Kora winces when she hears his warning tone and moves closer to the seat but does not sit down. Her flight reflexes are way too turned on to sit at the moment.
"B..bringer of agony?!" Kora repeats in almost a whisper. What the hell is happening? How did she end up in such a place? HIs eyes... something was so wrong about this. She could feel it not only on her skin, but all the way to her bones. She couldn't transform again, she had to rest for that.
"MY WHAT??" She yells as she thrusts her hands forward, sending grasping weeds and vines around this Durokgad, and without waiting to see if the spell succeeded, she runs back down the tunnel as fast as she can.
Already feeling a bit stupid, Jared's really rubs Akyan the wrong way. However, he refrains from making any excuses and instead just yells. "I was in contact with her until just a short while ago. Just hurry up!" Quickening his pace, he doesn't even try to explain exactly how he was in contact with her.
Durokgad seems surprised as the roots from the ceiling and other plants burst out of the earth to entangle and snare him. He grunts in surprise as they hold him tight in place. As Kora turns to flee, he shouts out, "Wait! I wasn't done talking!" He struggles against his bindings for a few moments as Kora seems as if she was going to escape. "Oh bother," Durokgad says in an annoyed voice. "I was hoping it didn't have to go this way."
As Kora reaches the exit, the vines holding the imposter are explosively ripped away by a sudden burst on inhuman strength. Kora has just enough time to spare a glance over her shoulder. She sees that Father Donovan is now floating several feet off the ground, his eyes burning a deep red of pure malice. Around him, she sees the outline of some dark, demonic mist. She recognizes that the dark form resembles the statue at the end of the room, the huge spiraling horns easily recognizable. The terrifyingly large shadowy form of the beast bellows a earth-shatteringly loud roar. The earth begins to tremble and shake as it prolongs its roar, pebbles trembling on the ground as plumes of dust fall from the ceiling overhead. Suddenly, a pit begins to open up under Kora!
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The ground opens up like a hungry maw, and Kora once again finds herself tumbling down a diagonal shaft. She takes 1 bludgeoning damage and lands prone at the bottom. Up above and out of sight, she hears Father Donovan call out, “Kora dear, this only as difficult as you make. We can make this whole process much easier if you stop fighting me.” His voice has a strange, gravelly and deep echo, almost like someone is saying the same words as he is.
Kora starts thinking of Aoelwyn. The goodness of her mother, the one who cared for her like no one else ever did or ever would. The evil in this place was so overwhelming, she needed thoughts to combat it and instinctively she went to her. Suddenly her flight reflex lessens a bit as she realizes he was talking about Azalin. Isn't that who Aoelwyn mentioned? But this creature wanted her body... what did that even mean?!?
She dashes up the tunnel/pit, scurrying over vines and roots and dirt as fast as she can. As she gets to the top, she turns to face her attacker, curiosity and the need to catch her breath winning, "Who was this man who is working for Azalin?" She does her best to steel her voice, trying not to let the terror that shook her body become evident.
The thing floating near the fire seems please as Kora comes crawls back to the lip of the pit. “I believe his name was Mittens. He was an odd fellow.” He shakes his head. “Regardless, if helping this ‘Azalin’ helps me escape, then I’ll gladly serve.”
With longing in his voice, he begins speaking with a distant expression, almost seeming as if he had forgotten you were there. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to help others feel the euphoria of agony. I fear the people of this land have forgotten who I am.” He absentmindedly reaches his arm into the faire blazing beside him, watching the flames begin to char his flesh. The air is filled with the scent of burning human flesh and the sound of sizzling fat as his hand cooks away. He looks down at his burning limb, a pleasantly dreamy look on his face. “There’s something… invigorating about pain, isn’t there? It makes you feels so alive.” He pulls his hand out, the appendage reduced to a smoking, charred husk. He smiles at you, and then starts drifting your direction. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
Movement: float thirty feet towards Kora
Action: Monologue
((The pit is sitting at the entrance of the cavern. It’s about ten feet wide, so a running leap could clear it. Just jumping would need an athletics check if you choose to flee))
Kora stares at the man, the creature, as he burns and chars his hand. "Why not burn the other one so you're even?"she retorts as she walks towards him.. just enough so she can turn and get a running leap. She is painfully aware of him, floating towards her, but if she fell back into that pit, she knew it would be over. She sure wasn't known for her strength.
As soon as she feels she has enough space to run, she quickly spins and runs towards the pit, leaping over it and continuing to dash down the tunnel.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Durokgad sighs as Kora springs ways from him. Annoyed, he mutters, “I did warn you that you shouldn’t disobey me.”
Just as Kora rounds the corner, Durokgad suddenly teleports in front of her, emerging from the inky darkness of the tunnel. Before she can react, a jagged blade appears in one of his hands as he swings down in an arc towards her. In a follow up attack, he attempts to grab Kora with his other hand and try to slam her up against the rough wall.
Legendary Action at the end of Kora’s turn: Vanishing Strike Attack: 26 Damage: 9 slashing damage plus26 necrotic damage. Note: Durokgad will be dealing subdual damage instead of lethal.
Action: Grapple Attack 20. If it hits Kora is grappled
The blade sinks into Kora’s side, and she feels an incredible burst of pain shoot through her body followed by an invidious, icy numbness that radiates from the wound. Your vision begins to fade, and your legs give out from under you, but Durokgad catches you with one hand around your throat before you fall to the ground. He slams you into the wall, his hand like a vice around your throat. He brings his grinning face close to yours. “I did say you should have listened to me.” He brings his mouth up to her ear and whisper, “I promise this will hurt quite a lot, but more pain is better. You’ll understand eventually.”
Suddenly, Father Donovan’s body goes rigid, and blinding pain bursts throughout Kora’s entire body. It feels like lava has been dumped inside of her body, burning away every inch of her. Father Donovan screams in pain as a black smoke pours out of him and seeps into Kora.
After only a moment of pure, unadulterated agony, Father Donovan drops you as he falls to the floor, still screaming in pain. You, on the other hand, watch helplessly was your body begins to move on its own accord like a puppet under the influence of a puppet master. “Ah, this is much better,” you hear yourself saying as you look down at the cringing form of the Father at your feet. He lies in a heap, clutching his burned arm, whispering out desperate pleas to his god between sobs. You reach down and grab him by his leg and begin toting him back into the room. The last thing you remember seeing is the profane altar as you approach it…
After Akyan and Aoufie gather the rest of the crew up, you make your way back to the cave entrance. It’s a bit of a hike, and as you round the corner, You see Kora waiting there for you, looking completely fine.
"About time! It's real creepy here and I was about to give up watch and leave this area." Kora shudders. "Luckily, nothing has happened, Father Donovan must still be in there. But man.. the vibes I get from this cave? Are nothing like the meek man we met earlier."
"Why didn't I wait for you? What are you saying? It's all I have done is wait. Either we go look for the Father or take me to a warm tavern and buy me some ale cause I'm cold to the bone." Kora looks at Anthony completely confused and wondering if he got in the drink while they chased after the Father. But decides not to say anything.
((My fault misreading, I thought we were rounding a corner just inside the tunnel, I'll spin it))
Anythony just shook his head. "I meant why come out of hiding. It's fine." He wasn't in great shape for fighting more undead, but they could lose Father Donovan completely if they didn't. Not that catching him was a priority as far as he was concerned.
"We have come this far following Father Donovan. Let us see what he has been doing in the foreboding cave." says Aoufie with a sense of relief seeing nothing happened to Kora while he was gone. "This cave does seem strangely ominous. Perhaps it is magical. Let me check"
Aoufie will cast detect magic using a spell slot to save on time. He keeps his eyes peeled for any magical auras.
Akyan releases a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding upon seeing Kora seemingly safe at the cave’s entrance. He’d been worried that something had happened when their link snapped. “Let’s get this over with then.” He says in a low voice, then approaches the cave.
With his spell cast, Aoufie can see a powerful mixture of abjuration, illusion, and enchantment aura's swirling around the cave entrance. He also notices that the magical auras seem... broken. It's kind of hard to describe, but he can see that they aren't working the way they should be. Aoufie is no arcanist, so he doesn't have much explanation for the strange phenomenon.
As you take a few steps into the cave, you all get the uneasy feeling of someone watching you as the shadows of the cave swallow you. The stone walls in the tunnel seem almost natural, free from the scars of pickaxes. Those with darkvision can see that the tunnel slopes downward for about 60 feet before opening up into some kind of chamber.
Here's some general features of the cave systems:
There is complete darkness in the caves. You either need darkvision or a light source to see while inside
The air is still and smells of dust
It is deafeningly silent in the caves. Your breath and heartbeat seem abnormally loud to you.
The tunnels are 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall and look to be naturally formed. The tunnels usually have a gentle slope downwards, and I will specify if it steeper than normal or it if slopes in a different direction.
While in the cave system, you feel a general sense of unease and the eerie feeling of someone watching you.
For every hour spent in the cave systems, there is a 5% chance that your alignment shifts one step closer to chaotic evil. EX: Good -> Neutral -> Evil, Lawful-> Neutral-> Chaotic. If someone is Lawful Good, then their alignment would shift to Neutral Good if that 5% change occured
Aoufie shares what he discovered in regard to the broken auras to his siblings. "Someone obviously took the time to lace this cave with magic that somehow is broken. I know not what the result would be of lingering in a cave with broken magics at play. Keep you guard up."
He will follow the others into the cave while maintaining concentration on the detect magic spell for the next 10 minutes.
Once inside "It is truly pitch black in here. Does anyone have a torch? All I have is a candle." says Aoufie
Kora winces when she hears his warning tone and moves closer to the seat but does not sit down. Her flight reflexes are way too turned on to sit at the moment.
"B..bringer of agony?!" Kora repeats in almost a whisper. What the hell is happening? How did she end up in such a place? HIs eyes... something was so wrong about this. She could feel it not only on her skin, but all the way to her bones. She couldn't transform again, she had to rest for that.
"MY WHAT??" She yells as she thrusts her hands forward, sending grasping weeds and vines around this Durokgad, and without waiting to see if the spell succeeded, she runs back down the tunnel as fast as she can.
Already feeling a bit stupid, Jared's really rubs Akyan the wrong way. However, he refrains from making any excuses and instead just yells. "I was in contact with her until just a short while ago. Just hurry up!" Quickening his pace, he doesn't even try to explain exactly how he was in contact with her.
Still in rough shape despite getting a little rest, Anthony limps after Akyan as fast as he’s able. “What did you find? Fill us in on the way.”
Aoufie hurries along hoping Kora is still safe by the cave entrance. He fills everyone in on what they encountered and about the ominous cave.
Durokgad seems surprised as the roots from the ceiling and other plants burst out of the earth to entangle and snare him. He grunts in surprise as they hold him tight in place. As Kora turns to flee, he shouts out, "Wait! I wasn't done talking!" He struggles against his bindings for a few moments as Kora seems as if she was going to escape. "Oh bother," Durokgad says in an annoyed voice. "I was hoping it didn't have to go this way."
As Kora reaches the exit, the vines holding the imposter are explosively ripped away by a sudden burst on inhuman strength. Kora has just enough time to spare a glance over her shoulder. She sees that Father Donovan is now floating several feet off the ground, his eyes burning a deep red of pure malice. Around him, she sees the outline of some dark, demonic mist. She recognizes that the dark form resembles the statue at the end of the room, the huge spiraling horns easily recognizable. The terrifyingly large shadowy form of the beast bellows a earth-shatteringly loud roar. The earth begins to tremble and shake as it prolongs its roar, pebbles trembling on the ground as plumes of dust fall from the ceiling overhead. Suddenly, a pit begins to open up under Kora!
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
The ground opens up like a hungry maw, and Kora once again finds herself tumbling down a diagonal shaft. She takes 1 bludgeoning damage and lands prone at the bottom. Up above and out of sight, she hears Father Donovan call out, “Kora dear, this only as difficult as you make. We can make this whole process much easier if you stop fighting me.” His voice has a strange, gravelly and deep echo, almost like someone is saying the same words as he is.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Kora starts thinking of Aoelwyn. The goodness of her mother, the one who cared for her like no one else ever did or ever would. The evil in this place was so overwhelming, she needed thoughts to combat it and instinctively she went to her. Suddenly her flight reflex lessens a bit as she realizes he was talking about Azalin. Isn't that who Aoelwyn mentioned? But this creature wanted her body... what did that even mean?!?
She dashes up the tunnel/pit, scurrying over vines and roots and dirt as fast as she can. As she gets to the top, she turns to face her attacker, curiosity and the need to catch her breath winning, "Who was this man who is working for Azalin?" She does her best to steel her voice, trying not to let the terror that shook her body become evident.
The thing floating near the fire seems please as Kora comes crawls back to the lip of the pit. “I believe his name was Mittens. He was an odd fellow.” He shakes his head. “Regardless, if helping this ‘Azalin’ helps me escape, then I’ll gladly serve.”
With longing in his voice, he begins speaking with a distant expression, almost seeming as if he had forgotten you were there. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to help others feel the euphoria of agony. I fear the people of this land have forgotten who I am.” He absentmindedly reaches his arm into the faire blazing beside him, watching the flames begin to char his flesh. The air is filled with the scent of burning human flesh and the sound of sizzling fat as his hand cooks away. He looks down at his burning limb, a pleasantly dreamy look on his face. “There’s something… invigorating about pain, isn’t there? It makes you feels so alive.” He pulls his hand out, the appendage reduced to a smoking, charred husk. He smiles at you, and then starts drifting your direction. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
Movement: float thirty feet towards Kora
Action: Monologue
((The pit is sitting at the entrance of the cavern. It’s about ten feet wide, so a running leap could clear it. Just jumping would need an athletics check if you choose to flee))
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Kora stares at the man, the creature, as he burns and chars his hand. "Why not burn the other one so you're even?" she retorts as she walks towards him.. just enough so she can turn and get a running leap. She is painfully aware of him, floating towards her, but if she fell back into that pit, she knew it would be over. She sure wasn't known for her strength.
As soon as she feels she has enough space to run, she quickly spins and runs towards the pit, leaping over it and continuing to dash down the tunnel.
Durokgad sighs as Kora springs ways from him. Annoyed, he mutters, “I did warn you that you shouldn’t disobey me.”
Just as Kora rounds the corner, Durokgad suddenly teleports in front of her, emerging from the inky darkness of the tunnel. Before she can react, a jagged blade appears in one of his hands as he swings down in an arc towards her. In a follow up attack, he attempts to grab Kora with his other hand and try to slam her up against the rough wall.
Legendary Action at the end of Kora’s turn: Vanishing Strike Attack: 26 Damage: 9 slashing damage plus26 necrotic damage. Note: Durokgad will be dealing subdual damage instead of lethal.
Action: Grapple Attack 20. If it hits Kora is grappled
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
The blade sinks into Kora’s side, and she feels an incredible burst of pain shoot through her body followed by an invidious, icy numbness that radiates from the wound. Your vision begins to fade, and your legs give out from under you, but Durokgad catches you with one hand around your throat before you fall to the ground. He slams you into the wall, his hand like a vice around your throat. He brings his grinning face close to yours. “I did say you should have listened to me.” He brings his mouth up to her ear and whisper, “I promise this will hurt quite a lot, but more pain is better. You’ll understand eventually.”
Suddenly, Father Donovan’s body goes rigid, and blinding pain bursts throughout Kora’s entire body. It feels like lava has been dumped inside of her body, burning away every inch of her. Father Donovan screams in pain as a black smoke pours out of him and seeps into Kora.
After only a moment of pure, unadulterated agony, Father Donovan drops you as he falls to the floor, still screaming in pain. You, on the other hand, watch helplessly was your body begins to move on its own accord like a puppet under the influence of a puppet master. “Ah, this is much better,” you hear yourself saying as you look down at the cringing form of the Father at your feet. He lies in a heap, clutching his burned arm, whispering out desperate pleas to his god between sobs. You reach down and grab him by his leg and begin toting him back into the room. The last thing you remember seeing is the profane altar as you approach it…
After Akyan and Aoufie gather the rest of the crew up, you make your way back to the cave entrance. It’s a bit of a hike, and as you round the corner, You see Kora waiting there for you, looking completely fine.
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Jared slows as they get to Kora.
"Well at least she's fine." he says to Aykan not looking back at the drow elf.
"What's going on Kory?" he asks Kora.
"Why didn't you wait for us?" Asking Kora. as he surveyed the area past Kora. "Is he dead?" Confused as to what had happened.
"About time! It's real creepy here and I was about to give up watch and leave this area." Kora shudders. "Luckily, nothing has happened, Father Donovan must still be in there. But man.. the vibes I get from this cave? Are nothing like the meek man we met earlier."
"Why didn't I wait for you? What are you saying? It's all I have done is wait. Either we go look for the Father or take me to a warm tavern and buy me some ale cause I'm cold to the bone." Kora looks at Anthony completely confused and wondering if he got in the drink while they chased after the Father. But decides not to say anything.
((My fault misreading, I thought we were rounding a corner just inside the tunnel, I'll spin it))
Anythony just shook his head. "I meant why come out of hiding. It's fine." He wasn't in great shape for fighting more undead, but they could lose Father Donovan completely if they didn't. Not that catching him was a priority as far as he was concerned.
"We have come this far following Father Donovan. Let us see what he has been doing in the foreboding cave." says Aoufie with a sense of relief seeing nothing happened to Kora while he was gone. "This cave does seem strangely ominous. Perhaps it is magical. Let me check"
Aoufie will cast detect magic using a spell slot to save on time. He keeps his eyes peeled for any magical auras.
Akyan releases a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding upon seeing Kora seemingly safe at the cave’s entrance. He’d been worried that something had happened when their link snapped. “Let’s get this over with then.” He says in a low voice, then approaches the cave.
With his spell cast, Aoufie can see a powerful mixture of abjuration, illusion, and enchantment aura's swirling around the cave entrance. He also notices that the magical auras seem... broken. It's kind of hard to describe, but he can see that they aren't working the way they should be. Aoufie is no arcanist, so he doesn't have much explanation for the strange phenomenon.
As you take a few steps into the cave, you all get the uneasy feeling of someone watching you as the shadows of the cave swallow you. The stone walls in the tunnel seem almost natural, free from the scars of pickaxes. Those with darkvision can see that the tunnel slopes downward for about 60 feet before opening up into some kind of chamber.
Here's some general features of the cave systems:
DM- Azalin's Doom
DM- Surviving the Unsurvivable
Aoufie shares what he discovered in regard to the broken auras to his siblings. "Someone obviously took the time to lace this cave with magic that somehow is broken. I know not what the result would be of lingering in a cave with broken magics at play. Keep you guard up."
He will follow the others into the cave while maintaining concentration on the detect magic spell for the next 10 minutes.
Once inside "It is truly pitch black in here. Does anyone have a torch? All I have is a candle." says Aoufie