Ooze WIS save: 4

That poor ooze. It had only come into existence less than a minute earlier, and had such simple needs. All it wanted was to enjoy the good things in life - something to eat... that's about it actually. But with one final spell Kastix crushes the hopes and dreams of the hapless creature and it breaks apart with a gurgle that sounds more like a child sobbing. If it had lips they would have quivered. If it had eyes they would have looked their last on the tiefling's impassive face with a single question... Why? 

The medusa-queen gives no further thought to the fallen half-elf and moves toward the next surfacer that dares to invade her realm, flanking Pax who is busy fighting the elemental and striking with her sword and snake-hair The medusa-queen gives no further thought to the fallen half-elf, and the barest attention to the small sting from the annoying familiar, and makes to move toward Pax, but then suddenly stops and clutches at the point where the sting pierced her, cries out in pain, and then collapses to the ground motionless. Then two small shadows from the north of the cavern, unseen by any except Kastix, race furtively across the intervening space and up to Kaylyn. Kastix's initial thought is that it is some kind of desperate scavenger, but there is something familiar about their movement, and when he sees them making motions that seem intended to stop Kaylyn's bleeding wounds, he looks closer and recognises the two figures from his work crew in the drow slave pen - Topsy and Turvy, the strange pair of wiry deep gnomes!

Queen v Pax (advantage from being unseen, disadvantage from Blur)
Shortsword#1 Attack: 21 Damage: 5 piercing
Shortsword#2 Attack: 16 Damage: 8 piercing
Snake Hair Attack: 9 Damage: 3 piercing + 7 poison

Topsy Medicine check (with advantage from Turvy): 14 Kaylyn is still unconscious, but stable

Rhayna is next

Rhayna leaves her position in order to help Kaylyn, but half way she notices two figures next to her companion. It takes a moment to register, but she believes that her services are no longer needed there, so she goes back to her spot by the gem. She is pretty hurt, so she will concentrate on not getting hit for the moment. (Rhayna takes the Dodge action).

The gargoyle certainly isn't the cleverest creature that's attacked Rhayna, or perhaps it is just mindlessly driven by the mystical force that continues to throb with a menacingly red glow above the menhir, but it swoops down again to bite and scratch before flying up again...

Gargoyle v Rhayna
Bite Attack: 8 Damage: 6 piercing
Claws Attack: 5 Damage: 8 slashing

Rhayna can make an opportunity attack if desired.

(I forgot the CON save for the medusa after Pensive's sting: 4. OH! Well that changes things. The medusa is unconscious! I'll retract the attack on Pax. Nice work Pensive!)

Pax/Sekkar/Kaylyn/Pensive next.

 MAP

(Ya!  Retract that attack that didn't hit!!    Also, woohoo!!  The queen is down!  Nice work Pensive!!!)

All Sekkar understood from it is that there is no more monster near Kaylyn, while she still needs some help. Fortunately, he did not have to go anywhere to do so. The Spirit could not offer much but may be enough to at least help the warlock to help herself, while he continued his atemts to bring down elemental.

BA - Spirit to Kaylyn for 3 HP (last charge)

vs E3: Attack: 24 Damage: 15.

vs E3: Attack: 18 Damage: 14.

As Rhayna expected, the gargoyles swoops down for another attack, but this time the Cleric was able to dodge the attacks.

Staff Attack Gargoyle (OA): 14 Damage: 5 + (3 necrotic)

But in her current state, she misses again.

(OOC1: Sorry guys, I totally forgot about Necklace of Prayer Beads.)

(OOC2: Woohoo!!! And Pensive single-handedly took care of the Big Bad Lady!! I thought for a sec there we were heading to TPK!!)

Kaylyn regains consciousness on Sekkar's turn, waking up with 6 HP and surrounded by two familiar little rat-faced svirfneblin, and can act normally on her turn, although she starts the turn prone.

Also Pax's turn.

Pax backs up 5 feet.... (AoO at disadvantage from the Elemental and Mephit).....  and says to Sekkar, "Please...Mephit...then I'll help with the Elemental....it's burning me...my armor won't help...." 

With that, she blasts the Mephit twice with Eldritch Blast.... Attack: 9 Damage: 10 Attack: 17 Damage: 8

Then she tries to recover a bit with a second wind.... 2 hps. 

((Since Pax is before Sekkar on Initiative order, can we consider him attacking Mephit instead? With moving to the relative spot?))

Quote from NathanPizazz >>

 (AoO at disadvantage from the Elemental and Mephit)

 

 Don't mind if I do! 

Mephit OA v Pax
Claws: 19 Damage: 5 slashing + 4 fire

Elemental OA v Pax
Slam: 21 Damage: 11 bludgeoning

oops, forgot disadvantage. New rolls at bottom of page. Probably already missed anyway.

Quote from BlueBayou >>

((Since Pax is before Sekkar on Initiative order, can we consider him attacking Mephit instead? With moving to the relative spot?))

 Sure can! And worth it too, since now both attacks hit instead of one missing.

Pax stumbles back, every movement an agony in the searing armor, as the two earth creatures swipe at her. She can barely lift her arm for the first blast and it flies wide, but manages to grit through the second and is rewarded with a shriek. Then Sekkar steps into Pax's vacated spot and slices upward at the mephit. Dawnbringer's cold light causes the mephit's magma-like skin to bubble and blister, and it explodes in a burst of hot lava which sprays over both Sekkar and the large elemental.

Sekkar, make a DC 11 DEX save, taking 9 fire damage on a fail, or half on a save.

Kaylyn is next

========================

Mephit OA v Pax
Claws: 17 

Elemental OA v Pax
Slam: 24 

Enemies remaining:
- a lightly-injured earth elemental attacking Sekkar
- an uninjured gargoyle attacking Rhayna
- an lightly-injured but unconscious medusa beside Kaylyn
- an angry reddish-brown dust cloud floating above the menhir

The cloud doesn't seem capable of affecting the party directly, but it appears to be influencing (or even controlling) both the elemental and the gargoyle. Those with proficiency in Arcana can tell the dust cloud is not made of tangible dust, but appears to be of extraplanar origin.

Sekkar Dex save: 16

Pax casts Shield one final time as she backs away from the elemental, its blow nearly landing.  Some weak swirling shadows grow around her.  (2 hp's of arcane ward).  She cheers as Sekkar kills the mephit, "Way to go Sekkar!!"

Kaylyn opened her eyes and was immediately bombarded by the happy and proud emotions of Pensive. A slight under current of concern existed but it was mostly pride. Pensive flashed images of him stinging the Medusa and it falling unconscious.

Good job Pensive, good job. She thought too him.

She pushed herself to her feet giving a smile to the two gnomes. "Thank you Topsy and Turvy."

Looking around she took in the scene, calling to the others.

"Leave the Medusa alone. We'll finish her later. She should be out for an hour."

Seeing the angry reddish-brown dust cloud floating above the menhir she recognized it as malevolent and focused her attacks on it.

Eldritch Blast with BA Hex affecting Dex

Attack: 10 Damage: 11 force + 5 necrotic

Attack: 26 Damage: 15 force + 5 necrotic

Kaylyn's energy bolts fly straight through the evil dust cloud with no injury and strike the cavern ceiling, and she feels her enchantment slide off the target without effect. Evidently, not only can the entity not directly harm the material world, but it cannot be harmed by it either. Clearly a more powerful or specific spell of abjuration is required to expel such a being from the world...

Meanwhile, the elemental sees a slightly less-direct but relatively clear path to the gem, and moves around Sekkar and Pax, but is stopped at Rhayna...

Earth Elemental v Rhayna
Slam#1 Attack: 20 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll. bludgeoning
Slam#2 Attack: 25 Damage: 16 bludgeoning

Kastix is next

(Rhayna goes down.)

Rhayna crumples under the huge creature's onslaught. Nothing now stands in the way of the earth elemental and the gargoyle from reaching the gem and fulfilling the will of the big bad dust cloud... 

Time seems to slow down...

It's as if all eyes are turned to Kastix...

It is unlikely he can stop the elemental or the gargoyle, much less both of them, unless... unless he can cut the puppet strings that control them - or do something to exile the puppet master...

"The quest stands on the edge of a knife... Stray but a little and it shall fail, to the ruin of all. But hope remains..."

Quote from ZorgAlmighty >>

 

It is unlikely he can stop the elemental or the gargoyle, much less both of them, unless... unless he can cut the puppet strings that control them - or do something to exile the puppet master...

Like maybe Banishment  hint, hint... nudge nudge

Kastix casts Banishment on the cloud, "KEEP EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME!" Kastix screams before he move for cover

cha Save: 16

As Kastix begins incanting his spell, the dust cloud glows a deeper red and begins to throb with a rapid frequency. At the same moment, the elemental and the gargoyle turn their attention away from Rhayna and the gem, and start rapidly moving toward Kastix. They cover more than half the intervening distance before the incantation is completed, when there is a loud 'pop' as the cloud suddenly vanishes, and the two enemy creatures immediately stop. The elemental drops its arms and stands like a soldier at attention, and the gargoyle glides to the ground and tucks its legs and wings in tight and just squats on the ground.

All is silent for the first time in what feels like an hour but has been barely a minute, save for the loud humming from the spell gem. The elemental stands still and the gargoyle squats motionless, neither showing any sign of life. The medusa also remains prone on the ground, but the motion of its breast betrays a sign of shallow breathing. The gaze of the two rat-faced gnomes flits furtively from one face to another, but especially resting on the concentrating Kastix, the prone Rhayna, and the unfamiliar Pax.

We are out of initiative for the moment, but Rhayna is unconscious and not stable, and Pensive's poison only lasts for one minute. Kastix is concentrating on his spell. Rhayna should make a death save. What does everyone else want to do?