Above & Below

Kurama, it looks like the neck wound has some teeth marks around the outside. You can't tell what they are, but they don't look particularly big. Probably not one of those dire wolves you've already encountered.

As you make your way toward the strange shape that Cadmael had spotted, it begins to stir. Breathing heavily, the woman from earlier slowly gets up out of the brambles as thorns pull at her clothes. You can't believe this woman survived whatever killed the two soldiers, but you're relieved to see her here. Her tangled hair covers her face, but you see there is some dried blood on her as well. 

A lot of dried blood, actually. As she takes another step toward you, she looks up and peering out from behind knotted bits of her hair is a strange, milky white eye. She staggers forward, reaching out toward you and hissing. You all take a step back in confusion, and Brask bumps into something. He turns, and finds the soldier standing behind him, the same milky white eyes staring up with an eerie lifelessness.

Roll initiative! 

Brask initiative:  4  Bleh, undead things.  Gross.

"This was... unexpected."  Kurama commented as the corpse of the woman ambled towards them.

• Kurama Initiative: 11

Pip: 16

Soldier: 3

Woman: -1

Effort initiative: 10 (6 + 4 guidance)

Cadmael: 19

Round 1: Pip > Soldier > Woman > Cadmael/Effort > Kurama > Brask (going to group Cadmael and Effort, assuming he'll give her/another ally advantage - LMK if you want to change that)

Pip moves impressively quickly - as he jumps back from the group, he pulls an arrow and quickly notches it, firing it at the soldier behind Brask.

Attack: 17 Damage: 8

The arrow clinks off his armor. The undead soldier still clutches his longsword in both hands, swinging it at Brask as it bares its teeth.

Attack: 22 Damage: 8

The woman lunges at Effort, slamming into her...

Attack: 23 Damage: 8

Cadmael/Effort, you're up!

(Is the longsword a magical weapon?  I keep forgetting Brask has a feature that reduces non-magical damage.)

Nope, regular ol' longsword.

Cadmael instinctively flies at the woman - or whatever she is now - seeing her knock into Effort with surprising force. The woman is distracted for a moment as Effort channels energy through her body and into her hands, firing an Eldritch Blast...

Attack: 21 Damage: 6

The blast connects, tearing a bit of flesh and bone away from the mid-section of the woman. She continues to advance, however.

Effort - I subtracted your 8 HP already. Just FYI. Kurama, you're up!

(reaction: hellish rebuke!) 19 fire damage

Effort gasps in pain, and throws her hands up, covering her body in flame as the woman strikes.

DC15 DEX save: 1

The flames engulf the woman, searing the already dead or dying flesh. It smells awful. She begins to stagger even more, and Effort's blast sends her to the ground...

DC11 CON save: 19

...somehow, seemingly killed for the second time, the woman slowly lurches back up. 

Kurama, you're up! Then Brask.

Moving towards Effort, Kurama unleashed the energy inside of him in a wave before attempting to shove the creature away from her.

• Attack (Shove): Athletics Check -  23
• Extra Attack: Attack: 23 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.
• Bonus Action: Activate Astral Arms - 
  • DC15 DEX Save or take 5 Force Damage for any enemy within 10ft of Kurama

(OOC: If the woman "dies" during his turn, he'll move over and start attacking the soldier.)

Brask will charge and hit the woman if she is still up, the soldier if not:

Attack: 26 Damage: 12
Attack: 16 Damage: 13

Action surge:

Attack: 8 Damage: 13
Attack: 12 Damage: 13

Opposed athletics: 6

Despite the woman being surprisingly strong, Kurama is able to knock her back away from Effort. His next blow knocks the woman down, motionless. It seems as though the deed is done...

DC10 CON save: 7

...but a split second later, her head twitches. She opens her milky white eyes again and begins to get up. Kurama isn't done yet, though, as his astral arms reach out to both of the creatures.

Woman DEX: 0

Soldier DEX: 4

The soldier is able to avoid them, being at the edge of their range. The woman, however, feels their full brunt. She's again knocked over...

DC12 CON save: 12

...and this time, she stays down. 

Brask swings wildly at the soldier, bringing his maul down again and again and again on his armor. One of strikes is so fierce, it dents in a bit of the plate and Brask can hear some of the soldier's organs break out of the skin and slosh around inside his armor. He shows no sign of slowing down, though.

Round 2: Pip > Soldier > Cadmael/Effort > Kurama > Brask

 Pip fires at the soldier, attempting to aim his arrow between some of the plates...

Attack: 8 Damage: 3

It sticks into his shoulder, but the soldier pays it no mind. He swings his sword at Brask again.

Attack: 22 Damage: 13

And it cuts into the minotaur's right bicep. A bit of blood spurts out onto his fur.

Cadmael/Effort, you're up!

Effort points at the soldier, placing a hex on the creature, before blasting it with Cadmael's assistance.

Attack 1: 24 (with advantage)
Damage: 8 (7 force + 1 necrotic)

Attack 2: 13
Damage: 11 (9 force + 2 necrotic)

The first blast connects, searing into the cracks of his armor. He makes no expression or noise that would indicate pain, but you can smell the necrotic energy instantly decaying the already dead flesh. The second blast misses as the soldier turns to begin another attack.

Kurama, you're up!

(@Effort, which ability score did hex affect?)

(Just chose one that's beneficial to you, haha.  It only affects checks and not saves though.)

(Strength it is!)

With the woman seemingly taken care of - though he couldn't entirely say for sure - Kurama moved over to the soldier and attempted to knock him to the ground before bashing him with his energy appendages 

• Athletics Check: 24
• Extra Attack: Attack: Attack: 25 Damage: 8 
• Bonus Attack: Attack: 24 Damage: 6

(Rolled with advantage in case Kurama was able to knock him prone.  If he didn't, ignore the second roll)

Opposed athletics: 5

The soldier's sturdy frame proves too much to knock over as he plants a foot into the dirt and stands his ground. Kurama is about to strike with his first attack, but the soldier parries it, blocking it with the blunt edge of his longsword. The second attack connects, though, knocking a piece of plate loose and crumpling in part of the soldier's shoulder. There's a cracking noise that comes from within his skin, but he doesn't seem to notice.

Brask, you're up!