Dire tidings. This would not end well. This glorified tentacular beast had lashed out on all sides, striking with dark tendrils not unlike Noriam's own shadow lash. The tickle of the necrotic embrace, washing over the fallen Aasimar like a familiar caress. The bittersweet pain of bloody binding, caught in a tug of war, the darkness entwined like the tethering chains which bound his tarnished light. His sword arm caught like by Promethean chains, struggling to free himself from the pull as burning eyes watched Koan's cyanosis turn into the frigid frost for frozen finery freely flowing flakes armed arctic armor anticipating adversarial attacks and amorous adventures? Snow maiden to a tzar. Her spells would blast them away from afar, and his blade would reap their pitiful lives. What a team they could make, if it were not for this accursed Kraken who may devour all of them yet. The even the raging merfolk seemed to be a little worse for wear, having taken the brunt of all the attacks thus far, 'Sauron' was unsure how much fight their guide had left in her should the monster keep squeezing her in a death choke, was it a strange envy perhaps?

Yet even in the darkness, there was light. For a shadow cannot exist in total darkness. Only in the light does it take form, embodying the innate darkness behind every light. As such it was his epithet, the shadow, for there is both darkness and light within the umbramancer. Jill's healing spell bathed them all in the blessed light, a gentle presence that felt so strange to one who reveled in pain. Yet it was not quite enough. Even Jill's belief in his inner light could not break the hold of darkness, if not even his celestial guide could pull him back, then how could her agent? Gritting his teeth by and by, still the dark one wrestled with the tendrils, caught and bound by the tethers to his tainted soul.

Not yet ready to embrace the light within. Still the other aasimar struggled alone. Devil and Angel upon his shoulders. And silenced still from the injuries to his silver tongue. Was it hopeless?

[hider=mechanics]
Action: Acrobatics check to escape from grapple: 1d20+1=(4)+1=5, No use of Bardic Inspiration - Fail.
[/hider]