Ic - that bitter old king

[Awful]

The giant humanoid gives a loose shrug, rolling his shoulders. One of the desert tribesmen spasms wildly, suddenly, and briefly drops to a knee before standing back up, giving little whimpers. Kulderath eyes it for a second, then seems to dismiss it from his attention and return his unseen gaze to the party.
"Pride drove the King to master the Wheel and stand astride the world. Sure, it ended bad, but he had a pretty good run of things for a while, huh? Anyway, my plan had been to wait it out here while you stumbled about in the cave until reinforcements arrived. Then I'd pincer you with these dregs, wipe the slate." He jabs an oversize thumb over his shoulder at the twitching desert people. "'Course, somehow you've found your way here. I am curious how you did it. Devilry, I guess."

He gives another laugh.

"Maybe my chances would have been better fighting alongside those stiffs outside, but charging into the path of a lightning bolt didn't seem like a great planand to be honest - I didn't feel like rushing out to save those idiots. This is a fairer fight. Much more fun, so it's worked out in the end. Anyway, the dregs were sloppy work, so we better get this done before they start falling over by themselves. Four proper iron nail warriors and this would already be over."

He breathes in and out slowly, then slowly lowers the gigantic blunt slabsword into a low guard position.

"'Oh, great sun! Burn fiercely, until the might of your heat has scorched the land, and all know of your terrible majesty!'"

The cadence of the way he says it makes it clear he's quoting something - perhaps some ancient poet or philospher. You can't see his face, but the tone of his voice suggests a grin has formed on his hidden features.

"But know that all your flames must inevitably be swallowed by the horizon, and with their fading comes the unassailable tyranny of dusk.'
Don't let me down now!"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Alright, time for combat!
Roll init!
Kulderath has got 17.
The dreg soldiers got 13.

Kulderath is around 25 feet away, the dregs 30. The dregs are in half-cover from stalagmites, all seeming to be armed with scimitars.

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 50/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: -- Raging: No Reckless: No Wild Surge Effect: -- Jegger eyes go wide in alarm when the giant man begins to shout, but he quickly regains his composure and snarls, Kulderath the Undying! We'll make a liar out of you! With Timon's axe in hand and his shield in the other, he rushes forward. Spoiler: Initiative Show (1d20+3)[19]

[agignac]

Joan turned her memory back 75 years, to when she was training. One of the clerics, Sister Clara, had spent months researching demons with her, and trying to embed them in Joan's memory. Some of them, the really bad ones, were still known by some today. Sukkallomethe the Sky-drinker, Multitudinous Izerkiki, Yawlorotheid City-eater. Many more that she'd forgotten. Those ones possessed extreme strength and a cruel and terrible intelligence. But Joan has never heard of a demon like this. The demon legions of the King were forces of destruction - rage, without mercy. When they didn't kill or destroy, it was because of the magical bindings of the King or his sorcerers that prevented them. You've never heard of one just sort of talking like this, especially as he's not even trying to persuade you away from fighting him or changing your target. While many (if not all) demons can talk, none of them are what you'd call casual conversationalists. The epithet 'the undying' suggests it's unusual, but from what you've learned, it's true for all of demonkind. All the same, this creature before her is clearly not a mundane human. Joan finally formed her thoughts into a question and opened her mouth to ask it, but as usual, her wit was too slow. It seemed it was time to fight.

Spoiler

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(1d20-1)[4]

[Kushina43]

A conversation with a demon was not within Rathoran's expectations, but what she's heard didn't exactly lessen her anger. Especially with the grotesque motions of the desert people beside this Kulderath, clearly under some demonic influence. Their spasms and gurgles had her briefly question whether they were still salvageable, but the bodies in the previous room seemed to suggest they cared not for their victims, and that this could merely be demons puppeting corpses.

As for Kuld himself, Rathoran initially held back to avoid setting anything off, Jegger and Ganiz speaking instead. The big guy suggests something about the purpose God had in creating demons, but however much this was a world shaking revelation - at least, he made it sound like it was - would be lost on herself of slightly different teachings. Perhaps that difference is what made the desert tribes enticing targets.. a small part of her muses internally, perhaps without merit, yet successfully rising her temper once more enough to speak.

"King this, Wheel that, Pride whatever.. You see, big man Kuld, I'm not exactly in this for cosmic balance, to save face, or any grand purpose. I'm here to keep people alive. And this operation you've got here, the mountain of corpses made of my people, makes it clear that while you are, no one is safe. Which is why I am ready to do anything to put you in the dirt, even work with some devil."

Kulderath raises his weapon and begins some kind of chant - poetry, maybe? - and Rathoran angrily pulls out her own bow in preparation for the fight, scarlet eyes almost flaring with her temper as she glares at Kulderath.

"Let's test the real strength of that epithet, Mister "Undying!""

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled in Discord, Initiative was 8

[Awful]

As the Wheel turns, so comes the time for violence.

It is Jegger and Ganiz's turn.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Init:
Jegger: 19
Ganiz: 18
Kulderath the Undying: 17
Dregs: 13
Rathoran: 8
Joan: 4

Kulderath is around 25 feet away, the dregs 30. The dregs are in half-cover from stalagmites, all seeming to be armed with scimitars.

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 50/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: -- Raging: Yes Reckless: Yes Wild Surge Effect: 1 Jegger lets out a warcry and his eyes become inky black pools of darkness. Shadowy tendrils lack out from him as he advances, snaking out towards Kulderath and the dregs. Jegger himself is invigorated by their life force as he engages Kulderath with Timon's Axe. Spoiler: Turn 1 Show Bonus Action - Rage Wild Surge - 1 - Shadowy tendrils lash around you. Each creature of your choice that you can see within 30 feet of you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d12 necrotic damage. You also gain 1d12 temporary hit points. Dregs and Kulderath are all within 30ft, so they must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take (1d12)[4] necrotic damage. Jegger gains (1d12)[5] temporary hit points. Move - Move to engage Kulderath Action - Attack Attack 1 (Reckless) - (1d20+7)[23], (1d20+7)[18] Damage 1 - (1d8+6)[13] Extra Attack (Reckless) - (1d20+7)[21], (1d20+7)[17] Damage 2 - (1d8+6)[10]

[The Hellbug]

Ganiz bites his lip and waits, tense and alert, while Rathoran trades words with Kulderath. He glances at the group's foes, mentally preparing for what he's going to do when the big man draws his sword. When Rathoran begins to draw an arrow, the innkeep is already in motion. He agilely weaves through the stalagmites, finds an angle that he can send a single bolt of lightning through two of the dregs, braces, and pulls the lightning projector's trigger.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Cunning action to bonus action dash, move to a spot where I can line up two dregs and action to bring the lightning. If I've got any extra movement, it's going into distancing, and I'll use the Skirmisher reaction to leg it if anyone ends their turn next to me.

Damage: (8d6)[4][3][3][4][3][6][2][1](26)

[Awful]

The battle is on.

With a flurry of motion, the two sides begin to move, finding positions and preparing weapons to swing. The motion of light sends shadows cavorting in a mad festival across the walls of the cave, and one could almost see the spirits of the dead watching the battle in the frantic twisting of the light and dark.

As Jegger dashes forward, necrotic energy flows forth and steals life for his own. The Axe flashes and sinks into the flesh of Kulderath, and dull red blood wells from the cuts. The giant grunts at the impacts, and then laughs - this time a deep, booming roar that hurls the echo across the chamber.

"You'll need more than that!"

With two hands and a roar, the demihuman swings the enormous blunt blade at Jegger. Having left himself open for total offence, Jegger is unable to dodge. The first strike cracks his arm through his shield and knocks it aside as the slabsword hits with tremendous force, leaving him open for the follow-up blow as the sheer force of knocks him back. The demihuman chases, covering the distance in a single long stride as he prepares the next attack. It comes with the force of a meteor. For a moment the world is a blur of movement and pain. The impact has sent you stumbling, ribs cracked if not broken, and intense pain ripples along your left arm whenever you move it. The fingers don't quite grip as they should. You realise your breastplate is deeply dented.

Jegger takes 45 damage!

"Still standing? Very good!" he roars joyfully. Deep within the eyeslits of his mask, the tiny dots of eyelights flare with berserk energy. "Let us kill and be killed!"

Meanwhile, Ganiz has already made his way forward.

With a hiss-CRACK Ganiz fires the penultimate lightning bolt from the Projector. One of the jittering dregs catches the lightning bolt fully and spasms, screaming in pain, while another manages to jerk out the way of the worst of it. Ganiz's legs prickle through the water as the powerful electricity disperses.

The two he wounded come at him, blades flashing in the uneven light, their eyes madly wide and full of pain.

The blade of one shrieks off the projector's rod, leaving a bright line on the metal, but the second blow smoothly slices a deep cut on his thigh, just below where the chainmail's protection stops.

Ganiz takes 9 damage!

The other one takes only a few steps before he staggers, without even being struck again. He clutches at his head and howls in agony, a high, feral sound.

Another one of the ones behind does the same, scrabbling at his chest. He makes some horrible racking coughs, thin bile dripping through the cough over his mouth.

The fourth one dashes forward, straight for Rathoran, keening.

"Hur-rryyy," he gurgles, even as he does his best to bisect the wanderer. "Runnnn..."

Even as he tells Rathoran to flee, he drives his attack home, sending a slice across her stomach in an attempt to spill her guts across the cave. Hot blood blooms from the wound to contrast against the chill of the water.

Rathoran takes 9 damage!

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Summary:
Kulderath gets axed, but doesn't seem to mind too much.
Ganiz lightnings two of the dregs. One makes the save, the other doesn't.

Kulderath beats Jegger bloody with a hit and crit, summing 45 bludgeoning damage. Each hit drives Jegger back 5ft, and Kulderath steps forward each time to keep him in range.

The dregs have their turn. Two fail their d20 roll and so do nothing at all.
The remaining two move forward. One moves to Ganiz and attacks twice, hitting once for 9 damage. This probably then triggers Ganiz' scout feature.

The second runs up to Rathoran, and in what must be statistically unlikely, rolls the same hit and damage for 9 damage to her, too.

It's now all your turns.

Kulderath is next to Jegger.
Dreg 1 is quite injured and hasn't moved.
Dreg 2 is somewhat injured and next to Ganiz.
Dreg 3 hasn't moved.
Dreg 4 is next to Rathoran.

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 33/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: -- Raging: Yes Reckless: Wild Surge Effect: 1 Jegger lands two solid blows, but Kulderath doesn't even flinch, taunting the warrior as he brings his own massive sword down onto Jegger. The blow lands harder than any hit Jegger has ever taken, and he barely manages to keep hold of his the axe and stay on his feet. Kulderath shoves him back and lands another hit, driving Jegger back even further. Jegger grits his teeth, tasting blood in his mouth, and strikes back, hoping he and the others can prevail in this dark place. Spoiler: Turn 2 Show Rage Resistance reduces 45 damage to 22, and Jegger had 5 THP, so that's 17 damage, leaving him at 33. Action - Attack Kulderath (not recklessly) Attack 1 - (1d20+7)[27] CRIT!! Damage - (1d8+6)[14] +5 damage from Crit, rolled in Discord Extra Attack - (1d20+7)[23] Damage - (1d8+6)[7]

[agignac]

"Kill and be killed." It was clear from Joan's tone that she wasn't just repeating the warrior-slave's words; she was turning them into a vow.

Stepping forward, she held her shield up and swung her warhammer. It's gentle glow in the darkness belied the viciousness of her intended strike. She walloped the demihuman once, calling upon the divinity within her to lend righteousness to her strike. The divine light flared, searing into the demon.

Using her momentum, Joan swung a second time, again connecting with a loud "clang". However, she wasn't hurting it like she wanted to. She'd have to move faster, hit harder, if she wanted to survive this.

Spoiler

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Bonus action - vow of enmity - adv against Kundy.
Action - Two attacks. - two hits as per discord - 24 points of damage

[The Hellbug]

Ganiz wastes no time in slipping away from his attacker. He had hoped his opening salvo would end this fight before it began, but, seeing the savage beating Jegger is taking, the old warrior revises his strategy. He takes a brief moment disappear behind a stalagmite, holstering the lightning gun's projector and drawing his sling from his belt. He glances at his new wound, painful but not much more than that for now, unlucky and lucky both really, as he takes a breath and loads a stone. Suddenly, having given just enough time to keep his pursuer guessing, he leaps out from his hiding place, hurls a stone at the dreg, and runs towards where Rathoran is fleeing from her own attacker. "Rathoran, I'm going to need that last shot!" he shouts above the melee and his own splashing footfalls.

Spoiler: OOC

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Reaction to run 15 feet then movement to keep going towards wherever Rathoran is ending up. Bonus action to hide along that way at some point for a tricky ambush, but I already rolled my attack in the Discord and it missed.

[Kushina43]

As unsettling as these demon-possessed people were already, having one urge her to flee as they try to kill her shocks her yet again, her backstep to dodge its swing a half-breath late because of it and opening a gash. She grunts with the pain, though more angry than hurt, and takes a good look at both this person's erratic movements and the two behind who struggled to the point of immobility. She briefly shuts her eyes and inhales, then in the same breath she steadied herself, she both gave a quiet "I'm sorry." and exhaled her zephyr winds, wrapping her arms and legs in that magical whirlwind.

"Rathoran, I'm going to need that last shot!"

"On my way!" She launches herself away with the winds to find the nearest cover without retaliation, taking care to stay within Ganiz's reach, and after crouching behind a stalagmite on one knee she fires away at the immobile dreg Ganiz had previously zapped, aiming to finish the poor soul before they suffer any longer.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Bonus Action: Zephyr Strike
Move: Out of melee, take cover
Action: Attack + Extra Attack on Dreg 1, switch to Dreg 2 if Dreg 1 is killed.
Results:
-Attack 1: 19 to hit, 10 piercing damage
-Attack 2: 19 to hit, 7 piercing damage

[Awful]

Rathoran darts away, loosing a pair of arrows into the most injured dreg, and slumped as he is, he doesn't even begin to attempt a dodge before the two arrows strike him. He collapses onto his knees, then crumples on to his face, slowly dying the cold water around him red.

Meanwhile, Ganiz's stone clatters off a stalagmite, leaving a bold scuffmark against the milky stone.

Jegger and Joan together assail Kulderath. Together, they strike at him, hewing into his flesh or bludgeoning him with incandescent divine energy, and the big man takes it without a flinch. Even at vivid red blood drips from the axewounds, he lets loose another roaring laugh.
"Ahahaha! Keep it up!"
He counterattacks, the enormous blade swung with disgusting ease to first crash into Jegger, knocking him back again in a welter of sparks and a deafening clang, and then Kulderath simply continues the swing to plough into Joan. Water sprays up from her boots as she's driven back, bones aching with the force of it.

Jegger takes 23 damage; Joan takes 17, and they're both knocked back 5ft.

The dregs, meanwhile, are struggling. Only one of them has moved to fight; with Rathoran escaped, the dreg moves back towards Joan and Jegger, swinging wildly. Joan blocks it with her shield, but Jegger, the more battered of the two from the demihuman, feels the scimitar slice into his meat.

Jegger takes 9 damage.

The dreg that had previously sliced Ganiz is clutching at his swordhand, screaming through a bitten togue as he seems to wrestle with himself; another one still hasn't moved from his position, coughing violently and twitching.

With a roll of his head, Kulderath looks at them and sighs, bringing down his sword to send up a cloud of water and dust to cover him springing backwards. The slabsword sends up a fierce sleet of water as he drops it heedlessly next to the unmoving dreg.

"See?" he rumbles. "Substandard materials, substandard result. The only thing they're good for..."
He grabs the dreg around the head with one mighty fist and hauls him upright, drawing back the other. The man screams and clutches at the thick hand closed around his face before Kulderath slams a hand into his chest and grips something. With a grunt and a slick sound of metal and flesh, the dreg screams again, awful and loud, as a long iron nail is pulled from his chest above his heart - along with the handful of robe that had hidden it. The wound sprays blood, bright and aterial, and Kulderath holds up the corpse so the blood coats him in a gory shower. He holds him up for one, three, five seconds, before the spray stops and the dreg is barely twitching.

With a dismissive grunt, Kulderath hurls the body aside and retrieves his blade. Across his bulky body, his wounds have already begun to knit together. He turns to you, baptised in red, a saguine figure, and rolls his shoulders.
"Now, where were we?"

Spoiler: Summary:

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The first dreg takes two arrows to the chest and dies.
The second dreg rolls a one and does nothing.
The third dreg rolled a 1, does nothing.
The fourth dreg runs in between Joan and Jegger to attack. He rolls a 10 for Joan and a 20 for Jegger, striking him for 9 damage.

Kulderath hits Jegger for 23 and Joan for 17, then moves back and devours dreg 3, healing much of his wounds and killing dreg 3 in the process.

It's now all your turns.

Kulderath is further back, next to the corpse of dreg 3.
Dreg 1 is dead.
Dreg 2 is somewhat injured and hasn't moved.
Dreg 3 has been drunk like a juicebox and is dead.
Dreg 4 is in the middle of Joan and Jegger.

[Kushina43]

The bloody shower Kulderath took seemed to recover his strength, which Rathoran takes note of before running out of cover to Ganiz. She pulls the lightning vial from her pack and sticks it in the projector, hearing it buzz to confirm the loading successful. "You saw that too, yeah? Took a literal bloodbath and sealed his damn injuries. Much as I want to help Jegger and Joan by big game hunting, we'd best get the small fry out fast before he starts doing more of that, yeah? I'll start by taking pressure off them, I trust your aim and judgement." Another nod to confirm, then she darts back to the nearest cover before firing two shots at the thrall between the other pair, aiming for the brain and spine hoping to end it swiftly and painlessly.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move to Ganiz
BA: Reload Lightning Projector
Move to cover again if it's within reach
Action: Attack + Extra Attack Dreg 4. Rolled a crit and a 19 to hit via Discord, for 24 and 14 piercing respectively

[The Hellbug]

Ganiz shivers while Rathoran loads up the final vial of lightning, and his gaze stays locked on Joan and Jegger's struggle. Now that he's stilled, a thought creeps up through the adrenaline. Something's different this time. The demons, unnatural as they were, had seemed...alive, at least, for lack of a better word-- violent beyond reason and brought to life by death but living breathing things. The dregs, now that they're moving, seem closer to corpses dangling on unseen strings even if they bleed like anything else. Disgust is replaced by dread that grips Ganiz's chest while the holy warriors are battered by the huge, laughing man.

"...that too, yeah...want to help Jegger and Joan...small fry...start by taking pressure off of them, I trust your aim and judgement."

Ganiz's reserved nod comes late, but, almost in opposition to his own belief, he finds his feet and splits off from the ranger back towards where he had previously fired the weapon. The dual thunk of a pair of expertly aimed arrows into the other dreg barely registers as he aims the targeting rod with a shaking hand and lets loose another bolt of lightning at Kulderath and his final minion.

Spoiler: OOC

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Bonus action to dash. Getting back to where I can hit Kulderath and the final dreg at once and firing.
That'll be (8d6)[25] lightning damage.

[agignac]

Joan feels a shudder start deep in her soul, radiating outwards until her hammer and shield shake briefly. "This is why you call yourself undying?" she asks, her voice thick with revulsion. "You truly are damned."

She begins to close the distance towards him, then the room is lit with lightening. Shielding her eyes from it, she waits for the glare to die down, and immediately takes the final few steps to close with the demihuman again. "Science gives us lightning, but my father will provide the thunder."

She swings her hammer, once, twice, trying to channel her fear and her fury into strength and precision, so that this particular piece of evil would harry the living no longer.

Spoiler

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Bonus action to cast thunderous smite. If I hit, 2d6 bonus damage, and he's knocked back 10 feet and prone.
attack 1
(1d20+5)[17](1d20+5)[25]
damage (1d8+4)[8]
attack 2
(1d20+5)[8](1d20+5)[12]
damage (1d8+4)[11]
thunder damage (2d6)[5]

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 18/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: -- Raging: Yes Reckless: Wild Surge Effect: 1 As everyone bursts into action around him, Jegger limps after Joan. She summons a power that hits Kulderath with a resounding blow, sending the... man... to the ground. Jegger hacks at Kulderath with desperate fury. Spoiler: Turn 3 Show Move - Move to Kulderath Attack w/Advantage - (1d20+7)[23], (1d20+7)[26] Damage - (1d8+6)[12] Extra Attack w/Advantage - (1d20+7)[8], (1d20+7)[8] Damage - (1d8+6)[7]

[Awful]

Ganiz aims with a sort of quiet, determined desperation. With a crack of lightning, the final vial is fired. With a smooth motion, Kulderath brings his enormous sword in the way, like a shield, and while his hand blackens and burns, the lightning is conducted away into the water. The dreg isn't so lucky, the bolt sending his limbs spasming and dancing wildly as he collapses, blessedly dead.

The dreg by Jegger and Joan raises his blade to strike at them, but with a whiss-thunk-thunk, a pair of arrows appear in his eye and throat. With a relieved sigh, the man lowers his sword and sways on his feet. He looks in the direction of his killer, then without a word falls back against a stalagmite, the blade clattering from his hand. Rathoran darts away, out of sight, behind a column.

Meanwhile, the two melee champions race forward against Kulderath. With all her righteous wrath, her anger and fear and hatred for the infinite cruelty of demonkind exampled before her, Joan strikes, her hammer singing with the power in it-

-and it crashes against the demihuman with the force of a star, flashing blindingly bright, a roar of thunder hurling itself back and forth through the chamber in a rampage of sound, echoing wildly, and the huge not-man is hurled backwards to crash against stone hard enough to crack it. Never before has she channeled such of her father's power in a single blow, and her very essence roils with it, as if her very soul is a storm, rushing her onwards against the foe.

Jegger moves in, axe flashing, but such was the force of the sacred smite still bouncing in his skull he finds himself staggering, his wounded arm screaming in protest against moving, he finds his limb siezing up and his axe crashes into stone instead of flesh. He manages to keep his grip as Timon's Axe shivers in his fist.

With another roar, still moving, still undying, Kulderath surges to his feet, clawing his way up the rock face with one hand to help him stand. The tremendous thundering blow had struck him in the face, and the flawless porcelain white of it is shattered with a crazy network of cracks. As he rises, a great shard tumbles free, revealing a great fanged maw. He reaches up and forces his jaw back into its socket with a horrendous crunching grind and smiles. It's a stretched wide baring of the teeth, almost ear-to-ear, a grin without an ounce of human limits or reason. Across his huge body, wounds leak vividly red blood, steaming like geysers in the cold air of the cave.

"That burn... the touch of Heaven! I know it well! You're full of surprises!"

Spoiler: The Joy of Destruction

Show

"I'm not damned but blessed! To have one purpose, one need, to fill until the very Wheel is shattered!! To fight!"
As he speaks, he swings his great slabsword, but he's a fraction slower than before - enough Joan can bring her shield up in a parry that rattles her bones but lets it shriek off her defence. It's the first time the giant warrior's blows were even slow enough to attempt a defence.
"Kill!"
As if spurred by the miss, he brings it into motion again and crashes it into Jegger, sending him reeling back again. His entire frame shudders under the impact. Even the incredibly durable warrior finds he's reaching his limits; battered beyond any other man, Jegger feels the pain in every pore.
"And die! Over and over!"

Jegger takes 21 damage.

"Fight! Kill! Die! Bare your teeth and abandon all reason!! Let us slaughter each other and laugh madly!!"

Spoiler: OOC

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All the dregs are dead!

Kulderath is smited like the smack of God himself, but made his save vs the lightning bolt. The last dreg didn't, though.

He hits Jegger once for 21 damage, but misses Joan.

He's starting to look quite wounded, but he's not done for yet...

It's all your turns. Fight! Kill! Die!

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 8/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: -- Raging: Yes Reckless: Wild Surge Effect: 1 Jegger wobbles as he is knocked back by Kulderath's mighty sword swing. His hearing is getting muffled and his vision is blurry at the edges. He can't feel his limbs, so he looks to one hand and then the other, confirming his axe and shield are still there. Fight, kill die. Jegger will do it. But he isn't abandoning reason. He's always been tough, able to withstand what many others couldn't. He might be able to take one more hit from Kulderath, which might allow the others to take the giant cultist down. He can hear Gendo in his thoughts, This is no time for caution Jegger. Surging forward, Jegger leaves himself wide open to attack, aiming for the wounds Joan inflicted on Kulderath with her radiant smite. Spoiler: Turn 4 Show Move - Move back to Kulderath Action - Attack Kulderath Recklessly Attack 1 - (1d20+7)[26], (1d20+7)[18] Damage 1 - (1d8+6)[9] Extra Attack - (1d20+7)[18], (1d20+7)[16] Damage 2 - (1d8+6)[11]

[Kushina43]

With all the thralls killed and no more chances for Kulderath to heal his wounds after Joan's mighty blow, Rathoran looks to the large demon, toothy maw exposed and steaming blood from his growing injuries. He bounces an attack against Joan's shield but hits Jegger in its follow-through, and in that moment she dashes from her cover and slides on the cave floor while aiming, exhaling to steady her nerves. While sliding, the zephyr winds swirl up from her legs and around her body, then focus into the arrow moments before firing, the winds guiding the projectile towards Kulderath at incredible speeds. The blowback from the shot launches her to her previous cover, the winds wrapping her legs yet again as she kneels to fire a second arrow.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Moving between cover while firing the first arrow, getting into cover, then firing the second.
First arrow with advantage rolled 21 to hit, dealt 21 piercing and 7 force. Second arrow rolled 6 to hit and misses.

[The Hellbug]

That this Kulderath is tough is beyond question, both he and Jegger are fighting well past what Ganiz assumes any mortal could bear, but his quickness in deflecting the loaned weapon's final bolt of lightning practically beggars belief for one with a weapon so large. Ganiz is still reeling from this when Joan's blessed blow connects. The innkeep steps back from the sheer sound of her holy mace crashing into the huge not-man, but Kulderath being thrown to the floor and rising, bloody and mad, is the first sign that he may indeed be flagging. With that in mind, Ganiz raises his sling again and aims for the masked monster's head, adding his meager-seeming contribution to the battle.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Sweet, back to the old standby. Move, hide in the stalgamites, attack. Since I've got an ally on Kulderath, it's a sneak attack either way.
Hide: (1d20+6)[15]
Attack with sling: (1d20+8)[11](1d20+8)[24]
Damage: (1d4)[1]+(2d6)[2]+3=6

[agignac]

Joan staggers under the force of her own attack, the pure wrath of heaven echoing through the chamber for long seconds. She didn't think she'd ever channeled that much power before. It had drained her, but the fight wasn't over yet. The insane demon was laughing... laughing! Jegger had taken more punishment than she had thought possible, and if they didn't end this soon, the brave fool wasn't going to see the sunlight again.

Gritting her teeth, she advances on the demon, her warhammer raising and falling like a piston. As she swings, she shoulders her shield down and into his knees, trying to drop him to the floor. She didn't know about "over and over," but she was certainly going to try to kill him, and hopefully not die in the process.

Spoiler

Show

First hit 21 for 10 damage.
2nd hit 19 for 11 damage.
Shove athletics check of 20 to knock prone.

[Awful]

Jegger presses himself to the attack, hewing into the demihuman's body with Timon's Axe, pushing past the pain and resistance of his own body. More steaming red blood gushes forth from the terrible wounds, and Kulderath staggers as the water around his ankles turns increasing red and churned with the violence. He lifts his slabsword to retaliate when a arrow flashes out of the dark with tremendous force, sinking into his shoulder hard enough to project our the other side and sending him twisting with the impact - and Ganiz's slingstone cracks off the tip of one of the mask's horns, just away from a clean impact.

Into this comes Joan again, hammer swinging, and the paladin delivers one, two strikes - and finally crashes into him with her shield, and the demihuman topples away to land in a spray of freezing droplets on his hands and knees. For a second, he stays there, a thin line of blood drooling from his exposed mouth, and it seems like the inhumanly tough creature before you must be done. His muscles bludge, and with a monstrous roar, he tears himself to his feet. One of his arms hangs limp, and with furious strength he swings the slabsword with just a single hand.

Jegger tries to block. He really does. But, where any other man would have already have died, his body finally lets him down. His shield rises, slow, too slow, and the enormous blunt blade of Kulderath's weapon slams into him with irrestistable force. His feet leave the ground, the momentum of the swing carrying the wandering warrior in a spiraling fall that ends with a hard impact with the shallowly-submerged stone of the cavern floor. Next to him, Timon's Axe splashes into the cold water and settles beneath the surface.

Did you do yer best, boy? Ain't no shame in it if you did.

The water seeps under his armour. He doesn't feel the cold of it.

Ain't many heroes unlucky enough to get old, boy.

Here in the cave, far beneath the earth, the dark welcomes him with gentle arms.

Jegger is dying.

Kulderath howls, a awful sound of triumph. As if drawing strength from Jegger's defeat, with unavoidable momentum, the slabsword hurtles through the air again and Joan finds himself driven back, with the impact, armour freshly dented. She too can feel her body starting to give out in the last quarter, even as her quarry slumps, chuckling through bloody teeth. The statue-belonging weapon the demihuman carries is allowed to slide from a ready position until the cracked tip of it impacts the cavern floor.

Joan takes 12 damage.

"Good fight," the being before you rumbles. Even nearly bent double, hacked and bludgeoned, pierced with arrows and scorched by lightning, there's a terrible vitality in the lights of his eyes, a fierce bubbling joy at odds with his damaged body. He pants for breath, great beastly steaming clouds billowing from his mouth like his guts are a furnace. "Not many have beaten me before."

Kulderath the Undying draws himself up to his full height, staring down at you all with an unbowed head. He lets out a final bellowing laugh and swings his blade up onto his shoulder, until he was mimicing the position you had first encountered him in.
"I look forward to our rematch! Come, then!"

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Kulderath knocks Jegger to 0 with one attack and hits Joan with another for 12 damage.
The next hit will almost certainly finish him off.

[The Hellbug]

Kulderath's words are confusing to Ganiz, sounding triumphant even as he appears to be giving up. Given poor Jegger's state, though, the innkeep doesn't have time to ponder that. He darts to another stalagmite, drops a stone into his sling, and hurls it towards the monstrous man.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolls in the Discord. Hide, move, attack for 15 damage.

[agignac]

Joan's ribs creak, and for a moment her vision goes blurry. She nearly drops, catching herself with hands on knees, struggling to focus. The water swirls red around her feet, lit by the gentle glow of her hammer. Jegger's blood. Jegger is dying. She can save him, but only if she acts fast. Time to finish this.

Pushing herself upright, Joan catches a glimpse of Ganiz. The man, unnaturally stealthy, slips behind a pillar. Help him, distract him." Her thoughts were a jumble, blurred by pain and anger and fear.

As the insane demon straightened his broken body for one more swing, Joan forced herself to mirror him. Stepping so that he was forced to turn and face her (putting his back to the adventurer-turned-inkeep-turned-adventurer), Joan forces a smile onto her face. Striking her shield with her hammer, she says, "Come then, and feel the wrath of heaven."

The paladin raises her weapon in a stupid, showy, overhand grip. It leaves her flank wide open, and the demon takes the bait. If he strikes her, he'll crush her rib cage and the organs it protects. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a stone fly.

[Awful]

Kulderath grins wider as he sees Joan take a challenging position. With a rumble of laughter, he trudges forward, bringing back the great slabsword-

And Ganiz hurls a stone from his sling.

Even as the demihuman takes an unsteady step forward, the stone hurtles forth to strike him clean in the mask. The creature stops. His head sways back.

Slowly, the mask falls from his face in pieces. His face is almost human, sharply-boned and a aquiline nose, except from the fanged grin and the red-on-black of his eyes. Only the golden stud in his forehead remains. Very slowly, his head turns to look at Ganiz.

"Heh heh... we'll... meet again..."

His grip slips on the greatsword, and it falls to the cavern floor with a defeaning crash. With a exhaled breath, the giant man falls sideways in a spray of subterreanian water. The lights of his eyes fade slowly and are gone.

Victory is yours.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Combat over!

Well done; it wasn't an easy fight.With that, the first of the groups of demons are destroyed.

Everyone gains a level.

[agignac]

Joan barely spared a glance at the demon as he fell. She was already dropping her hammer and her shield, and dropping to her knees beside Jegger. His body was a ruin - the blunt slabsword having crushed many bones, and she could only assume, internal organs. His eyes were closed, his breath a quiet rasp, barely there. Joan lifted his head and scooched herself closer so his head was on her marginally-more-comfortable-than-the-stone-floor lap. Placing her fingertips on his temples, she closed her eyes and concentrated on that spark of life within her. This was something that came from herself, not her father, and it was slow to respond. "Come back, strongheart," she whispered, "wake up. We need you with us."

[Dr.Samurai]

Jegger Human Barbarian AC: 20 HP: 5/55 PP: 12 PIv: 9 PIs: 12 Conditions: -- Raging: Reckless: Wild Surge Effect: -- That doesn't make any sense, Jegger whines, looking up at Gendo's tall figure, squinting as the man was backlit by the noon sun. Jegger, pay attention. Where is the force in the strike? Gendo holds the training stick out. Jegger points to the tip, the part closest to him. That's right boy. And if you flinch away, or turn to run, what happens? You hit me with it, Jegger says, rubbing the bump on his head. Right again, I think these lessons might be sinking in! Gendo grins, but when Jegger doesn't return the smile, he continues, Ok, now what happens if you come toward me? Come on, get up boy. This time come toward me. Jegger stands up, a look of apprehension on his face. Gendo frowns, Jegger, do you trust me? ... yes Gendo. Then trust me. When I swing at you, come at me. Don't run, come right at me. Jegger nods and gets into his ready stance. Gendo swings the stick, and Jegger snaps forward, one leg between Gendo's legs to leverage a throw, and Gendo's shirt in Jegger's tiny fists, to propel the man to the ground. Jegger looks up to see a satisfied look on Gendo's face looking down, Where is the tip of the stick Jegger? The boy cranes his neck to see it behind him, where Gendo's strike is frozen in the air. Now if I want to hit you, I have to swing the stick this way, not the same force right? He bops the boy a few times. Jegger nods, No, it's not a good attack position. They both relax. That's right Jegger. Sometimes trying to get away from the danger puts you in more danger. Runnin' from an archer is no good for you. Backin' away from a club or a sword strike might put you right in the path of the sword point. But if you get in, you're inside the danger. It can't get you. YOU become the danger. How do I know when to move in and when to back away? That comes with time boy, and experience. What's important right now is that you know it's an option, that you break free from your normal instincts. You're not some kid who's going to run at first sight of danger Jegger, you're going to be a great warrior. So you have to think like one. You have to know all the options open to you in a fight, because your enemies will be strong, and wily, and sinister. Jegger sits for a time, I hope I get to be as good as you when I'm big Gendo. Ain't many heroes unlucky enough to get old, boy. What? Jegger turns to regard Gendo but the man is now wearing a mask, with a massive sword resting on his shoulder, ... Gendo? FEEL THE WRATH OF HEAVEN BOY! Jegger is nearly rent in two. He tries to hold the wound but his torso isn't there. He screams but there is water everywhere and he's drowning. He tells his arms to swim up but his body can't move. We'll... meet again... Everything is cold, and dark. The only thing outside of him is a faint and distant commotion, and then... Come back strongheart... A light in the dark, he wants to go to it... Wake up. We need you with us. --------------------------------------------------- Gendo! Jegger's eyes open, and the vision of an angel silhouetted before a halo coalesces into Joan, applying her healing hands to Jegger's wounds. Joan? He groans, a wave of pain moving through his body, limbs, and head. He looks to see Kulderath slumped on the floor, You guys did it. He manages to smile through his injuries, I knew you'd win the day. He slowly struggles to his feat, How is everyone? he asks, looking the party over.

[agignac]

Joan sagged with relief as Jegger groaned and began to wake up. She chuckled at his humility, which turned into a groan of her own as the laugh hurt her bruised (and likely cracked) ribs.

"I think we can all take credit for this one," she said, pulling her healing potion from her backpack. "Here, drink this. A badly stubbed toe will put you down again, and I am drained."

She turned to the others. "Ganiz? Rathoran? How do you fare?"

Joan pushed herself to her feet, and hobbled over to the demon's downed form. "How "undying" do you think he is?" She looked at her warhammer, then dropped it, and asked to borrow the axe. "Perhaps this will make it harder for him to come back," she says, and she begins to hew at his neck.

[The Hellbug]

Ganiz loads another stone into his sling and waits for Kulderath to stir again when the huge warrior falls, but his caution proves to be unfounded. Though there is a finality to the way he had crashed to the ground, Kulderath's final words echo in once in Ganiz's mind.

"We'll...meet again..."

The innkeep is slower to Jegger than Joan, but he quickly jogs, splashing through the cold water, to his side, just in time to watch Joan's healing miracle in silent awe. No less astounding, though, is that the warrior of the Fool still lives. Ganiz starts to offer a hand but, noting Jegger's condition, instead bends down to get a hold under his shoulder, nodding for Joan or Rathoran to do the same on the other side to help get the big man to his feet. "Better than both of you," he answers to both Jegger and Joan, "I'll make it back to the surface alright, long as we don't run into the other side of the vise Kulderath was waiting for." Watching, Joan move to their foe's corpse, he thinks for a moment before continuing, eventually directing a question at Jegger. "We surprised him. I'd bet we have some time but not much. Can you walk?"