Initiative 10 for Sharn, which is kind of appropriate.

Sharn raised a knowing eyebrow at Merkas' words. He was certain that the kender knew of his own power, but just in case.

"Merkas, I think we should share a few words, after safety stops being elusive to us."

Merkas doesn't hesitate for an instant! In a startling display of preparedness, he explodes into action before the slimy abomination can act!

Battle Map:

Initiative Order:

Hrothbert_Neruca Merkas is up.

Merkas stares at the creature that snuffed out the glowing Blinky, having not connected that casting a second concentration spell would dispel the dancing lights and yells out “Blinky No!!” He clutches his sisters dagger and gets a firm grip on the second one as he dives to the ground at Ororanas feet and stares at the creature trying to figure out if it is something he has encountered (Int:7). After a moment he shakes his head and says “Yvonne grant me that crazy bolt thing from before” He then fires off chaos bolt between Ororana and Hastos legs, the orb mutates between eight different colours before settling on a vibrant blue/white before impact. There’s a surge of electrical energy that radiates from point of impact and then down the creature into the grate on the floor. (17-to hit, 16 lightning damage)

Crawling back to his feet from under his larger companions, he looks back to Sharn. “Oh a chat about magic stuff, well Yvonne helps me with those ones through her dagger, otherwise I am not a caster”

 The creature winces and twitches weirdly from the lightning attack, then charges at Hastos, turning suddenly liquid and attempting to envelop him in its body!

MrUncleTio please roll a Dex Save (DC 13) to avoid being grappled and unable to breathe.

MrUncleTio Hastos is up.

Battle Map:

Hastos is surprised to feel highly charged air blast between his legs. He watches Merkas attack dissipate and the creature prepare an attack aimed directly at him. He seeing the creature lunge, but was not expecting to envelope him!  The creature crashed in all around Hastos, the sounds around him muted as the sensation of cold slime slid across his skin and enveloped him. As the cold slid across his face,he had a brief second to inhale a breath of air.

“**** me!” Hastos thought to himself as he felt the creature envelop him. It felt like being encased in a block of ice, not that he had ever gone through that. He wasn’t bound like a rope would feel, he was just… immobilized. Locked in place.
His centuries of battle experience kicked in and he followed the first rule: Don’t Panic. He relaxed and slowed his pulse. “The others will figure this out. Better me in here and they out there.” He used his time to do what he could to understand this creature.(Perception: 17).

Ororana looks at her axe, then at Hastos... eager to kill the thing, but uncertain about what a heavy weapon will do to her newfound friend. She tries an experiment, and whips out a quick front snapping kick at the creatures head. Her boot sloshes against the disgusting creature, and it wobbles, apparently unaffected, but Hastos seems to wince from the impact.

Hastos takes 1 HP of Damage (Bludgeoning)

Ororana grimaces apologetically. "Ok... so... what do we do now??" Ororana backs away, uncertain of how she can be of assistance while that thing is attached to Hastos.

Larskolstad Sera is up.

Battle Map:

The grotesque pudding surged forward in a sloshing mass—and enveloped Hastos with terrifying speed.

"Hastos!" Sera shouted, watching him struggle, his form swallowed by the semi-transparent ooze. His fists pounded uselessly against the suffocating slime, but it clung tighter, pulling him deeper into its gelatinous grip.

Ororana dashed up, but instead of using her axe, she lashed out with a sharp kick—her boot sinking into the creature. The blow made the ooze ripple... but the pained grunt that followed was all Hastos.

"Back off, tightleather!" Sera barked, giving the flirtatious elf the same kind of nickname she’d been branded with. Her voice was sharp, commanding—but her focus was already shifting.

She raised her hand. Her holy symbol flared to life as she invoked Paladine’s divine wrath. “father...burn away this filth..” she called, her voice firm. A radiant column of searing white fire exploded over the ooze, divine light dancing with fury—yet harmlessly bypassing all else, targeting only the corrupted mass.

The pudding twitched and hissed as the holy fire scorched on it. ( sacred flame target only creatures not caring about cover and not affecting areas. Dex save dc 13. If not it takes 8 radiant damage )

Sera’s sharp eyes narrowed, watching how it reacted. Leech-like... it clings tight, feeds on warmth—no real bones or muscle to burn. But it didn’t dodge. Too slow... maybe too stupid?
(animal handling to understand it better got 21 )

“Back up!” she warned, voice low but urgent. “If this works, Merkas can blast it next! It won’t dodge—not fast enough!”

She kept her distance, her eyes flicking to Hastos—searching for signs of life, of motion. Her knuckles whitened around her blade. Paladine’s fire had struck true... but was it enough?

The creature wobbles and shrinks away from the Sacred Flame, effectively dodging it by slithering itself away from it and pooling up on other parts of Hastos's body.

The gross, slimy creature takes no damage.

cheapjoke123 Sharn is up, then it's on to round 2. No map update.

Hastos is Grappled, Restrained, and unable to breathe (drowned in 4 hours).

Sharn was not comfortable fighting in such a tight space, but their fights could rarely be predicted. He stepped forward past Merkas, while putting on his gift, the Jackal's knuckles. He wasn't planning to puncture, but to scoop, like a fork through mashed potatoes. He tried to avoid Hastos, as best he could. With a left, right and left again he connected (18 to hit for 3 dmg; 9 to hit, which is probably a miss; 19 to hit for 2 damage) two parallel rakes across the slime.

Bits of slime fly away with each scoop of Sharn's weapon attack, and it wobbles and writhes in obvious pain. But in spite of your careful aim, you notice matching scratches form in a slight delay on Hastos's skin.

The Gross Slimy Thing receives 9 Damage.
The Gross Slimy Thing is Bloodied.
Hastos recceives 9 Damage.

Sharn is certain that he did not touch Hastos, but the cuts form exactly where he attacked.

SunDial365 Ne'haredewell is up! Welcome to the party!

Battle Map:

While the battle was underfoot, another pair was trudging through. Eyes adjusted to the dark, the cloaked figure grunts through the twists and turns of the watery maze below. They have been walking for quite a bit now. It still doesn't seem to be ending.

Splish-splashing, a frolicking mouse follow nearby. It hops from one puddle to another and drops of ichor-laced water drips onto the figure's foot. "Do not do that," the cloaked figure admonishes, "Why do you always do that?" 

The mouse squeaks. The voice huffs, "I guess... That's fair." The footsteps continues as the water drips onto their cloak. Then suddenly it stops. An artificial breeze keeps the figure's cape flowing a constant inch or two above the water. There's a flicker to the side of their head, brushing up their cloak; it makes their head look pointer than it truly is. They turn tilt their head slightly. The sound of battle.

'This way,' the command is unspoken, but the mouse follows through just the same. It scampers up ahead of its master, even surprising the figure themself. 

“Back up!” 

At the sound of another voice, the figure steps back. The antlers on the figure's helmet scrapes against the sewer's ceiling. They internally cringe at the sound, right fist bawling. With the other, they gesture the mouse back.

“If this works, Merkas can blast it next! It won’t dodge—not fast enough!”

The figure then jumps into action, their helmet slamming once again onto the ceiling, this time onto the sewer grate opening.

'CLUNK'

They stumble a bit back, head held in their hands a bit.

"This is not... Never mind," the voice through the sewer grate goes. Whether it be a dismal of their question or a mention of the Mountain, it was left unclear. "I believe I should have made a left turn in Albukhurrkey." Their voice slurs a bit at the end.

Then all is quiet.

'SLAM'

((Strength check ... an 8 ... which thank you DM for allowing))

The sewer grate flies open. It would have gone sailing, but it got stuck on... the antlers of the figure jumping up from it. The figure sinks to the ground, their entire body covered in black cloth. The only thing showing through, a white mask... a deer mask, made entirely of its skull. It a wonder how the cloak stays up, but you can see that the cloak itself is tied to its horns.

Slowly, they inch their way up, flow almost like a liquid, much like the slime the party is fighting. "Hold still." A hand is extended. It is covered entirely in gauze, much like the rest of their body. They look almost like that story, the Permanently Invisible Wizard.

Suddenly, a dagger is banished in their hand. And in the other. They shush the party. And with a flourish, the figure bows down, hand on the front of their head and one arm behind their back. A sudden bolt of lightning shoots from their horns, blasting at the red slime in front of them. The lights dances across the dark of the sewer hole while they clutch at their mask to keep from falling off. The lightning burst leaves some scorched marks on the already dried white skull.

((Action: Cast Sorcerous Burst for 17 + 6 = 23 with 5 + 1 = 6 Lightning damage))

Getting up, the figure returns back to a simple standing pose, daggers back to their side. "Ow," they chide at something on their shoulder. "I said be quiet!" They whisper loudly to it again, though not harshly. The figure then goes up and turns back at the party and just stares. They say nothing. 

((HELLO AHHH thank you for letting me join!!))

Lightning crackles around the disgusting gray slime, and the creature's mishappen mouth stretches open in a grimace of pain, but Hastos shares the pain as well, twitching rigidly from the shock!

MrUncleTio, Hastos takes 3 Damage (Lightning)
Gross Gray Sludge takes 3 Damage (Lightning)
A Medicine Check will reveal it's current HP, or at least give a rough estimate

Round 2! No change to Battle Map.

Hrothbert_Neruca, Merkas is up!
Gross Grey Sludge is Bloodied
Hastos is Wounded, Grappled, Restrained, and Drowning
Ororana has an Unknown Potion Buff, a Potion of Psionic Fortitude buff, and a Guidance Buff active.

You have all been able to learn through observation (or personal injury) that any damage you do to the creature is halved, and shared, with Hastos.

 "Hey Hast..." Merkas' mouth sits open, partway through what he was about to say as a very strange creature crawls out of a sewer great, after having ran into it based upon the clang heard just before it's appearance. He's about to call out the new arrival when it places a finger against it's lips? or where it's lips would be if it's face wasn't just a deer skull? and then fires a lightning bolt at the Slime thing, or was it Hastos? (Perception-14 to see if Merkas sees past the clothing to what's N'haredowell actually is, Insight - 3 for whether Merkas can ascertain if they are friend or foe). 

Deciding that as long as the newcomer is assisting currently he's going to let them he continues what he was going to say "Hastos, we gotta get you free of that thing, and then we can all attack it without hurting you! Hope you're not ticklish!" Merkas grabs a handfull of sand as he rushes under his companions to the other side of Hastos, partly to get between him and the new guy and partly to attempt to tickle the creature off of Hastos. "Here's sand in yer eye!" Merkas announces as he throws the sand into the slime. In his enthusiasm at tickling Hastos and the slime he doesn't notice as the sand become a a swarm of ants that somehow are both swimming in and biting the slime thing. "Coochie Coochie Coo!" (Cast Infestation: 12 poison damage, Direction east, 14 Con Save)

The ants form, and quickly drown in the slime before they can do any real damage. Looking like pepper in pouridge, they float around in the ooze.

Then, something new happens. Hastos's face contorts in agony as thin ribbons of blood flow from the seams in his armor, and along his face and neck!

Hastos takes 16 Damage (Necrotic)
Hastos is Bloodied!

The grey slime starts to turn a faint hue of pink, and it begins to drag Hastos towards the sewer, Hastos's goop-covered restrained body plops unceremoniously down to the dry waterway below.

cheapjoke123 The creature has left your threatened square. You may make an Attack of Opportunity.

MrUncleTio, Hastos is up, but you are Grappled, Restrained, and Drowning (3 minutes, 54 seconds).
The Gross Pink Slime is Bloodied.
Hastos is Bloodied.

Battle Map:

The shifting image of Hastos inside the undulating gelatinous creature grits his teeth and his fists clench, you can almost hear the sound of squeaking leather.

There’s a violent twist and Hastos’ upper half rips free of the gelatinous mass. (DC: 18) Hastos’ grunting becoming audible as his face emerges.  As his first leg pulls free, there’s a slight golden glow and you can see some of his wounds healing. (Second Wind: 13)  Hastos dives into a roll to put some ground between him and the carnivorous jello mold. (Tactical Shift) as he comes out of his roll he turns back towards the creature, swinging his arm in a wide arc. Fire erupts from his hand and Hastos hurls a blaze of fire at the slime. (Firebolt: To Hit: 14, Damage:20)

Hastos had shown signs of raking from the Jackal's knuckles. Then once again from Merkas' magic. Sharn held back his fists. There was no telling what the ooze would do with an unconscious Hastos.

*FWOOOOOOM!* The creature barely has time to register the attack as it conflagrates as if it were made of oil! The hot rush of air blows back Nare and Hastos's hair and cloaks. When the fire dies out to embers, all that remains of it is a black scorch mark!

Ororana, who raised her arm to sheild her eyes from the immolation, chuckles from shock rather than any sort of amusement. "Fire... I guess it's weak against fire."

You are now out of initiative.
You each receive 350 XP.
The trail of slime leading from the creature's former position to the dried out waterway can be harvested for alchemical ingredients.

Ororanas humor sails right past Hastos. “Eaaalchh” Hastos says as he spits off to the side. “Some of it got in my mouth…” he spits again then takes a knee and breathes in and out sharply, coughing intermittently.

Ororana heads over to Hastos, squeezing past Nare with an "Excuse me sweetie... cute helmet!" then hops down to the level below and claps Hastos on the back (with a wet squelching sound as she does) to help him purge the last of the goo. "Way to hang in there!" She looks at her now slime covered hand and wipes it off onto the sewer walls, her face twisted in disgust. But her attention changes fast as she hears the growling sound the Sharn had mentioned earlier. "Get over it fast, Hastos... we've got company," she hisses as she readies her greataxe.

Nare, Hastos, Ororana, and Sharn can hear scraping, shambling sounds coming from around the bend.

Nare, Hastos, and Ororana can see the following...