[https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VuxlNr8jZX0/YCGrYzUC26I/AAAAAAAACjA/6Ui6NxNFawgwYmkoLsWVDrqqhnRE5pbngCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/VampireFight1.jpg]
Initiatives
Naevys Enynore
Siora
Melinda
Frostmane
Vestele
Vampire Acolytes
Wights
Melinda’s Will Save (Dominate): 1d20+26 = 46 (Success)
The Vampire fixed her gaze upon me. “Look into my eyes, mortal.” I felt a pressure of magic touch my mind, but I was not going to fall for such tricks. Seeing the smirk on my face, the priestess screamed, “MY FAITHFUL SERVANTS, TO ME! THE TEMPLE NEEDS YOU ONCE AGAIN!”
Siora cursed, and looked at the hallway. “I’ll do what I can to slow the reinforcements down. But you’d better finish her fast before we get swarmed!” With that, she threw down a patch of those ghostly swordsmen that she had used so many times before to limit how an enemy could come at us.
I wanted to jump into the fray against the priestess, but Siora’s words brought me up short. It wouldn’t do to leave our backs unprotected. Looking away from the Vampiress for a moment, I summoned my power, and unleashed a frosty field of black tentacles, covering the hallway, just beyond Siora’s sentinels. “That should slow them down a bit, too. Frostmane, any of them that get past that should be right there for you.”
The white wolf chuffed, and said, “On it! Don’t take too long with that one, little bird, or I’ll get to have all the fun!” With that, he turned, and faced down the hallway, ready to pounce on the first thing that came within reach of his jaws.
Vestele took a breath, and made her way up next to Frostmane. “Hold her off, Melinda! We’ll take care of her friends.” Like Frostmane, she held her weapon at the ready, waiting for a foe to come within range.
Frostmane’s AoO (VA1): 1d20+23 = 33 (Hit)
Bite damage: 1d8+15 = 22 (Piercing)
Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 1 (Cold) (Cold Resistance 10)
Frostmane’s Trip attempt: 1d20+17 = 25
VA1’s DEX check: 1d20+4 = 12 (Fail, Prone)
Frostmane’s Improved Trip Attack (VA1): 1d20+23 = 32 (Hit)
Bite damage: 1d8+15 = 21 (Piercing)
Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 6 (Cold) (Cold Resistance 10)
Black Tentacles’ Attack roll (VA2): 1d20+18 = 32 (Touch) (Hit)
Black Tentacles’ Grapple Check: 1d20+23 = 27
VA2’s Grapple Check: 1d20+9 = 14 (Fail, Grappled)
As expected, the head priestess’s scream brought reinforcements. Three other vampires, no doubt her acolytes before the temple’s fall, burst out of the crypts where they had been sleeping. One burst out of the door near Frostmane, and ran straight into the wolf’s waiting jaws. In an instant, the wolf had the vampire on the ground, and was ripping out parts of her flesh.
Meanwhile, the other two did not fare much better. One charged out of the crypt they were in, and ran straight away into the field of black tentacles. She was wrapped up tight before she even knew what happened to her. The last acolyte wisely stopped before she entered the reach of the tentacles, but it was clear she was not happy about it.
The wights we had been warned about also emerged from the crypts, and attempted to answer their mistress’s call. However, like the vampires, they were hampered by the tentacles. Not being mindless wretches like zombies, the stopped short of entering the tentacles’ reach, and just stared our way hatefully.
[https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--AWPlEZvMwY/YCGrY4qfEcI/AAAAAAAACi4/TGzNODbcPGYolBAbGSzqkDuLuU0R2zjjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/VampireFight2.jpg]
Naevys’s Concentration check: 1d20+19 = 20 (Success)
Naevys’s Attack Roll (Melinda): 1d20+14 = 28 (Touch) (Miss)
“Don’t you look away from me, you bitch!” The vampire priestess spat a curse at me, as she advanced to the doorway. A sickly black glow surrounded her hand, and she reached out to touch me. “DIE!” Unfortunately for her, I was far too slippery to get caught by that attempt.
Siora backed up to the wall and called out, “Going silent, Melinda!” That was the only warning I got before all sound died around me. Siora had cast a Silence spell centered somewhere nearby, no doubt hoping to limit the amount of casting the priestess could do.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Chilling Tentacles Cold Damage (VA2): 2d6 = 7 (Cold Resistance 10)
Black Tentacles’ Grapple Check (VA2): 1d20+23 = 36
VA2’s Grapple Check: 1d20+9 = 10 (Fail, Pinned)
Tentacle Damage: 1d6+4 = 6 (Bludgeoning)
Melinda’s Concentration Check: 1d20+24 = 33
Melinda’s Attack Roll (Naevys): 1d20+24 = 34 (Hit)
Damage: 2d6+2 = 11 (Bludgeoning)
Vitriolic Blow: 7d6 = 23 (Acid)
Fortunately, my abilities didn’t have a verbal component to them, meaning I was not hampered by the silence. Which the vampire quickly found out when I spun around, delivering an acid-clad kick to her face. The soundless scream she gave off was priceless.
Frostmane’s Attack roll (VA1): 1d20+23 = 33 (Hit)
Bite Damage: 1d8+15 = 16 (Piercing)
Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 2 (Cold Resistance 10) (Helpless)
Frostmane finished ravaging the vampire at his feet, another savage bite forcing the Vampire to turn into a misty cloud instead of unliving flesh. The wolf said something, but I couldn’t hear it. After all, the Silence spell worked both ways.
Vestele’s attack Roll (VA2): 1d20+10 = 21 (Touch) (Hit)
Searing Light: 10d8 = 33 (Magic)
Seeing that the immediate threat was taken care of, Vestele pointed her hand towards the Vampire caught in my chilling tentacles. A beam of concentrated sunlight burst from her hand, striking the creature and burning it badly. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the soundless (at least from my perspective) scream the creature made. Seeing your enemies suffer was a feeling that never got old.
Frostmane’s chew toy flew off, into the crypt it had just emerged from, to hide within its coffin. The other two acolytes, however, decided that waiting around for the tentacles to fade away wasn’t for them. Turning into mist as well, the two vampires moved forward, gliding through the tentacles with ease. After all, how do you grapple a cloud?
The wights, on the other hand, were fully committed to waiting out the tentacles. Not that they had much choice, since they were weaker than my magic. It would have been pointless, and they were at least intelligent enough to understand that.
[https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JagL5jBh2yY/YCGrY_wWy6I/AAAAAAAACi8/OI4uyVoJF_0K9kSZRQ-NXk5CFkQkCc5ygCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/VampireFight3.jpg]
Naevys’s Attack Roll (Melinda): 1d20+14 = 21 (Touch) (Miss)
The Priestess might have been silenced, but she still had the spell she had cast still held in her hand. It hadn’t been discharged, since she hadn’t hit me. As she lashed out again, I could see the frustration on her face growing as I danced out of the way of her hand. It didn’t matter what horrible spell she cast, if she couldn’t hit me with it!
Siora stepped closer to her sister, trusting me to keep the priestess occupied. Not having any better recourse at the moment, she readied her weapon, so that as soon as one of the vampires materialized within range, she could attack. Not that she expected to slay them, but it was better than sitting helplessly, waiting for the others to save her.
Chilling Tentacles Cold Damage (VA3): 2d6 = 8 (Cold Resistance 10)
Lingering Acid (Naevys): 2d6 = 6 (Acid)
Melinda’s Concentration Check: 1d20+24 = 36
Melinda’s Attack Roll (Naevys): 1d20+24 = 41 (Hit)
Damage: 2d6+2 = 8 (Bludgeoning)
Vitriolic Blow: 7d6 = 28 (Acid)
But I didn’t have time to focus on other people’s problems. I had an angry vampire to deal with. I darted forward, and my acid-clad fist connected with the vampire’s face, adding further insult to injury. I didn’t know any woman who could tolerate someone, especially another woman, repeatedly throwing acid in their face, after all. Doing this pretty much guaranteed I would be the focus of her attention.
Frostmane shifted his position to stand by Vestele, and they stood side by side, ready to strike the vampires as soon as they materialized. The wolf looked at ease, which was good, because Vestele was clearly nervous, and we still had a long way to go before this fight was done. Vampires weren’t so easy to beat, after all.
Frostmane’s Attack (VA2): 1d20+23 = 36 (Hit)
Bite damage: 1d8+15 = 17 (Piercing)
Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 2 (Cold) (Cold Resistance 10)
Frostmane’s Trip attempt: 1d20+17 = 20
VA2’s DEX check: 1d20+4 = 6 (Fail, Prone)
Frostmane’s Improved Trip Attack (VA2): 1d20+23 = 24 (Miss)
Vestele’s Attack (VA2): 1d20+10 = 24 (Miss)
Siora’s Attack (VA2): 1d20+8 = 11 (Miss)
Siora’s Will Save (Dominate): 1d20+14 = 32 (Success)
Vestele’s Will Save (Dominate): 1d20+21 = 26 (Success)
The three rained attacks down on the closest of the two vampires when she materialized, but weren’t able to take her down, even though Frostmane cast her to the floor. The two vampires attempted to use their powers to sway Siora and the twins, seeking to turn the odds in their favor. I could not hear what was said, but from the way the two laughed, it was clear that the vampires had been less than successful.
[https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SKdy4TPDIX4/YCGrZJgZnxI/AAAAAAAACjE/23Lb8FU_IWQ4y1KqkXZYvuWOHdshvuQMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/VampireFight4.jpg]
Melinda’s AoO (Naevys): 1d20+24 = 34 (Hit)
Damage: 2d6+2 = 6 (Bludgeoning)
Naevys’s Inflict Critical Wounds (Naevys): 4d8+12 = 27
With a look of hatred on her battered face, the priestess let the spell she was holding drop, and backed away from me, seeking the edge of the sphere of silence. I hit her once, as she left my reach, but it was not enough to stop her. She managed to find a spot where she could speak again, clearly, and uttered the words of a spell. The next instant, dark power flowed over her, healing the worst of the wounds in her undead flesh.
VA2’s Will Save (Shadow Evocation): 1d20+11 = 19 (Fail)
VA3’s Will Save (Shadow Evocation): 1d20+11 = 16 (Fail)
Siora’s Attack Roll (VA2): 1d20+11 = 23 (Touch) (Hit)
Scorching Ray: 4d6 = 17 (Fire) (Helpless)
Siora’s Attack Roll (VA3): 1d20+11 = 20 (Touch) (Hit)
Scorching Ray: 4d6 = 12 (Fire)
Siora’s Attack Roll (VA3): 1d20+11 = 28 (Touch) (Hit)
Scorching Ray: 4d6 = 8 (Fire)
Siora, seeing that her blade wouldn’t be any use here, took a step back, and a black orb formed in her hand as she cast a spell. From the black orb, three bolts of fiery light shot out. The first struck the wounded vampire, and sent her straight into her mist form. The second and third both struck the uninjured one, and suddenly the vampire looked quite a bit less confident than she had been a moment ago.
Lingering Acid (Naevys): 4d6 = 11 (Acid)
Melinda’s Attack Roll (Naevys): 1d20+24 = 35 (Touch) (Hit)
Vitriolic Blast: 7d6 = 31 (Acid) (Helpless)
I didn’t see any need to chase the priestess, though I wasn’t about to give her more time to heal herself. I unleashed a blast of acid, rather than going to punch her with it, and hit the vampire square in the chest. Instantly, she turned to mist.
Frostmane’s Attack (VA3): 1d20+23 = 42 (Hit)
Bite damage: 1d8+15 = 16 (Piercing)
Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 6 (Cold) (Cold Resistance 10)
Frostmane’s Trip attempt: 1d20+17 = 26
VA3’s DEX check: 1d20+4 = 21 (Fail, Prone)
Frostmane’s Improved Trip Attack (VA2): 1d20+23 = 33 (Hit)
Bite damage: 1d8+15 = 17 (Piercing)
Freezing Bite: 1d6 = 4 (Cold) (Cold Resistance 10)
There was just one more of the vampires left, and Frostmane did not give her a chance to try anything else. Vicious jaws clamped down upon the vampire, and threw her to the floor. Another bite, and the acolyte was looking well and truly ragged. The wolf snarled something I couldn’t hear at the vampire, though his body language radiated contempt.
Vestele’s Attack Roll (VA3): 1d20+10 = 22 (Touch) (Hit)
Cure Light Wounds: 1d8+5 = 11 (Positive)
VA3’s Will Save: 1d20+11 = 18 (Success, Half Damage) (Helpless)
Vestele uttered a spell, and a glow appeared about her hand, that I recognized from those times she had channeled her goddess’s power to heal wounds. This time, however, she was not aiding our party. Her hand touched the Acolyte, and the vampire burst into mist, wracked by the unholy power of Malcanthet.
Reduced to mist, the two vampires flew off, heading back to the crypts they came from. But we were not done fighting. After all, the wights were still there, stuck on the other side of the tentacle barrier. But that was just a matter of mopping up, right?