The Sword of Myr, again (Surraruthru)

[Iron Dragoon]

"Well, Elysium might be the best place to do it, actually. As a yugoloth, she's going to inherently be weakened, no? Stuck on an a plane that's an anathema to her, surrounded by Ebony, you, Sylvie, and me, she should be at enough of a disadvantage to be more willing to deal. Is there anyone else you think we should include?"

[Anastasia]

"That should be enough. If something that spell can get can get past all of us, we deserve to fail," Kascha says, firmly. "Seira won't let us fail, anyway."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Yes she will. You learn more from failure than you do success, after all. Just just may not let us die horrible, agonizing, soul-scarring deaths."

[Anastasia]

Kascha's wings sag, a sad little frown on her face. "I hope not! I've died before on Earth and it's really not fun!"

[Iron Dragoon]

"You're a phoenix. That won't happen. Well, it shouldn't happen."

[Anastasia]

"I hope so," Kascha agrees, as the two of you head out.

Kascha's slotted all of her 8th level spells to greater planar bindings, so she can try up to 5 times.

From there the circle is set up. Kascha begins to cast, gesturing and calling on great names of power. She invokes all of them one after another, then abruptly:

> roll 1d20+17 vs 28
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 30 > [d20=13]

Ten minutes and barely a jolt, Kascha shaking her head. "Ugh," she rubs her arms, "It resisted. Again." The circle is cast, the anchor set and everything prepared. Again she chants, "Brave Luse, seal the gates of the heavenly prison! She of the hidden, bind the gate! Wise Faerinaal, grant me the wisdom of the ages in my magic! Great Gwynharwyf, protect me with your blades! Queen above all, open the stars of the sky to shine down on my magic! Dragon princess, let your roar cow the will of the wicked!"

> roll 1d20+17 vs 28
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 34 > [d20=17]

"...nothing," Kascha scowls, a little pale. "She resisted again."

"Can you continue?" Ebony steps forward, speaking softly.

"I will." Is Kascha's reply, "Be ready, I won't fail a third time!"

This time Kascha chants in a language you don't know, but you do pick out a few names from before, as well as Morwel and Seira.

> roll 1d20+17 vs 28
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 29 > [d20=12]

Kascha sags and falls to a knee when the spell fails a third time, "The fiend may be somewhere that's interfering, or someone is protecting it." Kascha remarks, "Thurra may also be unnaturally willful." She then rises, "Two more. I won't stop until it's finished."

This time she chants simply and with focus, another unknown language this time.

> roll 1d20+17 vs 28
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 23 > [d20=6]

Kascha's wax-pale by the time the fourth casting ends, but there is success. She is clad in leathers, daggers strapped all over her body. About seven and a half feet tall, midnight blue skin and long blue hair. She looks about immediately, hissing low, "Who wishes to die?" she asks in a sweet voice, "I'm only called when someone needs to die."

[Iron Dragoon]

Surraruthru slinks around Kascha's legs, staring at the yugoloth.

"One of your fellow yugoloths. I imagine there's not going to be much love lost there."

[Anastasia]

"A lie," Sylvie says dispassionately, cracking her knuckles. "You've been called before for other things, fiend. Every breath you exhale is coated in lies."

The daemon's gaze turns on Surraruthru, "You want to me to betray one of my own? You'll need to pay properly."

Ebony steps forward, hood pulled down to the point of hiding her face. "Be thankful we do not blot you from Creation as we did Athux," Ebony adds, "Have you heard yet? Athux finally worked up the courage to strike out on his own and rise to the rank of demon lord We were not amused and we went there, slaughtered those who defended him and and obliterated him."

Kascha is sickly pale, but her gaze is determined. "Yes, I was one of the ones who part of that. Offer us insolence, strive to commit evil against us or others in our service or plan revenge afterwards and you'll regret it - briefly."

The daemon hisses like a snake, stepping back as far as the circle allows her to. "Which one do you seek?"

"Secretus. We desire a guide to the gateway to his domain. You will serve as it and you will be properly compensated for the service." Kascha meets the thing's gaze, "Your life is an acceptable reward, daemon?"

[Iron Dragoon]

Surraruthru circles around to behind the yugoloth like a stalking predator.

"Power is everything to your kind. Position. Reputation. Even just whispers of it entice your kind. Rumors breed opportunity. Assist us and have your name attached to the fall of a Daemon lord. One such as Secretus, even as hidden as he is, is known for position and power. You will help us, willingly or not, and we all know it. Take a small piece of that rumor for yourself, disappear from our sight after. Profit from it.

Attempt to strike back at us or betray us, and we will scour you from existence, and you know we can. And desire so. Be wise against your nature in this. Aid us. Guide us. Scrape what you can for your name from this, and continue to exist."

[Anastasia]

Make an Intimidate check, Surraruthru.

[Iron Dragoon]

> roll 1d20+7 Cha
<Serith> Iddy roll for Serith < 18 > [d20=11]

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+10 Ebony Intimidate
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 11 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+48 Sylvie Intimidate (+23 inspiration)
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 62 > [d20=14]

To the shock of no one, Sylvie carries a skill based situation.

Thurra's eyes whip around, looking for escape - but they land on Sylvie instead. Something the daemon sees is enough to visibly spook her, eyes widening and another snake-hiss coming from her. She holds up her hands as if to shield herself from being struck.

Kascha Charisma check for forcing the bargain. +4 circumstance bonus since y'all but fear into the daemon. It's opposed by Thurra's own check.

> roll 1d20+11 (+4 circumstance) Kascha Charisma
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 31 > [d20=20]
> roll 1d20+6 Thurra Charisma irrelevant
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 19 > [d20=13]

"Stop! I will do it!" Thurra hisses again, "I will show you the way!"

[Iron Dragoon]

"Excellent. At least you are decisive. Tell us what you know of him and how we get there."

[Anastasia]

"There is a hidden grove of olive trees, where ultroloths that have failed him hang. They're transformed into valeoloths," You can her the sneer in her voice as surely as seeing it on her face, "They hang vigil and protect the gate. Even if you reach there, you have to overcome the six of them to obtain entrance. It won't be a quiet fight and it'll ruin any chance at surprise. To get there, you must travel west from," A garbled word next, incomprehensible, "You couldn't understand that, could you? [Garbled word] is cloaked in anathemic secrecy since it was taken. Travel west from there for one day and never look back. If you look back at [garbled word], you'll go there and never return."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Hmm... How do the valeoloths detect things? By mundane senses or something magical? We might be able to find a spell to hide us from them.. Superior Invisibility and Screen maybe?"