Steadily, the group surges towards the two magic users, intent in getting in behind their defenses and battering them to an easily-digestible pulp before their spells can do likewise. The only one left behind is Albali, and not entirely by her own intent. She starts down the right side of the pit, heading for open space to get around the others, but as her foot comes down her brain starts sending urgent signals to her hindbrain not to put any weight on it. Just in time, she pauses, with her foot a few inches<span style="font-style: italic">below</span>the floor. Thus forewarned, she can look at the floor and see where it doesn't quite match up; the pit now seems oddly two dimensional and unreal, while the floor just ahead of her conceals a yawning gap just ready and waiting for her to topple in. It's a single illusion, but one meant to show a fake pit and delay movement while also concealing the real one for the unwary. Kaheksa simply moves away, as Ain registers his extreme disinclination to have whatever had just happened to Albali happen to him by staying right up near the ceiling away from the creepy lady.<br/><br/>Many converge on the tattoed illusionist, marking her as the more immediate threat whether rightly or wrongly. Going into a glide and quickly moving past the roiling ooze that appears to be the cult's actual altar, he buffets the woman's face with his wings and nips a chunk out of one of the arms thrown up to try to push him away. Considerately, the grease she'd just applied to herself seems to add quite a bit of body to her sharp, tangy flavor. As the mage staggers away, bleeding from one arm, a stick blindsides her as Turilia charges in from the north and hits the wizard squarely across the head. She doesn't fall, but she sways where she stands with an almost comical expression of confusion. That changes back to worry as she sees Gorun bearing down on her as well, and she retreats a few steps to get clear. With a spell, she hunches down into a half-crouch with two glowing hands and looks between her three tormentors, trying to figure out who to unload the spell into.<br/><br/>The priestess has her own problems. Ambrosia sticks to her like glue, the fae not giving her any opportunity to get enough separation to cast spells in peace or make any significant preparations. Another vicious bite actually lands on the priestess's head, but once more the redhead jerks out of the fairy's weakened grasp. Quickly launching a jab into Ambrosia's gut, she can't quite land the blow as the fairy evades it. Though she tries to back up further, with a thump her back announces the presence of the door to her quarters behind it. Rather than try to open the door with a hungry fae bearing down on her, she skitters to one side while keeping her guard up. Poor Eiyre, doing as she was commanded, follows right past the altar and skips merrily down the stairs. As she passes the closest point to the walled off ooze, she feels a sudden lightheaded feeling and warmth blossoms from the pit. Two thick, black tentacles erupt from the pit at the oracle. One rapidly coils around her free arm closest to the pit, pulling her hand deep into the ooze; the other wraps lightly around her neck, already starting to spread up towards her face. It's not a very wet, slimy ooze- instead it feels like hot, slightly moist flesh where it touches Eiyre's skin. No burning or tingling sensations assail her bare hand inside its tentacle. It's actually rather comfortable, if one ignores the tugging it's already doing to try to bring her back into its main body and the fact that most altars are used for<span style="font-style: italic">sacrifices</span>.<br/><br/>[[Actions! Note that the stairs do count as difficult terrain, so no need for Gorun's action to change.<br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Xarithe flies and bites. Hits. <br/>Turilia charges and hits. <br/>Eiyre double moves, though can't make it all the way due to difficult terrain. Ends turn within threatened range; altar makes a grapple check, 22 beats CMD, Eiyre is grappled. <br/>Ambrosia, we'll say, tries the same thing if just to keep the priestess under pressure and backed up. Steps up and bites (6 damage); grapple check fails again, but the priestess is out of room to retreat. <br/>Albali moves, and... <br/>! Illusion revealed! The illusion simply shifted where the pit appeared to be. Reflex save for Albali succeeds, so she doesn't fall in. That only takes 1 move action, so she'll have her other standard for this round which I'll resolve before everything else.<br/>Ain wants no part of elf touch. <br/>Gorun moves almost-but-not-quite into range of the altar.<br/>Kaheksa double moves.<br/>Priestess five foot steps, but can't quite get out of melee range. Casts defensively, concentration check is an even 25; Touch of Chaos used on Ambrosia, but the melee touch attack fails.<br/>Magi steps away and casts a spell.</div></div></div><br/>Init<br/>All PCs, Kaheksa<span style="font-style: italic">Currently Up</span><br/>Priestess, Magi<br/><br/>Status:<br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Xarithe is an eagle. 27/35 HP<br/>Ambrosia is Weakened (-6 Strength)<br/>Gorun's still fine.<br/>Albali is 15/20 HP<br/>Ain is 3/10 HP<br/>Eiyre is 15/31 HP (Grappled)<br/>Turilia is 15/31 HP<br/>Priestess is damaged.<br/>Magi is greased up and damaged.</div></div></div><br/><br/>Map:<a class="postlink" href="http://i.imgur.com/q3vOvoM.png">http://i.imgur.com/q3vOvoM.png</a>Black square is the 'real' pit, pictured pit is the illusion and safe to walk on. ]]