Victorious advance

[Ebiris]

I assumed it was a straight shot because the worm wasn't backtracking. I have 2 miles worth of divine perception to sense stuff within and am probably smart enough to be able to gauge the right direction for the epicentre of those quakes from what I felt above ground?

[Anastasia]

Down you go. Down and down and down. Down to a vast cavern of lava waterfalls, going through it. Here you see them - hundreds of Dao, holding a defensive line and position all over this vast cavern. Farther below sits a vast pedestal where a glowing purple rock sits, the size of Hanna or so. There is one figure in armor there, a hand on it that you see - the Grand Sultan, his focus completely on it.

[Ebiris]

How many rounds did that take?

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia: 649+60/651
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 33), extended mind blank (CL 33), extended nondetection (CL 33), sensual blessing (CL 33), epic mage armour (CL 33), recitation (CL 33), greater heroism (CL 33), repelling shield (CL 33), spell turning (CL 33), dance of the unicorn (CL 33), foresight (CL 33), vision of the omniscient eye (CL 33), opal protection (CL 33), celestial valor (CL 33), greater anticipate teleportation (CL 33)
Defences: AC 91, CMD 100 (117 vs grapple), 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, dazzled & blinded), nondetection (DC 48)
Stat buffs/penalties: +25 competence perception, doubled crit range, +10 armour AC, +3 luck attack/saves, +9 shield AC, +4 attack/saves/skills, +2 insight AC/reflex, +3 morale armour, +4 sacred attack/damage/ac/saves
Perceptions: Darkvision, tremorsense, blindsight 2 miles, scent, arcane sight, perception +83
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/14/9/9/13/5/7/6/7/5/3/6/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/22/22/22/9/8/4

[Anastasia]

3.

[Ebiris]

Made it with time to spare! Bypassing the dao entirely she positions herself a safe two hundred feet from the Sultan and swells to colossal size once more in readiness for battle, her presence unmistakable now as her time stop ends.

Moving and casting greater visage of the deity in my last round.

"Grand Sultan, I would ask you to desist and depart," she says, looking across at him. He's certainly a foe well beyond the likes of Lixer or Glasya, but even so she's fresh and has some deadly tricks of her own up her sleeve and it shows in her confidence here.

[19:59] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+35 arcane sight CL if needed
[19:59] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 38 > [d20=3]

Also looking to see what magic's around on him and that crystal.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia: 981+60/981
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 33), extended mind blank (CL 33), extended nondetection (CL 33), sensual blessing (CL 33), epic mage armour (CL 33), recitation (CL 33), greater heroism (CL 33), repelling shield (CL 33), spell turning (CL 33), dance of the unicorn (CL 33), foresight (CL 33), vision of the omniscient eye (CL 33), opal protection (CL 33), celestial valor (CL 33), greater anticipate teleportation (CL 33), greater visage of the deity (CL 33)
Defences: AC 99, CMD 125 (142 vs grapple), 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, dazzled & blinded), nondetection (DC 48)
Stat buffs/penalties: +25 competence perception, doubled crit range, +10 armour AC, +3 luck attack/saves, +9 shield AC, +4 attack/saves/skills, +2 insight AC/reflex, +3 morale armour, +4 sacred attack/damage/ac/saves, +36 str, -2 dex, +20 con, +2 int, +4 wis, +4 cha, +14 natural armour AC, -8 size attack/AC
Perceptions: Darkvision, tremorsense, blindsight 2 miles, scent, arcane sight, perception +83
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/14/9/9/14/5/7/6/7/5/3/6/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/22/22/22/9/8/5

[Anastasia]

A moment of silence at your intrusion, the Grand Sultan turning his gaze to you. He wears a helmet, hiding his burning face completely, yet not seeming to impede him. Yet you feel his presence, overwhelming and potent, like a bonfire ablaze. Yet you endure as you see the rock.

A rock to destroy earth, a rock to undo it and any defenses around it. A strange thing of nothing and consumption...but it doesn't quite feel like Shar, either.

"Alicia Reynes," he greets, "Not unexpected, but not anticipated like this," His hand is on the stone, "Just as I am here. Leave this place - you know you can't stand a chance against me yet, not as you are now. Do not make the same mistakes Seira made and refuse my generosity."

[Ebiris]

It's the real thing and not an avatar, huh? Of course an avatar wouldn't be able to contest Zaaman Rul's realm so easily. "Perhaps not... and yet in battle nothing is certain," she responds to his summation of her odds against him. "Nor did I expect to be called to war at this time, yet you tip the scales too deeply in the battle between father and son and so I am called. Leave, take your rock and these dao, and I will not stand in your way. That is my own generosity."

[Anastasia]

Give me Diplo, just for the record here.

[Ebiris]

[20:52] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+58 diplo
[20:52] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 64 > [d20=6]

[Anastasia]

The Grand Sultan of the efreet shakes his head, "I will not. Will you end your story here, Alicia Reynes?"

[Ebiris]

"So be it," she raises her sword in salute, every muscle tensing as she prepares to do battle with a foe far greater than any she's faced before, nor one she much expected to cross blades with when rating her chances amongst the great powers of Creation.

Does he also have supreme initiative?

[Anastasia]

Go ahead and roll init in this case, yes.

[Ebiris]

Doesn't the higher divine rank automatically win, so he goes then I go then the regular guys roll init?

[Anastasia]

It does, so okay.

> roll 1d20+15 ????
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 28 > [d20=13]
> roll 1d20+2 ????
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 14 > [d20=12]
> roll 1d20+11 ????
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 17 > [d20=6]

> roll 1d20+6 Dao
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 20 > [d20=14]

Grand Sultan of the Efreet (Supreme Init) > Alicia (Supreme Init) > Hulking Efreet (28) > Dao (20) ????3 (17) > ????2 (14)

The Grand Sultan takes the purple stone in hand, which instantly shrinks to fit. "You are not yet worthy to face me," he declares, gliding back in the air, "Attend me!"

From his armor they emerge - tiny things that grow in moments.

The first is a looming giant of an efreet, carrying a hefty war mace with both hands. He is 30ft away and ready to strike, wearing armor of interlocking obsidian plates. Spikes rise from the armor, radiating a semi visible force all around him. He looks in open interest, "Never had prey big as this," he says, licking his lips. "I'll watch you burn until there's nothing left but a charred stump." He stays in the open air without difficulty, the glitter of a ruby ring on his hand catching your eye. It shines with all the light of Fire itself, or close to it, to your eyes.

The second is a big, sleek black creature of pure muscle. An Astral Stalker, utterly ripped and bulging with muscle. Dozens of runed piercings cover his body, his expression nothing but a blank mask. He takes you in, settling in the air 60ft from you. He has no visible weapon, though his claws are bigger than greatswords and surely sharper, occasionally crackling with purple electricity.

The last is a growling wolf, carved of black, dull diamond. It has ten heads framing a massive body, each ready to snarl and snap at you, to devour you down. Each tongue is long enough to trail below its body, dripping a sizzling red fluid. It's 90ft away from you and ready to pounce, muscles thick and heavy.

Go ahead and gimme K:P, K:P and K:A.

[Ebiris]

[17:40] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+52 planes
[17:40] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 63 > [d20=11]
[17:40] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+52 arcana
[17:40] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 59 > [d20=7]
[17:41] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+52 planes #2
[17:41] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 58 > [d20=6]