The Rime Tower (Afina, 86 days left)

[Ebiris]

"Our mission today is to destroy Rime Tower," Afina tells her companions. "One of the traitor Mala's holdings, majority opposition is expected to be gelugons and verminous aberrations. Also something there is presently interfering with divinations, so it may be hosting something even more novel - or dangerous. I'll Gate us in a mile away to avoid any close in defences, and we'll approach under the best stealth we can manage - I know this isn't a sneaky group, but once we do reach there we'll be quite loud and obvious in our presence as we set about destroying the place. Questions?"

[Anastasia]

"Do we expect Mala?" Crystal asks right off. She sits on Hope, ready to charge into battle.

[Ebiris]

"I think it's quite possible," Afina says. "That could be why divinations are being blocked, if she's visiting. Equally likely it could be Taelfagn, so we have to be prepared to retreat if we're outmatched. That, I'm afraid, is Jaela's fight and not ours."

[Anastasia]

"Fine," Bubbles says, "Love, what about Gathgorian? We can't discount him, either."

[Ebiris]

She smiles a little at Bubbles' term of endearment there. "We'll consider the situation as we find it, depending on the level of support he has I'd lean more towards fighting in that case. We have to be flexible and ready to withdraw if we feel outmatched, though. This is a raid, not a pitched battle. Even with Lifasa's deadline we can still come back to fight another day."

[Anastasia]

"Then let's go," Cresiel says, "Lifasa awaits us."

[Ebiris]

"Can you cast a mass death ward on us, Cresiel? Mala's fond of necromancy," Afina asks, waiting for that to happen before she opens a Gate to a mile away from the Rime Tower, at a sheltered spot in the local environment in whatever direction affords them the best cover on approach.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina 329+20/329
active spells: glaciante's spiteful ward (CL 29 attached to epic mage armour), heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), epic mage armour (CL 27), many moments of prescience (CL 29), greater heroism (CL 25), afina's perfect vision (CL 27), shield (CL 27), death ward (CL 20)
defences: AC 96 (touch 60), spell resistance 42, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear, mind-affecting, critical hits, negative energy
perceptions: blindsight 200, low-light vision, darkvision 60, all-around vision, see invisible/ethereal, spot +70, listen +70
spell slots: 6/9/10/10/7/9/4/8/8/8/7/0/3

[Anastasia]

"Oh light of Celestial, walk with us now and forever," Cresiel prays, as death ward protects all of you. He kneels to do this and then rises, "Forward."

The chill of winter is thick here. The sky burns and yet this is a realm of ice, a black ice that does nothing but suck in light, leaving it pitch dark here, save for the faint radiance of the burning sky. Amid the buzzing of insects in the air - horrid fat things, spiders with wings, roaches with bloated stomachs that float like dandelion fluff and centipedes that creep-crawl through the air as if they were swiming - you see a tower of black ice far ahead.

The terrain is broken - lots of stray rocks and boulders, the ground uneven and with icy hills and sharp dips ahead.

[spoiler]

Bubbles
HP: 298+20/298
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Crystal
HP: 444+20/444
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used: Mass death ward

Hope
HP: 619+2/619
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Cresiel
HP: 596+20/596
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

[Ebiris]

Can we hold up a bit since we're now waiting on Jaela who can be part of this excursion after she finishes her thread?

[Anastasia]

Oh sure, I didn't realize you were waiting on her. Certainly, Afina.

[Anastasia]

Soon enough Jaela joins you.

"Are you ready?" Cresiel asks solemnly.

Get any buffing and a spoiler block up, Jaela.

[spoiler]

Bubbles
HP: 298+20/298
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Crystal
HP: 444+20/444
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used: Mass death ward

Hope
HP: 619+2/619
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Cresiel
HP: 596+20/596
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:
[/quote]

[Corwin]

Aside from the usual protective spells, Jaela shares a couple with the others before indicating readiness!

Cast on the whole group: Sublime Revelry CL31, Good Hope CL30. Also let's have Tepen keep us in telepathic contact as previously, so Interplanar Telepathic Bond CL26.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Spells Active: Spell Turning CL26, Contingency CL32, Permanency/Greater Blindsight CL32, Permanency/Mantle of Good CL33, Foresight CL27, Moment of Prescience CL25, Lore of the Gods CL30, Invisibility Purge CL30, Fortunate Fate CL15, Mind Blank CL17, Greater Mage Armor CL7, Planar Tolerance CL7, Heroes Feast CL20, Righteous Halo CL28, Vision of the Omniscient Eye CL30, Greater Heroism CL30, Shield of Warding CL31, Conviction CL31, Crown of Flame CL30, Sign CL30, Divine Insight CL33, Interplanar Telepathic Bond CL26 (via Tepen), Sublime Revelry CL31, Mass Death Ward CL24 (via Cresiel), Good Hope CL30.

[Ebiris]

With Jaela along to help bolster their odds, Afina's warning about not facing Taelfagn no longer applies! "Disgusting," she mutters on seeing the warped insects that greet them, taking control of the winds around her to blow them away and keep them away. "Come on, try and stick to cover but haste is better than secrecy with this group," she says, flying low to the ground towards the blackened tower.

Control Winds SLA used

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina 329+20/329
active spells: glaciante's spiteful ward (CL 29 attached to epic mage armour), heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), epic mage armour (CL 27), many moments of prescience (CL 29), greater heroism (CL 25), afina's perfect vision (CL 27), shield (CL 27), death ward (CL 20), sublime revelry (CL 31), good hope (CL 30), control winds (CL 27), interplanar telepathic bond (CL 26)
defences: AC 96 (touch 60), spell resistance 42, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear, mind-affecting, critical hits, negative energy
perceptions: blindsight 200, low-light vision, darkvision 60, all-around vision, see invisible/ethereal, spot +70, listen +70
spell slots: 6/9/10/10/7/9/4/8/8/8/7/0/3

[Corwin]

"Abominations," Jaela agrees, keeping up with Afina.

[Anastasia]

"Vermin," Cresiel thunders, "The devils court like to like and surround themselves with their kin."

"The one life from Lifasa that they encourage and it is vermin," Crystal scowls, "I grew weary of them already."

[spoiler]

Bubbles
HP: 298+20/298
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24), Sublime Revelry (CL31), Good Hope (CL30), Interplanar Telepathic Bond (CL26)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Crystal
HP: 444+20/444
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24), Sublime Revelry (CL31), Good Hope (CL30), Interplanar Telepathic Bond (CL26)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used: Mass death ward

Hope
HP: 619+2/619
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24), Sublime Revelry (CL31), Good Hope (CL30), Interplanar Telepathic Bond (CL26)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Cresiel
HP: 596+20/596
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Heroes Feast (CL20), Greater Heroism (CL27), Epic Mage Armor (CL27), Mass Death Ward (CL24), Sublime Revelry (CL31), Good Hope (CL30), Interplanar Telepathic Bond (CL26)
Bonuses: +1 morale attack rolls and will saves, immunity to fear and poison, +4 morale attack rolls and saves, +20 armor bonus AC.
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used: