We Join This Battle Already in Progress (Finale)

The conclusion of "The Battle Already in Progress" against the fearsome Jabberwock!

For those of you who may have missed the earlier installments, I am providing links to them so you can go back and get caught up.

Part One: https://beekaydubya.blogspot.com/2018/04/we-join-this-battle-already-in-progress.html
Part Two: https://beekaydubya.blogspot.com/2018/04/we-join-this-battle-already-in-progress.html
Part Three: https://beekaydubya.blogspot.com/2018/04/we-join-this-battle-already-in-progress_5.html
Part Four: https://beekaydubya.blogspot.com/2018/04/we-join-this-battle-already-in-progress_7.html
Part Five: https://beekaydubya.blogspot.com/2018/04/we-join-this-battle-already-in-progress_11.html

DAY THIRTEEN (December 11th), 8:11:48 am

Shadow floats above the battlefield.  Most of his companions have been laid low by the Jabberwock’s burble; Kysek lies in a nearly broken heap at the monster’s feet.  The drow himself is bleeding from several wounds and it hurts to breath despite the spells of healing the priests have performed on him.  With his spell of accuracy complete, the drow plunges out of the sky, trying to maneuver so the sun is at his back, perhaps blinding the gyre and gimbling beast.  The monster lashes out with its long and snake-like tail.  With a sound like thunder, the tail whips around and slams into the dark elf.  Shadow thrusts with both of his weapons – the phoenix-blessed rapier strikes true, sinking deeply into the monster’s tail and sending paroxysms of agony shooting up into the beast’s spine but the conjured lance of force goes wide, hitting nothing but air as the drow is blasted away.  Shadow crashes down, bouncing and skipping along the ground, once…twice…three times before fetching up against a tree, snapping the trunk and then passing through it.  The only thing that kept the blow from killing him was the defensive wards he placed on himself at the beginning of the battle.

Kysek’s lays staring up into the blue sky, barely able to breathe but he tosses Bedlam into the air.  The disembodied hand catches the blade, holding it like a toothpick in its titanic grip and lunges at the Jabberwock.  The fiercest of the Tane never sees the attack coming.  The kukri bellows triumphantly as it tears across the Jabberwock’s throat and the monster’s head falls away from its body.  Kysek, feigning death, rolls to the side as the mammoth scaly head crashes down on the ground where he was laying moments before and gasps

“You. 

Are. 

Done.”

Within moments, the rest of the party begins recovering from the Jabberwock’s last blabbering attack and begins rising to their feet.  Raven tears the electrified gauntlet off of his arm and its long tendrils of wire and cable retract into the armored fist’s cuff.

Morn makes his way over to Kysek and casts a spell of healing upon him, restoring some of the fallen and healing some of his more grievous injuries.  Cedron and Grotto, once recovered, also lend  hands in the healing process as they try to get the rest of their companions back on their feet and ready for the next challenge.

= = = = = =

• Extended Haste (18 rounds remaining) – everyone except Grotto and Shadow

• Prayer (2 rounds remaining)

• Arthur: 38% health;

• Bubo: 100% health;

• Cedron: 100% health; Displacement (3 rounds remaining);

• Drax: 100% health; Cursed Blade (9 minutes, 7 rounds remaining);

• Grotto: 75% health; Fly (5 minutes, 2 rounds remaining), Protection from Evil (5 minutes, 3 rounds remaining);

• Hansuke: 63% health;

• Korbin: 61% health;

• Kysek: 26% health; Bigby’s Grasping Hand (+27 Attack/+32 Grap, 5 rounds remaining); Stoneskin (16%, 59 minutes, 3 rounds remaining)

• Morn: 74% health;

• Niklas: 100% health;

• Raven: 80% health; Enlarge Person (2 minutes, 4 rounds remaining, Nightwatcher 2d6+20), Bull’s Strength (14 minutes, 5 rounds remaining);

• Ra’ziir: 72% health; Iron Body (24 minutes, 4 rounds remaining, DR15/adam, +6 Str, immunties);

• Shadow: 7% health; Overland Flight (14 hours, 59 minutes, 1 rounds remaining); Stoneskin (73%, 149 min, 3 rounds remaining); Thunderlance (9 rounds remaining, +22 hit, 2d6+8 damage); Darkness (199 minutes, 6 rounds remaining) 

• Spewer: 100 % health

- - - - - - - - - -

I did not see that coming.  I assessed a HUGE penalty on the Hand spell to even be able to hit the Jabberwock.  I was absolutely positive that I was about to kill Shadow, probably Kysek, and at least one other PC before the battle was over.  But the dice spoke and I went with what they told me.  This is also why I have never included Vorpal Weapons in any of my campaigns - all it takes is one lucky roll and it's game over for whoever is on the receiving end of that attack.

From here, after they tend to their injuries, the group will move on - their destination the Rabbit Hole and an escape from the Grimmlands.  But one more threat lies between them and freedom.  Tune in next time to see what happens!