Crushed Slavers

[Anastasia]

They do not.

You step ahead, step onward. The four of you stand in a stone platform in the darkness, perhaps 20ft by 20ft.

"Still living?" It's a woman's voice, cold. "Annoying pests should die." It comes from everywhere, echoing amid the darkness.

[Corwin]

"You're number seven, aren't you? Seven of Twelve? I think I'll call you that," Seira muses. "I shall allow you to address me as the Dragon Princess. Isn't it better when we're all friends?"

[Anastasia]

"I am," The voice agrees, "Are you here to die, Seira?"

[Corwin]

"You seem competent enough, if only by your reputation, Seven," Seira responds to the mysterious voice. "How about I bring you over to my side instead? You should be able to see past the whole 'I shall win eternal glory with Shar by killing much stronger people!' thing the midboss squad went for. Let's face it, deep down there's a broken little girl crying because of something Shar ultimately engineered to get you to her side. How does that buy her loyalty?"

[Anastasia]

"Ask her as she heralds you to oblivion," she declares, as the darkness begins to gather around you, crushing back against you.

Donald holds his ground right away, shield out, "Dispel! Counter light!"

Elle does the same, both hands out as she chants words of magic, protecting herself.

[Corwin]

With a flick of her wrist, a fan of fire appears in Seira's hand. A smooth gesture building up on it is imbued with her willpower, sending her magical might clashing against Seven's!

Superb Dispelling

22:10 <CC> roll 1d20+32+9
22:10 <Kobot> CC rolled 1d20+32+9 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{55}

[Anastasia]

Gimme four more checks.

[Corwin]

22:28 <CC> roll 4#1d20+32+9
22:28 <Kobot> CC rolled 4#1d20+32+9 --> [ 1d20=19 ]{60}, [ 1d20=14 ]{55}, [ 1d20=11 ]{52}, [ 1d20=18 ]{59}

[Anastasia]

Magic shatters before your power. Your dispel is sufficient, the stone platform crumbling beneath you, the darkness ripping apart. The four of you fall for a mere moment before landing on something solid.

You land in darkness, but ahead a dim path can be seen, winding deeper.

[Corwin]

Seira displays her rarely-used control over flames and forms a massive phoenix that flies ahead of her to announce her presence. With Kascha attending in spirit, Seira strides down the no longer dim path, asking, "What is it that you want? Not in the sense of a tactical goal or achievement. What do you feel is the purpose of your existence, and how have you been living your life to help it along?"

[Anastasia]

You advance, the way darkness - as in emptiness, darkness from there being nothing there at all.

Elle stays on guard, Sanzha following unconcerned.

"Come, servants of oblivion," The woman demands. "We have a chance to claim a prize grander than any we imagined."

Before you, 40ft away, is the horn nightwalker. He blocks the way, fully restored. From the darkness three more dots of nothingness flow, flowing into him.

"I am...Fourth. I am Four as One." The nightwalker declares, voice now a simmering thing, like water about to boil over. His body is bigger now, better defined, radiating power. "Together, the four of us will bring you to oblivion."

Come, Seira. Shall we Compete, servant against servant? Send one of them against him. Let us see which is superior and which shall fall into oblivion.

[Corwin]

I'm glad you asked, Shar! My answer is no, of course. Unlike yourself, I don't treat my followers as pawns, nor do I send them up against unfavorable odds out of some misplaced whimsy or to win a bet. And since we're getting into this, I actually have friends and they're here with me. Why, I feel that beating Four as One and Seven of Twelve will be a nice bonding experience for us! Not to mention that it nicely fits within my beliefs that the sum is greater than its parts, and that by working together we can overcome great odds.

"Come on, Seven!" Seira calls up in the wake of that refusal. "I'll show you how much better it is when one fights alongside friends!"

[Anastasia]

In that case, init.

[Corwin]

07:24 <CC> roll 1d20+18+2+4
07:24 <Kobot> CC rolled 1d20+18+2+4 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{42}

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+22 Lady Sanzha
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+22 Lady Sanzha --> [ 1d20=19 ]{41}
> roll 1d20+13 Elle
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+13 Elle --> [ 1d20=13 ]{26}
> roll 1d20+7 Donald
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+7 Donald --> [ 1d20=16 ]{23}
> roll 1d20+20 Four As One
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+20 Four As One --> [ 1d20=3 ]{23}
> roll 1d20+20 The Seventh Shadow
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+20 The Seventh Shadow --> [ 1d20=20 ]{40}
> roll 1d20+3 ???
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+3 ??? --> [ 1d20=17 ]{20}
> roll 1d20+8 ???
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+8 ??? --> [ 1d20=7 ]{15}
> roll 1d20 ???2
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20 ???2 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{4}

Init is Seira (42) > Lady Sanzha (41) > The Seventh Shadow (40) > Elle (26) > Donald = Four As One (23) > ???1 (20) > ???2 (15) > ???3 (4)

Seira opens.

Cowardice. All you represent is nothing but dust on the wind, Seira.

Shar's voice is haughty, filled with contempt as Donald calls, "Let's end this!"

Go.