Cauldron Festival

[Anastasia]

Okay, fair warning - the Beyond resists divine power and you'd know this IC.

In case that impacts your action, I should have mentioned that first thing, but I'm out of it today.

[Corwin]

I'll take my chances and see how hard this would be. I've seen reshaping Beyond succeed before, so might as well use this as a test case.

[Anastasia]

Gimme a rank check here.

[Corwin]

21:45 <Lucille> roll 1d20+1
21:45 <Rei-chan> Lucille rolled : 1d20+1 --> [ 1d20=19 ]{20}

[Anastasia]

Whatever this is, it resists. It resists, repulses. It's like trying to move a twisting, writhing pile of living clay - yet you do it. You establish the zone, the horror recoiling back from it endlessly.

Init is Seira (32) > Oraga (30) > Oberuth (24) > Horror (19)

"Good."  Oraga says that and opens his hand. A great mass of writhing flames appears within his hand, growing larger and larger. He looms over the recoiling, watery thing and declares, "Cease!"

> roll 1d20 1 check touch AC
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 7 > [d20=7]
> roll 31d10
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 184 > [d10=7,3,7,6,9,2,9,3,10,10,9,6,3,8,7,6,1,2,4,5,7,8,2,5,5,6,9,8,6,9,2]

Oraga's flames erupt around the thing, burning it before your eyes. Scales become kindling and water becomes steam, the entire thing twisting and writhing at the edge of your spell, just beyond it. At the same time Oberuth dives down - fast. For a moment you remember, fighting with him at mere human speeds. At the speed of steel and sword, of the tang of the sea air as you sparred at the garrison.

Yet as that is merely a memory, so is human speed. Oberuth barrels down in a blink, a headlong charge to part the horror before him down the center.

> roll 1d20+38 (+2 charge, +4 favored enemy, smite from Second Resort, dire charge, -20 PA)
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 40 > [d20=2]
> roll 6d8+128+1d6+6d8
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 181 > [d8=3,6,7,1,6,7][d6=1][d8=6,7,2,1,2,4]

The endless recursion is blurred through. In it you see Oberuth, slashing again and again. Thousands of him, slashing through just as many recursions. Inversion, many becoming few becoming none. Before you the beast twists in on itself, the nightmare ending before your eyes. You won!

Oberuth lowers his blade, calling up, "One of the weaker ones I've met."

"Also a fake. Creatures of Beyond damage the world around them." Oraga rumbles. "I see no such thing."

"I know," Oberuth says, "I've seen no sign of that in fighting them, even those in longer battles. They look like what you described your previous encounter with one as, but there's no destruction here. I didn't expect anything else. Sylian has his own stake in this, one not wasted by risking everything."

Free act.

[Corwin]

"He's training you to fight the denizens of Beyond," Seira states flatly. "Lovely. Have you discerned an improvement of your skills when it comes to facing them, if I might ask?"

[Anastasia]

"Yes," Oberuth's expression becomes a dark scowl, "That...makes perfect sense. Damn and blast."

"That is not bad," Oraga interjects here, "Slaying creatures of Beyond is everyone's duty, lest all ends. Skill and practice here are to Creation's improvement."

[Corwin]

"Just because Sylian is a shitty lich doesn't make his every action worthless," Seira agrees with Oraga. "That said, if Oberuth burns out it will all be for nothing. You need to maintain a proper balance between training and rest."

[Anastasia]

"Right now, I'm fine," Oberuth says, "Tired, but my vigor's doing better as I battle here."

[Corwin]

"I'll look into this," Seira promises. "For now, want to tell me about the ruins and Ajan? And with luck, we might find a stronger figment to fight here!"

[Anastasia]

I forgot to make a precise DM todo of this, so what was your exact advice/request to talk to Ajan about? Want to make sure I have it right.

[Corwin]

I want to learn the following:

Who Oberuth plans to take with him into the gnomish ruins to battle the God-King.
Has he recovered all the Resorts (aside from the Final Resort which is with Daa'vid?
Does Ajan know anything about Shar or about Primus's prophecy, and does he have any advice?
Does Ajan know about Io? Does he know whether Io has any business on Alyssa's world (I presume that between Elle and Waukeen that assumption of mine has been confirmed off-screen)?

[Anastasia]

"Ajan knows Shar is strong and about the Prophecy of Primus," Oberuth begins. "His task isn't tied to them, but he worries about her growing strength, with what he knows. He also knows of Io's return, he felt it. That he knew more about than anything else," A pause, a glance to the side before turning his attention back to you. "Io is active, but subtly and hiding himself."

[Corwin]

"Do we have confirmation that he was the one responsible for Songsteel's elevation several years ago?"

[Anastasia]

"Ajan thinks so," Oberuth frowns, glancing aside again. You see it. Forming to the right. A squared cherry, a fruit that bears blossoms of steel and swords, twisting together into a repetition of tomorrow, a day's dawn horizon spread all about it.

"Another one," Oraja says, smiling grimly. "Your turn, Seira."

Despite this, Oberuth momentarily smiles as he faces it. "Whatever Io is doing, Ajan is fairly certain he's helping out."

Init.