(The resultant slope you guys are on is not too severe, but does warrant a fairly simple climb check given the amount of loose rock, et cetera. It's DC 2 to move at one-quarter speed, and DC 7 to move at half your normal movement rate. Using a rope, you guys can move at half your normal rate with no check required. For this round, since the DC is so low I've gone ahead and made the rolls for those involved.)
Xiao makes his way to level ground. As Fendric's bless completes, the monk meets up with Raven, who tosses down a rope to the others.
Tatlock is the first to make his way up. He scrambles, but seems cool-headed, at least until he looks down into the gaping hole left in the ground. His eyes widen, seemingly at the intimidating darkness below, but as he scrambles behind Raven, he catches his breath to shout: "There's a man in the hole! A little scary man!"
Oliver, Nurthk and Hiritus are close enough to look down and see for themselves:
It is not a man exactly, but certainly a manlike shape. It's dark down that fissure, but the shape can be made out: Something about four feet tall, seemingly formed of rock itself, struggling its way up the sides of the crevice at an intimidating pace. It's about twenty feet down at the moment, but making its way up quickly. Nurthk's readied action may apply to this enemy as well. (Since, at Tatlock's announcement, both Hiritus and Nurthk can see them coming, I've adjusted your readied actions appropriately.)
Nurthk helps Oliver to the rope, then begins twirling his axes in anticipation of a coming attack.
Oliver makes his way up the rope. In a flash, he recognizes the birds for what they are: Arrowhawks, creatures of the elemental planes. Skillful flyers, predators... and they're said to be capable of firing lightning, from the tail, if memory serves. Looking down, there is time to wonder if Nurthk will ever have a chance to hit them with those flame blades.
Attention is drawn away from Nurthk's fireshow to Cylantro's much larger one, which engulfs all four of the engulfing birds. They spin gracefully through the force, and as the flames clear, can be seem resuming their approach undaunted, and by all appearances unscathed.
The horses, meanwhile, struggle to regain their footing. Whistler stands, as does Cylantro's mount. (Whose name I've forgotten.) Gale and Vespers, however, do not; instead they writhe with agonized whines, and both Nurhtk and Fendric have time to come to the cringing realization that legs have broken.
What effect this sight must have on Justice cannot be seen; she stands her ground, facing her duty as firmly as the rider atop her. Hiritus raises his sword with a flourish, ready to take the first attacker who comes within reach.
In his case, it's the earth elemental that has risen to the surface. Nurthk takes a good chunk out of it with his axe; it's unclear if it survives the blow (partly because I'm estimating Nurthk's attack/damage, but it's very clear that between the two of them, the thing dies), but with no good reason to take any chances, Hiritus swings his sword down far and through the thing, sending it back down the hole in a wide scatter of rocks. Unfortunately, three others can be seen surfacing at the two other fissures nearby.
Meanwhile, the arrowhawks have all but reached the party. They soar about thirty feet in the air above to the level surface of the cliffs (about 45 feet vertically from Nurthk and Cylantro's level). Enough time to let loose one last volley of arrows, Oliver would judge, before they can get close enough to let loose their electric attacks.
The sea, at least, remains still for the moment, despite Xiao's warning. Although there was certainly much less shoreline visible before the earthquake hit... (Again, not shown cause I'm too lazy to edit it up.) The clouds overhead, however, can be observed to darken dramatically, and thicken, seemingly, if such a thing could be said to happen...
Round 3
24 Raven
23 Tatlock
22 Nurthk
21 Oliver
20 Cylantro
17 Hiritus
12 The Birds
5 Xiao
3 Fendric
