Arista rests a hand on one of the blackened stones. “These are the pavement stones but they have been recolored with a permanent spell,” she warns, glancing from the runes to Brekka’s tossed stone. “If Mathias is right about the ward being an alarm, whoever set this up already knows we’re here, or will very soon.”

Kaelen sighs faintly at Arista's words. "If that's the case, I suppose we should check these bodies and get moving. These appear to be the members of the last expedition." He carefully checks over the corpses for anything identifying or of use.

Perception: 23

Brekka's draconic maw contorts into a guilty grimace.

"I think I may have triggered the arcane alarm in that case," he says.

"When I threw the rock I saw a brief flash. Probably the magic triggering?"

While Kaelen searches the bodies, Brekka instead keeps watch for signs of whoever set the alarm, his shield up and sword drawn.

I would like everyone to make a DC 15 Arcana check to represent your sensing a magic effect taking place.

i will then want an initiative roll from all of you, with disadvantage if you did not sense the magic effect.

Kaelen: The body on the spire is about 5 feet out of your reach,  but casual inspection shows heavy wear on the clothing, and no other possessions on the bodies. Further examination will require direct access and Investigation rolls. But the creature emerging from a portal a few feet from will delay that.

Kaelen Arcana: 17

Initiative: 16

Arista Arcana 11 (failed DC 15)
Initiative 10/17

[[Arcana Check: 23 (Natural 20)]]

[[Initiative: 13]]

Arcana: 10
Initiative: 17

A few of you sense the disturbance on the wind as the two portals open, and two vaguely humanoid creature with tails, spiked heads and claws, with coal black skin, emerge, clinging to the spire. Before anyone can react, the lower one tears into Kaelen, while the higher up one leaps from the spire slashing at Torban.

Torban staggers as the creature finds weaknesses in his armor and he takes 7 acid and slashing damage.

The one on Kaelen strikes twice for a total of 7 slashing and 2 acid.

The party is roughly in melee range of each other, but the demons are far enough apart you need to spend some movement to get between them.

They wiped the floor in initiative so the whole party is up now.

Brekka, having been standing not too far from Torban, turns and charges at the creature near him. His shield is raised and he thrusts out from behind it with his sword, but he's unprepared for the bizarre physicality of these creatures and his swing goes wide.

"Stay behind me!" he says to anyone nearby.

Attack: 10. Damage: 5 slashing. (I assume that misses - Brekka hasn't hit with his sword for the last three or four attacks.)

Arista barrels through the mud toward Kaelen, planting herself between ranger and fiend; she slams her staff to the ground and calls the rain to her will, flash-freezing it in a jagged shell that plates her armor in crackling ice (Armor of Agathys). The water’s lingering chill seeps into her flesh (Resistance versus Slashing damage), dulling the edge of any oncoming blade, while frost-tipped quills bristle along her armor, poised to lash out the moment the demon strikes (reaction on successful hit on her: Frostquill Aegis (the Spiny Shield replacement)). “Fall back, Kaelen—let it test me instead,” she growls, fixing the creature with a glacial stare that all but dares it to rake its claws across the killing cold now cloaking her frame.

Move: to Kaelen
Action: Resistance on herself versus Slashing damage
Bonus: Armor of Agathys
Reaction: Frostquill Aegis (Spiny Shield but with once per turn restriction), OA if it moves away, Absorb Elements if it pulls some acid trick with a failed saving throw
Note: After more consideration on her fighting style, I realize that she should not use a shield in order to being able to cast spells (for now) as most of them have somatic components. 

Taking the others' suggestions, Kaelen disappears into mist and reappears 30 ft back. He looses an arrow at the creature that hit him, then gets behind cover if possible.

Bonus Action: Blessing of the Raven Queen

Action: longbow to hit 17, damage 6

Kaelen's arrow strikes true, but the demon seems rather unfazed, breaking off the shaft and glaring at Kaelen.

Torban swings clumsily, taken by surprise, and misses, fumbling his halberd and dropping it in the process.

Asariel and Mathias are up, I will take Asariel's turn if necessary as Swiftgale hasn't been on in a couple of days.

VTT Link: http://dyn.charwomangene.com:30000

"They seem resistant to piercing," Kaelen informs the others in case they didn't notice. It's a shame that's pretty much all he has.

[[Hmm... I actually missed that, I may have to play with this encounter on the fly...]]

Ooc: Actually Hunter's Mark does Force damage now, so that should make up the difference. He'll use it next turn.

[[As a side note, resistance to non-magical piercing, bludgeoning, and slashing isn't a thing with the 2024 monsters.  Typically if I'm wanting to use an older monster that has that type of resistance, I just up the monster's HP by 50% or so...just a thought]]

Heading Brekka's warning, Mathias steps back and targets the closest fiend with a starry wisp.

[[Move 2 squares SW and 1 W (can't move my token on the map). Starry wisp AC 20; for 7 radiant damage]]

Asariel moves (and I do now manage to access the VTT) away from the demons, taking a shot with his crossbow. 18 to hit for 4 damage.

He then shouts at Brekka "Swing your sword through demon blood. It will do us all some good." before muttering under his breath "That rhyme was appalling, it looks better than it sounds." Brekka now has a d6 bardic inspiration dice. Once within the next hour, when the creature fails a D20 Test, the creature can roll the Bardic Inspiration die and add the number rolled to the total, potentially turning the failure into a success.