to cook the Morkoth!
JJ's volley of arrows is accurate, but two of them are deflected by the water that covers the Morkoth up the chest.
Marigold issues a healing to everyone 30' away of each other, which excludes Maxim who is farther away. Your wounds close quickly recovering part of the damage.
Enduring part of the horrid wilting, Maxim unloads his gun in the blinded vrock, striking directly on the wings! Despite it resists a bit of the damage, the creature is badly affected, with the wings unable to fly easily. The dwarf steps back and reloads one barrel.
Unable to easily reach the flying Morkoth, Kikinnin moves forward, in between the group and Maxim, and channels energy trying to help the dwarf.
The Morkoth takes a big breath inside the water, then emerges out of the waters and growls complaining "હું તમારા પૂર્વજની ચિંતા કરતો નથી, તમે દેવદૂત લોહીની ઝલક અનુભવો છો અને હવે તેની કિંમત ચૂકવશો!"
Flying forward the large creature riskily sets itself in the middle of combat, just between all of you, and emits a terrible blasphemy shout that sounds terribly to your ears!
Between being blinded and having its wings injured, the vrock cannot fly properly, and lands, unable to find Maxim. But rubbing its eyes, it finally recovers sight.
JJ shudders as the Mighty Morkoth utters words too foul for any to hear.
And stands stunned, his angelic blood no defence again such foulness.
Kythel hears the unspeakable abyssal words
but the Cleric has a past, a dark past that such does not shock his conscience all that much...
...still, the power of the magic causes the Cleric to pause for a brief moment.
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Marigold blinks as the morkoth's evil, blasphemous words wash over her with no effect...but then she realizes that JJ isn't faring so well. She attempts to grant her big brother a bit of her own halfling luck to resist the worst of the beast's magic...
At the Morketh's foul bellow, Maxim manages to resist the effect, his eyes narrow as his sparring partner the Vrock lands nearby.
With a curse he notes it no longer seems blind;
"Skit... Time is o' the essence... Oorverdovende!"
He then shifts backward once again and reloads the remaining barrel with an alchemical cartridge
Marigold's presence is a clear source of luck for JJ. For strange reasons, only remotely understood to halflings, the spell is not that terrible with the young man, who only results paralyzed one round.
Despite you all resist the worst of the blasphemy, still you get stuck for some seconds trying to recompose yourselves from such foul words.
Except for Marigold, whose smoking eye seems to absorb all the evilness of the blasphemy and can counterattack immediately.
Marigold's Round 3
Oh man, this thing's magic is powerful!
It's a risky gamble but Marigold begins a casting of her own in an attempt to silence the morkoth's magics...
______________
Marigold pierces the spell protection, but the Morkoth resists and persists doing strange noises.
Bothered, the abyssal fish looks at Marigold ant then a cold, cloying miasma of greasy darkness materializes taking her and the paralyzed JJ, Kythel and Kikinnin.
The vrock, with his sight recovered, flies over to reach Maxim. Unable to just coup-de-grace after this flight, it attempts to strike at the dwarf with its claws.
Maxim steps back and blasts the vrock with an ear piercing shout that only the demon listens. Despite bleeding on its ears, the vrock continues moving towards the dwarf.
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Marigold's Round 4
It takes Marigold another moment to realize that the cold miasma that blankets the area doesn't seem to harm her. She's not entirely sure why but she suspects that her smoking eye might have something to do with it. And if she had more time to dwell on it she might have some mixed feelings about the whole thing but those can wait - now is the time for action.
Having been unable to silence the morkoth Marigold turns her attention to something she can do - help get rid of the vrock. She conjures a spiritual ally and attempts to direct it against the demon...
...and it seems to work as the ally cracks a ghostly whip!
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As further foulness descends from the flying monstrosity, JJ does his best to keep his sanity intact. Somewhere in his mind he screams as his body refuses to respond to his commands. But there too is a shining light. Bright, coming towards him.
The horrors all around shrink back as the light approaches, growing brighter the nearer it comes.
Then Marigold is at his side, and suddenly the world returns and JJ finds his body his to control again.
"You'll pay for that, legend of Cauldron or no. I think it is time there were some new legends written."
Another barrage of arrows streaks toward the flying terror, trailing streams of fire through the air as they go.
Ignoring the effects of the miasma, Marigold conjures her ally, who whips the vrock, the force weapon bypassing all resistance and severely wounding the demon.
JJ responds the legendary fish putting a fervent volley of arrows in the air that sink deeply in the creature's flesh, signing this way the young man's own legend.
Feeling overwhelmed, even among his allies now friends, Kikinnin watches in horror as the lake explodes with another blasphemy within the city. He utters a prayer to Abadar, a constant litany of steadying his mind, which moves from the great god to a more personal name- Pocca. His Axe glows anew, and his eyes alight upon the blade now infused with the strength and spirit of his Far. It gives him enough granite beneath his feet to move swiftly, using miss Marigold's blessing to bully forward, no matter what the fierce foe ahead.
AC = 35/15/34 (Blessing of Fervor)
HP = 151/172
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel(Divine Bond- Holy and Defending)
Condition(s) = Blessing of Fervor, Divine Bond
Keeping close to Maxim, Kikinnin finally shrugs off all the punishing magics, from all directions, and charges the only target he has within his reach, the vrock.
As his allies join the fight against the Vrock, Maxim levels his pistol now loaded pistol at the demon, imbuing it with arcane energy and pulls the trigger - emptying both barrels into it...
Then once again moves a step backward
With a brilliant charge, Kikinnin charges forward, his axe shinning with the spirit of his father Pocca. The weapon slices through the demon's body, just by the time Maxim delivers the whole powder of his pistol, sending the vrock to the deepness of forgetness between both dwarves.
Kythel does something heroic!
Badly injured and with his lair boiling, the morkoth decides it is time to look for a more welcoming home, but before taking flight, it looks with ill intentions to the group's archer and a terrible destruction bolt descends over JJ trying to ensure his free escape.
Then, the morkoth resigns trying to fly away before losing its breath "Ooooorgh!"
Marigold's Round 5
No! We can't let it get away!
Marigold directs her spiritual ally after the retreating morkoth and it complies, or at least attempts to...
...while she herself flings a burst of fire at the beast!
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As the holy of unholy energy streaks toward JJ he thinks, oddly, of Celest. The bolt strikes, and for a while it feels as if his body is being flayed. The raw force of the abyss itself pulling, tugging, tearing at him, trying to claim him for its own. A howl of unimaginable pain tears itself from his lips.
However deep within him, the pool of blue celestial light remains. As flesh is torn asunder, it swells out, replacing, repairing and sustaining. Outside the storm scours, but inside the pool replenish.
Even the abyss his its limits, and after a seeming eternity JJ opens his eyes, battered, bruised, but unconquered.
"You can give it out... but can you take ?" he snarls at the legendary creature, his bow singing its own revenge.
Like if Occipitus itself was falling over the Morkoth, Marigold creates a shower of fire upon the legendary fish, who only survives thanks to its fire resistance.
After the most terrifying shout of pain of all times, JJ seems to be fantastically recovered by celestial healing. The walker of planes sends his own volley of deadly arrows. One after another, the four sink inside the already beaten and burned body of the flying fish. There is no way back. The demon hunter has called his legendary prey.
With wings teared and internal insurmountable damage, the Morkoth collapses falling over the lake side pavilion and breaking down the structure where just some months ago the party has enjoyed more happy moments.
A steam vent opens in the middle of the avenue, forcing you to move fast and away. The area around the lake is well evacuated already but you still can see a large group of people climbing up the streets of the caldera to the southeast.
With a loud crack the ground starts to open again in your position, while the swirling black cloud in the sky keeps roiling ominously over Cauldron.
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"Surely there cannot be more, with the mighty Morkoth defeated?" cries JJ in distress.
"Cauldron can't take much more of this. Well, to be honest, I'm not sure it was really been able to take even this much.."
He looks around, bodies scattered by the Morkoths foul extra-planar connections and powers. "So Many Dead."
Shaking his head. "We've failed."
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"N-no! That's n-no way to talk," Marigold breaks in as she quickly grants the group another burst of healing. "The p-people we've s-saved wouldn't th-think that we've f-failed!"
Still, in another way, she understands JJ's despair. She looks around as the earth continues to claim what the fires haven't. The entire city. Home, for most of them. Her home. How many people like her had never known anywhere else?
"C-come on...we n-need to keep m-moving..."
We can mourn later.
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Casting his eyes skyward Maxim glares at the ominous vortex;
"Hell's Teeth an' buckets o' fire! Ground rent below us, sky above threatening... What goddarn next..."
He shakes his head, then looks to JJ;
"Now then Surabar. Don't you let that head drop. Faith an' grit will get us through this. We save who we can and honour them we can't."
The gun-mage looks to his bror;
"Håll koll på pojkebror. Han är ett hjärta av guld, men jag är rädd att om han sjunker, skulle vi alla kunna."
"Keep an eye on the lad brother. He's a heart of gold, but I fear if he sinks, then we all could."
Maxim pauses with a hard smile, before moving along with Marigold.
"Powerful as we may becoming, even we cannot stop such destruction but we can serve a reckoning on those who would cause so much damage".
Marigold focuses her magic on the group healing some of the wounds before encouraging the party for another last effort to ensure the safety of the last refugees.
You start to make your way up to the east gate climbing from Lava Avenue to Magma Avenue, and trying to reach Obsidian Avenue where people is accumulating, trying to go through the cracked gates.
Another tremor sends many people to the ground with a massive shout of fear and forces yourselves to balance in the ground.
At the extreme of your vision, you spot some huge figure in the air. When you look in that direction, you only see a group of clouds suddenly displaced by a local wind.
A couple more demodands fall from the air hitting the ground hard and dying in a mass of meat and blood. A third one hits on a market stall and survives the travel, but you soon give the injured creature an end.
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JJ stays on his feet, riding the waves in the earth as he did some of the occasional waves in the Cauldron lake as a smaller child. As he does so, his eyes look upward, whether through chance, or maybe for hope when the times are bleak.
He blinks, looking hard again, and then shakes his head. "For a moment, just a moment, it looked as if there was some massive figure up there... but it is just clouds."
He takes a deep breath and nods to Maxim. "True enough, but .."
He looks at a close by fallen figure. "That was Max.. He was learning to be a candle maker. Makes me wonder what will light our lives in the future. You know. So many fallen."
"H-huh...I th-thought the same thing but you're r-right...j-just clouds," Marigold frowns as she squints up at the dark sky. She shakes her head.
Jumping at shadows and clouds...
In response to JJ's words she remains largely silent save for giving his arm a reassuring squeeze.