Daventry exhales, eyes closed. She summons both her blades from the void, setting them down on the side of the pool. She takes the case containing her tome from its satchel, and sets that next to the sword and dagger. Then she strips her armor and clothes off and slides into the pool, dipping her head below the water a moment before emerging once again. From behind wet white hair, you see her glance back at Ludolf, nod, and says "I can help hold Fistandia from here." 

She looks up to Lunoris. "Make me... better."

She closes her eyes and gets ready to submerge herself alongside Fistandia.

Ludolf kneels by the pool, smiling warmly at Daventry. "It is a hard thing to do to part with power my friend, maybe one day I will find the courage to do what you're so bravely are doing now." He says, briefly laying his hand on her shoulder for comfort and support. He then carefully lets Fistandia into the pool in the arms of Daventry before standing up again to stand beside Triäsa, glancing down at her with a warm smile, his hand brushing against hers.

Lunoris considers Pardot carefully, "I am sorry that I don't know my brother in nature. I mourned the loss of their beauty but my power lies here." She motions below to the water. "As you know the greatest power of natural world is rebirth so perhaps that which is lost will be born again but I can not say with certainty."

Sylvarie and Lunoris then sink down into the water and wade over to Fistandia taking her from you. They cradle her in thier arms holding her between the two of them in the water. They turn and look at Daventry, "Join us if you wish but we should begin." Says Sylvarie and they await her response.

Daventry, Lunoris and Sylvarie guide the calm, unconscious Fistandia to the center of the pool. Sylvarie stands at Fistandia's head supporting her shoulders while Lunoris and Daventry stand to the left and right of Fistandia locking arms underneath the gnome supporting the rest of her weight. 

The early summer evening air is cold and silent. The water takes on a perfectly unnatural stillness broken only by the coven of women at the center. 

Sylvarie's voice strong, confident and beautiful, breaks the serenity as she calls out to her God, "Sune, my Goddess of Love and Beauty, hear the voice of your Paragon in our time of need. My Vanity sullied my Beauty and my Insecurity wrought Hatred where Love used to blossom." She lifts her head to the sky and continues, "But my grace is restored and I call to you to aide those who brought me to my salvation after ten years of darkness."

Mysterious DM Roll: 3

TBC in new post

(Well that's a start...)

A look of panic and pain crosses Sylvarie's face, "Forsaken? Has my God Forsaken me? I hear nothing. I can not feel the love of her gaze..." Her voice trails off in weakness.

Daventry feels a strong squeeze from Lunoris's hand underwater, "Do not lose hope my love. You are her chosen. Continue, pray, she will listen" The Fey smiles and small motes of blue green light lift from Lunoris' head and shoulder brightening the bath house. 

The elf smiles but there is an uncertainty behind it and her voice wavers as she starts a new, "S-s-sune please hear our plea." More the motes of light fall landing softly on Sylvarie who seems to gain in confidence, "Those before me washed the dirt that marred my beauty, bringing me back to your loving embrace. They need your help to wash the impurities from the souls of those in this pool. Please hear my cry." Tears well up in her eyes as she once more reaches out to the heavens. 

As she finishes her plea to Sune the door from the main building opens. A battered and bruised Jarlaxle-not bounds into the bath house with two other patrons. He looks as if he is about to say something but stops short at the sight of beauty in the pool. He stands in slack jawed awe.

Mysterious DM Roll: 22

TBC in new post

A smile crosses Sylvarie's face, "I can feel her love!" She exclaims in joy but this emotion is quickly replaced with a deep concern, "She is so, so, so far.... I can barely hear her whispers... I can barely feel her breath... There is something else there..." 

She barely finishes her thought when a familiar haunting voice echoes through out the chamber, "This will not do." From the lone shadows in the corner of the bath the Man in Black steps out. His long back form elongated along the wall pops free from the wall. "I will be taking that one back with me. We have been looking for her." He points to the center of the pool at Fistandia.

Exhausted, unarmed, mostly naked, and without any remaining magical tricks up her (currently nonexistant) sleeves, Daventry sees only one option she can do to help. She makes eye contact with Lunoris, and nods, releasing Fistandia into her care completely. Daventry stands from the water as much as she can, and raises her hand. Instantly, her rapier leaps from the poolside, and she catches it as it reforms, holding it in a two-handed horizontal defensive position. She sets her feet, ready to interpose herself between the Man in Black and the three women behind her.

"You'll not have her, not without going through us!" Daventry shouts at the Man in Black.

(If possible, I would like to ready an action to move in defense of any attack against Fistandia, Slyvarie, or Lunoris -- to provide cover for them and bodily block any attack that the Man in Black launches so that Daventry would entirely take the damage instead.)

Ludolf watches with reverence what unfolds in the pool, but the mention of the goddess being far away and something else being there with her worries him deeply. As the Man in Black appears like a maddening nightmare he is at first filled with despair, but then he sees Daventry bravely step forward. He glances again at Triäsa beside him, giving her a quick warm smile, and then the old grumpy man too interposes himself with their archnemesis. "Indeed." He says grimly, looking defiantly at the behatted shadow.

(Here is a map just so everyone knows where folks are at this point. It may or may not become more relevant.)

Pardot hears the sound from behind of the Man in Black, and instinctively readies himself, crouched down almost like a cat trying to decide if it should fight or run, as he looks between his others and the Man; though his energies are low and he’d rather not fight, he also isn’t willing to give up Fistandia so easily.

"Oh come now. You gave me the box and you'll give me the gnome. I'd rather not get my feet wet so just be a doll and bring her to me." He looks at Daventry as he speaks "The Old Man did miss our last demonstration perhaps he'd like to see what I am capable of?" While you can't see any facial feature, his voice has the hint of a playful smile. 

"Oh, stop posturing, you ridiculous shade. What're you after? Why chase Fistandia halfway across the realm? Weren't you satisfied being the thief of stars above?" Daventry demands, her fingers tightening their grip on her rapier. 

Triäsa watches with interest as Sylvarie tries to contact her goddess. As she says that she can feel Sune, her hope rises, only to be dashed in short order as the Man in Black soon appears. "Keep at it Sylvarie!  If Sune is there perhaps you can still reach her!" she tells, trying to be supportive.

Then as Daventry interposes herself with the Man, she starts to hum softly, slinging her lute into position to play a few notes.  She then sings a few words, granting Inspiration to Daventry (add d8 to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, lasts 10 minutes): 
'You are not alone
We're all behind you
And we have been all along
The darkest hour
Of the darkest night 
Comes right before the dawn'

"Half way across the realm?" The Man in Black scoffs at Daventry. "Despite seeing some of my journey you have no idea how far I have come to find her. Your realm is but a single step to me." He looks over all of you defiantly, his dark shadowy limbs elongate and stretch as the rest of his form grows. Unexpectedly, he then disappears into the shadows behind him. "So be it, another demonstration it is." His voice rings out all around you as he emerges from the shadows behind Jarlaxle-not.

That is when the chaos begins.

The Man in Black places a hand on Jarlaxle-not's head and whispers something. Jarlaxle's mouth opens in a horrific moan. It stretches and pulls unnaturally toward the floor. His arms and legs twist and bend breaking at painful angles as his jaw continues to pull open and stretch. As the moan intensifies things get worse. His skin and flesh break apart and blood and bile pour from huge wounds as his body is torn to shreds.

And then it gets weird.

A twisted featureless creature with a loose hide pulls itself free from Jarlaxle-not's carcass. It's head is almost insectoid and while it has four limbs the joints are nonsensical and bending and twisting in every direction. As it moves in a jerky manner the creature's entire form flicker in and out of existence randomly and briefly as it moves as if in a Stop Motion movie. 

The creature turns to the two humans next to it and with barely a thought rends the limbs from both the men. Blood pours from the very dead men and runs down into the pool.

The Man in Black lifts a bit off the ground and says with a hint of satisfaction in his voice, "I will take the gnome now."

As all of this happens Sylvarie hears Triäsa's cry and doubles her effort. She closes her eyes to the chaos and violence. She move across from Lunoris and the two hold Fistandia between them as they beg for attention of the Goddess of Beauty and Love. 

(You all get a short rest from the time you spent watching the dance at the pool so go ahead and roll any hit die and refresh any short rest abilities. Good Luck:))

Initiative:

• Man in Black 12
• Unknown Monster: 17
• Sylvarie: 5
• Lunoris: 18
• Ilam: 4
• Naked Daventry: 23
• Klin: 17
• Ludolf: 6
• Pardot: 11
• Triäsa: 16

Round 1!

Pardot, Daventry go ahead with your turns. Klin will wait till you act. Then I'll take NPC turns.

Initiative: Active turns in RED

• Pardot
• Klin
• Naked Daventry
• Ilam
• Sylvarie
• Lunoris
• Thing of Nightmares
• Man in Black
• Ludolf
• Triäsa 

Map:

(By request Klin will take his turn as it could change the things)

Klin sees the chaos unfolding in front of him. He grabs his book by the chain and rushes at the beast that erupted from the blood. He swings his book, feet and fists holding nothing back and hoping to stun and cripple the creature. 

Book Club: 28 Damage: 9

Punch to the "face" 15 Damage: 10

Flurry of Blows

Kick to the "groin" 23 Damage: 8

Punch to the "chest" 21 Damage: 9

Stunning Strike: DC 14 CON Save 19

Daventry nods as Klin rushes the monster of claws and gore, and follows suit. She sprints at the creature, springing up from the water and stabbing twice at its face before landing, then pivots her body around thrashing claws with two more quick stabs into its gut before squaring up to be in position against both the monster and the Man in Black.

Move: to be in melee with both the monster and the Man in Black

Action and Action Surge: Four Attacks against the monster!

1. To Hit: 20, Damage: 6
2. To Hit: 26, Damage: 12
3. To Hit: 21, Damage: 6
4. To Hit: 28 (Nat 20!), Damage: 12

She sneers at the Man in Black.

Crit dice on first attack: 1

Klin unleashes a fury that the group has not seen before. He launches himself at the creature smashing his book into it's face which crunches and rebounds as the monster flickers in and out of existence. His follow-up punch misses it's target but his final two blows land solidly. Despite the assault the monster stands it's ground and silently looks at the monk.

Initiative: Active turns in RED

• Pardot
• Klin
• Naked Daventry
• Ilam
• Sylvarie
• Lunoris
• Thing of Nightmares (33)
• Man in Black
• Ludolf
• Triäsa 

((Thank the gods for the short rest. Though Pardot hasn’t got many spell slots left, that’ll help at least. I was *not* expecting another fight after dealing with the three hags…ok… bring it shadowy man! :D ))

Seeing his fast footed friend run at the beast, Pardot, too, leaps into action, pulling his sickle from the side and raising it to the sky to summon the power of the stars, missing as they are. Landing softly on his big halfling feet he swings the sickle as a bolt of star energy flies from it towards the beast, immediately followed by a small mote of fire.

BA: star form and star arrow: Attack: 13 Damage: 11
Action: produce flame: Attack: 27 Damage: 6

(Three hags, Hell Hound, a cambion, two scarecrows and now this. I will say this has been a hell of a day for you all.)

Daventry perhaps quickened and moving more freely without the bonds of armor strikes the creature repetitively with her sword. Bits of flesh fly from the creature that stares back at you silently. Pardot's flame lights the foot of the creature on fire scorching it's unnatural flesh. Unfortunately, his star arrow flies wide crashes against the wall of the bath house.

Ilam stay crouched in corner and fires a bolt at the creature

Attack: 24 Damage: 6

Sylvarie continues her prayer her words drown out by the howling of the creature.

Prayer's to Sune: 8

Lunoris continues to hold Sylvarie and Fistandia. The blue green motes of light intensify as she pours her strength into Sylvarie. She calls out, "Daventry, stay in the water. We can not reach you on land."

The creature reeling from the vicious onslaught of books and swords flickers and turns toward Klin and Daventry. He swings a clawed, deformed arm at each of you.

@Klin Claw Attack: 13 Damage: 13 Slashing + 10 Force

@Daventry Claw Attack: 11 Damage: 8 Slashing + 2 Force

The Man in Black seems to look at the water. He stares at it intently or if you could see his eyes you would assume that is what he is doing. "Fey, such an annoyance." He then looks at Lunoris and says, "Lunoris Cyrena of the Summer Court and child of Titania I name you." As he speaks the Fey's name he invokes a magic you have never seen or witnessed before. A pitch black gate appears above the Fey's head. The blue-green motes and Lunoris are pulled up into gate.

Charisma Saving Throw: 7 DC21 

Initiative:

• Pardot
• Klin
• Naked Daventry
• Ilam
• Sylvarie
• Lunoris
• Thing of Nightmares (75)
• Man in Black
• Ludolf
• Triäsa