057: The child is grown, the dream is gone

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> On the outskirts of Azure: screams whip your way on the wind from elsewhere in the city, the citizens facing an unknown menace while closer at hand some transformation has a hold over Rosemund. The young priestess is, from all superficial aspects at least, gradually turning into a demon. (more)
<El-Cideon> Your arrival having placed you quite near your inn--much to Aria's evident surprise, as the sorceress had expected her spell to bring you straight to the Union temple----it's with some mild recognition that the innkeep notices you all upon emerging from the establishment to see what the noise is about. Portly, red-nosed and affable, he has just enough time to receive a stern warning from Aria to head back inside where it's safe before he undergoes his own transformation: his flesh melts and flows gelatinously to a formless, hungry mass that instantly surges forward to try and make closer acquaintance with his former patrons!
<El-Cideon> OOC: init
<Steph> roll 1d20+9 i'm going to be going 'what' a lot today
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+9 i'm going to be going 'what' a lot today and gets 29."12 [1d20=20]
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Julia
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 Julia and gets 14."12 [1d20=12]
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Thing
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 Thing and gets 16."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+7 and gets 12."12 [1d20=5]
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Battersby
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 Battersby and gets 22."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 that was Aria this is cat
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 that was Aria this is cat and gets 9."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20-5
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20-5 and gets 15."12 [1d20=20]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+1
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+1 and gets 4."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 ???
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+3 ??? and gets 19."12 [1d20=16]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+2 Leslie
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+2 Leslie and gets 10."12 [1d20=8]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Steph (29) > ??? (19) > Thing (16) > blob (15) > Julia (14) > Aria (12) > Leslie (10) > Barnaby (9) > Fran (4)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph is up
<Steph> roll 1d20+11 maendar
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 maendar and gets 20."12 [1d20=9]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Steph (29) > Maeandar (20) > ??? (19) > Thing (16) > blob (15) > Julia (14) > Aria (12) > Leslie (10) > Barnaby (9) > Fran (4)'
<Julia> "Ladies, would you mind taking care of Leslie and Maeander for me?" Julia asks her companions. "I'm afraid I'll have my hands full otherwise." Likewise the two minions are ordered to defer to Franceska and Stephanie for now.
<Franceska> They just need to kill everything, don't they? Franceska can do that.
<Steph> Stephanie shrieks. "He's a blob! The innkeeper's a blob! I could've been drinking his bodilify fluids! For that he must die!" she exclaims, wasting no time in rush towards the gelatinous creature.
<El-Cideon> "What in all the worlds--" is Aria's stark exclamation of surprise. Whatever manner of corruption she was expecting in the city, this clearly wasn't it.
<Steph> roll 1d20+20 charging a thing
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+20 charging a thing and gets 40."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> OOC: you can't miss without rolling a 1
<Steph> OOC: but I can't crit either, can I
<El-Cideon> OOC: ~
<Steph> roll 1d6+8+1d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+8+1d6 and gets 14."12 [1d6=5][1d6=1]
<Steph> roll 6d6/2
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 6d6/2 and gets 11.5."12 [6d6=1, 4, 6, 3, 4, 5]
<El-Cideon> Steph carves off a hunk of the former entrepreneur, alas with something less than her usual efficiency.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Maeandar and ???
<Steph> "Help me!" yells Stephanie, prompting the undead angel to swoop in on this liquid nemesis!
<Steph> roll 1d20+15 wham bam
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+15 wham bam and gets 33."12 [1d20=18]
<Steph> roll 1d8+12
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d8+12 and gets 20."12 [1d8=8]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+13 and gets 25."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+3
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+3 and gets 6."12 [1d8=3]
<El-Cideon> As the skeletal fallen angel bashes at the formless menace, a crossbow bolt whizzes out of the doorway to strike home as well!
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Steph (29) > Maeandar (20) > Ron (19) > Thing (16) > blob (15) > Julia (14) > Aria (12) > Leslie (10) > Barnaby (9) > Fran (4)'
<El-Cideon> The ooze reaches out a friendly appendage towards the meatier of its two assailants--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 vs Steph
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8 vs Steph and gets 26."12 [1d20=18]
<Steph> OOC: no dice, blob
<El-Cideon> OOC: whoops, Thing was supposed to go first. Well, line up him and Julia, Eb?
<Julia> Thing doesn't want to tangle with a blob so he sticks close to Julia!
<Julia> Indeed the necromancer herself has little in the way of magic useful against such things without getting close. But she has a surrogate for that, casting an inflict spell and transferring it to Thing's greedy fingertips. "Go and kill it Thing!" she orders, leaving her minion no choice but to rush the blob!
<Julia> roll 1d20+10 touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+10 touch and gets 17."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<Julia> roll 3d8+12 DC 22 will half
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 3d8+12 DC 22 will half and gets 34."12 [3d8=7, 7, 8]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20-2 needs a 20
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20-2 needs a 20 and gets 0."12 [1d20=2]
<El-Cideon> As the blob withers from entropic energies, Aria sends forth a whirl of magical bolts. "My apologies, sir, but we've hardly the time to stop and research the possibility of reversing your transformation."
<El-Cideon> roll 5d4+5
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 5d4+5 and gets 16."12 [5d4=3, 1, 4, 1, 2]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Leslie then kitty
<Steph> "Why won't it die? It's some kind of... super blob!"
* Franceska declines to give commands to the Leslie, and so it hides in Julia's shadow while waiting for a chance.
<El-Cideon> Aria's feline sidekick barrels forward--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16 and gets 34."12 [1d20=18]
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16 and gets 20."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+11 and gets 23."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+5
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+5
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d6+5 and gets 8."12 [1d6=3]
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d6+5 and gets 8."12 [1d6=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+2 and gets 4."12 [1d8=2]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 CMB
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18 CMB and gets 25."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran
<El-Cideon> roll 1d3+2 rake actually kitty should've hit with that
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d3+2 rake actually kitty should've hit with that and gets 4."12 [1d3=2]
* Franceska waves her wand at the blob irritably.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+18 umd
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+18 umd and gets 19."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> But Fran's magic sputters and fails in her haste!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph
<Steph> Stephanie steps to the side of the creature, and proceeds poke it with several extremely hard pokes.
<Steph> roll 1d20+18 f. with Maeandar?
<Steph> roll 1d20+18 f. with Maeandar?
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 f. with Maeandar? and gets 31."12 [1d20=13]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+18 f. with Maeandar? and gets 37."12 [1d20=19]
<Steph> roll 1d20+13
<Steph> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+13 and gets 32."12 [1d20=19]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+13 and gets 32."12 [1d20=19]
<Steph> roll 1d6+1d6+8 scumbot
<Steph> roll 1d6+1d6+8 scumbot
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+1d6+8 scumbot and gets 18."12 [1d6=5][1d6=5]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+1d6+8 scumbot and gets 17."12 [1d6=4][1d6=5]
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8 and gets 8."12 [1d4=1][1d8=1]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8 and gets 9."12 [1d4=2][1d8=1]
<Steph> roll 24d6/2
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 24d6/2 and gets 50.5."12 [24d6=4, 4, 4, 4, 1, 6, 6, 1, 6, 3, 5, 2, 2, 5, 6, 3, 5, 5, 6, 5, 6, 4, 3, 5]
<El-Cideon> Finally the shapeless former human is diced beyond all recuperative ability!
<El-Cideon> OOC: free act
<Steph> "Hey, he's dead! Deadish-" calls Stephanie, floating over to the bar itself to find their erstwhile archer.
<Julia> "Perhaps we should fly up and see where the action is centred on?" Julia suggests to her companion.
<El-Cideon> Ron ambles out of the inn proper. "Greetings friends," he whirs at you. "Your trip to the Abyss was eventful?"
<Steph> Ah, he's learned basic greetings! "Yeah, totally! Ron, what happened?" she says, in alarm. "How long as this chaos been chaotic?"
* Franceska returns her attention to Rosemund, with the blob dispatched.
<El-Cideon> "The screaming began shortly before your arrival. I surmise that it is inspired by events such as we have just witnessed," Ron guesses. "I have no grounds for speculation re: cause of transformation. I witnessed nothing suspicious beforehand."
<El-Cideon> Aria looks almost ready to resume hostilities upon Ron's arrival. "This creature is with you?" she asks the party uneasily.
<Steph> Stephanie shakes her head in dismay. "He's not a creature! He's Ron, and he's adorable," she says, glaring at Aria.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund is still unconscious insofar as you can tell, though her eyes remain open and unseeing.
<Julia> "He's a rogue modron if that helps," Julia says.
<El-Cideon> Aria inclines her head. "He has a name? And he is a 'he' after all? Very well. We'll discuss Galina's obvious employment of his brethren later, then."
<Steph> "Right." Stephanie looks around. "Where to?"
<Julia> "Not just his brethren, he used to be employed too!" Julia chirps, "Anyway, we really ought to get a better vantage to plan our next move. Battersby? Up!" she commands, her wyvern winging up above Azure to let them see more of the city.
<El-Cideon> "The temple," Aria reiterates. "I hadn't the time to properly decipher every letter of the correspondence I found before we left the Abyss, but the writer spoke gloatingly of the reverend of a glorious dupe. I would suggest we avoid killing her if at all possible. Few else in town could be better qualified to help your friend." She nods towards Rosemund.
<El-Cideon> OOC: roll Perception, Julia?
<Julia> roll 1d20+2
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 and gets 13."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> The only thing Julia can easily discern from a far off panorama is that altercations like the one the party just had are obviously occurring all at points throughout the city.
<Franceska> "Excuse me?" Franceska asks, tearing away from Rosemund at that. "Why would she help us if we want to kill her?"
<Steph> "Because we might not kill her if she helps us, silly."
<Franceska> "You'd trust someone like that doing magic on Rosemund?!"
<Steph> "Sure, when I'm behind her."
<Julia> "It's chaos all over!" Julia calls down from her vantage. "The temple sounds our best bet."
<El-Cideon> "Her complicity is unclear," Aria states. "I don't know how far she understands what is happening or might be responsible for it, only that it originates from under her roof."
<Steph> Stephanie grimaces. "Right! Let's go! Questions first, violence later," she declares, before zooming towards the temple.
<El-Cideon> En route across the open corridor at the center of Azure's great spiral, the party comes into sight of the Furies' mobile headquarters. The company's drow mage is at the prow of the bony corpse ship when you arrive, laughing with mirth as he incinerates a familiar oozy enemy. Her Grace the Duchess Ismaela, six-plus feet worth of claws and thorns the color of cast iron, gives the party a wave in passing. "Still all human, are you?" she observes with approval.
<Steph> "You don't think we're weak 'cos we're not all spiky, do you?" asks Stephanie, pausing.
<Franceska> "Do you know who must die for this?" Franceska calls out to the Duchess.
<Julia> "Those of us that arrived here human anyway..." Julia says, Rosemund's own transformation hardly off her mind.
<El-Cideon> "Are you engaged in extermination work here, then?" Aria asks the demonkin woman. Ismaela gives her a stiff nod. "We poked our head in to see what was what and this thing got in our way, that's all." To Franceska, she can only shake her head. "Had a good look at things from above, though. Crier says the worst business runs along factional borders. Not people fighting each other, just more of this."
<Steph> "They'll start playing the blame game soon enough," swears Stephanie. "Do you know anything about the situation at the Concordant Temple?"
<El-Cideon> Ismaela shrugs. "Imagine it's more of the same, unless her high and mightiness is keeping whatever this curse is off their backs."
<El-Cideon> Aria seems to reach some manner of conclusion and addresses the mercenary leader with an authoritative air: "Ismaela, you and your friends are to make a circuit of the town and destroy all border markers posted by the Union. I've not had opportunity to scan one for magic, but a plan becomes clear in my mind."
<El-Cideon> Ismaela gives Aria a flat stare. "I don't take orders from you," she says.
<El-Cideon> "No, but you'll do it anyway on behalf of the most pleasant safe haven you're ever likely to find," Aria counters. She nods to the party. "We should hurry."
<Franceska> It seems clear who is at fault, and Franceska nods back.
<Steph> Stephanie nods to herself, and likewise prepares to move out.
<El-Cideon> Outside of the temple, you find waiting for you another familiar face: Vigilia is posted at the front gate, flanked by a quartet of robed brothers and sisters of the order. There is some physical sign that the group has been recently subject to some manner of violence, but all retain their expected corporeal form so far. Vigilia's squadron of celestial minders is not in evidence and she looks wary upon your arrival. "What's your business here?" she asks cautiously, without friendly preamble.
<Steph> Stephanie glances at Vigilia. "Hey, we gotta talk to you and only you for a sec," she declares. "Aria, show her the book."
<El-Cideon> "It's written in code," Aria says quietly. "It would not help."
<Julia> "To stop whatever's turning people into oozes. Don't you recognise us, Vigilia?" Julia asks, though admittedly Julia's undead coterie might put the holy maiden ill at ease since this is the first time she'd have seen them.
<Franceska> "And it's someone right here!" Franceska snaps. "Pretending to be nice and helpful! That demon bitch!"
<El-Cideon> "I recognize you. You'll forgive my suspicion, but we've had several unprovoked attacks here already," Vigilia says. "Sister Anya instructed me to secure the temple and that is what I mean to do." She bristles at Franceska's accusation. "Whatever transpires now affects the whole town, one can hear as much even from here. On what grounds could you possibly accuse the Reverend of personal involvement?"
<Franceska> "On the fucking grounds that it's happening only around the markers this temple placed around town!"
<Steph> "We've overheard demonic forces discussing things only she could have known!" exclaims Stephanie. "We have a book that implicates her! We don't make these accusations lightly, you know us!"
<El-Cideon> The flame-haired woman pointedly ignores Franceska. "Show me this book," she insists to Stephanie.
<Steph> Stephanie balks. "It's in code," she mutters.
<Steph> She shakes her head. "Aria Granville decoded it," she rallies. "And this is her home! She was even attacked by demons recently, there's no reason to doubt!"
<El-Cideon> Vigilia's expression is unsympathetic. "I admit with all due grace my past debt to you and your friends, but I cannot admit any who might wish ill towards the Reverend." Aria steps forward holding the correspondence journal. "You can only take my word for it as a native and lifelong defender of Azure's freedom that I have spent these past days tracing the demonic architect behind this unrest and concluded that she resides within the temple walls based on writings to her consort back in the Abyss. She *may* not be the Reverend, but someone else serving her. Please be assured that we will not exercise undue violence, but also that we would not cast such aspersions casually!"
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6+8 diplo, unfortunately she only has intimidate so hero pointing it. Anyone else involved can aid
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6+8 diplo, unfortunately she only has intimidate so hero pointing it. Anyone else involved can aid and gets 30."12 [1d20=16]
<Steph> roll 1d20+12 aiddd
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+12 aiddd and gets 28."12 [1d20=16]
<Julia> roll 1d20+6 the necromancer aids!
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+6 the necromancer aids! and gets 9."12 [1d20=3]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+20 I hate demons
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+20 I hate demons and gets 23."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> A moment of conflicted expressions, then Vigilia stands aside and gestures for her companions to do the same. "On grounds of past deeds and convictions...go with my permission. But we will have more than words to share later if you bring harm to the Reverend," she adds with some regret.
<Steph> Stephanie walks forward, and presses a sheathed sword into Vigilia's hand. "This is the sword I use for people," she says. "I'll keep the sword I use for demons. You can return it when we leave and the promise is upheld."
<Julia> "Thank you," Julia says, urging Battersby to fold his wings in and chicken-walk into the church.
* Franceska once more focuses on Rosemund with the immediate obstacle removed.
<El-Cideon> Vigilia gives Stephanie a solemn, serious nod. "Thank you," she adds. "I must stay and ward the gate against less mindful visitors. I trust you'll find nothing inside amiss," she adds with sincere hopefulness.
<Steph> Stephanie nods, and then follows her comrades inside.
<El-Cideon> The temple is strangely depopulated, albeit as light and airy and superficially welcoming as ever. "I know not where precisely to find the Reverend," Aria admits, leading the way. "We could check her quarters first. She might be holding audience in the auditorium...in truth I would think the best place for her at times such is this would be out helping to quell the violence, but the doorguard did speak as though she were home. I suppose we could chase down her immediate subordinates failing other options."
<Steph> "How can we track a demon? You got any spells? Or anything that'll deal with illusions?"
<El-Cideon> "Illusions are of no consequence to me," Aria says, significantly tapping just to the side of her eye. "But something that has physically altered its form, that is trickier."
<Franceska> "Cut everyone. Those that don't bleed are demons!" Franceska snarls.
<Steph> "Demons bleed, you moron!"
<El-Cideon> "A sound plan, if you believe you can convince the demons to cooperate with it," Aria says with a wry look.
<Julia> "A shame we don't have any holy weapons," Julia admits. "But hopefully she'll react to Maeander's husk if nothing else."
<Steph> "Uh, actually..."
<Steph> She frowns. "No, I see what you mean. Don't think it works that way," she admits.
<Steph> She pauses. "But I've got this!" she says, grabbing at her necklace. "I think it works like what I think you want?"
<Franceska> "They can cast their holy spells on each other, too. I don't care."
<Steph> "Franceska," hisses Stephanie. "We can't go around cutting everyone! We have to think of something else or they'll scream and Vigilia will come stomp on us!"
<El-Cideon> Aria wends through silent corridors to a wing of modest, nearly unfurnished sleeping corridors. She opens a door at the end of the hall and peeks in on a plain sleeping cell no visually different from any other in the hall, and markedly simpler than the cluttered office where you'd visited Sister Anya just some days past. "Not here," Aria concludes. "The auditorium?"
<Julia> "Sounds good to me," Julia says.
<El-Cideon> Cutting through a couple intersections and lush gardens, Aria brings you to a long corridor terminating in a heavy wooden door. Curious piles of ash litter the hallway, and there is a quiet sound of...weeping? A faint orb of light flickers fitfully in a far corner.
<Franceska> "It's easy if she already cut everyone first," Franceska says darkly.
<Julia> "Hello?" Julia calls out. She'd wondered what happened to the archons! But... "Where are your friends? What happened?"
<El-Cideon> The last archon bobs pitifully up into the air. "Magic! Evil magic! We were so worried keeping everyone else safe from Vigilia we didn't think enough about keeping her safe from everyone else...now she only listens to the priestesses, and when we went to confront them about it--" It oscillates agitatedly, gesturing to the lumps of ash littering the corridor.
<Franceska> "Go and tell her about it! Right now!"
<Julia> "Wait, Vigilia did this?" Julia asks, wide-eyed.
<El-Cideon> It shoots up right before Julia's face. "No no no! Never say such things! The evil priestess did this!"
<Franceska> "What is her name?" Franceska asks slowly. "Tell us before you go tell Vigilia all about it."
<Julia> "Oh, right," Julia deflates in relief.
<Steph> "Go and tell Vigilia! Right now!" says Stephanie, angrily. "She needs to know! Tell her to come in here and see it for herself-" She nods, firmly. "That."
<El-Cideon> "Sister Anya! She said to Vigilia to go outside and not let anyone in, and we couldn't talk Vigilia out of it, and now something horrible is happening!"
<Steph> "Where?"
<El-Cideon> It jets back and does a little spiral in the air just outside the big door.
* Franceska points back. "Go already!"
<El-Cideon> The little archon shoots off down the corridor and out of sight.,
<Julia> "Battersby, bring down that door!" Julia commands her wyvern which throws its not inconsiderable bulk at the obstacle!
<Steph> Stephanie grabs Franceska, and invokes the power of her amulet to share her pain.
<Franceska> About to do do the unreasonable thing and kick it down herself, Franceska instead casts a spell that makes wooden spikes shoot out of her skin as a small measure of her hate, just a short moment after Stephanie lets go of her.
<El-Cideon> OOC: roll STR or damage to batter down the door? It's plainly barred inside, judging by first impact
<Julia> roll 1d20+7 str check
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+7 str check and gets 19."12 [1d20=12]
<El-Cideon> The door barely budges against Battersby's undead fury!
<Julia> "Everyone help out!" Julia says, as Battersby isn't strong enough by himself.
<Steph> "Let me," swears Stephanie, walking towards the door and punching a hole in it.
<Steph> OOC: Mountain Hammer, I only need a small gap
<Steph> roll 1d3+2d6+7
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d3+2d6+7 and gets 14."12 [1d3=3][2d6=3, 1]
<El-Cideon> Stephanie rends deep chunks from the door, but not a clear path. Chanting can be heard from within.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+5 catclaws!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+5 catclaws!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d6+5 catclaws! and gets 10."12 [1d6=5]
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d6+5 catclaws! and gets 7."12 [1d6=2]
<Julia> "Maeander, Battersby, just attack it!" Julia snaps, both her undead lashing out!
<Julia> roll 1d20+17
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+17 and gets 20."12 [1d20=3]
<Julia> roll 3d8+12
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 3d8+12 and gets 27."12 [3d8=8, 2, 5]
<Julia> roll 1d8+15 Maeander
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8+15 Maeander and gets 20."12 [1d8=5]
<El-Cideon> It shatters into splinters and reveals--
<El-Cideon> An open, circular meeting hall that once surely must have played host to peace negotiations and sincere prayers, but now any divine paraphrenalia has been cleared away and in the center of this large space sits a glass tank. Filled with sizzling green acid, a skeleton rests on the bottom of the tank and at the top congeals a layer of disintegrated flesh and clothing. Just before it kneels the Reverend Bernadette, deep in prayer. She looks strange; her expression is not a comfortable one and trails of tears are evident streaking from her wide, unblinking eyes. Watching with approval at her side is the robed Sister Anya, as blonde and handsome as ever but now in a rather predatory fashion. At her side hulks a monstrous, towering demon with a collection of extra arms and gleaming violet eyes. "Vigilia proves ever less fearsome than her babysitters thought, I see," Anya observes drily.
<Julia> "Oh, it wasn't the reverend after all. Anyway, we brought Maeander here to see you, do you recognise him?" Julia smiles and gestures at the angelic skeleton that just helped break down the door.
<Franceska> "You demon whore! You'll die for this!" Franceska cries out, rage clouding her mind far too much.
<Steph> "Take her alive," mutters Stephanie. More loudly, she adds- "She can choose later to die fast or slow."
<El-Cideon> Anya actually laughs. "Oh my. I'll get much less fun out of him this way. However shall I while away my afternoons without my dear fallen angel to cry and whine about the injustice of it all and What Fools These Mortals Be."
<Steph> "You think you're someone special, don't you?" Stephanie's blades form a cross before her face. "Just like all the others we stepped on. Guess what? Reality's calling."
<Julia> "Now you're just taking the fun out of it," Julia pouts, starting to work some magic.
<El-Cideon> Anya leans in with a stage whisper to the Reverend: "Keep at it, sweet thing. Peace and harmony are imminent." She crooks a finger to the party. "Come and get us."
<El-Cideon> OOC: init
<Steph> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+9 and gets 19."12 [1d20=10]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+1
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Julia
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+1 and gets 5."12 [1d20=4]
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 Julia and gets 14."12 [1d20=12]
<Julia> roll 1d20+2 Battersby
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+2 Battersby and gets 17."12 [1d20=15]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+2 Leslie
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+2 Leslie and gets 16."12 [1d20=14]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 Aria
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+7 Aria and gets 27."12 [1d20=20]
<Julia> roll 1d20+7 Thing
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+7 Thing and gets 13."12 [1d20=6]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 cat
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 cat and gets 11."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 Opal
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8 Opal and gets 13."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20 demon
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20 demon and gets 5."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 Ron
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+3 Ron and gets 16."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20-5 ???
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20-5 ??? and gets -4."12 [1d20=1]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Aria (27) > Steph (19) > Battersby (17) > Leslie = Ron (16) > Julia (14) > Opalneswynthax = Thing (13) > Barnaby (11) > Fran = glabrezu (5) > ???'
<El-Cideon> Aria focuses first on a quick spell to hasten the party, then points an admonishing finger towards the false apostle--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13 this is a save!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+13 this is a save! and gets 19."12 [1d20=6]
<El-Cideon> OOC: SR sadly not nuked, but party hasted!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph
<Steph> Stephanie exhales, and then a moment later, she's in front the cruel bitch before her. Her customary puff of fire explodes behind her, and she drives both swords towards her target's ribs!
<El-Cideon> OOC: roll will before anything else
<Steph> roll 1d20+16 let's blitz this thing, mopm
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+16 let's blitz this thing, mopm and gets 24."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: carry on
<Steph> roll 1d20+16
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+16 and gets 27."12 [1d20=11]
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+17 and gets 36."12 [1d20=19]
<Steph> roll 1d20+17 crit
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+17 crit and gets 33."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> OOC: one hit, no crit
<Steph> OOC: Oh, fuck. Those rolls should all be +2 for the flank.
<El-Cideon> OOC: crit, then
<Steph> roll 2d4+12+1d8+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 2d4+12+1d8+6d6 and gets 38."12 [2d4=1, 1][1d8=5][6d6=5, 5, 1, 4, 1, 3]
<El-Cideon> OOC: oh, Good weapon or not?
<Steph> OOC: No. Cold iron.
<El-Cideon> OOC: good enough for her
<Steph> roll 1d20+11 also init.
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 also init. and gets 31."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> A passive, calming aura washes over Stephanie the moment she steps into proximity with the Reverend--but it's not powerful enough to overvome her blinding hatred for all meddling demons and "Sister Anya" gets a fearsome slash across her abdomen
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Maeandar (31) > Aria (27) > Steph (19) > Battersby (17) > Leslie = Ron (16) > Julia (14) > Opalneswynthax = Thing (13) > Barnaby (11) > Fran = glabrezu (5) > ???'
<El-Cideon> OOC: go ahead and belatedly take Maeandar's act?
<Steph> Maeandar lumbers into position and strikes the fiend once across the brow!
<Steph> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+15 and gets 23."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: whiff. Battersby, then Leslie and Ron are up
<Julia> There's only one foe with the stature for Battersby to battle here, and the wyvern rolls over the glabrezu!
<Julia> roll 1d20+19 talon
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+19 talon and gets 27."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<Julia> roll 3d6+8 and improved grab
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 3d6+8 and improved grab and gets 18."12 [3d6=6, 1, 3]
<Julia> roll 1d20+17 CMB
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+17 CMB and gets 35."12 [1d20=18]
<El-Cideon> OOC: grappled
<Julia> roll 1d8+8 free stinger attack
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d8+8 free stinger attack and gets 10."12 [1d8=2]
<El-Cideon> "Present armanents not ideal for tanar'ri termination," Ron admits, firing a quintet of bolts at the bulkier foe anyway.
<El-Cideon> roll 5#1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 5#1d20+14 and gets 100."12 [5#1d20+14 = 17, 19, 28, 20, 16]
<Franceska> Julia's shadow detaches itself at an angry gesture from Franceska and draws towards the glabrezu she is pointing at.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+3
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+3 and gets 7."12 [1d8=4]
<Franceska> roll 1d20+6 touch
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+6 touch and gets 25."12 [1d20=19]
<Franceska> roll 1d8 str
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d8 str and gets 3."12 [1d8=3]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Maeandar (31) > Aria (27) > Steph (19) > Battersby (17) > Leslie = Ron (16) > Julia (14) > Opalneswynthax = Thing (13) > Barnaby (11) > Fran = glabrezu (5, -3 STR) > ???'
<El-Cideon> Immediately grabbed and drained of its strength, the huge demon roars in fury!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia
<Franceska> "Ron!" Fanceska snaps. "Get that dumb, dominated priestess out of here!"
<El-Cideon> "Affirmative," Ron agrees.
<Julia> Having been about to move Bernadette herself, Julia gladly frees up some time to change her spell over to a different staple, firing a beam of enervating anti-energy at Opal!
<Julia> roll 1d20+8 ranged touch
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+8 ranged touch and gets 16."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: miss
<El-Cideon> OOC: line up Thing whil Opal acts~
<Julia> Thing just turns invisible but stays where he is. "Give me bad touch magic and me'll kill pretty demon-lady!" he beseeches his master.
<El-Cideon> "I can't allow you to lay hands on my dear Reverend!" Opal counters. "Her work is not yet finished, after all~ Just think, so very soon there will be no more fighting in Azure. Simple beings pursuing simple ambitions. Wouldn't the city be so much calmer that way?" Four barbed tentacles rip through the back of Opal's robe and lash out at Stephanie in conjunction with her claws.
<El-Cideon> roll 4#1d20+22 stingers
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 4#1d20+22 stingers and gets 142."12 [4#1d20+22 = 32, 37, 34, 39]
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+20 claws
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2#1d20+20 claws and gets 62."12 [2#1d20+20 = 23, 39]
<Steph> OOC: Four stingers and a claw hit, likely ruining my whole day
<El-Cideon> roll 4#1d4+3
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 4#1d4+3 and gets 20."12 [4#1d4+3 = 6, 5, 4, 5]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+1
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d6+1 and gets 6."12 [1d6=5]
<Steph> roll 4#1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 4#1d20+10 and gets 86."12 [4#1d20+10 = 26, 12, 27, 21]
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6 WIS three of them passed
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d6 WIS three of them passed and gets 5."12 [2d6=3, 2]
<El-Cideon> More oft than not, opal's attacks strike home, injecting Stephanie with a toxin that dulls her senses!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran, line up while I handle cat?
<El-Cideon> Barnaby snarls and charges ahead--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 kitty will
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 kitty will and gets 17."12 [1d20=11]
<El-Cideon> --but the moment he closes into Bernadette's proximity, he halts in his tracks with a confused hiss and takes no further action!
<Franceska> Her next gesture is also at the glabrezu, which is suddenly spiked from beneath!
<Franceska> roll 10d6 ref DC21 half
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 10d6 ref DC21 half and gets 40."12 [10d6=3, 3, 6, 3, 4, 1, 5, 5, 6, 4]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 ref
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8 ref and gets 11."12 [1d20=3]
<Franceska> OOC: Pinned
* Franceska jumps off Battersby, then, and becomes a bear!
<El-Cideon> The great demon howls in rage and makes a fighting attempt to fight free first the spar of stone piercing it from beneath!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+9 STR
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+9 STR and gets 19."12 [1d20=10]
<El-Cideon> From within the tank, the acid takes voluntary motion and surges out to slop over the side, the fleshy impression of an agonized human face still visible sizzling away on its surface.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 vs Steph
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8 vs Steph and gets 19."12 [1d20=11]
<Steph> OOC: try harder
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Maeandar (31) > Aria (27) > Steph (19) > Battersby (17) > Leslie = Ron (16) > Julia (14) > Opalneswynthax = Thing (13) > Barnaby (11) > Fran = glabrezu (5, -3 STR) > acid blob'
<El-Cideon> OOC: Maeandar
<Steph> Maeandar steps to flank with Stephanie, and lays on with his mace once more!
<Steph> roll 1d20+16
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+16 and gets 19."12 [1d20=3]
<Steph> roll 1d20+16
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+16 and gets 30."12 [1d20=14]
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 and gets 24."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> OOC: all miss
<El-Cideon> OOC: line up Steph while Aria goes?
<El-Cideon> Aria mutters arcane imprecations and a cloud of toxic gas suffuses the field--yet carefully excluding herself or any of her allies involved in the melee.
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+18 CL checks first
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2#1d20+18 CL checks first and gets 62."12 [2#1d20+18 = 31, 31]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13 Opal fort
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+13 Opal fort and gets 28."12 [1d20=15]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 glab fort
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18 glab fort and gets 33."12 [1d20=15]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+9 blob fort
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+9 blob fort and gets 22."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> roll 18d6 blob takes full
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 18d6 blob takes full and gets 62."12 [18d6=6, 1, 5, 3, 6, 3, 1, 3, 6, 6, 3, 1, 5, 1, 6, 1, 3, 2]
<Steph> Stephanie flickers and then outright vanishes before the fiend's eyes. "You're- you're an idiot and I hate you!" she exclaims, unable to summon even her own low standard of wit for this battle with her mind so foggy. Fortunately, her wrists are still quick enough to deliver an impossibly fast series of blows.
<Steph> roll 1d20+20
<Steph> roll 1d20+20
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+20 and gets 28."12 [1d20=8]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+20 and gets 33."12 [1d20=13]
<Steph> roll 1d20+21
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+21 and gets 32."12 [1d20=11]
<Steph> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+15 and gets 23."12 [1d20=8]
<Steph> roll 1d20+16
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+16 and gets 28."12 [1d20=12]
<Steph> OOC: no dex
<Steph> OOC: unless she has hax, I guess
<El-Cideon> OOC: then all but the 23 hit. She likes her DEX
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+6d6+2d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+7+6d6+2d6 and gets 26."12 [1d6=1][6d6=2, 4, 1, 2, 1, 4][2d6=3, 1]
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8+6d6 and gets 35."12 [1d4=2][1d8=3][6d6=3, 4, 5, 5, 5, 2]
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8+6d6
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8+6d6 and gets 24."12 [1d4=3][1d8=4][6d6=2, 2, 1, 4, 1, 1]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8+6d6 and gets 35."12 [1d4=1][1d8=2][6d6=6, 1, 5, 4, 6, 4]
<Steph> OOC: Wait, that can't be right. Sec.
<Steph> OOC: Ignore those last three rolls
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+6d6+2d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d6+7+6d6+2d6 and gets 46."12 [1d6=6][6d6=6, 4, 6, 5, 1, 4][2d6=1, 6]
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8+6d6 and gets 34."12 [1d4=3][1d8=1][6d6=2, 2, 6, 6, 3, 5]
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8+6d6
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8+6d6 and gets 35."12 [1d4=4][1d8=1][6d6=3, 3, 6, 3, 5, 4]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Maeandar (31) > Aria (27) > Steph (19) > Battersby (17) > Leslie = Ron (16) > Julia (14) > Thing (13) > Barnaby (11) > Fran = glabrezu (5, -3 STR) > acid blob'
<El-Cideon> Like so many other foes, the scheming lilitu evaporates into a fine mist before the fierce hate of Stephanie's blades!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Battersby
<Julia> Curling up around the impaled glabrezu, Battersby happily uses his magically enhanced speed to use the demon as a chew-toy. At least as happily as any zombie ever gets anyway.
<Steph> "Oh, fuck! She's dead! I killed her!" says Stephanie, in horror.
<Julia> roll 1d20+18 bite
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+18 bite and gets 23."12 [1d20=5]
<Julia> roll 1d20+18 bite
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+18 bite and gets 31."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> OOC: latter hits
<Julia> roll 3d8+12
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 3d8+12 and gets 16."12 [3d8=1, 1, 2]
<Franceska> Leslie continues to assault the glabrezu, in the absence of new orders, while Franceska yells, "You moron!" at Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Leslie and Ron
<Steph> "She hit me!" protests Stephanie.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+6 touch
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+6 touch and gets 12."12 [1d20=6]
<Franceska> roll 1d8 str
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d8 str and gets 4."12 [1d8=4]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Maeandar (31) > Aria (27) > Steph (19) > Battersby (17) > Leslie = Ron (16) > Julia (14) > Thing (13) > Barnaby (11) > Fran = glabrezu (5, -7 STR) > acid blob'
<Julia> "And you taught her to never do so again," Julia concludes sagely.
<El-Cideon> Run trundles forward and grabs Reverend Bernadette as politely as possible. "It has been suggested that you would be better off outside of the battle proper," Ron says, dragging her away from the tank.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia
<Julia> Julia elects to let her minions do the rest of the work rather than wasting spells on the glabrezu.
<Julia> Thing sadly bereft of killing magic does little himself.
<El-Cideon> With the Reverend dragged away, whatever aura kept Aria's pet in thrall seems to leave its hold. It lunges at the pinned demon to rip and tear!
<El-Cideon> roll 3#1d20+17
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 3#1d20+17 and gets 84."12 [3#1d20+17 = 33, 29, 22]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+12 and gets 20."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+5
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+5
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d6+5 and gets 6."12 [1d6=1]
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d6+5 and gets 7."12 [1d6=2]
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran and demon
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 struggling for freedom!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+7 struggling for freedom! and gets 17."12 [1d20=10]
* Franceska just loses her urge to rip and tear at the demon, reverting to her favored human form and aiming at the demon with her crown.
<Franceska> roll 1d20+15 SR
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+15 SR and gets 18."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> OOC: whiff
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 blob vs Steph
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8 blob vs Steph and gets 22."12 [1d20=14]
<Steph> OOC: It misses again. Silly blob.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Maeandar!
<Steph> Maeandar is willing to smash the blob where Stephanie can't!
<Steph> roll 1d20+14
<Steph> roll 1d20+14
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+14 and gets 22."12 [1d20=8]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+14 and gets 16."12 [1d20=2]
<Steph> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+9 and gets 14."12 [1d20=5]
<Steph> OOC: Oh, add 2 to them. flank yay
<El-Cideon> OOC: all hit, no AC at all
<Steph> roll 1d8+12
<Steph> roll 1d8+12
<Steph> roll 1d8+12
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d8+12 and gets 14."12 [1d8=2]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d8+12 and gets 15."12 [1d8=3]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d8+12 and gets 13."12 [1d8=1]
<El-Cideon> Aria sends a barrage of bolts whirling towards the blob, and another for the demon!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 CL for the latter
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18 CL for the latter and gets 26."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> roll 5d4+5 blob
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 5d4+5 blob and gets 18."12 [5d4=1, 2, 4, 4, 2]
<El-Cideon> roll 5d4+5 demon
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 5d4+5 demon and gets 19."12 [5d4=2, 2, 4, 3, 3]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Maeandar (31) > Aria (27) > Steph (19) > Battersby (17) > Leslie = Ron (16) > Julia (14) > Thing (13) > Barnaby (11) > Fran = glabrezu (5, -7 STR)'
<El-Cideon> The ooze disintegrates at last, leaving no trace of its victim save the skeleton in the tank.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph
<Steph> Stephanie points her sword at the glabrezu. "Stop struggling! I can dice a turkey in under six seconds!"
<El-Cideon> The great demon merely glares its hatred back at her!
<El-Cideon> OOC: no action?
<Steph> Unimpressed by the demon's lack of submission, Stephanie pounces at him.
<Steph> roll 1d20+14 nl
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+14 nl and gets 22."12 [1d20=8]
<Steph> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+15 and gets 31."12 [1d20=16]
<Steph> roll 1d20+15
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+15 and gets 28."12 [1d20=13]
<Steph> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+10 and gets 24."12 [1d20=14]
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d20+11 and gets 27."12 [1d20=16]
<Steph> OOC: all nl attacks since I'm spapy
<El-Cideon> OOC: 27 and above hit
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8 and gets 8."12 [1d4=1][1d8=1]
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8 and gets 12."12 [1d4=3][1d8=3]
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+1d8
* Hatbot --> "Steph rolls 1d4+6+1d8 and gets 18."12 [1d4=4][1d8=8]
<El-Cideon> The demon takes several blunt blows to the face, but remains standing!
<El-Cideon> OOC: undead crew
<Franceska> Leslie continues draining the demon's vitality, slowly and surely!
<Franceska> roll 1d20+6 touch
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d20+6 touch and gets 11."12 [1d20=5]
<Franceska> roll 1d8 str
* Hatbot --> "Franceska rolls 1d8 str and gets 1."12 [1d8=1]
<Julia> Battersby keeps right on gnawing at his prey!
<Julia> roll 1d20+18 bite
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+18 bite and gets 34."12 [1d20=16]
<Julia> roll 1d20+18 bite
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+18 bite and gets 29."12 [1d20=11]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: subjective gravity | Maeandar (31) > Aria (27) > Steph (19) > Battersby (17) > Leslie = Ron (16) > Julia (14) > Thing (13) > Barnaby (11) > Fran = glabrezu (5, -8 STR)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: both hit
<Julia> roll 2#3d8+12
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 2#3d8+12 and gets 41."12 [2#3d8+12 = 20, 21]
<El-Cideon> With a last roar, the monstrous fiend collapses to the floor--not quite, one could tell, deceased.
<El-Cideon> OOC: free act
<Steph> Stephanie steps towards it, shaking her head. "He's gonna have to do. You, you don't know, that bitch was just too fast, I couldn't hold back!"
<Julia> roll 1d20+13 planes, how long will it take for a demon to reform and what are its odds of demotion?
* Hatbot --> "Julia rolls 1d20+13 planes, how long will it take for a demon to reform and what are its odds of demotion? and gets 24."12 [1d20=11]
* Franceska turns on her heels and heads after Ron.
<Steph> "How can we restrain this fucker?"
<El-Cideon> Aria accompanies Franceska and closely examines the still-fervently-pryaing Reverend. After a moment, Aria chants a spell--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 dispel attempt!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18 dispel attempt! and gets 22."12 [1d20=4]
<El-Cideon> --to no visible effect. Undaunted, she tries again!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 dispel attempt! mk 2!
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18 dispel attempt! mk 2! and gets 28."12 [1d20=10]
<Julia> "It's alright Stephanie, no one can predict how things go in the heat of battle. And stop eating that Battersby," Julia says distractedly as she ponders over the question she set herself.
<El-Cideon> Reverend Bernadette blinks, clutches her head a moment to get her bearings, and looks around the audience hall in stark horror. "Oh gods, what--what have I done?"
<Julia> "Anyway, if we wait long enough there's a chance I could summon Opal if she were to be demoted for her failure here," she eventually concludes.
<Steph> Stephanie shakes her head a moment, and then rushes over to Bernadette, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Dominated. You were dominated," she says. "It's over. It's done. You're free of that."
<Franceska> "How do we stop the transformation magic?" Franceska demands of her.
<El-Cideon> "Transformation magic, what--" She looks from one of you to the other in confusion. "You must tell me what has been done! I cannot help unless I know, unless I know what crimes I have committed!"
<Franceska> "People are turning into blobs! And, and demons!"
<Julia> "Just blobs, the demon thing's a separate issue," Julia interjects.
<Franceska> "You don't know that!" Franceska shrieks. "Stop it! Right this instant!"
<El-Cideon> "I--I vaguely remember saying things, chanting for peace and harmony..." She looks distraught. "I think some of it should stop without me...causing it all any longer."
<Steph> Stephanie grabs Fracenska by the shoulders. "Get it together!"
<Julia> "Well lets go outside and have a look?" Julia suggests.
* Franceska just slumps.
<El-Cideon> Bernadette looks around and catches a glimpse of the glass tank. "Oh gods, Sister Mercy--I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" She falls to her knees before the skeleton and sobs.
<Julia> "It's not your fault it was Opal or Anya or whatever she calls herself," Julia says soothingly. "You can't blame yourself for things you did under compulsion, not when you had no control."
<Steph> "Look, uh, guys, we should probably think about next moves," mutters Stephanie. "Aria, keep an eye on things here. We should go tell Vigilia everything, and maybe she can restore order to Azure."
<El-Cideon> "I allowed her into my home! I trusted her! Only my own weakness could be the root cause." Aria cuts in: "All due respect, Reverend, but you can feel sorry for yourself later. There are some in your presence that require attention right now."
<El-Cideon> Bernadette looks around from one of you to another, spies Rosemund strapped to Battersby. "Oh my! Is she dead?"
<Julia> "Yes, lets go outside and see if things have calmed down or if we still need to pacify anything," Julia agrees, sending Battersby ambling back out and leaving the comatose demon behind.
<Franceska> "Whatever." Franceska shakes her head slowly. "We came here for help with a curse. But that's when it happened, didn't it? Temples. Hah!"
<Steph> Stephanie grimaces. "She, she turned into a demon," she says, helplessly. "See what you can do."
<El-Cideon> "Bring her down from that...beast," Bernadette urges with just a hint of distaste. "I will look at her."
<Julia> Stopping Battersby, Julia picks Rosemund up and then floats off and down. Easy enough to do on Air even for a comparative weakling like her!
<El-Cideon> Bernadette prises away the robe Rosemund's been shrouded in, just enough to see the physical effects of Rosemund's transformation. "Oh!" the Reverend gasps. "She was not at all like this when you came to us before." Bernadette kneels down next to Rosemund and examines her at length; there's a distant look in her eyes, and one could get the sense that whatever's she looking at exceeds the merely material. "Some rot has taken hold in her soul," she says with a worried air. "How did this happen? How long ago?"
<Franceska> "Days?" Franceska says uncertainly. "She only transformed minutes ago. It was that tentacled freak's fault!"
<Julia> "Less than an hour ago, though she'd complained of feeling odd long before," Julia says. "We were told Opal may have had some responsibility but well we never had chance to question her about it."
<El-Cideon> "Opal?" Bernadette is plainly unfamiliar with the name.
<Steph> "Anya."
<Franceska> "That demon whore!"
<Julia> "Anya was really a demon called Opalneswynthax. Opal for short," Julia helpfully elaborates.
<El-Cideon> "Oh." She looks at Rosemund. "I wish I knew better the cause. This is very advanced, she'll be a stranger to us soon if it isn't stopped..." She looks speculative. "You've no notion of what exactly was done to her?"
<Steph> "Let's go through everything? Everything Rosemund did since coming here?" suggests Stephanie, glancing worriedly at the others.
<Franceska> "She had that curse! Of nightmares from an evil tree! And those bastards laughed about making it better! Come on, it has to be this, she was never a demon when she was growing up!"
<El-Cideon> "A curse?" Bernadette echoes.
<Steph> "Yeah- yeah, that's why we were here. So, so maybe they made the nightmares come true? Somehow?"
<Julia> "There was a tree in the old asylum. A nighttwist. She got the killing blow and it cursed her with nightmares," Julia says. "Though we did stop them after the first night, didn't we?"
<El-Cideon> "You were here, for this?" Bernadette presses Stephanie. "I was never told of this visit. I fear Anya--Opal--may have...refined it rather than curing it."
<Julia> "Wait, yes! It was Anya who cured it! With a limited wish scroll!"
<Steph> Stephanie looks incredulous. "You can use that? To turn someone into a demon?"
<Franceska> "I don't know! But she clearly did! So fix it!"
<Julia> "She could have snuck some other spell in there without us noticing. Or used a different scroll entirely?" Julia says thoughtfully.
<El-Cideon> Bernadette nods. "The proper magic to reverse such a thing is beyond my ordinary capabilites...but I will beseech greater powers for their intercession in an act of penance." Bernadette clasps her hands together, closes her eyes, and starts speaking distantly in Celestial.
<El-Cideon> There are brief pauses, as though a conversation half-heard was in progress before you, then with a resigned expression Bernadette presses one hand over Rosemund's heart. There's a subtle hum in the air, a faintly perceptible light, and then it's the Reverend's turn to change--the color runs out of her hair, she ages before your eyes, and ultimately collapses limply on top of Rosemund.
<Steph> Stephanie gasps.
<Julia> Julia has a curse that does just that! Though she's never had an excuse to use it. Still, she suspects Bernadette sacrificed herself for Rosemund while wallowing in guilt for her participation in Opal's schemes, and the necromancer rests a finger against the reverend's neck to check her pulse.
<El-Cideon> Bernadette is feebly alive, but clearly not conscious.
* Franceska doesn't care about anyone aside from Rosemund, and checks on her instead.
<Steph> "She didn't need to go that far," mutters Stephanie.
<Julia> "She's still alive, barely," Julia says, carefully lifting her off of Rosemund.
<Steph> "I'll, I'll take her to one of the rooms," says Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund appears physically unchanged--but when she blinks her now-amber eyes and looks around the room to wonder, "What am I doing on the floor?" in a strangled voice, it's with recognizably characteristic bewilderment.
* Julia nods. "Rest seems the best thing for her now," she says, handing Bernadette over to Stephanie.
<Julia> "Welcome back Rosemund," she then greets her friend. The physical changes don't really matter so long as she remains the same person.
<El-Cideon> "I'll leave you to get reacquainted and check on the town proper," Aria says politely, departing with her cat in tow.
* Franceska gives Aria an absent wave, sitting down on the floor.
<Steph> Stephanie quickly finds somewhere to put the now-aged girl, shaking her head, but she soon returns to gawk at Rosemund, alongside the unconscious demon and the tank of acid.
<El-Cideon> "Where am I?" Rosemund wonders next. "Oh, I was having the worst dream! I, I only wanted to just...grab a hold of men and not let them go until there was nothing left inside, but it was never enough, nothing ever filled up the hole within my heart and, and--" She shudders. "Someone should have woken me up! You know, you can tell when a person is having nightmares, sometimes!"
<Steph> "Rosemund..." Stephanie crouches down beside her. "We did managed to wake you," she says, smiling. "Just now. Sorry it took so long."
<Julia> "No you were quite out of it. Do you remember those nightmares the tree gave you, that that nice priestess Anya was able to fix for you?" Julia asks.
<El-Cideon> "Well, so long as you are all here," she says charitably. She nods to Julia. "Oh yes, I had, ah different dreams after that...but less scary one, at least immediately." She sits up, and an arm brushes against one of her new wings. She looks at it in stark confusion, grabs it quickly and winces in pain, then stares around at each of you with her mouth hanging open.
<Steph> "Rosemund," says Stephanie, holding her shoulders. "I want you to listen to me carefully."
<Julia> "Yes... the nice priestess was actually a powerful demon in disguise, so she did a bit more than we asked for," Julia says with a wince. "But, ah, you did always want wings didn't you?"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund stares at Stephanie.
<Steph> "Like Julia said, the priestess here was a demoness. She did this to you. Made a nightmare come true." she says, slowly. "She did something to your mind, as well. You really were becoming a succubus." She closes her eyes. "But Reverend Bernadette saved you. She saved your mind. But she paid a price for that. You're very, very lucky to be with us." She hugs Rosemund, suddenly. "Very, very
<Steph> lucky."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund clings on so tightly Stephanie might suffer broken ribs if it goes on much longer. Rosemund's tail lashes in agitation, and she seems to become newly aware of that as well. She reaches up to her brow to discover the tiny horns and starts sobbing. "Oh, no!" she gasps. "Oh no no no."
* Franceska hesitantly reaches out to touch Rosemund's hand, and then takes it in hers.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund grasps it and squeezes it for support. "Oh, but how can I go back home like this?" she wonders woefully. "They would not let me walk down the street! Maybe--do you, do you think I should have it all removed?" Through tears, she asks Julia: "Would you do that for me, if I asked you to?"
<Steph> "It... we'll get you at hat," says Stephanie. "Like I had, right?"
<Julia> "I could," Julia nods, crouching down next to Rosemund. "But I can't guarantee it wouldn't scar. However, if you actually do have the powers of a succubus... can you change your appearance by willing it? Why not try that first before resorting to anything drastic?"
<Steph> "It might be bad if she uses the powers," says Stephanie. "I, I'm not sure. I know some tieflings, um, get powers through their blood," she says, helplessly. "But they do terrible things to get that way. I don't know."
<El-Cideon> "I will have to wear it forever," Rosemund laments. Then she gives Stephanie an apologetic look. "I am sorry, I am being insensitive. I know you always had to." In response to Julia, she thinks quietly for a moment. "I, I do not know if I could do that. I would not know how." She squeezes her eyes shut and focuses very hard for a long moment, then lets out a disappointed sigh when nothing happens.
<Franceska> "We'll... get a hat, yes. And, and there must be someone! I'll find someone!"
<Steph> "'sokay. Rosey, it's just skin deep," says Stephanie. "You're our best friend and always will be, okay? Right up to when we're all old and wrinkly."
<Julia> "Thing, could you explain to Rosemund how you change your form?" Julia asks, hoping someone who does it naturally will have a better perspective. Thing only shrugs however, "Me just wants to be something else. Or gets told to more often..." he finishes sullenly.
<Julia> "Yes, that's right!" Julia agrees. "You all put up with my condition, how could I ever do anything less in return?"
<El-Cideon> "I want to be something else very much right now!" Rosemund exclaims. "It is not helping. Er, thank you anyway," she says to the little demon.
<El-Cideon> "I suppose I will have to have all my clothing altered," she adds with resignation. "And, and my armor."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund stands up, stretches her wings experimentally, eyes them with a shudder.
<Julia> "Whatever you decide to do with them we'll all support you," Julia affirms, standing up as well.
<El-Cideon> ~