stonegod's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft: Ch. I [IC]

Forest Trials: Round 9

Marot shoots blindly, but the violent bolt streams wide. [Miss due to concealment] Ladreth is similarly stymied, his brain refusing to focus. Tessa too suffers, and defends herself cautiously from unseen foes.

Shaking her head at her "companion's" effectiveness, the White Lady barks something to the bear before her mirror forms begins to crack and shift. Her features become more feral, her mouth and hand elongating into savage forms. Only the fact that she maintains a majority of her original features indicates her change is self-induced, not a curse. [bite of the werewolf]

The mad fey changes tact, and tosses a bolt of flame at the winded paladin. It hits her directly, searing flesh! [7hp] As Ashlyn fights off the glancing glimpse at the creature's unnatural lushness [Almost catches sight of nymph], the beast presses its attack, still moving too fast. Its swings are overconfident, but enough to leave Ashlyn open for another savage bite to the bone. [6hp + 1 Con damage] Its motions then start to slow, as if some effect had worn off.

A grim grin on her lip, Ashlyn more carefully slashes at the beast's hide. Her first missed swing sets up for her second which slams into the beast's flank, causing it to howl. [1 hit; 14hp + 3 decomposition; moderately wounded] The paladin then hears the bear move up beside her. Its claws tear away a swath of flesh, and even as it heals, some of it festers from Janis' magic. [15hp before DR and decomposition]

Forest Trials: Round 10


M: 22 [blinded; prayer 4 rounds]
L: 13 [26/41; 1 Con damage; stunned 3 rounds; prayer 4 rounds]
T: 11 [blinded; prayer 4 rounds]
J: 9 [34/42, mirror image (4 images, 26 rounds); prayer 4 rounds, bite of the werewolf 6 rounds]
V: 8 [decomposition; prayer 4 rounds]
H: 7 [E5: dying; C5: dead; R5, moderately wounded, decomposition, prayer 4 rounds]
A: 5 [14/43; 2 Con damage; prayer 4 rounds; bull's strenght 58 rounds]
b: 3 [prayer 4 rounds]

Map Key: A: Ashlyn, b: The Bear, J: Janis, L: Ladreth, M: Marot, H: Shifter Werewolf, T: Tessa.
Conditions: Green Border: mirror image, Orange Border: Blinded, Pink Border: Prone, Yellow Border: Stunned

Stretching obscenely in her new form, Janis narrows her eyes and begins yet another transformation - her shoulders hunching over and sprouting fur until she once again assumes the form of a bear - this time horrifically twisted by her previous magics.

Tessa could hear the sounds of combat, and it was difficult to tell which growls came from the bear and which came from the were-shifter. She could hear Ashlyn fighting, though it didn't sound like it was going well... There was little that she herself could do to help- but there were some options- drawing upon the power of the Sovereign Host, she channeled healing energy, then stepped cautiously forward, hoping the paladin was still close enough to reach.

OOC: Cast Cure Serious Wounds (using Remove Curse slot; for 3d8+5 healing), then 5-foot step "north" and attempt to reach Ashlyn for melee touch.

The smell of burnt flesh wafting from her, Ashlyn grimaces from the pain of the burns, but steadfastly continues to focus on dealing with the beast before her, refusing to be distracted by her wounds or by the scantily clad creature deep within the cave. Still fighting defensively, the silver morningstar continues to swing a gleaming path towards the great beast again and again.

[Full combat expertise (+5AC, -5 attack) -> AC 27]
[Full attack vs shifter +7/+2, damage 1d8+7/1d8+7 (added in bonus's from prayer - forgot them earlier)]

AC: 21; HP: 26/41; 1 Con; Stunned

The lightning passed by him, scorching his armor and singing his side, but Ladreth hardly noticed. He was back at home, the short chubby half-orc that all the other kids called "One-Eye". Today he was dodging stones, thrown from a group half a block away. With tears streaming from his right eye and his hands and arms protecting his head, he ran down the street, to his mother who was so cold.

An explosion of flame brought Ladreth back to the now, his muscles not in his control, his fear back to the forefront of his mind. At this moment any person could slowly walk up to him and slit his throat, spilling his blood like they did to the stalker, and Ladreth knows this. Ladreth fears this.

No.

Deep from within a voice, his voice, blankets his perverse thoughts, with a single, strong word. But slowly, the chatter of a thousand grows from the din back to the roar it previously was.

Forest Trials: Round 10

Marot continues to strike out blindly, missing wildly, the green pillar pulsing with his hate. Ladreth begins to feel the numbness leave him, but still struggles against it. [1 round remaining] But Tessa, hearing labored breath, casts a spell of protection and groups blindly in the dark for the wounded paladin---but to no avail. [Miss due to blindness; charge still held] Janis, meanwhile, shifts into her own form of vengeance---preparing to attack.

The mad nymph cackles, her frenzy beyond sing-song as yet another fiery bolt shoots forth. Ashlyn's distraction with the wolf-shifter is enough to leave her back exposed, and the fey takes advantage of it, striking her dead on. [Crit!] The paladin can hardly react before the flames sear her flesh, and with the smell of ashes, she falls to the cave floor with a short cry. [18hp; dying]

The beast, seeing the hated paladin fall, focuses its attention on the bear before it. The bear's cry warble through the cave as sword and bite tear it. [30hp and 1 Con] But as it is wounded, the bears meaty claws rip into the wolf-man, leaving wounds that fester even after the majority closes. [26hp before DR and decomposition; severely wounded]

Forest Trials: Round 11


M: 22 [blinded; prayer 3 rounds]
L: 13 [26/41; 1 Con damage; stunned 1 round; prayer 3 rounds]
T: 11 [blinded; prayer 3 rounds]
J: 9 [34/42, mirror image (4 images, 25 rounds); prayer 3 rounds, bite of the werewolf 5 rounds]
V: 8 [decomposition; prayer 3 rounds]
H: 7 [E5: dying; C5: dead; R5, severely wounded, decomposition, prayer 3 rounds]
A: 5 [-3/43; dying; 2 Con damage; prayer 3 rounds; bull's strenght 57 rounds]
b: 3 [21/51; 1 Con damage; prayer 3 rounds]

Map Key: A: Ashlyn, b: The Bear, J: Janis, L: Ladreth, M: Marot, H: Shifter Werewolf, T: Tessa.
Conditions: Green Border: mirror image, Orange Border: Blinded, Pink Border: Prone, Yellow Border: Stunned, White Border: Dying

Bear-Janis roars with a hideous Bear-Janis-Wolf-form warble and moves at her fastest pace to try to stand over her fallen countrywoman and attack the ravaging werewolf.

Marot the Sightless

Marot is still firmly entrenched in a panic attack -- fumbling around in the darkness.

"No.....no.......no.." He murmurs slightly to himself, fighting off invisible attackers in the dark.

He hears a womans laughter in his mental prison, and strikes out with eldritch fury in that direction.

OOC: Eldritch Blast (+8/3d6+2) 50% miss chance due to blindness/concealment.

Still empowered by the healing energies that she had invoked, Tessa flailed blindly in an attempt to reach Ashlyn. Perhaps the task would be easier now, but the need was more desperate...

OOC: Continue trying to reach Ashlyn with the held charge of CSW

Forest Trials: Round 11

The warlock continues to pour eldritch power. The Voice in his head celebrates as the nymph-creature yowls from the blast. Though he cannot see it, blood now flows freely from her eyes and nose! [11hp; near death] Ladreth seems energized by the strike, and carefully flexes his empty hands, then his arm---he is free of the malaise! [Un-stunned]

The Host's servant is oblivious to it all, however, her world limited to sound only. Her groping hand finds its mark this time, and a flood of warmth restores Ashlyn. [23hp] But seeing her countrywoman safe does not stop the Stormhand, and the wolf-bear-thing she has become lumbers into the fray. The shifter-wolf swing as Janis emerges from behind the bear, but it is wide. [AoO misses] Her enhanced claws easily find purchase, but being non-silver, cause nary a wound. [No damage after DR] Janis also notices the touch of entropy leave the wounds the party has inflicted. [decomposition ends]

The frenzied fey screams incoherently, and her crazed glare finds purchase on the druid. Janis staggers a moment, but then her ursine-lupine features shake it off with a growl of derision. [Saves vs. glare] The werecreature senses the mad-woman's desire, and turns it focus to Janis. Depending on scent, it ignores the multiple Jani, and the druid grunts as it bruises muscle and tendon. [Bite hits; 14hp + 1 Con damage] Janis fervently hopes to not have been affected by the bite's curse. [1 AP spent]

Ashlyn, awaken once again, takes up her weapon and stands tall next to the wild form of her countrywoman, a fierce look on her face. The bear continues its attack, bloodying the wolf-man. [26hp before DR; near death]

Forest Trials: Round 12


M: 22 [blinded; prayer 2 rounds]
L: 13 [26/41; 1 Con damage;prayer 2 rounds]
T: 11 [blinded; prayer 2 rounds]
J: 9 [32/54, 1 Con damage; mirror image (4 images, 24 rounds); prayer 2 rounds, bite of the werewolf 4 rounds]
V: 8 [prayer s rounds]
H: 7 [E5: dying; C5: dead; R5, near death, prayer 2 rounds]
A: 5 [20/43; 2 Con damage; prayer 2 rounds; bull's strenght 56 rounds]
b: 3 [21/51; 1 Con damage; prayer 2 rounds]

Map Key: A: Ashlyn, b: The Bear, J: Janis, L: Ladreth, M: Marot, H: Shifter Werewolf, T: Tessa.
Conditions: Green Border: mirror image, Orange Border: Blinded, Pink Border: Prone, Yellow Border: Stunned, White Border: Dying