Against the Cult: Getting Away with It (1.8a)

Theran's words send a chill in Bertram's heart: ::how could they know...?::
"Evil sorcery!" the innkeeper cries, snatching up a dagger. But he's clearly worried. His one companion, a burly man in a robe with the hood thrown back, looks angry. The other man - whom Theran recognizes as the torturer he saw in the room upstairs - squints at them, calculating.

ROUND ONE
(this is followed by round two)

Reptile growls, his burning eyes focused only on Bertram. He leaps forward and strikes at the Innkeeper, who steps back; the cleaving blade splits the chair that Bertram had been using, splintering it with a crack.The long scar down the right side of his face gives the shifty-looking torturer a permanent sneer, so it appears that "D.D." draws his short sword with contempt and tries to stab Reptile with it. The sword slides between the barbarian's ribs, and for a moment he doesn't realize that he's taken a mortal blow. He spins and then slowly collapses onto the table. D.D. then dashes for the stairs."You! You tortured that poor person that was wrapped in bedding in your room!" Theran yells as the man runs away.

"Derek, get back here!" Bertram cries out to D.D., but the torturer pays him no heed. Bertram steps forward and tries to stab Myrtha. The dagger finds her flesh; Myrtha takes 2 piercing damage."You'll pay for this!" Myrtha's sword cleaves into the Innkeeper and Bertram falls with a cry, struck down with a single blow.Myrtha rushes forward to engage H.A. and prevent him from interfering with Theran and Reptile on the other side of the table. The brutish figure of H.A. meets her rush and tries to club Myrtha with a flurry of hefty club swings. A much-more experienced warrior, Myrtha sidesteps the one swing and lets the other bounce off of her mail."Damn." After a split-second of indecision, Theran expends a spell slot and heals Reptile for 4 HP. Infused with the green growth of nature, Reptile is able to breathe easily again, and his eyes refocus on the spilled drinks on the table he's sprawled across. Beyond that, he sees Myrtha stolidly taking the fierce blows of the bastard with the club, H.A..

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22 - Reptile (4/15)
15 - Derek
10 - Bertram
9 - Myrtha (10/12)
5 - H.A.
1 - Theran (13/13)

The long scar down the right side of his face gives the shifty-looking torturer a permanent sneer, so it appears that "DD" draws his short sword with contempt and tries to stab Reptile with it. The sword slides between the barbarian's ribs, and for a moment he doesn't realize that he's taken a mortal blow. He spins and then slowly collapses onto the table. DD then dashes for the stairs."Derek, get back here!" Bertram cries, but the torturer pays him no heed. Bertram steps forward and tries to stab Myrtha. The dagger finds her flesh; Myrtha takes 2 piercing damage.

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22 - Reptile (0/15) Dying
15 - Derek
10 - Bertram
9 - Myrtha (10/12)
5 - HA
1 - Theran (13/13)

"You'll pay for this!" Myrtha's sword cleaves into the Innkeeper and Bertram falls with a cry, struck down with a single blow.

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22 - Reptile (0/15) Dying
15 - Derek
10 - Bertram
9 - Myrtha (10/12)
5 - HA
1 - Theran (13/13)

Round one, continued
Myrtha rushes forward to engage HA and prevent him from interfering with Theran and Reptile on the other side of the table. The brutish figure of HA meets her rush and tries to club Myrtha with a flurry of hefty club swings. A much-more experienced warrior, Myrtha sidesteps the one swing and lets the other bounce off of her mail.

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22 - Reptile (0/15) Dying
15 - Derek
10 - Bertram
9 - Myrtha (10/12)
5 - HA
1 - Theran (13/13)

Round one, completed

"Damn." After a split-second of indecision, Theran expends a spell slot and heals Reptile for 4 HP. Infused with the green growth of nature, Reptile is able to breathe easily again, and his eyes refocus on the spilled drinks on the table he's sprawled across. Beyond that, he sees Myrtha stolidly taking the fierce blows of the bastard with the club, HA.

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22 - Reptile (4/15)
15 - Derek
10 - Bertram
9 - Myrtha (10/12)
5 - HA
1 - Theran (13/13)

Round Two
(this was preceded by round one, followed by round three)

Seeing Myrtha assailed by the enemy, Reptile snatches up his axe as he rushes around the table, trying to sink the head deep in H.A.'s side. Once again, his target sidesteps the blow, and another chair is destroyed.Derek continues his sprint up the stairs, vanishing from view.

"Eager to join Bertram in hell?" Myrtha taunts while circling around H.A. to stand protectively by Reptile's side. As she does so, she gets a few slashes in under his guard. H.A. takes 8 slashing damage with a grunt.

"Derek's getting help. All I have to do is keep you busy!" H.A. coughs with a blood-flecked smile, then lashes out with his club again, once at Myrtha and then, hoping that it will work as a feint, swinging around to try to club Reptile next to her. The feint works; Myrtha deflects the club aimed at her face with contemptuous ease, but the club is already lashing out at Reptile and she and the barbarian are both unable to stop it. The club cracks into Reptile's temple and he collapses.
Reptile takes 6 damage and is dying again.
"...or I can just kill you all! She would've preferred that you join us, but it's too late for that now."Theran groans, "Oh come on!" and casts Chill Touch, but the injured H.A. dodges the disembodied hand with a shudder.

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22 - Reptile (0/15) Dying
15 - Derek Gone
10 - Bertram
9 - Myrtha (10/12)
5 - H.A.
1 - Theran (13/13)

Round two, continued

"Derek's getting help. All I have to do is keep you busy!" H.A. coughs with a blood-flecked smile, then lashes out with his club again, once at Myrtha and then, hoping that it will work as a feint, swinging around to try to club Reptile next to her. The feint works; Myrtha deflects the club aimed at her face with contemptuous ease, but the club is already lashing out at Reptile and she and the barbarian are both unable to stop it. The club cracks into Reptile's temple and he collapses.
Reptile takes 6 damage and is dying again.
"...or I can just kill you all! She would've preferred that you join us, but it's too late for that now."@MaJunior - it is now Theran's turn.

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22 - Reptile (0/15) Dying
15 - Derek Gone
10 - Bertram Dead
9 - Myrtha (10/12)
5 - H.A.
1 - Theran (13/13)

Round two, completed

Theran groans, "Oh come on!" and casts Chill Touch, but the injured H.A. dodges the disembodied hand with a shudder.

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22 - Reptile (0/15) Dying
15 - Derek Gone
10 - Bertram
9 - Myrtha (10/12)
5 - H.A.
1 - Theran (13/13)

Round Three
(this was preceded by round two, followed by round four)

Reptile writhes, clutching his bloody face, and attempts a death saving throw.Myrtha and Theran hear a splintering crash in the distance.

Derek is out of view upstairs. Bertram is dead. Still standing, H.A. looks at the two of you warily.Seeing her companion cut down once more, Myrtha trusts Theran to do what's needed while she seethingly deals with the brute that smashed Reptile in the face. Raising her shield, Myrtha catches the battery of club blows and knocks the weapon to the side, making on opening for the longer sword to do its work. H.A. tries to back out of the way, but Myrtha's reach is long and her blade slices a long gash down his arm, ripping the fabric and flesh up to his shoulder. H.A. takes 8 slashing damage.

"Lucky strike!" The burly robed man is looking much more worried now, but he's trying to talk himself up with bravado. "Now I'll show you how I treat little girls like you!" Remembering how he's beat up women in the past seems to work: H.A. switches his club to his other hand and attacks Myrtha again. The switch catches her slightly off guard, and the club manages to strike her shoulder painfully. Myrtha takes 4 bludgeoning damage.

Theran's disembodied skeletal hand snatches at H.A. again, but the villain twists and dodges away from its grasp. "Oh, you're gonna get yours!" he exults. "Did you hear that noise? That's Derek, bringing our friends!"

"This way!" someone yells nearby.

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22 - Reptile (0/15) Dying two failures
15 - Derek Gone upstairs
10 - Bertram Dead
9 - Myrtha (6/12)
5 - H.A. (-16)
1 - Theran (13/13)