With a grunt, his weapon brimming with Arcane power, Hedrak waded in on the their closest opponent.
----------
Gitana advances in the room, card in hand.
The witch spits out the words that will activate her next spell "Faic tuilleadh!" The card becomes wreathed in shadows as she hurls it at the she-wolf with the human face.
"Drink from our cup instead! It is filled with darkness and death!" she yells.
Hedrak smashed his target across the head in the same instant that Norde slashed the she wolf, his magic sword blazing like a torch. A moment later and Gitana's card struck the wolf, shadows quickly covering her eyes.
In unison, the room's occupants turned their attention the the newcomers. A howl came from the wolf's human mouth, followed by the sounds of arcane chanting. With a flap of its wings, the greyskin beside the she wolf flew towards the rafters, roosting like a huge bird of prey.
The three greyskins across the room started towards you. Then the wolf pawed at the ground, sending a small pebble clattering towards you.
Your lights immediately went out.
Cast Darkness
Hedrak and Zordt could still see, but Norde and Gitana were blinked by a darkness thick as tar. Norde heard the sounds of footsteps on all sides, and a moment later he was struck by two blows.
Vs Hedrak
Vs Norde
Zed was clearly more than a little distracted by their surroundings as two arrows buried themselves less than half an inch from his own foot.
Zed was clearly more than a little distracted by their surroundings...
Norde yells out, "their magic has overpowered my sword!" He swings at the direction from which he was just attacked...
x3
Hit
"Damn it Zordt! We need light!" - Hedrak roared as he heard the arrows.
Understanding their predicament, the half-orc decided to risk all out, focusing on his martial and arcane training.
Hedrak then steps in front of Gitana.
----------
Hedrak knocks down his target. It doesn't get back up. At the same time, Norde unwittingly lands a powerful blow, immediately dropping his foe.
Gitana cannot see, but she hopes someone can find the pebble faster than by her trying to find it with detect magic. She casts a spell to have at the ready for when she can see or in some other way detect the location of an enemy.
"I think the rock with the darkness is at my feet but I can't see a thing."
Then she utters a foul-sounding incantation that brings dark energy into a card in her hand, ready to fling it at someone evil.
The wolf creature pawed at her eyes, frustrated. She groped around on the ground, finding the fallen greyskin Norde had just dropped. Unable to see, she was struggling to align her nipple over the fallen greyskin's mouth.
Then the winged greyskin swooped down on Zordt, slamming into him claw first. It quickly got its feet under it, wrapping an arm around Zordt and gripping hard. It loaded its hips under his, ready to lift him back up towards the rafters. Its huge fangs were terrifying up close, if Zordt's neck became exposed, he would be in danger.
The final two foes attacked Hedrak and Norde. Hedrak easily kept his distance. Norde was blind and defenseless. And he barely moved when his opponent's claws bounced harmlessly off his chainmail.
You heard a flapping noise, felt a rush of air across your face, and then a huge thud followed by the sounds of Zordt grunting.
There was a sound of clinking metal, and Norde felt claws across his chest. But the barbarian was unharmed, his armor doing exactly what it was supposed to.
Vs Zordt
Vs Norde
Vs Hedrak
Norde will again attack into the direction from which he was just attacked...
x3
Miss
Zordt's dagger probably won't stop his opponent immediately, so he decides to try counter-grappling. If it works, he might be able to make a dive for the pebble of darkness right away. He swims a trapped arm towards the inside, trying to break the greyskin's grip.
But he forgets to move his feet and post away in order to gain the distance needed to break free. He's stronger than this opponent, he can feel the way it moves against his hands, but as long as his hips are in the wrong place, his strength won't help him.
"Gitana, it's right there, by your left foot."
Gitana knelt and felt around the ground at her feet, hoping to put her hand on the rock or pebble that has the darkness cast on it.
With a snarl, Hedrak lays into the enemy in front of him - "I will be right there Norde!"
The 1d6+4 is Frost damage. If it hits, creature is Fatigued (A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued) and Entangled due to the Rime Spell feat (The character is ensnared. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force. An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell.)
----------
Norde and Hedrak both missed. Zordt failed to escape the grapple he was trapped in. Gitana began searching for the pebble.
The wolf-mother finally aligned her udder over one of the fallen greyskins, who Norde had just knocked down. She sprayed milk into its mouth, and it immediately stood back up, eyes wide with fury. In the darkness, Norde couldn't see that his opponents were neglecting their defenses, and wasn't able to take advantage of the opportunity. Hedrak looked on, momentarily frozen in horror, as the creatures ripped into his warrior friend. A moment later and the magus himself was slashed across the face, his own hot blood dripping down into his eyes.
Across the room, the winger greyskin maintained control of Zordt, got its hips underneath him, and began to flap its wings. Slowly, the pair left the ground. It smiled right in the half orc's face for a long moment just before they touched the ceiling, and then let him go.
A moment later and Gitana found the rock. The darkness immediately went out, and everyone could see again.
Zordt landed.
You heard the sounds of tearing and the clanking of metal, Norde grunting noisily. There was a beating flap of wings..
The light returned. Gitana had the rock in her hand, triumphant. Norde was bleeding and battered, with a foe on either side. The wolf creature was still wounded, and had circled to the north. Hedrak looked only lightly wounded, but his foe was also unharmed.
Zordt fell from the ceiling, landing with a huge thud. Up above, the winged greyskin was watching with glee, roosting once again on the rafters.
Vs Norde
Vs Hedrak
Zordt landed nimbly and fired at the blind wolf!
Norde steps to the northeast and attacks the wolf-mother...
x3
Gitana slips the dark pebble into her pocket, so there will be no chance of her dropping it and allowing it to cut off the light. She steps back to get a line toward the she-wolf and sends her charged harrow card at her.
Hedrak swings hard at the foe in front of him.
The 1d6+4 is Frost damage. If it hits, creature is Fatigued (A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued) and Entangled due to the Rime Spell feat (The character is ensnared. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force. An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell.)
----------
Norde turned and hewed arm from body, finishing the greyskin that had been healed. Zordt shot down the wolf-mother, who fell in a bloody heap on the floor. Hedrak continued his duel with one of the greyskins, still unable to land a solid blow.
The flier, still hiding in the rafters, dove nimbly out of the way of Gitana's card. It landed on Zordt. This time, however, the Bard was ready, and though he took a hard blow to the head, he managed to grab ahold of the creature and throw it backwards, keeping his distance.
Sensing an opportunity, the last two greyskins moved to either side of Hedrak, slashing from both directions. In an impressive display of supernatural defenses, however, Hedrak was able to doge an attack he clearly hadn't seen. Had Raziel warned him?
Vs Hedrak
Vs Zordt
Zordt's song falters upon the blow, and he steps back before trying to strike down the one that attacked him.
Norde will attack the one in green
x3
If that drops green, then Norde will move around Hedrak's south and end up next to Hedrak and blue.
The card Gitana threw at the flying greyskin missed it, but reappeared a moment later in her hand, still brimming with destructive negative energy. She stepped back and flicked it right back at the same one, hoping for a better outcome.
Range 20 ft.
The combination of Zordt's and Gitana's attacks was enough to drop the flier. Norde struck his foe, but it managed to stay standing.
Hedrak cannot believe how this creature continues evading his attacks.
The 1d6+4 is Frost damage. If it hits, creature is Fatigued (A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued) and Entangled due to the Rime Spell feat (The character is ensnared. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force. An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell.)
----------
Gitana allowed herself a grim smile as the winged one fell. She drew more negative energy into a card, which dripped frosty streamers of cold.
She turned the card on the greyskin fighting Hedrak. If she could affect it with this spell, it would not only harm it but might weaken it as well.
Range 20 ft.
+ DC 15 Fort save or take 1 point of Strength damage
Her hand dripped more cold streamers which transferred to the card as it reappeared in her hand.
Hedrak's foe was truly blessed. With preternatural grace, it continued to avoid his attacks while slipping in close to land multiple strikes, forcing the magus onto the defensive. It was unable to avoid Gitana's card, however, which struck it in the gut like a heavy punch.
Norde's opponent seemed unaffected by the gaping wound across its chest, striking the barbarian over the head. A moment later, however, and it fell to the floor, motionless.
Vs Norde
Vs Hedrak
One left. Just one left.
Gitana sees how badly wounded Zordt is and steps away from battle heal him with a hex. "Keep fighting! We're almost there!"
She says the words to boost morale, but wonders if this is but another layer to penetrate before defeating the ultimate source of the evil.
Norde steps up and attacks the blue one...
x3
Hedrak spat blood and continued his assault.
The 1d6+4 is Frost damage. If it hits, creature is Fatigued (A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued) and Entangled due to the Rime Spell feat (The character is ensnared. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force. An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell.)
----------
The group quickly finished off the last foe. Your breath steamed in the hall, the fury of combat still hot in your blood.
The young lad who had been laying on the floor stood up. "Thank you." He spoke with two voices, one Will's which you were familiar with and had heard many times before, the other was the voice of a healthy child, strong, confident, and carefree. "You have saved me, and for that I am eternally grateful."
On the other side of the room, two villagers stepped forward. "You are hurt, brave warriors." They knelt down before you, each proffering a wrist. "Please, take our flesh. Let it nourish your body." Each of you felt a strong urge to consume. You had traveled long and far, and fought many foes. Now here was a healthy meal set before you. How could you pass it up?
"I did not come this way to stoop to cannibalism."
Gitana kneels before the child that speaks with two voices. "I'm so glad you're all right. But how did you get here? We came through a magic portal. Did you do the same?"
She struggles to make sense of the strange dimension.
When the other villagers offer their flesh, Gitana struggles to understand the sensations she is feeling and connect them to what she thinks she understands about the differences in planes may mean.
Though sorely tempted, she draws her wand of healing to use to heal herself and the others who were wounded in the fight.
"Our ways are not your ways," she says, trying to keep the revulsion she is feeling out of her voice. "This is how we heal."
She waves the wand and touches her hand with the wand tip and discharges the healing energy. Once she is healed, she attends to the others.
She's up to full -2
Norde: Needs 51
Full
Hedrak: Needs 10
Full
Zordt: Needs 6
Still down 1
11 charges left in wand.
Zordt stepped back, disturbed. The rules of this plane were strange, but not so strange that he would consider consuming the local...denizens. "No, you are no longer slaves to such desires. Go and be free."