Dispatching the Rakasha would be prudent. They are a festering den of evil that will just set up elsewhere if allowed to.
Henrika quietly listens to the others. "I must say, it is tasks like these that make me value the time we spend together in hiding, where we can be ourselves and remind each other who we really are, truly. I am thankful I am on this mission with a group of like-minded friends and patriots, focused on doing right by Taldor and Eutropia both."
Henrika quietly listens to the others. "I must say, it is tasks like these that make me value the time we spend together in hiding, where we can be ourselves and remind each other who we really are, truly. I am thankful I am on this mission with a group of like-minded friends and patriots, focused on doing right by Taldor and Eutropia both."
Tychus permits himself a quick grin.
"I couldn't have asked for a better coterie. And friends. Abadar has blessed me with the opportunity to right many wrongs. But these times we have spent together are almost a better reward. For Taldor!"
He balls his right hand and thumps it across his chest onto his heart.
"Once this leg of the journey is over, I eagerly await Trevor's return with a few tankards of ale."
"Amen." Trevor let out a small smile. "I'd love to introduce you all to Cayden Cailean at the bottom of our tankards."
Abadius 12, 4718 (Starday) (Zimar, Taldor)
You return to the Sweet Dreams Tea Shop in disguise. Inside, Estella stands behind the counter. She is accompanied by her two sisters, Illumia and Magilla, who appear to be stocking shelves.
Estella beams when she sees you. She holds up a jar containing a glowing wispy substance. The cackles, ”The hag, Avenna, will bother us no more. Her soul will fetch a fine price on the Shadow Plane. May she be eternally tortured.”
Magilla picks up another jar on the shelf behind her containing a pair of bloody eyeballs. ”Before we killed her, we plucked out her eyes one by one. Her screams were so sweet. A perfect punishment for an annoying diviner. And they will make a useful spell component.”
Illumia says, ”We have no use for her husk, but we stowed her body in the back room just in case you wanted it. If not, we’ll just feed it to Shadowlass, our nightmare. She’ll eat anything, bones and all.”
Estella says, ”We are eager to move on. Why don’t you finish your business with the High Strategos so we can take our business elsewhere.”
Not even Henrika can hide the shock and disgust that these statements from the sisters provoke. Rather than trying to cozy up to them further or dissembling to get close enough to strike by surprise as she did with Sister Dismaal, she draws her sword and shouts a challenge. "Loathsome creatures, all of your ugly business in this world is hereby concluded."
Toni sticks his hand under his shirt and casts invoke deity (Good)
”I knew something was off about you! But you’ve made a mistake turning on us. We’ll sup on your bones tonight!”
The three women drop their disguises and their youthful appearances fade away. Instead they turn into sharp-fanged crones with bruised, purple skin that hangs off their corpse-thin frames. The three begin to cackle unnervingly.
Round 1
Initiative
21 – Henrika (114/102 hp)
20 – Trevor (86/86 hp)
17 – Tychus (86/86 hp)
12 – Icabhod (82/82 hp)
11 – Shadowlass
10 – Illumia
09 – Xallis (91/91 hp)
09 – Estella
08 - Magilla
Active Spells/Effects
Henrika: ▲False Life (12 hp, 11 hr), ▲Freedom of Movement (110 min), ▲Glibness (110 min), ▲Heightened Awareness (110 min), ▲Heroism (110 min), ▲Message (110 min), ▲See Invisibility (110 min), ▲Remove Fear (11 min), ▲Fearsome Guise
Icabhod:
Trevor: ▲Invoke Deity (Good, 110 min)
Tychus: ▲Heightened Awareness (110 min), ▲Protection from Evil (11 min), ▲Divine Favor (11 rd)
Xallis:
Everyone except Xallis gets to act first.
Night Hag Lore
•A night hag’s type is outsider (evil, extraplanar)
•Terrifying murderesses and greedy soul brokers, night hags prey upon mortals while they’re most vulnerable. Preferring to kill their prey slowly, haunting their dreams night after night, these hags trap the tormented souls of their victims within dark gems so they might be sold in the infernal markets of the outer planes.
•A night hag is immune to charm, cold, fear, fire, and sleep.
•A night hag is vulnerable to magic cold iron weapons.
•A night hag’s bite inflicts a disease called demon fever.
•A night hag can visit the dreams of chaotic or evil targets by using a special periapt known as a heartstone.
•A night hag can change shape into a humanoid creature.
A night hag has spell resistance.
It’s spell-like abilities include: detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect magic, deep slumber, invisibility, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, etherealness, and soul bind.
Night hags speak Abyssal, Celestial, Common, and Infernal.
Cauchemar Nightmare Lore
•A cauchemar’s type is outsider (evil, extraplanar).
•The cauchemar is a more dangerous variant of the nightmare, particularly valued for its ability to enter the Ethereal Plane with its rider in addition to being able to use plane shift to invade other realities.
•A cauchemar’s hooves deal fire damage.
•A cauchemar exhales smoke that chokes and blinds foes.
Its spell-like abilities include: ethereal jaunt and plane shift.
Cauchemars speak Abyssal and Infernal.
Round 1
Henrika reasons that the hags likely have access to potent magic, and that the best way for her to combat it would be to try to keep them within her reach in the narrow confines of the room, though this would allow them to flank her. Accordingly, she glares at Estella and steps forward into the space between them. She raises her sword menacingly to inspire the hag to flinch, then slices backward and forward in two quick strokes.
As she attacks, she activates her Fearsome Guise trick, targeting Illumia. She briefly appears to be the hags' other sister Magilla attacking them and leering.
Before Battle
Xallis will enhance himself with extended barkskin, extended heroism, and overland flight. He will analyze the monsters and, presumably, not share informatjon until combat to preserve the element of surprise.
Naturally, his spells are available foe the team if needed.
Round 1
ShieldIcabhod has quaffed numerous extracts in preparation of this battle
Shield creates an invisible shield of force that hovers in front of you. It negates magic missile attacks directed at you. The disk also provides a +4 shield bonus to AC. This bonus applies against incorporeal touch attacks, since it is a force effect. The shield has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance.
Shield
BarkskinBarkskin toughens a creature’s skin. The effect grants a +2 enhancement bonus to the creature’s existing natural armor bonus. This enhancement bonus increases by 1 for every three caster levels above 3rd, to a maximum of +5 at 12th level.
The enhancement bonus provided by barkskin stacks with the target’s natural armor bonus, but not with other enhancement bonuses to natural armor. A creature without natural armor has an effective natural armor bonus of +0.
Bear's EnduranceThe affected creature gains greater vitality and stamina. The spell grants the subject a +4 enhancement bonus to Constitution, which adds the usual benefits to hit points, Fortitude saves, Constitution checks, and so forth. Hit points gained by a temporary increase in Constitution score are not temporary hit points. They go away when the subject’s Constitution drops back to normal. They are not lost first as temporary hit points are.
Heroism This spell imbues a single creature with great bravery and morale in battle. The target gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, saves, and skill checks.
Clay Skin The target’s skin becomes as thick and tough as clay, granting the target DR 5/adamantine. Once the spell has prevented a total of 5 points of damage per caster level (maximum 50 points), it is discharged and the spell ends.
Displacement The subject of this spell appears to be about 2 feet away from its true location. The creature benefits from a 50% miss chance as if it had total concealment. Unlike actual total concealment, displacement does not prevent enemies from targeting the creature normally. True seeing reveals its true location and negates the miss chance. (11 rounds)
He then rushes forwards
Round 1
Tychus draws Dignity's Barb and slides into position next to Xallis, kneeling behind one of the shelves. He lines up his first shot on the far hag .
Round 1
Trevor (no longer Toni) advances toward the hags, [i[Godspike[/i] drawn. The aasimar had always been very charismatic, but never had the cleric looked more powerful. Two ethereal wings rise from his shoulder blades behind him as we walks.
Henrika's AC and hp improved with the belt of physical perfection upgrade, just FYI.
Round 1
Before Estella can react, Henrika is standing before her and slashes across her body. An arc of black tar-like blood sprays outward and Estella looks badly injured.
As Trevor steps forward, he indeed puts on a fearsome guise, yet the hags know no fear. The hag snatches Trevor’s thrusting blade with her bare hand, blocking the blow. Her palm sizzles from the holy energy and she releases it before she is harmed. ”Not so fast deary. You could hurt someone with that.”
Then Tychus hits Magilla in the shoulder and she glares at him and hisses.
Icabhod moves closer.
Then, silently and invisibly, Henrika sees the largest horse she’s even seen walk through the northern wall (north is left) and stop in the middle of the room. The nightmare looks around surveying the area. It is clear that it can see all of you. Perhaps it notices Henrika glance at it, or perhaps it can smell fear. Either way, it looks in Henrika’s direction and a puff of ethereal flame and smoke emits from its nostrils.
Illumia’s feet lift off of the ground and she floats backwards and up to the ceiling. Then she casts a spell that summons a billowing cloud and stinking gas that fills the tea house. Henrika, Tychus, and Xallis’ eyes all tear up and their stomachs turn from the offensive gas.
Round 1
Initiative
21 – Henrika (125/113 hp) (Nauseated)
20 – Trevor (86/86 hp)
17 – Tychus (86/86 hp) (Nauseated)
12 – Icabhod (104/104 hp)
11 – Shadowlass (Ethereal, Invisible)
10 – Illumia (Red)
09 – Xallis (91/91 hp) (Nauseated)
09 – Estella (116 damage) (Feinted -6 AC, 1 rd)
08 – Magilla (Blue) (27 damage)
Active Spells/Effects
Henrika: ▲False Life (12 hp, 11 hr), ▲Freedom of Movement (110 min), ▲Glibness (110 min), ▲Heightened Awareness (110 min), ▲Heroism (110 min), ▲Message (110 min), ▲See Invisibility (110 min), ▲Remove Fear (11 min)
Icabhod: ▲Barkskin (+4, 110 min), ▲Clay Skin (50 hp, 110 min), ▲Heroism (110 min), ▲Bear’s Endurance (11 min), ▲Shield (11 min), ▲Displacement (11 rd)
Trevor: ▲Invoke Deity (Good, 110 min)
Tychus: ▲Heightened Awareness (110 min), ▲Protection from Evil (11 min), ▲Divine Favor (11 rd)
Xallis: ▲Overland Flight (11 hr), ▲Barkskin (+4, 220 min), ▲Heroism (220 min)
Estella: ▼Hypnotic Stare (-3 Will)
Force effects and abjurations affect an ethereal creature normally. Their effects extend onto the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, but not vice versa. An ethereal creature can’t attack material creatures, and spells you cast while ethereal affect only other ethereal things. Certain material creatures or objects have attacks or effects that work on the Ethereal Plane.
An ethereal creature treats other ethereal creatures and ethereal objects as if they were material.
The fog obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature within 5 feet has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker can’t use sight to locate the target).
Xallis goes. He is nauseated but I’ll assume he wants to try to reroll. The Fort DC is 19.
Round 1
Xallis squints his watering eyes as he reaches into his backs, producing their recently-aquired iron flask. With an utterance of the command word, he opens the container and aims it at the evil equine!
Hacking and gagging and close to vomiting, the summoner staggers back outside to get out of the cloud's foul stench.