Anvil (Afina)

[Anastasia]

Afina's fireballs quickly devastate the already beseiged demons, your army closing in a-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The battlefield shakes as the balor is stabbed through the heart, exploding in a burst of wrath. Dana's battered after it but still up, the remaining demons being battered and pincered by your forces. You're cleaning them up nicely, the squad being decimated by a bit of extra support and the loss of morale. A little more and you should have this in hand - be it aggressively to end it quickly, safely to minimize injuries or even splitting off to send more troops to support Celestia.

Right now the celestial lines is stiffening, reinforcments coming and Domiel crushing much of the advance. He gestures, a great many radiant assaults tearing apart demons by the dozens. His voice echos from horizon to horizon, "Only the final rest awaits here! You cannot overcome Celestia, let alone Medi's champions!"

> roll 1d20+72 Intimidate
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+72 Intimidate --> [ 1d20=1 ]{73}

For moments, the demonic horde on the horizon pauses. During those moments, Domiel's voice is heard to all of you, a strong and stirring call. "They approach, and they lack the wisdom to retreat and repent. We shall put them to the final rest here. Any that are wounded can come to me and they will be healed."

[Ebiris]

Well even if they're not retreating, recent experience in Hopelorn taught Afina well the power of fire to devastate an army. And unlike devils demons are merely resistant to fire! "Alright lets hustle everyone, wounded to the centre. We'll form up with Domiel and take advantage of his offer."

It's quicker than having to cycle back to Aurora anyway.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/7/6/7

[Anastasia]

There's still some demons left, not many, but it was noted there was a few and you had a choice of how to deal with them.

[Ebiris]

Lets aggressively wipe the demons and then go support Celestia.

[Anastasia]

Wounds are taken, but the demons are surrounded, beaten and crushed. Cheers go up as your troops briefly loot before moving on. The group rushes to Domiel, his presence sending waves of healing magic that swiftly heal the wounded. Archons and angels mix amid your forces as your troops prepare. The horizon from end to end is dark with demons, a massive line of them numbering more than Afina can reckon.

Gazes meet from far away, until a defiant demon bellows rage despite Domiel's intimidation. The horde begins to move, crashing on towards the armies like a tidal wave.

Ball's in your court on how Aurora's forces handle this.

[Ebiris]

Afina first finds someone who seems smart and thus is swift upon the astral. "Go back to Aurora and tell them to start moving the fortress closer to the Celestial encampment," she instructs, wanting to have it nearby as a strongpoint for cycling troops back into for healing as well as a fallback if they're overwhelmed. Next she has Gisfal bring his army closer to hers and sets it a short distance behind both to act as a ready reserve and to stymie any attempts at enveloping their forces - which given the numeric disparity is something of a certainty.

There isn't much time left to prepare so she calls out to her forces now, "Hold position here and don't let yourself be overextended - count on those beside you for support. Those of you with spells, break up the demon formations once they come into range. Walls, clouds, things to block sightlines and separate them, to ruin their charge. That will be the most important thing, we can't let them overwhelm us in the initial clash!"

Then she flies towards Domiel, keeping half an eye on the approaching demons so she can issue forth her own spells as they come into range. "Lord Domiel, I am general Afina Devilsbane of Aurora," she introduces herself. "I'm having Aurora brought closer so our two armies can form a line between it and your encampment. We'll hold the demons here and bleed them dry before they can reach the rift."

Of course the problem of a static defence is that it can just be bypassed and gone around. She doubts the bloodthirsty demons will do that, but if they do it just means they'll have an enemy at their back ready to destroy them as they try and push inwards.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/7/6/7

[Anastasia]

A soldier rushes over, Aurora beginning to move as Aurora moves - slow and powerfully. It approaches the celestial camp, everyone preparing. The celestials cast magic, woven around to summon more. Lesser angels and archons swell the ranks, some charging suicidally to slow the demons and others reinforcing what you have. As ranged attacks begin to fly, Afina reaches Domiel. He turns his gaze to her, a moment of feeling overwhelmed. Of being seen, understood and judged.

"Thank you," he inclines his head in a grateful nod, "Reinforcements are coming. We do not need to defend forever, only long enough." The barest hint of a smile shows on his face, "Raziel's crusade prepares itself."

Before you clouds of mist are thrown. Fireballs are hurled, lightning bolts cast and thrown. Holy smites devastate demons by the dozens, while Domiel turns to the battle. He looks, a quartet of balors and dozens of demons around them simply ceasing to be in a sharp slice of light. Without a doubt, the war is coming to you.

A chance to throw your own efforts in as well as any last minute commands.

[Ebiris]

After having told Domiel of their part in this, Afina turns to the approaching demon army and flies over to position herself at the centre of their line, just ahead of everyone else. The reason for that becomes clear as she accelerates herself, the silver sea turning to flame around her and the space ahead of the demons suddenly impeded a great deal, a performance she caps off by raising her arm as one after another flaming meteors appear above her head before streaking off to impact amidst the demons with great bursts of flame!

9th level slot sacrificed for 4 rounds of time stop as swift action.

Round 1: Planar Bubble cast as swift (still astral), wall of fire cast as standard, placed diagonally through the demon ranks with the near tip placed on the Aurora side and the far tip on the Celestia side.

[18:17] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 wall of fire SR
[18:17] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+27 wall of fire SR --> [ 1d20=20 ]{47}

Wall of Fire is 460 feet long and 20 high, and does 35 damage to everything it touches, 8 damage to anything within 10 feet, 4 damage to anything within 20 (no save, ignores resistance, half vs immune), also it blocks sightlines. Lasts 23 rounds.

round 2: Incendiary cloud cast near front of demon position just behind the wall of fire and barely overlapping it. Blocks sight (so demons rushing forward out of it can then experience the wall of fire) and does 24 damage, DC 33 reflex half (ignores resistance, half vs immune). 20 foot radius, moves 10 feet away from Afina every round. Lasts 23 rounds.

round 3: Acid fog cast near front of demon position on the Celestia side. 20 foot radius, blocks sight and restricts movement to 5 feet per round. Does 2d6 acid damage per round, no save.

[18:26] <@Ebiris> roll 2d6 acid damage
[18:26] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 2d6 acid damage --> [ 2d6=7 ]{7}

Round 4: Permanent image cast of mass ranks of soldiers with spears braced for a charge positioned 10 feet ahead of our lines. 25 10 foot cubes filled with the illusion.

End time stop: Move action to fly 20 feet straight up (for skirmish), meteor swarm cast as standard action.

[18:30] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+38 meteor swarm
[18:30] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+38 meteor swarm --> [ 1d20=13 ]{51}
[18:30] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+38 meteor swarm
[18:30] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+38 meteor swarm --> [ 1d20=13 ]{51}
[18:30] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+38 meteor swarm
[18:30] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+38 meteor swarm --> [ 1d20=2 ]{40}
[18:30] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+38 meteor swarm
[18:30] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+38 meteor swarm --> [ 1d20=3 ]{41}
[18:31] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 meteor swarm SR
[18:31] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+27 meteor swarm SR --> [ 1d20=12 ]{39}

These are all ranged touch attacks, spread out to hit balors spread across the demon ranks at long range. Each strikes a balor for 54 bludgeoning damage (no save) and then explodes in a 40 foot radius for 36 fire damage (DC 34 reflex half, ignores resistance, half vs immune)

Lastly anything that comes within 10 feet of Afina takes 3d10 fire damage, she's careful not to be too near any of her friends due to this.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/6/6/5

[Anastasia]

Chaos. Light and fury. A blur of sounds. All of it becomes everything as Afina joins the battle, walls, fire and illusion appearing. A great chunk of demons are vaporized by her meteor storm, burnt down to corrupted ash by Afina's sally.

Vivantha's song is heard over all the noise, sweetly inspiring all through the might of lillend songcraft. Arrows and spells fly as many lesser and least demons attack the illusions, but greater ones barely give it a glance. Walls burn and clouds slow and corrode, hunks of the army indeed further stopped. Walls of light join Afina's efforts, further hindering the demons and slowing them.

At first it is a slaughter. Demons die by the hundreds, unable to meaningfully mount resistance against your efforts. They charge without a care, cut down like wheat before the scythe. But for every hundred you slay, two hundred come rushing to replace them. Already you can tell that despite all the slaughter that you aren't stopping the demons. You're only slowing them down, barely.

Fortunately, your lines are holding well. Few reach the front lines now, and those that do meet stiff resistance. One balor, missing an army and cackling madly, face a ruin of blood and bone, charges Afina with a great sword wielded one handed, trying to cleave her in two, even as it burns in her aura.

> roll 1d20+45 (+2 charge)
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+45 (+2 charge) --> [ 1d20=6 ]{51}

Not hitting a steam pixie, in other words.

But Afina jukes to the side, as...

Go, commands and dealing with the immediate pest.

[Ebiris]

Unfortunately much as she'd like to straight up kill the balor, it's deathsplosion would tear a hole through their lines. Still she has her ways and means. "Hold the line, nothing gets through!" she calls to support her forces as she negligently dodges that maddened swordswing. Accelerating herself to the limit once more both to deal with this balor and to further slow down the demon advance, she starts layering prismatic walls all over the place!

9th level spell sacrificed for 4 rounds of time stop once more.

round 1: Prismatic wall placed between balor and army. 92 feet long and 46 feet high.

[19:09] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+23 prismatic wall SR
[19:09] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+23 prismatic wall SR --> [ 1d20=11 ]{34}

Blinds anything with less than 8hd that's within 20 feet, blocks effects, does awful shit to anything that touches it.

round 2: Fog cloud cast at centre of demon formation. Blocks sight, does little else.

round 3: Delayed blast fireball launched into the fog cloud on 3 round delay (so it explodes the round after this one, not counting time stops)

round 4: Blistering/searing fires of purity cast on Afina. +34 fire damage on hit (ignores resistance and immunity)

With the demon advance slightly stymied (and she really hopes the surprise she left in that fog cloud will make them nervous about everyone else's fog clouds) and a wall in place to keep the balor from killing anyone important with its deathsplosion, Afina lunges in to quickly stab it to death before moving deeper into the encroaching demon horde!

[19:16] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+54 5th level arcane strike
[19:16] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+54 5th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=3 ]{57}
[19:16] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+49 5th level arcane strike
[19:16] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+49 5th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=9 ]{58}
[19:16] <@Ebiris> OOC: +2 on that from evil outsider bane
[19:17] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[19:17] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=2 2d6=4 2d6=10 5d6=15 2d6=7 5d4=8 ]{104}
[19:17] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[19:17] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=3 2d6=8 2d6=5 5d6=18 2d6=5 5d4=9 ]{106}
[19:18] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 presumed required ref save evasion
[19:18] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+39 presumed required ref save --> [ 1d20=18 ]{57}
[19:18] <@Ebiris> roll 3d10 fire from the elemental plane of fire
[19:18] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 3d10 fire from the elemental plane of fire --> [ 3d10=16 ]{16}

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, 50% miss chance (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/4/5/4

[Anastasia]

Afina's spells fly out as she barely sees them - she has to dodge. Dodge she does, the balor ripped apart into an inferno of death and hate. In the aftermath of this blast, she floats there a moment, seeing the battle. You see Ellese standing tall, an incantation and gesture sucking the water from an advance force of vrocks. Domiel gestures, more radiant assaults en masse tearing apart the demonic advance. Your walls slow them yet more, but not that or fog or fire truly stops them.

It's like trying to hold back a tidal wave with your hands. Kill one and ten more come. Kill ten and a hundred more come. Kill a hundred and a thousand more come. Afina jukes to the side, dodging a series of arrows and casually slicing the neck of a vrock who got too close.

Domiel's voice is again heard to each of you. "Blood War tactics. They seek to drown us in numbers," Domiel says, "We will not fall!" His words stir you, providing vigor and energy to all of you. "Continue to focus on delay and mass elimination."

27 temp HP to all, including Afina. Overlaps with existing temp HP.

Holy smites come faster. Heavenly lightning dances in the cloudless expanses of the Silver Sea. A hound archon locks blade with a hezrou, while a movanic deva clashes with a marilith, torn to shreds as she holds the demon long enough for spells and arrows to obliterate it. Aurora's gate holding, a flank of demons stopped cold by your defenses there. A number of archons and angels have ended up in there as well, aiding your defenders.

Slice, stab, spell. It's a blur to Afina, no time to think at all. The demons simply keep on coming.

> roll 1d20+18
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+18 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{38}
> roll 1d20+18 ow
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+18 ow --> [ 1d20=14 ]{32}
> roll 1d100 vs 50
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 vs 50 --> [ 1d100=61 ]{61}
> roll 1d8+10 doesn't beat DR and Fort
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+10 doesn't beat DR and Fort --> [ 1d8=1 ]{11}

Somewhere during all of this, an arrow flies and hits Afina in the wing. Just a graze, but she feels her body burning with heat. A squad of vrocks are rushing towards Afina, only a few pared down by holy smites. They're coming at her, as meanwhile the horde still no signs of slowing.

[Ebiris]

[19:39] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+29 fort
[19:39] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+29 fort --> [ 1d20=20 ]{49}

Someone hit her! The sheer nerve! Not that it really hurt much but it's the principle of the thing. Still, whoever it was is surely about to burn as she repeats her tactics from Finality, only now she doesn't have to waste effort on making her spells searing!

9th level slot sacrificed for 4 rounds of time stop.

Four delayed blast fireballs sent across the battlefield at likely looking clusters of demons, including those vrocks and whatever direction that arrow came from.

[19:41] <@Ebiris> roll 4#1d20+27 delayed blast fireball SR
[19:41] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 4#1d20+27 delayed blast fireball SR --> [ 1d20=11 ]{38}, [ 1d20=8 ]{35}, [ 1d20=13 ]{40}, [ 1d20=15 ]{42}

Each does 138 damage in a 20 foot radius (ignores resistance half vs immune), DC 32 reflex half

Then as the simultaneous detonations rock the battlefield she flies amidst the rushing demons and sweeps her hand out to bring forth a great flaming snake that rips through the battlefield, flash-frying demons in its roaring passage!

Fire storm cast, 46 ten foot cubes affected.

[19:45] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 fire storm SR
[19:45] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+27 fire storm SR --> [ 1d20=15 ]{42}

Ignores resistance, half vs immune, DC 33 reflex half

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, 50% miss chance (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/0/5/3

[Anastasia]

More demons burn. Her golems rampage. It's all a series of chaotic, too fast images for Afina. She sees her golems tear apart a corp of hezrou, as several hound archons struggle and fail to hold back a balor. Wounded are rushed to Domiel, restored in moments. "For Lifasa!" A cry from a voice you don't know, a rally. A thin cloud of steam surrounds Afina, her magic causing more and more energy to pass through her body.

The lines are holding, buckling and then holding. Losses, injured, slain. An elven warrior who you dimly recognize, impaled through the eye with an arrow and falling. Members of the Burning Aeropolish valiantly defending along side a line of movanic devas. Spell after spell is thrown about, Afina's eyes dizzied from the constant assault of colors and light.

She dodges the blade of another demon - you don't even get a look at the horror - and flies away from the range of a ball of ice. Demons all ahead, all her efforts only slowing the tide that now threatens to drown you all.

"Hold nothing back," Domiel's voice says, "It is the time before the dawn." He flies forward, joining the melee himself.

Go Afina.

[Ebiris]

Holding back certainly isn't on the agenda right now! Afina spends her spells like water to incinerate legions of demons at a stroke, speeding herself up enough to send forth another barrage of fireballs that simultaneously detonate a wide spread of demonic flesh! She plunges into the ranks of demons, tying them up with chasing and dodging her so as to give just a bit more respite for the main line of defence!

[20:24] <@Ebiris> roll 4#1d20+27 delayed blast fireball SR
[20:24] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 4#1d20+27 delayed blast fireball SR --> [ 1d20=2 ]{29}, [ 1d20=15 ]{42}, [ 1d20=18 ]{45}, [ 1d20=10 ]{37}

Each does 138 damage in a 20 foot radius (ignores resistance half vs immune), DC 32 reflex half

Then she charges the greatest demons present, attacking a balor that hasn't yet joined the melee yet so as to ensure its death will only destroy yet more demons around it!

[20:25] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+54 5th level arcane strike
[20:25] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+54 5th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=18 ]{72}
[20:25] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+49 5th level arcane strike
[20:25] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+49 5th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=10 ]{59}
[20:26] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[20:26] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=2 2d6=10 2d6=7 5d6=21 2d6=11 5d4=13 ]{122}
[20:26] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[20:26] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=3 2d6=7 2d6=8 5d6=15 2d6=2 5d4=9 ]{102}
[20:26] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 presumed required reflex save evasion
[20:26] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+39 presumed required reflex save --> [ 1d20=13 ]{52}
[20:27] <@Ebiris> roll 3d10 elemental plane of fire damage
[20:27] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 3d10 elemental plane of fire damage --> [ 3d10=20 ]{20}

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, 50% miss chance (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/0/1/2

[Anastasia]

Afina flies through the battlefield. Arrows whizz by her form, all before a massive blast of sheer sound slams into her.

> roll 1d20+20 Afina SR
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+20 Afina SR --> [ 1d20=3 ]{23}

But she ignores it as more fireballs strike in the chaos. The one to meet her charge is a balor, with great black horns and a leering gaze, face more goat like than human-like. She cuts deeply into the fiend, finding it able to withstand it. Then suddenly an overwhelming force slams into her mind, like a boulder thrown through a window.

Will save.