Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Quote from Mister_Whisker>>

Ruby's beam of force hits Death Cultist 2 right in the chest, and kills him instantly (adding to Ruby's ever-growing body count...)

(OOC: You meant Death Cultist #1, the one next to Tamphalic and the elfshadow, right?  That's the one Ruby was attacking, and he should have 36 dmg at this point after Korba's Eldritch Blast and Ruby's Arcane Blast.)

(Sigh... I keep getting these two confused and I'm not sure why. And losing track of how much damage they've taken. Maybe I'm getting old. And with 36 damage he is actually just barely clinging to life... so, Con save for Spirit Guardians: 12)

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

And with 36 damage [cultist #1] is actually just barely clinging to life... so, Con save for Spirit Guardians: 12)

(OOC: I wouldn't have asked, but Ruby needed the allies adjacent to the cultist to benefit from pack tactics, and she needed advantage to land that critical hit.)

Updated map at the start of Cynurrarth's turn:

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

And with 36 damage [cultist #1] is actually just barely clinging to life... so, Con save for Spirit Guardians: 12)

(OOC: I wouldn't have asked, but Ruby needed the allies adjacent to the cultist to benefit from pack tactics, and she needed advantage to land that critical hit.)

Updated map at the start of Cynurrarth's turn:

 

 (OOC: yes, pack tactics is precisely why she went for the cultist engaging the shadow)

Quote from Faux_Beau >>

(OOC: yes, pack tactics is precisely why she went for the cultist engaging the shadow)

(OOC: To great effect!  That's one smart kobold! 

Unusually for him, Korba has been mostly in a support role this whole fight: trying to use the elf shadows and concentrating on Faerie Fire, but I think that that's helped us land some of our best hits.  I think that Korba scored just one hit with Eldritch Blast (thanks to Tamphalic and Silvery Barbs -- lots of good teamwork in this fight!).  Korba hasn't even gotten within 30' of their opponents since the Zolgu showed up.)

Cynnurath stands up with his chains loose, moves to the south east of Zolgu and opens its mouth to fire a cone of spores at Zolgu, the two cultists and Tamphalic and the Shadow. He knows they are his allies, but really wants this fight to end, and feels his attacks aren't strong enough.

DC16 wisdom saves or take 37 Psychic damage and be frightened for a minute.

Tamphalic wis save:3, but uses his legendary resistance to not instant-die.

Quote from Secretfool>>

DC16 wisdom saves or take 37 Psychic damage 

The dark form of the elfshadow appears to be shredded by the blast of Cynurrarth's "Nightmare" breath weapon.  The tiny pieces of darkness are blown back and dissipate into nothingness like wisps of smoke. 

(OOC: I didn't bother to roll a saving throw for the elfshadow. It only has 16 HP and no resistance to Psychic damage, so it would be reduced to -2 HP even if it passed.)

As the elemental destruction of Zolgu's spell and the dragon's mighty breath weapon sweep the chamber, Hildegard gasps. "Now is not the time to hesitate," she says to Perdita. "Let us go!" Hildegard sets her eyes on the fallen Tamphalic as the cultists are incinerated. Somehow, perhaps, he has survived that, but she must find out. Perdita flies down to Tamphalic, and Hildegard reaches out to touch him. She shouts a prayer, and Divine light ignites between her hand and the elf, healing his wounds and bringing life back into him. Then Perdita flies back up thirty feet into the air, out of range of any more dragon breaths!

Action: Lay on Hands to Tamphalic for 10 HP.

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

(OOC: I didn't bother to roll a saving throw for the elfshadow. It only has 16 HP and no resistance to Psychic damage, so it would be reduced to -2 HP even if it passed.)

(OOC: Not sure about Zolgu, but based on @Mister_Whisker's previous comments about the cultists, I'm pretty sure that they're also < 18 HP each.  Based on that guess, here's the updated map showing the effects of Cynurrarth's Nightmare Breath with skulls-and-crossbones over the ones he killed.  I also added the unconscious / dying marker to Tamphalic.)

Both the cultists die instantly (I'm not bothering to roll saves because, as pointed out, they were both under 18 HP).

Zolgu Wis save: 14

Zolgu uses a second legendary resistance to avoid going down. Since everyone else before him is down, it rolls back around to the white kobold's turn.

He glares at all of you intensely for a brief moment.

"I know when I face a battle I cannot win," he snickers. "But it doesn't matter... Sserah will be reborn and I will finally serve one who is truly worthy."

He pulls a strange box out of his pouch and casts plane shift, escaping to gods-know where to recover from the intense encounter.

Combat over! Each of you recieve 1,025 XP!

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Combat over! Each of you recieve 1,025 XP!

(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - Is that XP just for Zolgu, these two cultists?  Or does it also include the death cult leader and 4 other cultist we faced before Zolgu joined the fight?)

Oh, I forgot the death cultist leader. So that's another 300 XP each, for a total of 1,325 each.

Jodie revives Hewelathan just in time for him to see Cynurrarth lurch out of his chains and drag his battered body closer.  But an injured dragon is still a dragon!  Cynurrarth blasts the cultist with a cloud of mystical spores, and then Hewelathan sees Perdita's blazing hooves streak across the air above him as Hildegard races to save Tamphalic.  

Hewelathan stands up just in time to see Zolgu vanish.  He's disappointed that Zolgu got away, wondering whether the group will have to face the powerful little kobold again before they're free of their curses.  But then he looks around the chamber and sees that all of his companions -- even Ruby! -- are still alive, and he relaxes and smiles.  Just to be extra sure, he says, "Is everyone OK?  If the goodberries escaped Zolgu's icy blast, I have plenty left to share."  He finally chews and swallows the one he put in his mouth before attacking Zolgu.  (+3 HP healing)

Looking up at Cynurrarth, he says in draconic:

Korba comes racing over toward Zolgu with his sword raised, but he arrives just after Zolgu leaves via his cubic gate.  He makes a desperate swipe at the kobold, but the blade whistles uselessly through the empty air. 

Korba lowers his sword a bit ruefully, but he claps Hewelathan on the back, happy to see the druid back on his feet. 

The dragon's mighty head nods tiredly.

"You have saved my life, and I am in debt to you for that," his voice rumbles like distant thunder. "Now that I have seen with my own eyes what you face, I cannot allow this corruption to spread... bring me back to your master, the one whom they called the Lord of the Shaded Isle, that I and any of my servants who have survived Zolgu's treachery may join your master in battle against this madness."

Ruby looks a bit sick to her stomach as Cynurrarth has basically just volunteered her for a war, but keeps her little mouth shut as she looks up at the mighty Cynurrarth and sees the determination in the dragon's eyes.

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Zolgu uses a second legendary resistance to avoid going down. Since everyone else before him is down, it rolls back around to the white kobold's turn.

He glares at all of you intensely for a brief moment.

"I know when I face a battle I cannot win," he snickers. "But it doesn't matter... Sserah will be reborn and I will finally serve one who is truly worthy."

He pulls a strange box out of his pouch and casts plane shift, escaping to gods-know where to recover from the intense encounter.

Combat over! Each of you recieve 1,025 XP!

 (OOC: So Zolgu had more than the 38 hps in his stat block, presumably from magic items?  Jodie did 11 damage her last turn, which would have put him down 38) 

Jodie bows to the mighty dragon, "It would seem this partnership is going on the road.  I must warn you, we carry the heart of the mummy lord in this infernal box.  Perhaps there is some lore within your library that may aid us in opening it.  But let us take a short respite from that battle, for it was a great victory this day."

(Song of Rest +4 hps; 2 HD: +14 hps)

Jodie searches the cultists and looks to see if the leader also has mithral half-plate to match Korba's.

Quote from Faux_Beau >>

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Zolgu uses a second legendary resistance to avoid going down. Since everyone else before him is down, it rolls back around to the white kobold's turn.

He glares at all of you intensely for a brief moment.

"I know when I face a battle I cannot win," he snickers. "But it doesn't matter... Sserah will be reborn and I will finally serve one who is truly worthy."

He pulls a strange box out of his pouch and casts plane shift, escaping to gods-know where to recover from the intense encounter.

Combat over! Each of you recieve 1,025 XP!

 (OOC: So Zolgu had more than the 38 hps in his stat block, presumably from magic items?  Jodie did 11 damage her last turn, which would have put him down 38) 

Um, where did you get the idea that he had only 38 HP? He's over a century old and has literally murdered dragons (granted, not in a straight fight, but still...) plus he could have sources of temp HP or had one of the cultists cast aid on him. Anyway, I homebrew monsters a LOT.

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

 

Um, where did you get the idea that he had only 38 HP? He's over a century old and has literally murdered dragons (granted, not in a straight fight, but still...) plus he could have sources of temp HP or had one of the cultists cast aid on him. Anyway, I homebrew monsters a LOT.

 (OOC: Ok, my bad for metagaming.  I thought there was a link to a version of him, but I shouldn't assume anything)

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Zolgu uses a second legendary resistance to avoid going down. Since everyone else before him is down, it rolls back around to the white kobold's turn.

He glares at all of you intensely for a brief moment.

"I know when I face a battle I cannot win," he snickers. "But it doesn't matter... Sserah will be reborn and I will finally serve one who is truly worthy."

He pulls a strange box out of his pouch and casts plane shift, escaping to gods-know where to recover from the intense encounter.

Combat over! Each of you recieve 1,025 XP!

 The dragon would probably have use a legendary action at end of hildegards turn to attack Zolgu, but I assume that wouldn't have killed him? Also Tamphalic was brought back up before Zolgu's turn?