Warming back up (Afina)

[Anastasia]

Apologies for the delay, eye doctor visit and a cold got me.

The spell fire is something unique, a customized spell. It looks like fire but is actually not. The second is something akin to shield of faith, which means the dragon now has a deflective field around it, rendering it even harder to strike.

"I noticed!" Crystal calls back as afina rises up to 180ft up, 320ft from the dragon. "We need Simmer back!" Nonetheless she charges in, braving the dragon's maw. The wyrm moves fast - not as fast as Afina, but still enough to be a blur to most. It goes right for Hope, trying to finish the wounded fairy dragon off.

> roll 1d9 vs images, +1 on turn thanks to greater mirror images
<Serith> Kowork roll for Serith < 3 > [d9=3]

Hope is down to 8 images, Crystal is up to 9. Was a longshot, but hey, a freebie is a freebie.

But the dragon guesses wrong, chomping through a ghostly dragon image instead of the real thing. "Queen, guide my blade!" Crystal declares, as they barrel right into the underside of the dragon. She bursts into light, a nova of pure white that turns her into the outline of a pixie encased in glory.

Brilliant Emanation cast, forces the dragon to make a Fort save or be blinded.
> roll 1d20+35 pyroclastic dragon fortitude save
<Serith> Kowork roll for Serith < 52 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d4 duration
<Serith> Kowork roll for Serith < 4 > [d4=4]

Was a long shot too.

> roll 1d20+53 (+2 charge, +2 inner beauty, +1 haste, +13 smite evil)
<Serith> Kowork roll for Serith < 57 > [d20=4]
> roll 2d6+62
<Serith> Kowork roll for Serith < 66 > [d6=2,2]

Despite mystical armor and deflective force, Crystal strikes true. Her blade plunges into the dragon, a tiny thorn compared to the massive bulk above her. But the injury glows with the same radiance as Crystal, traveling in between the wyrm's scales. Cracks spread out as red light becomes white.

The roaring of the dragon shakes Crystal on Hope, making her cling on for dear life. She withdraws her sword and swoops back down, the dragon leaning into spew a blast of ash at paladin and rider.

> roll 1d20+41 Crystal evasion
<Serith> Diseased_Ko roll for Serith < 61 > [d20=20]
> roll 1d20+27 Hope improved evasion
<Serith> Diseased_Ko roll for Serith < 40 > [d20=13]
> roll 24d6 half fire and half sonic damage. Crystal takes no damage and Hope takes half damage thanks to improved evasion
<PlushieIthea> Sunshine_Ko roll for PlushieIthea < 78 > [d6=1,1,6,2,1,1,3,5,5,1,6,3,4,6,5,1,1,2,6,5,5,4,2,2]
> roll 1d4-1 recharge
<PlushieIthea> Sunshine_Ko roll for PlushieIthea < 1 > [d4=2]

39 damage to Hope.

The blast catches the two dead on. Hope suffers through it, burnt by ash and shaken by the titanic BOOOOOM after it. Crystal is untouched, not a single bit of it coming close to her. Suddenly the dragon begins to move faster, sped up in a familiar way to AFina. She doesn't need anything to know that the dragon just got a haste spell cast on it.

'It's your mistake. Only a fool challenges efreet royalty unprovoked.' The silken voice purrs into Afina's mind, 'We have the resources and power to bury your little crusade, Devilsbane.'

You're up, Afina.

[spoiler]Simmer: 278/278 - Shield (+4 AC). 1 cantrip, 1st level and 1 7th level charge spent. CHANGED STATS: AC 44.
Crystal: 223+50/223 - Energy Immunity (Fire), CL 22, Barkskin (+5 natural AC), CL 18th. Righteous Fury (+50 temp HP/+4 sacred Strength), CL 18th. Inner Beauty (+4 sacred Dexterity and Charisma), CL 18th. 1 2nd level ranger spell spent. 1 st level paladin spent, 3 3rd level paladin spell spent, 1 4th level paladin spell, 1 5th level paladin spell spent. 1 smite used. CHANGED STATS: AC 37, Hit+38, damage +2 more. +2 fort/will, +5 ref, 1 extra attack on full attack. 7 images, 1 regenerates a round. 3 rounds of brilliant emanation.
Hope: 338/484 - Energy Immunity (Fire), CL 22. Barkskin (+5 natural AC), CL 18th. Righteous Fury (+50 temp HP/+4 sacred Strength), CL 18th. Inner Beauty (+4 sacred Dexterity and Charisma), CL 18th. Buffs: +5 AC, +4 Strength/Dexterity/Charisma. CHANGED STATS: AC 59, Hit+40, damage+2, ref+3. 1 regenerates a round.

[Ebiris]

"Commerce with Avernus is all the provocation we need," Afina replies distractedly as she continues her painfully slow ascent, forced to keep the gate in effect rather than aid Crystal in battle.

same routine as last turn.

[Anastasia]

260ft up, 240ft to go.

No words from Crystal, who settles on pressing her assault instead, dodging draconic blows as she strikes. The light around her grows as she does, a wordless prayer capped by a battle cry.

Divine favor, +3 luck to hit/damage for Crystal and Hope.

> roll 1d20+41 (+2 inner beauty, +1 haste, +3 divine favor)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 43 > [d20=2]
> roll 1d20+54 (+2 inner beauty, +1 haste, +3 divine favor, +13 smite evil)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 61 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+36 (+2 inner beauty, +1 haste, +3 divine favor)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 43 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+31 (+2 inner beauty, +1 haste, +3 divine favor)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 44 > [d20=13]
> roll 1d20+26 (+2 inner beauty, +1 haste, +3 divine favor)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 30 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d6+33
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 35 > [d6=2]

> roll 1d20+43 Hope bite (+2 righteous fury, +1 haste, +3 divine favor)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 51 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+38 Hope bite (+2 righteous fury, +1 haste, +3 divine favor)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 49 > [d20=11]
> roll 1d20+38 Hope claw (+2 righteous fury, +1 haste, +3 divine favor)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 39 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+38 Hope claw (+2 righteous fury, +1 haste, +3 divine favor)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 54 > [d20=16]
> roll 1d6+15+1d4+9
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 30 > [d6=3][d4=3]

Dragon and rider tear into the pyroclastic wyrm above. It's a fury of elegant slashes and savage bites on the dragon's underside. For every hit there's several misses, but they continue on relentlessly.

Instead of further pressing the assault, the dragon winks and blinks as more magic surrounds it. It teleports 250ft to the west, now 240ft above and 260ft to the west of Afina. At this angle you can see atop the dragon - a single efreet in red robes stands on the dragon's back. He kneels down and rubs something into the dragon's scales. As you watch, the dragon's wounds reverse, healing magic restoring it to full vitality.

"So that's your measure? A fortress that breaks us down and crushes us with futility?" Crystal shouts, "I won't have it! I won't tolerate it! Not from one of your murderous kind!"

Afina, go.

[Ebiris]

Chained as she is to the evacuation gate Afina is sadly unable to contribute at all, just flying another sixty feet up and taking a bored look down to see how the slaves are progressing through the portal. It's going to cut out in a few seconds whether she likes it or not but she can at least let a few more get away to safety. Not to mention providing an easy avenue for Simmer and whoever she recruits on gate duty to come through, since the teleport interdiction on the area might interfere with an incoming gate. "Just play defence for the moment, Crystal," she calls to her friend. "This will end shortly."

60 feet up, swift action for dodge bonus, concentrate on gate. And unless I miss my count it has 1 round left before it expires. Also adding heroes feast to cheat sheet - she did eat right before this after all.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina 208+20/208, greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), shield (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), heroes feast (CL 20)
AC 69 (touch 51, flat footed 69), blindsense 30, 50 miss chance (applies to attacks and single target spells), spell resistance 38, immunity to poison, fear, fire, disease, and water
Spell charges remaining: 4/7/9/1/9/8/5/5/5/7

[Anastasia]

Meanwhile Crystal covers 200ft to the west, positioning. As she flies on, the dragon spews another cloud of horrid ash at the duo.

> roll 1d20+41 Crystal evasion
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 56 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+27 Hope improved evasion
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 35 > [d20=8]
> roll 24d6 Crystal none thanks to evasion, Hope half thanks to improved evasion
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 98 > [d6=3,4,6,2,4,5,5,5,3,2,6,6,6,4,3,1,5,4,3,5,5,5,4,2]

49 damage to Hope.

But the light around Crystal vaporizes all that comes close to her, while Hope merely bowls through it, enduring the painful blast. The efreet meanwhile points at Hope.

> roll 1d20+19 Hope
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 26 > [d20=7]

Whatever that is, it doesn't seem to phase or slow down Hope at all.

At this, a second portal appears besides Afina's. Simmer steps through, "Afin-" she begins, before looking right up at the dragon.

> roll 1d20+23
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 36 > [d20=13]

But she shakes it off, calling, "Through here! Through here! In the portal," she shouts.

Adding Simmer to init.

> roll 1d20+10 Simmer init
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 20 > [d20=10]

Afina (40) > Hope (33) > Crystal (31) > Pyroclastic Dragon (22) > Simmer (20) > ???(11)

Go Afina.

[spoiler]Simmer: 278/278 - Shield (+4 AC). 1 cantrip, 1st level and 1 7th level charge spent. CHANGED STATS: AC 44.
Crystal: 223+50/223 - Energy Immunity (Fire), CL 22, Barkskin (+5 natural AC), CL 18th. Righteous Fury (+50 temp HP/+4 sacred Strength), CL 18th. Inner Beauty (+4 sacred Dexterity and Charisma), CL 18th. 1 2nd level ranger spell spent. 2 1st level paladin spent, 3 3rd level paladin spell spent, 1 4th level paladin spell, 1 5th level paladin spell spent. 1 smite used. CHANGED STATS: AC 37, Hit+41, damage +2 more. +2 fort/will, +5 ref, 1 extra attack on full attack. 7 images, 1 regenerates a round. 3 rounds of brilliant emanation.
Hope: 289/484 - Energy Immunity (Fire), CL 22. Barkskin (+5 natural AC), CL 18th. Righteous Fury (+50 temp HP/+4 sacred Strength), CL 18th. Inner Beauty (+4 sacred Dexterity and Charisma), CL 18th. Buffs: +5 AC, +4 Strength/Dexterity/Charisma. CHANGED STATS: AC 59, Hit+43, damage+2, ref+3. 1 regenerates a round.

[Ebiris]

And that is when a whole lot of things happen at once! Afina's own portal vanishes, hopefully the slaves can be smart enough to figure out they need to switch over to the new one, she has things to do. Speeding herself up massively through innervated haste, she starts flying more decisively towards the dragon and efreeti duo, casting as she goes! A trio of searing timed fireballs are launched out at the comparatively static wyrm and its rider, while brilliant flames coruscate up and down Afame's length. When time seems to return to normal for everyone else she's stopped at the same altitude as the dragon and 60 feet away, pausing just a moment to bask in the apocalyptic fury of her fireball spread tearing into them before she casts her free hand out and disjoins all the protective enchantments they've woven!

Sacrificing a 9th level slot for 4 rounds of time stop to move and cast, sending 2 searing delayed blast fireballs and 1 searing/blistering delayed blast fireball out, and casting a searing/blistering fires of purity on myself. Then Mage's Disjunction time!

The fireballs are all maximised for being on fire, and ignore all resistance/immunity. 23d6 for the first two and 23d6+14 for the last, so 138 + 138 + 152,  DC 32 reflex half. If the save on the blistering one fails they take -2 to attack rolls and checks until my next turn.

[22:02] <PlushieIthea> Ebiris roll for PlushieIthea < 30 > [d20=3]
[22:02] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 spell resistance searing fireball #2
[22:02] <PlushieIthea> Ebiris roll for PlushieIthea < 33 > [d20=6]
[22:02] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 spell resistance searing/blistering fireball
[22:02] <PlushieIthea> Ebiris roll for PlushieIthea < 46 > [d20=19]

Let me know how many rolls to make for disjunction and I'll do that in my next post?

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina 208+20/208, greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), shield (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), heroes feast (CL 20), searing/blistering fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 65 (touch 47, flat footed 65), blindsense 30, 50 miss chance (applies to attacks and single target spells), spell resistance 38, immunity to poison, fear, fire, disease, and water
Spell charges remaining: 4/7/9/1/9/8/5/4/2/5

[Anastasia]

Six effects, Afina. Roll for each one.

[spoiler]Simmer: 278/278 - Shield (+4 AC). 1 cantrip, 1st level and 1 7th level charge spent. CHANGED STATS: AC 44.
Crystal: 223+50/223 - Energy Immunity (Fire), CL 22, Barkskin (+5 natural AC), CL 18th. Righteous Fury (+50 temp HP/+4 sacred Strength), CL 18th. Inner Beauty (+4 sacred Dexterity and Charisma), CL 18th. 1 2nd level ranger spell spent. 2 1st level paladin spent, 3 3rd level paladin spell spent, 1 4th level paladin spell, 1 5th level paladin spell spent. 1 smite used. CHANGED STATS: AC 37, Hit+41, damage +2 more. +2 fort/will, +5 ref, 1 extra attack on full attack. 7 images, 1 regenerates a round. 3 rounds of brilliant emanation.
Hope: 289/484 - Energy Immunity (Fire), CL 22. Barkskin (+5 natural AC), CL 18th. Righteous Fury (+50 temp HP/+4 sacred Strength), CL 18th. Inner Beauty (+4 sacred Dexterity and Charisma), CL 18th. Buffs: +5 AC, +4 Strength/Dexterity/Charisma. CHANGED STATS: AC 59, Hit+43, damage+2, ref+3. 1 regenerates a round.

[Ebiris]

Remember it nukes items too!
[23:34] <@Ebiris> roll 6#1d20+23
[23:34] <PlushieIthea> Ebiris roll for PlushieIthea < 26, 39, 31, 32, 43, 43 >

[Anastasia]

I'm aware, yes.

> roll 1d20+22 dragon
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 37 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+22 dragon
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 36 > [d20=14]
> roll 1d20+22 dragon
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 34 > [d20=12]
> roll 1d20+19 efreet evasion
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 23 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d20+19 efreet evasion
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 23 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d20+19 efreet evasion
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 28 > [d20=9]

Blasts of fire come from Afina, exploding at once as her augmented speed passes. The blast leaves them wracked and dazed, followed by magic around them crumbling. The glowing armor around the dragon fizzles out, following by it jerking it and shuddering in the air. All the fireballs caught them, the efreeti screaming as he melts down to boiling lead. The dragon roars in fury, screaming in draconic, "You little maggots BURN me?!"

Init is now Afina (40) > Hope (33) > Crystal (31) > Pyroclastic Dragon (22) > Simmer (20)

Crystal does not seem impressed, charging in without hesitation once more. She chants a spell once more, "Size is meaningless, only what lies within!"

Fell the greatest foe cast. Should've done this round one, forgot she had it. Rusty.

> roll 1d9 mirror image
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 4 > [d9=4]

Mirror image stops AoO.

> roll 1d20+43 (+2 inner beauty, +1 haste, +3 divine favor, +2 charge, fell the greatest foe quick cast with battle blessing)
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 62 > [d20=19]
> roll 1d20+43 (+2 inner beauty, +1 haste, +3 divine favor, +2 charge, fell the greatest foe quick cast with battle blessing) crit?
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 55 > [d20=12]
> roll 3d6+60+5d6
<PlushieIthea> Kotono roll for PlushieIthea < 94 > [d6=5,3,2,3,5,5,5,6]

Crystal's chrage goes right into the dragon's face. She leaps off Hope and lands atop the dragon's burning eye, before plunging her blade right into it. The dragon howls in pain, but she stays on there and does so again and again - until the eye gives way with a wet pop, gushes of blood and magma pouring from the now empty eye socket. Crystal leaps back onto Hope, pulling up and away from the wyrm.

The dragon concentrates - and is suddenly gone, vanishing with a ripple of magic energy.

Free act. You can act for now.

[Ebiris]

She should have dimensional anchored the dragon, but really killing it would have just resulted in Tiamat using its corpse to do something horrid like she had with that sapphire dragon Ithea had to contend with. At least she avoided that with that Rust dragon back on Lifasa, but the Blade of Endings isn't in play any more. "Good work, Crystal!" she smiles, flying over to regroup with her friend before descending towards Simmer and the remaining evacuating slaves. "Come on, lets hurry this up, there's nothing left to stay for here."

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina 208+20/208, greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), shield (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), heroes feast (CL 20), searing/blistering fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 65 (touch 47, flat footed 65), blindsense 30, 50 miss chance (applies to attacks and single target spells), spell resistance 38, immunity to poison, fear, fire, disease, and water
Spell charges remaining: 4/7/9/1/9/8/5/4/2/5

[Anastasia]

Crystal hops back onto Hope, the two flying down. "Yes, let's. I fear that was merely the emir's personal retaliation, rather than Baator's. I do not wish to face down the Nessians after a wyrm; for valor and discretion go hand in hand."

Flying down, you find Simmer herding the slaves through. "Tepen and Drena are handling them on the Air side. They don't even think to try and fly." Shaking her head, "They're completely dazed." Over half are through and more yet come. "I'm hoping Akil isn't willing to send an urgent message to his devil owners. Let's hope he's too prideful to make this even more interesting."

[Ebiris]

"It would be quite the loss of face for him to go running for help at the first sign of trouble," Afina agrees, "But he could play it as doing them a favour by telling them where to find us. We all know how much Hell likes to scry on our comings and goings."

For lack of much else to do she flutters around impatiently waiting on the slaves to all make good their escape.

[Anastasia]

The rest of the evacuation is uneventful. No further attacks, only the fire-crackling silence of Fire. As the last few go through, "A good day's labor," Crystal speaks up, healing Hope's wounds in the meanwhile. "Thank you, Afina. Know that should this slaver," Contempt colors Crystal's voice, dark and loathing, "Find this to be cause to raise arms against you, that I will be there."

[Ebiris]

"I should hope so, it was your idea," Afina banters back at Crystal good naturedly, pausing just before she goes through the portal to turn and drop a magmaberg onto the slave manor. There was lots of potentially valuable stuff there she never bothered looting, no sense letting anyone else get at it. And then they're back in Air, a nod to Tepen so he can close the gate. "Unfortunately I don't really think we made much money out of that once everything's all tallied up. They were the main product being stored after all," she gestures at the listless slaves.

Still, they'll spread some good word about the Crusade back in their homes once they're recovered and repatriated, and making commerce with Avernus more of a losing proposition for the efreet was worth doing all on its own. "A good day's work anyway. We should perhaps organise more privateering."

That magmaberg was just an iceberg spell energy swapped to fire. It's 20d6 bludgeoning damage either way across an 80ft radius, although I think it'd be maximised on fire because it's the spell descriptor and not the damage type that matters? Either way it's just a cheap parting shot. Plan now is to feed the slaves heroes feast food from the mess hall for poison immunity and if that doesn't fix them just put them up in the infirmary till they recover and we can start plane shifting/portalling them to wherever they call home over the next few days.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina 208+20/208, greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), shield (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), haste (CL 23), heroes feast (CL 20), searing/blistering fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 65 (touch 47, flat footed 65), blindsense 30, 50 miss chance (applies to attacks and single target spells), spell resistance 38, immunity to poison, fear, fire, disease, and water
Spell charges remaining: 4/7/9/1/9/8/5/4/2/4

[Anastasia]

The magmaberg falls heavily on the farmhouse, smashing it and setting the timbers ablaze. It burns as a funeral pyre to the camp as you depart through the portals.

I was planning on condensing a lot of the slave recovery information, unless you want to be more hands on about it?