RQG 207 - Hold The Line

## Content Warnings

Character deaths, physical violence & injury, loss of consciousness, poisoning & drugging. Discussions of: death (inc. character death), grief & loss. Mentions of: stabbing & blades, bombs, body horror. SFX: occasional beeping, tinkling & clanking, bubbling, shouting, echoes, squelching, overlapping voices

## Summary

Join Alex, Helen, Bryn, Lydia, and Ben as they strategically fight for their lives.
This week Hamid is very lucky, Cel won't leave him behind, Azu causes a schlorp, and Zolf is only paying attention to one thing...

## Synopsis

The creature advances towards Zolf. He attacks it twice with his glaive but misses. It quickly reaches Augusta’s unconscious body and stabs her through the heart, killing her instantly. It then approaches Hamid and Cel, stabbing Hamid in the chest. Hamid narrowly survives.

Inside the lab, Skraak sees one of the slinkies that attacked Zolf phase through the door. He manages to sneak up on it and attack with his spear; it is mortally wounded but not dead as half of it continues wriggling around, now rainbow from the jellyfish poison in Skraak’s syringe spear. Ada pulls out a wand and casts magic missile on the slinky, instantly killing it.

Outside, Zolf sees that Hamid has been stabbed and runs over to help; he casts heal and Hamid is returned to normal. Zolf tells Cel to take Hamid and go. Hamid wakes up from his dream: dancing at a party with all his friends and family. As he wakes, his wings unfurl momentarily before he is instantly affected by the gas again, cuddling into Cel and falling unconscious. Cel throws Hamid through the lab door to safety, telling Zolf that they refuse to leave. They drink a dragon’s breath potion.

Azu then attacks the creature with her axe; she hits it solidly, but as the weapon passes through it morphs and reshapes around the blade. Azu turns to Zolf, warning him that they can’t win this fight. One of the slinkies attacking Zolf suddenly turns towards Sumutneyrl, slashing her in the face.

The creature then approaches Wilde and swiftly stabs him through the heart, killing him instantly. It then reaches Sumutneyrl and does the same, killing her. Skraak sees her die through the crack in the door and springs forward, angrily attacking the creature. They fail to hit it properly, but Ada attacks with her wand, casting a powerful magic missile. It hits the creature solidly, and Azu, Cel and Skraak notice that the attack has made the creature stop in its tracks for the first time. Zolf sees that Wilde has been stabbed and is instantly distracted.

He runs to Wilde and immediately attempts to resurrect him using the Breath of Life spell. The creature sees him move and attacks, hitting him powerfully in the head. Zolf manages to maintain his concentration and successfully casts the spell. Wilde awakens and Zolf looks him in the eyes, telling him to get to the others and stay safe. He quickly pulls Wilde to his feet and shoves him through the door before he can react.

Zolf turns and faces the creature head-on.

## Quotes

**Helen**: "We just turned Hamid off and on again!"
―Hamid narrowly avoids death

**Helen**: "This is a massacre Alex!"
**Lydia**: "He giveth, he taketh away."
**Helen**: "I’ll taketh away him. For legal reasons that is a joke."
―Alex's craft is no longer respected

**Helen**: "Oh Zolf, monster or the man you love"
―Zolf fights to save Wilde

## Combat Breakdown

**Combat continued from previous episode, ongoing effects:**

* Holy whispers: creature sickened for 11 rounds, party gain +2 sacred bonus on attack and damage rolls for one round
* Smite evil: +3 to attacks and saves for Zolf

**Initiative:** Hamid (24), Cel (24), Slinky 1, Azu(21), Slinky 2, Creature, Skraak (12), Ada, Zolf (6)

**Round 1 (cont)**

* Creature: triggers attack of opportunity from Zolf, Zolf misses twice. Kills Augusta with maximum damage. Attacks Hamid dealing 28 damage (He services due to the -2 to its attacks from holy whisper)
* Skraak: charges with sneak attack, stealth check (38), deals 32 damage to slinky
* Ada: casts magic missile with wand, killing slinky
* Zolf: moves to Hamid, promoting attack of opportunity. Creature misses, and Zolf casts heal, returning Hamid to full hit points

**Round 2**

* Hamid: makes a fort save: fails (nat 1)
* Cel: throws hamid through door and drinks potion
* Azu: vital strikes: 20 (hit) then 2 (miss), dealing 46 damage. She lays on hands herself  regaining 11 hit point
* Slinky: attacks Sumutneyrl non-lethally
* Creature: kills Wilde with maximum damage, kills Sumutneyrl with maximum damage
* Skraak: moves to attack the creature flanking with Azu, attacks and misses
* Ada: casts magic missiles at the creature dealing lots of damage (perception checks to notice its effect: Azu (14), Skraak (32), Cel (20)
* Zolf: casts breath of life: (2), promotes attack of opportunity and creature hits Zolf : 15 damage. Zolf passes concentration check for spell, healing 35 points of damage to Wilde and resurrecting him