Quote from NathanPizazz >>

(Is Pax's "See Invisibility" still going?  It lasts an hour and was cast when we first arrived in town.)

 Yeah sounds legit. :)

Kinyel Acrobatics (vs Shove): 25
Beholder Bite Attack: 21 Damage: 9
Gargoyle Bite Attack: 10 Damage: 3, Claw Attack: 23 Damage: 4

Pax can see what Sekkar can't. As Sekkar frisks the captive drow, Kastix slips his hand into a bulge in the leather and retrieves the gem - pitch-black and about the size of a fist. Kinyel struggles hard against the many hands grabbing and groping at her, and gets particularly aggressive as she notices the removal of her precious prize by an unseen hand, so Pax takes the opportunity to wrestle her to the ground and pin her solidly. Unwilling to give up the fight, but unable to move or to see who took the gem, Kinyel utters a word of magic and a purple haze sweeps out from her, threatening to stick to anyone and anything it touches.

Pax/Sekkar/Kastix/Kaylyn all make a DC 12 DEX save or be illuminated by Faerie Fire

The Zhentarim guards seem satisfied that the culprit has been apprehended, and two stay to watch while the other four move to protect what's left of the beholder - but they are too late! Still unaware of its surrounds, the beholder takes advantage of the small reprieve gifted it by Rhayna's spell to again attempt to bite at the gargoyle, but the teeth gnash ineffectually in the air. The spell having now worn off, the gargoyle again lashes back at the beholder, who can take no more and succumbs to its wounds, falling to the ground with a wet squelch. Instantly Pebbles the gnome runs in from the sidelines with his small dagger and begins slicing the nearest eyestalk off with practiced precision, and slipping it in to his pouch.

Back to you!

Kastix Dex Save: 7

So everyone see a figure surrounded by light just walk to nearest individual, "Hello. If I can brother you for a moment, I am looking for passage on a ship. Can you direct me to the nearest port I can inquire about such passage?"

The nearest would be Sekkar. Pax is laying on Kinyel, and Kaylyn is a little further away.

Kastix is illuminated by faerie fire, so Sekkar can recognise it is Kastix that's speaking, but the voice sounds a bit different.

Sekkar Dex save: 24

The lizadman was not the smartest man in the world but capable enough to put two and two together. Appearance of the shiny horny figure with something in its hand resembling a rock of the right size was a good enough indicator. (Pax's warning kind of helped to put it all together too)  "Of course, his mind is far gone for you too?" He did not hope for a positive answer from Dawnbringer but had to ask. Out loud it was "Drop the rock and I'll show you the way" while Sekkar tried to grapple the careless tiefling and put him to rest a bit near the drow.

Grapple: Athletics 12 (second time if the first did not work or for shoving if it did 28 )

DEX save 14

Seeing? Kastix and at least hearing his voice Kaylyn moves her concentration on the Detect Thoughts spell to Kastix to.confirm what she already feared.

(My understanding is that Rhayna is still in the pavilion, and she doesn't see what's happening outside.)

Rhayna is not able to stop the beholder and the gargoyle from fighting each other, then sees that the beholder falls to the ground dead, and Pebbles doing his "thing". She yells to the gargoyle. "Your quarry is dead, now please go back to where you came from."  Then she goes to the gnome, and in a hush (but not pleased) tone speaks to him. "I hope that you found what you came here for, now, please leave." She kneels down next to the beholder, and see if there is anything that she can do. Her Cleric instincts tells her to try all she can to help the aberration, but her Druid instincts tells her to let nature run its course.

Medicine check to see if there is anything that Rhayna can do to help: 28

(Can she cast either Spare the Dying or Cure Wounds?)

Pax Dex save : 2.   

Pax, shrouded in shadow, her wispy outline begins to glow almost like a halo. 

(We are mostly out of combat now, but I'll still resolve actions in initiative order)

Sekkar leaves Kinyel in Pax's capable embrace, and instead pounces on Kastix, trying to wrestle him to the ground along with Kinyel.

Kaylyn gets the same impression of mental chaos within Kastix as she did with Yantha and Kinyel. The real Kastix is still in there, but his natural thoughts have been overwhelmed by a superior and malevolent will, and replaced with something or someone else.

Rhayna examines the beholder and thinks she could stabilise and even revive the creature with a few simple patches, but that it might not be able to see again without some serious intervention. Her efforts are hampered however by the fact that Pebbles doesn't seem to acquiesce to Rhayna's authority, and merely says: Almost done here! while proceeding to hack another eyestalk off the unconscious beholder. He has collected three so far, and there are still three left.

The gargoyle gives Rhayna a brief and inscrutable glare before immediately flying toward the southern door of the tent, calling out the name of its sweetheart: Kinyel! Are you okay? It lands just inside the door, but can't yet see Kinyel underneath Pax.

_______________________________

Kastix and Pax are glowing with faerie fire

Kastix can either resist Sekkar's grapple/shove (by making two Athletics/Acrobatics checks) or he can willingly allow himself to be grabbed and/or knocked down.

Rhayna: Spare the Dying will stabilise the beholder, but Cure Wounds will cause it to become conscious, and (along with the nat20 Medicine check) also restore its sight.

Pax can take another turn also, then back around to everyone again.

Kastix will resist while shouting "Hands off! Thief! You're not getting my gold! I need it to get out away from here!"

Acrobatics 8

In Kastix's mind, he shoves and kicks the thief to the curb and set off running away. In reality, Kastix is just running in place as he's hoisted off the ground by Sekkar's grapple. 

((Kastix and Pax should be glowing with faerie fire, Kaylyn made her save))

Kaylyn calls to the others "Kastix has the madness, do not harm him!" and she looks around for Rhayna.  Not seeing her outside she runs to the doorway "Rhayna we need you!"

Quote from Paladin54 >>

((Kastix and Pax should be glowing with faerie fire, Kaylyn made her save))

 Uh... Sorry my bad

(OOC: The way I interpret this scene is that Rhayna's Clerics instincts kicked in, and she's in EMT mode at the moment.)

Rhayna is miffed by Pebbles' insistence. "Guards, please escort this gentlemen out of the pavilion. I am trying to provide medical assistance here." She asks the Zhentarim guards. As Rhayna asses the beholder, her Cleric side tells her that saving a life is more important. Perhaps they can get a powerful ally as well. She closes her eyes and concentrate, requesting aid from the Goddess in the hopes that she is able to restore sight to the casualty. She casts Cure Wounds to heal the creature in front of her. As she waits for it to awaken, she hears Kaylyn's request for her assistance.

When the beholder does come back up. "Listen, the two assailants that attacked you were not themselves, they are under the influence of a very powerful demon lord. My colleagues outside are taking care of the situation now, as we speak. Please stay here to rest. I will be right back!!" She runs to Kaylyn.

Pax mutters to Sekkar, "We're going to get outnumbered by crazy's if we don't do something about that gem. Kastix has it in his hand...."

While still keeping one hand on Kinyel to hold her on the ground, Pax pulls out her Drow rod.  The three tentacles lash out at Kastix's hand, attempting to knock the gem from his grip. 

Tentacle Attack: 22 Damage: 0

Tentacle Attack: 10 Damage: 0

Tentacle Attack: 14 Damage: Unable to parse dice roll.

As Rhayna approaches Kaylyn Pensive emits fear, not over whelming but obvious concern for the groups safety. She quickly whispers to Rhayana "Kastix grabbed the gem and his mind is now under control of the demon.  Can you dispel the magic of the gem or cure him of the madness as you did the other?  Pax and Sekkar are trying to get the gem from him while also dealing with Kinyel."

"Unfortunately the Necklace of Prayer Beads has only one magic bead that can cast Greater Restoration. That's what I used to cure Yantha. However..." Rhayna fixes her spectacles and squints her eyes, and tries to assess the situation by having a look at the gem (if visible).

(If allowed, Rhayna will try to study the gem from a safe distance. Arcana/History: 23)

The guards seem a little wary about approaching the beholder, even though it appears to be dead and even though it is their ally. But Pebbles prefers to avoid any unpleasant difficulties, and leaves the scene through the north door rather than risk being accosted by the guards at Rhayna's directive. With the gnome out of the way, Rhayna channels her divine healing, and Lorthuun the beholder blinks his great central eye, rising into the air once again as the wounds begin to close. It looks at Rhayna speechless as she gives her brief explanation and advice, and then watches (along with the surprised guards) as she departs through the south door to see... more chaos unfolding!

Sekkar is holding a protesting Kastix up off the ground with one arm, while the tiefling tries helplessly to run. Pax sits on Kinyel but lashes out with the tentacle rod at Kastix, knocking the gem from his hand, which bounces several times and rolls toward the watching figures of Mipry, Flink and Zilchyn. And Kaylyn quietly and discreetly fills Rhayna in on the details, desperately asking for her intervention.

Rhayna can see now why the gem was so captivating, feeling the pull of its dark lustre even from this distance. But demonic lore is her specialty, and in the facets of the black-hued gem she can see the unmistakable but mind-bending motifs of the demon lord Fraz-Ubl'uu. There is no doubt in Rhayna's mind that this gem literally contains the Lord of Deception himself, locked in the gem in a desperate but futile and ironic attempt to prevent himself from being summoned from the Abyss and imprisoned on the Material Plane. The gem itself seems fragile enough, not designed or intended to withstand assault but simply created as a tool to prevent unwanted summoning. No doubt the destruction of the gem would be sufficient to send the demon lord back to the Abyss, and should be easily accomplished with even the mildest damage, although mundane non-magical damage would be unlikely to affect something of planar origin. Rhayna marvels at the power which must have been employed to have dragged the demon lord out of his realm, at the sheer potency of magic that would be required not only to overcome the powerful and well-thought-out contingency that Fraz-Urbl'uu devised, but to bring the gem with the demon lord inside it into the Material Plane. And what of the other demon lords? Were they summoned here by similarly powerful magic? Could it be possible that one immensely powerful spell could have summoned them all here at once?? The very thought of it is staggering. If only there was some way to investigate how such a...

Kaylyn gives Rhayna an impatient shake, and the cleric snaps out of her thoughts and back to the situation at hand. Pax is still struggling to restrain the slippery drow, Sekkar can only hold Kastix for so long before the tiefling starts blasting everyone, the gargoyle has now spotted his love interest being assaulted and is spreading its stony wings and baring its teeth, Mipry is holding back Flink who has spied the gem that he so desperately wants to trade for a spell component to give to Yantha, and even Zilchyn can't seem to resist the allure of the jewel and seems to be hitching up a loose end of his robe to cover his hand so that he can pick it up...

Rhayna fights the urge to figure out a way to safely study this extraordinary gem, for she knows that it it will bring more trouble than it already has. Suppressing her scholarly thoughts, she quickly advances towards the gem and strikes it with her empowered staff (Shillelagh).

Staff Attack: 14 Damage: 10.

Seeing the gem skitter into view Kaylyn sees the effect is has on Rhayna and she shakes her to get her attention back. "How do we destroy it Rhayna!  Can we just smash it it!" she yells.  If Rhayna does nothing immediately she will move towards the gem while drawing out her mace, casting Misty Step to cover the distance if it is more than 30 feet to walk and will strike the gem with her mace.

If needed - Attack: 18 Damage: 0

Cross post,

Seeing Rhyana attempt to smash the gem Kaylyn will do the same.