The Gavisoria Games (IC)

[Galathir]

@ Sanfeng

You search the roof of the house thoroughly and manage to find two openings. One is the chimney, but the opening is only about eight inches across: far too small to climb down. A light smoke rises up and as you brave the wincing sensation of the smoke in your eyes for a few seconds, you can't see anything below except the faint glow of the fire below and even that is mostly obscured by smoke and heat.

You also notice, on the side of the roof opposite the chimney, the outline of a trapdoor of some kind. It is approximately three feet by 2 feet and is only evidenced by a thin crack along the edges. It is flush with the rest of the roof and you don't see any obvious latch, handle, or hinges. The crack is just wide enough that you could possibly fit a thin blade or other fine object into.

You spend some time looking over the rest of the farmstead, but despite your close attentions you don't really notice much unusual. The barn appears to be empty of any type of livestock, but then, given the state of the fields, it's not really any surprise. Likewise, the two sheds appear vacant and barren, but it's not like there is any harvest with which to fill them. The other structures are only really notable in the absence of any of the strange angles displayed in the main house.

[chrisrawr]

Vinto waits a moment, the smell of the pie filling his nostrils, before determining that nothing's going to happen to Alwynn. He's tempted to rush out of the room and ask for a slice himself, but the couple obviously needs the food more than he does. He removes the last of the food from his ration sack, little more than a dried apple and a chunk of cheese. With that out of the way, he begins getting ready for bed.

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sleeptiemnaosorryforlackofposts

[Serpentine]

Alwynn notices Vinto's gaze too late to offer him anything. As a consolation, he gives him some jellybabies.

[Galathir]

As you settle down, you can hear no sounds from the couple in the other room. Only the faint creaking of the timbers and the rustle of the wind accompany you as you begin to slumber.

OOC

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I'm going to assume that Janen is just joining you and not doing anything special. How long are you planing to sleep?

[GrassyGnoll]

{Sanfeng naps out on the roof. He's not breaking and entering without just cause.}

[Serpentine]

About 5 or 6 hours, but I'll suggest we organise at least something of a watch. I'll go first.

[Galathir]

For those inside the house, the six hours pass peacefully. You take turns keeping watch, but everything is unnaturally quiet and nothing disturbs you. It is now a little past noon. You notice that the air inside the room has a clammy chill to it. Every few minutes, a single drop of liquid gathers at the middle of the ceiling and then plops to the floor with a monotonous regularity. Also, the door appears to be locked.

Sanfeng, napping on the roof, notices that the clouds are gathering in ever darkening masses, blocking out the light of the sun and lowering heavily over the land giving obvious signs that rain in not far off. There have been no noises or other instances of note from inside the house and the six hours pass uneventfully.

[chrisrawr]

Vinto wakes the others, groggily asking, "Who locked the door? Was there trouble in the night?"

[Serpentine]

Alwynn strokes his chin as Vinto checks the door.
"No, melove, 'tweren't any of us. This mystery is starting to get a touch too sinister."
He sizes up the door, leans back on his staff, shifts his stance, and lashes out at it with his boot, aiming close to the lock.

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Mountain Stance (+2 Strength Checks), Strength check to break down the door.
(1d20+5)[11]
If this doesn't work, he will drink one of his Potions of Bull's Strength (+4 Str) and try again.
(1d20+7)[14]
If that still doesn't work, he'll start attacking it with his staff, starting with Mountain Hammer strike (+2d6 damage, automatically overcomes Damage Reduction and Hardness).
If he's doing 2 or less points of damage each hit - or, basically, he appears to be doing nothing much at all to the door - he will step back and consult with the others, including pointing out his alchemist's fire.

edit: What a miserable excuse for a pair of rolls
edit mk. 2: I should've taken 20... Can I take 20?

[Galathir]

OOC: Posting as Janen

Janen groggily sits up as Vinto wakes her, but she is startled into full alertness as Alwynn first tries to kick open the door, and then smashes the lock out with her staff. "I don't know why they locked us in here, but I doubt they have our best interests in mind!"

She mutters a word and extends her hands as her white and silver spear appears in front of her. She grins, baring her teeth for a second and and then smiles in grim anticipation. "Perhaps this couple needs to be given a lesson in hospitality. Let's move cautiously though, they are obviously not what they seem and who knows what secrets they have hidden here."

[Galathir]

Alwynn give the door an ineffective kick, and then smashes it with his staff. The second hit shatters the lock and takes out a small section of the door. Instantly, a foetid stench seeps through the hole, an odour of ancient death, decay, and evil. The dripping from the ceiling steadily increases until it is almost a steady stream of fluid. It has a sickly green tint to it, and seems almost to possess a viscous quality as it pools in damp puddles on the floor. Inarticulate mutterings come from the other room in a language none of you can recognize and a series of deadened thumps startle you from overhead.

Sanfeng hears the noise as Alwynn tries to break down the door and then directly underneath you come a series of loud bangs and thumps. You too start to detect a faintly malodorous scent coming from inside the house.

[chrisrawr]

Vinto wastes no time - Mumbling a Recitation, he seeks to aid their egress from this foul place.

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Knowledge: Religion (1d20+7)[21] to see if I recognize anything, as well, Recitation adds +3 to us, because of Extension of Blessing (Su) - It still only hinders our opponents by -2. Spell Resistance caster check is (1d20+8)[16], I believe. I'd prefer you rolled initiative, but just in case, (1d20+1)[3]

[Serpentine]

...
He. Alwynn's a he

Stepping into the other room, Alwynn scans it for any sign of danger and breathes a moment before moving towards the other door. He raises his staff, about to smash this one open as well, and then pauses. He instead raps on the door politely.
If appropriate (i.e. they go quiet and listen, or call out, or whatever, or nothing changes, as opposed to say someone/thing bursting through the door):
He calls out in a sing-song voice, "I say, are you in? Our door got a bit stuck. Might've bent the lock a bit opening it, I'm afraid." He then takes a step to the side of the door, and listens.

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Enter Step of the Wind stance if this counts as Difficult Terrain. Otherwise stays in Stonefoot stance.
Has readied: Burning Blade, Mighty Throw, Clever Positioning, Mountain Hammer and Stone Vise.
Of possible, will prepare to use Mighty Throw if something rushes out of the door to attack.
Perception (1d20+6)[19] to look for danger in first room.

[Galathir]

OOC: I rolled initiative for everyone, current order is as follows:
1: Alwynn, 2: Old Couple, 3: Sanfeng, 4: Vinto, 5: Janen
Initiative order will being following this post. I will factor in the bonuses/penalties from Vinto's Recitation, so if you make any relevant rolls, just use your normal modifiers. Also, my apologies for confusing the gender of Alwynn

As Alwynn steps through the door, a loud creaking noise comes from the ceiling in the centre of the room the three of you were sleeping in. A sudden crack and crash startles you as the planks collapse in a sudden cascade of wood, plaster, and a putrid greenish-yellow ichor. Instantly, the small room is filled with a frightful stench and you become aware of the horrid creature that fell through the ceiling. Nothing has prepared you for the distasteful sight before you. Lying in a foetid pool of filth, a monstrous creature twitches his limbs and looks around with large white eyes. The eyes themselves remind you of a blind man, looking in all directions but giving no sign of being able to see, at least, not with any sense you are familiar with. The creature's skin is a mottled black and green and drips with the same fluid it lies in. It is vaguely humanoid, but twisted into bizarre deranged shapes and proportions and make it a very mockery of everything you know. What you take to be hands end only in multiple tentacle-like appendages and short tentacles covered with suckers circle the gaping hole that seems to be it's mouth. It makes an unearthly moaning sound and utters syllables that your mouths are unable to form.

As it falls, you are aware of a great piping of whippoorwills outside, joining their harsh songs in a form that seems almost like a conversation. Their strident pitches are alarming and seem to be increasing in number and volume every second. You hear another thump from upstairs, appearing to come from over the main room where you breakfasted. There is no sign of the elderly couple.

@ Sanfeng

You hear a loud crash from inside the house and a heavy, liquid thud as if a large squishy object had fallen some distance. A loud moaning in a strange otherworldly tongue calls out from inside the house. Suddenly a stiff wind springs up and from the grasses around you, hundreds upon hundreds of strident whippoorwills swarm up and fly in frantic circles around the house. They shriek at you in seeming anger and several of the larger birds thrust themselves against you as if to drive you off the roof. A few injure themselves in this fashion and lie limp and twitching around you as others gather overhead as if to continue the offensive in a more organized fashion.

OOC: Alwynn, Vinto, and Janen need to make Fort saves.

[chrisrawr]

Fort: (1d20+2)[13]

Vinto tries to steel himself against the fetid mass, but nothing human could have prepared him for the horribleness of... this.

[Serpentine]

Aw. That stuff I was gonna do was gonna be funny
Not... not slime! (reminder (le sigh), I'm allergic to slime. You did this deliberately, didn't you )
Fort: (1d20+4)[15]

Startled (and, probably, ill) Alwynn spins around, leaps at the creature and brings his staff down hard somewhere in the viscinity of what I think is its head.

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Did I take the potion of Bull's Strength? If I did, it's not taken into account.
Did I use Mountain Hammer, and if so did I have time to recover it?
Also, how big is it, and how are we all positioned around it?
Attack: (1d20+10)[28]
Damage: (1d6+4)[6]
Will use Stone Vise: +(1d6)[1] damage, Fort DC 15 (Str-based) or movement reduced to 0ft for 1 round.

[GrassyGnoll]

{Apologies for the delay in posts. I was attending a martial arts competition over the weekend and forgot to notify this game.}

Sanfeng stomps the wooden trap door with the crushing weight of his foot. He braces for the fall as he makes an orc-sized hole in the roof.

{Flurry of blows against the door, first two auto-hit: (1d20+7)[25] for (3d8+18)[2][4][7](31)}

[Galathir]

For all those inside the house:

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The room you were sleeping in is 15 feet square and the creature fell into the centre square. The door that Alwynn smashed open is in the centre of the west wall and opens up into the main room, which is 20 feet square. Alwynn would be in the square directly west of the monster, and Vinto and Janen can position themselves as they wish. All the squares in the bedroom are difficult terrain (double movement cost, no running or charging)

The creature that fell from the ceiling is medium sized and seems to be unarmed and unarmoured.

And yes, Alwynn did use the potion of Bull's Strength, and I'll factor it into your most recent attack. You can add it in yourself from here on out though. You also used Mountain Hammer to break down the door, but you could have taken a few seconds to recover it (you weren't in initiative then anyway).

And no, I didn't plan out an entire encounter just to take advantage of your flaw But . . . I'm sure you'll have fun in the Neverending Dungeon of Slime and the Slurm Queen, that will be coming up shortly! (j/k )

All of you inside almost choke as the foul stench enters your nose, but you manage to hold back your stomach and breath through your mouth as much as possible. The creature begins to writhe and stand up when Alwynn bursts back through the door and deals a precise shattering blow with his staff. The horror immediately collapses to the floor again and a dark green ichor begins to flow from its head. As Alwynn's staff hit the monster, it was almost like whacking a large spongy pudding. The end of the staff sunk into the flesh more then expected as if the creature lacked any significant bone structure. Part of the skin around the neck split open but the wound more resembles a spoon going through jello then anything else.

Alwynn had just landed his blow when he felt the faintest brush of wind against his neck and violently dodged out of the way with a rush of inspiration. In an instant, a figure appeared directly behind him with a finger outstretched as if to deliver a touch spell. It seems to be the old man Wilbur, but changed into a wretched tortured creature. Gaunt skin is stretched over his withered face and it seems to be almost translucent with age. His eyes have turned the same solid white as the terror and his mouth is full of evil fangs and a blood-red tongue. He chokes out coarse phrases, sounds that you didn't know a human throat could produce. His limbs strain in unnatural movements as if forces beyond his control are compelling him into action.

Vinto, it's your turn next.

For him who was not inside the house but now is, in a way:

You smash the door in with a righteous fury and the wood shatters before you. You plunge though the hole up to your chest. The attic or loft is only about four feet high and ducking down, you view a bloody scene of evil. The entire loft is about thirty feet square and to your right, there is a hole broken though the floor. You see a glimpse of Janen below with her spear readied for an attack. The horribleness of the loft is beyond anything you have yet seen and the floor is coated in several inches of a putrid black/green gel that is slowly dripping through the hole. (You'll need to make a Fort save). To your left, are the dessicated remains of nearly a dozen humans, ranging from small children to adults. Some have obviously been there for some time, but others appear more recent. Further in, several large maggot-like creatures are squirming in eager anticipation as they slowly writhe their way towards you. Sightless, they nevertheless sense you somehow and their mouths reveal tiny razor-sharp fangs and small multifarious tentacles.

[Serpentine]

Ew.
I'll have switched to Step of the Wind stance after I broke the door if it's bad ground.

Alwynn laughs cockily as he dodges the gross finger.
"What a jibe! You and your wife, eh? Dig in, fellows! She's easy on the hands, if not on the eyes!"

[chrisrawr]

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Furiously looking at spells and wondering if I've got anything remotely useful here :I Knowledge checks to see if I know anything, Nature (1d20+12)[26], Religion (1d20+7)[27], The Planes (1d20+7)[24]
Just looking up wall of good right now; if it's a standard action I'll cast that, if not, i'll wait on the results of the knowledge check.

[GrassyGnoll]

{Fort: (1d20+10)[28]}

Sanfeng lunges through the attic, ducking into a drop stance and past the assailing maggots. He makes a backhanded swipe at the first maggot to get in his way and dives past the blind grubs for the hole in the floor.

"What madness is this!?" Sanfeng hollers. He takes position next to Janen, standing where her spear cannot strike, hoping to cover her.

{Spring Attack: (1d20+13)[33] & (1d20+8)[20] for (1d8+6)[11] & (1d8+6)[13]
Tumble (to avoid AoO): (1d20+15)[29]
Sanfeng will stand within 5' of Janen, between her and the maggots}

[GrassyGnoll]

Crit confirmation: (1d20+13)[33]
{Oh, and Sanfeng is still in Absolute Steel Stance: +10 ft. & +2 dodge AC. If he can spot the horror before the end of his turn, he'll declare Dodge against it.}

[Galathir]

Here is a map of the house and the loft. It's really basic, but it should get the job done. For reference, the monster is at G7, Wilbur is at G5, Alwynn is at G6, Janen is at H8, Sanfeng just dropped down into G8. Vinto, I'm not sure where you are, just pick a spot wherever you like. If I messed anyone up, let me know.

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Vinto, your knowledge checks are indeed useful. Here is what you know:

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Your studies of ancient cults and religions suddenly comes back to you and the awkward angles and shapes of the house you are in takes on a new and nefarious meaning. Thought to be extinct for hundreds of years, an obscure cult calling themselves The Mazurewicz was known for their numerous atrocities in the small village of Dunwich. Calling on other-planar beings for their power, they utilized non-Euclidean geometric structures as a means of enhancing and shaping their power as they toiled to create a new race of creature to re-inhabit the land as they deemed the current occupants "unworthy of existence". They strove to mould the world into a fit throne for their other-planar lords to rule the universe from. The leaders of the Church of Robin discovered their foul works and eradicated them, destroying all their writings and places of worship. As the years dimmed the memory of their actions, many tended to dismiss the cult as mere hogwash, or at best, an exaggeration of an otherwise peaceful splinter group of the Church of Robin. Occasional copycats tried to sally forth under the name of Mazurewicz, but were generally recognized as frauds just trying to earn some coin or cover up illicit activities.

And I'm not familiar with Wall of Good off the top of my head. What book is that from?

And just to double check with Sanfeng, is the spring attack against the maggots, or to attack the monster after you jump down the hole to the rest of the party?

Sanfeng smashes one of the maggot creatures leaving clumps of a sticky flesh-like substance clinging to his fingers. The maggot gasps and twitches as it flops around in its death throes. Diving past the rest of them, he drops through the hole to the room below, landing neatly beside Janen despite the debris from the ceiling scattered about the floor.

[chrisrawr]

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My last name is Mazur T_T Wall of Good is in the Spell Compendium -

WALL OF GOOD
Abjuration [Good]
Level: Cleric 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: A straight wall whose area is
up to one 10-ft. square/level or a
sphere or hemisphere with a radius
of up to 5 ft./2 levels
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Yes

You create an immobile barrier
that inhibits evil creatures. An evil
summoned creature cannot pass
through the wall in either direction,
and any other evil creature must succeed on a Will save each time it attempts
to move through the wall. If the saving
throw is failed, the creature’s movement
is stopped, and it can take no other
action that round.
A wall of good must be continuous
and unbroken when formed. If it is cast
so that an object or creature breaks its
surface, the spell fails.
Arcane Material Component: Powdered
silver worth 25 gp.

I'll be using it to make a wall parallel to the roof, so that other things can't drop down upon us. Then I'll be moving back to back with Alwynn.

[Galathir]

Just as Sanfeng tumbles beside Jaene, a brilliant shimmery white sheet of energy snaps into place over the ceiling and the ooze that had been flowing through the hole is completely stopped. Janen's face grimaced as she choked back the rising contents of her stomach, but only called out "What in Robin's name are these things!" With a look of concentration, she mutters a few draconic syllables and as she makes a small motion with her right hand. Several transparent silvery disembodied jaws appear before her and dart out quickly, four each towards Wilbur and the terrible creature in front of her. As she casts, the monster flings a dripping tentacle at her, but it only flops around and Janen easily slips out of the way.

The chattering jaws clamp down on the monster's flesh and pull away dripping chunks of its shapeless flesh. The creatures moans, whether in pain or anger, you cannot tell. The other four conjured jaws find a hold on Wilbur but he seems to shake off most of their hold as he swats at them in annoyance.

[Serpentine]

Keeping an eye on the thing that was Wilbur, Alwynn shifts his grip. He brings his staff down on the lumpy monster so fast that the air around it catches on fire.

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If the creature is effected by the terrain, I get an extra +2 to my attack not counted here from Step of the Wind.
Bull's Strength counted.
+2 flanking counted.
Burning Blade does fire damage.
Also, forgot to mention: the feat Sanctify Martial Strike makes all my melee attacks Good for the purpose of overcoming DR, and deals an extra 1 damage to Evil creatures and +1d4 to Evil Outsiders. Not included here, as that would be metagaming

Attack: (1d20+14)[22]
Damage: (1d6+6)[10] bludgeoning + (1d6+4)[8] fire.

Just a heads-up/reminder to myself: if Wilbur stays where he is, once the blob-thing's down I'll probably use Clever Positioning to put him between Sanfeng and myself.

[chrisrawr]

"They're cultists," Vinto growls, "Twisted by the evils they've done and the abominations they worship... Maybe I can-" Vinto barks an arcane syllable, hoping slash away some of the energies sustaining their foes.

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Dispel Magic, area burst, use these rolls as you will against magic effects that aren't on the party :3 Note - I have no clue how much magic is going on, or how much of it I can affect, so I'm giving you a massive surplus. I in no way expect many of these rolls to be used.

Nevermind, I just realized that I can't affect what gets hit by it. I'll slap the dispel magic on Wilbur.
(1d20+8)[22]
(1d20+8)[16]
(1d20+8)[25]
(1d20+8)[24]
(1d20+8)[27]
(1d20+8)[10]
(1d20+8)[10]
(1d20+8)[10]
(1d20+8)[20]
(1d20+8)[10]
(1d20+8)[18]
(1d20+8)[12]
(1d20+8)[25]
(1d20+8)[10]
(1d20+8)[28]
(1d20+8)[24]
(1d20+8)[9]
(1d20+8)[20]
(1d20+8)[19]
(1d20+8)[16]
(1d20+8)[19]
(1d20+8)[13]

[GrassyGnoll]

Sanfeng circles the room, in short, sliding steps. His hands poised before him, the orc positions himself a half step from grasping the slime horror's tentacles. So close to the abomination, he throws his arm forward like a steel whip, tearing into its mottled black membrane. He plants his stance and redoubles on his attack, practically taunting the alien beast to retaliate

{Swift: dual stance to Iron Guard's Glare, the blob takes -4 attack on everyone it threatens except for Sanfeng. It is aware that Sanfeng is causing this.
Free: 5' step to F7
Flurry (claw, for slashing damage): (3d20)[12][19][18](49) (+13/+13/+9; that's 25/32/27) for (3d8+18)[3][3][4](28)}

[Galathir]

As Alwynn slams his flaming staff into the monster, a gruesome hissing sound rises from the wound and the flames are quenched as the flesh from the wound closes over the staff. A greenish wisp of steam rises from the end of the staff and it makes a squelching sound as Alwynn needs to exert most of his strength to pull it back up. The monster groans in what you guess to be pain and it turns its sightless eyes towards Alwynn. It opens its dripping maw and utters a series of dark syllables
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Murka'lwnn R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn"

It shimmers in and out of visibility for a moment and then out of its mouth shoots an impossibly thin glimmering silver thread of some bizarre material. It heads straight for Alwynn's head and strikes him lightly in the middle of his forehead.

Alwynn, you feel the faintest tingle on your skin, as if a bit of thread had brushed up against you but the sensation continues as you see the bit of glowing silver hover just above your eyes. Nothing else happens . . . for a second or two. And then, you feel yourself being laid bare as if some demented being had bypassed your emotions and defences and opened a passageway into your inner psyche. You can feel the horrible creature trying to push the link between you and for a split second your mind is filled with dozens of unfamiliar and unwanted images: dank dim dungeons echoing with the screams of a vivisection, cruel grins of pleasure from the faces of ancient Lords of lore, blood slowly collecting on the keen edge of a matt black dagger as a single drip gently falls into oblivion, mystic runes gathering in darkness and spinning, with gathering violence and velocity until they are a grey blur of senselessness . . .

But only for a split second are you subject to these sights. The monster's hideous jaw widens in a macabre smile as if to say "That was only a taste, my dear. Oh, just think of how many more pleasures I have stored up for you!"

Too late, you remember the creature who was Wilbur behind you and out of the corner of your eye you notice him brush off the jabbering jaws and with a brief motion of his hand, they disappear. He stares ahead blankly and opens his mouth in a horrid grimace.
"Too late have I learned. . .everything is lost. Even when he dreams the shackles bind me. The shackles grow longer when he sleeps. . .no, not for my benefit, but for his. . .that I may ensnare others. Beware the words! The eyes spring the trap!. . .How do the corners add up to FIVE!"

Sanfeng shifts over a few feet and attacks the monster. With each slash you feel the sickening, almost ichthyic flesh quiver under you. You apparently sever several purulent veins as a flow of sticky yellow fluid runs out and coats your hands. You feel a slight burning sensation on your hands and your flesh starts to redden as a foul stench rises from the wound. The creature groans in obvious discomfort and winces away from your attacks, but is unable to avoid them.

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If you could list the damage for each attack separately, that would be helpful just in case I should need to factor in DR or other such things

Vinto, you cast your spell on Wilbur and with a strong urge of will, you feel an enchantment losing its hold on him. You concentrate for a second, and suddenly the glazed look fades from Wilbur's eyes and his hands begin to shake in a violent tremor.

Janen takes a firm stance and thrusts her weapon at the creature's body. One lunge ends with her weapon plunging far into the monster's flesh releasing a spew of glutinous pulp. The monster bellows in pain and twists out of the way of her second attack but the creature is wounded in nearly a dozen places now and it is quite evident that it is seriously hurt.
--------------------------
OOC: I'm going to need a Will save from Alwynn and a Fort save from Sanfeng. Also, it's Alwynn's turn.

[GrassyGnoll]

{Fort: (1d20+10)[11]}

Sanfeng shakes the ichor from his hands with vibratory snap of his arms. The vexed monk backs into a crouching pose. He leaps to the side of the horror, over Alwynn, tackling the withered shell of Wilbur. He headbutts the cultist into the floor and springs for his axe at the doorway.

{Mmmm'k. I'll attempt roll-mode mach II.
Full: Charging Minotaur
Bullrush STR check: (1d20+6)[17]
Bludgeoning damage: (2d6+6)[12]}