Beauty and the Beast

April 24, 2019

The group leaves the sewer and is still trying to decide what to do with the chest and its beating heart.  They go back to Luc and he's shocked by this.  Luc offers to have the summoning of the demon in the temple, where they can have protections up and be prepared.  Luc says he will gather some allies and to meet there the next day.  They go to get some rest.  Until Tyrel suggests they party for tomorrow, they may die!  

They go to the Lady Luck Tavern and Tyrel is immediately pulled away to play some songs and tell stories to the crowd, which he does.  Jinn is thinking he will leave when Nisha arrives and they talk.  They tell her some of what they have done, the dragon fight, and she talks about how she came looking for something that Arakus had and couldn't find it.  She is heading back to the enclave in Waterdeep tomorrow.  The group eventually brings up the demon heart and what they are going to do and ask for her help.  She is interested and they tell her that if she wants to help, be at the temple.  She hesitates and the group says that they would help her find what she is looking for if she comes to help.  This interest her and she indicates that she will be there.  The group finally goes back to get some rest.  

They go back and Jinn tries to learn a spell but it doesn't work and vanishes from the spellbook!  He's not too upset about it; more mad at himself that he couldn't figure out the differences that Arakus had done.  

They head to the temple to find that Luc got help in the form of Commander Miller and some of her guards.  The paladins that had gone with Luc down to fight the ophidians are there.  Commander Miller than says that Luc shouldn't have brought up what he did with the Duke or they would have had more allies.  The group stares at him until he admits that while talking to the Duke, he suggested some elf allies, and that set the Duke off.  The Duke wasn't happy that Luc might bring more elves into the town and that cost him the help of Lady Marwen, who he had until this happened.  Commander Miller was worried that the Duke was going to tell her not to come but avoided that.  

Jinn had been researching something and decided to try and use the magic of the robes to destroy the demon without a fight.  It was inspired by what Nisha had said last night.  As he was about to try, Nisha did show up with her two guards and they all got into position for Jinn's attempt.  Jinn pulled on the magic in the robes, and his own connection to the Weave.  This was different than his normal evocation magic, more subtle and focus in its destructive energies.  Almost more of an unmaking, than blasting it.  Jinn gathers more and more energy, from the Weave and the robes, but falters.  For a heartbeat or two.  A stumbled word.  A pause.  And the magic starts to fray.  In desperation, he throws the magic at the heart, focusing on an unmaking, but it doesn't work.  Jinn stops before damaging himself or the cloak but it's also too late to try again for the attempt brought forth the Marilith!  And the concussive blast took out several of the protections that Luc had laid on the temple, even causing some cracks to appear in the glass and stone work of the temple.  

The first couple of rounds, the Marilith doesn't even attack them directly.  She summons some more demons, who attack the paladins and Commander Miller's group but also Hang and Tyrel.  Hang is able to hold her own, calling forth her spiritual weapon and standing her ground.  Then the Marilith called forth her other ally.  One she had met where she was imprisoned.  A beholder!  It appeared on the scene, immediately blasting everywhere with eye beams before calling for all to surrender to it and it might spare them!  

No one listened.  

Seeing this thing appear, Nisha sent her guards forward to attack.  While she did come to help, she is more of an enchantress, and isn't great with offensive type spells.  Nisha was originally going to hold her guards in reserve, helping to pull people out or take them healing potions.  Seeing the beholder, she knew that she couldn't hold back anymore, and sent them to attack.  

The fighting is fierce.  Maldar and Dorn get into a good routine of attacking the Marilith while Luc seems to hesitate at times then explode into action.  Her wounds seem to heal faster than they can hurt her and they don't know if it's helping at all.  The demons she summoned stop Commander Miller and even the paladins from coming forward to help against the Marilith or beholder.  Dorn isn't sure if they can do this.  He launches a flurry of attacks but it doesn't seem to be enough.  He did create an opening that allowed Maldar to rush forward and stab again.  And just like that, the Marilith went down!  Dorn would have stopped to catch his breathe were the beholder not there.  

Hang was not having good luck against the demon.  It kept clamping its claws on her, holding her in place.  She would struggle and eventually break free, only to have them clamp down on her again.  Hang was able to keep the demon there and her own wounds healed or to a minimum but Tyrel could tell she was slowly losing.  He went to try and help her, seeing he couldn't help as much with the others, and maybe turn the tide.  

The beholder's attacks were devastating.  Maldar, wanting nothing to do with it, was on his way to help Hang and Tyrel when an eyebeam paralyzed him and he couldn't do anything.  Dorn felt the weight of the armor and weapons he was carrying for the first time in a long time as the beholder kept its central eye on him, not allowing the magic to function.  Dorn could tell the magic was still there but suppressed.  So using his own considerable strength, he leapt at the beholder and stabbed out the central eye!  That didn't mean the fight was over, though.  Not by a long shot.  Nisha's guard kept up the pressure on the beholder until one was disintegrated and the other got hit several times in one round and went down.  Luc and another paladin were flung away by telekinesis.  Commander Miller was able to help them get back on their feet but it would be precious heartbeats before they could get back into it.  It was tough to tell how badly it was hurt, although it was hurt, as Dorn hacked more and more into it.  Tyrel stepped forward calling upon the wand of magic missiles and launched nine at the beholder.  That was enough to finally bring it down!  

The group caught their breath, revived the ones they could of the fallen, and just stared at each other, nodding in appreciation at the help and camaraderie of the fight.   

8000 xp

GM Notes

• I really like the new style I have, that the group has, where we take things slow.  I put on background music.  I try and remember to descriptions, but need to work on that.  I also need to remember that this goes slower and that's okay.  
• The beholder was definitely more tough than the Marilith.  Sure, the Marilith was tough but only had the summoning, which she used up, and swords.  And she missed a fair amount of her attacks.  The beholder, automatically hitting with his attacks and making it a save, is much worse. 
• I do think I have given out too much magic for 5E.  That's fine.  I bring this up because while this wasn't an easy fight, the magic they had certainly made it possible and in the group's favor. 
• I did like the idea of them going out carousing before facing a demon!  Makes sense to me.   
• In the fight, I forget about Luc more than once, hence my description of his actions!  Oops. 
• I explain that the beholder's lair was under the Ducal palace and was what made the Duke's paranoia so bad.  With its removal, this will help the Duke return to normal about his attitude on elves and half elves.  This actually cleared up several things, most of which the group only saw effects from it.  
• I was rolling in the open and Hang couldn't catch a break.  The spiritual weapon would hit but then she couldn't break free from the hold the demon had on her.  Overall, I did like that she did better than the other two groups helping and was losing slower than they did. 

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