Tide of Evil Rising (IC)

[Menteith]

The hideous edge of the scythe screams as it tears through Mailoc's armor. Trickles of blood emerge from the ragged gash. Mailoc grits his teeth, and responds with a series of brutal attacks, biting deep into the creature's bloated corruption.

[Void]

Olaf cringes a bit as he realizes his footing is not as pleasant as one would hope. However he uses it to his advantage and between the slickness and fancy sword-work allows him to avoid the two attacks of the fiend. Olaf continues his barrage of attacks,

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If necessary Olaf maneuvers for flanking.
Attack 1: (1d20+23)[42] Damage: (1d6+8)[14] Miss Chance: (1d100)[16](Success on Rerolled Miss, CritConfirm 31;x2 Damage)
Attack 2: (1d20+23)[24] Damage: (1d6+8)[12] Miss Chance: (1d100)[32]
Attack 3: (1d20+18)[35] Damage: (1d6+8)[10] Miss Chance: (1d100)[64](CritConfirm 32;x2Damage)
Attack 4: (1d20+18)[23] Damage: (1d6+8)[12] Miss Chance: (1d100)[60]
Attack 5: (1d20+13)[19] Damage: (1d6+8)[12] Miss Chance: (1d100)[78]

Any miss rerolls or crit confirms will be added in OOC thread.

Fort Save is assumed out of range of the protection spell.

Dervish Dance is Activated: (7 rounds)

HP: 92/101
AC: 27
Effects: Blink

[Chambers]

Saerny

There. Better view, less vomit spray. Hustling across the roof of the tavern to find a good spot, Saerny knuckles three more arrows and sights down his bow. Lots of people in that cloud. He squints to try and make out the largest shape before firing. Better them than me.

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Move - 20ft to trigger skirmish, find a good spot on the roof.
Standard - Greater Manyshot. High hits for the miss chance.

Miss Chance (1d100)[94]
Attack (1d20+15)[29]
Damage (1d4+2)[3]
Skirmish (5d6+2)[18]

Miss Chance (1d100)[31]
Attack (1d20+15)[30]
Damage (1d4+2)[5]
Skirmish (5d6+2)[17]

Miss Chance (1d100)[19]
Attack (1d20+15)[27]
Damage (1d4+2)[6]
Skirmish (5d6+2)[20]

Saerny
HP: 82/82
AC: 34
F/R/W: +13/+19/+10

Current Spells/Effects: Improved Skirmish

[Toliudar]

Silene and Polk

Silene felt a pang of guilt as she heard the combatants tear into each other inside the mist. She should be in there, protecting Polk! And yet she had also been exhorted to trust Polk, to give the dragon room to make mistakes. And certainly flying into a cloud to ask a powerful demon about flies seemed like a mistake. And yet...there had been times when Polk had surprised her. Had surprised everyone. Perhaps. Perhaps this might happen again.

In the meantime, at a loss for what else to do, Silene plucks another arrow out of thin air, willing it forward and into one of the three throats of the massive demon.

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Arrow 1 attack: (1d20+19)[28] Damage: (2d6+2)[8]
Arrow 2 attack: (1d20+14)[21] Damage: (2d6+2)[11]
Arrow 3 attack: (1d20+9)[23] Damage: (2d6+2)[6]

Attacks count as force.

Polk is taken aback by the ferocity of the creature's attack. Clearly, a more measured discourse on the life cycle of specific breath weapons would have to wait. She managed to duck under the final bite, but the first two crunch through her tender scales in a distinctly unpleasant manner.

"Ow! That hardly seems called for. We should be able to talk about this, right?"

Apparently not. Stepping in next to the massive fiend, Polk becomes a virtual golden pinwheel of claws and teeth.

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Heads 1 and 2 hit. Fort saves vs poison: (1d20+19)[35] (1d20+19)[35]

Polk takes a 5' step as possible in order to help flank the massive creature with Mailloc and Olaf.

Full attack - rolls will come in a follow-up post, once I know whether her strength is affected by the poison.

[Togo]

Kurn staggers out of the doorway again, his eyes glowing, strange winds blowing through his hair. With a shout, he drags his clenched fists upwards, as if lifting something very heavy, something that he can't put down.

The road bulges upwards, swelling massively with contained energies. The bulge grows bigger, studded with the same rainslicked cobblestones that line the road, growing until it towers almost as high as the demon itself, and forming into a humanoid shape, as sqaut and crudely formed as only a creature of earth and stone can be. Two red eyes glimmer in the darkness as it slams a stoney fight into the corpulent demon's foul form.

Kurn pauses, his skin faintly glowing from within as healing energies flow through him.

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Finishing summon nature's ally VI to summon a Huge Earth Elemental.
I believe a 5ft step from the doorway plus a 55' range should be enough to summon a creature in a position where it can claim a flank with someone already fighting by using a 5ft step.
Elemental attacks with a flank from Olaf.
Slam (1d20+22)[28] for (2d10+10)[17] damage
Slam (1d20+22)[36] for (2d10+10)[25] damage

Kurn casts panacea, healing (1d8+12)[13]hp of damage.

Note that being a huge creature, the elemental can freely share squares with medium or smaller creatures, and vice versa.

[Toliudar]

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Sorry for the delay. Full attack routine from Polk. If she manages to
flank, add appropriate bonuses. Attacks count as magic and good.
Smite Evil on Bite: (1d20+21)[34] Damage (1d8+25)[26]
Claw 1 (1d20+19)[30] Damage: (1d6+4)[5]
Claw 2 (1d20+19)[30] Damage: (1d6+4)[10]
Wing 1 (1d20+19)[23] Damage: (1d4+4)[6]
Wing 2 (1d20+19)[37] Damage: (1d4+4)[7]

[DrK]

It all comes to a startlinge end. The brutal glittering smites coupled with flashing blades, a massive clawed and glittering dragon and the towering form made of the very roots of the earth.

Demonic ichor sprays outwards as weapons and claws hack and smash into the huge demonic figure before with a faint whump the creature seems to deflated.... The creature impoding around a central point as the vast stench of its essence swirls inwards to the rapidly diminishing point. Its dark demonic soul being dragged screaming back towards the depths of Slough Feg's hell...

As it goes the evil yellowish vapours are torn and pulled in after the creature leaving streets devoid of life but filled with rotting and partially dissolved corpses.

As the vapour fades you can heara few shouts of "Demons" from around you, the wail of those starting the grieving and the screaming of those left injured by the other demons in the mist or the mist itself.

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Too many crits!!

[Togo]

Kurn rushes forward, his eyes still streaming, his clothes still smoking, from the acid and ichor,

His sharp eyes head for the nearest of the injured townsfolk, and he thrusts a handful of badly crushed loganberries at anyone mobile who crosses his path.

Here! Quick! One per injured. If you can't get them to swallow, tell me immediately!

He stops at the first body he finds, and, without waiting to check, pops a berry into their mouth, working the jaw to allow the juice to trickle down the throat.

Like this! We can save lives if we hurry!

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Administering goodberries (PHB druid1) to the fallen townfolk. Each one will heal a single hit point, thus stabalising the patient if they are on negative hp. Kurn carries roughly 120 berries, and will give out handfuls to anyone who gets near him.

Each person can benefit from no more than 8 berries.

[Menteith]

Panting, Mailoc stares at the spot where the creature had stood. He'd seen things both dark and foul before, but the malevolence and power of the creature disturbs him. He shakes his head to clear it, and begins a short prayer.
Bel, your children are in need of your presence. The innocent have been overcome in this hour of darkness. Ease their pains and sooth their souls. Help them as I cannot. This I pray.

OOC

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Mailoc activates his Sacred Healing, spending a Full Round Action and Turn Attempt to grant every living creature within 60ft Fast Healing 3 for seven rounds.

[Toliudar]

Silene quickly slides her bow onto her back and dashes forward to help. When Kurn offers up healing berries, she takes a few and begins working to administer them to the fallen.

"Thank you. I'll do my best."

Polk shakes her scales to clear them of the muck of the demon's filth. Pity that she'd never gotten the chance to ask him questions about how he managed that particular spray, but it was so horrible-smelling that she couldn't manage spitting it out of her mouth under any circumstances anyway. She decided that it would be good to confirm that there weren't more of these awful things popping up all over this York place.

Polk shook out her wings and leapt into the air. Even in this thick and fetid air, she enjoyed the moment when the air seemed to gather under her and propel her upwards. Quickly, she zipped up into the night sky and circled overhead, allowing her senses to clear and reach out for other signs of trouble.

"Well, that was invigorating. Although in a particularly smelly way. Are there a great many demons roaming around these human towns. If this is a frequent occurrence, then I'd think that there would be signs posted. Something along the lines of "Warning! This area experiences occasional visitation by three headed garbage-demons. Not recommended for small children or those with obstructed breathing."

"I don't think this is a normal occurrence, Polk. Please let us know if you see any other demons from up there. I don't want you going to deal with them on your own, do you understand?"

"Oh, you don't have to tell me twice. It's going to take a walk through a furnace and a dip in the river just to get the smell off of me. I think that there's still a little chunk of bone in your saddle, but you'll have to take a look at that later."

"Something to look forward to. And...you were magnificent, back there."

"I was, wasn't I?"

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Silene will help
with distributing Kurn's berries, supplementing with a point of her own Lay on Hands where it is useful to do so to stabilize unconscious people.

Polk is going to fly up to a height of about 60' and do a circuit of York, looking/smelling/blindsensing for other demonic silliness. Spot: (1d20+13)[26] Listen: (1d20+13)[33]. If anyone takes her for a hostile/demon type and does something aggressive, she'll just fly further up and move away to check elsewhere in the town.

[OMG PONIES]

Michelle Easton

The changeling woman fades back into view, shifting back to her natural form. Her lavender, almond-shaped eyes are wide and her pupils dilated as she stands frozen in fear. Her smooth skin, usually dark gray, is instead sallow and she looks as though she is unsure whether she'd rather scream or vomit. She moves her mouth to speak, but no words come out for an endless moment. She stands frozen as the others tend to the wounded and dying. Instead, she spends the time inwardly tending to herself, trying to piece together what she had seen when she peered into the demon's mind. As the others rush around to tend to the civilians, she is out of place--a still-life self-portrait amidst a backdrop of constant movement.

Eventually, she gathers her wits and is able to morph back into the form of Adalia Three Trees. Her opalescent white hair's flecks of color all begin to burn a deep crimson, filling out the rest of her hair which she twists into a quick braid. She shrinks in stature and her cheeks regain their rosy complexion. Her eyes round out, collapse to tiny beads, and change their hue to a sky blue. Her lips shiver the whole time. As she regains her halfling form, she finally finds her words:

"I...I saw...red? Destruction, spreading like a virus. Something like an infant, but so deformed it was devoid of innocence. And a temple of Morrigan...perhaps where it spawned?" She scratches her head. Usually, the thoughts she read played out like puppet shows before her eyes. This one, however, had been unnerving--a jarring sequence of seemingly unconnected images...much like the images of herself that often played in her dreams. Could this new threat provide any insight into the spy's shattered past? She had to know.

"Perhaps we should pay the temple a visit?" she asks in a way that seems less like a question and more like a demand. "Only makes sense to trace a threat to its source, right?" She seems strangely determined to visit the temple immediately, unfazed by the grim scene surrounding them and the work yet to be done here.

Sense Motive DC 39 to open:

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Michelle is concealing a personal motive for wanting to visit the temple as well. It seems that she is searching for something.

[Void]

Olaf continues his movement for a few more steps as he gets out of the ichor on the ground and positions himself as he is unsure of this arrival of a dragon he saw through the haze come in full view as the death cloud dispersed. As the dragon flies off he quickly scans outside of the battlefield to the onlookers and shadows. Taking note of folks in the area and more specifically anyone that is a bit less in shock and awe of such a situation or even not afraid or concerned of the situation as a whole.

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(1d20+6)[15]

[DrK]

As the mists retract the armoured paladin glows with the Light of Don and the healing light touches those nearby. Some breathing slightly as life is restored and wounds begin to close. Others beyond the veil heading into Morr's dark garden.

More of the wounded and dying are recovered as several of the heroes run amongst them distributing the healing berries that rekindle the flames of life in some and heal others gently.

Polk flies up above the sooty roof tops giving birth to a hundred rumours that the great Bel himself - lord of the Gods has visiting the town sweeping the dire fog away with his powers but the dragon cannot see anymore demons. THe fog and the lesser demons grip on this realm severed when the most powerful of their kin was banished by the disparate collection of heroes.

As the screaming gives ways to blessings to Mother Danu and Kurn's berries and Mailloc a crowd begins to form thta soon involves a group of the town guard. The yellow horn and 3 roses of Lord Jorvik on their chests and the blood splattered armour attesting their wounds from the incursion from Slough Fegs' minions.

"Strangers. I am Sir Within. One of Lord Jorvik's knights. Please, come. The lord would like words with those that show such skill at at arms." The comments are mainly directed at Mailloc and Olaf but encompass them all. Even if his gaze hardens slighty at the diminutive halflings.

[Chambers]

Saerny

Sliding down the side of the building, Searny hops down and crouches on a railing and then climbs down. His bow slung over his back he stands away from the dead demon and folds his arms as the guards approach.

"Does your lord have the words to spare? We've heard so few of them over the years, they must be a treasure to him." Searny says with a sneer towards the guardsman. "Olaf! You fought well." He says as he walks over towards the norseman then looks over at Silene. "You as well, and your...friend. Always a pleasure."

[Togo]

Kurn looks up blankly, and then says in a gentle voice.

Um... Look, I'm really sorry, but I think it's probably time for a parting of the ways. Yes, I know we have a difficult situation, but the excitement's over, really.

He takes a step forward, rubbing his still watering eyes with a grubby sleeve.

I mean I know you have a responsibility to your lord, and need to report back. We have to finish up here. No, I'd love to go back with you, but really I have things to do.

Kurn's apologetic face looks sincere but firm. As he walks forward however, it also becomes clear he's not addressing the knights at all, but rather the hulking stone mound crouched in the middle of the road.

I really appreciate your coming to help. No! Next time I need something smashed, of course I'll let you know. Yes, you did, yes, just like a big rotten marrow. No, of course I won't, and thanks again!

He gives the mound a little pat as it starts to shrink, drawing back into the road until all that remains is a small jumble of loose stones and dried earth.

He turns back to the knights, and shrugs.

Sorry about that. You know how they get on their first trip to our world, all shiney, new and exciting. Um.. does Lord Jorvik want to see me too? I don't think my arrows did any good - didn't get through the creature's thick hide, and I don't really know anyone here, apart from Silene and Polk and the dwarf..err.. wolf.

He waves a hand at the wolfless, dwarfless, Polkless gathering, and then squints.

Oh, and... is that you Mailoc?

[Menteith]

Good to see you, Kurn. It's always a pleasure to smite evil with a friend at the end of the day. Are you aware you've a maggot in your hair? Mailoc turns to the "halfling" woman. Adalia, if this is an errand that cannot wait, I will assist you. However, I feel that we should learn more about the situation here; and personally, I would like to make sure that any immediate threats to the city are dealt with first. Meeting with Lord Jorvik may prudent before we seek out this temple. Is this alright with you?

[Void]

Olaf smiles at Saerny, which poorly masks the concern in his eyes for the situation. "You as well my friend. I am impressed that so much courage can be found in one of your size as well.", he says as a sincere complement. He looks over to the guards and takes note of their telling glare at the halflings. So Olaf walks beside Saerny as to show friendship before replying, "I will see your lord, but we will have to make it quick it is a long night already."

[Toliudar]

Silene and Polk

Silene bows slightly to Saerny.

"It is as always an honour to stand alongside you, honoured one."

Silene smiles as others, particularly the noble Mailloc, step forward to offer their help.

"Unless you've seen something, I'd suggest that you change back into a human form and come along back here."

"Nothing but a lot of people showing the proper awe owed to all dragons. You could learn from them."

"I'll show you awe."

"Should I be surreptitious?"

"Sir Whatnow? Do NOT imitate a knight! Humans are very sensitive about ranks and social standings and suchlike. We went over that."

"No, surreptitious means stealthy, discreet."

"At your hatching, your shriek shattered a small window, a glass bottle and very nearly my eardrums. When have you ever been discreet?"

"I am destined to be many things, Silene. You just wait and see."

Silene shrugs slightly and turns to Sir Within, offering up a small prayer of thanks to Fenrir that Polk was not here to play with that name.

"Good knight, my companion and I will be honoured to join you and these brave people in conversation with Lord Jorvik. Perhaps there is more evil roaming the land than we gave credence."

Abruptly, a second story window of the inn is thrown open, and a boy with blond spiky hair - the boy who had so recently turned into a dragon - sticks a smiling head out.

"Don't start the fun stuff without me! I'll be right out, once I get that mead I'd asked for."

Silene blanched, but managed a faint smile.

[DrK]

The young Knight's expression hardens slight;y at Saenry's words before he moves to speak with Mailloc and Olaf. Both can see the dragon of Bel around his throat. "My Lord Jorvik can wait until the morrow should you wish. There is much that needs to be attented to as the Town has lost many in these Feg cursed mists. If you have needs of the Temples then may the Gods bless you."

He waits for your repsonse should you wish to go with him now or await the coming of dawn?

[Void]

"We should see him now, but some of us still need to see about room and board for the night." Olaf says jesturing to the rain fall.

[Toliudar]

Silene smiles at Olaf's words.

"Perhaps, sir, that is less a trouble than a blessing. If we find ourselves helping Lord Jorvik, perhaps we will also receive a sliver of his hospitality."

[Menteith]

Provided that none of my companions have urgent needs, I would meet with your lord at once.

[Togo]

Kurn nods with enthusiasm.

Yes, we should definitely see your lord, if that's his wish.

He glances over to the empty space to his left.

No, it makes perfect sense. He's said the lord of the city should see us and ...
Because he's a very important man, Boris! He's a knight, and so he must be brave and valourous. You don't get a responsible and important position like that lightly. And besides, his eyebrows are enormous!

He gives an embarassed smile at the knight and then goes back to listening to a voice only he can hear.

Well, yes, looking for whoever unleashed demons on the city is important too, I suppose, but they're hardly likely to wait around for us to find them.

His eyes flick back to the knight.

Um... married? Probably. Yes, ok, I'll ask him. Later.

He turns back to the knight and makes a formal bow.

Apologies for that, noble sir. I am Kurn, a wandering Seer, and would be pleased to accompany you to make myself known to the Lord Jorvik. I would also like to thank you for your grace and forebearance in even this troubled time.

[DrK]

Sir Within gives a short affirmitive nod before turning and motioning for you all to follow. His men forming up in a loose cordon around you.

The march through the town paints a grim picture. Bodies scattered, gore splashed streets and everwhere rotten stench of an open cess pit that not even the heavy incense of the black clad and silent Priests of More.

It takes some 20 min to skirt the heart of the town and arrive at the base of the hill dominated by the imposing walls and battlements of Lord Jorvik's keep. The cloud had struck here also. Soldiers piling bodies onto 3 large carts attested to that and the walls looked slick and filthy - a high water mark of where the battle reached.

As you pass through the gates its all militaristic activity within the high walls. Numb, angry or scared faces peering down at you as you pass beneath the double portcullis and scorched and marked murder holes. The keep is well fortified. In all of its history never having fallen to rival briton or roaving Celt. More guards and lots of horses fretted you in the courtyard and you soon pads through a well guarded side door into the main body of the keep.

Through all this journey Sir Within is silent but his half dozen men chat easily if spoken to. They lead you to a small halls. Arched stone above you stained with grease and soot and a fire roaring in the wide hearth. Please await my Lords pleasure here. If you wish food and ale will be found for you.. He points at one his men who shouts for a servant before turning to leave. The 6 soldiers also remaining to watch you.

[Toliudar]

On the long walk through the town, Silene has to jog awkwardly to keep up with the others.

Meanwhile, Polk strides ahead, peppering one of the locals with questions about whether anything like this had happened before, what Lord Jorvik was like, and how beards felt.

At the keep, Polk and Silene are both fascinated, in different ways, by the military fortifications. The tribe had nothing like this. It seemed like a cross between a house and an anthill.

[Togo]

Kurn squats by the fire, pulls out a bulging waterskin and a small rag. He starts to wash his arms of the worst of the soot and foulness.

This place is huge! I don't think I've ever been in a building this size.

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AC 19
hp 56/60

[OMG PONIES]

Michelle Easton

The spy curses her luck; she had been in many places this size (and with this temperament). Sometimes she was a court noble, others a trusted cabinet member, and others still one of the minutemen enlisted in the military itself. This time, however, she couldn't help but feel an unwelcome guest--a victim of circumstance. Still, the small bit of anonymity the ruse provided was comforting, especially after Kurn had almost blown her cover.

Shapeshifting was a talent Michelle preferred to keep close to the chest; some were frightened at its first mention and some thought her a sideshow attraction, but all distrusted her the instant they learned of her ability...and rightly so. From inside these very walls and inside those very masks, she had staged a revolution, a few coups, and more general scandals than she could count.

But for now, she was one of the motley crew of halflings accompanying the humans--the heroes. Mailoc had all but asked her about the temple in front of the knights, and she was still steaming about that. Speaking further of it would have freely given them their largest piece of intelligence, and they would have gone to storm the place like a bunch of fools. Changing the topic would have seemed suspicious, causing the knights to investigate the temple further. Going against Mailoc's wishes would have wounded his credibility with the other titled men; to hear such sass from not only a woman, but a halfling woman at that! It would have been unthinkable. As such, she remained silent and continued to do so. As they walked through town and into the keep, she trained her mind on the knights accompanying them, finding comfort in their simple thoughts. She had learned long ago that one can often learn more by staying silent than through speaking.

Michelle scans the knights with Detect Thoughts. Will save DC 20 to resist.

[Void]

As the servant is about to leave Olaf stops him a moment to ask for him to bring some wash rags and bucket of water as Olaf wishes to clean off some of the Ichor that had gotten on him through out the fight. As the servant walks off, Olaf turns to the others and introduces himself to those he has yet to meet and poses a question to all, "I am Olaf son of Gunnar. What brings everyone here to York?"

[Chambers]

Saerny

The halfling keeps his mouth shut while their being escorted through town, but his eyes are wide open as they walk through the keep. His interest is specific; counting the number of troops, their disposition, equipment and any training evident. Saerny glances over to Silene to see if she is seeing the same things he is, but he frowns at her fascination. Think like a warrior, lass, not a clod-trodding human.

Once inside the hall Saerny relaxes and takes a seat next to the fire and smiles at the servant. "Wine, please." He chuckles and lays his feet out on the stool, leans back in the chair.

[DrK]

Michelle On the long walk the changeling cast her minds about around the minds of the Knights surrounding them. Most were mundane men. Their thoughts uncomplicated - thoughs of their wives, thoughts of an ale and for all 3 thoughts of the horrors they had battled and the comrades they had seen torn apart by shadows of death and bile in the fog.

Polk The dragon - now back in mortal form finds little purchase with the knights that stand about them. THese men have seen much and experienced much and the banterings of the strange naive young adventurer leave nothing but slightly irate as the young dragon gets mono-syllable answers. "The town has never felt the Dark Gods' touch so strongly""Lord Jorvik is a good and ust Master.""Real men wear beards".

In the keep the wine is quick to arrive. A large flagon and several mugs all filled with slighty warmed spiced red wine of passable quality. And as requested by Olaf water - piping hot in a tub with cloths also arrives.
The time ticks by slightly, an hour or so by the candle burning...

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Are you guys wanting to converse amongst yourself or move on to meeting Lord Jorvik?