Chapter 2: The Highway and Silver Spring

[Ythgar]

Hex and Raffi

Hex targets the 2” by 2” area in front of Androgost with a paralyzation spell, intending to affect all of the children if possible.
8” range, 2” x 2” area, affects up to 16 hit dice, save negates, 3 seg cast time

Raffi hides in shadows.

Hide in Shadows (50-): [1d100]=40

[cybersavant]

Nah Olos draws his bastard sword and stands ready

for when he's in melee reach of either Solenearcillus or the Children
thac0 12 2d4+9/2d8+9 spd6 1 att/rnd

[ravenn4544]

Androgost clenches his sword ready for battle! He stands his ground for the moment, not ready to engage combat with children - unless they attack him first.

[Dicey]

I envisioned Souixsie further back on the map after my post saying she moved to the back.

From the back, Souixsie spun her sling-staff and let loose a stone at the flying demon creature. She hoped that if the leader fell, the children would loose their motivation.

[1d20+1]=12+1=13, [2d4]=8

[gurusql]

Solenearcillus & The Children
Early Afternoon of Godsday, 19th day of Planting, 597
14th day since leaving Loftwick

Androgost (AC -6, HP 31/65, Armor 13/26)
Qleceec (AC 1, HP 33/63) (Infravision, Lit Sword)
Nah Olos (AC 4, HP 40/53)
Siouxsie (AC 2, HP 48/48) (Protection from Fire - 85)
Hex (AC 0, HP 22/27, Armor 2/8) (Staff with Continual Light Coin)
Raffi (AC -1, HP 21/21, Armor 8/8) (Glowing Dagger)
Boff (AC 5, HP 51/61)
Garrant (AC 3, HP 50/50, Armor 2/8) (Lantern)
Frannie (AC 4, HP 18/26) (Boff's Lantern)

The long and tense discussion teeters on the edge of violence—until it tips over in an instant. Words give way to action, and in the span of a heartbeat, the room erupts into a storm of spells and missile fire.

Qleceec moves first, her reflexes honed to strike at the perfect moment. She draws back her bow with practiced ease, the air crackling around the magical arrows as they launch toward their targets. One streaks wide, embedding itself in the molten pool with a hiss of scorching heat. But the second finds its mark, piercing through flesh and flame with a burst of energy.

Siouxsie follows up with the launch from her staff-sling. Her bullet rips through the battlefield, glinting in the fiery light before slamming into its intended target with brutal efficiency.

But it is Garrant’s Lightning Bolt that truly changes the tide. With a sharp incantation and a surge of power, a jagged streak of white-hot electricity arcs through the air, striking Solenearcillus directly. For a brief second, Solenearcillus' form flickers, his molten body convulsing as the sheer force of the spell overtakes him.

Then—he detonates.

The explosion sends lava splattering in every direction (in about a 5-8' radius), the molten remains of his form splashing across the battlefield like liquid fire.

At the same moment, Hex raises a hand, fingers weaving the intricate sigils of a Paralyzation spell. A shimmer of energy washes over the battlefield, descending upon the four "children."

Three of them freeze mid-motion, their forms locked in place as if reality itself had turned against them. Their fiery bodies flicker, struggling against the spell’s hold, but the magic grips them too tightly. They cannot move.

But the fourth child (#2) —is different.

He does not resist. He does not fight back. Instead, he simply smiles.

His gaze lingers on the remains of his “parent,” but rather than despair, there is only a quiet understanding. As the battle shifts against his favor, he makes his decision. With a final, knowing glance at the heroes, he turns and dives.

The lava welcomes him like an old friend, swallowing his body whole. The molten surface ripples from the impact, sending slow waves of magma lapping at the edges of the battlefield.

Then, he is gone.

The lava settles, its surface smooth once more. No trace of him remains.

For now.

Actions?

Rolls

S [1d20]=4 4C[_4d20]=(8+20+1+14)=43

[Rex]

Qleceec

"That was intense."

She stands watch over the lava for a few minutes in case the lava child surfaces.

[ravenn4544]

Androgost nods in agreement and also acknowledges Garrants skill and power with that magical display, "Indeed. 'Decisive' comes to mind."

He scans the lava for any further danger.

[GreyWolfVT]

Boff "What in tha hells was that? I figured he was some kinda lava elemental er somethin didna wanna tangle wit that."

[shaidar]

Garrant

"I wonder if that was the creature we were told about, the one who created the fissure and the earthquakes, come to take our measure."

[Ythgar]

Hex

"Well, these three will stay this way indefinitely. But I could release one if you think they will now cooperate?

[Dicey]

If we think a lava child could answer questions, I vote to question it, said Souixsie the druid.

[Rex]

Qleceec

"No idea if we can speak with them, but worth trying."

[ravenn4544]

Androgost remains on edge. “That thing went down quickly - perhaps too quickly to be behind all of this. Something surely must remain!”

At mention of questioning the children, he balks. “While I don’t intend to battle them - I certainly don’t intend to coddle them!”

[shaidar]

Garrant

"The creature was destroyed oddly quickly. It might have been but a pawn of the one that escaped, the means to test our capabilities and resolve."

[Rex]

Qleceec

"It could have been whatever it is behind this' equivalent of a sentry."

[cybersavant]

Nah Olos "Didn't he mention something about another - something about opening the portal, i think. These 'children' are going to be a problem. I say leave them and watch for the last one to ambush us. Don't like the idea of being close when they explode." Nah Olos quickly moves along the edges to get past them and take a peak to see if anything else is coming or blocking their way. "This was a delay, or a guard outpost."

[GreyWolfVT]

Boff "It was too easy. Makes me wonder if we shouldn't try an find another path instead of moving forward ere."

[Rex]

Qleceec

"We could search for secret doors, no clue where to start though."

[gurusql]

The Aftermath
Early Afternoon of Godsday, 19th day of Planting, 597
14th day since leaving Loftwick

Androgost (AC -6, HP 31/65, Armor 13/26)
Qleceec (AC 1, HP 33/63) (Infravision, Lit Sword)
Nah Olos (AC 4, HP 40/53)
Siouxsie (AC 2, HP 48/48) (Protection from Fire - 85)
Hex (AC 0, HP 22/27, Armor 2/8) (Staff with Continual Light Coin)
Raffi (AC -1, HP 21/21, Armor 8/8) (Glowing Dagger)
Boff (AC 5, HP 51/61)
Garrant (AC 3, HP 50/50, Armor 2/8) (Lantern)
Frannie (AC 4, HP 18/26) (Boff's Lantern)

The group discusses their situation.

The general thought of the group is that the fight was way to easy.

Hex offers to release one of these "children" with the smiling faces. Siouxsie and Qleceec agree. Androgost balks and Nah Olos says leave them. Boff and Garrant do not express an opinion. Does that mean there is decision or not?

With a moment of calm the group sees that there is one tunnel based path out of this room, however it leads to a cave-in (this at the orange arrow). The only other exit from this is the lava pool continues around to when someone is looking from the top to the bottom of the map to that persons right. The walk-able path ends and there is just lava from that point on.

Frannie talking to no one but herself says, "Now we have three choices, lava, cave-in or follow that Aamoof guy down the river. I don't like any of those."

Map

PostRiver10.png (286.46 KiB) Viewed 451 times

[Ythgar]

Hex

”Well we can always come back to them, unless they get carried away or explode from lack of movement perhaps.”

Hex looks around for pebbles which he carefully places on the children’s shoulders.
if he cannot find pebbles he will use one of his sling buckets on one of them