"I'm sick", the nymph roars in a strangely hoarse voice. "Can you cure me? It will take powerful magic."
She catches a glimpse of Megan, who's snuck up behind you. "You! Go away, you hellspawn! This is all your fault?"
Megan snaps: "How could it be my fault? I was born this way, remember? Maybe it is you who shouldn't have put out to every handsome barbarian who happened to pass by!"
The nymph gasps and lapses into incoherence, screaming insults indiscriminately in Sylvan and Common. It is hard to tell if they are meant for Megan or for you.
In a short while something starts moving under the nymph's skin. It looks like some sort of parasite is trying to edge its way out. Then another appears, and yet another.
Suddenly the poor shuddering creature is virtually ripped apart into a mass of writhing tentacles and gaping maws.
"Mother!" Megan screams. "This is all your fault!"
Now roll for initiative.
"I'm sick", the nymph roars in a strangely hoarse voice. "Can you cure me? It will take powerful magic."
She catches a glimpse of Megan, who's snuck up behind you. "You! Go away, you hellspawn! This is all your fault?"
Megan snaps: "How could it be my fault? I was born this way, remember? Maybe it is you who shouldn't have put out to every handsome barbarian who happened to pass by!"
The nymph gasps and lapses into incoherence, screaming insults indiscriminately in Sylvan and Common. It is hard to tell if they are meant for Megan or for you.
In a short while something starts moving under the nymph's skin. It looks like some sort of parasite is trying to edge its way out. Then another appears, and yet another.
Suddenly the poor shuddering creature is virtually ripped apart into a mass of writhing tentacles and gaping maws.
"Mother!" Megan screams. "This is all your fault!"
Now roll for initiative.
"I don't think my healer's kit is going to be able to help with this..." a shocked Feres comments as said kit drops from his nerveless fingers.
init
"What?? How is this our fault?"
Bubba is about to say something, then stops short as the nymph transforms.
What is left of the nymph goes on 9 and Megan on 15 (after Valgrim), so it's quite possible that Vulcan goes first. Valgrim (and possibly Vulcan) are up, then Megan.
In case you are wondering what you are fighting:
Knowledge (planes) 17:
Valgrim moves to Q28, drawing his greataxe as he does so. "I know not what ye are beastie, but you gots to go!"
Init
"Here we go!" Bebba begins to orate.
Megan hisses in anger. Her eyes flash red and Valgrim's armor is starting to feel a bit uncomfortable.
Vulcan, Bubba and Vug Vang are up, then the monster, then Feres and Valgrim.
"Wait, Megan! Don't hurt us! This thing is no longer your mother, I f-fear," Vug pleads hopelessly. "Don't kill the poor f-forlarren, guys..."
Meanwhile, she takes out a stink bomb and catches the writhing mass of tentacles in the smelly cloud while avoiding Valgrim.
, 5 splash damage (Ref DC 15 for 1/2) + nausea (Fort DC 15 negates)
Spinning Vulcan sees Megan casting and spits an arcan phrase himself, his hand crackling with electrical energy as he rushes toward her, delivering a shocking punch to the snarling woman's face.
Megan cringes under the blow as the monster thrashes helplessly, distracted by the fumes from Vug's bomb.
Valgrim and Feres are up, then Megan.
"Please don't kill Megan! It's not her f-fault that she's going crazy. Maybe we can knock her out instead."
"Friar, a Bull's Strength would be great, right about now, unless you're going to help me attack!"
Round One:
"One Bull's Strength, coming right up!" Feres replies to Valgrim's request.
Feres steps out of reach of the strange creature's tentacles as he prays to his Goddess and touches the dwarf's shoulder, infusing him with divine strength. The stout priest then draws his scimitar and gets ready to join the battle.
"Thank you, Friar, now watch me go to work!" Valgrim screams in primal fury, summoning his inner strength, his muscles bulging and his incisors growing to the size of a small leopard. He then directs the fury at the tentacled horror!
Megan throws herself at Vulcan, clawing viciously at him while spitting curses in Sylvan and Common alternately. He takes 4 points of damage.
Vulcan, Bubba and Vug Vang are up, then the monster (which looks distinctly the worse for wear).
Vulcan reels from the furious attack, his staff coming up in a powerful strike to Megan's sternum.
confirmation
Looking at Valgrim, Vug recoils. "Ew...that monster can't taste very good. But then again, I can't know f-for sure unless I've tried it, I guess."
Turning to Vulcan, she wails, "Wait -- you're killing her!"
She fumbles in her magical pack for Filge's syringe and loads it up with a potion of Ghoul Touch.
Bubba tries to trip Megan.
By the way, Megan's fey nature protects her from the brunt of Vulcan's blow. She also resists Bubba's attempt to trip her.
Vug changes her mind about the syringe and throws a stink bomb at Megan, careful to just catch her in the splash radius.
, 5 splash damage (Ref DC 15 for 1/2) + nausea (Fort DC 15 negates)
Megan is scorched but not nauseated by the bomb. The monster on the other hand is still out of it, so Valgrim and Feres are up.
Valgrim takes another swing at the tentacled horror!
Round Two:
Realizing that Valgrim is far more effective against the creature than he could be, Feres opts to spend another moment bolstering the dwarf's defenses. With a prayer to the Dawnflower Feres touches Valgrim and calls into being a shimmering, magical field around the dwarf.
Valgrim continues to pound away at the writhing abomination that once was a beautiful nymph, while Feres calls on the Dawnflower to protect him.
Megan scratches Vulcan for another 5 points of damage. Huge tears are starting to roll down her cheeks.
Vulcan, Vug and Bubba are up.
The unnatural creature collapses in a heap under Valgrim's assault.
Looking uneasily at the foam and ichor frothing from Valgrim's mouth, Vug pleads: "Valgrim, if you can understand me -- can you try to restrain Megan or knock her out? We can't just kill her!"
Vug throws another stink bomb next to Megan, hoping to slow her down.
, see above for effect
Vulcan takes a step backward snarling.
"Don't make me kill you."
He begins casting a column of water surging from his outstretched hand to hammer into Megan, throwing her backwards.
Bullrush
[b]"Calm down girl!"[/v]
Bubba tries to restrain Megan.
Vug's comments snap Valgrim from his bloodlust, especially when he sees the tentacled creature no longer moving. He wipes the creature's blood from his mouth and stares at it, as he dispels his rage. What have you become? The dwarves of me home would not approve! Suddenly, a great wave of fatigue overwhelms Valgrim and he leans on the wall for support, confident that this companions have the nymph situation under control.
Round Three:
Feres calls upon the power of the Healing Flame to mend his companions' wounds while excluding the enraged Megan and the tentacled monstrosity that was her mother.
Megan stumbles backwards under the force of the magical waters.
"A blight upon you, cursed Orcus-spawn", she sputters. "You murderous villains, you..." She sinks to her knees, crying like a little girl. "Kill me now, you stinking vermin, just as you've killed my mother!"
Feres pauses a moment to pray to his Goddess for guidance and to invoke Her blessing.
The stout priest then sheathes his scimitar and stows his shield before moving over to Megan. He tentatively touches the forlarren's shoulder as he kneels down next to her. "Megan, I am so sorry for what happened to your mother," Feres says in a comforting tone. "I assure you that we would have helped her if we could, but I'm afraid she was killed by whatever that... thing... was that tore itself out of her. Do you have any idea how this could have happened to her?" he asks.
"Megan, your mother was lost before we even got here," Vug says, sniffling and wiping away a tear. "There's nothing we could have done and there's nothing you could have done. It's nobody's f-f-fault."
She takes a look at the deceased chaos beast, but her heart isn't into it to pay much attention to the fascinating corpse.
"Please," Bubba adds, "listen to the good Father. We are your friends."
Megan breaks down and cries uncontrollably, blubbering all over the good Father's armor. After a while she calms down enough to talk. "It's my fault", she whines, inconsolably. "That thing, whatever it is, it's my twin. I know that my father raped my mother, but she's always been nice to me. She would never talk about who or what my father was, but she's been carrying the curse ever since. I know how she's struggled to keep it at bay. She knew she was dying. She even a-a-asked me to get someone to kill her before she transformed. B-b-but I couldn't bring myself to it. I was hoping that there was something you could do about it and when you failed, I just snapped. I'm sorry I attacked you. You can kill me now. I don't deserve to live anyway."
"You can have her stuff, too. She would have wanted you to have it."
The stuff in question, neatly stacked in the back of the cave, consists of 580 gp worth of gems, a scroll of Delay Poison and a rust-colored Bag of Tricks.
Megan smiles through her tears. "I used to pick playmates out of that one when I was younger."
"I don't deserve to live anyway."
"Aw, you didn't hurt us much. And you just lost control a bit. I'm sure we can understand that," Vug reassures the forlarren, with a meaningful look at the hot-tempered Valgrim.
"There, there, Megan," Feres says soothingly. "You did the right thing in trying to find help for your mother. I'm truly sorry that we were unable to help her. But at least I can help you. Please, allow me to heal your wounds, by the grace of Sarenrae, the Healing Flame."
With Megan's permission, Feres offers prayers to his Goddess, channeling healing energies to mend the forlarren's wounds.
But what will you do now, Megan? You are welcome to travel with us if you wish.
Vulcan takes a step towards Megan looking her in the eye.
"No hard feelings"
Valgrim grumbles under his breath as he sees the party coddle Megan, "Damn nymph tried to feed us to that horror! Who can understand these non-dwarves!". He then walks away into the fresh air.