Above & Below

Brask Athletics 10

As everyone starts to push against the door, you realize just how sturdy and well-made it is. Kurama takes a step back, throwing the full force of his astral arms against the wood. You can all hear the door creaking under the pressure, but the metalwork holds and you can't force it open. Pip steps back, breathing heavy. Effort, you continue to feel this calling, but more than that, you just feel...intensity. There is so much going on around you - the strange message you received, the beckoning from beyond the door, the whirling danger of these cultists quickly approaching you. 

Burik must notice it on your face as he steps back from the door as well, realizing the futility of trying to push it open. "You alright?" As he asks, he casts Spiritual Weapon, summoning a spectral hammer over his shoulder. 

As everyone steps back, Burik takes the first crack at the door. 

Attack: 23 Damage: 3

Attack: 10 Damage: 5

His hammer connects and imprints into the wood, but it doesn't seem to do much structural damage. As his spectral weapon attempts to attack, it seems to bounce off the door without doing much of anything. He turns to Brask with a telling look. 

(If the group still has time)

Seeing Burik begin to bash the door down, Kurama will join him, sensing the group's urgency to get into the next space.

Attack: 21 Damage: 7

Bonus Attack: 26 Damage: 9

While the second attack misses, Kurama's first connects squarely with one of the wooden beams. It splinters loudly and bends inward, finally cracking under the pressure of the strange power. While still far too narrow to get through, the opening immediately reveals a strange blue light shooting out from whatever is behind the door. And just as suddenly as it comes piercing into the room, it ceases. 

You hear a voice urgently shouting from the top of the stairs. 

"I must get inside.  I must!"  Even as she speaks, part of her struggles, realizing that this is no longer about Promise or his safety, or whether or not Wendel or the knight and his company on the stairs mean them ill or harm.  No, now this is now about the energy she can feel behind the door, and the feverish thoughts that have overtaken her mind.  Only once was she directly touched by the creature that granted her her powers; she can almost feel the phantom wounds on her body threatening to break open again, heating her skin and making her silver eyes almost glow in the dim light.  For someone who prides herself on being calculating and rational, this loss of control is both frightening and freeing all at once.

Power lay behind that door.  It was waiting for her to discover it, to perhaps control it and make it hers.  The dark and hungry feeling that wells up within her must show on her face, for Burik to comment, and she struggles fruitlessly for a moment to regain control of herself.  Taking several paces back from the door, "Move!" is the only curt answer she can bring herself to give to the dwarf, before pointing and firing a blast at her target.

Attack on the door: 14
Damage: 8

Afterwards, she tries desperately to catch a glimpse of the room on the other side through the widening crack the others had already created.

The energy only partly explodes against the wood of the door - some passes through the already cracked open hole, doing little damage. 

Brask's attack and then we'll continue...

Another attack on the door:

Attack: 25 Damage: 10

As the voices descend the steps and reach the room you're in, Brask is distracted momentarily and sends his heavy attack into the stone archway the door is in. Frustrated, he turns around and joins the rest of you in readying themselves for a fight.

The five figures come to a stop on the other side of the long, narrow room. In front is a priestly looking man, with a long, heavy robe. At his side is a knight in worn armor with a longsword held at his side. You now realize this is the group you met as you were traveling toward Whitehold. The priest smiles. "Ah, we meet again," he makes a welcoming gesture with his hand. "We can't thank you enough for leading us down here. This place truly is a damn maze!" Behind the pair are the three others - two with scimitars and one somewhat more rough looking fellow with a jagged longsword. It almost appears as if there are teeth running down both sides. 

Everyone, roll initiative. 

Burik: 14

Pip: 10

Wendel: 5

Priest: 13

Knight: 11

Cultists: 8

Reaver: 17

Effort: 9
Cadmael: 8

(please let me know who's in metal armor besides the knight :) )

Kurama Initiative: 14

(Also could you remind us what the space we're in looks like?  Are we in an enclosed space or is the stair/ platform we're on overhanging some sort of pit etc.  Kurama's Passive Wisdom is 16 if that's needed)

Effort, give me a perception or investigation check. Kurama, the room has no pit - the stairs enter on the western edge, and the door is on the eastern edge. Here's where everyone is located right now:

Investigation: 18

As far as Effort can tell, only the knight is wearing anything metal, although the others are wielding metal weapons and shields.

Side note: I'm just going to allow Cadmael to act when Effort acts. There's a lot of participants in this battle!

Brask's initiative:  8

Effort/Cadmael > Pip > Wendel > Knight > Cultists (x2) > Burik > Reaver > Priest > Kurama > Brask

Effort (and Cadmael), you're up!

"You're getting in my way," Effort says lowly, leveling a finger at the priest and hexing him.

Dark, smoky chains rise out of the floor and wrap around the priest's legs, crawling up his torso and surrounding his arms, before sinking into his skin (dis on STR checks).

"Pip!  Aim at that one first," she snarls, as Cadmael dips by to offer her the opportunity to send an eldritch blast towards the cultist. 

Attack on priest: 20
Damage: 12 force + 6 necrotic

(I don't supposed there's any cover to speak of to retreat to, but Effort would put as much distance as possible between her and everybody bad XD )

The priest struggles to shake off the chains, looking up just in time to see the blast strike him in the stomach. "Urgh!" He leans over, grabbing at the wound, but seems to recover and sneers at Effort. Pip notches an arrow and is about to fire when you all hear someone shout from behind the heavy wooden door. "MOVE!" The voice is familiar to Effort. Stepping to the side, you all see a flash of bright light emerge through the opening you made in the wood - it shoots across the room, growing and expanding and turning red until the light erupts in a ball of fire at the feet of the cultists.

They all make dex saving throws or take 32 fire damage (half on success):

Cultist: 13 Cultist: 8 Knight: 9 Priest: 3 Reaver: 13

Flame engulfs the group, blasting back one of the cultists into the wall. He crumples into a burning mound on the stone floor. The others all survive the attack, but each frantically puts out the fires that have scorched their clothes and skin. Some of their flesh has melted away, and you can smell burning hair from across the room. Pip is in a state of shock, but regains his composure enough to fire the arrow at the priest.

Attack: 16 Damage: 5

It sticks into his neck, blood spurting out of the wounded artery. He attempts to say something, but only coughs up blood and falls to the ground. Wendel pulls out a short staff, pulling at both sides and revealing a hammer-like war pick. He turns to you all, emitting a strange hiss...suddenly a horrific stench comes over you all, as he swings his war pick at Burik, shouting "Enough of this!"

Attack: 21 Damage: 5

As you all realize this man was not who he seemed, his skin drips off his face and hands, revealing a dark green flesh underneath. Red eyes and pointy ears adorn his bald head, and his hands become long, slender claws. He reaches one out, slashing at Burik and then lunging at him with gnashing, sharp teeth.

Claw - Attack: 18 Damage: 13

Bite - Attack: 17 Damage: 10

Before you can muster a reaction, the knight charges forward, pulling out a spear and throwing it at Brask.

Attack: 13 Damage: 5

The remaining cultist follows, charging behind the knight and unleashing a sling shot at the minotaur.

Attack: 21 Damage: 3

Burik's up - will post in a minute...

Burik feels a strange sensation come over him as the ghoulish Wendel bites down on his arm. CON Save: 16 He seems to shake off the effects and regain his composure. The dwarf wastes no time returning the favor and attacking Wendel - or whoever this is - with both his physical and spiritual weapons.

Attack: 22 Damage: 8

Attack: 23 Damage: 7

Both attacks connect, smashing into the creature. He is knocked around a bit, but still looks very sturdy. The reaver charges forward to meet his companions, tossing a javeling at Brask as he does so...

Attack: 22 Damage: 5

Kurama, you're up! The knight, cultist, and reaver are about 15 feet in front of you. Ghoul Wendel is right next to you.

Even with all the chaos unfolding around him, Kurama could feel the energy inside him stirring more excitedly than normal.  The tendrils of energy seeming moving on their own for a moment, they turned towards their false ally and attempted to envelop him!  (Shove Attempt to knock prone)

Athletics: 12 

Managing to regain control, Kurama then turns toward the ghoul and unleashes a barrage of strikes (using the bonus ki point gained from training earlier)

Flurry of Blows Attack #1: 10 Damage: 5

Flurry of Blows Attack #2: 24 Damage: 8

(Rolled with advantage in case the Shove check succeeded)