052: Breathe deep the gathering gloom

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> Acting Manager Malaga leaves the party with the final word of advice that the portal, on the other side, opens up in mid-air and that the party should have some means of flying (or at least falling safely) down to the abyssal ground before passing through. Ron is left behind to keep an eye on the town and perhaps not incidentally study human behavior in meantime (and being quite in agreement that perhaps having a modron present wouldn't warrant the best reception from your quarry).
<Julia> Julia cheerfully rides her undead dragon down to the Abyss, ever-present shadow in tow!
<El-Cideon> The portal itself is ever more baleful a presence as you draw closer, and once in the vicinity you can see that stairways arc up from the rim of the gate's stone cradle. A small encampment of soldiers is present on the nearest of these and waves you in on approach with great interest. A broad array of highly visible white balloons dot this area for some reason.
* Franceska flies independently as a very magnificent white owl, keeping close to Rosemund.
<Steph> It prompts Stephanie to rush out to the market again, soon to return with a pair of ostentatious pink shoes with curly tips. With such garish colours, the little wings on either side of the heel barely go noticed. "Uh, I'll carry you, Rosemund!"
<El-Cideon> "Are you certain, Stephanie?" she asks. "I am wearing full armor! I would not want to burden you unnecessarily. I could certainly afford my own pair of boots! Although perhaps they would not be pink."
<Julia> "There's plenty of room on Battersby," Julia says, though she admits he's a far less personable mount than Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> Two soldiers float up from their camp to greet you, a man and a woman of mundane human stock. They are professionally armed and armored and greet you in businesslike fashion. "Good morning," the man starts. "Venturing to the other side, strangers?"
<Steph> "You can buy your own boots? Then go get boots!" exclaims Stephanie. "Then you can fly around zapping people instead of standing still and zapping people!"
<El-Cideon> "Um, yes, of course!" Rosemund hurries off to do this while the rest of the group deals with local bureaucracy.
<Julia> "That's right, we heard Aria Granville passed this way," Julia says from atop her grisly steed.
<El-Cideon> They eye Julia's mount with some evident distaste but make no comment. Each of the duo has the sigil of a circular doorway--shut and barred--embroidered on their surcoat. They exchange a look at Julia's comment. "Oh, your business is with Miss Granville," the woman says, without much enthusiasm. "She went through several days past. With a couple of those metal men, one of her big cats, riding a clockwork horse, all of them floating down on a flying carpet. Looked ready to cause some proper trouble." From her tone, this does not sound like any surprise.
<Julia> "Well, she sounds well prepared at least."
<Steph> "So you guys must be pretty amazing to guard this hole to the pit of eternal suffering!" says Stephanie, sizing up the two guards. "What's the biggest demon you've put down, eh?"
* Franceska perks up at the question herself.
<El-Cideon> "She has much practice," the man observes. "If you plan to follow her, we'll have to take down your information," he continues, producing a tablet to write on. "This is to ensure local security, you understand. In case something else comes back pretending to be you." He doesn't sound unfamiliar with this occurrence. "Had a nalf come through a few years back," the woman recalls. "That was a bad day. But actually I understand the portal pops you out mid-air on the other side, and that means a lot of demon types can't easily get to us. Mostly it's just the stray vrock or quasit."
<Steph> Stephanie takes the tablet and peers over it to see just what personal information they need.
<El-Cideon> "Can't swarm us with ground forces," the man confirms. "Puts them off of staging a proper invasion, I figure." Stephanie sees it's a lot of general questions such as name, gender, age, race. They also request information of personal significance such as deity of choice, public affiliations, etc.
<El-Cideon> A final suggestion on the form is to name a local resident that can vouch for your credibility if necessary.
<Julia> "It would make more sense to put wrong details down, since anyone pretending to be me would say they were Julia Astin, when I," she winks, "Am Ophelia Frump."
<El-Cideon> "Duly noted, Miss Frump," the man says, writing this down with no evident sense of irony.
<Julia> "Lets see... I'm 32, a half-dwarf... I worship... er... some sort of cult no one knows much about. The squid-headed one, put that down. And Mr Malaga can vouch for me!"
<Steph> "He doesn't know any Ophelia Frumps," points out Stephanie, who decides to proudly fill out all her details correctly, like an honest merchant. She cites Ione as someone who knows her.
<Julia> "Well its his loss, she's a charming and delightful woman."
<Franceska> Much as it pains her, Franceska ends up following Stephanie's lead over Julia's, proudly putting her race down as human.
<El-Cideon> The woman snorts at this jocular summary but raises no objections. Rosemund rejoins with her new purchase and is more than happy to freely provide her basic information and adherence to Pelor as both personal deity and affiliation. The woman chants a spell, examines the four of you carefully, and adds notes of her own. Finally: "Might want to take the stairs down unless you've got plenty of personal flying power," she says. "Which you should if you're going down there, but I'm obliged to point out gravity picks up again near the portal on our side. Border shifts around, balloons here keep to the gravity line."
<Steph> "Well... they should do," says Stephanie, clicking her heels and starting down the stairs. "I'll bring back a trophy!"
<Julia> "You hear that Battersby, spread those wings!" she tells her undead and demon-masked wyvern as she urges it down into the portal.
<El-Cideon> The great red eye looms--its distinctive slit appearance, you see up close, is the result of a bridge someone has built across the stone cradle. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are no habitations on or around the portal's stone basin, so it's with a building sense of quiet apprehension that you approach and finally cross over--
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | '
<El-Cideon> --and even before your physical senses acclimatize to your new environment, you feel the malevolence of this place in the very core of your being. It's like being surrounded by malicious whisperers at all times, a sense of some overwhelming presence prodding for weakness, promising great rewards should all your indulgences be let out to play at whim. This place does not welcome you--most of you, that is! Julia finds herself strangely ignored by the Abyss's sense of opposition to all that you are and stand for. (more)
<El-Cideon> The local environment is little more pleasant than its spiritual atmosphere: a hard rain falls on you the second you arrive, warm and with a greasy tinge to it that immediately leaves you feeling sullied. The rain falls straight from a cloudless sky wherein a pitiful, dim sun is faintly visible as a meager spark in the air directly above you. Everything here is washed of color, dirtied and dejected. Immediately below you, some hundred-fifty feet down, the nearest ground is a tall hill that rises over the surrounding landscape. To the east a shape looms in a valley--it looks like some great tent? At the base of the hill, in a gulch between you and the tent, is a thick fog that hangs listless in the air, tenaciously undisturbed by rain or wind. West and north dismal swamps stretch into the distance.
<Franceska> Suppressing the urge to throw up with great personal effort, Franceska heads for the valley.
<El-Cideon> "I am waiting for Franceska to say that this is the worst place we have ever been," Rosemund immediately announces.
* Franceska gives a mournful cry at Rosemund's words.
* Julia promptly pulls her hood up. "In cousin Ophelia's defence, she isn't a half-dwarf," she says, otherwise undisturbed by the atmosphere. "Though she does have the most awful luck with falling into dubious cults."
<Steph> Stephanie shudders, and pulls up her own hood as well. "You actually have a cousin? Named Ophelia Frump? Frump is a real name."
<Julia> "It's my mother's maiden name!"
<El-Cideon> Opposite the fog bank, a small figure perches on a tangle of roots thrusting up from ground that bears such a resemblance to a layer of compressed meat slivers that it hardly bears thinking about what it might actually be. Julia at least should instantly recognize a quasit when she sees one. The little demon stands up and waves eagerly at the visitors.
<Steph> "I- I'm sorry!" yelps Stephanie. "Ok, remember, we have to kill the first demon we see so the rest know we're not to be messed with," says Stephanie, loudly.
<Julia> "Oh look, a quasit. I was thinking of summoning Thing but I think I can bully this- oh, alright. Do you want the honours?"
<Steph> "Not really, I don't wanna fight in this horrible rain," mutters Stephanie. "Ugh."
<El-Cideon> The quasit, too far across the gulf of fog to properly hear this conversation, fidgets happily with its ugly little toes.
* Franceska points at the tent with a wing and glances back uncertainly.
<Julia> Directing Battersby to fly down towards the waving demon, Julia speaks to it, "Hello little demon. I'd like to have a guide down here, and I'm sure you wouldn't like to have your kidneys rearranged."
<El-Cideon> The little demon wilts to treatment it appears accustomed to receiving. "Errrrrr, Grirnax can't desert post," it says pathetically in unpracticed Common, sounding like it would be quite happy to do just that, but, "--otherwise worse things happen than lose kidneys. Grirnax likes his skin where it is!" He fiddles proudly with a protrusive wart on his nose.
<Julia> "Oh fine, far be it from me to abuse a poor little thing just doing his duties." Besides, Thing is properly broken in already. "What do you do at your post, then?
<El-Cideon> "Grirnax is town fog watcher!" he says, drawing himself up with the officiality of his post. "Grirnax watch fog," he goes on to elaborate, "in case it get bad ideas about moving into town again."
<Julia> "How very brave of you. Does the fog eat the eyes out of luckless demons or something like that?"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund settles down on the ground nearby, stepping gingerly on the meatlike soil and eyeing it with obvious discomfort.
<Steph> Stephanie shudders, and soon touches down on the ground alongside Julia.
* Franceska transforms into her human self at Rosemund's side with a sigh. "This really is the worst world we ever went to," she laments.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods at Franceska, as though comforted that at least one thing around her makes sense.
<Steph> "But probably not the worst we'll ever be too. We've still gotta visit hell, you know."
<Franceska> "There is the plane of death, too," Franceska mutters. "And the plane of shattered eardrums."
<El-Cideon> The quasit shakes its head. "Nah, nah. Grirnax hears it gives demons walk in it nightmares. Bad memories, terrible feelings! Somebody else's, so you not know what's what or think you somebody else. Grirnax think it be real funny to sit and watch fog roll through town, ruin everybody's day!" He chitters with laughter, then wilts again. "But that what last fog watcher thought too, then Talkalon turn him into tunic and he not laughing about anything anymore. So Grirnax just watch."
<Julia> "There there," Julia pats him on the head, commiserating with the poor thing's quite understandable desire. "Well, aside from watching the fog, have you seen any other visitors arrive recently?"
<El-Cideon> "Mmm, maybe," he says. "Someone you looking for? Grirnax see anyone who come through portal." He brightens up with the sense of opportunity for wheedling.
<Julia> "Someone on a flying carpet perhaps?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, sure, sure," he admits. "But Grirnax bored. Fog is boring! Not do anything but sit there. And move sometimes, but not anymore exciting then. Grirnax say you..." He looks contemplative for a moment, then: "Take off clothes, stand on head, recite alphabet backwards. In Goblin! When Grirnax amused, he says lots of stuff."
<Franceska> "It does sound kind of funny," Franceska confides in Stephanie. "About as much as gutting the disgusting thing right here and now. Which do you think Julia will do?"
<Steph> "I dunno. Goblin doesn't have an alphabet," whispers back Stephanie.
<Julia> "Leslie?" Julia says, causing her shadows to detach, one taking an ominous animated cast as it looms over her shoulder and glares at the quasit. "Or I can have Leslie here leave you paralysed while we throw you in the fog for an hour, see if you're more talkative then?"
<El-Cideon> Grirnax slumps on his seat of brambles. "Grirnax just trying to have some fun," he mutters pitifully. "Okay, okay," he relents, "she fly past a few days ago. Didn't stop to say hi to Grirnax, went right into town. Then Grirnax heard screams! But, Grirnax always hearing screams in town." He says this with the casual air of a Prime resident contemplating the chance of rain. "She fly by with metal men, and big cat that looked at Grirnax like it wanted to eat Grirnax. Little glad she didn't stop," he admits.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+13 do we believe the demons?!
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+13 do we believe the demons?! and gets 25."12 [1d20=12]
<Franceska> "Time for us to follow her path?"
<Julia> "Yes, seems like. Do you all mind waiting ten minutes while I summon Thing? He might actually prove useful."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nobly concedes to stand in the rain while Julia performs her ritual.
<Steph> Stephanie rummages around in her bag, eventually producing an umbrella and holding it up for Rosemund and herself.
<Julia> Neglecting the usual magic circles against evil in this case, as she has absolutely nothing to fear from her own familiar, Julia starts the long and labourious task of wrenching him across the planes to her side.
* Franceska adjusts her hat stoically.
<El-Cideon> "Thank you, Stephanie," Rosemund says. "It is not cold, but oh, I feel like I have been bathing in pig fat!" She shudders, runs a hand through her hair and then looks at her hand in disgust.
<Steph> "I hope this stuff isn't flammable," mutters Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> With a small burst of flame, Thing appears! Poised midair in a pose that looks suspiciously as though he'd held a knife raised above his head just a second ago, the little demon coughs innocently on recognizing Julia.
<Julia> "Thing... what were you about to do?" Julia asks suspiciously.
<El-Cideon> Thing suggests that perhaps he was...gardening? Very vicious weeds in the yard, you never know what might take root out there when you leave your tower alone for weeks on end.
<Julia> "Uh huh... and what was Friday doing?" she asks, really hoping he hadn't left her with an order that would be inconvenient to return home to.
<El-Cideon> Thing swears that the un-succubus was definitively not involved in hurting anyone or anything when last seen. No ma'am.
* Franceska plans to return home separately from Julia, just in case.
* Julia sighs. "Thing, go stand in that fog for a minute, would you?"
<El-Cideon> Thing flutters its wings nervously, gives Julia a pleading look.
<Steph> "Hey, you didn't summon him just to torture him, did you?" asks Stephanie, frowning. "I'm all for, you know, you getting a new pet, but priorities?"
<Julia> "Know what it is do you? Well... only because I don't want to sit out in this rain any longer. We're in the Abyss and you're our guide now, so lead the way - we're going to that town over there," she points before hunching back down on Battersby, Leslie returning smoothly into her shadow.
<El-Cideon> Closer to the town, it becomes evident that it is in fact the hide of some colossal beast that constitutes Tenterground's canopy. A collection of metal spars thrust through the monstrous skin holds it up unevenly over some acres, while on a rise to the north of town is a twisted temple of onyx hue and beyond the town a mansion of some sort sprawls atop a hill. (more)
<El-Cideon> Once under the shelter of the monster's hide, you are free from the rain--but not from the SOUND of rain, as it drums loudly and relentlessly against the town's leather canopy. Partitions within the town are few, mostly constituting crude leather dividers. In the immediate clearing at the center of town are a few evidently notable local establishments: a gang of suggestively dressed succubi loiter outside a crimson tent, already eyeing the mortal visitors with obvious interest; one enclosure has a sign scrawled in Abyssal on the outside--Talkalon, Tanner Extraordinary!--and a woman's screams rip through the walls of this establishment, an unending wail of profound agony, and outside the tent flap huddles a row of miserable mortals in chains watched by a trio of skinless demons; nearby is some manner of grog shop, outside of which a pair of quasits dressed in shockingly well-preserved human skins--one male, one female, each of the quasit's faces visible through horribly distended, screaming mortal mouths--drink tea from chipped cups with careful pinky-out etiquette. "More tea, Countess Snobbenford?" one of them says primly, as its companion responds in falsetto with, "Why, verily so, Marquis Foppenberry!"
<Julia> "Posers," Thing says disgustedly at the well dressed quasits.
<Franceska> "I worry, sometimes," Franceska notes, "about how much I want to kill everything when I visit new places."
<Steph> "Sometimes, I worry that we won't."
<El-Cideon> "Sometimes I believe this is justified," Rosemund observes quietly.
<Julia> "If anything they seem well recovered from Miss Granville's visit. But I wouldn't object to making even more trouble, all things considered," Julia says, ready to back up her friends if they turn this into a pitched battle.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund's pained attention is drawn inexorably towards the screams emanating from the tent, for her part.
<Franceska> "How about killing those skinless demons and then asking for directions from the one inside the tent?"
<Steph> "No, no- I'm starting with him," says Stephanie, walking towards the tent.
* Julia directs her undead wyvern to bob along after Stephanie, patting its head right above the demon princess mask, "Thing, climb up here. It'll be safer," she says gently, her familiar quick to obey while still shooting jealous looks at the other two quasits.
<El-Cideon> Up close, Stephanie can see that the muscly, crimson demons here drip all over with an acrid slime that sizzles when it hits the ground. Their three mortal charges can only shuffle awkward in their sitting position on the ground to try and avoid being spattered--though in truth they look thoroughly beaten and demoralized, only occasionally flinching at some sharper jab of horror from beyond the wall. One is a dwarf with ashen skin, one human woman a plain, rough-looking redhead, the third a well-built blond man with a pale northern complexion. All are dressed in little more than rags. One of the demons eyes Stephanie and hisses at her in Abyssal. "The mortal will wait her turn," it insists.
* Franceska doesn't understand what the demon is saying, but she doesn't need to in order to hate it. She gestures towards it, and a spike rises out of the ground to impale it with great prejudice!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 ref and then init everybody!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 ref and then init everybody! and gets 9."12 [1d20=3]
<Steph> "Look at that. The queue got shorter," replies Stephanie, equally silkily.
<Steph> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+9 and gets 25."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+2 Rosemund
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+2 Rosemund and gets 19."12 [1d20=17]
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Julia
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 Julia and gets 13."12 [1d20=11]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+1 and gets 12."12 [1d20=11]
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Battersby
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 Battersby and gets 14."12 [1d20=12]
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Leslie
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 Leslie and gets 18."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> roll 3#1d20+1 demons
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 3#1d20+1 demons and gets 25."12 [3#1d20+1 = 2, 2, 21]
<Julia> roll 1d20+7 Thing
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+7 Thing and gets 27."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 ???
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+4 ??? and gets 5."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+5 ??? 2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+5 ??? 2 and gets 7."12 [1d20=2]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > babau 3 (21) > Rosemund (19) > Leslie (18) > Battersby (14) > Julia (13) > Fran (12) > ??? 2 (7) > ??? (5) > babau 1 & 2 (2)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: Thing is up first!
<Franceska> roll 10d6 impalement first!
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 10d6 impalement first! and gets 36."12 [10d6=3, 6, 1, 4, 5, 5, 6, 2, 3, 1]
<Julia> Thing turns invisible like the coward he is! But then, while unseen, he sneaks off towards those two poser quasits to cause some mischief...
<El-Cideon> OOC: noted. Steph?
<Steph> Stephanie assaults the babau within immediate reach, but at this range she can quite easily move on from him to another once he expires...
<Steph> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+15 and gets 17."12 [1d20=2]
<Steph> roll 1d20+16
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+16 and gets 29."12 [1d20=13]
<Steph> roll 1d20+10
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+10 and gets 25."12 [1d20=15]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 and gets 24."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> OOC: latter three hit, and you need to make a ref roll yourself for each of those
<Steph> roll 1d20+19 i think it's a nonissue
<Steph> roll 1d20+19 i think it's a nonissue
<Steph> roll 1d20+19 i think it's a nonissue
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+19 i think it's a nonissue and gets 20."12 [1d20=1]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+19 i think it's a nonissue and gets 26."12 [1d20=7]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+19 i think it's a nonissue and gets 37."12 [1d20=18]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8 acid damage to weapon, ignores hardness
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8 acid damage to weapon, ignores hardness and gets 7."12 [1d8=7]
<Steph> Oh good! My dagger survives
<Steph> roll 1d4+1d8+5+6d6
<Steph> roll 1d4+1d8+5+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+1d8+5+6d6 and gets 32."12 [1d4=2][1d8=4][6d6=3, 2, 5, 4, 3, 4]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+1d8+5+6d6 and gets 29."12 [1d4=3][1d8=2][6d6=1, 5, 4, 1, 6, 2]
<Steph> roll 1d6+1d6+6d6+7 (this attack is good!)
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+1d6+6d6+7 (this attack is good!) and gets 36."12 [1d6=1][1d6=4][6d6=4, 1, 5, 6, 3, 5]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Leslie (18) > Battersby (14) > Julia (13) > Fran (12) > ??? 2 (7) > ??? (5) > babau 1 & 2 (2)'
<Steph> roll 1d6 it's an evil outsider, the last attack does this much more
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6 it's an evil outsider, the last attack does this much more and gets 5."12 [1d6=5]
<El-Cideon> Stephanie shreds one of the demons into sizzling blobs of decomposing flesh on the ground! Alas, her dagger suffers somewhat in the attempt, showings signs of bad metal fatigue from the demon's unnatural acid coating. Rosemund moves in to club the demon that Franceska pinned, meanwhile!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 and gets 33."12 [1d20=19]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11 ref
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+11 ref and gets 18."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+5+2d6 damage
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+5+2d6 damage and gets 16."12 [1d8=7][2d6=2, 2]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia's gang!
<El-Cideon> "You monsters!" Rosemund howls at her target as it gets a solid thwack to the head. "You are just the worst, what you do to people. Absolutely the worst!"
<Julia> With Leslie remaining in reserve in case anything has the temerity to actually assault her, she urges Battersby onwards a little so the undead Wyvern can grab one of the babau in a huge talon and then sting it with sadly useless poison!
<Julia> roll 1d20+19 talons, charge
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+19 talons, charge and gets 38."12 [1d20=19]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<Julia> roll 3d6+8 damage and improved grab
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 3d6+8 damage and improved grab and gets 11."12 [3d6=1, 1, 1]
<Julia> roll 1d20+17 cmb
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+17 cmb and gets 34."12 [1d20=17]
<El-Cideon> OOC: grappled
<Julia> roll 1d8+8 free stinger attack
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8+8 free stinger attack and gets 14."12 [1d8=6]
<Julia> OOC: Julia holds
<Julia> roll 2#1d20+5 ref
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 2#1d20+5 ref and gets 32."12 [2#1d20+5 = 14, 18]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8 acid damage first one failed
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8 acid damage first one failed and gets 8."12 [1d8=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran
* Franceska frowns, and decides to send a quintet of magical missiles at her pinned demon.
<El-Cideon> OOC: CL check?
<Franceska> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+9 and gets 28."12 [1d20=19]
<Franceska> roll 5d4+5
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 5d4+5 and gets 20."12 [5d4=4, 4, 2, 3, 2]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+18 umd
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+18 umd and gets 29."12 [1d20=11]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Leslie (18) > Battersby (14) > Julia (13) > Fran (12) > ??? 2 (7) > ??? (5) > babau 2 (2, grappled)'
<El-Cideon> The demon melts and bubbles away as Fran's missiles finish it off. From inside the tent, the constant screaming gives way to prolonged whimpering as someone evidently now has their interest on the battle outside instead of his art--and two figures suddenly make an appearance in the battle! One is a woman--perhaps mostly human, but with a smattering of scales and horns that suggests a fiendish heritage. Her hair is lank and filthy, her golden scale armor battered and caked with grime. She hisses round the stump of a tongue and launches herself with ferocity at Stephanie! Meanwhile, the shop's proprietor barrels right through the wall of the tent--it looks like some monstrous gorilla with burning eyes, arms and legs just trunks of muscle. It wields a comically small bone blade and a tiny shield emblazoned with a leering eye. With a roar, it launches itself at Julia!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+20 vs Steph
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+20 vs Steph and gets 40."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+20 vs Steph crit?
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+20 vs Steph crit? and gets 32."12 [1d20=12]
<Steph> OOC: Ow, fuck!
<Julia> OOC: Julia and Leslie both act!
<El-Cideon> OOC: go ahead
<El-Cideon> roll 4d6+22+1d6 acid vs Steph
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 4d6+22+1d6 acid vs Steph and gets 44."12 [4d6=4, 5, 6, 2][1d6=5]
<Julia> Julia merely raises a hand in the path of the gorilla, while Lesile snaps snake-like out of her shadow to attack!
<Julia> OOC: DC 21 fort or blinded
<El-Cideon> The woman's rusty length of chain is monstrously accurate and rips a gaping, sizzling wound across Stephanie's exposed back!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 and gets 33."12 [1d20=19]
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 touch vs gorilla
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 touch vs gorilla and gets 26."12 [1d20=20]
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 touch vs gorilla crit?
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 touch vs gorilla crit? and gets 14."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: missed crit by 1 point :(
<Julia> roll 1d8 str :(
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8 str :( and gets 8."12 [1d8=8]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Leslie (18) > Battersby (14) > Julia (13) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7) > Talkalon the Tanner (5, -8 STR) > babau 2 (2, grappled)'
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 reduced gorilla stab! vs Julia!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18 reduced gorilla stab! vs Julia! and gets 20."12 [1d20=2]
<Julia> OOC: AC 22
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12 CMB for Babu to escape Battersby
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12 CMB for Babu to escape Battersby and gets 14."12 [1d20=2]
<Julia> OOC: 29
<El-Cideon> Julia's shadowy friend intervenes and saps enough of the demon ape's strength for its stab to go awry, thankfully!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Thing & Steph
<Julia> Thing suddenly appears behind one of the quasits, tugging roughly on its fleshy dress with sharp claws. "You think you hot stuff, huh?!"
<Julia> Wearing that organ grinder monkey costume certainly seems to have left him easily riled about clothes, it seems.
<Julia> roll 1d20+10 cmb to rip clothes maybe?
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+10 cmb to rip clothes maybe? and gets 11."12 [1d20=1]
<Steph> Stephanie screams in agony when the horrible weapon rips into her sides, and she stumbles about to face this new agressor with hooded eyes. "You're the worst thing here. 'cos you chose it," she snarls as she steps in, shimmering and then vanishing from sight.
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+17 and gets 24."12 [1d20=7]
<Steph> roll 1d20+18
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 and gets 20."12 [1d20=2]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 and gets 31."12 [1d20=19]
<Steph> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+13 and gets 31."12 [1d20=18]
<Steph> roll 1d20+13 crit?
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+13 crit? and gets 29."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> The quasit evades and merely gasps in mock fright. "Egads, Marquis Foppenberry, a footpad! Save this poor damsel from ravishment and distress!"
<El-Cideon> OOC: all hit, Rat, and yes crit
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+7+6d6 and gets 32."12 [1d6=6][6d6=3, 5, 4, 1, 3, 3]
<Steph> roll 2d6+14+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 2d6+14+6d6 and gets 44."12 [2d6=1, 4][6d6=4, 1, 4, 6, 6, 4]
<Steph> roll 1d4+1d8+6d6+5
<Steph> roll 1d4+1d8+6d6+5
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+1d8+6d6+5 and gets 27."12 [1d4=3][1d8=3][6d6=2, 3, 1, 4, 2, 4]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+1d8+6d6+5 and gets 37."12 [1d4=3][1d8=3][6d6=4, 2, 6, 3, 5, 6]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7) > Leslie = Julia = Talkalon the Tanner (5, -8 STR) > babau 2 (2, grappled)'
<Julia> "Vyy'xxlourryx The Calamitous is no footpad!" Thing retorts in outrage at these dressed up fops putting on airs and acting all better than him!
<El-Cideon> Steph's blades slice and dice--but don't kill. The woman leers at her in challenge through eyes awash with her own blood!
<El-Cideon> Rosemund maneuvers around the bleeding woman to try and pin her between herself and the invisible Stephanie. "And you! You look mortal! You should know better! What is wrong with you?!"
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14+2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14+2 and gets 25."12 [1d20=9]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+5+2d6
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+5+2d6 and gets 17."12 [1d8=6][2d6=3, 3]
<El-Cideon> Despite taking wounds that would kill most mortals many times over, the dirty woman stays on her feet.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Battersby and Fran
<Julia> "Battersby, you can poison her, go!" Julia orders, ignoring the monkey for now. In ready striking range, Battersby drops the babau and kicks out at the woman caught between Stephanie and Rosemund!
<Julia> roll 1d20+17 talons
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+17 talons and gets 21."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<Julia> roll 3d6+8 and grab
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 3d6+8 and grab and gets 18."12 [3d6=6, 1, 3]
<Julia> roll 1d20+17 CMB
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+17 CMB and gets 33."12 [1d20=16]
<Julia> roll 1d8+8 free stinger attack, and DC 15 fort or poisoned
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8+8 free stinger attack, and DC 15 fort or poisoned and gets 11."12 [1d8=3]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled) > Leslie = Julia = Talkalon the Tanner (5, -8 STR) > babau 2 (2, grappled)'
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+19 needs a 1 here
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+19 needs a 1 here and gets 35."12 [1d20=16]
* Franceska weaves her magic, and every ally present feels an urge to immediately stab their enemies!
<Franceska> OOC: mass snake's swiftness
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14+2 Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14+2 Rosey and gets 19."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+5+2d6
<Steph> roll 1d20+19
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+5+2d6 and gets 17."12 [1d8=4][2d6=5, 3]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+19 and gets 24."12 [1d20=5]
<Julia> roll 1d20+17 Battersby bite vs woman
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+17 Battersby bite vs woman and gets 33."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hits, both of you
<Julia> roll 1d20+7 Julia charnel touch vs monkey
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+7 Julia charnel touch vs monkey and gets 17."12 [1d20=10]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hits!
<Steph> roll 1d6+6d6+7
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+6d6+7 and gets 25."12 [1d6=2][6d6=4, 3, 1, 2, 2, 4]
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 Leslie touch vs monkey
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 Leslie touch vs monkey and gets 16."12 [1d20=10]
<El-Cideon> OOC: also hits!
<Julia> roll 1d20+8 and DC 24 fort or sickened
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+8 and DC 24 fort or sickened and gets 26."12 [1d20=18]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14 fort
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 fort and gets 18."12 [1d20=4]
<Julia> OOC: ignore that!
<Julia> roll 1d8+2 and DC 24 fort
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8+2 and DC 24 fort and gets 6."12 [1d8=4]
<Julia> roll 1d8 str damage
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8 str damage and gets 3."12 [1d8=3]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled) > Leslie = Julia = Talkalon the Tanner (5, -11 STR) > babau 2 (2, grappled)'
<Julia> roll 3d8+12 bite damage
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 3d8+12 bite damage and gets 32."12 [3d8=8, 6, 6]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14 fort
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 fort and gets 23."12 [1d20=9]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled) > Leslie = Julia = Talkalon the Tanner (5, -11 STR, sickened) > babau 2 (2, grappled)'
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled) > Leslie = Julia = Talkalon the Tanner (5, -11 STR, sickened) > babau 2 (2)'
<El-Cideon> The tanner withers under ever more baneful negative energies. Something is wrong with his assistant, however--by all rights she should be a bleeding corpse by now, but some unholy willpower keeps her fighting, a terrible light flaring in the filthy tiefling's red eyes.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 CMB to escape Battersby
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18 CMB to escape Battersby and gets 23."12 [1d20=5]
<Julia> OOC: 29
<El-Cideon> She struggles in the wyvern's claws, but remains furiously trapped for now!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Leslie/Julia, and tanner are up
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 leslie touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 leslie touch and gets 7."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> The withered tanner roars a bestial bellow of rage and stabs away at Julia thrice with vengeance!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16 and gets 23."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+11 and gets 16."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 and gets 9."12 [1d20=3]
<Julia> roll 1d20+7 charnel/scabrous touch (1 hit)
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+7 charnel/scabrous touch (1 hit) and gets 9."12 [1d20=2]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d4+4+1d6 nonlethal, you take a -1 penalty to attack/damage rolls so long as this nonlethal damage remains in effect
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d4+4+1d6 nonlethal, you take a -1 penalty to attack/damage rolls so long as this nonlethal damage remains in effect and gets 9."12 [1d4=2][1d6=3]
<El-Cideon> The demon ape nimbly dodges all attackers this round, and stabs Julia with one incisive jab that generates waves of crippling pain out of all proportion to the force of the blow!
<Julia> "Oww, that smarts you brute!"
<El-Cideon> The last babau, now freed, leaps upon the nearest visible target--Rosemund!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12 and gets 23."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> Both of the high-class quasits turn their noses up at Thing's pretentions. "The mortals say that the clothes make the man," Marquis Foppenberry observes stiffly.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Thing & Steph
<Steph> Stephanie dances to the side of her lunatic opponent, and unleashes her impeccable skill upon the babau that dares assault Rosemund!
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Steph> roll 1d20+18
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+17 and gets 22."12 [1d20=5]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 and gets 28."12 [1d20=10]
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
<Steph> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 and gets 29."12 [1d20=17]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+13 and gets 18."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> OOC: first three hit, roll ref, etc
<Julia> "Grrr... Master, these two want to be made into skellingtons!" Thing calls, bereft of other options. "Owww... fight your own battles, Thing!" said master calls back, rather preoccupied at the moment.
<Steph> roll 1d20+19
<Steph> roll 1d20+19
<Steph> roll 1d20+19
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+19 and gets 35."12 [1d20=16]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+19 and gets 36."12 [1d20=17]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+19 and gets 24."12 [1d20=5]
<Steph> roll 1d6+2d6+7+6d6
<Steph> roll 1d6+2d6+7+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+2d6+7+6d6 and gets 30."12 [1d6=1][2d6=2, 1][6d6=1, 3, 6, 3, 3, 3]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+2d6+7+6d6 and gets 39."12 [1d6=4][2d6=1, 6][6d6=3, 3, 1, 6, 6, 2]
<Steph> roll 1d4+1d8+5+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+1d8+5+6d6 and gets 33."12 [1d4=2][1d8=1][6d6=1, 5, 3, 6, 4, 6]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled) > Leslie = Julia = Talkalon the Tanner (5, -11 STR, sickened)'
<El-Cideon> The babau melts away into foul-smelling slime in the wake of Stephanie's assault! Rosemund turns her attention towards the one enemy remaining free and pins the raging demon ape between herself and Julia.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14+2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14+2 and gets 19."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> OOC: whiff, Battersby and Fran are up
<Franceska> With a gesture, Franceska sends a spike from the ground to impale the unpleasant gorilla demon!
<Franceska> roll 10d6 ref 21
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 10d6 ref 21 and gets 31."12 [10d6=2, 2, 6, 4, 4, 1, 5, 2, 4, 1]
<Julia> Battersby keeps gleefully biting at the woman under him, his soulless eyes staring through the demonic mask at his prey as he devours!
<Julia> roll 1d20+17 bite
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+17 bite and gets 30."12 [1d20=13]
<Julia> roll 3d8+12
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 3d8+12 and gets 27."12 [3d8=6, 6, 3]
<El-Cideon> The tiefling woman howls in mindless fury and bloodlust--but not with any recognition of pain, one should think.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Leslie, Julia, tanner
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+9 forgot a ref save!
<Franceska> OOC: He's not saving?
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+9 forgot a ref save! and gets 17."12 [1d20=8]
<Franceska> OOC: Pinned!
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 shadow touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 shadow touch and gets 17."12 [1d20=11]
<Julia> roll 1d8 str
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8 str and gets 6."12 [1d8=6]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled) > Leslie = Julia = Talkalon the Tanner (5, -17 STR, sickened, pinned)'
<Julia> As Leslie keeps striking at the ape in their personal space, Julia explodes with a small rush of cleansing negative energy to clear away that lingering pain and fix up Battersby.
<Julia> roll 11d4 DC 21 fort half
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 11d4 DC 21 fort half and gets 28."12 [11d4=3, 4, 2, 1, 4, 1, 3, 4, 2, 3, 1]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14-2 fort
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14-2 fort and gets 26."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> Though drained of most of his strength, the demonic tanner demonstrates surprising agility in trying to pull himself off of the stone spar--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18-2 escape artist?!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18-2 escape artist?! and gets 20."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> --to no avail!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Thing & Steph
<El-Cideon> The two quasits aggressivly ignore Thing's rage. "You see what manner of impertinence the peasant rabble feel free to indulge in these days?" The Countess sighs.
<Steph> Stephanie moves in on the pinned-down creature, giving the freakish woman a wide berth despite her entangled state as she closes in to finish it off.
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Steph> roll 1d20+18
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+17 and gets 20."12 [1d20=3]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 and gets 35."12 [1d20=17]
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
<Steph> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 and gets 16."12 [1d20=4]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+13 and gets 17."12 [1d20=4]
<Julia> Thing growls and turns invisible, sulking off back towards Julia now that he's been reminded of his place in the Abyss.
<El-Cideon> OOC: one hit, Steph
<Steph> roll 1d4+1d8+5+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+1d8+5+6d6 and gets 38."12 [1d4=2][1d8=8][6d6=2, 5, 3, 2, 6, 5]
<El-Cideon> The demon shudders under this fearsome slash, and snarls back at Stephanie in Abyssal: "You dare try and deprive the planes of a great artisan such as myself? Ingrate! Philistine! You will be hunted throughout the worlds! MY CUSTOMERS WILL AVENGE ME."
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16 Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16 Rosey and gets 22."12 [1d20=6]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11 Rosey
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+11 Rosey and gets 22."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> Rosemund's blows continue to clang off his shield and some magical protection.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Battersby and Fran
* Franceska snaps her fingers so that Rosemund could try again. And so could the others, she supposes.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16 and gets 28."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+5+2d6 finally!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+5+2d6 finally! and gets 21."12 [1d8=8][2d6=6, 2]
<Julia> Battersby just keeps on devouring his meat. If he had any will of his own left he'd surely enjoy that it keeps thrashing on the way down.
<Julia> roll 2#1d20+17 free attack from Fran
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 2#1d20+17 free attack from Fran and gets 55."12 [2#1d20+17 = 32, 23]
<El-Cideon> OOC: both hits
<Julia> roll 2#3d8+12 not that it really matters either...
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 2#3d8+12 not that it really matters either... and gets 53."12 [2#3d8+12 = 22, 31]
<Steph> roll 1d20+18 free attack
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 free attack and gets 21."12 [1d20=3]
<Julia> Leslie and Julia both reach out to touch the pinned ape with malevolent undead energies on their grasps!
<El-Cideon> OOC: whiff, Steph
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 shadow touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 shadow touch and gets 22."12 [1d20=16]
<Julia> roll 1d20+7 charnel touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+7 charnel touch and gets 14."12 [1d20=7]
<Julia> roll 1d8 str damage
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8 str damage and gets 5."12 [1d8=5]
<El-Cideon> With the shadow's undead touch at last sapping the last of its strength, the demon slumps in place, utterly bereft at last!
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled) > Leslie = Julia'
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 CMB to escape Battersby again!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18 CMB to escape Battersby again! and gets 19."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Leslie and Julia
<El-Cideon> Rosemund gives the curiously undying bag of severed arteries and battered organs a wary glance. "How is she not dead? I do not understand!"
<Julia> Sensing nothing left to feed on, the shadow phases down through Battersby to eat on the woman's strength instead.
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 shadow touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 shadow touch and gets 19."12 [1d20=13]
<Julia> roll 1d8 str damage
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8 str damage and gets 3."12 [1d8=3]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled, -3 STR) > Leslie = Julia'
<Franceska> "Do you want to understand?"
<El-Cideon> "Ah...perhaps I do not," Rosemund admits.
<Julia> "Can someone please finish him off now?" Julia asks now that the ape is well and truly helpless, not wanting to waste a powerful spell when he's no longer a threat. "Don't worry about the woman, eventually there won't be enough left of her to be a threat, alive or not."
<Julia> OOC: holding
<Franceska> "I could manage that," Franceska offers, giving the demon a look of disdain.
<Julia> "Wait, nevermind. He's stopped breathing."
<Franceska> "At least he was useful once in his life."
<Julia> So Julia hops off Battersby and drops a black onyx in his mouth before animating him as a skeleton!
<Julia> OOC: using a 15hd gem
<Steph> Stephanie walks gingerly around the still-apparently-not-dead tiefling and peers into the tannery.
* Franceska follows the whimpering, instead, to glance inside.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16 CMB escape attempt for round five!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16 CMB escape attempt for round five! and gets 32."12 [1d20=16]
<Julia> OOC: that passes!
<El-Cideon> Stephanie and Franceska see that the inside of the shop is quite a professional little factory of horrors. Shelves lined with a variety of fine cutting, scraping, and tearing tools, samples hanging from every wall--perfectly intact and preserved skins of all manner of entity, all faces gaping with the horror and agony of their former wearers' last moments. On a wooden cross in the middle of the room is strapped a sobbing, naked elf woman. Blood pools beneath and most of her back hangs off in a ghastly flap.
<El-Cideon> As they look inside, there is a cry of triumphant fury as the trapped tiefling breaks free from her bonds at last!
* Franceska feels conflicted, but nonetheless her hatred of demons overcomes all else. She summons her spear from her ring, and then cuts through the bindings strapping the elf to the cross.
<El-Cideon> She slumps to the floor without evident strength or will for the moment.
<Julia> roll 6d12+12 weak skeleton hd :(
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 6d12+12 weak skeleton hd :( and gets 37."12 [6d12=1, 4, 5, 3, 7, 5]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Leslie and Julia are up now that awful woman is free
<Steph> "Rosemund!" yells Stephanie.
<Julia> "Eeek! She's loose! And still dangerous!" Julia calls to warn her friends.
<Julia> roll 1d20+11 skeleton init
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+11 skeleton init and gets 18."12 [1d20=7]
<Julia> Leslie is at least fast at work in trying to reduce that danger!
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 shadow touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 shadow touch and gets 25."12 [1d20=19]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > skellie (18) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled, -3 STR) > Leslie = Julia'
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<Julia> roll 1d8 str
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8 str and gets 2."12 [1d8=2]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > skellie (18) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled, -5 STR) > Leslie = Julia'
<El-Cideon> Rosemund is about to turn towards Stephanie's call, but is quick to alert her to the renewed danger: "Stephanie, she is loose again! The dead woman is loose!"
<El-Cideon> OOC: Thing & Steph
<Julia> Julia also does her bit to try and weaken her, firing an enfeebling ray as she ducks behind the ape skeleton.
<Julia> roll 1d20+7 ranged touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+7 ranged touch and gets 18."12 [1d20=11]
<Julia> roll 1d6+5 str penalty
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d6+5 str penalty and gets 6."12 [1d6=1]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: -2 to CHA-based checks for Lawful and Good characters | Thing (27) > Steph (25) > Rosemund (19) > skellie (18) > Battersby (14) > Fran (12) > unpleasant woman (7, grappled, -11 STR) > Leslie = Julia'
<Julia> Thing just remains sullenly hidden for now.
<Steph> "Well, kill her!" exclaims Stephanie, rushing outside to do just that! OOC: that chain has reach doesn't it, so I'm gonna need to tumble?
<El-Cideon> OOC: yes
<Steph> roll 1d20+20 vs. CMD
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+20 vs. CMD and gets 36."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> OOC: pass
<Steph> Stephanie rushes outside, and strikes out twice at the apparently-unstoppable tiefling.
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Steph> roll 1d20+18
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+17 and gets 34."12 [1d20=17]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 and gets 26."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hits
<Steph> roll 1d6+6d6+7
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+6d6+7 and gets 29."12 [1d6=4][6d6=5, 4, 1, 4, 2, 2]
<Steph> roll 1d4+1d8+5+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+1d8+5+6d6 and gets 35."12 [1d4=2][1d8=5][6d6=6, 5, 4, 1, 6, 1]
<El-Cideon> She opens her mouth and blood oozes out. Somehow, she carefully forms awkward words with her truncated tongue: "Youuu d-die firrst..."
<El-Cideon> Lacking any other ideas, Rosemund continues bashing away at the nearly formless lump of meat and carnage.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16 and gets 29."12 [1d20=13]
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+11 and gets 13."12 [1d20=2]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+5+2d6
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+5+2d6 and gets 14."12 [1d8=1][2d6=2, 6]
<El-Cideon> OOC: skellie, Battersby, Fran
<Julia> "Hit her, I don't care if she kills you," Julia callously tells her far weaker than expected minion to run in first, which it does with aplomb!
<Julia> roll 1d20+13 charge claw
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+13 charge claw and gets 29."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hits
<Julia> roll 1d6+8
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d6+8 and gets 12."12 [1d6=4]
<Julia> Battersby is next, trying to grab her in his talons once more!
<Julia> roll 1d20+17 talons
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+17 talons and gets 29."12 [1d20=12]
<Julia> roll 3d6+8 and improved grab
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 3d6+8 and improved grab and gets 20."12 [3d6=6, 1, 5]
<Julia> roll 1d20+17 cmb
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+17 cmb and gets 21."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> She turns her head sharply at her former master assaulting her and bristles with renewed fury! "Aalll uf you...p-puniissshhh..."
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran, Battersby missed CMB
* Franceska peers outside the tent, frowns, and sends a spike through the dead thing's spine.
<Franceska> roll 10d6 ref 21
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 10d6 ref 21 and gets 26."12 [10d6=2, 3, 2, 1, 4, 1, 1, 2, 4, 6]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13 ref
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+13 ref and gets 27."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> She loses most of the meat on her right thigh but avoids being pinned! First aiming to put down the resurrected ruin of her master, she swings four times in rapid succession!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 and gets 34."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+14 and gets 18."12 [1d20=4]
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+9 and gets 23."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+4 and gets 8."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> OOC: AC?
<Julia> OOC: 19
<El-Cideon> roll 2d4+2+1d6 acid
<El-Cideon> roll 2d4+2+1d6 acid
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d4+2+1d6 acid and gets 8."12 [2d4=1, 1][1d6=4]
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d4+2+1d6 acid and gets 12."12 [2d4=2, 4][1d6=4]
<Julia> OOC: bludgeoning?
<El-Cideon> OOC: nope!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Leslie & Julia
<Julia> OOC: 27/37
<Julia> "Oh, why didn't I think of this before," Julia palms her face before stepping over and touching the maddened woman's fleshy bloody pulpy ruin if a shoulder. "Feed me with your death!"
<Julia> OOC: DC 21 will or dead and I get buffed
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+10 and gets 18."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> Finally, mercifully, the light goes out of her eyes. Without any will holding her together, her body literally falls to pieces on the ground.
<El-Cideon> OOC: free act
<Franceska> "Oh good. We're done with that? Now, there is just the torn up elf inside," Franceska says, heading out to free the slaves.
<Julia> Julia looks around to see if any resident demons have any trouble with what they've just done.
<Julia> roll 1d8 temp hp for real
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8 temp hp for real and gets 8."12 [1d8=8]
<Steph> Stephanie stares at the tiefling's bloody remains with a wince. "I guess they make 'em strong down here," she mutters.
<El-Cideon> The gang of succubi around the crimson tent, formerly watching the battle with great and indiscriminate delight, pointedly avert their attention to some internal conversation once it looks as though your gaze might turn their way. The quasits merely reward your efforts with a restrained golf clap.
<Julia> Materialising beside Julia, Thing asks if he can have the skeleton since she obviously doesn't care for it. "Waste of nearly four hundred gold... do what you want, I don't care," she mutters, heading in after her friends. At which point Thing alights on the skeletons head and takes great delight in making it chase the other two quasits around! After that maybe he'll roll over to the succubi
<Julia> and see what they think of his new ride...
<El-Cideon> Rosemund shudders. "What manner of hate can propel a person onwards past death this way? It is just maddening!" She shakes her head. "Oh! But we should see to these people!"
* Franceska is already breaking their chains with her erinyes spear!
<Steph> "Yeah, uh, maybe we should just send them to Azure? We can't exactly keep an eye of them here. Julia could give 'em a lift?"
<Julia> "Alright I suppose. Will all of you be alright waiting here for my return?" she asks, climbing back up onto Battersby.
<El-Cideon> The redheaded woman rubs her chafed wrists and gives you all a respectful nod of thanks. "Figured this was it," she says in a dead voice. Rosemund peers inside the tent, gasps, and hurries in to heal the savaged elf woman.
<El-Cideon> roll 4d10+20 heals
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 4d10+20 heals and gets 47."12 [4d10=4, 6, 10, 7]
<Franceska> "This is still the Abyss," Franceska points out. "How did you end up here?"
<Steph> "I don't see anyone coming to give us a talking-to," notes Stephanie, cleaning off her swords.
<Julia> "Alright, climb aboard everyone. Hold on tightly now," Julia pats her wyvern's back in encouragement.
<El-Cideon> "Shanghai'd into Blood War," she says. "Working for the other team. Got took prisoner. Traded around between demons for months. Figured if we died today it might be a mercy, even if a bad death. Not what the captain told us to expect. But that's okay, he went first." She nods to the tent. The prisoners hobble over to Battersby and pile on.
<Franceska> "Stick around Azure for a while," Franceska tells her, giving her the name to their inn. "There might be a job offer in it once we're back, if you're interested."
<El-Cideon> Another nod, and then the gang is ferried out of the Abyss and to safety.
<Steph> Stephanie shudders. "I already want to go home," she mutters, sidling over to Franceska. "We can't just walk past this shit, but if they have more freaks like that running around we're gonna be in for a world of hurt. Inside the world of hurt." She winces. "Why do they even have towns like this," she says, rubbing her mauled back as the wounds start closing.
<Franceska> "Worst case," Franceska muses, "we'll just plane shift out. So. Do you want to ask the slutty demons about Aria, or the demons daring to wear human skin?"
<Steph> Stephanie reaches up to cover her eyes. "Us versus the town. Odds?"
<Franceska> "We can probably take them."
<El-Cideon> Some minutes later, after Julia has returned the freed prisoners to Azure (and endured a careful inquisition from the Gate Wardens, of course)...No one within the town has seen fit to approach you after your public slaughter of a local craftsman, but from each of the three branching avenues of this central plaza comes a sound--a steady drumming, as of hooves striking meat--and soon three squadrons of four riders each advance into view. They are built like centaurs, albeit with sickly, pustule-ridden skin and wicked horns curving from their foreheads. Each bears a spear and heavy plate mail. A red-eyed commander shuffles forward and says simply, "Mortals. Tyrant Hekubah desires an audience."
<Steph> "I'm not sure I share that opinion," mutters Stephanie, sizing up the riders.
<Julia> "Well... we shouldn't keep the good tyrant waiting, should we?" Julia says, figuring they may as well ask the town boss directly about Aria's passing through.
<El-Cideon> He returns Stephanie's appraising glance. "We were instructed to escort you unharmed," he says, sounding as though he'd enjoy an excuse to counteract those orders if given one.
* Franceska shrugs lightly, before addressing the commander with a curt, "Lead the way."
<Steph> "How gracious!" replies Stephanie, clicking her heels.
<El-Cideon> ~