Don't let it close or grapple you! Take it down NOW!
Initiative
This creature could be the death of us all, he mutters drawing arcane powers inwards.
Following Variel's command Drak gets into position and strikes the creature.
Rikaku snorts upon spying the behir, sneering at its sleeping form. "They just wannabe dragon! Not like Rikaku," he mutters scornfully while he flicks his tail. When it seems like the party is in place and ready to attack the beast, he summons forth a great orb of snow-white energy that crackles with the sound of glaciers sliding past one another--and lobs it directly at the behir. When it hits, it shatters into numerous shards of ice, piercing the beast's hide.
If possible, Trogg will cast Bull's Strength on Rybal and Malthu shortly before combat begins. It's from a wand, so it'll only last for a minute.
Variel sends out a curse of hindering defenses at the sleeping beast (-2 AC)
"If we hit it all at once, we should have it dead before it can do much damage." Jazz draws his longbow and trains an arrow on the beast, waiting for the ambush to drop.
Ready Action Attack (aftersomeone else attacks first :P)
Damage
At Drak's request, Rikaku will cover anyone who asks for it with a slippery sheen of ice before they head into the room. He seems puzzled at the request but does it nonetheless.
I'd hug you but I don't want to rub any of this off Drak tells the little kobold.
Rikaku and Trogg cast augmenting magic on the companions before rousing the attacker.
Then Drak manages to sneak directly up to the Behir and strikes it with a swift attack.
As Drak's sword comes down only then does he realise that the creature was faking its slumber and moves it's armoured skull in the way of his blade. Spending the rest of the time rising from its curled position with a tasty morsel in front of it.
The behir was however not banking on its prey having backup. An arrow flies out and plinks it on the back of its neck. The creature turns around only to get a blast of frost, it begins to roar out in pain as it is then cursed.
Drak delays slightly, waiting for the prefect moment until the beast is slightly distrated.
Curse you! You damned scaly thing. Drak says as he fights, using his expirience in battle to try to avoid being hit.
Variel cackles and curses the beast with imparement to saves.
Clarence moves cautiously towards the beast, putting one of the two-legs between it and himself while he sizes it up.
Not wanting to get in the way of either the brave (or, in his opinion, utterly insane) warriors charging in, or put himself in the line of fire for the behir's breath weapon, Rikaku circles around the outside of the fight and hides behind one of the pillars until he can get a good aim for one of his last remaining big-ticket blasts of cold ice...
Drak swings desperately at the Behir as it stands up but is unable to penetrate its scales. Variel continues to impede the creature with his witch curses, making it easier for his allies to kill the beast.
Malthu charges forth. As he does the Behir comes down to strike him.
However it only manages to damage him and not pick him up in his mighty maw, and thanks to all the aid he is getting despite his less than stellar swing manages to swing the blade into to the Behir as it shrieks out in pain.
With Malthu now flanking Drak again goes to strike it, the first of his blades bouncing off ineffectually while his second strikes home. His first stroke of luck in this fight. Clarence moves closer, hunched up protecting himself. While Rikaku hides away from the creature's grasp.
The Behir goes for then decides to go back to its tasty morsel that disturbed him and goes for an attack on Drak.
The Behir seems to have picked the right person and chomps on Drak's squishy exterior.
Despite all the preparation Drak is grabbed by the creature and is drawn into the coil of its body ready to constrict Drak underneath his claws.
Trogg enters the room and ducks behind a pillar, ready to cast or fight as need be.
Variel cackles and then hits the half orc paladin with a healing hex
Seeing the behir turn around and grab Drak in its jaws, Rikaku leaps out from behind the pillar with a fierce snarl. "Pathetic wannabe dragon! Let go Rikaku friend!!"
He summons forth another blast of cold energy from deep within him, spewing it all over the behir's unprotected back side.
Rybal also steps up, trying to help Drak in his own way, slashing his blade at the monster's eyes.
Jazz fires off another shot from his bow at a safe distance away from the rampaging beast.
The arrow unfortunately doesn't hit as it goes flying past the creatures head.
Rybal gets close enough to attack the creature without its head coming down onto him but is unable to reach the Behir's eyes. It's neck seems nimble enough to avoid the thrusting spear.
Trogg is ready in case he's needed and Variel provides some support.
When Rikaku blasts the Behir with another cloud of ice it starts to shriek louder and louder. The grip on Drak starts to loosen.
Jazz, Drak and Malthu realize the creature is starting to recoil, it will likely retreat. Where to you aren't sure as the group is blocking the only exit. You think the Behir might be getting desperate. It might try attack with reckless abandon to get away!
Drak slips out of the deadly grip of the Behir and REVERSES the grip. Drak and his shadows now controls the grapple! (for what is admittedly for probably a very brief time!). For the moment however the Behir isn't going anywhere.
For the love of all gods everywhere kill this thing! Now is not the time to be defensive!
Clarence edges forward and unleashes his fury on the giant-lizard-thing.
Variel curses it with a -2 to hit as he cackles.
Drak with a little bit of luck manages to wrangle himself away from the grasp of the large lizard creature. With his shadowclones he holds the creature's head up for but a brief moment.
Clarence goes full force at the creature's exposed legs and it begins to rear up and screech for the first time in fear.
His ally Malthu taking full advantage of the situation leans in spinning his blades and bringing down the double axe straight across the Behir's exposed ribcage area. Splicing it open with a decisive blow. The creature writhes around trying to fling Drak off while moving forward. Its entrails start to fan everyone before it finally drops face first onto the ground. Drak flips off its head before it takes him with it. The dust settles and the large creature is dead.
What is now left other than the carcass of the large beast is at the end of the hall is a room with an odd diorama on it. From left to right there is a human fighting a cyclops. Then a spider fighting a mage with glasses.
As you approach the door you can see there are 4 sets of 9 dots. Side by side. The 4 sets are clearly set apart, with a little experimentation the group realizes that you can press in the dots. If you leave them for a little while they reset. Some combination of pressing in these dots surely opens the door that much is for certain.
Presses dots 2 1 8 4 respectively
*** *** *** ***
*** *** *** ***
*** *** *** ***
Drak keys what he thinks is the answer to the doorway. He hears a satisfying click as he inputs the last number. Slowly the door gives way receding into the ceiling, a waft of musky air flows in from a room time forgot. The paint is slowly peeling off the wall inside, the bits of brick that support the room are slowly crumbling away. The occasional small insect skitters across the surface of the walls between cracks that have appeared over the years. The room is relatively small, unable to hold more than maybe two people in it if they squeeze up tight. There is a single pedestal in the centre of the room with a box on it. Flanking the pedestal on either side is a sconce.
The sconce on the right is that of a lizard creature with wings, the party can grasp quite quickly that it is meant to symbolize a dragon. Within its front legs it clasps a small metal rod that has ornate crenellations on one end. The rod looks to be removable.
The sconce on the left is that of a Pixie, it has a holder like the dragon. The Pixie is wrapped around its holder though the sconce is currently empty.
The magic users of the group can tell that almost everything they see in here is magical except for the back wall. There seems to be magic flowing through the sconces and the box. The magic isn't very strong though. The magic from the sconce on the right feels odd, it is as if it is a pipe. Magic is flowing from the wall into the rod and back out again. Whereas the for the Pixie there is magic clearly there but it is not moving.
Drak will let the more magically incline take care of this one, he needs a breather and his head is still spinning from the fight with the Behir.
Drak, Take a healing hex
Rikaku sits back as Drak figures out the puzzle door, collecting his energy after the battle with the behir. He'd spent quite a lot of his magic just now, and it had really taken a toll on him. Nonetheless, he presses onwards into the room overflowing with magic.
"This must be special box," Rikaku says as he makes his way up towards it. He closely examines the sconces as well as the box for some time.
If nothing seems outwardly amiss, Rikaku will at first gingerly touch the rod in the dragon's claws before removing it (if nothing happens at his touch).
Variel tries to work out the arcane flows in the room and the possible purpose of the room.
Knowledge Arcane
As Malthu looks at the room in front of him he does remember recently that they picked up a small rod though it is wooden. It had the same leafy pattern on it as some of the Pixie's clothes.
Rikaku looks closely at the whole room trying to get in every minute detail. He doesn't find anything dangerous in the room or about the box. The sconces at closer inspection seem to have some form of piping at the bottom of where the rods are placed. On the Pixie Rikaku can see a small needle at the bottom, presumably on the Dragon there is one too. Rikaku can sense that there is more magic at that point than elsewhere in the sconces.
Rikaku bravely reaches out to touch the rod, it does nothing. Then he removes it. He feels the magic die down a little and indeed he can see there is another needle at the bottom of the Dragon sconce. Taking a bit of time to identify the magic left in the rod he can tell it is a wand of magic missile. It is currently full.
One thing Rikaku does note is that the wand has been used before though it is full. Rikaku wanders how that is.
Unfortunately Variel can't determine what the exact purpose of the room is, and the very least he can tell that the sconces are activated by a rod and that the box doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the system that is here. Beyond that he can't say.
Rikaku harmlessly activates the rod, aiming it out the door back at the behir's body and firing a single magic missile before placing it back in the dragon statue's claws. He gives it a minute or so before taking it out again and checking if the charge has been restored to it.