The two remaining Cerberus enemies, once poofing back into existence, surround the largest thing they can see and start chomping. That thing happened to be the massive tiger in their midst, and the tri-headed foes sunk their jaws into the transmutated flesh, biting and tearing. Half of the attacks land, dealing a total of 33 damage.
Cynthia retaliated, flanking one of the Cerberus enemies opposite Adrevz and slashing it with the Levinbolt sword, hitting twice and dealing a total of 30 damage.
The mutt fell before the coordinated assault of the mix and match troupe that no longer had as many of its participants of the crew the Beholder had come to nearly trust. At least one of the new additions was somebody he could truly base his trust on, asssuming she was not an impersonator. That would be unlikely, yet it was still possible. Dyn made a mental note of making sure of that later, but thus far Adrevz had not shown any signs that would have given away any signs of her being anything but his adopted daughter. He would need to make sure though.
Nonetheless he would now dive below her transformed form, his focus on dealing with the remaining threats. Three of his eyes began shining with faint orange as he swam forth, the tone deepening to bright red as he moved, until finally, just before the halfway point of his dive, they were released on the dogs one by one. One to the left, another to the right and one more to the left he dished out the scalding magic. Regrettably the first ray had fired from the right side of his face, interfering with the aiming of the remaining two which could well have zapped past the targets, or they might have simply not have been damaged by the weakened rays as he shot them at not-quite-the-prime moment. Whatever be the case, he had a destination to reach.
He popped up again on the level most of the people seemed to prefer handling this fight at and placed himself on the spot he thought to be opposite of Jill. They would have this creature locked down between them and his bladesong would be more than powerful enough to protect him from whatever it might try to throw his way. He ground his teeth together as his tentacles clutched around the handle of Tradewind and the magic swirled around his form without disturbing the flow of water.
Dyn dives to the other side of Adrevz from below, shooting beams of Scorching Ray on his way, the first one at Cerberus C, second at Cerberus A and the last one at C again. The attack rolls, respectively, were 21, 11 and 11. It is thus likely only the first one hits. Nonehteless, the damage rolls, again respectively, were 6, 9 and 5. He ends his move at the square just below Adrevz, taking up a flanking position with Jill.
"Do not blame God for having created the tiger, but thank him for not having given it wings." ~ Ethiopian Proverb
Adrevz let out a roar of pain when the Cerberuses bit into her, blood seeping from the wound. Baring her fangs, the rather huge Tigress moved to attack, only for her swipe to miss, the pain causing her to miss by only a small margin. This miss however, caused her to growl, hackles standing on end despite the water that surrounded them. "Damn it," she growled out, clearly aggravated with the fact that she missed her rather large target. The fact that the monster had bitten her was enough to throw her off her game, something that wasn't exactly great considering it happened right in front of the creature that had raised her.
The nuptial minute crayoned a joyous stencil of madness on the clown as her devilish eyes endorsed her partner’s shrill, the whistle which beckoned the annulment of banishment and brought forth their missing pets. Noriam’s foreplay swam subtly in the gray geisha’s mind, dancing to and fro, whether to bite or play dead, with such coddles. The departed rebuttal was a thunderous motif of hard-to-get, enticing the shadowmancer. To…
“Catch me if you can.”
The moons of her sclera waned, lingering against the desires to wither hither, but venture thither against the recently summoned beast. Quickly, dreaming away the compounded darkness, her open maw disclosed only a hidden fool, bending the heavens of dark waters while registering the solemnity of battle. The unsheathed rapier, that spilt a king’s blood and liberated a thrall, rang true and through, piercing the Cerberus, as their captain and the precocious Mystic were whelmed in dusk, stemming from the mouth of the warlock’s babe; its revenue swamped in the eventide of bashfulness, tempting the sweet faux Sauron to still choose her from the three.
Koan will Dash 60 feet (Tumbling Fool as a Bonus Action) to directly south one square from Jill, but still within striking distance of Cerberus C. Free Action to keep her mouth open to continue the Darkness which engulfs Jill completely and partly Askia and Cerberus C.
Booming Blade against Cerberus C only for 7 damage, but it is now rife with another potential 2d8 thunder damage if it willingly moves before Koan's next turn.
The elemental, seeing that his first query was dead turned to the next dog and went on the offensive immediately as the Jester bellowed her smog. With one mighty hit (7 damage), Benjamin struck again with his watery fist meeting his target once more (11 damage). Yet, it seemed his time was up as his form dissipated into the surrounding water, a Kobold quickly swimming through the smoke with a determination to finish the fight in her eyes.
Askia stopped and let out a warcry, ”You both are facing fear incarnate!” With that, she let them view a world of pure horror, the two dogs saw their worst fears come to life as well as psychologically scar them (28 damage). She knew that their fear would not last long and she had to maintain its effect for that short time, ”Kill them before they snap out of it!”
HP 78 AC 15
Psi Points 50/64 Discipline Focus Mastery of Water
Benjamin does his thing, Askia then uses World of Horror and frightens both doggos, fun times.
Jill's angelic form seemed to gracefully float forward from the darkness, her unearthly beauty from her Mantle of Majesty nearly parting the darkness. She had seen the tiger being viciously attacked before Koan's magic had covered her eyes, and Jill rushed forward to keep her on her feet even as the conjured shark dissipated. "You're not done yet," she called out as her hand lightly brushed across the great beast's paw, sending 11 HP of healing to the tiger's form. She then turned to the Cerberus she was adjacent to, the fury in her eyes mixing with the fear the dog felt to send it cowering. "Kneel!" she cried, and the creature shook as it complied.
In the depths of the abyssal zone, deep beneath the ocean's waves the most curious creature swims. Here in where no light can hope to penetrate the miles of sea above into the eternal darkness below, the deep sea anglerfish makes her home. There in the starless midnight her unseen beauty remains unseen by feeble eyes, such horrific visage that awaits a promising suitor. Her eyes glass marbles uncaring and unseeing, her mouth always gaping to show unruly fangs against those fish lips. Her body little more than a curvaceous lump of flesh, her head far too large and hideous for the oblong parts that remain. A living stomach which thanks the shadows that may hide its ugly truth, as twisted and revolting as its mutated appearance may be. And yet in the darkness everlasting, a creature so foul to the eyes find herself so many eager mates. With her angelic light placed upon her misshapen brow, a taunting lure cast out in the darkness. Closer and closer still did he come to her, drawn in by the beauty of her light and terror of her jaws. A truly twisted attraction as her mate swims to her glowing charm. And then his teeth nip at her gob of chin or perhaps her backfat, what kinks they share together with his bite. Together they swim on, dancing in the darkness of the wettest night, their marriage completed as they mate. He who clings on to her, attracted by her light, devotes himself to her proper. His mind lost, his heart hers as his pulse synchronizes with her, and his self-destructive fate is sealed in this unholy union. He becomes nothing more than a slave to her needs to breed, a fleshy appendage of her own body as useless as the many other suitors that have fallen for her.
To swim away with taunting jest, to tease and deny him, oh how befitting of the anglerfish was Koan to the warlock. A dark allure that jaunted away from his watering jaws at the last moment. Their discourse in interplay was as intercourse on display if it were not for the sea-swept shadows that enfolded their forbidden tryst. They may hear perhaps the flirtatious exchange, but their eyes could not see into the magical darkness surrounding the playmates. Thus leaving what went on perhaps to the imagination with what actions the umbral one pursued. It all seemed a game perhaps, but was not love such a game? A dangerous one for the question of who bites who? And certainly all the ladies present would have made any man seek to throw himself at one of them. Jill with her youthful angelic beauty, contrasted by Koan's shades-of-grey fantasy. The huge tiger-fish of scales and skin and fur, contrasted by the wiry frame of the reptilian kobold. And of course there was the lightning bladed mer who in her city guard apparel, starkly contrasted the piratical male beholder. So who was there to contrast the shadowed one? Or was he an amalgam of two? Jill on his right, Koan on his left, the the angel and devil on the shoulders of man.
But alas, the lines were not quite clear cut as the lines slashed across the dogs by blades. Koan bore the light, and Jill too began to show her darker side. A dominating control that demanded the dog before her to kneel, despite the gentle touch she gave the tiger's paw. What pain it was to choose between them both, which to follow, which to obey? The dog knelt whimpering in fear and submission, alas this toy broke already too, the fun taken out by the mystic's use of illusion? There was no lick of bite left in those three jowls, no possibility of harm even as the Fallen stepped out of the netted darkness into the dimmer light of sea. In armor of darkness born of his own shadow, gripping his blade in both hands while swift gliding across the currents. The black ruffles of his manta cloak propelling the dark one across, swimming freely before being engulfed once more into shadows as he caught up with his femme fatale. Absorbed once more, but not as close as before, no at least a pace away as he slyly turned away with a tease of his own to give a smirking grin of a bloodthirsty killer to his playmate. It was time to show off, and give Koan and Jill quite the demonstration of just how good 'Sauron' was with his sword.
The upswing, both hands wrapt around the wispy ink, the cutting edge grazing across the surrounded beast's chest. A diagonal slash from lower right to upper left, the warlock drew the cut, light as a tickle with the precision of simply inflicting a minor gash. Scraping across as his arms pulled the darksaber through the waters from his hip, and swung the tip around to the zenith of the dog's central stare as it sat there and took it like the whelp it was. There was the moment of power, the total domination of the pup as it seemed to shrink in size before the powerful 'Sauron.' Those eyes that glanced at Koan and Jill now merely had eyes for the pathetic mutt, burning a gaze so terrifyingly malicious with the fires burning like the very black coals that stoked the devil's furnace when all hell froze over.
"Shadow Force."
The vertical slash. No more the flesh wound that barely scratched, but now a deeper cut straight down from the nose of the central head down its throat and chest. A mortal wound laced with the power of shadows that gathered from the surrounding darkness, swirling and dancing across the edge barely contained as the gathered energy crackled with blackness. A slice which parted through the beast's jaws, splitting them in twain as flesh ripped apart during the destructive wave of force emitted from the blade. Dispersing itself as the darkness was unleashed, tearing apart the muscle, bone and sinew easily as the swordsman bathed in a sadist's ecstasy. Even if Jill could not see, Koan could watch and perhaps admire how he dealt with their broken toy. A useless sniveling dog was no fun to seekers of torment, if it cared not to fight back and squirm like the worm it was.
"Shadows take You! Worthless Maggot."
And by his command the shadows did. Seeping out of the open wound, gushing out like black blood as the tendrils wove around its lacerated neck. Binding the broken sides together as the black collar entwined the dying head and around the panicked two yelping as they found themselves sinking back into the darkness. What struggles they had whimpering away for mercy as the shadow chain pulls them in, dragging them into the abyss headfirst until it was no more. Vanished once more just as the last to a realm of darkness. For now, only one remained to be dealt with, as infernal eyes returned to Koan and a hand extended to take his dancing partner. To join her once more, alas the anglerfish. Together may their dance of death, domination and darkness continue on with their next unworthy seadog.
Move Action: Swim/Move 40 feet (manta cloak) to (10, -9) 5 feet east from Cerberus C, 10 feet North of Koan. Attack Action 1: Longsword Attack 1 vs Cerberus C with Flanking Advantage = 2d20k1+11 = (5+7)+11 = 18 -HIT! Longsword Attack 1 vs Cerberus C Versatile Damage = 1d10+5+2 = (1)+5+2 = 8 Slashing Bonus Action: Prepare Banishing Smite on Next Weapon Attack. Attack Action 2: Longsword Attack 2 vs Cerberus C with Flanking Advantage = 2d20k1+11 = (6+3)+11 = 17 -HIT! Longsword Attack 2 vs Cerberus C Versatile Damage = 1d10+5+2 = (8)+5+2 = 15 Slashing Banishing Smite Damage = 5d10 = (6+9+3+10+9) = 37 Force Banish Condition Cerberus C <50 HP remaining? -MET! Outcome: 23 Slashing + 37 Force damage to Cerberus C who is banished for 1 minute (10 rounds) or until concentration end.
The Cerberus, finding the large fluffy target to be the most easily reachable in its current state, reached out at the tiger with its maws, biting and snatching at it despite its fear. Two of the heads connected despite the imposed disadvantage, tearing at the tiger's stripes for a total of 22 damage. Too afraid to move, it remained still, its gaze flashing around at the opponents that now outnumbered it. Would a cornered dog prove the most dangerous? or the most pliable?
Likely the latter, as Cynthia's blade arced through the water, piercing its flank twice with its electric zolt. "Down, doggy," she called out with a chuckle as she dealt a total of 33 damage to it. The Cerberus is looking rather rough at this point.
Dyn'yer'zhead was quickly growing frustrated at the decisions made by Sauron. Not because they would have been ineffective as a whole, oh no, he had to admit they made the chaos of the battlefield much more manageable. What did cause him great personal strife was how he kept constantly moving the enemies out of his reach. As soon as he had but struck them once, they went poof into some demiplane, only to appear again later and then promptly vanish once more. He ground his teeth together, cursing the warlock's name in Deep Speech, the silent voice travelling little further than the opening of his mouth.
To top it off, many of his spells had been prepared for handling groups. Groups. And if what this male would-be-Koan was not making it difficult to affect multiple targets at once, he couldn't tell what would count for such an achievement. Yes, that was what Sauron was to him now. A would-be-Koan, to be added to the list of names he did not appreciate around him, but would have to tolerate due to Jill saying so. She had brought the man that had stalked her to them as an ally. A fairly questionable decision to be sure. Perhaps he still had the chance to have her see the wisdom in not doing so? But on the other hand, she still spoke for Koan being a valuable part of the crew. Granted, she was not as intelligent as the beholder, but she still had her function.
Yet this was not the time to get lost in one's own thoughts and the faux captain darted off, seeking to annihilate the final remaining opponent. They were already looking quite beat up, so him finishing them without even expending any of his valuable resources would be more than achievable. He reached his position in the opposite corner from Cynthia, the lesser trusted of the two merfolk to join them from the coral city and let loose. Swinging his weapon in wild, unpredictable arcs, he was sure the strikes landed and with any luck would also be enough to finish this ordeal off.
Dyn changes position once again (thanks 'Sauron') to be on the opposite side of the dog from Cynthia, thus gaining flanking advantage. He then proceeds to strike twice at the last dog on the field with his cutlass. First attack would attempt a hit with 1217, dealing 6 slashing damage on a hit. The second would attempt to hit with 1824, dealing 10 slashing damage on a hit. Were both strikes to land, the total would come to 16. Above average for him, I guess.
“Tigers cannot afford to care about what sheep think.” ~ Matshona Dhliwayo
Attacked... again, of course the three headed beasts would go after the tiger, she was huge, but she was also in their face and very much a threat. As welcome as it had been, in a sense Jill's spell had gone to waste thanks to the additional damage the Druid received. While she could handle the damage dealt far better than say, Cynthia, that did not stop her from becoming nearly enraged but the disgusting dog's attempt to kill her. It would pay for it's transgressions with it's life, that much she was certain.
Letting out a roar of fury, Adrevz slashed at the beast before her with both sets of claws. Flesh gave well beneath her paws, tearing away flesh and dealing the final blow needed to kill the three headed abomination before her. A pleased look crossed her muzzled face when it gave it's last breath, clearly happy with the success of her attack. She was ready for the next creature to return as well, wanting to tear into it just as she had this one. After all was said and done however, she would have to heal herself, the wounds were annoying and she could feel her beast shape becoming a little harder to hold onto.
With a clash of darkness and steel, the Cerberus trio were banished and destroyed, proving no match for our band of adventurers. As the shapeshifter's claws rent the last dog's flesh asunder, the warlock released his held spell, returning the banished Cerberus to us to prey upon, but the form lay unmoving in the water. We had defeated the guardians of the Verdant Stream, and before us lay the entrance, wide open and beckoning us forward to explore its caverns. And yet there was just one more thing I needed to take care of first.
Using her last third level spell, Jill turned towards the aura of Darkness and waved her hand as it dissipated into the shadows, leaving Koan and Noriam visible. "Kneel!" she commanded to Noriam, who felt his knees buckle beneath him as he was forced into a kneeling posture. She approached, her radiant glory shining brightly in a majestic fury. "The next time you banish an enemy I have brought low, I swear upon the heavens..."
The light from her eyes faded and she looked down towards the warlock, her demeanor changing back to her normal perky self. "Nice work, everyone! Let's go on in before more of those guys come around!" As she passed by Adrevz, another healing touch was shared, and the tiger received 10 HP.
Cynthia looked on the display with minor confusion, but shrugged as she followed Jill towards the Verdant Stream. As long as the aasimar did not turn her wrath on herself or her druid friend, she had no reason to worry. This was certainly an odd bunch, however.
Battle Complete!
You each gain 11,700 EXP!
Intimidation Roll: 26 Utilized the Enthralling Performance feature that she had used prior to arriving at the Verdant Stream, unbeknownst to the party. As Noriam failed his save (rolled in secret), he was not granted a Wisdom Save vs Command. Cast Dispel Magic on the Darkness and Command as a Bonus Action (through Mantle of Majesty) on Noriam, then used the Healing Hands aasimar feature on Adrevz.
The Beholder was disappointed in the fact the three headed dog failed to yield before his assault, but on the other hand his weapon was so very small when compared to the sheer bulk of the creature. While Tradewind had served him faithfully for years, it might finally be the time to consider replacing the old sword with something more powerful. Something like the less trustworthy merfolk woman was swinging about, maybe. Just of proper class and finesse, none of that cumbersome over-abundance of steel. And what remained of his disappointment was largely brushed away when his daughter moved in to finish the job.
Soon after the final dog would poof back into existence, dead as a stone. They were done here, Dyn concluded and began swimming, not back towards the main group but towards the small creature that had caused the failure of any and all plans he had had and driven this situation into the battle it had been. However, he did not miss the scene Jill caused on the side, how she sent away the Darkness of Koan and commanded Sauron to kneel. And even though they were underwater, the man managed to do just so. A pair of his eyes followed the exchange and he smirked. That had put him in a rather good mood, all things considered. Jill shared his annoyance. Ah, she knew just how to remind the great Dyn'yer'zhead of why he had fallen for her in the first place.
Yet he still had his own agenda. He floated closer to Askia in the water, dedicating about half of his eyes to observing the small female kobold. He smacked his lips before he began talking, even considering if he would be able to eat her if need be. He was, after, all, the size of a man. But no, she would probably only cause trouble even then. "I am sure you are aware that what you did just now was not exactly... wise", he began, his voice surprisingly calm. "We had a plan, you see, but then somebody, who may or may not be the half-grown lizard before me with too much daring for her own good before me just had to go shouting. Because how could that possibly backfire at all, hmm? Entertain me. Share your thoughts." His words were collected, his voice calm, but his tone and accentuation made it clear he had not appreciated the fact at all.
HP: 62/62 AC: 20 Concentrating: Nope Bladesong status: Active, 4 rounds or so remaining. 1 use left. Slots/expended: 4/1 1st 3/1 2nd 3/1 3rd 3/0 4th 2/0 5th
The battle was over very quickly, all things considered, and Askia felt happy to have aided in it somewhat and thus she slapped her hands together a few time as if she were trying to get dust off her. That was before Jill scared the daylights out of her with her loud noises, but what could you expect from such a young person. A light chuckle came out of her mouth at the fact that Koan and the whoever this ass Was was getting reprimanded. Then Dyn had to come along, droning on about the same thing she had done to a bunch of other people, but she had never gotten this from a beholder so she listened and nodded her head a few times as he spoke.
However, she didn’t care, which was evident in her response, ”You see, the difference between you and I, you are concerned for the group, understandably. I am not, I stopped caring about others a long time ago when I gave up my heroic adventures. In short, you say the same thing I have heard many times, and frankly, it means nothing to me. Have fun with that knowledge and how your words are insignificant in the grand nature of the cosmos.” With that Askia attempted to swim away from the beholder muttering a few insults under her breath, mostly about him being a stupid squid.
The kobold tried to make her way off, to claim the final word on their discussion by claiming insignificance of the Beholder's actions. Not too surprisingly Dyn'yer'zhead was having none of this. The gems in his eyepatch shone as a near sadistic grin spread across his features and the water parted around the cocky lizard. "We are not done", he declared.
>Dyn casts Control Water, parting the sea before the kobold and making her splash down about 10 ft harmlessly, a void space left behind.
For a moment, the Kobold flailed in the water, disoriented for a moment, before turning to face the beholder. “What the hell, you prick?,” Askia hissed, her eyes showing that she was now thoroughly annoyed with the squid.
Dyn ceased the parting effect, the trench filling again instantly and splashing the kobold with saltwater. From breathing liquid to gas and then liquid again, that must have been quite the experience. The same half of Dyn's eyes met her furious stare as he lowered himself to her level. "Oh, are my acts not too insignificant to be noted? Does what I have for myself suddenly interest you, oh heroic adventurer?" he replied in a mocking tone, directing the water around them to flow towards the centre where he was.
>The Part Water effect is ceased in favour of Direct Flow, which forms multiple circular currents around them with a shared end point: A small dormant sphere where they are now.
Try as she might, Askia, with her great strength, attempts to swim against the current only to make it worse for herself. This was a prime example of why one should never skip P.E. in school. “I’ll give you one last chance, stop this now before I have to waste more of my energy on your dull mind!”
>Askia fails to escape the currents with a disadvantaged STR save of 0 in total.
Very few a kobold talked back like her. This behaviour was what many humans, elves and even the occasional seafaring dwarf had shown him, but never had something like that come from a kobold. Dyn opened his mouth again, his voice now distorted by the building anger of the kobold's words against his person. After all, everybody knew that there was no creature type more perfect than a Beholder and that Dyn was the shining example among them. "Wriggle wriggle, little fish... being of feeble body, hear my words. I care little of whether you care about anyone. What I care about is how your actions affect me. And out of your foolishness alone, we fought. And you call yourself a hero, do you? Let me laugh at the very notion! With the incompetence shown, you would cause the trouble in triple, compared to what you solve!"
“Stop!” Askia hissed once more, this time what seemed like a wall of invisible energy, which was slightly visible with the part of water, lightly slammed into Dyn and pushed him back a few feet. “Don’t make me use anymore of my power!”
>Askia uses the psionic ability Push with 1 psi point, dealing 1 force damage and pushing Dyn'yer'zhead 5 feet away on his failed STR save. He does not fail his concentration check.
The hiss to stop from the kobold told Dyn he had struck a nerve, as did the brief feeling of psychic energy passing over him. He was nudged away from Askia who frantically tried to make her way out of his domain, but the currents that held on to her served him in a different manner, pushing him back to his spot in the middle. Just before he had the chance to retort, a giant blue tiger leapt in. Yes, that was his daughter, interfering with his business for whatever reason. She just barely missed the kobold within the currents as the latter hissed threats of more power being aimed at him. Dyn closed a majority of his eyes and shook himself from one side to another.
"Pitiful", he spat out as the currents ceased their merciless whirling, everything that had been carried within them only moving a brief distance afterwards. "Leave her be, daughter. She has heard what I have to say. Whether she will take it to heart like a smart creature would or ignore it like the imbecile she has made herself out to be, that is up to her. One can only lead a horse to water, not make it drink. But Askia... do not follow me unless you are willing to actually follow me." With that, a different current started and Dyn swam along it to the rest of the party.
>Dyn ceases the makeshift whirlpool and replaces it with a gentler current he uses to return to the Verdant Stream.
With the current dissipating, Askia has a chance to finally get more than a few words in, though it seemed Dyn was done toying with her with the tiger’s fail. “Follow you? Don’t make me laugh. You are no leader, I’m going because she is,” Askia stated pointing at Cynthia, “I am not some Kobold you can grind into the ground and expect to have as some form of minion, asshole.” The Kobold grit her teeth together and allowed Dyn to go, only moving to get back to the merwoman with the magical sword.
Conflict fought between Dyn'yer'zhead and Askia, collaborated by @Hekazu and @Lauder respectively. Mechanics are provided in greentext at appropriate moments. All rolls were performed on Discord.
Returned from the shadows as the darkness, the final Cerberus lay lifeless. The bisection of the jaws and throat split open revealing the oropharyngeal cavity of the central head. The amount of trauma caused by the Hexblade's darksaber was brutal, and the blood loss the ultimate demise as the two panicked heads tried their best to keep alive. The last moments of terror burned into the retinas, the darkness everlasting as it was pulled unwillingly to the shadowgloam. And even as short of a time it had spent there, no creature remained in the shadows so long without being touched. Anger, Confusion, Fear, and Despair, the four emotions warped and wrapt into a series of bursts until at last death came like a sweet angel to kiss those trembling lips. And alas, the silence of the beast which signaled the conclusion of the battle. Much to the disappointment of the umbramancer who had wanted to feel the bite of those teeth against his ribs, all three whelps were vanquished by the combined forces of the party.
Though his sadomasochistic bloodlust was quelled, it appeared Jill had other plans. Dispelling away the Darkness from Koan's maw, the shining light of dark like dawn rising with fury. The splendor of the heavens radiating through her, her fingertips like the very touch of the divines! And there his eyes could not peel themselves away from such ethereal wonder, the glamour like a shimmering wool over his burning gaze that watched as a young goddess approached him with the sway of her feathery wings that sprouted behind her corona. Her sweet golden voice like the very choir angelic, befitting of a cherubic bard as the meaning of her command became a haze. Perhaps he heard her not? Or did he just naturally fall down from the glory of being in her presence? His knees gave in, falling from grace once more, the retreating shadows fading to the power of Jill's illumination. Upon his knees the fallen aasimar knelt before the other aasimar, stricken with an undeniable urge to serve her. Gone was the sight of Koan who lurked behind him, gone were the shadows that surrounded him. For now, Jill commanded the warlock's attention, her words unwittingly laced with fey guile. He had no choice but to obey, stricken and smitten by her dominating charms.
The next time you banish an enemy I have brought low, I swear upon the heavens...
Words that chilled him, almost branded across his chest as 'Sauron' helpless watched the queen rebuke him. And yet the promise of her action sworn up on the heavens, an oath the aasimar should take with gravity lest they fall, was left unsaid as those glowing eyes blinked back to normal and the cheery girl returned with congratulations all around. Though the radiant one turned away and left him to rise from his trance, slowly feeling the strength return to his lower limbs, the enthrallment still present as his eyes sharpen to gaze at Jill. Indeed the haze in his mind iresome, as the whispers of the dark called back, slowly turning his head towards the once forgotten Koan. Caught between two mistresses, it seems and how he savored the fact that they would tear him apart limb from captured limb. Humbled and his resolve shaken, the sight certainly a display for the rest of the combatants there, it was a cold bath which cleared his thoughts, though still compelled to follow after Jill. The warlock felt the partial tug away from his senses, the subtle nuances of magic that made him obey her command.
"No need for spells if you want me on my knees before you." Tailing after his commander, the object of his want and will, bewitched by the song of the bard. How would Koan take this strange betrayal? Or all his attention lost from her and now directed at the shining Jill? Or would she understand that the bard had played a trick on his foggy mind, by the allure of both women and battle. Either way Noriam stood by Jill, his comment directed only to her as a casual aside, thrown into the mix as the enchanted man reached for his rod. Felt heavy in hand as the pulsating shaft was grasped and pulled free. Long as a wand but far thicker, the potency of the warlock's rod hidden beneath the mantle. Cold tarnished silver metal bore the appearance of a dark wing, yet a polished part bore the spiraling threads which snaked around the rod towards the other end. Tool in hand, his shadow blade sheathed in the darkness of the cloak, waiting to be drawn as if by magic. He would prepare himself for another battle if needed, though his shadow required rest from having pulled those creatures into the dark. For Jill perhaps he would milk one last spell from his rod, and muster up the performance he had given Koan in the darkness. Would Koan pull him back from the light and entice the hexed hexblade into the blinding dark? Or was it Jill who bore the light as blinding as the shadows themselves?
Either way, it seemed there was a lover's quarrel between the more monstrous amongst them. Namely the beholder and kobold, something of a dispute that 'Sauron' had no stake in or any interest in resolving. Thus just as he and Jill became a show for the other, so too did Dyn and Askia. Untill of course a huge tiger threw itself into the whirlpool washing machine like a blue stripped sock, and found itself caught in the beholder's spin cycle. To which their threesome ended with some exchange of tentacle waving. So the lizard followed the fish, and the tiger followed the octopus. Now, who was it that 'Sauron' should follow? The Angel or the Succubus?
Once the beasts halted in both skirmish and vivacity, the music of the murky spheres of darkness seemed to be dispelled by Jill. With it gone, Koan’s once offered golden heart was simply intercepted, masticated and cast back into the fiery depths of the final Cerberus’ permeable exsanguination. Like a freshly consumed apple, now demonstrating its rotten core, full of cancerous amygdalin, she bobbled in the abyss as her red orbs glared at the novel duo. The anti-heroine quietly pouted, striving to brew a cure to this newly discovered malignancy which so quickly metastasized as a sweet death to her lust for this fallen Andras, now plucked of his wings, his wolf, his weapon, and, now, his very woman.
“Sauron? But I thought…”
A vain war won and lost, as discord churned and spurned further a seething melancholy, while witnessing the shadowy Paris eventually selecting their beguiling Captain, the apparent Aphrodite of the crew. Her hair chose and breathed luminosity with her almost unparalleled charismatic beauty, angelically outshining the corporeal wealth of the surrounding tigress Hera and mystic Athena, and the obviously dejected Eris, subduing the silvery buffoon’s strife with an unheard song.
“…we were…”
The jester slowly tailed, from a deafening distance, the rich and delicate hands the partnered celestials shared. The sight birthed a tremendous lethargy her soul would have to encumber as silent thunder impregnated her mind with a millennia of screaming ululations, whispering and sowing sorrow onto the face of the grey geisha. This, a nebulous emotion never truly festered by the prankster, for more than a brief instance, weakened her chin as her hood floated over her wet eyes. It soon wrapped her weeping body with its blinding world, delivering a hushed pity and muted lamentations, heard only by those sensitive and inquisitive to a sad clown’s sins and aborted hopes.
The infighting among her crew did not please Jill, but thankfully it ended before she had to step in and stop it. She raised an eyebrow at Dyn and sent him a telepathic Message. "Of course she cannot compete with you, but we need her in one piece. Let's try to work together." She couldn't be sure whether the beholder would let her into his deeper thoughts, but she knew he would prefer silent admonishment over an overt discipline. Plus, much of the crew still were not aware that she was the actual captain. Well, not directly.
Jill swam towards the entrance to the Verdant Stream, pushing against the current into its maw. It wasn't long before they had entered the cavernous structure and were able to really observe it closely. To the mages in the group, it was fairly obvious that this entire structure was magical in nature, likely summoned or conjured as a prison for the marid. As they entered, there was a small room just inside the entrance with a wooden door blocking it. A barred window allowed a peek inside where piles of gold and other items lay, some of which were bound to be taken from powerful adventurers on a similar quest. Perhaps magical? Jill waited until everyone had entered the Verdant Stream and nodded towards the doorway. "Think we should open it?" she asked.
Askia's final cry of defiance was promptly ignored, for the Beholder felt again an unsolicited attempt at touching his mind. He was already starting to draw on the power of his Ring of Mind Shielding when his eyes picked up the source of this magic. Jill was pointing at him and whispering. She did have a certain affinity for contacting him more privately... Dyn lowered the magical shields enough to hear what she had to say for herself. First thing addressed was in fact Askia's inability to combat the Beholder, but that had been obvious from the start. Nobody could combat him. Why the captain preferred to have the insufferably wretch in one piece was beyond the Beholder's comprehension (which, obviously, meant Jill was simply being colossally idiotic), but he would humour her for the time being. As for trying to work together, Dyn chomped at the apparent bait, devouring it hook, line and sinker. He responded to the message via the trace magic the spell would allow him.
Jill would feel the alien mind of the great Dyn'yer'zhead reach out to her in turn. The touch was never pleasant to a creature of lesser intellect and comprehension, that being anyone, and it often left them feeling dirty afterwards for one reason or another. Perhaps it was the fact how the telepathic communication of the creature felt like it was creeping inside the head of the recipient, slithering around from one part of the brain to another, gliding on the surface and the tendrils of the garbled words and ideas reaching out everywhere. Nonetheless, the message itself always came through clear. "I already asked her to do so. You can see the results." That was all such a simple transmission spell would allow him. He would explain in more detail later, as Jill would undoubtedly ask. The Beholder was not one known for lying.
The stream pushed against the travel of the group, until suddenly it began circling around them, Dyn having grown bored of fighting the underwater current. They were now travelling in a smaller stream in the middle of it, which actually allowed faster and rather comfortable travel even to those who were not quite as capable swimmers as the natural inhabitants of the elemental plane or magically aided in the process. The structure they were supposed to be mapping appeared to be magical in nature, something that bothered Dyn greatly. It could all be a trap, for all he knew. Any wall could launch forward, any corridor could be an unending trap. And when Jill set her attention to the door beyond which a pile of treasure lay, he just had to spit out his warning: "We have arrived in a magical structure with a convenient room of treasure right at the entrance and this does not strike you as even remotely odd? For all we know, the trinkets and baubles are but an illusion to disguise the snapping jaws of a Dragon Turtle. If you so want to find out, cast a spell of magic detection, pronto, so that my might over the water need not wane during the investigation."
“Some days you tame the Tiger. Other days it has you for lunch." ~ Tug McGraw
Adrevz looked around, her eyes scanning the room before she gave the best shrug a Tiger could muster before stepping back and sitting down, her tail sweeping the coins and smaller objects to the side. She could not detect any traps on the door, not that that was a forte of her's to begin with, though she was able to tell that it was locked. A few unintelligible words left the Tiger's mouth, though no one seemed to be able to understand her, which only proved to annoy her quiet a bit. Letting out a huff, she brought her paw down rather hard on the ground, causing a few nearby coins jump up a bit. She would break the door down if she had to, but she wanted to give the others a chance to have a look before she did so. If they were lucky, someone would be able to unlock it without her having to throw her weight around... literally.
With that communicated the best that she could, the Tiger simply sat there and waited for the others to do as needed, she could do no more than she already had after all. Looking over at Dyn, she nodded at him to show that she supported what the Beholder had said, it made perfect sense and frankly she rather be safe than sorry. Last thing any of them needed was to trigger a spell that would result in them being hurt, or worse, killed. Someone here needs to learn Sylvan or I'll be stuck having to mime things for most of this journey, she thought begrudgingly as she stared at everyone, waiting for someone to do something along the lines that her Father had said.
While she waited for someone else to do or say something, she let out a huff and cast a quick healing spell, annoyed with the chunks of flesh the Cerberi had tried to tear from her body. Sadly, underwater blood traveled far and left very little for wounds to heal properly on their own, so a little extra help never hurt. (Cast Cure Wounds in lvl 2 slot for 13)
It seemed they were about to embark once more, this time through a door like civilized folk, everything was just peachy, especially with the Kobold still muttering curse at the wretched squid. Yet, another thing caught her eye, the Druid was trying to heal herself with meager non-mental magics, such was the commoners way of life. Askia felt pity towards the tigress, not only having to be a “daughter” of that thing, but she wasn’t enlightened either. Healing through the simple thought of it was so much more satisfying than simply using the mundane magic that everyone could use.
The Kobold went up to the Druid, and telepathically said ”Worry not, lost child, I’ll aid you in healing. I also must thank you for interrupting my dispute with the Beholder, I may have had to use the full affect of my powers had he not stopped.” Whilst her mind spoke, the Kobold touched the side of the large tiger’s head and within an instant many of her remaining wounds had been healed (22 HP healed). ”I would also advise you to be more cautious when fighting that which has many heads to bite with, even if simply gaining their attention, you will very quickly find yourself full of fangs,” Askia stated through their connected minds before she swam back to her place next to Cynthia.
HP 78 AC 15
Psi Points 47/64 Discipline Focus Mastery of Water
