Above & Below

Brask's CON save:  19 

Does the grin return?

Haha, it does! You're up.

Heh, try again, loser, says Brask as the maul comes in for two attacks:

Attack: 19 Damage: 14
Attack: 10 Damage: 14

Bonus action:  Second wind to recover 15 HP.

The half-elf moves incredibly quickly, dodging the first attack. Brask adjusts, swinging more horizontally, and clipping the monk across his shoulder on the second attack. He grunts, but stands defiantly. 

Kurama, you shake your head and squint your eyes as you start to regain some awareness. You can almost see the energy coming from the far end of the room now - it pushes and pulls at you as the figures chant. 

Effort, you experience it quite differently. Colors start to bleed out of the markings on the ground. But not literally...they make their way into the air, shading everything with reds and oranges. And then you feel the colors. They're...hot. Searingly so, but somehow it's not all that unpleasant. 

Kurama, you're up.

(Sorry for the delay getting a post up!  Quick question, is Kurama still stunned or does he have normal actions/ movement?)

No longer stunned.

(Mobile)

Feeling himself regain control of his limbs, Kurama slowly rose to his feet as he watched Orochi attack Brask.  His initial shock at finding the man he’d been searching for was quickly replaced with anger as the memories of all that was lost at the hands of the Half-Elf flooded through him.  Ignoring the strange push and pull sensation coming from the far end of the room, Kurama released the energy inside of him in a flash of power before charging at his enemy.  And in a rare burst of emotion, as he launched his first attack, Kurama yelled out in a mix of anger and sadness, “Why!?!”  

• Bonus Action: Activate Arms of the Astral Self (1 Ki): Any enemy within 10ft of Kurama must make a DC15 DEX Save or take 8 force damage (0 on a success)
• Attack: Hit- 15/ Damage- 10 Force
• Extra Attack: Hit- 23/ Damage- 6 Force
  • (If either attack hits, Kurama will attempt to stun Orochi using Stunning Strike (DC15 CON Save)
• Movement: To within 10ft of Orochi

DEX save: 13

CON save: 5

Orochi seems surprised by the sudden surge from Kurama, being knocked by the activation of his astral arms. He uses the momentum to dodge the first blow, but Kurama predicts his movement and the second strike hits. Trying to target the same nerves to stun, Orochi tenses his muscles just in time and fights it off.

Effort & Cadmael are up!

Cadmael... aid me, Effort instructs the owl.

She finds herself drifting towards the rune and the cultists.  It's an almost irresistible pull, both a burning desire and a deep-rooted aversion to whatever demonic powers they are attempting to channel.  The brawlers' fight seems distant and far away, compared to the vibrating pull of power on the other end of the room.  The rune calls out to her, her nerves singing and her skin tingling with fire.  Catching her feet moving of their own accord, her reason reigns her in, and she stops short, stepping back.  Angered at being affected by someone elses' pact flashes through her like wildfire, and with a feral his, she sends a spike of energy hurtling towards the chanter who most resisted her hypnotism.

Attack: 24
Damage: 11

Do you get a second beam attack since you're 5th level?

(You're right, I can't believe I forgot!  LOL, Effort...)

Beam 2:   it was a natural 1, so I meant to do that, *coughs*

(No screw that, I have inspiration!)

Beam 2: 24
Damage: 8

Both beams strike the hooded figure, and he staggers back, clutching his wounds. He drops to a knee, but musters the resolve to stand back up and get back into the circle surrounding the markings. Orochi disengages from Kurama, feinting one way and then flipping backward toward the back of the room. He shakes the figure that had been in a daze thanks to Effort's magic, and he comes to just in time to chant in unison with the others.

The markings glow brightly for a moment, then wane...until a bright flash emanates from them, almost blinding you. A loud whoosing noise slams against you as a hole is seemingly ripped into the room. Intense heat pours out and washes over you. It stings, even from across the room and through the rift. As your vision comes back to you, you can see the silhouettes of the figures jumping through the opening. Orochi is last, nodding politely to you and smiling, as if to say, this was fun, let's do it again.

When they're all through, the tear immediately begins to close (though you have a split second to react if there's anything you'd like to do). As it does, a shadowy figure steps into view and peers through the rift. The heat and distortion from the portal make it impossible to make out any features except for huge, tattered wings and large, gnarled horns. But Effort recognizes the silhouette. She's seen this figure once before. And when he speaks, she recognizes the voice. 

"You are doing well, you and your little friends. I have many important things to tend to, but rest assured, you will join us when the time is right. We shall beat back this demonic alliance and take our rightful place."

As the energy and heat swirl around the room, you can hear pieces of wood within the tower cracking and shifting. The entire thing sways a bit as the rift begins to close.

Loser, says Brask, possibly to his departed opponent and possibly to the demon thing, if he understood its speech.  He swings his maul up over his shoulder and trudges down the stairs to look for Pip.

With Orochi once again out of reach, Kurama managed to calm himself down (though the appearance of the creature at the end certainly unnerved him quite a bit).  Turning towards the others, he commented, “That ‘Loser’ was Orochi, the one at the root of all my current troubles.  And I let him get away without stopping him or getting answers…” There was a hint of an edge in his voice as he spoke of the other monk before continuing.  “Despite that though, at the moment I am more concerned with the creature we just saw; it seemed to know of us somehow.  Did you encounter it on your adventures prior to meeting me in Gorta?”

(OOC: did Kurama sense the energy inside of him react differently when the portal opened up and when the demon-thingy said hello?)

Orochi, repeats Brask, wondering if he's heard the name before.  Seemed like a scumbag.  Yeah, big old demon thing that.  Seemed like a jerk, but what do you expect from a demon?  No, I never met any demons before.  

Brask walks out of the tower.  Hey Pip!  Where've  you got to?

(Effort would like to cast mind spike more for the purpose of tracking Orochi than damaging him, but if she can't do it, that's fine)

Effort looks at the closing rift, her brows drawing together.  "I have seen that figure before," she says simply, not holding any weight in trying to deceive her own allies.  "I owe that fiend my life.  Literally.  One day, he will come to pay by collecting my soul.  Until that time, he grants me the strength I need to fight."  She turns and looks at Kurama.  "Does this make me, then, your enemy?  For it seems clear this Orochi of yours is in league with my patron."

You could cast mind spike, but the other side of this rift isn't on the same plane of existence, so you wouldn't be able to track him.

Brask, as you emerge from the tower you look around but don't see anyone. From behind you, a bush rustles...and Pip's head pops out. "All...all good?" He raises up a small coin purse. "Found this on that one." He gestures toward the fallen figure.

Brask nods.  Good.  Let Effort know.  But not yet.  They're both being a bit weird.  He sits down and starts cleaning his maul, waiting for Effort and Kurama to emerge.

(If she could be reasonably sure they were plane hopping with an arcana or int check, or plain old experience, lol, she‘d do that instead. I just want to be able to have her conclusively say yep, he’s not on this plane of existence anymore XD)