On the drive toward the orb, IronMaiden seems comfortable enough driving and keeping a look out at the same time, wary of anything that might approach the two vehicles. As the group passes by the lake of blood on the west bank of the Styx they slow almost to a stop trying to get a good look at the island in the middle, but contrary to the map, the fort on the island in the middle of the lake is missing. IronMaiden mentions to those in the vehicle how odd that is, the fort having caught their eye on the map being gone, nonetheless they pass by and make efficient progress to their destination.
With the 'orb' in sight, IM checks around the area for hostiles whilst still aboard the vehicle, "I hypothesize that those who could become victim to this orb of fiendish destruction would stay away at all costs, if this theory proves true then this is a good place to find rest later when we have need of rest again." They state as a passing fact. "Also if anyone comes across a spellbook, or any book with blank pages that I may write in, under the duration of our travels then I may have use of such a thing. Just to be aware of."
"I am not so sure, Ironmaiden. The map said this was a trap. A lure. Fiends will be drawn to this location, the question is, can we get close enough without getting hurt ourselves to be out of their reach", Corlith muses.
He is also looking closely at the orb, focussing as he does so.
"not to be racist but..." IronMaiden starts hesitantly with a sentence that usually goes nowhere good, "...corlith your ancestry, your bloodline, any deals that may have been made, will that put you at risk? Should we be wary of something taking over your mind and luring you closer?"
Reed looks across the plain at the orb and then at the sky around them. He eventually points out some large flying creatures of unknown size and intent off in the distance.
"I don't think they're coming our way, but maybe we should keep an eye on those just in case."
With no sign of anything immediately dangerous, Reed hops out of the vehicle and starts making his way towards the orb-tree-claw thing, slipping from rock to boulder to whatever cover there might be that doesn't leave him standing too much out in the open if possible. At first his shortsword and bow begin banging against each other but then they slip into place on this hip and back and almost seem to quieten down any other noise he's making. (Stealth - 1 - Halfling Luck re roll - 17+11 = 28)
"Your guess is as good as mine", he replies, not taking offence. He was having similar thoughts himself about his bloodline. He was a little concerned about mention of deals made, but chooses to ignore it rather than converse about it.
"I would suggest you all keep an eye on me, and stop me if I seem to be drawn to it. I intend stay behind the rest of you, so it should be obvious if that is the case".
He looks to where Reed pointed out the flyers, and then prepared to follow Reed once he gives the all clear.
"Does your Shield know anything about this?", he asks Virro whilst he waits.
Virro looks at the orb/tree claw/mandible thingy with fascination, almost wishing that a demon would be lured in and killed while he watched. “If there wasn’t so much danger, it would be a nice place to sit down, drink an ale and watch them get zapped. Or whatever happens.” He looks up at Corlith, his head tilting then he looks down at his shield, straightening it on his arm. “I dunno, let me find out…”
Reed starts slipping closer to the glowing orb, using boulders and other debris amongst the landscape to keep his small body hidden. There truly isn’t enough on the way towards the glowing orb to really hide Reed as quiet as he is being. Lulu starts spinning around more, getting excited with the rest of the group and seeing that Reed appears fine as he goes, she decides to start to follow him.
As Reed and Lulu start approaching from the South, with the rest of the group waiting for an all clear, the flying creatures to the West start heading towards the orb as well… they appear to be drawn towards the orb itself, not Lulu and Reed… yet. Reed and Lulu get a better look at what they are approaching, the orb itself is a 10’ diameter sphere that seems to be holding something within - just too hard to see with the bright light. The mandible looking sculpture that seems to hold the orb in it’s place, holds it about 50’ above the arid surface.
As the creatures get within 100 feet of the orb centered between the spines, a 5’ beam of radiant light shoots out from the orb and disintegrates one of the creatures. As the light leaves the orb, you all catch a glimpse of what is being held in the sphere - a unicorn.
The remaining apparently six creatures turn away from the zapper and see Lulu. They start heading towards her and as they get closer, you see they are large hellwasps.
As you all stopped about 300’ from the Demon Zapper and we’ll say the creatures are about 100’ to the west, and Reed and Lulu are about 40-50’ North of the group.
"That I did not expect. Is it trapped in there?", Corlith murmurs as the image of the Unicorn becomes clear. He had hoped it would be the sword they were looking for that was killing fiends.
His eyes then fix on the Hellwasps as they approach Lulu and Reed.
“I loathe wasps…” Virro’s head jerks around, irritated that he wouldn’t see more zaps and sees them start to approach. He turns and readies his shield, focusing on the group of wasps.
Lulu is beyond excited to see a Unicorn. She spins and toots her horn as it reveals itself. She seems vaguely aware of the hellwasps but keeps her attention on the structure ahead of her.
Roo squawks as he sees that the hellwasps have turned their attention towards Lulu and Reed. Seeing they are just within his 120' range, he sends some eldritch blasts their way, but both beams of energy go wide. The large beasties easily able to avoid them.
Three of the six hellwasps speed up and dash towards Lulu and Reed, their buzzing sound surrounding the group as they approach. The wasps are able to be right next to them with their speed. Two of them (D & E) hover and flank Lulu (about 15' in the air), while the other (F) is right next to Reed.
Wilfred hup hups as he runs towards the pair's rescue. Only able to reach the one by Reed with his glaive, his first jab misses, but the second one is able to deal it's infernal damage with 14 piercing.
Reed watches the hellwasps buzz towards them, but, partially distracted by the sight of a unicorn, doesn't register them as a danger until they're right on top of him and Lulu.
Thankful Wilfred arrives, to bring his mind back into focus.
He quickly dips under Wilfred's glaive, slipping back 10' to give himself space to use his bow, quickly nocks an arrow and lets it fly at the giant flying nightmare that Wilfred is fighting, using the big warrior to distract the bee
The arrow flies straight but unfortunately that little bit of movement causes his aim to be off just enough that the arrow angles off the hard carapace.
Bonus Action - Cunning Action to disengage from the hellwasp
Action - Shortbow - (6+9) = 15 to hit for (6+6 plus Sneak Attack of 17) = 29 magical piercing to Hellwasp F
Seeing the Hellwasps make a beeline for Lulu and Reed,Corlith reaches once more for the magic of his bracers, which had proved to be such a useful gift on this journey.
He sends two beams of icy energy, one at the each Hellwasp flanking Lulu, in the hope that it will slow them down and allow her to disengage and get away.
"Get out of there, Lulu", he calls over.
He remains where he is.
Action: Ray of Frost at Hellwasp D - To Hit: 18+9=27, Damage: 4+8=12 [cold] - if hit, speed reduced by 10ft Bonus Action: Ray of Frost at Hellwasp E - To Hit: 18+9=27, Damage: 7+4=11 [cold] - if hit, speed reduced by 10ft
Seeing the massive damage reed and corlith are able to dish out, IronMaiden heads around the group and under where Lulu is being flanked by the two hell wasps, seeing one blasted by Corlith's cold blasts, IM focusses attention on the other launching out their signature arc of electricity which whips around the hellwasp in an attempt to drag it down 10ft. (Lightning lure, STR save dc16 or be pulled in a straight line toward IM and take 6 lightning damage)
With their newly infused repulsor shield in one hand IM chooses to wield their handaxe in the other, glancing uneasily at Wilf and hoping that the infusion placed on his bow will be useful for the ranged hostiles (reminder; wilf's bow has +1 to attack and damage rolls and I think is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming mundane resistances)
Reed's arrow misses the one he was after, but the two that are flanking Lulu are hit hard by the cold. Their wings momentarily stutter as they take a second to shake it off, the damage worse than Corlith would have thought.
Even with that, the one that IronMaiden attempts to lure in pulls away from the lure and stays where it is.
The remaining three wasps that hadn't gotten into combat now dash their way in, two (A&B) flank Corlith and C gets up in Wilfred's face.
(One group is Reed, Lulu, Wilfred and IM - Reed not in melee, Lulu flanked, Wilfred and IM have one above and one beside) (Group two, Corlith is flanked, Roo and Virro are nearby)
Virro sizes up the two hell wasps around Corlith and points his gloved hand at them, as before a skeletal, glowing hand shoots out and then splits in half, one going toward one wasp, the other going to the other one. Virro glances around for a second afterward, wanting to make sure there is no nest or reinforcements nearby.
Chill touch A : 26 to hit, for 6 points of necrotic damage.
Chill touch B : 25 to hit, for 10 points of necrotic damage.
Virro's attacks land on the wasps and their buzz seems to sound angrier than before. Heeding Corlith's words, Lulu disengages from the two Hellwasps and starts to fly North, towards the Unicorn. Not wanting to get too far from her friends, after 50' she stops and turns around to watch, trunk at the ready.
Roo attempts to fire off a couple more eldritch blasts, focusing on the one next to his buddy Wilfred. But both miss again and he has a mini rooster tantrum.
The two wasps that were flanking Lulu fly off after her and each one attempts to grapple her unsuccessfully as she twists and turns against their many legs. Her wings and trunk and four flying elephant feet are used to her advantage. The wasp that was above Wilfred and hit by him before feels the infernal wound and it affects the creature, it twists and turns at the pain, but it reaches Lulu. The hollyphant, dizzy from fighting off the other two wasps easily becomes grasped in the legs of the wasp F.
Seeing the creatures fly out of his reach, Wilfred has to concentrate and overcome the will of the infernal glaive to drop it and draw the bow that IM gave him. With the glaive now at his feet, he draws the bow, firing an arrow at the wasp holding Lulu. The arrow pierces the flying nightmare (4 dam), but it holds fast to Lulu. His second arrow goes wide.
(Corlith - flanked by wasps A&B and Virro are South of the rest, 40' N is IM, Roo, Reed, Wilfred and one wasp C, and 50' N of them are the three wasps D-F and Lulu)
Reed takes a deep breathe, chastising himself for rushing on his first attack, draws back the string of his bow, and lets another arrow race towards Wasp F. Then he points at Wasp E and says "That's enough freeloading. Get to work."
The second Wasp, even though they're a denizen of Avernus and used to sounds of the dead, finds itself assailed inside its own head by the wailing of the dead; a sound impossible to ignore or become inured to.
Bonus action - Steady Aim
Action - (14, 2 + 9) = 23 to hit for (9+12) = 21 magical piercing damage to F
Finding himself flanked, and having seen the effects of his previous attack, Corlith quickly summons a protective armour of cold. He then invokes a magical ward to protect himself.
He smiles and lowers his shield to leave himself more open to the Hellwasps attacks.
Bonus Action: Quickened Metamagic to Cast Armor of Agathys at 4th level - 20 Temporary Hit Points Action: Bastion of Law to summon magical ward - 4d8 Special: Armor of Agathys - 1 hour / 20HPs remaining Special: Bastion of Law - 4d8 remaining
Seeing Lulu get got by the wasp that took damage from wilf, IM focuses fire there. Not wanting to approach too much but also being too close to effectively range attack they head 30ft south toward vitro and corlith, but simultaneously firing off two lighting bursts north at wasp F now in perfect range for the built in lightning launcher (16 to hit Wasp F, for 6 lightning damage. Then 17 to hit, 7 lightning, if either hit then apply another 2 lightning damage only once)
Still 10ft away from where corlith is flanked IM listens to the vibrational frequency of the wasps buzzing, but since they keep changing it as they get angrier, IM cannot pinpoint the correct frequency to a satisfactory level (throwaway perception 13)
Reed ponders what the map said and the orb.
"Maybe," Reed says. "But it mentioned killing fiends. Maybe they lure demons there and kill them."
Reed looks more closely at the orb and 'beetle mandible' set up (Perception 16+9 = 25), looking for any immediate danger.
"We can probably go a bit closer."
On the drive toward the orb, IronMaiden seems comfortable enough driving and keeping a look out at the same time, wary of anything that might approach the two vehicles. As the group passes by the lake of blood on the west bank of the Styx they slow almost to a stop trying to get a good look at the island in the middle, but contrary to the map, the fort on the island in the middle of the lake is missing. IronMaiden mentions to those in the vehicle how odd that is, the fort having caught their eye on the map being gone, nonetheless they pass by and make efficient progress to their destination.
With the 'orb' in sight, IM checks around the area for hostiles whilst still aboard the vehicle, "I hypothesize that those who could become victim to this orb of fiendish destruction would stay away at all costs, if this theory proves true then this is a good place to find rest later when we have need of rest again." They state as a passing fact. "Also if anyone comes across a spellbook, or any book with blank pages that I may write in, under the duration of our travels then I may have use of such a thing. Just to be aware of."
(Perception for hostiles a measly 10)
"I am not so sure, Ironmaiden. The map said this was a trap. A lure. Fiends will be drawn to this location, the question is, can we get close enough without getting hurt ourselves to be out of their reach", Corlith muses.
He is also looking closely at the orb, focussing as he does so.
Perception (with guidance: 2+6+4=12
"not to be racist but..." IronMaiden starts hesitantly with a sentence that usually goes nowhere good, "...corlith your ancestry, your bloodline, any deals that may have been made, will that put you at risk? Should we be wary of something taking over your mind and luring you closer?"
Reed looks across the plain at the orb and then at the sky around them. He eventually points out some large flying creatures of unknown size and intent off in the distance.
"I don't think they're coming our way, but maybe we should keep an eye on those just in case."
With no sign of anything immediately dangerous, Reed hops out of the vehicle and starts making his way towards the orb-tree-claw thing, slipping from rock to boulder to whatever cover there might be that doesn't leave him standing too much out in the open if possible. At first his shortsword and bow begin banging against each other but then they slip into place on this hip and back and almost seem to quieten down any other noise he's making. (Stealth - 1 - Halfling Luck re roll - 17+11 = 28)
Corlith looks across to Ironmaiden and shrugs.
"Your guess is as good as mine", he replies, not taking offence. He was having similar thoughts himself about his bloodline. He was a little concerned about mention of deals made, but chooses to ignore it rather than converse about it.
"I would suggest you all keep an eye on me, and stop me if I seem to be drawn to it. I intend stay behind the rest of you, so it should be obvious if that is the case".
He looks to where Reed pointed out the flyers, and then prepared to follow Reed once he gives the all clear.
"Does your Shield know anything about this?", he asks Virro whilst he waits.
Virro looks at the orb/tree claw/mandible thingy with fascination, almost wishing that a demon would be lured in and killed while he watched. “If there wasn’t so much danger, it would be a nice place to sit down, drink an ale and watch them get zapped. Or whatever happens.” He looks up at Corlith, his head tilting then he looks down at his shield, straightening it on his arm. “I dunno, let me find out…”
Reed starts slipping closer to the glowing orb, using boulders and other debris amongst the landscape to keep his small body hidden. There truly isn’t enough on the way towards the glowing orb to really hide Reed as quiet as he is being. Lulu starts spinning around more, getting excited with the rest of the group and seeing that Reed appears fine as he goes, she decides to start to follow him.
As Reed and Lulu start approaching from the South, with the rest of the group waiting for an all clear, the flying creatures to the West start heading towards the orb as well… they appear to be drawn towards the orb itself, not Lulu and Reed… yet. Reed and Lulu get a better look at what they are approaching, the orb itself is a 10’ diameter sphere that seems to be holding something within - just too hard to see with the bright light. The mandible looking sculpture that seems to hold the orb in it’s place, holds it about 50’ above the arid surface.
As the creatures get within 100 feet of the orb centered between the spines, a 5’ beam of radiant light shoots out from the orb and disintegrates one of the creatures. As the light leaves the orb, you all catch a glimpse of what is being held in the sphere - a unicorn.
The remaining apparently six creatures turn away from the zapper and see Lulu. They start heading towards her and as they get closer, you see they are large hellwasps.
As you all stopped about 300’ from the Demon Zapper and we’ll say the creatures are about 100’ to the west, and Reed and Lulu are about 40-50’ North of the group.
Roll Initiative!
"That I did not expect. Is it trapped in there?", Corlith murmurs as the image of the Unicorn becomes clear. He had hoped it would be the sword they were looking for that was killing fiends.
His eyes then fix on the Hellwasps as they approach Lulu and Reed.
Initiative: 8+3=11
“I loathe wasps…” Virro’s head jerks around, irritated that he wouldn’t see more zaps and sees them start to approach. He turns and readies his shield, focusing on the group of wasps.
Initiative : (Nat 1) + 4 = 5
Lulu is beyond excited to see a Unicorn. She spins and toots her horn as it reveals itself. She seems vaguely aware of the hellwasps but keeps her attention on the structure ahead of her.
Roo squawks as he sees that the hellwasps have turned their attention towards Lulu and Reed. Seeing they are just within his 120' range, he sends some eldritch blasts their way, but both beams of energy go wide. The large beasties easily able to avoid them.
Three of the six hellwasps speed up and dash towards Lulu and Reed, their buzzing sound surrounding the group as they approach. The wasps are able to be right next to them with their speed. Two of them (D & E) hover and flank Lulu (about 15' in the air), while the other (F) is right next to Reed.
Wilfred hup hups as he runs towards the pair's rescue. Only able to reach the one by Reed with his glaive, his first jab misses, but the second one is able to deal it's infernal damage with 14 piercing.
Reed watches the hellwasps buzz towards them, but, partially distracted by the sight of a unicorn, doesn't register them as a danger until they're right on top of him and Lulu.
Thankful Wilfred arrives, to bring his mind back into focus.
He quickly dips under Wilfred's glaive, slipping back 10' to give himself space to use his bow, quickly nocks an arrow and lets it fly at the giant flying nightmare that Wilfred is fighting, using the big warrior to distract the bee
The arrow flies straight but unfortunately that little bit of movement causes his aim to be off just enough that the arrow angles off the hard carapace.
Bonus Action - Cunning Action to disengage from the hellwasp
Action - Shortbow - (6+9) = 15 to hit for (6+6 plus Sneak Attack of 17) = 29 magical piercing to Hellwasp F
Seeing the Hellwasps make a beeline for Lulu and Reed, Corlith reaches once more for the magic of his bracers, which had proved to be such a useful gift on this journey.
He sends two beams of icy energy, one at the each Hellwasp flanking Lulu, in the hope that it will slow them down and allow her to disengage and get away.
"Get out of there, Lulu", he calls over.
He remains where he is.
Action: Ray of Frost at Hellwasp D - To Hit: 18+9=27, Damage: 4+8=12 [cold] - if hit, speed reduced by 10ft
Bonus Action: Ray of Frost at Hellwasp E - To Hit: 18+9=27, Damage: 7+4=11 [cold] - if hit, speed reduced by 10ft
Seeing the massive damage reed and corlith are able to dish out, IronMaiden heads around the group and under where Lulu is being flanked by the two hell wasps, seeing one blasted by Corlith's cold blasts, IM focusses attention on the other launching out their signature arc of electricity which whips around the hellwasp in an attempt to drag it down 10ft. (Lightning lure, STR save dc16 or be pulled in a straight line toward IM and take 6 lightning damage)
With their newly infused repulsor shield in one hand IM chooses to wield their handaxe in the other, glancing uneasily at Wilf and hoping that the infusion placed on his bow will be useful for the ranged hostiles (reminder; wilf's bow has +1 to attack and damage rolls and I think is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming mundane resistances)
Reed's arrow misses the one he was after, but the two that are flanking Lulu are hit hard by the cold. Their wings momentarily stutter as they take a second to shake it off, the damage worse than Corlith would have thought.
Even with that, the one that IronMaiden attempts to lure in pulls away from the lure and stays where it is.
The remaining three wasps that hadn't gotten into combat now dash their way in, two (A&B) flank Corlith and C gets up in Wilfred's face.
(One group is Reed, Lulu, Wilfred and IM - Reed not in melee, Lulu flanked, Wilfred and IM have one above and one beside)
(Group two, Corlith is flanked, Roo and Virro are nearby)
Virro sizes up the two hell wasps around Corlith and points his gloved hand at them, as before a skeletal, glowing hand shoots out and then splits in half, one going toward one wasp, the other going to the other one. Virro glances around for a second afterward, wanting to make sure there is no nest or reinforcements nearby.
Chill touch A : 26 to hit, for 6 points of necrotic damage.
Chill touch B : 25 to hit, for 10 points of necrotic damage.
Virro's attacks land on the wasps and their buzz seems to sound angrier than before. Heeding Corlith's words, Lulu disengages from the two Hellwasps and starts to fly North, towards the Unicorn. Not wanting to get too far from her friends, after 50' she stops and turns around to watch, trunk at the ready.
Roo attempts to fire off a couple more eldritch blasts, focusing on the one next to his buddy Wilfred. But both miss again and he has a mini rooster tantrum.
The two wasps that were flanking Lulu fly off after her and each one attempts to grapple her unsuccessfully as she twists and turns against their many legs. Her wings and trunk and four flying elephant feet are used to her advantage. The wasp that was above Wilfred and hit by him before feels the infernal wound and it affects the creature, it twists and turns at the pain, but it reaches Lulu. The hollyphant, dizzy from fighting off the other two wasps easily becomes grasped in the legs of the wasp F.
Seeing the creatures fly out of his reach, Wilfred has to concentrate and overcome the will of the infernal glaive to drop it and draw the bow that IM gave him. With the glaive now at his feet, he draws the bow, firing an arrow at the wasp holding Lulu. The arrow pierces the flying nightmare (4 dam), but it holds fast to Lulu. His second arrow goes wide.
(Corlith - flanked by wasps A&B and Virro are South of the rest, 40' N is IM, Roo, Reed, Wilfred and one wasp C, and 50' N of them are the three wasps D-F and Lulu)
Reed takes a deep breathe, chastising himself for rushing on his first attack, draws back the string of his bow, and lets another arrow race towards Wasp F. Then he points at Wasp E and says "That's enough freeloading. Get to work."
The second Wasp, even though they're a denizen of Avernus and used to sounds of the dead, finds itself assailed inside its own head by the wailing of the dead; a sound impossible to ignore or become inured to.
Bonus action - Steady Aim
Action - (14, 2 + 9) = 23 to hit for (9+12) = 21 magical piercing damage to F
Wails From the Grave for 9 necrotic to E.
Finding himself flanked, and having seen the effects of his previous attack, Corlith quickly summons a protective armour of cold. He then invokes a magical ward to protect himself.
He smiles and lowers his shield to leave himself more open to the Hellwasps attacks.
Bonus Action: Quickened Metamagic to Cast Armor of Agathys at 4th level - 20 Temporary Hit Points
Action: Bastion of Law to summon magical ward - 4d8
Special: Armor of Agathys - 1 hour / 20HPs remaining
Special: Bastion of Law - 4d8 remaining
Seeing Lulu get got by the wasp that took damage from wilf, IM focuses fire there. Not wanting to approach too much but also being too close to effectively range attack they head 30ft south toward vitro and corlith, but simultaneously firing off two lighting bursts north at wasp F now in perfect range for the built in lightning launcher (16 to hit Wasp F, for 6 lightning damage. Then 17 to hit, 7 lightning, if either hit then apply another 2 lightning damage only once)
Still 10ft away from where corlith is flanked IM listens to the vibrational frequency of the wasps buzzing, but since they keep changing it as they get angrier, IM cannot pinpoint the correct frequency to a satisfactory level (throwaway perception 13)