Deep into the Infinite Stair

[Anastasia]

"Whatever form I see fit," Is the reply.

[Ebiris]

That's a lot of latitude, isn't it? "How would you see fit to test the two of us?" she asks.

[Anastasia]

"To begin: do not die," The voice says, still utterly disinterested.

[Ebiris]

Alicia is of course alert for any attacks, not knowing when they'll be close enough for the guardian to consider doing so once it already started talking. In fact she ceases talking herself to better focus on that. They can perhaps talk more later after these tests have been sorted out.

[Anastasia]

A flash, a shimmer. The platforms around you are gone as Jessica leaps into the air, off of them at the last moment. You are surrounded by eight of them. Eight faceless, eyeless humanoids. They are nude, like dolls of skin with no features at all, no hands or feet, nothing but dolls.

[Ebiris]

"Jessica I need you to hold this," Alicia hands her the statue since she'll need both hands free to use her sword. Any magic on the figures?

[20:14] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+37 CL on arcane sight if needed
[20:14] <Penuche2> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 42 > [d20=5]

[Anastasia]

There is no magic on the statues. As Jessica takes the statue, you see them change in spite of that. A dozen men at arms, a dozen warriors. Clad in armor and with sword and shield, they move in perfect sync, all approaching you at the exact same flying run.

Initiative.

[Ebiris]

Alicia has supreme initiative.

Distance to the figures?

She and Jessica would both have CL 34 alter reality greater heroism for the skill bonus up right now, no other combat buffs. So +4 morale to attacks/saves/skills and +20 temp hp.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia HP: 704+20/704
Active spells:  Many moments of prescience (CL 34), extended mind blank (CL 35), extended nondetection (CL 35), greater heroism (CL 34), sensual blessing (CL 34)
Defences: AC 69, CMD 90, spell resistance 49, 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 49)
Stat buffs/penalties: +10 circumstance stealth, +4 morale attack/saves/skills, +25 competence perception
Perceptions: Arcane sight, perception +80
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/12/9/9/14/9/8/6/8/7/5/7/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/23/23/22/11/7/9

[Anastasia]

They're an even 50ft away from you each, spaced out equally.

Go ahead and go, I'll sort out init after.

[Ebiris]

Actually 50 feet away puts them just out of reach for her if she goes colossal (space 30/reach 30 suggests she can hit things 15+30 feet away from her starting square) so she will in fact wait for them to begin charging her before she takes her action.

So yeah, roll init for everyone else please.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+28 Jessica
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 45 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d20+10 men at arms
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 18 > [d20=8]

Init is Alicia (Supreme) > Jessica (45) > Men At Arms (18)

Jessica will hold to clean up, since it's not hard to guess your gambit here.

As one the soldiers advance and, all inward towards the two of you as...

Go.

[Ebiris]

Swelling to titanic proportions with only a single foot left on the stairs next to Jessica, Alicia's sword swings out in a lethal arc encompassing all of these doll-warriors before they can threaten her or Jessica while being careful not to hit any of Queen's manifestations.

[16:45] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+104 whirlwind attack, 6th level arcane strike, quickened true strike, channelled maximised flux grasp
[16:45] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 105 > [d20=1]
[16:45] <@Ebiris> roll 6d6+51+15+2d6+6d4+408 last 408 is acid
[16:45] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 521 > [d6=5,3,3,5,1,5,1,4][d4=3,4,3,4,4,2]

DC 37 fort or take -10 penalty to armour and natural armour.

All actions expended.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia HP: 976+20/976
Active spells:  Many moments of prescience (CL 34), extended mind blank (CL 35), extended nondetection (CL 35), greater heroism (CL 34), sensual blessing (CL 34)
Defences: AC 73, CMD 112, spell resistance 49, 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 49)
Stat buffs/penalties: +4 morale attack/saves/skills, +25 competence perception, +32 str, -4 dex, +16 con, +14 natural armour, -8 size.
Perceptions: Arcane sight, perception +80
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/12/9/9/13/9/8/6/8/7/5/6/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/23/23/21/11/7/9

[Anastasia]

One great swing cleaves through the men at arms as if they are nothing. They are torn apart, yet no blood falls. They simply vanish, as if toys with their purpose served.

...then a moment later, eruptions of sheer force come from each of them, eight death explosions engulf the two of you.

A fair OOC note: This wasn't planned on Alicia's strategy, the Guardian chose death explosions for an entirely unrelated reason. The circular formation around the two of you is a pretty big hint at that.

Need 8 Reflex saves, Alicia.

[Ebiris]

[17:08] <@Ebiris> roll 8#1d20+53
[17:08] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 72, 58, 73, 54, 71, 64, 72, 62 >

[Anastasia]

> roll 8#1d20+42 improved evasion Jessica
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 53, 47, 43, 61, 49, 56, 60, 44 >

DC on these is 50.

Alicia takes half on all.

Jessica takes half on 4 and none on 4.

> roll 20d6 force
> roll 20d6 force
> roll 20d6 force
> roll 20d6 force
> roll 20d6 force
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 68 > [d6=1,1,1,5,2,2,2,2,6,5,2,3,5,5,4,4,3,5,4,6]
> roll 20d6 force
> roll 20d6 force
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d6=5,2,1,4,2,1,6,4,6,2,2,4,4,4,6,3,4,2,5,4]
> roll 20d6 force
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d6=6,1,4,4,3,5,1,6,2,3,4,2,6,5,3,3,1,1,5,2]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 73 > [d6=1,2,4,3,5,6,4,6,5,6,2,2,4,5,1,4,4,3,5,1]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 75 > [d6=2,2,2,6,2,4,3,2,5,6,1,6,2,6,6,3,3,5,5,4]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 74 > [d6=6,4,1,3,6,5,3,6,3,3,4,2,5,2,5,5,6,1,2,2]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 59 > [d6=2,1,2,1,6,6,1,3,1,4,4,4,4,4,5,1,2,6,1,1]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 72 > [d6=6,5,6,6,4,1,1,4,2,4,6,1,2,4,6,2,3,1,5,3]

Both of you survive, so as I do the exact math, more.

"You survived," the voice says, rather disinterested yet. "She wouldn't have, not as she was before."