Ic - that bitter old king

[agignac]

Joan finally managed to pull herself together. Wiping tears from her face, she apologized to her friends. "I don't know what came over me."

When she was back under control, she agreed with Rathoran's assessment. "It is good that our guide is leading us correctly. Let us continue, and finish this, before the demon assaults us with any more wildlife."

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger chuckles sheepishly at Joan's outburst, a little embarrassed. When Rathoran explains that a demon had scrambled back out of sight, the smile leaves his face and he once again scans the upper ridge around them. Hmm... that's different than that thing we faced, with Glint. Sounds smaller, and seems less aggressive.

[The Hellbug]

"Good. Yes, let's get this over with," Ganiz agrees, turning his back to Rathoran, "load me up and let's go. And careful back there."

[Awful]

The party advances, the hare left behind in the dust. Following the gluch, the four come to a cave entrance perhaps sixty feet distant - and the enemy. Jagged rocks just from the roof and the floor of th tunnel like teeth, giving it an unpleasantly jaw-like appearance. It leads on maybe twenty feet before a twist of it takes the rest out of sight. Torches lying discarded next to the scorch marks where they were snuffed out were any indication. A box, its sides stoved in, sits abandoned just inside the mouth. On some of the stony spikes projecting up and down, more tiny furry bodies hang impaled.

On the air you catch the scent of something foul, the sick-bed stench of things gone putrid.

Three humans in tattered, dull blue robes take cover behind rocky outcroppings closer to the entrance, crossbows in their hands. Another, wearing a more ornate blue jacket over a breastplate, lurks in the tunnel, taking better cover behind his troops. A pair of clay jars hangs from a sash at his waist.

The monkey-demon capers nearby, eyes flicking back and forth, and as you appear it screeches horribly.

"Hurry up!" He bellows deeper into the cave, turning to look your way. His face, cracked with descent into old age, is furrowed with anger. He points a gold-tipped swagger-stick your way. "Rebellious filth! Kill them all!"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Combat begins!
Roll for initiative.

The enemy crossbowmen are around 60ft away, in half-cover.

The demon and enemy leader are around 80ft away inside the cave.
The demon is out in the open.
The enemy leader has three-quarters cover.

Enemy human init: 20

Enemy demon init: 17

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 55/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: - Raging: No Reckless: No Wild Surge Effect: - Jegger's eyes go wide, So there are demon summoners! Surprise turns to grim determination, with shield and axe in hand. Spoiler: Initiative Show Initiative (1d20+3)[22]

[agignac]

Joan took a moment to survey the scene before her. A lot of enemies. One demon. Four demon-worshippers. She cracked her neck, hefted her hammer, and prepared to end them.

As usual, everybody flew into action just a second before she was able to. No matter. They could start it. She would finish it.

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 55/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: Dodge, Resistance to B,P,S Damage Raging: Yes Reckless: No Wild Surge Effect: 8 - Difficult Terrain to Enemies within 15ft Jegger bounds forward, keeping his shield leveled between him and the crossbowman to protect him from their bolts as he advances. He summons his fury and feels it disperse into the ground around him. The baked earth surrounding him begins to tremble, as dry gnarly roots snake up from the ground, reaching for something to grab. Spoiler: Turn 1 Show Move forward 40 ft. Action - Dodge Action Bonus Action - Rage Wild Magic Effect - Enemies treat the ground within 15ft of Jegger as Difficult Terrain

[Awful]

As Jegger charges forward, the cultists around the entrance to the cave unleash a small hail of crossbow bolts. Two of the cultics fire at Jegger to no avail; one strikes the parched earth by his charging feet, and the other glances with no harm off his half-plate in a brief screech of sparks.

The third crossbowman, however, aims at the three further behind, and launches his projectile at the easier targets. With the three close together, it was only inevitable he'd hit something. Ganiz feels the impact like a punch to the chest. The bolt struck him square; it hangs, caught up in his chainmail and the padded jack behind it, but the hot upwelling of blood suggests while the bolt failed to pierce skin, the broken links it forced into the old innkeep's flesh did the job almost as well.

Ganiz takes 6 damage.

"Imbeciles! Stop him!" The old man in the cave snarls, and briefly steps out to do two things. First, he retrieves one of the clay jars from his waist, weighing it briefly in his gnarled hands. Then he throws it. It's not a particularly good throw, and the roof of the cave prevents a good arc. It lands five feet from Jegger, and shatters on the impacted, dusty ground with a terrible shriek - something awful, exultant. A foul black cloud, oily and mishapen, billows forth. It just reaches Jegger, tendrils of it stretching his direction, stinging at his skin where it touches like a thousand needles. Before it can go much further, it loses steam and sinks into the soil, leaving an ugly black stain - and something else.

Jegger, make a DC13 dex save or take 7 necrotic damage. Save for half.

Where the hideous cloud fades stands something even uglier. Another demon, far to large to have fit in the jar, gurgles delightedly at the sight before it. It almost resembles a short, naked man, if his skin was putrescent. It has no arms on its torso, where a human would; instead of a head, five spindly arms project from the stump of the neck like the legs of a molting spider, an eye or mouth sunk into the palm of each twisted filthy hand.

The older man in the armour retreats back to the cover of the cave-turning.

The new demon waddles forward, stumbling on the rough terrain as roots snatch and stab thorny holes in the soles of its misshapen feet. With a horrid chuckling, it grabs at Jegger with all five hands, bony fingers strong for all their seeming fragility. He can smell the hot stink of it, stale and heavy.

To Jegger's credit, the man almost manages to dodge or bat away all of the incoming hands. One, two, three, four, snatch at the warrior to no avail, grasping nothing but air, but a pinching pain stops the man short. The fifth arm, stretched grossly, latches on to his leg, the fingers digging in to the unarmoured flesh like the claw of the worst crab on the Wheel.
it laughs, as a child would catching a friend during a game of tag.

Jegger takes 6 bludgeoning damage and is grappled.

With Jegger halted for the minute, the ape demon, capering in place, moves forward, stopping at the edge of the circular area of questing, brittle roots Jegger's magic has created. It sniffs at the ground and gives a disgusted screech, before it straightens itself up. It stands as tall as it can, until whatever spine it has clicks audibly and its arms shudder. The overgrown cluster of eyes that coves its face, its scalp, all around its head, bulge even more, and more, until they're almost popping out the skull. It meets all your gazes at once, and you find your vision being drawn in to it. The eyes bulge, bulge, until they seem to almost fill the entire world.

The eyes stare
and you
stare
back-

Each member of the party must make a DC14 Wis save or take 1d6 psychic damage and have disadvantage on attack rolls any enemy except from the ape demon until the end of your next turn.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Round summary:
2 cultists shoot at Jegger. Both miss.
1 cultist shoots at Ganiz and hits for 6 piercing damage.

The cultist commander throws a daemon jar. It shatters near Jegger, unleashing a noxious cloud that does 7 necrotic damage or dex DC13 save for half.

The summoned demon moves forward, having enough move to cross the difficult terrain. It attacks Jegger five times, missing four times and hitting Jegger once for 6 bludgeoning damage and an automatic grapple.

The ape demon challenges all the party to a staring contest. Each must make a DC14 Wis saving throw. On fail, they take 1d6 Psychic damage and have disadvantage against all other creatures but the ape demon until the end of their next turn.

The damage done by the demons is magic damage. The damage done by the crossbowmen is not.

---

Jegger is 40ft ahead, 20 ft away from the crossbowmen.

The enemy crossbowmen are around 60ft away, in half-cover.

The enemy leader is around 80ft away inside the cave. The enemy leader has three-quarters cover.

The five-arm demon is out in the open, next to Jegger and grappling him.

The ape demon is five feet in front of the cave, around 55 feet away from party and 15 from Jegger.

It is now all of your turns.

[Kushina43]

It wasn't surprising in the least when the maw of the cave - more literal than the turn of phrase usually is - was defended by some cultists and the eye-ape encountered earlier. It was a territorial warning as expected, and while Jegger attempted to get the jump, he was just too far away to do much. The cultists wasted no time in attacking, none hitting the charging warrior but one aimed for the larger group hitting Ganiz square in the chest. She drew her bow in quick response, but worse was yet to come.

The leader of this bunch threw a jar, seemingly containing a foul ichor that threatened to consume Jegger, before coalescing into a much different horror, a multi-limb-headed humanoid that grasped at her companion, the lone successful strike digging into his leg. She nocks her bow, taking aim at the limbed fiend, when the ape from earlier screeches, seemingly defies its own ridiculous anatomy, and seemingly forces her gaze towards it instead with a painful snap. She looks back to the limb fiend, but her head swims and her target seems to multiply in her vision when she dares focus on it.

She grits her teeth and, trusting in Jegger's fortitude, decides to put an end to the ape before it can continue befuddle the whole group and open them to further attack. She takes aim at the creature and fires twice in rapid succession. The first hit is successful, though it only glances the ape's body with a shallow wound, while the second sails past its numerous eyes due to a painful wince from the mental attack.

[The Hellbug]

Rebellious what now? Ganiz doesn't have much time to ponder the irony of the demon summoner's words before the cultists fire their barrage of crossbow bolts, hitting him with what would be a fatal blow if not for his armor. Even still, while he's pretty sure nothing's broken, it knocks the wind out of him, perhaps why the ape demon's uncanny stare fails to perturb him more than the situation already has. "Urgh, let's see what this thing can do, then," he mutters as he stands before warning his allies, "stand back!" He aims the contraption at the ape demon and the lead cultist in the cave's mouth, braces, and pulls the trigger.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move to get into position to set up my line and action to fire the lightning projector.

Damage: (8d6)[28] you know what the save is better than I do

[agignac]

Joan was not far behind Jegger, but the man was uncannily fast on his feet. She was still ten feet away when the bottle broke and he was suddenly battling a horror, the likes of which she'd never even imagined.

The paladin stumbled a little as the demon with too man eyes STARED at her. So....many....eyes.... She winced, feeling a pain in her head that was not unfamiliar, and she decided that he was her next target.

Apparently the others agreed, because as she jogged towards him, a bolt of lightning crackled past her, followed by a pair of arrows. She nearly stumbled, but kept moving. As she did so, she thumped her shield with her hammer, making it ring in the ozone-filled air. "The hammers of heaven prepare to punish your wickedness," she cried, falling back on somewhat archaic speech during battle, as usual.

Spoiler

Show

Double move, bonus action to cast thunderous smite (ready for next attack). moving straight to eyeballs.

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 49/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: Resistance to B,P,S Damage Raging: Yes Reckless: Yes Wild Surge Effect: 8 - Difficult Terrain to Enemies within 15ft Jegger's advance slows down as crossbow bolts whiz by him and slam into his shield. The man in the cave throws a jar that shatters near him, and a black mist snakes around. Jegger feels it cloying around him and burning but he shakes it off. He glances over the top of his shield and recoils as the black mist coalesces into a horrific demon with multiple arms and hands in place of its head and neck. Gah! Jegger cries out as the creature assails him. Demonic hands grasp for him and at his shield but Jegger staves them off. All but one. An inhumanly strong hand grabs at the meat of his thigh and clamps shut. Jegger yells in pain, a pain that focuses his mind enough to ignore the gaze attack of the ape demon loping nearby. As the others attack the backline with arrows and lightning, Jegger raises Timon's axe and brings it down on the demon in front of him. Spoiler: Turn 2 Show Jegger saves vs Necrotic Jar and vs Gaze Attack. Rage reduces grapple damage. He takes 6 damage total. (Rolled in Discord.) Action - Attack (Reckless) vs Handsy Attack 1 w/Advantage - (1d20+7)[14], (1d20+7)[9] Damage 1 - (1d8+6)[14] Extra Attack w/Advantage - (1d20+7)[20], (1d20+7)[19] Damage 2 - (1d8+6)[11] If the positioning is correct, I think Handsy is currently providing Jegger with partial cover vs ranged attacks.

[Awful]

The ape demon screeches as an arrow appears in its raggedy fur. The eyes on it seem to bulge even wider, somehow, in outrage. Joan is close enough to see that even the inside of its mouth is studded with a mixture of teeth and additional eyes. Its spasmodic jerk of pain, however, is enough to carry it out the way of Rathoran's other arrow.

Then it gets struck by lightning. A heartbeat later, and the bolt is gone, leaving nothing but the smell of ozone and the smell of charred demonic flesh behind. The air in the path of the bolt glitters faintly with sparks before they, too, fade, earthing themselves on the tainted soil. The ape demon is, remarkably, still standing, but it sways and groans, and several of its overswollen eyes have popped. Now they ooze foul-looking pus down its face - and the jury is out on whether that is better or worse than before.

Ganiz has pulled the trigger on the strange device strapped to his back. For a second, nothing had happened except a rising whine, high-pitched almost to inaudibility, before it jerked sharply in his hands. With a crack like a whip, a lightning bolt flashes into existence between ganiz and the far end of the cave, piercing through the ape demon and almost frying the cultist commander, who dodges at the last moment to avoid the worst of it.

"Aim at the near one!" the slightly scorched old man bellows. He briefly steps out from cover, staring at Ganiz with hatred in his eyes and gesturing with strange, ritualistic movements. He swings his swagger-stick downwards like an axe, and from the tip, a bolt of fire rips forth, hurtling towards Ganiz. The innkeep, however, keeps his wits enough to duck, and the firebolt hurtles harmlessly overhead to rocket down the gully.

Though the lesser cultists can't see their commander, they nonetheless fire a salvo at the aasimar, three bolts hurtling towards her. One clatters harmlessly off her armour, one rips a ragged line along her calf, and the third thumps cleanly into her thigh and sticks there.

Joan takes 10 and 5 damage for 15 total.

On Jegger's end, the multiple hands of the demon wrestle with him. The first swing he attempts is foiled as it flails at him, but the second he can bring down into the meat of the monster before him. Timon's axe cuts through it easily, like a butcher slicing steak, but the lack of resistance the flesh offers means there's nothing to stop the demon from shoving his axe away and out the wound before he can slice it deeper.

Rather than seem discouraged, the hand-creature hoots with laughter!


The fists batter at the barbarian. One uppercuts him right in the jaw, sending sparks through his vision, and another thumps him in the chestplate hard enough it dents. As he reels, they grip on, squeezing and wrenching, trying to pull the barbarian apart. The hand gripping his leg tightens even more, and Jegger manages to fend off only one hand before The final fifth hand wraps around his neck like a python and begins trying the throttle the very life from him.

Jegger takes 8, 5, 4 and 8 damage, for 25 total. He is now gripped by four hands!

The half-cooked ape demon drops to the ground and scuttles on all four out of reach, leaving a horrible trail of singed fur and eyeball fluid. It leaps upwards, catching on to a stalactite and quickly scampering up the cliff face holding the cave until it's fifteen feet above the ground. There, it shudders again, and the eyes bulge, and even though another pops like an overripe grape-

it stares

Each member of the party must make a DC14 Wis save or take 1d6 psychic damage and have disadvantage on attack rolls any enemy except from the ape demon until the end of your next turn.

The clattering of hasty feet and rattling iron come from inside the cave. Something else is soon approaching the outside.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Round summary:

The three crossbowmen concentrate fire on Joan. They hit twice, for 10 and 5 damage respectively for a total of 15, and therefore force two DC10 concentration checks. The third crossbowman cultist misses miserably.

The cultist leader fires a firebolt at Ganiz and rolls a 2 before modifers, so yeah.

Handsy attacks four times against Jegger, getting two crits, an ordinary hit, and a miss. The grappled hand squeezes, getting an automatic hit. The three hits latch on, ready to squeeze next turn. The attacks 8, 5, 4 and 8 damage, for 25 total

Eyeballs survives the onslaught. As a BA, it disengages, climbs the cliff, and uses its eyes to repeat the action of last turn. Each member of the party must make a DC14 Wis save or take 1d6 psychic damage and have disadvantage on attack rolls any enemy except from the ape demon until the end of your next turn.


---

Jegger is 40ft ahead, 20 ft away from the crossbowmen. Joan is ahead, only 10 feet or so away from any of the crossbowmen, and 25ft or so from the leader.

The enemy crossbowmen are around 60ft away, in half-cover.

The enemy leader is around 80ft away inside the cave. The enemy leader has three-quarters cover.

The five-arm demon is out in the open, next to Jegger and grappling him.

The ape demon is fifteen feet, above the cave, next to Joan.

It is now all of your turns.

[agignac]

Joan noticed the pain of the arrows, but that was unimportant at the moment. The demons were her priority. However, she lost concentration on the thunder in her hammer, and for a moment, considered swearing. This fight was a bad one.

The ape-demon was maddeningly out of reach. It's summoner, however, was not. Joan crossed the space between them, and tried to take the frail-looking human down with her hammer. However, her head nearly burst with pain again, spoiling her aim.

This creature will wear us down with these fell attacks, she realized. Unable to reach it, perhaps she could force it to come down. "Descend, hellspawn, and face the wrath of heaven!"

Spoiler

Show

Casting Compelled Duel at eyeballs, Wis Save DC 14. Get down and fight! Everybody else help Jegger - if somebody attacks eyeballs, the spell ends if he takes damage from anybody but me. Unless you can finish him...

[Kushina43]

While it disappointingly doesn’t kill the eye demon, the lightning projector certainly lives up to its name, frying the ape til many of its eyes burst and somewhat injuring the lead cultist behind them. Her focus briefly returns to see Jegger being assaulted by the limb-head, battered and bruised but still standing for the moment. Before she could think of the next step, the eye-ape once again uses its distracting stare, forcing her attention and causing a sharp pain in her head. She raises her bow to retaliate, but Joan attempts to command it to duel with her powers, so she holds off for the moment.

Ratharon shakes her head and turns to a ducking Ganiz, pulling out one of the lightning vials. ”Hey, Ganiz, loading the pack for ya!”. She shouts through the headache as she kneels down to quickly stick the vial in the projector’s backpack - right as a firebolt sails over them. A quick survey of the scene again, Joan had been pelted with arrows - might that have happened before now? The eye-ape made it hard to keep track - and despite her distracted head she makes it her mission to deal with the cultists shooting them from range.

Her targets seem to multiply before her eyes, fighting to keep her gaze off of the ape, but she manages to loose two arrows in the right direction, both at a different crossbowman.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

move to Ganiz, Bonus Action to load the projector, then use attack action to hit two of the crossbow enemies in cover. Sharpshooter ignores cover, rolled with disadvantage due to failed save

[The Hellbug]

Ganiz stumbles back, shocked, as the bolt of lightning rips through the air from the device in his hands. He composes himself, though, as the bolt of fire soars past him and Rathoran informs him that the device is ready again. "That'll be all I need," he replies to her before taking off after Jegger and Joan. He plants his a few paces back from the grappling warrior. "Hold on, Jegger!" he calls as he aims the lightning projector and lets loose another bolt. Without even looking to to see what kind of damage he's caused, he rushes at the many-armed demon with a shout, ramming into it and trying to force it to the ground with his shield.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Action surge time! Bonus action to dash to get that movement up to 60, action to fire the lightning projector at the cave mouth again (this time hitting a cultist and the cult leader; if I can get more just tell me). Second action to attack to shove Handsy prone.

Lightning damage: (8d6)[35]
Attack: (1d20+6)[22]
Athletics: (1d20+7)[14]

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 37/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: Resistance to B,P,S Damage Raging: Yes Reckless: No Wild Surge Effect: 8 - Difficult Terrain to Enemies within 15ft It's hard for Jegger to track the rest of the battlefield, as the demon's hands are grabbing and pulling at him in all different directions. He can see a bright flash and smells the air burning before he hears Ganiz shout and the man is beside him forcing the demon to the ground. Thanks, Jegger says through gritted teeth, taking aim with the battleaxe and chopping at the creature. Spoiler: Turn 3 Show Saving throw succeeded vs Eyeballs gaze attack (rolled in Discord). Action - Attack Action Attack 1 w/Advantage (prone target) - (1d20+7)[23], (1d20+7)[17] Damage 1 - (1d8+6)[12] Extra Attack w/Advantage (prone target) - (1d20+7)[17], (1d20+7)[26] Damage 2 - (1d8+6)[11]

[Awful]

The monkey demon screeches, Joan's magic filling its mind with wrath as the compulsion takes hold.

The vial clicks into place in the backpack with a definite clack and Ganiz pulls the trigger. This time, one of the cultusts is caught in the path and thrown aside by the force of the bolt, limbs flailing, clearly dead, and bolt leaps into the cave. It snaps past Joan enough her flesh prickles with sparks and her hair raises to catch the old man full in the chest. The air fills with the stench of burning flesh as his breastplate, heated to red-hot, warps and roasts the skin beneath and the old man topples without a word, slumped awkwardly against the back of the cave.

Rathoran's arrows fly forth, but the rocky cover the cultists are hiding in proves sufficient to protect them from the missiles. Without someone to instruct them, the remaining two crossbowmen shoot at different targets; one at Rathoran, and one at Ganiz again.

The arrow aimed at Rathoran does a little better. Without the protection of a rocky outcropping, the bolt punches cleanly into her gut, blood already burblingup around the wound.

Rathoran takes 8 damage.

Ganiz, at least, avoids a second arrow wound so far; the bolt clangs off his shield without penetrating to clatter away off the hard ground. He's no time to celebrate, however. A necrotic-looking hand wraps with bonecrushing force around his ankle, squeezing until the bones click, and as the five-armed demon surges to his feet, it yanks his leg upwards. His balance teeters wildly as the monster threatens to upend him on his back.



Ganiz takes 8 damage and is grappled! The demon shoves him prone with an athletics roll of 17 to beat.

For Jegger's part, the axe raises and lowers, hewing into the demon, but it writhes with unholy vigour, and the three hands it left gripping him continue the wrench at the man, but the shifting and writhing of the two means the grips aren't quite as firmly crushing as they could otherwise be.

Jegger takes 5, 5, and 5 damage for 15 total.

The monkey demon leaps from the cave and scuttles towards the paladin. It rears up, the (remaining) eyes bulge, and this time, the psychic blast seems much more concentrated; the glare of the eyes fills Joan's world and sends blood hissing from her ears and nose.

Make a DC15 Wis save or take 3d8 psychic damage; save for half.

From within the cave, you can hear a barked command. Someone with a deep, snarling voice, calls a halt.

"The old man is dead," rumbles a scornful voice from deeper inside the cave, like two stones grinding together. "Fall back. We'll alert the others."

The clattering begins to receed.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Round summary:

The two last crossbowmen fire at different targets. One hits Rathoran for 8 damage.
The other misses Ganiz.

Handsy automatically hits Jegger three times for 5, 5, and 5, totaling 15.
It hits Ganiz for 8, automatically grapples, and shoves Ganiz flat, hitting and rolling a 17 in athletics.

Eyeballs drops down, approaches Joan, and unleashes a focused blast that tells Joan: make a DC15 Wis save or take 3d8 psychic damage; save for half.


---

Jegger and Ganiz is 40ft ahead, 20 ft away from the crossbowmen, playing with handsy. Joan is next to the ape demon by the cave entrance-ish. Rathoran is further back.

The enemy crossbowmen are around 60ft away, in half-cover.
One of them is smoked by lightning, leaving two left.

The five-arm demon is out in the open, next to Jegger and grappling him. It's also grappling Ganiz, who is currently shoved prone.

The ape demon is next to Joan, trying to boil her brain out her ears.

It is now all of your turns.

[The Hellbug]

Ganiz yelps when the demon pulls his legs out from under him. He tries his best to fall so that the projector on his back comes to the least harm and ends up coming down on his side with a thud. Immediately, he tries to get to his feet, but the demon's grip on his ankle is crushingly strong, and it yanks whenever he tries scramble up. With nothing else to do, the innkeep unsheathes his scimitar and slashes at the demon whenever he gets the opportunity.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Ganiz is now prone. Action to attack with disadvantage (but still sneak attack!) bonus action to Second Wind.

Second Wind heal: (1d10+2)[12]
Scimitar attack with disadvantage: (1d20+6)[7] (1d20+6)[20]
damage: (3d6+3)[12]

[Kushina43]

With the eye-ape bearing down on Joan, Ratharon's world reorients itself just in time to see her arrows bounce off the rocks hiding her targets, but with not enough time to fully perceive the bolt fired in return. The shot to her gut staggers her momentarily, but she's still in fighting shape, and takes a deep breath regardless. Her exhale mixes with the air around her into Zephyr winds, magically wreathing her body in its gusts before swirling around a newly nocked arrow aimed for her attacker. She takes a half-second to think over her options - the eye-ape's focus on Joan must be dealt with, and the limb-head grappling both Ganiz and Jegger could snowball harshly - but allowing these two to take potshots uncontested could distract them from their main challenge and prove harmful in their own right, as the arrow sticking from her gut can attest.

Confident in her decision making, she fires her first arrow at her attacker, the zephyr winds guiding the arrow true into its target with incredible force. Seeing him downed, her second arrow in rapid succession goes for their compatriot, the remaining crossbowman who thought themselves safe shooting Ganiz from cover, tearing through them quite well.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Bonus Action to cast Zephyr Strike. Attack on crossbow 1 with zephyr boost, crit and killed. Extra Attack on last crossbowman for 11 piercing damage. Both rolled on discord.

[agignac]

Joan staggers under the weight of the psychic attack, but at least it's just her this time. And the demon is now within reach of her. Stepping forward, she rasps, "You and your kind will ever be my enemy, and I will end you here."

She swings the warhammer straight at its face, damaging more eyeballs. They pop with a satisfying sound, leaking ever more unholy fluid down the thing's face. The creature tried to protect its face, but Joan wasn't done. She pressed the attack, hitting a second time, this time hearing the satisfying crunch of bone.

Spoiler

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Using bonus action for vow of enmity - granting adv on attack rolls. A meagre 5 points of damage. Second attack with max 12 points of damage

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 30/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: Resistance to B,P,S Damage Raging: Yes Reckless: No Wild Surge Effect: 8 - Difficult Terrain to Enemies within 15ft Jegger gives a grunt of exertion as he tries to shove the demon off of him and Ganiz, but he can't break its grip. He chops down again with the axe, This thing is tenacious! Spoiler: Turn 4 Show Action - Attack Attack 1 - Shove (rolled in Discord, failed) Extra Attack - (1d20+7)[12] Damage - (1d8+6)[13]

[Awful]

The hammer comes up, the hammer comes down. Pushing through the psychic pain, Joan brings her weapon down twice into the head of the demon, splitting it like a gourd. It spasms wildly, limbs flailing, and goes still, letting out a keening scream that echoes in more than just the physical ears. Her opponent smashed into the earth, she runs back towards her two male allies, who are currently grappling with the arm-demon. As she watches, it yanks Ganiz upwards to painfully crash back into the earth.

Meanwhile, Rathoran fires off a pair of arrows. With a crack of sudden wind, an arrow zips cleanly through a cultist's chest until the point gleams slick and red where it emerged from his spine. The man drops without a single sound, instantly slain. The other cultst cries out - and then again, when Rathoran's other arrow sinks deep into the meat of their shoulder. With a wheezing groan, they fumble for a bolt of their own. They fire back, and the bolt opens a hot line along the nomad's arm, but otherwise leaves her intact.

Rathoran takes 4 damage.

The heavy machine strapped to Ganiz's back rattles as he slames into the ground, the demon's grip still tight around his leg. The one free hand of the demon tries to secure a grip around his neck, and while he fends it off at first, the wiry strength of the horrible creature grips him by the lapel and bashes him again the earth. His head cracks painfully against a rock, stars in front of his eyes, as the demon cackles madly with sheer joy.

Ganiz takes 8 and 5 damage for 13 total.

Jegger strains his heroic strength against the demon, trying to shove it away against the strength of all three grips it has on him, but like a limpet, it just manages to cling on, its bare feet skidding against the earth - and ironically, the difficult terrain raised by the barbarian's magic providing just enough grip to let it push back again the man. All the meanwhile, the pair are wrestling, Jegger's axe blow twisted until it can't even touch flesh.

The monster's foul grip tightens, tightens. Any other man would have given in to the pain, but Jegger continues the fight.

Jegger takes 5, 8, 5 damage for 18 total.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Round summary:

Eyeballs dies.

Rath kills a crossbowman and injures the other. He shoots back, inflicting 4 damage.

Handsy succeeds in resisting the shove. He automatically hits Ganiz once and succeeds in a second attack for 8 + 5 = 13 damage.

It hits Jegger automatically for 5, 8, and 5 damage for 18 total.



---
Everyone but Rath is clustered by armsy.

The enemy crossbowmen are around 60ft away, in half-cover.
One remains, severely injured.

The five-arm demon is out in the open, next to Jegger and grappling him. It's also grappling Ganiz, who is currently shoved prone.

It is now all of your turns.

[agignac]

The other creature, which Joan had initially dismissed, looked to be more trouble than she'd thought it would be. Both men were well and truly grappled by the thing. With arms, legs, and more arms failing around, she was afraid to swing and hit one of her friends.

Lowering her shield, Joan waded slowly into the combat, putting her back into it, trying to shove the thing away from Ganiz and Jegger. If she could just get them free, then it would be easier to gang up on this unholy terror, and end its miserable existence.

For some reason, however, the ground around here was rougher and rockier than anywhere else, and the demon resisted. She managed to break its grasp on Ganiz, but couldn't get Jegger free.

[The Hellbug]

Once Joan shoves the demon away and breaks its grip on his neck, Ganiz's body tells him to stay down, to rest just for a moment as he looks up at the clear blue sky, but there's not time. With a deep breath, he gets to his feet and renews his assault on the demon, stepping into and out of its reach with each attack and no longer hindered by fighting from his back.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move to stand and get next to handsy again, action to attack. Bonus action to withdraw so he can step out of reach again at the end.

Attack: (1d20+6)[12]
damage: (3d6+3)[7]

[Kushina43]

The new red line along her arm doesn't bother Rathoran in the moment - she considers the damage, sees it low priority, and gives another glance at the field of battle. The eye-ape has been smashed by Joan's hammer, the biggest relief that will make sure she can finish the last of the cultists. The limb-head, meanwhile, continues to grip and tear at Jegger and Ganiz. Joan starts moving to help the others in melee, so Rathoran nocks another arrow and aims it at the final crossbowman, the curve of its trajectory getting around their cover and thudding into their chest for the fatal blow.

Now that the ranged threats are out of the way, she looks back at the melee with the limb-head. Joan has pushed the creature away, enough that its grip on Ganiz is broken, allowing him to stand up and strike back. She pulls out another arrow, twirling it in her hand while she calculates the shot against the last demon, and fires at its center mass.

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 30/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: Resistance to B,P,S Damage Raging: Yes Reckless: Yes Wild Surge Effect: 8 - Difficult Terrain to Enemies within 15ft Jegger continues raining down blows on the demon. Spoiler: Turn 5 Show Action - Attack (Reckless) Attack 1 - (1d20+7)[13], (1d20+7)[11] Damage - (1d8+6)[13] Extra Attack - (1d20+7)[11], (1d20+7)[24] Damage - (1d8+6)[11]

[Awful]

The last cultist takes an arrow to the chest and topples with a scream; Rathoran's accuracy has claimed his life, too.

Even as it's hacked at and shot with an arrow, the demon gurgles with mirthful abandon, the fiercely powerful grip still slowly crushing the life out of its victim.Shoved away from Ganiz, the creature awkwardly waddles towards the paladin, snatching at her with twisted fingers. Jegger's feet scuff in the dry ground as it tugs him along like a unwilling dog on a leash. It chuckles, wet and horrible.



It fumbles at her shield, nails screech across her helmet, but she manages to fend off its twisted hands. The monster continues to throttle Jegger.

Jegger takes 5, 8 and 7 damage for 20 total.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Round summary:

Last cultic dies. Armsy is all that's left.

It attacks Joan, but both attacks miss.

It hits Jegger automatically for 5, 8, and 7 damage for 20 total.



---
Everyone but Rath is clustered by armsy.

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 11/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: Resistance to B,P,S Damage Raging: Yes Reckless: Yes Wild Surge Effect: 8 - Difficult Terrain to Enemies within 15ft Jegger grunts in pain as the demon continues to crush him. He had tried to push the thing off, but with so many hands attached to him, it's grip was too strong. It moves toward Joan, dragging the man with him. The only thing to do was hope the demon was felled before he was. Spoiler: Turn 6 Show Action - Reckless Attack Attack 1 w/Advantage (1d20+7)[9], (1d20+7)[18] Damage (1d10+6)[10] Attack 2 w/Advantage (1d20+7)[10], (1d20+7)[22] Damage (1d10+6)[8]

[Kushina43]

With the other targets felled, all that remains is the limb-head desperately clawing at the melee combatants. Despite a good push to free Ganiz and rough terrain, the demon retains hold of Jegger, attempting to crush him within its grip, while its retaliation against Joan is deflected. Despite its taunt and lack of much resembling a face to read, Rathoran's intuition tells her this thing is on its last legs, and she aims to finish it off for good.

"A good try, demon, but no amount of hands will crush our spirits. Fall, fell creature!"

Two arrows fire almost simultaneously, swirling around each other's trails and both slamming into the demon at once in nearly the exact same point of impact.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Two attacks at range with longbow, rolled in discord, for 14 piercing (4, 10)

Rathoran Dhodom
Beast Master Ranger
HP: 15/35, HD: 5d10
AC: 14
Speed: 30
Condition: -
Spell Slots: 1st: 3/4, 2nd: 2/2
Concentration: -
Other Resources: Arrows (9, 10 used)