Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

((Ketch was stuck in mirror, took no Beholder damage. lol))

Ulthan keeps trying to go back further away from the direction action as the gas sprays on him 14 and instead stands there as a statue for a bit. This is relaxing he thinks, other than the spikey thing being all murdery and all that. A few more just to see when I stop in case there's reroll every turn.

Lionel Con save: 26 Haste cons save: 15  (Resistance to Necrotic damage)

That was quite a blow. And quite the gas attack too - not enough to kill but enough to rethink your strategy. Unfortunately, Lionel did not see an option to just run away. At least he could try to attack first:

Attack: 25 Damage: 12

Attack: 21 Damage: 13

Attack: 17 Damage: 7

Divine Smite for every attack: 8 + 11 + 9 of radiant damage

BA Misty Step - away from the group. Paladine willing, the creature will chase him instead of attacking the group.

Meepo sees one of his companions get caught by the gas the metal thing breathed out. He lifts a hand and sends seven blazing darts of power into the thing.

Force damage: 26

Both Ketch and Ulthan are hit by the strange gas and freeze....while Lionel fights off the strange necrotic substance. He leaps forward, slashing into the creature leaving huge rents, and then magically vanishes, appearing a short ways away.  Mordekai unleashes two blasts at the thing, doing damage.  Meepo then unleashes a volley of magic missiles that is very impressive. All of the damage is slamming into the metal creature, leaving dents, gashes, and mangled metal. 

Despite all this, somehow the thing manages to continue limping forward. 

(Oops, Ulthan, Ketch, you can repeat the saves at the end of your turns.  Please do so, before the creature takes its turn so I know if it'll get advantage or not...)

Ulthan snaps out of it the next turn and plans to move back while firing arrows into the thing, hopefully moving out of range of the paralyzing gas. Blech, leaves a bitter taste too. (had rolls in spoiler).

Ketch con vs gas:  21
Awake I presume…

The creature, seeing that its gas was only effective for a few seconds, and having no ideal target, walks over to Ketch and attacks him with its huge spiked arms. 

Attack: 27 Damage: 24 + 16 necrotic damage.

Attack: 28 Damage: 22 + 11 necrotic damage.

The creature slams Ketch with two staggeringly powerful blows, green gas swirling around Ketch as it attacks.

Everyone's action!

Lionel simply returned to the creature and repeat his attacks, this time, though, keeping closer to Ketch ((withing 10ft to to give him +3 to saves))

Attack: 21 Damage: 11

Attack: 30 Damage: 12

Attack: 30 Damage: 14 + 15 radiant damage.

Lionel rushes forward through the forest, leaping over a log and pushing some brush out of the way as he lays into the thing with his blade.  The first strike is against the things leg. It stumbles and falls to one knee.  The second catches it across its arm, crippling the limb, then the last smashes down onto the things back and leaves a huge rent in its body, and the metallic creature collapses onto its side in a heap. 

The wind blows through the trees...and everyone breathes heavily....Ketch looks grieviously wounded....but the battle is over. 

Meepo looks at the dead bodies decorating the things hulking body.....and smiles.

Ulthan almost appears to crack a smile "hrmpfh brought hunt hrmpfh" "hrmpfh also food hrmpfh" he says afterwards while untying a few small mammals and lizards from his backpack.

Unless we're getting the holy heck out of here right this second, Ketch is casting a 4th level Cure Wounds upon himself for 21 - Twice 26 and having his Spiritual Weapon beating on the thing until it is pudding.

Lionel did not interfere with Ketch's rightful outburst, first, contemplating which part of this "nature morte" Ulthan calls  "hunt" and which "food", and second, he needed to clean the weapon and check on their guide. "You did not lie when promised some excitement." Politely noted paladin. "May I ask what was that thing?"

"Meepo need help." Meepo says as he grins up at the others. "Meepo need get bodies off of metal creature, and put in hole." As he speaks he opens up his portable hole and lays it out on the ground. He rubs his hands together. "Meepo no like zombies as much as skeletons, but Meepo take what Meepo take." He moves and starts trying to work bodies off of the metal spikes. Likely without much luck on his own.

Dart who comes out from behind the tree looks aghast as Meepo begins attempting to scavenge rotting bodies from the back of the thing.  "Uh, I believe that is called a...uh...Cadaver ...hmmm...Crawler? Keeper? It's some horrid automaton used in the wars. Way to take it out!"

Mordekai helps Meepo with the corpses. "I can make them all look like skeletons if you'd prefer? It would just be an Illusion of course, but if it helps you feel more satisfied with them..."

"If your magic can keep their smell at bay, Mordekai, that night be more useful - both to walk around the city and to surprise the enemy." (He did not add "and would allow us to breath" but that part was obvious) "Not the worst thing we had to deal with," very humbly explained Lionel to Dart. "Do you mean to say, this is not a native thing to the plane? Probably someone wanted an edge during hunting. Or you have a serious problem on your hands." The paladin shrugged. He moved slower now, when excitement of the battle was gone but did his best to help with packing. "Should we go now?"

"Meepo no think illusion help." Meepo says to Mordekai. He works happily as they tug body after body off of the construct and tuck them into his portable hole for use later. "Meepo like skeletons, not illusions of skeletons."

"hrmpfh filet hrmpfh" says Ultan with a grimace on his face, oh wait, that's his normal face. He then goes to quickly skin and clean the animals he's brought. He keeps the meat the skin, and a few bones and starts cooking, feeding the cat some choice morsels.

     “I would suspect one who could clean an animal so efficiently could also cut the dead flesh off of a human corpse?” Ketch thinks aloud.  “Or the flesh could be burnt or cooked off, I imagine…”

     If we are not immediately leaving, Ketch would tend to his wounds any those of the others, if needed.  And of course help Meepo get all the corpses he could.  Those this would be done with a scowl and many a grumble…  the fact that they are helpful would make him do it despite his revulsion of the smell and spongy feel.