Wasting little time it seemed, Oriax leapt out from behind the central column. He then pounced on the nearest cultist approaching from the stairs on his side. The maul cracked across the cultist’s shin, sending him crashing to the stonework face first with a painful yelp. However, he had little time to react to anything else, for Oriax came crashing down across the back of his vulnerable skull, and he was dead instantaneously.
[Oriax’s Target] --- Takes 11 points of bludgeoning damage, 2 points of rage damage ---
Matching the vigor of his companion, Orcus bounded out into the gap where he was met by two cultists. Swiftly, he brought his right arm around for a swing at the nearest one, cracking her across the shoulder.
[Orcus’s Target] --- Takes 6 points of bludgeoning damage ---
As part of the same motion, Orcus pushed a few feet further and rammed his shield into the second cultist. In the blink of an eye, his special ability initiated and began to parse.
[Orcus] --- Shield Mastery initiated; Athleticism (Strength, +5 bonus) versus Athleticism [Hidden] ---
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(10) + 5 = 15 ---
--- 15 total ---
--- Versus ---
[Orcus’s Target] --- Athleticism [Hidden] = 14 ---
--- 14 total ---
[Orcus] --- Shield Mastery successful, proceed with selection: Shove or Prone ---
Bearing the weight of his shield down, Orcus elected to send the cultists sprawling to the ground.
--- Target condition set to Prone ---
With his maneuver garnering momentary success, the Prince of Demons glanced over his shoulder and regarded his other companions.
*** Seku ***
Farther back within the entryway, Seku surveyed the battle.
She wanted to take matters into her own hands, just as she often did as a member of the Ssastho clan. Mister Orcus and Oriax clearly need her help, since they seemed to be getting surrounded by cultists very quickly. Even still, she also recognized the danger that the spined devil presented to the rest of them, but mostly to the mage that was trying to get them into the delve. Given their last encounter with such creatures, it was prudent to focus on that too.
The indecision was killing her.
In the back of her mind, Seku knew that she couldn’t afford to be so narrowed-minded on trying to always help everyone. She had to believe that her party was capable, and she had to trust in them to do their part. That’s what it meant to be on a team, right? If that was the case, then she needed to fulfill her role as a member of this party too.
Swiftly moving to line up another shot against the spined devil, Seku’s hands quivered somewhat from the adrenaline. But with a slow breath and a slight adjustment, she notched her arrow and let it fly.
[Seku’s Target] --- Takes 8 points of piercing damage, halved to 4 points from piercing damage resistance ---
The spined devil growled wildly and twisted through the air. Its bristled tail lurched every which way, before flinging two spikes: one at Seku and the other down against Arlette.
[Seku] --- Takes 4 points of piercing damage, 3 points of fire damage ---
--- Health (Seku): 2/9 ---
“Guh—” Seku gasped, unable to avoid the spikey projectile as it sunk straight into her abdomen with a burning sear. She was still up though, and that's all she needed to know.
*** Arlette ***
[Arlette] --- Takes Critical Hit! ---
“Huh?” Arlette’s eyes widened momentarily. But in that split second, a system prompt she seldom ever had to call upon popped up.
--- Expend Luck point to force new attack roll? ---
“Well, if you insist…” She shrugged plainly, and with a simple mental gesture, initialized her special ability: Lucky.
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(4) = 4 ---
[Arlette’s Target] --- Attack roll replaced with 4 + [Hidden], attack missed! ---
“Hm.” Arlette grunted in satisfaction, brandishing her staff in the face of her attacker. Even in this miserable hole in the earth, it seemed Lord Mercury was content to offer her a trivial stipend. But nevertheless, she had a mage to protect on her own whims. Glancing over her shoulder she said, “Fairing well, I hope?”
Drecari nodded, straining himself against the enchantment as its magical lines began to fall away into dust, “Just a little bit more!”
“Do your best, priestess!” Terminus shouted from a nearby outcrop of stone, “His Highness is counting on you!”
With a nod, Arlette twirled her staff around and said, “Verbum sanationis.”
[Seku] --- Gains 4 points of healing from Word of Healing ---
--- Health (Seku): 6/9 ---
A sprig of vibrant energy leapt from her staff toward Seku and offered a small amount of remedial healing. However, Arlette then took the opportunity to take it a step further, directing her staff in the direction of the spined devil, and shouting, “Sanctus ignis!”
[Arlette’s Target] --- Takes 5 points of radiant damage from Holy Fire ---
*** Orcus ***
[Oriax’s Target] --- Takes 10 points of bludgeoning damage, 2 points of rage damage ---
The Prince of Demons’ attention shifted to his system overlay momentarily, as he regarded yet another bloody strike from Oriax. However, he had little time to celebrate, for the cultists surrounding him were preparing their counterattack!
The first of the cultists' swung her sword, cutting through the air but missing Orcus completely. With a confused, angered expression, she reeled back and adjusted her footing, shouting at her compatriot still fumbling around on the ground next to her, “Get up already!”
In that momentary lapse, Orcus glanced behind him. Lift his mace through the darkened chamber, he cast, “Necrotic Bolt.”
The entire head of his mace rose to a blackened glow, as tendrils of necrotic energy spiraled around it. Within moments, a beam of darkness crackled across the distance between he and the spined devil now locked in combat with Arlette and Seku.
[Orcus’s Target] --- Takes 6 points of necrotic damage ---
Satisfied, Orcus turned in time to catch the prone cultist stumbling to his feet as he grabbed hold of his sword. With a panicked motion, he slashed at Orcus's legs, but the attack simply glanced from the shield with a bang.
Orcus smirked at them both, saying in his abyssal voice, “Is that all? How… pitiful?”
The Prince of Demons suddenly furrowed his brow, noticing beyond the columns, far down the stairs toward the courtyard, that more bodies seemed to be scrambling up to the entrance chamber. Five more cultists and one of the armored warriors were close at hand. And beyond them, the unmistakable gait of Nizashal moved into position as well. Though it was dark, Orcus could tell that she didn’t move with any great haste. In fact, she seemed firmly in control of herself.
Curses... Orcus murmured under his breath. This was going to be hectic if that mage didn't hurry up.
*** Oriax ***
Stolen novel; please report.
Cultists sprang up the steps and through the column gaps, but Oriax didn’t budge. He took a long sniff and smelled the putrid stench of blood around him, sweat and dirt as well. There was absolutely no clean air down here whatsoever, and it was moderately thrilling.
One of the cultists’ swords deflected from Oriax’s maul, and he lifted his boot to kick the man backward a little. Within the same motion, he spun his weapon around and cleaved at his attacker's head, shouting, “Too slow, asshole!”
[Oriax’s Target] --- Takes 12 points of bludgeoning damage, 2 points of rage damage ---
“Uch—” The cultist’s neck caved, and he was sent flailing limply back down the stairs in an instant.
[Seku’s Target] --- Takes 7 points of piercing damage, halved to 3 points from piercing damage resistance ---
[Arlette’s Target] --- Takes 6 points of radiant damage ---
“Hm?” Oriax huffed nasally, glancing up toward the entry chamber. In a synchronized attack, daggers and swindler had finally taken down the little flying shit. He grinned excitedly, turning his own attention back to the stairs, where two more cultists were steadily approaching him, and laughed, “You fuckers don't know when to quit, do you!”
With the high-ground advantage, Oriax easily outmaneuvered a desperate attempt at an attack, which rattled off the stone steps immediately. However, he was slightly exposed on his left side, and the secondary cultist got a clean strike on him.
[Oriax] --- Takes 5 points of slashing damage, halved to 2 points from active Rage ---
--- Health (Oriax): 12/14 ---
“Now, we’re talking!” He shouted jubilantly, hardly receptive to the deep gash suddenly formed on his arm. He swung his maul up into the air, saying with manic smile, “But you should have hit me a lot harder than that!”
*** Orcus ***
The Prince of Demons was suddenly aware of the fact that he was now surrounded by three cultists, one more of which had abruptly joined the fray. To say the least, he was under attack!
[Orcus] --- Flanking bonus granted to attacker; Takes 4 points of slashing damage ---
--- Health (Orcus): 8/12 ---
The first attack cut him deeply across the back.
The second blade glanced off Orcus’s mace as he parried her attack quite easily. However, a third attack was imminent. Though Orcus had just enough time and energy to bring his shield up for the counter.
--- Critical fail! ---
Glancing the sword from his shield, Orcus used his momentum to push the cultist back, propelling the blade into a wild strike against one of the cultist’s own comrades, which just so happened to be the same one Orcus had previously sent flailing into the ground.
[Target] --- Takes 5 points of slashing damage ---
“Pathetic, mongrels!” Orcus laughed amusedly, “How I relish in your incompetence. Now die!”
On the back of that disastrous attack, Orcus lifted his mace into the air and lashed out at the fell attacker, whose body was now heavily exposed to him. With a backhanded single strike across the base of the neck, the cultist was done for.
[Orcus’s Target] --- Takes 7 points of slashing damage ---
The Prince of Demons quickly used his momentum to apply his special ability once again, deploying it against the very same man he’d dropped a few seconds before.
[Orcus] --- Shield Mastery initiated; Athleticism (Strength, +5 bonus) versus Athleticism [Hidden] ---
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(14) + 5 = 19 ---
--- 19 total ---
--- Versus ---
[Orcus’s Target] --- Athleticism [Hidden] = 4 ---
--- 4 total ---
[Orcus] --- Shield Mastery successful, proceed with selection: Shove or Prone ---
There was little reason not to shame the miscreant once again, and thus Orcus elected to send him back down to grovel on the ground where he belonged.
--- Target condition set to Prone ---
Rough, metallic footsteps echoed out on the stairs, and Orcus looked up from the midst of his battle. Cresting the top of the steps, one of the fully armored warriors slowly paced toward the gap, a long blade drawn in their hand and hanging down by its side.
Well then… Orcus thought to himself, catching his breath momentarily. But it was at that moment that the armored warrior raised its free hand toward him.
“Ash’rathess an ashashiin.” A prolonged whisper echoed in Orcus’s head—a string of words that seemed to coil around his mind, gripping him and telling him to lay down his arms and fall silent.
[Orcus] --- Wisdom Save initiated; DC 13 against spell Suggestion ---
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(17) + 1 = 18 ---
--- Wisdom save successful ---
“How dare you…” Orcus growled venomously in the armored warrior’s mind. But if it was capable of displaying any emotion at all, Orcus couldn’t tell.
*** Seku ***
[Seku’s Target] --- Takes 5 points of piercing damage, 3 points of sneak attack damage ---
Seku’s arrow zipped through the air and lodged itself in the chest of the lady still attacking Orcus, who fell to the ground dead almost instantly. However, Orcus didn’t seem to regard the fallen enemy, and it was then that Seku realized something beyond the columns had taken his attention.
Swiftly, Seku darted across the entry chamber toward the column gap on Oriax’s side. Peering out into the cavern her eyes narrowed on the serpentine form of Nizsahsal down at the base of the stairs.
Their gazes met momentarily, and Nizsahsal offered an amused grin.
“Seku, dear…” Her voice breached Seku’s mind. However, it wasn’t the same kind of telepathy that the Ssatho held specially. It was magic, foul and oppressive, “This is no way to treat your future queen. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected anything less from a... Ssatho.”
“You don’t know me.” Seku telepathed coldly, notching another arrow on her bowstring, “But perhaps you would like to find out more?”
“Insolent girl.” Nizsahsal replied with a bitter frown, “Youth really is wasted on the young. I’ll flay your companions, and then I'll finish what your foolish mother never could!”
Raising her hands into the air, Nizsahsal hissed loudly, and the two spined devils hidden behind her leapt into the air, twisting their way up the stairs.
Two spikey projectiles lurched toward Oriax abruptly, and Seku had little time to react, as she shouted, “Mister Oriax, look out—!”
However, Oriax was quick on his feet. Using one of the cultists in front of him as a meat shied, the projectile bolted straight through his back.
--- Critical fail! ---
[Target] --- Takes 5 points of piercing damage, 5 points of fire damage ---
--- Critical success! ---
Oriax was a much taller target than the cultists, unfortunately for him, and the second of the projectiles beamed straight into his collarbone.
[Oriax] --- Takes 7 points of piercing damage, halved to 3 points from active Rage, 6 points of fire damage ---
--- Health (Oriax): 3/14 ---
“Don’t worry about me, daggers!” Oriax shouted over his shoulder with a wincing smile, ripping the purple-colored spike from his body, “I’ll deal with these guys! You go help hands!”
Seku hesitated, but offered a nod in understanding, noticing the second spined devil heading up the stairs toward where Orcus was holding out. as well as the armored warrior.
*** Oriax ***
“Shit, that hurt.” Oriax groaned, turning his attention on his two targets. One of the little guys was at hand, and the little flying shit was coming up the stairs too. He wasn’t feeling too bad, per se, but he could use a boost.
Digging around in his pocket, Oriax produced a small, slender vial filled with reddish liquid. He remembered potions telling him that he should drink it if he wasn’t feeling quite himself. Popping the cork, Oriax chugged.
[Oriax] --- Gains 6 points of health from Potion of Healing ---
--- Health (Oriax): 9/14 ---
“Gross…” Oriax winced, feeling an almost cooling sensation wash over him. He glanced up toward the spined devil, which was still trying to climb up and away from him into the entrance chamber. Smirking, Oriax muttered, “Nah, I don’t think so, little dude!”
Leaping up with his maul, Oriax attempted to close the distance mid-air, and he was greeted by a sudden system prompt.
[Oriax] --- Athleticism Check initialized; DC 14 ---
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(13) + 5 = 18 ---
--- Athleticism Check successful! ---
“Hyaaagh—!” Oriax shouted, his maul squaring down across the spined devil’s tiny body, which sent them both crashing to the ground in a spew of stone and dust.
[Oriax’s Target] --- Takes 13 points of bludgeoning damage, halved to 6 points from bludgeoning damage resistance, 2 points of rage damage ---
*** Orcus ***
Two spikey projectiles suddenly hit Orcus’s shield hard, which was when he noticed anther spined devil cresting over the top of the stairs.
To hell with these wretches! Orcus thought to himself worriedly, still having to deal with the armored warrior and the cultist lying prone next to him. However, a sudden bolt of golden fire spread across the prone cultist as he tried to make his way back up onto his feet.
[Arlette’s Target] --- Takes 7 points of radiant damage ---
In a matter of seconds, the cultists was writhing and screaming in agony, burned to death in radiant light.
Glancing over his shoulder, Orcus offered a peculiar but approving nod at the priestess.
“Drecari’s almost done!” She shouted at him, “You’d better get over here. He won’t be able to hold the enchantment back forever!”
Orcus nodded, and shouted for the rest of his party to hear, “Fall back to the entryway! Now!”
It seemed things were going okay thus far, they just had to hold out a little bit longer.
***
Down at the base of the stairs, and slowly making her way up, was Nizsahsal. She smiled somewhat, taking in the sight of such chaos. In a whispering hiss, dark arcanum gathered to her, ebbing and flowing throughout the words she spoke. They were sinister words, intended for all but harm and destruction. With these incantations, she lashed out, directing all her will against the little Ssatho brat that thought she was special.
“Where do you think you’re going…?” Nizsahsal murmured amusedly, finally releasing her spell at an unsuspecting Seku, “Restrain.”
[Seku] --- Wisdom Save initiated; DC 15 against spell Restrain ---
--- Condition paralyzed now pending for [Seku] ---
The die of fate is cast…