Forever lies ahead

[Anastasia]

It's an illusion - a strong one, powerfully reinforced - but still just an illusion and your sharp eyes can see the tiny tells.

[Iron Dragoon]

'Illusion. Keep moving, follow me.'

Alyssa speeds through the illusion!

[Anastasia]

The illusion parts for all of you as you go - and Bastian dives ahead of you, blocking. An array of arrows are knocked aside, for ahead is a problem. Dozens and dozens of holes on the wall, each just big enough for arrows, are all pointed at you. A rain of arrows begins to come your way as Bastian calls, "Go!" he points ahead, where a chasm going straight down can be seen.

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa takes the path pointed out!

[Anastasia]

Arrows come as you all brazen it out, racing ahead countless dozens of them are launched at you.

> roll 1d20+66 great arrow volleys
<Penuche2> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 69 > [d20=3]

AC?

[Iron Dragoon]

84.

[Anastasia]

Not a single hit.

All of you blur through the field and leap down. Yet as you do, you hear it again. A roar of fury in your mind, wordless hate focused all on you.

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa send back a feeling of smugness and amusement.

[Anastasia]

The chasm deepens by the moment as it roars in your mind, 'Then come and die, bitch!'

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa chuckles, 'I just made them mad. Expect an ambush and hope they'll be sloppy about it because of it. They'll certainly target me, so take advantage of it.'

[Anastasia]

Emily nods and smiles, "Good," she calls, as you race down and down.

You land.

Here is a vast chamber, stone walls rough and damaged, many with shallow holes or gashes dug out. The only light are torches, which gives the room a smokiness to it. From those flames maggots fester and fall, sizzling but alive in piles beneath each torch.

50ft ahead is a figure - four figures. Four humanoid things with midnight blue skin, nude and merged together. Like siamese twins but four instead of two, molded together. They shamble and stumble forward, enough arms to brandish six weapons total. Each face looks lost in a dream of agony, tears trickling down each face.

60ft ahead and 30ft to the side there is a bee's next attached to the ceiling. Angry red bees come from it, your keen sight letting you see that they have no stingers, but a toothy mouth there instead.

80ft away is a solid line of creatures - the same ones you've cut down here many times, but they form a line.

150ft away and 10ft to the left stands a marilith. It is a deep brown color for the snake part and with a purple shade for its human part. It brandishes many swords, all of them more than ready to strike you down. It wears carefully fitted steel armors, a breastplate to give it more protection. Around it flies a trio of small bucklers, moving steadily to defend it.

In the back of the room, 200ft away or so, stands a blood soaked pillar. Around it stand six figures. Demons clad in red armor and with the heads of chickens, each one chanting choruses of Abyssal, "Eat, eat, eat, eat," they intone.

[Iron Dragoon]

Can I ID any of these things, and any spells/buffs on them? And if so, their CLs?

[Anastasia]

We'll start with the IDs. K:P for each.

[Iron Dragoon]

<Iddy> roll 7#1d20+59
<Penuche2> Iddy invokes Penuche's magic: < 65, 78, 62, 61, 62, 68, 73 >

[Anastasia]

The four conjoined things are a terror, but not one that is known. So perhaps nothing too dangerous, or something hidden in this Hellhole.

The bees look to be demon wasps, a nasty pest that have a poison sting that causes agony. They're hardly a threat to you as you stand, but a lot of them can form a nasty swarm - and perhaps a swarm mind. They don't tend to like the cold much, so that's a fast way to dispatch them.

The line of creatures are all things you've faced multiple times before. You know most kinds of force work on them just fine.

The marilith is Dromen. To refresh:

Dromen is the name of a marilith who formerly served Dagon, Demon Lord. What happened isn't clear as it was a long time ago, but  Dromen left or was ejected from Dagon's service and has been a free agent since that time. A wandering killer for any who will pay her for her services - or simply catch her fancy. She's a skilled warrior with many blades at once - whatever you do, do not fight her in close, for she has the same skillset someone like Kaja has. It's said she's defeated great wyrms with her blades alone, as well as greater fiends of all kinds, as well as liches and other horrors.

While she only participates in the Blood War in passing, she's held her own there when needed.

You've heard of the figures in the back - a hexad coven, a group of demons that worship death and bloodshed. It is said the Abyss has many such altars to them, where profane rites are enables through the sacrifice of goodly mortals. They are said to be powerful sorcerers one and all.