Dendillion tries to disrupt the ritual. He manages to weaken the magic a bit by messing up the symbols, but he's worried he won't finish in time. He estimates that in a little more than 10 seconds, it'll be too late. He sees that the wolf is just tied up, not tied to the floor though...
The bard then inspires the party to finish off the elemental. In response the zephyr hawk swoops past the bard, trying to slash his eyes out on the way: for
Round 2:
Enemies: ATK
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Tiny: Go
Haldan: Go
Charlie: Go
Wolf on Round 4
Goliath and Charlie strike as one. Goliath bites at the cultist's legs while Charlie sends a pair of arrows over his shoulder.
HP 41/41
AC 20 (22 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield 12/12; [AC Bonus +2: [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Focus 1/1
Hero Points 0/3
Goliath
HP 32/32)
AC 17
Goliath can't seem to get a lock on the bird, but Charlie's second arrow just barely hits it.
Round 2:
Enemies: ATK
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Tiny: Go
Haldan: Go
Charlie: Hit
Bird: 3
Wolf on Round 4
Tiny decides his friends can probably handle the windy hawk as he darts into the circle, scoops up the wolf and makes a break for it.
Chark sustains her spell and sends the shimmering scimitar at the flying bird.
She then closes with the elemental, though not too close.
Tiny pulls the wolf out of the circle. As its transformation into a blood wolf is incomplete, its has only a few streaks of red in its gray fur and pinpoints of red light glow in its eyes.
Meanwhile Chark's spell rips through the concentrated wind, leaving it a little less intense.
Round 2:
Enemies: ATK
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Hit
Tiny: Free
Haldan: Go
Charlie: Hit
Bird: 13
Reach Shocking Grasp.
Haldan's spell misses as the electricity fizzles.
Round 2:
Enemies: ATK
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Hit
Tiny: Free
Haldan: Miss
Charlie: Hit
Bird: 13
Action 1: Bon Mot
Action 2-3: Blistering Invective
After hearing her voice, Dendillion decides to deliver a bon mot. "My dear lady, I must tell you that you've little chance at winning the praise of your god based on the quality of your voice..."
"... so get sodomized by a demon you doxy, you pustulent doxy. You hideous puturelle!" The bard finishes, weaving magic into his blistering invective.
Cast Blistering vs Cultist, DC 19 Will.
Action 1: Inspire Courage
Action 2-3: Telekinetic Projectile
Dendillion inspires the group and flings some detritus at the hawk.
Dendillion slams a magically hurled object into the living wind!
The wind hawk swoops to the closest foe and goes after Chark!
for
MISS
Round 3:
Enemies: ATK
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Tiny: Go
Haldan: Go
Charlie: Go
Bird: 23
Charlie begins to hunt the wind hawk, following it with his eyes. Raising his bow he snaps a shot off.
HP 41/41
AC 20 (22 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield 12/12; [AC Bonus +2: [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Focus 1/1
Hero Points 0/3
Goliath
HP 32/32)
AC 17
Charlie's snapped aim is off!
Round 3:
Enemies: ATK
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Tiny: Go
Haldan: Go
Charlie: Miss
Bird: 23
Ah! My hair! Get it out of my hair! Chark flails at the zephyr hawk in desperation, retreating from its immediate area and directing her spiritual weapon again.
Her distraction clearly affects her ability to use the spell. She nervously runs her fingers through to try and catch any jetsam left by the elemental in her hair.
The spell misses by a Varisian mile.
Round 3:
Enemies: ATK
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Miss
Tiny: Go
Haldan: Go
Charlie: Miss
Bird: 23
Action 1: Inspire Courage
Action 2-3: Telekinetic Projectile
Dendillion keeps the inspirational song up as he lets the musical sound waves hurl another projectile at the hawk.
Tiny drops to his knees gently puts the wolf down, attempting to soothe it's wounds.
Then Tiny raises up on one foot, draws his crossbow and takes a shot.
Dendillion too misses, but the zephyr hawk can only dodge so many times. It flies straight into a bolt from Tiny. the hawk bursts into a fading wind.
Charlie catches his breath. "I..i..i..is the wolf alright? Anyone know what that ritual w..w..was even about?"
The wolf looks up at Charlie. There's no extra intelligence in its eyes, just a dim animal understanding that this two-legged back provided safety. Aside from a racing stripe of crimson fur and matching irises, the wolf seems normal.
It looks like the ritual intended to imbue the wolf with some kind of Abyssal power.
"That was a close thing for the very fortunate wolf. That ritual was going to infuse it with an Abyssal corruption, I just know it."
Charlie reaches down, tossing a small bit of meat to the wolf. "I..it's alright." He tries to keep the wolf calm. "What did they do to you?"
The wolf stays close to Tiny, the one who pulled him free, but does take the proffered food. It looks once at the dead priest and growls.
Suddenly the empty pens in the other room seem a lot more sinister.
Once Chark is convinced that there's no zephyr hawk residue in her hair, she comes to a similar conclusion. Those animal pens... she muses a moment, and this poor lupine... Chark's face hardens. We have some more animals to see to, I expect. Take a few moments, everyone, and then we'll get to that.
Tiny kneels back down and holds the wolf tight giving it lots of pets.
The wolf enjoys the scritches, he growls a bit at the body, but enjoys the pets.
Walking up to the wolf.
”Listen here, bub. This here group only needs one mascot, and I’m wearing the crown. You think you can just horn in on my territory you got another thing coming to you.”
Hermann stares into the wolf’s eyes.
”Aw, I can’t stay mad at you. I’m becoming such a softy.” He points to the meat. ”You planning on eating that?”
Tiny looks to his allies "I feel like we went around in a circle, lets go try and find our way inside."
"I th..th..think you're right. We have to head back past those animal pens." Charlie keeps ahold of Goliath so that he doesn't try to find a new place to sleep in there as they head back towards the entrance.
Wait, wait, Chark stops everyone. Den, check that ritualist's body. Maybe we'll find some clue about the animals there. Or maybe what she was doing with her sinister rites.
The erstwhile priest has little of value, but about her neck is an intricate key. The workmanship of the key stands in stark contrast to the simple nature of her grab and weapons.
With the key in hand, there's hope that the center of the Hermitage is no longer blocked. Charlie starts in to return, but as he hits the main hallway a pair of priests on either side catch everyone by surprise! They each summon a sphere of flame and roll towards the center!
"Heathens! Die and be forgotten!"
One sphere can make it,
Round 1:
Priests: Flaming Spheres
Tiny: Go
Charlie: Go
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Haldan: Go
Charlie is Scouting
(Scout)
(Search)
(Detect Magic)
(Seek, Keen Eyes)
(Search)
Black: (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Red: (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Charlie's speech may be a bit slowed but his body is not as he leaps out of the path of the flaming sphere. Goliath leaps over the flames as he tears off down one hallway while Charlie takes the other firing his bow at the priest.
HP 41/41
AC 20 (22 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield 12/12; [AC Bonus +2: [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Focus 1/1
Hero Points 1/3
Goliath
HP 32/32)
AC 17
Charlie avoids the flame and retaliates with an arrow. The tip doesn't sink in as deep as he hoped. The priests hood falls away a bit to see skin that looks like the bark of an oak tree! Meanwhile Goliath closes distance.
Round 1:
Priests: Flaming Spheres
Tiny: Go
Charlie: Hit
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Haldan: Go
Black: (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Red: 4 (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Chark is not fond of being called a heathen. Quick as a dancing flame, she darts past the ball of fire and, her face in a withering scowl, produces her own yellow-white ball of flame at the one Charlie hit.
Chark's spell lands, burning quite well as the bark skin catches fire a bit. The priest dismisses the spell, but the damage is done.
Round 1:
Priests: Flaming Spheres
Tiny: Go
Charlie: Hit
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Burn!
Haldan: Go
Black: (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Red: 12 (Barkskin: dismissed, Flaming Sphere)
Tiny hurries past Charlie and dives straight at the priest.
Tiny bungles the tackle, though it could have been worse...
Round 1:
Priests: Flaming Spheres
Tiny: Fail
Charlie: Hit
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Burn!
Haldan: Go
Black: (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Red: 12 (Barkskin: dismissed, Flaming Sphere)
Action 1: Inspire Courage w/Lingering Composition
Action 2: Stride
Action 3: Stride
Dendillion strums on his lute, hitting the perfect notes to inspire his crew...
He then moves forward, stopping short of the flaming spheres. "Goodness gracious, great balls of fire," he exclaims, walking carefully around them to move to support Goliath.
Dendillion nimbly races past the spheres while inspiring his allies to new heights of courage!
Round 1:
Priests: Flaming Spheres
Tiny: Fail
Charlie: Hit
Dendillion: Bard!
Chark: Burn!
Haldan: Go
Black: (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Red: 12 (Barkskin: dismissed, Flaming Sphere)
Stride and launch a card.
Haldan's card is easily dodged, and the priests move to count the party's advance.
To the west, the priest stands his ground, and rolls the sphere onto Dendillion Meanwhile he jabs at Goliath twice with a trident:
for
MISS
To the east the priest rolls his sphere onto Chark before taking a single stab, then stepping around the corner.
for
Round 2:
Priests: Fight back!
Tiny: Go
Charlie: Go
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Haldan: Go
Black: (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Red: 12 (Barkskin: dismissed, Flaming Sphere)
Goliath attacks the priest as he takes a small wound. Swiping with two heavy claws as Charlie hunts the eastern priest.
HP 41/41
AC 20 (22 w/ shield)
Wooden Shield 12/12; [AC Bonus +2: [Hardness 3] [HP/BT 12(6)]
Focus 1/1
Hero Points 1/3
Goliath
HP 27/32)
AC 17
Goliath's second bite gets an artery! Unfortunately Charlie's arrow is off target.
Round 2:
Priests: Fight back!
Tiny: Go
Charlie: Hit and Miss
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Haldan: Go
Black: 8 (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Red: 12 (Barkskin: dismissed, Flaming Sphere)
Chark is surprisingly nimble as she evades the flaming sphere, but sees that Tiny and Charlie likely have this one well in hand. She wheels about and focuses on the one trying to cook Dendillion, conjuring up a yellow-white ball of flame at the one in front of Goliath.
Tiny drops into his combat stance as he follows around the corner with a flurry of blows.
Going to hero point that
Action 1-3: Magic Missile
Dendillion continues to strum his lute, adding a sonic counterpoint to the echoing song. Three darts of force leap out from his instrument's sound hole, flying unerringly to strike at Goliath's foe.
Tiny crashes in on Red, giving no room to breath. . The priest keeps her head in the game, but there wounds are serious.
On the other side of the room, Dendillion drills the priest with a trio of missiles. Right after, Chark's spell also gets the priest. Both seem equally injured, but neither is out.
Round 2:
Priests: Fight back!
Tiny: Hits
Charlie: Hit and Miss
Dendillion: MM
Chark: Fire
Haldan: Go
Black: 29 (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Red: 29 (Barkskin: dismissed, Flaming Sphere)
"Maybe try a different spell? This one seems to keep missing, init?"
Haldan's spell misses by an inch!
The western priest jabs at Goliath before pulling the sphere closer before retreating a bit:
MISS
The sphere rolls in!
To the east a similar tactic plays out. The trident jabs at Tiny:
MISS
The sphere rolls in on Charlie!
Round 3:
Priests: ATK
Tiny: Go
Charlie: Go
Dendillion: Go
Chark: Go
Haldan: Go
Black: 29 (Barkskin, Flaming Sphere)
Red: 29 (Barkskin: dismissed, Flaming Sphere)