Maelchar stays back from the advanced scouts so as not to give away their location, moving forward slowly. But he remains ready to get forward quickly, charge even if that's necessary if a foe or some other danger presents itself.
Pakak stays near the charges, ready to ward them if need be.
Glancing forward and hearing nothing of note, Ryu will dash up to K:48, being as stealthy as can be and hug the wall...
At which point he'll wait for his comrades to move up as well, his sword at the ready.
Anevia looks at Zeriax and smiles softly, As of right now I am well supplied. If we run into a prolonged fight then I might have to conserve what arrows I have left. Thank you for your concern though for my ability to help us all.
Zeriax nods and answers - "We are in the same predicament Milady - all our contributions are important in allowing us through it"
---------------------------------------
Zeriax shifts his position to have a clear view of Ryu as he advances.
perception-3 -8
stealth +8+13
There is a creature on the other side of the far wall. You can hear its claws scratching the floor as it moves its weight around.
There is another creature around the corner to the south of Ryu not 30 feet away from him! It doesn't sound like it is moving towards you so it must not have heard you talking or moving yet!
Ryu's eyes narrow in puzzlement at obvious lack of enemies around here.
He taps to J:50 and flattens his back against the wall, looking to the left and right.
That'll keep me in view of the archers and let the others move up nice and easy...
Relaying her observations quietly and hoping the others would hear her, especially Ryu in front of her, and Zeriax and Garith at her back, she advises, "There's a creature on the other side of the far wall. I heard its claws scratching the floor as it moved around."
Oriana stays put until she hears from Garith or Ryu on what they want to do at this point and then she will make her move.
The faint sounds coming from around the corner are somewhat familiar to Zeriax, he has heard them before, or perhaps he read about it... He cannot quite place them, but there is definitely something there.
He warns his companions - "There is also a creature to the south after the bend - stay sharp Ryu, this may be an ambush"
More attentive after he had heard the sounds, the monk is able to pinpoint them more precisely - "Oriana is correct, but the most immediate danger comes from right around the corner to the south, no more than a few feet away. Whatever it is, it has stopped moving. Perhaps waiting for us - stand fast friends"
Ryu
Maelchar
Pakak
Zeriax
Oriana
Sir Garith
DC: 0 for combat
Ryu makes out a shape to the south of him around the corner. It is a bipedal creature with long arms ending in claws. The creature's bloated frame shudders with each heaving step, yet despite its shape, the thing moves with surprising quickness. It appears to be standing in a cesspool of sewage. (the Green area)
Good Guys up easily...
The creature before is a dretch, one of the lowliest inhabitants of the Abyss. They form from the fragments of slothful evil souls. Even though Dretches are the lowliest of demons they still are formidable opponents as they have some of the standard demonic characteristics. You need cold iron or good weapons to completely bypass the skin of dretches. DR 5/cold iron or good
These demonic characteristics take the form of electricity and poison immunity and acid, cold, and fire resistance 10.
As demonic beings they have limited spell casting available to them. They can cast cause fear, stinking cloud, and summon another dretch 1 per day.
Maelchar moves forward 30 feet (to j49).
Just barely catching sight of the creature, he creates a lucerne hammer. (swift action)
"It's a dretch...we need good or cold iron weapons to hurt the thing easily."
Pakak listens to the description
"Ryu risks being outflanked. We need to press forward" - an unusual hint of urgency is present in Zeriax's words as he moves forward.
Pakak nods at the monk's advice, "If we face such evil, I can protect one of us from it. Who would it best serve?"
Pakak moves as he asks.
"If we face such evil, I can protect one of us from it. Who would it best serve?"
Ryu gives Pakak an incredulous glance at the statement.
In his eyes is the look that says - That you had to ask...
Of course, Ryu is convinced that the enemy is not alone and has at least one ally.
However, given the fact that - once again - he'll likely be left behind by his companions, he decides to be proactive for a change and attacks...
Before he does, Ryu snaps on rage; but will try another tactic.
As a "Free Action" - he'll say to his companions with savage glee -
"Come on, lads! You want to live forever?"
"I agree with my brother's assessment that it is a Dretch, a lowly demon, and only cold iron or good weapons will cut through its skin."
Seeing the space quickly fill up with her comrades and not desiring to congest the corridor further, especially for Zeriax with his bow or Mael with his lucerne hammer, Oriana moves quietly forward 15 feet to J:48, standing just behind Maelchar, ready when she is needed.
Oriana moves quietly forward 15 feet to J:48, standing just behind Maelchar, ready when she is needed.
Ryu flicks a glance back down the tunnel at his comrades.
He does not see them follow.
Ryu looks in the face of the slavering dretch before him.
His eyes are now flat; cold and bereft of any emotion.
He speaks to it, then.
"I am Tadamasa-Ryu! I stand before you alone - but I do not fear you!"
He raises his eyes to the heavens and offers a crude prayer, of sorts...
"I call on gods above to see me stand before you then - I will live or die with honor this day and in this battle! Come; watch me, for it will be a good fight!"
He looks back that the dretch.
"And now, if you kill me? Ha! Who cares for that? For today is a good day to die!"
Round 1
Anevia, tired of not seeing anything in the dark cast a light about her arrow and moves up a bit. Horgus sees that the path to the south is empty and stays there in a protected area. Aravashinal maintains his close proximity to Pakak.
Everyone else moves up to take a better position save Ryu who hurries up and rams his rapier into the belly of the dretch. Knowing that the demon had some infernal resistances to his blade, Ryu focuses on power more than anything else. His blow draws forth black ichor from the wound even if it was partially resisted.
+4
+1
Round 1 bottom
The noise from the north hallways is apparent as another creature appears moving forward. Its long arms and bloated body strain to reach the impetuous mortals arrayed before it. The dretch on Ryu swipes with both claws and even tried to take a bite of Ryu's face. All of the blows are weak and fail to penetrate the armor though.
Ryu uses the scale to empower his hammer with law and takes another step forward to J50, giving his companions more options on movement. He awaits the dretch from the north, hoping it comes forward triggering an aoo as it moves through his threatened area.
"Make it come to us, don't charge it, please." he says to his companions, hoping they cooperate.
Zeriax shifts his placement to make the most of his bow attacks, and unleashes a volley at the enemy to the North.
While he'd like to help his claykin brother, Pakak isn't close enough so instead he casts it on Oriana.
Pakak then casts the Protective Ward
He speaks, "I have both a hammer and dagger made of cold iron, if anyone wishes to use either."
Ryu shakes his head in disgust at the dretch, and takes another swing with his sword...
Sir Garith and Ryu manage to both crit the dretch and as their blades sink into the flesh they meet in the middle with a loud clang. Slowly the top and bottom of the dretch separate. the body before you starts to melt away as the demonic essence leaves returning to its home plane to fester there until such time as another slovenly soul fragment animates it again. Pakak protects the charges keeping them well cared for even if Anevia gives a slight hmmph at needed the extra help.
Zeriax steps up a pace and fires twin shots at the dretch down the hall. the first misses but the second bites deep into the belly of the beast eliciting a howl of pain. Maelchar likewise steps forward ready to swing with his dragonscale empowered hammer should they come too close.
Sir Garith and Ryu manage to both crit the dretch and as their blades sink into the flesh they meet in the middle with a loud
Ryu tilts his head back and laughs loudly, jerking his weapon from the sulfuric stench the pours from the filthy smoke of the vanishing demon.
"Banzai, Garith-sama!" he says with a wide smile.
He spits on the ground where the dretch remained easily and then tilts his head to the heavens and raises his sword above him.
"... and as for the rest... well hell, I hope you at least enjoyed the show!" he says with a tone that is at once boisterous and and somehow penitent at the same time...
After his humble prayer of thanksgiving to those gods who may have aided his efforts he turns back to Garith.
"Stick with me, lord! My luck's tip-top, ichi-ban! The way I see it, it's totally rubbing off on you, savvy?" he says with an enthusiastic and sincere tone.
His eyes flick to the north of the tunnel.
"Oye - you want to stab up and try to give the rest of the crew a hand? Or you reckon the seven of them can handle the other one without us?" he says with a grin.
"Nah, chief - just BS'ing you is all... Come on, we can't let them have all the fun, neh?"
Upon Patak's protection spell (Protection from Evil), Oriana thanks the dwarven wizard. When Pakak offers her weapons, she accepts the cold iron dagger (she isn't proficient with warhammers) and moves strategically up and around the empty corridor to F:49 and strikes at the other Dretch.
Ryu glances down the hall and sees Oriana's move.
"Kick ass, Angel-chan," he calls out with glee at her brilliant tactic.
Sweet! Now that little demon-basterd will likely recoil from her hit right down to us... then we move up hard and send him back to the Nine Hells... And if we can't do the job for some reason, that just means ol' Angel-chan can stab down to flank him as soon as she gets the chance...
Then prepares to stab up to aid her as fast as he can...
Zeriax blocks out the ongoing conversation behind him, focusing on the enemy at hand - Maelchar's tactic was solid - a shame we cannot pursue it now - he ponders to himself.
Planting his feet solidly, he again fires two arrows in quick succession against the disgusting creature
"Be careful friend Oriana, we do not know what these creatures are capable of" - he warns.
Garith and Ryu dispatch with ease the dretch to the south while Zeriax fires to the north. Maelchar takes a defensive position where he can use his range to great effect at the same time that Pakak protects the charges from any harm along with those around him. Oriana moves up after receiving the cold iron dagger from Pakak and stabs the demon doing nice damage but not enough to drop it. She can see that there is another dretch behind the first.
+4 each
+1 each
Bottom of round 3
The first dretch rips not Oriana with both teeth and claw as she is pummeled for 10 damage. The second ditch summons up a cloud of the most noxious vapors imaginable causing all within to choke.
Group up round 3...anything father than 5 ft away in the cloud has total concealment. Within 5ft is just a 20 % miss chance. Zeriax if you want to redo your actions I completely understand.
Ryu watches the explosion of magic in the narrow confines of the tight space.
He notices that Oriana's action had prevented one dretch from casting, but the other was free to call up some noxious gas.
"And that's why you move to close with gods damned casters instead of hanging back... because hanging back just lets the sons of whores cast this gods damned crap!" he growls to himself.
Shaking his head in disgust he charges up to help his ally and moves to H:50.
He takes a swing at the enemy that Oriana hit; hoping to aid her with the attack.
Ryu moves up to help, but decides to pull his punches a little this time...
After all, he had already destroyed one of the enemies with a few easy sword strokes; surely allowing his allies the chance for some honor or glory was only fair?
Of course, he knew that at the least the hallway was opened for another ally to move up next to him and when Oriana had her next move, she could slide over to flank the basterd with him.
Maelchar moves forward to F48 out of the cloud and attacks the dretch threatening ORiana.
"Iomedae, guide my hand true."
Angered by the dretch who attacked her so viciously, a wounded Oriana takes a 5 ft step to F:50 and strikes at it again with her cold iron dagger.
|
Garith moves through the cloud, the way he remembered, trying to get a better handle on the situation, having seen the Dretches.
"Zeriax, move! Clear a path," garith shouts, so he has a Charge-lane to attack where the Dretch was, figuring it's in the same place.
Once Zeriax gives him the clear, Garith charges to H:49 and stops when he catches sight of the Dretch, taking swing at the Dretch.
1-20 = miss hit
for Cold Iron
Using my previous rolls to hit the dretch at G:51.
Attack with cold iron dagger: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Cold Iron Damage, if hits: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Hearing the warning from Garith behind him, and also wanting to get out of the poisonous cloud, Zeriax moves from his current position, and closer to Maelchar and Oriana, letting fly an arrow at their opponent.
Unable to see a foe, Pakak advises the charges "get back out of these fumes. I will go forward while you back up. Stay together..."
He plunges into the spell and makes his way along the wall.
Then casting, if he can, a magic missile at the Dretch Ori has already wounded.