"Whoa there," Lavanor says trying to calm the horse, and himself, as he's not particularly comfortable riding. "Those look like ghouls. I think we should try to avoid them," he says to his companions.
You can see two of them to the south-east of you about 35 to 40 feet into the tree line. There is a steep finger directly south causing the road to turn west to go around it. (DC 10 climb check to go up the finger if you decide to, it is 15' high)
Camil calmly walks forward, Well, looks like someone's cheating at cards, or trials, however you like it. as he does so he drinks an elixir and unwinds his weaponized scarf from around his neck.
Three rounds of silence remain. It seems that the spell is keeping the thing in Nualia at bay.
Camil will turn to the assembled crowd, and say, You all may wish to leave- now... and waves his arms at the crowd to emphasize that things were possibly about to get strange. Of course, with his magically lengthened arms, that was a strange sight indeed.
Camil withdraws yet another flask and quickly pounds it down, turning and spitting an adhesive glob at Nualia to pin her to the ground.
[ooc]Round 3 Camil will drink another potion and disappear! While invisible Camil will move a few feet away from where he was standing, continuing to place himself in between Nualia and the crowd.
Runt's heightened awareness kicks in and she recognizes the spell.
"She's completely insane! Why are Lamashtu priests so batty? If she is allowed to complete her spell she will give birth to a demon and die! I've seen it happen and it is gruesome and stupid."
She then casts the Weapon of Awe on the second round of silence.
"I don't think it would be very neighborly of us to just leave them right here on the main path." Forest says, drawing his sword and shield. "What if a waif comes along and is eaten?"
Runt recalls the resulting beast is a Yaenit demon. They are resistant to regular weapons but can be harmed normally by good aligned or cold iron weapons. Immune to electricity and resistant to fire, cold, and acid. A Yaenit can see the invisible and teleport at will. It's very presence can put people in a near drugged out state making it difficult to think and act (-2 to most mental tasks).
The ghouls apparently understand the conversation and rush forward as soon as Forest finishes his thought.
Round 1
Forest, Lavanor, Zherxikas
Ghouls
"If you can make your weapons good or have cold iron, you will have a much better chance of damaging the thing that is being birthed. Otherwise we are in trouble. It's also resistant or downright immune to all elemental damage and can teleport. We should just kill her now or it will be a blood bath."
"And Camil, it will be able to see you."
Frustrated and concerned that they have to engage the ghouls, Lavanor dismounts as quickly as he can. He draws his sword and prepares for combat.
"Forest hunter do you want to be bigger.. that may be my best magical spell right now!" he calls out as he moves himself and the prisoner up the road away from the ghouls.
The ghouls move up through the woods (with underbrush, any area more than 5' off the road is considered difficult terrain) pushing through the underbrush. Now that they have been spotted they begin giving off a howling screech. Further down the road to the south-west you hear a returning screech-howl. Then Lavanor sees something moving out of the tree line down beyond where the trail turns.
Ghouls are undead, they can see in the dark, they are smart and cunning which makes them difficult for clerics to turn, they can paralyze people with a scratch or bite and the bite can also pass on ghoul fever. Undead are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, phantasms, and patterns), paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). Undead are not subject to ability drain, energy drain, or nonlethal damage. Undead are immune to damage or penalties to their physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects. Undead are not at risk of death from massive damage.
"Sure, I think I can work with that." Forest responds to the tiefling, moving up with Lavanor and leaving the warhorse behind.
Being still on the horse, "guys... might be better time to just go, think our horses can outrun the ghouls at least in the short term. These things can paralyze you with their claws or bite and even turn you into a ghoul!"
Ghouls are NAAAASTY. Not a fight you really want to start with only a few of you unless you are an elf or have some serious tricks up you sleeve.
"Can't you, I dunno, blast them?"
Shakes his head, "unfortunately I have not the experience yet on that one, however I will attempt to blind at least two of them."
"Ah. Well." Ghouls or ghasts or whatever these things are are beyond Forest's expertise. "Is there a town nearby, someone who might need to be warned?"
"Unfortunately, it seems they were trying to set up an ambush with the ones around the bend blocking the road and these three cutting off any escape. Is there another road we can take to avoid these creatures? Right now I'm more concerned about us than other travelers. We should try to backup and keep at a distance while I fire my bow," Lavanor says.
You are marginally familiar with the area. There is only one actual road leading north and south connecting Sandpoint with Magnimar. There are some farm roads that peal off but no other towns between the two previously mentioned.
Lavanor fires his bow at the closest ghoul.
He then leads his horse back 20' and calls Scout to follow him.
The ghouls make it free of the underbrush and move on those closest. The large ghoulish dog dashes up the road intent on the horses. All the ghouls attempt to bite Forest but are unable to get past his shield and armor.
At Sandpoint, the team finds they have a few moments of Isabelle's silence spell left as they try and decide how best to deal with what may come. (everyone has taken 2 rounds of actions I think, 2 to go. Runt mentioned three rounds of actions i think)
Runt mentioned three rounds of actions I think
Casts a spell on the ghouls attacking Forest.
Runt rushes up and sticks Nualia with her Falchion, hoping to disrupt the spell and tag the demon before it can emerge.
; +1 if aberration or magical beast
Hoping that Forest's armor can continue to protect him and needing to keep their horses alive, Lavanor adjusts his target to the running dog.
"Protect the horses, Scout," he says, hoping his wolf will attack the dog if it gets close.
Forest steps back to avoid being surrounded by the monsters, bashing one in the face with his shield and swinging with his scimitar as he retreats. Now this is familiar! Forest started wearing the heavy armor so he could fight in melee with the monsters that threatened Ilsurian. Odd as it may seem, the whir of Lavanor's arrows whizzing by him was comforting.
Forest steps back and bashes the one Lavanor shot earlier. Then Zherxikas' spell descends on the two remaining ghouls blinding one of them causing it to scream in frustration. The ghoul who avoids being blinded steps up and attacks Forest. One of the claws manages to get through Forest's defenses (3pts dmg; DC 15 FOR save or be paralyzed). Lavanor changes targets and puts an arrow in the ghoul-dog as it runs up the road. It yelps but keeps coming, now toward Lavanor and Scout. Scout misses the ghoul-wolf and it retaliates, savaging the loyal animal (12pts dmg). Following just behind it, the remaining ghouls rushes up the road to attack Lavanor but fails to bite him.
Casts another spell of small magical missiles that descend on ghoul fighting Forest.
Runt's sword slides into Nualia's gut and skips off something hard. Nualia convulses and screams in silence. Then as Runt withdraws her weapon something follows and pulls itself from Nualia's core dripping in gore. It resembles a man-sized bipedal Jackal. It howls in silence once it steps free of the corpse.
@Zherxikas, Lavanor, and Forest
With the ghouls closing in, the uncontrolled horses spook and take off. They stick to the easier path and run back north up the road.
People behind me, no really, time to run! Camil calls out while snapping his scarf forward.
Orik calls out from the table, "For goodness sake, someone unchain me and give me a sword!"
Camil's scarf pops the thing on the head but seems to bother the creature little.
(You originally rolled a 28) Runt recalls the resulting beast is a Yaenit demon. They are resistant to regular weapons but can be harmed normally by good aligned or cold iron weapons. Immune to electricity and resistant to fire, cold, and acid. A Yaenit can see the invisible and teleport at will. It's very presence can put people in a near drugged out state making it difficult to think and act (-2 to most mental tasks).
Runt Lands a telling blow drawing the beast's attention.
Waiting on Isabella's AOO. You can roll your initiative or I will do so once the final AOO is done.
Lavanor cringes at the sound of the whelp Scout gives off when the undead wolf attacks his companion but before he can give aide, he avoids the attack of it's ghoul handler. Not wanting to place himself between the two undead, he drops his bow and draws his sword. Concentrating their attacks and hoping to trip the ghoul, he encourages Scout to attack the ghoul before swinging his sword at the creature.
The monsters bite hardly tickled, but a freezing pain spreads through Forest's body as his muscles lock up...
Zherxikas' magic missiles hit the ghoul just before Forest collapses to the ground with barely a grunt. Then Lavanor cuts the monster in front of him from should to ribs nearly cutting it in two. It also falls to the ground.
It's bad when you have to fight monstrous undead. It is even worse when they speak. "Bear, attack with me!" the ghoul who just felled Forest calls out as it charges Lavanor and bites but misses. The ghoulish dog does not miss and sinks its teeth deep into Lavanor's leg (11 dmg). The blinded ghoul finally clears its vision and rushes toward the sorcerer, taking a circuitous route around Lavanor and the wolf.
Lavanor's satisfaction of cutting the ghoul in two is short lived as he avoids the attack from the other one and screams in pain from the bite of the ghoul dog.
"Better the waif than us," Lavanor thinks as he can no longer move.
Zherxikas casts a spell in front of Lavanor, and then moves the horse 30' feet to the north.
The pit comes into existence taking the ghoul-dog and the ghoul crouching over Lavanor by surprise. They both tumble into it. Lavanor's prone form works to his benefit since he cannot stumble and so he lies there, safely at the edge.