I have to keep this…thing…away from us!, Juniper thinks, heartbeat drumming deafeningly in her chest.

Notching an arrow and holding it and her bow in one hand, the slight-shouldered elf intones, “Rillifane Rallathil i Selûne! Laima bel kal-RAUG!,” her white-berry earrings glow with pale light, her right hand extending out, beckoning. Suddenly, tough holly branches break the pond scum covering the floor and shoot upwards, sprouting deep green serrated leaves, and wrap around the mound, completely encircling it and slamming it down to flatten against the dais.

(OOC: Juniper casts Entangle. Creature must roll STR save vs DC12. On a failure, suffer the restrained condition. The spell’s area of effect is placed so that it only affects the mound. Any extra AOE should extend behind the creature, so that someone could attack it in melee range and not risk entanglement.)

(Okay, puppetting Star, who we haven't seen in a while.)

Star wonders if he should strike at the creature, but knows his true strength is in the magic he wields in his words and music.

He flicks his rapier with a claw *ting*

"What do turkeys and bugbears have in common?

They both speak gobblin'"

*ting*

Hideous Laughter WIS save 13

The creature manages to break free from Juniper's spell.

However, the creature immediately falls to the floor laughing at Star's joke. When it falls to the floor, something in the middle of the mound of flesh can be spotted. It looks to be the size and shape of an infant child.

(Back home again!)

Kal frowns at the glimpse of what looks to be human flesh in the middle of the creature, wondering if he just saw what he thought he did.  But even if he did, currently they had to deal with the creature trying to kill them, so for now he launches an Eldritch Blast at the mound.

Attack: 15 Damage: 6

"What do you mean? What can I possibly do?" Emma calls in response to Juniper. 'Don't hold back', what did it mean? Surely, not what Emma thought of. Juniper couldn't possibly know... right? She thinks about the light she somehow created earlier, that scorched the ghoul. It was probably the best she could do. Will it hurt this demon? But just as she's about to try, the thing falls to the floor laughing.

Laughing? They're in such a situation, and Star is telling JOKES? No, wait. The demon is laughing?! But, as it does, Emma spots the infant-looking thing at the centre of the mound. Was it alive? No, it couldn't be. If the thing ate it, it would be dead already. And yet, it was the only thing that seemed... whole, in this mound of flesh and limbs. "I think there's someone inside this thing!" She calls, distressed. "I'll try to get them out!"

She's not really sure why, but if there was a baby there, she couldn't let it die to her companions' magic, or to anything the demon in front of them might do to it. But, getting close to this thing? She didn't know if she could do that. The urge to help whatever is inside was minuscule in comparison to the fear and disgust she felt. And yet, trying to force through, Emma pulls out one of the snacks she made early in the morning - a small bar, slightly sticky, with dried fruit and nuts, with honey and several other things acting as glue to hold it all together. Some might find it impossible to eat anything in this situation, but for Emma, it is only rational. Food helps her calm down. Besides, all that sugar in it is a considerate boost of energy.

Emma runs forward, the bar already gone. It wasn't large but Emma ate it so quickly one might just miss it. Then, she stops next to the demon, hesitating for just a moment. She wasn't strange to the feeling of raw meat, but something about the flesh here was... indescribably different. She didn't want to stick her hands in. And yet, the thing inside, she had to get it out. She closes her eyes, shoves her hands in and pulls.

Bonus Action: Eating a Cook's Treat to gain 2 temporary hit points. 
Action: I don't know. I hope pulling the infant-like thing can affect the creature somehow. If nothing else, perhaps count it as the Help action?

(@VanderLegion, I forgot you were absent, welcome back.

@FireCat5 Yes, attempting to pull the infant is valid it requires a Strength(Athletics) check. I will for you to keep things moving though.
Emma's Athletics 20

Also, the creature is prone.)

Kal fires an Eldritch Blast at the creature but misses. Then Emma approaches the creature, she sees the infant, and he looks similar to the infant seen in the earlier portrait. Emma recognises the infant as none other than, Walter. She attempts to pull Walter free from the mound, but he is stuck firm in the mound of flesh.

Walter continues to laugh at Star's joke unable to move.

(Wis save: 9)

(Order: Juniper, Star, Kal, Emma, and Mound.)

“Walter???,” Juniper shouts. “WALTER!” 

It makes no sense. A startled rush of half-formed thoughts is visible in her churning features. Juniper had stood at the dais in bear form. Where was the baby then? Certainly not on or near the dais. Under the water?? No child could have survived that long. Is he but food, already dead, in the maw of this monstrosity? Or is there a symbiosis between the infant and this horrible creature? Or is the baby a ghost, like his brother and sister?

The arrow, which had been notched and aimed, now wavers as this cascade of confusion takes hold of the elf, and she lowers her bow, flustered. But setting her jaw, she suddenly raises it again, aims clear of the baby’s form and releases. An arrow whistles through the air.

Short Bow attack: 20) to hit // 6 HP piercing damage with a hit.

Juniper's arrow flies through the air and strikes the infant Walter.

(Wis: 17)

As a result of Juniper's attack, the creature stops laughing and recomposes itself. The mound of flesh wraps around Walker partially blocking him from view.

Star takes the opportunity to slice at the mound of flesh with his rapier.

(Attack: 12 Damage: 5)

Kal briefly considers rushing closer to assist Emma in trying to pull Walter from the mound, but as the flesh wraps back around the baby, he opts to remain where he is and launch another eldritch blast at it instead.

Attack: 15 Damage: 6

Kal blasts the creature with his spell. It recoils from the blast.

(Emma's turn)

Emma doesn't give up. She tries to reach into the mound, to pull Walter out. To what end? She doesn't know. But as arrows and magical bolts dart so close, she knows she must get him out quickly, then run away and hope the others can kill it. 

Athletics: 18.

Emma pulls at the infant child in the middle of the mound of flesh. However, the flesh still clings to Walter and she fails to pull him free.

In retaliation against Emma's attempt to pull Walter free, the mound of flesh slams two limb-like appendages at her.

(Attack: 12 Damage: 3
Attack: 19 Damage: 4)

With both Star and Emma near the mound, Juniper can’t get a clear shot at the vile creature. When it attacks Emma, the druid reacts immediately.

“Natho Naneth TOLTHA GRÖG!!,” she shouts, and she transforms once more into  a 600-pound brown bear. Her weapons and gear now appear as markings or colorations on her fur: the shield and mace, black patches on her shoulders; her bow, a long pair of black pin-stripes running the length of her spine. Her family crest henna tattoo is traced in amber around one eye. 

She surges forward, roaring, her teeth and claws tearing at the unnatural apparition. 

(N.B. Combat Wild Shape allows transformation as a bonus action; brown bears multi-attack.)

Bite: 10 / 11 piercing damage

Claws: 18 / 12 slashing damage

(Order: Juniper, Star, Kal, Emma, and Mound.)

Juniper moves to attack the creature in her bear form. The bite misses, but her claws down as she tears flesh from the creature.

Star looks over to see if Emma is hurt, before attacking with his rapier again.

(Attack: 19 Damage: 8)

Kal continues to pelt the mound with eldritch blasts.

Attack: 23 Damage: 4

Emma falls backwards when the demon retaliates, evading the first blow. But now, on the ground, she can't move fast enough to avoid the second attack. She's slammed by the mound's appendages, the powerful limb sends her rolling in the shallow water. When her body comes to a halt, she lies face down in the water. Momentarily motionless.

Emma's body twitches once, twice. Finally, she raises her head above the water, gasping for air. Her dark hairs, heavy with water, partially cover her face like a dark veil that hides her eyes and with them - any expression. She then quickly rises from this flat position to standing on four. One might expect, as a means to then stand right up, but she lingers in this position for another moment, strangely long. 

Then, she arches her back high up - a movement that seems unbefitting to a Human. A low sound, a deep growl, escapes her mouth as she raises her head to look at the mound. Then, like a tiger or a wolf, she leaps forward to land on the mound. And though nobody saw her draw it, her large chef's knife is in her hand. She raises it high above the mound before thrusting down to stab it. Then, pulling the knife out, she rolls backwards off the mound, landing on four again, on the other side of the mound. She holds the knife not like a weapon in the hand of a trained mercenary, but like a natural extension of her hand. Perhaps, the claws she doesn't have.

And yet, her eyes remain obscured by her hair.

Movement: To the other side of the mound.
BA: Rage, round 1/10.
Action: Attacking the mound, using the chef's knife (dagger). Attack: 24 Damage: 9.

(Order: Juniper, Star, Kal, Emma, and Mound.)

Kal pelts the mound with a casting Eldritch blast, the mound shrieks and the infant is spotted amongst the flesh. Then it coils around Walter blocking the view of the child.

Then Emma slices at the creature's tentacles with her knife slicing through a fleshy limb. As it recoils from the pain, she spots Walter once more.

Now more hurt from the attacks of the group, it shrieks out.

The group suddenly sees images of sacrifices that have happened on the very altar in front of them.

(Make an Intelligence saving throw.)

Int save: 9

Juniper INT save (uses normal stat & bonuses when in Wild Shape. Rolled in character sheet): 19