Above & Below

You're not sure what it is - maybe being back in the mountains that you called home for so long - but you finally feel the surge you've been waiting for, Kurama. The arms extend outward, slamming into and simultaneously wrapping up the Peryton. The radiant energy burns into it as he barks and howls, and it's slammed into the ground, tangled up in the energy and unable to move. 

Burik backs up, nodding thankfully to Kurama, and reaches out his other hand. Again, he casts Chill Touch, sending an ethereal purple hand grasping at the wounded Peryton...

Attack: 10 Damage: 8 Should have been with ADV just in case he crits: 14

It connects, and while still alive, the beast looks to be on the verge of death.

Brask, you're up. Kurama and Burik seem to have one all but defeated. Healthier Peryton flying right over top of you, flapping and thrashing its antlers. 

Brask takes out his maul, eyes the healthy peryton, lines it up for a solid swing, and swings:

Attack: 7 Damage: 7

And swears.  Loudly.

Brask, not only do you miss, you feel as if you were driven by some force to miss. Give me an arcana check.

The Peryton wrapped up by Kurama's astral arms struggles to free itself. Kurama, give me an opposed athletics check. Peryton: 9

The creature near Brask flies up a bit before diving back down toward the minotaur, swinging its head and driving its antlers toward Brask:

Attack: 12 Damage: 5 If it hits, add another 8

It then slashes at him with its talons. Attack: 13 Damage: 6

Pip looks around nervously for a moment, and then decides his only course of action is to fire another arrow at the Peryton attacking Brask. Attack: 15 Damage: 8 Again, the arrow sticks into the creature, only to fall out a moment later, leaving a wound far less damaging than anyone would have thought. 

Effort, you're up.

Confused minotaur fighter's Arcana check:  14

(Both peryton attacks miss)

Athletics: 16

Effort, hissing, decides to try to bring the injured peryton down once and for all.

Attack: 26
Damage: 5 force + 3 necrotic
Extra crit damage: 5 force + 4 necrotic :D

After blasting the peryton, if it dies, she transfers her hex to the one harassing Brask.  Smoky black energy wraps around its wings, wreathing the creature and squeezing it it in a vice grip of necrotic energy. (DIS on STR checks)

Brask, you almost feel as though something was pulsing out from these beasts. The energy somehow pushed your physical weapon away from them.

Kurama continues to hold down the wounded creature with his astral arms, and Effort finishes the job. It finally lies in a pile on the rocky ground.

Round 3: Kurama > Burik > Brask > Peryton > Pip > Effort

Kurama, you're up.

With the only enemy left still clutched in his grasp, Kurama attempted to focus and crush the creature with his power until it no longer moved.

Attack: 21 Damage: 6

Attack: 21 Damage: 5

(Advantage on Attack rolls because the creature is restrained)

Actually Effort finished off the one you had grappled. There's another flying freely next to Brask. You can take your turn again or keep those attack rolls (11 and 21 without advantage).

(Oh oops my bad)

Edited Action: With the only enemy left on its last legs, Kurama dropped the dead Peryton to the ground and began to move forward towards it.  Concentrating as much as possible, he attempted to shape the mass of energy into two hammer-like forms to smash the Peryton into the ground. (Reusing the same rolls).

The second hammer swing connects, ripping off some of the feathers as it smashes into the side of the creature. Burik steps up and again casts Chill Touch, realizing his physical weapon might not be of much use. Attack: 15 Damage: 8

The necrotic energy sizzles as it connects with the wound Kurama just opened. The Peryton is still thrashing about but looks significantly weakened now.

Brask, you're up.

Magic crap, Brask mutters as he swings his maul at the worthless enchanted bird thing again:

Attack: 14 Damage: 12

Action surge to take another swing:

Attack: 19 Damage: 6

If the first attack hits, rerolling the 2 from the damage dice to 5, so damage for the first attack is 13.

If the second attack hits, rerolling the 2 from the damage dice to 6, so damage for the second attack is 11.

Brask smashes the creature across its snout with his first maul strike. He feels the resistance, but the force of the swing is so powerful the creature staggers back. The second strike seems to break through again, knocking the Peryton onto the ground, bleeding from its wounds. It kicks its legs in one last attempt to harm you, or escape, or as an impulse...and then dies.

You all stand amongst the corpses of these strange half-eagle, half-demented stag creatures. The wind howls lightly through the valley, but other than that, its quiet again. 

Effort approaches one of the corpses to inspect it.   Touching her forehead to concentrate her powers, she analyses the birds.  "Resistant to your attacks, you said?" she murmurs as she inspects them clinically.

Arcana check on bird pulp: 19 + 2 guidance

"These are more peculiar than I thought they'd be."  Kurama comments out loud as he pulls out one of his notebooks and joins Effort in examining the creature; jotting down random notes every now and then.

(Giving Effort Advantage on her check)

20  second roll, with modifier, without guidance

Heh.  Still dead though, Brask says grinning, as he idly kicks one of the fallen bird creatures.  You reckon they're good to eat?

With Kurama helping to analyze the creature, Effort is confident about one thing: It's not from Oshait, or even from this world. There's a strange energy about it, and it doesn't feel magical, per se. There was no spell cast on it or a ritual that created it. It's very essence seems strangely different from other animals and creatures you've encountered. 

Burik, also hungry, leans down to inspect the exposed flesh. Survival (with Brask's help): 10

"Looks edible to me," he says, pulling out his great axe. He slowly goes to work carving a piece off the creature with the huge weapon. "You all might have better means to do this..."

Brask grabs a handaxe - the one he threw at the bird thing - and begins to hack meat from the bird's corpse.  We'll eat well tonight.  Don't think it'll keep though.

When they're done, and the meat is packed away, he'll stand up and look around, expecting Effort or Burik to tell them when to set off again.

„There is no way but onwards,“ Effort says, beckoning the others to continue when they finish.  „Unless anyone needs to rest first, that is.“

If that isn‘t the case, Cadmael will continue to scout from above.  Effort guides the bird‘s efforts with a mjrmjr of encouragement, as she continues to attempt to walk as quietly as possible among the rubble.

Effort stealth 8

Cadmael Perception 21 + 1