D&D 5E The Kalarian Precipice - Chapter Four

[daindarkspring]

Dain - The Grinning Skull

Dain's sword clattered to the ground, near a gurgling pit of lava. Taking a step backwards, he stared at his hand for a moment, clenching it and releasing it. Tendrils of smoke still twist upwards from his chest. It burns.

Cruel twist of fortune...arse...where is the ringing carnyx now? Essithea...what are you? Did you snatch my blade free, to allow this...thing to slay me?!

But no. It dies a second later, from some combination of assaults that Dain cannot make out clearly.

With a gasp of air, hot and burning in his lungs, Dain lunges and dives for his sword. His last connection with whatever came before. Before what?

He slides on his belly over the hot, gritty ground. It hurts like hell. His hand is reaching for his sword.

<Dexterity check to grab sword = 13>

 

[Otiroth]

From where they are standing, Otiroth can see that Jeovanna has carved the ooze demon some nasty wounds indeed.

He once more sends a blue ray of frost streaking off towards the demonic being, but as before... it is a tough shot, to avoid hitting one of the two women. The beam goes wide, but by as much as it had before. Perhaps a normal miss, instead of one caused by shaky hands!

<Ray of frost- 13 to hit, miss>

 

[97mg]

Annit: The Grinning Skull

The priest’s sacred flame struggled to find it's target, the evil fiend lashing about and struggling in the distance, the silhouettes of a towering barbarian and petite rogue in melee at its face. Still though, a little of Suru’s radiance finds its way through. A trickle of light, stinging upon the beast’s acidic squelchy skin.

Dain’s struggle to regain his sword is not in vain! The steel is saved from a heated and edge-cooking fate just in time. That was close, he might think as another ray of frost disintegrates upon a distant wall.

Meanwhile, Annit, having dodged around the barbarian’s brutal neck slashes and fiend’s claw attacks, steps to face the creature’s side. It is time to be sneaky! Using Jeovanna as something of a distraction, she stabs towards an oozy underarm. But it isn’t to be. The lesser demon twists, moving his upper body well out of the girl’s reach.

<Fiend 2 Dex save vs Sacred Flame = 20 (Half damage rounded down = -1hp).
Annit attack = 8 (Miss).>

 

[Jeovanna]

Jeovanna suddenly stops laughing, and lunges forward at the demon. This is not a slash, but a stab- the full weight of her blade tip directed towards the intersection of the criss-crossing slashes on the demon's oozing body.

Her sword plunges further and further, but it is at a cost, as even as she tries such a vicious move, her hilt sinks closer to the demon's acidic flesh. Her hands sink closer to the demonic flesh! And all of the rest of her right behind it.

But it is safe to say this is not a concern for Jeovanna, as she snarls in the demon's face.

His teeth are bigger, but she might've tried biting him, if he'd had any skin worth biting on him...

<Barbarian reckless attack! One-round advantage on attack rolls... but foes have advantage on attacking her in turn>
<24 to hit, 18 damage>

 

[97mg]

There is a disgusting, bubbly and gurgling sound from the fiend as Jeovanna skewers it all the way through. It is done. A twitch, a deaththrow, and it falls backwards, collapsing onto warm black stone.

"Ah ha, glorious!" The entrapped skull exclaims.

I knew she was special...

<Fiend 2 is dead, well done!>

 

[Metea]

Metea: The grinning skull

Metea lets out a low whistle as the demon collapses. "Savage! Demonic jailers- not up for the guarding, I guess," she murmurs. She doesn't want to draw too much attention to herself, until Jeovanna calms down a bit.

It's not quite over yet though, is it? Metea glances over at the skull.

"We heard you talking before. Who are you?" Metea asks in infernal, as its response is... quite pressing, really.

She still had a hex and eldritch bolt for it if its answer displeased her, but for now, she'd investigate it quite critically for any sign of magic- while keeping a row of rocks between it and her...

<Arcana check=26>

 

[Carthum One-Tusk]

The battle seems over... but there is still the skull to deal with. Everyone had done well.

The priest steps over near Dain, to take a look at his injury. It is strange- acidic wounds are not something he has encountered before, but he will try and offer what help he can...

<Medicine check=8>

Carthum scowls. Of the siblings, it is now his turn to be pessimistic, it seems. "Jailers? Then hope there is no warden. All of that noise could have covered up just about any-"

Then an almost comical look of alarm crosses the half-orc's face. "The dwarf!" And he'd dash out the way they had come in to retrieve their dwarven friend. Having him in the room with the ominous skull was not best either, but he did not want a stray spider to think the hillsman was another treat left behind!

 

[97mg]

Magaw: The Grinning Skull

The skull hovers closer to the edge of the cage, looking to the Tiefling and tilting itself on a slight angle.

Ah, a Tiefling, how fitting!

“Farqujy py, ph voroyrlid uw oir orap iw odfuv vorv dyirlyv iw hafrw. Wuzm zupy, xe dyirlyv xe duzzdy ao uz, mijulq kyulq talziulyv oar nfuzy... wapy zupy. Mh lipy ky miqis, ouly divh. Nas, xe pfwz tifzual zmawy ao haf ao rovyp, piqutid ultdulizual, ar ul eawywwual ao zrulcyzw, laz za zaftm zmuw tiqy nfuzy hyz.”

“Forgive me, my Infernal is far from as fluid and learned as yours. With time, I learned a little of it, having being contained for quite... some time. My name be Magaw, fine lady. Now, I must caution those of you of ahem, magical inclination, or in possession of trinkets, not to touch this cage quite yet. Your man, the sword-swinger, is he alright?”

A curse. Metea being somewhat versed in such magic herself, could safely presume that this was once a mortal, a mortal who was powerful enough to survive some foul fate, through a defensive magic of his own. Necromancy is a possibility of course... among others. Somehow or other, this being has survived, and by the sounds of it has been lacking in visitors and worthy conversation for quite some time. His interest and high spirits seems genuine, and his warning an act of good faith?

 

[daindarkspring]

Dain - The Grinning Skull

Dain lay for a moment on the hard, burning ground. He held up the sword with one hand, in a sort of victorious gesture.

Not this time...bastards! You test me, Essithea!

Carthum's ministrations were not necessary. He was burned, but not broken. And he had a feeling that Essithea admired scars, of whatever variety.

Rising to his feet, he sheathed his sword and gave Jeovanna a glance...was this woman mad?...before heading over to join Metea in studying the strange skull.

<Insight roll = 20>

 

[Otiroth]

Otiroth joined the others in investigating as well... though he'd keep an eye out for Carthum to return.

He cannot understand Infernal, but the tone of the conversation is something that can be read... even in such an intimidating tongue. Things seem... cordial. True or not, it was something worth stirring forward, especially while the skull was seemingly contained...

"Friend, we have traveled some distance, and these halls are new to us. If you have seen such coming and goings- tell us, are there other jailers? Other prisoners?"

It was strange, to him, that this did not seem especially strange anymore!

<Charisma check=25>