The Mahasarpa Campaign, a land of jungle ruins, an yuan-ti oppressors. Where swami, muni, and devapalas fight to hold back the curse laid on this once great civilzation long ago.
Centuries ago Saurama the Destroyer was locked away, defeated by the Deva of Mahasarpa. A prophecy was spun on the great loom that foretold that one day she would be reborn to take her vengence on the world. This is the tale of the Harbingers of that doom.(A vWorld Expansion)
As the smoke settles, litterally, the group readies. First up the stairs is the Swami. The Baboon-man bounds up several stairs at a time screeching and hooting for all he's worth, "No! No you foolish men! Run! Run!" He waves his staff around at Shamad and Kalyani as they too charge up the stairs, "This is an enemy you are not ready for! Rakshasa! Rakshasa!" He fills the ears of those on the steps with the thoughts of that terrible devil of myth. He continues up the stairs screaming at the top of his lungs to the others, his words reaching a Ghanji on the edge of the steps.
Kalyani pauses to help Shamad and the words of the Swami strike her as hard as any blade might. Rakshasa, an unholy devil of the spirit realm. Lengends say they can resist all attacks except... Her train of thought is broken by the extensive hooting and screeching of the swami. Regardless she draws forth a small wound from Shamad.
Casts Cure Minor Wounds: +1Hp to Shamad @ 9/48
Azora replies as he lets his mental energy infuse the obsidian blade. The would be weapon hums with an audible sigh, then a loud wailing errupts from the stone in Azora's hands. The noise is a mornful cry that echos sorrow and loss. With light hands the Baladhara tries to hit the Rakshasa with the weapon but fails to land the blow as the razor sharp edges of the stone cut into his palms.
Psionic Focus Spent, Att 14 Miss
The Rakshasa leans back on its feline heels, defensively finishing his spell. With arane words of power he lets loose screaming ball of green acid. The ball vaugely takes on the shape of an arrow as it flies the short distance fromt he Rakshasa into Azora's chest. The blast of magical acid staggers the man, splashing onto the man's legs and arms burning flesh.
Casts on Defensive 28, success. Rajah's Acid Arrow for 7 Acid Dmg (Expect 2 more rounds of burning acid Dmg) Azora @ 27/40
Rhokti and Trishna scale the stairs, the words of the swami not meaning much to the bear at this point, but it pauses as Kalyani stops. With roar it looks between Ghanji at the top and Kalyani near the bottom. Rhokti continues his climb, the words of the Swami clearly reaching him. What should he do, go up or go back down?
Ghanji comes to his sences, "Retreat! Damn your Breath Brahmin, we are in no shape for this!" Holding the villager Ghanji doesn't even has his bow to take a pot shot at the beast with and he puts a foot on the step leading back down the temple holding the man tight, "Lets go! Azora, Toranoshi! Move!" He looks to Nakan and Sharma, there is a hint of shame in his face for fleeing like this, "Hurry you too, we might yet survive if we leave now!" With that he begins the slow decent with the villager in his arms.
Toranoshi lets his bolt fly before he can react to Ghanji's words, if he even wishes to flee. The bolt flies straight and true -- it impales itself square in the chest of the Rakshasa, right into its heart. Laughing the tiger demon pulls the bolt free, the hole healing instantly, "Foolish little man, your weapons can not harm me!"
Shoots Rakshasa 24 Hit for 3 Dmg, Reduced to 0
Sharma the Brahmin finishes his prayer, and a silver sheen covers his fists, the man's hands a deadly weapon no enchanted. Yet enlightenment comes to him, his religous scriptures tell of these demons: As if fairy tales, but always are they put down by a heroic shot.
5ft Step, Casts Magic Weapon - does work cause your hands are considerd weapons as per a monk. +1 Magical Att/Dmg bonus unarmed.
Shamad, healed by the Brahman Kalyani begins his slow and labored climb up the stairs hearing the words of both the swami and Ghanji atop the temple.
Nakan sweeps in with a roundhouse kick at the Rakshasa, nearly atop him and Sharma. The kick is caught in the furry paw of the devil and the muni is pushed backwards with a great force. tumbling to the ground Nakan stands undaunted, but seriously ineffective. "Brave!" The Rakshasa calls out, "But foolish."
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"Ignorant," agrees Shamad, nodding toward the Swami. "Muni! Brahmin! Get down from there!"
Shamad screams up the long stairs, figuring Ghanji, Toranoshi, and even Azora have good enough sense to flee. "What are they doing!?!"
He actually replaces his bow, and the arrow, knowing they will do no good. "This is suicide!" He points toward the jungle after Kalyani has healed him, "Kalyani, go!" Shamad starts to backpedel toward an escape, "Rhotki!" He takes a deep breath, seeing the chaos that has now broken out.
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."
Toranoshi fires the bolt and he winces as he sees it burries itself in the chest of the beast without doing any harm. As the demon comments about his useless weapons, he finds the comment to state the obvious. He throws some quick glances upon the people who are gathered with him upon the top of the ziggurat, sighs slightly at Azora's attempt to attack the beast, and then places his own crossbow at his belt, and starts to back away. One hand digs into one of the hidden pockets, in attempt to wield a shuriken, though the fingers find none, just the golden ring he earlier found, and it slips upon his finger. And so with his own voice he just screams out, "Move away!"
Noting the beast just shrugging off the attack of Toranoshi, and his own attack missing, Azora also begins to back away.
However, he was the one that unleashed the beast, and so he'll be the last one off the top of the ziggurat. He motions everyone away, down the stairs as he begins to move backwards, towards the top of the steps.
5' step away to prevent AoO (or whatever I can do to prevent them) and then move action backwards, I guess. Want to keep Az between the Rakshasa and everyone else though.
The Swami continues his climb up the stairs, the orange haired arms of the baboon man flail wildly in the air as he hoots and howls, "Hurry! Run. Run. Run. He is to strong, to strong for you!" He bounds up the stairs rushing to aid you in the retreat, his staff, and the adornments of dried gourds rattle in the motion of his climb.
Kalyani can't help but obay the words of both Shamad and Durjaya, she knows she is of little help right now, and withdraws down the temple steps gathering up what was dropped so as not to leave it behind.
Azora holds the obsidian blade at the ready backing toward the stairs, holding until the others are safely down the temple's top. As he stands there the Rakshasa laughs at the man, the acid of the previous attack burning into his flesh through his clothing.
The Rakshasa watches as the men start to withdraw, "Foolish mortals, you can run but it is too late I am free now, the passage opened! Thank you Mhuktar for this chance to serve my goddess! You are no longer needed, die!" With another swirl of arcane power the tigerman steps back into the doorway and weaves his hands in the sign for infinity. As he does three small skulls form out of raw dark energy. They hover, and then shoot out at Azora slamming into the man's chest with perfect accuracy!
Casts Magic Missile: 10 Dmg, Azora @ 10/40
Rhokti in the chaos of it all hears Shamad, and the orders of the Swami, "Take care of them!" He has time to turn and aid Shamad and Kalyani or to rush to his kinsman's side. The bear Trishna however turns as men pour over the lip of the temples top, and it lumbers down the steps to Kalyani's side with another primal roar.
Ghanji hurries as best as he can down the steps, the villager in hand. "Hurry my friend, you must try and help me carry you." He traverses dozens of steps calling to Shamad, "We must away Shamad! The Rakshasa is too powerful for us..." his eye meet Shamads and the two members of House Prasad realize that finally, for the first time since setting out, that they have been defeated by a foe.
Toranoshi moves nimbly away from the Rakshasa and plunges over the lip of the temple moving down the stairs as he slips his hand into his pocket, "What have I got in the pocket?" The comment has a strange sence of deja vu, but nothing visible or invisible happens to the man at that moment.
Sharma withdraws from the temple top fleeing with the others cursing his ill fortune. Below, someplace beyond the Rakshasa is the Brahmin's goal. Today however he will have to accept freedom, and return later.
Nakan waithdraws with Sharma, providing his Brahmin with protection and cover as they hit the steps and start to move. Azora, last one left now turns and flees down the stairs.
Shamad calls to the hengeyoki Rhokti, breaking the monkey-man's focusless state. Both Rhokti and Shamad back peddal down the stairs, wishing they could do something, anything to help, but knowing that retreating is the only sane option.
The entire group, when seen from the air by a circling falcon looks like scampering ants. A small group move together while a few others move alone blazing a trail off the stone of the temple out into the jungle. With a screach the falcon circles and dives closer, its eyes on the Rakshasa who comes to stand on the edge of the Temple of the Moon, its tail wagging behind it, its backwards hands clasp together in what appears to be prayer. The words lost to the humans as they flee, "So it beging my lady."
The entire group, gathered back together, races into the nearby jungle back to their makeshift camp. Along the way Azora's skin peals and burns as the last effects of the Rakshasa's spell finally fades. Men and woman run with full arms of loot, gear, and even a villager. Panting, out of breath, wounded, and some near death, the group reaches the relative safety of their nighttime camp.
Once relatively safe within the jungle, Shamad slumps to the ground, groaning. Most of his wounds have reopened, bleeding, and bringing pain with them.
"What happened?" he asks through halting breathes, trying to regain his as he hauls a great deal of weight. Shamad shakes his head, looking to the Swami, "Will it follow us? We need to get back to Pequot, at the very least. We are over encumbered, injured, and exhausted."
"Kings have no friends, only subjects and enemies."
Oddly quiet, Rhokti scampers up the nearest tree once the group has found its resting place.
Once I'm on a sturdy branch, I'm Shapeshifting into my monkey form.
Spending a short time catching his breath, he then climbs to the tops of the trees, looking in the direction of the ziggurat. He dares a bit closer, but in the end decides to keep within visual distance from the rest of the party. There is much to contemplate and little time to do it in.
"We will not be fast right now, but we need to gather what we need and get out of this place. The longer we stay the more danger we are in. Let us amass a force of reconning for the unholy beast before we do anyhting foolish."
Kalyani is anger for the first time by Azora. She has defended him and now is not sure that she was right to do so.
