Victorious advance

[Anastasia]

Perception, Alicia.

Since Antenora and Jessica have DvR0, they're on a different track here and don't roll.

Meanwhile Antenora focuses - on a steel ball. It appears before her and constantly shifts between a dozen shapes and forms. Yet Antenora moves not a muscle as she works.

Jessica peers ahead thoughtfully, "Sister..." she murmurs, before it appears. A familiar house from Balmuria forms, Jessica's face locked in silent effort.

[Ebiris]

[18:16] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+73 she would've cast sensual blessing before leaving Sylica
[18:16] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 78 > [d20=5]

"Very good, Jessica. It looks just like I remember it," Alicia says as she watches Jessica's efforts.

As Marie's tree burns, the whole thing suddenly turns into stone, skeletal branches, delicate leaves, even the flames themselves all become perfectly detailed rock as if it were petrified in an instant.

[Anastasia]

Jessica is absorbed in this, while Antenora is absorbed in her ball. It's perhaps why Alicia is the one to see it. Creeping through the chaos all around you, 2000ft away and closing impossibly fast. A four legged thing, furless and with scales overlapping like steel armor. It's big as ten Hannas on their hands and knees, dozens of thick, bulging sacs on its back. It has the face of a man, mouth permanently open wide. From this mouth the head of a balor emerges, drooling and with its own maw open wide, as if ready to bite.

Its legs are that of a spider. Fleshy, danging strips coming from its stomach. The very sight of it sickens Alicia, a sense of wrongness to the thing. A sense of horror. Thing thing should not exist.

This nightmare should not exist.

Thanks to Alicia's superior vision, she is also able to notice something. In the crease of its neck, usually hidden by plating but occasionally just visible, is a symbol. A pair of red lips with a single drop of blood slowly falling from them.

[Ebiris]

"That's what I get for returning to the scene of the crime," Alicia smiles as she raises her blade. "Look sharp ladies, we have company!"

Alicia autowins init.

[18:31] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+11+5 nerveskitter Marie init
[18:31] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 24 > [d20=8]

[Anastasia]

"What is it?" Antenora says sharply, spear in hand instantly as Jessica readies her rapier.

> roll 1d20+11 Antenora
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 31 > [d20=20]
> roll 1d20+24 Jessica
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 35 > [d20=11]
> roll 1d20+42 horror
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 50 > [d20=8]

Init is Alicia (Supreme Init) > Horror (50) > Jessica (35) > Antenora (31) > Marie (24)

Open Alicia.

[Ebiris]

Malcanthet wouldn't have sent this thing if she didn't think it had decent odds, so Alicia takes the challenge seriously and immediately stops time so she can add more defensive spells to her repertoire.

[18:58] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+1 quickened time stop
[18:58] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 4 > [d4=3]

"That bad?" Marie asks, already floating over and casting her epic mage armour on Alicia.

"It's over there, some giant unique demon," Alicia points it out as she channels more power into her blade. "It looks explosive, lets kill it before it can get close."

4 rounds of time stop for them to play with.

Alicia
Round 1: Keen edge on sword, swift to compress space between us and horror.
Round 2: Full round spent altering Limbo as her divine realm to create a sphere of water centred on the horror, 2000 feet wide so it ends just next to us.
The area gains the Water dominant and Major Positive Dominant traits. And the Enhanced Magic trait to maximise spells with the water descriptor.
Its gravity trait becomes Heavy Gravity and Objective Directional Gravity pulled towards the centre of the sphere, where the horror currently is.
Astral links are severed within 2 miles. This does not affect Alicia or her magic.
Round 3: 2x quickened summon monster X and one summon monster X to summon 9 elder water elementals around the horror (all spells maximised from new planar traits)
Round 4: Recitation on her and Marie. Swift to remove the compressed space.

Marie
Round 1: Epic mage armour on Alicia
Round 2: Crushing hand cast near horror via compressed space.
Round 3: Crushing hand cast near horror via compressed space.
Round 4: Seira's arcane thesis on self.

When time resumes the party is now faced with a titanic orb of glowing white water, the demon now trapped with a horde of elementals and grasping hands made of force, gravity pulling it towards the centre of the orb and hampering its displayed mobility, all of them striving to keep it held there without injuring it even as the positive energy suffusing the area pours into the creature, until it can take no more and explodes!

DC 15 fort or blinded while in the water, +5 HP gained per round, temp hp if at max, once temp HP reaches twice max then DC 20 fort per round or explode. The gravity gives a -2 penalty to swim checks and weights are doubled so far as sinking goes. If it has to breathe then usual drowning rules also apply.

[19:42] <@Ebiris> roll 2#1d20+65 crushing hand grapple CMB
[19:42] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 66, 73 >

The elementals are pretty much just blocking space rather than attacking.

[19:44] <@Ebiris> roll 9#1d20+19 DC 15 fort or blinded for elementals
[19:44] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 30, 30, 21, 21, 39, 29, 36, 21, 20 >

"Just wait a little bit now, please," Alicia says, a smile tugging at her lips. "I decided to try being creative for once."

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia: 651/651
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 33), extended mind blank (CL 33), extended nondetection (CL 33), sensual blessing (CL 33)
Defences: AC 75, CMD 85, spell resistance 48, energy immunity (fire and cold), status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), nondetection (DC 48)
Stat buffs/penalties: +25 competence perception, doubled crit range, +10 armour, +3 luck attack/saves
Perceptions: Darkvision, tremorsense, blindsight 2 miles, scent, arcane sight, perception +73
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/14/9/9/15/8/7/8/7/5/4/6/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/22/22/22/11/7/6

Marie: 627/627
Active spells: Extended superior resistance (CL 33), extended mind blank (CL 33), extended nondetection (CL 33), epic mage armour (CL 33), repelling shield (CL 33), Seira's arcane thesis (CL 33)
Defences: AC 94 (touch 36, vs incorporeal 67), CMD 82, spell resistance 48, energy immunity (electricity), energy resistance 10 (acid, cold), status immunity (petrification, polymorph, form-altering, energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, mind-affecting) protective aura, nondetection (DC 48)
Stat buffs/penalties: +11 shield, +3 luck attack/saves, +10 SR checks, +5 spell DCs
Perceptions: Darkvision 60, blessed sight 120, see invisibility, perception +48
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/0/8/9/8/9/8/8/6/6/8/6/7/1
Limited SLAs available: heal, meteor swarm

Summoned elder water elementals (9/9)
HP: 228+5/228
Defences: AC 23/23, CMB 47, damage reduction 10/-

Crushing hands (2/2)
+65 CMB
HP: 627/627
AC: 20

[Anastasia]

Hoooo boy, major positive dominant? Here we go. Also can't be blinded so that's not a factor.

It works. It works surprisingly well as Antenora turns and watches, shielding her eyes with one hand. The creature is pulled towards the center, unable to escape such an assault. It's fast but held by the gravity, held back as the sacs on its back swelling. They burst, emitting a sickly green goop. Within them are infantile versions of this same thing, each one connecting to the mother via steel bone-cords. They rapidly begin to grow, sacs on their own backs swelling, as they stay connected to their mother.

Jessica stays at the ready, the bright sphere of light holding it as she says, "Well, is it dealt with, sister?"

[Ebiris]

"Ah... perhaps not," Alicia says, looking somewhat embarrassed.

The water changes hue from a pearlescent white hue to a grimy dark one.

Spending a full round to change it to major negative dominant now. DC 25 fort or gain a negative level.

[20:12] <@Ebiris> roll 9#1d20+19 DC 25 fort or negative level for elementals
[20:12] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 22, 20, 29, 29, 35, 38, 29, 26, 21 >

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia: 651/651
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 33), extended mind blank (CL 33), extended nondetection (CL 33), sensual blessing (CL 33)
Defences: AC 75, CMD 85, spell resistance 48, energy immunity (fire and cold), status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), nondetection (DC 48)
Stat buffs/penalties: +25 competence perception, doubled crit range, +10 armour, +3 luck attack/saves
Perceptions: Darkvision, tremorsense, blindsight 2 miles, scent, arcane sight, perception +73
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/14/9/9/15/8/7/8/7/5/4/6/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/22/22/22/11/7/6

Marie: 627/627
Active spells: Extended superior resistance (CL 33), extended mind blank (CL 33), extended nondetection (CL 33), epic mage armour (CL 33), repelling shield (CL 33), Seira's arcane thesis (CL 33)
Defences: AC 94 (touch 36, vs incorporeal 67), CMD 82, spell resistance 48, energy immunity (electricity), energy resistance 10 (acid, cold), status immunity (petrification, polymorph, form-altering, energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, mind-affecting) protective aura, nondetection (DC 48)
Stat buffs/penalties: +11 shield, +3 luck attack/saves, +10 SR checks, +5 spell DCs
Perceptions: Darkvision 60, blessed sight 120, see invisibility, perception +48
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/0/8/9/8/9/8/8/6/6/8/6/7/1
Limited SLAs available: heal, meteor swarm

Summoned elder water elementals (6/9)
HP: 228+5/228
Defences: AC 23/23, CMB 47, damage reduction 10/-

HP: 223+5/223 (3/9) 1 negative level
Defences: AC 23/23, CMB 46, damage reduction 10/-

Crushing hands (2/2)
+65 CMB
HP: 627/627
AC: 20

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+41
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 58 > [d20=17]

The baby horrors rapidly begin to shrivel away under this. However, the actual horror doesn't seem bothered. You have it held there smoothly, unable to attack, but nor is it immediately withering.

Antenora stands at the ready, "Merely say the word, Alicia."

[Ebiris]

"This definitely isn't the most efficient way to fight, but it's secure for now so we can play it out a bit more," Alicia says, watching it.

"I've got an idea, watch!" Marie says brightly before she creates a huge metal spike in the water ahead of her - which promptly sinks down towards the centre under the effect of the heavy gravity within until it punctures into the horror... or prangs off of it more likely one might assume.

[Anastasia]

We'll call this a ranged attack roll with a +4 circumstance bonus due to the gravity.

[Ebiris]

[20:35] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+51
[20:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 59 > [d20=8]

It's still grappled too, and the hands can start doing damage as well.

[20:36] <@Ebiris> roll 2#2d6+12 crushing hand grapple damages
[20:36] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 17, 20 >

I'm not bothering with the elementals anymore, they'll be dead soon anyway and they can't really do anything so dismissing them.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia: 651/651
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 33), extended mind blank (CL 33), extended nondetection (CL 33), sensual blessing (CL 33)
Defences: AC 75, CMD 85, spell resistance 48, energy immunity (fire and cold), status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), nondetection (DC 48)
Stat buffs/penalties: +25 competence perception, doubled crit range, +10 armour, +3 luck attack/saves
Perceptions: Darkvision, tremorsense, blindsight 2 miles, scent, arcane sight, perception +73
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/14/9/9/15/8/7/8/7/5/4/6/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/22/22/22/11/7/6

Marie: 627/627
Active spells: Extended superior resistance (CL 33), extended mind blank (CL 33), extended nondetection (CL 33), epic mage armour (CL 33), repelling shield (CL 33), Seira's arcane thesis (CL 33)
Defences: AC 94 (touch 36, vs incorporeal 67), CMD 82, spell resistance 48, energy immunity (electricity), energy resistance 10 (acid, cold), status immunity (petrification, polymorph, form-altering, energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, mind-affecting) protective aura, nondetection (DC 48)
Stat buffs/penalties: +11 shield, +3 luck attack/saves, +10 SR checks, +5 spell DCs
Perceptions: Darkvision 60, blessed sight 120, see invisibility, perception +48
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/0/8/9/8/9/8/8/6/6/8/6/7/1
Limited SLAs available: heal, meteor swarm

Crushing hands (2/2)
+65 CMB
HP: 627/627
AC: 20

[Anastasia]

In this case, hit. Damage. We'll call it a ranged attack with a base of 6d10 damage, it's a pretty big spike.

[Ebiris]

[20:47] <@Ebiris> roll 6d10
[20:47] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 21 > [d10=6,2,1,4,2,6]

[Anastasia]

CLANG The spike hits the body of the beast, a loud resonation of metal on metal. The impact staggers it as you bombard it with negative energy and the hands squeeze it. It's healing fast, though not fast enough to outpace that.