Finding the Spark (Pathfinder 1E Quest)
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Arc 8 Post 39: Chaos Rising
Chaos Rising
6th of Neth 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
"Fire!" Leonta's command rings out and the snap of crossbow triggers comes with commendable speed, a rain of heavy wooded bolts meant to unhorse a knight in harness rain on the strange beasts, sending three to their knees, another two undone entirely, but all those that still live turn and bay. Warriors hold their hears in agony, though only one is so overcome with the sound as she drops her weapon entirely as the rest of you charge by. Good Luck to you and all your kith.
Mercenaries to Hit (AC 17 Roll 12+): 7 Hits
Damage: 28 HP
2 Creatures Killed
4 Mercenaries Will Save (DC 13): 3 Save, 1 Fail
1 Mercenary Dazed
Damage: 28 HP
2 Creatures Killed
4 Mercenaries Will Save (DC 13): 3 Save, 1 Fail
1 Mercenary Dazed
A roar thundering from above, so loud it seems to make the branches sway, makes mockery of human voices, and like a straight silver arrow falls the dragon upon the tent standing alone on the small rise in the center of the camp. For a moment you wonder if they fight had ended before it could even begin.
"Gots the wizard!" Cob screeches in goblin tongue, halfway between 'got' and 'gut' and borrowing a little of the meaning of both, but Loric Gavhaul is not one to be so easily ended.
As Sylestrix tears through the fabric of the tent like a cat with a much despised blanket, the wizard manages to half-crawl half-roll out of it, wild-eyed screaming.
"What are you waiting for?! Kill it! Drive it off!" The realization comes to him almost instantly. "Oh, oh, so it's brigandage is it? I've killed better men than you and broken stronger ones!"
As though to emphasize the point, he draws a crystal in a cage of gold wire from under his robes and hurls it down on the hard earth with a soundless flash that cuts not at the eye, as you had grown so used to in this past season in the lands of the sun, but the mind. Be one however light-loving, this would pain them still.
A figure stands now tall and one-eyed as any of the Ohancanus, though it is there that the similarities end. Where they wear undyed cloth and rawhide, it wears the the armor of a fallen empire, its memories at least sketched in warped silver light just as its phantom flesh-is leaden shadows. One searching eye passes from wizard to dragon... to you.
"A pity to kill a seer so summarily, but an order's an order, even if it be his last." The words are precise as they are cruel, like flaying knives running over the skin.
The next thing you know is pain. Deadly blue-white lightning arcs between you and Mina, through you both, though she manages to throw an arm around a passing tree, passing some of the lightning through it as she goes.
As though things hadn't gone far enough awry, the air rips open right in front of Gorok to a hulking muscled fiend endowed with all the worst qualities of reptile, man, and goat as it licks dried blood from its claws as long as knives. "So many souls! So much potential new and...." it smacks its lips, looking to Sirim. "Old."
"I don't know its name nor its kindred, but ware that one. We have found the master of the shadow fiends," Sirim's words ring in your mind and in the minds of all who are friends on the field.
The shadow fiends... Where? Looking around through bloodshot eyes you cannot see them, but then that's the point, isn't it?
How do you do you fight?
[] Let the dragon focus on Gavhaul while you take down the giant while who knows who the demons will attack
[] Pin the giant down before he can do that attack again
[] Set the ohancanu on the giant, you will kill the demon
[] Write in
OOC: One of the shadow demons was watching and demons are not devils, they are the kind to drop into the middle of a fight because violence and murder is their jam. SLA Teleport encourages such impulsivity.
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Hard to tell, it's a demon, a sin given malignant intellect and will. If Kori had more experience with them or some knowledge the planes I'd given him a sense motive for it, but he doesn't. And the people who do know demons do not have sense motive.
- Location
- Germany
Now that there's a demon on open field, can we get a mounted Charge from Leontas?
Would be a shame if he didn't get to use his primary means of damage-dealing through this entire job.
Would be a shame if he didn't get to use his primary means of damage-dealing through this entire job.
)
- Location
- Germany
ON AN OPEN FIELD NED!
Memes aside, we might want the big Fey on the demon. If that is a Kalavakus, then have meatshields to tank it while Leontas and his crew try to deal with it with some blessed Cold Iron is likely our best bet.
Without Align or Bless Weapon it will take a lot of plinking damage to take it down and it can unfortunately heal itself by killing specific targets.
So some tough Fey, followed by a dragon that hopefully soon finishes chewing up Gavhaul, might help.
Memes aside, we might want the big Fey on the demon. If that is a Kalavakus, then have meatshields to tank it while Leontas and his crew try to deal with it with some blessed Cold Iron is likely our best bet.
Without Align or Bless Weapon it will take a lot of plinking damage to take it down and it can unfortunately heal itself by killing specific targets.
So some tough Fey, followed by a dragon that hopefully soon finishes chewing up Gavhaul, might help.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Yep, this is what I was afraid of. Demons gotta Demon. Well at least everyone is together at this party, so we probably won't have to worry about them later.
This is going to be a tough fight. Lots going on and we can only do so much ourselves. The Dragon and Ohancanu are going to be critical for success.
Mina needs to cast Daylight ASAP. Shadow Demons are fucking nasty. The Daylight spell will dramatically decrease the threat they pose in the short-term.
Now it's time for Sirim to cast Haste. Might have been better to already have it in place, but at least this way we'll get the full duration, which we'll probably need.
There isn't much point in targeting the Horned Demon with most of the magic we have available. It has high Spell Resistance and saving throws. Better to leave it to the Ohancanus. They hit hard enough to get through its high DR, and have DR of their own and a lot of HP to mitigate the damage from its attacks. Now would be a good time to use a Fungal Stun Vial, but those have large AoEs, so we would be much too likely to catch allies in the effect.
The sooner Gavhaul is dead, the better off we'll be. His death might cause the Cyclops to depart, but even if it doesn't, that will free up the Dragon to act against the Horned Demon. That's why I've got Kori targeting him with a Boneshaker spell. It'll be a pretty hard hit even if Gavhaul makes his save, and it'll be much harder if he doesn't. A failure will also allow Kori to force a bit of movement on him, which could give Sylestrix an advantage to more quickly finish him.
I don't know what the Cyclops really is, but I'm assuming it's some sort of Outsider or spirit rather than a standard Cyclops. It likely has SR, DR, and decent or good saves. With that in mind, rather than targeting it with spells, I have Cob, Gorok, and Warty ganging up on him. Warty to Overrun since he gets bonuses for that, hopefully knocking him Prone, Cob to use Dirty Trick to attempt to Blind him, and Gorok to carve him up. If he's too busy to use more spells or SLAs against us, that will help a lot. Whatever he hit Kori and Mina with was nasty.
@DragonParadox, there isn't anything in their entry, but it seems to me that it would be easier to Blind a Cyclops with Dirty Trick than a target with two eyes. If not a penalty, maybe a Circumstance bonus instead to Cob's CMB check to Blind him?
[X] Monster Mash
-[X] One of the Ohancanu Charges the Horned Demon to engage it in melee combat immediately. The other three move to attack it more cautiously.
--[X] Ohancanu Charge Attack: +14 [10 + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste) + 2 Charge], 3d6+9 damage
--[X] Ohancanu Attack x2: +12/+12 [10 + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste)], 3d6+9 damage
-[X] Warty Charges the Cyclops at Gorok's behest, attempting to Overrun it. Gorok Power Attacks it.
--[X] Warty Overrun: +16 [9 + 2 (Improved Overrun) +1 (Magic Fang) + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste) + 2 Charge)
--[X] Gorok Power Attacks: +14/+14/+7 [12 + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste)], 2d8+9 damage
-[X] Mina casts Daylight over the battlefield so as to rob the Shadow Demons of their power, then uses her Healing Hex on herself.
-[X] Sirim casts Haste, targeting Gorok, Cob, Warty, and the three Ohancanu. He then readies an action to cast Dispel Magic, either to Counterspell an enemy spell or to Dispel an effect they are able to cast upon themselves or an ally.
-[X] Kori targets Gavhaul with a Boneshaker spell, then casts Cure Serious Wounds on himself. If Gavhaul fails to resist, Kori forces him to move in a way that aids Sylestrix.
--[X] Boneshaker: 6d6 damage and 5 feet of forced movement (DC 17 Fort save to half damage and negate movement)
-[X] Cob moves to Flank the Cyclops, attempting to use the Dirty Trick maneuver to Blind it.
--[X] Dirty Trick (Blind): +20 [12 + 4 (Flank) + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste) + 2 (Circumstance)]
This is going to be a tough fight. Lots going on and we can only do so much ourselves. The Dragon and Ohancanu are going to be critical for success.
Mina needs to cast Daylight ASAP. Shadow Demons are fucking nasty. The Daylight spell will dramatically decrease the threat they pose in the short-term.
Now it's time for Sirim to cast Haste. Might have been better to already have it in place, but at least this way we'll get the full duration, which we'll probably need.
There isn't much point in targeting the Horned Demon with most of the magic we have available. It has high Spell Resistance and saving throws. Better to leave it to the Ohancanus. They hit hard enough to get through its high DR, and have DR of their own and a lot of HP to mitigate the damage from its attacks. Now would be a good time to use a Fungal Stun Vial, but those have large AoEs, so we would be much too likely to catch allies in the effect.
The sooner Gavhaul is dead, the better off we'll be. His death might cause the Cyclops to depart, but even if it doesn't, that will free up the Dragon to act against the Horned Demon. That's why I've got Kori targeting him with a Boneshaker spell. It'll be a pretty hard hit even if Gavhaul makes his save, and it'll be much harder if he doesn't. A failure will also allow Kori to force a bit of movement on him, which could give Sylestrix an advantage to more quickly finish him.
I don't know what the Cyclops really is, but I'm assuming it's some sort of Outsider or spirit rather than a standard Cyclops. It likely has SR, DR, and decent or good saves. With that in mind, rather than targeting it with spells, I have Cob, Gorok, and Warty ganging up on him. Warty to Overrun since he gets bonuses for that, hopefully knocking him Prone, Cob to use Dirty Trick to attempt to Blind him, and Gorok to carve him up. If he's too busy to use more spells or SLAs against us, that will help a lot. Whatever he hit Kori and Mina with was nasty.
@DragonParadox, there isn't anything in their entry, but it seems to me that it would be easier to Blind a Cyclops with Dirty Trick than a target with two eyes. If not a penalty, maybe a Circumstance bonus instead to Cob's CMB check to Blind him?
[X] Monster Mash
-[X] One of the Ohancanu Charges the Horned Demon to engage it in melee combat immediately. The other three move to attack it more cautiously.
--[X] Ohancanu Charge Attack: +14 [10 + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste) + 2 Charge], 3d6+9 damage
--[X] Ohancanu Attack x2: +12/+12 [10 + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste)], 3d6+9 damage
-[X] Warty Charges the Cyclops at Gorok's behest, attempting to Overrun it. Gorok Power Attacks it.
--[X] Warty Overrun: +16 [9 + 2 (Improved Overrun) +1 (Magic Fang) + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste) + 2 Charge)
--[X] Gorok Power Attacks: +14/+14/+7 [12 + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste)], 2d8+9 damage
-[X] Mina casts Daylight over the battlefield so as to rob the Shadow Demons of their power, then uses her Healing Hex on herself.
-[X] Sirim casts Haste, targeting Gorok, Cob, Warty, and the three Ohancanu. He then readies an action to cast Dispel Magic, either to Counterspell an enemy spell or to Dispel an effect they are able to cast upon themselves or an ally.
-[X] Kori targets Gavhaul with a Boneshaker spell, then casts Cure Serious Wounds on himself. If Gavhaul fails to resist, Kori forces him to move in a way that aids Sylestrix.
--[X] Boneshaker: 6d6 damage and 5 feet of forced movement (DC 17 Fort save to half damage and negate movement)
-[X] Cob moves to Flank the Cyclops, attempting to use the Dirty Trick maneuver to Blind it.
--[X] Dirty Trick (Blind): +20 [12 + 4 (Flank) + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste) + 2 (Circumstance)]
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That would make sense, call it a +2.
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Not really. The effects they have aren't worth the action investment in this fight.
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
Fair enough.
We do have dispelling wand, should we have that on hand just in case?
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I'm assuming Kori always has that ready to use.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Huh, I've been thinking there were four of them this whole time. Oops...
Doesn't change the plan, though. It'll just be three Ohancanu attacking the Horned Demon instead of four. Hopefully they'll be enough to keep it occupied until Sylestrix is done with Gavhaul.
Vote closed.
Arc 8 Post 40: Wizard's Doom
Wizard's Doom
6th of Neth 4707 A.R. (Absalom Reckoning)
Haste in every shadow flies and light of false dawn blooms from Mina's hands as the air is alive with the roars of the fey as they charge the demon, axes slung low to tear up through the guts of smaller foes. One is turned aside entirely on fiendish hide, adding the laughter of the demon to the din. Fortunately he'd laughed too soon as the other two grow willy, hewing at ribs and shoulders, pushing it back as a hammer drives a stubborn nail. So another sees the moment open.
"Caedite eos!" Leontas' cry isn't Mendevian, nor even Iobarian, but a crusader's call, though one that calls on no god, 'Hack em down!' Near one ton of armored horse and lance bearing rider barrels into the still befuddled demon, the point of the lance ripping clear through his upper arm, hurling a line of black bile a dozen feet onto the ground.
Warty isn't so lucky, trying to headbutt the ghost in the knees only to have pass clean through and unnoticed, though one cannot say the same for Gorok. The phantom maul in his hand holds off two blows, but the third strikes the hand upon the haft of the weapon, spilling out not blood, blue and silver light as though his veins are filled with the sky.
"You have chosen your allies poorly..." What else Gavhaul meant to say to the dragon you couldn't say as your magic grips his neck bones and twists. Or maybe it's the dragon that takes his breath away as he rips into him in the name of wyrmlings bound in far off Katapesh. You wonder if he'd understand even if it were explained.
I'll give the tongue-bitter this, he's stubborn as hell, but he's no match...
In the flash of an instant, space seems to fold in around him and he's gone from under the dragon's claws, battered and bleeding, but still standing at the end.
"Ah, still not over. A good attempt though." The cyclops' thought is a sigh as he looks dispassionately to the dragon. "I shall reward thee, young one, by removing you from the company of man who will... use you."
"No eye, no spells!" Cob shouts as he jumps up from behind the warrior and twists the enchanted eye, but only passing through it.
"I have no eye! In blindness, I see!"
The single staring eye boils over into blue-white fire that strikes Gorok in the chest, boiling away armor, skin, and flesh in an instant. But as the fire clears you hear from among the tents a scream in a familiar voice mixed with a dwarvish curse. Urgor, it seems, had found Gavhaul among the tents, and he'd found his life's end.
"No matter, I'm sure that soul is going down where it should!" the demon laughs through a bloody mouth as he snaps his claws almost lazily towards the wounded Gorok. No balefire burns nor thunder roar, but a nameless horror comes upon you. "Kill the lizard-thing first!"
A shadow moves at the edge of Mina's light and shadows it spews out black as the Pit of the Abyss to snuff it out. Another races across the now darkened camp do to its master's bidding, ripping though scorched flesh with claws of iron and ice.
The sellswords had drawn back, veterans or not this battle is beyond them, all save one. Around comes Leontas on a thunder of hooves, lance affixed at his right and shield in his left, his face a mask of fierce concentration as it strikes the same arm and rips the demon's weapon free with no war-cry save a grunt of effort.
"You, finish the job!" the demon motions at one of the fey giants surrounding it with the same manner it had shown to the shades as though all the world were his puppets, though you can hear the dread voice shake just a little. So can the intended victim.
"No, you die! You feed roots!" he roars as he and his companions continue to hack at the hemmed in demon.
What do you do?
[] Gavhaul is dead, try to make a deal with the cyclops phantom
[] Heal Gorok immediately
[] The demon is almost dead, kill it now
[] Write in
OOC: Welp, things could have gone better, but they also could have gone a lot worse. The demon could not just walk over and kill Gorok himself since he would have had to eat four AoOs, one of which is from that lance that pierces his DR like butter. Also, he is now scared for a round thanks to Cornugon Smash.
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- Location
- Germany
Hmm.
Gorok will almost certain die next round, if not healed.
One of the Shadow Demons can just hit him with claws or any Shadow Evocation hit, and that's that.
But, @DragonParadox here's an important note:
Even if the shadows kill Gorok, the Horned Demon doesn't get his Heal effect.
So, very worst case, we loose Gorok, but win the fight anyway and can get our hands on a Raise Dead later.
Gorok will almost certain die next round, if not healed.
One of the Shadow Demons can just hit him with claws or any Shadow Evocation hit, and that's that.
But, @DragonParadox here's an important note:
Bolding mine.
Even if the shadows kill Gorok, the Horned Demon doesn't get his Heal effect.
So, very worst case, we loose Gorok, but win the fight anyway and can get our hands on a Raise Dead later.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Damn, Gorok is taking a beating in this fight. That Cyclops hits really freaking hard. I wish I had realized it was some sort of Incorporeal Ghost. That complicates things even further.
Leontas has definitely been pulling his weight, and I'm glad Urgor was able to get the killing blow on Gavhaul. Maybe that will make up for his run of bad luck lately?
Okay, Gorok needs healing ASAP. We have some CLW potions, so he should drink one of those immediately, and Kori can hit him with a Cure Serious Wounds spell, too. Mina has some spells that could be useful for the fight, but the most important thing she can do right now is cast another Daylight spell. The Shadow Demons are in the field now and probably not expecting another Daylight spell, so using it could render both of them practically helpless for a few seconds. The time it takes them to flee the light and then use Deeper Darkness again to Dispel it buys us at least two rounds.
There isn't a lot Sirim can do right now due to his depleted spell loadouts, but he still has Mina's Heroism buff, so his Diplomacy bonus is +15. If the Cyclops can be convinced to leave, he's the one who can make it happen. If we're trying to convince it to leave, it's best if Cob doesn't keep trying to stab it. Unless both of his attacks land and each proc a Sneak Attack bonus on top of critting, his damage isn't going to be enough to finish off the Demon, but even one hit is going to penalize it's AC, making it easier for everyone else to hit it.
[X] Battlefield Triage
-[X] Gorok retreats toward Kori and the other casters with help from Warty while Fighting Defensively, if necessary, and drinks a Cure Light Wounds potion as soon as he can do so without provoking an enemy attack. He'll drink another potion if he has it available and there is time.
-[X] Mina casts another Daylight spell. Even if the Shadow Demons manage Dispel it again, that will at least keep them occupied instead of targeting our allies.
-[X] Kori casts Cure Serious Wounds on Gorok.
-[X] Sirim telepathically communicates with the Cyclops, attempting to convince it to depart now that Gavhaul is dead.
-[X] Cob moves to Flank the Horned Demon in order to Sneak Attack it and attempt to inflict the Bewildered condition on it (-2 AC, -4 AC vs Cob's attacks).
--[X] Sneak Attack: +14/+14 [12 + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste)], 1d4+6 damage [19-20/x2], +3d6 damage with Sneak Attack
Leontas has definitely been pulling his weight, and I'm glad Urgor was able to get the killing blow on Gavhaul. Maybe that will make up for his run of bad luck lately?
Okay, Gorok needs healing ASAP. We have some CLW potions, so he should drink one of those immediately, and Kori can hit him with a Cure Serious Wounds spell, too. Mina has some spells that could be useful for the fight, but the most important thing she can do right now is cast another Daylight spell. The Shadow Demons are in the field now and probably not expecting another Daylight spell, so using it could render both of them practically helpless for a few seconds. The time it takes them to flee the light and then use Deeper Darkness again to Dispel it buys us at least two rounds.
There isn't a lot Sirim can do right now due to his depleted spell loadouts, but he still has Mina's Heroism buff, so his Diplomacy bonus is +15. If the Cyclops can be convinced to leave, he's the one who can make it happen. If we're trying to convince it to leave, it's best if Cob doesn't keep trying to stab it. Unless both of his attacks land and each proc a Sneak Attack bonus on top of critting, his damage isn't going to be enough to finish off the Demon, but even one hit is going to penalize it's AC, making it easier for everyone else to hit it.
[X] Battlefield Triage
-[X] Gorok retreats toward Kori and the other casters with help from Warty while Fighting Defensively, if necessary, and drinks a Cure Light Wounds potion as soon as he can do so without provoking an enemy attack. He'll drink another potion if he has it available and there is time.
-[X] Mina casts another Daylight spell. Even if the Shadow Demons manage Dispel it again, that will at least keep them occupied instead of targeting our allies.
-[X] Kori casts Cure Serious Wounds on Gorok.
-[X] Sirim telepathically communicates with the Cyclops, attempting to convince it to depart now that Gavhaul is dead.
-[X] Cob moves to Flank the Horned Demon in order to Sneak Attack it and attempt to inflict the Bewildered condition on it (-2 AC, -4 AC vs Cob's attacks).
--[X] Sneak Attack: +14/+14 [12 + 1 (Bless) + 1 (Haste)], 1d4+6 damage [19-20/x2], +3d6 damage with Sneak Attack
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- Location
- Germany
That doesn't quite work.
He has to make a full attack to activate Shield of Swings, so no doing that while running or drinking potions.
Also Drinking Potions provokes and AoO, so wait until the Daylight hits, just in case.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Ah, thanks. Plan updated.