Tired of the winged demon pummeling him, Nash rears back with Soulshear and returns the favor.
Gorn-Rel punches the demon attacking Nash.
Aen slays his target while Varda injures hers. Nash is able to land a single blow on the Hezrou while Gorn lands a pair of his own.
The cultists summon fire from the skies and it descends upon Nash, Larissa, Aen and Varda repeatedly.
The Hezrou keeps fighting Nash.
Aen keeps firing at the cultists, west to east.
Gorn-Rel continues to fight the demon with Nash.
Aen lands three shots while Gorn pummels the demon.
Varda shrugs off the flames and continues her arrowy barrage.
Na'shok easily evade the pillar of unholy fire but doesn't dodge the demon's attacks. Despite their ferocity, he takes the blows in stride and strikes back with a vengeance.
Varda finishes off a cultists with her first two shots while a third strikes another one.
Nash obliterates the demon who falls into the murky water. The wounded cultist heals himself.
The remaining cultists will try to dispel the party's mounts.
Varda attempts to finish off the remaining cultists.
Aen draws on his power to activate his armor, allowing himself to hold his altitude as his mount disappears. He looks around the field to see if any of his companions are falling.
Gorn-Rel waits for his companions to finish off the cultists.
The cultists' magic finally undoes his own sending Na'shok plummeting into the waters below. A moment later he assumes his avian form and takes to the air again.
Aen and Varda take down another cultist while Gorn waits and Nash turns into a bird. The remaining cultists keep their resolve as they conjure multiple javelins made of a dark ice. They hurl them at the party.
Aen and Nash are struck by four of the magically created javelins while Varda finds that one slips past her defenses.
Varda pews.
Aen flies up five feet and fires three more arrows at the nearest cultist.
Bird-Nash endures the icy spears and then emits a fierce cry as he circles overhead.
Varda lands two shots while Aen lands two as well. Bird-Nash casts fear into the hearts of the cultists who in turn each cast a spell on themselves and they start walking on air.
Varda keeps pewing.
Aen continues firing arrows!
Varda finishes off a cultist while Aen wounds another one.
Bird-Nash swoops down and lays a claw on Aen!s shoulder granting him a surge of orcish might.
Following Nash's lead, Gorn-Rel grants a +9 morale bonus to Varda.
Sensing their options dwindling the remaining cultists fly forth and they each cast a spell and reach out for Gorn and Nash.
Aen lifts five feet higher, squints, takes careful aim, and continues firing arrows, aiming for the nearest cultitist first, then aiming for the one near Gorn if the first goes down.
Varda takes a moment to bring the stakes of this combat into clear focus, then unloads into the cultists again.
Aen and Varda archer the remaining cultists to death.
Headband of Wisdom +2 x6
+2 Breastplate x6
Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds (6 charges) x6
+1 Glaive x6
The cultist's magic washes off Nash's mighty form harmlessly.
The foul-smelling river ends at a narrow box canyon, hemmed in on three sides by mile-high cliffs of dark purple stone. A pool of water gathers at the base of a three-hundred-foot-high cascade of water pouring from a crack in the cliff. Just to the east of this cascade yawns a dark cave entrance. This opening is sixty feet wide and eighty feet tall, and looms a full three hundred feet off the ground. A second, narrow waterfall trickles from this cave ledge to fill the pool below as well." The party hears words in each of their minds.
"I invite you to the headwaters of the river of bliss. I will aid you if you in turn help me."
Who are you? thinks Varda loudly.
"You shall see. Our goals are not unalike."
Varda rolls her eyes. "That doesn't sound very promising," she remarks to the others.
Aen frowns as the voice enters his head. He turns, startled, as Varda yells out. Smiling slightly at the response and reply, Aen shrugs. "It seems we have little choice. Everyone ready?"
Nash'ok shrugs. "It could be a trap but more allies in this demon-infested wasteland would be worth looking into."
The party moves in further to the headwaters and the 'water' here rises up and takes shape. Her form is that of a partially solid succubus made of sludge and foul-smelling seepage. "I knew you could not resist. You are after all very wise and powerful. I am hoping you could use that power to slay the dragon and the ants who dig into my mountain. If you agree, then I shall aid you. " She says trying to honey her words.
Na'shok was no prude but foul-smelling seepage did little to arouse him.
"Who are you and why should we help you with your dragon?" he demands. "If you know so much about us you should know what we're capable of."
Varda nods slowly, her bow held ready. A demon; not surprising, in this place.
"I am the Fulsome queen. I do know what you are capable of and I wish to aid you with information to make your quest a bit easier. In return I get my home back, free of lizards and ants."
"The dragon does need to be destroyed. But why should we believe that you are a useful ally since you have been unable to do anything to the dragon thus far?"
"Because information is useless without the ability to act on it."
"Fair, what information do you have that we could use to bring the dragon low?"
"Hunting habits, weaknesses, etc.. Do we have a deal?"
Aen studies the creature as he asks. "What will you do once you have your realm all to yourself?"
She is an Omox demon. You get 3 questions.
"Relax, listen to the water. Enjoy a few more centuries in peace."
At will spell like—create water, greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only), liquid leap, telekinesis. 3/day—control water, gaseous form, poison, stinking cloud, 1/day—acid fog, summon. They have DR/good and are immune to acid, critical hits, disease, electricity, paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, stunning. They are resistant to cold, electricity and spells. Demons are sentient and could make deals. But they don't have to honor them more than anyone else. You believe her to be telling the truth.
Nash shrugs. "It makes little difference to us which demon calls this pit their domain. Tell us what you know about the dragon and we'll slay it when it gets in our way. If this is a trick, be certain that we will return and you will regret your betrayal."
"Fair enough. I can tell you that the dragon is a creature infused with pure chaos meaning only lawfully infused attacks can harm her fully. She can shroud her surroundings in darkness. Her breath is made of pure negative energy and she can breath pure shadow on you robbing you of sight and strength. And being that she is a very old creature she is also a very very experienced caster of magic including healing arts. Also she is on her way back from hunting and I can tell you where to hide so you can at least try to ambush her."
"Well that's a damned good start", Na'shok admits. "Tell us where she lairs."