What? The World needs saving AGAIN? IC Thread 9

[Xihirli]

Marû breached the surface as a dolphin with Leff gripping his dorsal fin and Anaweir surfaced with Mávro while the big ol companions were pulled up. Aklah shrieked angrily and got over the stuff, flapping her wings mightily.
"Safe to put on some light?"

[Valmark]

"A bit late to worry about sneaking in" Sirthis frowned at Aklah's shriek "Please do. Briar doesn't see in the dark" he put one on the pegasus' saddle, looking around.

Spoiler: Ooc

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****, I didn't know pegasi don't have darkvision. Will have to prep the spell from now on.

Casting Light.

[Xihirli]

Leff climbed onto Aklah's back behind Eris and held up a fistful of flame to add to the light. Mávro became a raven and flew alongside them. Marû figured it was probably more important to not spend much time in whatever goo this was than to save a wild shape and turned into a giant eagle carrying Anaweir.

Spoiler: OOC

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Make me some investigation checks to find solid ground before... well, before you need it.

[Valmark]

"By the by, Malyanna, do you know where all the creatures that look like someone beheaded an animal and stuck another one's head on them come from?" he wondered looking around.

Spoiler: Ooc

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Sirthis will look with Briar helping! And let's add a Guidance
(1d20+5)[8] adv. (1d20+5)[14] + (1d4)[2]

Eris will be helped by Aklah (it makes sense she can understand looking for a landing spot, if she can't ignore the advantage)
(1d20+4)[16] adv. (1d20+4)[20]

Chocolate who's easily the smartest one out of them five:
(1d20+2)[15]

[Xihirli]

"In the case of the Tanar'ri, a lot of them are literal experiments made by the Obyritch," Malyanna said. "And the Obyrith? We don't know how they were born. Were they born? Or were they deliberately made to destroy all that exists? Did they decide to hop from world to world, annihilating each one in turn? Or are they very complicated golems fulfilling their assigned purpose? We don't really know. Maybe somewhere out there there's a world bigger than all this, bigger than Piscaethces or the Far Realm, where sadistic creatures invent whatever monsters they think look cool before inflicting them upon little worlds like ours for their own entertainment."

Spoiler: OOC

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And those sadistic creatures are called Ed Stark, James Jacobs, and Erik Mona.

Eris, by the light of Leff's flame, located a shore. As they approached they saw twin towers coiled together roughly shaped like tightly coiled serpents, crowned at the top with skull-shaped minarets. The two towers were linked by a bridge near the top. But the towers were coming out from the briny water... if the rest of the building was around, it was under the... well, not water.

[Valmark]

"I... Meant those like your mount. Or owlbears" Sirthis admitted "Not that listening to you was ba- wait" he blinked looking at the building "Don't tell me it's like the Obelisk"

---

"Seems like it. Though I'd expect the inside to be navigable without having to dip into the liquid, unlike the aboleths' home" Eris looked around to see if there was some kind of entrance to the towers visible from that distance.
"Unless... This should be Demogorgon's home layer but is that his house or something else? Anybody knows?"

[Xihirli]

"Welcome to Abysm, the fortress at the center of the Gaping Maw. Demogorgon will want to fight us there, as he controls it. We want to... avoid that, at most costs. Anyone have an idea to draw him out?" Malyanna asked.

[Valmark]

"If I recall correctly, one of Demogorgon's head was interested in Black Ice" Eris said "And of course, me Leff and Sirthis slew him back on Toril. Cut his right head off. Maybe I could taunt him out?" she asked Malyanna "Or maybe an illusion of me. Remember how we did with Zarus?"

---

Sirthis looked around.
"Shouldn't there be a fey army?"

[Xihirli]

"Wouldn't be drawing the demon armies away from us if they were here, now would they be?" Malyanna asked dryly.

"They're doing a frontal assault, entering the Abyss through the Astral Sea. We'll... you'll... meet up with them after," Anaweir said.

"Taunting could work... there's also stuff around this layer other than his palace. We could start breaking stuff."

[Valmark]

"I like breaking stuff" Eris nodded "But what is it? We don't want to exhaust ourselves- and the faster we act the lower the casualties. We can't attack something that'll take too much to destroy"

---

Meanwhile Sirthis reached to pet the peryton, completely uninterested in deciding which course of action to take.

[Xihirli]

"I guess the first thing we find that isn't the palace. Let's keep going deeper in," Malyanna suggested, taking the Peryton past the palace.

[Valmark]

Eris and Sirthis flew after her, Sirthis studying the black liquid with a frown.
He tried to Shape it to see if it reacted like water, by trying to lift some up.

[Xihirli]

It did not.

A rocky shoreline was within sight in minutes... and a large bonfire in the distance lit up a city of twisted architecture with hezrou and scrags bellowing out words in abyssal.
"Now, we might end up fighting some of them, but the most dangerous ones are going to be at the front fighting Stelus. Seems like as good a time to start breaking things as –"
"DEMON!" Black Ice declared from its place over Eris's back.
"Yes, yes, the city is full of–"
And the brine sea beneath them exploded as surging upward, a towering giant, the two-headed monster with long, boneless arms erupted from the deep. The Demogorgon.
"Know me then by my best name, mortals. You face Demogorgon, Prince of Demons," the left head intoned. The right went more basic, with an otherworldly shriek causing the brine to churn and rise to the demon's command.

Spoiler: OOC

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Initiatives
Demogorgon (1d20+11)[25] doesn't feel right. That feels like a number a PC could reasonably get.
Lair Action (not as bad as it would be in the palace – 20
Leff: (1d20+2)[22]
Anaweir: (1d20+2)[4]
Marû: (1d20+2)[8]
Malyanna: (1d20+3)[12]
Mávro: (1d20+4)[14]

[Valmark]

"What was that about Demogorgon fighting in his palace!?" Sirthis groaned "Great we have no buffs that was such a good idea"

---

"Doesn't matter! Tonight we kill the demon prince for real, Black Ice!" Eris yelled, staring at the baboon unflinching.

Spoiler: Ooc

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Both because she's brave and because she's literally immune to fear.

Initiatives!
Eris (1d20+3)[21] adv. (1d20+3)[8]
Aklah (1d20)[18] (unless Leff or somebody else controls her, Eris will leave the saddle to leave an empty space for Mávro or Marû who can't fight in animal form)
Sirthis (1d20+9)[21]

[Xihirli]

"My, my. If it isn't the devil-ling," the left head said while the right head SHRIEKED and attacked Eris twice with its tentacle. "I remember you."

The tentacle violently thrashed against her and wrapped around her, taking her off of her wyvern and then squeezing, life leeching out of her.

Leff swooped after Eris on Aklah's back, white fire exploding from her being and washing into Eris's wounds, emergency healing her wife the best she could.

Spoiler: OOC

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64 bludgeoning and 35 necrotic
And then 54 bludgeoning and 47 necrotic.

It's Eris and Sirthis.

[Valmark]

Eris, feeling the tentacle crush her in its coils, covered herself in ice, blocking most of it out- it stopped her from doing much, though.

---

Sirthis got off of Briar next to eagle Marû and Anaweir.
"Need a mount?" he asked them, then aimed his holy simbol at Demogorgon "Were you waiting for us?" he said, figuring it was a bit too coincidental.

An unicorn joined the fray.

Spoiler: Ooc

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Eris will use Tomb Of Levistus to protect herself and Sirthis will... Dispel Magic. I think it might be buffed.

Three ability checks if needed:
(1d20+7)[27]
(1d20+7)[12]
(1d20+7)[15]

Also Bonus action unicorn spirit and dismounting from Briar, for Anaweir and Marû.

[Xihirli]

Nothing visibly changed from Sirthis's dispel. However, moments later darkness enveloped the entirety of the team, blinding even their improved night vision.

Mávro grew back into an elf on Aklah's back but suddenly didn't have many options with her limited vision. She cast a few spells, one of which was Eldritch Blast, waiting for light.

Malyanna did not seem inconvenienced in the slightest by the darkness as crackling beams of red force shone briefly in the darkness, with satisfying thunks as three hit home on Demogorgon's flesh.
The roar of a dragon sounded from behind the demon prince, though little else was clear.

Spoiler: OOC

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Sirthis will take bludgeoning and necrotic
(1d20+27)[39]; (8d12+21)[65] + (8d10)[30]
(1d20+27)[43]; (8d12+21)[73] + (8d10)[59]

Oh but Leff will heal Sirthis for (2d6+5)[15] before her spell wears off

"Leflabah! I need light!" Anaweir called from Briar's back.

Everyone heard a loud splash as Eris was suddenly down, down in the briny deep, unable to see... much of anything, really.

"Sirthis!" Marû called. "I think it is time for Orcas!"

Sirthis felt the tentacles thrash around him as suddenly he was gripped in them, smashed between both once. His bones felt the power directly to the marrow.

He felt a tingling warmth heal him a bit, and then over his head golden light shone through the shadows.
"What's this?"
"You're nothing, Demogorgon!" Leff declared. "And for proof I'll show that you're hollow once I cut away the darkness! Kerën Shamash!" A ray of pure golden sunlight shot from her hand, illuminating Aklah, Sirthis, shining right through the pervasive darkness all around and immediately letting Eris know which way was up. The ray of light hit Demogorgon right between the eyes, causing admittedly minor damage. But once the demon was visible, Anaweir's spell went off along with Mávro's. Her three beams all missed, but Anaweir's uttered word saw Demogorgon vanish entirely, letting Sirthis loose.
"We have about five seconds before he's back!" Anaweir shouted.

Spoiler: OOC

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It's Sirthis and Eris

[Valmark]

Spoiler: Ooc

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Dang, that sequence was cool.

Sirthis was still reeling from the pain, nodding weakly at Marû "For all of the one second I'll be up if he slams me again... No pressure, best healer in the group Leff" he replied conjuring an unspecified amount of animals.
"And by no pressure I mean exactly that, nothing will make me not lose consciousness" he backed away from Demogorgon's spawn point.

---

Eris teleported back above water, looking around.
"Something tells me you didn't just finish killing him"

Spoiler: Ooc

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24 CR 1/4 BEASTS

Meaning a Conjure Animals level 7. All the animals will Ready an attack for when Demogorgon comes back.
Bonus action... Let's bardic inspire Leff, because of what he said. She gets a d12.

And moves 30 feet away.

Eris will Dimensional Door back to the group and RAGE. TRY TENTACLING ME NOW DEMOGORGON (I'm joking, don't, necrotic hurts).

[Xihirli]

"No," Marû confirmed, turning all of the animals Sirthis summoned into Orcas. A large splash of brine swelled up.
Mávro made ready with another few rays of blasts.

Malyanna smirked once the time was given. "Hmm. I wish I could control reality here. Anyone want something to stand on?" As columns of stone lifted out of the briny sea, offering various safe spots to land. There was even a great wall erected between Sirthis and where the demon prince had just been.

Marû weighed a few options and the winds picked up, chasing away the foul air around Sirthis and reinvigorating him.

Spoiler: OOC

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Get back 70 hp, Sirthis.

Anaweir shoved some mushroom eye drops into Eris's eyes. "Sorry, not much time for anything else." And suddenly Eris could see right through Malyanna's illusory terrain.

Demogorgon reemerged to a smattering of beams from Mávro, only one of which seemed to have any impact on his thick hide. "Clever... but not smart enough!"
Leff pointed her right hand, still glowing with golden fire, at the demon prince. Another wave of radiance washed over the demon prince, lighting up for all to see the great black dragon flying behind Demogorgon.

Spoiler: OOC

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It's Eris and Sirthis

[Valmark]

"Remind me to spoil you when we get back Maly!" Sirthis called, poking his head out from behind the wall- he called on the unicorn spirit which channelled his magic through the horn, spreading it around.

Meanwhile the orcas gave very ferocious nibbles.
"Uh... Next plan, Marû?"

Eris was undaunted by the seemingly thick hide- feeling rinvigorated she finally unsheated Black Ice.
"Let's start this fight for real!" she roared raking across Demogorgon's belly.

Spoiler: Ooc

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Sirthis: +13 hp, Heal, Bardic Inspire Malyanna (1d12), move back behind the wall

Eris! Attack, Action Surge Attack, Fighting Spirit

31 to hit, 21 damage
33 to hit, 23 damage
31 to hit, 22 damage

[Xihirli]

"There are forms that hit harder," Marû said. "Malyanna! Can we have land in striking distance of the demon!?"
And as he asked, Demogorgon vanished from his position surrounded by Orcas and appeared next to Sirthis, now with the stone acing as his shield behind him.
"New plan. No beasts." And out of the water lifted a great spiked tail.

Mávro gasped and fired beams at the demon that did very little as the spiked tail slammed Sirthis right through the column of rock, making his world go dark until Marû's calming wind brought him back to the world of light. The Orca were all gone.
"Not sure!" Marû said on the next plan.

Malyanna's beams did a fine job of bringing a roar from the right head of Demogorgon, and her dragon got into the face of the left one and breathed acid into it.

Anaweir seemed indecisive. She had to save most of her power for after this fight, but at this rate they were losing. Badly.
"Think of something?" She asked Sirthis, putting a wall of force around him and shielding him from being a target of Demogorgon again.

The demon took this in stride and hit Marû instead, though Briar's quick movements saved the druid from a second strike.

Leff flew up near the melee and washed white fire over Marû. "Malyanna! Can he fly?"
"I don't think so!"
"Then get us more space! His tentacles are only so long!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Eris and Sirthis

[Valmark]

"The wizard trained to fight demons telling me to think of something" Sirthis groaned picking himself back up "Well, taking me away from the fighting won't help for sure- and if Malyanna takes us high Demogorgon can just hide like he did before" since he was currently encapsulated and couldn't throw spells and since healing was mostly useless as something different from a pick-me-up, he lifted his holy symbol to call on Sune.
"Malyanna, what about a very big iron maiden full to the brim of spikes as long as Demogorgon is large? Even if he teleports out it's gotta hurt"

Spoiler: Ooc

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Anaweir pretty much sealed Sirthis' options.

(1d100)[23] for Divine Intervention and... "Help us kill Demogorgon", I guess. If she can't send anybody in maybe she can make us all stronger, or whatever.
Bonus Action Healing Word lv. 5 on himsef for 45 hp on himself and 13 hp to Marû (Eris was maxed out previously).

EDIT: Divine Intervention failed.

Eris will do her routine because it's the most effective thing she has, unless Demogorgon can fail a wis save (and even then it's probably hard to make him fail one)
29 to hit, 24 damage
31 to hit, 21 damage
30 to hit, 19 damage
26 to hit, 21 damage
Reckless Attack, Frenzy. And moving towards Demogorgon of course.

---

Eris chased after Demogorgon, swinging Black Ice angrily.
"Is the demon prince a coward that runs from the devil!? Good to know! It's not a surprise you needed the help of feys to dethrone Obox-Ob!"

---

"...hey uhm if we close ourselves in a Forcecage with bars can't we cast spells through it without fear of tentacles?" Sirthis suddenly asked in Sylvan "Even if Demogorgon can cast spells at us it'll still be less dangerous then his actual attacks! I would need you all within twenty feet! And a way to stop him from just leaving if you have it! Eris can wait outside, she loves going toe-to-toe with giant monsters"

[Xihirli]

"There's a risk to squeezing all together but we could try it... and who's to say there'll be a place for him to hide?" Malyanna asked with a smirk.

As Eris flailed into Demogorgon, her sword lit up with harsh, though naturally-colored, flames.
"Demon! You face Hellfire!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Hellfire is fire damage, ignoring resistance to fire damage and treating immunity as resistance. (4d6)[18] from Eris, as each time she attacks a demon or celestial with Black Ice it deals an additional 2d6 hellfire damage.

The right-most head of the demon finally fixed its gaze upon Eris, focused.

Demogorgon flailed his arms into Eris twice more, finally turning toward her, as beams and Mávro's spectral beak bounced harmlessly off his hide. He snorted seeing his tentacles having... let us say a limited effect. "You think of your anger as a shield... I will show you otherwise."

Malyanna's dragon let loose another torrent of acid on the demon's left head, but it didn't even glance the dragon's way.
Then the battlefield shifted again.
"Should have done this this the first time, sorry!"
Suddenly Demogorgon was not wading in brine, but in acid, like the substance Malyanna had put Eris and Leff inside in their fight. The skies were open, though Eris could see the cavern ceiling in a muted form, and the brine within the acid. As a change, they could see the ground through the acid as a reinforced adamantine floor kept Demogorgon from diving to safety.
"How's this for a battlefield, Sirthis? Don't go more than thirty feet into what used to be rock, by the way."

[Xihirli]

Marû reached into the illusory blue sky and pulled moonlight down from it to streak into the demon prince. Anaweir surrounded herself with motes of Mystra's silver fire and sent one of the seven streaking right in between Demogorgon's shoulderblades.

Demogorgon did not seem displeased. His tentacles wrapped around Eris, crushing at her, and this time he held her, trapped within his powerful embrace. "No running. Let's keep this... close."
Hot white fire flowed into Eris from Leff's power, filling her with more energy to keep fighting.

Spoiler: OOC

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Damage and healing is in the OOC it's... whoof.

[Valmark]

Eris felt her bones creak, but as white fire and healing light spread by the unicorn rinvigorated her she grinned back at the Demogorgon "You're wrong!" she cut into the tentacle with her sword "Neither shield nor weapon- I am FURY!" and even more white fire covered her, coming from herself, all her wounds now gone.

---

"Leff! Marû! How are you at Plane Shifts? Should I keep one!?" Sirthis asked the other two- he was channeling all his magic through the unicorn spirit for now "Please don't die Eris! Yet!"

Then he added "Ah yeah, battlefield's pretty sweet Malyanna"

Spoiler: Ooc

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Eris heals up to full, Sirthis and Marû gain 13 hp back from unicorn spirit.

Bardic Inspiration on Eris.

Eris recklessing and Lay on Handing herself (or wouldn't be full)
32 to hit, 19+8 slashing+fire damage(Frenzy attack)

[Xihirli]

"Your witch may have coated this place in illusions, but the Abyss knows her master! This is still my lair!"
Eris felt something shudder in her core as heat, cold, the blows she'd taken... it all felt like it was doing something to her at last.

Spoiler: OOC

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All currently active resistances in Demogorgon's lair excepting his own are now nullified, and all active immunities become resistances.

"I'll keep a Plane Shift in the tank!" Leff promised. Mávro fired her beams, which kept mostly doing nothing but one hit Demogorgon right in his maddened head's eye. That made it angry, but its gaze focused on the Genasi sitting in front of the warlock. Immediately, Leff started bleeding from her eyes and ears and screaming. "Y' mgep mgepmgr'luh mgleth mgvulgtnahor!" she declared.

"Oop. That's not good."

Malyanna and her dragon kept chipping away, the Eladrin this time not particularly pleased with her progress.

"I need to get in close and heal Leflabah," Marû said to Anaweir.
"Pass by Eris on the way over," Anaweir said, and with a nod Marû brought them by Eris. Anaweir seized the potion on Eris's belt and tipped it into the tiefling's mouth, granting her resistance to the flailing limbs' life drain. "At least you'll have that protection." Another of the stars orbiting her impacted Demogorgon, but bounced off of his tough hide. Marû tossed diamond dust over Leff's head and she shook her head, clearing it.
"I'm okay... I'm okay."

"You can't keep this up!" Demogorgon's left head asserted. "Every movement from me is draining away at your resources, bit by bit... this is a war of attrition." The tentacle around Eris squeezed, sapping at her. "And you're running out of gas."

Leff exploded into white fire, healing herself and Eris for a little before taking her and Mávro over next to Sirthis on Aklah. "He's right, I can't keep Eris topped off forever... We need to step it up."

"I think I've been doing okay, but you could stand to do a bit more," Malyanna chimed in.

Spoiler: OOC

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Eris takes 78 bludgeoning she doesn't resist due to the lair action, and 45 necrotic she does resist.
She also takes 73 bludgeoning and then 48 necrotic. But she resists the Necrotic now! Yay!

[Valmark]

"Geez, sorry if I've been on healing duty too!" Sirthis groaned while he kept channeling power through the unicorn "If someone can get Eris and Anaweir to me I can protect us... Somewhat"

---

Eris laughed in Demogorgon's face.
"We are!? Is that fear, demon prince? You taunt, you laugh, but every cut, drop of acid, moonlight and beam you take brings you a step closer to defeat! Now BURN FROM THE FLAMES OF THE DEVILS AND THE GODS!" She roared and Black Ice burned up, orange and golden flames mixing together to eat through Demogorgon's core.

Spoiler: Ooc

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Sirthis is Healing Eris for 103 hp, everybody else for 13 hp (not Demogorgon) and giving a d12 to Anaweir.

Eris is Attacking (Reckless) then ending her Rage (note: one level of Exhaustion)
27 to hit, 22+12 slashing+fire
Crit for 42+20+46 slashing+fire+radiant
34 to hit, 22+11 slashing+fire

[Xihirli]

A chilling laugh came from Demogorgon's right head. The left hand spoke. "Fear you? I have arisen from the rot, I stand at the top of the mass of demons! I have overcome my makers and any challengers sent my way. This is my abyss, and you were a fool to enter it. A gash, lit with Eris's fire, remained in place carving an eight-foot line down his stomach. But the right head stared right at her. Insanity threatened to tickle at her mind, but did not paralyze her.

Sirthis got a messsage! It wasn't quite a Sending, but there it was.

Spoiler: Sune

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"Hey, I got your last prayer. So... there are some pretty strict rules about what the gods can do vis-a-vis the blood war. Tanaquill is just... breaking a lot of them. Half, I'd guess. She will definitely see trial after this, maybe be stripped of divine status by Ao. Anyway, that's not important. What's important is I absolutely cannot help you right now. The only assistance I can give you is to continue to give you your clerical powers. So don't worry, those'll work fine. But I absolutely cannot, for instance, supercharge your next channel divinity. So I just want you to know that if you happen to use your channel divinity and it's way more powerful than it should be, I had nothing to do with that but you probably just shouldn't mention it to anyone.

Another round of attacks focused on Demogorgon but the demon stood resolute and clapped Eris between two tentacles, pulling and slamming her in his grasp. Gold fire from Leff did very little, and the Demon Lord cackled over the half-dead Tiefling in his grasp.

Spoiler: OOC

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It's Sirthis and Eris. Leff does give Eris (2d6+5)[16] with Aura just so she's not at 0 for her turn.

[Valmark]

Sirthis gritted his teeth, mentally reminding himself that he needed to show Sune a really good time next time they met (for no reason at all) "Eris! Resist! Demogorgon- I'm afraid I cannot let you win. I promised Mab more kids and my stepson will kill me if you do it first! Everybody attack!" he held up his symbol and Channeled LIFE, healing everybody but Demogorgon.

---

Eris sneered "Pathetic- you overcame your makers!? It was my goddess and the Feywild Queen that dethroned the previous ruler! You just were the biggest vulture!" and struck again, repeatedly.

Spoiler: Ooc

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Channel Divinity on everybody but Demogorgon
Bardic Inspire Eris Spiritual Weapon that misses. Meh.

Attack and Rage!
29 to hit, 20+7 slashing+fire
33 to hit, 20+8 slashing+fire
33 to hit, 17+8 slashing+fire

[Xihirli]

A rosy pink light shone from Sirthis's holy symbol, mending everyone (excepting Demogorgon) until there wasn't a wound left on them. The demon snarled in anger and vanished, reappearing next to Sirthis. As Mávro's blasts continued to plink off of Demogorgon harmlessly, the demon's tail came up to slap Sirthis some more.
Malyanna fired with much more accuracy, buffeting a line of impacts along the demon's left neck. The Dragon swooped down and breathed acid right into the wounds the wizard had just left in place. Marû moved the beam of radiance over the other head, and another beam of sunlight hit the Demon's shoulder launched by Anaweir.

Demogorgon, flame licking at him, gripped Sirthis in one tentacle and brought the other around to crush him between them. Then Demogorgon dunked Sirthis into the acid, still gripped tight in his tentacles.

Leff flew down next to Sirthis, shining white fire into him to get him up and moving.

Spoiler: OOC

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At the start of Sirthis's turn, take (6d4)[17] acid damage. Demogorgon takes it too.