057. (Coda 2) Part 1: A quiet day

[Anastasia]

> > To quote: > Y'all never got locations to Yesthalae's lair nor did you specify where your Gate was opening to.
> > This was an oversight on my part since I DMed distracted.
> > So to clarify: The bridge you're aiming for is the closest to the reputed location of the anti-soul laboratory. It'll still be a flight and some travel, you got reasonably detailed instructions, as much as landscapes stay static in the Abyss.
> > That sound good?
<Muirfinn> works
> Okay. We'll begin now.
> ---
> * Koaway changes topic to 'Muirfinn(32)>Antenora(24)>Demons(21)'
> > OOC: Go Muirfinn.
> <Muirfinn> roll 22d6 cold damage yo
> <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 84 > [d6=4,6,3,4,6,1,6,3,2,6,6,5,1,4,3,4,6,4,6,2,1,1]
> <Muirfinn> OOC: DC 30
> > roll 1d20+12
> <Serith> Koaway roll for Serith < 17 > [d20=5]
> > The attending horde of demons is blasted by wintry power! Several of the lesser demons are frozen solid on the spot, while greater demons are driven back by cries of pain. It clears a bit of space around the portal, but you can see more demons ahead. OOC: Anything else this round?
> <Muirfinn> OOC: I will retract my head, allowing Antenora to make her decisions.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(32)>Antenora(24)>Demons(21)'
> A split second later Antenora charges through the gate like a gale. She is a blur as she slams into the lead demon, black horn spear flashing with pure whit energies.
> roll 1d20+46 (+2 charge, +1 haste(blinding speed), +14 furious strike, final judgement, +4 fiend dread, -20 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+46 (+2 charge, +1 haste(blinding speed), +14 furious strike, final judgement, +4 fiend dread, -20 PA) and gets 49." [1d20=3]
> roll 3d8+258+4d6+7d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 3d8+258+4d6+7d6 and gets 309." [3d8=2, 7, 3][4d6=4, 3, 4, 5][7d6=1, 4, 1, 4, 3, 6, 4]
> roll 1d20+13 fort
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+13 fort and gets 26." [1d20=13]
> The demon bursts apart a second later, a titanic column of light erupting up to momentarily rival the leaping flames on the horizon. The demons all around the gate scream, eyes boiling white and leaking tears of opal. Frostburned and dazed, the demons scream out and lash out blindly! "Now!" Antenora calls! "We have our chance!" OOC: Muirfinn, you're up. The demons are in a bad way and blinded. They're not doing anything effective.
* Muirfinn presses through the gap fully, sliding around Antenora as he breathes again!
> OOC: Isn't it 1d4 rounds?
<Muirfinn> roll 22d6 ref CD 30
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 22d6 ref CD 30 and gets 65." [22d6=2, 3, 3, 3, 2, 5, 1, 3, 3, 2, 4, 4, 6, 6, 3, 3, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1]
<Muirfinn> OOC: OH YEAH
<Muirfinn> OOC STRIKE THEN
> OOC: Roll, you might get a 1.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Instead, how close are they?
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4+1
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4+1 and gets 2." [1d4=1]
<Muirfinn> OOC: >_>
<Muirfinn> OOC: - that +1
<Muirfinn> OOC: Dunno why I did that
> OOC: Yeah, so your action stands. They're within 30ft and Antenora's immune to cold, so go blast.
> OOC: Damage roll stands, so ref.
> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+12 and gets 20." [1d20=8]
<Muirfinn> Oroll 1d4
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4 and gets 3." [1d4=3]
> The demons are further decimated. Many dissolve in various ways - turning to stone, crumbling to dust, exploding. Only a few remain after you come through, and those are broken and beaten. Antenora's already taking off to the sky and away from the bridge. Farther along you can see the massive spine-bridge has hundreds of more demons in the distance, just starting to turn towards the two. A few appear nearby, blinking there with instant teleportation. OOC: Go Murifinn. The demons are just reacting and Antenora's flying off on her turn, so it's your go.
* Muirfinn allows the gate to close as his tail clears it, massive wings beating once, twice and then pulling him aloft as he heads after Antenora.
> OOC: What's your fly speed/manuerability?
<Muirfinn> OOC: 290 ft, clumsy
> The two fly on, away from the bridge. You don't get far, Antenora quickly landing on Muirfinn's back and kneeling there. You're several hundred feet away from the bridge when they appear, 50ft away and 10ft above you. A pair of vrocks, ill formed and misshapen. They have grossly extended belly buttons, an umbilical cord connecting the two. Dangling from the middle of the cord is a distended face, that of an elf, frozen in time as he screams in the utmost terror. Two voices hiss in your head at almost the same time, turning the same words into a discordant din, 'Come play with us! The fun's just begun!' OOC: Init.
> roll 1d20+9 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+9 Antenora and gets 19." [1d20=10]
> roll 1d20+8 vrock twins
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+8 vrock twins and gets 12." [1d20=4]
> roll 1d20+15 head
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+15 head and gets 34." [1d20=19]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+12 and gets 29." [1d20=17]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Elf Head(34)>Muirfinn(29)>Antenora(19)>Vrock Twins(12)'
> "Repent or embrace oblivion! Accept a better way or be gone from this world," Antenora declares, as the head begins to move. It moves as if alive once more, a large, red snake extending out from that mouth. It darts for Muirfinn's draconic snout, trying to bite him!
> roll 1d20+28 AC?
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+28 AC? and gets 48." [1d20=20]
> roll 1d20+28 AC? ow
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+28 AC? ow and gets 46." [1d20=18]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Regular AC is 63.
> roll 1d8+12+2d6 2d6 is unholy damage, roll Fort
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+12+2d6 2d6 is unholy damage, roll Fort and gets 28." [1d8=8][2d6=3, 5]
> OOC: Poison, note if immune.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6 poison immune
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36+6 poison immune and gets 57." [1d20=15]
> The snake head lands just inside Muirfinn's snout opening, biting down on a tiny patch of soft flesh. It causes his entire nose to burn in pain, a quick thrash dislodging the attack. OOC: Ow. Muirfinn, you're up.
* Muirfinn retorts with a bite of his own, as well as a hail of claws and tail!
> OOC: Hold up.
> OOC: You do know they're 50ft away and 10ft up, right/
> OOC: The snake darted otu to you with massive ragne.
> OOC: Range, stupid typos.
<Muirfinn> OOH: Oh. I missed that. Sorry. Distracted. Will redirect focus.
> OOC: Sure.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Let's scratch that line
> OOC: Scratched.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Has it been the equivalent of three rounds?
> OOC: No. Two.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Ok.
* Muirfinn turns his head to look at Antenora. "Do you wish to flee or fight?"
> "If it will not repent, strike it down fast so we may continue," Antenora declares, "Before more reinforcements work up the courage to interdict us!"
<Muirfinn> "Right!" Muirfinn says, wheeling about and up, great jaws snapping out at the umbilical head! OOC: Assuming I can get away with this. Moment. Looking up rules.
> OOC: Sure, you can. They're discrete targets here.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Alright.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 and gets 48." [1d20=4]
> OOC: Hit.
<Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17 bite
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 bite and gets 36." [4d8=2, 6, 7, 4]
> OOC: What do your bite count as to bypass DR?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Unless my gauntlets extend their powers to my bite, they count as nothing more than any dragon's bite would.
> OOC: Okay.
> Muirfinn bites down on the head! It's harder than diamond, only a few cracks appearing now that Muirfinn has it in his teeth. With a second push it cracks again and SNAPS, shattering like glass in Muirfinn's mouth. OOC: Antenora's up.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(29)>Antenora(19)>Vrock Twins(12)'
> Antenora makes a sweeping gesture with her arm, a blast of holy power exploding amid the two vrocks.
> roll 1d20+29 cl check
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+29 cl check and gets 44." [1d20=15]
> roll 20d8
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 20d8 and gets 95." [20d8=5, 1, 7, 3, 7, 7, 3, 8, 6, 4, 2, 4, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 7, 8]
> roll 1d20+14 will vrocks
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+14 will vrocks and gets 16." [1d20=2]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(29)>Antenora(19)>Vrock Twins(12 blind)'
> roll 1d4
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d4 and gets 1." [1d4=1]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(29)>Antenora(19)>Vrock Twins(12 blind 1)'
> The blast leaves the vrocks reeling back, umbilical cord bitten apart by Muirfinn. The demon's eyes boil just like the last batch's did, as meanwhile healing energies fill Muirfinn! OOC: Divine succor as a swift, 80 HP healing ot Muirfinn. Vrocks are up
> .
> The blinded vrocks scream in fury, shaking all over as a bigger screetch comes. This one is loud enough to plummel your eardrums like fists! OOC: Fort you two.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36+6 and gets 48." [1d20=6]
> roll 1d20+36
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+36 and gets 42." [1d20=6]
> But nothing comes of it! OOC: Muirfinn, go.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(29)>Antenora(19)>Vrock Twins(12)'
<Muirfinn> Feeling the cold swelling again, Muirfinn rears back and sprays the two demons with a blast of frozen water and air! OOC: Breathin. Ref DC 30.
<Muirfinn> roll 22d6 cold
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 22d6 cold and gets 85." [22d6=6, 4, 6, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 6, 5, 2, 4, 6, 1, 3, 1, 5, 4, 5, 4, 3, 6]
> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+12  and gets 20." [1d20=8]
> The two demons are flash-frozen, shattering like broken ice under the assault! Victory! OOC: Free act.
> "Hurry now," Antenora insists, "Before more demons wish to commit suicide."
* Muirfinn turns, swooping away at a strong clip! OOC: Run action for distance go! speed is 1160 until I decide to stop since I
<Muirfinn> OOC: Immune to exhaustion n stuff
> The two fly on for a good few minutes. There's no immediate bridges around, and in your mind Antenora is heard, 'On the right, I believe. We need to keep our eyes open for a broken rock face full of strange fossils.'
* Muirfinn cools the flight speed once they're sure there are no stragglers, snorting. He banks slightly to the right. "I'll keep an eye out."
> 'We're supposed to fly right into it,' Antenora continues as you fly on. OOC: What's your spot/listen scores? Also, any special means of perception?
* Yuthikins (~Yuthirin@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) has joined #dunes
> 'We're supposed to fly right into it,' Antenora continues as you fly on. OOC: What's your spot/listen scores? Also, any special means of perception?
<Yuthikins> OOC: True seeing as the spell, Spot 48, Listen 33
> OOC: Make a listen check.
<Yuthikins> roll 1d20+33
* Hatbot --> "Yuthikins rolls 1d20+33 and gets 45." [1d20=12]
* Muirfinn (~Yuthirin@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) Quit (Ping timeout)
> roll 1d20+41
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+41 and gets 45." [1d20=4]

[Anastasia]

> You fly on for another 10 minutes. No sign of anything yet. But ahead you can see about a dozen bridges. They weave about at mind-bending angles, semi-transparent energy flowing between them. They're about 2000ft away, but so large as to be easily visible from here. OOC: You can make K:A here if you wish.
<Yuthikins> roll 1d20+23
* Hatbot --> "Yuthikins rolls 1d20+23 and gets 41." [1d20=18]
> roll 1d20+25
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+25  and gets 26." [1d20=1]
> From here, you can tell those are extremely large walls of force. Normally they'd be invisible, but the excessive size of them is making them bleed over into visibility.
<Yuthikins> "Huh....walls of force over there. Wonder what that's about."
> "A fortification?" Antenora ponders, "It's a matter of going above or below it, then."
<Yuthikins> "Well, they're really big, so over is probably a better idea."
> "Right," Antenora nods as she holds on, "Above then."
* Yuthikins arcs upward, moving to clear the bridges and pass them by quickly.
* Yuthikins is now known as Muirfinn
<Muirfinn> OOC: Sheesh
> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 12." [1d100=12]
> The two soar up! As you soar over them, you can see hundreds of demons within. All watching you, but none appear before you. Antenora exhales slightly, "Fortune is with us," she murmurs, "I had expected an assault."
<Muirfinn> "We're fortunate."
<Muirfinn> OOC: Strike that
<Muirfinn> "We're a fortunate bunch. Sometimes it is good fortune, and sometimes...not."
> "You may be safe from being identified," Antenora remarks, "Since you're in this form. But I know I stand out. It may cow lesser demons from immediately appearing to challenge us, but I worry that greater demons make take notice. Hurry."
<Muirfinn> "Of course." Muirfinn increases his wing beats, carrying them ever faster! OOC: More run actions.
> OOC: Okay.
> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 23." [1d100=23]
> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 88." [1d100=88]
> You fly on for about a half hour into the void. Your speed is tremendous as you hurry when - a stop. Everything around you begins to twist and writhe, as if the air is being tormented in pain. A bitter smell fills the air.  OOC: K:P if you like.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+22
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+22 and gets 36." [1d20=14]
> roll 1d20+37
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+37 and gets 43." [1d20=6]
> The air rippling around you is the Abyss reacting. Something big is about to happen! "Brace!" Antenora calls a moment later.
* Muirfinn braces as well as he can!
> Everything around you distorts! Vision becomes all-around, seeing everything at dozens of angles! Sensory information floods your mind, as you see everything and more. Elements, alignments, magic and more all flood in! OOC: Will save, you two. This is a mind-affecting ability.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Immune
> roll 1d20+42 (+4 vs evil)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 (+4 vs evil) and gets 59." [1d20=17]
> When your vision returns to normal, a great dome of cracked glass has appeared all around you. An entire arena of half-crumbling glass has formed, the seats empty save for one. 120ft ahead and 30ft up is a single throne. On it sits a balor. This balor burns forever and is covered in sickly yellow scabs. Its mouth is badly distended to fit in a dozen rows of sharp, wiggling teeth. Six long tongues loll out, licking all over its body. In a hideous voice that resembles coughing up thick sickness from within your chest, "Look at who has come to visit the Abyss, a baatezu whore and a dragon that reeks of a banished demon!" It laughs, a sound that makes ou want to cry. You feel your eyes growing wet as your stomach twists and turns.
> OOC: You can make K:O here if you please.
> OOC: Er, K:P.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+22
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+22 and gets 39." [1d20=17]
> roll 1d20+37 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+37 Antenora and gets 45." [1d20=8]
> The creature before you is Mandalos, a powerful balor with ties to mutation and disease. Don't fight in melee or you'll be overwhelmed by a flurry of tongue-attacks to make a marilith blush. Also, it can inflict horrible diseases and mutations on a strike and can manage the same with spell-like abilities.
> Antenora points her spear at the demon, "There's still time to turn away," she offers. "Nothing on the path you walk has any meaning at all. Turn away before the emptiness swallows you whole."
<Muirfinn> "Move, or we shall move you."
> The demon laughs, again causing you to sicken and grow disgusted. "Tell me your name, dragon," he commands, snapping a claw. "Tell me what glories I will claim with your head!" Around you, all around you they form. They rise up from the glass like bubbles, expanding into the shape of demons. You are surrounded by over a hundred demons, a horde crawling over one another. Lesser, least and major demons all slaver towards you, eyes empty of anything but hunger. Where they touch blurs, the forms of demons melting in and out of one another.
* Muirfinn bares teeth the size of swords. "Come and take it from me, if you can."
> "So be it!" Mandalos laughs, as the battle is joined! OOC: Init.
> roll 1d20+9 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+9 Antenora and gets 20." [1d20=11]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+12 and gets 27." [1d20=15]
> roll 1d20+14 Mandalos
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+14 Mandalos and gets 28." [1d20=14]
> roll 1d20+6 demon army
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 demon army and gets 9." [1d20=3]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Mandalos(28)>Muirfinn(27)>Antenora(20)>Demon Army(9)'
> Around Mandalos a shimmering rectangle of power forms, snapping into place! Muirfinn can see it with true seeing, a thick field of force around him. OOC: Muirfinn, go. Demons in every which direction, just ready to pounce on you. Mandalos is 120ft ahead and 30ft up.
* Muirfinn inhales deeply, hosing down the nearest group with icy hail! OOC: Ref DC 30
<Muirfinn> roll 22d6 cold
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 22d6 cold and gets 71." [22d6=1, 2, 3, 1, 6, 5, 1, 2, 4, 5, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 1, 3, 2, 1, 5, 2, 5]
<Muirfinn> OOC: I see why dragons always lead with this
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4 and gets 3." [1d4=3]
> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+15 and gets 16." [1d20=1]
* Yuthikins (~Yuthirin@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) has joined #dunes
> The demon groups are blasted with ice! A few of the demons are frozen solid while others endure! It clears a bit of space around you as you spread your draconic fury! Then Antenora leaps to the air, rising thirty feet up before gesturing at Mandalos.
> roll 1d20+29 dispel check
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+29 dispel check and gets 33." [1d20=4]
* Muirfinn (~Yuthirin@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) Quit (Ping timeout)
* Yuthikins is now known as Muirfinn
> The field around Mandalos holds strong, the balor laughing within! "Struggle harder, devil dog!" Meanwhile the demon army attacks! A good segment closes in, attacking Muirfinn from every direction. OOC: This provokes an AoO form you if you wish ot take it.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Hell yeah. How many?
> OOC: They're acting as a single entity, so 1.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 and gets 60." [1d20=16]
> OOC: That's a big old hit.
<Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17 bite y'all
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 bite y'all and gets 34." [4d8=3, 7, 5, 2]
> A leaping dretch is caught in Muirfinn's maw, bitten in half as it charges! Other demons attack his flanks all around, clawing, slashing, biting, ripping and tearing at him!
> roll 1d20+18
> roll 1d20+31
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+18 and gets 20." [1d20=2]
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+31 and gets 47." [1d20=16]
> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+5 and gets 12." [1d20=7]
> roll 1d20+19
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 32." [1d20=13]
> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+13 and gets 23." [1d20=10]
> roll 1d20+40
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 and gets 59." [1d20=19]
> OOC: AC?
<Muirfinn> OOC: 63
> Muirfinn weathers the storm of attacks, as suddenly raw elemental power mixed with greasy darkness envelopes the entire arena! OOC: Do you have SR, Muirfinn?
<Muirfinn> OOC: NOPE
> roll 1d20+20 vs Antenora's SR of 42 so this basically tinks
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+20 vs Antenora's SR of 42 so this basically tinks and gets 39." [1d20=19]
> OOC: Will save, Muirfinn.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+37+6
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+37+6 and gets 54." [1d20=11]
> roll 10d6 unholy damage and no other effects
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 10d6 unholy damage and no other effects and gets 32." [10d6=1, 3, 2, 2, 2, 3, 5, 4, 4, 6]
> Muirfinn is buffeted by a raw temptest of evil energy! He stays through it with pure mental will, resisting all the demons can throw at him! Meanwhile, a trio of winged nalfeshnee rise up and charge Antenora in the air!
> roll 1d20+22 (+2 charge)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+22 (+2 charge) and gets 25." [1d20=3]
> roll 1d20+29 (+2 charge)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+29 (+2 charge) and gets 32." [1d20=3]
> roll 1d20+36 (+2 charge)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+36 (+2 charge) and gets 55." [1d20=19]
> But Antenora dodges and stops each blow, spear spinning around to repulse the assault on her. Then Mandalos laughs again, a black aura of power surrounding him! The yellow scabs on his body erupt, oozing out a pus that instantly hardens into full body armor! OOC: Okay. Muirfinn, go. Demons all around you, take 2.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Mandalos(28 ff, ua, pa)>Muirfinn(27)>Antenora(20)>Demon Army(9)'
* Muirfinn swings away at the encroaching horde, claws and teeth and tail whipping about.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+38 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Tail
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 55." [1d20=12]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 49." [1d20=6]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+38 Unarmed and gets 56." [1d20=18]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 Unarmed and gets 40." [1d20=7]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+28 Unarmed and gets 46." [1d20=18]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 53." [1d20=14]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 51." [1d20=12]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Tail and gets 51." [1d20=12]
> OOC: All hit.
<Muirfinn> OOC: AWESOME
<Muirfinn> roll 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed)
<Muirfinn> roll 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed)
<Muirfinn> roll 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed)
<Muirfinn> roll 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed)
<Muirfinn> roll 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed)
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed) and gets 54." [5d10=6, 5, 8, 4, 3][2d6=1, 5]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed) and gets 64." [5d10=6, 7, 2, 8, 8][2d6=5, 6]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed) and gets 68." [5d10=9, 7, 5, 5, 9][2d6=6, 5]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed) and gets 56." [5d10=9, 3, 9, 2, 6][2d6=4, 1]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed) and gets 47." [5d10=3, 3, 9, 1, 2][2d6=2, 5]
<Muirfinn> roll 4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw)
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw) and gets 40." [4d6=2, 6, 3, 3][2d6=2, 2]
<Muirfinn> roll 4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw)
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw) and gets 48." [4d6=4, 4, 6, 4][2d6=5, 3]
<Muirfinn> roll 4d6+5+25 (Tail Slap)
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d6+5+25 (Tail Slap) and gets 45." [4d6=5, 5, 1, 4]
> roll 54+64+68+56+47+40+48+45
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 54+64+68+56+47+40+48+45 and gets 422."
> Muirfinn strikes out! Claws rip vrocks apart, with a nalfeshnee being battered into paste by his feetstrikes. A rutterkin is tail-flicked into a charging hezrou, both of them exploding into icy gibblets! Over a dozen demons are utterly slaughtered to the last, others beaten, wounded or knocked back! The entire army is momentarily held at check!  The arena cracks all over, resonating with the force of the blows! Little shards of glass rain down in the aftermath! OOC: Antenora's next.
> Antenora is again a blur, striking like the wind at her nalfeshnee attackers below her!
> roll 1d20+31 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), -20 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+31 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), -20 PA) and gets 45." [1d20=14]
> roll 1d20+31 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), -20 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+31 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), -20 PA) and gets 40." [1d20=9]
> roll 1d20+40 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), +14 furious strike, -20 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), +14 furious strike, -20 PA) and gets 46." [1d20=6]
> roll 1d20+35 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), +14 furious strike, -20 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+35 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), +14 furious strike, -20 PA) and gets 48." [1d20=13]
> roll 1d20+29 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), +13 smite evil, -20 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+29 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), +13 smite evil, -20 PA) and gets 48." [1d20=19]
> roll 1d20+29 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), +13 smite evil, -20 PA) crit?
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+29 (+1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +1 haste (blinding speed), +13 smite evil, -20 PA) crit? and gets 33." [1d20=4]
> roll 1d8+86+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+86+4d6 and gets 101." [1d8=4][4d6=6, 3, 1, 1]
> roll 1d8+86+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+86+4d6 and gets 110." [1d8=4][4d6=6, 4, 4, 6]
> roll 1d8+86+4d6+7d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+86+4d6+7d6 and gets 132." [1d8=4][4d6=1, 6, 6, 5][7d6=4, 3, 3, 5, 3, 4, 2]
> roll 1d8+86+4d6+7d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+86+4d6+7d6 and gets 123." [1d8=2][4d6=2, 1, 1, 2][7d6=4, 6, 6, 3, 5, 2, 3]
> roll 3d8+345+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 3d8+345+4d6 and gets 377." [3d8=5, 8, 3][4d6=1, 5, 6, 4]
> What follows are blows that impale the three demons as one. Antenora skewers them together in one swift circle, before plunging down into the army! The nalfeshee explode in white and opal energies, the impact like a meteor in the ranks of the already reeling demons. Another dozen are obliterated and many more are tossed about in a daze. Several demons are down and too injured to fight - what is left manages to collect itself enough to manage a hodge-podge charge at the duo! OOC: This provokes an AoO from both of you. Do you want to take it?
> roll 1d20+31 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+31 Antenora and gets 36." [1d20=5]
> roll 1d8+86+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+86+4d6 and gets 105." [1d8=3][4d6=2, 3, 5, 6]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44 I have combat reflexes, AoOs all day
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 I have combat reflexes, AoOs all day and gets 50." [1d20=6]
> OOC: Hits.
<Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 and gets 28." [4d8=1, 3, 6, 1]
> As one the two strike! Antenora impales a trio of attered demons, tossing them towards Mandalos! They bounce off the shield and dissipate, while Muirfinn slams his foot down! The shockwaves crack the arena all over, parts of it falling away entirely! A wounded vrock can barely squawk as its crushed underfoot, utterly annihilated! No attacks reach the duo, the army broken and in utter disarray! OOC: Mandalos is up. Army has some survivors and the dazed, but it's finished as any sort of factor now.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Mandalos(28 ff, ua, pa)>Muirfinn(27)>Antenora(20)'
> Mandalos stays where he is, mouth opening wider. From it comes a tidal wave of black air, spreading about all over in a gust of hurricane winds! OOC: Fort you two. This is a disease effect. Immunity doesn't sotp it but you get a +10 bonus on the save if you're immune.
> roll 1d20+46 Antenora's immune, also mettle
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+46 Antenora's immune, also mettle and gets 58." [1d20=12]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6+10
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36+6+10 and gets 71." [1d20=19]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Owned.
> The fog settled in, a breath of darkness. But before Muirfinn it turns to snow, falling harmlessly to the ground. Pure opan light radiates from Antenora, negating the darkness. "So be it," Antenora throws that back at Mandalos, "I will mourn for you - briefly. Then be forgotten by all Creation!" OOC: Muirfinn, you're up. Go.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Two rounds or three since round 1? I think it's been 2
> The balor looks on with a widening grin, "Bring forth your fury! The glory I will claim with both your heads only grows greater by the moment!"
> OOC: Yes.
<Muirfinn> OOC: He still 100some feet away?
> OOC: Yes.
* Muirfinn swoops in, clearly ignoring the warnings and snapping out his jaws to take an unpleasant bite of the balor! OOC: Moving within 30 ft and biting, hoping to avoid AoO.
> OOC: Okay. Go for it.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 and gets 45." [1d20=1]
> Muirfinn bites out - but the field around him is completely unyielding! It doesn't give at all! Meanwhile Antenora flies back up 40ft, channeling the ability to shatter magic once more.
> roll 1d20+29 vs ff
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+29 vs ff and gets 48." [1d20=19]
> roll 1d20+29 vs ua
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+29 vs ua and gets 31." [1d20=2]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Mandalos(28 ua, pa)>Muirfinn(27)>Antenora(20)'
> The rectangle of force cracks and vanishes, Muirfinn's mouth snapping shut now that it's gone. OOC: Mandalos is up now.
> "Hah! Even stronger than I thought!" The tongues of the demon rise up, sharpening into the form of blades! The fires around the demon burn hotter, leaping up above it. Its body swells, throbbing with yet more power! OOC: Okay. Muirfinn's up, go.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Mandalos(28 ua, pa, am)>Muirfinn(27)>Antenora(20)'
<Muirfinn> Another bite! "You are not strong enough, demon."
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 and gets 61." [1d20=17]
> OOC: This time you hit. Damage.
<Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 and gets 35." [4d8=2, 7, 4, 5]
> OOC: Fort save. This is a disease effect. Immunity doesn't stop it but you get a +10 bonus on the save if you're immune.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6+10
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36+6+10 and gets 56." [1d20=4]
> Muirfinn bites down hard! The demon thrashes against it, its skin hard to penetrate. But he draws blood, a truly vile taste filling his maw. I tmakes him want to vomit and die, but his strength of fortitude resists! OOC: That it or was there anything more, Muirfinn?
<Muirfinn> OOC: gonna let him close with me
> OOC: Okay.
> Then, like a bolt, Antenora charges in from above, spear aimed at the demon's mouth. She's a blur of speed, charging in with all she has at it!
> roll 1d20+55 (+2 charge, +1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +13 smite evil, +14 furious strike, call to judgement, +1 haste(blinding speed, -25 PA)
-> [Hatbot] PING
-castleheck.tx.us.lunarnet.org:@#dunes- Kotono invited Serith into the channel.
* Serith (~iron_drag@cpe-173-172-46-15.tx.res.rr.com) has joined #dunes
* Hatbot was kicked by Kotono (Out, ye lagbot.)
> roll 1d20+55 (+2 charge, +1 flying, +4 fiend dread, +13 smite evil, +14 furious strike, call to judgement, +1 haste(blinding speed, -25 PA)
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 67 > [d20=12]
> roll 3d8+564+4d6+7d6 plus dimensional anchor
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 617 > [d8=4,5,7][d6=5,3,2,5,2,3,6,3,3,3,2]
> The demon's head is impaled straight through, exploding in a shower of gore! But the tongues remain, connecting to the neck of the demon! It fights on, laughter sounding in your minds. Antenora's eyes widen at it, as the tongues rise up to strike at both Muirfinn and Antenora, covering the distance with ease! OOC: Unfortunately he has Dhalsim's trick.
> roll 1d20+50 tongue 1 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 57 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+45 tongue 1 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 53 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+40 tongue 1 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 50 > [d20=10]
> roll 1d20+35 tongue 1 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 37 > [d20=2]
> roll 1d20+50 tongue 2 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 63 > [d20=13]
> roll 1d20+45 tongue 2 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 60 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+40 tongue 2 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 48 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+35 tongue 2 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 47 > [d20=12]
<Muirfinn> OOC: AC 63!
> roll 1d20+50 tongue 3 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 58 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+45 tongue 3 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 60 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+40 tongue 3 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 52 > [d20=12]
> roll 1d20+35 tongue 3 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 43 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+50 tongue 4 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 63 > [d20=13]
> roll 1d20+45 tongue 4 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 56 > [d20=11]
> roll 1d20+40 tongue 4 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 42 > [d20=2]
> roll 1d20+35 tongue 4 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 39 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d20+50 tongue 5 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 66 > [d20=16]
> roll 1d20+45 tongue 5 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 62 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d20+40 tongue 5 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 42 > [d20=2]
> roll 1d20+35 tongue 5 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 44 > [d20=9]
> roll 1d20+50 tongue 6 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 69 > [d20=19]
> roll 1d20+45 tongue 6 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 52 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+40 tongue 6 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 41 > [d20=1]
<Muirfinn> OOC: We have a winner!
> roll 1d20+35 tongue 6 Muirfinn
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 44 > [d20=9]
> OOC: Antenora takes 5 hits and Muirfinn takes 3 hits.
> roll 1d10+31+2d6-20 and these will provoke 5 fort saves from her. Doesn't beat her DR, though.
> roll 1d10+31+2d6-20 and these will provoke 5 fort saves from her. Doesn't beat her DR, though.
> roll 1d10+31+2d6-20 and these will provoke 5 fort saves from her. Doesn't beat her DR, though.
> roll 1d10+31+2d6-20 and these will provoke 5 fort saves from her. Doesn't beat her DR, though.
> roll 1d10+31+2d6-20 and these will provoke 5 fort saves from her. Doesn't beat her DR, though.
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 18 > [d10=3][d6=3,1]
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 20 > [d10=4][d6=4,1]
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 20 > [d10=4][d6=1,4]
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 25 > [d10=8][d6=1,5]
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 23 > [d10=7][d6=4,1]
> roll 18+20+20+25+23
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 106 >
> OOC: Any DR, Muirfinn?
<Muirfinn> ooc: nOPE
> roll 1d10+31+2d6 and make 3 fort saves. Immunity/+10 trade off from earlier applies
> roll 1d10+31+2d6 and make 3 fort saves. Immunity/+10 trade off from earlier applies
> roll 1d10+31+2d6 and make 3 fort saves. Immunity/+10 trade off from earlier applies
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 50 > [d10=10][d6=3,6]
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 45 > [d10=6][d6=3,5]
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 43 > [d10=7][d6=4,1]
> roll 1d20+50 (+10 immunity, +4 vs evil) Antenora save 1
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 58 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+50 (+10 immunity, +4 vs evil) Antenora save 2
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 64 > [d20=14]
> roll 1d20+50 (+10 immunity, +4 vs evil) Antenora save 3
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 67 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d20+50 (+10 immunity, +4 vs evil) Antenora save 4
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 70 > [d20=20]
> roll 1d20+50 (+10 immunity, +4 vs evil) Antenora save 4
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 62 > [d20=12]
> OOC: Fort saves, Muirfinn?
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6+10
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6+10
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6+10
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 65 > [d20=13]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 59 > [d20=7]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 57 > [d20=5]
> The tongues slice like swords! Antenora's slashed all over, a five-set of bloody wounds covering her. But none are deep, her body resisting the abuse. Muirfinn endures much the same, scaly hide bloodied but not broken! Mandalos's laughter echos in your ears! OOC: Muirfinn.
<Muirfinn> With a brief dip of his wings, Muirfinn closes the remaining distance to the balor and smashes into him! Teeth gnash, claws clash, wings slash and tails bash! In the midst of all that, Muirfinn cries, "Could use some healing!"
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+38 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Tail
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 44 > [d20=1]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 51 > [d20=8]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 53 > [d20=15]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 53 > [d20=20]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 32 > [d20=4]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 59 > [d20=20]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 51 > [d20=12]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 50 > [d20=11]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 49 > [d20=10]
> OOC: Roll the crit threats.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Winging due to smashfestivus.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 crit threat
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 44 > [d20=11]
> OOC: The othe rone too.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 crit threat
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 52 > [d20=13]
> OOC: 5 hits and one crit. AC is 50 right now.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Gimme a mo
> OOC: Sure.
<Muirfinn> roll 3#5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed)
<Muirfinn> roll 2#4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw)
<Muirfinn> roll 2#2d8+5+17 (Wing)
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 61, 70, 58 >
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 44, 35 >
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 31, 35 >
<Muirfinn> OOC: Mid is the crit
> The demon's body is already exposed and its head is gone. This is all Muirfinn nees, claws stabbing into both arms. With a meaty RIP he rips both away, then come back in to sever demon's legs off! The torso hangs in the air a moment before Muirfinn slams it down with a wing, followed by a draconic stomp! It's enough to crush what's left of the demon - and a moment later the world becomes one giant explosion! OOC: Ref, y'all.
> roll 1d20+36 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 53 > [d20=17]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28+6 evasion y'all
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 39 > [d20=5]
<Muirfinn> OOC: That was terrible
> OOC: Still made the DC.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yay!
> The blast shatters the arena and knocks Antenora back, while Muirfinn cannot dodge. So he merely presses down, warping the explosion so it misses him entirely! As the arena shatters, the air around you begins to twist once more! "We need to move!" Antenora calls, flying ahead at a dead sprint, but not before sending divine succor to the both of you! OOC: +80 healed, Muirfinn. Act.
* Muirfinn gives a powerful flap of his wings, air bending and breaking audibly around him with a thundering crack as he accelerates rapidly. He flies under Antenora, allowing her to latch on before taking off at top speed. OOC: Runnnnnnnn
> OOC: Speed?
<Muirfinn> OOC: 1160ft/round
<Muirfinn> OOC: So real goddamn fast
<Muirfinn> OOC: 131 mph
> With lightning speed and draconic wings, the two rush forward! Hands erupts from the disruption - thousands of hands, from the size of baby's fingers to big enough to grasp mountains! Yet Muirfinn is a hair faster, hand after hand falling away as he zooms past and away, leaving the distortion behind! OOC: We'll pause there, it's late and you escaped the trap.
<Muirfinn> OOC: 131.8181818181818 mph to be precise

[Anastasia]

> With lightning speed and draconic wings, the two rush forward! Hands erupts from the disruption - thousands of hands, from the size of baby's fingers to big enough to grasp mountains! Yet Muirfinn is a hair faster, hand after hand falling away as he zooms past and away, leaving the distortion behind! OOC: Go ahead and react now.
* Muirfinn pushes on ahead, manfully fleeing the weird reality behind him.
> OOC: First of all, did you add the +80 HP healing from divine succor as you fled? Also get in the #cauldron nag nag nag.
<Muirfinn> OOC: I had forgotten. It's done. Renag.
> Antenora holds on tight as you flee. She looks back as you do, the hands left behind, 'A power that be noticed us. Hopefully it was only Mandalos and not a demon lord or prince.' Antenora's gaze stays back. She meanwhile chants a healing prayer, "Queen of the Battlefield, guide me to the Weave of the Mother..." she prays. OOC: Heal, +150 HP restored to her.
<Muirfinn> "If it is, we will deal with it."
> Antenora smiles in spite of herself as you zoom along, "Good," she pats Muirfinn's scales as the two race along. OOC: More.
> roll 1d100
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 99 > [d100=99]
> OOC: Enough time to refresh your HP completely.
> On the party zips. You only fly for a moment or two before...
> roll 1d20+32 (+4 vs evil, -10 ???)
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 46 > [d20=14]
> You fly on for another ten minutes before you come to a segment of the wall riddled with fossils. The fossils are of huge beasts, long reduced to little more than decoration. No sign of more demons for now, only the endless chasm beneath you.
<Muirfinn> "This it?"
> "It should be," Antenora says, "Can you see past illusions? Fly around and look for an opening from a false wall."
* Muirfinn flies around slowly, peering at the wall carefully. OOC: Spot check or...?
> OOC: Spot, sure.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+48
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 49 > [d20=1]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Guh
> roll 1d100
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 80 > [d100=80]
> It takes some time - undisturbed time. But you find a gap in the wall where it's little more than illusion, a path leading to within.
<Muirfinn> "There," Muirfinn says, swooping toward the gap. "I see it."
> "Let's do this. Be ready for anything," Antenora warns, standing up on Muirfinn's back.
<Muirfinn> OOC: How big's this gap?
> OOC: About 30ft by 20ft.
* Muirfinn flies in close, carefully landing and entering the gap. OOC: I fits!
> The two pass through and in. Ahead is a large cavern. The air ahead is distorted and twisting - merely looking at it makes your heart rise into your throat. It's hard to breathe. You can't focus. The vision ahead makes you want to kneel down adn throw up. There's...something past it. You can't make out what from here.
> Antenora grimaces, "Whatever's ahead is repugnant."
* Muirfinn nods, baring teeth. "I cannot see through the miasma, but we will likely have a fight up ahead." He shrinks down, a pair of wands flying into his hand and a handful of spells are cast. "Thorns or a halo of sand, milady?"
> OOC: What are the mechanical benefits of those?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Halo is deflection +4, thorns deals damage to anyone striking +unarmed.
> Antenora shakes her head, "Save them for those that need them, but thank you anyway." OOC: To be clear, back in normal form?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yes, cannot use spells or magic items with an activation trigger while shapeshifted
> OOC: Right.
* Muirfinn puts the wands away, casting a quick spell on himself and resuming draconic form. OOC: Owl's Wisdom go
<Muirfinn> "Let's head through, shall we?"
> "Hold," Antenora shakes her head, "I may be able to bring down the distortion ahead."
<Muirfinn> "By all means, than."
> Antenora looks ahead unblinkingly, "Weave, unravel!" she commands!
> roll 1d20+29
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 38 > [d20=9]
> The distortion ahead screams like a wounded child, righting itself into rational space! Ahead is a large fortress built into the side of the canyon. It is an impassive ediface that looms before you, the gates criss-crossed with bands of iron. Carved into the left gate is a smaller, normal sized door.
<Muirfinn> "Subtle or not?"
> Antenora hms a moment, "I doubt we'll catch them unawares," she admits, "But let us converse our strength. There's little point battering down the gates unless we have to. With that distortion as a warning, I wonder what lies within. An anti-soul laboratory...I shudder at the implications."
> *conserve
<Muirfinn> "Oh, I can likely bring down the doors without expending any of my personal energy."
<Muirfinn> "And it'll supply them with a large distraction."
<Muirfinn> "Emphasis on large." Muirfinn waggles scaly eyebrows.
> Antenora nods then, "If it's so easy then, do it. But be ready in case it unleashes something horrible." She stares ahead, bracing.
* Muirfinn nods, shrinking back down to tortle size! He flips a staff from his quiver, cracking it against the ground and growling in Terran. A moment later, four massive elementals surge from the canyon walls as though through water. "Bring down those walls and kill as many demons and abominations within as you can!" he shouts in Terran, and as one they go to work, gliding forward to strike the
* Muirfinn gate. OOC: Four charges expended. Unsubtle mode engaged. Four earth monoliths.
> OOC: Make CL checks on them?
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+20
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+20
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+20
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+20
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 32 > [d20=12]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 30 > [d20=10]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 34 > [d20=14]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 40 > [d20=20]
> The four elementals appear, towering in the cavern as the begin to ravage the front of the fortress!  They strike the gate as one! OOC: Roll damage on each.
<Muirfinn> roll 6d8+18
<Muirfinn> roll 6d8+18
<Muirfinn> roll 6d8+18
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 48 > [d8=3,6,3,8,7,3]
<Muirfinn> roll 6d8+18
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 41 > [d8=7,7,2,1,5,1]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 38 > [d8=3,5,1,7,1,3]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 41 > [d8=3,3,6,7,2,2]
<Muirfinn> roll 6d8+18
<Muirfinn> roll 6d8+18
<Muirfinn> roll 6d8+18
<Muirfinn> roll 6d8+18
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 37 > [d8=2,5,4,3,2,3]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 50 > [d8=2,8,8,3,8,3]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 43 > [d8=5,5,3,3,5,4]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 46 > [d8=6,6,2,7,6,1]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yay full attack
> The gate before you cracks, shudders and breaks! Before you - gah! Pure emptiness is ahead, utter blackness that churns like the stormy ocean! You can see floating places within, impossible shapes that endlessly turn and twist. A screaming gray goo, stretched apart and forming a face forever screaming. An elephant's head tugged apart by hooks, an empty and exposed eye dripping silvery liquid that is collected in a basin below. Dozens of hanging bodies, limp and sobbing as they rot before your eyes. You only have a chance to glance before...OOC: Str, all of you.
> roll 1d20+9 Antenora
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 20 > [d20=11]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+7
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 26 > [d20=19]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Good time for that
> OOC: Yes. Roll for the elementals.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Dur
<Muirfinn> roll 4#1d20+18
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 23, 23, 23, 22 >
<Muirfinn> OOC: Wow
<Muirfinn> OOC: Those are TERRIBLE
> The elementals are pulled in, stretching before your eyes! They're spread out like putty, screaming as hooks appear from nowhere to spread them further. Meanwhile Antenora and Muirfinn are able to brace themselves, staying put despite the suction.
> OOC: Gah
<Muirfinn> OOC: But they scored higher than Antenora!
> OOC: Distance. Y'all are farther back so less suction.
<Muirfinn> OOC: I mean, I'm not arguing.
> The elementals are pulled in, stretching before your eyes! They're spread out like putty, screaming as hooks appear from nowhere to spread them further. Meanwhile Antenora and Muirfinn are able to brace themselves, staying put despite the suction. "Muirfinn," Antenora shouts over the din, befor switching to telepathy, 'The stretched face and what's happening to the elementals - it's directly twisting their souls.'
<Muirfinn> "Oh. Well. That won't do at all." Muirfinn says, peering intently at the face. OOC: How far is it?
> OOC: You're about 50ft away from the source of the vacuum. It's in there somewhere, hard to see. Also standing here may not be stable as suction. May want to do something about that.
* Muirfinn intones a word in Terran, causing the ground before them to rise up and grant them six feet of cover from the vortex. OOC: Stone Shape
<Muirfinn> OOC: That work for a temporary barrier?
> The barrier appears, providing defense against the suction. Antenora kneels before it, "Any ideas?" OOC: Yes.
<Muirfinn> "Well, I thought I'd hurl rocks and things at it until it dies." Muirfinn says, pointing over the barrier as a trio of boulders appear, streaking into the vortex to smash into the stretched screaming face. OOC: Bombardment whee
<Muirfinn> OOC: It have SR>?
> OOC: The vortex? No. What's the spell do?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Deals damage in a 15 foot radius
> The boulders appear and are sucked into the vortex! They rapidly expand and flatten, before exploding into shards that stretch out! This pattern repeats and repeats as they get sucked deeper in, becoming a storm of incredibly flat and stretched out stones.
* Muirfinn frowns. "Well that's not going to work."
> "What is..." Antenora peeks over and mutters, "Is he trying to use distortions to stretch souls out like that? That doesn't make sense. Souls aren't manipulatable by physical forces. There's more to that anomaly than just that."
<Muirfinn> "Right! Magic! Can you dispel the vortex? I can try to control it, but that'll take a bit of time."
> Antenora nods and peeks out, holding on tight as she focuses! "Begone, nightmare!" she cries out, words sucked into the vortex as...
> roll 1d20+29
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 37 > [d20=8]
> But nothing happens, the vortex still howling! "But there's still no demons...are there any demons ahead at all?" Antenora mutters, "Or is this too much for even them to endure?"
* Muirfinn begins muttering words in Auran, wind flowing from nothing to push counter against the pull of the vortex. before long a great whipping gale force arrives to rail against the power of the vortex. OOC: Greater Whirlwind, in an effort to negate the vortex.
<Muirfinn> "Not sure! Perhaps the thing consumed whatever was using it!"
> OOC: Link me.
> OOC: Where exactly are you placing it?
<Muirfinn> OOC: At the edge of the disturbance, like it's standing on the entry to the void.
> OOC: Okay.
> A great whirlwind appears! The two forces clash, for a moment bringing an unearthly calm to everything. Then the distortion ahead shifts! The wall all around it and the fortress crumbles, the greater whirlwind breaking apart and stretching dozens of times. Ahead of you is a large, pulsing mass of spinning distortion, hundreds and hundreds of stretched souls within. Within it a pair of red eyes appear, "Too late, much too late," it chides, "The anti-soul experiments are a success! I have broken down the laws of spirits!" The voice is a howling laugh, "Synethesis and replication of souls is possible by endlessly breaking them into smaller pieces. When they go below the minimum possible size, they become the opposite of souls - howling nothingness. Emptiness. A complete break in awareness!"
<Muirfinn> "Not good." Muirfinn hunkers down. "Any ideas?"
> "This abomination is a mockery of a plane! Muirfinn, planes absorb the souls of many who die and come to them, yes? This is the process in reverse. Instead of becoming one with them, they are forever aparty and empty, feeding a single awareness connected to it all." Antenora looks to Muirfinn, face calm now. "We fight. This cannot be allowed."
<Muirfinn> "Of course we fight." Muirfinn says. "We need a plan, though, because just throwing ourselves at it will probably only result in losing our souls."

[Anastasia]

> "We need a way to separate them." Antenora responds, the winds howling against your barrier. "Direct harm may or may not be capable of it. If not, we need to get creative." As she says that, the storm outside intensifies! OOC: Init. The baddie's starting to move.
> roll 1d20+9 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+9 Antenora and gets 22." [1d20=13]
* Muirfinn taps his beak. "I can be creative. Probably."
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+12 and gets 28." [1d20=16]
> roll 1d20+8 Yesthalae
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+8 Yesthalae and gets 14." [1d20=6]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(28)>Antenora(22)>Yesthalae(14)'
> OOC: Open Muirfinn. The storm's raging about 50ft from you.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Does this thing have any kind of corporeal form, or is it just wind and hate?
> OOC: It looks like a pulsing whirlwind of spinning distortion made of hundreds of stretched souls. It also has red eyes in there. So not terribly, no.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Grand.
* Ebiris (Ebiris@cpc9-sgyl30-2-0-cust73.sgyl.cable.virginm.net) Quit (Quit: )
<Muirfinn> "Well, let's try this again." Muirfinn says, concentrating on stopping the whirling winds. OOC: Control Winds, will link
> OOC: Make a quick caster level check.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+22
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+22 and gets 41." [1d20=19]
> Muirfinn calls on the power to control wind itself! The whirlwind slows down, the tremendous winds down to a breeze! The howling din lessens into a confused groan of pain! At this Antenora rises, wind whipping in the breeze as she untangles a rope from her belt. She grabs it and tosses it right at the stilled whirlwind!
> roll 1d20+38 touch AC
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+38 touch AC and gets 45." [1d20=7]
> The rope becomes bands of opal light that wrap around the storm. Despite being little more than wind and hate, it binds the creature tightly! "This isn't part of the experiment!" the voice of the whirlwind screams, "Explain yourselves! EXPLAIN!" At it howls, it struggles against the bonds - but nothing happens! OOC: Can't make the check to escape while control winded. Go Muirfinn.
> "It's corporeal while held by the rope," Antenora says, "It should be vulnerable."
<Muirfinn> OOC: Control Winds lasts 220 mins, fyi
> OOC: Noted.
<Muirfinn> "Well." Muirfinn says, shifting once more into dragon form. "That's much better."
> OOC: Doing anything but shifting
> ?
<Muirfinn> With a quick snort, a blast of ice and snow hurls itself from Muirfinn's maw!
<Muirfinn> roll 22d6 cold
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 22d6 cold and gets 79." [22d6=5, 3, 2, 2, 6, 2, 3, 5, 5, 1, 4, 3, 6, 2, 3, 4, 1, 4, 6, 4, 2, 6]
> The demon-whirlwind is unable to dodge, blasted heartily by Muirfinn's cold. Ice rims it all over, the eyes widening at the blast. At this Antenora gestures, "Be torn apart, demon!" A blast of holy energy gathers within the whirlwind, exploding out from it!
> roll 1d20+29 vs SR
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+29 vs SR and gets 49." [1d20=20]
> roll 20d8
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 20d8 and gets 100." [20d8=4, 4, 8, 4, 2, 5, 8, 7, 1, 3, 4, 7, 1, 3, 8, 7, 5, 5, 6, 8]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Woo!
> roll 1d20+20
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+20  and gets 35." [1d20=15]
> The detonation of holy power hits the whirlwind, causing it to glow with opal light as a few of the stretched souls are torn free. Icy winds crack apart as they escape, flying away just as fast as Muirfinn's eye can follow them. OOC: It still can't effectively act. Go Muirfinn.
> OOC: Roll your d4 on breath.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4 and gets 3." [1d4=3]
<Muirfinn> OOC: My brain just automatically assumes it'll be 4 rounds >_>
> OOC: Right. Anyway, act.
* Muirfinn lumbers forward, jaws snatching out at the frozen winds as he loses into melee. OOC: Just the bite, alas no full attack. Too far awaaaayyyyy
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 and gets 47." [1d20=3]
> OOC: hit.
> OOC: Hit, even.
<Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17 counts as magiccc
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 counts as magiccc and gets 39." [4d8=1, 8, 6, 7]
> The bite tears into the whirlwind, ripping it apart like airy flesh. Another soul escapes as Muirfinn chomps away part. At this Antenora rises, spear glowing with power as she screams wordlessly and charges the abomination before you.
> roll 1d20+48 (+1 haste, +13 smite evil, +14 furious strike, +4 fiend dread, divine retribution, -29 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+48 (+1 haste, +13 smite evil, +14 furious strike, +4 fiend dread, divine retribution, -29 PA) and gets 56." [1d20=8]
> roll 3d8+600+7d6+4d6+20d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 3d8+600+7d6+4d6+20d6 and gets 721." [3d8=7, 3, 7][7d6=4, 4, 5, 4, 1, 2, 4][4d6=4, 6, 4, 2][20d6=1, 6, 4, 6, 4, 4, 5, 1, 1, 1, 3, 1, 5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 2, 1, 1]
> The charge slams right into the center of the whirlwind. Already frozen over and bitten open, the spear plunges right in. Opal light floods the entire whirlwind as it explodes out, souls escaping all around you. The scream of the demon fades into nothingness, the breeze dying down as absolute stillness fills the air. OOC: Free act. That's one boss fight that got completely shut down.
* Muirfinn picks windstuff out of his teeth with a foreclaw, glancing around. "Nice hit."
> Antenora takes out a cloth and wipes her spear clean, then goes to gather up her rope. "So many foes can do horrible things if allowed to persist. Better to wipe them away in one overwhelming assault." There's nothing unusual now - the entire cave is still and silent.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Nothing left, not even the lab?
> OOC: Just the ruins of it. It crumbled in the whirlwind.
<Muirfinn> Like any decent and wholesome dragon, Muirfinn pokes around the ruins of the lab for shiny valuables!
> OOC: Search check.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+13 True Seeing ACTIVE
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+13 True Seeing ACTIVE and gets 23." [1d20=10]
> The place is rather ruined. You begin to poke through it - but you don't have much time. Antenora whirls around and calls, "Muirfinn!"
* Muirfinn looks up. "Yes?
<Muirfinn> :
<Muirfinn> :
<Muirfinn> "
<Muirfinn> OOC: GOD DAMMIT
> Antenora's looking back the way you came. Outside you see demons. Hundreds of demons, blotting out anything but great hordes of them. Thousands of sets of eyes stare at the two, a moment of absolute silence as eyes meet multitudes of eyes.
<Muirfinn> "Oh."
<Muirfinn> "That. That's a small problem."
> OOC: Both of you have one action before all Abyss breaks loose. Use it how you please.
* Muirfinn shrinks down to tortle-shape. "Soooo...Time Stop!"
> OOC: Casting Time Stop? Roll it.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4+1
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4+1 and gets 3." [1d4=2]
> OOC: 3 rounds. Use it as you see fit.
* Muirfinn takes a brief moment to look around. OOC: The gap to get in here is rather large, yes? Can we Gate out of here?
> The exit out is completely clogged with demons. There's space ahead and around and behind, though. 50ft before the ruins about 50ft ahead before the exit and the demon horde.
<Muirfinn> OOC: And can we only Gate out at the designated points?
> OOC: Well, it was known that the lab and surrounding area was warded.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Faaaaantastic.
* Muirfinn uses the remaining rounds to summon greater storm elementals! OOC: Burning 2 remaining 9th level slots for SNA IX
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4+1
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4+1
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4+1 and gets 2." [1d4=1]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4+1 and gets 5." [1d4=4]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Seven!
> OOC: Where are they appearing?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Mouth of the cave, giving us time and using their AOE immediately
> OOC: Okay. More coming.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Will roll damage whenever you're ready for it
* Muirfinn shifts back into dragon form as time speeds back up!
> Time slows down as Muirfinn becomes faster. With a gesture, seven storm elementals appear, back to back to back! They all appear and...OOC: Act for them. Also sec on my end. Resolve the damage and note any DCs. Note that demons are immune to electricity so don't bother rolling that.
<Muirfinn> roll 7#10d6 sonic, nice way to say hello
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 7#10d6 sonic, nice way to say hello and gets 264." [7#10d6 = 44, 41, 37, 36, 39, 31, 36]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Fort 28 for half
<Muirfinn> The elementals immediately explode with thunder and lightning, the air visibly warping with the immense crack of noise!
> roll 1d20+18 fort
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+18 fort and gets 31." [1d20=13]
> The massive horde of demons is blasted! A rutterkin is torn apart messily, while a vrock's head explodes. A hezrou falls screaming and clutching at its bleeding ears while a namless horror stumbles back, eyes popping like grapes. OOC: Antenora's going now.
> Antenora is forward like a dart, "For Sylica!" she declares, charging into the battered front of the demon army, before they can regroup or react.
> roll 1d20+48 (+1 haste, +13 smite evil, +14 furious strike, +4 fiend dread, divine retribution, -29 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+48 (+1 haste, +13 smite evil, +14 furious strike, +4 fiend dread, divine retribution, -29 PA) and gets 51." [1d20=3]
> roll 3d8+600+7d6+4d6+20d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 3d8+600+7d6+4d6+20d6 and gets 730." [3d8=4, 1, 8][7d6=5, 3, 3, 6, 4, 3, 2][4d6=6, 2, 4, 5][20d6=5, 4, 6, 4, 3, 1, 2, 2, 1, 4, 4, 5, 6, 2, 6, 4, 5, 1, 4, 5]
> Antenora flies through the stormy clouds and din without blinking, diving headlong into the demon's ranks. A dozen are skewered at once, exploding into holy light one after another. Others explode as holy smites detonate amid them, over a hundred demons slaughtered between elementals and Antenora's charge. The way ahead is cleared 15ft, but yet only more demons can be seen. "Hold nothing back, Muirfinn!' she calls. OOC: Init here. There be a shiiiitload of demons. For the sake of ease, just roll the elementals as one block since they all have the same init.
> roll 1d20+9 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+9 Antenora and gets 15." [1d20=6]
> roll 1d20+6 demon army
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 demon army and gets 8." [1d20=2]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Antenora(15)>Demon Army(8)'
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+12 and gets 30." [1d20=18]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(30)>Antenora(15)>Demon Army(8)'
<Muirfinn> OOC: according to rules, eementals act on my turn
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn=Elementals(30)>Antenora(15)>Demon Army(8)'
> OOC: Okay.
> OOC: Go Murifinn.
* Muirfinn makes a gesture and sings a few words in Celestial. As the words peter off, rose petals begin to rain upon the mouth of the cave, falling on the demons. OOC: Rain of Roses. I love this spell. No save. Rolling SR.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+22
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+22 and gets 41." [1d20=19]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Oh hello 19
> roll 1d20+18 fort vs the sickening go roll the wis damage
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+18 fort vs the sickening go roll the wis damage and gets 22." [1d20=4]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Your roll is insufficient.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4 wis damage to anything evil
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4 wis damage to anything evil and gets 3." [1d4=3]
> Red roses come down like rain, slashing through the evil demons assembled. They are stuck and pierced all over, demon after demon growing sick and dazed from the assault! OOC: 3 wis damage. Ow. Elementals
> .
<Muirfinn> roll 7#10d6 fort save 28 sonic
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 7#10d6 fort save 28 sonic and gets 240." [7#10d6 = 44, 34, 33, 33, 39, 30, 27]
> roll 1d20+16 demon army (-2 sickened)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+16 demon army (-2 sickened) and gets 34." [1d20=18]
> roll 1d20+36 mettle Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+36 mettle Antenora and gets 40." [1d20=4]
> More thunderbolts and lightning devastates the demons. They are knocked back even more from it, another few dozen popping from the assault. They simply burst from too much sonic force, exploding out like grapes. Everything around is drenched in gore and viscera, demons dying faster than you can count. Antenora glows amid them, untouched as she wades into the enemies and strikes.
> roll 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like) and gets 41." [1d20=1]
> roll 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like) and gets 56." [1d20=16]
> roll 1d20+35 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+35 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like) and gets 55." [1d20=20]
> roll 1d20+35 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like) crit threat?
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+35 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like) crit threat? and gets 46." [1d20=11]
> roll 1d20+43 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like, +13 furious strike)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+43 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -10 PA, will use one swift to quick-cast death ward to prevent level draining shenanigans or the like, +13 furious strike) and gets 57." [1d20=14]
> roll 1d20+25 final
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+25 final and gets 34." [1d20=9]
> roll 1d8+54+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+54+4d6 and gets 75." [1d8=6][4d6=5, 1, 6, 3]
> roll 3d8+162+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 3d8+162+4d6 and gets 187." [3d8=2, 8, 5][4d6=2, 4, 3, 1]
> roll 1d8+54+4d6+7d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+54+4d6+7d6 and gets 93." [1d8=2][4d6=2, 4, 5, 4][7d6=5, 6, 1, 1, 3, 3, 3]
> roll 1d8+54+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+54+4d6 and gets 73." [1d8=1][4d6=5, 4, 6, 3]
> Yet more demons are skewered! A marilith is impaled and used to beat a pair of fat, bloated fiery fiends to death. Then she whirls around and caves the skull in of another dazed dretch, all before bursts of light incinerate a kelvezu and a dozen other nameless, shapeless horrors with it. For the merest moment you have peace, before the army rallies and charges in, the world exploding in burst after burst of unholy power and elemental might! OOC: Army's up. Do the elementals have SR or anything?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Nope!
> roll 1d20+22 vs SR 42
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+22 vs SR 42 and gets 36." [1d20=14]
> roll 20d6 unholy fire damage vs elementals, make ref elementals
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 20d6 unholy fire damage vs elementals, make ref elementals and gets 66." [20d6=3, 4, 1, 6, 1, 5, 4, 6, 2, 1, 3, 2, 5, 3, 2, 3, 5, 2, 6, 2]
<Muirfinn> OOC: They have DR 10!
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+14 and gets 18." [1d20=4]
> OOC: 66 damage to all of them. Are they still breathing?
<Muirfinn> OOC: And ready to explode again
> A great blast of unholy black fire consumes all in front of the demons! Antenora isn't touched, the flames vanishing when they get within 7 feet of her. The elementals are scorched, tinted black b y the blast of unholy power! Then the full might of the demons gazes on you, countless eyes staring at the party! OOC: Will save. This is mind-affecting and fear. Antenora's immune to fear so no save, and I'm pretty sure Muirfinn is too. Elementals probably need will, though.
<Muirfinn> OOC: I'm fine
> OOC: Right. Roll will for the elementals unless they're immune.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+7 elementals was checking for immunity
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+7 elementals was checking for immunity and gets 11." [1d20=4]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Aaaaand off they go
> OOC: Elementals are panicked. See the SRD.
<Muirfinn> OOC: You emoting it or shall I?
> Raw fear crackles through, sending the elementals into a panicked tizzy! Then a great tidal wave of frozen water and ice erupts out, slamming through all! OOC: Ref all. Note if you have evasion. More's still coming, Yuth.
> roll 1d20+36 immune to cold damage Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+36 immune to cold damage Antenora and gets 54." [1d20=18]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Is that a water effect or a cold effect?
> OOC: Cold and water. Bonuses against either applies.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Immune to water effects
> OOC: Okay. Roll for the elementals.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+14 elementals
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+14 elementals and gets 28." [1d20=14]
> roll 15d10 cold damage half elementals only
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 15d10 cold damage half elementals only and gets 72." [15d10=5, 2, 1, 7, 3, 6, 7, 6, 5, 6, 5, 8, 2, 2, 7]
> OOC: Elementals still kicking?
<Muirfinn> OOC: YUP
> The great wave passes over the party! Antenora endures and stands unbowed, while the elementals are flash-frozen! They hold their ground, frigid but alive. Muirfinn merely parts the wave by raising his hand, water not daring to strike him! All around you the stone becomes ice, strange patterns and dark sigils appearing as it forms. Then greasy blackness envelopes everything far and wide, a massive unholy blight of a hundred demons slamming down on all!
> roll 1d20+22 SR vs 42 for Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+22 SR vs 42 for Antenora and gets 37." [1d20=15]
> OOC: Will, elementals and Muirfinn.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+7 elements
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+7 elements and gets 23." [1d20=16]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+37
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+37 and gets 55." [1d20=18]
> roll 10d8 elementals full
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 10d8 elementals full and gets 41." [10d8=3, 5, 3, 6, 1, 7, 2, 8, 5, 1]
> roll 20d6 Muirfinn half
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 20d6 Muirfinn half and gets 62." [20d6=2, 4, 5, 4, 1, 1, 5, 4, 4, 1, 1, 6, 1, 5, 5, 1, 5, 2, 4, 1]
> OOC: Elementals still up?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yep
> This time the darkness gnaws at all like hungry teeth. Muirfinn endures with patience borne of long battles, fending off the worst of it. The elementals are devoured by it, further torn apart by the hungry darkness. Yet Antenora still shines amid all the demons, the darkness not touching her. At this the great horde crashes forward - no more magic, instead countless attacks falling on the elementals and Antenora!
> roll 1d20+21 Elementals
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+21 Elementals and gets 30." [1d20=9]
> roll 1d20+13 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+13 Antenora and gets 21." [1d20=8]
> roll 1d20+8 Elementals
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+8 Elementals and gets 14." [1d20=6]
> roll 1d20+30 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 Antenora and gets 42." [1d20=12]
> roll 1d20+23 Elementals
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+23 Elementals and gets 34." [1d20=11]
> roll 1d20+14 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+14 Antenora and gets 27." [1d20=13]
> roll 1d20+11 Elementals
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+11 Elementals and gets 27." [1d20=16]
> roll 1d20+30 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 Antenora and gets 45." [1d20=15]
> roll 1d20+4 Elementas
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+4 Elementas and gets 11." [1d20=7]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Elemental AC 22
> roll 1d20+19 antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 antenora and gets 36." [1d20=17]
> roll 1d20+12 Elementals
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+12 Elementals and gets 25." [1d20=13]
> OOC: Noted.
> roll 1d10+9+3d6+19+2d12+12+1d10+11+2d6+4d6+3d6+2d8+1d4+5d4 elementals ow
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d10+9+3d6+19+2d12+12+1d10+11+2d6+4d6+3d6+2d8+1d4+5d4 elementals ow and gets 139." [1d10=8][3d6=3, 1, 1][2d12=8, 4][1d10=5][2d6=2, 5][4d6=6, 1, 2, 1][3d6=5, 6, 3][2d8=5, 3][1d4=4][5d4=4, 4, 3, 2, 2]
> OOC: -10 for DR for a total of -40 from those four attacks. The dice at the end are addon sources of damage.
<Muirfinn> OOC: NOW they're toast
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(30)>Antenora(15)>Demon Army(8)'
> Utter chaos erupts. Antenora is surrounded and fending off countless horrors, while the elementals are swarmed under! They're torn apart and the way to Muirfinn is open! Slavering demon-heads lunge for him, while massive claws try to grab him and dozens of centaur like, armored demons charge him as one! OOC: Muirfinn, you're up.
<Muirfinn> "Well." Muirfinn says, shifting back to dragon form. "This is all quite rude." OOC: What's their distance?
> OOC: 20ft away adn closing.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Do I get AoOs?
> OOC: No, you just tranformed. If they're moving in on their next turn, yes.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Okay.
* Muirfinn lashes out with sudden and brutal violence!
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+38 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Tail
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 57." [1d20=14]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 55." [1d20=12]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+38 Unarmed and gets 42." [1d20=4]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 Unarmed and gets 53." [1d20=20]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+28 Unarmed and gets 31." [1d20=3]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 46." [1d20=7]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 55." [1d20=16]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Wing and gets 50." [1d20=11]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Wing and gets 51." [1d20=12]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Tail and gets 55." [1d20=16]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 to confirm crit
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 to confirm crit and gets 50." [1d20=17]
> OOC: All hits. They're quantity, not AC.
<Muirfinn> OOC: OHHH BOY
<Muirfinn> roll 4#5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed)
<Muirfinn> roll 2#5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed crit)
<Muirfinn> roll 2#4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw)
<Muirfinn> roll 2#2d8+5+17 (Wing)
<Muirfinn> roll 4d6+5+25 (Tail Slap)
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4#5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed) and gets 235." [4#5d10+5+17+2d6 = 53, 70, 61, 51]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 2#5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed crit) and gets 96." [2#5d10+5+17+2d6 = 49, 47]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 2#4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw) and gets 88." [2#4d6+5+17+2d6 = 36, 52]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 2#2d8+5+17 (Wing) and gets 60." [2#2d8+5+17 = 29, 31]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d6+5+25 (Tail Slap) and gets 42." [4d6=6, 2, 2, 2]
> The demon detachment that charges Muirfinn is decimanted. A bite devours a dozen of the riders whole, while his blows and tail shatter the charging abominations that attempt to lay him low! In a second, several dozen demons are naught but ash on the wind, the dragon standing triumphant! Meanwhile Antenora suddenly dives back, the way cleared by Muirfinn's massacre, before she dives headlong into the demons once more with a shout!
> roll 1d20+48 (+1 haste, +13 smite evil, +14 furious strike, +4 fiend dread, divine retribution, -29 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+48 (+1 haste, +13 smite evil, +14 furious strike, +4 fiend dread, divine retribution, -29 PA) and gets 49." [1d20=1]
> Antenora plunges into the depths, but this time a wall of demons stops her! Darkness and eyes spread out all over, her spear plunging into an inky abyss rather than any demons! Then the demons advance towards her, becoming nothing but inky darkness! A massive tidal wave of black comes for both Antenora and Muirfinn! OOC: Ref you two.
> roll 1d20+36 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+36 Antenora and gets 50." [1d20=14]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36+6 and gets 60." [1d20=18]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Evasion
> roll 40d6 halve this Antenora Muirfinn evades
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 40d6 halve this Antenora Muirfinn evades and gets 130."]
> The demons blur together and become a massive tidal wave! It pushes the both of you back in the cave, landing amid the ruins! All around you is darkness, full of eyes and leering faces, ever shifting! From it steps out a trio. The first is dressed in an immaculate white military uniform full of medals and decorations. He carries a metal baton and wears a close-fitting, matching cap. His skin is dark purple and smooth, his gaze scornful. On his right is a grinning, leering creature at least a dozen feet tall, all muscle and with six arms. It is nude save for hundreds of rusty metal piercings driven into its body. On his left is a sneering, tremendously fat nalfeshnee. It carries a thorn-laden whip with it. They stand 30ft away. The uniformed man claps once, "I thought I smelled a devil whore," he says coldly, "Whatever she offered you to serve was too little, tortle." His face stays distant and controlled, yet a hint of disdain comes to it. "My army of ten thousand demons does not seem likely to be sufficient against a real enemy, so I'll claim your souls personally."
* Muirfinn responds by bathing them in permafrost.
<Muirfinn> roll 22d6 cold fort 30
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 22d6 cold fort 30 and gets 84." [22d6=5, 3, 5, 6, 2, 1, 5, 4, 2, 6, 4, 1, 6, 2, 2, 5, 3, 5, 4, 5, 2, 6]
> OOC: That'll nicely cut off repartee. Roll init, this is technically a new encounter.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Reflex
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+12 and gets 18." [1d20=6]
> roll 1d20+9 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+9 Antenora and gets 14." [1d20=5]
> roll 1d20+6 black demon army
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 black demon army and gets 15." [1d20=9]
> roll 1d20+10 uniformed demon
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+10 uniformed demon and gets 16." [1d20=6]
> roll 1d20+8 six armed demon
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+8 six armed demon and gets 13." [1d20=5]
> roll 1d20+17 nalfeshnee
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+17 nalfeshnee and gets 21." [1d20=4]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Whip Nalfeshnee(21)>Muirfinn(18)>Uniformed Demon(16)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)>Six Armed Demon(13)'
> Before anyone else can strike, the nalfeshnee snaps its whip at Muirfinn! As it does, "Surrender your soul, dragon! Your judgment is here!"
> roll 1d20+41
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+41  and gets 46." [1d20=5]
> roll 1d20+36
> roll 1d20+31
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+36 and gets 44." [1d20=8]
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+31 and gets 46." [1d20=15]
> roll 1d20+26
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+26 and gets 34." [1d20=8]
> OOC: AC?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Not even close. 72.
> But the lashes bounce off Muirfinn's scales! The thorns fail to even scratch them in the least! The demon snarls as Muirfinn's mind is suddenly clouded. OOC: Immune to mind-affecting?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yup!
> But nothing happens! Muirfinn shakes it off! OOC: Go.
> "Repent or be wiped from Creation!" Antenora declares, wiping her brow of a wrinkled, deformed cut. Blood trickles down her face from it, down her nose and both sides of her mouth.
> "You can't be serious," The uniformed man scowls, "No. All you are good for is currency. Your souls will buy me millions of demons and thralls. The violations of your spirits will be the entertainment of the demon lords. This victory will be a military conquest written about for ages. But you...you are good for nothing but that, both of you!"
* Muirfinn stares at the nalfeshnee. "Your efforts and skill are insufficient. You cannot harm me. Turn and leave. This is the only quarter I will grant you."
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+40 diplo check that's right diplo check
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+40 diplo check that's right diplo check and gets 55." [1d20=15]
> OOC: That would be an intimidation check if anything.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+14 and gets 26." [1d20=12]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Significantly less impressive!
> The demon does not seem the slightest bit phased. He meets Muirfinn's glare without the slightest fear at all. OOC: He's also immune to fear, which shuts down intimidation. Anything else this round?
<Muirfinn> "Very well. Know that I gave you a choice."
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44 bite
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 bite and gets 60." [1d20=16]
> OOC: hit.
> OOC: Hit, even.
<Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17 counts as magic
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 counts as magic and gets 27." [4d8=1, 1, 7, 1]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Oh wow hatbot

[Anastasia]

> Muirfinn leans in, chomping down at the demon. He catches its arm and bites hard, tearing into the unholy, toughened flesh. Lines of frost ries through its veins in the aftermath, the cold of the bite spreading throughout it. As this happens...OOC: Uniformed demon is up.
> "Die!" The uniformed demon gestures with its baton, waving it about frantically. The black demon army writhes all around you, dozens of weapons emerging from the dark flow. They assault both Muirfinn and Antenora like a storm, striking from every angle!
> roll 1d20+53 Muirfinn
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+53 Muirfinn and gets 57." [1d20=4]
> roll 1d20+53 Antenora AC, Muirfinn?
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+53 Antenora AC, Muirfinn? and gets 56." [1d20=3]
<Muirfinn> OOC: 70-something
> roll 6d12+60 Antenora beats her DR
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 6d12+60 Antenora beats her DR and gets 106." [6d12=11, 10, 2, 6, 8, 9]
> The varied assaults bounce off Muirfinn's hide! Not a one can chip his augmented form, clanging like rain against a mountain! Meanwhile Antenora is battered by them, knocked around all over! Cuts and bruises show all over her body, as then the army breaks into chaos! The assault changes, becoming an unfocused hellstorm! OOC: Black army is up.
> roll 10#1d20 20-fishing, none of these have the bonus to hit on anything but, Muirfinn first
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 10#1d20 20-fishing, none of these have the bonus to hit on anything but, Muirfinn first and gets 116." [10#1d20 = 1, 2, 7, 10, 17, 19, 15, 20, 20, 5]
> roll 1d20 crit confirm 1
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 crit confirm 1 and gets 12." [1d20=12]
> roll 1d20 crit confirm 2
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 crit confirm 2 and gets 2." [1d20=2]
> roll 2d12+14
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d12+14 and gets 25." [2d12=4, 7]
> roll 1d10+3+3d6 3d6 is SA if you negate precision damage
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d10+3+3d6 3d6 is SA if you negate precision damage and gets 24." [1d10=9][3d6=5, 2, 5]
> roll 10#1d20 20-fishing, none of these have the bonus to hit on anything but, Antenora next
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 10#1d20 20-fishing, none of these have the bonus to hit on anything but, Antenora next and gets 90." [10#1d20 = 17, 13, 16, 13, 5, 8, 6, 4, 5, 3]
> A rain of attacks come down, a wild assault that batters both! Antenora forces them away with a scream, glorious light causing the demons to howl and retreat back. Muirfinn is not so fortunate, battered and wounded from sheer weight of force. It's not enough to down him, but a few of his scales are cracked and blood r uns down his back. As this happens...OOC: Antenora's up.
> Energy flows into Muirfinn! His wounds heal as Antenora's wounds heal! She darts forward faster than the eye can follow, the army and the whip-demon both lashing at her as she charges to! OOC: Divine succor on both of you with her two swifts. +80 HP healing to both of you.
> roll 1d20 black army 20 fishing
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 black army 20 fishing and gets 5." [1d20=5]
> roll 1d20+41
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+41 and gets 52." [1d20=11]
> In a moment Antenora is -there-, spear going for the throat of the commander!
> roll 1d20+44 (+2 charge, +13 smite evil, +4 fiend dread, -20 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+44 (+2 charge, +13 smite evil, +4 fiend dread, -20 PA) and gets 51." [1d20=7]
> roll 3d8+519+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 3d8+519+4d6 and gets 535." [3d8=5, 6, 1][4d6=1, 1, 1, 1]
> In between the windup and impalement, the black army moves even faster! It imposes itself between the uniformed demon and the spear, taking the blow directly! The segment of it glows with opal light, dozens of demons exploding out into ash in all directions, like fireworks popping off! Dozens and dozens are utterly incinerated, yet when it clears, the uniformed demon is unharmed. He smirks and thwamps his baton into his palm, "Impressive and even more futile." OOC: Mr. Six-Arms is up.
> The strange creature with six arms spreads them wide. With a sneering grin it laughs, before striking the air before it! Reality itself blurs and shifts, the blows landing all around in defiance of all sense!
> roll 1d20+40 vs Muirfinn (-10 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 vs Muirfinn (-10 PA) and gets 48." [1d20=8]
> roll 1d20+40 vs Antenora (-10 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 vs Antenora (-10 PA) and gets 45." [1d20=5]
> roll 1d20+40 vs Muirfinn (-10 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 vs Muirfinn (-10 PA) and gets 56." [1d20=16]
> roll 1d20+40 vs Antenora (-10 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 vs Antenora (-10 PA) and gets 44." [1d20=4]
> roll 1d20+40 vs Muirfinn (-10 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 vs Muirfinn (-10 PA) and gets 41." [1d20=1]
> roll 1d20+40 vs Antenora (-10 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 vs Antenora (-10 PA) and gets 54." [1d20=14]
> The blows come from all directions. Yet not a one can crack Muirfinn's defenses, each time knocking the blow back and forcing reality to readjust to correctness. Antenora is just too fast, weaving around them in the air. She does a tightly contained flip in the air, going end over end to avoid and swoop through the blows. The uniformed demon watches on, "Yes, fight like that. Make yourselves worth more. At least be useful for something." Meanwhile the nalfeshnee with the whip rears back, whip drawing incomprehensible patterns in the air! A shuddering, bleeding tear in the air appears before Muirfinn, before scalding hot lava explodes in a pressurized torrent at him! OOC: Ref.
> "Fight like that," Antenora wipes blood away from her mouth with the back of her wrist, "Fight until none are left and you are dust in the wind? Gladly, demon!"
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28+6 evasion
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+28+6 evasion and gets 39." [1d20=5]
> roll 20d6 fire damage and more, note if you're immune to fire. Full damage, failed the save.
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 20d6 fire damage and more, note if you're immune to fire. Full damage, failed the save. and gets 81." [20d6=5, 6, 4, 6, 2, 2, 4, 6, 2, 5, 3, 5, 5, 2, 1, 5, 6, 4, 2, 6]
> roll 1d3
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d3 and gets 3." [1d3=3]
<Muirfinn> OOC: BUMMER
* Kotono changes topic to 'Whip Nalfeshnee=Muirfinn's lava bath(21)>Muirfinn(18)>Uniformed Demon(16)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)>Six Armed Demon(13)'
* Kotono changes topic to 'Whip Nalfeshnee=Muirfinn's lava bath(3 rounds)(21)>Muirfinn(18)>Uniformed Demon(16)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)>Six Armed Demon(13)'
> The lava spews out, engulfing Muirfinn in a bubble of boiling torment. It surrounds to him and clings, the lava not cooling as it burns him and continues to burn him! OOC: The lava's sticking on you and not cooling off. It'll continue to do more damage each turn. May wanna do something about that. You're up.
> Around you the black demon army continues to flow and writhe, countless faces glimpsed within, rising up then plummeting back down. Faces of horror, sorrow, hate and torment. They all watch, striving to strike out at all they see, struggling against one another endlessly.
* Muirfinn weathers the spray of molten stone and fire, taking a long heedless step through the flames as his scales change from burnished silver to a brilliant shining gold. He snaps another bite at the whip whip-wielder, chunks of sizzling rock flying as he does! OOC: 10 foot step. Gold form. Fire immune. Hurray.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4 rounds for dragon breath, forgot earlier
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4 rounds for dragon breath, forgot earlier and gets 1." [1d4=1]
<Muirfinn> OOC: OH BOY
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44 bite
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 bite and gets 48." [1d20=4]
> OOC: Hit.
<Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 and gets 40." [4d8=7, 7, 7, 2]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Counts as magic
> The demon gets its side bitten into, the tip of it torn off. Hundreds of writhing maggots fall out of the wound in lieu of blood, breaking apart into wet, purplish goo on the ground. The whip-demon stands its ground, bringing its whip up to ward. OOC: Uniformed demon.
> Standing firm and not retreating an inch, the uniformed demon gestures with its baton, "Strike them all down!" he calls, "Full power!" At this several demons break away and crumble to dust, but the rest surge up and attack in an augmented, overwhelming blitz!
> roll 1d20+53 (+10 ????, -10 PA) Muirfinn
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+53 (+10 ????, -10 PA) Muirfinn and gets 63." [1d20=10]
> roll 1d20+53 (+10 ????, -10 PA) Antenora ACs?
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+53 (+10 ????, -10 PA) Antenora ACs? and gets 63." [1d20=10]
<Muirfinn> OOC: 72 AC
> roll 6d12+80 Antenora beats her DR
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 6d12+80 Antenora beats her DR and gets 101." [6d12=1, 10, 1, 2, 6, 1]
> Antenora is again knocked back and around while Muirfinn endures the rain of blows. Antenora is bloodied all over again as then the army erupts into chaos! All becomes a storm of black lightning, threatening to overwhelm all!
> roll 1d20+22 SR check
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+22 SR check and gets 28." [1d20=6]
> OOC: Ref, Muirfinn.
> OOC: Antenora SRed it.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28+6 evasion
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+28+6 evasion and gets 37." [1d20=3]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Son of a
> roll 9d8 this half is lightning damage full
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 9d8 this half is lightning damage full and gets 45." [9d8=1, 7, 6, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 8]
> roll 9d8 this half is -vile- lightning damage full
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 9d8 this half is -vile- lightning damage full and gets 49." [9d8=3, 5, 8, 8, 7, 1, 8, 7, 2]
> The storm of fury leaves Muirfinn zapped. In this form he can'te vade, scales flashing black as several of them pop off like overcooked meat. The tortle is momentarily dazed, a sense of wrongness overtaking him at the wound. A feeling he's known before - vile damage. As he tries to cope with that...OOC: Antenora's up.
> Antenora glows. Her and Muirfinn's wounds heal once more as she becomes a blur, striking over and over at the writhing black demon army! Even as she does she's doesn't break her gaze on the uniformed demon, meeting him eyes silently.
> OOC: +80 HP for you and her, remmeber that this can't heal the vile damage part of that.
> roll 1d20+45 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+45 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA) and gets 50." [1d20=5]
> roll 1d20+45 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+45 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA) and gets 46." [1d20=1]
> roll 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA) and gets 41." [1d20=1]
> roll 1d20+35 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+35 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA) and gets 52." [1d20=17]
> roll 1d20+30 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 (+1 haste, +4 fiend dread, -5 PA) and gets 33." [1d20=3]
> 1d8+41+4d6
> 1d8+41+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+41+4d6 and gets 63." [1d8=7][4d6=1, 4, 6, 4]
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8+41+4d6 and gets 64." [1d8=5][4d6=6, 3, 5, 4]
> Several more demons from the army are burnt away! As Antenora fights, 'Muirfinn,' She speaks into his mind, 'I'm going to try hitting them as hard as I can again. Heal yourself if you need to, otherwise throw all you have in! I aim to break the six-armed one, can you finish the nalfeshnee?' OOC: Sixarms is up.
> The six-armed demon watches the battles before him with great interest, pausing to focus! His fists explode into cloying, greasy darkness! He then strikes out again, reality twisting to make his blows land where he wishes!
<Muirfinn> 'I'm going to occupy him in a most unpleasant way.'
> roll 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Muirfinn first
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Muirfinn first and gets 49." [1d20=9]
> roll 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Antenora and gets 49." [1d20=9]
> roll 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Muirfinn
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Muirfinn and gets 43." [1d20=3]
> roll 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Antenora and gets 48." [1d20=8]
> roll 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Muirfinn
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Muirfinn and gets 58." [1d20=18]
> roll 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (-10 PA, ??? in effect) Antenora and gets 49." [1d20=9]
> The storm of blows is massive - but again dodging and sheer strength carry the day. The air before you breaks apart, becoming little spaces of pure darkness. The ground beneath you is thick with ash, blood and rot. A chorus of screaming souls is heard from within the army, as...OOC: Whip nalfeshnee is up. FIre damage is ignored since you immune it right now.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Whip Nalfeshnee=Muirfinn's lava bath(2 rounds)(21)>Muirfinn(18)>Uniformed Demon(16)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)>Six Armed Demon(13)'
> Snorting and making its entire body jiggle, the nalfeshnee leaps back! He's fast, moving before Muirfinn can strike. The air takes the scent of bitter almonds, as it lands 30ft further back! It then begins to grow! Its grossly obese body breaks open like overstuffed sausage. From it hundreds of baby's faces emerge, a susurrus of incomprehensible cries. After a moment they shift into words that you know, "Guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty!" The babyheads chant it over and over! OOC: Muirfinn, go.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Whip Nalfeshnee(emerged)=Muirfinn's lava bath(2 rounds)(21)>Muirfinn(18)>Uniformed Demon(16)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)>Six Armed Demon(13)'
<Muirfinn> OOC: Well that's inconvenient.
* Muirfinn raises a massive scaled eyebrow. "Really." He puts his head down and charges! OOC: charging
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44+2
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44+2 and gets 63." [1d20=17]
> OOC: You'll eat an AoO from the army as well as the uniformed demon and the nalfeshnee. Okay with that?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Hit me if you can!
> roll 1d20 army is 20 fishing
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 army is 20 fishing and gets 4." [1d20=4]
> roll 1d20+46 (+5 ???) Nalfeshnee
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+46 (+5 ???) Nalfeshnee and gets 51." [1d20=5]
> roll 1d20+57 (+13 smite good, +4 ???)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+57 (+13 smite good, +4 ???) and gets 70." [1d20=13]
> OOC: AC?
<Muirfinn> OOC: 70
> roll 1d6+57+10d6 and fort
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d6+57+10d6 and fort and gets 89." [1d6=2][10d6=3, 4, 1, 6, 3, 2, 4, 3, 3, 1]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36+6 and gets 61." [1d20=19]
> Whip and flailing demon-assaults miss. Yet as Muirfinn blows past, the baton of the uniformed demon lashes out. It barely touches him, yet it causes his entire side to go numb before exploding in pain! Blood and scales shoot from his left side, half his body devastated with a tap! Currents of unholy power continue to writhe over the surface, twisting Muirfinn's veins into blasphemous patterns! But he charges in and closes his jaws tight around the nalfeshnee! OOC: Hit. Damage.
<Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 and gets 32." [4d8=2, 5, 5, 3]
> The nalfeshnee gets a chomp, part of its shoulder now gone! It's been wounded several times, bleeding maggots and the baby-faces crying out Muirfinn's guilt! OOC: Uniformed demon is up.
<Muirfinn> "You are becoming an irritation."
> "Finish the dragon, he's softened and ready to perish," The uniformed demon calls tersely, turning his attentions to Antenora, "Her soul is mine!" The black demon army gathers as one, becoming a massive blade above that plunges right down at Antenora!
> roll 1d20+53 (+10 ???, -10 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+53 (+10 ???, -10 PA) and gets 69." [1d20=16]
> roll 1d20+36
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+36 and gets 40." [1d20=4]
> roll 12d12+140 ow made the save at last
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 12d12+140 ow made the save at last and gets 201." [12d12=9, 1, 2, 4, 12, 8, 2, 2, 10, 4, 3, 4]
> Antenora is impaled through the shoulder down to her hip, the blade slashing into her! IT explodes out in force, half her body ruined as well! Blood pours freely from her wounds, the angel, sagging down towards that side. But the grip on her spear doesn't lesson, as the army suddenly sends a massive blast of dark blights solely at her!
> roll 1d20+22
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+22 and gets 26." [1d20=4]
> But they roll off, crumbling away to dust! Antenora is then moving in the air, fast as can be! She whirls around the darkness, before rising up and plunging at the six-armed demon like a descending blur!
> roll 1d20 20 fishing demon army AoO
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 20 fishing demon army AoO and gets 9." [1d20=9]
> roll 1d20+48 (+2 charge, +4 fiend dread, +13 furious strike, +1 flying/height advantage, +14 smite evil, using her other swift to cast heal on herself for +150 hp, -29 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+48 (+2 charge, +4 fiend dread, +13 furious strike, +1 flying/height advantage, +14 smite evil, using her other swift to cast heal on herself for +150 hp, -29 PA) and gets 61." [1d20=13]
> roll 3d8+600+4d6+7d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 3d8+600+4d6+7d6 and gets 656." [3d8=4, 4, 4][4d6=3, 3, 5, 1][7d6=5, 3, 1, 6, 6, 5, 6]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Whip Nalfeshnee(emerged)=Muirfinn's lava bath(2 rounds)(21)>Muirfinn(18)>Uniformed Demon(16)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)'
> Antenora plunges down, the black horn spear going right into the demon's brain! It shudders and dissolves in a starburst of holy light, momentarily blinding all with radiance! When it clears, the six armed demon is utterly gone, annihilated! The uniformed demn tsks, "Weakness. A worthless subordinate." OOC: Nalfeshnee and lava is up. Lava is immuend.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Whip Nalfeshnee(emerged)=Muirfinn's lava bath(1 rounds)(21)>Muirfinn(18)>Uniformed Demon(16)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)'
> With the faces declaring Muirfinn's guilt, the looming nalfeshnee strikes at Muirfinn over and over and over again!
> roll 1d20+46 (+5 ???) 20 fishing since Muirfinn has stupid AC
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+46 (+5 ???) 20 fishing since Muirfinn has stupid AC and gets 62." [1d20=16]
> roll 1d20+41
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+41 and gets 48." [1d20=7]
> roll 1d20+36
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+36 and gets 43." [1d20=7]
> roll 1d20+31
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+31 and gets 48." [1d20=17]
> But Muirfinn stands tall! He endures the slew of attacks despite his half destroyed body, stopping the lashes by biting down on the whip and nearly biting it in half! He spits it out, the attacks stopped! OOC: Go.
* Muirfinn becomes a whirling golden ball of death!
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+38 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28 Unarmed
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Tail
> "Then I suppose you're admitting you're weak?" Antenora retorts, as her devastated form heals under her magic. "Only a weak, pathetic little demon would cover behind an underling that can't survive a single hit! The two of us can slaughter demons by the hundreds, and you can't even stop us!"
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 56." [1d20=13]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 52." [1d20=9]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+38 Unarmed and gets 57." [1d20=19]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 Unarmed and gets 51." [1d20=18]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+28 Unarmed and gets 35." [1d20=7]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 44." [1d20=5]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 51." [1d20=12]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Wing and gets 49." [1d20=10]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Wing and gets 45." [1d20=6]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Tail and gets 42." [1d20=3]
> OOC: AC right now is 45. Do the math from there.
<Muirfinn> roll 4#5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed)
<Muirfinn> roll 4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw)
<Muirfinn> roll 2#2d8+5+17 (Wing)
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4#5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed) and gets 236." [4#5d10+5+17+2d6 = 55, 67, 54, 60]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw) and gets 49." [4d6=6, 4, 2, 4][2d6=5, 6]
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 2#2d8+5+17 (Wing) and gets 58." [2#2d8+5+17 = 30, 28]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn's lava bath(1 rounds)(21)>Muirfinn(18)>Uniformed Demon(16)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)'
> A flash of gold rends the nalfeshnee apart! It is neatly sundered in half then torn apart! Dozens of baby-heads turn to dust and fade away while the nalfeshnee is consumed by fire and gold! The whip and its piercings fall to the ground, the only remnants of the demon you just slew! OOC: Uniformed demon is up.
<Muirfinn> "Antenora." Muirfinn says conversationally as he turns toward the last larger demon. "How many demons did we kill when we arrived?"
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn's lava bath(1 rounds)(21)>Muirfinn(18)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)'
> "So you have me at a disadvantage after all," With a cold glare at Antenora and a glance at Muirfinn's victory, "Another time. The study of your battles against Athux and Lsyscrea will not be joind by my own." With that the demon flows into the horde, vanishing within it! Meanwhile the horde goes wild, spreading out ands triking wildly at the two!
> roll 10#1d20 20 fishing Muirfinn
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 10#1d20 20 fishing Muirfinn and gets 104." [10#1d20 = 11, 20, 10, 15, 10, 18, 4, 4, 9, 3]
> roll 1d20 crit threat
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 crit threat and gets 1." [1d20=1]
> roll 3d6+17+1d6 (1d6 is acid damage, note if immune/resistant)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 3d6+17+1d6 (1d6 is acid damage, note if immune/resistant) and gets 33." [3d6=2, 5, 6][1d6=3]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Nope. Rude.
> roll 10#1d20 20 fishing Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 10#1d20 20 fishing Antenora and gets 64." [10#1d20 = 13, 19, 4, 4, 1, 8, 1, 3, 4, 7]
> The mass of demons strikes like a wild storm. Muirfinn gets a crack across the back from a massive club, but otherwise the two endure and survive! Meanwhile Antenora flies over to Muirfinn...
> roll 1d20 risking the AoO
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 risking the AoO and gets 9." [1d20=9]
> And then the dragon's wounds mend! OOC: 2 divine succors on you for +160 hp healing. Lava bath is up.
> The lava bath finally sputters out, falling in a wave around Muirfinn. Not that it bothers him nor Antenora, neither burned in the least. OOC: Go Muirfinn.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(18)>Black Demon Army(15)>Antenora(14)'
* Muirfinn shifts back into silver dragon form, inhaling deeply as he eyes the horde. "BY FROST BE PURGED!"
> "Now all that's left to do is finish the butcher's bill," Antenora brandishes her spear. "Swiftly, before more trouble comes."
<Muirfinn> roll 22d6 Save is 30
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 22d6 Save is 30 and gets 71." [22d6=2, 4, 6, 3, 5, 5, 2, 2, 3, 3, 1, 4, 3, 3, 5, 4, 2, 1, 1, 2, 4, 6]
> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+12 and gets 26." [1d20=14]
> The blast of cold slams into the mass! Dozens more demons fall away into sickly, slushy giblets! They are frozen solid and slain, the black mass starting to visibly lessen! At this they attack again and again, another wild storm of blows on the two!
> roll 6#1d20 20 fishing Muirfinn
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 6#1d20 20 fishing Muirfinn and gets 71." [6#1d20 = 19, 11, 17, 4, 8, 12]
> roll 6#1d20 20 fishing Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 6#1d20 20 fishing Antenora and gets 88." [6#1d20 = 17, 5, 20, 19, 10, 17]
> roll 1d20
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 and gets 17." [1d20=17]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4 and gets 1." [1d4=1]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Waha
> roll 2d10+13+2d6+1d4
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d10+13+2d6+1d4 and gets 32." [2d10=6, 3][2d6=5, 2][1d4=3]
> Antenora gets a punch in the shoulder, knocking her back before she rights herself. She then strikes over and over, pouring all she has into it as her wounds heal! OOC: +160 from two divine succors on self, then full attacking.
> roll 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend bane, -10 PA)
> roll 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend bane, -10 PA)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend bane, -10 PA) and gets 54." [1d20=14]
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (+1 haste, +4 fiend bane, -10 PA) and gets 51." [1d20=11]
> roll 1d20+35
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+35 and gets 43." [1d20=8]
> roll 1d20+30
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 and gets 36." [1d20=6]
> roll 1d20+25
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+25 and gets 35." [1d20=10]
> roll 5d8+286+4d6
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 5d8+286+4d6 and gets 320." [5d8=2, 2, 3, 7, 7][4d6=6, 2, 3, 2]
> Antenora is relentless. She says not a word as she flies through the army! Demons en masse are slain! Some explode as she passes, others are impaled and yet others are consumed by holy light. The entire mass is starting to quiver demon faces turning to looks of fear and horror, Antenora calling back, "Muirfinn! Finish it!" OOC: Go.
* Muirfinn immediately follows up his previous blast of frost with a completely unexpected blast of frost!
<Muirfinn> roll 22d6
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 22d6 and gets 70." [22d6=2, 3, 4, 2, 1, 3, 2, 6, 5, 1, 5, 1, 3, 5, 3, 3, 1, 5, 2, 5, 6, 2]
<Muirfinn> OOC: DC 30
> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+12 and gets 18." [1d20=6]
> The weakened mass is bathed in frost all over! Demons become little more than snow, ice and mist! The remaining masses of the army are brought low, the enemy broken! The way out appears, the victory yours! Around you lies the battle - gore, gear and half-dead demons thick beneath you and pressed into the walls. OOC: Free act.
> Antenora spares a single moment to exhale, "Come now, we need to escape before another battle tests us." She starts to fly to Muirfinn, "If we hurry, we may avoid more trouble."
* Muirfinn settles, dropping to draconic form and quickly gathering the fallen gear. "Yes. Let's go."
> OOC: Just going to grab what you can real quick? There's a lot of it around, as well as that whip and the demon's piercings. How long do you want to take on gathering it all?
<Muirfinn> OOC: How much is there? Can I eyeball it real fast and figure out how long it'll take?
> OOC: Lots. There's demon remnants and half-dead demons all over. All sorts of gear from the defeated army. It would take hours to sort and gather it all, realistically.
<Muirfinn> OOC: You're a cruel man.
<Muirfinn> OOC: I'll gather what looks most valuable from a cursory glance. Curse my lack of illusion magic.
> OOC: Okay. Bagging it and then going dragon-back to hurry to a bridge?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yeah.
> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 100." [1d100=100]
> roll 1d100 subtables time!
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 subtables time! and gets 97." [1d100=97]
> OOC: Is Muirfinn warded from scrying?
<Muirfinn> OOC: No
> roll 1d20+32 (+4 vs evil, -10 ???)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+32 (+4 vs evil, -10 ???) and gets 43." [1d20=11]
> OOC: Make a will save with a -10 penalty.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+37+6-10
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+37+6-10 and gets 47." [1d20=14]
> You rush ahead to a bridge! It's strangely empty and silent. As you approach it, however, the air around it breaks!  You're a mere 50ft away as a massive portal appears. It is pitch black and 30ft tall, the ground beneath it becoming a nine-pointed pentagram. Suddenly the air darkens and peals of thunder sound, the air twisting violently!  Within the portal you can see shimmering red shapes about to emerge - pit fiends! More pit fiends than you can count, too large to be a normal fiend. Nessian pit fiends, a foe Muirfinn has fought before. In Muirfinn's mind he hears a cold, cloying voice. It makes it hard to breathe, like the air is empty of oxygen. 'Scream, dragonling.' OOC: K:P here if you want then init.
> roll 1d20+37
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+37 and gets 39." [1d20=2]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+22
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+22 and gets 35." [1d20=13]
> 'Nessians...Hell's after one or both of us,' Antenora says grimly, 'We need to escape now! A prolonged battle - and the demons will respond swiftly - coudl be our doom! Open a portal!' Indeed, Muirfinn can tell it's a diabolical portal of sublime power. What's worse is that the Abyss is reacting to the flagrant incursion. This sort of attack in the Blood War is the domain of the higher generals and the rare times the nobility directly intervenes in the War, or perhaps the Dark Six personally leading an attack. With the presence of the Nessians, it's almost certainly the second or third. Someone wants you dead post-haste. OOC: Init.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+12 and gets 31." [1d20=19]
> roll 1d20+9 Antenora
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+9 Antenora and gets 21." [1d20=12]
> roll 1d20+17 Nessians
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+17 Nessians and gets 37." [1d20=20]
> roll 1d20+19 ???
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 ??? and gets 26." [1d20=7]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Nessian Pit Fiends(37)>Muirfinn(31)>???(26)>Antenora(21)'
> The fiends gush out of the portal! Nine of them stand at attention, huge blades of black iron brandished! Each has a bloody pentagram carved into their foreheads that glows with burning flame! They're filling up the immediate section of the bridge, nowhere to land for 50ft. "Get us down and open a portal out, in Alicia's name!" Antenora urges, "As we are now, we're not a match for this and whatever hellish noble dares such a flagrant attack!"  OOC: Go Muirfinn.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Do I gotta be on the bridge to open a portal?
> OOC: Yes. So getting to it or landing is a good call.
> 'At least get us down there!' Antenora hissing in your mind, 'If all becomes worst, I can plane shift us,' she adds, 'Go!'
<Muirfinn> OOC: Is there a part of the bridge they don't occupy yet?
> OOC: 50ft away, yes.
* Muirfinn heads for an unoccupied spot on the bridge! 'Do it!'
> Muirfinn lands! The bridge groans as Antenora begins to cast! But a grasping black hand erupts through the portal and towards the two!
> roll 1d20+63 touch AC you two?
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+63 touch AC you two? and gets 75." [1d20=12]
> roll 1d20+63 touch AC you two? say this is Muirfinn's since he could 1
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+63 touch AC you two? say this is Muirfinn's since he could 1 and gets 75." [1d20=12]
<Muirfinn> OOC: He got meh
> roll 40d6 negative energy damage both of you
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 40d6 negative energy damage both of you and gets 128."]
> The hand rips through the both of you! It doesn't tear a thing, but instead comes away with glowing life energy! It goes back into the portal, flowing into something. There's a flash of light. The figure you glimpse is an ugly, mishapen humanoid with dull black skin and a look of cold disdain on his face. Like he looks at a cockroach crawling on the floor. It wears no top and an elaborate half-robe from the bottom down. The momentarly glimpse ends as the stolen life force flows into him. OOC: You cna make K:P here if you wish.
* Kotono changes topic to 'Nessian Pit Fiends(37)>Muirfinn(31)>???(26 256 temp hp)>Antenora(21)'
> roll 1d20+37
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+37 and gets 56." [1d20=19]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+22
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+22 and gets 24." [1d20=2]
> roll 1d20+29
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+29 and gets 40." [1d20=11]
> Muirfinn can't identify the figu-reality shifts. There's a moment where reality is torn between this and light, like a tug of war, but the light wins. The two appear on a beach before a wine dark sea. A glance behind you shows the ever-rising mountain of Celestia. The air is pure here, driving acidic black smoke from your lungs in great, heaving coughs. OOC: Free act.
> roll 1d20+25 K:A for her
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+25 K:A for her and gets 35." [1d20=10]
> Antenora sags down, hacking out the foul fumes. "Almost got...gah...suppressed," she manages. "Incredibly powerful and he cast it across planar boundaries," She hacks out yet more smoke, "Celestia, we're in Celestia," she finishes.
* Muirfinn hacks up great gobs of smoke-infused foul demon flesh. "You know...HAAAAAAAAAAAAK, I'm really starting to dislike the Abyss."
> Antenora hops off Muirfinn and flies off into the see. She dives in, speaking in your mind as she does, 'The Abyss is horrible. This trip was more direct hate than psychological harm, at least.' She emerges moments later, the holy water of the endless sea sizzling lightly on her flesh.
<Muirfinn> "That's actually a great idea. I could use a dip into my element." Muirfinn says, leaping up and into the sea.

[Anastasia]

> The waters of Mount Celestia wash away the stench of the Abyss. Muirfinn feels vastly cleaner after that, the two sitting on the beach. A moment of respite after the battle. "You fought well," Antenora breaks the silence, "If I understand right, Prince Lixer and Aurora have no love of on another? I saw him in the portal. The spell that attacked our life force was his, I believe."
<Muirfinn> "We assaulted his fortress on the Negative Energy Plane in an attempt to kill him. We penetrated all the way to the throne room before we realized he wasn't home."
> "Good work," Antenora's reply comes as she gazes out at the endless sea, her eyes drawing shut after. "I fear what he'll do with what he stole. I have great insight to how my former kin think; I suspect his plan was to at the least steal our energies. Our defeat or death in lieu of retreat was likely a bonus if that occured."
> The gentle lapping of the waves soothes Muirfinn's ears. The scent of the sea is strong here, lulling him along with the ever present peace. No other creatures can be seen as far as Muirfinn's sight reaches, endless sandy shores, ocean and mountain the entire world right now.
<Muirfinn> "I'm certain it won't be good, but I don't know if he got enough to do anything."
> "Even if he cannot," Antenora says after some thought, "His father could. Both of us are sworn enemies of Baator." Here she sighs and rises, "But there's no point reflecting on what's done. The devils will scheme as surely as the sun rises tomorrow. Do you want to return to Mechanus now?"
* Muirfinn sighs, lying on his back and staring up at the sky. "If we must."
> Antenora pauses and kneels down. "Do you need more time to rest?" She smiles softly, brushing aside a bit of stray hair from her face. "The Abyss takes a toll on everyone and the peace of Celestia sings to those who care to listen."
<Muirfinn> "No, we don't have forever. Might aw well get moving." Muirfinn waves his hand, opening a Gate to Mechanus and shifting into the form of a medium-sized silver dragon. "Shall we?"
> "No, I suppose we don't," she says, heading through the portal. OOC: What's your plan here? Go back and re-rail, basically?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yup.
> After some more sorting and unremarkable events, the duo return to Yashiel's office. The chairs there are as soft as they look. As the duo rest in them, "How was your mission?" Yashiel asks, "What of Yesthalae and his anti-soul laboratory?"
> "Smashed and ruined," Antenora replies shortly, "The demon and his machinations are no more, as are many demons who stood against us."
<Muirfinn> "It...sort of ate itself, really."
> "Like the stories of the Jormugandr who forever eats his own tail," Antenora briefly smiles at that, "The Abyss forever consumes itself in meaninglessness. In this case, draconic power and my spear were there to accelerate it along. There were complications, but none that are particularly relevant. Yesthalae is dead. No body could be recovered nor could be captured. His experiments defied the natural order of souls and an abomination against order is no more."
<Muirfinn> "He turned himself into a soul-unraveling vortex, which destroyed itself when we unmade the vortex. After we hit him in his giant disembodied face."
* Ko-Waitingfortrainingcamp is now known as Kotono
> "Word will be spread," Yashiel replies, "Thank you. One less horror terrorizes Creation now. It should help Morniel and Ebony's efforts. In the meantime, you'll have a day or perhaps two to rest. There's rooms here if you'd like them."
<Muirfinn> "Oh, that would be fine. The Abyss is exhausting."
> OOC: Okay, going to rest up and heal up?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yes, please
> OOC: Goes without incident. Recover HP and spells. Any chagnes to spells?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Vile damage too?
> OOC: You can get a trip to help with that. Yashiel has access to a holy altar.
<Muirfinn> OOC: That'll work.
<Muirfinn> OOC: I think I will make some spell changes. I didn't bring my animal companion because I am incapable of planning ahead.
> OOC: Okay, make the changes you want and tell me when you're good.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Rock 'n' roll
> A few days later, Muirfinn and Antenora are rejoined by Morniel and Ebony. You all are in Yashiel's office. "I've received news. Your efforts have bourne fruit," he says, "Paxtrel XIV, a higher ranking Inevitable bureaucrat, wants to personally talk with you."
> "It was a foregone conclusion," Morniel says, "But even then it took effort. Does he want to talk to all of us?"
* Muirfinn (Muirfinn@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) Quit (Ping timeout)
* Muirfinn (Muirfinn@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) has joined #dunes
> A few days later, Muirfinn and Antenora are rejoined by Morniel and Ebony. You all are in Yashiel's office. "I've received news. Your efforts have bourne fruit," he says, "Paxtrel XIV, a higher ranking Inevitable bureaucrat, wants to personally talk with you."
> "It was a foregone conclusion," Morniel says, "But even then it took effort. Does he want to talk to all of us?"
> "He does," Yashiel confirms, "Whenever you're ready, head out of this room and took the path. You'll be taken to him."
<Muirfinn> "Well, let's go to it then."
> The party rises, heading out. Soon enough you are taken by moving ground, smoothly being transported by the plane's will. You are taken all about a vast building, glimpses of places small and large. You see many of the clockwork Inevitables and other servants of law, toiling away with eternal patience at what lies ahead of them. In time you are escorted to another office. This one is barren of everything save for a simple desk. The papers on it are perfectly organized. Sitting behind is a man of iron gray metal and gears, not standing as you enter. "Muirfinn of Aurora and Shellscale, Antenora Reynes of Sylica, Ebony of Sylica and Morniel of Mount Celestia," He reads off those names in a monotone, "I am Paxtrel XIV. I understand you have requested the memories of a mortal."
> "That's right," Morniel inclines his head forward, "Thank you for seeing us."
> Antenora follows suit, "Thank you for seeing us," she says, and in Muirfinn's mind Antenora says, 'Just do what we just did.'
> "Thank you for seeing us," Ebony echos.
* Muirfinn bows at the waist, as is his custom. "Greetings."
> "This particular mortal..." he reaches down and reads a sheet of parchment, "Kina-ja. A famous name."
<Muirfinn> "Really? Is she asked after very often?"
> "That's right," Morniel says, "If I may speak for Antenora and Ebony a moment, both of the Goddesses of Sylica have tasked them with this request. Medi's heritors are also interested, as I serve as a servant of the holy mountain."
> "A famous name for what she did," Paxtrel XIV replies blandly, "Her file is large. I've been informed you've gone to lengths to express your ordered devotion towards this goal."
* Muirfinn nods.
> Going on from that, "However, it is policy that no more than two can access these memories at a time," he continues, "As such, two of you can come view them."
* Muirfinn raises an eyebrow, cocking his head. "Unexpected."

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+15 Morniel
-castleheck.tx.us.lunarnet.org:@#dunes- Infinite_Ko_Loop invited Serith into the channel.
* Serith (~iron_drag@cpe-173-172-46-15.tx.res.rr.com) has joined #dunes
> roll 1d20+15 Morniel
<Serith> Infinite_Ko_Loop roll for Serith < 35 > [d20=20]
> A pause as Morniel clears his throat, coughing into his hand. "Ahem. If I may," he interjects, "But I'm not aware of this policy."
> "Nor am I," Antenora adds, "I have to agree with Muirfinn, that's an unexpected policy. Is it new?"
> Paxtrel XIV merely folds his hands and replies, "It is a new policy directive handed down recently. If you wish to appeal it, you may do so. You will need to appeal to the Magistrate General in charge of policy enforcement."
> This causes Antenora to frown ever so slightly. In Muirfinn's mind he hears her voice, 'The devils have as much sway as the archons in Celestia. It isn't unthinkable this is some sort of sabotage...though to what ends I do not see. More likely we're on the unlucky end of a policy change.'
> "How long would an appeal take?" Ebony asks, her expression staying unchanged.
* Muirfinn nods at Ebony and Antenora.
> "I am not fully certain, but the last time I saw the appeal list, it was several tomes long," The inevitable replies, still bland and unexpressive. "The urgency that a divine request endows would grant you an expedited hearing, so...several days to several months."
> "More likely closer to days," Morniel remarks, "Though it does seem to be an unneeded delay. I have no need to see this information first hand."
> "Only one of Antenora and myself would need to go," Ebony says, and with a hint of a smile, "The two of you faced the Abyss together. Your work was far more dangerous than ours, so if only two can go, it makes sense that it's the two of you."
> "Muirfinn?" Antenora asks aloud, "I have no problem with that. Yourself?"
<Muirfinn> "None at all." Muirfinn shakes his head.
* Ebiris (Ebiris@cpc9-sgyl30-2-0-cust73.sgyl.cable.virginm.net) Quit (Quit: )
> Paxtrel XIV points to the moving walkway, "Then please get on and you will be taken along."
<Muirfinn> "Very well." Muirfinn says, stepping onto the walkway.
> Antenora gets on without further comment, the two taken away. As you go, 'From the Abyss to adventures in bureaucracy.' Her gentle chuckle follows, 'It's quite a variance.'
* Muirfinn snorts quietly, but says nothing.
> You flow deeper in, being taken towards a portal. On passing through, you find yourselves standing on a great galleon. The sky above is perfectly dark and starless. In place of ocean waters are flowing images, blending together in a dark slurry of blurred images. A voice from everywhere and nowhere states, "Platform adapted for a subject with ties to Water." It has no gender and echos slightly. "Configuration is 'Ocean of Memories'. To begin, leave the ship and descend into the ocean."
<Muirfinn> "Shall we?"
> Antenora nods and walks to the edge of the ship, before hopping over the side and plunging on in.
* Muirfinn follows!
> It isn't water. It's like falling. Falling into memories, which explode and consume Muirfinn. A young girl, the child of a young family. Kina. Her name was Kina. A childhood flashes before your eyes - growing up hard and manipulative thanks to poverty. She grew up beautiful and learned to use that to her advantage. Falling in with the Sharessians - a face, a male face that brings her a mix of hate and pain. The name escapes you, blurring by, a mere sample of complex emotions. Faces of the other Sharessians, good and bad. It's like a brief sweepthrough of people she once knew, good and bad. A lifetime of Sharessian things, the preoccupation with beauty and lovemaking that mammals love so. This part returns Muirfinn to himself somewhat, the relative alienness of it rather jarring. (More)
> It's then that it slows down. The gush of memories crystallizes into one memory. A middle aged Kina, alone and in ill favor with her church. Too proud to use typical magic, too many bridges burned by her own mistakes and pride. Unwilling and unable to change that, because she was right. She knew she was right. Adoration and worship became contempt. Her heart hardened as she turned to things best not seen. A circle rimmed with blood, a young Sharessian (her name was Magai, the memories whisper) offered up. A creature of eternal beauty who rejuvenated Kina...but there had to be more for it to last. More and more came to that circle. Images of abductions and offerings, honing her skill at planning - because she was right and they were wrong. It made it easier to ignore the whispers within her, until even those stopped telling her that she was making a mistake. (More)
> Pain. That face again. That man's face. He's old now and tired, but he stands before Kina. Her hated symbol glows bright in his hand as he pushes her back, towards the circle. His face is wet with tears, even as she throws hate and insults at him. But it's alright, the demon is there. She cooes and murmurs...and sinks her claw into Kina's chest, fading away along with the ethereal light of Kina's soul, plummeting down. Surrounded by them all over. So much hate. But she wasn't wrong. The last memories scream at you - she will not accept this. This wasn't her fault. It was her fault. Sharess let her servants abandon her. They deserved it. The hate expands...and so does she. A body forms, six arms and brimming with a need to prove she was right. A need to - Muirfinn and Antenora lie on the ship's deck once more. A feeling of absolute exhaustion saturated Muirfinn. His body aches and his mind is full of the images of Kina's life.
* Muirfinn cranes his head up on an elongated neck. "Well."
> Antenora sits up. She rubs her eyes and temple, then shakes her head. "Mgh." she murmurs that, "Pride. Above lust, above the killing...pride. Unable to accept she was wrong and unwilling to atone." Rubbing her face with one hand, "Are you alright?"
<Muirfinn> "That explains...much." Muirfinn says, briefly morphing into avian form to avoid the embarassment of attempting to pull himself up off of his shell. "Beyond pride. Pride itself is not so destructive. Pride and arrogance and greed and a lack of love for the self. The inability to accept reality. The futile chasing of youth. These things led to small disgraces, which led to the demon contacting
<Muirfinn> her."
<Muirfinn> "I am fine. This makes me want to examine Sharess' faith and clergy more closely, though."
> "Pride is the most destructive sin," Antenora retorts, staying sitting. It's what leads and enables the others. Pride prevents atonement. Greed, hate, lust...all of those can be addressed by themselves. But pride makes sin inassailable." Now she stands, adjusting her armor as she goes on. "If she could only have admitted she was wrong and listen to her spirit's cries, she would have avoided her fate." At this Antenora shakes her head, "They're dedicated to love, beauty and sex. I thought your kind were not so beholden to those as most others. Of course, Kina-ja represented the other part of Sharess - martial power and capability. Sharessians are fond of noting that Sharess has claws."
<Muirfinn> "While this is not the time for a discussion on the finer intricacies of sin and pride, I appreciate your viewpoint and would like to discuss it further with you at a later date, if you would not mind." Muirfinn says, frowning. "I understand the motivations behind love and beauty. My kind appreciate love and hold it in high regard. It can end wars and unite tribes. Our gods are good, and love
<Muirfinn> us as much as we love them. We are their children. Without them, we would still be crawling upon our bellies in the sand and sea. As for sex, I understand it conceptually. I have read of it much. I suspect a great deal of these writings to be sensationalized or dramaticized."
<Muirfinn> "I have as yet not found a mating pair of mammals to observe. They react rather vocally to it. Occasionally violently."
> "Ahem," Antenora clears her throat, "Yes, a discussion for another time. But I think we have something we can hurt Kina-ja with. You saw the man she hated so much?"
<Muirfinn> "I did. He appeared sad at the time of her death."
> "That could be a weakness to exploit. She has strong feelings for him," Antenora muses, "There was no single ace to easily defeat her there, but there's enough to work with."
* Muirfinn nods. "We'll need to find him."
> "He's certainly long dead," Antenora says, "So more of a matter of finding his spirit. At least we know where to start looking."
<Muirfinn> "Of course." Muirfinn nods. "Let's return and plan our next move."
> From there, the two rejoin the other two. A quick trip gets you to a quiet, borrowed room in Mechanus. Antenora quickly explains what was seen, the party chewing it over. "So you're thinking about attacking her mind and emotions?" Ebony asks, "It's an edge. She could be provoked into attacking if she thinks he's there, if she feels that strongly about him."
<Muirfinn> "It is worth the effort, and it would prevent us from using Sharess directly, leaving her vulnerable." Muirfinn nods.
> "I think we need time to plan," Antenora says, "We'll be in touch. For now, return to Aurora."
* Muirfinn nods. "Will you be joining us there or returning to Celestia?"
> "I'll be returning to Sylica," Antenora remarks, "I'll be in touch when the time comes, in person or through Ebony. To be truthful, I should consult with Alicia or Syala next, since most likely his soul resides with Sharess. There's political matters to be dealt with."
* Iddy (~irondrago@cpe-173-172-46-15.tx.res.rr.com) has joined #dunes
* Muirfinn nods. "If you have need of me, I will be pleased to assist."
> OOC: Okay. From here, going to return to Aurora?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yep!
> Thus the trio returns. Ebony meanders off to see to business. Morniel lingers, "There's one additional bit of business," he says as you walk through the courtyard, past lycanthropes and angels going through the motions of war. A few pause to salute the two, Morniel returning them without breaking stride.
* Muirfinn waves to those they pass. "How can I help?"
> "We're looking to garner more practical experience for several of our members," Morniel explains, "We'd like you to take one on as well. In particular, Lief. You're familiar with him?"
* Iddy is now known as Lief
* Muirfinn taps his beak. "The pixie, right? One of Afina's group?"
> "Yes," You stop before the entrance hall. "General Gisfal trusts you'll be able to accomplish this."
<Muirfinn> "I get on well with the fey. Part of my profession. I don't see it being a problem. Anythign I should keep in mind?"
> "No. Help him along as he needs, but he's capable," Morniel says, "He's most likely in there, flying around the Medicant golems."
<Muirfinn> "I can do that. Thanks. I'll go find him."
> Lief is indeed found inside the entrance hall. It is busy with soldiers coming and going, Lief flying around them and the silent Medicant golems. The murmur of conversation fills the hall as people travel, heading in and out of the portals. A typical, busy day in Aurora as...OOC: Go ahead, Muirfin, go ahead and get it started for Iddy.
* Muirfinn walks in to the hall, looking about for a moment before spotting Leif. He waves him over. "Leif, over here. Can I have a few moments of your time?"
* Lief stops his zipping around for a moment as he hears his name and turns to the source and staring at the turtle-man before the light of recognition goes off and he shoots through the air to stop in front of Muirfinn's face with a cheeky smile.
<Lief> "M... Muirfinn, right? What can I do for ya?"
<Muirfinn> "I understand that you are in need of some combat experience? Would you like to assist me?"
* Lief lazily floats through the air around Muirfinn, taking the chance to inspect him a bit more.
* Lief pauses in the air at that before letting his cheeky grin turn a little sharper.
<Lief> "I would be... What's it that you have in mind?"
<Muirfinn> "Simply put, I'm in the process of planning to kill a demon with aspirations of becoming a demi-god. Would you like to help?"
* Lief gets a far more interested gleam in his eyes at that.
<Lief> "Sounds like fun! It'll never what hit it! It won't have a chance against us!"
<Muirfinn> "She. Her name is Kina-ja. She's a marilith."
<Lief> "Huh. That's insteresting... It'll be a good fight, then."
* Lief lands on Muirfinn's should and takes a bold stance, pointing towards the horizon.
<Lief> "Let's be off for fame, fortune, and battle!"
> OOC: Okay then. What's your plan, you two? Wait on Antenora to get word back or do anything in Aurora in the meantime?
<Lief> OOC: I have no idea.
<Muirfinn> OOC: We'll putter about. I want to check in with Vivantha and figure out where the hell my familiar went off to since I completely forgot about that.
> OOC: Okay, we'll start with that and use it as a chance to intro Iddy around a bit.
> Vivantha is found in Aurora's courtyard. Here the forces of Aurora practice the art of war. Angels and air elementals soar through the air, in elaborate displays of aireborne prowess. Human soldiers clash with elven stalwarts, while officers lead them through. The women of the Graceful Blow practice long, elaborate combat dances that shimmer with magic and illusion, while a cadre of satyrs frolic as much as test the shields of a row of hound archons. Standing a bit away watching, all by herself, is Vivantha. Her face lights up with a smile as Muirfinn approaches, "Brave hero! How are you? Did Mechanus go well?"
> The cries of practice and battle echo farther away, a constant backdrop to the conversation.
* Lief looks intently at the practicing warriors before having his attention drawn by the new voice and watching her curiously as she talks to Muirfinn.
<Muirfinn> "Hello, Vivantha." MUirfinn returns her smile. "It went well enough. Another foray into the Abyss  allowed us to destroy a soul-flaying machine and netted us some credibility with the inevitables. We were able to view the memories of Kina-ja, though they were sadder than I had expected."
> "A sad truth?" Vivantha asks with a momentary look of sadness. "Lief, you're looking well. Are you working with Muirfinn today?"
<Lief> "Yes! He offered to help me get some more combat experience! And a raid on the Abyss is always worth going on!"
> "As long as you come back," Vivantha remarks, "Have you heard the songs about our recent trip to slay Athux? I hope you manage to outdo those, then."
<Muirfinn> "Her mortal life was filled with woe. It was difficult to watch."
* Lief nods to Vivantha.
<Lief> "Every song better than the last!"
> This causes Vivantha to cross her arms, "I have no doubt of that. Mortals are headstrong and struggle to rise above their circumstances. If she was given woe, then I would expect her to return a harvest of woe." She smiles at Lief's words, "Hopefully it won't be as deadly as it was to us. It was a miracle none of us died. An actual, divine miracle thanks to Selune and her guidance."
* Lief looks a bit nervous but still grins.
<Lief> "Well, the more combat experience I get, the better chance I have later on, right?"
> "As long as you don't get cursed, maimed, mind-broken," Vivantha starts ticking off fingers, "Captured, violated in spirit by unspeakable horrors of evil, afflicted..." Stopping once she gets to the other hand, and smiling once more, "Brave hero," Glancing over to Muirfinn, "The more I reflect on our trip there, the more it amazes me. I feel as if we avoided disaster at every step. You two, promise me you'll look over each other if you go."
* Muirfinn blinks at Vivantha's words, cocking his head. Words for later. "Indeed, our fight with Athux could have gone better. It is a wonder we prevailed. We owe a great deal to Selune, as well as Canderella. I was impressed with her decision to distract him to her own detriment."
* Lief coughs nervously as the list goes on.
<Muirfinn> "Oh, I sincerely hope that things do not go as...tenuously as they did in Greenrot. I'll make efforts to prepare accordingly."
<Lief> "Y-yes, indeed. Through protecting our companions, we will survive and succeed!"
> "Good," Vivantha exhales now, "If you need my help, you only need ask. Speaking of, Canderella's been pacing around with that whip you brought back. She's working on something with it, if the number of sending spells she's having cast for her is any indication."
<Muirfinn> "Good, I'm sure she'll see it better used than the mad spawn of chaos I took it from in the Abyss." Muirfinn says.
> "Speaking of," Vivantha goes on, as above an angel and air elemental clash. It's like a tornado and a shining symbol of good clashing, blade against wind. It causes a windy thunderclap to sound over you, a momentary pause in the conversation. After that's past, the two flying back and continuing their fight, "Did you come to talk or is there a task to be done?"
<Muirfinn> "I simply wished to let you know that I had returned, and to say hello."
> That causes her to perk up all over again, "Thank you," she says warmly, "Sometimes, I fear we only see people when the duties of Aurora call."
<Muirfinn> "I'll endeavor to break that mold with you, then."
* Lief nods to Vivantha.
<Lief> "I agree! I only Muirfinn in passing, here! It's part of why I agreed to help so quickly!"
> "How about we go be social?" Vivantha proposes. "We can go see Canderella, and now that Ebony's back, she's probably with her. She'll want to talk to you about that whip in any case."
<Muirfinn> "If he knew well of what we get up to, he'd have flown screaming into the halls of Aurora when I offered him the chance to join me." Muirfinn says, nodding sagely.
* Lief eyes Muirfinn dubiously at that.
<Muirfinn> "I'd like that." Muirfinn says to Vivantha.

[Anastasia]

> From there, the group meanders to find Ebony and Canderella. They're found in Creasea's eatery. It's an eatery within Aurora, an open space with many secluded tables. A long glass case shows the magically enhanced treats within, as Creasea works. An air elemental, he moves as much by wind and gusts as a normal man moves through effort. It's like watching the summer breeze take up baking. Many of the tables are occupied by creatures of all types. The one you're looking for is a little extra secluded, the two ladies sitting there. Ebony is an angel who wears a black, hooded robe. Her face is beautiful if obscured, and she slowly sips a cup of tea. Canderella also wears black, a short dress with curly brown hair. There's something that's painfully gorgeous about her, even with the bat-like wings she sports. Something that draws you to her like a moth to the flame, her littlest motion entrancing. She's saying something that you catch the end of as you approach, "...and then, it only made sense to take the magical ring, too."
* Lief breaks out into a giant grin as he sudden zips over to the table, stopping at a hover at the edge of it.
<Lief> "Canderella! Ebony! Hi!"
<Muirfinn> "Hello, ladies." Muirfinn says, "How are things?"
> Vivantha takes a seat, murmuring greetings. Canderella smiles demurely at this, "Oh, figuring out your whip and how to trade it," she begins, patting the table. "Feel free to take a seat."
> "You say you took it from a nalfeshnee?" Ebony asks, putting down her teacup, "I would expect to find something like that on a punishment minded celestial, not another demon. I concede it makes sense when explained, but what a curious thing."
* Muirfinn nods, taking a seat as well. "That's actually what interested me in it. I thought that it was surprising to find such a thing on a demon, but, well...demons."
* Lief lands on the edge of the table and sits down, eyeing the food a bit.
<Muirfinn> "You remember Lief?"
* Lief turns his attention back to the table and grins at the others.
> There's no food on the table right now, just Ebony's teacup. Somehow Canderella seems to pick up on it, "Cresea," she calls, "Could we get something over here?" Turning back after, "You're in a good mood today."
<Lief> "Yup! Muirfinn asked me to help him on an adventure! More combat experience. And it's a chance to become better friends with him."
> "Demons," Ebony echos, shaking her head, "Forever a surprising lot. I asked Antenora the same thing. As she explained it, nalfeshnee judge mortal souls that come to the Abyss. They torment them until they become rutterkin, manes or whatever they'll become in the Abyss. Roughly, she made a point to stress how the Abyss can change at a moment's notice."
> Canderella raises a single eyebrow, "You really should avoid it if it's going to the Abyss. Muirfinn's tested his luck there twice. Heroes rarely get away with a third time. Something to do with numerology, though six is worse for that."
* Lief gains a bit of a nervous look at that.
<Lief> "Yeah, I know going into the Abyss is stacking the deck against you from the first step, but I can't exactly just back down from danger, either. I have to keep up with all of you, after all."
* Muirfinn thinks. "This last visit was actually my third visit, I believe. If you include the library."
> Canderella smiles slightly and sits back slightly. "You're right. It's just that there's never happy endings in the Abyss. At the best, you escape with your life and soul intact, and perhaps your sanity. Ah, memories," The former succubus sighs lightly, a hint of wistfulness in it.
> "Still," Ebony goes on, "Canderella, weren't you trying to do something with that whip?"
> "Yes. It's the sort of thing that has a lot of trade value," she goes on, "Everyone needs to fight demons, even other demons. I could sell it in Celestia or Baator with the same ease and profit. So the question is, what's the best thing to do with it. I have a friend in Earth who may be interested in it," she goes on, "But he refuses to negotiate with me. He had interest in me and I wasn't interested. He's part earth elemental and...ugh." Shaking her head, "To put not so fine a point on it, it would be like laying on jagged rocks, even though I liked his personality. It went poorly. It's better if I don't meet him face to face."
* Yuthikins (~Yuthirin@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) has joined #dunes
> Vivantha stares a moment and shudders. "How do you end up with stories like that?"
> "He deals in energy nodes that gather in Earth. They're extrodinarily powerful if properly refined," she explains, "But he's only interested in very specific items in trade. He needed the hair of a fiend who turned away from evil and he offered much for it."
* Muirfinn (~Yuthirin@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) Quit (Ping timeout)
* Yuthikins is now known as Muirfinn
> "Fascinating," Ebony quietly adds, "But let's get to the point now."
* Muirfinn glances at Vivantha. "Succubi have all sorts of interesting effects on men. A good portion of them can end i n amusing tales."
> "As you like," Canderella shoots Ebony an amused look, "The point is that he's looking for a whip or polearm effective against demons. We still do occasional business, but at a distance. It's awkward," Going on with a little sigh, "He's like the earth that's a part of him - stubborn and slow to forgive or forget. But he's also avaricious for the treasures he craves to hide away, just like earth and stone."
> "That does sound awkward," Vivantha concedes at last, "Amusing, you say," she shakes her head, "I've seen lovestricken men wandering the Endless Stair, seeking succubi lovers they'll never find again. That is, until the soul they gave away in passion plummets into the Abyss at death."
* Lief stares at Vivantha and then at Canderella.
<Lief> "You two..."
* Lief sighs and shakes his head.
<Muirfinn> "Well, those tales are not amusing."
<Muirfinn> "I'll have to tell you sometime about Jonn, and the succubus he summoned who did NOT want to lay eggs."
> "Did you forget we're not mortal or fey," Canderella's voice has a slight tease, "Days long gone for me, I'm afraid. Anyway, the point I'm getting to is that the two of you would make good intermediaries, if you're interested in a side trip to Earth."
* Lief shrugs.
<Lief> "I'm willing to! Favor for a friend is no problem."
> "Oh?" Canderella raises an eyebrow, "I've seen succubi lay eggs. But only in the Abyss, where the Abyss wants more demons, even if it has to violate fundamental biology to work."
<Muirfinn> "Tortle eggs?" Muirfinn asks with a raised eyebrow.
> Vivantha stares again, a hint of green rising up her cheeks. "Urgh." She looks away, as a gust of wind brings a tray of food and drinks over. It looks like a chocolate cake and some finger snacks.
* Muirfinn shakes his head. "It's a bar tale. Best told not sober."
> "Dragon eggs as big as you," Canderella says demurely, taking a little cracker and nibbling on it. "The screams of agony from the succubus kept the entire castle up all night."
> "Selune," Vivantha breathes, "Kindly be silent and say no more!"
* Muirfinn shrugs. shaking a finger at Canderella. "Stop trying to out-weird me, woman."
* Lief gets an odd look on his face at that and looks forlornly at the now less apatizing snacks.
> "Very well, enough of that." Continuing to nibble, "Are you interested? He'll likely offer a distilled energy node, which can permanently empower someone."
<Muirfinn> "I'd like to see one, if nothing else. Could be cultivated as an alternative power source for the Aurora if nothing else. Perhaps an overall boost in efficiency."
> "Well, let me know when you want to go, then," Canderella says, "I can set you up with what you need."
<Muirfinn> "Anyone else game for a trip to Earth?"
> "I have other obligations," Ebony speaks up, shaking her head.
> "I'd be happy to go, brave hero," Vivantha rubs her pallid and greenish face, "The three of us, if Lief is coming. Lief, have you ever been to Earth?"
<Lief> "No, not yet. I'm looking forward to it."
> "Right," Canderella goes on, "First thing to remember is that everything is heavier on Earth. The gravity is stronger than normal. It'll interfere with your archery and flying, but you should be good enough to compensate. Earth magic is stronger there and water magic is weaker, but that shouldn't matter for you."
* Lief nods to Canderella.
> "Good." Canderella stands, "I'll get Tepen to make you a portal shortly then. If you have any preparations..."
* Muirfinn nods. "We'll take care of them."
> OOC: Ready to move along then?
<Lief> OOC: I am.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Let's roll
> Thus the trio goes outside. Here you stand outside of Aurora, floating in the empty spaces of Air. All around is emptiness, save for Aurora behind you. A breeze continually blows, like the first gush of spring.  Above, squads of air elementals fly about in patrol and practice. Ahead are Canderella and Elder Magi Tepen. The revitalized old man awaits, the staff of Vithos at the ready. "I've been informed where the portal needs to be. When you're ready."
> "When you appear, just follow the path. When asked, say you're visiting Geodae about business, courtesy of Canderella." The succubus says, waving. "Muirfinn, you're capable of opening a portal back, so no need to worry about that."
* Muirfinn trots on up in a human-sized draconic form, his scales a burnished copper. A large draconic cat follows him. "Ready to go."
* Lief lands on Muirfinn's shoulder.
<Muirfinn> "I can handle that."
> With that, Elder Magi Tepen chants. The words that flow from him twist in the air, like speaking swirls of color. "Boundaries undone by will, the way revealed by desire, power from the Weave, all shall listen and obey to this call!" Before you a swirling blue portal appears, ever-twisting.
> "Thank you," Vivantha says before heading right into the portal. She vanishes once she goes through.
<Lief> "We'll be back!"
* Muirfinn trots on past, Leif on a scaly shoulder and animal companion following closely behind. "Soon enough. Thanks for the portal, Tepen."
> Stepping into the portal is like plunging into a cave. It's dark, dank and claustrophobic. Everything is so -heavy-! Merely breathing takes more effort, as if the air was lined with lead. Fortunately, the party's light sources quickly allow vision. You stand at the end of a cave of brown stone. There's a single, well worn path ahead.
* Lief grunts a bit in surprise but does his best to adjust.
<Muirfinn> "At least the path is simple." Muirfinn says, trotting forward.
* Lief tries flying to see what the gravity does to his flying.
> OOC: What's your str score, Lief?
<Lief> OOC: 12.
> It's tough to fly like this, but Lief can do it. It's just harder.
<Lief> OOC: is there a range penalty to my archery or something?
> OOC: Yes, it's halved. Just bear that in mind for when it matters. Ready to move on along, y'all?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Go ahead. I'm doing laundry.
<Lief> OOC: I'm good for whatever.
> From there, the party heads down the path. It's not a long walk, but the gravity makes it seem more. In time you come to a much larger cavern. Here a single massive slab of green stone rises up like a tower. Dotting the walls are crystalline clusters, pulsing with light of various colors, all dark. Dark blues, greens, reds, purples nad more all can be seen within.  As you look around, the space ahead of you momentarily distorts. A human sized earth elemental appears an speaks. It sounds like Aquan to Muirfinn and Sylvan to Lief, understood perfectly. "State your business here."
* Lief nudges Muirfinn in the shoulder.
<Muirfinn> "We're visiting Geodae on business, courtesy of Canderella."
> The creature inclines its head in what might be a nod, then vanishes. A moment later space distorts again, and a man made of jagged stone appears. It's like an onyx was broken and glued back together, all sharp shards and jagged ends. It's a little bigger than a normal human and much broader, pointing out in all sorts of sharp directions. It speaks in a bassy rumble, "What business?"
<Lief> "Geodae?"
* Lief looks on in curiousity.
<Muirfinn> "Trade."
<Muirfinn> "Geodae is the name of the elemental, Lief."
<Muirfinn> OOC: Oh wow, you were asking if he was Geodae. Scratch my line.
<Lief> OOC: Yeah.
> "Trade," Geodae echos, "What do you have? I'm looking for specific items right now." He doesn't move - he stays stone still. In place of eyes are two chips of what look to be white diamond, glittering coldly.
<Muirfinn> "Indeed, we were told that you seek items that can harm denizens of the Abyss?"
> "Yes," he says, eyeing Muirfinn's draconic body, "What do you have, dragon and pixie?"
<Lief> "A whip!"
<Muirfinn> "Yes, and one that is especially fierce when used upon those mortal creatures who are both chaotic and evil."
> "Useful against the thralls of demons," He says, "I will take you elsewhere." The cave blurrs, adn when it clears you stand in a smaller, empty chasm. Vivantha quickly looks around, as meanwhile the half-elemental says, "I will have you demonstrate the whip and your strength," he announces. "If I find it satisfactory, it will suffice."
* Muirfinn glances at Vivantha. "Would you like the honors?"
> "As you wish," Vivantha nods, offering her hand out.
* Muirfinn passes her the whip!
> "All of you," Geodae speaks, "Give her the whip and prepare. Suitable creatures have been captured and are waiting," he announces. Once Vivantha has the whip, he vanishes. 50ft ahead of you, the air ripples. Before you stands a pair of creatures. The first is a humanoid, raven like creature, something the party has faced before - a vrock. This one screetches as spores fall from its body. The other is a muscled man, wearing nothing. Crystals have been embedded into its body all over, shifting and twisting its features into something alien. It says nothing, but begins to gather power! OOC: Init. A demon and...whatever the human is. Probably best not asked.
> roll 1d20+7 vrock
> roll 1d20+12 crystal man
-raijin.cv.uk.lunarnet.org:@#dunes- Kotono invited Serith into the channel.
* Serith (~iron_drag@cpe-173-172-46-15.tx.res.rr.com) has joined #dunes
> roll 1d20+7 vrock
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 25 > [d20=18]
> roll 1d20+12 crystal man
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 22 > [d20=10]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+12
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 25 > [d20=13]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Vrock(25)>Crystalman(22)'
<Lief> roll 1d20+21 Init
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 24 > [d20=3]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn=Vrock(25)>Crystalman(22)'
> OOC: Did you remember Lief's aura, Muirfinn?
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn=Vrock(25)>Lief(24)>Crystalman(22)'
<Muirfinn> OOC: I dodn't know he had one.
> OOC: He does, +3.
> roll 1d20+13 Vivantha
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 19 > [d20=6]
<Lief> OOC: is that already rolled into the 21 on the sheet for Lief?
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(28)>Vrock(25)>Lief(24)>Vivantha(19)>Crystalman(22)'
> OOC: Yes.
<Muirfinn> OOC: 28 then
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(28)>Vrock(25)>Lief(24)>Crystalman(22)>Vivantha(19'
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(28)>Vrock(25)>Lief(24)>Crystalman(22)>Vivantha(19)'
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+7+3 animal
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 21 > [d20=11]
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(28)>Vrock(25)>Lief(24)>Crystalman(22)>Animal(21)>Vivantha(19)'
> OOC: Muirfinn, open. They're both 50ft away.
> "Strike fast and true!" Vivantha carols as she readies the whip.
* Muirfinn opens with the ever-classic copper dragon line of acid, centered on the demon. As he rears back to deliver the smallish blast, his form grows, swelling outward to tower over Vivantha. This causes the acid to blast out like a pressurized seal bursting!
<Muirfinn> roll 22d6 Hello Acid
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 69 > [d6=6,2,5,1,2,6,2,3,3,3,2,5,6,2,6,2,1,3,1,2,3,3]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Incidentally, this would cause me to expand in place, taking up more space and putting me proportionally closer to the duo. I assume it would move me by 10-20 feet.
> OOC: Okay.
> roll 1d20+19 evasion
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 37 > [d20=18]
<Muirfinn> OOC: 12 feet of reach gained.
> OOC: DC?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Alas, DC 30
> The vrock is fast, too fast by far! It flies up and avoids the gout of acid, which flies and hits the back wall. It starts eating right through the stone, dissolving it in seconds! The vrock swoops up, snarling defiance as it points at Muirfinn! Black feathers begin sprouting out of his scaly body! OOC: Fortitude.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 55 > [d20=13]
> But the feathers don't last long, falling out of his body wi thout harm. A moment later, a massive blast of force slams into the dragon!
> roll 1d20+39 CMD?
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 46 > [d20=7]
<Muirfinn> OOC: 52
> The blast is powerful, but Muirfinn stands his ground against it! OOC: Tinka nd tink. Lief, go.
* Muirfinn snorts at the vrock, acid dripping from his mouth.
* Lief releases his control over his innate invisibility and judges the distance to the Vrock, deciding to fly up to it's level and to it's right side. OOC: Intent is to get into SA range on it's right flank.
> OOC: Okay, sure thing. Make your attack roll. Include +2 since he's invisible and he can't see you, stnadard bonus.
<Lief> OOC: It's just the single attack? or the three?
> OOC: Single.
<Lief> roll 1d20+46 ATK
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 47 > [d20=1]
> Lief moves in, unseen and quick -b ut his arrow slips by the head of the vrock, missing him narrowly! OOC: Meow, Serith. Crystal-man is up.
<Lief> OOC: Was also going to declare that distracting, but it's pointless now.
> The man with the crystals clutches his head and silently screams, not a sound coming out. A concussive blast of force emanates from him, slamming into the party! OOC: Ref saves, y'all.
> OOC: Yeah, just crummy luck. Make sure to include it in your attack roll, generally.
<Lief> roll d20+37 Ref Save
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 55 > [d20=18]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28+6 evasion
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 49 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+37 ref Vivantha no evasion for her, alas
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 53 > [d20=16]
<Lief> OOC: Evasion, too.
> roll 21d6 Vivantha half, Muirfinn and Lief both evade and take no damage
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 66 > [d6=1,5,3,6,3,5,6,5,2,3,1,3,1,3,4,3,2,3,4,2,1]
> The silent blast of power is nimbly avoided by both fairy and dragon, while Vivantha is hit right in the chest. She coughs up air from the strike, but quickly rebounds. Behind you the walls crack, the force of it enough to pulverize stone! OOC: Ow. Companion's up, Muirfinn. Go.
* Muirfinn snorts again, straightening and with a few quick steps, he lashes out with a lightning fast bite on the vrock! OOC: Closing to 20 feet. Attack wall inc next round.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 60 > [d20=16]
> OOC: That's yoru companion's attack roll, to be clear?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Scratch.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Companion holds. Forever.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Move on
> OOC: Okay. Vivantha.
> Vivantha gracefully glides ahead, brushing off the impact. She lashes out from 30ft away, whip striking at the crystal-embedded man. She ignores the vrock and another, lesser, wave of force as she lashes out. "For victory!"
> roll 1d20+33
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 41 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+28
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 48 > [d20=20]
> OOC: Strike that, finger slipped since she had to move.
> roll 1d3+14+4d6+4
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 39 > [d3=3][d6=5,5,4,4]
> The whip lashes out, striking like a thunderclap. The impact makes the crystalman scream silently again, writhing about as his flesh on his whipped front turns a charred, dead black. He makes not a sound even as Vivantha gathers the whip back up, "It works well," she declares. OOC: Muirfinn.
<Muirfinn> "I'll say."
* Muirfinn snorts again, straightening and with a few quick steps, he lashes out with a lightning fast bite on the vrock! OOC: Closing to 20 feet. Attack wall inc next round.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 45 > [d20=1]
> OOC: Congratulation, you Iddy'd.
<Muirfinn> OOC: BAHAHAHAHA
> Muirfinnc loses in, acid-dripping jaws snapping shut - but the vrock has already evaded, dodging the strike entirely! It gathers energy in, plummeling the dragon with a burst of force!
> roll 1d20+39 CMD?
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 56 > [d20=17]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Alas, still 52
> WHAM! The force slams into Muirfinn, picking up his oversized body despite the gravity! He's hurtled 60ft back, into the already damaged wall. It's a massive collsion, hunks of ceiling falling like boulders on him!
> roll 10d10+6d12 ow DR applies to it if you have any, at least.
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 89 > [d10=5,1,4,4,9,2,6,3,3,5][d12=2,11,3,11,9,11]
> Muirfinn lays there amid the rubble of wall and ceiling, half buried. He's down but not out, not even the heavy gravity of Earth enough to do him in - yet! OOC: You're also prone. The ow is strong in that one. Go Lief. Vrock's in SA range without moving and still can't see you.
> "Brave hero!" Vivantha turns back and winces at the impact, "Hold on!"
* Lief takes aim, compensating for the heavier gravity and letting fly with his full wrath!
<Lief> roll d20+48 ATK 1
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 67 > [d20=19]
<Lief> roll d20+48 ATK 2
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 60 > [d20=12]
<Lief> roll d20+43 ATK 3
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 60 > [d20=17]
<Muirfinn> roll 1d4 I ALWAYS FORGET THE BREATH COOLDOWN
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 4 > [d4=4]
<Lief> roll d20+39 ATK 4
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 41 > [d20=2]
<Lief> roll d20+34 ATK 5
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 45 > [d20=11]
> OOC: All five rolls hit. Damage.
<Lief> OOC: Uh, what's the best/fastest way to parse that?
<Lief> OOC: Just 5x the full string?
<Lief> roll 1d6+26+7d6+2d6
<Lief> roll 1d6+26+7d6+2d6
<Lief> roll 1d6+26+7d6+2d6
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 60 > [d6=5,5,1,4,1,4,2,2,5,5]
<Lief> roll 1d6+26+7d6+2d6
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 57 > [d6=2,6,2,2,2,4,2,4,2,5]
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 66 > [d6=3,6,2,5,6,1,5,6,1,5]
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 60 > [d6=6,4,2,4,3,5,1,1,2,6]
<Lief> roll 1d6+26+7d6+2d6
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 59 > [d6=4,4,4,3,1,1,5,3,6,2]
> roll 60+57+66+60+59
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 302 >
* Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(28)>Lief(24)>Crystalman(22)>Animal(21)>Vivantha(19)'
> Tiny arrows fly true, heavier here. One in each eye, popping them like overripe tomatoes. Another tow in the chest, piercing both lungs. A final flies right for the heart of the demon, plunging through. A torrent of bright green blood erupts out the hole, blowing it wide open. The demon gushes out, dissolving into a backwards tidal wave of green blood that stains the wall behind the demon! OOC: Owwwww. It's deadski. Crystalman is up.
* Muirfinn smashes aside much of the rubble as he settles, irritation showing on his upside-down face. "I'm fine. The vrock, not so much. Nice shooting, Lief."
* Lief grins, not that anyone can see it, and chuckles.
> The silent crystalman grimaces. A throbbing sword of force appears in both hands, before he darts right at Vivantha in one huge downward stroke!
> roll 1d20+37 (+12 ???, +5 ???, -18 PA, -5 slashing flurry)
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 51 > [d20=14]
> roll 1d20+32 (+12 ???, +5 ???, -18 PA, -5 slashing flurry)
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 34 > [d20=2]
> But Vivantha is a hair too fast. She sidesteps the first and the second goes right into her head - before the afterimage fades away. With a piruoette she glides to his side, "Too slow!" OOC: Companion holds. Vivantha is up.
> "The whip is proven!" she sings, "Finish him!" What comes next is a glorious and uplifting song, rousing blood and body! OOC: Lillend inspiration. Muirfinn, go.
* Muirfinn heaves himself up and onto his feet, knocking away stones and rocks as he does so. "I'm all right! I'm fine. Really."
<Muirfinn> OOC: More
<Muirfinn> Abruptly, his form shrinks rapidly. A bit too fast, and he falls five feet to the ground in tortle form. A sharp word sends three sharper ballista bolts of wood flying from Muirfinn's outstretched hand to collide with the remaining foe!
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+27 ranged touch
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+27 ranged touch
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+27 ranged touch
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 44 > [d20=17]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 31 > [d20=4]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 36 > [d20=9]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Does V's bonus apply to spell damage if it's physical?
> OOC: Let me read the feat.
> OOC: No, it specifically says weapons. All of those hit, though.
<Muirfinn> roll 4d6
<Muirfinn> roll 4d6
<Muirfinn> roll 4d6
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 17 > [d6=1,6,4,6]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 14 > [d6=5,3,4,2]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 14 > [d6=6,2,3,3]
<Muirfinn> OOC: Magic & Piercing
> Three splinterbolts go flying, piercing the crystal man with something besides magical crystal. Blood leaks from the wounds, the man staggering but still up. OOC: Ow. Lief, go. He's within SA range if you wanna full attack.
* Lief takes aim at the cyrstaline enemy and lets loose with a full barrage!
<Lief> roll d20+46 ATK 1
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 55 > [d20=9]
<Lief> roll d20+46 ATK 2
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 63 > [d20=17]
<Lief> roll d20+41 ATK 3
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 51 > [d20=10]
<Lief> roll d20+36 ATK 4
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 37 > [d20=1]
<Lief> roll d20+31 ATK 5
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 43 > [d20=12]
> OOC: Four hits.
<Lief> OOC: Is it evil outsider bane-able?
> OOC: No.
<Lief> roll 1d6+24+7d6+2
<Lief> roll 1d6+24+7d6+2
<Lief> roll 1d6+24+7d6+2
<Lief> roll 1d6+24+7d6+2
<Lief> roll 1d6+24+7d6+2
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 56 > [d6=3,5,5,2,2,5,5,3]
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 45 > [d6=4,2,2,1,5,1,1,3]
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 57 > [d6=4,5,5,1,1,6,4,5]
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 59 > [d6=1,6,4,6,4,2,4,6]
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 53 > [d6=3,6,2,3,2,4,3,4]
<Lief> OOC: 270
> OOC: Did you remember the sonic from lillend inspiration?
<Lief> OOC: I did not!
<Lief> roll 5d6
<Lief> roll 5d6
> OOC: Also only 4 hits, not 5.
<Lief> roll 5d6
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 20 > [d6=6,6,3,1,4]
<Lief> roll 5d6
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 20 > [d6=6,2,4,2,6]
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 16 > [d6=1,3,5,3,4]
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 19 > [d6=3,4,2,6,4]
<Lief> OOC: 272.
> Arrows shaking with sonic power pierce the already wounded man. HIs body shakes with each one, vibrating apart into a pile of bloody meat and crystal in the wake of the arrow shots. Got him! OOC: Free act. We'll pause here since post-battle's a good time for it and it's getting past the 3 and a half hour mark.

[Anastasia]

> The battle is over. The vrock's remnants are gone, naught but a foul smell on the wind. The warm meat and broken crystals of the strange man lie before you, a mix of bloody hunks and shattered shards. As Muirfinn regains his bearings, "Are either of you in need of healing?" Vivantha asks.
* Lief shakes his head.
<Lief> "No, I'm fine."
<Muirfinn> "I'll be fine. My body mends quickly." Muirfinn says, shaking his head. "Save it for if we need it."
* Lief cancels his innate invisibility.
* Muirfinn steps over, form morphing into draconian shape again. He picks at the crystals. "That was quite odd."
> "Annoyances," Geodae's voice comes a secondb efore he appears before the party. "I agree, the whip is powerful. I will offer you this for it," Stony fingers snap, the ground before you parting in a perfect circle. What rises out of the ground is a rough sphere of glowing orange light and quartz. It seems to hold together through sheer magic as much o fanything else, routinely beating like an oversized heart.
<Muirfinn> "A distilled energy node?"
* Lief examines the sphere with interest.
> The light is steady despite the pulses. Lief can see that it continually shines with energy, like a crystal catching the sunset's light.
> "Yes," Geodae replies, "You may examine it first if you wish."
* Muirfinn does so! OOC: Roll?
> OOC: K:A.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+23+3
<Muirfinn> OOC: BOTS
* Serith (~iron_drag@cpe-173-172-46-15.tx.res.rr.com) has joined #dunes
> OOC: Roll.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+23+3
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 31 > [d20=5]
> The node is concentrated energy from Earth. It's potent and has likely gathered over unfathomable eons. If properly distilled or absorbed, it could empower a person or an object.
<Muirfinn> "We accept!"
* Lief is amused by Muirfinn's quick acceptance.
> Vivantha thus hands over the whip, the node pulsing brighter. It's bright enough to blind the party. When it clears a moment later, you stand back where you gated into Earth. Geodae is not seen, but his voice can be heard. "Our business is concluded. Should you wish to do business in the future, Canderella will be a sufficient intermediary."
> The node is there, glowing and beating steadily.
* Lief blinks.
> Vivantha blinks as well. "Powerful," she murmurs quietly, and then in her normal voice, "I suppose our business is concluded then, brave hero."
* Muirfinn gathers up the node. "I suppose it is. Is there anything either of you wished to do while here?"
<Lief> "Not for me."
> "No," Vivantha said, "If only all of our trips out were so simple and straightforward."
<Muirfinn> "Don't jinx it." Muirfinn admonishes lightly. "We could always randomly encounter another Greenrot. That would be...awful."
<Muirfinn> With that said, Muirfinn opens a Gate back to Air.
> Stepping back into Air before Aurora, the oppressive weight of Earth is left behind. Gravity's pressure leaves you, the grand fortress soaring above you. Vivantha inhales and exhales, "Now then," she says, patting the node, "What do we do with this?"
<Muirfinn> "An excellent question. Before we decide, I think we should do a bit of research to find out exactly what it can be used to do."
* Lief nods.
<Lief> "Didn't Canderella say something about using it for Aurora?"
<Muirfinn> "It was mentioned, yes. I want to best apply it, though. A slight increase to the power of the Aurora could be a massive power boost to a single individual, for example."
> OOC: Going to go in and do some examining and stuff?
<Muirfinn> OOC: Yup. Gonna round up Sylvie, Tepen, and Vul'lath.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Do some intelligenceing
> OOC: Okay, there's enough ranks there to get to the point without a bunch of rolling. Especially with Tepen and Vul'lath running that new knowledge booster spell.
> OOC: So more coming in a sec.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Nothing like brute-forcing a check!
> A day of rest passes. The next morning the party meets with Elder Magi Tepen and Sage Vul'lath. Sage Vul'lath is a dour-faced gith, sitting without comment. "Sylvie had a prior obligation, but the research is done," Elder Magi Tepen announces, "At least the first branch. There can be more if we get into something particularly estoric. The two of you brought this back?" A nod to Muirfinn and Lief, Vivantha currently not with you.
<Muirfinn> "Indeed. Got it from Earth."
> "First of all, the energy in here is strong but finite. Galariel and Elena agree that it's not a useful energy source for Aurora." Tepen begins. As he speaks, Elena appears. The ghost-girl is tinted blue and is wearing a simple dress today.
* Muirfinn nods. "So instead empowering a person or item."
> "To be honest," Elena explains, "It's potent, but Aurora runs on more stable sources of energy. Also, mainlining a type of elemental energy could make the air elementals react poorly."
> "Exactly," Sage Vul'lath speaks up, "Best used on someone with no ties to Water." A look at Muirfinn, "The two types don't mix, as I'm sure you know."
<Muirfinn> "Of course. It would be...unpleasant."
<Muirfinn> "So what would its effects be if used on a person?"
> OOC: *Air, not water. huge brain fart.
> "Empowerment. It's not enough to enact half-elemental status," Tepen explains, "Like Magmaheart did to Afina. But it can grant some of Earth's power."
* Muirfinn looks over at Lief. "Wanna give it a shot?"
> "It's up to you," Tepen says, "I can channel it so it shouldn't product results that will inhibit you at all. As long as you don't mix Air's essence with it, there should be no problems. Air does suit pixies better, but this node is what we have."
<Lief> "I'll take it if there's no better use for it!"
* Muirfinn nods. "While that may be the case, we may not see one of these ever again. I advise taking what you can as useful.
<Muirfinn> "
* Lief nods.
<Lief> "Good advice. I'll do it, then."
> "Alright." Elder Magi Tepen rises, "Come with us. We'll prepare the ritual circle." From there, the party heads to an empty room within Aurora. Here's a multi-patterned, interlocking set of circles are painted into the ground with molten silver, the blood of angels and pixie dust. It is three sets of three circles, with a tenth serving as the outer boundary. Runes in Terran and Celestial are spread all over, written by Hanna and Ebony. The Words of Creation fill the boundary of the outer circle, causing the circles to gently glow. At the very center of the circles is an empty space. "Lief," Elder Magi Tepen directs, "Lie there."
* Lief flies over to the space and lands, then lies down.
> From here Elder Magi Tepen walks the outer circle. He begins to chant as he does, "Grumbar, in your ever-teeming palace of rock and stone, I call on you to open the ways! The Great Mountain that never changes shall open, and from it shall flow the stone that shall entomb all Creation!" The ground beneath you gently shakes, as if in the tremors of an earthquake. The node appears above you, the light of it flowing like directed water into the circles. "I command you to spread your essence and imbue the power of the Earth forward! In the name of the eternal that defends against the ever-changing Air, spill forth!" The shaking grows heavier, as the orange light flashes all around! OOC: Roll a d100, Iddy.
<Lief> roll 1d100
<Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 34 > [d100=34]
> Lief feels his body tensing up, his muscles churning beneath the surface! Images of mountains and caves fill his mind as the light of the circle fades, a momentary heaviness to his body. OOC: Loot post.
* Lief stands up and flexes his arms a bit.
<Lief> "I feel... Stronger. Sturdier..."
> His body feels stronger, tougher. There's a palpable sense of empowerment. "Yes, I believe so," Elder Magi Tepen remarks, "It went well."
* Muirfinn nods. "Well done, Lief."
* Lief takes to the air again and hovers around Muirfinn.
<Lief> "Thanks! I do feel better now.."
> OOC: Okay, now that that's done, is ther eanything else barring waiting from word from Antenora and Sylica?
<Muirfinn> OOC: None from me!
<Lief> OOC: Nothing for me.
> OOC: Okay then. More coming.
> roll 1d100
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 70 > [d100=70]
> A few more uneventful days pass. There's things that go on, but none of it involves Muirfinn or Lief. The two just happen to be in the Courtyard, watching the Graceful Blow practice, when Ebony approaches, "Could we go talk somewhere? I bring tidings from Sylica."
<Muirfinn> "Of course."
* Lief follows!
> The two of you walk a little ways away, enough to have relative privacy. Once you do she says, "Antenora sends word. A plan is being organized and political difficulties with Sharess are being dealt with. There's a few things that are needed, and that it would be appreciated if you could do them while they deal with that."
<Muirfinn> "How can we help?"
> "There are three things that are needed," Ebony begins, "As you may or may not know, Kascha hails from the same world as Alicia. The region there is known as the Lost Eastlands. Take here there and seek the Forsaken of Yasyvant and the Gilded Heart. She can explain the finer details, but we need a powerful object that represents sacrifice for this. It's the best one we know of on short notice." Ticking a finger off, "Secondly, we need the blood of a child of the Jormugandr of Ysgard. They are fearsome creatures of exceeding toxicity. The Guardian of the Felic Gate in Sylica is a child of one of the children and can tell you more, or you can investigate it yourselves. The blood represents true eternal life, not the mockery Kina-ja took. Thirdly, have you heard of the Lover's Tree?"
<Muirfinn> "I have not."
* Lief shakes his head.
> "In Hades, there is a tree that shines like the sun. It holds off the curse of the greys and eludes all the daemons. It came to be when a mortal paladin gave his life and soul to save his slain wife's soul from the clutches of a yugoloth. The power of the sacrifice pleased Ilmater, who interceded and wove the two into the tree, so that they would be together forever. The tree represents true, undying love and forgiveness for one another." Here she sighs slightly, "The full story is more complicated, a sad tale of betrayal made right in the end by both lovers forgiving and sacrificing for one another. The good that wander Hades can find it for respite, while the denizens of the plane will never find it. We need one of the fruits of the tree."
<Lief> "That sounds.. Fun."
> Ebony doesn't quite crack a smile, but it's a close run thing. "It's a lot of work," she concedes, "But these objects can be used to further weaken Kina-ja when she falls into our trap."
<Muirfinn> "Of course it's in Hades. Why wouldn't it be in Brightwater, or Celestia?"
<Lief> "Has anything we've done ever been that easy?"
<Muirfinn> "Of course not. I just like to complain every once in a great while."
<Lief> "We've earned that much, at least!"
> "The sacrifice meant more there," Ebony says after a moment's thought. "How many in Celestia would give up their lives to help others? Many, if not all. How many in Hades would? Few, if any. Such an act of selfless good against the Nadir has great meaning. Still, the order which you attempt these is left to your discretion. How you go about achieving your goals is likewise left in your hands."
* Muirfinn rubs his face. "Let's get the one in...Yasyvant? Let's do that first. Hades second. Serpent scions last. I doubt that will be any fun."
> "It's probably the hardest, the child," Ebony nods slightly, adjusting her hood with one hand. "Fortunately, death heals each dawn at Ysgard, so the risk is minimal."
<Lief> "Well, I'm good with getting the most difficult over first."
<Muirfinn> "I might...MIGHT have some sway with them. Maybe. Depends on whether or not we can find one that's reasonable." Muirfinn says. "All said, if I'm going to spend an evening dead, I'd rather do it last."
> "Think it over," Ebony says, "You have time - likely a few weeks at the least," she explains, "Get your affairs in order and do your debating before going in. As much as we'd like to do this swiftly, we only have one chance at this, so sureness is preferred."
> OOC: Anything else ot ask Ebony here, y'all?
<Lief> OOC: Not me.
<Muirfinn> OOC: NAh
> OOC: Okay, do you want to do any research or talk to anyone IC about this, or otherwise do any prep or planning?
<Lief> OOC: Not me.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Gonna gather info on our tagets
> OOC: How?
<Muirfinn> OOC: General research on Jormungandr in the library, and see if I can find anything on the Lover's Tree. Going back to Balmurialand would probably not be in there.
> OOC: Okay. Make two K:P checks, include the library bonus.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+22+3+15
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+22+3+15
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 50 > [d20=10]
<Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 58 > [d20=18]
> Jormugandr is the eternal serpent that is said to forever devour its own tail. It is said that it is a creature of venom and resurrection, life and death paired together in Ysgard. It is not a deity but said to rival them, with several mortal worlds citing it as a beast that will poison all the land and sky during the end of days. It lives deep in Ysgard in an uncertain location. A single drop of its toxin can slay a thousand men in an instant, or so the legends say. (More)
> The Lover's Tree has a long, sad tale attached to it. A paladin of the Triad and a noblewoman fell in love. They were to be wed, but a yugoloth intervened. It seduced and corrupted the noblewoman and sought to use her to slay the paladin. It almost succeeded - on their wedding night she drew the knife to slay him, but love stayed her hand long enough for the paladin to react. He was consumed with stunned fury, striking her away from the bed and greviously injuring her in one blow. Plan foiled but not defeated, the daemon laid a curse on the paladin to consume his soul for the sin of striking his wife. This would have consumed him and damned his soul to Hades, but his wife, in a final act of contrition, sacrificed herself to save him and was dragged down to Hades instead. The paladin was stricken with remorse and took off alone to Hades, all to save his wife's soul. After many battles he found her, all hope lost and leeched away by the daemons. He was not able to defeat the yugoloth in Hades, his power far too great for the hero there. As he lie dying, the paladin repeated his wife's actions, using his power and his soul to shatter the despair that consumed her. This act drew the attention of Lathander, who intervened. The daemon was cast away, face melted by the radiance of the deity. He took the two souls, one damaged by sacrifice and the other by Hades' despair, and pressed them together. They took the form of a tree there, a tree with fruit to aid those of good hearts lost in Hades. The fruit can stall and reverse the Grays as well as heal wounds. No yugoloth or native to Hades can find the tree by any means, or so it is said.
> *Ilmater, not Lathander. Stupid typo.
> OOC: Okay, now that you got all that, now what?
<Muirfinn> OOC: I still want to go to Balmurialand first
<Muirfinn> OOC: It's good to know, and might help us in Hades.
> OOC: Okay. That involves talking to Kascha, so how about I set you two up with that.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Thumbs up bro

[Anastasia]

> Kascha is found in the library. She sits in a comfortably overstuffed chair, reading a thick tome that floats before her. Her posture is prim and proper, her eyes seemingly trying to resist following the ioun stones that fly around her head. A cute look of concentration slowly forms as she reads, wholly focused on her task.
<Muirfinn> "Kascha!" Muirfinn says from immediately behind her.
* Lief zips over to hover behind the book with a wide grin.
> "Hello," Kascha says with a little twitch, keeping her eyes fixed ahead. "Ah, could you hold on. I'm trying to focus on these stones at the same time as something else. It's a little tricky-aaah!" Lief's movement is enough to make the book drop, hitting the floor with a thump.
* Lief stares at the book.
<Lief> "Sorry?
<Lief> "
<Muirfinn> "You...know you don't have to concentrate on the stones, right?"
> "I know." Kascha says, reaching up to pluck one of them down. "It's all mental - I mean, the problems. I know I have the actual reflexes to do this. It's rather interesting, as you know how spirits are shaped by belief in part? We think it's because I keep thinking that this sort of balance is difficult, even if it's only sub-concious, so I struggle with it."
* Ko-MushroomCharmNightmare is now known as Kotono
<Muirfinn> "Kascha, I have no idea what you're talking about anymore." Muirfinn looks at her, straight-faced.
> "Oh." Kascha gathers the rest of the stones, "Nevermind, I was talking about my problems. So Muirfinn and Lief, did you come to ask me something?"
* Lief points to Muirfinn.
> Kascha turns to Muirfinn, the question plain on her face. "Yes?"
<Muirfinn> "What can you tellus about the Lost Eastlands and the Forsaken of Yasyvant?"
> That draws out a long blink from Kascha, her stones absently put down on her lap. "You mean my homeland? Why are you asking about that?" Her smile slips away as she shakes her head, "I don't mind telling you, but I wasn't expecting someone to come up and ask out of the blue."
<Lief> "We're going!"
* Muirfinn nods at Lief. "We need a powerful object from her that represents sacrifice."
> "Her? ..." Kascha shakes her head and trails off, "It's a long story, and I suspect you'll need to hear most of it. Want to sit down?" Kascha asks, gesturing at nearby chairs.
* Lief lands on the arm of a chair.
<Muirfinn> "Sure." Muirfinn takes a seat in one of the plush chairs nearby. "Please, go on."
> "Millenia ago, I was a young human woman," Kascha looks away, vaguely towards the ceiling. Her voice doesn't stop, but her gaze is faraway. "An apprentice mage who went to Magill's Higher Studies Academy. The Lost Eastlands were a subcontinent, surrounded by mountains to the west and water on all other sides. It was a vibrant land. During my first year there...one of the kingdoms had an uprising amid the royal family, about who would take the throne. Then, during it, an invincible monster came. It came and destroyed everything. The entire Lost Eastlands were put to the sword and ruined. Millions perished, including myself. The survivors fled to a nearby island, as the monster could not cross the water. They named it the Destroyer." She pauses here, "That's just the beginning."
* Muirfinn raises a scaly eyeridge. "Millions?"
> "The Destroyed killed almost everyone. Entire kingdoms were lost. Empires. She didn't stop at anything." Kascha sighs and shakes her head, "Have you ever heard the stories various faiths have about the apocalypse? It was like that. No one could defeat her - and yes, it was a her, but I'm getting ahead of myself."
* Muirfinn motions for her to go on.
> "No one knew this at the time, but the Destroyer was Princess Marianne, one of the royals I mentioned. She had managed to obtain the form of a tarrasque and coupled it with her own intellect. Only the mountains to the west and the water all around kept the Destroyer from going farther. There were reasons for that, but it's not important. Soon after, the world underwent a massive catastrophe as the result of the Gnomish God-King. It's not directly related, except assuring that knowledge of the Eastlands were lost to other realms. Millenia passed. During this time, the survivors founded a faith about defeating the Destroyer. The Destroyer stalked the Eastlands, slaying any intelligent creature that dared set foot. Every generation or so, the refugees - who called themselves the Forsaken, for they felt the Gods left them...but I'm digressing. There's so much history here." Another little sigh, "It makes me nostalgic. Let me keep going towards the point."
* Muirfinn nods.
> "The point of that is that because of that cataclysm with the gnomes, the Gods were withdrawn from the world. It ensured no one could oppose the Destroyer. The Forsaken sent armies to fight the Destroyer every generation, but each was wiped out to the man. This went on for thousands of years. Thousands of years of pointless slaughter over the graveyard of civilizations. Finally, in the west, safe behind the mountains, the Crimson Guard of Balmuria brought back the attention of the Gods and other such things. In time they grew mighty and were able to pass the western mountains. They met the Destroyer and escaped her notice, managing to explore some of the ruins. There...they found my skeleton and a memory pendant I had. It was like a visual diary, meant to be sent to my parents. Seira took pity on me and called my spirit back from Arborea. I was incarnated in this form," she gestures at herself. "In time, Alicia, Seira and her allies challenged the Destroyer. They were akin to gods and hardly mortal, and managed to slay the Destroyer."
> "There's more to that, but in short, they managed to finally save the Forsaken and liberate the Lost Eastlands from the Destroyer. In the decades since then, the land has slowly begun to be repopulated." Kascha idly twirls a bit of her hair, still looking away. "The Forskane of Yasyvant you mentioned are the same Forsaken as in my story."
<Muirfinn> "Oh. Well that makes more sense, and seems much less...dangerous to seek out."
> "Before the Destroyer was killed, they lived a joyless and gray life. It was a bitter existence clung to on the edge of meaninglessness. They had but one faith centered around the Saint-Martyr Holiheant, as the rest of the Gods had left because of the gnomes." Another shake of her head, "Now a days, they're less gray and more rebuilding. Seira's worship is by far the dominante one, though some of Alicia's has crept in as well. The people remember who saved them. The traditional gods are struggling to find any purchase there. Mmm. Waukeen and Mystra do a little better since they're connected to Alicia and Seira, but it..." A stop as Muirfinn speaks up. "Oh, the realm isn't so dangerous now. The Destroyed tended to kill anything intelligent, good or evil. She's slaughter a red dragon as readily as a gold dragon."
* Yuthikins (~Yuthirin@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) has joined #dunes
<Yuthikins> "Oh. Well that makes more sense, and seems much less...dangerous to seek out."
> "Before the Destroyer was killed, they lived a joyless and gray life. It was a bitter existence clung to on the edge of meaninglessness. They had but one faith centered around the Saint-Martyr Holiheant, as the rest of the Gods had left because of the gnomes." Another shake of her head, "Now a days, they're less gray and more rebuilding. Seira's worship is by far the dominante one, though some of Alicia's has crept in as well. The people remember who saved them. The traditional gods are struggling to find any purchase there. Mmm. Waukeen and Mystra do a little better since they're connected to Alicia and Seira, but it..." A stop as Muirfinn speaks up. "Oh, the realm isn't so dangerous now. The Destroyed tended to kill anything intelligent, good or evil. She's slaughter a red dragon as readily as a gold dragon."
> *she'd.
> Nodding slightly to Muirfinn, turning to him now, "So...what business do you have with them?"
* Muirfinn (~Yuthirin@ip70-176-212-134.ph.ph.cox.net) Quit (Ping timeout)
* Yuthikins is now known as Muirfinn
<Muirfinn> "Okay, so the Destroyer is gone? That's good. Do you think we'll have any trouble finding the Gilded Heart?"
> "Gilded Heart?" Kascha blinks slowly, "Wait, back up. Explain what you're going for and why?"
> She then glances at Lief, "Did you two...no, I know neither of you mentioned it. Why didn't you mention that in the first place?"
<Muirfinn> "Well, I'm not exactly sure. I thought the Forsaken was a person."
<Lief> "Well, I'm just helping, sorta, so I let Muirfinn go ahead."
> "No, it referred to the survivors," Kascha explains, "Who are now no longer the Forsaken but instead rebuilding on the Lost Eastlands." So Kascha explains, "Why don't you back up and explain to me why you're looking into this and exactly what you're looking into?"
<Muirfinn> "Ebony told us that we needed to take you with us to find the Forsaken and the Gilded Heart. Or of the Gilded Heart. To be honest, I was more concerned with marching about Hades looking for a tree that may or may not be easily locatable. Also, Jormungandr's children."
> "I know what the Gilded Heart is," she explains, "Saint-Martyr Holiheant is said to have left it behind when he sacrificed his life to save the Forsaken as they first escaped the Destroyer." She rubs her chin slowly, "In truth, I'm not 100% clear on the exacts of the history behind it. The story was old when Seira heard it, and later investigation after the Destroyer's death showed it to be highly resistant to divinations. They claimed the Saint-Martyr's intervention prevented the Destroyer from crossing the water and finishing the Forsaken off, but I'm not sure if it's true. Stories have a way of becoming twisted as centuries turn them into myth."
> A moment to take a breath, "Anyway, the upwind of all of that is that it's a religious artifact of great value to the Forsaken. It's somewhat less so now that the Destroyer's gone. From what I understand, the faith of Holiheant is fading in favor of new worship. A new generation is slowly being born and raised, one that never lived as a Forsaken."
> Here Kascha shrugs, "They don't have the same memories and hardships as the generations that were Forsaken. The old ways don't mean as much ot them.
> :
> Another pause as Kascha considers, "If you had a divine mandate or highly knowledgeable source behind the request for it, I'm inclined to believe it's correct." Kascha finally says, "To tell the truth, I haven't followed up on the Holiheant side of the Lost Eastland's recovery in depth. I'd rather focus on the future than the past of my homeland. The past is full of pain and millenia of murder."
> As she hmms, "I can go with you, take you to the main city of the mainland. We can probably track down the heart from there. I doubt they'll let us borrow it easily, so it'll involve a quest, donations or whatever we get saddled with. We may be really unfortunate and get entangled in politics." A little frown graces Kascha's face, "I'm a servant of Seira, so that will open many doors by itself. It probably won't get us the heart by merely asking, though."
> At this point Kascha stops talking. A brief silence follows before she sheepishly says, "I didn't lose you in all of that, did I?"
> "Lief?" she glances over towards the pixie, "Did you get all that, too? I didn't lose you either, did I?"
<Muirfinn> "Hmmm..." Muirfinn rubs his chin. "Good to know. I rather expected that it wouldn't be so simple as to just ask for it. Might as well make the journey now. This could turn out to take the longest of the three items."
> Kascha tosses her stones back up, which begin to circle her head once more. She rises, "I can leave right away. Are the two of you ready?"
<Muirfinn> "I am."
> As you walk out through the courtyard, past the practices and mock-warfare, towards the openness of Air, "The biggest city is named Liberation Point. It's a nothern coastal city where the Forsaken first landed after the Destroyer's demise. That's where we'll be going. The city's something to see, especially from above. There's some rises not far from the city, we can appear there and fly in. I don't think we'll need to bother with disguises. Once they know I serve Seira and my name, we'll be treated extremely well. Any questions?"
<Muirfinn> "Are they opposed to dragons?"
> "Vaguely favorable. Seira's a dragon, you know!" Smiling at that, "She can take the form of massive red dragon. She won that knowledge from her studies and a cabal of ancient, planar red dragons. Except she's not evil, she only claimed the form since that's where her research lead." Tapping a long finger on her chin, "She's an exception, more accurately she'd be a gold dragon in morals. Especially since her dragonfire is golden. There's not a lot of opinion about the fey. You see, on our world, the fey essentially vanished with the Gods. Long story. They're making a resurgence, but there's not greatly known to many mortals now. So you should be fine as well, Lief. You might get mistaken for an overgrown courre eladrin, but that's it."
<Lief> "As long as they're not hostile out-right, I'll be fine!"
* Muirfinn nods. "I'll be taking the form of a silver, then. It's faster and useful, as well as the fact that when a dragon shows up, people tend to listen to what it has to say."
> Once out into Air, Kascha chants. She does it under her breath, tracing a portal open with her finger. Before you a swirling portal appears, which Kascha steps aside, "I'll go through last. Go on."
* Lief triggers his invisibility, just in case, and zips through, bow at the semi-ready!
* Muirfinn floats through, dragon-cat swimming gracelessly through the air beside his slightly-larger-than man-sized form.
<Muirfinn> OOC: Basically a medium silver dragon right now. No need to give too much away or spook the locals unnecessarily.
> Kascha is last. You stand on a windy cliff, a chill breeze blowing. It feels like mid fall or mid spring, the sky clear of clouds. Ahead of you is a long coastal plane that has a beach that the ocean laps against. There is a massive city build there, docks jutting out into the water from it. It is a mix of things. Around the docks are plane, gray stone buildings, an inner ring of blandness. BUt past them it becomes a riot of building sizes, shapes, colors and designs. There is no rhyme or reason that you can see. A cotton candy pink tower rises high into the air, unnaturally so, next ot a squat hall made of fire red brick. Nothing is the same, as if an artist had a fantastic fit of inspiration with the city. From your vantage point up here, you can see most of it. Kascha lands next to you, the portal closing behind her. "During their exile, the Forsaken became a hopeless, bland adn lifeless culture. Once the started living again on the mainland, they left that behind and found their creativity."
* Lief becomes visable again.
<Lief> "What's that pink tower?"
> "Not what it looks like," Kascha blushes just a little bit, "A mage's tower. He thinks pink is just the best color ever, far better than the gray he grew up with. He won't listen to anyone who tells him it's a girl's color. Actually, what you're sort of implying is quietly encouraged." Hmming a little bit, "There's quite upswing in births now, and the culture encourages it. They have lots of land to grow into."
> *quite a
* Lief stares at Kascha, blank faced.
<Lief> "I.. Uh..."
<Lief> "I wasn't implying anything. I just wanted to know what the pink tower was."
> Here she hms, "You know, it's lucky that someone like Sune hasn't made inroads here. The youth is probably primed for radically different morals about s-...oh." Kascha's voice drops to a little squeak, a blush taking up all her face. "Oooh! I thought...nevermind what I thought!"
* Lief turns to Muirfinn.
<Lief> "Maybe after we're done here, you should take Kascha on a date."
> "Let's go!" Kascha takes to wing, flying up and off.
* Lief eyes her out of the corner of his eye.
> "I meant to Liberation Point! To the city!" Kascha speeds pu, hurrying off.
* Muirfinn snorts, hoisting his large cat and flying lazily after them.
* Lief follows after.

[Anastasia]

> Thus the trio flies towards Liberation Point. As you fly above the city, the denizens below point and look up. You can hear the faraway murmur of many voices, Kascha leading you along amid this buzz. You fly past all the lively building and to the gray, inner ring of the city. Here Kascha descends before a squat, sturdy stone building. It looks as unappealing as a drizzly winter sky. "I think this is it," Kascha says, as people on the streets stare at the three.
* Lief stares back at the people.
> The people are dressed in a riot of colors. There's no real coorindation and almost everything is bright. A clash of reds, oranges, blues, yellows, greens, whites and other vibrant colors are worn.
<Lief> ".... I have to admit, I'm liking their fashion..."
* Muirfinn snorts, letting his cat settle to thr ground. His talons click down a moment later. "There's got to be an easier way to do that."
<Lief> "Was pretty easy for me."
* Lief grins at Muirfinn.
> "It must be a fairy thing. Afina would like that fashion too," Kascha observes, as she heads towards the doors of the building. They're big, tall doors that probably take several men to tug open.
<Lief> "You can shrink him! He'll be small enough to carry for you, and perfect sized for me to ride!"
<Muirfinn> "You were not carrying a grumpy oversized housecat." Muirfinn snorts, sending a small spray of snow into the air. His cat grumbles in response.
> As the three stand before them, the heavy doors open with a tremendous creak. They slowly invert inwards, revealing a wide open space. The walls are curiously undecorated, a large opening space tapering into a narrow, coffin lined hallway ahead. A middle aged man, balding and with a limp, comes forth to greet you. His face bears many wrinkles and looks tired, yet he does smile when he sees you, "Welcome to the house of the Saint-Martyr. It is rare to get guests of his calibur.":
* Lief looks at the old man curiously, and inspects the coffins from afar.
* Muirfinn nods regally to the man. "Greetings."
> The coffins are made of stone and look quite heavy. They also look reasonably well made, as much as Lief is knowledgeable about such things. "Hello. I am Kascha, student and servant of Seira Aryn," she inclines her head in a polite nod, "We're here on a mission."
<Lief> "I am Lief!"
* Lief greets with a grin.
> "You come on a mission," Lief gets a polite nod back from the man, "Walk with me down the halls of the lost, let us talk about it in the echos of history." HIs smile has slipped ever so slightly.
* Lief follows after him.
* Muirfinn trots befind the man, talons click-click-clicking on stone as his weird dragon cat prowls next to him.
> Thus the group goes back. Kascha speaks up once you walk alon gthe coffin-lined hall, "We're searching for the Gilded Heart," she says, getting right to the point.
> "The Gilded Heart." The man stops his walking, voice becoming sharp. "One does not come in here and merely ask for the Gilded Heart!"
* Muirfinn resists the sudden inexplicable urge to snark. "We do not do so lightly."
> "It is not a frivolous request," Kascha agrees, "It is a matter of great importance. We would not be here if it was, rather mortals would be talking to you." She smiles, a beautiful thing. "So please, understand that we aren't here on a lark."
> "Hm." The man considers for a time, bowing his head as he thinks. He rubs his chin before replying, "A donation to this temple would be a sign of your sincerity," he says after some thought, "Little else makes men serious as money."
<Muirfinn> Oh how Vivantha would seethe. Men assigning a value to that which is priceless. "How much?" He asks laconically.
> Kascha's smile becomes ever so slightly strained, but holds her peace.
* Lief frowns a bit and looks around the temple for anything... valuable or fragile...
> "The streets of the heavens are made of gold and paved with platinum, yes?" he asks back, "One hundred thousand crowns." Lief can see the temple is all stone and heavy things. Nothing looks immediately fragile.
> "One hundred..." Kascha's smile fades to a frown, "That's a gold coin," she asks as an aside to the other two, "So one hundred thousand gold coins."
* Muirfinn briefly has an image of a massive pile of golden crowns.
> With a polite smile as he spreads his hands out, "Surely the servants of the heavens have no touch of greed, and this sort of request is eminently reasonable, no?"
> OOC: Gah.
> With a polite smile as he spreads his hands out, "Surely the servants of the heavens have no touch of greed, and this sort of request is eminently reasonable, no?" The priest replies, "Seira could loosen the horde of her follows here, should it be so needed."
* Muirfinn struggles for a moment, before releasing a sharp snort, an inhale sounding like a massive ice block cracking in half. He flexes his wings, tail sweeping back and forth in amusement. "Ha! Ha ha ha! A hundred thousand for a sacred relic! Were our lives so easy, this would always we the case. We could simply buy the weapons to slay Bel. Storm the Abyss and slay abominations on our
* Muirfinn pocketbooks alone." His head swings around, sinuous neck bringing his large face and molten silver eyes level with the man, naught but half a food from his nose. "Your ancestors railed against the world, even when the gods turned from them, and proved themselves worthy." He grinds out.
<Muirfinn> "And you ask...for gold."
> OOC: I'm gonna call that an intimidation check. Roll one?
> OOC: But keep going first if you're still going.
<Lief> OOC: Can I use bluff to help?
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+14 shockingly not intimidating for a dragon!
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+14 shockingly not intimidating for a dragon! and gets 29." [1d20=15]
> OOC: Sure. Work up something reasonable and go for it.
* Lief grins at the man.
<Lief> "I wouldn't personally wouldn't want to anger him. He *is* a dragon, after-all. Long memories, long lives."
<Lief> roll d20+31 Bluff
* Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+31 Bluff and gets 32." [d20=1]
> "Dragons forget little," Kascha says, the normal good humor in her voice gone. She sighs, "I could respect asking us for a holy quest, for healing or something that we could grant better than others. But this is naked greed married to thinly veiled attempts to scare us off." Looking him in the eye, "I expected better from the Forsaken my Goddess gave her blood and toil to save."
> roll 1d20+31 diplo
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+31 diplo and gets 38." [1d20=7]
> roll 1d20+10 sense motive vs Kascha, working backwards here
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+10 sense motive vs Kascha, working backwards here and gets 11." [1d20=1]
> roll 1d20+10 sense motive vs Lief
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+10 sense motive vs Lief and gets 18." [1d20=8]
> roll 1d20+4 (-8 other checks)
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+4 (-8 other checks) and gets 8." [1d20=4]
> The priest recoils visibly from the annoyed dragon, eyes darting to Lief as he speaks. His color turns to that of ashes at the pixie's implied threat, whipping to Kascha as she speaks. Her obvious disappointment hits him even harder, leaving him shaking in a mix of fear and shame. "I...that..." he stumbles over his words, seemingly robbed of them for the moment.
* Muirfinn turns away from tha man and to Kascha. "You told us of the storied history of these people who were once your own. You have my condolences."
> "Look at him," Kascha gestures, "A new order and time has come. Yet he still hides in the gray, barren past. Look at how he resents us for having ruined his brooding." She shakes her head again, closing her eyes, "In all truth, I expected so much better from my descendants. Lief, please remember that most humans are better than this."
> "I..." Again the man can only stammer, his head ping-ponging back and forth as each person speaks.
* Lief rubs his chin, staring at the man.
<Lief> "I dunno, they all sorta look the same to us fey... I mean, if I can't seem to find anything to trust in him, are all of them really that different? We fey tend to be of like mind."
> "Repent your greed and hate," Kascha intones, softening her voice a little bit. "I know it isn't your choice ot make about the Gilded Heart. Go, talk to whomever is your superior, then spend some time reflecting on your actions. Seira teaches that money is a tool to better the lives of others. Rather than extorting it like this, reflect on how you can use wealth to invest in a better future." Here she pauses, "You'll learn," she says. "There are many humans of great virtue...just not here."
* Muirfinn shakes his head at the man. "You have nothing to fear from me. I will not harm you. It is not my way. I can hope, however, that you can muster your morality. Kascha's disappointment is something you should dread, for no other reason than she is an angel. Of the three of us, Lief is the only one you should truly fear." Muirfinn finishes, pointing at Lief with a claw.
> "Exactly. What will Lief become to humans if he believes them nothing more than greedy thieves?" Kascha adds.
<Muirfinn> "Oh, not so much that." Muirfinn chuckles. "Have you ever seen a target of the ire of the fey?"
* Lief grins sharply and toothily at the comment.
> "Oh?" Kascha asks, "Lief, what do the fey do to those that draw their wrath?"
<Lief> "Honestly? Whatever we want! Shiney things is where I'd start.. Then probably on to important things that break.. Then... Some kind of humiliation. After that? I'm not sure... Haven't had many live past that."
> At that, the man's color somehow grows even paler. He stumbles back, "I...I'll pass on your h-honored request right away!" He bows deeply thereafter, almost managing to put his forehead to the ground, before hurrying down the hall in a tizzy.
* Lief grins happily.
<Lief> "Maybe they can learn to be better, after all!"
> Kascha sighs just a little bit, "I don't enjoy those sort of things," she admits, "I've never been an angel of wrath. But I dare say that it was appropriate. Perhaps he'll improve himself as a person and not have the gall to insult fantastical beings. It'll do wonders for his lifespan should he encounter any others. Few would deal with his insult as softly as that."
<Lief> "Well... I'm not sure about softly."
<Lief> "I mean, fey are starting to be around more, right? It wouldn't do for us to get a repuatation of not following up."
* Muirfinn snorts.
<Lief> "Might have to make some friends with the local fey."
> "Mmm. Still, murder is murder. Humans aren't like demons or devils - they can change and repent. There's no virtue in killing them except when there's no other choice." A slight shake of her head follows that, "I say that as someone who was murdered."
<Lief> "Hmm.. Well, maybe I'll tell them to not take it that far."
<Lief> "Really, we just like causing problem."
* Lief grins.
<Muirfinn> "That behavior does have its uses!"
> From there's a short wait. You don't see much of anyone else around. It merely seems empty within, a vast building that is as much an icon as it is hollow. Soon enough an old man approaches, coming down the hall. He is stooped and old, white bearded and using a cane to help himself alone. His eyes are cloudy but focus on the party, "It was spoken truly. Creatures of legend have come to the house of the Saint-Martyr."
> OOC: Gah, didn't have a scroll down from Kascha's last line.
* Muirfinn raises a scaly eyeridge at the man, but says nothing.
> "I am Uless, keeper of this sanctuary." He speaks slowly, tiredly. "Would you care to discuss this somewhere more comfortable?"
> "It would be nice, thank you," Kascha replies. The party is lead back. Everything here is austere and stony, even the sitting room you're lead to. There's hard stone benches and a stone table - not a hint of comfort to be found. The old man sits down on one of the benches without complaint, "I would not offend you by offering our simple porridge and water."
<Lief> "I'll have water!"
> The old man gets up and leaves briefly. He comes back with a simple glass of water, placing it in front of Lief. He sits back down once that's done, wincing. "Aaaaah. I'm afraid age has her claws deep into me. But...please, enough of that. Why are you here?"
* Lief flies over to the glass and takes a drink.
> It's water. Decent enough but nothing revolutionary. Meanwhile Kascha goes on, "We're seeking the Gilded Heart. We'd like to borrow it, in particular."
* Muirfinn nods. "For a short time."
> "That is...an extraordinary request," Uless replies slowly. "Absolutely extraordinary."
<Muirfinn> "It's an extraordinary task. It requires extraordinary things."

[Anastasia]

> "It's for a good cause," Kascha adds quietly, "A good cause, like the good cause Seira took on to slay the Destroyer."
> "This is a tremendous request," Uless continues to speak slowly, "It is not something done. Only the highest of Saint-Martyr's servants could access the Gilded Heart, let alone those rare few who could take it."
> "I know," Kascha says soft and gentle with her words, "But what profit is it to leave a tool of liberation gathering dust, rather than being used for what it was meant to be used for?"
* NeremWorld (~Nerem@75-172-94-163.tukw.qwest.net) Quit (Ping timeout)
<Lief> "The fact that we've come asking, with a connection to Seira should at least give us some consideration. We're not exactly the normal highwaymen types that you worry about, are we?"
* NeremWorld (NeremWorld@174-31-186-129.tukw.qwest.net) has joined #dunes
* Muirfinn settles back on his haunches. He clears his throat. "Would you like to hear a story?"
> "A story?" Uless asks back, "As you like."
<Muirfinn> "It is a sad tale. A story of a woman named Kina." Muirfinn says, foreclaws gesturing. OOC: I'mma wall o'text this one. FYI.
> OOC: Go ahead then.
<Muirfinn> "Kina was a beautiful girl, though she grew up in a difficult home. Wracked by poverty, she and her family struggled. Her early life hampered more than helped by her natural beauty. She was recruited by Sharess' worshippers early because of this, and it aided her some. Alas, age takes its toll on all natural-born things, and thus marred her beauty. Kina, however, was in posession of an overabundance
<Muirfinn> of pride. She felt it that adulation and love and beauty were her due, and age was taking them all from her without just cause. She made a decision, and in an act of horror she abducted and sacrificed a neophyte Sharessian in return for youth. She turned her face from Sharess, and a demon answered her, quick to fill the void. This creature of unholy beauty granted her wish. To retain this, the
<Muirfinn> sacrifices continued. Eventually, she was found out, was cornered by a man of Sharess. When she turned to the demon for aid, it dragged her soul down to the Abyss instead. A tale of woe and greed, but it did not end there." OOC: MOAR
<Muirfinn> "So great was her hate that her soul twisted into the form of a marilith. So filled with hate for her former mistress, and the overwhelming urge to prove herself right and better, caused her to grow powerful. She grew so powerful, she made an attempt on the life of Sharess. For her insolence, the goddess smote her directly, sundering Kina's body, but her soul and drive held her together. Sharess
<Muirfinn> was unable to slay her, for reasons I do not know. Kina, known now as Kina-ja, has roamed the planes in a state two steps beyond madness for uncountable years since. Syala desires her destruction and has made a personal request of us to locate and destroy Kina-ja." Muirfinn winds down. "The Gilded Heart is an artifact that will aid us in wiping clean a powerful stain across the planes."
> OOC: MAke a diplo check or a perform(oratory) check, whichever is higher.
<Muirfinn> roll 1d20+40+3 diplo
* Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+40+3 diplo and gets 53." [1d20=10]
> Muirfinn's words draw Uless in, the story of Kina's mortal life. When it's finally over, his expression is thoughtful. "These planes you speak of. I know only a little of them. What exactly is a marilith?"
<Lief> "Evil and vicious."
<Muirfinn> "Mariliths are demons. They wear the head of a beautiful woman and have six arms. They usually carry a weapon in each hand, and have the lower body of a snake. They are dangerously insane and unbelievably violent."
> "They're also tacticians, but it's not important. What's important is that they're creatures of nightmares, hate and evil." Kascha adds.
> "Mmm. Syala...she is linked to Alicia, I believe?" Uless asks, "The name is familiar."
<Muirfinn> "Yes, they're frightfully intelligent as well."
> "Yes," Kascha nods, "They are united."
> "I will...need to consider," The man says after a little more deliberation. "This decision requires prayer and meditation. Would you return on the 'morrow?"
<Muirfinn> "That is acceptable."
<Lief> "Thank you for listening to our story! The other human was... less agreeable. Wanted money right off the bat. Maybe Kascha was right, not all humans are the same."
> "Thank you," Kascha rises, "For your hospitality and time."
> "Humans are nothing if different from one another," Uless says, "In this era, all are shining snowflakes of color riots and newfound joy."
<Lief> "I like colors, riots, and joy!"
* Lief grins at the old man.
> "You are the young ones," Uless shakes his head, "So full of life."
* Lief smirks at Kascha.
> OOC: Okay, are y'all ready to move along? Also, any plans or just wait until tomorrow?
<Lief> OOC: I got nothin' besides maybe causing some chaos. But nothing in mind.
<Muirfinn> OOC: I have no plans, and will waiyt
> OOC:Okay.
> roll 1d100
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 26." [1d100=26]
> You get lodging in the city. Beyond the grey ring, the entire area is far more lively. While you have reactions and other such things, nothing is truly out of the ordinary - especially once you get in your rooms for the night and rest. The next morning you head back to see Uless. More people are out, a fair few eyes on the group as they head towards the destination.
* Lief zips back and forth over the crowds, looking for anything interesting.
* Muirfinn makes his way, using the fact that he is currently a 9 foot long silver dragon to keep peace for the group.
> OOC: PErception, Lief.
<Lief> OOC: Which is what? Wisdom or Spot?
> OOC: I'm sorry, spot.
<Lief> roll d20+32 Spot
* Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+32 Spot and gets 52." [d20=20]
> As you pass by an orange and white colored stone building, Lief notices something odd. An out of place metal doorway set well into the side wall of it, down an alley it shares with a purple domed building. The metal isn't painted and looks completely off-color to the rest of the building.
* Lief stares at the door for a moment before zipping over to Muirfinn, constantly looking at the door like it'll disappear.
<Lief> "Muirfinn! Kascha! I *need* that door. Come with me!"
* Lief floats over towards the door without waiting for a response.
* Muirfinn glances at Lief's retreating form. "Well, it's not like the Heart is going anywhere."
> "Lief?" Kascha follows along, "I suppose it won't," she says, as the door is reached. It's a big, imposing iron door. It's not rusted in the least and looks imposingly thick. A simple doorknob provides further entry if one wishes to open it.
* Lief stares at the door knob for a moment and then triest to turn it with his little self.
> The doorknob twists and turns, opening! Ahead you see a familiar stairway landing, stairways going up and down from it at all angles. Before you is the Infinite Stairway, a familiar sight. Dark void surrounds everything, stairways rising up into for all directions. On the floor of the landing are a few bits of colorful stone, just strewn around.
* Lief stares at it.
<Lief> "I like this place!"
> "Oh, the Infinite Stair," Kascha says, "You found a door to it. Muirfinn, if I remember right, most people won't notice it?"
<Muirfinn> "Oh yes. The Stair. I met Vivantha here, when we were being attacked by the deathdrinker. I think that's what it was called. Don't try to fly there unless you're a lillend, Lief."
* Lief cocks his head to the side a bit.
<Lief> "Really? Not at all?"
> "Yes," Kascha says, "You'll get lost and take a terrible tumble. It's a transitive plane like the Astral Plane and the normal rules of distance don't really apply."
<Lief> "Awww... Still, want to take a look?"
> "We could lose hours walking the stairs," Kascha says, "If we get the Gilded Heart, we can drop it off at Aurora and come back?" she offers.
* Lief stares longingly at the staircases before sighing.
<Muirfinn> "Once this is over, I think. We'll bring Vivantha along the trip. See the planes."
<Lief> "I guess that might be a *little* more important. Maybe. Let's get the Heart as fast as possible, then."
> "There's so much to see," Kascha says, "Though I can't got to Earth for a little under...77 years, I think? I need to check."
<Lief> "Why's that?"
<Muirfinn> "She died there once, not too long ago."
<Lief> "... Ah. I'm sorry to hear that. But glad you got better."
> "I died there recently," Kascha says, "Ithea and I, along with a few others, were there on Aurora business." Kascha explains, "I died in the battle. When a spirit dies on a plane that isn't its own, it reforms on that plane instead of dying for good. You could only kill me for good in the Cauldron." Kascha explains, "Likewise, you can only kill a devil for good in Hell, usually."
<Muirfinn> "Barring extraordinary means."
> Going on from that, "You see, when you die somewhere, Creation remembers the echos. Going there would be a paradox and it takes a long time to fade. So I literally can't go into Earth until it passes," she hms as she continues to lecture, gesturing with a finger as she goes on, "Usually the amount of time has numerological signifigance to the planar origin of the outsider. 77 years is standard for celestials, with 99 years and 66 years being common for devils and demons, respectively. Of course, it's not always that, as circumstances and chaos for the more chaotic outsiders, can change that."
<Lief> ".. That's pretty handy. Sorta wish I could do that."
> "Well, I did start as a mortal. Many  mortal souls become outsiders on death," Kascha explains, "You can't really kill a soul. When a mortal life ends, it goes to the outer plane or domain that fits. When you kill a spirit like me, the soul just returns there and reforms. Even killing it on the home plane doesn't kill the soul, but instead forces it to disperse into the plane as part of a greater whole. The bodies aren't important, but the soul is instead." A beat as she continues, "From what I understand, Yggdrasil and the fey Cycle is a closed system of reincarnation instead. Afina ran afoul of that when she became half fire elemental..." she trails off, blinking, "You know, we're going to be late if I don't stop digressing."
<Muirfinn> "True. Afina was quite upset, if I understand correctly. We should move on, though. The entrances to the Infinite Stair are myriad and random. I know of another on this plane. Vivantha likely knows more, as does Tannin."
* Lief nods and starts to head back towards the church.
> The walk back to the church is otherwise uneventful. You end up talking to Uless again, a small, humble spread of water and porridge provided. "Did you rest well?" he asks as everyone settles in.
<Muirfinn> "Indeed."
<Lief> "Yes, thank you! How about you?"
> "My old bones ache," he says, "But they prod me to sleep less." He smiles politely to that, "There's two types of us left, you know. Those who cling to the old ways out of fear, who do not want anything different. They hate the freedom they were given because they can't handle it. The others like me are too old to change, even if the world around them does. You've met examples of both here." Here he sits back and sighs tiredly, "The faith that saw us through millenia is dying. I fear in a century it will be a forgotten footnote, lost in the joy of live lived freely and without the shadow of the Destroyer. You understand..." He trails a hand across the rough surface of the stone bench he sits on, "That our people sought symbols of endurance and eternity. We were condemned by the Gods and the Destroyer forever sought to render their verdict on us. Forgive an old man his ramblings," He looks up to them at this, "But I wanted you to understand the plight of those that cling to the Saint-Martyr before anything else."
<Lief> "Wouldn't helping us with Kina-ja show people that Saint-Martyr isn't.. Uh.. Obsolete, though? Your help with a monster like her would give you something to claim, wouldn't it?"
> To this the old man smiles rather sadly. "I'm afraid the Saint-Martyr is. That entire purpose was in saving us...but what need of saviors do the saved have?" Still he goes on from that, "Even if you use the Gilded Heart of Holiheant to slay this Kina-ja, I fear this faith will still be forgotten. Instead I have another request of you." He looks ot the party, "Faraway are mountains on the edge of the Amaryl Ranges." That causes a thin smile, one Kascha shares, as if a private joke was exchanged.
<Lief> "Hmm.. That.. Doesn't sound right to me. There are lots of things people need protecting from. Just because the biggest one is gone doesn't mean the rest disappeared with it."
<Muirfinn> "Lief is correct. You succumb to despair, when there is no need for such. If your faith is to survive, it must adapt." Muirfinn nods, "What is in the mountains?"
> "I know, but let me finish, please," Uless says, "One of those border mountains has an excellent peak with a cave. It's perfect for building something there...but a dragon from the west has taken lair there. I would ask you to drive the dragon out and help me forge an eternal temple and monument to the Saint-Martyr there. Let it be forged in the ageless stone that matched our grim determination for so long, a wonder to attract those from far and wide to come to it. Something that will last far beyond the end of my life and allow this legacy to be remembered."
* Lief looks at Muirfinn.
<Lief> "Any chance of it being your cousin or something?"
<Muirfinn> "Unlikely. I'm not from this plane." Muirfinn says. "What color is the dragon?"
> Here Uless sighs, "There's little need to adapt. Seira's worship has taken that role. And why not? She was the one who saved us. She was the miracle we sought for ages. Several splinters who didn't connect with her worship ended up worshiping the goddess Alicia - but that's a story for another day," Uless remarks. "Ice. Not white nor silver, but ice. It is a strange thing."
> "A dragon of ice? That is unusual. I suppose it could be from the para-elemental plane of ice," Kascha glances over at Muirfinn, "Or perhaps a giant construct of non-melting ice?"
<Lief> "Ice dragon? Sounds interesting. Never met one before."
<Muirfinn> "Both are possible. Either way, it will be amusing."
> "As for the other part," Kascha sits back, "I suppose the right spells could make a monument. Between wish and miracles we could do it by brute force - do you think, Muirfinn?"
<Muirfinn> "I am somewhat skilled at moving of earth and stone."
<Lief> "I suppose I can scout the cave before you come in. Maybe I'll find something useful."
> "That'll help too." There's a pause as Kascha considers, "I think your terms are fair. I understand..." Here Kascha trails off, "Everything passes in time in the mortal world. In Arborea - you'd call it Heaven, even though it's only one of many. But in Arborea, there's a place were all truths are realized, even those that are a contradiction. If your Saint-Martyr protected you so vigilantly, I promise you it will be true there and it will be remembered there for all time."
* Muirfinn nods. "It's a nice vacation spot. Great shops."
> That gets Kascha to glance at Muirfinn, "...yes, that is true. There are shops in paradise," she admits, "If for no other reason than the Waukeenites would go mad without them." The look Muirfinn gets is surprisingly terse, like SHUT UP written in her expression, as nicely as she can be.
> "I don't profess to understand, but...thank you and the terms are accepted," Uless says, "Do you need any more information?"
* Muirfinn snorts quietly, ice crystals briefly filling the air.
<Lief> "To the mountains then?"
<Muirfinn> "Unless either of you have business to attend here?"
<Lief> "Just the door."
> "I was going to ask the local temple to Seira," Kascha says, "No offense met, but I have a lot of credit with them if we need information." She looks over to Lief, "I suppose we could teleport in blind if you like that. As long as we keep a spare gate or greater telepor ton hand, a tactical retreat's easy."
> *meant
<Lief> "You've done this more than I have, so I'll follow what you think is best."
<Muirfinn> "How far are the mountains from here?"
> "Hundreds and hundreds of miles away," The old man says, "But the way you speak suggests that is hardly a problem at all."
<Muirfinn> "I can fly very fast." Muirfinn confides.
> OOC: Do y'all have anythinge lse to ask him?
<Muirfinn> OOC: I'm good
<Lief> OOC: I don't.
> On going out and back outside, "Muirfinn," Kascha says. Her normally sweet voice has a hint of an edge to it, "I know you meant nothing with your comment about shopping there...I was trying to be profound," she says, "To give an old, sad man some hope. Being profound and noting the excellent shopping in Brightwater doesn't mix unless you're a Waukeenite."
<Lief> "... I dunno, I kind of want to go shopping in Arborea."
> "It's worth it," Kascha says, "You should! It just wasn't the time or place to mention it."
<Muirfinn> "Ah, my apologies. I was going for a small bit of levity. He looked like he could use some cheering."
<Lief> "Cheering is good."
> "He did, that's what I was trying,"Kascha admits with a little blush. "But...did you want to gather information first or just go?"
* Lief eyes Kascha for a moment.
<Muirfinn> "Let's gather what we can. It's important to know as much as possible."

[Anastasia]

> OOC: So gathering information then?
<Muirfinn> OOC: YEP
> OOC: Temple of Seira like Kascha suggested or some other means?
<Muirfinn> OOC: We'll start there and carry on if needed
> OOC: Okay. More coming.
> The Temple to Seira is a large golden temple. It rises up over the terrain and has a large archway entrance. Dragon motifs decorate and you can see dozens of people coming and going. It buzzes with the noise of conversation and foot traffic, alive and vital.
> "We'll go inside and introduce ourselves," Kascha says, "They know me here. This'll be livlier than that stony shrine we just came from."
* Muirfinn nods. "You know this place. We'll follow your lead on our way in."
* Lief floats over the heads of the others to get a better view, trying to take everything in, and looking for shinies.
> There's plenty of shiny things about. The walls are decorated with dragon faces, often made of what looks to be red metal with rubies for eyes and golden highlights. Further inside is a large communal space, no alter but instead at least a hundred people about. They're talking about this or that, a sense of noise and energy coming from them. Several doors about lead further within. As you come in, a man near the door peels away. He's young - past his teen years but certainly not by much. He's fit and trim, wearing a gold and red highlighted set of leather armor along with a vibrantly bright purple cloak. "Oh, there you are!" he says, "Welcome, welcome. But you know this place and where it is, of course, don't you?  I'm Rendas, a priest of Seira."
<Muirfinn> "Greetings. I am Muirfinn."
* Lief focuses on one of the gems, idly wondering if there's a way to make off with it.
<Lief> "I'm Lief!"
> They look attached into the statue, a subtle attachment keeping them in place. "I'm Kascha. I am a servant of Seira and we come asking for help."
* Lief grunts a bit at seeing the solid attachments.
> "I heard," He smiles, "Why don't we go over here," he says, stepping a bit aside. There's benches here and there in the communal space and he goes to the nearest, which is open. "You've visited before, so I wondered what took you so long to come by."
> Kascha goes to sit, "This is our quest," he gestures, "Not just mine. Um, besides," Pausing for a moment with a look of puzzlement, "Muirfinn, Lief, why don't you tell him what you need. I need to get up for a moment." As she rises, she mouths, 'Back soon to them.
> OOC: Add a ' at the end of back soon.
* Lief lands on back of the bench and sits down.
> "As...you wish?" Rendas sounds a little puzzled too, an awkward pause following as Kascha gets up.
<Muirfinn> "Very well. What do you know of ice dragons?"
> "You mean white dragons?" Rendas asks back, gathering himself. "They're generally regarded as the weakest chromatic dragon, but the high mountain lairs they prefer allow them to fight indirectly through thin air and bitter cold."
<Muirfinn> "No, good sir. Ice dragons. Made of ice."
<Lief> "Like an elemental!"
* Muirfinn points a silvery claw at Lief. "Like that."
> You see Kascha goes a ways away, kneeling next to a young human child. Perhaps 10, perhaps 12, somewhere in that range. A young boy, hand son his hips and smiling. Meanwhile Rendas nods, "A dragon made of actual ice?" He hmmms, "I heard about that, something in the mountains. Stop me if you know this already, but we have an order dedicated to studying dragons. They collect all the information on dragons they can, including local news and gossip. They can sort you out."
<Muirfinn> "Excellent. Where can we find them?"
* Lief watches Kascha and then slowly grins as he remembers her comments as they were approaching the city.
> "Kascha knows," Rendas explains, "She can take you there..." Glancing over at where she is, with a little confused frown, "What is..." he murmurs under his breath, stopping after saying that and turning back. "But in any case, she can as soon as she's done with whatever she's doing. It must be instructions from the Dragon Princess."
<Lief> "Oh, maybe, maybe not..."
* Lief lets his grin turn wider and toothier.
<Muirfinn> "Or she's about to smite an infidel." Muirfinn says placidly.
<Lief> "Just let her have her little rendezvous. She's been looking forward to something happening since we approached the city, after all."
> "He's a child," Rendas stares at Muirfinn a moment, before going 'oh' and smiling. After a moment Kascha turns away and comes back, "Sorry about that," she says, "What did I  miss?"
* Lief continues grinning at Kascha.
<Muirfinn> "You've obviously never been to the Abyss." Muirfinn says, patting the man lightly on the shoulder. "You are fortunate."
<Lief> "I mean, when you deal with non-mortals, isn't everyone basically a child after a certain point?"
<Muirfinn> "They do mature as they grow." Muirfinn helpfully points out.
<Lief> "And helping them mature the right way would obviously help, too."
> "Eh?" Rendas looks completely confused now, Kascha starting to share that look. "What are you talking about?"
<Muirfinn> "Adult children."
* Lief nods.
<Lief> "Some children are very mature for their ages."
> "Apt there," Kascha admits, "You see, Seira was only 20 when she ascended. She did more with her teen years than most people do with several lifetimes. Some of the faithful try and have their children match that pa..." she stops. "Wait, why did that even come up in the first place? The mature part."
* Lief stares Kascha dead in the eye and regains his large, toothy grin.
<Lief> "Welllll, there was that conversation we had as we were comming to the city..."
* Lief lets his gaze wander over to the kid she was talking to.
<Lief> "I mean if it happens here of all places, in your church, it's meant to be, right?"
* Lief goes back to locking eyes with Kascha.

[Anastasia]

> "I don't..." Kascha blinks slowly, freezing right after that. There's a perfect moment where she's simply frozen, staring right back at Lief. "AH!" It's loud enough to get some looks your way, Kascha blurting it out as she blushes terribly. She seems aware of the attention, lowering her voice, "Don't joke about something like that!"
* Ebiris (Ebiris@cpc9-sgyl30-2-0-cust73.sgyl.cable.virginm.net) Quit (Quit: )
<Lief> "Your mind was there from the second you saw the city."
* Muirfinn blinks. "...moving on."
> This gets Kascha to slowly rub the bridge of her nose, "So..." she lets it trail off in a small little voice, "What did I miss here?"
<Muirfinn> "Lief is being a pixie."
* Lief sniffs.
> "I gathered," Kascha says, "Never mind it. I meant about finding information on that dragon?"
<Lief> "Something all should aspire to."
> "I was just directing them to where they could find more information," Rendas explains.
<Muirfinn> "Yes, quite."
> "Go upstairs," Rendas explains, "Top floor, the Wyrm's Tome. They'll be able to help you more, since I know those rumors are going around."
> "Thank you," Kascha smiles to him, "Let's go then. I know the way. It's quite the view up there."
* Lief takes to the air above Kascha's head and readies to follow her.
<Muirfinn> "Thank you, good sir. We'll go there directly." Muirfinn says.
> From there you find stairs going up. It's airy and bright here, windows along the stairways letting in the day's light. More dragon are about. As you climb up, you can see little recesses where ghostly, illusory images go about. Kascha gestures to them as you go, "Those are re-enactments of scenes from the holy writings of the religion, if you're interested in that sort of thing."
> *more dragon motifs
* Muirfinn watches for a bit. "Fascinating. When we're not pressed for time, I may return to learn more."
* Lief zips around above the others, looking at the motifs and watching what he can of the images while keeping up.
> Lief can see one that looks like a group of heroes against a silvery dragon, set against the backdrop of tundra. Another is a group against an absolutely titanic beast - one that Kascha glances at and shakes her head. The beast dominates in a way that's more than its size, yet after a moment you realize it doesn't have any details. "The Destroyer," Kascha murmurs. "The features are blurred since seeing it brings back bad memories to the older generation." Going up, you reach the top floor. Here the walls have a generally cave-like motif, inlaid with bookshelves. The shelves have everything to books, to odd devices to simple piles of wealth. Large room after large room connects together, with several lacking the ceiling altogether. The air is fresh in here thanks to that, people in copper-burnished robes going to and fro. "Excuse me," Kascha intercepts the nearest one, "I come for information, in the name of the Dragon Princess. Would you inform the highest cleric of the tome that Kascha is here and requires their help in making a better tomorrow?"
* Lief looks around at the cave-like room.
<Lief> "They take the dragon thing seriously, don't they?"
* Muirfinn nods at Lief, eyeing the piles of gold and other nice things.
> As the copper-robed man hurries off, Kascha nods, "That's right. Anyone brave enough to try and take it is tracked down. Every item here is marked to be swiftly located. They're either dealt with for the heresy of stealing from a church or recruited for being daring and skillful enough for pulling it off."
* Lief moops around the room, drawing nearer to some of the gold piles, casually looking for an odd chance for minor larceny...
<Lief> loops*
> Oh, there's plenty of nice things just lying about to be taken, if Lief's of a mind.
* Muirfinn snorts. "Well at least they've got their heads on straight."
> "Mmm-hmm," Kascha murmurs, "Seira's always had an interest in redeeming people." Pausing to tap her lips, "Alicia got off to the better start there, so it's encouraged Seira to step up her own efforts."
> Kascha pauses, "It's strange to talk about goddesses as people. My view is so far out of the ordinary...there's celestials that are older than dirt that couldn't claim that." As she ruminates on that, a woman comes up. She's twenty something, with long brown hair and a warm smile. She wears the same copper robes as well as a golden circlet and golden jewelry. "Kascha!" she greets, "You brought friends this time!"
* Muirfinn raises a scaly eyebrow.
* Lief tries to take advantage of the new person's distraction!
> OOC: Since I know what you're doing, make a sleight of hand check, Lief.
<Lief> roll d20+14 Sleight of Hand
* Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+14 Sleight of Hand and gets 24." [d20=10]
> "This is Lief and that is..." A pause as she looks around, "Lief's over there," she gestures after Lief gets a few coins. "Meanwhile, that's Muirfinn. Muirfinn, if you would?"
* Lief floats back over after squirreling away the coins and hiding them.
* Muirfinn blanks languidly, clearly ignoring Lief. "Ah yes, greetings. Would I what?"
> "The reason that we..." KAscha sounds, sounding lost. She sighs again, "Never mind. We're here about rumors of a dragon made entirely of ice. We're looking for any information you have on it."
<Muirfinn> "Oh yes, forgive me. I'm forgetful occasionally. Yes. Yes! The ice dragon."
<Lief> "Ice dragon! I sort of can't wait to fight him!"
<Muirfinn> "Patience, Lief. Perhaps we can convince him to leave of his own accord. Or her own accord."
<Lief> "But... Then the dragon loot."
<Muirfinn> "Nobody ever said anything about the loot going with the dragon."
> "That ice dragon?" The woman greets, "But where are my manners? You can call me Lessey. Reports about the dragon are new and fragmentary, but they agree that he - and it seems to be a he - is hostile and unpleasant. It blows breath of pure ice, but seems to cut through protections from cold. The mages call this 'piercing cold' and compare it to a magic type called 'searing fire'."
* Lief eyes Muirfinn.
<Lief> "Don't all dragons have stashes of loot?"
<Muirfinn> "Some don't." Muirfinn says to Lief. "Especially those who are new to an area. they may have had to leave a hoard behind for various reasons."
<Lief> "Aww."
* Muirfinn turns to Lessey. "Yes, Simmer uses fire like that, I believe. Doesn't surprise me that there is a cold counterpart."
<Lief> "Hmmm... If we can get him to come with us, then we'll have him and Simmer together!"
* Muirfinn snorts a laugh, "Anything is possible, I suppose."
> "Spirited creatures, aren't you?" Lessey replies with a laugh as well. "Don't get hit by his breath, no matter how protected you are. It also doesn't show any vulnerability to fire. Just the opposite - it's completely immune from reports. It shrugs off acid and electricity as well."
> "I'll need to prepare the right spells," Kascha murmurs, "He sounds fearsome. But what type of dragon is it? Do you have anything about its origins or history?"
* Muirfinn sighs. "Of course. Why would it be easy?"
> "Dragons are never easy opponents," Kascha admits, "This dragon also sounds anything but ordinary."
> "Well," Lessey admits, "Nothing concrete. But...is it acceptable for your friends to here privileged information of the church?"
* Muirfinn turns to point his snout at Kascha.
* Lief hovers above Kascha's head.
> Kascha considers a moment and hms, "It depends on what it is," she says, "But they aren't part of the faith, even if they're good people and reliable. As long as it isn't something that would endanger anyone."
> This causes Lessey to squint a little bit as she looks the two over, "We'd prefer it if this information isn't spread, even the vague things I allude to here. There's reasons and let's leave it at that. There's signs that there is a great creature of ice below the Amaryl Ranges. Our leading theory wonders if the dragon is connected to it."
<Lief> "'Great creature?' How big is 'great'?"
<Muirfinn> "Perhaps some creature that made its way off of the plane of Ice?"
> "Great," Lessey considers again, "Kascha, could we talk privately a moment? You'd be cleared to hear this, and you can decide what to tell them." She then looks to the other two, "I'm sorry, I hate these situations. The Dragon Princess is said to dislike them too, but it's unavoidable here."
* Lief nods.
> "It must be bad," Kascha says gamely, "Alright. Stay here, you two. I'll be back soon." With that the two go off to the next room, leaving the two alone for the moment. OOC: Doing anything of note or just waiting?
* Muirfinn shrugs, eliciting a somewhat comical reaction from his wings. "If you want to leave the fey unattended, that's fine with me."
* Lief grins.
<Lief> "I'll be good!"
<Lief> OOC: If left alone, I'll be slipping out of the church.
<Muirfinn> OOC: I'm not your keeper! Do as you like!
> OOC: Going to go run off instead of waiting, then?
<Lief> OOC: I will.
> OOC: Okay then. #evildunes while I continue with Yuth in here.
> It takes about five minutes. Kascha comes back alone, "Come on, we'll talk about it somewhere quiet. It's complicated," she says, "Oh, and where's Lief?"
<Muirfinn> "He left." Muirfinn says. "I'm sure he won't cause trouble anywhere and everything will be fine. Mostly."
> "He..." Kascha slowly facepalms with both hands, "Why did he just get up and leave? Did he just go out to get some air, maybe?"
<Muirfinn> "Kascha," Muirfinn says very patiently. "the fey have this thing about sitting still. They don't."
<Muirfinn> "It's entirely natural, and he will be back. It's possible that he will have an entourage of angry townsfolk on his heels."
<Muirfinn> "Just so as you are prepared."
> "I've dealt with freespirited creatures!" Kascha exclaims, "I was part of Arborea for two thousand years!
> OOC: Gah.
> "I've dealt with freespirited creatures!" Kascha exclaims, "I was part of Arborea for two thousand years!" This is followed by a slow exhale, "He's just getting under my skin today. Maybe I'm tense because of a dragon fight looming ahead of us."
> After a pause, "Maybe it's the Destroyer coming up, too."
* Muirfinn nods. "Fey and courre are alike in many ways. Demeanor. Appearance. Levels of property damage."
<Muirfinn> "Center yourself, then. If we must fight this creature, you would be best with a clear head." Muirfinn says. "I'd rather not see you go through the ordeal that happened on Earth."
> "Let's just go outside," Kascha agrees, "We'll discuss this in the fresh air." From there it's a quick trip outside, to the side of the temple. There's some benches tucked away here, Kascha going to sit on one. "This information isn't for dissemination," she begins, "There's a real chance that this type of creature can sense when creaturers say its name or describe it past a point, or otherwise spread information about it. I trust you and Lief to know it - and you're strong enough to take responsibility."
* Muirfinn nods, standing next to the bench. "Go on."
> "It turns out I knew about this already, in part." With a sad smile, "Back in my time, the western mountains were known as the Iceryle mountains. Seira and I found someone far older than that, and they told us that the mountains were once known as the Icerule mountains. It was named after the creature that was slain there - its tremendous body became the mountains. There's signs that the creature may not be as dead as thought, but instead is stirring in its long sleep. The creature is known as a Xixecal, a bitter creature of mountanous cold and with a divine spark."
* Muirfinn blinks. "Why do I feel like I've read or heard that name somewhere before...?"
> "It's possible you've seen it in lore before. Primal ice para-elementals are mistaken for them at times. Xixecal are essentially moving mountains of ice and hate, attended by hundreds of white dragon that lair on its body." Kascha explains, "They're tied to Cyronax, Prince of Elemental Evil on Ice and the Queen of Air and Darkness, said to the ruler of the Unseelie Court of the fey."
<Muirfinn> "The fey! That's where I've heard it
<Muirfinn> "The fey! That's where I've heard it!"
<Muirfinn> OOC: Bleh
> "Oh?" Kascha perks up, "What did you hear about them?"
<Muirfinn> "Giant walking glaciers. Unkillable." Muirfinn says. "All-around bad news."
> "Accurate as far as it goes," Kascha agrees. Above this, Lief flies back and can see the two below as he approaches the temple. "Since this one's stirring, there's worries it may try and emerge. Knowing how these things work, the gods are preparing mortals on the path to stop or confront it already. Meanwhile deities of cold and evil may be seeking to use it to their advantage. In other words, it's a situation."
* Lief dives down next to them and releases his invisibility.
<Lief> "Hi!"
<Muirfinn> "See? No one died."
<Muirfinn> "Probably."
* Lief blinks.
<Lief> "What, me? I didn't kill anyone. This time."
<Muirfinn> "See?"
> "The main thing - oh, there you are!" Kascha says, "Glad to have you back. As I was saying, since it may be able to detect and hear when people speak of it, we're being cautious in case it can do more than that. Until we have some sort of confirmation either way. It's safe to say that the church is looking into it."
<Muirfinn> "Alright. Have them let us know if they require assistance. Having the church owe us a favor and wiping an elemental scourge from the face of creation at the same time can't possibly be a bad thing."
<Lief> "It? The ice-thing from before?"
<Muirfinn> "Yes."
* Lief nods.
> "Yeah," Kascha goes on, "Seira's very active about these things and dislikes stringing it along too much, so things will be done sooner than later," Kascha admits.
<Lief> "That's good, at least. The faster we can get this done, the soon we can go to the next part. Does the church need help?"
> "Not right now. We need to worry about this dragon instead," Kascha says, sitting back on the bench. "Do you want me to explain about what Lessey told me, Lief?"
<Lief> "Sure!"
> "First of all, you can't tell this to anyone else. There's a real chance this type of creature can tell when others talk about it or say its name. I trust you to be able to handle that for yourself.  Are you alright with that?"
<Lief> "Yes, I can do that."
> "Let's see...in short, the western mountains were once known as the Iceryle mountains - which was a corruption of Icerule. Icerule was the name of the giant creature that was slain and created the mountains with its body. The creature is a xixecal, a mountain of ice and hate. They're tied to the Prince of Elemental Evil...and the Queen of the Unseelie Court of the Fey, the Queen of Air and Darkness."
* Lief look entirely disgruntled.
<Lief> "Unseelie? This won't be easy or turn out well for anyone, then."
<Muirfinn> "Probably not." Muirfinn says plainly. "We'll do it anyway."
<Lief> "Yes, we will."
> "Right," Kascha agrees, "So we've found out what we can. Are we ready to head to the mountains now?"
<Muirfinn> "As ready as we'll get, I think.
<Muirfinn> "
* Lief nods.
<Lief> "A good night's rest before we leave out, then?"
> "It's still early," Kascha remarks, "Are you tired in the morning?"
<Lief> "No, but heading out into the mountains won't be as fun as the city."
> "We aren't under any strict time limit..." Kascha confesses, "What do you want to do in the city?"
<Lief> "Enjoy the comforts before heading into the mountains?"
> Kascha cocks her head to the side at that, "Muirfinn, what do you think? I seems like the waste of a day if we don't have anything productive here..." she admits.
<Muirfinn> "I'm ready to head out. If either of you have anything to do here today, we can leave tomorrow. Lazing off is not an acceptable reason to delay, though."
<Lief> "Alright. To the mountains, then."

[Anastasia]

> Lief takes off, flying through the open roof and into the open sky. Liberation Point is below him, full of life. OOC: Ball's in your court. What are you doing?
* Lief gets his bearings and pulls up his invisibility as he takes off towards the first church they visited!
<Lief> "What was that priest's name... The one in the House of the Saint-Martyr..."
> It doesn't come to Lief's mind. The greedy priest didn't mention his name, you think. Meanwhile, the trip to the church is without incident. It's as solemn and empty as it was yesterday, from the outside.
* Lief keeps his invisibility up as he searches for the priest, sticking close to the ceiling and staying close to darker corners, just in case one of the priests can see through his invisibility.
> Slipping inside isn't hard. Fortune is with Lief - the less than pleasant priest is just inside. He's pacing about, doing nothing in particular. He looks somewhere between cross and thoughtful.
* Lief watches the priest, looking for an easy place to slip the coins into... A loose pocket, an open pouch.. Anything convient..
<Lief> convenient*
> OOC: Quick spot check.
-rpgcafe.ca.us.lunarnet.org:@#evildunes- Kotono invited Hatbot into the channel.
* Hatbot (~Hatbot@72.183.113.233) has joined #evildunes
<Lief> roll d20+32 Spot
* Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+32 Spot and gets 36." [d20=4]
> He has an open pocket that would suffice.
* Lief uses his stealth to come in close and quietly to the priest...
> OOC: Move silently chec.k
<Lief> roll d20+36 Move Silently
* Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+36 Move Silently and gets 41." [d20=5]
> The coin is slipped right in, no signs of the priest noticing it.
* Lief moves away from the priest and goes to leave the church, a happy grin on his invisible face.
> OOC: Heading back now or doing somethin gelse?
<Lief> OOC: Heading back.
> OOC: I'll move you back into #dunes momentarily.