*** Seku ***
[Seku] --- Wisdom Save initiated; DC 15 against spell Restrain ---
--- Chance to save doubled from Magic Resistance (passive racial feature) ---
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(15) + 1 = 16 ---
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(8) + 1 = 9 ---
--- 16 total ---
--- Wisdom save successful! ---
“Uh—” Seku gasped slightly, glancing worriedly down to her right, as she darted across the gap to where Orcus was currently fighting.
She could feel Nizsahsal’s will forcing its way through her mental barriers, intent to dominate her mind and to paralyze her body. The sensation was momentarily chilling, and Nizsahsal’s words seemed to linger in the space around her. But with a deep breath, Seku shrugged the effect from her altogether.
Continuing her pace, Seku moved past the central-most column. Mister Orcus was locked in combat with one of the armored warriors, and the other spined devil was hovering in the air not too far behind where they were fighting. Beyond him, Arlette and the delve mage awaited, the dazzling spectacle of whatever magic he was performing set to plunge the whole entrance chamber into a storm of crackling silver light.
Glancing over her shoulder, Seku squinted at the Nizsahsal, who was slowly slithering up the stairs.
Seku wanted nothing more than to cut her down right this second, and a small sensation twitching in her fingers practically demanded that she turn all her attention toward Nizsahsal. That woman was an insult to everything that the Ishu were. Could one sacrifice be worth another, if it resulted in an even slightly better world? Was she prepared to find out?
“Fall back to the entryway! Now!” Orcus’s voice breached the stifled air, lifting through the cavernous chamber with a commanding tone.
“Mm.” Seku grumbled, and reluctantly stole her gaze from Nizsahsal. She then turned and broke into a sprint across the entrance chamber, pondering to herself momentarily of what might have been. No matter what, Nizsahsal would get what she deserved… another time.
Staling herself to the task at hand, Seku let loose an arrow as she bolted, lining up a straight shot for the spined devil nearest to mister Orcus.
[Seku’s Target] --- Takes 6 points of piercing damage, halved to 3 points from piercing damage resistance ---
Right now, she had to put the party above herself.
*** Orcus ***
“Hrrryagh!” Orcus heaved his mace through hair, cracking the armored warrior across its breastplate.
[Orcus’s Target] --- Takes 4 points of bludgeoning damage ---
However, the taller humanoid didn’t seem to budge much upon impact, and thus the Prince of Demons swiftly elected to use his momentum in order to hopefully gain a further degree of separation between them.
[Orcus] --- Shield Mastery initiated; Athleticism (Strength, +5 bonus) versus Athleticism [Hidden] ---
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(4) + 5 = 9 ---
--- 9 total ---
--- Versus ---
[Orcus’s Target] --- Athleticism [Hidden] = 19 ---
--- 19 total ---
[Orcus] --- Shield Mastery failed! Ability denied ---
Orcus’s shield crashed into the steely, armored warrior with a heavy thud, but was met by a seemingly indominable resistance. The warrior ground its back foot into the dirt and brushed Orcus off with relative ease, simply brandishing its blade and preparing to make its own series of strikes.
“Hm—” Orcus exhaled heavily through his nose, mildly irritated by his opponent’s indifferent demeanor. Regardless, it was time to focus up.
Spinning around slightly, Orcus stepped back a pace, willingly allowing the thrust of the armored warrior’s blade to glance down across his shield at an angle. In the same motion, he turned and used his momentum to start across the entrance chamber toward where the priestess and the delve mage were waiting.
“Seku, where’s Oriax?” Orcus asked upon noticing his smaller companion closing down the same distance, “They're almost done.”
Grabbing an arrow and notching it on her bowstring, Seku shook her head, saying, “He’s still out on the steps, I believe.”
Fool. Orcus thought to himself, but he couldn’t be too frustrated given the mayhem.
Although their plan had originally involved a certain degree of containment within the entrance chamber, Oriax was still the best suited for a deviation in said plan if the need arose. He only hoped that the idiot would be wise enough to get moving, noting the fact that they weren't well suited to prolonged combat encounters.
Out of the corner of his eye, Orcus suddenly saw a flash of armor on his rear, realizing that the armored warrior was hot on his tail!
“Vel’athas sari…” The armored warrior hissed in a monotone voice. Upon speaking, a plume of greenish smog was expended from the slits on the front of its helmet, covering the Prince of Demons in a familiar, poisonous substance.
[Orucs] --- Constitution Save initialized; DC 13 against spell Poison Spray ---
--- Chance to save doubled from Poison Resistance (passive background feature) ---
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(15) + 1 = 16 ---
--- The die of fate is cast… d20(8) + 1 = 9 ---
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
--- 16 total ---
--- Constitution save successful! ---
The spined devil hovering behind where the armored warrior had just advanced set its sights and attacked. But a secondary spined devil lurching into the area from Oriax’s side of the chamber also let loose an attack of its own. With winged fury, three projectiles were shot across the chamber in quick succession: two at Orcus and another at the priestess.
The Prince of Demons easily deflected the first projectile with his shield, and the other missed just narrowly to his righthand side. However, the priestess was not so lucky.
[Arlette] --- Takes 5 points of piercing damage, 4 points of fire damage ---
--- Health (Arlette): 1/10 ---
“Mage, you’d better finish that spell!” Orcus yelled furiously, aggravated by how quickly his party was being closed in on all of a sudden. Nevertheless, they still had a bit of work to do, and the Prince of Demons wasn’t going down without a fight!
*** Oriax ***
“Ugh…” Oriax stood to his feet, shaking his head slightly as he regarded his surroundings.
The spined devil he’d previously attacked had already scrambled back up into the air, hastily pushing its way into the entrance chamber. In any case, Oriax still had one of the cultists on him, having taken the poor guy out completely during his previous assault on the spined devil. There was also the snake lady heading up the stairs on the far side. He didn’t know what her deal was, but she didn’t look very happy. Still, the boss man had called for them to get a move on, so that's what he intended to do.
“Stay where you are!” The cultists shouted nervously, a twinge of fear shuttering in his voice, “I-I’ll make it as painless as I can.”
“Yeah, you do that…” Oriax said bluntly, and pretended to stumble forward slightly. The motion took the cultist by complete surprise, and before he could realize what Oriax was up to, Oriax’s maul was cracking him across the waist.
[Oriax’s Target] --- Takes 11 points of bludgeoning damage, 2 points of rage damage ---
The impact sent the cultist skittering straight back down the steps, nasty crunches and cracks resounding intermittently as he fell to where his other companion lay dead. He didn’t move again.
“Sorry, buddy.” Oriax murmured, and turned his attention back up the stairs. He regarded the dazzling lights and the sounds within the entrance chamber. Whatever was going on in there, it sounded pretty fucking crazy. With a slight smirk, Oriax started up the steps as fast as he could.
*** Orcus ***
“Priestess!” Dercari called out to Arlette in a strained voice, as Orcus held his ground, “You need to supplement my enchantment break with divine energy. I can’t expend any more magic without causing the whole thing to collapse! I'm not sure where the snag is, but I need to break the seal!”
Orcus glanced over to where the priestess stood, regarding her conflicted expression as she peered out across the entrance chamber. Shaking his head, Orcus said to her, “Do not fret, priestess. Help the mage and get us out of here!”
“Uh—” Arlette stammered, but nodded and turned on her heels. Raising her staff into the air, she invoked one of her spells, “Sanctus ignis.”
A brilliant stream of radiant flame leapt from Arlette’s staff and began to lick the surface of the archway, digging deep into the delve mage’s work.
“That should do just nicely!” Drecari shouted amidst the twisting magics, “I can pry the rest open just enough for it to pull us in. Get to the threshold everyone!”
As Arlette’s spell faded, the mage took back control. With a series of hand gesticulations, he willed the enchantment to separate from the wall, and a sliver of green light began to fill the area where the cracks in the magecraft formed. In a matter of moments, where once was an empty archway, a weak, glowing portal-gate began to grow. Furthermore, there was a slight suction sensation, as if the portal itself was drawing in anything that got too close.
Momentarily stunned by the sight, Orcus snapped his attention back to reality.
“Necrotic Bolt!” He shouted, pointing his mace at the spined devil curling around him on his left-hand side.
[Orcus’s Target] --- Takes 10 points of necrotic damage ---
The spined devil stumbled through the air and fell to the ground with a whimper, but it was at that moment that the armored warrior also stepped up to close the gap, swinging its longsword twice.
A heavy gust was released, as the blade cleaved through the air. Fortunately, Orcus was able to sidestep the blow and absorb the brunt of it with his shield. Even still, the armored warrior was much more dexterous than Orcus imagined, and it quickly spun around, lifting its sword through the air before slicing down across the Prince of Demons.
[Orcus] --- Takes 6 points of slashing damage ---
--- Health (Orcus): 2/12 ---
The sound of Seku’s bowstring twanged momentarily, before a dark arrow sunk into the armored warrior’s vulnerable armpit.
[Seku’s Target] --- Takes 5 points of piercing damage, 4 points of sneak attack damage ---
Orcus nodded at her thankfully, but it wasn’t before long that another sound filled the air behind them.
“Kal’athos!”
A crackling beam of greenish-blue energy erupted from the far side of the entrance chamber, striking the delve mage head-on. With a meager shriek, he was eviscerated in a swirl of magical energy, all within the blink of an eye.
Orcus’s expression twisted angrily, and he beamed past the armored warrior, regarding the form of Nizsahsal as she slunk into chamber from around the central column. A bluish glow was just beginning to fade from her fingertips, replaced by a wicked grin.
“Look what you made me do?” She said loudly in a taunting voice, but scowled thereafter, “Now, as for the rest of you. Kill them all!”
As if spurred on by the direction of its master, the spined devil on Orcus’s right-hand side suddenly swooped down and struck at Seku with its trident. The forked ends of the weapon sunk into her shoulder, before the small creature lifted itself back up into the air.
[Seku] --- Takes 4 points of piercing damage ---
--- Health (Seku): 2/9 ---
Not good! Orcus thought to himself frantically.
All of them were dangerously low on health, and the delve mage was apparently dead. He wasn't certain they could fight that woman in their current state, and certainly not with another spined devil and an armored warrior still at hand. At any rate, they had to try.
“Your Highness!” Terminus shouted from the archway, “The delve entrance is partially open, but I don't think it will stay that way for very long. We need to go… now!”
Parrying a sudden attack from the armored warrior, Orcus nodded, shouting, “All of you, through the gate!”
A ripple of magical energy was suddenly expelled from the archway, causing everyone still left in the entrance chamber to lurch slightly against the growing force. Steadying his feet, Orcus heaved himself up and made for the gate, forgoing any further attacks against the armored warrior.
“Be seeing you on the other side then.” The priestess nodded, and was the first to jump hastily through the gate. Her body was consumed by the green-colored energy in a split second.
“Bird, you’re next.” Orcus said, turning to where Terminus sat perched, “Seku, you too.”
“Don’t need to tell me twice, Your Highness!” Terminus squawked, and quickly lifted himself into the air, darting through the gate in a flash.
“Mmm...” Seku hesitated, clearly in pain but her gaze lingering on Nizsahsal.
“Now is not the time for that, Seku!” Orcus shouted, “You have to go.”
Snapping back to reality, Seku let loose an arrow toward the spined devil above her, before crossing the threshold of the portal gate.
[Seku's Target] --- Takes 5 points of piercing damage ---
[Oriax’s Target] --- Takes 10 points of bludgeoning damage, 2 points of rage damage ---
Turning to face the entrance chamber, Orcus noticed Oriax closing the distance from the far side, cutting down one of the spined devils on his way through. However, the armored warrior was once again back into action, taking two strikes against the Prince of Demons!
Maneuvering himself into an advantageous position, Orcus was easily able to defend himself from both strikes. Now on the counter, Orcus made his own attack.
[Orcus's Target] --- Takes 8 points of bludgeoning damage --
The armored warrior stumbled to its knees, as Orcus's mace whacked him across the side of the head. With a heavy lunge, Orcus kicked the creature aside.
“On me, hands!” Oriax shouted, but was through the portal gate in an instantaneous flash.
“You think this little stunt achieves anything?” Nizsahsal asked amusedly, though there was a hint of anger in her voice, “You'll all die in there, just like the others. It's only a matter of time now before this game comes to its natural conclusion. You were right, you know? I have people on the inside. They won't be as merciful as I've been.”
Catching his breath somewhat, Orcus squinted across the thirty feet or so between him and the Ishu woman, saying, “Is that a gamble you're willing to take? My party will capture this delve, regardless of who we face, and then you'll be left with nothing. Can you really afford that? Would the Kingsnake allow such failure?”
“Guh—” Nizsahsal grunted slightly, an irritable expression over taking her. But she sobered somewhat, shaking her head and saying, “You're an annoying little shit, aren't you?”
Orcus smirked, extending his hand out to touch the portal gate as he replied, “You'll be the first to know, assuming you follow us in... mongrel.”
As the green light began to twist around his arm, a sudden crackle of greenish-blue energy streaked across the entrance chamber ad well, striking him square across the body.
[Orcus] --- Takes 5 points of force damage ---
--- Health (Orcus): 0/12 ---
The Prince of Demons was caught unawares, suddenly blown straight through the gate in a flash of green light. He was ejected out the other side in a matter of moments, upon which his body crashed into something hard, tumbling down with a heavy groan, before hitting his head.
He was out cold in the blink of an eye.
[Orcus] --- Condition status: incapacitated, Death Saves initiated ---