Post by David on Apr 30, 2013 18:21:20 GMT -5
The heroes (Malkierian, Pudic, Aerone, Talos, and River) retreat from battle, narrowly escaping the orcs, demons, and undead beneath the fortress. Reaching the courtyard, the heroes run into the two vrocks and nabassu; no matter how fast the party can run, demons can teleport...
One vrock swoops down to attack the heroes while River shoots the other out of the air. The fiend slams into the snow with a thud. Clod and Talking Bird arrive at this point, the shaman having drunk the potion of extra-healing the party left him. The dwarf moves to finish off the downed vrock while Malkierian takes on the other one. Meanwhile, the nabassu soars above the combat invoking various magical effects, including paralyzing Talos and claiming the souls of Clod, Pudic, and River. Although the River makes relatively short work of the vrocks, the nabassu is immune to normal arrows as well as all of Malkierian's magic missiles. Meanwhile, ghouls arrive, but Aerone's aura keeps the creatures at bay long enough for the paladin to turn them.
About this point River begins nailing the nabassu with arrows tipped with cold-wrought iron. During all of this time, Talking Bird has been casting call lightning; with devastating effect, the shaman unleashes a thunderbolt from the heavens, dropping the nabassu. A chop from Clod's magical axe send the creatures soul hurtling back to the Abyss...and the claim on his own, River, and Pudic's souls to his axe!?! A few orcs led by two ogres arrive and wound the paladin, but River rains feathered shafts of doom into their midst, slaying the powerful foes and sending (the same) few orcs running (again). The heroes finish their remaining foes and set up a brief camp in the gate house, the shaman periodically unleashing additional lightning bolts against various points of the castle. River even manages to pick off three of the four ghouls that fled!
The heroes tend their wounds and attempt to take the lower level of the fortress again. First however, Pudic hunts down and kills most of the surviving orcs. Then the group enters a large room with an octagonal shaft leading down in the center. While the party makes short work of the half dozen orcs and orogs (finally taking out the last of those that had fled the previous fights), they are suddenly plunged into darkness!
Clod manages to get a torch to Talking Bird who produces flame revealing four MORE vrock and another nabassu have flown up from the level below! The heroes are now fighting for their lives, luckily somewhat protected by Aerone's holy aura. The vrock go down very quickly and Malkierian tears into the nabassu; this one lacks the headroom to fly about and use its abilities from the air. It is only the gallant's mirror images that keep the young man alive; it would appear that in addition to their fearsome magics, nabassu are also immensely strong! The creature manages to claim a hold of both River and Malkierian's souls, but the party ends the creature's existence first.
Badly wounded, the group retreats to the surface and back to the safety of Timbervale, where they heal up with the help of both Brother Ilya and Kurgan the druid...
Status (next day):
Aerone: 23 of 29, ACH
Pudic: 20 of 40, ACH
Malkierian: 19 of 49
River: 14 of 76, ACH
Talos: 17 (full)
Talking Bird: 36 of 40, slightly limpy left hip (-1", -2 Dex)
Clod: 16 of 42
One vrock swoops down to attack the heroes while River shoots the other out of the air. The fiend slams into the snow with a thud. Clod and Talking Bird arrive at this point, the shaman having drunk the potion of extra-healing the party left him. The dwarf moves to finish off the downed vrock while Malkierian takes on the other one. Meanwhile, the nabassu soars above the combat invoking various magical effects, including paralyzing Talos and claiming the souls of Clod, Pudic, and River. Although the River makes relatively short work of the vrocks, the nabassu is immune to normal arrows as well as all of Malkierian's magic missiles. Meanwhile, ghouls arrive, but Aerone's aura keeps the creatures at bay long enough for the paladin to turn them.
About this point River begins nailing the nabassu with arrows tipped with cold-wrought iron. During all of this time, Talking Bird has been casting call lightning; with devastating effect, the shaman unleashes a thunderbolt from the heavens, dropping the nabassu. A chop from Clod's magical axe send the creatures soul hurtling back to the Abyss...and the claim on his own, River, and Pudic's souls to his axe!?! A few orcs led by two ogres arrive and wound the paladin, but River rains feathered shafts of doom into their midst, slaying the powerful foes and sending (the same) few orcs running (again). The heroes finish their remaining foes and set up a brief camp in the gate house, the shaman periodically unleashing additional lightning bolts against various points of the castle. River even manages to pick off three of the four ghouls that fled!
The heroes tend their wounds and attempt to take the lower level of the fortress again. First however, Pudic hunts down and kills most of the surviving orcs. Then the group enters a large room with an octagonal shaft leading down in the center. While the party makes short work of the half dozen orcs and orogs (finally taking out the last of those that had fled the previous fights), they are suddenly plunged into darkness!
Clod manages to get a torch to Talking Bird who produces flame revealing four MORE vrock and another nabassu have flown up from the level below! The heroes are now fighting for their lives, luckily somewhat protected by Aerone's holy aura. The vrock go down very quickly and Malkierian tears into the nabassu; this one lacks the headroom to fly about and use its abilities from the air. It is only the gallant's mirror images that keep the young man alive; it would appear that in addition to their fearsome magics, nabassu are also immensely strong! The creature manages to claim a hold of both River and Malkierian's souls, but the party ends the creature's existence first.
Badly wounded, the group retreats to the surface and back to the safety of Timbervale, where they heal up with the help of both Brother Ilya and Kurgan the druid...
Status (next day):
Aerone: 23 of 29, ACH
Pudic: 20 of 40, ACH
Malkierian: 19 of 49
River: 14 of 76, ACH
Talos: 17 (full)
Talking Bird: 36 of 40, slightly limpy left hip (-1", -2 Dex)
Clod: 16 of 42