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

[Merc]

[21:56] <Kotono> Darkness. The party tumbles along in absolute darkness. Muirfinn, Lief, Tepen, Balyss and Simmer are all close together, carried away in the wave. You're racing along fast, utterly out of control. Ahead of you, in the darkness that covers anything, a pair of red dots akin to eyes appear. They flicker and move about, appearing here and there. A rumbling voice says, "DARKNESS EAT YOU, DARKNESS
[21:56] <Kotono> GNAW YOU, DARKNESS END YOU! END YOU END YOU END YOU!" OOC: Init. Note that you can't take normal move actions like this, as you're being swept up in a massive wave of darkness.
[21:56] <Lief> roll d20+21 Init
[21:56] <Lief> OOC: Boooottttt!
[21:57] * Joins: Hatbot (~Hatbot@cpe-68-203-15-105.austin.res.rr.com)
[21:57] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+17+5
[21:57] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+17+5 and gets 41." [1d20=19]
[21:57] <Lief> roll d20+21 Init
[21:57] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+21 Init and gets 35." [d20=14]
[21:57] <Kotono> roll 1d20+15 Simmer (+5 Leif)
[21:57] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+15 Simmer (+5 Leif) and gets 27." [1d20=12]
[21:57] <Kotono> OOC: Lief.
[21:58] * Muirfinn rolls with the wave, thinking for a moment. "Aren't fey endless?"
[21:58] <Kotono> roll 1d20+11 Tepen
[21:58] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+11 Tepen and gets 14." [1d20=3]
[21:58] <Kotono> roll 1d20+8 Balyss
[21:58] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+8 Balyss and gets 28." [1d20=20]
[21:58] * Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(41)>Lief(35)>Balyss(28)>Simmer(27)>Tepen(14)'
[21:58] <Kotono> roll 1d20+4 ???
[21:58] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+4 ??? and gets 17." [1d20=13]
[21:59] * Kotono changes topic to 'Muirfinn(41)>Lief(35)>Balyss(28)>Simmer(27)>???(17)>Tepen(14)'
[20:03] <Kotono> OOC: Okay. Muirfinn, you open. No movement as you're being swept along by the wave of darkness. Normal actions may be possible, but difficult, and spellcasting will require a concentration check. We did, Lief.
[20:06] * Muirfinn points at the pair of eyes, attempting to cast a spell! OOC: Rain of Roses for the lulz.
[20:07] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33
[20:07] <Kotono> OOC: Concentration check.
[20:07] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 and gets 38." [1d20=5]
[20:07] <Kotono> Muirfinn focuses, but the darkness around him roils. The spell collapses as it forms, arcane energies crumbling into the wave around him. OOC: Failed, but you think by not -that- much at least. You think. Lief, you're up.
[20:07] <Kotono> OOC: Also make a K:A check here real quick, Muirfinn.
[20:08] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+23
[20:08] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+23 and gets 41." [1d20=18]
[20:08] <Lief> OOC: Whats' the distance to the eyeballs?
[20:08] <Muirfinn> OOC: COULDA USED THAT EARLIER
[20:08] <Kotono> OOC: ABout 20-40ft away. It's sort of hard to tell here since you're moving and the darkness is funky.
[20:08] <Lief> OOC: Is anyone else close to me?
[20:09] <Kotono> OOC: Everyone's fairly close, yes.
[20:10] * Lief triest to take a shot at the eyes!
[20:10] <Lief> roll d20+44 ATK 1
[20:10] <Lief> roll d20+44 ATK 2
[20:10] <Lief> roll d20+39 ATK 3
[20:10] <Lief> roll d20+34 ATK 4
[20:10] <Lief> roll d20+29 ATK 5
[20:10] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+44 ATK 1 and gets 58." [d20=14]
[20:10] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+44 ATK 2 and gets 46." [d20=2]
[20:10] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+39 ATK 3 and gets 50." [d20=11]
[20:10] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+34 ATK 4 and gets 37." [d20=3]
[20:10] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+29 ATK 5 and gets 32." [d20=3]
[20:11] <Kotono> OOC: Two hits. Damage.
[20:11] <Kotono> OOC: Actually check that a moment.
[20:12] <Kotono> OOC: Okay, no, second two misses are clean misses with 3s. Two hits. DAmage.
[20:12] <Lief> roll 2#1d6+24
[20:12] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 2#1d6+24 and gets 57." [2#1d6+24 = 28, 29]
[20:14] <Kotono> Two arrows fly, one piercing each eye. They stick out bloodlessly, not a drop falling. The rumbling voice merely laughs as...OOC: Balyss is up.
[20:17] <Kotono> Balyss tumbles end over end in the darkness, fumbling to hang her mace up on her belt. She then grabs her holy symbol with her free hand, "Selune, illuminate the light!" she cries.
[20:17] <Kotono> roll 1d20+30
[20:17] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 and gets 48." [1d20=18]
[20:20] <Kotono> An aura of moonlight glows around Balyss. She stops spinning in the darkness, upright now as she glows. As this happens, Simmer grumps and begins to cast, flames flickering in the darkness, "We need something more offensive than that, Balyss!"
[20:20] <Kotono> roll 1d20+30
[20:20] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 and gets 42." [1d20=12]
[20:22] <Kotono> OOC: Fiery empowered maximized lingering flames+battle spell+elemental fury.
[20:22] <Kotono> roll 1d20+28th CL
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+28th CL and gets Error: Numeric values only." [1d20=13]
[20:22] <Kotono> OOC: 28+13 is 41, which beats SR.
[20:22] <Kotono> roll 15*6
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 15*6 and gets 90."
[20:23] <Kotono> roll 1d20+18 ref
[20:23] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+18 ref and gets 35." [1d20=17]
[20:24] <Kotono> A white-hot spere of fire appears over the eyes, yet the burn without burning. The rumbling voice laughs further, fires ravaging it even as...OOC: It's up.
[20:25] <Kotono> The darkness around the party spins and whirls intensely, leeching at them! But the death wards on them shimmer and hold the drain at bay. Then, from ahead, a great, open clawed hand comes forward, sweeping by all the party.
[20:25] <Kotono> roll 1d20+40 (+5 ???, +2 ???) ACs, all
[20:25] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (+5 ???, +2 ???) ACs, all and gets 54." [1d20=14]
[20:26] <Lief> OOC: AC is 33.
[20:26] <Kotono> OOC: Simmer hit, Balyss misses thanks to Selune's shield.
[20:26] <Muirfinn> OOC: 50
[20:28] <Kotono> roll 10d8+32+3d6 (3d6 is unholy, there's level drain but death ward stops it) vs all, doesn't penetrate Lief's or Simmer's DR.
[20:28] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 10d8+32+3d6 (3d6 is unholy, there's level drain but death ward stops it) vs all, doesn't penetrate Lief's or Simmer's DR. and gets 99." [10d8=8, 5, 3, 7, 5, 8, 6, 3, 3, 8][3d6=1, 4, 6]
[20:33] <Kotono> The claw rips through the party! Simmer screams as her side is torn open, a gush of boiling lava spraying out into the void. Muirfinn's back is raked, three lines of blood starting to trickle down his back. Lief isn't hit directly, but a glancing blow as he begins to dodge. It isn't enough, the hand smashing him hard into Muirfinn's shell. Tepen is smashed back hard, crying out as he tumbles
[20:33] <Kotono> around. He rights himself and begins to chant, "We need to do something," he agrees, spitting out blood. OOC: Holding for the sec, has a wish ready if the party needs emergency bailout. Muirfinn.
[20:36] * Lief latches onto Muirfinn as best he can for the moment, trying to stay close to the others and not be blown away..
[20:37] <Muirfinn> OOC: Is this wind moving us around or the darkness as a tangible force?
[20:39] <Kotono> OOC: It's a pure force. You can feel it.
[20:40] <Muirfinn> OOC: To the latter. Gotcha.
[20:40] <Kotono> Simmer coughs up burning blood and slowly rights herself, "Any suggestions! My fire isn't doing much good, nor is Lief's arrows!" Meanwhile, the rumbling voice just laughs and laughs.
[20:43] <Muirfinn> "Well." Muirfinn says, calm even while tumbling aimlessly. "Shar is the lady of loss. She tends to employ shadows and the undead. Shall we try positive energy and holy power?" He points randomly at the mass of blackness, a rush of positive force flowing from his hand. OOC: Heal at30 ft range.
[20:44] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 con check
[20:44] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 con check and gets 53." [1d20=20]
[20:44] <Muirfinn> OOC: WOO
[20:45] <Kotono> OOC: Heal's a touch range spell. Do you have a means to cast it at range?
[20:45] <Muirfinn> OOC: Yup
[20:45] <Muirfinn> OOC: My touch spells have 30ft range
[20:45] <Kotono> OOC: Cool then. What means? I need to check if it requires a ranged touch roll.
[20:45] <Muirfinn> OOC: Hierophant, Divine Reach
[20:46] <Kotono> OOC: Hierophant and it says if the base spell does. I'd rule heal/harm would against an unwilling target, so make a quick ranged touch roll.
[20:46] <Kotono> OOC: BAB+dex.
[20:46] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+27
[20:46] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+27 and gets 47." [1d20=20]
[20:46] <Kotono> OOC: No crit, but that's a hell of a hit.
[20:46] <Muirfinn> OOC: CRIT ROLL?
[20:46] <Muirfinn> OOC: Alas
[20:47] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19 will
[20:47] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 will and gets 24." [1d20=5]
[20:47] <Kotono> OOC: DC?
[20:47] <Muirfinn> OOC: NOPE
[20:47] <Muirfinn> OOC: 27
[20:48] <Kotono> The healing touch hits the eyes dead on. They steam and hiss far more than from Simmer's ongoing flames, cracking all over at the healing energy. The laughter abruptly stops as...OOC: Lief.
[20:49] <Muirfinn> "Ha! There we go!"
[20:51] <Kotono> "Got it, more coming," Balyss says, "Throw all the positive energy you have at it!"
[20:52] * Lief follows Muirfinn's lead, diging into his scroll case and triumphantly producing a scroll of Mass Heal and begins reading it!
[20:52] <Lief> roll 1d20+31 UMD!
[20:52] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+31 UMD! and gets 45." [1d20=14]
[20:53] <Kotono> OOC: Success. Concentration check as the others needed.
[20:53] <Lief> roll 1d20+31 Concentration!
[20:53] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+31 Concentration! and gets 51." [1d20=20]
[20:53] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19 will DC? that's a success
[20:53] <Lief> OOC: Booyah!
[20:53] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 will DC? that's a success and gets 25." [1d20=6]
[20:53] <Kotono> OCO: CL of it?
[20:54] <Lief> OOC: I believe you said all my scrolls were CL 21, so at 10hp/level that's 210, right?
[20:54] <Kotono> OOC: Yes.
[20:54] <Kotono> OOC: DC on the save?
[20:54] <Kotono> OOC: Shoul dbe 19 + your Wis modifier.
[20:55] <Lief> OOC: 27 then, I think.
[20:55] <Kotono> OOC: Bingo.
[20:56] <Kotono> The healing energies soothe the party as the eyes melt down into slag. The rumbling voice screams in agony as the darkness fades around you. The party floats just outside of Elsian, darkness fading away all around them. OOC: Free act.
[20:56] * Lief looks around.
[20:57] <Kotono> "Sylvie? Ithea?" Balyss looks around and calls, "Shit, they must be somewhere else or still in there."
[20:57] <Lief> "That worked better than I expected!"
[20:57] <Muirfinn> "Back inside!"
[20:57] <Kotono> "That's why I love healing magic," Balyss cracks a smile at Lief, "It's so effective in so many ways."
[20:58] <Lief> "Well, you've sold me. I need to get more scrolls."
[20:59] <Kotono> OOC: Heading back the way you came?
[21:00] <Lief> OOC: Sure.
[21:00] * Quits: Muirfinn (Muirfinn@174-26-35-227.phnx.qwest.net) (Connection reset by peer)
[21:00] * Joins: Muirfinn (Muirfinn@174-26-35-227.phnx.qwest.net)
[21:01] <Kotono> OOC: Okay, if y'all are heading in we'll pause here, since i'ts contingent on Ithea and Sylvie's fight, which would have been going on while you go.
[21:01] <Muirfinn> werg
[21:01] <Lief> OOC: alrighty.

[Merc]

[19:52] <Kotono> ---
[19:53] <Kotono> The two groups race to one another. They meet halfway, the trip back unremarkable...OOC: Go ahead and react and chat, y'all. You're about halfway from the entrance to where you were.
[19:53] <Ithea> "Where'd you guys end up?" Ithea asks.
[19:53] <Muirfinn> "So now Shar is involved. It's like she's the guest that's late for the party and gets upset because we didn't wait for her."
[19:54] * Lief loops around the others and floats above their heads, keeping an eye out.
[19:54] <Lief> "I need more scrolls."
[19:54] <Muirfinn> "Off that way," Muirfinn gestures in response to Ithea. "outside this place."
[19:55] <Kotono> "Fantastic," Sylvie drawls, arms crossed. "I wondered as much because we fought some nightwalkers."
[19:55] <Kotono> "More importantly, now what?" Elder Magi Tepen clears his throat before speaking up.
[19:55] <Kotono> "Fire," Simmer shrugs, "We burn them and Shar and whatever else out like kindling."
[19:56] <Muirfinn> "Nightwalkers. Lovely. Did you get anything on an origin for the portal?"
[19:57] * Lief holds up a Spellstoring arrow to Simmer.
[19:57] <Lief> "You can put fire in my arrows."
[19:59] <Kotono> Elder Magi Tepen shakes his head, "We were interrupted. We'd need more time with it."
[20:00] <Muirfinn> "Think we have the time to give it another shot?"
[20:02] <Kotono> Simmer slowly shakes her head, "I'm terrible at that particular sort of magic. I focus on fireballs and things like that, it isn't compatible."
[20:02] * Lief looks dejected and puts his arrow away.
[20:03] <Kotono> "I don't know, but I doubt it. I'm surprised we've had this much peace," Balyss speaks up, "I'm worried they're preparing another stroke."
[20:04] <Lief> "That's a good bet. These may just have been probing attacks to see what we do."
[20:04] <Kotono> Simmer pauses, "There is one spell, it's nto great, but it'll do," she finally says.
[20:04] <Kotono> OOC: Speaking of, make listen checks, all.
[20:04] <Kotono> roll 1d20+30 Simmer
[20:04] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 Simmer and gets 46." [1d20=16]
[20:04] <Lief> roll d20+32 Listen!
[20:04] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+32 Listen! and gets 48." [d20=16]
[20:05] <Kotono> roll 1d20+9 Balyss
[20:05] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+9 Balyss and gets 14." [1d20=5]
[20:05] <Kotono> roll 1d20+32
[20:05] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+32 and gets 37." [1d20=5]
[20:05] <Kotono> OOC: Tepen.
[20:05] <Kotono> roll 1d20+5 Sylvie
[20:05] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+5 Sylvie and gets 24." [1d20=19]
[20:05] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33
[20:05] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 and gets 49." [1d20=16]
[20:06] <Ithea> roll d20+51 listen
[20:06] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+51 listen and gets 69." [d20=18]
[20:06] <Kotono> The three of you can hear it - af aint rumbling. Now that you focus, the ground is ever so slightly shaking as well.
[20:06] <Lief> "Somethings coming... Another wave of darkness?"
[20:06] <Kotono> "...there may be trouble," Tepen suddenly focuses, peering ahead.
[20:07] * Lief gets a little more altitude for a better vantage point.
[20:07] <Kotono> With warning, the party cna see it coming. It's a clear liquid - not like water, but crystal clear. It's coming, filling the entire hall ahead. It's still several hundred feet away, but it's moving ahead at a goodly clip.
[20:08] <Ithea> roll d20+51 spot to tell what kind of liquid it is?
[20:08] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+51 spot to tell what kind of liquid it is? and gets 57." [d20=6]
[20:08] <Muirfinn> "...well that's different."
[20:08] <Kotono> OOC: K:A check here, Ithea.
[20:09] * Lief moves back down closer to the others, to prevent being seperated.
[20:09] <Lief> "I... don't think arrows are going to do all that well against that."
[20:09] <Ithea> roll d20+41 k:a
[20:09] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+41 k:a and gets 53." [d20=12]
[20:10] <Kotono> With a sinking feeling her stomach, Ithea realizes that's purified acid. Extra burning, extra pain, extra deadly. It's likely been alchemically or magically treated to melt flesh like a hot knife through butter.
[20:10] <Ithea> "That's purified acid!" Ithea exclaims.
[20:10] * Lief looks *extremely* alarmed at that.
[20:10] <Kotono> "Ah Selune," Balyss groans, taking a few steps back, "You had me at acid."
[20:11] <Kotono> Simmer makes a face, "Do we have any way of not being dissolved in it, or should we be running as fast as we can?"
[20:11] <Kotono> Elder Magi Tepen clears his throat.
[20:11] <Kotono> roll 1d20+51
[20:11] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+51 and gets 58." [1d20=7]
[20:11] <Kotono> "If we had an exceptional amount of a base liquid or substance, it might balance out the acid. But under the circumstances...no." Shaking his head, "A plan or a hasty tactical retreat is in order. Swiftly."
[20:12] <Muirfinn> "Oh. You need water?"
[20:14] <Kotono> "No, that'll make a huge explosion," Elder Magi Tepen says, "Have you ever alchemi-not the time." He starts to back away as the acid continues onrush. It's not here yet, but it's moving fast. It'll be here in a few rounds!
[20:16] * Muirfinn shifts form, scales bronzing as he takes on draconic form once more. "Well if you change your mind, I can provide an exceptional amount of water."
[20:16] * Lief retrieves a scroll from his case.
[20:16] <Lief> "Not for exactly this second, but would a Foresight spell help out considering all the traps?"
[20:18] <Kotono> Sylvie stares ahead and groans, the acid coming closer, "Can we just do something, like running, instead of sitting here as it gets closer?"
[20:18] <Lief> "Yes."
[20:18] <Kotono> Meanwhile, the acid continues to rush on to the party. It's only 250ft away now and not stopping.
[20:18] <Ithea> "I got nothing that'll work. Either we start running, or blast a hole upwards and plug hole below so that acid flood can't reach us. Or we gate out of here and fight another day since we got Vivantha out," Ithea adds. "Running sounds like a lovely idea to me."
[20:18] * Lief starts moving up and away.
[20:18] * Lief stops for a second.
[20:18] <Lief> "What about blasting a hole *down?*"
[20:19] * Muirfinn points at Leif. "This man is thinking outside the box."
[20:19] <Ithea> "That only works if there's a big enough hole to catch all of the liquid. We don't know if that's the case."
[20:19] <Muirfinn> OOC: Lief
[20:19] <Lief> "We've got enough firepower here to make it happen, don't we?"
[20:20] * Lief looks at all the powerhouse spellcasters.
[20:20] <Ithea> "If we try blasting holes and that fails, we're going to -have- to gate out if it fails. Just keep that in mind."
[20:21] <Kotono> roll 1d20+51
[20:21] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+51 and gets 59." [1d20=8]
[20:21] <Kotono> Elder Magi Tepen slowly shakes his head, "It may not. Gravity doesn't exist on the Astral Plane. There's likely an intelligent force or magic making this move in the first place," He gestures ahead, starting to back away, "Remember, movement here is a product of the mind."
[20:22] * Ithea fires a pair of polar rays at the acid to slow it down a bit while they're thinking things. "That's one of the reasons why I said plug the hole behind us if we go up. Anyway, more doing, less thinking guys!"
[20:22] <Lief> "Keep moving then."
[20:22] * Lief goes back flying away!
[20:23] <Ithea> ooc: actually, nevermind. Range isn't good enough on polar ray to do that
[20:23] <Ithea> ooc: line is still valid.
[20:24] <Kotono> OOC: So are you all retreating or doing something?
[20:24] <Ithea> ooc: retreat
[20:24] <Lief> OOC: I be moving away.
[20:24] * Muirfinn flaps rather lazily after the group, not tremendously concerned. "Well, I can serve as a living wall, if necessary."
[20:25] <Kotono> The party retreats. The acid isn't -that- fast compared to your well honed minds. Soon enough you escape with some distance to spare, the acid still following. The party makes it outside - gah! It's hot out here! It's hot and getting hotter by the second. Simmer visibly perks up, "It feels good here...which probably means trouble for the rest of you," she opines.
[20:26] * Muirfinn casts eyes about. "They really don't want us investigating."
[20:27] * Lief grunts and moves to land on Muirfinn, trying to use him as a platform of concealment.
[20:27] <Muirfinn> OOC: Acid still following?
[20:27] <Kotono> OOC: You can't see now that you're outside. Darkness, remember?
[20:27] <Muirfinn> OOC: True seeing?
[20:27] <Kotono> OOC: It is.
[20:28] <Muirfinn> OOC: How far off is it?
[20:28] <Kotono> OOC: About 200ft away and closing.
[20:28] <Ithea> "Which honestly makes me want to investigate more," Ithea says before sighing. "Do we gate back, try to figure a way to keep investigating, or what? Find another entrance?"
[20:28] <Muirfinn> "Tepen. How big of an explosion?"
[20:28] <Kotono> "There's a lot of holes to this entire, sorry story," Sylvie says, "I have a few theories, but..." Wiping her forehead, the head quickly going past a miserable summer day, "It's getting really hot fast."
[20:29] <Muirfinn> "Quickly!"
[20:29] <Kotono> "Big," Tepen says, "Acid and water don't mix unless you do it the right way. But you need a lot of wa..." He begins to hmmm, eyeing the structure anew. "We'd want to be as far back as possible. ACid spray."
[20:29] <Muirfinn> "I can do more water than that. Probably."
[20:30] <Kotono> "Then do it and the rest of us fall back," Tepen instructs, "Quickly now!"
[20:31] * Ithea retreats as instructed!
[20:31] * Lief takes a moment to cast Ebon Eyes on himself..
[20:32] <Muirfinn> "Tepen! Fire or acid explosion!"
[20:32] <Kotono> "It releases...acid," he finally says, "Acid spray for you, most likely.
[20:32] <Kotono>  "
[20:32] <Kotono> Meanwhile everyone else flees back rather quickly.
[20:32] <Muirfinn> "Excellent."
[20:33] <Kotono> The acid's only 100ft away and it's also getting much hotter. Meanwhile the party flees several hundred feet back. The heat stops here, replaced by the normal emptiness of the Astral Plane.
[20:34] <Kotono> As Sylvie watches on, "I'mg lad we got that practice in now," she smiles tightly at Ithea.
[20:36] * Muirfinn quickly casts Energy Immunity: Fire on himself and whips out a scroll. He snaps off the words on it, and a tremendous wave of wafer roars into existance not a foot from the mass of acid. That done, he shifts to the stocky form of an earth elemental, counting on that to save him! OOC: Tsunami.
[20:37] * Ithea casts resist acid on the others while they're all hanging back
[20:38] <Ithea> "Just in case that explosion splashes acid all the way back here."
[20:38] <Kotono> OOC: Wave of wafer?
[20:38] <Muirfinn> OOC: Real goddam big one
[20:38] <Kotono> OOC: Right. More coming. Immune to acid'n'fire?
[20:38] <Muirfinn> OOC: Yep
[20:40] <Kotono> What happens next is a mess. The party can see the entrance ahead explode outward in a gush of steam, acid and multicolored light. A moment later, a massive sea of flame erupts around the building. Muirfinn comes barreling out of it seconds later, flipping end over end as he goes flying by and past the party. Great gushes of multicolored light seep out from the sea of flame covering where the
[20:40] <Kotono> explosion was.
[20:41] * Muirfinn exerts mental effort to stop himself!
[20:41] <Lief> "Well... Whoever was messing with us certainly got more than they were expecting, I think."
[20:42] <Kotono> Muirfinn promptly stops.
[20:42] <Kotono> roll 1d20+51
[20:42] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+51 and gets 66." [1d20=15]
[20:42] <Kotono> "That's unchecked and uncontrolled magic. The explsion may have destabilized the Weave around here," Pointing with the head of the Staff of Vithos, "Wild magic may result for a time there."
[20:42] <Kotono> OOC: Gah.
[20:42] <Kotono> "That's unchecked and uncontrolled magic. The explsion may have destabilized the Weave around here," Pointing with the head of the Staff of Vithos, "Wild magic may result for a time there." Elder Magi Tepen says. "Muirfinn, are you alright?"
[20:43] * Muirfinn gives Tepen a thumbs up.
[20:44] <Ithea> "Is anything left to investigate after that explosion?" Ithea wonders out loud.
[20:44] <Kotono> "No idea," Balyss peers at it, "I can'ts ee a thing through the thick flames."
[20:44] <Lief> "Wreckage?"
[20:45] <Lief> "Simmer might be able to deal with the fire?"
[20:45] * Muirfinn makes rocky grumbling noises. "Unless you're ready to experiment with wild magic again, probably not."
[20:46] <Kotono> "I don't fear wild magic," Simmer says, "I'll go take a peek."
[20:47] <Muirfinn> "I'll back you up."
[20:49] <Kotono> Thus the two go into the flames. They are intensely, painfully hot - but they don't burn. You even hear Simmer sigh in relief as you go in - and you manage to peek out the other side. Here is a field of multicolored energies, floating debris and fields of glowing darkness. You can't see most of the building, but what you can see looks messed up.
[20:51] <Muirfinn> "...well. That'll complicate things."
[20:54] <Kotono> Simmer nods, "Looks like a mess."
[20:56] <Kotono> OOC: So now what are you going to do?
[20:56] <Muirfinn> "I'm...honestly not sure how to proceed here."
[20:58] <Kotono> "Same," Simmer admits. "Maybe one of the others will know?"
[20:59] <Muirfinn> "LEt's find out."
[21:00] <Kotono> Thus the two return back. "Anything?" Sylvie asks.
[21:00] <Muirfinn> "Fire and magical insanity. Definately some wild magic in there."
[21:01] <Lief> "Well, unless one of you can trace the magic, I think we're mostly done here... There's certainly nothing for me to track."
[21:01] <Kotono> "The thing is," Sylvie goes on without prodding, "I'm getting a sinking feeling about this entire thing. The logic of the mercenaries is absurd on face value, right? It sort of makes sense if you squint at it just right, but past that it falls apart. Yet they're skilled enough to set up a transdimensional deathtrap? Bullshit." Hmphing at that, "All we heard was that the Urgent Talons were good
[21:01] <Kotono> and professional."
[21:02] <Ithea> "Well, we know that we can still get a coin over in Brightwater. That's about our only option if we want to keep chasing this down now."
[21:02] <Kotono> "I suspect this is on purpose and it's some sort of enemy action, be it by them or against us," Tepen says, "But this is getting afarfield. I feel returning to Aurora is best for now. We find a color pool and return after going through."
[21:03] <Lief> "Hmm.. Frame job, then? Misdirection? Or parts of a bigger plan bolted together poorly?"
[21:03] <Kotono> "Convoluted schemes are Hell's trademark," Balyss speaks up, "Which narrows it down to an entire plane and anyone who might want us to blame them, or anyone who just thinks like a devil or..." she shrugs. "I can cast some more auguries on the 'morrow. Perhaps our knowledge will shake something new loose."
[21:04] * Muirfinn nods thoughtfully. "It's probable that everything we've fought through since has been part of enemy action here. Let's return. No sense staying here and staring at magical madness for the next however many years before it settles down."
[21:04] <Muirfinn> "And tracing anything through that would be impossible."
[21:05] <Lief> "What if we're not the only ones being tricked here? Maybe someone used some magic to convince the Talons that the Vivanthia escapade was a good idea. Once we poked at it enough, we'd think they were incompetent and that'd be one less ally we'd be willing to work with?"
[21:06] <Muirfinn> "Now THAT sounds like devil work."
[21:06] <Lief> "I mean, that guy seemed to not realize how insane the idea was until we almost literally walked him through it."
[21:07] <Kotono> "The coin might work," Tepen says thoughtfully, "That's another good option, too."
[21:08] <Lief> "But Ithea's right, we still have Brightwater open to us. If nothing else, we can use it to verify."
[21:09] * Muirfinn nods. "Yes, good idea, Ithea."
[21:10] <Kotono> OOC: So what's the plan now, y'all?
[21:10] <Ithea> ooc: return to aurora for now, I think
[21:11] <Muirfinn> OOC: Yus
[21:11] <Lief> OOC: Yeah, then probably onto Brightwater.
[21:12] <Kotono> roll 2d100
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d100 and gets 120." [2d100=57, 63]
[21:12] <Kotono> roll 1d100
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d100 and gets 66." [1d100=66]
[21:13] <Kotono> You fly on for a timeless time in the Silver Sea. In due time you come to a swirling opal color pool. Elder Magi Tepen takes a glance at it, "Opal means it connects to Elysium."
[21:14] <Muirfinn> "It's a start."
[21:14] * Lief readies his bow..
[21:16] <Kotono> Thus the party goes through. You appear in a gentle, rolling hill. It's sunny, bright and warm. Everything seems wondrous here, like a pleasant dream. The fields are a perfect shade of green and seem to go on forever. The sky is a flawless blue. "Now to Air and Aurora," Tepen remarks.
[21:16] <Kotono> "Not bad for one of these planes, but it..." Simmer begins, before Sylvie interrupts with a chuckle.
[21:16] <Kotono> "But it needs to be on fire?" she finishes for Simmer.
[21:17] * Lief looks around, watching for any threats..
[21:17] <Kotono> Lief can spot a few rabbits and squirrels, but nothing more.
[21:18] <Kotono> Balyss cracks a smile at that, "I think you nailed it."
[21:18] <Kotono> "Anyway," Simmer goes on, "Muirfinn, the portal? Or Ithea, do you have that portal maker of yours?"
[21:20] * Muirfinn shrugs. "I'm out of Gates."
[21:20] <Ithea> "I still have mine, like Simmer said. Hang on a minute," Ithea says as she pulls it out and activates it.
[21:21] <Kotono> From there, a quick trip returns the party to Aurora. Thus the party returns home for now...OOC: Quick pause for a moment. There's a chance to do any shopping or upkeep that you need, in case you do. Post in loot or relevant threads if you do. More coming.
[21:23] <Kotono> A few hours later, the party is keeping Vivantha company. The others are gone - until Balyss returns. She looks a little tired, 27 padding behind her. "Ithea!" Balyss calls, "You have an amazing pet!"
[21:23] <Kotono> Vivantha still lies aslumber, recovering from the magic and ordeal she's been through.
[21:25] * Muirfinn raises an eyebrow at Balyss.
[21:26] <Kotono> In one hand is a sheet of paper. "I was deep in my divinations and trying to enter a rapture for more information," she begins, "I did it, but I was rambling about a design and I couldn't do anything, and I wasn't sure what I was even saying." But when it passed, 27 was there and drew what I described.
[21:28] * Lief tries to sneak a peek at the paper..
[21:28] <Muirfinn> "...I thought you meant the cat." Muirfinn says with a look of dawning understanding.
[21:29] <Lief> "... So did I."
[21:29] <Kotono> It's not hard - Balyss isn't really guarding it. It shows a fire, and above it is a claw or talon. It has a crack going down the middle of the talon. It's rather well drawn, actually.
[21:29] <Kotono> 27 merely peeks out from beyind Balyss and stares at Muirfinn.
[21:29] <Lief> "So... Fire broke the Talon?"
[21:30] <Kotono> "That's one interpretation," Balyss passes the sheet around, "Fire could represent that or something more abstract. Hell's certainly associated with flames, for example. The crack could imply breaking, an internal schism or  some sort of weakness."
[21:32] <Muirfinn> "So...this might not have been a unanimous decision to kidnap Vivantha?"
[21:32] <Kotono> "That's one take on it," Balyss goes to a chair and sits, "I think at the least it signifies something is abnormal about this entire mess."
[21:33] <Kotono> 27 shuffles over to Ithea and hides behind her. At the same time he murmurs, "Anarch, don't let ordered lies go on."
[21:34] * Muirfinn points at 27. "What he said."
[21:34] <Ithea> "Oh? Well how do I stop them, 27? Any other advice you can give us to point us towards what's going on?" Ithea asks 27.
[21:36] <Kotono> 27 looks to Vivantha - who, at that moment, blinks her eyes open. She looks around, "Brave hero...?" she finally asks.
[21:36] * Muirfinn turns, leaning over Vivantha. "I'm here."
[21:37] <Kotono> "What happened?" she asks slowly, "Lief, Ithea?"
[21:38] <Lief> "Here too."
[21:38] <Kotono> "I know," she smiles in spite of that, "I can see you."
[21:38] * Lief shrugs.
[21:38] <Muirfinn> "You were abducted." Muirfinn says. "I'm sorry."
[21:38] <Kotono> Balyss slowly rises, "Glad you're back up."
[21:38] <Lief> "Pixie. Used to being overlooked."
[21:40] <Kotono> "I'm back. Thank you," she smiles to all of them, "I owe you a debt."
[21:42] * Ithea turns from 27 and shares with the others what he's whispered since she doesn't know what he means. "27 just whispered something about 'The split came from the Child of Lifasa. Some of them are afraid of his works like that.'"
[21:42] <Ithea> "Not sure what that means."
[21:43] * Muirfinn blinks. "The child of Lifasa? Wasn't that the name of the abomination birthed by Queen Ilsenine?"
[21:48] <Kotono> 27 steps forward and nods. "Afraid of the legacy. Afraid of what it means. So they split," 27 starts to pace, leaping up over to another bed. It paces across it, back and forth. "The power of destiny terrifies me and them. The power of destiny is wrong. Not everyone will cooperate out of fear, or will submit out of fear." 27's eyes go wider and wider as its pacing grows faster. "They were afraid
[21:48] <Kotono> of that. They disagreed over that."
[21:50] * Muirfinn blinks and glances at Vivantha. "You've missed a lot. I'll fill you in. Do you remember anything from while you were taken? Did they hurt you?"
[21:51] <Kotono> "Only a few disjointed images," Vivanthar eplies, "Nothing else." She watches 27 pace, as the strange slaad curls up to sleep.
[21:52] <Kotono> "The split, like the talon split?" Balyss asks, but there is no reply from 27. "Hm." She watches the slaad sleep, "Does that mean that the Duke of Destiny came to them to do this and they disagreed over taking the job, because of qualms or fears about his powers?"
[21:53] <Muirfinn> "It's possible."
[21:55] <Kotono> OOC: Okay, so what are you going to tell Vivantha?
[21:56] * Quits: Nephrite (~ryan.scud@65.33.78.139) (Quit: )
[21:57] <Muirfinn> OOC: I'll fill her in on everything that happened while we were trying to get her back.
[21:59] <Kotono> Chatting goes well. Vivantha smiles, "Thank you - all of you," she repeats, "But I don't think I have anything to add. I just don't remember much of anything."
[22:00] * Muirfinn nods. "Understandable."
[22:01] <Ithea> "Any idea who might have wanted you kidnapped by any chance? Any chance they might try to hire someone else to kidnap you again? I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate getting kidnapped on a daily basis or such."
[22:02] <Kotono> "The Lannark Imperium, perhaps?" Vivantha says, "Or Hell."
[22:03] <Muirfinn> "It's looking more like Hell lately."
[22:03] <Muirfinn> "Though I'd originally thought it might be the Lannark."
[22:04] <Kotono> "Then what about the nightwalkers?" Balyss speaks up now, "Shar and Hell don't get along. Shar doesn't get along with anyone, but there's ab it of recent history to that."
[22:04] <Muirfinn> "Perhaps one of the Talons is a worshipper?"
[22:07] <Lief> "They're a mercenary company, they could have paid for the assistance, too. How many of Shar's follower have scruples about that?"
[22:09] <Kotono> "Depends," Balyss says, "We still need more information to guess the exact breakdown, even if we're closer now. So are we going to look into that coin tomorrow?"
[22:09] <Muirfinn> "It's less a question of scruples and more one of sanity with her followers."

[Merc]

[20:13] <Kotono> Quick question while we get ready: Coin next? Assuming so, is it just you three going, or will you take anyone along with you? Any other prep before going?
[20:14] <Lief> OOC: I'm good with coin. Don't care who's going with us. I'll be replinishing my used scrolls in a minute, but I need to get situated with dinner and stuff first.
[20:14] <Kotono> OOC: Sure.
[20:14] <Lief> OOC: I'll update the sheet and money stuff in a few.
[20:14] <Kotono> As a compromise to Simmer not having her things done, the scrolls in my last post are yours now. If she gives you any more, and she probably will, you can add those next time you return to Aurora.
[20:14] <Kotono> I was going slow since I thought I had all evening. Whoops.
[20:15] <Ithea> ooc: I have no preference for who goes. some paladins/holy guys if we're fighting shadows and undead again might be nice though.
[20:16] <Ithea> ooc: Balyss/Hanna I guess for a suggestion? Yuth might have better suggestions
[20:16] <Kotono> Offhand, the following fit that niche: Hanna, Misalea, Ebony, Balyss. Sylvie can sort of fake it too.
[20:16] <Kotono> Up to y'all, though.
[20:17] <Lief> OOC: I know none of those people.
[20:17] <Ithea> ooc: How do you not know Balyss?
[20:17] <Ithea> ooc: We've only been with her for the last two weeks
[20:18] <Ithea> ooc: Wasn't Ebony recovering from something? Or was it Candy?
[20:18] * Yuthirin is now known as Muirfinn
[20:18] <Kotono> OOC: Canderella, adn she's healed up.
[20:18] <Kotono> Okay, last call on anyone coming with you, if anyone.
[20:18] <Ithea> ooc: Ah. Well, unless Yuth has any suggestions, I'd probably say Hanna/Ebony/Balyss.
[20:18] <Kotono> If you need more time, youc an always get the coin and come back after.
[20:19] <Muirfinn> OOC: I approve of Ithea's choices.
[20:19] <Kotono> OOC: Okay then.
[20:22] <Kotono> The party gathers near Aurora's gates. The courtyard is still at high readiness, guards out and th eair elementals doing constant patrols outside. Balyss is a familiar face from yesterday, arms crossed over her breastplate and angel wings twitching. She's watching the elementals fly as she waits. Hanna is a seven foot tall woman with strikingly blonde hair and a powerful stature. A wickedly
[20:22] <Kotono> curve scythe is in her hand, and the angel is otherwise radiant. Finally, Ebony has her hood up and her own wings out, awaiting silently. She smiles at the party as they approach, "To Brightwater?" she asks.
[20:22] <Ithea> "To Brightwater," Ithea agrees.
[20:24] * Muirfinn nods. "Let's go."
[20:25] <Kotono> From there, Balyss casts a Gate spell and the party passes through. You return to the point in Brightwater so prescribed, just outside of Glitterosm's shop. Gold awaits there, a single nod to the party as they approach. "Greetings, friends. Hanna."
[20:26] <Kotono> "Gold," Hanna nods back, "How's the others?"
[20:26] <Kotono> "Well enough, though this isn't the time," he says, a gentle chastisement, "Have you come for the matter of the coin?"
[20:26] * Lief zips around the new people and inspects them before landing on Muirfinn's shoulder.
[20:26] * Lief waves to the others.
[20:27] <Muirfinn> "We have." Muirfinn nods.
[20:29] <Kotono> Balyss glances sidelong at Hanna, but keeps her mouth shut.
[20:29] <Kotono> Meanwhile, Ebony nods and pushes back her hood to reveal her face. "I understand this will cost money - it is Waukeen's realm, after all. How much?"
[20:30] <Kotono> "That depends on how well you negotiate. Further," Gold turns his full attentions to Ithea, smiling a little bit, "I asked around about all of you. I understand you've sworn some fealty to Sharess, as a feline-blooded creature? That makes you a local, after a fashion, and will be useful in negotiations."
[20:31] * Lief inspects the area, keeping an eye out for anything interesting... or anyone paying an undue amount of attention to the group.
[20:31] <Kotono> OOC: Spot.
[20:31] <Lief> roll 1d20+32 Spot!
[20:32] <Lief> OOC: D'oh!
[20:32] -eraniss.tx.us.lunarnet.org:@#dunes- Kotono invited Hatbot into the channel.
[20:32] * Joins: Hatbot (~Hatbot@cpe-68-203-15-105.austin.res.rr.com)
[20:32] <Kotono> OOC: Fixed.
[20:32] <Lief> roll 1d20+32 Spot!
[20:32] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+32 Spot! and gets 37." [1d20=5]
[20:32] <Ithea> "That's good to know. Thanks for that advice," Ithea says with a nod at Gold.
[20:32] <Kotono> The alley's quiet and dim. It clashes with the rest of Brightwater that you've seen. People passing outside the alley don't even glance at it.
[20:34] <Kotono> "Even if you aren't yet, when your first life comes to an end, you will be. Those here are usually creatures that measure time in eons, if they bother to measure it at all. The distinction between mortal life and immortal is one of passing irrelevancy to such beings. So to them, you may as well already be one of hers." Gold explains.
[20:37] <Kotono> "But going on," Gold continues, "I've lind up a potential seller. If he doesn't work out, I have others that are less promising or more expensive. Arch Holycoin Milestos is a favored servant of Waukeen, who bought his way into the afterlife early after making a massive fortune." A wry smile follows, "A fortune that he at least earned by vanquishing many evils. He's generally agreeable to your
[20:37] <Kotono> aims and cause, but is still a Waukeenite and will not give the coin away freely.""
[20:37] * Lief drops behind Muirfinn and goes invisible, then flies a bit above the group for a better vantage point.
[20:37] <Kotono> "Bought?" Ebony's voice is ever so slightly strained at that, "Bought?"
[20:39] <Kotono> "The ways of Waukeen are different than others," Hanna murmurs to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Ascetics they are not.
[20:39] <Kotono> "
[20:39] * Muirfinn pats Ebony on the back. "Try not to think about it too hard."
[20:39] <Kotono> "Bought!" Ebony says it almost like a curse, slowly shaking her head. "Bought."
[20:40] <Kotono> Chuckling himself, Gold goes on. "Bought," he confirms, "Hanna has the truth of it. But I don't think you all are interested in a theological argument about the inherent value of money or the possibility of green and sin, are you?"
[20:40] <Ithea> "Not today," Ithea admits.
[20:42] * Lief invisibly lands on Ebony's shoulder and gives her a pat in sympathy before taking back to the air.
[20:43] <Kotono> "I'll escort you to the negotiation site when you're ready. A few notes." Pausing just a moment, "The area of the negotations are affected by an anti-magic field. Using supernatural abilities in this level of negotiation is in poor form."
[20:46] * Muirfinn snorts. "Unsurprising."
[20:48] <Kotono> With that, the party walks a little further down the alley. It falls away and soon a quiet, pleasant meeting room is ahead of you. The chairs are red and cushioned. A simple wood table is there, enough to sit a dozen people on either side. There's a window with a view of what looks to be Brightwater from higher up, a skyline vista. "Feel free to settle in and wait. The area immediately around
[20:48] <Kotono> the table is where the anti magic is. If you don't want to be afflicted by that, don't sit down. However, only people that are sitting are considered to be participating in the negotiations."
[20:49] * Muirfinn nods.
[20:49] * Lief hovers in front of Muirfinn and drops his invisibility.
[20:50] <Kotono> Balyss and Ebony go to sit. Hanna lingers a moment, "Ithea, a word?" she says.
[20:50] <Lief> "You want me to keep... doing my thing?"
[20:50] * Ithea turns to Hanna with a nod. "Yes, of course. What is it?"
[20:52] <Muirfinn> "If you're not going to negotiate, keep an eye out for nonsense."
[20:52] <Kotono> "It may not hurt to swallow your dignity and play up your feline traits a little bit," she says, "I've been at these negotiations. Any edge helps, especially when it gets to prettied words and diplomatic wrangling. Speaking of, we should generally let our best speakers take the lead, and have the rest of us supporting what they're saying."
[20:52] * Muirfinn heads in, taking a seat as well.
[20:54] * Lief nods and shoots up into the air, going invisible again and looping around the area in a random pattern, keeping an eye out for nonsense and interesting things.
[20:56] <Ithea> "I...don't know exactly what you would expect me to do to play up feline traits? What, just do everything that Adrian likes to joke about, or not react if I get called a kitten?" Ithea answers with a frown.
[20:57] <Kotono> Hanna sits now, hmming, "Like...can you make your ears twitch? Or play with something in your hands. I won't say to meow or something, that's just humiliating." she admits, "The point is to make is abundantly clear you're dealing with one of Sharess's followers. It's generally poor manners to extract the same price from a local than it is a non-local. It's an allied group of deities."
[20:58] <Lief> OOC: Preping Critical Strike, just in case.
[20:58] <Kotono> After a beat, "And I mean in a feline way. Even a dancing way if you can manage that. Let's not reflect on the rest of what she represents," Hanna appends quickly.
[20:59] <Kotono> Balyss sits, resting her head in her hand and watching the back and forth. "So less meow and no slut, in favor of a bit of cute kittenishness?"
[20:59] * Lief hears the conversation as he passes over Hanna and Ithea in a patrol loop and pauses to drop a gold coin on Ithea's head with a chuckle before going back to his loops.
[21:00] <Kotono> Twirling a finger in the air, Balyss goes on - and stops at Lief. She just glances up with a puzzled expression.
[21:01] <Ithea> "I...suppose I can do that," Ithea allows. "I kind of already do that sometimes unconsciously anyway, so just do it more intended I guess."
[21:03] * Ithea bats the coin off her head with a bit of annoyance. "You know, I liked Lief a bit more when he was more moody and less in touch with his pixie side. Heaven forbid Afina ever starts pranking people."
[21:04] <Kotono> Balyss visibly shuddrs at that, "Imagine waking up with a golem staring at your face. Or a magic item that also makes you glow rainbow colors."
[21:04] <Kotono> "A golem wouldn't be so bad," Hanna gives Ithea a a sidelong look. "Better than a few mornings I've had."
[21:05] <Ithea> "...Yeah, sorry about 27. I really have no idea what his obsession with bugging the crap out of you is."
[21:05] * Muirfinn calls back. "27. in your face first thing in the morning. Hanging from a rainbow spiderweb with lollipops for eyes."
[21:07] <Kotono> "I'd take Lief dropping gold coins on me any time before that," Hanna says, "Say Lief. Are you interested in earning some extra money?"
[21:08] <Lief> "... It would depend, I suppose.."
[21:13] <Kotono> "I'll talk to you later," Hanna says, as a figure emerges from thin air. He is tall and broad, a sort of bulk hinting at muscle rather thna fat. He is a gray haired man wearing golden robes and full plate armor beneath it. He wears several of Waukeen's various holy symbols, all dangling from his neck. He wears only one bit of jewelry - a circlet studded with gemstones of breath-taking clarity.
[21:13] <Kotono> He nods in the direction of the others and sits on the opposite side of the table. "Aurora and company," he says, "Arch Holycoin Milestos. You can dispense with the title and juts call me Miles." Gesturing with a sweep of one hand, "All of you are?"
[21:15] * Lief stays out of his line of sight, just in case.
[21:15] <Ithea> "My name is Ithea," Ithea says politely, as she goes grab a seat as well.
[21:16] * Muirfinn stands, bowing at the waist. "Muirfinn of the Aurora."
[21:16] <Kotono> "Hanna, and this is Balyss and Ebony," Hanna says, "We all are part of Aurora."
[21:21] <Kotono> "Well met," he smiles and settles in, armor not making a single bit of noise. "You're in the market for a particular coin?"
[21:22] <Ithea> "One used to summon a rather unlikeable bunch of mercenaries," Ithea says in agreement.
[21:23] <Muirfinn> "Yes." Muirfinn nods, agreeing with Ithea.
[21:24] * Lief keeps watch on the area, bow ready just in case.
[21:25] <Kotono> "The Urgent Talons,"B alyss adds, "Though they were rather unpleasant."
[21:28] <Kotono> "I'm familiar with them," Miles agrees, "I've employed them a few times to success, but not lately. I haven't needed those particular services. But you understand that betraying them is not a thing done lightly. Why should I?"
[21:31] <Muirfinn> "They abducted one of our number, a lillend, and threatened to sell her to Hell." Muirfinn says, then looks at the man more closely. "You say you've employed them before?"
[21:32] <Ithea> "How would they know the coin came from you? We saw some coins before, and saw nothing that identified the source of the spell, merely that the spell had been triggered to summon a representative," Ithea argues that point. "You would not be in any danger of reprisal, as such, would you?"
[21:35] <Kotono> "I have," He nods to Muirfinn, hmming. He merely nods to Ithea, "That's an interesting point, both of you. Sell me on it," he says, "Why should I make this trade? Tell me more, make me want it."
[21:37] <Ithea> "Well, you said you've hired these Talons before. What kind of jobs were they? Depending on the kind of jobs, it might be realistic to offer Aurora's services instead for some of those jobs...with a discount for prior services rendered, of course."
[21:38] <Kotono> "By extension, Aurora is friendly with many courts and places across Creation," Ebony speaks up, "Like a spider's web, influence travels along them all."
[21:41] * Muirfinn waits to hear his response before replying.
[21:43] <Kotono> "How much of a discount," The holycoin asks back right away, steepling his fingers together and leaning back.
[21:45] <Ithea> "How much of a discount is the coin worth to you? I do believe that's where we can start seeing about selling you that trade," Ithea fires back.
[21:52] <Kotono> "First," Leaning forward now with a hitn of a smile, "What are your rates?"
[21:56] * Ithea shrugs. Typically free for anything that would piss off devils was probably not the thing to start off by saying. "Depends on the job. We won't do anything evil as you can surely imagine, though we've done things that have...frustrated, shall we say, some forces that you'd normally think would approve of us and our mission," Ithea says, delicately putting to terms things like their dealings with Baleruk and Annalise.
[22:01] <Kotono> "All's fair in coin and war," The man replies, "Say I needed you to elimiate a balor general in the Blood War. You'd have to go to Hades and assassinate him in his tent or on the battlefield. How much would you want for that?"
[22:01] <Kotono> "The Blood War's always a pain to get mixed up in," Hanna opines, "If only due to the sheer number of participants. Not impossible to work around, but it is troublesome."
[22:02] <Kotono> *eliminate
[22:07] <Ithea> roll d20+31+5 diplomacy+inspiration
[22:07] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+31+5 diplomacy+inspiration and gets 56." [d20=20]
[22:07] <Ithea> ooc: Yay
[22:07] <Ithea> ooc: GIMME WHAT I WANT
[22:08] <Kotono> OOC: You need to frame it with something and not just roll, since the ball is in your court, Ithea. Write something up and I'll assume the roll counts to that.
[22:08] <Kotono> OOC: I'd suggest making it good so there's more space for that nice 20 to spread out on.
[22:12] <Ithea> "Again, it would depend on what balor general you were speaking of, and what conditions were in place for the assassination. As Hanna stated, that would be troublesome though doable. It's probably the sort of situation where we'd want a non-monetary trade for something that would aid in our mission against the devils," Ithea admits. "As it is, I can't figure how to price that in that fashion by myself. The other generals, Adrian and Afina most likely, would probably be able to give you a reasonable sum and discount rate suggestion if you wished to pay through gold."
[22:15] <Kotono> A short nod follows that. "Reasonable enough," he finally says. "How would that discount apply to non-monetary trades?"
[22:17] <Kotono> "It's rather difficult to measure that with favors," Hanna remarks, "But I'm sure somethign could be worked out?"
[22:20] <Muirfinn> "It would depend on what is traded, really. Case-by-case basis is really the only way to account for it, unless you want something on Mechanus to spend the next thousand years or so drafting an airtight contract."
[22:20] <Ithea> "What Hanna said," Ithea says with a nod. "A possibility that I would have to check with Afina is perhaps the crafting of some item after a certain number of such trades. As her craftsmanship is generally highly sought after, that might be an option if she is open to that. I'd like to repeat the fact that this is simply a possibility. I would still have to run the idea through her."
[22:21] <Ithea> "I suspect if she were open to such a thing, you might find yourself at her whims of what she might wish to craft at such a time," she adds.

[Merc]

[19:48] <Kotono> <Ithea> "I suspect if she were open to such a thing, you might find yourself at her whims of what she might wish to craft at such a time," she adds.
[19:53] <Kotono> Conversation winds on for a time after that, a series of back and forth discussions. Miles sits back now, hands steepled in front of his face. "You've made some interesting points," he remarks. "I'm officially interested in the offer."
[19:54] * Lief relaxes slightly behind the man, easing tension off of his bowstring and lowering it, but keeping his arrow nocked.
[19:55] * Muirfinn nods. "Excellent."
[19:56] <Kotono> Ebony cracks a small smile, while Hanna smiles more openly. Balyss nods, "If you need a tiebreaker, my father's a local celestial. We follow Selune and that could help you there as well, if you need it."
[19:57] <Ithea> "I'm glad you appreciated our offer," Ithea says. "How do you wish to come to a resolution then? A contract before the coin is handed over? A chat with the other generals in Aurora perhaps?"
[19:59] <Kotono> "I'd like to meet them soon, but a preliminary contract is acceptable." Here he pauses just long enough to deeply chuckle. "You know how the game's played at this level. Trust is worth more than a city full of gold."
[20:00] <Kotono> "What's gold when the archons pave streets with it," Hanna says with a growing grin. "Or Waukeen."
[20:00] <Kotono> "Keeping score, thank you," Miles retorts back, "Besides, money is capital to do things in the world - good or bad."
[20:05] <Ithea> "Who can write up the preliminary contract? I imagine that Muirfinn will be happy to have the coin in hand as soon as possible so we can meet again with those Talons."
[20:05] <Kotono> Ebony's mouth twitches downward, but Hanna just smiles more. "Philosophical differences," she says gently, patting Ebony's shoulder. "Do you have a contract ready?"
[20:06] <Kotono> "I took the liberty. It just needs filling in." Standing up, "I won't be long, just need to be out of the antimagic." Miles says.
[20:08] <Kotono> From there he steps back and pulls out paper. It writes itself, letters appearing on it. Soon enough he returns and places it down, "Feel free to read it over at your pace." he offers, the document about ten pages long.
[20:08] * Ithea nods as she starts to read over it, making sure to leave space for the others to read alongside her.
[20:08] * Muirfinn leans over, reading.
[20:09] <Muirfinn> OOC: Any rolls here?
[20:09] <Ithea> ooc: Any skill check to check for fine print/tricks/etc?
[20:10] <Kotono> OOC: Any ranks ni anything legal-related or relevant?
[20:11] <Muirfinn> OOC: Nope
[20:11] <Kotono> OOC: Int checks then.
[20:12] <Kotono> roll 1d20+4 Balyss legalese scares her!
[20:12] -eraniss.tx.us.lunarnet.org:@#dunes- Kotono invited Hatbot into the channel.
[20:12] * Joins: Hatbot (~Hatbot@cpe-68-203-15-105.austin.res.rr.com)
[20:12] <Kotono> roll 1d20+4 Balyss legalese scares her!
[20:12] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+4 Balyss legalese scares her! and gets 9." [1d20=5]
[20:12] <Ithea> roll d20+11 int check
[20:12] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+11 int check and gets 21." [d20=10]
[20:12] <Kotono> roll 1d20+6 Ebony is calmed at least, she dealt with this once upon a time
[20:12] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 Ebony is calmed at least, she dealt with this once upon a time and gets 16." [1d20=10]
[20:13] <Kotono> roll 1d20+9 Hanna's fairly chill about it, since if the contract is unjust, it gets axed. Literally.
[20:13] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+9 Hanna's fairly chill about it, since if the contract is unjust, it gets axed. Literally. and gets 24." [1d20=15]
[20:13] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+6
[20:13] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+6 and gets 21." [1d20=15]
[20:13] <Kotono> OOC: Goign to roll, Lief?
[20:13] <Ithea> ooc: wasn't he staying out of LOS?
[20:13] <Ithea> ooc: I would think he wasn't if so
[20:14] <Kotono> OOC: I think so, but giving him the chance if he wants to risk it anyway.
[20:14] <Lief> OOC: Uh, I'm behind the guy. Does that count? Can I even see it?
[20:14] <Kotono> OOC: Not really, and you'd need to be close to study it. Okay then.
[20:15] <Kotono> Balyss is lost. She ends up cross-eyed and rubbing her forehead. The others follow it well enough. It's fairly straightforward once you get past the legalese - no hooks, traps or obvious loopholes. Nothing magically binding, though it is a valid contract in Brightwater and eligible for enforcement through 'all legitimate channels thereof'.
[20:17] <Ithea> "Seems fair enough for what we're trying to set up right now," Ithea says as she finishes reading. "Unless any of you guys spotted anything that could use some clarification that I didn't really think about, I'm ready to sign."
[20:17] * Muirfinn shakes his head. "It's acceptable."
[20:17] <Kotono> Keeping her voice down, "Really," Hanna says, "The contract relies on trust and good will. Considering Aurora's about equivalent of a nation-state on the Prime, it's essential."
[20:20] * Ithea nods again.
[20:20] * Ithea signs the contract.
[20:21] <Kotono> With agreement, signatures go all around. Handshakes follow, as well as fiery brandy that Miles provides. A simple gold coin is placed on the ground, both sides decorated with the images of a bird's talons. As he sips his brandy, "I'll be in touch with the relevant parties soon enough. I understand you'll be occupied for a bit with this," he gestures at the coin. "Good luck."
[20:23] <Ithea> "Thank you. We'll contact you again once we've resolved this issue, and send an invitation for you over at the Aurora. we can work out the rest of the details with the other generals then," Ithea says as she thanks Miles.
[20:23] * Muirfinn elects not to partake of the brandy, opting tor carefully picking up the coin between two clawed fingers, studying it.
[20:24] <Kotono> It looks like a normal enough coin to Muirfinn. It doesn't scream magic - besides the design, you could throw it in a bag of gold coins and it would fit right in.
[20:24] <Kotono> OOC: Okay, so what's y'all's plan now?
[20:25] <Muirfinn> OOC: Back to the Aurora. I want to figure out where the signal from the coin goes.
[20:26] <Ithea> ooc: We'd also want to take a copy of the contract so that the others can read and be aware of it.
[20:26] <Kotono> OOC: Okay.
[20:27] <Lief> OOC: He came through a portal? I can follow him. I've got plane shift scrolls.
[20:27] <Kotono> The trip back to Aurora is without incident. Muirfinn, Ithea and Lief have the coin in the workshop. Gisfal is in there, overseeing men working the forges. A pair of pixies with spectacles are also in there, talking about some design of Afina's or another. OOC: Ball's in all of you rcourts, get to any identifying, spellcrafting or whatever with the coin as you please.
[20:28] <Muirfinn> OOC: Always on Detect Magic. Peering at it with Spellcraft and hoping our prodding doesn't make it self-kablooie.
[20:29] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+50
[20:29] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+50 and gets 66." [1d20=16]
[20:30] <Ithea> ooc: I'll just help (which I think just gives +2 to his check?)
[20:30] <Ithea> ooc: Do you want me to roll at all for help?
[20:30] <Ithea> ooc: actually, just assuming I took 12, for a total of 51.
[20:32] <Kotono> The coin is studied. The magic weaving it is impressive - braid after braid of beautifully interwoven magic. It blows away anything you saw in the Elsian Fields. It isn't the hardest thing to study, as the various enchantments to block your efforts aren't that hard to overcome, but the main defense seems the sheer complexity. Muirfinn grasps a goodly part of it, but there's still much that eludes
[20:32] <Kotono> him. Ithea as well, though she helps grasp a few more points.
[20:33] <Muirfinn> "Elena!" Muirfinn calls.
[20:33] * Lief lands on Ithea's should and relaxes, lounging as best he can but still subtly scanning the room in reflexive watch.
[20:34] <Kotono> Elena appears, wearing an outfit just like Lief's. Albeit sized to her, thankfully. "Hi," she sing-songs, "Welcome back."
[20:35] <Muirfinn> "Hello and thank you. Would you mind contacting Sylvie, Tepen, and Vul'lath for us? I'd like their expertise."
[20:37] <Kotono> "Oh, something stumped you, huh?" Elena says, before vanishing away and giving Lief a little wave.
[20:37] * Lief lazily raises a hand to return the wave.
[20:39] <Kotono> Soon enough the three in question come. Sage Vul'lath leads the way, "You rang," he says, a hint of dry irritation in his otherwise deadpan tone.
[20:40] * Muirfinn holds up the coin. "Would you like to help me unravel some impressively intricate spellwork and find something that a lot of people don't want found?"
[20:40] <Muirfinn> OOC: Tempting the mage with the unknown. WHEE~
[20:41] <Kotono> "It sounds like a good challenge," Elder Magi Tepen says, as the three get to it. (More)
[20:42] <Kotono> roll 1d20+32 Tepen (+1 inspiration)
[20:42] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+32 Tepen (+1 inspiration) and gets 51." [1d20=19]
[20:43] <Kotono> roll 1d20+36 Vul'lath
[20:43] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+36 Vul'lath and gets 45." [1d20=9]
[20:44] <Kotono> roll 1d20+80 Sylvie (+21 inspiration, +10 lore of the gods,
[20:44] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+80 Sylvie (+21 inspiration, +10 lore of the gods,  and gets 91." [1d20=11]
[20:47] <Kotono> The three work for some time. Eventually Sylvie looks up and rubs her temple. "You know how Medi's seals and portals are so hard to decipher? This is a much lesser version of it. In particular, the magic's woven like string to make it difficult to discern how it works. The core of it is this - the coin, when invoked, sends out a predetermined Sending spell as well as the location of the coin
[20:47] <Kotono> when invoked, who invoked it and some other minor information. It's essentially an overgrown beacon. It also makes it easier for scrying, teleportation and similar magics to reach that location, at least if you're on the other end of this and know how to exploit it, like I'm sure the Urgent Talons do."
[20:49] <Muirfinn> "Think we can track the Sending to its source?"
[20:49] <Lief> "Could we trick it into sending false information?"
[20:52] <Kotono> "If we invoke it, I think so," Sage Vul'lath says, and with a sniff, "Or barring disaster, divine the information afterwards, with the coin as a focus."
[20:54] <Lief> "Hm. So far they've had a lead on us this whole. Personally I'm rather unhappy with that. If we can trick the coin into sending false information so they send either fewer people, or someone important, we might be able to get them on their heels for once."
[20:55] <Kotono> "I suggest that when you invoke it, you be ready for a hostile response." Elder magi Tepen interjects.
[20:56] <Lief> "And if we have time, we might be able to set up a trap. Some kind runes on the ground for an instant dimension lock? A paralyzation field or the like? Set to trigger on their teleport?"
[20:56] <Ithea> "I'd be more interested in sending us instead of the coin sending forces here, Lief. It does nothing if they send someone and we still don't know where they're at."
[20:57] <Lief> "Well, if they're coming from an organized headquarters, we could be walking into a secured portal room ourselves. It's a risk either way."
[20:58] <Muirfinn> "Well, there may not be a secured area."
[20:58] <Muirfinn> "This group seems to bank on security through obscurity and obfuscation, rather than force of arms."
[20:58] <Muirfinn> "It thusly may not be secured against an attack because they  may not believe it possible."
[20:59] * Lief nods.
[20:59] <Kotono> "Ahem," Sage Vul'lath coughs into his hand, "That's all true. I suggest all of you come up with a plan of action and then we'll see to working it out. Also, using Aurora for this is off the table. Our own defenses will likely sour any attempt."
[21:00] <Lief> "If you can back-trace it, it might be worth it to have a scout squad go in first. If nothing else, they can secure the room and hold it defensively while we move through... wherever we wind up."
[21:00] * Muirfinn nods at Vul'lath. "I wouldn't dream of doing this on the Aurora."
[21:05] <Kotono> OOC: Okay then, so what plan are you all looking at?
[21:05] <Lief> OOC: A locale to do this and a series of magical safeguards/traps/locator thingy-ma-bobbers.
[21:08] <Kotono> OOC: Okay, that's a good start. Details, y'all?
[21:10] <Ithea> ooc: I leave the planning to the tortle/fairy
[21:10] <Muirfinn> OOC: LEt's pick a friendly place, like Elysium.
[21:10] <Muirfinn> OOC: Barring that, Bel's throne room.
[21:11] <Kotono> OOC: Okay, Elysium. Any sort of prep? Whos' going to be there? Any pre-cast spells? Where exactly on Elysium?
[21:11] <Lief> OOC: Pixie don't know 'bout magic. But if we're goign to be doing this as a small group, we'd need to look for terrain that would benefit us and our numbers. A crater or large cave, I think. Something that would limit their movement but we'd be solidly set up in.
[21:12] <Ithea> ooc: Only thing I'm precasting is GMW. As to who is there, any reason not to send the team we just had for brightwater?
[21:12] <Ithea> ooc: so hanna/ebony/balyss
[21:12] <Muirfinn> OOC: Alright, Team Holy Roller is a good idea.
[21:14] <Kotono> OOC: Okay. Right. Any other prep then? Also, you'll need UMD to activate the coin, but I think Lief covers that.
[21:14] <Muirfinn> OOC: Somewhere enclosed, like a cave, can be good, but it could limit our mobility as well. That said, it would likely also prevent the nonsense Sharnanegans we experienced earlier.
[21:14] <Lief> OOC: Not on my end. I'd want to be close to the portal to either enter in or get solid strikes on whatever comes out. I can't really set up any magic traps or anything, but I'd suggest something that would limit mobility for whatever comes out. Entangle or the like. If we can pin them down and restrict them, it'll be to our AoE blaster benefit.
[21:15] <Muirfinn> OOC: This is all assuming we don't get another shadow clone
[21:15] <Lief> OOC: Like I said before some Dimension Lock type stuff to keep them from evacing would be a good idea.
[21:15] <Lief> OOC: yep.
[21:15] <Muirfinn> OOC: Which we'll hopefully be able to tell right away
[21:17] <Kotono> OOC: Dimensional Lock or the liek would need to be cast after anything appears for obvious reasons, y'all should know.
[21:17] <Muirfinn> OOC: Let's buff up. Worst-case, it's a bust.
[21:17] <Lief> OOC: Yeah, I've got scrolls of Dimension Lock.
[21:17] <Muirfinn> OOC tag is getting combersome
[21:17] <Lief> OOC: I'll leave the decision of using one up to Yuth.
[21:18] <Muirfinn> Does anyone NOT have a deflection modifier?
[21:18] <Muirfinn> Using the scroll too early may prevent the guy from coming in
[21:19] <Kotono> Lemme look.
[21:19] <Muirfinn> Contingency spells would be our friends here. Also, Nerveskitter if possible?
[21:19] <Lief> I've got a couple of contengency scrolls, too.
[21:20] <Kotono> Hanna's okay. Balyss has one. Ebony's okay. Both have protective aura, so anything evil will activate a +4 deflection for them.
[21:20] <Ithea> ooc: I have +5 deflection
[21:20] <Kotono> All three are casters and can buff y'all. Anything y'all want?
[21:21] <Lief> I've got +5 deflection, too.
[21:21] <Muirfinn> ok
[21:22] <Ithea> ooc: heroism is about the only thing I can think of for buffs. Anything good against undead that lasts a while maybe?
[21:22] <Ithea> ooc: I don't really have buffs memorized, sooooo
[21:23] <Kotono> http://dndtools.eu/spells/spell-compendium--86/undeaths-eternal-foe--4647/ Balyss can drop this on y'all.
[21:23] <Muirfinn> I like it. Have her prep it
[21:23] <Kotono> Any other requests or anything you'd like boosts for?
[21:24] <Lief> Not on me. Anything you guys want me to set up for contengency scrolls? Any scrolls you want me to have ready?
[21:25] <Kotono> Okay then, last call. Going once, going twice...
[21:25] <Muirfinn> sec
[21:26] <Kotono> Sure.
[21:26] <Muirfinn> making dinner at the same time I do this
[21:28] <Muirfinn> Ok, I'm good. Halo of Sand on myself
[21:29] <Kotono> Okay. Balyss will pop Undeath's Eternal Foe on all of you. Note your buffs in thecauldron.
[21:29] <Kotono> ---
[21:30] <Kotono> A cave is found in Elysium. Everything here is radiant in a subtle way, even the damp limestone floor. The party forms a loose circle, Balyss finishing her last spell, "Right. Invoke the coin when you're ready," she says, "I have a dimensional blocking spell ready."
[21:31] * Lief holds a hand out to Muirfinn for the coin.
[21:31] * Muirfinn hands Lief the coin.
[21:31] <Muirfinn> OOC: Detect Magic & True Seeing are up.
[21:32] * Lief rubs it between his hands and does his best to activate it!
[21:32] <Lief> roll d20+31 UMD!
[21:32] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+31 UMD! and gets 46." [d20=15]
[21:32] <Ithea> ooc: I'll have see invisibility up, not that that ever helps.
[21:32] <Lief> OOC: I'm invisible, not that that ever helps.
[21:32] <Ithea> ooc: exactly
[21:34] * Quits: Nephrite (~ryan.scud@65.33.78.139) (Quit: )
[21:34] <Kotono> Lief invokes the coin. A shimmer of blue light plays over the golden surface before the coin takes to the air. Before you appears a man clad in brown robes like a friar, a hood covering his face. It's hard to tell much about him on account of his concealing clothes. OOC: Y'all were waiting to attack, so are you going to do anything or give a chance to react or what here?
[21:34] <Muirfinn> OOC: Is he real?
[21:35] <Lief> OOC: I want to move to a better firing position. Likely slightly above him.
[21:36] <Kotono> OOC: He looks real to Muirfinn's true-seeing enhanced eyes. Likewise, Ithea doesn't see anything invisible on him or around him. Noted Lief. Ithea, going to do anything?
[21:37] * Muirfinn nods to Balyss.
[21:38] <Ithea> ooc: not reacting. Any chance of identifying him, or random mook that there's no chance of doing that?
[21:38] <Kotono> OOC: Not with that thick robe on. You'd need ot see more.
[21:39] <Ithea> ooc: then just holding for now
[21:39] <Kotono> Balyss quickly enchants a spell, blocking the dimensions around the area. The hooded figure does not react to that, at leas tnot away. He instead bows his hidden head and says, "Dimensional Lock. Also, you are not the proper owners of this coin." He speaks softly and clearly. "What is your purpose?"
[21:40] * Lief takes very careful aim at the hooded figure, waiting for the wrong move...
[21:43] <Muirfinn> "Now that we have that established, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Muirfinn, of Lifasa and the Aurora." Muirfinn says. "We desire information."
[21:44] <Kotono> "We do not routinely deal in information, but rather in deeds," The robed figure says, voice unwavering. "But it is not beyond us, either. What information do you seek?"
[21:45] <Muirfinn> "I understand that there is a scism within your ranks. Are you aware of it?"
[21:48] <Kotono> "This information is...unanticipated." The figure does not move, does not react in the least. "Speak more of this."
[21:50] <Muirfinn> "The information I seek is this," Muirfinn rolls on, not answering directly. "Who do your masters stand with?"
[21:52] <Lief> roll d20+32 Spot!
[21:52] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+32 Spot! and gets 38." [d20=6]
[21:55] <Kotono> There's no reaction at first. The robed man is silent briefly, before holding up one chalk-white hand. It is covered in pallid platinum rings with rubies. "No." His voice doesn't change the least bit. "If you are telling the truth, then something has happened that I must correct. Tell me honestly of this schism, and I will answer your question."
[21:57] <Kotono> Balyss stays in place, a spell on her lips but unspoken. Hanna merely stares with arms crossed, while Ebony hangs back.
[22:01] * Lief uses his invisibility to drop to Hanna's shoulder and whispers, "I can't read anything but confidence on this guy. Everything in me tells me he's a *major* threat. If this comes to blows, it'll be really serious, really fast."
[22:02] <Kotono> Hanna stays still and murmurs agreement, eyes not leaving the robed man a moment.
[22:03] * Lief moves over to Ebony's shoulder to whisper the same, then Balyss and Ithea's.
[22:04] <Muirfinn> "Tell me," Muirfinn says, "were you aware that your organization declared war on the Aurora some short time ago?"
[22:04] <Kotono> Ebony nods back and Balyss murmurs back, "Got it."
[22:07] <Kotono> The robed figure's hand slowly drops, "I was not," he says. "If this is true, certain people may have exceeded their authority. I believe we need to talk in depth," he says, "Tell me who did it and what they did." The man pauses here, a crackle of purple-blue fire racing along both his arms. "Because I can tell you I would not authorize an attack against those worthy of Medi's legacy."
[22:07] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+26 Sense Motive
[22:08] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+26 Sense Motive and gets 43." [1d20=17]
[22:08] <Muirfinn> OOC: To see if his anger is genuine
[22:08] <Kotono> Muirfinn can't read a thing about him. His body language is completely calm, confident and in control. It betrays nothing. You may as well be looking at a statue. Magic may well be involved, or he's stunningly good at controlling his body.

[Merc]

[20:08] * Yuthirin is now known as Muirfinn
[20:08] <Kotono> OOC: You were going to tell him what was up, I presume? I believe you said that, correct me if I'm wrong.
[20:09] <Muirfinn> OOC: Think so!
[20:09] <Kotono> OOC: Okay. More coming.
[20:11] <Kotono> Muirfinn takes the time to explain what has happened. The figure doesn't react once, lowering his hand and listening to the entire story. When at last the tortle finishes, "It seems that trouble has come to the Urgent Talons," he says at last, perfectly calm despite all that was said. His voice is as casual as if he was talking about the weather to a friend. "My focus has been elsewhere. The
[20:11] <Kotono> Urgent Talons are -my- servants, but attacking Aurora was not done on my command. I despite mysteries, they are best stomped out with the truth. I have much stomping to do."
[20:14] <Kotono> "Outside interference, then?" Balyss speaks up, "Or someone took a job they should have knownb etter for?"
[20:14] * Muirfinn snorts. "I suspect the Duke of Destiny is involved. Be wary. He's a canny and cunning foe. Come see us when you are through."
[20:16] <Kotono> "It may be so," The figure says, the golden coin of the Urgent Talons floating up and going to Muirfinn. "Keep this for now."
[20:17] <Kotono> roll 1d20+59 Balyss will sense motive, blowing divine inspiration
[20:17] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+59 Balyss will sense motive, blowing divine inspiration and gets 66." [1d20=7]
[20:17] <Kotono> Balyss nods tersely and says nothing more.
[20:20] * Muirfinn takes the floating coin. "It seems we may have a common enemy. Keep in touch. I'll assume that you know how to reach us."
[20:20] <Kotono> "I do." The figure says, before crumbling away. His body becomes pages of parchment, which crumble into flecks of dust.
[20:21] * Lief raises an eyebrow at that.
[20:21] <Kotono> Balyss shakes her head, "Couldn't get a read on him. I'm fairly certain he had something interfering, probably magic of some kind. It was like trying to read the intent of a stone wall."
[20:21] <Lief> "What kind of spell was that?"
[20:21] <Muirfinn> "Not real. Astonishing." Muirfinn says flatly, poking at the dust with a toe. "That said, that may have been the mage I was warned of."
[20:22] <Muirfinn> "Banking on 27's prophecies is harrowing, but it appears that he believes his people capable of it."
[20:22] <Muirfinn> "So, I'm willing to trust in that he is not the source of Vivantha's assault."
[20:23] <Kotono> "I've met that type a few times," Hanna speaks up, slowly rubbing the back of her neck and rolling her shoulders. "When you're good enough to play with reality at your whim, confidence comes in spades."
[20:25] * Muirfinn nods. "No doubt we'll meet the type again."
[20:27] <Kotono> OOC: What's your plan now, y'all?
[20:27] <Ithea> ooc: Go back to the aurora and have a hot springs episode
[20:27] <Muirfinn> OOC: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[20:28] <Muirfinn> OOC: Murfinn-tama is ready!
[20:28] <Kotono> OOC: Unfortunately, the baths are gender-seperated and y'all don't match. Alas. So I assume you're going back home and...?
[20:29] <Muirfinn> OOC: Operation: Attack on Titan is off, so let's consider going back to the original questline?
[20:29] <Kotono> OOC: Okay. You three and anyone else going to Ysgard?
[20:30] <Muirfinn> OOC: Vivantha and a caster please
[20:31] <Kotono> OOC: Okay, talk about that in the OCO room since Iddy will be 10 or so. There's a quick bit of business we can knock out in here int he meantime.
[20:32] <Kotono> "...and that's it for the moment," Adrian concludes, "Elena's already gotten the order for Aurora to stand down." The party plus Adrian and Elder Magi Tepen are in the meeting room, going over the entire Urgent Talons event. "I don't trust this damn archwizard at all, but it doesn't seem as likely an immediate assault is going to happen. In the meantime, keeping Vivantha close at hand's a good
[20:32] <Kotono> idea. Speaking of..."
[20:34] * Muirfinn nods along with Adrian.
[20:35] <Kotono> Glancing at Muirfinn, "Informally, if you have the money, buy her something that provides her with constant mental protection. The spell of mind blank if you can, or at least something to stop people from easily teleporting her."
[20:37] * Muirfinn nods. "I had planned to."
[20:40] <Kotono> "Alright then," Adrian stands, "Good luck with Ysgard. If you need another sword arm, let me know." OOC: Okay, so what's your plan now? Let me know when you've chosen the caster y'all were talking about.
[20:57] <Kotono> The next day comes. The three meet with Vivantha and Kascha. The former stays close to Muirfinn and is quiet for now. Kascha's more upbeat, humming to herself as ioun stones fly around her head. "I heard Dana mention this," Kascha speaks up, "Is it really that dangerous?"
[20:58] * Lief hovers around Ithea's head like an ioun stone.
[20:58] <Kotono> Kascha smiles at that, "Just stay out of my line of sight, okay?
[20:58] <Kotono> "
[20:59] * Muirfinn takes Vivantha's hand, trying to comfort her. "In a word, yes. If we're careful, we should be fine. At worst, it's Ysgard."
[20:59] <Kotono> "Truly so," Vivantha murmurs, "Brave hero," She takes his hand a swell, "Let us go and triumph."
[21:01] <Muirfinn> "From what I can tell, the complex resets itself. Anything we kill is reset into its previous position. Don't trust anything frozen in ice not to come after you anyway. Keep aware and we'll be fine."
[21:03] <Kotono> "Right," Kascha says, "So are we ready for the Gate?"
[21:04] * Lief stops his loops and turns to Kascha.
[21:04] <Lief> "I am."
[21:04] <Muirfinn> "Let's proceed."
[21:06] * Ithea just follows once a gate is opened and people start walking through!
[21:06] * Muirfinn opens a Gate!
[21:08] <Kotono> Thus the party passes through into Ysgard. The party stands atop a mountain, battered by cold winds.  Immediately you are battered by the bone-chillingly cold air of the fjords, cutting into your like frost-rimmed knives. Behind you and far below is a massive fjord of emerald blue water, stretching farther than you can see, even from this lofty vantage.  Ahead of you the cave entrance opens,
[21:08] <Kotono> awaiting those who would go within.
[21:08] <Lief> "So. Round three."
[21:08] * Lief grunts and moves to take lead for the party again.
[21:09] <Muirfinn> "Of many."
[21:10] <Kotono> Kascha falls back towards the rear, following. "So how far into this have you gone?"
[21:10] * Lief gets a sour look on his face.
[21:10] <Muirfinn> "Past the lava wave."
[21:10] <Lief> "A maze and a lava river."
[21:10] <Muirfinn> "We got teleported out."
[21:11] <Muirfinn> "We didn't try the underground lake with the giant lurking thing in it though."
[21:11] <Kotono> Kascha frowns at that, "Lava should only be used for the greater good," she murmurs, "Like in the Cauldron."
[21:13] <Kotono> The passage winds downwards for perhaps a minute of walking. You notice the ground and walls get icy within. It isn't slippery yet, but it's not far from it. Eventually you can see something ahead as the path levels off. A large room dominated by a huge block of ice in the center. Within is a snowy tiger the size of a house. It is frozen in an eternal roar, face twisted in feline fury. On either
[21:13] <Kotono> side of the feline is a passage leading deeper within. They hook off in opposite diretions.
[21:15] <Lief> "Tiger comes alive once we cross."
[21:16] <Kotono> Kascha draws her blade and holds it with one hand, readying an incantation. "Okay," she murmurs. "How strong is it?" She looks up at the massive tiger, "...strong, right?"
[21:16] <Ithea> ooc: skill check to answer Kascha? Sense Motive? Knowledge (?)?
[21:17] <Kotono> OOC: K:N.
[21:17] * Lief shrugs.
[21:17] <Muirfinn> "Slashy and bity. If you're not ready for him, he'll rip you up. Got me fairly good the first time around."
[21:18] <Lief> "Middle range? He caught us off guard the first time, but the second we put him down pretty quick."
[21:18] <Ithea> roll d20+41 K:N
[21:18] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+41 K:N and gets 59." [d20=18]
[21:20] <Kotono> Ithea can tell it's an overgrown dire tiger. It'll pounce, claw, bite grab and generally makea  pain of itself. At this size and power, it'll be fearsome but direct. Nothing special here, at least, just pure offensive.
[21:22] <Ithea> ooc: Any chance we can make friendsies with it and have him join the cult of the cat goddess?
[21:22] <Muirfinn> OOC: Ask me for Speak with Animals!
[21:22] <Ithea> ooc: I imagine not since I don't speak cat, but I felt it was worth asking.
[21:22] <Lief> OOC: We tried talking to it before, but it just wanted to play and use me as a chew toy. You're a cat, though, so you might be able to do it.
[21:23] <Kotono> OOC: You'd know it probqably has normal cat intelligence rather than an advanced intellect, Ithea. You'd need speak with animals, though it might know a word or two of feline due to racial knowledge.
[21:25] <Kotono> OOC: So yes, feel free to ask for speak with animals if you wanna try.
[21:25] <Ithea> "I could try to see if it will let us pass, as travelers under Lady Bast?" Ithea offers. "Assuming it knows any feline and is smart enough for it anyway."
[21:26] * Lief glares at the tiger slightly, remember it wanting to use him as a chew toy.
[21:26] <Muirfinn> "Worth a try! Good luck reasoning with it! That kind of thing just got me mauled the first time."
[21:26] * Muirfinn casts Speak With Animals on Ithea!
[21:29] * Ithea nods at Muirfinn's warning. "Hello!" Ithea tries greeting in feline, under Muirfinn's spell, cautiously approaching. "Any chance you could let us pass through without a fight?"
[21:30] <Kotono> When Ithea comes to within 60, the ice shatters around the feline. It stretches and begins to pounce forward! OOC: Okay, go ahead and make a line here, try and gets it's attention. You can just repeat the previous if you want or fill it out a bit or whatever. I'll call for any rolls after that, if appropriate.
[21:34] * Ithea tries again to come to a diplomatic result! If it looks like it's going to pounce on her no matter what though, she'll quick cast Dimension Hop to appear behind it, so she can help surround it against the others. "As a champion of Lady Bast, I ask that you cease any and all attacks! I -will- retaliate in full should you pounce!" Ithea exclaims, hopefully more forcefully, and maybe name dropping will help. Lady Bast -did- say she would be her champion, and it'd suck to have to kill someone falling under her domain. You know, besides traitorous Lifasan duskblades. Those wouldn't suck at all.
[21:35] * Lief takes aim, just in case.
[21:36] <Kotono> OOC: Make a diplo check here, Ithea. Being a champion of Sharess gives you some lattitude here.
[21:36] <Ithea> roll d20+31 diplomacy
[21:36] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+31 diplomacy and gets 42." [d20=11]
[21:37] <Kotono> The cat doesn't pounce this time. It slowly approaches Ithea and sniffs her before saying, "Big cat." It says agreeably, "You speak of biggest cat?"
[21:37] <Kotono> OOC: Just to be clear, only Ithea can understand since speak with animals.
[21:40] <Ithea> "Yes, my name is Ithea," Ithea replies, untensing slightly at the possible success. "I am a champion of Lady Bast. Do you have a name?"
[21:42] <Kotono> "Snowycat." The creature replies, "Not here for territory?"
[21:43] <Ithea> "No, we're after something further in, but once we've bested what is in our way, we will leave," Ithea answers.
[21:46] <Kotono> The cat nods and goes back, going to curl up. "Biggest cat seems important. Snowycat not play and defend territory."
[21:46] * Lief lowers his bow, but keeps a slight glare at the cat as he cautiously enters after the thing curls up.
[21:47] <Ithea> "Thank you," Ithea says, motioning to the others. "We'll be out of your way shortly."
[21:48] <Kotono> "You talked it down?" Kascha calls, "Whew!"
[21:48] <Lief> "We talked to it before and it ignored us. Good job, Ithea."
[21:49] <Muirfinn> "Well done."
[21:50] <Ithea> "It helped that Lady Bast happens to like me," Ithea admits. "I'll have to mention Snowycat the next time we meet. Perhaps she can grant him a more...err, durable playmate."
[21:51] <Lief> "Mmm.. I might need to get Lady Bast's favor. I'm too small to be a cat's playmate."
[21:52] <Kotono> "Her other domains are...well..." Kascha coughs. "Bedroom things."
[21:52] <Kotono> Vivantha murmurs agreement, "She's also a warrior patron, at times."
[21:52] * Lief raises an eyebrow and smirks.
[21:53] <Ithea> "I'm positive Snowycat saw you as a chewtoy," Ithea agrees, waving byt at Snowycat as the rest all finish moving past him. "Bye! Thanks for letting us through," she calls out.
[21:53] <Lief> "What've *you* been studying to get on her good side? And for who?"
[21:53] <Ithea> "Me? Nothing. She's just likeable."
[21:53] <Kotono> OOC: Which passage are ou taking? To the left and the maze, or to the right and the bear battle+lava loop?
[21:54] <Ithea> ooc: I'll let Muirfinn decide!
[21:56] <Muirfinn> OOC: Let's maze again, like we did last summer.
[21:56] <Kotono> OOC: Okay. It's 11 and a good pause point, so we'll pause before hitting the maze once more.

[Merc]

[19:58] <Kokokokokokoko> ----
[19:59] <Kokokokokokoko> With Snowycat dealt with, the party heads down the left passage and towards the ice maze. Here the terrain is heavily iced over, floor slippery as can be. Vivantha and Kascha both take to the air as...OOC: If you're groundbound, make a balance check. If you can fly, that negates the need for this. Say so.
[19:59] <Ithea> roll d20+28 balance
[20:00] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+6 balance lol
[20:00] <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 25 > [d20=19]
[20:01] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Roll Ithea
[20:01] <Kokokokokokoko> .
[20:02] * Retrieving #dunes modes...
[20:02] * Lief watches the ground pounders worriedly
[20:02] <Ithea> roll d20+28 balance
[20:02] <Serith> Ithea roll for Serith < 48 > [d20=20]
[20:04] <Kokokokokokoko> The party heads down easily. No slipping, no sliding. At the bottom it opens into a large chasm full of walls of ice that reach from ceiling to floor. It forms a maze of ice. Ahead there's a passage that leads ahead and one to the right. The party previously explored to the right.
[20:06] <Kokokokokokoko> Kascha looks about, "A maze of ice? If all else fails, I suppose we could melt it?"
[20:08] <Muirfinn> "Let's give it another shot. We were partway through the maze when news of Vivantha's capture reached us."
[20:08] <Lief> "Simmer would love that."
[20:08] <Kokokokokokoko> Vivantha nods, "As you say, brave hero. So which way shall we go?"
[20:09] * Ithea lets Muirfinn and Lief answer, since they've been here before.
[20:09] <Muirfinn> "The maze."
[20:10] <Kokokokokokoko> Vivantha looks at the passage to the right and the passage ahead. "Well yes, but I fear that's not quite what I mean."
[20:10] * Lief starts moving towards the Maze.
[20:11] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Y'lal are just ahead of the maze. There's two passages into it as noted, ahead and to the right.
[20:11] <Muirfinn> OOC: Okay, I'm confused
[20:11] <Muirfinn> OOC: Are we ahead of the maze, or have we not finished it yet?
[20:11] <Muirfinn> OOC: Because I recall no badger fight
[20:12] <Lief> OOC: I don't remember ever finishing the maze either.
[20:12] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: You didn't finish the maze, no. You went to the right as noted, went a little further, found a dead end and pulled out.
[20:12] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Due to the message about Vivantha.
[20:15] <Lief> OOC: Okay, so we went right last time. Left this time, then?
[20:15] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: There's....no left passage. There's a passage to the right and ahead. As I noted three times now.
[20:16] <Lief> OOC: Sorry. Straight then.
[20:16] <Muirfinn> OOC: Straight.
[20:18] <Kokokokokokoko> The passage goes ahead for about 40ft, before coming to a short, five stair stairway going down. Past it things go on a little further, until coming to a split-off passage to the left, descending down a few omre steps. Ahead the passage continues on and a few torces with blue fire hang from sconces on the ice-walls.
[20:19] * Muirfinn proceeds!
[20:19] <Lief> OOC: Proceeds where?
[20:20] * Ithea follows after the rest of the group once everyone is moving!
[20:20] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Yeah, gonna have to ask for more details there.
[20:22] * Muirfinn takes the split-off passage to the left!
[20:23] * Lief follows above Muirfinn, bow ready and watching the surroundings.
[20:24] <Kokokokokokoko> The party proceeds left. As you go, "Hmmm," Kascha murmurs, pausing to study the steps down. "I wonder if this loops and folds on itself," she speculates, "When you can support a design like this with magic, you can have thin floors without any risk of collapse."
[20:25] <Lief> "This is the furthest we've made it so far. Could be they do."
[20:25] * Muirfinn nods. "We should find some new things!"
[20:25] <Kokokokokokoko> Further on the left passage, you come to a four way intersection. In the center of the intersection is a blank tombstone. Passages to your left, right and ahead can all be taken, going straight ahead with no stairs.
[20:27] * Lief floats around the the tombstone and inspects it.
[20:28] <Kokokokokokoko> "I hope so," Vivantha murmurs, doing the same. It looks to be a tombstone made of granite or a similar stone. It's smooth and has no name or words carved into it.
[20:29] * Muirfinn briefly eyes the stone. When nothing tries to kill Lief, he moves on. OOC: straight!
[20:29] <Lief> "Want me to scout any of the other passages?
[20:29] <Lief> "
[20:30] <Muirfinn> "Sure."
[20:30] <Lief> "Which one first?"
[20:31] <Kokokokokokoko> Kascha kneels and checks over the stone, tracing a finger on it. "Hm, it's crafted well, but not carved. I wonder why?"
[20:32] <Lief> "Waiting for one of us, maybe?"
[20:32] <Kokokokokokoko> "Charming," Vivantha murmurs.
[20:32] <Muirfinn> "Or just ominous presence. Straight."
[20:33] <Lief> "I'll check left first, then..."
[20:33] * Lief moves off to the left passage.
[20:34] <Kokokokokokoko> Kascha giggles at that, murmuring, "How independent of him."
[20:34] <Kokokokokokoko> The left passage continues for about 40ft, before coming to a wall and a door of opaque ice.
[20:35] * Lief inspect the door, looking for traps or mechanisims.
[20:38] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Search.
[20:38] <Lief> roll 1d20+30 Search
[20:38] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 46 > [d20=16]
[20:39] <Kokokokokokoko> The door isn't trapped.
[20:41] <Kokokokokokoko> Meanwhile, as Lief works, Kascha stands up. "So, there's a child of Jormungandr at the end of this?" she asks.
[20:43] <Muirfinn> "That's what we're hoping. It certainly likes to toy with us."
[20:45] <Kokokokokokoko> This draws out a long hmmm from Kascha, idly watching the ioun stones that fly around her head. "So we'll have a big fight at the end of this?"
[20:46] * Lief returns to the others.
[20:46] <Lief> "Found a door. Couldn't find any traps, but I didn't try to open it."
[20:47] <Muirfinn> "Possibly. Depends on whether the serpent is feeling chatty or bitey."
[20:47] <Ithea> "I'm betting on bitey. And I don't talk to snakes."
[20:48] <Muirfinn> "I tend to do well with reptiles."
[20:49] <Kokokokokokoko> "Well, let's try and open it then?" Kascha says, "well?"
[20:49] <Ithea> "I tend to do -terrible- with them. Especially dragons. I have an 85% or so murder rate against them."
[20:49] <Ithea> "They get a little too bitey."
[20:50] * Lief shrugs to Kascha and leads the way to do the door.
[20:52] <Kokokokokokoko> The door is reached without incident and opened. Ahead is a path curving down, a curly loop that winds down steeper and steeper. It's pure ice now, almost no stone, a wave of chilling cold coming from the opened door.
[20:52] <Lief> "Down into the frozen depths we go?"
[20:53] <Muirfinn> "Might as well." Muirfinn says.
[20:54] * Lief starts flying down.
[20:55] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Marching order?
[20:55] <Lief> OOC: Point.
[20:55] <Ithea> ooc: Muirfinn in the back, just so we can go down an icy slide of fun!
[20:56] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Okay. Lief on point, Muirfinn in the back. What about the middle?
[20:56] <Ithea> ooc: Ithea in the middle, Kascha second, Viv next to Muirfinn?
[20:56] <Muirfinn> OOC: Ithea behind Lief, because kitty meatshield.
[20:56] <Ithea> ooc: well fine
[20:57] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Muirfinn, Kascha, Ithea, Vivantha, Muirfinn?
[20:57] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Okay.
[20:57] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Er, Lief in front.
[20:57] <Ithea> ooc: Double the muirfinn, double the funn!
[20:58] <Ithea> ooc: Yuth said switch Kascha and I.
[20:58] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Okay. Lief, Ithea, Kascha, Vivantha, Muirfinn.
[20:58] <Lief> OOC: I can't imagine how happy double Muirfinn would make Vivantha.
[20:58] <Kokokokokokoko> Lief flies down, followed by Ithea stepping on the slope down. The moment she does, it explodes into a massive storm of icy shards. They swirl all around, a vortex of absolute death around the two! OOC: Ref saves, Lief+Ithea.
[20:59] <Lief> roll 1d20+37 Ref Save
[20:59] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 46 > [d20=9]
[20:59] <Ithea> roll d20+30 evasion
[20:59] <Serith> Ithea roll for Serith < 48 > [d20=18]
[20:59] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Remember to note if you have evasion.
[20:59] <Ithea> ooc: I did~
[20:59] <Lief> OOC: Imp. Evasion.
[20:59] <Ithea> ooc: We're not evading any imps.
[21:00] <Kokokokokokoko> But the two dodge. Lief just flits through the shards, dodging them all despite an absolute storm. He finds the one open space amid the chaos, untouched. Ithea merely projects blue arcane fire, melting the ice before it can hurt her. It continues to blow around them, a tornado of ice shards. Moreover, Ithea's falling! OOC: Init here. doing something about falling on you turn may help, Ithea.
[21:01] <Lief> roll 1d20+21 Init
[21:01] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 31 > [d20=10]
[21:01] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+17+5
[21:01] <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 33 > [d20=11]
[21:02] <Ithea> roll d20+22 init
[21:02] <Serith> Ithea roll for Serith < 23 > [d20=1]
[21:02] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: +5 init bonus from Lief, +2 from Vivantha.
[21:02] <Ithea> ooc: +5 to that
[21:02] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+15 (+5 Lief) Vivantha
[21:02] <Ithea> ooc: +7 then
[21:02] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 32 > [d20=17]
[21:02] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+19 Kascha
[21:02] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 21 > [d20=2]
[21:02] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+11 ice shard storm
[21:02] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 29 > [d20=18]
[21:03] <Ithea> ooc: K:A for storm?
[21:03] * Kokokokokokoko changes topic to 'Muirfinn(35)>Lief(33)>Vivantha(32)>Ithea(30)>Ice Shard Storm(29)>Kascha(21)'
[21:03] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Yes.
[21:03] <Lief> OOC: Mine didn't include the +2 from Vivantha. With it, I've got 33.
[21:04] <Ithea> roll d20+41 K:A
[21:04] <Serith> Ithea roll for Serith < 53 > [d20=12]
[21:04] <Ithea> ooc: You're listed at 33, Lief
[21:04] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: I corrected for it.
[21:04] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+48 K:A Kascha
[21:04] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 52 > [d20=4]
[21:04] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+28 Vivantha
[21:04] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 48 > [d20=20]
[21:06] <Kokokokokokoko> The storm before you is a spirit of wind and cold bound to a spell. It rages because it knows nothing else. It can't be physically harmed, only dispelled or endured. OOC: Ithea plus thet wo NPCs know that for passing the K:A checks. Muirfinn, you open.
[21:06] <Kokokokokokoko> "Dispel it!" Kascha cries, "Before it tears them apart!"
[21:07] <Ithea> "What she said! Dispelling is the only way to get rid of it!"
[21:12] * Muirfinn choses dispelling!
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+20 dispel
[21:12] <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 31 > [d20=11]
[21:13] <Kokokokokokoko> Muirfinn assaults the magic - but it resists, not crumbling to his spell at all. The storm continues as...OOC: Lief.
[21:13] <Muirfinn> "I seem to be having trouble with this of late."
[21:14] * Lief resists the wind as best he can, knowing he can't do anything about it thanks to Kascha and Ithea. OOC: Holding/pass I guess.
[21:15] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Okay. Vivantha's up.
[21:15] <Kokokokokokoko> Vivantha sings a long, lingering high note, resonating amid the storm.
[21:15] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+20 dispel
[21:16] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 28 > [d20=8]
[21:20] <Kokokokokokoko> But the magic does not yield, the high note doing nothing at all. The storm continues to swirl as...OOC: Ithea. You're falling, unless you use flight or something similar, you'll be falling and probably hitting something like hard ground.
[21:21] * Ithea sacrifices a spell to power her weapon's magic and gaining the ability to fly temporarily. At the same time, she casts detect magic and focuses on the ice shard storm, trying to find something weak point that would help the others with their dispelling efforts!
[21:21] <Ithea> ooc: spellcraft?
[21:22] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Sure.
[21:22] <Ithea> roll d20+39 spellcraft
[21:22] <Serith> Ithea roll for Serith < 51 > [d20=12]
[21:24] <Kokokokokokoko> The spell's centered about 20ft down. Incidentally, looking that way shows the floor is about 100ft down - and lined with sharp looking spikes of stone, tipped with sharp metal caps. Also, there's a different magic above as well, about 10ft up - the ceiling radiates magic, designed to endure heat. Further, if the ice storm spell is dispelled, it's designed to cause the ceiling to move aside.
[21:25] * Ithea informs the others of all she has just learned!
[21:25] * Lief turns to Muirfinn and shouts over the wind.
[21:26] <Lief> "The lava from before?"
[21:26] <Muirfinn> "Oh good, probably lava."
[21:26] <Kokokokokokoko> As Ithea holds position and calls out, the storm continues to whirl. OOC: Ref saves, you two.
[21:26] <Ithea> roll d20+30+11 insight+evasion
[21:26] <Serith> Ithea roll for Serith < 59 > [d20=18]
[21:27] <Lief> OOC: Me?
[21:28] <Lief> roll 1d20+37 Ref Save
[21:28] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 38 > [d20=1]
[21:29] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Evasion? Improved evasion?
[21:30] <Lief> OOC: Improved Evasion.
[21:30] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 15d6 cold damage, halve this
[21:30] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 57 > [d6=6,4,4,6,4,2,4,4,2,4,5,3,4,3,2]
[21:31] <Kokokokokokoko> Despite being horrible storms of ice-shards that could slice a dragon apart, Ithea is not threatened. The shards burn away near her, arcane energies protecting her. This time Lief is caught, skewered all over from the wounds. He stumbles in the air, the damage making it difficult to stay upright and resists the pull of the storm. OOC: Balance check.
[21:32] <Lief> OOC: Don't have that skill. Just the dex modifier, right?
[21:32] <Ithea> ooc: yep
[21:32] <Lief> roll 1d20+12 Balance/Dex check
[21:32] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 14 > [d20=2]
[21:35] <Kokokokokokoko> But the winds are too much and Lief is sent hurtling down towards the spikes in a dead plummet! OOC: Ref save. Evasion doesn't apply here.
[21:36] <Lief> roll 1d20+37 Ref Save
[21:36] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 39 > [d20=2]
[21:36] <Kokokokokokoko> Lief plummets down. Only his reflexes let him avoid the worst - but a spike still goes through his leg as he lands HARD!
[21:36] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 10d6+10d6 (falling+spike, DR applies to the spike damage)
[21:36] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 65 > [d6=1,2,4,1,5,6,2,2,6,1,1,2,2,4,6,3,5,4,5,3]
[21:37] <Lief> OOC: DR 5, 61 damage.
[21:37] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Ow. Kascha's up.
[21:39] <Kokokokokokoko> "Just get out of there!" Kascha calls, before looking up. Unseen to all those but with augmented vision, a wall of force appears just below the ceiling, a blockade there. "That should hold the lava back."
[21:39] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Muirfinn.
[21:40] * Muirfinn dispels the ice again!
[21:40] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+20 dispel
[21:40] <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 36 > [d20=16]
[21:41] <Kokokokokokoko> This time the ice crumbles away. The spell collapses with a few bolts of lightning echoing in the cavern - before the roof slides aside. Lava plummets down the passage - but Kascha's wall of force saves Lief and Ithea from getting a lava bath. OOC: Free act.
[21:42] * Lief pushes off the spike with a groan and wobbily flies up to the others, putting pressure on the puncture wounds.
[21:42] * Muirfinn leans over the ledge. "Lief, you need help?"
[21:43] <Lief> "Probably. Having a hole in my leg is new to me."
[21:45] * Muirfinn waves a wand, patching Lief up!
[21:46] <Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17
[21:46] <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 43 > [d8=6,7,8,5]
[21:46] <Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17
[21:46] <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 28 > [d8=5,4,1,1]
[21:47] * Quits: Nephrite (~ryan.scud@65.33.78.139) (Quit: )
[21:48] <Kokokokokokoko> Lief's wounds are mended. "So that wasn't it," Kascha looks down, "Let's go back and try another path?"
[21:49] * Ithea nods
[21:49] * Lief nods.
[21:49] <Lief> "I don't pick this time."
[21:49] <Muirfinn> "Straight?"
[21:50] <Lief> "Works for me."
[21:51] <Kokokokokokoko> The party thus heads down straight. The passage slopes sharply down, going down a few dozen steps. It leads into a broad room with a massive, opaque block of ice 80ft ahead. It dominates the entire back of the room - you can't see anything past it, as it's blocking it all off.
[21:53] <Muirfinn> "Well that's probably got something friendly inside of it." Muirfinn observes.
[21:54] <Lief> "Let's get to it, then."
[21:55] <Kokokokokokoko> "Probably so," Kascha murmurs, "Seira guide us," she whispers, "Since I fear what may be ahead."
[21:57] * Lief readies his bow.
[21:57] <Muirfinn> "Bah," Muirfinn scoffs, stepping into the room to look around. "how bad could it be?"
[21:58] <Kokokokokokoko> Kascha draws her blade, starting to chant - and the moment Muirfinns teps into the room, the ice block ahead shatters! (More)
[22:00] <Kokokokokokoko> Amid the ruins of the ice block is a single wolverine. A familiar and unremarkable creature, far smaller thanthe block. But as you watch, patterns and weaves of magic begin to form in the air all around it. 30ft in all directions you can see spells writing themselves and arcane energy pouring together. The wolverine lets out a snarl that causes the patterns to swirl, before it pounces towards
[22:00] <Kokokokokokoko> the party. OOC: Init.
[22:00] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+15 Vivantha
[22:00] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 20 > [d20=5]
[22:00] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+19 Kascha
[22:00] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 20 > [d20=1]
[22:00] <Ithea> roll d20+22
[22:00] <Serith> Ithea roll for Serith < 27 > [d20=5]
[22:01] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+22 (+10 ???) wolverine
[22:01] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 37 > [d20=15]
[22:01] <Lief> roll 1d20+21+2 Init
[22:01] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 42 > [d20=19]
[22:01] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+17
[22:01] <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 28 > [d20=11]
[22:01] * Kokokokokokoko changes topic to 'Lief(42)>Wolverine(37)>Muirfinn(28)>Ithea(27)>Vivantha=Kascha(20)'
[22:02] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Open Lief. The target is 80ft away and presumably flat-footed.
[22:02] * Lief moves to close in, flying above! OOC: Closing to SA range.
[22:04] <Lief> OOC: I think that's all I can do this round?
[22:07] <Lief> OOC: Correction incoming.
[22:07] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Okay.
[22:09] * Lief pulls up his Ranger magic and casts Sniper's Shot on himself, taking aim at the wolverine and letting loose!
[22:10] <Lief> roll d20+44 ATK 1
[22:10] <Lief> roll d20+44 ATK 2
[22:10] <Lief> roll d20+39 ATK 3
[22:10] <Lief> roll d20+34 ATK 4
[22:10] <Lief> roll d20+29 ATK 5
[22:10] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 47 > [d20=3]
[22:10] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 56 > [d20=12]
[22:10] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 43 > [d20=4]
[22:10] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 35 > [d20=1]
[22:10] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 34 > [d20=5]
[22:10] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: All but the 1 hit.
[22:10] <Lief> roll 4#1d6+24+7d6
[22:10] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 53, 57, 49, 64 >
[22:11] <Lief> OOC: 223 total.
[22:14] <Kokokokokokoko> Arrows fly and pierce the wolverine all over. He staggers back from it, a pincushion more than an animal now. He almost starts to fall, but a line of magical runes above him flash. His wounds quickly heal most of the way! Reinvigorated, the wolverine snarls at the party, as the moisture is ripped from everyone's veins! OOC: Fort save, all. SR check first.
[22:14] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+20 note if you have SR and if this beats it or not
[22:15] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 38 > [d20=18]
[22:15] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Kascha's SR is toasted.
[22:15] <Ithea> roll d20+35+11 insight, it passes my SR
[22:15] <Lief> roll 1d20+30 Fort Save
[22:15] <Serith> Lief roll for Serith < 40 > [d20=10]
[22:15] <Serith> Ithea roll for Serith < 55 > [d20=9]
[22:15] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 1d20+26 fort Kascha
[22:15] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 36 > [d20=10]
[22:16] <Lief> OOC: SR is 36.
[22:16] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36 fort, SR null
[22:16] <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 48 > [d20=12]
[22:18] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: Roll for Vivantha, tortle.
[22:18] <Muirfinn> OOC: Dur
[22:19] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36 fort, SR null
[22:19] <Serith> Muirfinn roll for Serith < 49 > [d20=13]
[22:21] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 20d6, all of you halve this
[22:21] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < error: missing right parenthesis >
[22:21] <Kokokokokokoko> roll 20d6
[22:21] <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 71 > [d6=5,2,4,4,6,5,3,4,4,3,5,1,5,4,1,5,5,3,1,1]
[22:21] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: 35 to all.
[22:22] <Kokokokokokoko> OOC: We'll pausehere, since I'm fading fast and hard.

[Merc]

[20:03] <Kotono> <Serith> Kokokokokokoko roll for Serith < 71 > [d6=5,2,4,4,6,5,3,4,4,3,5,1,5,4,1,5,5,3,1,1]
[20:03] <Kotono> > OOC: 35 to all.
[20:03] <Kotono> OOC: Okay. Muirfinn, go.
[20:04] <Kotono> OOC: A quick reminder, it's 80ft away.
[20:05] * Muirfinn attempts to dispel the runes! OOC: Targeted greater dispel!
[20:05] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+20
[20:05] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+20 and gets 32." [1d20=12]
[20:09] <Kotono> Muirfinn attempts to shatter the magic, but it only flickers instead of crumbling away. OOC: Ithea.
[20:09] <Kotono> "Get it before it casts that again. It's horrid wilting, trying ot suck the water out of us!" Kascha explains, "Get it!"
[20:10] <Muirfinn> "Suck the water out of...well that's just plain rude."
[20:14] <Ithea> roll d20+41 K:N
[20:14] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+41 K:N and gets 46." [d20=5]
[20:15] <Kotono> Ithea can tell the creature before her is a wolverine. Nasty, vicious predators. But that aside, it's been augmented with magic and runes. It's as much a magical battery as a mere wolverine. Someone spent a lot of effort to set this thing up.
[20:16] * Ithea casts disintegrate on the wolverine as she tries to close the distance! (OOC: moving 40ft. any SR?)
[20:17] <Ithea> roll d20+29+11 ranged touch with a use of inspiration
[20:17] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+29+11 ranged touch with a use of inspiration and gets 45." [d20=5]
[20:19] <Ithea> roll d20+32 in case there is SR
[20:19] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+32 in case there is SR and gets 41." [d20=9]
[20:19] <Kotono> OOC: Hit. No SR.
[20:19] <Kotono> OOC: Fort?
[20:19] <Ithea> roll 40d6 fort save, DC...gimme a sec
[20:19] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls 40d6 fort save, DC...gimme a sec and gets 143."]
[20:19] <Kotono> roll 1d20+17 save DC?
[20:19] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+17 save DC? and gets 18." [1d20=1]
[20:19] <Ithea> ooc: DC is better than that
[20:20] <Kotono> The ray of disintegration fires. It hits the side of the wolverine, most of its left-side body simply gone. It lurches to the side, blood leaking out of veins and arteries that now connect to open air. OOC: Ow. Vivantha and Kascha. Go Vivantha-Yuth.
[20:30] <Muirfinn> Vivantha begins to sing a sweet, swelling song, filling the air with a divine melody. OOC: Lillend inspiration
[20:31] <Kotono> OOC: +5d6 to all weapon attacks.Kascha's up.
[20:32] <Kotono> Kascha flies ahead to 30ft away from it and glares at the creature. Despite her meek appearance, she suddenly looks heart-stoppingly terrifying. It's like the entire room is full of an unstated pressure.
[20:32] <Kotono> roll 1d20+14 vs DC 27 Will
[20:32] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+14 vs DC 27 Will and gets 33." [1d20=19]
[20:33] <Kotono> But the wolverine snarls defiance instead. OOC: Okay. Lief.
[20:33] <Lief> OOC: I'm still invis? I closed as much as I could last round, I think, what's my distance?
[20:34] <Kotono> OOC: 30ft away. In SA range, and yes, still invisible.
[20:35] * Lief unleashes a rain of arrows!
[20:35] <Lief> roll d20+44 ATK 1
[20:35] <Lief> roll d20+44 ATK 2
[20:35] <Lief> roll d20+39 ATK 3
[20:35] <Lief> roll d20+34 ATK 4
[20:35] <Lief> roll d20+29 ATK 5
[20:35] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+44 ATK 1 and gets 62." [d20=18]
[20:35] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+44 ATK 2 and gets 46." [d20=2]
[20:35] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+39 ATK 3 and gets 53." [d20=14]
[20:35] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+34 ATK 4 and gets 49." [d20=15]
[20:35] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+29 ATK 5 and gets 36." [d20=7]
[20:37] <Kotono> OOC: All but the 36.
[20:37] <Lief> roll 4#1d6+24+7d6+5d6
[20:37] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 4#1d6+24+7d6+5d6 and gets 266." [4#1d6+24+7d6+5d6 = 63, 70, 76, 57]
[20:38] <Kotono> Already half gone, the sonic, invisible arrows pin through the wolverine's body like a rain of death. It's pinned to the ground, the rest of the wolverine going still as it bleeds out. With the block gone, you can see there's a path leading down further into the mountain. OOC: Free act.
[20:39] * Lief returns to visibility and lands on Kascha's shoulder.
[20:40] <Muirfinn> "Well done, everyone." Muirfinn says as Vivantha's song winds down. "Shall we proceed?"
[20:40] <Kotono> Kascha clears her throat and blushes. "Sorry, I don't use that often," she clears her throat.
[20:41] * Lief pats Kascha.
[20:41] <Lief> "Do you want me to go ahead and scout?"
[20:42] <Muirfinn> "If you wouldn't mind?"
[20:42] * Lief nods and takes off, going invisibile and shoots down the new path!
[20:43] <Muirfinn> While they walk after Lief, Muirfinn waves his wand over the others.
[20:44] <Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17 healing Kascha
[20:44] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 healing Kascha and gets 41." [4d8=8, 4, 5, 7]
[20:44] <Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17 healing Ithea
[20:44] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 healing Ithea and gets 39." [4d8=3, 8, 8, 3]
[20:44] <Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17 healing Viv
[20:44] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 healing Viv and gets 36." [4d8=6, 5, 1, 7]
[20:47] <Kotono> Lief flies ahead. It's a sharp downward slope forged of pure ice. Yet in the wall he can see little veins of flowing lava, going through the ice blocks without melting it. The ice is a soft white/blue, the lava a red. Together it creates a purple radiance over everything. The path looks to go down a ways, if Lief wishes to follow it.
[20:48] <Kotono> Meanwhile, the party heals up. "Thanks," Kascha says.
[20:48] * Lief continues to head down, cautiously and stealthily.
[20:48] * Ithea nods quietly towards Muirfinn, in agreement at Kascha's words.
[20:52] <Kotono> It's a fairly long and winding walk. For someone on foot, Lief can see it would be a slippery hell, full of the risk of falling. But for him, it's no problem at all. Eventually it opens out into a rather large room. Here dozens of blocks of ice are on display, animals of all types visible. They line the walls, various predators and the like all about. On the far end of the room is a rough-carved
[20:52] <Kotono> stone door.
[20:52] * Lief eyes the blocks and heads back to the others.
[20:54] <Kotono> The trip back up is unremarkable. OOC: Go ahead, Lief.
[20:55] <Lief> "Long path. Looks really, really slick and there's lava going through the ice walls, leads to a large open room with lots of iced predators."
[20:57] <Kotono> OOC: Listen checks, all. Also, if you have true seeing or a similar effect up, say so.
[20:57] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 true seeing
[20:57] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 true seeing and gets 43." [1d20=10]
[20:58] <Lief> roll 1d20+32 Listen
[20:58] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+32 Listen and gets 34." [1d20=2]
[20:59] <Ithea> roll d20+51
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+51 and gets 59." [d20=8]
[20:59] <Kotono> roll 1d20+32 Kascha also roll for Vivantha, Yuth
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+32 Kascha also roll for Vivantha, Yuth and gets 35." [1d20=3]
[21:00] <Kotono> OOC: Make a CL check on true seeing, Yuth.
[21:01] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+5 HOW DOES THE BARD NOT HAVE LISTEN?
[21:01] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+5 HOW DOES THE BARD NOT HAVE LISTEN? and gets 14." [1d20=9]
[21:01] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+10 (I think)
[21:01] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+10 (I think) and gets 11." [1d20=1]
[21:01] <Muirfinn> OOC: Wheee true seeing PHBBBTTT
[21:03] <Kotono> As the party chats, Ithea hears the softest sound - a footstep, perhaps, coming from the path.
[21:05] <Ithea> "Something's coming," Ithea warns the others, gesturing in the direction she heard. "Footsteps, I think? So doesn't seem like a beast..."
[21:06] * Lief flies above the group, arrow at the ready to put many tiny holes into whatever is coming.
[21:07] * Muirfinn looks around.
[21:13] <Kotono> The party turns and prepares. A chuckle comes from the passage - a man's voice, sounds like. He appears as he crests up, coming out of the passage down. He's a man dressed in casual black clothes, a long, curved sword resting against his shoulder. "Good ears," he remarks casually, in Common. He has short brown hair and looks rather unremarkable, really.
[21:14] * Lief fully draws his bow.
[21:17] <Ithea> "I'm told they're one of my best features," Ithea replies back. "And who might you be?" she adds as she examines him over.
[21:20] <Kotono> "Johassen MacRiff," He replies, giving Ithea a long look over. "I like your style. Up for a fight, one on one?"
[21:21] <Lief> OOC: What's my range to him?
[21:22] <Kotono> OOC: 20ft away, say.
[21:22] <Ithea> ooc: any knowledge check to recognize the name?
[21:23] <Kotono> OOC: K:L in a local region you distinctly don't have.
[21:23] <Ithea> ooc: ah, of course, the ol' curse of humanoid.
[21:25] <Ithea> "Probably not today, I'm helping others out, and I'm afraid my schedule's quite busy at this time. Perhaps we could reschedule?" Ithea replies drily.
[21:25] <Kotono> "Oh come on," Lowering his blade from his sword, "You sound like a scared child. What's someone like that doing here?"
[21:26] <Kotono> Kascha eyes him, "I wonder what you're doing here, for that matter."
[21:27] <Muirfinn> "What ARE you doing here?"
[21:29] <Kotono> He shrugs now, "Just say I'm a wanderer who's wandered far." Tossing his blade from one hand to another, "It isn't important. So what do you say? Got any courage in there?"
[21:33] <Kotono> Vivantha clears her throat, "It sounds like you wish us to battle you rather badly. Isn't that right, brave hero?"
[21:34] * Muirfinn shrugs. "It's not like everything else in here doesn't want to fight to the death."
[21:35] <Muirfinn> "Sure, why not?"
[21:37] <Kotono> "Not who I wanted, but why not?" The man turns to Muirfinn, giving him a look over. "It'll be like fighting a seafood dinner," he snorts softly. "But why not. C'mon!" He gestures with a hand, falling into a ready stance.
[21:37] * Ithea shrugs and lets Muirfinn have his fight if he wants it that bad.
[21:38] <Muirfinn> "But, unfortunately, we don't have time, for a one-on-one fight. If you want one, feel free to reschedule. I'm afraid we are in a bit of a rush. Otherwise, you get all of us at once."
[21:39] <Kotono> The man falls out of his stance and scowls. "Fucking cowards," he sneers, turning to walk back down the passage. "Fine. But cowards won't find the way." As he walks, the passage ahead closes, the walls coming together to seal the way forward in stone.
[21:40] <Muirfinn> "What is it with the rudeness in this place?" Muirfinn wonders.
[21:40] <Ithea> "That's just plain odd."
[21:41] <Kotono> "I'd say he was trying to provoke us," Kascha taps a cheek and frowns, "Ithea, can't you just disintegrate the wall ahead? Anyway, I think he's just another Ysgardian - they wall want fights, right?"
[21:42] <Muirfinn> "Well yes, of course he's Ysgardian, but being Ysgardiannd being polite should not need to be two seperate and distinctive things."
[21:43] <Ithea> "I'm mostly wondering over his apparent control of the walls and such. Almost like an anarch...can anarchs exist for Ysgard? I thought that was a Limbo thing only..." Ithea muses.
[21:44] <Muirfinn> "Or he's the master of this place."
[21:44] <Kotono> "Or...we just earned the disfavor of the child of Jormungandr," Kascha echos, "...ooops?"
[21:45] <Muirfinn> "Alas. We'll have to do this the hard way. It seems inevitable."
[21:46] <Ithea> "Also possible, I guess? If that's the case, I wonder if we should have humored him. We'll come upon him again, I imagine, if we keep mucking around this place," Ithea notes. "Anyway, disintegrating the wall seems like a good way to proceed, so..." (ooc: casting disintegrate)
[21:47] <Kotono> OOC: Link me?
[21:49] <Ithea> ooc: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/disintegrate.htm
[21:50] <Kotono> A cube of the new wall ahead collapses. It opens a 10ft cube ahead, but more wall can be seen past it.
[21:53] <Ithea> "Well, that's going to be annoying."
[21:53] <Kotono> Kascha peeks in, "Needs another casting, I think," she suggests.
[21:54] <Ithea> "He probably set up a bunch of walls in place, Kascha. I don't know if we'd get through if that's the case," Ithea comments with a frown.
[21:54] <Ithea> "Well, not in anything remotely timely anyway."
[21:55] <Muirfinn> "I might be able to tunnel faster"
[21:55] * Quits: Nephrite (~ryan.scud@65.33.78.139) (Quit: )
[21:56] <Muirfinn> "A series of thoqqua should open an adequate, if less refined tunnel."
[21:56] <Kotono> "That idea worked well before," Vivantha speaks up, "I'd like to see it again."
[21:59] * Muirfinn casts a quick spell, summoning a handful of thoqqua from the elemental planes. OOC: Saccing 4th level spell Passage of the Shifting Sands
[21:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d4+1 thoqquas
[21:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d4+1 thoqquas and gets 3." [1d4=2]
[21:59] <Kotono> OOC: Going to have them burrow a tunnel out?
[22:00] <Muirfinn> OOC: Yers
[22:00] <Kotono> The thoqqua appear, burrowing ahead. They quickly open up a passage 15ft ahead, revealing the wall ends there. The passage seen before is ahead, past it, as the party follows the summoned beasts.
[22:01] <Ithea> "Guess I gave him more credit than I should have."
[22:02] <Muirfinn> "Either that or he's not REALLY trying to keep us out. It's pretty obvious by now that we're not cowards."
[22:03] <Lief> "Maybe he wants to see how determined we are?"
[22:04] <Kotono> "Or he's seeing what we'll do and how we deal with it?" Vivantha hums to herself.
[22:04] <Kotono> OOC: Going to continue on down then?
[22:05] <Lief> OOC: I am.
[22:06] <Kotono> OOC: Okay. Are all of you flying or is anyone walking down this path?
[22:07] <Muirfinn> OOC: I opt to whelpling & fly unless the area is larger
[22:08] <Kotono> OOC: Vivantha and Kascha both fly. Ithea?

[Merc]

[20:00] <Kotono> > OOC: Vivantha and Kascha both fly. Ithea?
[20:00] <Kotono> OOC: ithea?
[20:00] <Kotono> OOC: Ithea, even.
[20:01] <Kotono> "Or trying to wear us down," Kascha remarks, "Attrition."
[20:02] <Lief> "Seems unusual behavior for something that calls this place home. Everything else seems to want to just fight straight up."
[20:02] <Ithea> ooc: I can fly
[20:03] <Muirfinn> "It's Ysgard." Muirfinn says plainly.
[20:06] <Kotono> The passage ahead is followed for a time. It ends in a dead end. There's a 10ft wide hole here, plunging deep down an ice-lined tunnel. The only light below is the occasional pulse from a river of magma within the icy walls.
[20:06] <Lief> "Want me to go? Or all together?"
[20:07] <Muirfinn> "Go ahead, but watch for magma."
[20:07] * Lief dives through the hole, going invisible as he does.
[20:08] <Kotono> The moment Lief is over the hole, he suddenly plummets down! Gravity becomes crushingly heavy, as if thousands of pounds are forcing him down! OOC: You have a chance to try and react, if you like, Lief.
[20:09] * Lief grunts and tries to fly back up, but looks for a nook to land on if he can't...
[20:09] <Kotono> OOC: Make a dex check.
[20:10] <Lief> roll d20+12 Dex check.
[20:10] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+12 Dex check. and gets 31." [d20=19]
[20:11] <Kotono> Lief is lightning fast, so fast that not even massive gravity can crush him. He grabs the edge of the hole instead of falling down, hanging on by one tiny hand. His wings are pressed straight down and he feels like he's being pushed by a titan, but he's holding on for the moment. OOC: Everyone can act now.
[20:11] <Lief> "HELP!"
[20:11] * Lief tries to get his other hand up for a better hold.
[20:11] * Muirfinn reacts, taking earthen form and lunging forward to grab Lief and haul him back!
[20:12] <Kotono> OOC: Str check, Muirfinn.
[20:13] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+15
[20:13] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+15 and gets 35." [1d20=20]
[20:13] <Muirfinn> OOC: HEYO
[20:13] <Lief> OOC: Don't crush me on accident.
[20:14] <Kotono> One giant, earthy hand comes down and scoops Lief up. Despite the tremendous force, he grabs Lief and hauls him out, taking him up ot safety.
[20:14] * Lief gasps for air and flops to the ground.
[20:14] <Kotono> Vivantha watches on and sighs, "Far too close a trap. With that force, I do not wish to imagine what an impact would do."
[20:14] <Lief> "H-heavy."
[20:15] <Kotono> Kascha clears her throat and mutters quietly, "I've seen that happen on Earth. It's...not good, not pleasant."
[20:15] <Muirfinn> "You alright?"
[20:16] * Lief picks himself up and takes to the air just long enough to land on Muirfinn's shoulder.
[20:16] <Lief> "I think so... I don't think anything is damaged... Got lucky though."
[20:19] * Retrieving #dunes modes...
[20:19] <Muirfinn> "Good, good." Muirfinn says, looking around. "I think we might need another way around."
[20:20] <Ithea> "Probably. I can't think of any way to get us to the bottom safely," Ithea comments.
[20:20] <Kotono> "Hmmm." Kascha goes to the edge and kneels down, peering. "Maybe if...a rope connected to something that can withstand the pressure and be slowly lowered down?
[20:20] <Kotono> "
[20:20] <Lief> "Can anyone make a platform of Earth? Control the speed it lowers at? Maybe something as mundane as rope?"
[20:21] * Lief blinks.
[20:21] <Lief> "Muirfinn, can your summons dig another hole for us to use?"
[20:21] <Muirfinn> "Mundane ropes would break." Muirfinn rumbles, thinking. He nods at Lief. "I don't see why not."
[20:24] <Kotono> OOC: So your plan is to summon more and have 'em dig down? First of all, where in relation to the hole? Second of all, link me to them.
[20:25] * Ithea uses detect magic and looks around, checking to see if she can spot anything that might cancel out the gravity? Longshot, but why not.
[20:25] <Muirfinn> OOC: Was thinking adjacent to it, yeah. And link you to thoqqua?
[20:25] <Kotono> OOC: Spellcraft. And yes, Muirfinn.
[20:25] <Ithea> roll d20+39 SC
[20:25] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+39 SC and gets 51." [d20=12]
[20:26] <Kotono> OOC: So they're digging straight down. Will you be following immediately behind them?
[20:27] <Kotono> The tunnel down is indeed enchanted. Gravity is massively  multiplied within it. As you can gather from Lief's own travail there.
[20:27] <Muirfinn> OOC: Not immediately, no. They're summons, so expendable. We can wait a short bit to see if the hole floods with lave to kill us all.
[20:29] <Ithea> "I can't spot any runes or such that would cause the gravity to increase as it has. It is magic-based though, for what its worth," Ithea notes.
[20:30] <Kotono> The summoned monsters appear. They dig down down adn down - perhaps 30ft before they shoot back up, slamming into the ceiling. A massive geyser of lava erupts out, spraying molten rock all over. It's like you just pierced a grand vein of pure lava, the ground shaking as rumbles of gas tremble in the ground beneath you. A foul stench fills the room as well. OOC: Ref saves, all, lava's spraying
[20:30] <Kotono> everywhere.
[20:30] <Kotono> roll 1d20+28 Kascha
[20:30] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+28 Kascha and gets 31." [1d20=3]
[20:32] <Ithea> roll d20+30+11 insight+evasion
[20:32] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+30+11 insight+evasion and gets 48." [d20=7]
[20:32] <Lief> roll d20+37 Ref Save+Improved Evasion
[20:32] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+37 Ref Save+Improved Evasion and gets 57." [d20=20]
[20:32] <Lief> OOC: FUCK YEAH.
[20:39] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6 evasion
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36+6 evasion and gets 58." [1d20=16]
[20:39] <Kotono> OOC: Roll for Vivantha as well.
[20:44] <Kotono> roll 1d20+37 Vivantha
[20:44] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+37 Vivantha and gets 40." [1d20=3]
[20:44] <Kotono> roll 5d6 Kascha half, Ithea none, Lief none, Muirfinn none, Vivantha half and more coming
[20:44] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 5d6 Kascha half, Ithea none, Lief none, Muirfinn none, Vivantha half and more coming and gets 14." [5d6=5, 6, 1, 1, 1]
[20:46] <Kotono> Blasts of lava explode everywhere. The icy walls crack along with the floor, as plumes of sulphur-yellow gas erupt out. The ground shakes terrifically as a brighter red glow emanates from the ice blocks all around you. Lava continues to gush out from the holes, melting the edges of it and letting more and more come out. OOC: ACt, y'all.
[20:46] <Muirfinn> "Oh good, this again." Muirfinn says, form changing into that of a gold dragon. "Shall we leave?"
[20:47] <Ithea> "Yep," Ithea agrees as she starts flying back the way they came from.
[20:47] * Lief exits as well.
[20:49] * Quits: Ebiris (Ebiris@cpc9-sgyl30-2-0-cust73.sgyl.cable.virginm.net) (Quit: bedtime)
[20:49] <Kotono> The party begins to turn back and exit. But when they reach the previous blockade they tunneled through, there's a problem. Namely that the rock is melting and lava's pouring from the dug-out tunnel. It's getting hot and the air is becoming increasingly foul.
[20:49] <Lief> "Man, this place is annoying. Can't we just... Blow the mountain up?"
[20:49] * Lief looks disgruntled.
[20:50] <Kotono> "I could Wish the gravity down," Kascha glances back, "And we could go down that way, if we're trapped." She looks back and forth and winces, before casting a quick spell on herself. OOC: Energy Immunity (Fire).
[20:52] <Ithea> "I can fire some polar rays at it as well, though only a number of times. Sometime between the casting, digging through again and getting everyone through..." Ithea notes with a frown. "The inability to teleport makes this a lot more challenging and annoying."
[20:52] <Muirfinn> "Now there's an idea." Muirfin remarks to Lief. "Go ahead, Kascha. Give it a shot."
[20:57] <Kotono> Kascha flies around and bit through the lava geyser, untouched by the fire. She begins to chant - but what she chants is lost to you, ast he ground shakes all over, before a massive crack appears beneath the party. A huge gush of yellow gas spreads amid the party, choking and unbreathable. OOC: Fort saves, all. This is poison, so bonuses and immunities apply. Kascha's back over there so she's
[20:57] <Kotono> off the hook.
[20:58] <Lief> roll d20+30 For Save.
[20:58] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+30 For Save. and gets 43." [d20=13]
[20:59] <Muirfinn> OOC: Muirfinn immune. Vivantha immune.
[21:00] <Kotono> OOC: I see. I only await the terrible roll of the dreadful catgirl.
[21:02] <Ithea> roll d20+35+11 insight fort
[21:02] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+35+11 insight fort and gets 66." [d20=20]
[21:02] <Kotono> But the party darts forward, avoiding the worst of the rancid, smelly gas. As the shaking dies down, "It's done! Get past the geyser adn come on, NOW!" Kascha's heard calling.
[21:02] * Ithea rushes towards Kascha!
[21:03] * Muirfinn ambles over.
[21:04] * Lief darts forward!
[21:05] <Kotono> But the geyser is gushing more and more lava - it's going to be a tight squeeze! OOC: Ref saves, all. FIr edamage, so don't bother if immune.
[21:06] <Lief> roll d20+37 Ref Save.
[21:06] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+37 Ref Save. and gets 57." [d20=20]
[21:06] <Lief> OOC: Winning.
[21:06] <Ithea> roll d20+30+11 insight+evasion
[21:06] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+30+11 insight+evasion and gets 46." [d20=5]
[21:06] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+37 Vivantha, 20 fire resist
[21:06] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+37 Vivantha, 20 fire resist and gets 51." [1d20=14]
[21:10] <Kotono> OOC: Remember to ntoe if you hav evasion, Lief.
[21:10] <Kotono> roll 10d6 Vivanth half, the other two evade
[21:10] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 10d6 Vivanth half, the other two evade and gets 32." [10d6=5, 3, 1, 3, 4, 1, 1, 5, 3, 6]
[21:10] <Lief> OOC: Sorry, yes. Improved Evasion.
[21:11] <Muirfinn> OOC: fire res 20, Vivantha ignores the damage
[21:11] <Kotono> Down the party runs, avoiding the lava. No damage is done as you fly down the hole, now sans gravity. You race down a good couple of hundred feet. At the bottom is a very solid bottom, lots of sharp, barbed spikes all over. Kascha waves you down and past them, flying along. Past them is clear floor and a single door going further in. "Is everyone alright?" she asks.
[21:11] <Ithea> "Still in one piece here."
[21:12] <Lief> "I'm alright. Thanks for taking care of that gravity."
[21:12] <Muirfinn> "That's a rather painful looking trap floor." Muirfinn says, picking his way over to Kascha.
[21:13] <Lief> "It's a good thing I caught the edge of that hole..."
[21:13] * Muirfinn nods.
[21:17] <Kotono> "Brave hero," Vivantha idly cleans her wings after that, "That trap was flagrantly fatal to most."
[21:18] <Kotono> Kascha nods, "I'm just glad you're all safe!" She gestures at the door - a plain wooden thing with a pull ring to open.
[21:19] <Muirfinn> "Certainly. I find myself liking the master of this place less and less."
[21:19] * Lief approcahes the door and checks it over for traps...
[21:20] <Kotono> OOC: Search check.
[21:21] <Kotono> Resting a moment with a sigh and a slump of her shoulders, "He doesn't play very fair, does he?"
[21:21] <Kotono> OOC: Gah.
[21:21] <Lief> roll d20+30 Search
[21:21] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+30 Search and gets 49." [d20=19]
[21:22] <Kotono> Resting a moment with a sigh and a slump of her shoulders, "He doesn't play very fair, does he?" Kascha remarks. "I'm familiar with this sort of mountain - parts of the Cauldron are similar to it. It looks natural, but the way the passages are going aren't so natural."
[21:22] <Kotono> The door isn't trapped or locked. Lief can say that with certainty.
[21:22] <Muirfinn> "It's less about fairness and more about the sheer malice involved."
[21:22] <Lief> "Well, no traps on this door at least. Look unlocked, too."
[21:22] * Lief moves to open the door.
[21:29] <Kotono> Ahead is open air and sky. Mountains rise up impossibly far and high, all around a massive, rocky valley. A river runs through the center of it, a raging stream that is so far below that it's little more than a thin string of blue. The wind is strong and piercingly cold. As you stand there, windswept and momentarily stunned by the view, the man from before flies down from above. He's 50ft away,
[21:29] <Kotono> arms crossed and flying with no visible means of propulsion. "I know your kind," he declares, "Too stubborn to die, too persistent to turn around and too cowardly to indulge in a good fight if you don't have to. So what say you? What do you seek here that's worth this?"
[21:30] * Lief lets the more diplomatic members of the group take lead, but positions himself to unleash arrow death if need be.
[21:40] <Ithea> "Blood of a child of Jormugandr, for another task," Ithea replies bluntly, probably dashing Lief's expectations.
[21:42] * Quits: Nephrite (~ryan.scud@65.33.78.139) (Quit: )
[21:46] <Kotono> "Hah," A laugh is followed by a smirk, "So that's the reason behind this?" He gestures with one hand, sword in the other, slung over his shoulder. "You there, catfolk. If all of you want that blood, I want to see some courage out of each of you. Have what it takes to fight me one on one?"
[21:49] <Muirfinn> "To be fair, you did just stroll right up and ask for a fight without introducing yourself. Might we at least gain your name?" Muirfinn asks politely.
[21:49] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+40 diplo
[21:49] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+40 diplo and gets 46." [1d20=6]
[21:50] * Ithea sighs. "And will fighting you will make all of this exploring cease and get us this blood?" Ithea also adds as a question, again bluntly and lacking the diplomatic undertones of Muirfinn.
[21:56] <Kotono> LIef gets a glance from the man, "As much as this will get your friend to lower his bow," he remarks, "Here's my terms. If three of you can defeat me in single combat, I'll help you find the child. You," A nod to Lief, then a nod to Muirfinn and finally Ithea, "You and you. Each of you one at a time."
[21:57] * Lief grunts and lowers his bow... slightly.
[21:59] * Muirfinn spreads his clawed hands. "If you insist."
[22:01] <Kotono> "Good," Flashing a grin and a look to Ithea, "You first," he gestures, "C'mon!" OOC: Init there - except it's pausing time, so we'll resume here Wednesday.
[22:01] <Ithea> ooc: heh

[Merc]

[19:55] <Kotono> > "Good," Flashing a grin and a look to Ithea, "You first," he gestures, "C'mon!" OOC: Init there - except it's pausing time, so we'll resume here Wednesday.
[19:55] <Ithea> roll d20+22 init
[19:55] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+22 init and gets 29." [d20=7]
[19:55] <Kotono> roll 1d20+14
[19:55] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+14 and gets 23." [1d20=9]
[19:55] * Lief lands on Muirfinn's shoulder to watch.
[19:56] * Kotono changes topic to 'Ithea(29)>Johassen(23)'
[19:56] <Kotono> OOC: You're 50ft away from him and on the same verticle plane. Open Ithea.
[19:56] <Ithea> ooc: vertical*!
[19:57] <Kotono> OOC: Yes.
[19:58] * Ithea fires a ray of exhaustion at Johassen, figuring he probably does use the sword he's made visible, instead of just keeping it for show. It might also give her something to test out his defenses as she activates Renbuu's blessing. (OOC: chaos devotion)
[19:58] <Ithea> roll d10
[19:59] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d10 and gets 9." [d10=9]
[19:59] <Ithea> ooc: well shoot, maybe I should have attacked.
[19:59] <Ithea> roll d20+29 ranged touch
[19:59] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+29 ranged touch and gets 36." [d20=7]
[20:00] <Kotono> roll 1d20+22 what's your CL on that, Ithea?
[20:00] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+22 what's your CL on that, Ithea? and gets 23." [1d20=1]
[20:00] <Kotono> OOC: Nevermind. Hit.
[20:00] <Kotono> OOC: Link me to it?
[20:00] <Ithea> ooc: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/rayOfExhaustion.htm he needs to roll fort save to be fatigued instead of exhausted
[20:00] <Kotono> Kascha settles back to watch, Vivantha staying just to Muirfinn's side. She murmurs, "Yet he still values might above all..."
[20:01] <Ithea> ooc: DC would be...10+11+3=24
[20:01] <Kotono> roll 1d20+30
[20:01] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+30 and gets 35." [1d20=5]
[20:01] <Ithea> ooc: duration is something like 24 minutes. I'd tell you exact but...meh
[20:01] * Muirfinn shrugs. "It's Ysgard. The attitude is not uncommon here. One gains a casual disregard for anything other than might, including death, with enough time spent here."
[20:02] <Kotono> The beam his Johassen dead on, making his entire body droop. A scowl is stopped by an ear-splitting yawn, his shoulders slumping. "You...little trickster," he says, yawning again before waving his sword. He moves slowly, yet still so fast that he's hard to follow with the mind's eye. He doesn't move, only his sword dancing in a complicated pattern of slashes. The slashes become glowing red lines
[20:02] <Kotono> in the air, which take on keen edges and fly towards Ithea.
[20:02] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[20:02] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 43." [1d20=1]
[20:02] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[20:02] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 44." [1d20=2]
[20:02] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[20:02] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 53." [1d20=11]
[20:02] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[20:02] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 61." [1d20=19]
[20:03] <Kotono> OOC: AC?
[20:03] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42 if that's a hit it's a crit confirm
[20:03] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 if that's a hit it's a crit confirm and gets 50." [1d20=8]
[20:03] <Ithea> ooc: AC is 56. So 1 hit
[20:04] <Kotono> roll 8d6+15 DR applies if you have any
[20:04] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 8d6+15 DR applies if you have any and gets 43." [8d6=3, 6, 3, 6, 2, 2, 1, 5]
[20:04] <Ithea> ooc: DR 10/silver
[20:05] <Kotono> The slashes fly. The first two fly errant and above due to his yawn, slicing into the wall above the party. The third comes careening to the side, making Vivantha have to throw herself against Muirfinn to dodge it. "When all you-yaaaaah!" she avoids it by a hairsbreath, as meanwhile the forth hits Ithea. It opens up a bleeding wound on her arm, slicing sharp as a sword. OOC: Go Ithea.
[20:05] * Muirfinn deftly catches Vivantha.
[20:06] <Kotono> Kascha peers up and blanches, "Um...that cut through solid stone like it wasn't there. Be careful, Ithea!"
[20:07] <Ithea> "Hey, are you fighting me, or all of us?" Ithea exclaims in anger as she fires another spell at the man, moving closer and a bit to the side to minimize the chances of the others getting caught by Johassen's wild attacks. (OOC: Quick casting True Casting, then Enervation)
[20:07] <Kotono> Vivantha is caught. Her hand ends up just besides Lief, as she blushes, "T-thank you," she says, "And sorry, Lief. I almost smacked you, didn't I?"
[20:07] <Kotono> OOC: Okay.
[20:07] <Ithea> roll d20+29 ranged touch
[20:07] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+29 ranged touch and gets 40." [d20=11]
[20:07] <Kotono> roll 1d20+22 CL?
[20:07] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+22 CL? and gets 26." [1d20=4]
[20:08] <Ithea> ooc: 40 with true casting
[20:08] <Ithea> roll d4 enervation
[20:08] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d4 enervation and gets 2." [d4=2]
[20:08] <Ithea> ooc: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/enervation.htm
[20:09] <Ithea> roll d10 chaos devotion also
[20:09] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d10 chaos devotion also and gets 1." [d10=1]
[20:10] <Ithea> ooc: eesh, the one time I want even rolls on that.
[20:10] * Lief shrugs.
[20:10] <Lief> "Don't worry about it, Vivanthia. I'm small and fast. It's jsut practice, let's say. Though..."
[20:11] * Lief considers for a moment before launching off of Muirfinn's shoulder and landing on Vivanthia's.
[20:11] <Kotono> The beam hits the warrior dead on again, making him slump in the air. He coughs and then yawns, "W-wellllllllll!" A yawn drags out his word, "If you'd get out of the way, this wouldn't be a problem!" At this he closely closes in with Ithea, sword raised up adn striking down in a lightning-quick slash.
[20:11] <Kotono> roll 1d20+40 (-2 enervation, -1 fatigued) AC?
[20:11] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+40 (-2 enervation, -1 fatigued) AC? and gets 48." [1d20=8]
[20:11] <Lief> "Since I have to fight him later, I'm going to watch..."
[20:11] <Ithea> ooc: AC 56
[20:11] <Kotono> His slash is quick and skillful, but Ithea is able to bring up her glaive to parry. Yawning like this, his movements are slowed and altogether easy to see coming. OOC: Ithea.
[20:12] <Kotono> Vivantha smiles, "Thank you," she murmurs, standing as the battle moves away from the exit from the caves.
[20:12] <Ithea> ooc: Do I get any AoO for him trying to close in range?
[20:12] <Kotono> OOC: Sure.
[20:13] * Ithea attempts to counter at his attack, slashing at him as he closes in.
[20:13] <Ithea> roll d20+39+4 AoO
[20:13] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+39+4 AoO and gets 59." [d20=16]
[20:14] <Ithea> ooc: If it hits, I assume he's not evil for damage purposes, right? Also, forgot to add +1 from CD
[20:16] <Kotono> OOC: Yes and yes.
[20:16] <Ithea> roll d10+16
[20:16] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d10+16 and gets 21." [d10=5]
[20:17] <Ithea> "Careful, if you don't get out of the way, you might get cut too," Ithea says in retort with a mean grin on her face.
[20:18] <Kotono> The retort catches him on the shoulder, a narrow cut that draws some blood. He grimaces, "Cheeky, aren't you?" he admits, as wounds already begin to mend. OOC: 2 healing a round due to Ysgard's fast healing, remember. You're up, Ithea.
[20:18] <Ithea> ooc: I hadn't recalled, thanks.
[20:21] * Ithea takes a small step backwards to get in optimal range for her weapon, already realizing that unless one of them pulls further away, this will turn into a dance of slashes as they each step in and out of each others' range. Following that, she starts her own melee assault, as she slashes away with magically enhanced strikes. (OOC: Channeling VT, AS 5, PA-2)
[20:21] <Ithea> roll d10 CD first to see if any attack bonus
[20:21] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d10 CD first to see if any attack bonus and gets 7." [d10=7]
[20:21] <Ithea> ooc: Huh. Change PA to -5.
[20:22] <Kotono> OOC: So noted.
[20:22] <Ithea> roll d20+48
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+48 and gets 59." [d20=11]
[20:22] <Ithea> roll d20+43
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+43 and gets 51." [d20=8]
[20:22] <Ithea> roll d20+38
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+38 and gets 45." [d20=7]
[20:22] <Ithea> roll d20+33+11 inspiration
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+33+11 inspiration and gets 49." [d20=5]
[20:22] <Kotono> OOC: All four hit.
[20:23] <Ithea> ooc: SR for VT?
[20:24] <Kotono> OOC: No.
[20:24] <Ithea> roll 4#d10+20+5d4+10 (physical)
[20:24] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls 4#d10+20+5d4+10 (physical) and gets 196." [4#d10+20+5d4+10 = 42, 49, 55, 50]
[20:24] <Ithea> roll 10d6 VT
[20:24] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls 10d6 VT and gets 40." [10d6=5, 5, 3, 5, 4, 2, 2, 3, 5, 6]
[20:25] <Ithea> ooc: also, on the AoO, I forgot to include 4 damage, if that matters
[20:25] <Ithea> ooc: ...and I forgot to include +2 on these four hits from expert tactician. So +8 more total
[20:26] <Ithea> ooc: Also, I'll use cunning defense this round, spending inspiration for +11 to AC
[20:27] <Kotono> The flurry of slashes and theft of life energy sends Johassen tumbling back end over end, ending up 30ft away and 20ft down. He kneels in the air and pants, "Damn, you're good. Yield!" He's bleeding all over, wounds slowly sealing before you reyes. OOC: Free act. The ow.
[20:28] <Ithea> "I assume you'll want to wait a few to recover before the next fight?" Ithea asks as she continues watching Johassen briefly.
[20:29] <Kotono> Vivantha claps lightly, while Kascha shakes her head, "Huh, I was expecting more."
[20:30] <Ithea> "To be fair, I did too, that's why I screwed him over with magic before taking it to my favorite mode of combat," Ithea replies with a grin to Kascha. "Like you said, his hits were nasty."
[20:31] <Ithea> "I just leveled the playing field a bit!"
[20:32] <Kotono> Yet Johassen heals quickly - his wounds seal faster than the plane's rate allows. Soon he's standing up again, "Alright, so one of you're good," he confesses, blade pointing at Lief. "You! You next!"
[20:32] <Lief> "Picking on the small guy?"
[20:33] <Ithea> "It's actually best if you're next, Lief. Take advantage of the spells still on him while you can," Ithea suggests encouragingly.
[20:33] * Lief smirks and takes to the air before pausing.
[20:34] * Lief comes to a hover a good 100 feet from him.
[20:34] <Lief> "How's this?"
[20:35] * Lief gets the Near Horizon spell at the front of his mind in preperation.
[20:35] <Kotono> "The archer wants distacne away," Looking up at Lief from below now, the pixie well up, "Shocking." He shrugs and readies his blade, before charging upwards through the air. OOC: Init here.
[20:35] <Lief> roll 1d20+21 Initiative
[20:35] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+21 Initiative and gets 33." [1d20=12]
[20:37] * Lief fires off his Near Horizon spell as soon as he can..
[20:38] <Kotono> roll 1d20+14
[20:38] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+14 and gets 27." [1d20=13]
[20:38] * Kotono changes topic to 'Lief(33)>Johassen(27)'
[20:38] <Kotono> OOC: Open Lief.
[20:39] * Lief calls up his second spell for the fight, Sniper's Shot, and casts it before launching a flurry of arrows at Johassen!
[20:39] <Lief> roll d20+44 ATK 1
[20:39] <Lief> roll d20+44 ATK 2
[20:39] <Lief> roll d20+39 ATK 3
[20:39] <Lief> roll d20+34 ATK 4
[20:39] <Lief> roll d20+29 ATK 5
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+44 ATK 1 and gets 62." [d20=18]
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+44 ATK 2 and gets 48." [d20=4]
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+39 ATK 3 and gets 49." [d20=10]
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+34 ATK 4 and gets 37." [d20=3]
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls d20+29 ATK 5 and gets 37." [d20=8]
[20:42] <Kotono> OOC: All hit.
[20:42] <Lief> roll 5#1d6+24+7d6
[20:42] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 5#1d6+24+7d6 and gets 262." [5#1d6+24+7d6 = 50, 53, 61, 46, 52]
[20:46] <Kotono> The barrage of arrows slams into the warrior from above, turning him into a living pincushion. He tumbles down a goodly distance, coming to a rough landing against the side of the mountain. "Agh! Stop! Yield!" he shouts, wincing as he pulls out arrows. OOC: That was a fast draw. Free act. Sec again.
[20:47] * Lief floats back down, landing on Vivanthia's shoulder again.
[20:48] <Ithea> "...Did you aim those arrows at the spots where I'd wounded him before, Lief?" Ithea asks with a raised eyebrow.
[20:48] <Lief> "I don't want to sound condecending, but from what I saw of your match against Ithea, I had no choice of victory but to load things in my favor. If you had gotten into range of me, I doubt I would have lasted past your first attack."
[20:48] * Lief twitches a smirk at Ithea's comment, but quickly smothers it with an innocent look and no response.
[20:49] <Kotono> Vivantha whistles low, as Kascha nods, "Your turn, Muirfinn."
[20:49] <Ithea> "Huh. You did, didn't you? Mean little bastard," Ithea says almost approvingly.
[20:50] <Kotono> Slowly Johassen rises up, flying back to 50ft in front of the party. His wounds are gone by the time he does so. "That's two. Now it's the dragon shapeshifter? Oh boy," he drawls. "This one will surely go better."
[20:50] <Lief> "What can I say? I may have learned lessons from you a bit too well, General."
[20:50] * Muirfinn nods at Vivantha. "So it is." he faces the man. "Would you like a moment to recuperate?"
[20:50] * Lief smirks at Ithea.
[20:50] * Ithea gives Lief a thumbs up gesture!
[20:51] * Lief returns it with a toothy smile.
[20:52] <Kotono> "I'm fine," he says, positioning his sword, "C'mon!" OOC: Init.
[20:52] <Kotono> roll 1d20+14
[20:52] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+14 and gets 24." [1d20=10]
[20:53] <Muirfinn> "As you wish." Muirfinn says, talons clicking on the ground. OOC: Reminder, still in dragon form.
[20:53] * Lief pats Vivanthia on the shoulder and whispers, "He'll crush this guy."
[20:53] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+17
[20:53] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+17 and gets 23." [1d20=6]
[20:54] * Kotono changes topic to 'Johassen(24)>Muirfinn(23)'
[20:54] <Kotono> This time Johassen is faster. He draws his blade and slashes out, red lines becoming razors that fly at Muirfinn.
[20:54] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[20:54] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 56." [1d20=14]
[20:54] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[20:54] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[20:54] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[20:54] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 49." [1d20=7]
[20:54] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 58." [1d20=16]
[20:54] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 49." [1d20=7]
[20:54] <Kotono> OOC: aC?
[20:55] <Muirfinn> OOC: 70
[20:56] * Quits: Nephrite (~ryan.scud@65.33.78.139) (Quit: )
[20:56] <Kotono> But the blade fail to penetrate Muirfinn's scales. He gets a powerful scowl sent his way, as...OOC: Go.
[20:57] <Muirfinn> OOC: Sorry, my AC was 65, for flatfooted.
[20:57] <Muirfinn> OOC: NOW it's 70.
[20:59] * Muirfinn blurs into a golden ball of scales and sharpness!
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+38 Unarmed
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 Unarmed
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28 Unarmed
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Tail
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 48." [1d20=5]
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 63." [1d20=20]
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+38 Unarmed and gets 44." [1d20=6]
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 Unarmed and gets 43." [1d20=10]
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+28 Unarmed and gets 43." [1d20=15]
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 45." [1d20=6]
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 51." [1d20=12]
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Wing and gets 45." [1d20=6]
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Wing and gets 56." [1d20=17]
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Tail and gets 57." [1d20=18]
[20:59] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 crit check!
[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 crit check! and gets 55." [1d20=12]
[20:59] <Kotono> OOC: You do realize he was 50ft away and throwing those slashes at you, right?
[20:59] <Muirfinn> OOC: Scratch!
[20:59] <Muirfinn> OOC: I did not.
[21:00] * Quits: Ebiris (Ebiris@cpc9-sgyl30-2-0-cust73.sgyl.cable.virginm.net) (Quit: )
[21:02] * Muirfinn ambles forward about 20 feet, snapping a bite at the man.
[21:03] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44
[21:03] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 and gets 56." [1d20=12]
[21:03] <Kotono> OOC: Hit.
[21:04] <Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17
[21:04] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 and gets 32." [4d8=4, 1, 7, 3]
[21:06] <Kotono> Muirfinn ambles through the sky, expanding out to reach far. His neck darts out, a massive maw chomping the warrior's midsection. He growls and tries to slash out of it, a bevy of flying slashes at his draconic foe.
[21:06] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[21:06] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 59." [1d20=17]
[21:06] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[21:06] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 47." [1d20=5]
[21:06] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[21:06] <Kotono> roll 1d20+42
[21:06] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 58." [1d20=16]
[21:06] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+42 and gets 61." [1d20=19]
[21:07] <Kotono> But they all ping off Muirfinn's scales as he tries to dodge, like running a dull razor over solid steel armor. OOC: Go.
[21:10] * Muirfinn arcs gracefully, flying another 20 feet closer and answering the slashes with yet another bite!
[21:10] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+44
[21:10] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+44 and gets 63." [1d20=19]
[21:10] <Muirfinn> roll 4d8+17
[21:10] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d8+17 and gets 46." [4d8=7, 8, 8, 6]
[21:11] <Kotono> Closing in so that Muirfinn looms over the warrior, he chomps him but good. He's now fully in range, as he grimaces, "Fine then..." He begins to glow red all over, energy gathering around him. OOC: Charging something up. Go.
[21:12] * Muirfinn answers with violence!
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+43 Unarmed
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+38 Unarmed
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 Unarmed
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+28 Unarmed
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Claw
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Wing
[21:12] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+39 Tail
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 58." [1d20=15]
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+43 Unarmed and gets 51." [1d20=8]
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+38 Unarmed and gets 46." [1d20=8]
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 Unarmed and gets 36." [1d20=3]
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+28 Unarmed and gets 47." [1d20=19]
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 49." [1d20=10]
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Claw and gets 47." [1d20=8]
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Wing and gets 42." [1d20=3]
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Wing and gets 55." [1d20=16]
[21:12] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+39 Tail and gets 54." [1d20=15]
[21:13] <Kotono> OOC: Allhit.
[21:16] <Muirfinn> roll 5#5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed)
[21:16] <Muirfinn> roll 2#4d6+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Claw)
[21:16] <Muirfinn> roll 2#2d8+5+17 (Wing)
[21:16] <Muirfinn> roll 4d6+5+25 (Tail Slap)
[21:16] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 5#5d10+5+17+2d6 holy damage, plus 1 Con damage each hit. Counts as magic/good/bludgeoning/silver (Unarmed) and gets 276." [5#5d10+5+17+2d6 = 53, 61, 47, 60, 55]
[21:16] * 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 89." [2#4d6+5+17+2d6 = 45, 44]
[21:16] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 2#2d8+5+17 (Wing) and gets 63." [2#2d8+5+17 = 30, 33]
[21:16] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 4d6+5+25 (Tail Slap) and gets 45." [4d6=3, 4, 2, 6]
[21:16] <Kotono> The flurry shreds, bites, claws and kicks the poor warrior into submission. He's bleeding all over and slumping down, "Y-yield!" he gasps, "Yield!" OOC: Free act.
[21:17] * Lief rolls backwards off of Vivanthia's shoulder and takes to the air, landing on Ithea's and whispering as quietly as he can, "I... expected more from his talk."
[21:17] * Muirfinn eyes the man with some concern and asks, perhaps a bit unnecessarily, "Are you alright?"

[Merc]

[19:49] <Kotono> ----
[19:52] <Kotono> The aftermath of the battle is joined by a cold gust of wind. Johassen kneels in the air before you, sword hanging limply downwards. He breaths heavily, gasping for air after Muirfinn batters him down. "Damn, you're all strong."
[19:53] <Lief> "We've had a lot of motovation."
[19:54] <Kotono> "We've faced horrible things." Kascha says this with a sheepish smile, "No offense, but you're just not that bad next to them."
[19:55] * Retrieving #dunes modes...
[19:55] <Kotono> Vivantha nods slightly, "We recently claimed the head of a demon lord. As Kascha says, there is no shame in your defeat."
[19:56] * Muirfinn regards the man stoically. "Your skill is not small."
[19:56] <Ithea> "Just imagine how much stronger we are as a team too. You might have seen it as a sign of cowardice, but there's strength in teamwork too, and everyone works to help each other get stronger in addition to all that."
[19:56] <Kotono> Johassen slowly floats up and stands, wounds sealing shut before you.
[19:56] <Kotono> OOC: Gah.
[19:58] <Kotono> Johassen slowly floats up and stands, wounds sealing shut before you. "Damn and blast, I know it isn't," he coughs up blood and a single tooth, spitting it aside. "It makes it all the more humbling that I got beaten." Slowly rubbing his shoulder as he turns, "Follow me," he invites.
[20:00] * Muirfinn does so!
[20:02] <Kotono> As Vivantha flies along, "Well done, brave hero," she murmurs, "All of you fought like the elements themselves."
[20:04] <Lief> "What element are arrows?"
[20:04] <Ithea> "Wood and Stone elements?"
[20:04] * Muirfinn snorts. "Thank you, Vivantha."
[20:04] * Nephrite is now known as Gildas
[20:05] * Gildas is now known as Nephrite
[20:08] <Kotono> "Wind," Vivantha murmurs as you are lead down into the valley. The river below is massive as you descend towards it. The water in it is the blue of sapphires and is flecked with white foam. It moves fast as a running panther. Here Johassen stops and grins a little bit, "Hope all of you can swim well and hold your breath," hec alls, before plunging on down into the water, "Follow me!"
[20:09] * Lief gets a firmer grip on Vivantha's shoulder for the swim.
[20:10] <Muirfinn> "Anyone NOT able to breathe underwater or have a spell for it?"
[20:10] * Ithea raises her hand. "I can hold my breath for a while, that's the best I've got, really."
[20:11] * Lief raises his hand as well.
[20:12] <Kotono> Kascha and Vivantha both raise their hands as well.
[20:12] <Muirfinn> "...I can grant water breathing to one person."
[20:13] <Kotono> OOC: The water breathing spell cna be split up, just FYI.
[20:13] <Ithea> ooc: He wants to just give it to Lief, so he can give mouth to mouth to all the girls.
[20:13] <Muirfinn> OOC: Oh hey, it can
[20:13] <Muirfinn> OOC: STRIKE MY LINE
[20:16] * Muirfinn casts a spell, hands briefly glowing a watery blue as he touches each member of the party. "There, water breathing for eleven hours. Should more than tide us over." Muirfinn stoically ignores the pun.
[20:16] <Kotono> Vivantha smiles, "Then let us follow him?"
[20:16] <Lief> "Let's go."
[20:17] * Muirfinn dives in!
[20:19] * Ithea also joins the water.
[20:20] <Kotono> OOC: Swim checks, all. If you have a swim speed you can disregard this.
[20:20] <Kotono> Kascha looks down, shakes her head and transforms. She is now a glowing ball of ghostly rainbow light, following into the water. OOC: She's going alternate form incorporeal, which lets her ignore the current.
[20:21] <Kotono> roll 1d20+6 Vivantha
[20:21] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+6 Vivantha  and gets 21." [1d20=15]
[20:21] <Muirfinn> OOC: Muirfinn immune
[20:21] <Lief> roll 1d20+1 No Swim so STR
[20:21] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+1 No Swim so STR and gets 17." [1d20=16]
[20:22] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+6 viv
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+6 viv and gets 11." [1d20=5]
[20:22] <Ithea> roll d20+22 (STR+INT)
[20:22] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+22 (STR+INT) and gets 32." [d20=10]
[20:22] <Muirfinn> OOC: oh, you already did
[20:23] <Kotono> OOC: So I did. Since I did, you can keep my roll which did a lot better.
[20:24] <Kotono> The current is tremendously fast. The water's ice-cold and too much for Vivnatha and Lief. As the others go down into the river, they're swept away in the current, tumbling end over end in the frigid waters and out of control. Meanwhile, Johassen dives for the bottom of the river, going right through a segment of the ground like it isn't there.
[20:25] * Muirfinn makes note of the path the man took, then heads after Lief & Vivantha.
[20:25] * Lief tumbles wildly!
[20:26] <Kotono> "Guslgsh!" Vivantha can be heard, bubbles erupting from her mouth. Kascha meanwhile follows Johassen.
[20:26] <Kotono> OOC: Swim speed, Muirfinn?
[20:27] <Muirfinn> OOC: 50
[20:28] <Kotono> Muirfin swims along. With a hand on each, he gets a grasp on Lief and Vivantha, arresting their current-assisted tumble.
[20:28] * Lief latches onto Muirfinn's hand.
[20:29] * Ithea swims after Johassen in the mean time, figuring its best not to give Muirfinn another lost soul to rescue while she has control against the currents.
[20:29] * Muirfinn allows them a moment to get their bearings.
[20:30] <Kotono> Vivantha slowly rights, dazedly clinging to Muirfinn's side. "Glupgurg," she says with a mouthful of stream water.
[20:32] <Kotono> After several moments she gestures with a hand, back the way you came before the current got you. It's blue and dim underwater, the chill rapidly settling into your bones. It's -cold- in here, tearing the heat away from your body.
[20:32] * Muirfinn nods, wholeheartedly accepting her thanks. With Vivantha & Lief in tow, Muirfinn heads back the way he came, toward the invisible rift.
[20:37] <Kotono> Down the party goes. Past the illusory floor, it is almost pitch dark. But darkvision is enough to let you see down - a long, deep chasm of chilling water, blobs of ice floating within it. It's like descending in an ice-choked glass of water, going around and down. Within some of the blobs are various aquatic creatures, including several large predators and dinosaurs. Johassen continues to swim
[20:37] <Kotono> downward, Kascha shedding a gentle rainbow-colored light as she follows.
[20:38] <Kotono> OOC: If anyone lacks cold resistance/immunity, you need to make a fort save.
[20:38] <Lief> roll 1d20+30 Fort Save
[20:38] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+30 Fort Save and gets 38." [1d20=8]
[20:38] <Kotono> OOC: Kascha has resistance 20 due to racial traits so she's fine.
[20:38] <Lief> OOC: Do'h.
[20:39] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36+6
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36+6  and gets 43." [1d20=1]
[20:39] <Ithea> roll d20+35
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+35 and gets 40." [d20=5]
[20:39] <Muirfinn> OOC: Rolling for V or want me to?
[20:39] <Kotono> OOC: Roll.
[20:39] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36 and gets 55." [1d20=19]
[20:39] <Kotono> OOC: You aren't cold resistant/immune, Muirfinn?
[20:40] <Muirfinn> OOC: Not at the moment!
[20:41] <Kotono> roll 2d6 cold damage and you have mild hypothermia Muirfinn, this means you're fatigued and vulnerable to it getting worse. More coming after this.
[20:41] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 2d6 cold damage and you have mild hypothermia Muirfinn, this means you're fatigued and vulnerable to it getting worse. More coming after this. and gets 7." [2d6=5, 2]
[20:42] <Muirfinn> OOC: Ignoring damage, can't become more than fatigued.
[20:42] <Kotono> OOC: Noted.
[20:43] <Kotono> Muirfinn's body is going numb. He feels cold to the bone as he swims deeper, further on. Minutes pass as you go down and down and down yet further, eventually coming to a bottom. Here is a massive plug of ice stopping further progress. Atop it sits a wooden box, undamaged by the waters around it. Here Johassen stops, standing before it. He kneels before the box, taps it all over in an odd pattern,
[20:43] <Kotono> opens it and begins to fiddle with the unrusted and pristine gears within.
[20:45] <Kotono> Kascha stops and floats before him. Vivantha follows along, patting Muirfinn on the shoulder. "Gulpgulp," she says gently, eyes full of concern.
[20:46] * Muirfinn shrugs, his form taking a watery appearance as his body ebbs and flows. OOC: Water elemental form, for lulz.
[20:46] <Kotono> OOC: Noted. No danger of progressing hypothermia while you're in it.
[20:47] <Kotono> After several moments of fiddling with the gears, there's a loud CLICK. The plug of ice begins to descend down. Johassen looks up, gesturing to the others and pointing at the plug.
[20:50] * Muirfinn follows!
[20:50] <Kotono> OOC: Fort saves, same conditions as last time. So Muirfinn's off the hook now.
[20:50] <Lief> roll 1d20+30 Fort Save
[20:50] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+30 Fort Save and gets 33." [1d20=3]
[20:51] <Ithea> roll d20+35+11 insight fort
[20:51] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+35+11 insight fort and gets 54." [d20=8]
[20:51] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+36 V
[20:51] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+36 V and gets 53." [1d20=17]
[20:52] <Kotono> As the party continues to go down, the stone walls begin to glow. Veins of lava can be seen within the stone, sections of the stone replaced by clear glass. The lava pulses from bright red to pitch black, rotating through that every few seconds. It turns the blue of the water to a washed out, sunset orange when it's bright red. Eventually the plug stops a moment ...before free-falling! No more
[20:52] <Kotono> water, the ice plug plummeting down with everyone aboard! As you fall out, the cold of the water giving way to balmy warmth, "Hold on!" Johassen shouts, "We're going down!"
[20:53] <Muirfinn> OOC: Do I have time to react here?
[20:55] <Kotono> OOC: Sure, y'all can react.
[20:56] * Muirfinn angles himself down, dropping like a stone. The moment he is below the party, his form billows out into a great winged dragon, twisting to catch the others upon his back.
[20:57] * Lief keeps hold of Muirfinn's hand.
[20:58] <Kotono> Kascha just flals along down, still incorporeal. Vivantha ends up on Muirfinn's back as he transforms. It stops the fall of the plug, his massive dragonb ody enough to support it. He can see the fall goe son for a few hundred more feet. At the bottom is a path winding further down.
[20:59] * Muirfinn circles down, landing and letting everyone free.
[21:00] <Ithea> "Thanks for the catch, Muirfinn."
[21:00] <Muirfinn> "Glad I could help."
[21:02] <Kotono> Johassen wobbles and shakes his head, "Dammit all," he mutters, "Set us all down. The ice will melt when it hits bottom."
[21:03] <Kotono> "Aaah!" Vivantha yelps, coughing up water moments later. AS she clings on, "Oh. Well done."
[21:03] <Kotono> Kascha bobs around Muirfinn's body and the others, then comes up to Ithea. She takes humanoid form once more, "Are all of you alright?"
[21:04] <Lief> "Thanks for the save."
[21:04] <Kotono> "Of course all of you are alright," Johassen rolls his eyes, "I'm not sure a solar would slow all of you down at this point."
[21:04] <Kotono> Waving his hand, "Sub-zero water and a fall that would kill a normal dragon? Shouldn't be anything special for all of you."
[21:04] <Muirfinn> "Probably would."
[21:06] <Lief> "Pixies are made to fly, not swim."
[21:06] * Lief grumbles.
[21:07] <Kotono> Kascha laughs at that, "Oh Lief," she says as she dissolves into giggles. Meanwhile Muirfinn lowers the platform. On touching ground the icem elts in moments, clearing the way to the path down. "This is as far as I can go," Johassen says, "Go on down that path and keep it up."
[21:08] <Muirfinn> "Thank you, Johassen."
[21:08] * Lief looks confusedly at Kascha.
[21:12] <Kotono> Kascha descends down to the wet floor, which quickly drains of water. "It's nothing," she waves a hand, "You reminded me of Afina there and I'm not even sure why."
[21:12] <Kotono> "Get," Johassen gestures, "Good luck down there."
[21:12] <Lief> "I guess that's good?"
[21:13] * Muirfinn snorts, heading down.
[21:20] <Kotono> Further down you go. Here the walls are all glass with lava behind it. It's warmer and warmer as you go down, like a roasting summer day. Eventually the path down comes to a platform. It stands about 50ft above a cavern of lava. It stretches farther than you can see in either direction. Heat radiates off of it heavily, the air thick with burning warmth. As you stand here, the lava bubbles and
[21:20] <Kotono> churns. From somewhere within it, a voice booms, "You have come far for my attention. What is it you seek?"
[21:21] * Lief scans the area for threats...
[21:21] <Muirfinn> "We seek a favor!"
[21:23] <Ithea> Seeing lava around, just to play on the safe side, Ithea casts resist energy (fire) on the group.
[21:24] <Kotono> OOC: Spot, Lief.
[21:24] <Ithea> ooc: RE(fire) 30 for those that need it. Is there anyone that doesn't? If someone doesn't, I can cast just one spell instead of two
[21:24] <Kotono> Vivantha stands next to Muirfinn, keeping quiet and nodding to Ithea.
[21:24] <Kotono> OOC: Kascha has energy immunity fire up.
[21:24] <Lief> roll 1d20+32 Spot
[21:24] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+32 Spot and gets 47." [1d20=15]
[21:24] <Kotono> There's nothing that suggests any threats beyond the obvious to Lief.
[21:25] <Kotono> "What is this favor?" The voice challenges back.
[21:28] * Muirfinn draws himself up in a stately manner. "We seek the blood of a child of Jormungandr to activate an artifact in order to aid us in slaying a tremendously powerful demon."
[21:29] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+40 diplomomomomomo
[21:29] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+40 diplomomomomomo and gets 51." [1d20=11]
[21:35] <Kotono> There's silence after that. It is broken by the voice, quieter now, "Wait. Wait, wait. You don't want to fight me?"
[21:37] * Muirfinn falters a bit. "Er, you could always help us fight Kina-ja?"
[21:37] <Kotono> Vivantha blinks as well, "I beg pardon?" she says
[21:37] <Kotono> .
[21:38] <Kotono> "I don't understand. When one of you creatures tracks me down, it's to try and kill me." It sounds downright lost. "Even the celestials that come to help me fight me first."
[21:39] <Muirfinn> "Well, do you want to fight?"
[21:40] <Lief> "Not to speak down about you, but we have bigger concerns. An army of devils is trying to destroy our home. Our second home. They succeeded the first time."
[21:44] <Kotono> From the lava a head emerges. It has rough, uneven scales. It is a deep brown color, lava dripping off it like water. Its neck is long enough to reach up to the platform with eyes. Its eyes are a deep green and slitted like a cat's eyes. "This is different," it finally says. "I've had a few who came to claim things from me, but none thought to ask instead of charging in."
[21:44] * Lief shrugs.
[21:44] <Ithea> "It never hurts to ask!"
[21:44] <Lief> "We're an unusual group. Just look at us."
[21:44] <Muirfinn> "That...really sounds rather rude." Muirfinn shakes his head.
[21:44] <Ithea> "All you lose at worst is a little bit of time if they say no."

[Merc]

[20:03] <Kotono> <Ithea> "All you lose at worst is a little bit of time if they say no."
[20:04] <Kotono> "It's the way Ysgard works. When death is meaningless, caution dies," Kascha speaks up.
[20:05] <Muirfinn> "That's actually one of the things I like the least about this realm." Muirfinn says.
[20:05] <Muirfinn> "The philosophy here has turned it into what amounts to a glorified planar meatgrinder. Rather depressing, really."
[20:05] <Kotono> The reptilian gaze of the child of Jormugandr slowly sweeps across the party. "I've heard stories about this. This is where the seekers are given tasks to do in exchange, or treasure is offered to compensate."
[20:07] <Muirfinn> "If you like. It seems to be the rage with greater entities, of late."
[20:09] <Kotono> Vivantha nods solemnly, "When you reach great power, I fear you've proved your usefulness to greater entities."
[20:09] <Kotono> Kascha's lips twitch upward, "You all should hear Seira talk about that some day," she murmurs. Thereafter she clears her throat, "It should be something you want. What is it you want?"
[20:13] <Kotono> Muirfinn gets a long look, followed by the rest of the party. It slowly hmmmmms, "A test and an answer. I've long wondered if any creature can survive my poison. As of yet, none ever have."
[20:16] * Muirfinn taps his snouty face with a claw, pondering. "So, not a test of strength and skill, but instead of constitution and fortitude?"
[20:17] <Kotono> The creature nods its head forward slightly. "Yes. If any of you can survive my breath, I'll give you what you want."
[20:17] <Kotono> "Hmmmmm." Kascha bows her head and hums softly, "The poison of the children of Jormugandr is some of the strongest in Creation, or so the legends say."
[20:18] * Lief stares at the dragon's maw stone faced, readying himself.
[20:23] <Kotono> At this silence, the child sweeps around, "Do you agree?" it asks.
[20:23] * Lief shrugs.
[20:24] <Kotono> Vivantha slowly breathes in and out, "If it's to help Muirfinn, yes," she says quietly.
[20:24] <Lief> "I guess if that's the only way... I can't say I'd want to do it, but I can't really say no considering what the stakes are. It's not like we don't ask our subordiantes to do much less."
[20:26] <Kotono> "At worst, I return to Seira," Kascha says finally, "In Ysgard, death truly means little."
[20:26] <Kotono> Slowly Kascha bites on her lips, reddening, "If you think it's best, well...I know it doesn't matter much here if the worst happens, but..."
[20:32] <Ithea> "That's true. I suppose it's worth a shot? On the small chance that we all fail though, will there be another way to gain the blood sample in the future without requiring battle?" Ithea asks. It might be useful to consider in case they need to revisit, and if there's no chance then they'll know to come prepared for such a battle.
[20:34] <Muirfinn> "I can't speak for my companions, but I will submit to your test." Muirfinn says.
[20:34] <Kotono> "I will consider it if you fail," The child says, "This has been different. Entertaining."
[20:35] * Lief takes to the air from Vivantha's should and comes to a hover before the dragon.
[20:35] * Ithea nods. "Very well, I'll submit to this test as well."
[20:35] <Lief> "Well, let's do this, I suppose."
[20:37] <Kotono> "Then..." The child of Jormugandr rears back, before exhaling a purple-pink cloud of gas. Suddenly the world is agony and acid, your very flesh boiling! OOC: Fort saves, all. This is an epic poison as noted in the OOC room, so take that into account with your modifiers.
[20:37] <Kotono> roll 1d20 Kascha I'll do the math if she gets a roll that might make it matter
[20:37] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 Kascha I'll do the math if she gets a roll that might make it matter and gets 6." [1d20=6]
[20:38] <Ithea> roll d20+35 (including insight, as stated in ooc channel)
[20:38] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+35 (including insight, as stated in ooc channel) and gets 38." [d20=3]
[20:38] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+26 FORT DON'T FAIL ME NOW
[20:38] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+26 FORT DON'T FAIL ME NOW and gets 32." [1d20=6]
[20:38] <Lief> roll 1d20+22 Fort save
[20:38] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+22 Fort save and gets 28." [1d20=6]
[20:38] <Muirfinn> ooc: FUCK YOU FORT
[20:39] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 V
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 V and gets 34." [1d20=1]
[20:39] <Kotono> roll 1d8 con damage all and more coming
[20:39] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d8 con damage all and more coming and gets 8." [1d8=8]
[20:39] <Kotono> ARGH! Flesh boils. Eyes run like water, falling out of your faces. Blood explodes out in spikes of pressurized hell. The agony is indescribable as...OOC: Fort again, fast poison so the secondary damage is a mere round later.
[20:40] <Kotono> roll 1d20 Kascha's 20 fishing after that ow
[20:40] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20 Kascha's 20 fishing after that ow and gets 7." [1d20=7]
[20:40] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+33 V
[20:40] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+33 V and gets 51." [1d20=18]
[20:40] <Ithea> roll d20+31 (including insight, as stated in ooc channel, -4 for con damage)
[20:40] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+31 (including insight, as stated in ooc channel, -4 for con damage) and gets 43." [d20=12]
[20:40] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+26
[20:40] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+26  and gets 46." [1d20=20]
[20:40] <Lief> roll 1d20+22 Fort save
[20:40] * Hatbot --> "Lief rolls 1d20+22 Fort save and gets 35." [1d20=13]
[20:40] <Kotono> OOC: Including the -4 for con loss for Vivantha?
[20:40] <Kotono> OOC: Remember y'all just lost 8 con, so that impacts fort saves.
[20:40] <Ithea> ooc: I'm the only one that accounted for them
[20:41] <Muirfinn> OOC: For neither! So V is at 47 and M is at 42
[20:41] <Kotono> roll 4d8 con damage to all but Muirfinn. Let me know if any of you survive this. Muirfinn's is irrelevant since he got a natural 20.
[20:41] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 4d8 con damage to all but Muirfinn. Let me know if any of you survive this. Muirfinn's is irrelevant since he got a natural 20. and gets 17." [4d8=7, 1, 1, 8]
[20:42] <Muirfinn> ooc: V should still be up
[20:42] <Ithea> ooc: That puts my at Con 5...except that +8 of my Con comes form magic.
[20:42] <Lief> OOC: That puts me at 0 con.
[20:42] <Ithea> ooc: So I think I'm down?
[20:42] <Kotono> OOC: You're still up, the con thing with epic poison only matters for ths ave.
[20:42] <Ithea> ooc: Oh, goodie.
[20:42] <Muirfinn> OOC: GO GO TEAM REPTAR
[20:43] <Ithea> ooc: Viv should be at Con 1 and Kascha/Lief go nappie-nap
[20:43] <Kotono> It is a sea of agony. Yet somehow Muirfinn stands, if just barely. The agony leaves him as water gushes out from his body, carrying the poison within it. Before his eyes Kascha's flesh melts into a puddle, her gear falling in a heap. Lief is in a similar state, dying with nary a sound save for a scream. As respite comes to Muirfinn, he sees Vivantha and Ithea barely up -b ut they're still melting
[20:43] <Kotono> before his eyes. OOC: He has relentless poison as a feat, which means you need to make a save to stop it, it doesn't end after secondary damage. For again, you two.
[20:44] <Kotono> *fort
[20:44] <Ithea> roll d20+31-8 (well, I'm fucked. There goes Ithea's no-death streak)
[20:44] * Hatbot --> "Ithea rolls d20+31-8 (well, I'm fucked. There goes Ithea's no-death streak) and gets 42." [d20=19]
[20:45] <Ithea> ooc: Hatebot, that's 1 off. Just 1 off
[20:45] <Kotono> OOC: Roll for Vivantha, Yuth.
[20:46] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+25 V
[20:46] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+25 V and gets 30." [1d20=5]
[20:47] <Kotono> It is done. Muirfinn tears his eye away as his friends are reduced to nothing more than a slurry of poison and liquified flesh. But somehow he stands true and strong. The pain all over his body is unspeakable, horrible. As if every speck of his form is ill and dying, but he stands. The child watches for several more seconds before grinning - a horrible thing that stretches from side to side of
[20:47] <Kotono> its snout. "Is it? Is it true? One of you yet stands? Amazing!"
[20:49] * Muirfinn affects a pained but stoic look. "If this were not Ysgard, I'd be rather upset. As it is, that ordeal reminds me unpleasantly of a black dragon I slew in my youth."
[20:50] <Kotono> "This is a strength I have never seen before," The child goes on, rising up. It is long and longer yet, hundreds of feet as it coils around the platform. Its tail rests just against it's mouth, a few feet away. It's head directly faces Muirfinn, a long, snake's tongue lolling out. "Do you have a container?"
[20:50] <Muirfinn> "I..." Muirfinn stops, eyes widening.
[20:51] <Muirfinn> "I don't know."
[20:51] <Muirfinn> "A moment."
[20:51] <Kotono> "Anything of metal should do. Nothing of leather or made from living creatures." It says, tongue flicking out.
[20:52] * Muirfinn searches the remains of his friends' bodies!
[20:55] * Muirfinn acquires a bottle from Ithea! He eyes the inside speculatively.
[20:56] <Ithea> ooc: (for logs) A bottle made of gold and chaos stuff, worth no less than 1,000 gold. <-- bottle in question
[20:57] <Kotono> The bottle is empty inside.
[20:57] * Muirfinn offers up the bottle. "This do?"
[20:58] <Kotono> "Yes," is the answer, the tongue held above it. "Slash my tongue."
[21:00] * Muirfinn shifts forms in stops and starts, wounds visibly sealing even as his ginger movements and obvious pain stay the same. A silvery draconic claw lashes out, slicing a perfect vertical line across the serpent's tongue.
[21:03] <Kotono> The tongue is slashed. From this blood the color of molten gold pours. It's only for a few seconds, but it fills the bottle up. Its tongue is pulled back, splashes of blood landing all over. When it touches the remnants of the party, bodies mend and life is restored in mere instants. OOC: REst of the party is back at full con and alive, if rather stomach sick and disoriented.
[21:04] * Lief levers himself to his feet wobbily.
[21:04] <Kotono> "Ooooh..." Kascha groans, lying face down on the ground. "Aaaah..."
[21:04] <Lief> "That.. That was unplesant."
[21:04] * Lief stumbles for a moment, then sits back on the ground to steady himself.
[21:04] <Kotono> "What happened?" Vivantha gets up to one knee, wobbly rising with Muirfinn's shoulder as aid.
[21:05] <Muirfinn> "You didn't live through it. At least your pain stopped after you turned into goo. I survived it."
[21:05] <Kotono> "Oh." Vivantha says rather quietly.
[21:05] <Lief> "Sympathies, Muirfinn."
[21:05] <Kotono> "Ugh." Kascha coughs a few times before she gets up, "This isn't as bad as the time in Earth, still. We have the blood?"
[21:05] <Lief> "That's... some impressive poison."
[21:05] * Muirfinn snorts. "It's no trouble."
[21:06] <Kotono> The Child of Jormugandr peers at them all, "How easily life returns in this plane. My father's words return to me - death has no dominion here."
[21:06] * Muirfinn hands Ithea's bottle to Kascha, moving to stand near Vivantha and provide comfort if she needs it.
[21:06] * Lief unsteadily raises himself into the air.
[21:07] <Lief> "I... I just realized we never asked for your name."
[21:07] <Kotono> Vivantha leans hard against Muirfinn, shaking slightyl.
[21:08] * Muirfinn turns to the serpent as he wraps an arm around her shoulders. "We are grateful for that trait here. Yes, pray tell us your name."
[21:10] <Kotono> "Jelmagarl," It answers at last, "Where are you from? You are not from this plane, are you?"
[21:12] <Muirfinn> "Ithea, Lief, and myself are from Lifasa. Vivantha is from the Infinite Stair, And Kascha is from Celestia."
[21:12] <Kotono> "Ahem!" Kascha clears her throat, "From the Prime Material, then Arborea and now the Cauldron. I'm not an archon!" The last bit is said with a bit of a blush, "I'm really not an archon!"
[21:13] <Muirfinn> "If you insist."
[21:14] <Kotono> "What?" Kascha reddens even more, gasping, "Are you implying I act like an archon!?"
[21:14] * Muirfinn looks at Lief. "Did I say that?"
[21:15] <Lief> "Not in the least. I think someone might be letting guilt read too far into it."
[21:15] * Lief looks innocent.
[21:15] <Kotono> Jelmagarl watches all of this with unblinking eyes. "The Infinite Stair and The Cauldron. What are those? What about Lifasa?"
[21:15] <Muirfinn> "Lifasa is...when was the last time you ventured from Ysgard?"
[21:18] <Kotono> "I have never left this plane," Jelmagarl admits, "I study and control temperatures to help father, so I know little of them. Celestials have told me about places like Celestia and Arborea, but not of other places like Lifasa."
[21:19] <Kotono> The child of Jormugandr's gaze flits around before settling all on Muirfinn.
[21:19] * Muirfinn blinks. "You've never left?"
[21:19] <Kotono> Kascha blushes and looks away, coughing and sputtering. She goes quiet.
[21:19] <Muirfinn> "Really?"
[21:19] <Kotono> "I have never left." It confirms, "Father needs my help. He's too busy with the cycle of resurrection to see to this."
[21:20] <Lief> "Hm."
[21:20] * Lief floats over to Muirfinn's shoulder and lands, speaking to him as quietly as he can.
[21:21] <Lief> "Could be opportunity here. Some kind of portal for regular contact, trade of books and information. Might be a good ally."
[21:22] <Muirfinn> "...wow." Muirfinn wonders, then nods along with Lief. "Actually, that's a great idea. Tell me, good sir, how amenable are you to regular trade?"
[21:24] <Kotono> "Trade?" The child eyes all of them, "I've heard of it. There were a group of blue creatures that came to seek trade with me once, but the all kept dying. They gave up before they reached me. They were particularly upset with the creatures they brought with them, talking about money and more money." Hmming, "How does this trade work?"
[21:35] <Muirfinn> "Ah, mercane. Interplanar traders. Allow me to supply you with background information on our quest, so that you may decide on your own whether you wish to aid us. Three of us come from Lifass, which was once a flourishing prime material plane. It was a plane well cared for, experiencing a near-utopian golden age. Recently, it was invaded through deceit and trickery by the forces of the Nine
[21:35] <Muirfinn> Hells, devils. They took the plane, enslaving or slaying countless people and creatures in their need to conquer and corrupt everything they saw. A small ofew of us fled to safety or were otherwise ejected from the realm. Those who were not were tortured, experimented on, or twisted. In come cases all of the above. We have gathered refugees from Lifasa and like-minded individuals, and are
[21:35] <Muirfinn> currently engaged in what could be called medium-heat warfare with the forces of Bel. As such, or need for allies and supplies is always high. What I propose is this: This poison of yours is tremendously effective, and could be used to shut down their greater siege monsters and devils. For a small, but steady supply of it, I would be pleased to visit you and bring you stories and tales of the
[21:35] <Muirfinn> planes beyond Ysgard."
[21:36] <Muirfinn> "I am told," Muirfinn says in a conspiratorial manner, "that I have a gift for storytelling."
[21:36] <Muirfinn> OOC: As such, our need for allies
[21:37] <Kotono> OOC: Make a diplo check here, Muirfinn.
[21:38] <Muirfinn> roll 1d20+40 diplo
[21:38] * Hatbot --> "Muirfinn rolls 1d20+40 diplo and gets 43." [1d20=3]
[21:40] <Kotono> The child listens to it all, rather interested. "Stories? I'd like that," it says, "Could you bring other creatures, too?"
[21:40] <Muirfinn> "I don't see why not."
[21:41] <Lief> "Hold on."
[21:41] <Kotono> "Can they fight against my pets?" He then asks, sounding more energetic. "They like fighting a lot."
[21:42] <Lief> "Creatures for what? To freeze like the ones above?"
[21:42] * Lief looks a bit uncomfortable with this.
[21:42] <Lief> "Animals should live naturally, I think."
[21:42] <Kotono> "I only freeze animals. Freezing other creatures is wrong," The child says firmly, "Father said it's alright to freeze animals, as long as I take good care of them."
[21:43] <Muirfinn> "There would need to be some ground rules laid for it, but as long as they are willing, then I see no issue with it."
[21:44] * Lief nods.
[21:47] <Kotono> "Then it sounds fun." The serpent says, opening its mouth up, "Do you want the poison now?"
[21:49] * Muirfinn looks at Lief. "Got a container for it?
[21:49] <Muirfinn> "
[21:49] * Lief shrugs.
[21:50] <Lief> "Nothing on me."
[21:51] <Kotono> "Then come back soon with one," he says, "I'll have Johassen up there help you when you come back."

[Merc]

[19:54] <Kotono> -----
[19:56] <Kotono> Thus the party returns to Aurora, the fortress bustling. The open spaces of Air extend all outside, endless blue skies as far as the eye can see. Within is solid ground and peace. On your return through the front gates, Elena appears, "Hi!" she says, dressed up like Lief today. "Did you succeed?"
[19:56] * Muirfinn nods. "We did."
[19:57] <Kotono> "Adrian's busy, so he wants me to hear any report," Elena nod-nods quickly, smiling, "So how'd it go?"
[19:58] <Kotono> Kascha looks around, "It's good to come back," she says, "Ysgard's too rough for my tastes."
[19:58] <Ithea> "We all died except for Muirfinn. He got all blistery instead."
[19:58] * Lief eyes Elena up and down.
[19:58] <Kotono> "We recovered since it was Ysgard," Vivantha shivers, "It was still extremely unpleasant."
[19:59] <Muirfinn> "It was singularily unpleasant." Muirfinn says, a mildly disgruntled look on his face.
[19:59] <Lief> "Good choice on outfit."
[19:59] * Lief nods approvingly.
[19:59] <Kotono> "Thanks!" Elena smiles ear to ear, whistling a little. She spins on her tip-toes, "Today's a good day! So is there anything else you need to report or get done?"
[20:00] <Lief> "I have a couple of orders that need to be picked up."
[20:00] <Muirfinn> "Well, we've established a trade agreement with the child of Jormungandr that lives there."
[20:02] <Kotono> "Oooh." Tapping her chin, "I'll need to tell someone like Filbrez about that, won't I?"
[20:02] <Kotono> OOC: GAh.
[20:02] <Kotono> "Oooh." Tapping her chin, "I'll need to tell someone like Filbrez about that, won't I?" Elena says, "That sounds like a good deal...I think." She slumps a little at that, "What does it have to trade?"
[20:02] <Muirfinn> "World serpent poison for stories and visitors."
[20:02] <Kotono> Kascha smiles a little bit, "We can go get those, Lief. I've had enough about talking about Ysgard for the day."
[20:03] * Lief flits over to Kascha's shoulder.
[20:03] <Lief> "If you wish. You may enjoy the items, as well."
[20:04] <Kotono> OOC: Okay. Lief, go quote what you're getting in loot and we'll handle that there.
[20:05] <Kotono> "Hmmm..." Elena crosses her arms and makes a face, "Poison? You don't always think about nice things when you talk about poison..."
[20:05] <Lief> OOC: In PM or in here/another room?
[20:06] <Muirfinn> "Thinking about poison that may work on demons and devils is nice." Muirfinn helpfully points out.
[20:06] <Kotono> OOC: In the loot thread.
[20:07] <Kotono> "Oooooh..." Elena nods and hms again, "So...um...." Leaning in to the others and whispering, "Who do you think should go hammer this out?"
[20:09] <Muirfinn> "Hammer out what?" Muirfinn asks.
[20:13] <Kotono> "Um well, he's a giant dragon like serpent, right?" Elena admits, glancing at Vivantha and then Ithea, "Don't they all have egos and need to be flattered into it?"
[20:14] <Muirfinn> "Not from what I gathered."
[20:14] <Kotono> Vivantha glances up, towards Baleruk's lair. "Mmmm, evidence here says yes, but meeting him says no."
[20:14] <Kotono> "Oh! Right then." Elena straightens up, before vanishing. "Good work!" OOC: Okay, y'all have a bit of downtime to do purchases, upkeep and any NPC things. First of all, do you all have anything each of you wants to get done?
[20:15] <Muirfinn> "Oh! Right, you're thinking he'd want tribute. To tell the truth, I think he's just bored and lonely. He spends all eternity in a cave, never leaving, and focusing on maintaining weather conditions for Ysgard."
[20:15] * Retrieving #dunes modes...
[20:16] <Lief> OOC: Got a quick thing I want to do with Muirfinn/Viv before we wander off.
[20:16] <Muirfinn> OOC: I need to look into getting Viv a something of mind blank
[20:16] <Ithea> "His 'tribute' so to speak was hearing Muirfinn yammer out some stories and stuff, so that's not a bad deal on our end."
[20:16] <Muirfinn> "And I love to talk." Muirfinn says unabashedly.
[20:18] <Ithea> "You really do," Ithea agrees with a nod.
[20:19] <Muirfinn> "It's a gift."
[20:19] <Lief> "Speaking of both talking and gifts."
[20:19] <Kotono> Vivantha lightly chuckles and smiles at that. OOC: What abou tyou, Ithea?
[20:19] * Lief takes off from Kascha's shoulder and comes to a hover in front of Vivantha and Muirfinn.
[20:20] <Ithea> ooc: I got nada planned.
[20:20] <Lief> "Initially I got these to sort of mess with you two, but in light of the last few days, I think they might serve as a better gift..."
[20:21] * Lief pulls two small figurines out of a pouch on his belt, one a figure of Muirfinn and one of Vivantha, and offers them.
[20:22] <Lief> "They have a few bits of voice recorded from each of you. I have them set to run the voice set on you saying each other's names. I was going to hide them in your gear and let you think you went insane and started hearing each others voice."
[20:23] <Lief> "But, well... Seems a bit cruel considering the scare."
[20:23] <Kotono> Vivantha blinks at it and then smiles, "Thank you!" She says warmly. "Wait, but you said you got them to bother u-oh." Her smile lessens a little bit, "Yes, it's...not in good taste," she finally concludes.
[20:24] <Lief> "Well, even I can learn. Like I said, I think they're better gifts. With a bit of messing about with the magic, they could serve to let you two talk to each other without using a spell?"
[20:24] <Lief> "More of a comfort item at this point, considering the magic you have available, but hey, it could be something."
[20:24] <Muirfinn> "Hearing Vivantha's voice saying my name is not something I'm opposed to, Lief." Muirfinn chuckles, examining the figurine of Vivantha. "Though I admit I would be perplexed."
[20:26] <Kotono> Kascha meanwhile comes over to Ithea, "Oh, Ithea," she murmurs quietly.
[20:26] <Kotono> "Yes, but still. On the whole, thank you," Vivantha says.
[20:27] <Ithea> "Yeah? What's up, Kascha?"
[20:27] <Kotono> "Could you help me with something?" she asks quietly, "After we've had a chance to get cleaned up and refreshed."
[20:29] <Ithea> "Sure."
[20:30] <Kotono> OOC: Okay, good to go to individual rooms now, y'all?
[20:30] <Lief> OOC: Sure.
[20:30] <Ithea> ooc: Aye, aye, bossu~
[20:30] <Kotono> OOC: Okay, Ithea in here since kitty. Lief in #evildunes since evil. Muirfinn in #terrorofdunes since tortle.

[Merc]

NOTE: #terrorofdunes was all OOC stuff:

Spoiler: ShowHide

[20:45] <Kotono> Okay, first of all, you wanted a mind blank item for Vivantha?
[20:45] <Muirfinn> Yep
[20:49] <Kotono> Like 24/7 mindblank or daily uses or what?
[20:49] <Muirfinn> 24/7
[20:49] <Muirfinn> if possible
[20:50] <Kotono> http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php/topic,101784.msg1037923/topicseen.html#msg1037923 Like this?
[20:51] <Muirfinn> Yeah! I totally forgot about that!
[20:53] <Kotono> Post about it in loot.

[Merc]

[20:34] <Kotono> ----
[20:35] <Kotono> Soon enough the others are gone, leaving Lief, Muirfinn and Vivantha...OOC: Go ahead Lief.
[20:36] <Lief> OOC: The thing I wanted to get done with them were the figurines. I can expand on that if you want, but that was it.
[20:39] <Kotono> OOC: Oh right, I'm all durry then and then some. Back to #terror, tortle.
[20:45] <Kotono> Lief soon spends some time in the cafeteria, getting a meal. It's there that a familiar face joins him - Dana. She sits down and gestures, th emagic of the plate creating a plate of food. "Yo, heard you all bitched out and ran off without me," she says with a poke to his side. All of it based on the size difference. "So how was kicking that snake's entitled, ice-freezing asshole?"
[20:47] <Lief> "Decidedly strange... You'd have been disappointed. We fought one guy, reminded me of you. Totally lost interest the first time we tried to talk him out of fighting. Wound up facing him again anyway. Fought Muirfinn, Ithea, and me one on one, in turn."
[20:48] <Lief> "I... Sorta felt bad for him. He was all gung-ho about it, but he went down in the first hail of arrows and blows in pretty much all the fights."
[20:50] <Kotono> "Hah," Dana grins at that, "So you faced some sorta pussy. What else?"
[20:50] <Lief> "After that, he led us to the Child of Jormungandr. He was a bit confused that we didn't outright attack him. Muirfinn wound up convincing him to talk, and after a test of poison, which actually melted everyone except Muirfinn, they made a deal. His poison for stories and visitors."
[20:52] <Kotono> "Wait, you didn't fight it? Damn it!" Dana shakes her head, reaching out to flick Lief's head with a finger, "The fuck is the matter with all of you? That would have been a great fight!"
[20:53] * Lief tries dodge the flick.
[20:54] <Lief> "Yeah, it would have been, but we went through that damn maze four or five times by the end. After that and getting Vivantha back, we all were pretty much just ready to be done with it. Besides, he still melted us with his poison."
[20:57] * Quits: Muirfinn (MEGATORTLE@174-26-32-103.phnx.qwest.net) (Ping timeout)
[20:57] <Kotono> "Still!" Waving a fork with a hunk of meat speared on it, "Come the fuck on. That's a fight that's for the ages."
[20:58] <Lief> "It's not like he's going anywhere. He invited us back any time we wanted. We're also establishing a trade agreement with him.:
[20:59] <Lief> "Stories and visitors for a supply of his poison. Which should work on Devils and Demons."
[20:59] * Joins: MEGATORTLE (~Yuthirin@174-26-64-13.phnx.qwest.net)
[20:59] * MEGATORTLE is now known as Muirfinn
[21:00] * Lief draws one of his poison holding arrows out and holds the tip up for Dana to see.
[21:00] <Lief> "And I think *that* is going to be very, very useful."
[21:03] <Kotono> "Ooooh. That could be good," Dana admits, "Got someone who can work with it?"
[21:05] <Lief> OOC: I don't believe you ever actually named who'd be able to make the poisons. I think you just said Steam Pixie Works.
[21:07] <Kotono> OOC: No one on Aurora has much knowledge about poisons. Hence going and finding someone.
[21:08] <Lief> "Not yet. Now that we have a supply, I figure we can find someone in Brightwater. If not there, it's a place that trades on information, at the least, and we can find a lead."
[21:14] <Lief> "And if not there, then those mercenaries, the Urgent Talons might have a lead."
[21:14] <Kotono> "Sounds fun. I'm going with you," Dana says, "Like hell I'm getting ditched again and going to take it like some prissy princess on her wedding night."
[21:15] * Lief chuckles.
[21:15] <Lief> "Sounds good to me. I could use some help. I'm just a small guy, anyway."
[21:15] * Lief grins at Dana.
[21:20] <Kotono> "That's the spirit," Dana thumps Lief on the back, enough to make him stagger forward sharply. "We'll go, find someone and kick some ass and do things along the way."
[21:20] * Lief stumbles a bit and takes to the air, landing on Dana's shoulder.
[21:21] <Lief> "I imagine there'll be at least a brawl or two. People who specialize in poisons don't tend to be very welcoming."
[21:23] <Lief> OOC: Want to cut it here and focus on Ithea?
[21:23] <Kotono> OOC: Sure, that's a good spot.

[Merc]

[20:06] <Kotono> Once Lief returns, he and Dana run into Muirfinn. The choices he has to make weigh heavily on him, as Dana calls, "Yo Muirfinn," she nods, as the two enter into the courtyard. OOC: You wanted to tal to the others, so go ahead, Lief.
[20:07] * Retrieving #evildunes modes...
[20:07] * Muirfinn nods calmly at Dana. "Good day to you, Dana, Lief."
[20:09] <Kotono> "So we saw the sights and found a good poisoner," Dana says, "They have some bullshit fucking drinks over there, though."
[20:09] <Lief> "The poisoner is able to use the breath to make ravages."
[20:10] <Muirfinn> "You don't say." Muirfinn says to Dana drily, turning to Lief. "Ravages? That sounds familiar..."
[20:11] <Kotono> Around them the courtyard is relatively quiet. There's a few forces practicing, but it seems to be a downtime otherwise. Ebony can be seen by the phase spiders, plus Misalea and Adrian can be spied atop Elrisa's Tower, sharing a meal.
[20:13] <Lief> "The poisoner, Mantel, can either take half the poison as payment, which will make what we get free, or we can buy it at cost and get the full dose. He needs a sample to work with to figure out what he can make, and how long it'll take. He can also provide us expertise with other poisons, provided we can get the materials. He has terms, though."
[20:13] <Muirfinn> "I can't quite place it though. Tell me what it can do for us."
[20:13] <Muirfinn> "Terms?"
[20:14] <Lief> "We have to assure him that the poisons won't be used for 'evil' or be misused. Of course, this is something we can easily take care of."
[20:14] <Kotono> "Ravages. Didn't he say those shit were the ones that work on devils and demons?" Dana speaks up, "Like poison that works on evil."
[20:15] <Muirfinn> "Oh. Of course." Muirfinn says to Lief. "That's it! Poisons that work on evil outer-planar creatures. Now I remember. Thank you."
[20:15] * Lief nods.
[20:17] <Lief> "While our upper echelon fighters can deal with devils, our lower end people might need a hand up. This could be that for them. We'd have to keep tight control on it, but if we can get a stockpile and supply some of our more covert soldiers and our leaders, it might greatly increase our ability to respond to those more powerful devils on the battlefield."
[20:18] <Lief> "We could, in theory, also work on teams to specifically target and cripple the more powerful devils."
[20:18] * Muirfinn nods. "I was thinking stealth or ranged delivery."
[20:19] * Lief nods to Muirfinn.
[20:21] <Kotono> "So yeah, that's a fucking idea," Dana observes, glancing over at the phase spiders, "Have the spiders use it or something, aren't they supposed to fucking be poisonous as hell?"
[20:23] <Muirfinn> "So long as we can be sure it won't kill them in the process. Spiders tend to deliver venom frim internal stores.
[20:23] <Muirfinn> "So long as we can be sure it won't kill them in the process. Spiders tend to deliver venom from internal stores." OOC: Strike last
[20:24] <Kotono> "I think ravages only work on evil or some shit like that. Like holy magic and all that," Dana says, "I think."
[20:45] <Lief> "Well, we have to figure out how much we'll be getting first, and how we want to work the deal. Pay for it, or half share?"
[20:48] <Muirfinn> "I'll need the specifics of costs to really make a determination."
[20:48] * Lief nods.
[20:49] <Lief> "That'll come once we get him the sample and he figures out what he can do with it, I suspect."
[20:52] <Muirfinn> "Of course."
[20:52] <Lief> "That's basically what we accomplished... Though we did run into one other odd person."
[20:53] <Muirfinn> "Oh?"
[20:56] <Lief> "There's a Nymph that's a reincarnated Mercane. She runs a food stall in Brightwater's marketplace. I know the cafeteria takes care of all of the food, but the people she served were unusually... Happy. Might be worth seeing what she can bring to Aurora."
[20:58] <Muirfinn> "...interesting. Any signs of her manipulating any of them?"
[21:01] <Kotono> "Only with her tits," Dana rolls her eyes, "Guess how many men were eating there.":
[21:01] <Lief> "More than just typical Nymph behavior, I don't believe so. She said she was looking to pack up soon. She certainly seemed unusual. I think there's more to her than her customers think. With the fey we have here, she might be more comfortable, and whatever she retained from her Mercane life might be able to help us logistically."
[21:03] * Muirfinn bobs his head. "That's fine. We can swing by and make the offer if you'd like. I just wanted to be sure. Nymphs often indulge in that behavior without even considering it."
[21:03] <Lief> "If she's retained her memories, she might be able to get us contacts inside the Mercane. That could open a lot of equipment and supply options for us."
[21:04] <Muirfinn> "Some negotiating leverage with the Mercane is always welcome. They can be somewhat prickly."
[21:05] <Lief> "Also, I did offer Dana my help with dealing with her father."
[21:05] <Muirfinn> "Oh? What is wrong with your father?"
[21:05] <Lief> "He likes pink, apparently."
[21:05] <Muirfinn> "So do I."
[21:06] <Kotono> Dana rolls her eyes, "He likes women to wear pink," she mutters, "Oh, be a pretty fucking princess this, go pop out babies for the next twenty years. Fuck that.:
[21:07] * Lief eyes Dana.
[21:07] <Muirfinn> "Ohhh, the princess stereotype. Yes, I rather imagine you'd be adverse to that."
[21:07] <Lief> "Well, I think you have the hips for it..."
[21:07] <Kotono> "Lief? Shut the fuck up or I'll carve you out your own pretty pink pussy and you can dress up as a princess," Dana glares right at him.
[21:07] * Muirfinn snorts.
[21:08] <Muirfinn> "I daresay you would have to catch him first."
[21:08] <Muirfinn> "Enough, though. Beyond your disagreements with your father, is something wrong with him?"
[21:09] <Kotono> "Daddy tried to have some mercenaries drag me back," Dana remarks, "He wants a cute princess, not me."
[21:09] * Lief holds his hands up placatingly, but still grins.
[21:09] * Muirfinn blinks. "When did this happen?"
[21:09] <Kotono> "
[21:10] <Muirfinn> OOC: MASTERFULLY LINED
[21:10] <Kotono> "Before your joined Aurora," Dana says, "They got chased off when they realized they were in over their fucking heads."
[21:10] <Muirfinn> "Ah. So not lately."
[21:12] <Lief> "So, what do you want to do about him? Pay him a visit and lay down the law?"
[21:17] <Kotono> "Right now, not much," Dana remarks, "I'd have to fight Daddy if I go, and it'll be ugly. But dealing with him...yeah, I think I'm about fucking strong enough to lay down the law."
[21:19] <Lief> "Well, there've been no more people sent, right? I think he knows you're too strong for that now... If you get some us to with you, the show of force might prevent any fighting. I'll go with you. Pixies might not be very intimidating, pyshically, but I'm pretty sure I can arrange something."
[21:19] <Muirfinn> "Well, if you went alone, there's a good chance you'd end up killing at least a few people. Possibly your father. You may not like him, and he may not accept your lifestyle choices very much, but he IS your father, and you'd very likely regret killing him. With some time to plan, we could go with you and aid you. Help provide the non-lethal and much more humiliating option."
[21:21] <Lief> "You're an officer of Aurora now, too. A representative. I think we can get some help backing you, and that'll help preventing him from using his position to try and just roll over your arguements."
[21:21] <Kotono> "Yeah, I guess," Dana says after some thought, "Yeah, let's fucking do that. You all get your shit with that torn up marilith done with and come fine me, then."
[21:22] <Lief> "What exactly is it he wants from you? Arranged marriage and children right now?"
[21:25] <Kotono> "A pretty princess, like I've said," Dana glowers, "Repeatedly."
[21:26] <Lief> "Hmm.. Do you still want to be a princess? I mean.. You could break ties with him offically."
[21:34] <Kotono> "Fuck that," Dana remarks, crossing her arms. "He wouldn't listen, anyway."
[21:35] * Lief shrugs.
[21:36] <Lief> "Alright. What now, then?"
[21:37] <Kotono> "Go finish your trouble with that marilith," Dana crosses her arms, "Then we go wreck Daddy's shit."
[21:38] <Lief> "Sounds good."