Crushed Slavers

[Corwin]

"Plus we've learned so much! Even I'm not a teenager anymore, and I've mastered several styles of combat, from the purely magical or martial to blends of them. Sometimes the options you have are mutually-exclusive, too. How do you choose the best one each time?"

[Anastasia]

"Practice," Pistis Sophia says, "As well as your combat skills being sufficient that a wrong choice isn't an insurmountable mistake." She looks to you, a fond smile on her face, "All seek insight, yet almost all of us play the fool on occasion. If you cannot guarantee insight, then guarantee that your choices will compensate, even if chosen foolishly."

[Corwin]

"That's how I've been getting by, yes," Seira responds. "That and ensuring I'm not traveling alone, and neither is anyone close to me."

[Anastasia]

"One is lonely," Pistis Sophia says, "One will always be lonely and vulnerable, yet we make ourselves fortresses to ward away all others. What foolishness is in our hearts, Seira." She reaches out, tendrils of mist gathering there. She leans forward and blows it away, luminescent mist spreading. Before you is a perfect image of yourself and your friends, past and present. "Yet we are blessed that we are not alone."

[Corwin]

"I'd say it's not me you need to tell this to, but Eblis," Seira notes, creating an illusion made of crackling flames that perfectly captures his lonely moment of vulnerability.

[Anastasia]

Pistis Sophia reaches up towards the image, "If only the blind could see," she laments, "If only the deaf could hear."

[Corwin]

"If only," Seira agrees.

[Anastasia]

With another puff of breath the image is gone. "Now, let us spar," Pistis Sophia declares. "I want to see how far you've progressed on your raw talents. No magic protecting you, no equipment. Just you."

[Corwin]

"Wow, that's such a pain." Seira whistles. "Any rules beyond no active use of magic?" she inquires, as a simple robe replaces her traveling outfit. "Lethal or non? What's your stance on dragons?"

[Anastasia]

"Non lethal," Pistis Sophia smiles, "Try me in half elf form and then in dragon form."

[Corwin]

"Alright! Let's do this!" Seira says happily. She doesn't dismiss all her spells, but merely the active ones. Those such as Moment of Prescience won't get in the way since she won't be using them.

[Anastasia]

Pistis Sophia floats 20ft away from you, in a casual stance and yet you can tell she's at the ready, waiting for you to strike.

Go ahead, she cedes initiative to you for the sake of this. She's not flatfooted since she knows its coming and it's not a serious battle, plus I'd like to omit rolling that isn't going to matter.

[Corwin]

Seira grins at her. "The lack of magic really hurts here! I could've crossed the distance with it, or gone dragon to make up the difference. And either way, without magic to summon some disposables to distract you from the flanks, I won't be that effective."

If only she could counter! But that's not her style, and it's a spar as it is so Seira leaps at Pistis Sophia with a dropkick!

-4 nonlethal, -5 with greater magic fang suppressed
21:11 <CC> roll 1d20+53-5-4
21:11 <Kobot> CC rolled 1d20+53-5-4 --> [ 1d20=19 ]{63}
21:12 <CC> roll 1d6+68-5
21:12 <Kobot> CC rolled 1d6+68-5 --> [ 1d6=3 ]{66}

[Anastasia]

It is said hitting someone like yourself or Amaryl is like trying to smite smoke. Trying to hit Pistis Sophia is beyond that. It is trying to hit the essence of serenity, flowing around your strike like trying to capture hope or sunshine in your fists. Your dropkick is dodged, "That is true," Pistis Sophia agrees, "But as you are is the most telling, not as you can be. At your core you have improved greatly since the first time I saw you, Seira. Now - dodge." She says, a sudden flurry of counterattacks, fists and knees moving faster than teleportation magic.

> roll 1d20+100
> roll 1d20+100
> roll 1d20+100
> roll 1d20+100
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+100 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{111}
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+100 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{118}
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+100 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{118}
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+100 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{120}
> roll 1d20+95
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+95 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{106}
> roll 1d20+90
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+90 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{107}
> roll 1d20+85
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+85 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{89}

Yet the blows do not land, each held back an inch from striking you. Yet you can see them coming at least, as impossible as they are to dodge. Pistis Sophia resumes her casual stance, "You've grown so much from the headstrong mortal I saw, who sought so much and faced down great trials. You could come close to equaling me like this if you were prepared, could you not?"

Lumenbur watches, a low whistle like steam jetting from a kettle.

"Feel free to transform," she invites. "I eagerly await the strength of your draconic body."

[Corwin]

Seira winces, shaking her head. "I could've made the first strike more effective, but didn't think of it because I usually strike with my weapons, not the claws." She raises one for good measure. "It's a weapon of last resort, so I just never connected it with the tricks I've bled to internalize."

She transforms, a gargantuan red dragon taking her place. "As for defense, I'll admit that I can't protect myself from that without magic. I usually don't bother, since the Aegis is a perfect defense, as much as those exist in Creation."