JJ takes a careful step sideways, trying to slowly get around the back of the mighty wyrm. As he does so, the youth brings Alakast around and starts to thwack the fell beast as fast as he can.
Though if he is anything like that previous one, I'm thinking it'll be little more than a gnat biting at me.
Accepting the blessing of the maiden of graves, JJ does his best to bring MoltenWing to its own one as his motions begin to blur.
Taking the bonus for extra attack this round, we'll see how hard Molten wing is to actually hurt. I think I may be ending up doing the +2 to hit all too soon.
Adding +2d6 damage as I suspect it is evil, if it is just neutral, then reduce damage.
I'll roll a set of miss chances. Just work through them, as I'm not sure how many of the attacks have the potential of hitting.
If one is a miss, take the following one as a blindfighting second chance roll..
- automiss
- but hits due to blindfighting
- automiss
- but hits due to blindfighting
- automiss
but hits due to blindfighting
I doubt the AC 20/24 ones have even a chance of hitting.
Kythel reaches into his backpack and pulls one of his scrolls and casts the mighty Mass Heal curing a significant amount of damage to his allies!
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Marigold's Round 2
"Aiiieee!"
Marigold shrieks with pain as she's doused in lava breath, which clings and continues to burn and burn! Still, she powers through the pain and attempts to call down the cold void of space against the mighty Moltenwing!
You call upon the frigid depths of outer space to bring a terrible chill to your enemies. As a standard action, one target within 30 feet is cloaked in the void and takes 1d6 points of cold damage per level. A successful Fortitude save halves this damage. At 10th level, the interstellar void is so extreme that enemies who fail their saving throw are fatigued. At 15th level, creatures who fail their save are exhausted and stunned for 1 round. You can use this ability once per day plus one additional time per day at 10th level.
______________
Being an extraplanar dragon of fire, JJ's dominance of the plane of fire kicks in boosting his attacks! Thanks to that and his training with that he cannot see, he smashes the dragon's left wing with his first attack. The other ones fail to pierce the creatures' tough hide.
As he strikes, the JJ discovers the body is extremely hot and burns him.
Marigold calls upon the frigid depths of outer space to bring a terrible chill on Moltenwing. The dragon endures the damage, but cannot evade it and suffers under the frost, although less than she expected due to the potent warmth of his body.
Kythel produces a scroll and reads it healing everyone at 30' of each other, that is, everyone except for JJ.
Kikinnin does something heroic!
"Grrr! Wizards of the void!" ignoring JJ , Moltenwing flies over to attack Marigold with a greater vital strike bite!
The dragon snaps her in his teeth with mighty strength and burns her in the heat of his mouth.
The lava still over Juraan, Marigold and Kikinnin keep burning them!
Frowning, and with clenched teeth, this time Juraan manages to cast communal resist energy against fire, touching himself, then, Maxim and reaching out for Marigold, whom he touches risking the dragon's attention.
Juraan takes a terrible bite, but now, the group is better prepared to survive the heat of the magma, and he smiles.
Marigold's Round 3
Marigold grits her teeth and staggers back a step from Moltenwing, adopting a defensive position as she attempts to cast a healing spell to mend herself and Juraan...
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From pure gut reaction to laying his eyes on the dragon, Kikinnin marks the creature for Abadar's righteous ire. Nothing good to be found within the halls of the Fiery Sanctum, he's quite confident in that.
Kikinnin watches JJ engage the monster in draconic tongue, and fails to understand the moment when hostilities prove inevitable. His chin hairs prickle a little, but the black beard shrugs off the part of his reptile brain which would encourage him to flee in fear.
He allows himself to be whisked to proximity, though he wonders how quickly he'd have run through the air to flank the foe.
AC = 35/15/34 (BoF)
HP = 176/184
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel (Holy +1)
Condition(s) = divine bond 13 min, circle vs evil 128 min, air walk 128 min, resist energy (fire 30) 140 min, Blessing of Fervor, Smite Evil on Moltenwing
Smite Evil = 6/7
"Ah, I see you came with friends to steal Moltenwing's hoard!"
Kikinnin's not sure he likes hearing the common tongue, now that Moltenwing speaks it. He does, however, shoot Maxim a questioning look, as the dragon mentions a hoard.
"Kan gjøre opp for hamstringen vi ikke fant fra den siste draken. Kanskje den er gjemt bak gullveven?"
"Might make up for the hoard we failed to find from the last drak. Maybe it's tucked behind the gold weave?"
The black beard considers the burning breath of the beast, glad of Juraan's protections. He decides to introduce Eldgammel to the base of Moltenwing's impressive neck. He also decides to ask Abadar for an immediate protection against an unnecessary tail slap injury.
Kikinnin bellows at the beast. "To me, you dumb lizard. Don't turn your craggy back on me and JJ."
Should the black beard prove close enough to erupt with a series of slashes, he does so, proving his god's might in the dragon's hide.
Maxim flashes a hard grin at Kikinnin's words and wryly responds:
"Nu din snakkende bror! Lad os håbe, at wyrmens guld ikke er smeltet som Surabars hjerte ved den første lidenskabshitte!"
"Now your talking brother! Let us hope the wyrm's gold has not melted like Surabar's heart at the first heat of passion!"
Bolstered by Juraan's magics, the gun-mage keeps his pistol trained on the drake's image and consumes some of his spell casting to enchant one of the barrels
One of Smaug's barrels becomes covered in hoar frost and the blond beard draws a bead on their draconic foe once again and fires a frigid blast!
+
Scowling as the shot fails to hit the mark, the gun-mage calmly reloads
Moltenwing snaps at Kikinnin as he approaches in his attack.
The dragon bites the dwarf just by the time Kikinnin swings at the displaced image!
Kikinnin swings multiple times with his axe, but only manages to connect once , but what a time! Moltenwing rears shrieking in pain as the dwarf opens a clean cut on the beast's left leg!
Maxim enchants his gun, but his well aimed bullet strikes the displaced image of the dragon!
Kythel sees that his allies are still a bit injured and pours more healing magics into them and himself with a Quickened Channel - -
He then clutches his Pearl to recall a spell he believes may assist in defeating the Beast -
JJ profits the dragon took his attack on Juraan and closes up, charging in the air to strike with fervor!
The young man strikes heavily on Moltenwing's tail, seeing through thanks to his training, but also burning himself on the creature's overheat.
Kythel recalls dispel magic using another pearl of power, and then channels healing into the party.
"You want my attention insolent dwarf? Great, you are no more than an appetizer to me!" enraged in response, the dragon attacks the dangerous dwarf, and uses his wings and tail to attack JJ at his back.
The dragon bites Kikinnin, but a sacred force deflects the claws as they are coming for him.
JJ has a tougher time, as the dragon mauls on him with wings and tail!
Marigold's Round 4
Marigold is quick to fall back another pace and adopts a defensive position once more as she calls out another prayer to Sarenrae, to further bolster herself and her allies!
______________
The Cleric attempts to Dispel the Displacement protecting the Dragon! "My Lady, aid us in bringing down this Terrors defenses!"
Targeted Dispel -
Dispel Magic Moltenwing SR
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As the dragon turns on him, JJ slows down his slew of attacks a little, concentrating on accuracy and brute damage more than sheer volume of blows.
"Stop" <whack>
"Hurting" <Whack>
"My" <whack>
"Friends!" <whack>
Then, realizing he is not in a great state himself, he adds.
"And me."
As he sees his last shot stymied by the drakes displacement, Maxim curses and mulls a rethink...
"Hell's Teeth! Darned wyrm is a canny one... But this mage is cannier..."
He once again burns some of his spellcasting energy
This special ability can only be placed on ranged weapons. A seeking weapon veers toward its target, negating any miss chances that would otherwise apply, such as from concealment. The wielder still has to aim the weapon at the right square. Arrows mistakenly shot into an empty space, for example, do not veer and hit invisible enemies, even if they are nearby.
The gun-mage then plugs the barrel with an alchemical cartridge , levels and fires!
Marigold's prayer pierces through the dragons resistance, cursing him and bolstering the Watchers.
Kythel's dispel fails to bring down the pesky displacement.
Focusing his strength, JJ manages to crack the dragon's tough skin once with Alakast!
Maxim loads his gun with more magic, and his bullet flies seeking for Moltenwing's true form ignoring the illusion. The bullet sinks on his body freezing on the touch, the dragon grimaces displeased.
Juraan steps back and casts an intensified elemental burning hands on the dragon.
But the dragon's magics protect him!
Kikinnin does something heroic!
"You think you can end my legend? Ha! I will beat you down and add your painful weapons to my hoard!" the dragon exclaims while he continues attacking at front to Kikinnin and at back to JJ.
The dwarf blocks two of the attacks, thanks to Abadar's blessings, but the jaws once more bite at him.
Meanwhile JJ tries to dodge the wings and tail.
And although a jump in the air makes him past the tail, the wings castigate him down with a splat!
Blue light starts to stream from JJ as the dragon inflicted wounds begin to mount up.
Then, with the focus provided by the lady of graves he continues to try and beat on the dragon. "You allied yourself with the wrong group this time." he mutters.
However the dragons defences continue to thwart him most of the time.
AC = 37/17/36 (Smite Against Moltenwing)
HP = 164/184
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel (Holy +1)
Condition(s) = divine bond 13 min, circle vs evil 128 min, air walk 128 min, resist energy (fire 30) 140 min, Blessing of Fervor, Smite Evil on Moltenwing, Prayer
Smite Evil = 6/7
Kikinnin bites the inside of his cheek unintentionally, as the drak manages a hefty bite of its own. He doesn't speak further, as long as he can deflect a number of the firebeast's attacks. He presses into further cuts, glad for the boy's flanking, and Abadar's reinforcements.
edit:
When Moltenwing mangles him with his mouth again, Kikinnin decides to err on the side of caution, and restore a bit of his own well being, courtesy of Abadar's swift action.
Rejuvenated, the black beard prays silently to Abadar above that His work be done, down below.
Kikinnin begins to wonder which will run out first- his own strength swinging the glowing axe, or Moltenwing taking off, once it realizes it's in mortal danger...
JJ sidesteps in the air to flank the dragon with Kikinnin while his wounds heal up thanks to his angelic blood. Swinging Alakast fervorously the young man strikes once through the illusion, breaking a couple ribs on the dragon.
Kikinnin's heals as well through his divine connection, slicing once hard on the dragon's wing, then stepping up while the beast is distracted by JJ's attack, and boosted to attack once more by the blessing of fervor, the dwarf just cuts through the neck of the dragon!
Moltenwing's proud head, several hundred years large, falls through the air striking on the basalt ground of the caves.
As the dragon falls, so does his severed neck, and from it you see fall a cloak the dragon was dressing as a means of collar. He also wears a magical amulet and a couple rings on his claws.
magical amulet
cloak of resistance +3 (worn rolled up as a collar)
ring of protection +3
ring of evasion
Kythel grimaces as his spell fails to rid the Watchers f the Dragon's defensive magics.
As the Dragon's attacks take their toll on his allies, Kythel considers what to do next, how injured is everyone? Is this a battle that can be won? Then, suddenly, it is over and the Watchers taste victory once again...
He shakes his head, "Incredible!"
Kikinnin sees the glow of Eldgammel wink out, as it passes into the drak's neck, only to emerge on the other side, bright as can be. He spares a brief moment to make sure a last claw or tail slap is not incoming, before he turns his back on the dead Moltenwing, and strides over to the gold weaved curtain.
The black beard pulls the curtain. As big as it is, he only wraps himself with it and walks an opening for the others to take a look for themselves, while he holds it back.
"Alright, Bror. Tell us what you see."
Maxim picks o'er the mighty wyrm's belongings with a whistle of appreciation;
"Hell's Teeth! Quite the haul the drake had! Amulet is one o' Mighty Fists. Rest is Ring o' Protection, Cloak o' Resistance an'... a Ring o' Evasion. Explains why the scaley bugger was so canny at avoidin' our attacks an' such."
At his Bror's behest he approaches the golden curtain, eyes shifting and taking it what lies beyond...
It has been a while Maxim has been waiting the opportunity to put his hands on a dragon's hoard, and now, after Kikinnin's hands put the curtain away, he can makes his desires true.
Behind the massive tapestry is Moltenwing's hoard chamber. He has amassed an impressive amount of treasure. Golden coins, dotted by platinum and all sorts of bright gems, are piled against the walls of the chambers. The gold is coined with ancient faces nowadays forgotten, but the gold feels real and worthy to the expert dwarven teeth.
Amassed in total, there are 2,411 gold pieces, 339 platinum ones, 32 assorted gems worth a total of 2,762 gp, a silver hand mirror (50 gp),an oaken hairbrush inlaid with jade (60gp), a green dragon-skin rug (500 gp),a pair of platinum bracers (600 gp each), a silver candelabra (700gp), a silk tapestry depicting the constellations, with diamonds set as stars (1,200 gp), a potion of lesser restoration, an arcane scroll of charm person, knock, and ray of enfeeblement, a golem bane scarab, a magical headband, a magic wand, and a magical collar.
headband of Charisma +4
wand of bull's strength (24 charges)
This must be the dispersal collar the Cagewrights built as a safety measure against catastrophe should the Tree of Shackled Souls fail. According to Kravichack this should be able to stop the ritual if hanged from the tree branches.
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Maxim pauses, almost rocking on his heels at the vista of value...
"God's be darned. Think I done died an' gone to the Boneyard..."
Glit-drunk, the dwarf lets coins run through his calloused hands as he moves frantically from one treasure to the next...
"A Headband o' Charisma. Most potent!"
Wand o' Bulls Strength!"
... An this. One o' them collars that yappy corpse told us about. Could stop the ritual if hung from the Tree O' Shackled Souls."
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"Wow!" says JJ at Kikinnin's felling of the mighty moltenwing. "That was impressive. Biggest rat you're ever likely to catch eh?" he jokes with Kikinnin.
Still, deep inside there is a small feeling of loss. That such a mighty beast had fallen strikes within the lad in an unexpected way. Sure, Moltenwing was evil and self centered. Sure he would have roasted the Watchers without a second thought, and probably had done so to other groups in the past. But he was a creature of the world, and thus, JJ feels its loss.
When Maxim pulls aside the curtain to reveal the dragon hoard, his vocabulary is not improved in the slightest "Wow!"
He eyes up the candelabra and tapestry, the rub and the hairbrush with particular interest. "Sara would love these!" he adds with perhaps misplaced enthusiasm.
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"He h-had a rug m-made from another d-dragon's hide?" Marigold asks when she finally finds her own voice again. "I'm n-not sure if I'm im-p-pressed or disgusted..."
After another awkward pause, she clears her throat. "W-well, I guess there's n-no way to go b-but back to the n-north...once we're r-ready to go, I mean."
______________
Once the group has hoarded the ancient dragon's hoard, Juraan offers Maxim a fly spell, knowing Marigold can fly herself and Kythel can climb through the walls.
For his own way back, the professor smiles and you spot something moving at his back. Suddenly a couple of membranous dragon's wings extend and he starts to flap them, crossing the lava lake.
The group makes it then back to the previous area. A decision stands forward, right or left?
You notice there are transit steps through the northern wall.
As the team advances up the passage JJ stops and points to the wall. Quietly he whispers.
"Well, look here. Someone goes through this wall."
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"That was impressive. Biggest rat you're ever likely to catch eh?"
Kikinnin snorts. "Rats were never so proud. I'd go so far to say they're smarter than the drak. Once they recognize a cut at their side, they try and find the nearest exit hole." The black beard points at the southern wall of the cavern. "You think we would have lost him there, had he turned tail?"
Kikinnin listens intently as Maxim describes the dragon hoard. "Who's gonna hold onto the Collar, then?" He shoots JJ a steady stare. "You're quick, and hard to catch once you decide you don't want to be caught. Let's just hope the Cagewrights don't have ample bosoms."
The black beard grunts when he spies Juraan grow a set of wings, though he doesn't offer his opinion. Not now, at least. His hands feel tighter in the moment, and he's itching to get through more of the Fiery Rectum.
Before he decides which way to go, he moves up the corridor, to take in the sights, both left and right.
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"H-here, before we g-go much f-further..."
Marigold channels more healing spells outward, completely mending the rest of the group's wounds.
"Th-there, that's b-better. Now, l-let's get moving."
When JJ suddenly halts and points out that someone's been moving through what seems to be a normal rock wall, the halfling pauses and rubs at her eyes.
"M-maybe there's an illusion th-there?"
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"Well, the one that did... is not more" notes JJ with a grin on his face.
"Not giving any promises if they have recruited another succubis though..." he adds without too much irony.
He does however take the collar and secures it.
Marigold touches the wall, but it seems pretty solid.
You find a cleverly concealed action point where the wall can be forced to turn. Likely moving the two people in front just to the other side.
Kikinnin looks around and sees a corridor to the east, finishing in a door, and another room in perfect darkness to the west, from where a strong odor comes.
This chamber reeks of a strong, acrid odor. A pale green ichor coats the floor in the chamber beyond, and a strange, warped furniture can be seen among the room's contents. A rack has been attached to the far wall, and stretched out on it are the burned and disfigured remains of at least seven humanoids, although an exact number is difficult to ascertain given the condition of the corpses.
"H-huh...or m-maybe not? It s-seems pretty s-solid..." Marigold remarks after running her hand over the wall. She still has a faint doubt niggling at the back of her mind but the wall feels quite real under her palm.
"Or maybe I was wrong... but look... they do go right up to it."
The lad shakes his head. "Maybe they teleport from here?"
When he peers into the goo covered chamber, his first thought is "More demons.." but after his eyes land on the torture equipment he turns almost as green as the floor.
"Anyone recognize them?" he asks, sadly.
"N-not from b-back here," Marigold replies with a sad shake of her head. Willing herself to levitate, she moves forward towards the chamber and stops just at the entrance to peer around more closely.
Providing there aren't any immediate or apparent dangers, she tries to scan what she can reach of the room for magical auras. More than anything though, she'd really love to know what the ooze on the floor is!
______________
Not seeing how people moved past the wall despite touching it, Marigold and JJ move on to the next room.
The halfling focuses on her detect magic orison and after a few seconds she finds out there are two faint magical auras in the middle of the room.
Illusion school auras.
"H-huh...I'm s-seeing two illusion auras from r-right there in the m-middle of the r-room," Marigold finally reports after studying the room for a few moments. As before, she tries to will her mind to pierce through any illusions that might be laid over the chamber...
...though she also readies to toss a pebble into the room if it doesn't seem to change anything.
Maxim pauses, trusting Marigold's instincts but not yet disbelieving his own eyes...
The gun-mage slowly draws his pistol as he eyes the room warily;
"Question is what them there illusions, iffin' that's what they indeed is, what purpose they servin'? Bait or distraction from the real threat?"
As Marigold explains what is she sensing and throws the pebble, the auras start to move and the exact location is lost, she only able to tell there is still magic around.
Trying strongly to disbelief the illusion, to her surprise, out of the air at the center of the room appears an acid arrow that travels through in her direction.
A big figure, fully covered in lime appears.
Just at that time another one materializes while an acid fog appears just around you too.
The emanation surrounds the corner, hitting everyone, obscuring your vision and making it difficult to move forward.
Juraan seems to endure well the acid damage. You others manage to react before the creatures come up with more.
The creatures smell horribly.
These are kebular demodands. Outsiders (evil, extraplanar), able to fly. They have immunity to acid, cold, fire and poison, Spell Resistance, Damage Reduction against non magical weapons, and a strong and bad smell.
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JJ dashes forward, striking out at the red demon with the ever-ready Alakast!
Alakast flashes with holy light as it smashes into the demon with the full force of the heavens behind it.
"These are These are kebular demodands. " he calls out.
"Immune to acid, cold, fire and poison, and highly resistant to spells too. Don't invite them to a dinner party."
Marigold's Round 1
Marigold hisses with pain and surprise as the acid arrow slams into her and begins to burn; the acid fog that then springs up around them all is just adding insult to injury. She quickly pushes forward through the soup-thick cloud and emerges just outside of it.
But as she does, she succumbs to the foul stench wafting off one of them!
______________
Kythel will force his way forward through the fog, lacking line of sight on the foes.
AC = 33/13/32
HP = 177/184
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel +1 Holy
Condition(s) = divine bond 13 min, circle vs evil 128 min, air walk 128 min, resist energy (fire 30) 140 min, Prayer
Smite Evil = 6/7
Kikinnin doesn't take kindly to the cloud, bulling himself forward until he clears the obstruction, only to run into the wall directly in his path.
"What else can they do?" Kikinnin blinks his eyes clear, debating which one he's gonna rush next.
JJ resists the acid and strides out of the cloud, his boots magically speeding him as he makes his way to the first demodand which the young man strikes with mighty power. Alakast shines recognizing its enemy!
Marigold barely makes it out of the cloud to start feeling bad about the suffocating stench of the creatures.
Kythel navigates the cloud with certain difficulty.
Kikinnin runs to get out the cloud, reaching the wall. The stench of the creatures are not such a problem for him, used as he is to clean rats nests.
The acid keeps injuring those inside the cloud.
While Marigold feels the acid carrying over on her.
The kelubar demodand turns back on JJ "પ્રતિકાર ન કરો, ટૂંક સમયમાં આ વિમાન આપણી જેલ પણ બની જશે!"
The young man dodges once and twice, but the kelubar finally manages to bite his shoulder, the acidic slime on its mouth burning his skin.
"Do not resist, this plane will soon be our prison too!"
The other kelubar creates another cloud. This time over the demodands themselves.
The acidic atmosphere burns Kikinnin and Marigold. JJ endures it while the demodands seem comfortable on it.
JJ winces as the teeth bite home, Alakast tearing into the demon. For once he doesn't feel inclined to banter in the creatures own lanauge.
"Time to go back to your own prison. This plane will never be yours."
"This world is nothing but pain for your kind. Go back home."
Maxim presses through the fog, pistol drawn
Kythekl continues to push forward through the fog towards these foes... as he cannot see allies nor enemies, he reserves his strength for what lies ahead.
AC = 33/13/32
HP = 173/184
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel +1 Holy
Condition(s) = divine bond 13 min, circle vs evil 128 min, air walk 128 min, resist energy (fire 30) 140 min, Prayer
Smite Evil = 6/7
Kikinnin tries to remember where one of the black wings was, before the second bank of blindness did its best to hide them. He hoofs it, bringing his axe over his shoulder, hoping to plant it deep in the first thing he finds in the fog. Hopefully not JJ... He does pull his punch, not wanting to inadvertently hit the boy.