9. Fall at the Hands of Physandos

Nymm 9, YK 1000

Zargosz transforms back into a half-orc, calls down lightning on invisible Torrian hunter, leaving him in a zone of thunder. Xiu moves next to Torgen, crits the invisible Torrian for 50 hp, bloodying him. Torrian strikes at Magnus and misses, the others are both out of the river and no longer dazed. Alain fires across the river with crossbow at the Torrian fighting Magnus for 17 hp, giving magic weapon to Xiu and Zargosz. Magnus swings his axe two-handed at the Torrian and misses. Torgen uses holy strike on invisible Torrian for 18 hp, making him visible to everyone.

Zargosz knocks the no longer invisible Torrian out with his club. Xiu moves and uses acrobatic strike on the Torrian guard or 23 hp, bloodying him. Torrian attacks Magnus for 17 hp, other Torrian hunter throws two javelins at Xiu, one of which hits her for 24 hp. Other Torrian uses rending claw on Xiu for 18 hp, and -2 to defenses. Alain fires positive energy infusion at bloodied Torrian. Magnus uses inexorable advance on his Torrian and bloodies him. Torgen marks the bloodied Torrian.

Zargosz checks to make sure the Torrian he downed is alive, then moves closer to the bloodied Torrian. Xiu stabs the bloodied Torrian, drawing on Alain's positive energy and doing 23 hp to him. Torrian next to Magnus tries to jump across the river, drawing an AOO from Magnus that stops him and does 21 hp to him, then he moves again and jumps behind the nearby rock. Other Torrian hunter throws javelin at Xiu and misses. Bloodied Torrian hits Torgen for 18 hp. Alain moves in, fires his crossbow and crits the bloodied Torrian, knocking him out and giving magic weapon to Torgen and Xiu. Magnus pulls out his shield, emphasizing that he does not need it for defense, and uses tide of iron on the Torrian for 14 hp. Torgen charges with ardent strike at Torrian hunter and crits him with jagged axe, doing 32 hp and 10 ongoing.

Zargosz uses tremor on Torrian hunter and hits for 20 hp, bloodying him and knocking him prone. Xiu moves over and knocks him out with a tornado strike. Remaining Torrian shifts back, drawing an attack from Magnus that knocks him out.

Alain and Magnus use their ropes to tie them up, during which we find treasure and a Helm of Able Defense, which Magnus claims, gives his Circlet of Second Chances to Alain. We take a brief rest.

On the other side of the river, there is a clearing and a small settlement made up of wood frame buildiing and thatched huts, full of Torrians going about their work in complete silence. One Torrian notices us and the entire town turns to look at us. A large Torrian with dark gray fur approaches us timidly and introduces himself as Gruthow, but does not appear to be frightened of us. We introduce ourselves in the most friendly way possible. They all seem to be following the lead of this Torrian, and Alain thinks that at the moment we're talking to Gruthow, but that Physandos is still subtly there. Zargosz mentions Thoror, and Gruthow smiles and says in a higher, more shrill voice, "Oh, champions, eh? They'll let anyone wear those cloaks these days, won't they?" We've met Physandos.

A female Torrian says "I'm over here!" and jumps from Torrian to Torrian to talk to us. Zargosz detects that he is a demon or a demon's servant, Torgen realizes that he won't let them go easily. Xiu tries to bluff him that we have Thoror's items, and intend to return them to him. Alain realizes he could use the positive energy of healing arts to confound Physandos, and uses a healing power on Gruthow. Zargosz applies a healing poultice that further confounds him, and a wave of dark energy emerges from Gruthow. Magnus begins inscribing wards and builds a magic circle against elementals, boosted by Zargosz, Torgen and Alain's arcane and religious skills. Magnus pushes Gruthow into the circle, and Physandos threatens us and vanishes as a cloud of darkness.

Gruthow comes out of his trance and they all look around in different directions. "Physandos goes to wake Urthix." We begin chasing Physandos up to the cave, and find a cave that looks like a dark maw.

Xiu moves up to the cave entrance and throws a sunrod into the cave, she sees a spot of shadow on the back wall that seems to be getting away from the light. There is a stench that gets more powerful the closer we get, there is a pile of bones just inside the cave entrance. We hear the sound of a very large foot hitting the ground, and a deep growl. Zargosz climbs up onto the bluff and sees a little further into the cave, but still doesn't see any monsters, although he does see a much larger pile of bones in the back of the cave, and uses his mage hand to pick up the sunrod and move it deeper into the cave. Magnus climbs up onto the blufff to join Zargosz. Torgen moves to the bluff climbs up. More shadows emerge from the cave and launch psychic attacks against Zargosz, and one of them pulls him in and explodes, damaging him and destroying itself. Torgen spots a Rakshasa in the back of the cave, who summons another shadow and then fires a ray of force at Torgen. Alain misses a minion with his crossbow, moves up and uses resistive formula on Xiu, who extends it to Magnus.

Xiu throws shuriken at one of the shadows and destroys it, and adapts her sidestep stance. A dragon emerges from behind the pillar and unleashes his thundering breath, hitting Zargosz with a crit for 32 hp and knocking him prone. Zargosz transforms into a swarm of flying scorpions and shifts next to the dragon, attacking him with floating death for 13 hp and shifting past him and stinging a shadow minion out of existence. Magnus drinks his elixir of will and moves to come and get it on two shadows and the dragon, destroying both shadows. Torgen is compelled to move forward next to Magnus and the dragon. Shadow sudden strikes and misses Zargosz, other shadows move in toward him and attack as well, nearly killing him. The Rakshasa fires his ray of manipulation at Zargosz, missing him twice. Alain climbs up, gives regeneration infusion and curative admixture to Zargosz. Magnus, using his newfound arcane knowledge, realizes that the dragon is controlled by the Rakshasa.

Xiu moves through the gap created by Magnus, drawing an AOO from Shadow, and moves over to attack the Rakshasa using an action point to use Bloodbath for 40 hp, giving him 14 ongoing damage as well. Adamantine dragon's thunder echo resounds for 15 hp on Torgen, Magnus and Alain, and then he activates his fear aura, stunning Alain until the end of his next turn, then he releases a thundering roar on Magnus, Alain and Torgen for 16 hp, knocking Alain prone. Zargosz absorbs the regeneration and heals, then sends forth a plague of locusts at shadow demons, creating a zone of locusts but not damaging them. He spends an action point to take his second wind. Magnus attacks the dragon with lasting threat, uses his pinning axe to pin it in place. Torgen swings his axe and misses Magnus, but is still dominated. Shadows sweep past Zargosz, attacking him on the way and moving in on Xiu, who is threatening the Rakshasa. Physandos takes ongoing damage, shifts back and uses deceptive attack on Xiu, damaging and dominating her, then summons another shadow. Alain is stunned.

Xiu charges Zargosz for 13 hp, is no longer dominated. Thunder returns and does 15 to Torgen, Alain and Magnus, then the dragon breathes again. Alain and Torgen are bloodied, the dragon attacks Torgen for 19 and 5 ongoing, drawing an AOO from Magnus for 16 hp. Zargosz turns back into a half-orc, moves to blast Physandos with a critical, hitting him with Vine Serpents and restraining him, and killing the shadow demon next to him. Magnus uses suppression crystal, uses appalling crunch on the adamantine dragon and misses. Torgen takes 5 ongoing, slashes at Magnus and crits for 38 hp and ongoing 10, and Physandos laughs out of Torgen's mouth, he is still dominated but no longer taking ongoing damage. Shadows move in and slash at Zargosz, and he takes 27 hp of damage, bloodying him. Physandos takes damage from vines, attacks Zargosz for 12 hp and dominates him, then fires again for 17 hp, knocking him down. Then he spends an action point and fires two rays at Xiu, critically hitting and hitting again for 26 hp, dominating her. Alain stands, uses restorative infusion on himself, fires predatory shards at the dragon and creates zone of force.

Xiu, dominated, moves in to provoke an attack from the dragon, which provokes an attack from Magnus, who takes radiant damage from Torgen's mark. The wing buffet does 26 hp and knocks her down. She remains dominated. The dragon's echo does 15 to everyone but Zargosz, he takes 5 force damage, then uses roar of thunder again, knocking Torgen out and knocking Alain down. Zargosz makes his death save, but is still dominated. Magnus attacks the dragon. Torgen fails his death save. Shadows swarm on Alain, one hits him, he has 2 hp left. Physandos moves toward the front of the cave, blasts Alain and knocks him out, also dominating him, then blasts Xiu for 15 hp. Alain fails his death save, but makes save vs. being dominated.

Xiu stands, and is no longer dominated. The dragon's breath rebounds and does 15, knocking Alain into unconsciousness, then he breathes again with non-lethal intensity. Zargosz fails a death save, is still dominated. Magnus stands, uses defensive resurgence and misses his attack. Torgen succeeds on his death save. Shadows converge on Xiu for 18 hp, knocking her down to 3 hp. Physandos fires at Xiu and hits for 18 hp and dominates her.

Xiu fails a death save, is still dominated. The dragon's breath rebounds and does 15, knocking Torgen into unconsciousness, then he blasts Xiu and Magnus, knocking her unconscious. Zargosz makes a death save, is still dominated. Magnus takes Alain's Deep Pocket Cloak and flees, after Physandos taunts him.

Quote:
"Bad rock! Bad rock! Go back to Hell!"