Chapter 3.5: The Temple of Merikka

Round one, continued...

Morton draws upon the power of the Fiend and looses another blast from the pits of hell!
Mok takes 2 force damage!
Morton ducks out of sight behind the tree trunk.

"It figures they'd be associated with Her," spits Aanbo, distaste in his words as he moves to attack Look with staff and kick. "Their heads are always in the clouds and never grounded in reality!" The staff takes Look in the hip and Aanbo's kick hits Look in the ankle, almost sending him toppling!
Look takes 12 bludgeoning damage!

Chase pivots, draws, and looses, sending his arrow toward Look's thigh. Despite sparring with Aanbo, Look has the presence of mind (not to mention training) to snatch the arrow out of the air! He breaks the arrow and tosses it aside.
With practiced ease, the ranger shoulders his bow and draws his short sword!

Chon rushes Arya, punching and kicking in a whirlwind of motion! Arya's leg snaps as the punch connects with her knee, and the kick connects with her head.
Arya takes 14 bludgeoning damage and barely remains standing on one leg!

---

21 - Look (-12)
20 - Morton (15/15)
18 - Aanbo (25/27)
13 - Chase (17/17)
13 - Chon
12 - Ember (9/12)
12- Acolyte
11 - Mok (-2)
10 - Lyrel (11/13) Mage armor
9 - Myrtha (29/30)
6 - Arya (1/19)
6 - Ferranzo (8/8)
5 - Eugenios (8/8)

Round one, continued...

Unseen, Ember rushes forward to stab Look in the back.
Look takes 14 piercing damage!

The acolyte takes a step forward and he watches what is happening, Readying himself with a slight smile still on his face.

Mok rushes forward to engage Chase and Ember!
This prompts the acolyte, who chants "Let us feel Her power!" as he throws a spray a glittering particles into the air. These swirl around and settle on Chon, Look, and Mok!
Buoyed by this benediction, Mok kicks at Chase and punches at Ember!
Despite his best efforts, however, the enemy monk misses both marks!

---

21 - Look (-26) Blessed
20 - Morton (15/15)
18 - Aanbo (25/27)
13 - Chase (17/17)
13 - Chon Blessed
12 - Ember (9/12)
12- Acolyte concentrating
11 - Mok (-2) Blessed
10 - Lyrel (11/13) Mage armor
9 - Myrtha (29/30)
6 - Arya (1/19)
6 - Ferranzo (8/8)
5 - Eugenios (8/8)

Round one, continued...

Lyrel stabs Look; the enemy monk grunts as the blade sinks in.
Look takes 5 piercing damage!

Arya attacks Chon with her warhammer. The war god strengthens her limbs and speeds her movements, so she attacks again as a bonus action! But she is losing blood, barely able to stand, and the monk is too fast for the heavily-armored woman.

Ferranzo mocks Chon: "Monk? You’re more like a monkey, based on the smell. Better close that ugly robe or you’ll step on your own tail. Was that your banana by the door, Screechy?" and then he calls encouragement (Bardic Inspiration) to the young priestess Arya: "Send him back to his tree mates!"
Chon takes 1 psychic damage and his next attack will be with DISADV!

---

21 - Look (-31) Blessed
20 - Morton (15/15)
18 - Aanbo (25/27)
13 - Chase (17/17)
13 - Chon (-1) Blessed, Mocked
12 - Ember (9/12)
12- Acolyte concentrating
11 - Mok (-2) Blessed
10 - Lyrel (11/13) Mage armor
9 - Myrtha (29/30)
6 - Arya (1/19)
6 - Ferranzo (8/8)
5 - Eugenios (8/8)

Round one, completed.

Eugenios feels an instant dislike of the acolyte; the gnome draws his magic together and extends his hand toward the man, snapping his fingers. A mid-sized glowing green flower appears upon Eugenios’ fingers, but as it extends toward the acolyte, the man's magic redirects the investigator's ire toward a nearby monk. The flower spits forth a sickly sweet smelling gas directly at Chon...
Chon chokes on the gas, taking 4 poison damage!

---

21 - Look (-31) Blessed
20 - Morton (15/15)
18 - Aanbo (25/27)
13 - Chase (17/17)
13 - Chon (-5) Blessed, Mocked
12 - Ember (9/12)
12- Acolyte concentrating, Sanctuary
11 - Mok (-2) Blessed
10 - Lyrel (11/13) Mage armor
9 - Myrtha (29/30)
6 - Arya (1/19)
6 - Ferranzo (8/8)
5 - Eugenios (8/8)

Inserting this into round one...

Myrtha charges up to stand protectively by the battered young cleric, Arya. "Stand back, Mother Arkon!" Myrtha stabs at Chon, but the monk dodges the blow.

Round two
(this is preceded by round one, followed by round three)

Remaining single-minded on the idea of beating down the wizard, Look attacks Lyrel twice.
Look's balance is thrown off by all the hits he's taken, but his second kick stomps solidly on Lyrel's chest, lifting her up slightly and knocking the wind out of her.
Lyrel takes 5 bludgeoning damage!

Morton steps back into view from behind the tree trunk and opens himself to the Fiend once more. The searing heat rolls down Morton's arm and explodes out of his palm, blasting a shockwave across the sanctuary toward one of the evil monks...but the attack goes wide!

Aanbo demonstrates Earthshaker superiority; even as the human monk Look is dodging his staff, Aanbo lunges in, connecting with the man's chest with a solid palm strike.
Look takes 4 bludgeoning damage and staggers, gasping!

Chase attempts to stab Mok while his focus is divided, by the monk assailant undulates around the blade with each swing.

Sensing his target has little stamina remaining, Chon attacks Arya, but his confidence has been shaken by the ridicule he's endured. Getting back into the rhythm of the Windreaper forms, Chon follows this up with a series of fist strikes...but Myrtha is there, adding her shield to Mother Arkon's defense, and none of the blows connect with the reeling cleric.

Taking advantage of Mok's focus on Chase, Ember perforates the enemy monk with a stab in the back!
Mok takes 12 piercing damage!

The acolyte says "It will be easier for you once you just accept that life with Her is better. See the light!" He casts Sacred Flame on Arya, but Pelor grants her the insight to step out of the path of the beam of searing light that shines down from the ceiling of the sanctuary. "We don't want to hurt you, but we have to if you don't come willingly to Her arms. Don't worry, though: She accepts you even if you're damaged."

Mok kicks back at Ember as he punches with both fists at Chase.
Ember takes 7 bludgeoning damage!
Chase takes 5 bludgeoning damage!

Lyrel lunges past Aanbo and sinks her short sword up under Look's ribs.
Look takes 8 damage and dies!


"Take that one alive!" Myrtha shouts to the room, nodding her head behind her at the acolyte without taking her eyes off of the monk in front of her. She stabs and batters at Chon, but the monk blocks or dodges each swing. "We need him to tell us where they keep their captives!"

Arya nods. With no energy left to pray for more powerful boons (out of spell slots), she sees the wisdom in neutralizing her counterpart, the acolyte. Besides, her blood seethes with the war god's passion for victory, and the acolyte just called on some unholy power to sear her as if she was some evil, unclean thing. Her full lips compress in a thin line and her almond-shaped soulful brown eyes narrow in fury. "I'll show you that the brides of Pelor are not to be roused!" Still shapely under all that armor, Arya rolls her shoulders and tightens her grip on her huge warhammer as she steps toward the acolyte and away from Chon, confident that the other warrior woman, her "big sister" Myrtha, will watch her back. But Chon makes an attempt to hit her anyway. Myrtha's shield interposes, but Chon steps up off the shield, jumps, and spins - classic Windreaper style - and his other foot kicks over Myrtha's shield and catches Arya in the back of the head!
Arya takes 4 bludgeoning damage and flips over onto her face, dying again!



"Who? Orc-face over there?" Ferranzo is having a hard time focusing on the acolyte for some reason - his eyes keep slipping off of him to focus on one of the monks - but as he moves closer to the tree trunk that has incongruously been used as a column, he forces himself to keep his eyes on the man. "I'm talking to you, flea brain. Sir ‘too weak to fight’ is only useful as a greeter. Basically an ugly doormat. Cowardly but not smart enough to run. That’s an unfortunate combination for him."
The acolyte takes 1 psychic damage and will have DISADV if he attacks before the end of his turn next round.



Eugenios saunters over to stand by the door, fingering a rose petal drawn from a pouch.
The acolyte's eyes flutter and close. Then he slumps to the ground, fast asleep.

---

21 - Look Dead
20 - Morton (15/15)
18 - Aanbo (25/27)
13 - Chase (12/17)
13 - Chon (-5)
12 - Ember (2/12)
12- Acolyte Asleep, Sanctuary, Mocked (-1)
11 - Mok (-14)
10 - Lyrel (6/13) Mage armor
9 - Myrtha (29/30)
6 - Arya (0/19) Dying
6 - Ferranzo (8/8)
5 - Eugenios (8/8)