Will Save (+3 if you raged last round)
Lothar took a steady few steps forward and to the north-east while motioning Ore to fall back and used his long weapon to attack the webbed warrior . His feet firmly planted and his ground chosen, Lothar seemed to draw strength from the very earth itself as his position became nigh-unassailable. The massive cold iron ball of his weapon swung faster and faster as he assaulted his foe with it in brutal fashion.
Merten advances carefully, eyes fixed on the free caster, waiting for the possessed aasimar to cast another spell.
Luca pokes his head up above the rock where he has hidden and surveys the scene. Spying the warrior advancing across the platform, his toothy maw curls into a grin as he conjures a slick of oil under its feet.
Efwin moves up to get within range of the caster. Pulling out a cold iron arrow and quickly attaching one of his small vials to it, he nocks it aiming at the possesd caster waiting for him to start another spell.
29 Damage
As the black smoke closes in around Delgras he starts to cough but presses on, attacking the possessed warrior.
Bull Rush Attempt** = 17
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Ciridiel washes the foulness from the air around him with a wave of his sword. Seeing his enemy moved, he thinks of charging the approaching warrior-- until the grease slick rolls over the edge of the platform into the dirt in front of it. With a glance back to the wizard, he sighs and begins to make way towards the caster south of the platform babbling in abyssal tongue.
"Let's shut you up, eh?" he quips as he reaches them.
Current Conditions:
Rage 1/21
HP - 92/105
AC - 26
Mool keeps his flanking bonus, and his face turns red. How dare his enemy not fall to his blow. Even his sword seems to pulsate with his rage.
Flanking, Raging, Ferocious Weapon
Flanking, Raging, Ferocious Weapon
Damage
Damage
Confirming:
Flanking, Raging, Ferocious Weapon
Flanking, Raging, Ferocious Weapon
Damage
Damage
So 72 total damage if everything confirms !
Whoops. I forgot. Minus 2 to all above for sickness.
Round Two
31 Merten/Luca
22 Efwin
17 Delgras
15 Lothar/Ore
11 Ciridiel
10 Mool
08 Triangles (Robed)
07 Lightning (Armored)
Merten prepares to cast a spell, while Luca covers the platform in grease:
... causing the charging warrior to slip and fall prone!
Efwin nocks an arrow and attacks a vial to the tip, aiming for the robed caster.
Delgras disarms the warrior, the launches a complicated series of attacks with his shield and warhammer, hitting once with a bash to the face.
Lothar moves up and slams the weighted end of his dorn-derger into the warrior stuck in the web. Using the momentum of the weapon, Lothar hits the man again as the heavy ball bashes him in the head!
Ciridiel leaps away from his foe and rushes to face the robed caster who continues to gibber in Abyssal.
Mool's face turns bright red and he brings his sword down at the man's shoulder, cutting deeply into his flesh, eliciting a stream of curses in Abyssal. Pulling his blade free, Mool screams as he brings the weapon down again, this time sending the warrior's head sailing as he decapitates his foe. Black sooty smoke rises from the headless corpse as it topples to the ground.
The caster's voice rises as he reaches a hand out toward Ciridiel:
... but Merten's spell goes off and magic missiles slam into the caster while Efwin's arrow strikes him and the bomb explodes!
... The caster staggers under the assault, his spell lost.
The warrior and the robed guard both attempt to break free of the web:
While the warrior in the grease stands up and attempts to move:
... but he cannot regain his balance enough to move:
... fortunately, he steadies himself so he remains standing!
-----
Nice job everyone, one opponent down, one barely standing in a pool of magical grease, and another about to see what happens to people who get personal with Ciridiel!
Lothar, please roll an AoO on the warrior who stood up in the grease.
Other than that, let's move on to Round Three!
(I'll have a new map uploaded in the next few minutes.))
Round 2 AOO #1 (2 left)
Feet planted firmly, it was easy for Lothar to change the flow of his heavy Dorn-Dergar so that it slammed into the warrior rising to his feet nearby, breaking and shattering bones. The stoic Dwarf seemed to take professional pride in his battle prowess, but clearly kept a very level head.
Merten carefully picks his way across the field, withdrawing a small pearl from one the numerous pouches on his bandoleer as he goes. He concentrates on the pearl, restoring the recently cast spell to his memory.
Luca remains hidden, but keeps a sharp eye out for any hidden dangers.
Efwin pulls out a cold iron arrow and lets it fly, followed shortly after by a second. Aiming at the castor he already hit.
He yells out to the others as the arrows fly "Do we want to try and keep any alive to question?"
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Dodging the volley of magic missiles and the arrow-- which explodes-- Ciridiel looks back at his companions with an expression that is... confused. He expected to be surged into the fire, but instead is untouched. Throwing out an encouraging thumbs up at the other elf, he returns the focus to the enemy.
Swinging his sword around him like a dervish, Ciridiel spins into his enemy with alacrity-- and horrible, brutal force!-- as he shows the demon-possessed man what a swordmaster can do.
Watching his step as he goes, Delgras steps around the headless body at his feet and moves on to the platform, circling around the grease on the ground.
Slipping in to place to take advantage of the distraction Lothar and his whirling ball of bone crushing provided. Once in position he brings his warhammer around aiming for the warriors hand.
Bull Rush Attempt* = 22
Round Three
31 Luca
17 Delgras
15 Lothar/Ore
11 Ciridiel
10 Mool
09 Merten
09 Efwin
08 Triangles (Robed)
07 Lightning (Armored)
Round Two - continued
Lothar brings his weapon around as the warrior stands up in the magical grease, leaving a massive dent in his opponent's breastplate with a massive swing.
Round Three
Luca remains hidden, peering around to watch for any unexpected foes.
Delgras circles around the grease and attacks, disarming the warrior, then following with an attack by his shield. The warrior is pushed away from him, but remains in the grease.
Ciridiel's bemused expression turns deadly serious in an instant, and he unleashes a spinning acrobatic display of swordplay upon the man in front of him. The robed caster shrieks as the elven curved blade bites deeply into his shoulder, then his voice is silenced in a sickening squelch as Ciridiel disembowels the man with a perfect strike across his abdomen. The robed man falls to the ground with black sooty smoke rising from the ruined remains of his body.
Merten retrieves a pearl of power and recovers his spell, moving to a new position on the field.
-----
Lothar, Mool, and Efwin can act before the enemies.
Efwin, you can change your target since the caster has been slain.
I'll upload a map to give everyone an idea of the current tactical situation.
Mool howls in triumph, and heads at a full run towards the next availabe enemy.
With his ground firmly set, Lothar grunted in appreciation as Delgras' movements complimented his own. Channelling the sacred power of the earth a little less now that the fight seemed well in hand, Lothar kept on striking with his ancient Dwarven weapon; supremely confident in the mismatched group's victory.
His rage continuing Mool lashes out again.
Raging, ferocious weapon (+2 more if flanking)
Raging, ferocious weapon (+2 more if flanking)
Damage
Damage
Precision Damage if flanking achieved.
Round Three
continued
Lothar continues his assault against the trapped warrior, doing enough damage against the guard to knock him unconscious. His body hangs loosely in the sticky webbing, no longer a threat.
Mool turns and begins slicing into the warrior Delgras pushed toward him. The goblin's blade bit deep into the guard, creating deep wounds, but leaving the man upright and able to fight back.
Efwin's arrows slam into the warrior, leaving the shafts sticking out of his chest.
The warrior, bleeding heavily, brings his mace to bear against Mool.
but neither of the attacks hits the raging goblin.
From inside the web, a horrendous shriek sounds out before a thick black smoke rises up into the air. The robed man who is sobbing and curled into the fetal position behind the platform throws his head back and his arms wide as he also screams in agony - a thick black smoke erupts out of his ears, nose, eyes, and mouth, then soars upward.
-----
-----
One more round of combat should do it, what would everyone like to do?
Merten looks agog as the black smoke rises from the fallen. What is it Luca? Are they still possessed?
Shadow demons! Luca's mental shout echoes through your minds, relayed by telepathy.
Shadow demons often travel in packs, and rarely get involved with an army of a more powerful demon. They are more likely to be on their own "playing games" than obeying orders or following the plans of another demon.
Ultimately, despite their lack of physical form, they are quite cowardly, and generally do not stick around if a fight goes badly.
With things well in hand, Lothar relaxed his martial stance and gave in to the fatigue of the extreme effort he put into the battle.
The Shadow Demons are the ones who have possessed these crusaders! They're powerless in the sunlight! If you have magics of daylight, it will drive the demon from that crusader who still battles!
Once again, Luca's strange voice pulses through your mind, imparting knowledge and advice.
Does that sunlight powerlessness mean they can't cast spells in daylight, or just can't attack?
Merten moves up behind Luca and dismisses his web spell.
Keeping his flanking position, Mool moves in foaming at the mouth, his eyes rolling back in his head, and his bloody blade dripping with gore.
Raging, Ferocious weapon, flanking
Raging, Ferocious weapon, flanking
Damage
Damage
Precision Damage
His strikes beginning to go a bit wide in his hunger for combat, Mool continues his assault.
One strike from Mool is all it takes, and the already wounded warrior drops to the ground with the now familiar black smoke rising into the air.
The web disappears, freeing the unconscious man and the other guard who both slump to the ground.
-----
Mool raises his hands in the air and screams a cry of pure victory. "By the grace of Zarongel and his holy might, I have vanquished the evil that stalks the world once again". He then prances around a bit, before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion as his battle fever leaves him. His sword as well seems to grow limp for a moment.
"Just let me catch my breath for a moment". "I'll be fine after a rest for a bit".
Efwin will take some time looking the bodies over, seeing if any are still alive and trying to stabilize them.
The unconscious guard nearest Efwin (G1) appears to be alive, but since none of the "smoke" left his body, it is safe to assume the demon is still in possession of the man. Lothar's attacks left their marks, but he does not appear to be in danger of expiring.
The other guards (G2 & G3) are still alive, but only barely. While the one guard had no obvious signs of trauma (other than what Lothar did to him), these two guards display clear signs of torture. Scars, burns, and boils cover their bodies in various places, and upon close examination, it appears that even their eyes bear the unmistakable marks of being burned.
Unfortunately, these two men also have a number of head injuries. Even if they do wake up, it's very likely they will have memory problems. Given their condition, being unable to remember recent events may not be a bad thing.
Finally, the other guards who stood against you and your allies are deceased.
Merten nods to the others, clearly reassured by the competence and skill of the group. 'Ware that one he adds, pointing to one of the slumped forms . I didn't see a shadow demon slough free that flesh.
He intones a simple cantrip and casts about for magical auras.
First, the unconscious man glows with a sickly yellow aura - obviously the demonic possession. It is moderate strength, necromancy, and only appears to cover the guard. None of the other guards have similar auras.
The other strange thing he notices is that his spell ends abruptly about 50 feet over his head. It seems he has found the border of the antimagic field surrounding the monastery.
.
As the group recovers from the fight, the man who moaned earlier rolls over on his back. In a trembling voice, he asks into the air, "Who is there? Are the shadows gone?" It appears he is having trouble seeing.
Once the possessed defenders are defeated Delgras takes a minute to check the area for any other survivors or threats.
Not finding anything he moves a little ways back down the road from the platform and finds a low rock to climb on top of and keep an eye out for other trouble makers.
I would see these men buried with dignity. Lothar stated flatly, in a tone that made it clear he was not willing to negotiate that point. They deserve full honours in Kenabres, but for now, I think it best we dig them shallow graves. We may not make it out to retrieve them afterwards.
Lothar fished out a small shovel from his impressively large sack of gear and began to dig in a suitable spot. Knowing little of magic, he decided the manual work would give him time to calm down from the fight.
That unconscious guard still harbors a demon within him Merten warns, pointing out the specific host of the possessing demon. I have also located the antimagic field that surrounds the monastery. It begins almost fifty feet above our heads.
Merten and Luca move forward to where Ciridiel stands, sparing an admiring glance for the elf's bladecraft. In respose to Lothar's suggestion, Merten shakes his head. [b]Better to strip them of anything useful, and purify their corpses with fire. Bodies don't stay dead for very long in this place. There's always something looking for a home.
To the surviving man, Merten calls out, Who are you, angelspawn? And what has happened here? We will cause you no further harm if you do not give us cause, but we will not suffer fools either.
Lothar finds the ground harder than he expects, but with his knowledge and affinity for stone, he quickly makes a pit large enough for all of the bodies.
Merten calls out to the guard who spoke. The man turns his head toward Merten, but his destroyed vision prevents looking at the older man, "I am Atraken Emtosar, loyal servant of Iomedae, assigned to guard the lift platform here at the Monastery."
He pauses for a moment to catch his breath, "A few weeks ago, a large group of soldiers descended from the Monastery above. And then we witnessed the impossible - the unthinkable, all of the guards were possessed. That should not have been possible - the Monastery is protected! Demons should not have been able to penetrate the defenses - still, they were here! They set upon us with no warning. By the end, only a dozen of us were still alive... and those of us who were not possessed, got a demon of our own. It was... horrible. We saw things, and said things. Blasphemous things. And what we did, to the others who came before you..."
His shoulders sag, and his breathing becomes ragged. It's quickly apparent that the man is sobbing uncontrollably.
I am Merten Falstaff, Atraken Emtosar. We have been sent by the Pharasmin clergy of Nerosyan to investigate what has happened in this place. Merten looks around at the scattered corpses, grimacing in distaste. I take it that none who came before us survived. Be that as it may, it is not within my power to restore your sight, and one of your compatriots still harbors a demon. We must ascend. Is there a safe place where you can remain hidden while we make our way through the monastery? And is there a place where we can keep your possessed compatriot, so that the creature within him can cause no more grief? And what can you tell us of what lies within the walls of Tala?
The guard composes himself a bit after hearing what Merten says...
"There is no place down here to hide, the ground was kept clear to provide clean lines of sight. May I ascend with you? I can call the lift! It's magical and only one of the sworn guards know the words to operate it through the wards! Please take me, don't leave me alone down here!"
The man seems to have forgotten everything else Merten said to him.
Luca's thoughts push once more into the minds of Merten and the rest of the party.
This Aasimar's mind is extremely fragile. Tread lightly, and speak gently. The wrong thing could send him into a spiral of madness from which he might not recover.
With Luca's insight, Merten responds to the guard with a soft voice and somewhat gentler demeanor than his usual gruff tone. We would be most grateful for your aid Atraken. Allow me and my compatriots to compose ourselves for a moment before you call the lift. He looks to the others, and points once more at Luca, who transmits his thoughts to the rest of the group.
How shall we proceed? Focus your thoughts on Luca, and he will convey them to the rest of us so that our deliberations can remain silent. Personally, I would rather not have this poor creature accompanying us as we explore the grounds, but his aid in entry would most likely be invaluable.
Continuing to keep an eye out for any additional trouble Delgras shares his thoughts.
Yes, riding up would be better than climbing. Perhaps we take him up and secure him in the first place we find?
The man nods feebly, with tears still steaming down his face. He seems content to wait, though his emotional state still seems fragile.
From the other side of the platform, you hear a voice that sounds sibilant and halting, "Worthy foes - you have bested me and the time for hiding is ended. Leave that weakling and come hear my counsel. He is not the only one who knows things. My freedom for information - what do you say?."
The possessed guard's head raises up and faces the group. Black veins stand out and snake across his face, and his eyes appear as sickly yellow orbs covered with orange streaks. Blue drool seeps from his lips and nose, and his mouth is twisted into a hideous grin.
Efwin relates to the others I concur that we should allow him to help us get up, then perhaps we can find somewhere safe to keep him while we investigate.
Hearing the other man Efwin quickly readies his bow to take a shot at him if he makes any hostile moves.