Kaitly and Ra'uf have difficulty penetrating the krooth's scaly, armored hide.
Locus's insects fair no better, but the smaller critter looks very wobbly as she assaults its mind.
Bellowing, the bear charges at Ra'uf. It has just as much difficulty damaging him through his own armor.
Celestia's turn.
Initiative:
Green Krooth (AC 26-31, -36 HP)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Brown Cave Bear (-34)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP)
Purple Holdfast (-39, bloodied, Stunned 1, Weakness 3 Mental and -1 Will until EoNT)
The nimble little creature stumbles a bit, but bounds down the stairs. It dives into the wet earth as though it were... well, not quite water, but it burrows into the ground quite quickly in any case. It pops up behind Ra'uf and tries to bite him while he's distracted by the larger predators, but falls short and nearly falls over into the mud.
The krooth also attacks Ra'uf, trying to bite and claw at him. He holds her at bay with his axe and remains unharmed.
Locus-22, Hobbs, Ra'uf, and Kaitlyn's turns.
Initiative:
Green Krooth (AC 26-31, -36 HP)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Brown Cave Bear (-34)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP, bless 15 ft)
Purple Holdfast (-39, bloodied)
"Grrrr? Grrrr! Grr!"
The polar bear gives a growl of surprise before laying into his foe with gusto.
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Two can play at the game of being a bear, though the newcomer does seem to be better at it.
Locus-22, Ra'uf, and Kaitlyn's turns.
Initiative:
Green Krooth (AC 26-31, -36 HP)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Brown Cave Bear (AC 22-26, -64, bloodied)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP, bless 15 ft)
Purple Holdfast (-39, bloodied)
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Seeing that the Krooth shrugged off the bugs as expected, Locus asks the swarm to shift over to the smaller thing that just popped out of the ground. Then she drives a mental spike into the krooth's mind.
As she does so, some of the swarm come over to her and gently surround her making it difficult to tell exactly where she is.
Buzzing Bites: DC 25 Fort save,
Phantom Pain Signature spell heightened to Rank 2, DC 25 Will save. Plus 2d4 Persistent mental damage
The biting insects seem much more effective against the holdfast. The krooth isn't able to entirely resist the mental assault, either.
Kaitlyn's first arrow gets between the krooth's scales. The second it knocks away with its tail.
Ra'uf's turn.
Initiative:
Green Krooth (AC 26-30, -61 HP)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP, Concealed)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Brown Cave Bear (AC 22-26, -64, bloodied)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP, bless 15 ft)
Purple Holdfast (-46, bloodied)
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Ra'uf swings his axe through the krooth and into the bear.
◆ Strike
◆ Strike
There doesn't seem to be much to do but come back around at the krooth and then take a defensive posture.
◆ Strike
You free an ally from restraint. If the trigger was an ally taking damage, the ally gains resistance to all damage against the triggering damage equal to 2 + your level. The ally can attempt to break free of effects grabbing, restraining, immobilizing, or paralyzing them. They either attempt a new save against one such effect that allows a save, or attempt to Escape from one effect as a free action. Whether or not it needed to escape, the ally can then Step as a free action if it’s able to move.
Ra'uf successfully wounds both animals, cutting a deep slice into the krooth.
The badly wounded bear staggers. With a bellow, it claws at the polar bear but doesn't manage to get a hold. It shifts closer, away from Ra'uf.
Celestia's turn.
Initiative:
Green Krooth (AC 26-29, -90 HP, bloodied)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP, Concealed)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP)
> Summoned Polar Bear (AC 22, 49/73 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Brown Cave Bear (AC 22-26, -91, bloodied)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP, bless 15 ft)
Purple Holdfast (-46, bloodied)
The holdfast attempts to bite Celestia, but it just ends up embarrassing itself and slinking away.
The krooth continues trying to bite Ra'uf, but finds his armor impenetrable. She tries to slice at him with her claw, but nearly falls over into the mud. The animals seem to be trying to get the Pathfinders to feel bad about their lack of competence and take pity on them.
Locus-22, Hobbs, Ra'uf, and Kaitlyn's turns.
Initiative:
Green Krooth (AC 26-29, -90 HP, bloodied)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP, Concealed)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP)
> Summoned Polar Bear (AC 22, 49/73 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Brown Cave Bear (AC 22-26, -91, bloodied)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP, bless 25 ft, angelic halo 15 ft, shield)
Purple Holdfast (-46, bloodied)
It is indeed true that it's impaled and pinned to the ground. It definitely will not be moving from that spot.
Locus-22, Hobbs, Ra'uf's turns.
Initiative:
Green Krooth (AC 26-29, -90 HP, bloodied)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP, Concealed)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP)
> Summoned Polar Bear (AC 22, 49/73 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Brown Cave Bear (AC 22-26, -91, bloodied)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP, bless 25 ft, angelic halo 15 ft, shield)
Locus knows that a krooth's weak point is generally its mind, which she exploits effectively.
Hobbs and Ra'uf's turns.
Initiative:
Green Krooth (AC 26-29, -115 HP, bloodied, -1 to Will weakness 2 to mental until its EoNT)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP, Concealed)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP)
> Summoned Polar Bear (AC 22, 49/73 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Brown Cave Bear (AC 22-26, -91, bloodied)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP, bless 25 ft, angelic halo 15 ft, shield)
"Gr! Grrr grrr grrrrrr. Grrrr grgrr grrr.
The krooth's tail lashes out at Hobbs as he hurries past. He easily hops over it a he runs, barely noticing the attack. He distracts the cave bear long enough for the polar bear to clamp its jaws over its neck.
As the bear collapses to the ground, Hobbs hurls a flask of fiery liquid at the krooth.
Ra'uf and Celestia's turns.
Initiative:
Green Krooth (AC 26-29, -130 HP, bloodied, -1 to Will weakness 2 to mental until its EoNT, persistent fire 3)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP, Concealed)
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP)
> Summoned Polar Bear (AC 22, 49/73 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 88/90 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP, bless 25 ft, angelic halo 15 ft, shield)
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Ra'uf has offensive magic. It's called 'hit people until they fall over'.
(Technically he also has needle darts but what's the fun in that?)
◆ Strike
◆ Strike
◆ Strike
If the krooth goes down, knight's move northeast and continue on the bear, with +1 from the sweep trait.
You free an ally from restraint. If the trigger was an ally taking damage, the ally gains resistance to all damage against the triggering damage equal to 2 + your level. The ally can attempt to break free of effects grabbing, restraining, immobilizing, or paralyzing them. They either attempt a new save against one such effect that allows a save, or attempt to Escape from one effect as a free action. Whether or not it needed to escape, the ally can then Step as a free action if it’s able to move.
Ra'uf slices deep into the krooth's neck. While not a person, she does indeed fall over.
By this time, the other krooth is no longer groaning. He has died from his injuries. The party notes that there are krooth teeth embedded in his hide, and the areas around the teeth are discolored and sickly.
They also remember that some of a krooth's internal organs are valuable for alchemy if properly harvested, which they are able to do.
There are no signs of additional krooths or any other hostile wildlife for the night. The Pathfinders are able to use the ruins to make a campsite that's a little more defensible and less exposed then usual, but it proves unnecessary.
After another few days of traveling and searching along the proposed route, the Pathfinders find no additional clues or unusual encounters.
The Pathfinders head northeast to search where all their clues are pointing, though they have passed through there once before. By nightfall...
They still haven't found anything. But since they are confident they're in the right place, they keep searching, and by the end of the second day...
Ra'uf finds the entrance to an underground cavern! While Celestia is helping him dig himself back out, the rest of the Pathfinders find the entrance to the correct underground cavern.
The entrance to Deskari’s Gullet is not a simple cavern opening. The land is cracked and blighted, with jagged crevices running through the mountainside. Successfully discovering the entrance reveals that some of the breaks in the landscape are large enough for humans, androids, and similar-sized people to pass through, making it even easier for goblins or shoony. It might be a little bit more of a challenge for larger people like minotaurs, but fortunately there are no such persons on the field team (and they probably would have squeezed through with a little effort, anyway).
Once through the entrance, the passage opens up a little more comfortably in any case.
The passage averages about 10 feet wide and high. It's dark, and the stone walls and floors are unworked and warm to the touch. If there was any doubt that this was the correct place, however, Ra'uf feels a slight spark, like a static shock, when he touches the walls--but nobody else does. Residual demonic energy reacting with his holy aura.
After making their way through winding natural tunnels, the Pathfinders come upon a well-lit camp under the hills. Flickering torchlight reveals a wider set of caverns. Voices echo off the stone walls, though at this distance, it’s hard to make out what they are discussing or working on. A watch fire burns just ahead, and nearby, humanoid figures scan the caverns.
While they seem to be guarding the entrance, they also don't seem to have any expectation of being disturbed and aren't watching very carefully. They are gaunt, half-starved and infested with parasites, but their eyes are wild and they don't look sickly or weak.
It may have been, in theory, possible to avoid a fight here by being stealthy enough. If there was any hope of avoiding one diplomatically, however, that hope is immediately dispelled.
"Hey!" shouts one of the humans, "Who're--intruders! Kill 'em!" She seems to have some kind of armor under her loose robe, and on her back is a shield that looks like it's made of layered insect wings, though she doesn't use it as she holds a scythe in two hands. The other three cultists with her are similarly armed.
She starts to move to attack--but she clearly hasn't spotted Hobbs, who's able to get the drop on her.
Hobbs's turn.
Initiative:
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP, Stealthy)
Red Champion of Deskari
Ra'fu (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Orange Junior Champion of Deskari
Blue Junior Champion of Deskari
Green Champion of Deskari
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP)
"Little--punk--GOBLIN!" The cultist in red moves forward and swings her scythe low to trip up Hobbs. She skids on the ice and falls herself, before scrambling back up to her feet.
Ra'uf, Locus-22, and Kaitlyn's turns.
Initiative:
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP, Stealthy)
Red Champion of Deskari (-13 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Orange Junior Champion of Deskari (-26 HP)
Blue Junior Champion of Deskari (-52 HP)
Green Champion of Deskari (-26 HP)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP)
Two arrows graze the cultist. Kat has the impression the first shot could have been a lot more serious if she hadn't had to aim around people in the way.
Ra'uf and Locus-22's turns.
Initiative:
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP, Stealthy)
Red Champion of Deskari (-13 HP)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Orange Junior Champion of Deskari (AC 23-25, -52 HP)
Blue Junior Champion of Deskari (AC 23-25, -52 HP)
Green Champion of Deskari (-26 HP)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP)
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"Hard way, eh?"
◆ Strike
◆ Strike
+1 if a different target
◆ Strike
+1 if a different target
If Red drops, ◆ Stride to the starred location and use any remaining attacks on Green, with +1 due to the Sweep trait.
You free an ally from restraint. If the trigger was an ally taking damage, the ally gains resistance to all damage against the triggering damage equal to 2 + your level. The ally can attempt to break free of effects grabbing, restraining, immobilizing, or paralyzing them. They either attempt a new save against one such effect that allows a save, or attempt to Escape from one effect as a free action. Whether or not it needed to escape, the ally can then Step as a free action if it’s able to move.
Ra'uf cuts into the champion, but a sickly light envelops the blade as it hits, seeming to block his axe slightly. She glares at him, her look swearing vengeance.
She actually kind of seems to like that? Though the insects are still tearing into her.
Deskari is long dead and wasn't a god in the first place, so Locus-22 notes that it's odd that they seem to have some semblance of an unholy champion's power. She also realizes, looking at their eyes, that what she's looking at isn't quite fully human--they are pitborn nephilim, though that information probably isn't actionable.
What she does notice is that they can channel that power into overwhelming strikes, driving frightened foes back. Or perhaps, as worshipers of a demon lord of insects, they can use magic to discorporate into a swarm form.
Failure. They can either Frighten and push on a crit, or cast the swarm form domain spell. [/ooc]
Without a lot of room to maneuver, the junior champions hesitate and look to their leader. Bellowing, he charges forward, though the ice slows him down. He takes a hand off of his weapon and tries to shove Ra'uf back--but Ra'uf holds his ground.
Since he failed to create an opening for them, the acolytes shift forward carefully and do what they can from where they are. The first casts a spell, and ephemeral shields float in the air around the other three cultists. She glowers at Hobbs and snarls, "They will feast on your corpse." She's clearly going for a low, menacing tone, but unfortunately it's a bit too low and it takes him a moment to even figure out what she said. That takes some of the punch out of it.
The other steps forward and grips his weapon, holding it at the ready.
Celestia and Hobbs's turns.
Initiative:
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP, Stealthy)
Red Champion of Deskari (AC 23-28, -33 HP, buzzing bites, selfish shield vs Ra'uf)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP, concealed)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Green Champion of Deskari (AC 23-28, -26 HP, hand off weapon)
Orange Junior Champion of Deskari (AC 23-25, -52 HP, shields of the spirit)
Blue Junior Champion of Deskari (AC 23-25, -52 HP, readied action)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP)
For the most part, the cultists are too distracted by all the screaming to notice the lesson. The one hit by the fire bomb does manage to magically block some of the damage, though.
The only cultist who isn't completely panicking swings her scythe low, catching her blade between the spokes of one of Ra'uf's wheels and knocking him over. She also attempts to sweep Hobbs off his feet, but doesn't manage it.
With an annoyed hiss, she tries to hit Ra'uf while he's down but nearly drops her weapon instead.
Ra'uf, Locus-22, and Kaitlyn's turns.
Initiative:
Hobbs (AC 27/28, 96/96 HP, Stealthy)
Red Champion of Deskari (AC 23-28, -33 HP, buzzing bites, Frightened 1)
Ra'uf (AC 28, 90/90 HP, prone)
Locus-22 (AC 24, 64/64 HP, concealed)
Kaitlyn (AC 26, 92/92 HP)
Green Champion of Deskari (AC 23-28, -26 HP, hand off weapon, Frightened 3, Fleeing 1 round)
Orange Junior Champion of Deskari (AC 23-25, -51 HP, shields of the spirit, Frightened 3, Fleeing 1 round, persistent 3 fire, selfish shield vs Hobbs)
Blue Junior Champion of Deskari (AC 23-25, -54 HP, readied action, Frightened 3, Fleeing 1 round)
Celestia (AC 20, 50/50 HP)