Against the Cult: Party at the Mill (1.1)

Correct; I've amended the original post. Likely you will kill the dog and cleave into one of the thugs, but we'll resolve that after Thac0's turn (just in case he decides to do something to effect your fight).

Meanwhile, down in the basement:



Xana ("Xa" on the map) is in the dark almost adjacent to the man ("M") she chased down here. He has not noticed her because of the dark. The big friendly monstrous war dog ("D") is next to her. She can hear several somethings approaching from the tunnel, reacting to the man's cry.

I thought I'd give you a better visual, in case you wanted to amend your stated move to follow the man, as he's stopped moving and you're so close.

Xana should also roll a perception check as a bonus action.

OOC: What happens with Durren and the Kobold?

Durren stares the Kobold down, hoping his bluff goes over.

ROUND TWO, CONTINUED

Aanbo flings open the north door to the mill, letting in more sunlight to the battle between Ogbar, the dog, and the two thugs. (If you decide that you didn't want to open the door, we can revise this)

Thacogygax draws upon the magical energies in the air around him and steps past the doorway, flicking the elemental energies inside the mill as his huge bulk casts a shadow into the room. Then he is gone and is hulking in the left-hand doorway, watching Ogbar, the dog, and the two thugs as well.

The man in the basement, satisfied that he's delivered his message, turns and begins to feel his way back through the darkened basement, muttering something like "...let's go back and get 'em, eh?" He starts in surprise when he hears Xana in front of him. "Brian? Is that you?"

Behind him, the hole in the wall disgorges a pair of small humanoids bearing picks, who can clearly see in the dark, as they rush over to Xana, hissing in broken Imperial: "Is this gnome an enemy? Smash her?" The man replies: "Her? Gnome? Yes!" They attack, swinging their picks viciously.
Xana is hit repeatedly with the picks, taking a total of 7 damage.

Ogbar rears back and swings, connecting with the dog in mid-air and chopping it in half. The blade continues in its arc, slicing the left arm off of Thug 2, who falls back screaming in existential horror, dying. The barbarian screams in rage as his axe swings back around and carves into the abdomen of the remaining thug, who screams as well, desperately trying to fend off the dancing, whirring blade. "HELP! HELP!" he yells in agony.

Updated view of the basement:


Initiative order:
- War dog (done)
- Aanbo (done)
- Men in the mill room (done)
- Men in the office room (done)
- Thacogygax (done)
- Man in the basement (done)
- Xana
- Ogbar (done)
- Klak
- Quest
- Sara (action submitted)

Updated Round Two positions in the mill upstairs.

ROUND TWO


Everyone at the mill feels a black feeling of despair and a hideous coldness as Xana opens a connection with Hadar, the Dark Hunger, the Terror from Beyond. Hadar's foulness forms itself within the gnome, foul excresence that vomits forth from her mouth and nose, while a oily liquid feeling within her skull drains out of her ears and around from behind her eyeballs. This vile blackness whips out and probes every living thing in the basement, leaving a gross stain on every surface. The probing tentacles burrow into the orifices of the two reptile miners and the war dog, draining their life force directly from their brains. Their bodies fall, shriveled and dead. The man staggers as the tentacles caress him and drain his life, unable to see anything that's happening, bewildered and horrified. He begins to gibber.

Thoroughly nauseated and with the dread that comes from any contact with extra-dimensional abominations inimical to all life, Xana staggers back upstairs.

Mama said there'd be days like this.

ROUND TWO

Klak and the thug he's fighting both shiver in horror as the coldness washes over them, and the shiver takes some of the force from the dwarf's blow, bruising the man rather than cleaving into him. They continue to trade blows, circling around each other, hammering, pounding and slicing, each looking for an opening.

Sara steps into the doorway next to Thacogygax, takes careful aim into the room, shivering from a terrible sense of cold, exhales and releases, then steps back against the wall. Her arrow silences the terrified screams of the dying man spraying blood all over the mill wheel, which is a relief to everyone still standing.

Aside from Quest, that's everyone's turn 2. Unless your moves are dependent on the Mystic, you can start to submit your moves for turn 3.

Initiative order:
- Aanbo
- Man in the mill room (Thug 1)
- Men in the office room (Thugs 3 - 5)
- Thacogygax
- Man in the basement (gibbering)
- Xana
- Ogbar
- Klak
- Quest (waiting for turn two actions)
- Sara

Durren growls frustration and sprints after the Kobold. The creature was below him, sprinting toward another mill building. There were sounds of a struggle coming from inside, and Durren unsheathed his sword, prepared for combat.