A first post that's reference. Don't reply to this until I have the next post up, thanks.
Anvil (Aurora Reserve)
Command: Afina
Officers: Sylvie, Dana, Ebony, Ellese, Morniel, Tannin, Master, Vivantha
Forces:
1 Ironwyrm Dragon
3 Slaughtestone Behemoths
1 Shredstorm
55 cloud giant warriors from Elysium. They range from 17 to 17 hd, having levels in fighter. Alignment: Neutral Good and Chaotic Good. Morale: 100/100 (Devoted)
66 dire wolves. They range from 6 to 8 hit dice, having levels in fighter, spell-less ranger and scout. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 95/100 (Fanatic)
231 elven warriors. They range from 4 to 8 hd, having levels in various classes. Alignment: Chaotic Good. Morale: 83/100 (Fanatic)
50 earth elementals of medium size. They range from 6 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter and ranger. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 84/100 (Fanatic)
50 fire elementals of medium size. They range from 6 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter, scout and hexblade. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 89/100 (Fanatic)
50 water elementals of medium size. They range from 6 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter, rogue and monk. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 89/100 (Fanatic)
50 air elementals of medium size. They range from 6 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter, rogue and ninja. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 84/100 (Fanatic)
12 earth elementals of large size. They range from 8 to 10 hd, having levels in fighter and dwarven defender. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 84/100 (Fanatic)
163 catfolk warriors of medium size. They range from 3 to 8 hd, having levels in many various classes. Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral. Morale: 98/100 (Fanatic)
25 conflagration oozes of large size. They range from 7 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 69/100 (Good)
143 tortles of medium size. They range from 3 to 7 hd, having levels in many various classes. Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good. Morale: 90/100 (Fanatic)
992 refugees from the burning aeropolis. They range from 4 to 12 hd, having levels in monk, fighter, swashbuckler and various monk PrCs. Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Good. Morale: 87/100 (Fanatic)
100 satyrs of the sunrise. They range from 5 to 8 hd, having levels in bard, jester and battle dancer. Alignment: Chaotic Good. Morale: 72/100 (Good)
120 fey-blooded centaurs of halas. They range from 4 to 9 hd, having levels in fighter and deepwoods sniper. Alignment: Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral. Morale: 68/100 (Good)
50 dire lions. They range from 8 to 12 hd and do not gestalt. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 50/100 (Fair)
50 griffons. They range from 7 to 12 hd and do not gestalt. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 50/100 (Fair)
46 mineral quasi-elementals. They range from 3 to 10 hd, having levels in fighter. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 60/100 (Fair)
Afina readies herself in Aurora. The gates are ready to open in a moment, the situation tense and full of waiting. Afina flutters about, often landing on Smrgol as she gives commands and looks out over the vista of the disturbed Astral. As she does so, Ebony quietly approaches.
"A moment, Afina?" she asks quietly.
"Ebony," Afina responds, fluttering down to eye level with the bard. In all honesty she's not really anticipating an attack on Aurora right now, not with the rift occupying everyone's attention. But Medi's fortress demiplane is a tempting enough target that some could find it taking priority over the rift if it were to seem an easy target, so the main purpose of being here is to be visible and deter any trouble from even starting.
Might get an infiltrator though, using the confusion of battle to slip someone in. She'll keep a close eye on things if any forces retreat into Aurora for safety.
[21:10] <@Ebiris> roll 1d8+10 heroes feast temp hp
[21:10] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d8+10 heroes feast temp hp --> [ 1d8=4 ]{14}
Afina: 208+14/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23)
AC 60, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/8/8/6/7
"A few things," she murmurs, hood up and head largely hidden. She gazes out, "I have prayed to Saint Alicia for aid. I have not received word back, nor did I automatically expect it. She may choose to aid Seira's efforts instead of ours, as the two are extremely close. But it is possible we will receive reinforcements as the battle unfolds. Secondly, I have Lady Amaryl several times. Should she come here, I offer my aid for any diplomacy."
Meanwhile, the centaurs have bows ready, held in position in case anything comes to the gates. The cloud giants are just a little further back, boulders and oversized javelins at the ready. The elementals and the tortles await the command to attack, in case of enemy.
"I've met Amaryl myself," Afina says, recalling her recovery after she attained her current mixed elemental state. "She's nice. I'll keep you on hand for any dealings we may have with that contingent."
Ebony turns to Afina, an eyebrow raised. "I was not aware you had met her."
"It was at the Cauldron, after I became part water elemental," Afina answers. "I was away for about a week then, letting my body recover from the change. Adapt. She visited me while I was resting, saw her again at the party held to celebrate the first real success in their elemental mingling efforts."
She looks out over the silver sea that surrounds the blackened chaos of the rift now. "Once things have settled down and I can spare the time I'll go back, see if they can help me add Air and Earth to the mix."
"What better way to prepare than this? All the elements mix in chaos," Ebony murmurs. "I hope and pray you succeed, Afina."
"That's tomorrows problem. For now we've got the easy job of keeping Aurora secure. Give your prayers to the ones out there," she points out at the rift.
"Yes, ma'am," Ebony looks on and smiles, murmuring a single Word of Creation. Afina doesn't understand it, but a sense of peace and love fills her. Ebony then goes off, back to her station.
A short time passes as everyone waits. Soon Afina and company can see something approaching Aurora's gates. Afina's sharp eyes can see 8 small, spine covered creatures approach. These are little pests she knows well - spinagons. The eight of them carry a large pole with a white flag of truce attached. Following them is a single gelugon, lacking the spear customary to his caste. It instead has no visible weapon, though it does wear a robe of crimson tinged blue.
You can hear angry murmurs ripple through the troops, more than a few readying weapons.
Afina laughs bitterly before saying one word. "No."
She makes no attempt to go receive the approaching devils, somewhat hoping they'll be stupid enough to just go through the gate and get magic missiled for their trouble.
Morniel approaches and quietly murmurs to Afina, "Shall I see them off?" he asks, "Or do you wish to turn our industries of war against them?"
"Just ignore them for now, I want to see what they do," Afina says, shaking her head and not moving even as she watches the approaching devils from through the gate. "If they're truly eager to speak with us I have a fitting price in mind."
The devils come to within 100ft. At this point they stop, the gelugon's voice loud. Unnaturally loud, carrying far about. "Aurora," he calls, "I come to parley in the name of Lord of the Eighth!" Its insectile face is expressionless, mandibles clinking against each other as it speaks.
Afina can't shout that loudly, but luckily she has Smrgol here who's been taking diction lessons from Baleruk. "Repeat exactly after me," she whispers to the crystalline dragon. "Devils have come to us for parley in the past, and abused our hospitality for the sake of temporary tactical advantage." She makes sure to put a lot of stress on the temporary part, trusting Smrgol will do the same. "If you wish to treat with us then prove your sincerity. Bring us the head of the last devil to betray the strictures of parley. Bring us Mala of Lifasa."
They'll surely come up with some feeble excuse, but really what does she care? Either they go away and leave her alone or they deal with a wretched traitor. Either outcome will please her.
Aurora's forces follow the back and forth, weapons brandished and at the ready. The gelugon does not pause and instead merely nods. "May we speak privately a moment? I offer myself as a hostage in good faith," he says, floating a few steps forward. "There are complicated matters at play here, ones beyond the mistakes of other fools."
Of course, she expected as such. "Alright Smrgol, lets keep going," she says to the constructed dragon before giving him more to recite. "One more devil in our dungeons matters little. We've had no dealings with your Lord, but until we see otherwise, all baatezu shall be treated the same. We will not be deceived by a false flag of truce again."
The gelugon merely nods - as much as it can, anyway. "I only ask that I have a chance to inform you of one sentence," It says, "If you wish to break off negotiations after that, so be it. If you do not wish to risk yourself, I can parley with one of your officers and they can pass it to you."
These devils, give them an inch and they'll take a mile. Not wanting to risk having any of her officers suborned by devil trickery, Afina calls forth some disposable elementals for the task.
[18:23] <@Ebiris> roll 2d4 water elemental swarm
[18:23] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 2d4 water elemental swarm --> [ 2d4=4 ]{4}
Four large water elementals appear before her and Smrgol. "Go and take the devil's message," she instructs one of them, sending the other three to guard the gate at the front lines. They can be disposable combatants if they do get attacked later, along with the other elementals that'll appear in a little while.
"Smrgol, tell him the elemental will take his message. Remind him they only speak Aquan." That should keep any contamination from horrible diabolic speech that makes people burst into flames out.
Not that bursting into flames is necessarily bad for her, but it depends what kind of flames they are.
The elemental comes forth, no words spoken. The elemental and gelugon merely meet eyes before the elemental turns back around and returns. In Aquan it reports to Afina, "It said, 'We wish make a permanent end to the root of this problem as well."
And what does that even mean? Closing the rift? Or by the root do they mean killing Lixer? Or the Duke of Destiny that set it all in motion, or Asmodeus who said Duke works for? Certainly it's nothing world shattering enough to change her stance.
"Go into the rift and kill any undead you see," she orders the elemental now that it's back, not wanting to risk keeping it here if it's been compromised in any way. Then she has Smrgol act as her voice once more, telling the golem to repeat, "We are taking steps to resolve matters. If you wish to be a part of that, prove yourselves worth the risk as previously outlined."
At this, the gelugon merely nods as much as it can and snaps its claws. The spinagons rise as one and turn away, hurrying off. The gelugon follows, letting them take the lead.
"Curious," Morniel murmurs, "But ultimately empty words, with as much meaning as we wish to inflect in them. Or as much as its superior cared to admit and hope we would grasp the meaning that would seem obvious to any devil."
"There was probably a reference to betrayal in there," Afina guesses. "I don't imagine Lixer's very popular with the other Lords of the Nine, but his father protects him. We'd be a useful proxy for eliminating him. I wouldn't even really mind but we have our plates full with Bel and Taelfagn. If they want our help they can take care of some of our problems in return."
"Now we just have to see if Glasya sends an emissary... if she does I'll try sending her lot against Willah, I think," she muses with good humour.
"A pleasing thought," Morniel says, "To see evil destroy itself, rather than to pay the price in the blood of the righteous."
"Just have to make sure we don't feel too grateful to them if they actually do the deed," Afina says. "Can't forget they'd do the same to us in a heartbeat."
"I confess I would prefer to remain removed from diabolical intrigues like this," Morniel continues, "It is another way to entangle you into Hell's chains. It plays into their endless works of damnation and worldview. Yet diplomacy often does not allow that luxury."
"Mmm, speaking of what do you think of how I handled that?" she asks Morniel. "Think that devil's going to go away thinking 'Aurora means business' or 'That jumped up fairy has no idea what she's doing'?"
It's not as if she's ever been one for diplomacy but she wears a lot of proverbial hats these days that she never imagined she'd ever have in the past. No harm in trying to learn what she can from an expert.
"I think sending the elementals in place of an officer made the point you were properly cautious," Morniel says, "Note that the devil did not protest a mere summon being sent, despite asking for an officer. Mephisto's forces value intelligence and logic, even more than typical devils. I say you came off as wiser than a fool that would send a valued officer."
"I thought that was a good precaution," Afina nods, pleased he agrees. "That's why I sent it off into the rift right after as well. No point taking chances. It was before you joined us that Mala appeared while we were on Air, invited us out for parley. Naively we went out there, myself, Jaela, and Muirfinn. She was only present via projected image, but after we declined her offer to become 'breeding stock' she set a hellfire engine and a few squads of devils and hellhounds on us. Said fools like us didn't deserve the protections of law."
She smirks here as she explains, "Expecting them to delay us she had portals open in Aurora's courtyard to disgorge the baatezu legions - this was before we had many of the defences we now enjoy. But as I said, it was a very temporary tactical advantage. The three of us returned and barred the portals within moments, and the devils that had come through were easily mopped up afterwards. Shortest battle Aurora's ever been involved in."
"That is a remarkably short-sighted maneuver for a baatezu," Morniel remarks, raising one eyebrow at it. "She is one of the transformed traitors, I believe? A true pit fiend would be unlikely to make such a move unless they were absolutely certain they could get away with it from all quarters."
"Yes, former tiefling turned whatever. Yian described her as magically overwhelming but unskilled in combat which I take to mean she has little strategic acumen."
"Ah, a wizard then," Morniel smiles briefly, "Pardon my turn of phrase, but I find it an insightful comment. I have known many wizards of startling intelligence; tactical and strategic acumen is a talent that does not always come with intelligence and magical blessings. An unusual person to promote so highly in the diabolical castes. Were she a normal lemure, she would have this weakness tormented out of her before she was promoted."
"Such are the rewards for being one ninth responsible for handing an entire world over to the pit," Afina says resignedly. "She'll get what she really deserves soon, though."
"She will. The light of Chronias reaches all in the end," Morniel says, "Be it for salvation or justice."
From there, the group continues to wait. Soon a hound archon approaches Aurora's gates from the celestial camp. "I come in the name of the Second of the Hebdomad," he calls, "I request entrance."
This is more pleasing company and Afina agreeably stills the gate defences. "Request granted, you are welcome within our walls," she calls over.
The hound archon enters. No murmurs or weapons brandished for him. He comes right to Afina and bows, "Lord Domiel wishes you to know that our advance scouts encountered demons sworn to The Pale Mother, Pale Night."
Presumably they're trying to keep the rift open but it pays not to make assumptions in this. "Please pass our thanks to Lord Domiel for his consideration in sharing this information. Can you tell us what actions have they taken?"
"They attacked our scouts," The hound archon replies immediately, "Their numbers consist of several dretch, hezrou and mariliths. No obyriths have been sighted as of yet."
While that could just be demonic hatred for archons manifesting even if they're here to close the rift, continuing down that line of thought is just silly. They're clearly here to cause chaos and mayhem and are just another to a long list of problems. Hopefully they'll go kill some devils next before being wiped out. "Is there anything else?" she asks.
"Yes," The archon says, "Are you familiar with cube battle ships from Acheron? The devils are noted to create and use them on occasion. Mechanus has taken the field in the northern top of the sphere with one and is disgorging Inevitables and champions of law into the rift from there."
"Good," Afina says to that. The more forces sent in to pacify the rift the better their odds of success are.
"Yes ma'am," The archon smiles, a toothy grin full of sharp canines. "Are there any messages you wish for me to relay back?"
"None at this time," she shakes her head. "Things are quiet here and we haven't heard from our expeditionary forces."
"Yes ma'am," The hound archon bows once more and hurries off. As he does, Ebony quietly approaches. "I must council you to be careful and have word sent, if possible. Pale Night is not an opponent to be taken lightly. Her machinations have come closer to winning the Blood War than any other, and it was her first known involvement in that ancient struggle."
"What do you suggest saying?" Afina asks, since as far as she can tell it's just one more enemy to fight. "In fact you know Sending, don't you? Pass the warning onto Ithea, you'll know best what needs said."
"It will be done," Ebony promises, "Excuse me, then."
"Thank you," Afina says before resuming her guard over Aurora's front door.
Soon enough something else happens. It comes drifting out of the sphere in the general direction of Aurora, a torn open obsidian building. Bones and strange tools of metal hang within.
Is this supposed to be an attack? It should just smash off the force bubble but maybe it has special properties? Calculating it's trajectory she orders those nearby to clear room in case it breaks through.
Easy enough. Troops scurry away as it hits the very top of the force bubble. The barest graze, but it's enough to stop it cold. It just floats in the Astral now, unmoving. No signs of creatures within it.
"The fuck is this?" Dana's heard as the troops all look up at it.
"Lets find out," Afina says, glad Dana just volunteered herself. "Dana, take a squad and go check it out." It could just be something set moving by a pitched battle somewhere within, or it could be some attempt at infiltration. "Vivantha, you take your squad out as well to back her up. Keep your distance until called for though." That way if it blows up it won't catch both groups.
"Whatever," Dana mutters, taking her troops off. The groups do exactly that, looking over the building. Nothing happens from Afina's PoV and soon they return.
"It's full of old bones and weird-ass metal things," Dana reports, "Think the building's made out of obsidian or black opal or onyx or whatever. Probably worth some money."
Free money, who can argue with that? "Alright Dana, I'll want you and your group to stand guard over it for now. Smrgol, Vanguard, Rushing Tiger, Reflection? Go break it down into managable chunks and bring it all inside - dump it over behind the Graceful Blow tower for now."
She has a brief idea of using rubble it to provide barricades and cover within the courtyard to help their forces better defend against an attack pushing through the gates, but really they'd want something purpose built for that. She'll try and keep the idea in mind so it can be built upon later.
They go to do just that. The building's broken apart slowly and methodically, pieces brought back. Besides the material the structure is made of, strange instruments and hooks of metal are dragged out. Tools, some familiar and some alien. They make a nice pile back behind the Graceful Blow's tower.
Amid it Dana comes back, carrying a smith's hammer. "Hey Afina," she calls, "Isn't this something you and your smith fuckers would like?"
She does most of her crafting with magic but an enhanced tool can offer better results than that. "Let me have a look," she says, casting detect magic to see if it's anything beyond the mundane.
[18:34] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+37 spellcraft
[18:34] <Serith> Ebiris roll for Serith < 48 > [d20=11]
Afina: 208+14/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23)
AC 60, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 5/10/9/8/9/9/8/8/6/7
Afina finds out the following...
Loot.
"Interesting. Take it to the workshop? It'll be useful there," Afina says. Not for making undead of course, but it's fine for making armour and weapons.
"Yes ma'am," A soldier takes it and hurries off. Dana watches it go, "So the fuck does it do?" she asks, a hand on her hip, rapier dangling from her side.
"Can be used as an anarchic hammer, improves any weapons and armour it's used to create, and even strengthens undead that it makes... apparently. I'm not sure on that last one, since most undead are made by spawning or spell, but I'm not really an expert on such creatures. A flesh golem would probably count."
"Whatever," Dana shakes her head, "So how come I have to stay here and jerk off instead of fighting," she asks, "Who did I piss on to get this duty?"
"Take it as a compliment that your mere presence here is viewed as sufficient threat to deter attack from anyone that might want to claim Aurora for themselves," Afina says, restraining the urge to just say 'me' and see what she does.
"Yeah well, that does jackshit for action," Dana growls, "I bet fucking Ithea's fighting off a hoard of fiends and taking lots of great hits."
"Didn't you just fight a pitched battle yesterday? Pace yourself a little. You're not the only one that would rather be out there," Afina says neutrally.
Dana gives Afina a dour look, but doesn't push her luck. She instead goes back to her troops, settling in.
Annoying. Why does she always get all the problem cases? She'll just have to remember to send Dana off on the next suicide mission to make it up to her. She doesn't make anything further of it, letting the princess go off and sulk.
Thus you settle in to wait.
A few minutes later, suddenly there's a cry. Vivantha falls to the ground, writhing about as if having a seizure. The soldiers near her rush to her immediately, but are pushed back by her frantic movements.
"Give her room!" Afina says, flying over in a hurry but likewise leaving enough room for the huge snake woman to thrash about without hitting her. "Jarl get over here, figure out what's wrong with her!"
As the Jarl comes over, Vivantha sits up and speaks. It is not her voice, but an otherworldly voice. That of a woman, seemingly young and old at once. "Beware the Pale Mother, her ally is the one unknown. At the moment most urgent pray and what is lost will be found anew, the lunar key recovered."
An ecstatic trance? "Shouldn't Balyss be getting these?"
Sylvie comes on over during the whole affair, "Yes, but Vivantha's been getting them ever since she fought Athux. Don't you remember, she was lost for nearly a week in trance right after. Selune touched her directly."
Meanwhile Vivantha stills on the ground, breathing slowly. "They must know. You must tell them." The strange voice says, then Vivantha blinks ever so slowly and rubs her eyes.
"I'll get Ebony to do another sending once she finishes the one she's doing," Afina says. Although really if Selune had just told Balyss directly and skipped out the middle-fairy wouldn't it be more efficient?
Alas, the middle fairy does not seem so fortunate as to avoid that.
Vivantha looks up, "Ooooh..." she murmurs, looking up. "Afina?"
"Welcome back, Vivantha. Do you remember what happens?" she asks the lillend.
"Distantly. The lunar key," she licks her lips, "It's the plan, isn't it? That was the reason."
"I have no idea, this is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing," Afina admits, spreading her arms helplessly. "I'll have word passed to Balyss though."
"Thank you," Vivantha says, standing with help.
"Why don't you go inside and rest, Vivantha?" Afina suggests since she still seems a bit unsteady on her... tail. "If we're attacked there should be enough warning to call for you before anything gets inside."
"I'll endure," Vivantha says, "I can still fight, Afina. Selune wouldn't leave me infirm when it matters."
"You know your limits best," Afina acquiesce, going to find Ebony so she can do another Sending.
Ebony's found, just finishing up with her first sending. "Yes?" she asks as Afina approaches.
"Got another Sending request," Afina says, giving Ebony a sardonic smile. "This one's for Balyss - Vivantha just had some sort of prophecy from Selune so can you pass on '"Beware the Pale Mother, her ally is the one unknown. At the moment most urgent pray and what is lost will be found anew, the lunar key recovered.'" she says, reciting the prophecy as she heard it. "Wait, that's too long isn't it? How about... 'Beware the Pale Mother, ally is the unknown. At the moment most urgent pray and what is lost will be found the lunar key recovered.'" she tries cutting out a few superfluous words, hoping it won't ruin the meaning.
"You are full of industry. Good, idle hands are tools for the devils," Ebony smiles slightly, approving. "I'll make it work, I'm well familiar with Sending's limitations." She does consider a moment, "When this is over, I must develop a more advanced version of it for these occasions. The word limit is tiresome."
"Telepathic bond usually works but with Tepen out on the field we don't have our usual caster for it," Afina says. "I might find a way to incorporate it into the war room. Anyway, thanks for being our communications hub for now, I'll be back if I need anything else," she adds before fluttering off.
"Ah, one thing," Ebony says, "A moment, Afina? Ithea got but did not reply to my sending, to be clear."
Afina stops dead there. "Something's happened to her?" she asks worriedly.
"No," Ebony says, her smile fading, "Only she did not choose to respond."
"Are you sure? Does the spell discern between the silence of someone keeping quiet and the silence of someone unconscious or dead?"
"I'm sure. A sending fails to someone who is unaware or dead," Ebony points out. "Besides, I have faith. They will triumph and return, as surely as the Pit will be overthrown on Lifasa."
"She must be scouting ahead, trying not to be noticed by something else where talking would ruin her stealth," Afina decides upon hearing that. "Even so, I'm going to go to the war room so I can monitor things from there."
On the way she'll find Gisfal and put him in field command down here while she takes her time seeing the grand picture through Aurora's scrying facilities.
Gisfal takes command with a nod, Afina going off. The War Room's quiet, save for Elena. She pops in as Afina comes through the portal, "I'll come in if you need to get a message," she says, "Call for me if you need anything, alright?"
"Thanks, Elena," she says, taking a moment to familiarise herself with the scrying setup. She did help build it but usually it gets used by Tepen or someone while she's out in the field. Still it should be easy enough to get it to show her what Ithea and Jaela are up to so as to assuage her concerns.
For reference, do me a favor and past the info on the War Room and what it can do from the Aurora topic?
Make a War/Conference room (Self explanatory.) 0 gold, just talk to Galariel since Medicant has some limited morphic abilities. ---> Illusionary battlefield capacity(Allows illusions to create battlefields and other things at will): 20,000 gold; 1 DC 25 spellcraft check; 3 days ---> Add scrying capacity (Shows battles as they progress, makes strategy and adjustments much faster): 80,000 gold; 2 DC 32 spellcraft checks; 1 DC 32 K:A check; 7 days*. ---> Add long range spell capacity (Allows casting spells through Medicant and through the illusionary battlefield) 400,000 gold; 5 DC 50 spellcraft checks; 4 DC 50 K:A check; 10 days.
Thank you, steam pixie.
Afina settles in, casting her scryings about. Soon you see the current battlefield. The party is traveling below a great slab of floating earth and stone, heading through the damaged Astral. A look suggests some minor losses, but nothing serious. They're proceeding on in good order on a glance.
Any losses are bad considering she bears partial responsibility for this situation but she trusts Jaela and Ithea are doing all they can.
Speaking of where is that cat?
Which cat? Ithea or another one?
Ithea is the only cat of consequence
Ithea's with Moore and Stille, currently having a conversation. Stille's going on about how distances in the Astral work and how it's strange it's working like this here.
Oh. It's like she just ignored Ebony. Maybe they're having a feud? She'll have future messages sent to Moore or Stille since they both seem to be close enough to Ithea that they can pass anything along easily.
Well since she's here she just settles in to watch the show, trusting Elena will let her know if anything exciting happens in Aurora's vicinity.
Soon enough the party stops - and Afina sees the psychic storm that lashes out at them, stopped and barricaded against. From her view, she can see that none of them were blown away.
As Afina watches this, Elena appears. "Quick report," she says, "We've received word from Mechanus through Celestia. They're pressing the daemons with concentrated and specialized formations, aiming at overwhelming the defenses in a single strike. They're requesting Celestia strike firmly as well, and through us Aurora. Mechanus won't leave until it's done or they're wiped out."
"Thank you Elena, that's good to hear," Afina says. About time that stubbornness got used for their benefit.
Elena vanishes, leaving Afina to scrying and relaxing. It's strangely removed from it all, letting Afina focus on things far away. She sees the armies advancing, coming to a massive knot of storms ahead. Stormclouds fill everything ahead, bursting with rain and lightning.
Shouldn't be any problem for Ithea and Baleruk to calm the storm with their anarch abilities. That's why Ithea's there instead of cooling her heels in Afina's place after all. It is a little bit dull here by herself, and Dana was complaining earlier... "Elena?" she speaks up. "Could you ask Dana to come here, please?"
"Done," Elena says, appearing a moment and then vanishing.
Dana comes through shortly. She strides on in, "You rang," she asks, glancing around.
"Since you were unsatisfied with your current job I thought you could come help me oversee the battle," Afina says. Not that they can really influence from here, but hey. "See what strategies they're using and critique them. It'll be useful for when you're Queen.
Not to mention you might get a second-hand thrill from seeing Ithea get beat up? I'm not sure how it works for you."
"Eh, watching someone else get beat up is like watching someone else jerk off. You don't get anything out of it, but if you get too close you might get something splashed on you." Dana shrugs and takes a seat, "Now if you fucking ask me," she points, "Strategy's all about kicking the other guy harder than they kick you until they give up. All the maneuvering and such about it's just dressing it up nicely."
It's crudely put but she's not wrong. "Well lets see how our friends do at making sure the other guy doesn't kick them too hard when they deal with this storm?"
Dana kicks back, watching the images before you. "So what's up with the storm? Some cocksuckers throwing lighting around, or did Canderella get going?"
"Can't be Canderella, she's back there," Afina points to where the succubus is flying from Jaela's group towards Ithea's, still on the far side from the storm. "Could just be what passes for natural weather there or the yugoloths and demons might be making it. Even if anarchs are best at it, in sufficient numbers and united cause any group can modify the conditions of Limbo. Doesn't seem like a spell at least, it's too aimless."
"Either way, it's bullshit," Dana snorts, "So you go around it or fucking solve it somehow. Waggle enough fingers at it or just avoid the damn problem."
"Well lets see what they do," Afina says. "Looks like Canderella's being used as a runner, Jaela must have a message to pass on to the other group about the storm. Lets see..." she gestures at the illusory battlemap to zoom in on Canderella, a real time representation of the succubus expanding to follow her movements in more detail. A lot more detail.
"Oh, that's zoomed in a bit too much," Afina says, half amused half mortified as she drags the view back out to something more decent.
Bouncy. Very bouncy.
Dana just looks on and snarks, "I still can't fucking believe she wears that dress out there, like some pretty princess."
"Said the pretty princess," Afina snarks back. "She can pull it off so good for her. I think it's important to present yourself well if you're going to be the last thing a lot of things see. I don't just wear these clothes just for their function," she tugs at one of the brightly coloured diamonds that decorate her harlequinish costume, the bright orange clashing with the surrounding green and purple over a predominantly black background.
There isn't even a little bit of bounciness though.
"Which should be fucking steel and iron," Dana taps her breastplate with her gauntlet clad knuckles.
"You do fill it out well," Afina allows in case Dana's ego is feeling pricked after that up close and personal view of Canderella. Might be a little bit awkward looking her in the eye when she gets back to Aurora after this... makes her wonder how Tepen amuses himself manning this setup while they're all out in battle usually. "But some people fight better unburdened. You can't deny the efficacy of styles like mine and the Graceful Blow."
"Well no shit," Dana drawls, "I have the muscle to move it, so of course I fill it out well." She rolls her eyes, "Anyfuckingway, if it works for you, but I think the best is wearing some real armor and wrecking things. March on up and fuck them up, right in the face."
"So long as you get a little bit wrecked in turn, huh?" Afina says, zooming out a bit as Canderella reaches Ithea's group so she can view the overall field once more.
Dana snorts, "Afina, you need to get fucking laid," she remarks, "You're in the middle of a war and look at what you're focusing on."
Huh, she might be right. "It only has that connotation because it's you, but you might be right anyway," Afina admits, an admonishment to get laid at least easier to accept than Crystal's insistence that she find some sappy romance.
"It doesn't help that the war is fairly quiet right now. You missed the flying sharks earlier but now it's just marching." Or flying, whatever.
This gets a grunt from Dana, who watches as the forces prepare in front of the storm. "See, that shit gets people killed. Your head isn't in this. What sort of fuck up of a commander is more concerned with getting off rather than her duties? You want to talk about strategy, that's a big fucking failing right there." Dana points at it, "Stop worrying about your private life and start worrying about the war that's going on."
Wow, she's getting rebuked by Dana who was earlier getting all pissy that someone with superb defensive skills like her was shockingly being used in a defensive role, that smarts. "If you have any complaints about how I've prepared our defences I'm all ears," she invites coolly.
"Well, besides that I'm cooling my heels here?" Dana replies just as coolly, "Shit's fine, we have a fucking invincible fortress here and some big-ass celestial within shouting range. If shit goes wrong anyway, who stayed and who went matters jack shit."
"With that attitude we may as well give the fortress over to those celestials and trust them to use it better than we have," Afina says. "Aurora's too great a prize to leave unguarded, and I believe the definite presence of ourselves is a far greater deterrent to the opportunistic than the potential intervention of Dorniel."
It would be nice if they could just leave Aurora abandoned with its gates open and trust that no one would dare poke such an obvious trap, but the rewards outweigh many risks.
"The hell did I say that? No. What I mean is with the forces here, any of our armies could hold it well. If something fucking threatens Aurora enough and Domiel over there can't do anything about it, we'd be just as fucked." Dana crosses her arms and glowers at Afina.
Inviting Dana here was probably a mistake, they're just falling out with each other even worse. Once more Afina curses her lack of diplomatic skills, seeing no way to get out of this argument without looking weak or insulting Dana further. Maybe Elena will come by with a convenient distraction? That'd be nice.
"Even so, this is the army that's been chosen and it's one I think well suited for defending a fixed location - you're a particular bulwark of that given your skills, even if you'd rather be elsewhere. If it turns out to be pointless I'll be happy that we made too imposing a sight to risk attack. And if we are attacked I'll be happy that we'll hold it off better than anyone else could."
"Of course I'm good at it," Dana says, puffing up. "But still." She slowly shakes her head, "Look, I know and you're fucking right. I'm good at defense. But I'm just as good when being on the front line and being defensive, rather than sitting somewhere. It's just that sitting around like this is bullshit!" she says, "You know, if I'd have been there, I'd have kicked Taelfagn's ass and Muirfinn and Lief would be here. Hell, if I'd been there, Willim would've come back. But I still get left fucking behind, no matter how I tell people to bring me."
Dana's foot lashes out, kicking out and hitting nothing. Her face twists in a frustrated scowl, "You know who I focus on this? So I can take the brunt of things. The fucking worst of it hits me and the rest misses, so everyone else can come back fucking safe!"
Awww. Afina hangs her head at those heartfelt words, agreeing with the spirit of them. "I wish I had been there to stab Taelfagn too. And you might've made the difference for Willim," she agrees, looking at the battlefield that she would currently be on if Ithea's anarch powers hadn't been so vital. "I'll bring you along next time I have to go somewhere dangerous."
Wait a minute, didn't Rosa just die on Earth while Dana was there? Urgh... nevermind, not touching that. Though she'd been about to ask Dana how things went from her perspective on that mission, she thinks she'll leave it alone now.
"Good," Dana says, turning back to the illusions. "Now if they'd get their asses going and move."
"They are taking their time, aren't they?" the pixie grumbles, folding her arms. "I was expecting we'd get to examine troop dispositions, critique feints, point out openings... not bicker about our neuroses and fetishes."
Seeing something somewhat interesting she angles the illusory view to see where Moore has just gotten a detachment roused up in a hopefully morale boosting song. That reminds her... "I heard a joke the other day. Would you like to hear it?"
"Eh, sure," Dana says.
Afina nods, taking a second to recall exactly how the joke went as she overheard the soldiers in the mess hall the other day. A bungled joke is as bad as a bungled dance after all!
"One day an ice devil - not to be confused with a nice devil because there's no such thing, was leading a battalion of hell's finest bearded devils on patrol. Their glaves were sharp, their beards sharper, and their minds... not so much. But they were quick to follow orders and that's what counts for a devil! So while patrolling they heard a voice call out from behind a nearby hill.
"'One Lifasan can beat a hundred devils!'
"Well, he wasn't about to have any of that so he turned to one of his advance scouts. 'You there, go over that hill and teach that loudmouth what we devils do to Lifasans!' And so the bearded devil saluted and charged over the hill. There was the sound of great and immediate violence and then it was briefly quiet...
"'One Lifasan can beat a hundred devils!'
"The shout rang out again. Not willing to let such defiance of Hell's rule go unpunished the ice devil quickly ordered a squad of five barbazu to go over that hill and sort things out in proper Hellish style. So the five bearded devils gave a proud yell and ran over the hill, where there was soon a great furore of screaming and yelling and blood being spilt! After things quieted that same voice called out...
"'One Lifasan can beat a hundred devils!'
"Of course by now the gelugon was practically seeing red, his proud battalion of Blood War hardened legionnaires being made a mockery of! Grabbing his spear and practically bending it over his knee as he raged, he gestured wildly for a platoon of one hundred elite devils to take care of business. 'Go and bring me that braggart's head!' he screamed in such a way that would surely have spittle flying everywhere if he had lips instead of mandibles. But proud and obedient to the last, those one hundred devils went charging over the hill with a great war cry. And oh! The violence that came! Blood and viscera was drawn with such intensity the gelugon could see it arcing up over the hill as butchery untold went on, screams and cries filling the air. Until at last one bedraggled devil came running back over the hill, weapon forgotten and panic writ across his face as he shouted...
"'It's a trick, there's two of them!'"
Dana chuckles lightly - perhaps just politely, on reflection. "Yeah," she says. "Prefer jokes with more bite."
Bah, that's more talking than she usually does too. Oh well, she thought it was funny, and it was a nice show of pride to hear from those former prisoners of the Burning Aeropolis. Still, maybe something's happened in the rift during the time it took to tell it?
Then suddenly, two enemies appear on Jaela's flank. A rather battered gelugon and barbazu, slowly approaching them. Dana perks up at that, "Will you look at that?"
Is it the same gelugon she saw earlier at the gate?
Doesn't look like it on a glance. As much as insectile horrors look different from one another, anyway.
"Just two devils isn't much. They're probably stragglers but it could be a trick," Afina says, watching approvingly as Jaela deploys her forces, shifting the view to focus on that. "Jaela's not taking any chances at least."
Yet no battle breaks out. As if they're talking and waiting, despite the devils scurrying away as Jaela approaches them.
They're keeping a healthy distance at least, so Afina has no reason to complain about what she sees so far.
Soon enough, Cresiel gives the devils a death glare, which makes them panic and flee. Dana snorts at that, "Fucking cowards."
"At least they didn't get to cause any trouble," Afina says, panning the view around as she sees Canderella coming back, the storm seeming a bit diminished even if still present.
"Yeah, well," Dana just mutters a bit.
Time passes as the armies go on. Soon, you see them approach a black mass of buildings, extending everywhere. Dana perks up as this happens, until Ithea cracks them open with her anarch powers. Suddenly, armies of undead gush out like an infected wound, the battle joined.
"Well here we fucking go," Dana says.
That wakes Afina up and she leans forward to watch, zooming the view out to take I'm the whole battle.
You can see that Jaela's forces are moving forward to aid, as Ithea's hold the line. On the good side, it looks to be a straight frontal assault. You don't see any signs of a flank or ambush from behind. The undead are trying to flank, though.
"Hm," Dana watches it, "They're moving the mages forward to support. Good. Get Balyss and those types to bless the shit out of those undead, just like that."
"No," Afina shakes her head, seeing the flaws in the strategy employed. "They're not controlling the battlefield, letting themselves be enveloped. A fog cloud at the opening, three walls arranged around it like a funnel," she gestures at the gap in the obsidian from which undead boil forth to demonstrate what she means. "Keep them hemmed in and tripping over each other, easy prey for area attacks. They've got a fight when it could have been a slaughter on our terms."
Dana considers and then nods, "Yeah, I can see it. I think they managed to surprise themselves a bit, or maybe Ithea didn't think of that. Say, does Ithea have any experience commanding before this? I know your pixie ass is self taught."
"I don't think so," Afina admits. "She's still very young, isn't she? I think she was some sort of prodigy among her people back home, with great things expected but not yet tested. For all of our big battles so far she's either been the tip of the spear or alongside Jaela and I running field command. The attack on Lixer's Earth outpost was probably the largest operation she had sole command over up till now. How did she handle herself there?"
"She did alright," Dana says, "Was more like a bunch of adventurers fucking around than an army. Rosa stuck her cock in too far, but the rest of us made it out fine. She's not really the military type, she wasn't raised with it. Doesn't think like it."
This gets Dana to kick back as she watches the action, "Easiest fucking thing in the world is to say how well someone did after the fact. It's a hell of a lot harder when you're doing it, may not realize you fucked up or did something stupid with all the pressure."
"I've replayed my attempted assassination of that Sundered Sun in my head a few times," Afina admits, hindsight being what it is. "Lets hope they manage to hold the line at least - I expect the undead here are nothing but chaff, there to make us expend resources before facing the demons and yugoloths behind them."
"Yeah," Dana watches, and after a beat, "How'd that one go bad? The assassination."
"He was at the bottom of Magmasoul," Afina begins. "I used a spell to turn myself into a fire elemental and infiltrated the place. It's under Imix's control but he allows those bearing his mark within... I had to negotiate and trick my way past the guardians until near the end I discovered this random trinket I'd taken off a corpse near the start was actually a marker for free passage. Could've saved myself some trouble if I'd tried it, but I got by okay. Found the fallen solar down in the core of the place, meditating on the nature of Fire. So I made my preparations and rushed in, not even thinking to check for traps or other defences - I went right through a wall of dispel magic he'd set up and suddenly I was a normal pixie again in the deepest and hottest part of Fire. Forget the Sundered Sun, I was seconds from death and in far too much pain to renew my magical protections."
She holds out her hand with fingers curled around a ball of fire that appears there and then vanishes as she flicks her fingers. "So I made a deal with Fire for my continued existence, and it spat me out by Simmer's grove as a part elemental and no memories. The rest you know. I do sometimes wonder what that fallen solar thought as he saw me appear, fly screaming past him, and then vanish again."
"Shit," Dana whistles, as pure chaos is weaponized and used to force the flank-assault back for now. "That was sloppy. I mean shit, those fallen are like devils with wings, right? Those fuckers are more paranoid than a virgin at a whorehouse."
"It was terribly done," Afina agrees. "Impatience and overconfidence don't make for a happy couple. Still, I've learned to enjoy being like this so I can consider myself lucky... and oh, looks like Ithea's getting good use out of her anarch abilities."
"No shit, she rides those abilities like your Queen's gonna ride Moore," Dana says, grinning. "Heard he makes her all wet and warm."
"Who even told you that?" Afina grumbles, hunching forward. "Some people are too gossipy for their own good."
"Oh, hear and fucking there." Dana turns to her, "You sound put out. What, were you hoping to be the royal bedwarmer?" She grins at that, "Or are you offended that your Queen's crush is making the rounds?"
"The last one," Afina says, making a displeased face at the implication. Her relationship with the Queen is many things but thankfully it has never been carnal. "Her Majesty deserves a little privacy..." she looks briefly to either side before going on, "But since we're on the subject she did herself no favours by reacting so brazenly towards him. I've never seen the like in all my years with her!"
"No shit? She must have it bad." Dana grins even more at that, "I mean really bad. She's probably sitting on her throne right now, sighing and hoping her dear Moore comes back in one piece."
The sad thing is she probably is. Afina is briefly tempted to ask Elena for confirmation but she dismisses it as frivolous and focuses her attention on the illusory battle unfolding before her. "The Queen we know today is a very different woman from the one who ruled on Lifasa," she notes even as she devotes most of her attention towards the battle. "As soft and gentle as she can appear, any who underestimate her do so at great peril."
Aurora's forces look to be rallying, Dana nodding along at the moves. "Yeah? How was she back then?"
"To hear most of my fellows talk, Lifasa was a paradise close to becoming like to the heavens. That may be so, but in the Gloaming Forest we clung to the old ways, bitter as they were. Do you think Tepen or Jaela would have need for an assassin of my skills in the world they describe coming from?" she smiles wryly.
"Suffice to say that her Majesty made excessive use of my talents. She showed me kindness too, yes, but she has always been a cold and driven woman, one quick to answer even the smallest of slights with deadly force."
"Yeah, shit happens," Dana says, "She got broken, didn't she? Snapped apart like a fucking log and not all the glue in all the planes can put her back together. Not like she was."
"She is not broken," Afina insists, "However she saw too much of herself in the devils that held her captive and so has sought to change her ways. That is a laudable intention, one I hope she is true to."
That aside, it looks like people are starting to put up walls and things around the hole in the obsidian? "It looks like they're starting to deal with the source of the undead at least. Although there's a human idiom about horses and stables that comes to mind."
"Right," Dana drawls, but doesn't touch on it further. "Yeah," she agrees, "Wonder if they'll pull it off."
Soon enough they do just that. THey push the undead back and break the tide, victory obtained. "Well damn," Dana says, grinning.
"That was actually quicker than expected," Afina admits. "Given the size of the obsidian mass I thought there'd be vastly more undead within." Shifting the view over she takes a look inside to see what Arrel saw while he was within.
Peeking in, you can see within are twisted rooms of pulsing, moving obsidian. Several burnt patches are here, as if something was once there and now is not.
She'll ask Arrel or someone what exactly was in here when they get back. Pulling the view back she recentres it on the two armies to monitor their continued progress.
As she does, Dana says, "So..." she trails off, "Miss your forges yet?"
"They actually were quite nice to lie inside before we set up those lava baths," Afina notes. "But I can survive not creating any magic items for a few hours at least."
"Need to fucking try that," Dana grins, "But hell, I thought you went into withdrawal if you weren't making things every hour."
"I don't, but I'm pretty sure a lot of people around here would suffer some sort of withdrawal if I stopped."
"No shit," Dana chuckles, as she watches the army advance. "Are those walls fucking alive?"
"Or undead. It's not a nice look," she says, zooming the view in against the pulsating walls. "Unseelie of the Summer court often go for that sort of aesthetic, life run riot and twisted, choking everything around it."
"Figures," Dana says, "Though you fey seem to keep that out of Aurora, yeah?"
"Every one of us here is Seelie," Afina answers. "There were plenty of Unseelie on Lifasa but we've not heard anything of them. I'd be willing to put aside our differences to focus on the devils if one did appear, but... well, either they all perished or are so deep in captivity Tannin hasn't been able to find trace of them."
Or they escaped and went to Unseelie realms and forgot about Lifasa, but that's less exciting.
"Or they're collaborating somehow," Dana points out, "Or some dirty shit went down that did something."
"Collaboration's a bit doubtful, aside from Willah - I do actually wonder what court she was from originally but no one here's ever heard of her before she became a devil. But in general devils view us fey purely as breeding stock. We'd have heard by now if any were openly serving Hell I think."
"Yeah, but hell, I'd expect Hell to have a curveball or three. They jerk themselves off thinking about how well they plot." Dana points, "Like that dumb motherfucker who came with that flag of truce. Should have ripped his guts out and ass fucked him with them."
Meanwhile, Elena appears. "There's a message from Celestia that Gisfal wants passed on. The majority of the githyanki ships have managed some sort of accelerated advance into the rift. It is held that it is the work of Queen Vlaakith."
Everyone's bragging about what they're doing. Maybe she should as well? "Thank you Elena, can you send Vivantha over here?" she asks. "It looks like our forces are about to make a breakthrough so I'll give her a message she can deliver to Celestia's forces."
"Done," Elena nods and vanishes.
And then Ithea makes a transparent wall and you can see ahead, the mountains, the fiends and the battle ahead. Dana whistles, "Well fucking finally," she says, "They hit gold."
"We're late to the party though," Afina says. Although on the bright side it could mean Aurora's forces play a decisive role in ending this battle, which is good for prestige at minimal risk. It's a bit cold-blooded to think of it that way, though.
"That mean we're the ones who tip the scales," Dana retorts, "Be the wedge that penetrates in."
"Hmmm," Dana watches, "Looks like they're charging and trying to break through. Now if you fucking ask me -," Suddenly Dana stops.
Elena appears, gushing out, "We're under attack! A demon army's attacking the celestial camp's flanks and they're also coming at Aurora. They came out of the Astral rather than the the rift. Gisfal's starting to ready the defenses, plus Domiel's taken to the field to lead Celestia's forces against the demons directly."
"Well timed," Afina notes as she stands up. "Get to your squad Dana, your wish just got granted."
Then without further delay she zips through the portal to the courtyard, rushing to find Gisfal so she can assume command.
Afina and Dana hurry out, the latter grinning as they race to rejoin their allies. The army is gathering in the courtyard, preparing. Flashes of light rock the Astral as you do so, the rift still held in check. You meet Gisfal immediately, who nods to you, "What is the strategy?" he asks.
"We'll split our forces," Afina tells Gisfal, having little time for anything fancy. "One group sallies out to engage the enemy and relieve the pressure on Celestia, the other stays behind to plug any holes and act as a reserve, the rest inside Aurora as our last line. We'll rotate back forces from the vanguard back into Aurora for healing as needed and replace them with forces from the reserve to keep our front line fresh."
Now as to the division of the forces she'll do it quick and dirty. Flying up to be seen and calling loud, "Catfolk! Tortles! Elves! Humans! Giants! Satyrs! Behemoths! All of you on my right come forward, you're my vanguard! All of you on my left, you're our second line under Gisfal! Everyone else stays to defend the courtyard!"
That's it for the regulars, now to make use of her officers. "Dana! Vivantha! Ellese! With me. Sylvie! Ebony! Master of War! With Gisfal! Morniel! Tannin! Jarl! You stay here!
I'm aware we have other officers who haven't migrated to the new topic, any that aren't listed can be assumed to be on courtyard duty.
Disposal of forces should be like this:
Vanguard: Afina, Dana, Vivantha, Ellese
2 Slaughterstone Behemoths
22 cloud giant warriors from Elysium. They range from 17 to 17 hd, having levels in fighter. Alignment: Neutral Good and Chaotic Good. Morale: 100/100 (Devoted)
115 elven warriors. They range from 4 to 8 hd, having levels in various classes. Alignment: Chaotic Good. Morale: 83/100 (Fanatic)
81 catfolk warriors of medium size. They range from 3 to 8 hd, having levels in many various classes. Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral. Morale: 98/100 (Fanatic)
71 tortles of medium size. They range from 3 to 7 hd, having levels in many various classes. Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good. Morale: 90/100 (Fanatic)
496 refugees from the burning aeropolis. They range from 4 to 12 hd, having levels in monk, fighter, swashbuckler and various monk PrCs. Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Good. Morale: 87/100 (Fanatic)
50 satyrs of the sunrise. They range from 5 to 8 hd, having levels in bard, jester and battle dancer. Alignment: Chaotic Good. Morale: 72/100 (Good)
Reserve: Gisfal, Sylvie, Ebony, Master
1 Slaughterstone Behemoth
23 cloud giant warriors from Elysium. They range from 17 to 17 hd, having levels in fighter. Alignment: Neutral Good and Chaotic Good. Morale: 100/100 (Devoted)
116 elven warriors. They range from 4 to 8 hd, having levels in various classes. Alignment: Chaotic Good. Morale: 83/100 (Fanatic)
82 catfolk warriors of medium size. They range from 3 to 8 hd, having levels in many various classes. Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral. Morale: 98/100 (Fanatic)
72 tortles of medium size. They range from 3 to 7 hd, having levels in many various classes. Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good. Morale: 90/100 (Fanatic)
496 refugees from the burning aeropolis. They range from 4 to 12 hd, having levels in monk, fighter, swashbuckler and various monk PrCs. Alignment: Neutral, Neutral Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Good. Morale: 87/100 (Fanatic)
50 satyrs of the sunrise. They range from 5 to 8 hd, having levels in bard, jester and battle dancer. Alignment: Chaotic Good. Morale: 72/100 (Good)
Defense: Morniel, Tannin, Jarl
1 Ironwyrm Dragon
1 Shredstorm
66 dire wolves. They range from 6 to 8 hit dice, having levels in fighter, spell-less ranger and scout. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 95/100 (Fanatic)
50 earth elementals of medium size. They range from 6 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter and ranger. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 84/100 (Fanatic)
50 fire elementals of medium size. They range from 6 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter, scout and hexblade. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 89/100 (Fanatic)
50 water elementals of medium size. They range from 6 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter, rogue and monk. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 89/100 (Fanatic)
50 air elementals of medium size. They range from 6 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter, rogue and ninja. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 84/100 (Fanatic)
25 conflagration oozes of large size. They range from 7 to 7 hd, having levels in fighter. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 69/100 (Good)
12 earth elementals of large size. They range from 8 to 10 hd, having levels in fighter and dwarven defender. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 84/100 (Fanatic)
120 fey-blooded centaurs of halas. They range from 4 to 9 hd, having levels in fighter and deepwoods sniper. Alignment: Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral. Morale: 68/100 (Good)
50 dire lions. They range from 8 to 12 hd and do not gestalt. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 50/100 (Fair)
50 griffons. They range from 7 to 12 hd and do not gestalt. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 50/100 (Fair)
46 mineral quasi-elementals. They range from 3 to 10 hd, having levels in fighter. Alignment: Neutral. Morale: 60/100 (Fair)
Afina: 208+14/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23)
AC 60, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/8/8/6/7
So I'm perfectly clear here, where is your reserve relative to your defense and your vanguard?
Vanguard is wherever the enemy is, defence is inside Aurora, reserve is at the midpoint between the two.
Right, thanks.
Afina leads her forces out. she finds the back of Celestia's camp beseiged. Demons of all kinds assault it, a loose line of celestials holding it. A force that would be routed, save for Domiel. He leads the defense, flying about and cleaving through demons as if they are not there. He seems to be everywhere at once, holding the line's weaknesses as the camp begins to rally. At the same time, a large group of demons is looping down and then up, to go under and then up to Aurora, to end up before its gates. It looks to be a hundred of so - about half least demons such as manes and rutterkin, while the other half are things like hezrou, nalfeshnee and vrocks.
Leading them all is a massive figure of fire and hate, towering over everything as the Astral curls away from him. A creature Afina knows from her many battles - a balor. It wields a jagged blade of lightning and lashes out with a whip in the other hand. The creature barks out a deep laugh as his forces race to Aurora, "Kill, kill, kill! Don't stop killing!"
Behind all this you see more demons on the horizon, starting to darken the Astral's horizon. They are a ways away yet, not having joined any battle.
They're coming at Aurora, so you have the initiative to meet them, form a line or take whatever gambit you see fit.
Casting greater heroism and shield as we get ourselves sorted"Conserve your spells for now, there's a lot more enemies on the horizon," Afina advises her forces as they move to intercept the demons headed towards Aurora. "Dana, the Balor is yours, keep it tied up and everyone else give them some room. Rushing Tiger, Reflection, circle the flanks from the sidesand trample as much as you can. Everyone else, split above and below to envelop the demon lines." And just as they split up to take their assigned attack vectors, she casts haste on as many people as she can!
Basic plan is Dana goes straight in and solos the balor, everyone else gives them a wide berth so as not to get caught in its deathsplosion. Golems split on the horizontal plane and wreck shit up, army splits on the vertical plane and mops up. Afina will lead the upper force, Vivantha and Ellese go with the bottom force.
Haste beneficiaries are Afina, Dana, Ellese, Vivantha, Rushing Tiger, Reflection, and 17 giants
Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/8/6/7
Magic washes over the party as the demons rush right in. No strategy, no attempts to avoid being flanked and encircled. It's a battle of rage and fury, teeth and claws. Elves and catfolk meet the demon line, manes and rutterkin assaulting them with all the fury they can manage. It is a contest of screams, blood and pain. But as the lines meet, it is one your trained forces quickly take the advantage on.
Amid this clash, Dana and the balor meet. Flames and blade lash Dana, but she cackles and strikes back, strike after strike forcing the demon back. Thrust after thrust bloodied the fiend, Dana tearing holes in it.
Your forces look to be doing well, though the sheer ferocity of the demons is inflicting injuries and causalities fast. On the other hand, such wanton disregard results in the demons being mowed down just as fast.
Ball's in your court, they willingly walked into your gambit and are going out with all the swinging they can manage.
They outnumber the demons nearly ten to one. Any casualties at all is unacceptable especially given their numerical advantage is going to evaporate once those forces on the horizon get here! "Stay close and support each other!" she calls to try and rally her flagging forces, the joke she told Dana earlier revealed for the bravado it is.
Of course that doesn't apply to her golems who are doing a smashing job of smashing up demons. Taking a more visceral hand in things herself she extends her hands and flings out a fireball down over the centre of the demon forces, slowing and burning as much as she can before they get too mixed up with her own army for such attacks to work. Then she flies to wherever her lines look the weakest, stiffening their resolve with her presence and eviscerating the most troublesome fiends!
[21:52] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 SR
[21:52] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+27 SR --> [ 1d20=6 ]{33}
[21:52] <@Ebiris> roll 23d6 DC 32 reflex half
[21:52] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 23d6 DC 32 reflex half --> [ 23d6=73 ]{73}
Fire damage ignores resistance and does half vs immune
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+49
[21:53] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+49 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{65}
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+44
[21:53] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+44 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{64}
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+44 crit?
[21:53] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+44 crit? --> [ 1d20=13 ]{57}
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6
[21:53] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d4+24+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6 --> [ 1d4=4 2d6=8 2d6=6 5d6=12 2d6=7 ]{61}
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 2d4+48+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6
[21:53] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 2d4+48+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6 --> [ 2d4=3 2d6=8 2d6=7 5d6=16 2d6=4 ]{86}
Sword strikes as magic/good/chaotic/silver
Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/7/6/7
Afina's fireballs quickly devastate the already beseiged demons, your army closing in a-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The battlefield shakes as the balor is stabbed through the heart, exploding in a burst of wrath. Dana's battered after it but still up, the remaining demons being battered and pincered by your forces. You're cleaning them up nicely, the squad being decimated by a bit of extra support and the loss of morale. A little more and you should have this in hand - be it aggressively to end it quickly, safely to minimize injuries or even splitting off to send more troops to support Celestia.
Right now the celestial lines is stiffening, reinforcments coming and Domiel crushing much of the advance. He gestures, a great many radiant assaults tearing apart demons by the dozens. His voice echos from horizon to horizon, "Only the final rest awaits here! You cannot overcome Celestia, let alone Medi's champions!"
> roll 1d20+72 Intimidate
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+72 Intimidate --> [ 1d20=1 ]{73}
For moments, the demonic horde on the horizon pauses. During those moments, Domiel's voice is heard to all of you, a strong and stirring call. "They approach, and they lack the wisdom to retreat and repent. We shall put them to the final rest here. Any that are wounded can come to me and they will be healed."
Well even if they're not retreating, recent experience in Hopelorn taught Afina well the power of fire to devastate an army. And unlike devils demons are merely resistant to fire! "Alright lets hustle everyone, wounded to the centre. We'll form up with Domiel and take advantage of his offer."
It's quicker than having to cycle back to Aurora anyway.
Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/7/6/7
There's still some demons left, not many, but it was noted there was a few and you had a choice of how to deal with them.
Lets aggressively wipe the demons and then go support Celestia.
Wounds are taken, but the demons are surrounded, beaten and crushed. Cheers go up as your troops briefly loot before moving on. The group rushes to Domiel, his presence sending waves of healing magic that swiftly heal the wounded. Archons and angels mix amid your forces as your troops prepare. The horizon from end to end is dark with demons, a massive line of them numbering more than Afina can reckon.
Gazes meet from far away, until a defiant demon bellows rage despite Domiel's intimidation. The horde begins to move, crashing on towards the armies like a tidal wave.
Ball's in your court on how Aurora's forces handle this.
Afina first finds someone who seems smart and thus is swift upon the astral. "Go back to Aurora and tell them to start moving the fortress closer to the Celestial encampment," she instructs, wanting to have it nearby as a strongpoint for cycling troops back into for healing as well as a fallback if they're overwhelmed. Next she has Gisfal bring his army closer to hers and sets it a short distance behind both to act as a ready reserve and to stymie any attempts at enveloping their forces - which given the numeric disparity is something of a certainty.
There isn't much time left to prepare so she calls out to her forces now, "Hold position here and don't let yourself be overextended - count on those beside you for support. Those of you with spells, break up the demon formations once they come into range. Walls, clouds, things to block sightlines and separate them, to ruin their charge. That will be the most important thing, we can't let them overwhelm us in the initial clash!"
Then she flies towards Domiel, keeping half an eye on the approaching demons so she can issue forth her own spells as they come into range. "Lord Domiel, I am general Afina Devilsbane of Aurora," she introduces herself. "I'm having Aurora brought closer so our two armies can form a line between it and your encampment. We'll hold the demons here and bleed them dry before they can reach the rift."
Of course the problem of a static defence is that it can just be bypassed and gone around. She doubts the bloodthirsty demons will do that, but if they do it just means they'll have an enemy at their back ready to destroy them as they try and push inwards.
Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/7/6/7
A soldier rushes over, Aurora beginning to move as Aurora moves - slow and powerfully. It approaches the celestial camp, everyone preparing. The celestials cast magic, woven around to summon more. Lesser angels and archons swell the ranks, some charging suicidally to slow the demons and others reinforcing what you have. As ranged attacks begin to fly, Afina reaches Domiel. He turns his gaze to her, a moment of feeling overwhelmed. Of being seen, understood and judged.
"Thank you," he inclines his head in a grateful nod, "Reinforcements are coming. We do not need to defend forever, only long enough." The barest hint of a smile shows on his face, "Raziel's crusade prepares itself."
Before you clouds of mist are thrown. Fireballs are hurled, lightning bolts cast and thrown. Holy smites devastate demons by the dozens, while Domiel turns to the battle. He looks, a quartet of balors and dozens of demons around them simply ceasing to be in a sharp slice of light. Without a doubt, the war is coming to you.
A chance to throw your own efforts in as well as any last minute commands.
After having told Domiel of their part in this, Afina turns to the approaching demon army and flies over to position herself at the centre of their line, just ahead of everyone else. The reason for that becomes clear as she accelerates herself, the silver sea turning to flame around her and the space ahead of the demons suddenly impeded a great deal, a performance she caps off by raising her arm as one after another flaming meteors appear above her head before streaking off to impact amidst the demons with great bursts of flame!
9th level slot sacrificed for 4 rounds of time stop as swift action.
Round 1: Planar Bubble cast as swift (still astral), wall of fire cast as standard, placed diagonally through the demon ranks with the near tip placed on the Aurora side and the far tip on the Celestia side.
[18:17] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 wall of fire SR
[18:17] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+27 wall of fire SR --> [ 1d20=20 ]{47}
Wall of Fire is 460 feet long and 20 high, and does 35 damage to everything it touches, 8 damage to anything within 10 feet, 4 damage to anything within 20 (no save, ignores resistance, half vs immune), also it blocks sightlines. Lasts 23 rounds.
round 2: Incendiary cloud cast near front of demon position just behind the wall of fire and barely overlapping it. Blocks sight (so demons rushing forward out of it can then experience the wall of fire) and does 24 damage, DC 33 reflex half (ignores resistance, half vs immune). 20 foot radius, moves 10 feet away from Afina every round. Lasts 23 rounds.
round 3: Acid fog cast near front of demon position on the Celestia side. 20 foot radius, blocks sight and restricts movement to 5 feet per round. Does 2d6 acid damage per round, no save.
[18:26] <@Ebiris> roll 2d6 acid damage
[18:26] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 2d6 acid damage --> [ 2d6=7 ]{7}
Round 4: Permanent image cast of mass ranks of soldiers with spears braced for a charge positioned 10 feet ahead of our lines. 25 10 foot cubes filled with the illusion.
End time stop: Move action to fly 20 feet straight up (for skirmish), meteor swarm cast as standard action.
[18:30] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+38 meteor swarm
[18:30] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+38 meteor swarm --> [ 1d20=13 ]{51}
[18:30] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+38 meteor swarm
[18:30] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+38 meteor swarm --> [ 1d20=13 ]{51}
[18:30] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+38 meteor swarm
[18:30] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+38 meteor swarm --> [ 1d20=2 ]{40}
[18:30] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+38 meteor swarm
[18:30] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+38 meteor swarm --> [ 1d20=3 ]{41}
[18:31] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 meteor swarm SR
[18:31] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+27 meteor swarm SR --> [ 1d20=12 ]{39}
These are all ranged touch attacks, spread out to hit balors spread across the demon ranks at long range. Each strikes a balor for 54 bludgeoning damage (no save) and then explodes in a 40 foot radius for 36 fire damage (DC 34 reflex half, ignores resistance, half vs immune)
Lastly anything that comes within 10 feet of Afina takes 3d10 fire damage, she's careful not to be too near any of her friends due to this.
Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/6/6/5
Chaos. Light and fury. A blur of sounds. All of it becomes everything as Afina joins the battle, walls, fire and illusion appearing. A great chunk of demons are vaporized by her meteor storm, burnt down to corrupted ash by Afina's sally.
Vivantha's song is heard over all the noise, sweetly inspiring all through the might of lillend songcraft. Arrows and spells fly as many lesser and least demons attack the illusions, but greater ones barely give it a glance. Walls burn and clouds slow and corrode, hunks of the army indeed further stopped. Walls of light join Afina's efforts, further hindering the demons and slowing them.
At first it is a slaughter. Demons die by the hundreds, unable to meaningfully mount resistance against your efforts. They charge without a care, cut down like wheat before the scythe. But for every hundred you slay, two hundred come rushing to replace them. Already you can tell that despite all the slaughter that you aren't stopping the demons. You're only slowing them down, barely.
Fortunately, your lines are holding well. Few reach the front lines now, and those that do meet stiff resistance. One balor, missing an army and cackling madly, face a ruin of blood and bone, charges Afina with a great sword wielded one handed, trying to cleave her in two, even as it burns in her aura.
> roll 1d20+45 (+2 charge)
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+45 (+2 charge) --> [ 1d20=6 ]{51}
Not hitting a steam pixie, in other words.
But Afina jukes to the side, as...
Go, commands and dealing with the immediate pest.
Unfortunately much as she'd like to straight up kill the balor, it's deathsplosion would tear a hole through their lines. Still she has her ways and means. "Hold the line, nothing gets through!" she calls to support her forces as she negligently dodges that maddened swordswing. Accelerating herself to the limit once more both to deal with this balor and to further slow down the demon advance, she starts layering prismatic walls all over the place!
9th level spell sacrificed for 4 rounds of time stop once more.
round 1: Prismatic wall placed between balor and army. 92 feet long and 46 feet high.
[19:09] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+23 prismatic wall SR
[19:09] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+23 prismatic wall SR --> [ 1d20=11 ]{34}
Blinds anything with less than 8hd that's within 20 feet, blocks effects, does awful shit to anything that touches it.
round 2: Fog cloud cast at centre of demon formation. Blocks sight, does little else.
round 3: Delayed blast fireball launched into the fog cloud on 3 round delay (so it explodes the round after this one, not counting time stops)
round 4: Blistering/searing fires of purity cast on Afina. +34 fire damage on hit (ignores resistance and immunity)With the demon advance slightly stymied (and she really hopes the surprise she left in that fog cloud will make them nervous about everyone else's fog clouds) and a wall in place to keep the balor from killing anyone important with its deathsplosion, Afina lunges in to quickly stab it to death before moving deeper into the encroaching demon horde!
[19:16] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+54 5th level arcane strike
[19:16] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+54 5th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=3 ]{57}
[19:16] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+49 5th level arcane strike
[19:16] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+49 5th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=9 ]{58}
[19:16] <@Ebiris> OOC: +2 on that from evil outsider bane
[19:17] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[19:17] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=2 2d6=4 2d6=10 5d6=15 2d6=7 5d4=8 ]{104}
[19:17] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[19:17] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=3 2d6=8 2d6=5 5d6=18 2d6=5 5d4=9 ]{106}
[19:18] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 presumed required ref save evasion
[19:18] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+39 presumed required ref save --> [ 1d20=18 ]{57}
[19:18] <@Ebiris> roll 3d10 fire from the elemental plane of fire
[19:18] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 3d10 fire from the elemental plane of fire --> [ 3d10=16 ]{16}
Afina: 208+20/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, 50% miss chance (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/4/5/4
Afina's spells fly out as she barely sees them - she has to dodge. Dodge she does, the balor ripped apart into an inferno of death and hate. In the aftermath of this blast, she floats there a moment, seeing the battle. You see Ellese standing tall, an incantation and gesture sucking the water from an advance force of vrocks. Domiel gestures, more radiant assaults en masse tearing apart the demonic advance. Your walls slow them yet more, but not that or fog or fire truly stops them.
It's like trying to hold back a tidal wave with your hands. Kill one and ten more come. Kill ten and a hundred more come. Kill a hundred and a thousand more come. Afina jukes to the side, dodging a series of arrows and casually slicing the neck of a vrock who got too close.
Domiel's voice is again heard to each of you. "Blood War tactics. They seek to drown us in numbers," Domiel says, "We will not fall!" His words stir you, providing vigor and energy to all of you. "Continue to focus on delay and mass elimination."
27 temp HP to all, including Afina. Overlaps with existing temp HP.
Holy smites come faster. Heavenly lightning dances in the cloudless expanses of the Silver Sea. A hound archon locks blade with a hezrou, while a movanic deva clashes with a marilith, torn to shreds as she holds the demon long enough for spells and arrows to obliterate it. Aurora's gate holding, a flank of demons stopped cold by your defenses there. A number of archons and angels have ended up in there as well, aiding your defenders.
Slice, stab, spell. It's a blur to Afina, no time to think at all. The demons simply keep on coming.
> roll 1d20+18
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+18 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{38}
> roll 1d20+18 ow
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+18 ow --> [ 1d20=14 ]{32}
> roll 1d100 vs 50
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 vs 50 --> [ 1d100=61 ]{61}
> roll 1d8+10 doesn't beat DR and Fort
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+10 doesn't beat DR and Fort --> [ 1d8=1 ]{11}
Somewhere during all of this, an arrow flies and hits Afina in the wing. Just a graze, but she feels her body burning with heat. A squad of vrocks are rushing towards Afina, only a few pared down by holy smites. They're coming at her, as meanwhile the horde still no signs of slowing.
[19:39] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+29 fort
[19:39] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+29 fort --> [ 1d20=20 ]{49}Someone hit her! The sheer nerve! Not that it really hurt much but it's the principle of the thing. Still, whoever it was is surely about to burn as she repeats her tactics from Finality, only now she doesn't have to waste effort on making her spells searing!
9th level slot sacrificed for 4 rounds of time stop.
Four delayed blast fireballs sent across the battlefield at likely looking clusters of demons, including those vrocks and whatever direction that arrow came from.
[19:41] <@Ebiris> roll 4#1d20+27 delayed blast fireball SR
[19:41] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 4#1d20+27 delayed blast fireball SR --> [ 1d20=11 ]{38}, [ 1d20=8 ]{35}, [ 1d20=13 ]{40}, [ 1d20=15 ]{42}
Each does 138 damage in a 20 foot radius (ignores resistance half vs immune), DC 32 reflex halfThen as the simultaneous detonations rock the battlefield she flies amidst the rushing demons and sweeps her hand out to bring forth a great flaming snake that rips through the battlefield, flash-frying demons in its roaring passage!
Fire storm cast, 46 ten foot cubes affected.
[19:45] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 fire storm SR
[19:45] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+27 fire storm SR --> [ 1d20=15 ]{42}
Ignores resistance, half vs immune, DC 33 reflex half
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, 50% miss chance (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/0/5/3
More demons burn. Her golems rampage. It's all a series of chaotic, too fast images for Afina. She sees her golems tear apart a corp of hezrou, as several hound archons struggle and fail to hold back a balor. Wounded are rushed to Domiel, restored in moments. "For Lifasa!" A cry from a voice you don't know, a rally. A thin cloud of steam surrounds Afina, her magic causing more and more energy to pass through her body.
The lines are holding, buckling and then holding. Losses, injured, slain. An elven warrior who you dimly recognize, impaled through the eye with an arrow and falling. Members of the Burning Aeropolish valiantly defending along side a line of movanic devas. Spell after spell is thrown about, Afina's eyes dizzied from the constant assault of colors and light.
She dodges the blade of another demon - you don't even get a look at the horror - and flies away from the range of a ball of ice. Demons all ahead, all her efforts only slowing the tide that now threatens to drown you all.
"Hold nothing back," Domiel's voice says, "It is the time before the dawn." He flies forward, joining the melee himself.
Go Afina.
Holding back certainly isn't on the agenda right now! Afina spends her spells like water to incinerate legions of demons at a stroke, speeding herself up enough to send forth another barrage of fireballs that simultaneously detonate a wide spread of demonic flesh! She plunges into the ranks of demons, tying them up with chasing and dodging her so as to give just a bit more respite for the main line of defence!
[20:24] <@Ebiris> roll 4#1d20+27 delayed blast fireball SR
[20:24] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 4#1d20+27 delayed blast fireball SR --> [ 1d20=2 ]{29}, [ 1d20=15 ]{42}, [ 1d20=18 ]{45}, [ 1d20=10 ]{37}
Each does 138 damage in a 20 foot radius (ignores resistance half vs immune), DC 32 reflex halfThen she charges the greatest demons present, attacking a balor that hasn't yet joined the melee yet so as to ensure its death will only destroy yet more demons around it!
[20:25] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+54 5th level arcane strike
[20:25] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+54 5th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=18 ]{72}
[20:25] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+49 5th level arcane strike
[20:25] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+49 5th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=10 ]{59}
[20:26] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[20:26] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=2 2d6=10 2d6=7 5d6=21 2d6=11 5d4=13 ]{122}
[20:26] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[20:26] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=3 2d6=7 2d6=8 5d6=15 2d6=2 5d4=9 ]{102}
[20:26] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 presumed required reflex save evasion
[20:26] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+39 presumed required reflex save --> [ 1d20=13 ]{52}
[20:27] <@Ebiris> roll 3d10 elemental plane of fire damage
[20:27] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 3d10 elemental plane of fire damage --> [ 3d10=20 ]{20}
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, 50% miss chance (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/0/1/2
Afina flies through the battlefield. Arrows whizz by her form, all before a massive blast of sheer sound slams into her.
> roll 1d20+20 Afina SR
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+20 Afina SR --> [ 1d20=3 ]{23}
But she ignores it as more fireballs strike in the chaos. The one to meet her charge is a balor, with great black horns and a leering gaze, face more goat like than human-like. She cuts deeply into the fiend, finding it able to withstand it. Then suddenly an overwhelming force slams into her mind, like a boulder thrown through a window.
Will save.
[20:41] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+35+23 blowing moment of prescience on anything described as overwhelming
[20:41] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+35+23 blowing moment of prescience on anything described as overwhelming --> [ 1d20=6 ]{64}
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, 50% miss chance (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/7/0/1/2
Afina reels, her mind momentarily a blank. But she shakes it off, recovering. As she blinks her eyes clear, she sees the balor has turned away from her. The horizon of the Astral is now aflame, demons burning as if all part of a great pyre.
"NOW!" Domiel calls, his voice heard clearly through the din of battle.
That must be Raziel's crusade. Taking advantage of the balor's lassitude she quickly stabs it a couple more times to slay it, and then sucks in a deep breath before shouting, "Press the attack, crush them!" for her forces to move up and catch the demons in a pincer!
[21:47] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+54 5th level arcane strike
[21:47] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d20+54 th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=7 ]{61}
[21:47] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+49 5th level arcane strike
[21:47] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d20+49 th level arcane strike --> [ 1d20=7 ]{56}
[21:47] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[21:47] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=3 2d6=5 2d6=7 5d6=15 2d6=10 5d4=13 ]{111}
[21:47] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4
[21:47] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d4+24+34+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 --> [ 1d4=1 2d6=5 2d6=6 5d6=17 2d6=6 5d4=11 ]{104}
[20:26] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 presumed required reflex save
[20:26] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+39 presumed required reflex save --> [ 1d20=13 ]{52}
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, 50% miss chance (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/6/7/0/1/2
From here, an explosion of fire and chaos. The balor detonates like a fireball as your forces throw caution to the wind and attack. Afina darts about, a flurry of destruction as she wreaks havoc on the fiends before her. Bones are sliced and skin is ripped by her sword, all as attacks rain down around her.
> roll 1d20+18 vs Afina, needs a 20
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 25 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+10 vs Afina, needsa 20
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 28 > [d20=18]
> roll 1d20+23 vs Afina, needs a 20
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 37 > [d20=14]
> roll 1d20+15 vs Afina's spell resistance
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 19 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d20+18 vs Afina's spell resistance
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 26 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+23 vs Afina, needsa 20
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 37 > [d20=14]
Arrows are too slow to strike, swords are flown away from and claws are woefully unprepared to land a blow on Afina. The demons howl as flames erupt amid them, your foes becoming part of a great bonfire. A fire that does not burn you or any of your allies, a fire that soothes Afina both in heat and in nature. Something more than mere fire, something greater that burns away the taint of the demons as readily as their bodies.
After so many blows amid the inferno, Afina looks around. No more demons to strike? The battle's winding down, with the demonic horde massacred between two armies and purifying fires. Afina's breathing heavily, a fact she hasn't noticed until now, so focused on the battle. You catch sight of Dana, grinning maniacally as she stabs a vrock over and over, looming over it as it dissolves into spores. You hear Vivantha's song amid the cheers and the crackle of the purifying inferno.
Have you won?
Have they won? Her survival and the lack of any demons left to kill suggests so at least, but Afina won't consider it a victory until she knows the extent of the butcher's bill. Flying up above the morass of floating corpses that litter the battlefield she calls out, "Aurora forces, to me!"
She also ends her elemental bubble effect, allowing the astral's traits to dominate around her once more, casting moment of prescience a split second later with nary a thought.
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), haste (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, 50% miss chance (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/6/7/0/0/2
Afina flies up, Aurora rallying to her. There are losses, no doubt about it. Corpses lie about the Astral, but your army is largely intact. Below you the two celestial forces gather, the fiends naught but dust on the wind now.
Dana flies up, bloodied all over but grinning, "Finally," is all she says, as Vivantha flutters over. She's intact as well. Before you get a chance to look at others, a cheer erupts amid Aurora's forces. It spreads to the celestials, a great din amid the silent swirling of the Astral.
Afina smiles a little at the cheering, letting everyone have their moment. They did just defeat a monstrously overwhelming force after all, although how overwhelming it was after Raziel's forces got added to theirs is an open question. Hopefully their forces inside the rift are making good progress, but at least they won't have to worry about all these demons falling on their back.
Celebrations come, but admit it, "Afina," Domiel's voice comes to her, this time a soft, calm tone deep in her mind. Aurora's forces and the celestial forces seem out of focus and unimportant, while Domiel stands out. He is several hundred feet away, amid his commanders. "Please come to me."
No reason not to, so Afina flutters over directly. "Well fought, your lordship," she commends the celestial. "Without you and yours we certainly would not have held the line here."
"With you, we would have suffered greater and been pressed back," Domiel declares, offering his hand to Afina despite the size difference, "You have stood with the righteous and Celestia remembers those that do."
A blade of jagged, chipped black steel flies forth from the horde of celestials. A falchion, sized for a human or similar creature. "This was wielded by a marilith. Known as Ralast, it has been bathed in the blood of 666 pointless slaughters." Domiel reaches out, grasping the sword. "Never again." The sword's steel cracks and shatters, the blade crumbling to dust. Most of it falls away, all that's left being a simple half foot of steel and hilt. Before your eyes it changes, a hilt forming and the black metal becoming the color of shiny steel.
"A weapon for your crusade. It will become what it needs to be in your hands or the hands of any from Aurora."
Afina clasps his hand in her own... or at least his finger. Listening as he presents the weapon she conjures a floating disc to bear the reforged blade, not wanting to change it with her touch before they can find a suitable bearer for it. "I'll make sure it finds a skilled and busy wielder," she promises. It's a short blade now (or a long blade if you're a pixie), but from what he said she assumes it can change just as well to suit someone like Hanna as anyone else.
Somehow the handshake works, in spite of the differences in size. Magic is the only thing Afina can think of. His grasp is warm and powerful, filling Afina with a deep calmness.
What's your plan now, steam pixie?
Get everyone back into Aurora for healing, count our losses, and rotate a third of our forces off duty so they can rest while everyone else stays on guard for further attacks. I'll also DM that sword for fun, taking 20 for 51 on spellcraft.
Don't think you can take 20 on spellcraft, since you get one bite at the apple. Taking 20 assumes failures happen until you get the best possible result.
That was a typo, meant take 10 for 51
Afina discovers that it is a short sword+3, holy. Once per round as a free action when you deal damage with this sword, you can choose to halve the damage taken (after damage reduction and other mitigating factors). If you do, you heal the amount of damage this prevented. For example, if you would deal 50 damage to a foe and used this, you'd heal 25 points of damage and they'd take 25 damage.
Chance to react in case that impacts anything.
She'll put the sword in the armoury for now, we can decide who gets it once everyone's back and this is all done.
Noted.
Heading back to Aurora gets you to meet with Elena once in, "Gisfal's already back and seeing to the injured and the dead," she reports immediately, as troops march on in. "Moving close to Domiel helped, as several report being saved by his healing magic."
"Good to hear, thank you Elena," Afina says gratefully, going to stow the sword she just received in the armoury before she goes to confer with Gisfal and the other officers to find out the damage and arrange a break for those most in need of it.
Most of this is mundane and routine. Needed, essential but not the most interesting.
"Right now," Gisfal reports, "We have about 89% of our forces intact, after healing. This includes a few survivors with maladies resisting basic healing. Your strategy to take advantage of the healing was wise, though pressing the attack added some losses." Here he shakes his head, "Light numbers, when compared to the typical butcher's bill in the Blood War."
That's unfortunate, but if they hadn't pressed it just would have transferred the casualties over to Celestia's side. For all that the Crusade is paramount, such a cold calculus doesn't sit right with Afina. "We'll see who Jarl and Priest can bring back - I know the forces inside the rift have taken losses of their own. Those that are gone from us will be remembered."
A curt nod, "As for reinforcements, we have fair grounds to ask Celestia for more. That will help fill the holes left behind."
"We'll see," she nods, hoping their efforts here will help spread their name and draw more recruits from farther afield as well. "Do you want to go to the war room and monitor how Jaela and Ithea are doing? I can handle things out here."
"I will," Gisfal says, going to do that and leaving Afina to the courtyard.
Just going to be managing things?
Yeah, no meaningful business to attend to other than staying ready for any further attacks or hearing word from our victorious allies.
Afina settles back in to wait and lead her troops. Soon enough a messenger comes, a little lantern archon. He bobs and weaves in the air, having a distinctly masculine voice when you see him. "Hello! Hi!" He sounds energetic, "I bear a message that no further demonic hordes seem to be immediately coming. However, it is possible P-p-pale Night," The entire blob of fire and light shakes when it manages to say that name, "Could manage trickery to shield it from the eyes of diviners."
"Thank you for the information," Afina says to the archon."All of our diviners are committed within the rift but we'll move Aurora away again and keep an eye over our sector."
On that note she casts see invisibility so she'll have a chance if spotting anyone sneaking by outside the force dome.
Afina does so, now able to see clearly what lies unseen by man and pixie-kind. Fortunately, no one seems to be sneaking right now.
It would certainly be fortuitous if she had spotted anyone right at that very moment! Sending Dana off to navigate Aurora back to its prior position, she delegates the other officers (or at least those with good eyes) to spots around Aurora's perimeter to keep an eye out for any sneaky infiltrators trying to get by them after the all out assault failed.
So noted. Let me pause you for a bit since nothing's happening for you IC right this moment.
Afina is sitting in the courtyard, waiting and seeing to her troops. Then Elena appears, "Scouts are seeing another round of attacks. It's another demonic army, and it doesn't make sense!" she declares, "There's a pit fiend leading the forces!"
"Wasn't there one that switched sides and made a big name for himself recently?" Afina asks, vaguely recalling hearing talk about some Z-something or other. It never really registered because she doesn't much care about demons either way.
It's certainly unfortunate, everyone's a bit battered and weary from the last assault, but needs must. "What sort of numbers are we seeing and where are they coming from?"
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23)
AC 64, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/6/7/0/0/2
"Lots," Elena says, "It's another big horde."
"Alright, have Dana move us back towards the Celestial encampment and then get out here. You!" she calls over to a nearby elf. "Get over towards the Celestial encampment, let them know we're prepared to repulse the demons with the same strategy as before." With luck some of the terrain modification will still be present, though of course without surprise they won't be nearly so effective.
Still, it pays to be cautious so she appends to her orders, "Have Dana maneuver Aurora so we're pointed towards the demons." It'll make it easier to fall back within if they're over-run. Although if Raziel's forces are still stuck around that should tilt things nicely back in their favour.
She then sets to organising her forces, those on rest are pulled out and put back in service, although she keeps some of them assigned to Aurora defence while fortifying the reserves with centaur archers and dragging Smrgol out to beef up their front line.
Preparations explode as Aurora again enters the fray. You position near the celestials as you see great heavenly armies ready themselves, ready to defend. Horizon to horizon is nothing but demons, yet they to not advance. They simply loom far away for now, over a mile away and visible more by bulk than by features.
But one thing stands out. A figure at the front. Something commanding about it, something overwhelming. A figure who wears something on its head, a stone circlet. Something unimportant, dismissed from your minds. It somehow seems more visible, more real than the rest of the demons. A pit fiend? As Afina sees this, the figure raises its arm up and a rain comes. A rain from over a mile away, a great black rain. Arrows? Arrows! So many arrows and so close together that it is a solid wave of wood and iron coming your way. How they cross the distance like this you don't know, but they're coming at you.
Go ahead and react.
"Walls!" Afina shouts, expending a desperately precious spell to project a prismatic wall in the path of those arrows. It seems the demons are not merely content to charge blindly into the fray this time. Unfortunately charging themselves against such numbers would surely be a slaughter no matter what qualitative superiority they might have.
Prismatic wall cast 80 feet ahead and angled up, 92ft by 46ft
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23)
AC 64, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/6/7/0/0/2
Walls are thrown up immediately. Walls of all kinds, from mere fire and ice to prismatic glory and blinding light. The celestials follow suit, great shield of iron and gold appearing to block the arrows. Said arrows glow with eldritch power, often exploding into fire, acid or even electricity on hitting the barriers - or a living creature.
"Enough."
A voice speaks, a burning voice of passion and fury. A great wave of fire comes out from the celestials, a figure rising above. He is clad in radiant armor and is surrounded by flame. As the arrows are consumed, he speaks again. "You challenge far more than devils this time, traitor. Flee or be put to the sword and justice."
Afina approves of such a fiery presence, but much as she'd like to shout over some threats or challenges of her own her voice just isn't suited to carrying so. "Hold fast for now," she calls to her officers instead. They may have to advance if the demons are content to bombard them, but a reckless charge would only see them swallowed up in the horde and annihilated.
Thus Aurora's forces hold their position, at the ready. The figure at the head of the demonic army holds his position as well for several moments. You can see the shadowed, hulking figures of the fiends, waiting to be unleashed. But they hold to the unspoken command, as the figure finally replies. His reply is for a great storm to appear over all the armies against him, black lightning crackling above.
> roll 1d20+1
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 8 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+22 (+8 strata bonus)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 42 > [d20=20]
But flames race up, burning the storm away, as if it were something solid. More silence as the storm breaks, the pit fiend at last speaking. It speaks in a voice of controlled fury and declares, "So be it. I challenge you then - a battle of champions. Three of mine against three of yours - one of yours, one of Domiel's and one of Aurora's."
A way to completely negate the demon's numerical advantage? They'd be fools to decline, and he's a fool for offering. "Aurora accepts these terms!" her cutesy little voice rings out from the front of their lines.
There is no pause as the flaming figure declares, "Accepted."
The retort is, "Then send your champions forward!"
"Enjoy the show but don't relax too much. Demons aren't known for sticking by their bargains," Afina advises her officers before she advances forward.
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23)
AC 71, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/6/7/0/0/1
Afina flies forward. From Domiel's troops a woman in a red cloak and hood advances, while from Raziel's troop an armored celestial advances. A throne archon, carrying a greatsword almost negligently.
From the other side three emerge. The first is a balor, carrying a blade of roaring fire and a whip of ice. The second is a marilith, bare save for bracers and its many blades. The last is a simple humanoid, plain and unassuming, wearing peasant's clothes. He doesn't even carry a weapon, head bowed and silent.
As the two advance, "One versus one, until one side is eliminated," the pit fiend bellows.
"So be it!" Domiel challenges back.
Not how she would have preferred it but she knows she's the junior partner here. As someone versed in drama and theatrics she regards the humbly dressed humanoid with the most scrutiny, certain that he will be the most dangerous foe of the three present.
Then again, isn't she rather unassuming in her present company as well?
The red cloaked woman flies close to Afina. "Helga," she offers her name in a murmur, eyes all on the the advancing fiends. "Do you care who goes first?"
"Afina," she answers the cloaked woman with her own, before speaking up to be heard by all. "I am Afina Devilsbane, general of Aurora. Speak your names for all to hear, and we will battle in alphabetical order."
She has good odds of going first from their side and it should prevent the demons from enjoying any advantage by manipulating their own order of battle.
Afina's cutesy little voice carries across the battlefield, the red-cloaked woman calling, "Helga!"
The throne archon declares, "Alanna!"
The demons simply leer and glower at you, but after a moment the balor replies, "Hupan."
The marilith's tail flickers about, a cross look on her face. "Zani."
The humanoid merely shakes his head, tapping his fingers against his throat. The balor snarls, "He has no name and will go last."
How very convenient, it seems Afina's appraisal of the humanoid was correct. Drawing Hywelbane she flutters forward into the space between the two groups. "Come Hupan, let us dance," she invites.
[11:55] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+26 init
[11:55] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 46 > [d20=20]
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23)
AC 71, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/8/9/6/7/0/0/1
The balor approaches, 30ft away and straight ahead. "Your soul is mine, pixie," the beast snarls, rage echoing in the wounded Silver Sea. His sword and whip twitch as he races ahead, trying to shatter Afina apart.
> roll 1d20+17 balor init
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 31 > [d20=14]
Init order is Afina (46) > Hupan (31)
Go Afina.
Hasting herself (and Helga and Alanna) as is her custom, Afina then zips straight towards Hupan, a pair of quick stabs taking him in the neck before she flits upwards a hundred feet, getting plenty of space both for the armies to watch her dismantle this giant demon and for no one to be harmed when he explodes. Although perhaps luring him towards Zani and the nameless wonder might be a good idea... yes, she'll maneuver herself that way next. No one could accuse her of cheating if they get harmed by their own ally after all.
[12:02] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+56 5th level arcane strike
[12:02] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d20=11]
[12:02] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+51 5th level arcane strike
[12:02] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 60 > [d20=9]
[12:03] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 good/silver/anarchic
[12:03] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 77 > [d4=1][d6=6,5,1,4,3,5,2,2,6,2,1][d4=3,2,1,4,3]
[12:03] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 good/silver/anarchic
[12:03] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 79 > [d4=2][d6=3,4,4,1,3,3,2,5,6,2,2][d4=3,1,4,4,4]
Afina: 208+26/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/9/5/7/0/0/1
Afina is a dart a she swoops past the balor's neck, criss-crossing slashes trickling blood over it. But it's like cutting down a tree with a butter knife, the creature resisting. It glares up at her, as sudden a wave of fury boils up inside of her.
Will save. Mind-affecting enchantment, so note if immune instead.
[12:12] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+35 will don't forget SR/miss chance
[12:12] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 50 > [d20=15]
Supernatural aura, so neither applies. Flip side, mind affecting. Upsides and downsides worked out for him here.
But Afina shakes it off, as the balor rockets towards her. A single, powerful slash rips out, trying to cut her apart. As it does, sheer, multihued lights surround the balor, like a set of armor.
> roll 1d10 chaos devotion
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 10 > [d10=10]
+10 anarchic to AC for the round.
> roll 1d20+65 (+2 charge, +4 ????, +6 ????)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 75 > [d20=10]
> roll 1d100 51+ is a hit
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 68 > [d100=68]
> roll 2d6+39
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 47 > [d6=3,5]
Does not beat your DR, so factor that in.
The creature appears little more than a blur of red and black as it advances, a feeling of overwhelming hatred making Afina step back. It ruins her defenses just enough, a hack tearing into her side. A graze, but the creature's aim is sublimely good. It's able to actually hit her, landing a serious blow.
Go.
"No mere fiend, you," Afina says in surprise as she's caught a blow, the balor's form making it clear that it was no lucky strike either. Casting a spell to bring flame to her blade first of all...
Casting blistering fires of purity defensively (not sure if it's even needed with a quickened spell)
[12:35] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+35 concentration DC 21
[12:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 49 > [d20=14]She then gifts Hupan a pair of stabs across the face before flying down between the other two demon champions!
[12:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 49 > [d20=14]
[12:37] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+56 5th level arcane strike
[12:37] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 70 > [d20=14]
[12:37] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+51 5th level arcane strike
[12:37] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 64 > [d20=13]
[12:37] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 fires of purity SR
[12:37] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 32 > [d20=5]
[12:38] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 good/silver/anarchic/epic
[12:38] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 83 > [d4=2][d6=3,2,3,1,5,6,5,4,1,6,4][d4=3,4,1,3,4]
[12:38] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+5d4 good/silver/anarchic/epic
[12:38] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 88 > [d4=4][d6=1,6,4,3,3,3,6,6,5,3,3][d4=4,4,2,1,4]
If fires of purity beat his SR that's an additional 36 fire damage per strike (ignores resistance, half vs immune)
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/9/4/6/0/0/1
Afina's blades flash with holy fire, tearing open the balor's face. Shallow cuts but they bleed profusely, profane blood floating out in the Astral. It roars in fury, but remains unburnt as your fires fail against it.
The marilith snaps at you as you approach, "What are you doing, fey?" The normal one seems unphased, while meanwhile Hupan...stays right where he is. He instead focuses, his wounds healing to a significant degree.
"Are you that cowardly, pixie?" The balor demands, "Hiding behind others like a quaking child?"
> roll 1d10 chaos devotion
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 2 > [d10=2]
+2 anarchic AC this round.
Go.
"Worried you'll be more than stung by your friend's death?" Afina gives the marilith a cold smile, hurling forth an orb of blazing fire at the balor before she's hot on its heels to jam her blade up his armpit before springing off and flying right back where she was.
searing orb of fire
[13:15] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+44 orb of fire ranged touch
[13:15] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 53 > [d20=9]
[13:15] <@Ebiris> roll 22d6
[13:15] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 78 > [d6=6,1,3,1,5,5,4,5,4,6,2,5,3,3,2,6,3,1,3,1,6,3]
fire damage ignores resistance or immunity, DC 29 fort or dazed for 1 round
[13:16] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+57 6th level arcane strike
[13:16] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 61 > [d20=4]
[13:16] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+52 6th level arcane strike
[13:16] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 66 > [d20=14]
[13:17] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+6d4 good/silver/anarchic/epic
[13:17] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 79 > [d4=1][d6=1,4,2,6,6,5,2,6,2,2,1][d4=2,2,4,4,2,1]
[13:17] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+6d4 good/silver/anarchic/epic
[13:17] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 72 > [d4=2][d6=6,1,1,2,2,1,2,1,3,3,5][d4=3,1,4,2,3,4]
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/9/3/5/0/0/1
> roll 1d20+41 Fortitude only fails on a 1
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 52 > [d20=11]
The orb of fire catches the balor right in the shoulder, knocking him back slightly and into Afina's stab. She lashes at him twice, managing to tear into the soft underside of his arm. It's still hard but a little easier there, blood trickling down the demons side.
As Afina flies back and forth, she gets a look at both sides. The demon side is watching, leering, waiting. The strange sight of a pit fiend at the head of a demon army still stands out, the fiend watching all of this impassively.
On the other side, your own forces are quietly cheering for you and the celestials are intently watching. You see Raziel briefly, who appears calm and relaxed. Utterly unworried, flames crackling around him.
Then the balor roars. The Silver Sea shakes from the noise, the creature giving a raging glare to Afina. He slashes his sword forward, "Begone, your fancy trickery!"
How precisely does your miss affect apply to things, Afina?
It applies to anything that requires an attack roll and any spells that targets discrete individuals - basically if the spell description has a target entry instead of an area entry then miss chance applies.
> roll 1d100 vs 50
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 35 > [d100=35]
Afina swerves out of the way of something, a ragged tear, and is untouched and unharmed.
Go.
Too much meat on those bones, the thing should be dead already. It's not even doing the courtesy of drifting closer to its allies so the deathsplosion can soften them up. Firing off another searing orb of fire at the balor, Afina dives in with a pair of quick stabs right after before ricocheting eighty feet off to her right.
[15:35] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+44 orb of fire ranged touch
[15:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 58 > [d20=14]
[15:35] <@Ebiris> roll 22d6
[15:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 82 > [d6=6,6,1,2,6,5,4,3,4,1,4,2,3,4,4,1,5,6,6,5,3,1]
Fire damage ignores resistance and immunity, DC 29 fort or dazed 1 round
[15:35] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+55 4th level arcane strike
[15:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 58 > [d20=3]
[15:35] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+50 4th level arcane strike
[15:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 69 > [d20=19]
[15:35] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+50 4th level arcane strike crit?
[15:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 54 > [d20=4]
[15:36] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+6d4
[15:36] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 74 > [d4=1][d6=1,4,4,6,1,6,3,2,5,2,3][d4=2,1,1,2,1,3]
[15:36] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+6d4
[15:36] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 88 > [d4=3][d6=2,6,4,5,3,1,5,2,4,6,5][d4=2,4,1,2,3,4]
[15:36] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26 added to last one if it critted
[15:36] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 27 > [d4=1]
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/8/3/4/0/0/1
> roll 1d10 chaos devotion for the last round, forgot it and it might matter
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 3 > [d10=3]
It doesn't.
The balor stays right where he is, chest burnt and stabs into the shoulder tearing flesh easier now. The creature grunts loudly and concentrates, wounds largely healing in an instant. It then makes a quick snap of its whip, a small barrage of icicles pelting Afina.
> roll 1d10 chaos devotion for the this round
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 9 > [d10=9]
+9 bonus to attack rolls. Ow.
> roll 1d20+67 (+4 ????, +6 ????, +9 chaos devotion) ranged touch
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 75 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d100 vs 50
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 14 > [d100=14]
SR also applies, but miss chance got it first.
But Afina vibrates, moving so fast that the icy barrage passes right through her harmlessly.
Go.
"If you want to drag this out it's fine by me," Afina smirks insolently at Hupan, concealing her irritation at his healing. "We're not the ones rushing to get into the rift before it's closed."
Flying back down near the other two demonic champions she rests a hand on Afame to benefit from its increase in her dodging skills while preparing herself to evade any attacks that come her way.
Total defence + Afame swift for +10 dodge to AC
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 82, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/8/3/4/0/0/1
Nice taunting. This is the sort of situation where social skills may apply. Do you have any relevant?
Nothing but raw charisma
Flex that Charisma with a Charisma check, +2 bonus since I thought that was a pretty solid snark.
[16:15] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+15
[16:15] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 17 > [d20=2]
Afina's taunts echo in the air, the demon snorting loudly. "Then be still and DIE!" he roars, as suddenly Afina's mind is dazed, confused.
Will save. Mind-affecting.
[17:05] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+35
[17:05] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 53 > [d20=18]
I'm a fair distance away from him if that's his aura like before.
It isn't.
A wave passes over Afina, but through sheer will, she focuses her mind and clears it of the confusion. She can still act normally.
Go.
Afina continues to merrily play defence, hoping to break the balor's composure or at least his patience. Flitting around behind Zani she makes use of the marilith's bulk for some extra cover.
Total defence + Afame swift for +10 dodge to AC
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 82, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/8/3/4/0/0/1
Jeers begin to erupt from the demon side, as Zani promptly moves out of the way, "Keep me out of this," she snaps, as...
Charisma check, +5 bonus this time. You're doing a good job at vexing him.
[17:24] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+18 cha
[17:24] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 33 > [d20=15]
The demon charges, as both Zani and the nameless one flee in opposite directions. The balor roars in sublime fury, charging Afina like a mountain coming down on a mere pebble.
> roll 1d10 chaos devotion
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 1 > [d10=1]
+1 anarchic to attack rolls.
> roll 1d20+66 (+2 charge, +4 ????, +6 ????, +1 chaos devotion)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 75 > [d20=9]
But Afina's much too fast, dodging to the side and swooping out of the cleaving slice.
Go.
That's more like it! Still, he's skilled enough to pose a genuine threat in melee - if she hadn't been watching for it that strike would've likely carved a piece out of her. Forbearing spells for the moment she relies on Afame to sharpen her reflexes while guiding Hywelbane in to strike, aiming to scar Hupan's flank before she darts back into the centre of the area between the remaining four champions.
Using swift on Afame for +4 dodge
[17:43] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+55 4th level arcane strike
[17:43] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 73 > [d20=18]
[17:43] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+50 4th level arcane strike
[17:43] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 57 > [d20=7]
[17:44] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+4d4
[17:44] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 84 > [d4=1][d6=1,3,1,5,2,6,5,5,6,5,5][d4=4,2,3,4]
[17:44] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+4d4
[17:44] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 65 > [d4=3][d6=6,6,1,4,2,2,1,1,2,1,1][d4=4,2,2,1]
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 76, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/7/3/4/0/0/1
Twin slashes once more, cutting into the creature's flank and making him howl. He chases in a fury now, right back to the middle and heedless of his own bleeding. He lashes his whip this time, trying to grab Afina.
> roll 1d10 chaos devotion
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 5 > [d10=5]
> roll 1d20+70 (+2 charge, +4 ????, +6 ????, +5 chaos devotion)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 81 > [d20=11]
> roll 1d20+73 grapple vs Afina's CMD, will roll miss chance if this hits, include the big bonus from freedom of movement.
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 85 > [d20=12]
CMD, Afina?
CMD is 86
It's a fast, icy blur, getting Afina right on. But somehow the whip slips off her ever so slightly, a moment that lets her explode into motion. A miniature burst of haste gets her moving fast enough to escape, the whip closing around where she was a heartbeat later.
Success, you're still free. Barely. Go.
It was actually 90, forgot to include the Afame dodge bonusThat was close, but she has the balor following her around well enough now that she can set the terms of the battle better. Two, maybe three more exchanges should decide things she thinks, based on what she's seen of his reaction to wounds so far. Continuing to play defensively for the moment she blitzes past Hupan with another twin-bladed assault, rising up a hundred feet above her foe afterwards.
Using Afame as swift for +4 dodge
[17:56] <Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 85 > [d20=12]
[18:12] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+55 4th level arcane strike
[18:12] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 60 > [d20=5]
[18:12] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+50 4th level arcane strike
[18:12] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 53 > [d20=3]
[18:12] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+4d4
[18:12] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 70 > [d4=1][d6=4,3,3,3,1,5,4,6,2,1,1][d4=2,1,3,4]
[18:12] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+4d4
[18:12] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 85 > [d4=3][d6=5,5,3,2,6,4,4,6,5,1,5][d4=4,2,2,2]
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 76, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/6/3/4/0/0/1
This time the devil brings his arms up, but it's not quite enough. She cuts deeply into his arms, making him bleed as she zips past. He lashes his whip out in retort, but Afina's already gone, much too fast for him. He bellows in fury, before pouncing after her like a furious cat.
> roll 1d10 chaos devotion
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 2 > [d10=2]
+2 AC.
> roll 1d20+40 (+2 charge, +4 ????, +6 ????, -25 PA going for the home run out of rage)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 56 > [d20=16]
Overwhelming power comes. A gale precedes him that almost blows Afina back, but she moves with it. She rides the wind, dodging a massive overhead clave. For a moment it's deja-vu: Gathgorian looming over her, sword unleashing hurricane winds as she somehow dodges in time. But this balor is not Gathgorian, feral rage showing instead of eagerness and calculation.
Go.
Ahh sweet anger, what makes even the most fearsome of foes a shameful mess. Afina refrains from giving the balor any further advice, focusing simply on dodging and delivering more stabs as she maneuvers back down between the other demon champions to set up the coup de grace.
Using Afame as swift for +4 dodge
[20:38] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+55 4th level arcane strike
[20:38] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 57 > [d20=2]
[20:38] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+50 4th level arcane strike
[20:38] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 65 > [d20=15]
[20:38] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+4d4
[20:38] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 74 > [d4=1][d6=2,5,3,4,6,6,3,1,5,1,4][d4=3,2,1,1]
[20:38] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+4d4
[20:38] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 66 > [d4=2][d6=2,3,2,1,3,3,6,1,6,1,3][d4=1,4,1,1]
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 76, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/5/3/4/0/0/1
Afina stabs him twice more in the neck, thick sprays of blood gushing out from his wounds. The balor staggers and charges - and at the same time, the two other demonic champions simply repeat what they did before, flying away in opposite directions as fast as they can. Which is fairly fast as Astral speeds go, both able to make a good retreat as the balor again charges Afina.
> roll 1d10
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 6 > [d10=6]
+6 anarchic AC.
> roll 1d20+40 (+2 charge, +4 ????, +6 ????, -25 PA going for the home run out of rage)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 48 > [d20=8]
But again Afina dodges, avoiding the massive blow entirely.
Go.
Really it's more for her own amusement at this point. Still, she thinks Hupan is about done and she sees to his demise with alacrity, her blade finding his neck before she flies upwards one hundred and twenty feet before spiking a searing orb of flame straight down at him!
[20:45] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+57 6th level arcane strike
[20:45] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 59 > [d20=2]
[20:45] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+52 6th level arcane strike
[20:45] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 57 > [d20=5]
[20:45] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+6d4
[20:45] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 86 > [d4=4][d6=5,1,3,2,5,6,6,5,5,3,1][d4=2,4,1,4,1,2]
[20:45] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+6d4
[20:45] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 78 > [d4=1][d6=3,3,3,2,3,4,4,3,5,3,1][d4=4,4,4,2,2,1]
[20:46] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+44 orb of fire ranged touch
[20:46] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 50 > [d20=6]
[20:46] <@Ebiris> roll 22d6
[20:46] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d6=2,2,3,3,1,1,3,3,3,5,3,5,4,5,1,2,3,5,1,4,3,5]
orb of fire ignores resistance/immunity, DC 29 fort or dazed 1 roundAfina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/5/2/3/0/0/1
Afina manages another stab into his neck, opening it wide. As the balor thrashes in fury, Afina rockets up and shoots off a quick orb fire, right down the balor's neck and down into his chest. The entire creature swells with renewed flames for several moments, before exploding like a miniature sun. When it is clear, nothing is left of Hupan.
"First blood is ours. Afina, will you fight on?" Raziel asks.
"I think I have one more in me," Afina says. While it would be fair to let Helga and Alanna have a turn, simply conceding right now would throw away their hard won advantage.
Zani approaches next, coming to 30ft away from Afina. She stares at her, "I'm not so weak as that fool," she sneers, "En guard!"
Init.
[21:15] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+26 init
[21:15] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 40 > [d20=14]
> roll 1d20+21 marilith init
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 33 > [d20=12]
Open Afina.
Wanting to play it safe for the moment, Afina employs the same tactics she used for most of the latter part of her battle with Hupan, using Afame to steady her defences while pressing Zina with exploratory stabs as she zips straight past the marilith and then a further hundred feet beyond.
Using Afame as swift for +4 dodge
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+55 4th level arcane strike
[21:53] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 70 > [d20=15]
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+50 4th level arcane strike
[21:53] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 54 > [d20=4]
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+4d4
[21:53] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 83 > [d4=4][d6=5,6,2,3,5,4,3,1,6,4,1][d4=3,3,3,4]
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+4d4
[21:53] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 82 > [d4=3][d6=3,4,4,5,1,5,4,4,3,6,4][d4=4,3,1,2]
[21:53] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 fires of purity SR
[21:53] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 33 > [d20=6]
If fires of purity beat SR then that's an additional 34 fire damage per strike, ignores resistance and immunity
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 76, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/7/4/2/3/0/0/1
You just missed the SR check. Not your day for that.
Afina manages to strike swiftly, a slash on the marilith's arms. Three of them, landing blows as the other attack is parried. The sheer quantity of weapons it wields slows Afina down, stopping some of her assault. As Afina flies away, the creature glares at Afina. All six of its swords make patterns in the air, a complex arcane weave appearing before it. The beast cackles, "Suffer and drown in malice!" she calls, an off-green blast coming from her and enveloping Afina.
Reflex save.
[22:07] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 evasion
[22:07] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 45 > [d20=6]
The blast is a massive wave, one Afina avoids. But instead of sailing away or dissolving, it curves back after about 30ft, starting to loop back around at you. Uh oh, it's still going.
Go Afina. That spell doesn't seem to be giving up.
There's no reason to say she'll have a harder time dodging it the second time. Launching a ball of flame at the marilith she then flies in for another pair of stabs, stopping a mere twenty feet away from her foe. If that green thing comes back to blow up on her it might catch its originator as well!
[22:14] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+44 orb of fire ranged touch
[22:14] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 49 > [d20=5]
[22:15] <@Ebiris> roll 22d6
[22:15] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 73 > [d6=3,5,5,6,5,1,2,3,6,3,1,4,1,4,6,1,1,6,4,1,3,2]
Ignores resistance, half vs immune. DC 29 fort or dazed 1 round
[22:15] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+54 3rd level arcane strike
[22:15] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d20=17]
[22:15] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+49 3rd level arcane strike
[22:15] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 65 > [d20=16]
[22:15] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+3d4
[22:15] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 81 > [d4=3][d6=5,4,3,5,6,5,3,2,5,6,3][d4=1,1,3]
[22:15] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+3d4
[22:15] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 86 > [d4=4][d6=3,4,5,4,3,6,1,2,6,5,6][d4=3,4,4]
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/6/3/2/3/0/0/1
The ball of fire flies true, yet the marilith lashes out with a blade. It deflects the orb spell like an arrow, sending it right back at Afina.
> roll 1d20+45 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???) ranged touch vs Afina
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 54 > [d20=9]
What's your touch AC, Afina?
The pain of running into exceptional deflection and reflect arrows.
It's 54, miss chance save me please!
> roll 1d100 51+ is pain
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 37 > [d100=37]
No pixie bbq yet.
Afina's eyes widen at the reversal, catching her genuinely off guard. For once she can't even move a muscle, but in that is her salvation. She vibrates under the power of haste, enough to subtly move her about. A strike to her head becomes a narrow miss instead, a perfectly lucky movement saving her. She then manages to swoop in, stabbing the snake demon twice. Neither are serious wounds, more long scrapes that stubbornly continue to bleed.
As you position away from her, the green blast continues its path, going right for Afina.
Ref.
[17:28] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 evasion
[17:28] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 53 > [d20=14]
Afina dodges to the side, avoiding the blast - and it goes right at the marilith, who scrambles to dodge as well.
> roll 1d20+40 evasion
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 49 > [d20=9]
"Aaaah!" The marilith throws herself upward, dodging the blast as it slowly loops around and homes in on Afina again, "You little pest," it snarls, before charging her head on.
> roll 1d20+52 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge) vs Afina's AC of 76, so she's 20 fishing.
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 60 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+52 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge) vs Afina's AC of 76, so she's 20 fishing two weapon pounce
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 64 > [d20=12]
But Afina's too fast, twin blades hacking through the air where Afina was rather than where she is. But suddenly she's studying Afina with sharp eyes, seeming to completely analyze her.
Roll 1d20+23, Afina.
[17:54] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+23
[17:54] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 35 > [d20=12]
> roll 1d20+28
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 41 > [d20=13]
Afina feels analyzed, studied and understood. It's like every movement of hers is glared at and noted, the marilith beginning to smirk.
Go.
So ray spells are out, and so are area effects... this marilith is surprisingly tricky! Even if she's sure balors are meant to be more powerful, she might not have been idly boasting... then again her swordsmanship isn't a patch on Hupan's. Since none of her spells are greatly effective on the offence here, she relies purely on her own swordsmanship as she blitzes past Zina, skewering her waist where scales meet skin before she's away another three hundred and ten feet, putting the maximum distance she can between them.
[18:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+54 3rd level arcane strike
[18:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d20=17]
[18:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+49 3rd level arcane strike
[18:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 53 > [d20=4]
[18:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+54 3rd level arcane strike skirmisher boots
[18:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 70 > [d20=16]
[18:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+3d4
[18:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d4=2][d6=3,6,3,4,1,3,1,5,4,4,1][d4=1,3,4]
[18:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+3d4
[18:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d4=3][d6=1,4,1,1,2,5,6,1,6,4,1][d4=3,4,3]
[18:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+3d4
[18:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 62 > [d4=1][d6=4,1,1,1,1,2,6,1,6,5,1][d4=1,2,3]
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/6/3/2/3/0/0/1
Afina manages two hits, stabbing into the demon's middle and tail. Blood leaks from the wounds, the creature snarling as you notice her injuries are ever so slowly healing. As you get in position, the green energy follows, again coming for Afina.
Ref.
[18:19] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 evasion
[18:20] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 49 > [d20=10]
Again Afina dodges the damnably fast blast, but this time it shudders and breaks apart after it passes her. The snake demon charges at the same time, gliding through the Astral easily as suddenly...
Will. Mind-affecting.
[18:37] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+35 will
[18:37] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 53 > [d20=18]
But Afina shakes it off, as the marilith is on her a second later.
> roll 1d20+60 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge, +8 analysis?) vs 73
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+60 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge, +8 analysis?) vs 73 two weapon pounce
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 65 > [d20=5]
The snake looms over her, slicing faster than the wind. But Afina's even faster, weaving to the side and riding the burst of sound and noise from the impact.
Go Afina.
"You've gotten better," Afina says in faint surprise, that ophidian smirk no mere bluff! Of course it's still not good enough, and Afina punishes her for it by stabbing up between the marilith's ribs before fleeing two hundred and fifty feet back the way she came!
[19:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+56 5th level arcane strike
[19:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 66 > [d20=10]
[19:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+51 5th level arcane strike
[19:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d20=16]
[19:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+56 5th level arcane strike skirmisher boots
[19:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 59 > [d20=3]
[19:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+6d4
[19:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 84 > [d4=3][d6=2,1,6,4,2,4,6,1,5,4,6][d4=4,1,2,1,4,2]
[19:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+6d4
[19:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 78 > [d4=2][d6=2,1,2,3,6,2,2,3,4,5,2][d4=3,3,3,3,4,2]
[19:01] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+26+2d6+2d6+5d6+2d6+6d4
[19:01] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 79 > [d4=4][d6=3,4,2,2,2,1,3,5,3,5,5][d4=2,2,1,3,2,4]
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/6/3/2/3/0/0/1
But this time she's better, faster. She parries Afina's attacks and smirks, "Far better than you now," she retorts, before charging Afina headlong.
> roll 1d20+60 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge, +8 analysis?)
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 75 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+60 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge, +8 analysis?) vs 73 two weapon pounce
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 76 > [d20=16]
> roll 1d100 vs 51+ hit 1
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 45 > [d100=45]
> roll 1d100 vs 51+ hit 2
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 13 > [d100=13]
But Afina's still too fast, able to dodge and juke even from the closest strike. She's untouched, the snake woman grinning and her tongue lolling out as she tries to skewer Afina.
Go.
"Take a compliment without letting it go to your head," Afina chides, but Zina's abruptly improved defences genuinely are a concern - those were really good strikes, and she's wasted her skirmisher boots. Still, she has her ways of dealing with such things, and elects to forgo Hywelbane for the moment - the devil specialised sword isn't ideal for killing demons anyway. Instead she brings forth a blade of flame from her other hand and brushes it across Zina's scales before ascending up one hundred feet above.
[19:34] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+35 concentration
[19:34] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 44 > [d20=9]
[19:35] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+44 melee touch
[19:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 57 > [d20=13]
[19:35] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+27 SR
[19:35] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 36 > [d20=9]
Does that beat her SR? Affects the rest of my action if it doesn't.
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/8/6/3/2/3/0/0/1
Yes.
[19:40] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+17+5d6+2d6
[19:40] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 38 > [d4=4][d6=4,1,1,1,4,2,4]
[19:40] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 melee touch
[19:40] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 41 > [d20=2]
[19:40] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+17+5d6+2d6
[19:40] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 44 > [d4=2][d6=2,2,5,2,6,4,4]
Fire damage bypasses resistance, half vs immune
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/7/6/3/2/3/0/0/1
The marilith's skin sizzles under her flames burns and blisters spreading all over her stomach and scales. Zani howls in pain and points at Afina, as...
Will. Mind-affecting.
[19:48] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+35 will
[19:48] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 43 > [d20=8]
But Afina shrugs off the sudden, deep lethargy in her limbs as Zani pounces on her once more, snarling. "You burned me like a filthy devil! Devil pixie!"
> roll 1d20+60 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge, +8 analysis?)
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+60 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge, +8 analysis?) two weapon pounce
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d20=7]
But Afina's still much too fast, the two juking about the Astral as they do war. Both sides are intensely watching, following every move and counter.
Afina, go.
"The name's Devilsbane, I'm sure I hate them even more than you do," Afina sniffs in reply, using Afame to improve her defences as she slashes Zina a few more times with her flame dagger before flying back fifty feet. It's not going to be the fastest win but like this she's confident she can drag the marilith down by attrition.
Using Afame for +4 dodge AC
[19:56] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+44 melee touch
[19:56] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 52 > [d20=8]
[19:56] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 melee touch
[19:56] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 54 > [d20=15]
[19:56] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+17+5d6+2d6
[19:56] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 48 > [d4=3][d6=3,4,1,4,6,5,5]
[19:56] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+17+5d6+2d6
[19:56] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 47 > [d4=3][d6=4,2,4,3,2,6,6]
Fire damage ignores resistance, half vs immune
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 76, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/7/6/3/2/3/0/0/1
Two more burns on the demon's chest, making Zani scream. She continues to charge Afina, burning and furious, trying to land just one good blow.
> roll 1d20+60 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge, +8 analysis?)
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 63 > [d20=3]
> roll 1d20+60 (+1 ???, +5 ???, +3 ???, +2 charge, +8 analysis?) two weapon pounce she can't get any love here
<Penuche> Koaway invokes Penuche's magic: < 72 > [d20=12]
But again Afina is too fast, the burned and bloodied marilith not healing nearly fast enough to keep up.
Go.
She's got a good rhythm going here she thinks. Definitely it was a good idea to use Afame to boost her defences, but she can just keep going like this well enough she thinks. "Yielding's an option," she offers as she goes for another pair of stabs. "Be a shame to reduce you back down to a lower form when you could be off killing devils after all this."
Using Afame for +4 dodge AC
[20:23] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+44 melee touch
[20:23] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 52 > [d20=8]
[20:23] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+39 melee touch
[20:23] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 52 > [d20=13]
[20:23] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+17+5d6+2d6
[20:23] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 38 > [d4=2][d6=3,3,3,2,6,1,1]
[20:23] <@Ebiris> roll 1d4+17+5d6+2d6
[20:23] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 39 > [d4=4][d6=6,5,2,2,1,1,1]
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 76, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/7/6/3/2/3/0/0/1
The burns make the demon writhe, and..."I accept," it hisses, eyes blazing blood red in fury. The words come slowly, painfully, and in Abyssal it slowly mutters something as its arms droop. It steps back to great jeering from all the demons - until the pit fiend silences them with a curt cut gesture across its throat. "Return," he says to Zani, who quickly does just that.
"Two!" Domiel declares, "Concede and begone from this place, demon." His voice is clear and true across the Astral, the demons flinching back from it.
But instead, the nameless humanoid advances and quietly asks, "Who will I fight?"
"Well fought," Afina calls after Zani. Hopefully that pit fiend doesn't just smite her anyway. He's admitting her back into his ranks at least. But that leaves the last foe... certainly she feels like she could probably handle another bout, and it would do Aurora's prestige credit, but what about Celestia's? She knows that without Domiel and Raziel's efforts they wouldn't have defeated the last wave of demons far less this one, should not their champions be allowed a chance to shine? Being generous like this should also benefit them in terms of friendship with their allies.
"I have played my part," she flutters into a bow towards the two armies before she flies back to the side of the Celestial champions. A good performer always knows when to come out for an encore, and when to leave them wanting more.
Cheers and jeers. From the demons come jeers, death threats and promises to do unspeakable acts to your body, mind and soul. From your side come loud accolades and joyous tidings, the celestials joining in. A soft, stirring voice in your mind says, 'Well done,' Raziel speaks, 'You have fought with valor against the Traitor's champions.'
Ignoring the jeering demons Afina turns to her own side and dips her head towards Raziel in acknowledgement of the compliment.
Helga steps forward as Afina settles in, the nameless humanoid joining her. The two gaze at each other as they prepare, then combat is joined with a rush. Helga's quick on her feet, charging right at him.
Nameless humanoid chooses not to contest init, Helga goes first.
> roll 1d20+23
<Serith> Kowork roll for Serith < 33 > [d20=10]
But in moments, her movement slows and stops. She staggers and wobbles in the air, like a punch-drunk fighter. She holds her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth. All during this, the humanoid makes no move at all.
Shouldn't Alanna be next? Oh well, if the demons can manipulate their order of battle with a 'nameless champion' so can the archons.
Not a great start for Helga though. Ranged attacks would probably serve best, unless he can match Zina's skills at avoiding and redirecting those.
Whoops, honest mistake. We'll roll with it.
> roll 1d20+23
<Penuche> Ko-NitorisLabrynth invokes Penuche's magic: < 33 > [d20=10]
Helga just floats where she is, wobbling. Her nose begins to leak blood, a groan coming from her as she struggles in vain.
> roll 1d20+23
<Penuche> Ko-NitorisLabrynth invokes Penuche's magic: < 26 > [d20=3]
But it's for nothing. She can't seem to move or do anything but wobble there, seemingly trapped.
> roll 1d20+23
<Penuche> Ko-NitorisLabrynth invokes Penuche's magic: < 28 > [d20=5]
Helga thrashes now, blood coming out from her mouth as she coughs and gasps. Her nose is pouring blood now, her eyes rolled up and bloodshot. She's twitching, trashing - things clearly don't look good for her, at least to Afina's eye.
She's not going to insult Helga by shouting for her to yield even if it looks her best chance for survival. Afina can only watch and hope she gets her act together.
Then, suddenly, Helga gestures wildly. It's a desperate move, a slashing motion across her throat. A moment later she's let go, sent flying back to your side by unseen forces.
"Victory," the pit fiend bellows, "That champion was woeful and weak."
The throne archon looks on calmly, saying, "Do you see a weakness on this foe?"
"I'd favour ranged attacks, " Afina answers. "It appears to be a defensive aura of some sort. I've seen undead with similar abilities. Unless you can make yourself immune I'd play for distance."
A shame her plan to give the archons something to cheer about only saw their champion humiliated. Hopefully Alanna can do better; though the nameless champion is certainly meant to sweep all aside. She's reminded of how she used Smrgol in that tournament she put the giants to.
"As I surmised," The archon agrees, flying forward now. She glances back, "Can you tend to Helga?"
"I'm no healer," Afina says, but she flutters over towards the red-cloaked woman's side regardless. "How do you feel?"
Concerned Alanna might not be up to the task either, she casts detect magic and keeps half an eye on the battle so long as they stay within range at least. Hopefully the throne archon can last long enough for the spell to return anything useful.
I'll take 10 on spellcraft for 51 on any magic around the nameless champion, knowing I won't get results for 3 rounds
Afina: 197/208, heroes feast (CL 20), greater mage armour (CL 23), greater heroism (CL 23), shield (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), fires of purity (CL 23)
AC 76, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, freedom of movement, miss chance 50% (applies to targeted spells as well) immunity to fire, water, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 5/10/7/6/3/2/3/0/0/1
Afina begins to detect ma-aaaah! She's sent fluttering ass over end, flipping round and round. As she does, she can see the rift is contracting, collapsing inward rapidly. Virtually everyone else is in the same state, knocked to and fro as the Silver Sea shakes.
Well, looks like they finally hit the centre! Flapping her wings by reflex even though it's a wasted effort here, she exerts her mental will towards stabilising her orientation but rather than turn and look towards the hopefully collapsing rift she puts her back to it and keeps her eyes on the demons in a show of confidence!
Zquujaj's face doesn't change expression. He merely looks on at the collapsing rift with controlled interest, before uttering one word, "Retreat." His forces begin to fall back - in a controlled retreat, not a rout.
Cheers - this time even louder, even moreso. The rift is gone and the debris-littered Silver Sea can be seen instead.
Afina watches the demons retreat in good order, content to let them do just that. Once they're all moving however she turns around, "Come on Helga, lets get you back over to Domiel," she encourages her fellow champion, starting their own retreat.
Okay, we're in wrapup now so I'm going to lock this topic. We'll have a short wrap up thread for everyone once all the threads are done and then go into solo stuff.
If there's something still here to do, say so in nagging and I'll factor that in, Eb.