Bloody Streets: CT by AG

Game Master Apoc Golem

Thúlae senses his master's suspicion and sets to work watching the doctors and Grey Maidens. If he sees any of them reach for a weapon or cast a spell, he warns the party with an ear-piercing screech.

perception bad guys: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (6) + 19 = 25
perception bad guys: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (19) + 19 = 38
perception bad guys: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (17) + 19 = 36
perception bad guys: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (14) + 19 = 33

Golloriel is out of her element. She doesn't have the smarts or the perceptive skills of the others. Instead, as they walk by the cots, she picks the one closest to the storage room and stops to speak with him/her.

She smiles down at the patient. "Hello. My name is Golloriel Eglen and I am a paladin of Sarenrae. I have some skill with healing. Would you mind if I examine you?"

diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28

If yes, she'll pull out her healer's kit and take a look.

heal (+2 healers kit): 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 2 = 10

F$## me, she killed the patient. Leave it to this well-meaning idiot to ruin everything XD

Rey, seeing Golloriel struggle, decides to help. "Uh... where does it... hurt?"

Heal (aid): 1d20 ⇒ 3

At Rey's helpful direction, Golloriel cheerfully stabs a scalpel into the patient's neck and times the arterial spurts to check his pulse.

Golloriel calms the patient enough that he's more than happy to let her take a look, but she can't tell much about his condition beyond "he has blood veil."

Andakos feels distracted, somewhat unsettled by the doctor's demeanor, and doesn't pay much attention, though he notes the loading doors back here have been soldered shut, probably for security reasons.

Thulae quietly squawks at Cal that the unfamiliar humies are giving the group mean looks, but that's about all he notices.

Cal isn't a healer, but he can clearly see the patients are all at wildly varying stages of the deadly disease. The physicians tending to them constantly glance toward the party and seem distracted by their presence, though that could simply be due to the extremely tense standoff that just went down.

Among the supplies in the back area, Andakos and Cal find several crates, amongst which they find various bandages, herbs for salves, and healer's kits with additional poultices and the like. There are also several stacks of fresh linens for the cots, barrels of fresh water, and a table with a variety of easy-to-make foodstuffs and a small cauldron and makeshift pit, where a bland-smelling soup is boiling with various leafy greens and chicken stock.

Nothing else is found.

What next? There is a stairwell to the northeast, but that's about it. Also yes, this whole place is very well lit by multiple torches, so it's all bright light.

Andakos moves to the room to the northeast and takes a look around.

perception NE room: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (15) + 17 = 32
perception NE room: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (13) + 17 = 30
perception NE room: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (18) + 17 = 35

Caladaer helps.

Autoaids all perception checks.

Thúlae continues to keep an eye on the baddies.

perception baddies: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (6) + 19 = 25
perception baddies: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (18) + 19 = 37
perception baddies: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (13) + 19 = 32

Golloriel stows the healer's kit, nods at the poor sick man, and sheepishly walks away without a word. She has no idea what happened, but it was like she forgot everything she knew about medicine. She feels her face flush as Rey walks beside her. In this moment, she is immensely grateful for her new boots; she can't get away from the source of her shame quickly enough.

She rejoins the others in the northeast room, realizes she forgot to life link again, and quickly bonds with each of her companions. The bond doesn't give her telepathy or anything like that, but each one does somehow carry the personality, or the essence, of the bondee. It is comforting to her.

In the lefthand door is a room with an open-faced lift, likely used when it was still a warehouse to store additional goods on the smaller second floor. The lift uses a hand-cranked pulley to haul it up and down between the floors.

In the righthand door is a small room with a stairwell leading up. Golloriel sees nothing untoward here.

Andakos finally gets his head in the game and takes a good, long look around, particularly checking the lift.

At first glance, it appears only to go up from here to the second floor and back to the first, but the investigator's keen eye notices a small, cleverly-hidden latch on the pulley system to allow it to go down from the first floor.

There is apparently a hidden sub-basement.

Of course, knowing now that the warehouse was originally owned by the Arkonas, who--if Reyhan is to be believed--are likely into some shady shit, a hidden sub-floor is actually kind of expected. Whether the current occupants are aware of it is another matter.

Perhaps the good doctor might have answers...

F!$@ the good doctor.

Andakos calls everyone over to him, boards the lift, flips the hidden latch, and heads down to the sub-basement.

Rey almost doesn't say anything and just lets him shuffle them off downstairs, but at the last moment she puts a hand on his wrist to stop him.

"Andakos, wait," she murmurs, low enough that hopefully the Gray Maiden outside doesn't hear. "Think about this a second, okay? We have no idea what's down there. We don't even know what's up here. What we do know is that we're leaving at least two heavily armed soldiers and a buttload of creepy mask-wearing weirdos and their boss up here. Which, when we go down there, will be behind us. Cutting off our exit."

She moves her hand away. "Look, if you wanna go down there gung-ho, I'll follow you. Of course I will. But... just realize we're going down blind."

She steps back and shrugs. "Up to you."

Part of her kind of hopes he decides to barge down there anyway. She's always had a penchant for bad ideas and rash decisions--life's just more fun that way. But the rational part of her brain really doesn't like putting this many potential enemies at their backs without at least pointing it out.

Andakos hesitates, his hand over the latch. After a few seconds, the hand clenches into a fist. A wave of anger passes through him, taking him a bit by surprise. He knows it is not directed at Rey -- she is 100% right -- but he still has to take a few seconds before he responds to avoid lashing out at her. Finally, he steps away from the lift. "You're right, Rey. Let's go talk to the doctor."

He turns and leads the party up the stairs to the doctor's office.

I left Cal's token to the north just so you can see the map area the party moved through, but I assume he's actually with the party.

With the others in tow, the party heads to the stairwell in the northeast room and up.

The landing for the second floor is a stark contrast to the brutalism of the stone building below, with beige floor tiles and whitewashed walls. Double doors engraved with images of rampant gazelles stand to the south, their once fine teak bearing obvious scores and chips from rough use.

The party passes through the doors into a long room with more beds. Here, two more Gray Maidens stand guard, and three more of the physicians man the room. Two move from patient to patient assessing their condition, while the third works at one of the tables in the middle of the room. The tables are covered in alchemical and medical equipment. Of the beds, less than half of these are filled, and the patients all look to be in rough shape.

Ducky's minimum Perception is enough to notice this:

As the party passes through the doors into the room, Andakos quickly notes that, for some reason, all the patients up here are Varisian.

At the far southern end of the room is another door. It is open, leading into what appears to be an office.

As Andakos approaches the office, he feels... strange. Not like he's come under any kind of assault, at least not in the physical or psychic sense, but he feels a sense of... foreboding? Familiarity? Yes, definitely both of those things, but other sensations too abstract to pin down with words. His normally tough red skin breaks out in gooseflesh.

heal: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
C(A): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (16) + 17 = 33

heal: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

GAH!

heal: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Before entering the doctor's office, Andakos pulls the others aside. "All of the people up here are Varisian. I wonder if Alexandra Daddario's brother is here. Plus, they aren't looking for a cure. They are studying these people's blood."

"We're going to end up in a fight, aren't we?"

"It seems likely. Be on your guard."

With that, he heads into the doctor's office. On the way to the desk, he studies the floor and area around the desk as carefully as he can, looking for signs of traps. He's not going to fall into a trap door if he can help it.

perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (10) + 17 = 27 +3 traps

Once at the desk, he starts with the obvious question. "Hello again, Doctor. Why are the Varisians separated from the other patients?"

Pre-emptive sense motive:

SM + insp: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (10) + 13 + (5) = 28

Reminder that I'll pop heightened awareness for an extra +4 to init if there is any trouble.

Cal makes his way into the room, ensuring that he is as far from both the doorway and the doctor as possible. He commands Thúlae to keep watching for trouble, then calls the incantation for mirror image to the front of his mind.

Up to you if you'll allow this, but I'd like to ready an action to cast mirror image at the first sign of hostility.

perception: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (20) + 19 = 39

Golloriel instinctively takes a defensive position at the back of the room. The doctor is probably powerful, but there are five ne'er-do-wells in the next room. She intends to make it difficult for them to reach Andakos and her father if anything goes down.

She knows that Thúlae is watching their backs, so she faces the doctor while Andakos questions him. Every nerve is on edge and she has to make a conscious effort not to rest her sword hand on her scimitar.

Readied action to draw.

Blood, bile, and other humors boil away within oddly formed beakers and twisted tubes in this sizable laboratory-cum-office. Any wall space left in view between cabinets or over-laden bookshelves is covered by worn parchments depicting magnified aspects of human anatomy in grisly detail--many pierced with pins and flags like the war maps of a veteran campaigner. In the corner, a desk of elegantly carved white ash bears the image of a herd of antelope, but stains from dark chemicals and gore disfigure the once-beautiful piece.

Sitting at the desk is Dr. Reiner Devaulus. This close, the party can see he is a Chelaxian man of middle age, with a receding widow's peak of nut-brown hair atop a long face with soft, sad eyes. His long arms rest on the desk at the elbows, and his spindly fingers, as stained with various alchemical reagents as his desk, are steepled in front of his face. His wide, expressive mouth is turned down slightly at the corners in a very paternal-feeling frown.

As a reminder, he's played by Bobby Cannavale.

For Andakos, however, the image is rather tarnished by another shock of that eerie familiarity he felt outside that he just can't seem to pin down.

Far from looking chastised at Andakos's blunt question, he nods knowingly. "Caught that, did you? As it turns out, those of Varisian descent have a small chance of being immune to blood veil. We saw it even in the earliest days of the outbreak, when entire Varisian households were on the verge of death, save for one curiously healthy individual. Our best estimates put the number at about five Varisians in a hundred. My associates and I are working diligently to isolate the trait in their blood that allows this anomaly."

Something about his whole demeanor feels... evasive. Performative, perhaps. But whatever performance he may be committing, Devaulus is at least speaking true words, so far as Andakos can tell.

"Uh huh. I suppose that is why there is alchemical equipment meant to study blood up here, but why isn't there any equipment for healing, Doctor? Surely you aren't allowing these people to suffer while you study them?"

SM: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32

Readied action to draw.

go ahead, make a move, i dare ya: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (20) + 19 = 39

LOL that's two twenzonies in a row.

Readied action to draw.

Readied mirror image

Rey, seeing her allies tense, casually drops her arms to her sides--conveniently in range of one of her many daggers.

Readied action to throw.

You also need to list a triggering action. I will assume the trigger here is "Devaulus attempts to engage in combat."

Devaulus peers curiously at the investigator. His eyes flicker momentarily to the tensed muscles and lingering hands at sword hilts, but he appears unfazed as he rests his eyes back on Andakos.

The corners of his expressive mouth twitch up from the slight frown into a faint smile. "You look awfully familiar. Have we met?"

The question sends a strange shiver up Andakos's spine.

He seems to sense the investigator's reaction, because his smile widens. "It happens sometimes, those of diluted blood sensing their stronger kin. You must be Andakos Viden, yes?" He nods. "We have been looking for you for a very long time. You and your mother. That's the whole reason I consorted with those Urgathoan idiots. Not exactly our usual bedfellows, and my master was less than pleased at my ploy, but the results of the plague have mollified him somewhat. That idiot High Priest wanted to make an undead plague, if you can believe it." Devaulus' mouth twists in distaste. "As if one of our kind would ever let that happen."

He studies Andakos for a long moment, then shrugs. He keeps his movements small, inoffensive. "All so we could find you and your mother, and finally end the bloodline that should never have been. Daemon-spawn like you are far more of an insult than, say, a Beastbrood." None of you can be certain, but it almost seems like his eyes flicker momentarily to Reyhan, as if he knows what she is. But it lasts only a moment. "We seek the death of all things. Undeath is an irritation that we sometimes tolerate for mutual benefit, but breeding? Gods, the insult of it!" His face hardens, his mouth twisted in disgust and anger. "My master was... indiscreet, some years ago. He tainted a human lineage that irritated him, mostly as a mockery, but they went and bred before he had a chance to wipe them out entirely. Sometimes a cruel joke goes on just a little longer than is prudent, mm? He won't be making the same mistake again, to be sure, but that stain on his legacy is... vexing him." Devaulus grins in a way that tells Andakos he finds this nameless master's pain quite amusing.

He taps his steepled fingers thoughtfully against his lips. "As to the plague, well. That was mostly a side project for my mortal employers. Perhaps you've heard of the Red Mantis?"

"Well," he says with a dramatic sigh, "I suppose you'll be killing me now. Or at least, trying to. I fear it will not go as well as you hope."

He stands and pushes away from the desk in one smooth motion. As he stands, his skin begins to bulge and warp.

That's when the party leaps into action. Yet the doctor seems to have anticipated it, and manages, through a distended, twisting jaw, to call "GUARDS!"

I am giving him a surprise action as well, to stand and call out. However, none of the other combatants will get a surprise round.

Andakos whips out his spear, Golloriel pulls free her weapon, and suddenly one Cal becomes several. Rey, with shocking speed, whips a dagger at the 'good doctor.'

I need a roll from Cal for how many images. I'll go ahead and roll Rey's attack here.

Rey Attack vs Devaulus FF: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
P/S Dmg: 1d4 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 6 = 14 P, S, Precision

The doctor clearly wasn't expecting someone to be able to draw and attack at the same time, and the dagger buries into his shoulder with a thunk and a small squirt of blood. Two things become immediately apparent, however.

1. The blade did significantly less damage than it aught to have.
2. The blood is not red, but a sickly yellow the color of bile.

[color=green]ROUND 1
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (0 dmg)
Physician 1 (0 dmg)
Reyhan (56/56 hp)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, +7 temp hp)
Thulae (21/21 hp)
Gray Maiden 1 (0 dmg)
Andakos (46/46 hp, +14 temp hp)
Golloriel (68/68 hp)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

There is a commotion outside as two of the physicians react quicker than their counterparts and rush in, crowding around the woman who threw a dagger at their employer.

For his part, the 'good doctor' doesn't move. He simply leans forward against the desk, screaming in agony as his flesh warps and bulges, until finally the doctor explodes in a shower of gore that shatters the desk and sprays Andakos, Golloriel, and Cal in a shower of yellow ichor and meat chunks.

Standing in Devaulus's place is a towering, hideous fiend with withered skin and a long vulture skull for a head, its desiccated leathery wings folded behind it.

# of images: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

NOICE.

Also: gross.

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33

So 3 questions?
1. Resistances
2. Immunities? Probably at least fire.
3. Special abilities/attacks?

Okay. So I just saw the knowledge (local) spoiler, and I swear I didn't switch the order of these rolls.

Knowledge (local): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

Hmm. Interesting.

I'll wait for knowledge before proceeding.

Haha I trust you!

Also I forgot to bold who goes next, sorry!

[color=green]ROUND 1
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (0 dmg)
Physician 1 (0 dmg)
Reyhan (56/56 hp)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, +7 temp hp)
Thulae (21/21 hp)
Gray Maiden 1 (0 dmg)
Andakos (46/46 hp, +14 temp hp)
Golloriel (68/68 hp)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Less than pleased at being surrounded, Rey jabs out with a dagger at #3, hoping to move south and eventually help flank the big murder vulture demon thing.

Spending a panache to double her precision damage this attack.

Mithral Dagger vs 3: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 12 = 16 Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Mithral Dagger vs 3: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 6 = 10 Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Confirm atk 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

NOICE! Got that panache right back!

Rey's dagger whiffs on the first attempt, but her second strike buries itself in the physician's side. They give a groan of pain but do not fall.

Physician #2 rushes into the room and steps up to Golloriel, ready to abandon 'do no harm' with that well-made club they're wielding.

Double move.

[color=green]ROUND 1
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (15 dmg)
Physician 1 (0 dmg)
Reyhan (56/56 hp)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, +7 temp hp)
Thulae (21/21 hp)
Gray Maiden 1 (0 dmg)
Andakos (46/46 hp, +14 temp hp)
Golloriel (68/68 hp)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Cal doesn't have false life. And I rolled 6 images.

Cal yells out a succinct summary of all that he knows about this thing. Then he waves a hand, utters an incantation, and everyone suddenly feels faster.

haste

Dammit and we just talked about it too. Fixed.

The party gets the juice. Meanwhile, the heavy clomp of metal boots on stone can be heard. (Double move.)

[color=green]ROUND 1
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (15 dmg)
Physician 1 (0 dmg)
Reyhan (56/56 hp, hasted)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, 6 images, hasted)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted)
Gray Maiden 1 (0 dmg)
Andakos (46/46 hp, +14 temp hp, hasted)
Golloriel (68/68 hp, hasted)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

I have Andakos at 13 false life hp.

Andakos knew a fight was coming, but he can't say he expected this. Does the Queen know about this??

He waits for the gross transformation to complete, then studies the daemon before him, looking for weak spots. He doesn't see many, but he tries to exploit what he knows anyway.

spear: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

spear: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

What in the actual f+%~.

Uh oh. This is trouble.

Despite his own failure to even come close to hitting the giant creature in front of him, he still stays ultra-aware of what is going on around him, protecting his allies.

Bodyguard for +3 AC to Cal or Golloriel

bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25
bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29
bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (13) + 14 = 27

Golloriel sees the monstrosity behind her and wants nothing more than to call down Sarenrae's wrath on it, but there are more immediate problems in front of her: Rey is surrounded. She gives #1 the business.

scim: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

scim: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

confirm: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

Meh. At least the damage was decent.

She's life linked to everyone but will drop it if she goes below 30hp. Aura of courage gives +4 on fear saves within 10'.

Weird. I have it at 14. Maybe it's a holdover from the mansion fight?

Andakos thrusts his spear twice at the monstrosity that used to be 'Dr. Devaulus' but it moves with shocking alacrity for its size, and neither thrust connects. Diverting his attention, the investigator twirls the longspear in an arc in an attempt to distract the Queen's Physicians enough to ruin their aim.

His keen eye notices that while the physicians seem surprised by the monster's appearance, none of them have stopped attacking the party to attack it, or to flee in horror.

Golloriel puts two deep gouges into #1's torso, but they also do not go down.

More clomping heavy plate mail can be heard.

Meanwhile, 'Dr. Devaulus' steps over the broken wreckage of the desk, never taking its vacant eye sockets off of Andakos. "I'd heard a holdover from the Academae named Viden was looking into the plague. You hadn't got anywhere near it for weeks, and yet suddenly you're on my doorstep. Ah, well. This was mostly a pet project, anyway. Something to pass the time. But you..." It pulls a large glass vial from a pouch on its ratty leather belt. The vial is empty.

It continues on, its voice like silk shifting across rotten, pustuled flesh. "I felt your approach. As you felt me. And I knew. I knew you were the one I was looking for." It reaches out and swipes at Andakos with a claw. The wound rips through his shirt and armor, but thanks to his extract, the wound is relatively shallow. The creature cocks its head at the tiny wound, and a loud series of clicks reverberates through its bony jaw. It sounds distinctly irritated.

Thanks to your false life, you only took 2 damage instead of 15! But since your total HP didn't fall below 5 less than your max, it didn't trigger Life Link.

Meanwhile, the wounded physicians set to work ruining their vow to 'do no harm' by attempting to club Rey to death. Ducky gets his spear in to deflect one, but the other slips by and clobbers Reyhan in the back. (9 bludgeoning damage. Life Link will activate on Golloriel's turn, if I recall correctly?)

[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (15 dmg)
Physician 1 (17 dmg)
Reyhan (47/56 hp, hasted, Life Linked)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, 6 images, hasted, Life Linked)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted)
Gray Maiden 1 (0 dmg)
Andakos (44/46 hp, hasted, Life Linked)
Golloriel (68/68 hp, hasted)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Rey wheezes from the blow to her back, but recovers quickly. It's not the first time she's had the wind knocked out of her, and gods willing, it won't be the last. She lashes out with her dagger again.

All attacks will be on #3 until she kills them, and then she'll switch targets.

Dagger: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 10 + 1 = 29
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 6 = 13 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Dagger: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 1 = 24
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 6 = 11 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Dagger: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 5 + 1 = 14
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 6 = 10 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Confirm #1: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 10 + 1 = 23
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

After the sneaky smack from #1, Rey decides to show these A-holes how it's done. In one deft arc, she opens #3's throat, ducking and spinning underneath the arterial spray, which catches #1 on the mask and leaves him open. She comes up with a sort of stabbing uppercut, burying the mithral dagger under the jaw of #1 into their brain while they're still trying to wipe their ally's blood off their ugly bird mask. Both bodies drop simultaneously to the floor.

Physician #2 seems to reconsider their life choices and backpedals away from the group and out the door. (Withdraw.)

For now, the party is alone in the room with the terrifying hybrid daemon.

[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (34 dmg, dead)
Physician 1 (28 dmg, dead)
Reyhan (47/56 hp, hasted, Life Linked)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, 6 images, hasted, Life Linked)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted)
Gray Maiden 1 (0 dmg)
Andakos (44/46 hp, hasted, Life Linked)
Golloriel (68/68 hp, hasted)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Yep, that's correct on life link. Also, Rey doesn't get Bodyguard because Andakos isn't adjacent to her :(

Cal's eyebrows raise at Rey's impressive display of dagger work. He was going to have Thúlae burn some "physician" eyeballs out with burning gaze, but she took care of them. He knows it would be next to useless on the good doctor, so he hesitates. On the other hand, he can hear the Grey Maidens on their way, and they looked flammable, so he proceeds with his original plan, casting burning gaze on the hawk and sending him off to perch on the highest piece of furniture he can find (I guessed on the map, but feel free to move him to a higher perch, provided it's on the eastern end of the room).

Thúlae feels the spell ignite his vision and heads to the shelf on the eastern wall, waiting for the Maidens to come within range.

Readied action to burning gaze a Maiden once within 30'.

fire damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

DC 17 fort negates. If that fails, DC 17 reflex to avoid catching on fire.

Ah, yes, I forget Bodyguard is "adjacent" not "within reach." But it actually didn't affect the rolls mechanically, that physician missed by a lot more than 2, so I'll just leave it in for flavor.

Thulae perches on a bookshelf and waits for a Gray Maiden to come within range. As luck would have it, one of the two Maidens rushes into the room right after the hawk sets up shop. If she even noticed the hawk at all, she doesn't show it. She doesn't even look like she heated up.

Nat 20, sorry homie.

She hustles into the room, steps on top of the physician's corpse, and harries Golloriel and Reyhan with sword and shield. (Double move.)

Golloriel feels a knife wound open up in her abdomen as some of Reyhan's wounds close.

[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (34 dmg, dead)
Physician 1 (28 dmg, dead)
Reyhan (52/56 hp, hasted 5 rds, Life Linked)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, mirror image (6 images) 6 mins, hasted 5 rds, Life Linked)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted 5rds, burning gaze 6 rds)
Gray Maiden 1 (0 dmg)
Andakos (44/46 hp, hasted 6 rds, Life Linked)
Golloriel (63/68 hp, hasted 6 rds)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Bah, the AC I had listed in my Status assumed I have shield active, and I went back to look at my buffing post, and I definitely do not. That was an oversight :grimacing:

Andakos can't fathom how he missed the daemon so badly the first time around, but at least he was able to harry his allies' opponents a little bit. He tries another couple of stabs at Devaulus.

spear: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (13) + 14 = 27
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

spear: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34
damage: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

confirm: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33
damage: 2d8 + 16 ⇒ (6, 7) + 16 = 29

That's better.

Holy crap that's 3 hp short of max damage on a crit. NOICE. Bodyguard for +3 AC to Cal or Golloriel:

bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19
bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21
bodyguard: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34

Golloriel hears the carnage that Andakos is unleashing behind her and very briefly thinks that maybe they don't need Sarenrae in this fight (and then immediately feels crushing guilt for having the thought and plans on 4 hours of ablutions tonight).

She wants to move into a flank with Rey, but that would leave Andakos and her father outside her protection aura. She doesn't know what that thing is, but she suspects it can cause fear in some way. Instead, she stays where she is and welcomes the Maiden to the fight.

scim: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

scim: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

confirm: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

LOL I'm guessing that hits but 12 damage on a crit is just so sad.

Then she makes an offer to the Maiden. "Drop your weapon and repent in Sarenrae's name and I swear no further harm will come to you! Do not and Sarenrae's wrath will smite you all." I know she said "smite" but she's saving her actual smite for Devaulus.

Andakos' first spear hit glances off the fiend's shockingly dense hide, but the second stab gets it between the ribs. Despite feeling the magical spearhead push through what feels like something vital, Devaulus gives the investigator only a mildly irritated look.

The Maiden easily deflects the first slash with her shield, but takes the second slash between two plates, just under the ribs in the soft meat. Golloriel can hear the sneer in her voice from behind the implacable steel helm. "Pathetic. Offering surrender instead of just destroying me. I will make you regret your softness, girl."

A second Gray Maiden hurries in, and at a gesture from the first Maiden, strides into position side-by-side with her. (Double move.)

Meanwhile, Devaulus, despite the heavy blow it just took, takes another swipe at Andakos. This time there is no spell to buffer him as the fiend's claws rip through his abdomen, leaving four horrific gashes on his side. (11 slashing damage.)

It really feels like this thing could have done more just then, but instead it does something far more unsettling: it wipes the gore from Andakos's wound off into the empty vial in its other hand and stoppers it.
(Calling that a move action, so no more attacks this round.)

[color=green]ROUND 3
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (34 dmg, dead)
Physician 1 (28 dmg, dead)
Reyhan (52/56 hp, hasted 5 rds, Life Linked)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, mirror image (6 images) 6 mins, hasted 5 rds, Life Linked)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted 5rds, burning gaze 6 rds)
Gray Maiden 1 (12 dmg)
Andakos (33/46 hp, hasted 6 rds, Life Linked)
Golloriel (63/68 hp, hasted 6 rds)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Rey is increasingly worried about that daemon. Can they even defeat that thing?? It just gored the heck out of Andakos with just one swipe, and it barely even flinched at the massive hit it took!

Mooks first, then help him, she reminds herself, and unleashes her dagger on the Maiden in front of her that Golloriel just wounded.

Dagger vs Maiden 1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 6 = 11 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Dagger vs Maiden 1: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 6 = 13 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Dagger vs Maiden 1: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 6 = 10 Mithral, Piercing, Precision, Slashing

Thanks to the Maiden's defenses, only one of Rey's attacks penetrates, but it sends her reeling. She's not down, but she looks on her last legs.

Meanwhile, the Physician comes back in now that they have allies to protect them, and make their way around the table to flank Reyhan.

[color=green]ROUND 3
Characters in BOLD may act.
Dr. Devaulus (?? dmg)
Physician 3 (34 dmg, dead)
Physician 1 (28 dmg, dead)
Reyhan (52/56 hp, hasted 5 rds, Life Linked)
Physician 2 (0 dmg)
Caladaer (43/43 hp, mirror image (6 images) 6 mins, hasted 5 rds, Life Linked)
Thulae (21/21 hp, hasted 5rds, burning gaze 6 rds)
Gray Maiden 1 (12 dmg)
Andakos (33/46 hp, hasted 6 rds, Life Linked)
Golloriel (63/68 hp, hasted 6 rds)
Gray Maiden 2 (0 dmg)
[/color]

Caladaer sees maiden #1 close to falling and decides to put her down so Golloriel and Rey can get freed up sooner to help with Big Bad over here. He waves a hand dismissively and three missiles erupt from it.

MM @ #1: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 4, 4) + 3 = 14

Booyah.

Thúlae turns his gaze to the physician that just returned (or maiden #1 if she's not down) and tries to set him ablaze.

fire damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

DC17!