Immersive Ink

The flurry of wind and sand and swishing blades amounts to aught but confusion! Dieter, Highbough, Olaf, Josiane, and Helmut all vie to impress their force of arms upon it, but only Dieter gives the elemental any trouble; his ensorcelled blade crackling gleefully as it glides through the turbulence with preternatural skill.

Torben and Wen withdraw from the fighting and quickly survey the battle ground; naught can be seen around the crater rim; which gives them about a 60 yard perimeter...

Ashtad and Armando locate a breach in the hull and slip inside, where they spy Desmond already examining a large, ovoid pill--not unlike a giant lead-crabshell. It is clearly split open at the top, where the elemental must have breached its confinement and burst through the upper deck...

Turn four.

Highbough attacks first with his spear. Otherwise, initiative is checked 1d6; Dieter=1+1, Olaf=3, Josiane=1, Helmut=1, Elemental=5.

Attacks 1d20;
Highbough=12 @-1 (would hit AC 5); miss.
Elemental=3 @+2 (would hit AC 8); miss.
Olaf=4 @-2 (would miss AC 9); miss.
Dieter=16 @+0 (would hit AC 2); hit 1d6=3 @+2 5 damage.
Josiane=7 @-1 (would miss AC 9); miss.
Helmut=5 @-1 (would miss AC 9); miss.

Dieter (F5) hp 22 12
Josiane (C5) hp 16 12

Orders for next turn?

Helmut is dismayed at his lack of impact, but cannot be sure he was even on target in the swirling sand. He brings the giant Blade of Seyal around for another strike.

Josiane presses her attack, her lips moving in silent prayer...

Highbough seems to be adapting to this plane's unusual gravitational field. He thrusts and dodges with almost catlike grace, trusting the enchanted Ire Spear to strike true.

The wind-lashed melee continues; the elemental zipping back and forth at will as a jousting knight making pass after pass at the beset band of heroes. Blades slash and swing wildly in the wind, but are futile in the main part; the stinging sand half-blinding their wielders. Dieter and Josiane make purchase, however, giving the air spirit pause with their efforts. However, it retaliates in kind, spearing the unfortunately Josiane once again, driving her back under the drilling assault of its sand-lances.

Meanwhile, inside the hull, Desmond peers into the ovoid that is split down its center. Clearly the air elemental must have been held captive within, but there is nothing else left there. The only feature that on the interior is an array of evenly spaced, inward facing spikes. It is as if the whole thing were an ovoid iron-maiden...?

Turn five.

Highbough attacks first with his spear.
Otherwise, initiative is checked 1d6; Dieter=3+1, Olaf=5, Josiane=4, Helmut=2, Elemental=1. All the players go first (curiously, in the same order as last turn).

Attacks 1d20;
Highbough=12 @-1 (would hit AC 5); miss (by 2 pips which is exactly the penalty in play due to sand-blindness).
Olaf=11 @-2 (would miss AC 7); miss.
Dieter=16 @+0 (would hit AC 2); hit 1d6=1 @+2 3 damage.
Josiane=14 @-1 (would miss AC 3); hit 1d6=5 5 damage.
Helmut=4 @-1 (would miss AC 9); miss.
Elemental=18 @+2 (would hit AC 2); who is targeted? 1=highbough, 2=olaf, 3=dieter, 4=josiane, 5=helmut; 1d6=6, 1d6=6, 1d6=4, It's Josiane! 2d6-1=5 damage.

Dieter (F5) hp 22 12
Josiane (C5) hp 16 12 7

Orders for next turn?

"NOOO!!," yells Helmut as Josiane is once again struck by the daemon of wind and sand.

Rapidly weighing strategic options, he moves to place himself between her and the maelstrom, bringing the Blade of Seyal up to ward off its blows.

Helmut defends, giving priority to defending Josiane over himself