With words failed, the party employ the oldest language: violence.

As the monsters come closer, jaws agape and claws stirring the earth, the five humans (and aasimar) ready fist and iron and will. One of the jackals stumbles wildly as a pair of arrows strike deeply into its hide. The first one is stronger, deeper, sending it limping. The second one strikes thick wiry fur and sticks in, only sinking a little into the flesh. It yelps with a high-pitched, whining cry, before charging, if anything, faster than before, as if eager to close with its attacker.

The demon does not stop its headlong charge. It's hooves hammer at Joan, slamming against her shield like thunderbolts, and as she bears the blows of the rocky hooves, but the demon's great claws comes around, hooking around the shield and bursting a long line of links as it gouges a heavy red wound in the woman's chest. Immediately, she can feel the aching burn of noxious ichor, seeping into the wound, gnawing with tiny invisible teeth on the injury. Her head swims, her vision tinting an awful rotting red.

Spoiler: Two attacks against Joan
Show

Joan blocks the hoof attack, but the claw attack gets through.
Joan takes 8 damage. Make a DC14 Con save or become Poisoned, taking an additonal 1d6 poison damage and ending the effect on a save.


As the demon thrashes at Joan, claw aloft, tail whipping, an arrow zips out from behind Joan's guard. One of Chaothlobaal's eyes ruptures, replaced with the wooden shaft of an arrow.

the demon roars, some hideous word in demonic, and it rises the gorge in your throats, and as it does the tail whips forward like a ballista bolt - not at Joan but - past to slash open a cheek on Bijou to the teeth. It draws back the tail, the heavy chitin blade on the end now speckled with fresh blood, and waves it like a war banner.

More to come, is the unspoken promise.

Spoiler: An attack against Bijou
Show

The tail attack hits Bijou but lowballs at the minimum 6 damage.



Spoiler: Combat info
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Round summary:

The Jackals all dash to close the distance, ending up next to the main group.

Chaothlobaal moves up and attacks three times; twice against Joan, once against Bijou.
Chaothlobaal lands one attack against Joan and Bijou, dealing 8 and 6 damage respectively and forcing a DC14 con save for Joan.

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There's around thirty feet of smooth terrain in each direction before it gets into rough, craggy hills - that'll count as difficult terrain when heading uphill.

There's two jackal monsters 1 and 2 - to your east, next to the main group.

There's two jackal monsters 3 and 4 - to your south, next to the main group.
Jackal 3 is heavily injured.

Chaothlobaal is next to Joan.