Sim seeing Yaalin and Lafetha back out at the same time begins to wonder what caused this and starts to think about what they are truly doing. 

1.) Alul works for the priestesses and Orta wants revenge. 
2.) Alul couldn’t be damaged easily by them previously. 
3.) they originally fought against Cora. 
4.) He has seen what this evil can do and offended friends trying to get them to give up on the Apple. 
5.) He only signed up with Cora to stop the evil once it got out but without help then Cora will fail. So it will stay contained along with the Apple. 
6. ) He only came to protect Diadochi and doesn’t care about fulfilling the blackmire contract. 

Sim takes a step back without saying anything and positions himself to respond to whoever attacks first Cora or Alul. He looks at Yaalin trying to catch her eye. 

Watching Alul turn towards the exit, Yaalin softly states,

"True cowardice is fighting to flee from memory.  Being unwilling to let go and move on into a new future." She turns to Cora still sitting calmly, "Cowardice is hiding in the name of faith and abusing those weaker than you because you can." and more to herself, "Yes I am a coward, for not seeing this sooner.  For becoming what I hate and running from it into conflict and death. So run to your perceived glory cowards and reap the seeds you will sow there."

She heave herself to her feat still clearly exhausted.

"I cannot stop you from inflicting the pain and suffering you two already have and likely I cannot stop you from committing more atrocities in the name of revenge and faith, but I can no longer stand by and watch."

she unslings the War Hammer from her waist and stands the gauntlets still on the floor.

Diadochi rubs his temples, "by The Queen I am tired. Most of us are under this weight, for one reason or another we want the apple but we are hesitant to do the evil required to get to it. I'd hope that we are weighing the lives we'd take now against the ones we would might save from the calamity that could happen. It's a disheartening moral equation to be sure. Well I don't know what to do. Ever since I got to this mountain I've made one bad call after another. Standing between Alul and the Hn'ti village was wrong, backing down when the Hn'ti were killing the goblins was wrong. And a myriad of other decisions have been the wrong call. Well I'm tired of being the one that errs all the time. Truly, I wish to leave the mountain entirely and if Blackmire wants to kill me for it they are welcomed to at this point. The people I trust in spiritual matters are refusing to go forward so I take that as a good sign that we should not go forward. It would have certainly been more convenient if we had this revelation before we were so far into enemy territory, but we certainly can't have everything.  Cora you say the Iron Queen wants us to work together, maybe the reason is so we can show you another way.  The rub is I don't think we have another way, not yet. Nothing here has given me reason to believe that we will find away. So do with that what you will. All I know is that I stand with my Dek so if she says she can't go further, then I say the same."

To illustrate the point Diadochi literally stands beside Yaalin.

Cora blinks a few times.  She glances around the troupe before a small reluctant nod.  "I know I can't do this particular mission alone.  Not after last time and what happened."  Her weight shifts from one foot to the other, a bit of thinking, and trying to stay on her toes.  "Before that, I knew whatever magic would unseal it required the willing..."

Alul, looking over at Diadochi and others.  "...The Priestess does not require the willing."

Cora's face looks surprised, stunned for just a moment.  "What?"

A smile spreads across Alul's face.  "We kill this one.  They all will die.  The bones of the Priestess will unlock the doors.  Their coven will be united."

The team can see Cora's feet stop shifting from side to side.  One moving out and around, planting more firmly in the ground.  She looks over at Diadochi and Yaalin, then to Sim and Lafetha, before back to Alul.  "We may have had some differences Apostates.  But.  The slaughtering of a entire people who have not chosen their own destiny..." her voice trails off.  Her fists begin to glow.  "You all. Leave now, or, help me finish this beast here and now."

Alul says.. something as his arm extends out.  Something beginning to be called to his hand.  

(You all can roll initiative and join the combat.  Or, chose to leave and dive back down the hole you came up from.)

Sim speaks quickly. “Yaalin, you are right. This is wrong. Killing one man to save the tribe is the lesser of two evils, and may lead to the greater good of destroying the trapped evil, BUT it is still evil.  I will not kill this people who have worked so hard to keep it contained and I will not allow all of them to die especially without them knowing it is happening or why. Beware friends he summons that sword of his.”

Initiative 4

"Istill stand by what I said before."

Initiative 11

 initiative 14 Diadochi looks Yaalin, "What do you say, Old Friend, once more into the fray?" 

If Yaalin stays or Diadochi has a higher initiative:

 If Yaalin leaves before Diadochi doe anything

Cora Initiative: 18

Alul Initiative: 3

Abigail Initiative (Auto): 17

Rounds until Hn'ti begin to arrive: 14

Round 1 (Begin)

Situation: The situation in the room has turned dire.  Alul and Cora begin to get ready to go to blows, as others either leave or join the fray.  Alul, in his tall hybrid body, stands in the East archway that leads to another chamber, about 10 feet from the others.  (Acrobatics DC 14 to get behind him - move action.  Failure and you land prone. 2 others can be in front of him engaging in melee.  Two people in melee give him 1/2 cover.  For melee, one other person needs to be engaging to get 'flanking' bonus.  For ranged, two people need to be engaged in melee for 'flanking' bonus).  Yaalin, Diadochi, Sim, and Lafetha stand surrounding the five foot wide gap that descends back into the underground waterway.  To the North, and the South, are two other archways leading to other unoccupied rooms. 

Abigail and Cora both stand nearly 10 feet from Alul, but aren't by the other 4's side.

Initiative:
14 Rounds until Hn'ti Chief and others arrive
Cora (18)
Abigail (17)
Diadochi (14 - unless he chose to leave, then n/a)
Lafetha (11)
Sim (4)
Alul (3) - has a reaction ability
Yaalin (?? - unless she chose to leave, then n/a)

(Initiative 18)

Cora's first off the line, rushing up to Alul and attempts to land four strikes in quick succession.

Fist Attack: 24 Damage: 8
Fist Attack: 12 Damage: 7
Flurry Attack: 25 Damage: 10
Flurry Attack: 25 Damage: 5

(Initiative 17 - will be changed if Abigail's player returns and is able to post)

Abigail takes out her shortbow, knocks one of her four silver arrows, and takes a single shot at Alul

Shortbow Attack: 17 Damage: 7

Initiative 14

Yaalin will shift to a defensive posture, smiling softly at Diadochi ((taking a dodge action))

Lafetha is grateful for the group making the decision that they did

Thorn whip 14 4

Sim sizes up his chances of getting past Alul and decides against it. 

Instead he draws his bow and fires 18 damage 10

Colossus Slayer 8

HuntersMark 3

using a silver arrow. 

Alul, getting pulled a bit closer to Lafetha from her vines snarles.  His greatsword appearing in one of his hands while the other traces the outline of a sigil in the air.  The traced lines glowing for just a moment before a loud crack of thunder fills the entirety of the chamber; it echoing out hundreds of feet in all directions.  A massive concussive force striking against everyone.  

Thunderwave: 6

(All.  CON Save DC 13.  If successful, you do not get blasted back 10 feet.  If Cora, Diadochi, Yaalin, or Lafetha roll a 1 on the save, they fall into the pit.  Silver Gauntlets are blown into the pit on a 10, and blown into a different room on a 1.  9)

Round 1 (End)

Summary:  Cora steps up, lunging at Alul.  As she unleashes her strikes, three of them land against Alul (26).  Abigail takes a quick shot, one of her silver arrows grazing the beast (5).  Yaalin gets in a defensive position, while Diadochi steps up, his blow connecting but not seeming to do any damage.  Lafetha's thorn whip slashes against Alul, pulling him a bit closer to to Yaalin and Lafetha.  Sim steps out to the side, letting loose a silver arrow that strikes hard (21).  Alul summons his blade, before unleashing a large thunderwave (9, 4 on a save).

Round 2 (Start)

Setup: Alul is closer now to the group, pulled out of his nestled position.  (No need to roll acrobatics to get behind him but same rules still apply on 2 people fighting him giving some cover if they're near each other).

Cora Con Save: 5
Abigail Con Save: 3

(Alul has a reaction ready)

Con save 25

Diadochi slides back from the blast. He sees Alul has not felt the effects of his hammer blows, "right then." He takes a deep breathe. He is no longer in the cave he's on the training grounds his fellow trainees beside him. They are winded and defeated. An older Loxodon stands over them, holding a white sash. He tells the trainees "you failed because you did not adapt, you clung to your training because it's what and you know and it did not save you. Again!" The trainees group up again. But then the older Loxodon becomes a shadow and a flaming wall is behind him." Diadochi's consciousness comes crashing back into the cave with Alul. 2nd wind failed. He says yo himself "it wasn't all poison, was it?" He drops the hammer and puts on the silver gauntlet, and attacks 7

5 damage.  If his he'll use goading strike again add 2 DC 13 Wis save. 

Con Save 9

Sim draws his bow and fires another silver arrow

22 damage 5

Colossus Slayer 8

HuntersMark 5

Con save 14

Lafetha extends her hand towards Aulu and create a cloud poison spray 19 4 CON 13

Con Save 5

Yaalin watches the combat with sadness, bracing a bit as the shock wave rolls past her.  She then begins carefully moving around the combat to behind Alul but staying as far away as she can before barking a Command at him, "Drop"

(Initiative 18)

Cora picks herself up off from the floor from the Thunderwave.  Once again stepping towards Alul, this time becoming slightly more of a shimmer.

Attack: 20 Damage: 7
Attack: 11 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.
Bonus: Patient Defense

 Alul (Reaction)

As Yaalin begins to cast, Alul quickly moves two fingers through the air.  A arcane word forming as their energies collide; his counterspell robbing the slow moving Yaalin of her Command.

(Alul is now out of 3rd level spells)

 (Initiative 3)

WIS Save: 6

Alul shakes off the goading strike, turning to first bring his blade quickly over at Cora, then seeming to take a much larger swing at Diadochi.

Blade Attack on Cora: 27 Damage: 8
Power Attack on Diadochi: 6 Damage: 25

(Alul save v Lafetha's poison spray: 22)