Halila joins in with Sizzle. "Precisely, we are just looking for a little automaton thing. Just checking to see if it was here then we'd be on our way."
The voice crashes through the air like a thunderclap, guttural and laced with venom. Abyssal. Not a language Esta understands—but she doesn’t need a translation to recognize hostility.
In a blink, she’s off the wall and rolling low behind a nearby overturned chair, dagger still in hand. Her bow’s already slung back over her shoulder, but she doesn’t reach for it yet. First: assess.
She peers toward the eastern room, eyes narrowing. No visible target. That’s worse.
“Anyone else hear that?” she calls out, voice low but sharp. “Because unless one of you suddenly picked up Abyssal and a flair for dramatics, we’ve got company.”
She shifts slightly, angling for a better view of the study’s doorway, every muscle coiled and ready.
"Bah! I will never get this place running! You ruin everything!" At that moment a cloud of darkness falls in the room and something swings at Halila...
(Surprise attack: 29 to hit Halila, 23 slashing damage and 11 force damage on a hit)
(Combat started! Party may act! The darkness is only in the room where Halila went.)
Halila is... still barely alive! Shocked by the darkness and sudden blow, she tries to get her bearings. She draws her rapier in a desperate attempt to fight back, lunging blindly in the direction the blow came from.
(Rapier Attack: 16, Damage: 9 piercing)
She then makes for the nearest door, if she can find it, to head out of the darkened room.
"Damn!" Sizzle grumbles as he moves to take up a defensive position behind anything he can between him and the darkness. Unable to see what is going on, he shouts towards the sound of combat. "Halila! Come back here so we can help you! If your alive that is!"... He then levels his weapon towards the darkness and prepares to fire a chaos bolt towards the enemy once it comes into view....
Still sitting on the floor in the previous room, Zakhar struggles to stand as he hears the voice. He can understand it... for some reason. He must have picked up a language the entity knew. "There's no reasoning with that thing! We need to get out of here!" He yells. Staggering, he moves to the left side of the door. "Hallila!" He calls, "Follow my voice!"
If Hallila comes out first, Zakhar will retreat with her and urge the others to do the same. If the creature exits the door, he will cast Hell's Lash on the creature.
It must succeed a con save of 14 or be tethered and take 11 fire damage.
Tyriel lets out a breath of relief when they all make it out of the fight alive, he walks over to Zakhar and gives him a stern look. "Don't get him killed,"he says, talking to the entity that had apparently taken over for a moment. He stares Zakhar in the eyes for a good while before they move on.
He cringes when the sound of abyssal strikes his ears like a stone to the head, that cursed language. His glare turns in the direction of the desk just in time to see the room go dark as the voice suddenly uses a language he can understand. "Hallia!" his voice is harsh but also laced with concern. He grits his teeth, these mortals.. ugh. "Don't you go dying either!"
He moves towards the room, bow gripped firmly in hand. He squeezes the grip for a moment, then knocks an arrow wishing he hadn't already used up whatever meager healing magic he still had in this accursed child's body. They can't just leave her in there to fight alone.
"This way!" He says, placing himself directly in the doorway, pushing back the instinct to rush in and attempt to pull her out. Memories of a time when he could have banished this darkness rush through his head, and he immediately curses his current weakness. If he went in there now, he'd just get himself lost. No, better to stand here and attempt to guide her out if she is still standing. "If you are still breathing," he says bluntly, "Let us know, I'm going to guess that whatever is in there with you can see you perfectly fine. Please just answer so we know you aren't a lost cause."
He readies an attack, waiting for whatever creature is in the room to rear its head.
The moment the room plunges into magical darkness, Esta’s grip tightens on her dagger. She can’t see what’s happening—but the sound of a blade striking flesh is unmistakable.
She shifts behind the overturned chair, bow still slung, eyes locked on the black void spilling from the study.
“Halila’s in trouble,” she mutters, low and sharp. “Something’s in there with her.”
She draws her bow now, slow and deliberate, keeping low. No target yet—but she’s ready.
“If that thing steps out, I’ll put an arrow in it,” she says to no one in particular, voice steady. “Otherwise, someone get her out of there before she’s next on the floor.”
She doesn’t move from cover, but her posture is tense, coiled—waiting for the first sign of movement from the dark.
Halila barely stands but makes a bold swing that unfortunately misses! (Roll a d6. On a 1 you find the door, anything else and you are stumbling about the room in the dark!)
Sizzle takes a shot into the darkness and...misses, although they might swear they hit SOMETHING, it just wasn't a person (thankfully it wasn't Halila either!)
Zakhar holds onto his fiery lash in case the bad man makes an appearance in the door! (holding attack!)
Tyriel also holds an attack at the ready just in case, waiting with hope that Halila makes it out alive! (holding attack!)
Esta hides elsewhere in the room and steadies her arrow as well, ready to pierce whatever comes out after Halila! (holding attack!)
Thlaarsh laughs deeply, "Bah! Meddlesome interlopers is all you are!" They attack Halila... (Swing 1: 28 to hit, 20 slashing + 16 Force damage, Swing 2: 15 to hit, 19 slashing + 7 Force damage)
(Note: If Halila escapes the room, you'd see a mighty battleaxe fly out of the darkness and hit her, otherwise all you hear is a sickening crunch as she goes down in the darkness, and then a nauseating smell in the room you're in.)
"Damn it!" Sizzle grumbles as his spell disapeara into the darkness. "You still alive Halila?!" His angry face changes to sadness when he realizes that his companion may be dead. The goblin does not approach the darkness amd instead looks to his companions... "What do we do now? I think we need to go..."
Tyriel flinches as the sickening crunch punctuates what likely was the end of Halia. This... he should have been able to do something. Why was he cowering out here instead of going in to help? He clenches his teeth, grip tightening on his bow whilst his pull on the string loosens.
He coughs against the sickening smell... what in the abyss caused that? His icy eyes turn to look at his companions, moving to Sizzle who'd said they should probably go.
"And leave her here?"His voice is uncharacteristically shaky. "You would abandon her before we confirm her fate?" He shuts his eyes, pulling his bowstring tight again. What can he do in this frail body... the body of a child... the body of a mortal? If he dies... what will happen to him? His eyes snap open, suddenly moving to Zakhar. His expression holds incalculable anger for a split second, which fades to regret as he looks back into the pitch darkness of the room in which Halia was likely laying dead on the floor.
"My immortal soul will live on," he mutters, trying to bolster his courage. Perhaps, if he dies here, then death will prove itself to be the escape from whatever this punishment that his brother had gotten him into was. He quivers for a moment, then stills himself as he says with resolve, "Someone needs to help her. It is the right thing to do."
With that he rushes into the room, action readied and he will fire the arrow at the first sound of hostility.
{Attack for if it's used: To hit (disadvantage): 17 damage: 7}
"Halia, if you are alive and can speak, say something. If you can't speak but are awake, make whatever sound you can. If you are unconscious... I'm sorry. I will do my best. May the Light guide me."
Zakhar looks confused when Tyriel says "don't get him killed"... but he shakes it off and concentrates on the issue at hand. Halila... His eyes widen when he hears the crunch... then he stifles a cough when the smell hits his nose. ...is she...
He glances at Sizzle when the goblin speaks up. He knows the others must be assuming the worst as well... and really the likelihood that Halila had made it is slim... but still. He grits his teeth and stares back into the darkness. Leaving her just... doesn't feel right.
He tries to take a step towards the room, but finds he can't move his feet. Tyriel's words 'don't get him killed' seem to echo through his head for some reason followed by the entity's last words 'sorry kid.' Is IT holding him back for some reason? He glares at the ground in front of him in frustration.... or is it just the pain of his wounds keeping him from moving.
Then Tyriel speaks up again. Zakhar looks at the child. "Tyriel don't!"But his words land on deaf ears it seems as the young aasimar enters the darkness. He curses his weak state and places a hand against the wall, still holding his lash of fire. "TYRIEL!"
"We cant see of they are dead... and going into that magical darkness won't help... are you going to go feel around in the dark with whatever creature is in there?!" The goblin asks as he continues to carefully back away from the darkness with his weapon readied to attack anything thst emerges
Halila is caught in the magical darkness, dying from the unseen attacker... (make a death saving throw!)
Esta [continues to hold their attack in case something walks out]
Tyriel rushes into the darkness and fires away in hope!...but unfortunately all they get is the sad sound of their bolt hitting the wall. *sad face* However, the voice in the room bellows: "Another insect!? You are useless to me!"
Zakhar is holding their action and hoping the others emerge, or that bad person comes out, whoever they are!
Sizzle also stays at the ready, being a bit cautious for now!
Thlaarsh sees Tyriel enter the room and laughs darkly before attacking him in the darkness! (Attack 1: 18 to hit, 20 slashing and 8 force damage; Attack 2: 22 to hit, 18 slashing and 5 force damage)
Anyone alive could make a free Insight check (DC 10)
(You are knowledgeable enough about magic to some degree to know that magical darkness doesn't usually last forever, typically around 10 minutes or so. It might be possible to hide elsewhere for a little bit and wait for the darkness to disappear and then sneak back and see what or who it is you're dealing with.)
Tyriel's words are cut short, and the thump of his small body hitting the ground is audible. He struggles for a moment, somehow still thinking he'd search for Halia. For all he knows, he could be right next to her. He stretches out a hand, reaching blindly into the darkness... then falls limp. The darkness that came after was of a different kind, heavier, all consuming, empty.
Zakhar feels cold claws grip his heart as he hears the sound of a body hitting the floor. Going into that darkness is a death trap. Even if he tried to go in and help them... if they are still alive anyway... he'd likely just end up on the floor with them. Especially, in his current condition.
Insight: 9 (dang so close)
A lump forms in his throat. Sizzle is right. There's nothing they can do. Getting themselves killed won't help. Even if they just waited and hoped that thing came out to face them, he doubts they would be able to defeat it. Not in their already battle worn state.
Still holding his attack, he looks back at the others. If they want to run, he'll run, but he's not about to leave any more of them behind.
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Halila joins in with Sizzle. "Precisely, we are just looking for a little automaton thing. Just checking to see if it was here then we'd be on our way."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
The voice crashes through the air like a thunderclap, guttural and laced with venom. Abyssal. Not a language Esta understands—but she doesn’t need a translation to recognize hostility.
In a blink, she’s off the wall and rolling low behind a nearby overturned chair, dagger still in hand. Her bow’s already slung back over her shoulder, but she doesn’t reach for it yet. First: assess.
She peers toward the eastern room, eyes narrowing. No visible target. That’s worse.
“Anyone else hear that?” she calls out, voice low but sharp. “Because unless one of you suddenly picked up Abyssal and a flair for dramatics, we’ve got company.”
She shifts slightly, angling for a better view of the study’s doorway, every muscle coiled and ready.
“Halila—what did you touch?”
"Bah! I will never get this place running! You ruin everything!" At that moment a cloud of darkness falls in the room and something swings at Halila...
(Surprise attack: 29 to hit Halila, 23 slashing damage and 11 force damage on a hit)
(Combat started! Party may act! The darkness is only in the room where Halila went.)
Halila is... still barely alive! Shocked by the darkness and sudden blow, she tries to get her bearings. She draws her rapier in a desperate attempt to fight back, lunging blindly in the direction the blow came from.
(Rapier Attack: 16, Damage: 9 piercing)
She then makes for the nearest door, if she can find it, to head out of the darkened room.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"Damn!" Sizzle grumbles as he moves to take up a defensive position behind anything he can between him and the darkness. Unable to see what is going on, he shouts towards the sound of combat. "Halila! Come back here so we can help you! If your alive that is!"... He then levels his weapon towards the darkness and prepares to fire a chaos bolt towards the enemy once it comes into view....
Attack: 4 Damage: 14
Still sitting on the floor in the previous room, Zakhar struggles to stand as he hears the voice. He can understand it... for some reason. He must have picked up a language the entity knew. "There's no reasoning with that thing! We need to get out of here!" He yells. Staggering, he moves to the left side of the door. "Hallila!" He calls, "Follow my voice!"
If Hallila comes out first, Zakhar will retreat with her and urge the others to do the same. If the creature exits the door, he will cast Hell's Lash on the creature.
It must succeed a con save of 14 or be tethered and take 11 fire damage.
Tyriel lets out a breath of relief when they all make it out of the fight alive, he walks over to Zakhar and gives him a stern look. "Don't get him killed," he says, talking to the entity that had apparently taken over for a moment. He stares Zakhar in the eyes for a good while before they move on.
He cringes when the sound of abyssal strikes his ears like a stone to the head, that cursed language. His glare turns in the direction of the desk just in time to see the room go dark as the voice suddenly uses a language he can understand. "Hallia!" his voice is harsh but also laced with concern. He grits his teeth, these mortals.. ugh. "Don't you go dying either!"
He moves towards the room, bow gripped firmly in hand. He squeezes the grip for a moment, then knocks an arrow wishing he hadn't already used up whatever meager healing magic he still had in this accursed child's body. They can't just leave her in there to fight alone.
"This way!" He says, placing himself directly in the doorway, pushing back the instinct to rush in and attempt to pull her out. Memories of a time when he could have banished this darkness rush through his head, and he immediately curses his current weakness. If he went in there now, he'd just get himself lost. No, better to stand here and attempt to guide her out if she is still standing. "If you are still breathing," he says bluntly, "Let us know, I'm going to guess that whatever is in there with you can see you perfectly fine. Please just answer so we know you aren't a lost cause."
He readies an attack, waiting for whatever creature is in the room to rear its head.
To hit: 21 Damage: 7
The moment the room plunges into magical darkness, Esta’s grip tightens on her dagger. She can’t see what’s happening—but the sound of a blade striking flesh is unmistakable.
She shifts behind the overturned chair, bow still slung, eyes locked on the black void spilling from the study.
“Halila’s in trouble,” she mutters, low and sharp. “Something’s in there with her.”
She draws her bow now, slow and deliberate, keeping low. No target yet—but she’s ready.
Cunning Action: Hide (Stealth: 26)
Readying Action: Arrow to hit: 27 critical hit, Damage: 12 Piercing + 28 Sneak Attack
“If that thing steps out, I’ll put an arrow in it,” she says to no one in particular, voice steady. “Otherwise, someone get her out of there before she’s next on the floor.”
She doesn’t move from cover, but her posture is tense, coiled—waiting for the first sign of movement from the dark.
Halila barely stands but makes a bold swing that unfortunately misses! (Roll a d6. On a 1 you find the door, anything else and you are stumbling about the room in the dark!)
Sizzle takes a shot into the darkness and...misses, although they might swear they hit SOMETHING, it just wasn't a person (thankfully it wasn't Halila either!)
Zakhar holds onto his fiery lash in case the bad man makes an appearance in the door! (holding attack!)
Tyriel also holds an attack at the ready just in case, waiting with hope that Halila makes it out alive! (holding attack!)
Esta hides elsewhere in the room and steadies her arrow as well, ready to pierce whatever comes out after Halila! (holding attack!)
Thlaarsh laughs deeply, "Bah! Meddlesome interlopers is all you are!" They attack Halila... (Swing 1: 28 to hit, 20 slashing + 16 Force damage, Swing 2: 15 to hit, 19 slashing + 7 Force damage)
(Note: If Halila escapes the room, you'd see a mighty battleaxe fly out of the darkness and hit her, otherwise all you hear is a sickening crunch as she goes down in the darkness, and then a nauseating smell in the room you're in.)
(Stumble/door roll: 4 - stumble it is!)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"Damn it!" Sizzle grumbles as his spell disapeara into the darkness. "You still alive Halila?!" His angry face changes to sadness when he realizes that his companion may be dead. The goblin does not approach the darkness amd instead looks to his companions... "What do we do now? I think we need to go..."
(We'll say Esta holds an attack in case the meanie in the dark dares to show their face)
Tyriel flinches as the sickening crunch punctuates what likely was the end of Halia. This... he should have been able to do something. Why was he cowering out here instead of going in to help? He clenches his teeth, grip tightening on his bow whilst his pull on the string loosens.
He coughs against the sickening smell... what in the abyss caused that? His icy eyes turn to look at his companions, moving to Sizzle who'd said they should probably go.
"And leave her here?" His voice is uncharacteristically shaky. "You would abandon her before we confirm her fate?" He shuts his eyes, pulling his bowstring tight again. What can he do in this frail body... the body of a child... the body of a mortal? If he dies... what will happen to him? His eyes snap open, suddenly moving to Zakhar. His expression holds incalculable anger for a split second, which fades to regret as he looks back into the pitch darkness of the room in which Halia was likely laying dead on the floor.
"My immortal soul will live on," he mutters, trying to bolster his courage. Perhaps, if he dies here, then death will prove itself to be the escape from whatever this punishment that his brother had gotten him into was. He quivers for a moment, then stills himself as he says with resolve, "Someone needs to help her. It is the right thing to do."
With that he rushes into the room, action readied and he will fire the arrow at the first sound of hostility.
{Attack for if it's used: To hit (disadvantage): 17 damage: 7}
"Halia, if you are alive and can speak, say something. If you can't speak but are awake, make whatever sound you can. If you are unconscious... I'm sorry. I will do my best. May the Light guide me."
Zakhar looks confused when Tyriel says "don't get him killed"... but he shakes it off and concentrates on the issue at hand. Halila... His eyes widen when he hears the crunch... then he stifles a cough when the smell hits his nose. ...is she...
He glances at Sizzle when the goblin speaks up. He knows the others must be assuming the worst as well... and really the likelihood that Halila had made it is slim... but still. He grits his teeth and stares back into the darkness. Leaving her just... doesn't feel right.
He tries to take a step towards the room, but finds he can't move his feet. Tyriel's words 'don't get him killed' seem to echo through his head for some reason followed by the entity's last words 'sorry kid.' Is IT holding him back for some reason? He glares at the ground in front of him in frustration.... or is it just the pain of his wounds keeping him from moving.
Then Tyriel speaks up again. Zakhar looks at the child. "Tyriel don't!" But his words land on deaf ears it seems as the young aasimar enters the darkness. He curses his weak state and places a hand against the wall, still holding his lash of fire. "TYRIEL!"
Still Holding action
"We cant see of they are dead... and going into that magical darkness won't help... are you going to go feel around in the dark with whatever creature is in there?!" The goblin asks as he continues to carefully back away from the darkness with his weapon readied to attack anything thst emerges
Halila is caught in the magical darkness, dying from the unseen attacker... (make a death saving throw!)
Esta [continues to hold their attack in case something walks out]
Tyriel rushes into the darkness and fires away in hope!...but unfortunately all they get is the sad sound of their bolt hitting the wall. *sad face* However, the voice in the room bellows: "Another insect!? You are useless to me!"
Zakhar is holding their action and hoping the others emerge, or that bad person comes out, whoever they are!
Sizzle also stays at the ready, being a bit cautious for now!
Thlaarsh sees Tyriel enter the room and laughs darkly before attacking him in the darkness! (Attack 1: 18 to hit, 20 slashing and 8 force damage; Attack 2: 22 to hit, 18 slashing and 5 force damage)
Anyone alive could make a free Insight check (DC 10)
(You are knowledgeable enough about magic to some degree to know that magical darkness doesn't usually last forever, typically around 10 minutes or so. It might be possible to hide elsewhere for a little bit and wait for the darkness to disappear and then sneak back and see what or who it is you're dealing with.)
(I'll presume not being conscious would prevent the Insight check!
Death Save: 9)
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"Insect?! You have no idea who I..."
Tyriel's words are cut short, and the thump of his small body hitting the ground is audible. He struggles for a moment, somehow still thinking he'd search for Halia. For all he knows, he could be right next to her. He stretches out a hand, reaching blindly into the darkness... then falls limp. The darkness that came after was of a different kind, heavier, all consuming, empty.
Death Save: 15
Zakhar feels cold claws grip his heart as he hears the sound of a body hitting the floor. Going into that darkness is a death trap. Even if he tried to go in and help them... if they are still alive anyway... he'd likely just end up on the floor with them. Especially, in his current condition.
Insight: 9 (dang so close)
A lump forms in his throat. Sizzle is right. There's nothing they can do. Getting themselves killed won't help. Even if they just waited and hoped that thing came out to face them, he doubts they would be able to defeat it. Not in their already battle worn state.
Still holding his attack, he looks back at the others. If they want to run, he'll run, but he's not about to leave any more of them behind.