Zoom 2024-03-05 21:00

Short version: we got into a series of fights with fire elementals, are nearly out of spells and hit points and there may be a defense system generating these things ad nauseam.
Dougal would like a sip of Francis's extra-strength healing potion so he can re-join the fight.
Full version: Elementals, my dear Watson
Having finished our fight with the giants on the 7th floor of the tower, we have 4 tied up and unconscious. Some of the party would like to interrogate them before Bazin gets his axe out. We also recover a magic ring from the giant priest (now dead, holy symbol says Shannah).
We know there is at least 1 giant still going (the mage we saw on the ground floor), as well as the "boss".
Garaf is watching the stairs with ESP, along with Twoo, in case anyone comes down.
The giant we interrogate has his claw tattoo on his neck and has 2 claws. The giants up here were tougher than the ones we met on level 1, with a single claw.
"Who's upstairs?". Not me. "Be more helpful". Not you.
Bazin gets to work lopping the heads off the other unconscious giants.
Umar uses all of his 8 charisma to convince the giant to mouth something silently (so that he can't be detected to have told us). We didn't catch the words. ESP adds the information that he is increasingly terrified.
Umar asks about the tattoo.
Garaf detects thoughts of hate coming from upstairs & responds with a web across the staircase. Something's on its way.
An amorphous shape of fire, humanoid but squat (like a tall dwarf) appears through the web, torching it.
The giant shouts to be cut loose, and Umar obliges him. He runs for the stairs down.
The figure of flame throws a fire bolt at Garaf.
Bazin starts a chant, Joshua casts Res Fire on Umar, Brokev & Francis move to interpose, Dougal puts up a Shield, Rif Raf puts up Prot Fire and moves in for the fight.
Twoo lets rip with some arrows, which bounce off, despite counting as +1.
Riff Raff & Umar take the front rank. Umar's hit bounces off. The creature needs a +3 weapon to hit!
Twoo Slows the creature. It also has Magic Resistance.
Umar backs out, Brokev steps up with his spear. It has AC -2
Joshua goes to look for some water from the washroom.
Hamish throws a lightning bolt, catches the creature twice, and saves well enough to jump clear of the rebound
Riff Raff & Brokev hit the thing. Garaf puts a wall of ice onto it and manages not to hit them. A second one catches Brokev as well as the critter, but takes it down, dissipating in a flurry of embers.
While the protection from fire is still up, we go up the stairs. Following the trail of scorch marks & shattered doors, we backtrack the route that the fire creature came from. The trail leads to a smashed door with a second fire guy coming through.
Dougal throws a lightning bolt, which fizzles off magic resistance. The creature throws a fire bolt at Francis. It moves at about 8"
The creature throws another fire bolt at Francis. Francis backs away and Riff Raff & Dougal step in.
Dougal finishes it off with his staff, which is lucky, because the fire damage has brought him down to just 1hp (allowing for regeneration during the fight).
Then we notice a third one coming out of the doorway.
Dougal asks Francis for a sip of his extra-strength healing potion. (Steve's decision here)
Hamish sets off to find the source of all these things, in case there's a generator pushing them out somewhere.
Garaf throws a wall of fire, which goes phut. Twoo throws a lightning bolt and gets a fire bolt in return.
Francis is on 31 hp, Brokev on 28, Dougal on 1-ish, we're nearly out of offensive spells and of cures.
Note: the party has not seen a fire elemental before, so we don't know what we're up against