| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Nokka reluctantly relinquishes her prize, giving Kahru a mournful look and a pitiful "Hoo" as she does.
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Zyneste remains impassive as Kreighton Shane addresses them and also in the face of the bizarre ritual he starts to perform. She had seen far worse in her time as a Pathfinder and had learnt not to dwell on such things. Instead, she turns her back to the ritual and keeps her eyes peeled for any signs of danger. Her bow raised and standing as still as a statue, she concentrates on the gentle flow of her own breathing and imagines herself out on the porch of her parents' old farm house, watching out over the fields for signs of rabbits coming to eat the corn.
Strong victories have been achieved in the Battle district, and Egelsee appears to be doing well with only sporadic attacks on them. The Woundward and Confluence districts still have sustained demonic attacks in progress, and the Outer district is struggling to remain controlled.
The enemy is attempting to reinforce their positions and begin pushing the Pathfinders back...
|
|
Takumi wanders over to study the ritual set up with great scholarly interest. "Most interesting. This one seems to observe some similarities with the runes placed outside temples in Jinin."
Once he has satisfied his curiosity, Takumi pulls out a wand to activate on himself. He then keeps to the back of the group. And wait patiently. Or at least outwardly.
Kreighton gives a nod as it seems everyone has prepared themselves for the upcoming battle, and dances to one of the circles. ”Be on prepared, I won’t be able to gather the supplies for this again if I have to stop.” He then takes a deep breath and grabs up what looks like a bowl of brains, and starts to mash them together chanting a series of words that seem to be an odd mix of Elven, Drow, Sylvan, Draconic, and maybe a little Grippli?
The first few seconds of the ritual seem fine, but at about second six a group of what had looked like corpulent pathfinders comes in closer, revealing giant worm like heads slowly undulating in and out of what looks like previous pathfinder bodies. The three give Kreighton a glance and then pass him off, clearly assuming the man has gone insane, instead they seem to head for the party, their worm-like mouths gaping in an approximation of a cackle.
These are Vermleks, demonic worms known to inhabit dead bodies and wont to infiltrate human society as people. These ones are being rather brazen in not keeping a face on.
++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++
Current Map
|
|
In a measured tone, Takumi shares, "These are Vermleks, demonic worms which, as you can see, inhabit dead bodies..."
He considers the creatures briefly, and decides most important strategy now is delay. Reaching into his pouch, he pulls out a sheet of paper, tears a hole in the centre, and flings it at the two standing together, just as an interdimensional hole appears below them.
Two of the Vermleks, one predominaltely covered in dried blood and the other ...something brown, both watch the paper fly towards them. But the ignore it as it seems well beneath teir notice. They instead start to advance on Kahru standing nearby, but before they can take more than a step they are falling to the bottom of the pit, bumping against the walls on the way down.
++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++
Current Map
|
Oiur steps forward, unslings their earth breaker, and begins a droning chant!
|
|
Preferring to keep her mind clear and calm at all times, Zyneste ignores Oiur's droning chant but is sure it will benefit some of the others.
With two demons dropping into the pit, the archer then focusses her attacks on the third vermlek, her head not moving as her eyes shift towards their target. Her hand quickly moves from her bow to her quiver and back again in a blur.
Quir pulls out their earthbreaker and starts their droning, rage-inducing chant, earning a slightly annoyed look from Krieghton and the attentions of the demons. Zyneste, however is able to take that attention away, by letting fly three different arrows. She lands two solid hits against the vermlek oozing pus. Her first flies into where a heart would be on a humanoid, causing the creature to cry out in pain, but before it can react, her second arrow pierces it's brain and knocks the thing out dead. She sends a third shot into the hole and scores a hissing sound of pain as her arrow buries itself into the demon's 'leg'.
The Vermleks in the hole start to mutter curses in demonic. The one covered in the brown stuff, quickly pulls itself out of the body it was controlling, pulling 4 thick tentacle with millions of small cilia on it out of the near husk of a body. The rapidly consumed flesh seems to heal much of the injuries the demon suffered.
The two then switch to a magically invested chant, the brown covered one seeming to grow even more feelers, and the blood covered one’s fingers growing longer and thicker. The two then hop onto the stone walls of their prison and start climbing. The bloody one braces itself against the corner and scurries up not unlike a spider rushing up over the edge of the dip and onto solid ground. The brown one also sccuries up the side of the pit like an insect. At the top both of them turn to glare at Zyneste, the only one with a bow ready.
++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++
Current Map
|
|
"Nokka, flank!" Kahru runs past the blood-covered Vermlek, making an effort to avoid it as he passes. When he gets in position he holds his attack until his war beast gets into a flank, then attacks simultaneously with her.
Kahru feels the familiar rhythm of Oiur's song as he swings, letting its power flow through him.
"Raaar-hoo!" Nokka steps into a flanking position as commanded and lays into the blood-covered creature.
Kahru and Nokka move into flanking around the blood covered vermlek, the barbarian completely avoiding the attention of the slow moving and slightly out of breath demon. Kahru is able to then bring his earthbreaker down in a wide arc slamming into the body of the demon, though for the amount of force he brought to bear it doesn’t seem to affect the demon as much as could be expected.
Nokka then jumps the damned being and starts going to town on it. Her beak and claws all find purchases and rake the flesh from the demon, though it proves to be more resiliant to her menstrations than the owlbear would have expected, but under her intense attacks, she is able to bring the thing down.
++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++
Current Map
With a concentration of effort, the Confluence District has been mostly cleared of invaders with only sporadic attacks in progress.
It appears to be getting harder to hold down the Districts though, as the horde is starting to reinforce their ranks...
Takumi pulls out his wand, trying to conserve spells, and fires off a missile at the remaining vermlek, but the magic peters out before it can reach the demon.
Kaya, hidden behind the building for the whole time, slips out of the shadows and streaks to the demon, before plunging her rapier into the head of the beast and ending its existence.
With the last vermlek down the fighting seems to ebb away from you, with all of the nearby demons seeing how quickly you defeated the vermleks avoiding your vicinity. Kreighton keeps on with his ritual, finishing up with the brains and blood, and dancing to another circle with eyes and bone fragments creating a small monument of the bones and eyeballs.
Just as it looks like he’s about to finish with those, a pair of small demons pop into existence on the burned out remains of a bonfire. Standing just over three feet tall, the bestial humanoids wear filthy, tattered robes that reveal much of their blue-gray skin decorated with strange, coiling stripes. Dark fur grows on their heads and arms, as well as their feet that end in burning hooves. Their eyes glow as red as the flaming swords they both wield in one hand, and their breath fills the surrounding air with noxious gray smoke. The two rivet their burning eyes on Kreighton, clearly their intended target, before unfocusing and realizing that most of the party is standing between them and their objective.
These are Brimoraks, they are generally limited to regions of the Abyss where fire and smoke hold sway, in those regions they are vast in number. Some demon lords use brimoraks as the primary infantry troops in Abyssal armies—although their command of fire makes them less effective against most fiends, they are particularly devastating against many other foes.
Brimoraks are small in stature, rarely standing over 3 feet in height, yet surprisingly strong for their size. Those who underestimate these demons often don’t live to learn of their errors, for brimoraks are quick to press the advantage against larger enemies after softening them up with fire magic. A brimorak’s dense musculature and bones result in unexpected weight as well—one of these creatures usually weighs nearly 200 pounds.
++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++
Current Map
Quir rushes the burning demons, and takes a good swing at the one with the yellow flames, smashing into the side of the thing and spraying its blood everywhere. Only when it starts to sizzle on their own skin, does Quir realize how hot the blood is.
Zyneste, in a rush over the unexpected apperance of the demon goat things, takes three quick shots, but her flutered state of mind is apparent in how her first shot flies too far and her third falls too short.
++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++
Current Map
The Woundward District has been brought under control.
Sporadic attacks are being felt in all districts, and victory against the horde is far from assured...
You remember reading or learning quite a bit about these demons back in Jinin. Their proclivities with fire and inherent flaming hooves being a particular concern as one or two of the demons could start your forests and houses aflame. Some of the information has faded, but you clearly recall that their blood is even hotter than their hooves and has a tendency to spray out with even the smallest cuts.
They also are completely immune to fire, as would be expected of one with literally boiling blood) but also seem to direct electricity through their bodies freely nullifying its damaging potential. As would be expected of something whose body heat is so high, the demons loathe anything cold, as it particularly is effective and devastating.
Defensive Abilities boiling blood (1d4 fire damage whenever hit by a non-reach piercing or slashing weapon.)
Immune electricity, fire
Weaknesses vulnerable to cold
Takumi steps back from the fight, tossing a handful of glitter at the new demons as he goes. Both of them are comepletely taken by surprise as much of the bright glittering dust invades their eyes, slashing their retinas and dazzling their eyes. The two growl in pain, clearly not happy.
The one with red flames flashing from his hooves, points a finger out in the direction of Takumi and starts chanting a spell, clearly not happy with having his sight taken from him. A small bead of fire slowly builds up on the outstretched finger gathering more and more power in the small form until the Brimorak finishes his spell and sends off the bead in the general direction of Takumi and co. It flies, waveringly over to the collected group and smashes into Kahru, blossoming into a giant raging ball of flames.
Yes, it is a fireball spell! Hopefully the description was enough ;-).
The yellow flamed one steps around Quir, tottering slightly before turning to face the scald. The small demon takes in a giant breath and then bites off the tip of it’s tongue. The demon then explosively releases the breath and a massive stream of boiling hot blood as well, covering Quir and Zyneste in the scalding hot liiquid. The smoke issuing from the beast’s mouth also starts to turn a bit thicker, threatening to choke out Quir.
The thick cloying smoke invades your lungs and makes you feel nauseous for a few seconds.
You hack out the smoke and figure out a way to filter out the gas making it much easier to handle.
++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++
Current Map
|
Foe dispatched, Kaya takes a breath of relief before slipping back into the shadow of the building, awaiting their next enemy. She's a bit disconcerted when the more or less pop into existence rather than entering the field through more conventional means, but attacks all the same, doing her best not to flinch at the sudden fiery explosion.
Nokka rushes forward at Kahru's side, her teeth snapping at the creature when she arrives.
|
|
Even as Takumi fled to one side, the blinded demon must have heard him and launched a fireball in his direction. With the edge of the pit to one side, he has little space to dodge and catches the blast full on. Just as the pit fades back to its extraplanar source.
Takumi quickly calls out all that he knows of these Brimoraks. He then starts chanting a spell while gesturing at Kahru.
|
|
Seared by the burning breath of the demon, Zyneste's calm concentration is only momentarily threatened. Casting her mind back to that time on the farm when some of the fields caught ablaze in the heat, the monk recalls how her dad told her to slow her breathing and remain calm as they fought back the flames that threatened to approach the house.
Calmly she steps away a few feet and releases another volley of arrows towards the now blinded demons.
|
|
The eruption of smoke and blood washes over Oiur. They duck the majority of the thick, steaming red ropes, which sizzle against their back before sliding to the ground and bursting.
The motion brings them closer to the brimorak, however, and they straighten directly into the cloud pouring from its muzzle. Caustic smoke burns their throat and makes their eyes water, and they're barely able to keep from doubling over in a hacking cough. Lungs burning, they dart to the side. They raise the great hammer and drive it down towards the creature's collarbone.
Their song has faded, but the sounds of their exertion still carry a hint of power
Eugressia tries to use one of her signature missiles of magic, but the missiles she creates all zero in on the target before disappearing one by one, no match for the inherent magic of the Brimorak. It does prove enough of a distraction to let Kaya come in and stab the brimorak in the back, hitting what looks like a critical spot. The demon roars in pain as it turns on her but it can’t seem to find her with all the glitter in its eyes, but a sputter of blood from the wound does splash across Kaya’s exposed arms.
Kahru fails to avoid the ball of fire, the edge of the pit being too close for comfort. But soon he and Nokka, who deftly avoided almost all the ball of fire, both advance on the red brimorak, Kahru’s adamantine earthbreaker slamming into the chest of the beast, tipping it blindly back into Nokka’s waiting mouth. Both of them take a splash of the burning blood, Nokka’s mouth in particular getting a slight scalding.
Takumi also fails to dodge out of the way of the ball o’fire, his robes blackening slight and his face and exposed skin taking on a bad sunburned look. He starts moving to cast a spell, but realizes that his intended targets have moved well beyond his reach.
Zyneste, still flustered about the new demons and her misses, misses the long streams of burning blood that the small brimorak spews her direction until it is too late. She catches the full brunt of the burning liquid across her midriff and right side. The pain however seems to finally focus the monk and she is soon able to get off a series of rapid shots. Her first one all but kills the red flamed demon, but her second ensures that it will never move again. Her third rains down on the yellow demon and buries itself in the demon’s left thigh.
Quir is much more aware of the alsmost syrupy strands of the deep red liquid and duck sunder most of the breath weapon, but fails to avoid the caustic smoke that the brimorak produces with every breath. They turn a little green, but can still step to one side, and bring their earthbreaker down and around in an uppercut like motion, slamming the demon’s chin up and snapping its neck. Some blood splays out over the skald in response, but that proves to be the last response the demon gives.
Krieghton, finished with the eyeball tower, lightly dances over to the third and final circle. He picks up a few tongues and uses them to build a pattern in the group. A few seconds pass as he works on the design, but no more demons come. He finishes the ritual with a chant and tries to symbolically link the three circles into one. With a final word of power, a small nearly translucent lavender barrier slides up from just outside the walls of the courtyard and slowly reach up over head. As it passes higher and higher, more and more demons disappear from the courtyard appearing just outside the barrier, and given the numbers appearing, it looks like any inside the tower are getting pulled out as well.
Kreighton watches the barrier for a few moments to make sure it is working properly before apporaching the party. ”Thank you for our assistance! I wouldn’t ahve been able to multi-task the enemy AND the ritual. Oh those burns look rather bad, hold on for a sec, I;m sure there’s a cleric or healer or two who are free now that they aren’t getting held down by demons.”
|
|
Krieghton sallys off around the courtyard, before coming back with another woman in tow. It proves to be Hiko from earlier in the same outfit with a little more dirt and blood on it. She gives the group a good look over. "Master Shaine was saying that you helped epxell those demons. I was having a hard time getting to some people in critical condition, but thanks to you I could get them stabilized."
"But you look like you could use some attention your selves! Here, if you get in closer, I channel a few times and then finish healing you up with spells."
A few channels and spells later, Hiko has everyone back to full health. "There's still plenty of attacks going on around here. Might not be a bad idea to go back out there."
|
With all of the dangerous demons out of the Starrise spire, the party has a few moments to sit and relax, but before the idea to even move out crosses a mind, a secretary you recognize from earlier rushes up to the group.
“You! You don't seem to be busy with anything right now. Venture-Captain Jorsal tasked me with finding some experienced agents, and you seem to fir the description. Jorsal is trying to mobilize as many Pathfinders as he can, and needs the assistance of Venture-Captain Thurl. It's in the Egelsee district here. Please find him, or at the very least, verify his whereabouts!”
With that she marks a spot on your maps where the lodge should be and gives a brief description of the buildign before moving on to find other groups and hand out assigments to their now idle hands.
With the location in hand, the group moves back to the underground tunnels, and ten minutes later brings them to the front door of the lodge. In the back ground some fighting still happens here and there, but for the most part the fires have been tampered out and the sky is significantly less smoky, though the heavy cloud cover can make it hard to tell.
Knocking on the door of the lodge garners no response and the door proves to be unlocked, inside the front room proves to be sparsely furnished, with a counter and chair, a few waiting chairs along one wall and a very loud clock that ticks off the seconds. The clock proves to be the only noise in the still, stuffy room.
|
|
Oiur brushes dried flakes of lukewarm blood off their clothing. "Going on a dwarf hunt, then." They nod to the woman and make ready.
—
Outside the lodge, reach into a pouch, crumple something between thumb and forefinger, and cluck their tongue. They shiver and their pupils briefly dilate. "Ready enough!"
Inside, they look around the small room. "Hmm. No signs of disturbance?"
|
|
"Let's see if there's any further information here," Kaya says, carefully examining the desk and its drawers as Oiur handles the room at large.
Once they're satisfied with the room itself, she'll slip over to the door to examine it for any extra modifications before carefully opening it.
Then, she'll make like the Sneak McSneaks and attempt to sneak her way in!
The demons are trying to attack in greater numbers and regain control but the Pathfinders are clearing them out just as quickly. Reports indicate that the waves of enemy continue to grow significantly larger.
Ouir takes a look at the room, finding the walls tastefully decorated in a nice warm yellow with a cherry chair rail and a subdued brick redlower portion. The cherry is kept through out all the wood in the room, the reception counter and chairs, even the clock onthe wall is encased in the warm wood. However nothing in the room seems amiss.
Digging through the drawers pulls up little more than some random forms, a novel with a book mark part way through it and the manuscript of a receptionist who clearly has too much free time.
Kaya moves onto the north door and checks it over for traps but finds nothing. The door opens onto a short hallway with three doors. She moves in silently,but doesn't hear anything from any of the other rooms, minus the incesant ticking behind her.
The doors having a little clerance provides enough space for takumi's familiar to squeeze under, the room of to the left gives the sensations of being crowded, and dark. After a few minutes of scurrying around, there is a momentary spasm of surprise, fear and instantaneous recognition, the trepedation soon fades as the familiar realises the spell was not a trap and just a ward. One significantly more powerful than his master.
Kaya gives the door a once over and finds nothing of danger. Opneing the door shows a storage space with barrel, crates and bags of supplies. Seems Thurl bought office supplies and staple foods in bulk.
Kaya also checks the other two doors and finds nothing to suggest a trap has been laid on them.