Chapter 2.2: First Encounters in the Dim

Jonel recognizes that the spell that has been cast is a summoning of spirits that has the following characteristics:
- it is maintained by the caster's concentration
- it makes all the terrain within its area Difficult Terrain
- characters who enter the area are immediately affected when they enter
- each character in the spell's area is affected again at the start of their turn
- the demonic spirits ravage the affected people with necrotic damage (3d8 necrotic damage)
- the damage can be reduced with a strong will (that is to say, a successful WIS save halves the damage).

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

As round three begins, Arya, Jonel, Rosemary, and Chase are all watching in horror as their other four teammates - Aanbo, Manthis, Myrtha, and Theran - are engulfed in swirling demonic spirits that will surely kill them if nothing is done to stop the spirits (or the spell that Six has cast to summon them). There are, of course, five other ambushers as well (One, Two, Four, Five, and Seven).



Arya yanks out her crossbow, cocks it, loads a quarrel, and, with a cry resounding with Pelor's wrath, triggers the release. The crossbow leaps in her hands, and a bolt sinks into Six's chest, blood blossoming on his robes.
Ambusher Six takes 3 piercing damage! "No...!" he yells.
With a shriek of the host of damned souls, the demonic spirits dissipate like smoke as Six loses concentration on his spell.
Refusing to be distracted by his own injuries, Chase pulls another arrow from his quiver, nocks, draws on the inhale, aims, and releases with the exhale. Like Arya's before this, the ranger's aim is true: a feathered shaft appears in Six's breastbone.
Ambusher Six takes 9 piercing damage and dies. The glowing club winks out of existence like a snuffed candle flame.Seeing the enemy priest feathered with arrows, Aanbo moves to the next target and attacks with his staff, swinging hard at Ambusher Two's legs. Two leaps over the staff, and Aanbo kicks him hard in the gut while he's in midair. Two lands on his side and does not get up again.
Two takes 6 damage and is out.
Seeing that Aanbo has that enemy handled, Myrtha rushes over to help badly-injured Theran and attacks Ambusher Four, who manages to dodge the incoming sword.
Swinging his swollen staff as funky dust cascades off of him, Theran attacks Ambusher Four as well, but the crafty bandit ducks and weaves with a smirk.Nobly Manthis runs up and attempts to cleave into Ambusher Four...but like with all the others, Four is able to evade his attacks with a ever-more-contemptuous grin.

Ambusher One draws a scimitar and runs toward the closest hero - Theran - attempting to disembowel him. Myrtha interposes her shield to defend her druid companion, knocking the blade aside before it can sink into Theran's back.
"You thought you'd gang up on me, eh?" Ambusher Four, short sword still dripping with Theran's blood, chuckles, then is wracked with coughing as the druid's spores rip into the lining of his lungs.
Ambusher Four takes 7 necrotic damage.
Through his coughing, he tries to put a brave face on things, with a wheezing laugh. "You did me a favor - now I'll lead this squad! Too bad I've got to kill you all!" whereupon Four attacks both Myrtha and Manthis.
Manthis is able to deflect the blow, but Myrtha, leaning to defend Theran, is too exposed. The blade bites deep.
Myrtha takes 16 piercing damage and falls, dying.
Four cackles and then disengages with the heroes and backpedals away from them. "You know what she told us, boys! NO MERCY!"
"Slade! No!" Ambusher Five is distressed at Aanbo's dispatching his friend, Two (who was apparently called 'Slade'); Five draws a scimitar and runs forward, intending to get revenge for Slade's death by killing the monk. His swings are wild, and the dwarf easily avoids the blade with minimal effort.
"You don't need to tell ME," Ambusher Seven shakes his head in response to Four's shout. "I know my job." As usual, though, his companions are ignoring the real threat of the ranged attackers. He hurries forward, slotting another bolt in his crossbow, and attacks the one who first shot their leader, Six: Arya. The crossbow bolt stops an inch short of Arya's face, punched halfway through her shield.

Rosemary yells and runs toward Ambusher Four. She doesn't know Myrtha yet, but she recognizes bad guys, she saw how Four attacked Manthis, AND she heard Four's yell about "No Mercy!"As yet unnoticed by Ambusher Four, pulse pounding in her ears, raging Rosemary runs up and hits him cleanly at the base of the skull with the side of her paddle.
Ambusher Four takes 14 bludgeoning damage and dies instantly, his dreams of leading this band extinguished.

"Let's clean up this mess!" Jonel says to Arya, releasing a searing gout of flame from his outstretched hand, which jets across the forest in between the trees, to scorch Ambusher Seven.
Ambusher Seven takes 10 fire damage. He screams but remains standing.
Bradley watches in horrified fascination as, once again, the heroes who rescued him massacre what initially seemed like an overwhelming threat.

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18 - Arya (10/10)
17 - Chase (6/14)
14 - Aanbo (9/27)
13 - Myrtha (0/18) Dying
12 - Theran (2/13)
11- Manthis (11/11)
10 - Bandits One, Two, Three, Four, Five (-2), Six, Seven (-10)
9 - Rosemary (8/13) Raging
0 - Jonel (7/7)
0 - Bradley