"Bastard's cheatin' flyin' and such!"
The most horrific sound emanates from the floating abomination and the paladin feels her insides clench in response.
Anorak's warning cuts through the noise of melee and Eliora momentarily moves away from the edge of the balcony because she has no desire to end up in the lava below. She was willing to put herself in danger but she wasn't suicidal. She was also grateful for the breather because her body suddenly feels like someone filled her bones with lead.
The paladin's sword cut in an arc above her head as she moved trying to catch one of the flailing tentacles with her blade.
The arrows continued their rain of death. The atropal started to realize its danger and moved from anger to fear; there were too many of these small insects, and their bite was worse than anything it could have anticipated. It Wailed again, the sound rattling their bones and slowing their muscles.
Erith's echo, weaving easily in and out of the flailing tentacles, continued to slice and smesh the atropal. This time the sound it made was pitiful, weak.
Unable to reach the atropal, Eliora managed a deep cut on another tentacle, which sprayed a strange greenish blood over the team as it writhed overhead.
Mike's spiritual weapon hammered down on the creature, and her guiding bolt sizzled deep into its rotten flesh. This proved to be more than the undead godling could take, and it fell. It's weight snapped the umbilicus as it descended to finally land in the lava below. The stench of it burning was truly horrific, and it seemed strangely buoyant in the lava, floating near the surface, burning slowly.
Anorak cast his spell, and the stone walls around the anchor points began to ooze and flow, turning to mud. However, almost immediately, they firmed up again. Before the mage had a chance to wonder what had gone wrong, they heard an unfamiliar voice say, "Oh, I don't think so."
They looked up to see somebody standing on the western balcony. Acererak, the Undying stood in his withered glory, his hand outstretched, having clearly just countered Anorak's spell. His ruined face was fleshless, tendons and leather-like skin stretched taut over his skull. Small points of violet light burned in his eyesockets, and he wore a horned helm. The remains of once-fine robes seemed to drift around his skeletal form, and he clutched an unholy staff in one bony hand. At his side hovered a sphere of purest black, two feet in diameter. It seemed to pull the nearby light into it.
For a moment there was silence, aside from the blorping of the lava, and the sizzle of the atropal being slowly consumed by it. Then the creature spoke again.
"The creature I can replace, but the Soulmonger is too valuable for me to allow you to destroy it. Amusing as it has been to watch you stumble around in here, the time has come to end it. To end all of it."
For a brief moment, time seemed to slow down, even stop. Acererak's arms moved in a blur, but before you could fear that you'd somehow been paralyzed, time resumed its normal course.
The three remaining tentacles stopped writhing, and moved in unison towards where Erith stood sideways on the wall, defying gravity. She was too far away from her spouses to benefit from their ceremony, and though she dodged away from the first tentacle, the second tentacle was able to get a firm grip on her, and pluck her away from the wall. It held her firmly in the air, ten feet from the wall, about 40 feet over the lava.
The final tentacle reversed its direction and tried to wallop Eliora instead, but the paladin jumped aside in time.
fail
success
fail
NOPE Erith shouts as her muscles strain vigorously against the grapple.
NOPE Erith shouts as her muscles strain vigorously against the grapple.
[dice=Athletics roll]d20+13
Ah, yes, you're correct, I misread that. Can't beat that athletics roll, so the grapple fails. She's still on the wall. That was its turn, so that's not your action.
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Anorak the Avalanche frowns at the uninvited skinny pants wearing bag of bones.
You were not invited!
The angry wizard also uses his reaction to Counterspell the asshat's rude interruption of the bronze's interior decoration direction!
He then nods appreciatively as his art begins manifesting as intended.
The dragonborn then waits to see what the others think of this interloper.
I have an idea but I am unsure of its validity.
Execute plan TASTE OF YOUR OWN MEDICINE
Echo moves to the balkony, stopping its movement on it.
Erith switches places with the Echo, moves 5 feet towards the lich, sheaths her greatsword and grapples the Lich!
So you like females who grapple?
If she suceeds, she uses her last 10 feet of movement to shove the Lich unto his own black sphere!
She then bites him thrice!
Closest thing to female attention you are going to get, undead virgin!
She has action surge up, and would like to know the results of her actions before deciding on wether to commit on it or not.
try one
try two, in case erith converts that first omnomnom into another grapple attempt.
How many times do you want to try?
As the rules go, I can only attempts once per attack action, so Mr. Lich stays free unfortunately.
The counter counterspell works, I can't find a way to triple counter it. The struts and the device fall into the lava. Acererak is really pissed.
This must be how he rebuffed my hug! Jerk!
Great Job Dragonfriend Says Erith as she stands next to an angry Lich. Clearly not seeking to draw his ire elsewhere yesyes :).
stop the press!
Counterspell: You attempt to interrupt a creature in the process of casting a spell.
Acererak's stealth upon arriving beat everybody's passive perception, so you weren't aware of his presence until AFTER he counterspelled Anorak's spell.
You can't use your reaction to counter a spell you didn't notice was being cast.
Anybody see a problem with my logic? If not, then Anorak didn't try to counterspell, and the Soulmonger and the struts are still there.
I told you this would be messy.
Mike's forceful hammer smacks the Lich in his face.
Mike retreats back to the prior room and takes in her surroundings, Yeah! You all stop being lazy and contribute." At her command the various furnishings of the room begin to hover at her command.
Eliora desired above all else to be able to smite the newcomer with all her righteous wrath but alas she was unable to fly or teleport herself to another location.
She searched for another way to the other balconies but it was also clear that Acererak didn't want his cylinder-thing destroyed. So she would try to help the others in destroying it and protecting the others.
The voice in her head was telling her to get out on one of the struts but she could hear Anorak casting another spell behind her and remembered his warning.
Eliora pulls out a special javelin and with the help of Kubazan, hurls it at the Soulmonger.
"I don't mind women who grapple. Or who can bench press me." Thip grumbles as he sees one of his new brides taking more of an interest in the walking corpse than any of their new spouses. He proceeds to unleash a volley of arrows.
At the sight of their ancient enemy, the lich who had defiled their altars and slaughtered their followers, the trickster gods filled your minds with howls of righteous fury.
The spirits within you channel their anger and their fury through your bodies, making you tougher, harder to kill.
Thip shoots a volley of bolts at the lich. As the first one whistles close, the lich speaks a quick word and holds up a bony finger; a shimmer of magical force surrounds him, and the bolt goes astray. The next one does as well, but the third bolt hits him in the wrist, wedging between the small bones there. His wrist spasmed, but he managed to hold onto the staff.
The final bolt flew astray.
Thip through a feat of nearly superhuman determination, manages to squeeze off another 3 crossbow bolts in a span of time still less than 6 seconds.
The annoying toothpicks kept flying, and it was only through the legendary force of his will that the lich was able to keep hold of his staff.
"You're not unskilled," he said dryly, looking at the bolts protruding from his withered flesh, "but then, you did make it this far." Looking at Thip, he said, "Are you sure you have the...stomach...to continue?"
He ran a withered hand up his throat and then splayed his fingers at Thip, in a gesture evocative of throwing up. Thip stiffened, waiting for an attack that never came - the sickly greenish ray passed harmlessly by.
Erith's echo swooped down up on the lich, and was immediately replaced by the sort-of-living, un-breathing, echo knight. She reached out to grapple with the lich, but he was surprisingly nimble for a creature so ancient, and she was unable to get her arms around him.
"Stay put, would you, dear?" he said, reaching out to touch her.
Mike disappeared back up the stairs, which the lich ignored; he wasn't foolish enough to assume the dwarf was running in fear. Eliora launched her javelin at the Soulmonger, and it clanged off the crystal with a ringing sound. However, the half-orc's angle had been off, and it failed to crack the thick crystal.
His attention still on Erith, Acererak reached out a hand again, snapping his fingers, which created a spark of electricity. Lightning danced between his fingers and he released it to the dhampir. Her plate armour did nothing to help, and she arched briefly as electricity ran through her nervous system.
And then Anorak released his devastatingly crafty attack - trying the same thing twice. The lich reached out a hand to stop the attack, only to find that he wasn't quick enough. . As the stone turned to flowing mud, he cried out, But there was nothing he could do. The struts, lacking anything to hold them up, slid down the side of the cavern, taking the Soulmonger with them.
The spell also left Acererak and Erith with mud under their feet, dangerously close to the edge of the mudslide.
The crystal chamber thumped into the lava, throwing gouts of melted rock up in an impressive fountain of heat. The lava began to melt through the crystal, which joined the atropal in slowly sinking through the viscous fluid.
The tentacles, reacting with some deep animal instinct, lashed and writhed. As the Soulmonger slowly sank, they would soon be out of reach, but at the moment they had just enough to try for one last revenge grapple.
The lich's withered hand clutched spasmodically at the talisman he wore around his neck, a laughing demon's head. The gesture was reminiscent of a wealthy dowager clutching her pearls. "That cost me 200 years of work, you maggot!" he cried out to Anorak. Turning his head to Thip, he stared at the human, trying to worm his will into the archer's mind.
Indomitable
Erith shouts with two voices at once, one furious and way more melodic then her own, that is clearly not her own. As more then one will wards off the Lichs vile Magic.
You clowns were actually usefull for once, great job! Erith thinks.
Dear Erith, as someone with about as much experience in terms of dominate monster as that Lich has, assuming he cast it as a spell, then getting his head cleaved in two would greatly challenge his concentration in regard to maintaining his spell. I am certain you are well equipped to make the best use of this humble suggestion my dear.
Dont worry Vivi, was going to do that anyway
Erith Draws her greatsword, moves behind the Lich (it used its reaction already, and if I understand 5ed rules correctly it wouldnt get one because Erith never leaves his reach) and starts smashing the hell out of it.
She then uses second wind as her bonus action.
And then Action Surges to hit the Lich in the face some more.
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Anorak reacts quickly to Counterspell the ugly puss bucket's spell on Thip.
The draconborn shakes a disappointed head at the Lich.
You are nothing more than a stain on the page of my spellbook.
Smiling at the site of everything falling into the lava, Anorak's blue eyes go wide as somehow a tentacles still grabs him-
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Eliora caught movement out of the corner of her eye, seeing Thip pivot towards Anorak with his bow. Horrified, the paladin wanted to throw herself in between the two but was harried by a tentacle snaking around her torso. Focusing on one of the prayer beads hanging around her neck, she released the divine power imbued within to free the archer from whatever evil caused him to turn on an ally.
She then turns her physical attention to the tentacle threatening to pull her into the lava.
Paladins... spoke the melodic voice out of Erith.
Always the bane of a novice dominators existience. Did you know that the odds of them just noping your well thought of domination get massively reduced if you dont make the domination completely obvious? Or if you like, throw the Paladin in a mind maze and then dominate their party members? Just from an actual expert in mind magic to a clear novice.
Vivi, dont give Mr. "Does not have a boner" hints!Said Erith Exasperated.
Shouted a booming voice out of Erith.
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Anorak grimaces at the foul touch of the disgusting tentacles.
I just had these f$*&ing robes dried-cleaned!
The Wizard then cast Dimension Door, relocating a back on his safe spot on the stairs.
The Wizard looks at the Lich.
Hey! Bag sack of dried tinder! I expect my next dry cleaning bill paid for!
Mike commands the collection of random objects "Build a bridge!" The crates and things fly out over the lava. She herself advances a little bit and tells the lich, "Go jump in your lake!" The lich is wreathed in flame like radience. Sacred Flame
Shouts the booming voice out of Erith
Cock-equivalent from annaly inserted Greatsword? Can you make jokes that arent dick jokes? Says the melodic voice
Answers the booming voice.
At this point Says Erith I am pretty sure your prattling annoys Mr. Boney-but-doesnt-have-a-Boner more then more then it does me, so go ahead with whatever. She finishes.
I need to know if Anorak is using his reaction to counterspell Acererak's dominate monster spell. It will require an intelligence roll, DC 18. You can cast spells while grappled, unless your hands are bound, which they ain't.
Thip has initiative on all of you.
1 Thip
2 Erith
3 Mike
4 Eliora
5 Anorak.
So you can try to counterspell, or you can be a pincushion.
The damage shouldn't affect your ability to cast D-door - taking damage makes you roll to keep a spell you're concentrating on, not casting a new spell.
Thip, time to face the music and shoot that wizard.