On the prowl (Ithea)

[Merc]

"If you say so," Ithea remarks half-heartedly as she continues to follow Balyss and try to pay less attention tothe disorienting background.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100 Ithea
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 96 > [d100=96]
> roll 1d100 Ithea subtables
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 99 > [d100=99]

The four of you wander the path Balyss leads you on. It becomes darker and darker around you, everything fading away into the night sky. Soon enough you stand in perfect darkness, the stars and moon gone.

"Eh?" Balyss pauses, drawing the Sword of the Moon. Moonlight comes from it, illuminating the four of you. Far above you in the empty sky, lights begin to gather.

[spoiler]

Balyss

HP: 228/228
Spells Active: Iron Silence (CL23), Undetectable Alignment (CL23), Mind Blank(CL23), Divine Insight(CL23)
Bonuses: +15 insight on a single skill check, mind blanked.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Hanna

HP: 335/335
Spells Active: Detect Evil(CL22), Detect Snares and Pits(CL22), Discern Lies(CL22), See Invisibility(CL22), True Seeing(CL22).
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions: 50% spell failure for 1 hour
Resources Used:

Simmer

HP: 322/322
Spells Active: Greater Mage Armor(CL22), Superior Resistance(CL22)
Bonuses: +6 armor bonus to AC, +6 resistance bonus to saves. If she gets another +6 bonus, she hits the Abyss jackpot.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Balyss casts as a 22nd level cleric with access to the Moon, Oracle and Protection domains. (Caster level 23rd; caster level 30th for augury and divination; caster level 25th for other divinations.) The save DCs are 19 + spell level. Her metamagic option is Quicken Spell (+4). Her spell themes are lunar magic and miscellaneously useful spells.

[6/day]0: Cure Minor Woundsx6
[7+1/day]1: (Identify), Bless Water, Comprehend Languages, Detect Undeadx2, Healer's VisionCS, NightshieldSC, Remove Fear, SignSC.
[7+1/day]2: (MoonbeamSC), Close WoundsSC, Consecrate, Find Traps, Iron Silence, Make Whole, Status, Undetectable Alignment.
[7+1/day]3: (Moon BladeSC), Create Food and Water, Selune's GraceSC(1), Locate Object, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Speak with Dead.
[7+1/day]4: (Fear), Assay Spell Resistancex2SC, Control Water, Discern Lies, Divine Powerx2, Neutralize Poison.
[6+1/day]5: (Moon PathSC), Atonement, Commune, Hallow, Quickened Divine Favorx2, Righteous Mightx2.
[5+1/day]6: (Legend Lore), Greater Dispel Magicx5
[5+1/day]7: (Insanity), Control Weather, Greater Restoration, Holy Word, Quickened Mass Aid, Word of Chaos.
[5+1/day]8: (Mind Blank), Earthquake, Fierce Pride of the BeastlandsSC, Heat Drainx2SC, Summon Monster 8.
[4+1/day]9: (Foresight), Miraclex2, Quickened Dragon's BreathSC, Quickened Life's GraceSC, Quickened MoonwebPTGFAlt: Trade out quickened life's grace and moonweb, get two gates. 1 gate used.
[2+1/day]10: (Moonrise), Miracle of HealthHome, Quickened Heal.

Balyss casts as a 21st level favored soul. (Caster level 22nd, 24th for divinations, 29th for augury and divination.) Her save DCs are 18 + spell level.

[6/day]0: AmanuensisSC, Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Virtue.
[8/day]1: Bless, Divine Favor, Entropic Shield, HandfirePGTF, Moon LustSC, Shield of Faith.
[8/day]2: Augury, Divine InsightSC, Divine ProtectionSC, Healing LorecallSC, Lesser Restoration, Zone of Truth.
[8/day]3: Cloak of BraverySC, Invisibility Purge, Mass AidSC, Mass Align WeaponSC, Mass Resist EnergySC, Moon BladeSC.
[8/day]4: Divination, Fear, Mass Shield of FaithSC, Moon BoltSC, Sheltered VitalitySC, Wall of MoonlightPGTF.
[7/day]5: Life's GraceSC, Mass SanctuarySC, Moon PathSC, MoonwebPGTF, Zone of RespiteSC, Zone of RevelationSC.
[7/day]6: Banishment, Bolt of GlorySC, Heal, Lucent LanceSC, Vigorous CircleSC, Visage of the DeitySC.
[7/day]7: Bastion of GoodBoED, Holy StarSC, Insanity, Lunatic's LightHome, Mass Spell ResistanceSC, Rejuvenating LightCC.
[7/day]8: Chain DispelPHB2, Holy Aura, Dimensional Lock, Maddening WhispersSC, Mass Death WardSC.
[6/day]9: Greater Visage of the DeitySC, Mass Heal, Miracle, Undeath's Eternal FoeSC.
[3/day]10: Curse of InadequacyHome, Energy ImmunityHome, Mass Freedom of MovementHome, Selune's ShieldHome


Always active: Detect Evil, Detect Snares and Pits, Discern Lies, See Invisibility, True Seeing.

Spell-like abilities

At will-continual flame, dispel magic, holy smite, invisibility (self only), lesser restoration, remove curse, remove disease, remove fear, speak with dead; 3/day-blade barrier, flame strike, power word stun, waves of fatigue; 1/day-earthquake, greater restoration, mass charm monster, waves of exhaustion. Caster level 22nd. The save DCs are 16 + spell level.

Hanna casts as a 22nd level cleric with access to the War and Wrath(BoED) domains. The save DCs are 20 + spell level. Her spell themes are holy magic, healing and extended buffs. Her metamagic options are Extend Spell (+1) and Consecrate Spell (+1).

[6/day]0: Create Waterx6.
[8+1/day]1: (Doom), Divine Favor, Ray of Hope^BoEDx2, Shield of Faithx3, Twilight Luckx2^BoED
[8+1/day]2: (Spiritual Weapon), Close Woundsx2^SC, Eagle's Splendorx2, Extended Divine Favorx2, Hold Personx2
[7+1/day]3: (Affliction^BoED), Cure Serious Woundsx2, Prayerx2, Refreshment^BoEDx2, Telepathy Tap^{BoED. S(1d3 str)}.
[7+1/day]4: (Radiant Shield^BoED), Blood of the Martyr^BoED, Dimensional Anchorx2, Extended Prayer, Freedom of Movementx2, Stars of Arvandor^BoED.
[7+1/day]5: (Righteous Might), Dancing Web^BoED, Extended Freedom of Movement, Greater Commandx4, Sacred Guardian^BoED.
[6+1/day]6: (Extended Righteous Might), Antilife Shell, Healx3, Extended Righteous Mightx2.
[5+1/day]7: (Power Word Blind), Extended Exalted Raiment^{BoED, S(1d4 str)}, Fortunate Fatex4^SC.
[7+1/day]8: (Power Word Stun), Consecrated Radiant Assaultx4, Extended Fortunate Fatex3, Lion's Roarx2^SC.
[7+1/day]9: (Foresight), Consecrated Fire Stormx2, Mass Healx3, Miracle, Righteous Exilex2^FC2.
[2+1/day]10: (Extended Storm of Vengeance), Celestial Valor^Home, Mass Freedom of Movement^Home, Summon Monster X<sup>Home

BoED</sup> - Book of Exalted Deeds.
^FC2 - Fiendish Codex 2.
^S - Sanctified spell. Sacrifice cost is noted in parentheses.
^SC - Spell Compendium.

Hanna casts as an 11th level Champion of Gwynharwyf. The save DCs are 19 + spell level. Her spell theme is anything that helps while in a rage. Her metamagic options are Extend Spell (+1) and Consecrate Spell (+1)

[5/day]1: Divine Sacrificex5^BoED
[4/day]2: Shield Otherx2, Warcryx2^BoED
[4/day]3: Cure Moderate Woundsx4
[3/day]4: Break Enchantmentx2, Glory of the Martyr^BoED.
[2/day]5: Cure Critical Woundsx2
[/quote]

[Merc]

Ithea glances towards the lights trying to make out their source.

[Anastasia]

"Oh!" Hanna murmurs, looking up. You see the lights solidify into two figures. One is a woman of radiant moonlight, ageless and yet young and old at the same time. She wields a mace. The other is a dark, seductive woman in leather clothes and carrying twin short swords. Her darkness absorbs the light of the moon as the two do battle. A battle of force and magic, incalculable energies thrown about in mere moments. Great tidal waves of darkness are countered by bursts of moonlight, motes of electricity parried by balls of absolute nothingness.

"The great battle!" Balyss speaks up here, "It's said that Selune and Shar do war in the night sky and neither has ever emerged victorious." After a moment's pause, "At least a representation of a past battle," she appends.

[Merc]

Ithea takes the opportunity to observe the two fighting styles, to see if she learns anything useful from either combatant.

[Anastasia]

Make an Int check then, Ithea.

[Merc]

[21:20] <Merc> roll d20+11 int check
[21:20] <Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 16 > [d20=5]

[Anastasia]

It's too hectic and overwhelming for Ithea to follow, but you notice Selune's style and modes constantly change. Sometimes she is a young warrior-maiden, fighting directly with her mace. Other times she becomes a crone, slinging magic capable of shattering continents. At other times she takes to Shar's shadows, slinking along and fighting as a sneak-thief.

It does remind you an awful lot of someone. The way she switches easily and moves so fluidly between varied tricks brings to mind Sylvie's fighting style. She prefers her fists instead of a mace, but the fundamentals are scarily similar.

Since I posted this in nagging awhile back, Selune's an epic level chameleon and changes with the phases of the moon. It's not a spoiler as much as a nod to that.

[Merc]

Ithea decides not to make that observation outloud, since who knows how Balyss would take that sort of comparison for all that the two seem to have made up.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+4 Balyss Int
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 19 > [d20=15]]

As Simmer watches this she hmmms lowly, "They fight like cats," she observes, "All viciousness and holding nothing back."

"...I must be going crazy," Balyss shakes her head, breaking her gaze away, "Selune fights with the phases of the moon. Is that why you're showing us this, Moonmaiden?"

[Merc]

"You think that's a hint to finding the valeoloth?" Ithea asks doubtfully.

[Anastasia]

"....no." Balyss finally says, as the images above fade and the path returns. "Did you notice how Selune fought?"

[Merc]

"Yes," Ithea answers. "Very flexible fighting style, switching between combat styles as the situation calls for. So?"

[Anastasia]

Balyss looks up at the now starry sky once more, "Do you..." A long, slow trail off. "Never mind. We should be moving." She quickly takes the lead, hurrying along.

[Merc]

"What were you going to ask?" Ithea asks while following.