The Eaters of the Dead - Round 1
Rall: Initiative - 13
Arla and Ash: Initiative - 8
Chloe: Initiative - 5
Bowen: Initiative - 5
Kimi: Initiative - 5
The Monsters: Initiative - 4
Rall stays where he is and attempts to use the shape of the room to his advantage and use his bow to weaken them.
Chloe moves out from the alcove by the doors in the hopes of using the pit much like the kobolds did to keep too many opponents from closing at once. She draws one of the kobold javelins as she goes, ensorcelling it with arcane energy before throwing it at the lead beast.
Rall's arrow sinks into the flesh of one of the dwarf-like creatures. A thin trickle of black slime like blood oozes from the wound but the thing seems to barely feel the missile protruding from his shoulder.
Bowen moves to the parties weakest side and readies himself to act swiftly if they try that side.
Realising that a threat has appeared from the opposite direction they were expecting, Arla turns to face the dwarf-like creatures. Still wielding her sling, the druid hurls a stone at one of the creatures, calling to Ash to stay where he is and defend, rather than ask the dog to charge into the group of enemies alone.
The lead creature, already stabbed with an arrow, is pinned with a javelin and then a rock crushes his skull. There is very little blood and what does ooze from the wounds is black. Still it seems as if these things can be stopped for the one with the crushed skull falls forward. There are no death throes, the thing simply falls.
The other three snarl and rush forward. One runs to the left of the pit and the other two head towards the right.
The one taking the left side moves swiftly to bite at Rall.
The other two head towards Bowen and Arla.
Their tongues hang out like dogs and their fetid breath stinks of rotting meat. Their claws, scratching against the stone to propel them forwards, do not come to bear but their teeth appear sharp and deadly.
Bite attack against Rall: (1d20+2=15)
Bite attack against Bowen: (1d20+2=19)
Damage: (1d6+1=3)
Attack against Arla: (1d20+2=5)
Rall and Arla manage to keep the teeth at bay. Bowen is not so lucky and the fangs of his opponent find a mark.
The Eaters of the Dead - Round 2
Rall: Initiative - 13
Arla and Ash: Initiative - 8
Chloe: Initiative - 5
Bowen: Initiative - 5
Kimi: Initiative - 5
The Monsters: Initiative - 4
Rall draws his sword as the monsters move forward. "Put ... that ... tongue ... back in ... your mouth," he stammers as he attacks.
Rall's sword slices through the creatures flesh but it does not seem to notice the gaping, bleeding wound across its throat and shoulders as it brings both claws and teeth to bear in an all out assault...
Kimi tries to help Rall, but she is so busy trying to stay out of the way of the thing as well that her weapon does not even come close.
Kimi tries to help Rall, but she is so busy trying to stay out of the way of the thing as well that her weapon does not even come close.
Seeing Kimi get involved in the fight, Chloe launches an attack to support her and Rall.
Seeing Kimi get involved in the fight, Chloe launches an attack to support her and Rall.
Chloe cannot reach the creature attacking Rall. There are two people and a pit in the way. She can reach the one attacking Bowen, which is in an adjecent space.
Chloe cannot reach the creature attacking Rall. There are two people and a pit in the way. She can reach the one attacking Bowen, which is in an adjecent space.[/ooc]
Ash's AoO: 1d20+3 = 7, Damage: 1d6+3=6
As the creatures quickly advance on them, Arla drops her sling and draws her spear, preparing for close combat. Calling to Ash to attack, the druid jabs her spear at the closest enemy.
Arla's attack: 1d20+2 = 12, Damage: 1d8+1 = 7
Ash's attack: 1d20+3=4, Damage: 1d6+3=8
Arla and Ash, though they attack aggressively, cannot breach the defenses of the monsters near them. But Chloe's schimitar slices across the shoulder of the creature attacking Bowen.
Bowen lets out a bestial growl of his own and swings his axe into the creature in front of him.
Bowen's weapon crushes the monster's head and it collapses to the ground in front of him.
Chloe:
Bite and Claw attacks against Rall: (1d20+2=14, 1d20=19, 1d20=6)
Damage: (1d3=3)
Bite and Claw Attacks against Arla: (1d20+2=14, 1d20=18, 1d20=11)
Damage: (1d6+1d3+1=5)
The thing attacking Rall manages to scratch the deputy with one of its claws.
Arla is bit and struck by a claw. The creature slavers the blood from its lips with its tongue and giggles.
The Eaters of the Dead - Round 3
Rall: Initiative - 13
Arla and Ash: Initiative - 8
Chloe: Initiative - 5
Bowen: Initiative - 5
Kimi: Initiative - 5
The Monsters: Initiative - 4
"Back to the grave with you!" Chloe demands.
The muscles of Rall's body freeze up. He is paralyzed from the touch of the creature.
Fortitude saves: 1d20+5=24, 1d20+5=21
Arla draws breath sharply as the creature manages to latch on to her. Pulling loose, the druid lunges back in with a spear strike at the slavering thing, anger burning in her eyes.
Arla's attack: 1d20+2=21, Damage: 1d8+1=7
Ash's attack: 1d20+3=21, Damage: 1d6+3=6
Arla and Ash stab and tear apart on of the foul things and it falls to the ground, its black eyes unmoving.
As the divine light washes over the room, the one remaining hisses in fear but rather than simply fleeing, it seeks to grab up the paralyzed body of Rall first.
Kimi's attack: (1d20=11)
Attack of Opportunity: (1d20=10)
Kimi tries to stab it again and then again, but it dodges her blade and with a leer begins dragging Rall away towards the door.
Kimi tries to stab it again and then again, but it dodges her blade and with a leer begins dragging Rall away towards the door.
'Aggggghhh,' thinks Rall. 'Save me. C'mon. Save me. ... Ah, who am I kidding. They don't even like me. ... They aren't going to save me. ... '
Bowen steps over the dead creatures and moves to the next one attempting to bring it down as well.
Bowen moves around the west side of the pit and a swift blow from his weapon seperates the head from the shoulders of the monstrosity dragging Rall's paralyzed form.
And like that the battle is finished. All is silent for a moment, save for the steady sound of a hammer beating on a forge down the tunnel to the east.
A few moments later Rall regains the use of his limbs.
"Aahh gggooo ooo udd tabe be," Rall says, the feeling slowly coming back into his mouth. "Dank ooo."
Putting the axe down Bowen offers his arm to Rall. "Couldn't do it without you."
The sound of the hammer on an anvil continues, unabated.
Chloe shakes her head at Rall's continued misfortune. "Nearly carted off as a feast for a ghoul..." she remarks, "Nasty creatures, too. It's good we had the numbers to fend them off."
The clanging of the hammer draws her attention before she can say more to the sheriff's deputy. "We need to get moving," she says, "I don't like the sound of that. What's the demon doing anyway? Building something?"
She picks up another of the kobold javelins to replace the one she threw earlier. "I hope we've got the numbers to deal with this battle, too. Is everyone ready?"
Bowen lets the axe's light die down to nothing and moves to the hallway that the pounding is coming from looking to see if any light is given in that direction.
The glow of a fire flickers in the depth of the tunnel to the east. The tunnel itself goes eastward before turning out of sight to the north.
Rall shakes his arms and legs and then stealthily creeps towards the flames. He keeps his ears out.
Having recently been paralyzed, he isn't doing too well at being stealthy.
Looking around the corner of the tunnel, Rall sees a narrow passage of rock that winds towards the north for at least another twenty feet. A fire is burning out of sight, hot and fierce for the whole tunnel glows hellishly red. As well, the pounding of the hammer is louder, but who is working the forge is unknown for there is a pillar of rock blocking the view.
Rall looks back at the others and shrugs. He waits to see if they are coming.
Chloe's face looks grim with determination and she follows after the sheriff's deputy with a reassuring nod. She draws her scimitar in one hand and readies one of the kobold javelins in the other.
As the others move up behind Rall, there is no change in the tempo of the hammering.
Bowen extinguishes the light from his axe as he slips into the shadows and moves into the room looking for the source of the sound. And prepares himself for a fight as well.
Chloe hangs back a moment to offer a prayer to Desna, hoping the goddess will bless their efforts with a healthy dose of good fortune.
The party feels the divine grace of Desna washing over them as Bowen creeps ahead of Rall. The rest follow quietly.
Looking past the stone pillar into the chamber beyond, Bowen sees a fearful sight. The room beyond is filled with a thick, acrid smoke and the smell of burning flesh. A boy, bound and gagged lays on the floor near a massive anvil. A large hound with red fur and glowing eyes lays next to him. The air crackles and ripples from the heat produced by a massive forge on the far wall. The fire in the forge is blistering hot and even on the other end of the room it can be felt.
Standing at the anvil, a great hammer in its hand is the most dreadful sight of all. It has the shape of a hulking dwarf but it is wrapped in heavy steel chains. Its face and hands are riddled with glowing hooks of steel and half melted razor wire. Smoke pours forth from its black beard, wrapping its head in a cloak of darkness. One of the chains wrapped around it extends out and over the anvil and the dwarven-thing hammers relentlessly at this chain.
The hound looks up and notices the movement in the tunnel. It growls and the chain-smith says a single word, its voice inhuman and impossibly deep, "Kill." But the smith does not stop pounding on the chains as the hound rises to obey. Meanwhile the boy on the floor looks to be in very bad shape - possibly close to death.
Moving in on the dog he swings his axe flaring the light along with his strike.
With Bowen moving ahead to engage the hound, Chloe tries to at least distract or harry its master. She hefts the kobold javelin, bestowing a bit of arcane power to it in the hopes of piercing the demonic dwarven smith's defenses.
She then launches the javelin...
1d20+2 = 5 to hit, 1d4+2 = 4 hp
...but curses as it flies well wide of the target.