Avaritia Auri (Ilyrian Faction) [IC 1]

[Nefarion Xid]

"Is this the Underdark or just the regular Dark? How far down do we need to go before we're under the dark?" Oliver mused, then pointed with his sword down the right passage.

"Ennis, check that one out. Just a hundred feet or so, if it keeps going, then report back."

[Tychris1]

She appraised the silent men with a newfound understanding but didn't care to implore the man for more information. She shrugged. "Sound's brutal but me and me mate have been out in the woods hunting boars. The People's Front for a Free Ilyrland might have a good cause but we've got plenty of freedom out in the hunt. We found ourselves a dying man escaping the catacombs, headed back to tell the guards, and me and me mate felt a weird tingly feeling. I don't know much about magic but I know how to get by in the wild without touching poison ivy and such. After a few seconds, it went away but we still feel pretty weird and funky. You got anything to help with that, Holy Man?" She began casually inspecting the area for anything she could potentially pilfer or use to help cover this red stain on her covered hand.

[Lord Of Mantas]

The Girl With No Name and Boza

The cleric frowned at the mention of the People's Front for a Free Ilyrland.

"The People's Front..."

He lowered his voice slightly.

"Let me tell you, my children, that for an organization fighting oppression, they sometimes resemble their enemy more than they would ever admit. Even before they pulled this stunt. You are doing well, to stick to your boars."

"As for that tingling sensation... let me see if I can help. Step with me into my office."

As he turned, TGWNN looked around the main sanctuary for something that might help to more suitably cover the stain on her hand without a glove, but found nothing nearby of immediate use.

Spoiler: Assuming you follow him...

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The cleric lead TGWNN and Boza into a secluded room attached to the back of the main sanctuary. As he rummaged through a scroll case, TGWNN, in her search for something to cover her hand, saw various skin-paints, including a few that were more flesh-toned, on a nearby shelf.

"I have a scroll of detect curse here. If you will permit me, I can use this on you to see what has happened."

Spoiler: If you permit him...

Show

The cleric unfurled the scroll, and, chanting some ancient arcane words, concentrated on TGWNN and Boza for a few seconds... Then shook his head.

"Strange. I detect no curse. Let me try something else. I shall detect magic upon you."

He tried this, and upon seeing the results, scratched his chin.

"Was there anything else that happened? Rest assured, my children, that I promise that I will not spill any secrets you bring here. I have had... personal experience with betrayal."

Spoiler: Sense Motive - Boza and TGWNN

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You do not detect any falsehood from his words.

Oliver and Melody

Ennis nodded, then reached into the bandolier around his chest and uncorked a series of potions. He swallowed one, after which a silver aura emanated from his mouth; with the second, he turned invisible. A spitting sound came from his location a second later.

"I should be back within a minute or so."

An almost imperceptible padding then marked his vanishing into the tunnel. True to his word, Ennis returned shortly thereafter.

"There is a small, natural alcove at the end of this chamber that overlooks a larger cavern, likely the one down the middle passage. There was what looked to be an improvised study, and a bedroll. I saw no-one, but cannot discount that there was someone invisible, for there was a small bowl of soup to the side that looked to still have some steam coming off."

Nibley passed this along to Melody via chalkboard.

[Jade_Tarem]

Melody stood there, scuffing one shoe against the stones while waiting for their scout to come back. Upon reading the note, she looked up at the others - raising her hat to make sure they could see her expression - and pantomimed a book. [A study?]

[Tychris1]

She followed behind the Cleric, more keen to be in seclusion than amongst a bunch of sheep, and nodded her head as he offered to cast some magics. She looked over to Boza briefly, a sideways glance of measured mutual suspicion, and then after a brief moment of contemplation she took off her leather glove to show her hand.

”Yeah y’know what the f*ck this is about then? If it ain’t a curse what is it?” She was genuinely curious but also studied the man with her trained killer eyes in the event of a necessary escalation given the revelation.

(OOC: Just studying him)

[Nefarion Xid]

Oliver, Melody
Mines?

"Maybe invisible maybe drow maybe wizard? Can't hide from Agrypha. Stay a ways back." Oliver turned on his finely tuned Evil Vision and began walking down the passage slowly.

[Lord Of Mantas]

The Girl With No Name and Boza

As TGWNN revealed her hand, a series of reactions went over the cleric's face.

First, confusion. Then, curiosity. Then, his eyes widened in horror as he looked between the two of them, visibly contemplating something.

Then, the holy man sat down, took a deep breath, exhaled shakily, and began to speak, his face kept carefully neutral.

"That... if that is what I think it is, that is the effect of a spell known as the Red Hand of the Killer." The cleric's voice was mostly steady, but both Boza and TGWNN could hear a slight tremor. "The spell marks the right hand of the slayer of a given corpse indelibly read, and it cannot be removed by nonmagical means - although you could hide it. It will also wear off after a number of days, determined by the power of the one who cast the spell - at minimum, a week."

The man swallowed and continued speaking.

"In my position, if you were to will it, I do not think I could stop you from doing as you wish. But, I ask of you... Please do not harm the men and women of the chapel."

Spoiler: Sense Motive

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To the best of your senses, he is telling the truth - and, although doing his best to hide it, quite terrified.

Oliver and Melody

Nibley rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, but nodded in acknowledgement of Oliver's order, and scribbled out a message to Melody.

Sir Oliver will be going ahead.
We are to hold back.

Ennis, however, had other ideas, speaking softly.

"If it's all the same to you, I'm just going to stay a few steps behind with Alphonse. The last thing I need is Harland getting on my case because you got yourself killed."

Melody, as it turned out, also did not fancy staying behind. In the end, Nibley also accompanied the group, bringing up the rear.

With things thus arranged, Oliver took the lead up the passage, moving as gracefully as one could in full plate. Rounding the corner, he saw, as Ennis had described, the makings of a study away from home - a quick-pack table with a folding chair next to it, a bowl of soup and some papers atop it, and a bag with some scrolls sticking out next to it.

Rounding the corner, Oliver, immediately began to detect a faint aura of evil. However, as he tried to focus in on its location, havoc broke loose.

Spoiler: I am giving your enemy a surprise round for the following reasons.

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The enemy, as you will see in a second, was invisible immediately prior to the fight.
Detect Evil is blocked by more than one foot of stone, so until you rounded the corner depicted in the map, there would not have been sufficient clearance to get a bead on him prior to him getting a bead on you.
As you specified Alphonse was following behind you, and you are in a cavern with no wind, he is still out of range to smell the drow.
By my research and consultations (i.e. talking to Dark), detect evil to know something is there is not enough to negate a surprise round.

Begin Combat
Surprise Round

Immediately, words of power emanated from a spot near the cliff face, and a bolt of magic struck the floor where Oliver stood. Immediately, it became covered in a magical grease, and where once there had been nothing, a drow in wizard's robes stood, a cruel grin on its face.

Spoiler: Oliver, make a DC 15 Reflex Save.

Show

Failure to do so means you are

Begin Round 1

Spoiler: As per Discord, we will be experimenting with Chunky Initiative. Alphonse and Ennis first, then the Drow, then everyone else.

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Have fun!

[Nefarion Xid]

"Grease? Bloody amateur! Al, sit on him!"

Al barreled ahead and attempted to put the wizard into an uncomfortable position with his talons.

Spoiler: Griffon Grapple!

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This provokes an AoO
(1d20+8)[27]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Melody and Oliver

The Drow's smug face grew much less smug as Alphonse rounded the corner and barreled into the spellcaster, grabbing him firmly in his talons. The drow attempted to punch the gryphon in the face, and, when this did not work, to try and wriggle free - which, again, did not work. In the end, he settled for yelling something obscene.

Spoiler: Undercommon

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"Unhand me, you filthy son of an ogre's w***e!"

Ennis, unseen to all, nimbly made his way across the grease, and readied a tanglefoot bag from his satchel in case the Drow got loose.

[Jade_Tarem]

Melody rounded the corner to find Alphonse aggressively hugging one of their targets and the paladin rolling around in lubricant. While Oliver was charismatic enough to make that more charming than gross, she nonetheless planted a foot against the prone paladin and shoved him across the greased floor with all her might, smiling again as he slid toward their foe.

Spoiler: OOC: Bull Rush

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(1d20+5)[25]

[Nefarion Xid]

"Woooo!" Surprised by the effectiveness and fun of being flung across the greasy floor, Oliver slid some twenty feet on his bum with his sword outstretched before coming to a halt in the vicinity of the drow who was in an even less dignified position -- face down against the stone, pinned about the shoulders by a pair of talons, and getting his neck nibbled on as a reminder that his spine could be ripped out, but not without a lot of chewing first.

"Please surrender. I'm going to feel a little bad if I need to stab you after what just happened. Well, not that bad, honestly, but I won't ask Melody to push me a second time if I have to kill you and I'd really like to have another go."

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm not sure how far Oliver gets bullrushed, but he'll use a move action to stand up anyway now.

Al rolled to Pin and got a 19 in the OOC.

[Tychris1]

Puckering her lips The Girl looked at her magically stained hand, disappointed it wasn’t divine providence from her patron, and slipped her glove back over it. ”Look, love, I don’t give two sh*ts about ganking the people here,” She moved to collect the makeup, not attempting any subtlety before the man “Ya been helpful, Mr..... Holy Aratus Guy. Steve. Whatever. I won’t forget that. If all ya do is tend the needy and wayward then I got no reason to escalate. My beef’s with them wankers behind guarded walls. Just remember I know where you stay.”

[Lord Of Mantas]

Melody and Oliver

The drow struggled again against Alphonse's claws uselessly, then looked to the party (or at least those who were visible). He turned and muttered briefly.

Spoiler: Undercommon

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"Weak and puny surface dwellers, my black butt."

He then turned to them again, trying to put on his best overconfident grin, and spoke in intelligible, if slightly accented, Argan.

"If you were smart, you would kill me now. But I'd rather not mess up my robes trying to struggle against your overgrown pigeon any further."

Alphonse screeched right in the Drow's ear and then made a huffing sound.

Spoiler: Team Omen gains 400 XP.

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Note to self: Bring out the big guns earlier with the wizards next time.

If you choose to loot the wizard, you find:
1x Handy Haversack
1x Ring of Protection +1
a Spellbook (value 615 gp, spells available upon request)
and Drow gold chits equal to 500 gold pieces.

The Girl With No Name and Boza

The priest seemed to relax somewhat, although the tension did not leave him completely, and he wiped his brow. As TGWWN grabbed the makeup, he initially made a protesting move, but then remembered who he was dealing with and lowered his hand. He did, however, choose to utter one last pronouncement.

"You will never hear me claim that the upper echelons of Ilyrian society are perfect. But remember: Those who sow the whirlwind must eventually reap the whirlwind."

[Nefarion Xid]

Oliver got to his feet, cut away the wizard's pouch of reagents, then put his sword away. "You cast Grease at me, you absolute git. Grease as your opening gambit. All of out Fireballs, are we? Of course not. You didn't even get that far in your studies. You're more useless than those kidney stabbers we already killed. Gods, at least they got a shot in. They made me bleed. You got me slightly oily. Pathetic."

Any commentary from the drow just resulted in Oliver wiggling the toe of his boot against his lips and loud shushing.

"Despoil him. Gag him. Bundle him up. Al can run him up to the mines. Let's have a look down the right-hand passage for the sake of completeness."

After a lot of praise and scritching, Oliver used his chalk to write a message for Harland on Alphonse's saddle: "I'm no good at interrogation. No time for it either. - Cheers, Oliver"

[Jade_Tarem]

Melody did her best to follow the exchange between paladin and drow. She scribbled down a question for Oliver and held it up where only he and the drow could see.

Is he being sassy with you?

Upon any kind of acknowledgement, she flipped the board over to reveal a message on the other side as well.

Aren't wizards supposed to be smart?
Does he need a reminder that he lost?

[Nefarion Xid]

Oliver let the hired help handle the drow and went over to sit next to Melody and write on her board.

He called Alphonse an overgrown pigeon.

Said we'd kill him if we were smart.

Universal wank motion.

Rubbish wizard. Harland might get information out of him.

[Jade_Tarem]

Melody patted Oliver on the head in a "there there" motion. Really, with him sitting and her standing, it was the only time she could do something like that. She scribbled a little more on the chalkboard.

We should check the big area below next, right?

[Lord Of Mantas]

Melody and Oliver

At Oliver's orders, Nibley saluted, while Ennis simply nodded curtly - but both, in accordance with his instructions, promptly tied up the wizard as securely as they could, Ennis producing a set of manacles from his pack and slapping them on the drow. Alphonse chirped, and taking the wizard in his talons, flapped off back down the way the party had come.

When he had left, Nibley returned and scribbled on the blackboard.

I believe Sir Oliver wanted to check out the remaining unchecked passage, actually.

"No reason we can't take a look while we're here," said Ennis, looking over his shoulder, and crouched down next to the overlook.

Those who joined him, and had some way to look into the dark, saw what appeared to be the remnants of a campsite. Two large half-collapsed tents stood to the south of a now-cold fire pit. A tipped-over chest stood against the north wall.

Emptying the handy haversack, Oliver found the standard accoutrements of a Wizard's field kit. Meanwhile, Melody, scanning the overlook and the cavern below, noted a few magic things of interest. The three scrolls in the sack beside the wizard's desk were all magical, and, upon further examination, appeared to be scrolls of Blur, Summon Monster II, and See Invisibility. She was also able to detect a faint magic aura coming from the chest down in the cavern, but could not determine what kind of magic was at work there.

Continuing on down the passageway, the party made their way down a gently winding slope, until at last they came into a small cavern. The light from Oliver's torch revealed a veritable wall of brilliant blue quartz, which looked to have been shattered in a few places. A strange-looking device of unknown make sat at its base, seemingly having gotten the end of a few solid whacks with a hammer.

Ennis stretched out his hand as if to halt the party.

"Near that machine. There is an ooze, hidden in the rock - probably a gray ooze, by the looks of it. They usually don't attack unless you step on or near them, and they literally have no intelligence to speak of, but their acid will dissolve metal and organic material."

The Girl With No Name and Boza

TGWNN turned to the cleric as she and Boza made to leave.

“I see a stormin' is coming down. And I can feel it in my bones. I know you can feel it too. But you think that you're....You think that you're all alone.”

With the same care that they had done earlier in the forest, TGWNN covered her hand and Boza's with the ceremonial makeup she had procured from the priest's office - with a little bit of mixing and effort, it was easy enough to make something approaching flesh color. Approaching the gate once more, a different guard examined them, their IDs, and their hands, before waving them through. Newharbor stood before them, open.

[Nefarion Xid]

Oliver, Melody
Mines

There were no compunctions about killing mindless creatures. They were still dangerous, albeit unprovoked.

"I don't want to stumble into that thing on the return trip if we're in a hurry. Fill it full of arrows and be done with it. Besides, we can all hack off a piece of quartz as a souvenir, eh?"

Oliver stowed his sword and shield and took out his bow, then retreated a ways up the tunnel.

Spoiler: Fiiight

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Unless something spectacular happens, I think the party will just shoot and walk away until the ooze is dead.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Oliver and Melody

Nibley, after passing along the information to Melody via chalkboard, drew his bow. "You ask for arrows, Sir, and I will deliver."

The ooze, as predicted, was not quick enough to dodge the arrows or the spiritual weapon Melody summoned, and after half a minute dissolved under the constant attacks, leaving the cavern silent again.

Spoiler: You earn 300 XP, but gain no loot.

Show

Oozes don't really have much.

[Nefarion Xid]

"Well done, gentlemen. Small lady." Thumbs-up. Oliver hopped over the acidic puddle and went to break off a few of the most attractive crystals. After five minutes of calculated hacking, he stowed the loot and waved the party on.

"Ennis, have a look at that chest, will you? I don't think they had enough time to trap it, but it seems like something they'd do anyway. These drow keep finding new ways to disappoint me."

Spoiler: OOC instructions

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We'll loot the chest, wait for Al to return, then move on.

Marching order: Ennis, Alphonse, Melody, Nibley, Oliver

[Tychris1]

"Roight, Boza, lets check out the mark and see what we can get rolling, yeah?" The Girl leaned an elbow on her green-skinned friend as she surveyed the land and promptly bounced off him to begin her reconnaissance.

Spoiler: OOC

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Scouting the perimeter of the Duke's estate and gathering what information I can on the party itself.

[Lord Of Mantas]

The Girl With No Name and Boza

Over the next couple of hours, TGWNN and Boza quickly found out that there had been some surprisingly big changes over the past half-day.

As the Aratan priest had mentioned, the guard patrols had been increased in size, and all of them were now accompanied by a member of the Inquisition as well as a houndmaster. And as the duo listened to the whispers of the crowd as they passed through the city, there came reports that a particularly large group of guards had come from the old Iron and Silver mine at the edge of the forest, carrying a mysterious prisoner covered almost head to toe in burlap to the Headquarters of the Iudexian Legion. Rumors abounded that a curfew might be invoked within the next few days.

And then, the town criers leapt into action.

"Hear you all! There will be a special announcement by His Grace Duke Lachlan in the Central Plaza at noon today! All are encouraged to attend!"

And speaking of the Duke, as TGWNN and Boza tried to make their way over toward the Ducal Mansion, they soon found that the area surrounding it blocked off in all directions by blockades staffed entirey by patrols of no less than eight elite guards each.

Spoiler: If you attempt to approach any of them...

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Attempting to approach any of these lead to one of the guards extending a hand and calling out.

"Halt! By order of His Grace, only those preapproved by him may pass beyond this point. State your name and business!"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Melody and Oliver

"On it."

Ennis began to carefully examine the chest back in the main cavern, analyzing every angle for a good minute or so before extracting some tools from his pocket.

"Definitely trapped. Stay back."

Several seconds passed by as Ennis worked. Then, he stood up and wiped his brow.

"That should have defused the trap. Let's take a look."

The investigator then opened the chest... only to find it empty.

"Figures they would have left a decoy chest behind to buy time."

Spoiler: You find no loot, but gain 400 XP each.

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Just ticking away until the level-up.

After several minutes, Alphonse returned, trotting happily up to Oliver and presenting his head for scritches. Once these had been obtained, he fell back into formation, Oliver once again leading at the front, with Nibley immediately behind, then Melody, then Alphonse, and then Ennis. Moving down the corridor that was at the end of the cavern where the Drow had pitched camp, the party soon found themselves emerging into yet another room with a large, bottomless pit at the other side.

Then, a low, sinister laugh came from their right - and the party realized, taking in the sight of a large, demonic horse made of smoke and a hairless, fiendish looking hound with an Aura of menace, that they were not alone.

Begin Combat

Spoiler: Initiative

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1) Ennis
2) The Nightmare
3) Oliver, Nibley, and Alphonse
4) The Yeth Hound
5) Melody

Spoiler: Knowledge Checks

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Spoiler: Oliver

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The creatures definitely look fiendish and evil, but their identity escapes you at the moment.

Spoiler: Melody

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After some quick thinking, you are able to identify the creatures as being evil outsiders. The horse is a Nightmare, a large daemon that can fly and spew a choking smoke that sickens its foes, as well as obscuring vision. The dog-like creature is a Yeth Hound, whose howl can send creatures into a panic, and whose bite can worsen any fear its victim is under, causing them to do nothing but cower briefly.

"Make way!"

Ennis quickly moved forward, then hurled a tanglefoot bag that he had been keeping in his other hand directly at the fiendish horse. His aim was true, and the horse found itself unable to react quickly enough to avoid getting stuck to the floor by the alchemical glue.

It was, however, strong enough to break the hold a second later, and, entangled as it was, move forward to engage the party.

Spoiler: Oliver, Alphonse, and Nibley are up.

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Have fun!

[Nefarion Xid]

"Good gods, how far down have we gone?" Oliver was disconcerted to encounter what he believed to be a fiend, still exhausted of holy power for the day. Still, things died when you beat them with a piece of metal, so he moved to do that.

Spoiler: Oliver and Al move...

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(1d20+7)[10] Oliver power attacks
(1d8+8)[9]

(1d20+6)[9] Al bites
(1d6+6)[7]

[Lord Of Mantas]

Melody and Oliver

"Too far."

Nibley rushed forward, uttering a prayer as he did so. "Oh Iudexus, grant me confidence in my abilities, that I may withstand this trial." He then pointed a finger at the hound. "Foul canine! In the name of the Order of Stars, I challenge you!"

As if in response, the hound bayed, shaking the cavern with its foul cry. Immediately, everyone present felt as if fear threatened to grip their minds - except Melody who remained pleasantly unaffected, though she did catch sight of the hound throwing its head back before looping around to try and flank Oliver.

Ennis was able to stand firm without so much as a waver in the face of the hound's cry. Nibley gritted his teeth, looking for all the world as if he was set to try and run, but ultimately stayed, panting heavily.

Spoiler: Nibley challenges the Yeth Hound and then uses Calling. The Yeth hound bays, and everyone who can hear must make a DC 12 Will Save...

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Or else be panicked for 2d4 rounds.

Spoiler: It is now Melody and Ennis' turn.

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Good luck!

[Jade_Tarem]

The Underdark, if they'd even made it that far, had so far seen fit to provide Melody with a pony and a dog, both of them disappointing and more than a little frightening.

They'd already moved to surround Oliver by the time she realized they were under attack, so she defaulted to her other battle tactic. The diminutive caster swept her hat off her head, reached in, and withdrew an honest-to-goodness battle axe, albeit a shimmering one of silver and violet. With a flourish, she returned her hat to its proper place and tossed the axe at the Nightmare.

Spoiler: OOC

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Spiritual Weapon!

Attack: (1d20+9)[25]
Damage:

(1d8+1)[2] Force

[Tychris1]

Well, this was problematic if not very expected. She had left an impact on them. They were rattled by their actions.

Good.

She didn't pay much mind to the town crier, it was probably just another ridiculous faff the Duke would pull, and she'd nearly had a migraine listening to him last time. She envisioned how his blustering face would turn red then blue as she hung him from an old oak tree back in Ilyrland, a genuine blissful smile spreading across her face, and she hummed an old nursery rhyme to the imaginary swaying with the wind. She made a mental note to riff off that later with her five-stringed friend but before she could literally notate it and what she had seen some ponce was asking her for her name and business. "Oi mate no harm meant, me and handsome over here were just on our ways to the Ivy Park Theatre. I've a mind for music and it's my day to decide our leisure time, ya?"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Oliver and Melody

The spiritual weapon Melody summoned found its mark, although it did not bite deep.

Ennis, after scrambling through Alphonse's space, circling around, and thrusting his rapier forth, had better luck.

The Nightmare reared and whinnied (unheard by Melody) in pain, and, after blowing a cloud of foul smoke in the direction of Alphonse and Nibley, promptly lashed out at Ennis. However, the remnants of the glue thrown earlier by the investigator were working well, and its hooves and teeth found nothing but air. In the meantime, Nibley, coughing heavily, managed to keep his composure.

Spoiler: Oliver, Alphonse, and Nibley are up. Alphonse must make a DC 16 Fort save.

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Failure will result in being sickened for 1d6 minutes.

[Nefarion Xid]

Oliver had no witty commentary and continued trying to beat the naughty demon horse to death.

Spoiler: Stuffs

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(1d20+9)[24] Oliver power attacks with flanking bonus
(1d8+8)[14]

(1d20+6)[13] Al bites
(1d6+6)[11]