Orc Cave

The warning is just enough time for the companions to grab their weapons and move to the entrance before savage cries echo from outside. A group of figures steps into view: a handful of burly humans garbed in firs and wielding large weapons (berserkers), and a large white creature that seems half man and half insect (gelugon). It stands head and shoulders taller than even the fierce men of Icewind Dale’s tundra, and carries a wicked-looking spear that glows faintly.

This invading group moves to attack!

Round 1 Player Phase!

Round 1 Summary

The tribesmen plow through Reòthadh’s frigid sorcery, the cold hardly slowing these tundra-hardened warriors (All but one of them passed their saves, and so take half). The insect-like creature proves even more resilient against the wintry magic, for this is a gelugon hailing from Stygia, one of the ice-covered Nine Hells. Its mandibles chitter in mocking laughter as the spell fails to affect it at all (It has magic resistance and immunity to cold damage).

Zenithral’s arrows fall amongst the enemy group, each one burying itself into one target. The berserker seems to feel little pain as he snaps the shafts off, and the heroes recognize a ferocity similar to Ug’s raging in these warriors’ eyes (they resist b/p/s damage). Zenithral’s banishing arrow fails to pierce the gelugon’s innate magical resistance, and the purple light dissipates harmlessly.

Arannis draws an arrow to his cheek with flawless grace, but then holds his shot as he sees the foes shrug off his grandson’s arrows. Moving quickly, he pulls a quiver from his side and drops it to the ground. He speaks a command word, and the arrows within begin to glow with fiery light. Then the older elf explodes into action, retrieving three arrows from the quiver and firing each of them off, the third humming through the air even before the first finds its mark. As each arrow hits, it emits a flash of magical fire. One of the berserkers drops, succumbing to his wounds (After resistance, B1 takes a total of 40-something damage and dies). "Use these arrows, Zenithral!"A large dark form (Malebranche) suddenly plummets to the ground between Zenithral and Arannis. The winged fiend rises up to its full height, and for a moment Zenithral fears that Belhifet himself has arrived. But no, this is a different devil. Its skin is far darker, and its frame slightly less muscled. A pair of great curving horns sprouts from its head. The archer has no more time to think on the differences, however, as the fiend thrusts forward with a wicked two-pronged spear and scores a hit on Zenithral’s side (Zen takes 34 piercing damage, or only 19 if he casts Shield).

On the far side of this new fiend, Zenithral hears the ring of metal as Arannis draws Lethias’ sword, but then the fiend whirls about, spiked tail driving into Arannis’ thigh (Arannis takes 7 piercing damage and passes his con save, avoiding bad stuff). The older elf gasps in pain, but then straightens to continue the fight.

Within the cave, Alalla stands alone against the tide of berserkers, flaming sword working furiously to head off the howling men. Three of them are all too happy to meet her challenge, and the wide swings of sword, axe, and hammer smash against her plate armor (Al takes 79 damage). Her own skilled strikes make the most of her fiery weapon, and the barbarians howl all the louder as the flames bite.

The other three tribesmen, however, have a different goal. They bear down on Hjollsted (Al can make one opportunity attack against B4, 5, or 6), and though the aged shaman holds himself with dignity, the prolonged years have robbed him of his prowess. He holds spear and shield carefully, focusing entirely on defense, but still takes several heavy hits (Hjollsted takes 49 damage). He is severely limping now, defenses slipping as his movements slow. He grunts through gritted teeth, "The Tribe of the Wolf are fools to take up arms with devils! Can’t you see this will end horribly for all?" The berserkers respond only by pressing the attack.

The gelugon’s insect eyes glimmer with cunning as it surveys the battle. It raises a spined limb towards Zenithral and Arannis, and the two archers and the malebranche they battle are hidden from view as a dome of thick ice forms about them (The ice dome is 20 feet across and 1 foot thick, and blocks movement and line of sight, but is breakable). Then, with calculated steps, the ice devil moves past Alalla (Al can make an opportunity attack if she didn’t against the berserkers) and confronts the enlarged dwarf sorcerer. A spear coalesces in its hands, and Reòthadh notes the killing frost that reams the weapon. The two towering figures square off, each glistening with magic born of cold; one of the North’s innate and dangerous beauty, and the other of fell Stygia.

Saki backs calmly away from it all, heading for the rear section of the cave.

Round 2 Player Phase!!

Round 2 Summary

The two berserkers confronting Alalla move like wolves, circling about on opposite sides and hitting hard when they find an opening (Al takes 54 damage). The scars on their broad arms and faces are testament to their seasoned skill hunting great bears, yetis, and other hazards that stalk this frozen land. But Alalla is their fiercest prey yet, and she tears into them with deadly discipline. One of them drops from a grievous, smoldering wound, and the other begins to falter as he realizes he is overmatched by this fearsome woman (I bounced the damage around a bit. B2 is dead or unconscious, and B3 is frightened by Al for the next round).

Outside the cave, Zenithral and Arannis are hard-pressed - literally. In the confined space of the ice dome, there is nowhere to go that the fiend cannot reach with its long fork of a spear. Still, luck is with both grandfather and grandson as they do their best to avoid being skewered by the powerful malebranche (Zen casts Shield to avoid one hit). Encouraged by Zenithral’s protective spell, Arannis manages to score a cut along the monster’s thigh - but such a small scrape seems to hinder the fiend not at all (Arannis deals 9 damage to the malebranche as a reaction, and then takes the Dash action).

Those within the cave see a flash of light, as though the sun may have suddenly risen for a just a moment, and then the crack of ice breaking. A portion of the ice dome bursts open and Zenithral tumbles out, Arannis shortly behind with the enchanted quiver in hand. Both of them shiver with residual cold from passing through the barrier (Zen takes 16 cold damage, and Arannis takes 6). As the two archers recover their wits and put space between themselves and the fiend still trapped within the dome, Zenithral finds that in the last exchange the malebranche’s tail found him (Zen takes 8 piercing damage). The half-elf’s calf burns with an infernal wound, and he has the feeling that it will only grow worse if not treated soon (Zen takes 7 more damage).

A moment later, the malebranche shoulders its way through the hole in the wall, leathery wings unfolding to shake shards of ice from its frame. It looks about to take to the air in pursuit of the fleeing archers (Presumably they run toward the cave?).

Meanwhile, Reòthadh exchanges blows with the gelugon. By far the largest combatants in the cave, their powerful strikes shake the walls and send dust raining down on all. Reòthadh’s conjured weapon smashes against the ice devil’s side, cracking the chitinous plates there with a peal of mighty thunder. The fiend’s insect legs quickly set to adjust and regain balance, and then it retaliates with a thrust of its spear that threatens to pierce straight through the enlarged dwarf’s shoulder, even as its tail sweeps about to smack hard against his knee... but Reòthadh blocks both attacks with a arcane word of warding (Reo casts Shield to avoid two hits).

Hjollsted is unable to hold his own any longer against his three enemies, and he falls to his back, wind knocked from his old body (Hjollsted is down). The berserkers move in for the kill, when suddenly there is a diminutive human woman standing between them and the fallen man, with one finger raised to scold them. "You would attack an elderly man, three against one? Shame on you! Why don’t you put those muscles to use on something more dangerous?"

Saki stares each of them in the eye, and for a moment they pause, confused at how someone so small might possibly think she can stand in their way. Then she ducks...

...and the barbarians are bowled over by an enormous grey spider, its eight legs and bloated abdomen encrusted with hardened exoskeleton. As the burly warriors scramble back to their feet to face this new threat, one of them squeals when a sharpened spider leg stabs down through him, pinning him in place (After resistance B4 takes 14 piercing damage and is grappled). Halla has joined the fight.