Soulriders 5.0: Legend of the Unending Games

We'll begin with a quick OOC question. With the party pared down, what's your party formation?

Afina in the lead, then Surru, then Baleruk

Also planar bubble is off now, since I don't want to burn Surru.

Okay, let's get the mundane crap out of the way then. Make a Spot check as leader, Afina. Note what modes of vision and senses you have as well as any unusual means of perception.

[18:43] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+43 spot
[18:43] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d20+43 spot --> [ 1d20=5 ]{48}

Low-light vision, darkvision 60, blindsense 30

Thank you.

You begin to go down the tunnel. As you do, everything shakes lightly as you feel the same misery, the same need, the same request for help.

"...help..."

The voice is in agony, distorted by unfathomable pain.

Afina hastes Surraruthru while refreshing the haste spell on herself and Baleruk, but she doesn't comment past that as she hurries along the tunnels until they find whatever evil lurks at the heart of this web.

The two of you rush along - only to turn a corner and see them ahead. A pair of orthons blocking the way, writhing maggots crawling in between the gaps in their armor, their yellowed skin leather-like and dull in the dim light of this place.

"No further!" They call as one, hell spears brandished.

Predictably, the devils are being devilish and fighting back. Jerks. Init.

[18:03] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+30 init
[18:03] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d20+30 init --> [ 1d20=10 ]{40}

> roll 1d20+3 orthons
<Rei-chan> Space_Cat rolled : 1d20+3 orthons --> [ 1d20=15 ]{18}

Waiting on the dread Surru here.

> roll 1d20+9+2 Init Serith
<Serith> Iddy roll for Serith < 31 > [d20=20]

Assuming I go first, Baleruk hasn't rolled but I probbaly beat him

Flying up between the orthons, Afina proceeds to explode with fiery wrath!

[23:04] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+29 searing greater fireburst SR
[23:05] <Serith> Ebiris roll for Serith < 46 > [d20=17]
[23:05] <@Ebiris> roll 24d10 searing greater fireburst DC 33 ref half, ignores resistance/immunity
[23:05] <Serith> Ebiris roll for Serith < 103 > [d10=1,4,2,2,9,2,4,2,1,1,9,6,2,1,6,5,9,4,7,6,5,1,10,4]

> roll 1d20+5 Baleruk
<Serith> Space_Cat roll for Serith < 24 > [d20=19]

Init is Afina (40) > Surraruthru (31) > Baleruk (24) > Orthons (18)

Afina indeed opens.

> roll 1d20+9 ref orthons
<Serith> Space_Cat roll for Serith < 15 > [d20=6]

Afina is a tiny, adorable bolt of fiery death as she rushes in between them, the two turning just as she erupts in flames. Searing fires burn them, the two devils cooking inside of their armor as they struggle to bring around their hell spears in close. As this happens, the scent of frying, rotting meet thick in the air...

Surraruthru. Go.

Surraruthru pulls on his Draconic magic launches an Orb of Force at the left Orthon.

Orb of Force, CL 2+(Spells vs. Evil Alignment: +1 CL/+2 CL vs. Evil Subtype (Aligned Spellcaster))
> roll 10d6 Orb of Force
<Serith> Iddy roll for Serith < 39 > [d6=1,5,6,1,4,4,5,6,4,3]

You forgot your ranged touch attack, Iddy.

> roll 1d20+31+2 Ranged Touch
<Serith> Iddy roll for Serith < 40 > [d20=7]

Your orb of force strike the orthon in the head, knocking it down and causing it to crumble into glass. Maggots erupt out, going all about - including over Afina, crawling and biting her.

> roll 2d6 chomp
<Serith> Space_Cat roll for Serith < 9 > [d6=5,4]

Meanwhile, Baleruk looks on in disgust. He simply gestures at the orthon, a sphere of acid appearing behind it, the very edges of it licking at the orthon's back.

> roll 15d4
<Serith> Space_Cat roll for Serith < 35 > [d4=4,4,3,2,2,2,3,2,1,1,3,1,2,4,1]
> roll 1d20+9 ref
<Serith> Space_Cat roll for Serith < 17 > [d20=8]

The orthons shudders as it melts, back dissolving as it collapses into jagged hunks of obsidian and fire. AS it does, maggots burst out again, once again all over Afina.

> roll 2d6 chomp
<Serith> Space_Cat roll for Serith < 10 > [d6=6,4]

Free act.

"Why must they always be so... disgusting? Bleach. Afina, I can heal you a bit if you desire."

"They're not cold iron, it's fine," Afina says, the maggots unable to find purchase on her. Without further ado she continues on.

"Onward," Baleruk says in disgust, "You need more RAINBOWS," Baleruk snarls at the remnants of the orthons, maggots oozing out of the way as the three of you advance.

Down, around, forward. You follow the path as the ground continues to shake. Lifasa's scream echos through you as you come to a chamber. Iron maidens, racks, chains, blades, blood. So much dried blood. Flame pits that provide dull light, chains above them, manacles to hold the unlucky above them.

This place sickens you. The air is foul, wrong. It is difficult to breathe. Every few breaths you hear it, broken voices screaming, "Yes! I give myself to Hell! I serve! I SERVE!" The jangle of chains. You can feel the magic of unhallow around you without even needing to try, the cursed nature of this place evident to all of you. This is a profaned place, unholy and unclean.

Yet there is no one here, only shed blood and miasma. There is a door on the far wall going ahead, as well as a door on the left side wall. Both are closed.

!!!

The chains begin to move. The iron maidens open of their own accord, showing blood and bone stuck deep within. Blades take to the air of their own will.

Baleruk snorts, managing to sound like a dragon even now. "Is this it?" he declares. "Hell is so cowardly as to THROW MERE IMPLEMENTS AGAINST US, RATHER THAN FACING MY DRACONIC MAJESTY AND THAT OF MY MINIONS?"

Is one door bigger/fancier than the other, or is there a sign that one sees more traffic?

The door straight ahead is made of stone similar to the wall, only indented enough to make it notable. Looks a bit worn, or maybe it's just the stone here is worn.

The door to the side is a bit smaller, carved in a similar indented way. It looks a bit more weathered, perhaps?

"Ignore the animated rubbish," Afina says, firing a disintegrate at the more weathered door and flying through in that direction.

[17:00] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+55 ranged touch
[17:00] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d20+55 ranged touch --> [ 1d20=19 ]{74}

The side door dissolves. You can't see much in there from this angle. Oh, that and all the torture implements coming right at you. That's a problem, too.

Init.

[17:16] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+30
[17:16] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d20+30 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{47}

As this happens...

'Afina, Lifasa retreated to Elysium. Meet there. Vision of Bel leading attack on Aurora. Be advised. Repeat, vision of Bel attacking Aurora. Please be careful.'  Tepen's voice.

Surraruthru gets a disgruntled look on his face as being referred to as a minion and opens his mouth to argue the fact, but the pauses and decides to let better judgement prevail as whatever they're likely about to face would try to take advantage of the disagreement between himself and Baleruk.

Though, it does get him thinking, which shifts his face into a more thoughtful look... Combat between an Arcane Dragon and a Prismatic Dragon... Hmm... He's got plenty of options for defenses except that pesky divine protection thing... He'll need to figure something out to burn through that one day... Perhaps Goldenfire... Or tapping into a greater power even if just for a bit... Maybe an artifact to amplify spells... Or a demi-plane built to dampen... Something to work on, maybe frame it as a weapon against the devils... He could always make two and keep one hidden...

> roll 1d20+9+2 Init
<Serith> Iddy roll for Serith < 12 > [d20=1]

> roll 1d20+4 torture implements
<Serith> Space_Cat roll for Serith < 23 > [d20=19]
> roll 1d20+0 vs ???
<Serith> Space_Cat roll for Serith < 17 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d20+5 Baleruk
<Serith> Space_Cat roll for Serith < 15 > [d20=10]

Init is Afina (47) > Torture Implements (23) > ??? (17) > Baleruk (15) > Surraruthru (12)

The dread pixie opens.

Afina doesn't have any interest in delaying with pointless animated objects and so flies around through the freshly disintegrated doorway, intending to put their hasted speed to the job of leaving such obstacles far behind.

"Understood, continuing as planned for now," she mutters in response to the sending.

How far can you move like this?

240 feet on a double move

You race past them and to the door - which is a short, small and shallow closet full of torture implements. At least these aren't animated.

You have the rest of your move and the tools are flatfooted, so no AoOs.

Annoying. Afina freezes time briefly so she can make up for her error.

6th level slot for 1 round of time stop, disintegrate the other door and go move into the doorway.
[18:33] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+55 ranged touch
[18:33] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d20+55 ranged touch --> [ 1d20=15 ]{70}

"This way!" she calls to the dragons.

The path continues on past it, to a stairway going down on the side a bit away, and more path going on beyond that.

Meanwhile the torture implements go for Surraruthru and Baleruk.

> roll 1d20+20 Surru
<Rei-chan> Space_Cat rolled : 1d20+20 Surru --> [ 1d20=13 ]{33}
> roll 1d20+20 Baleruk
<Rei-chan> Space_Cat rolled : 1d20+20 Baleruk --> [ 1d20=12 ]{32}

AC?

AC is 52.

They are but tools. The two of you dodge and ignore the slashes, moving as easily as the wind. Baleruk scoffs and says nothing else.

"Minion," Baleruk declares, "You may go first, so that these wretched things may bask in my glory for as long as possible. Let them enjoy the only worthwhile moments they will ever have the longest."

Baleruk holds for you. Go.

Do the tools count as small objects? In reference to Animate Objects. Plan is to animate an equal number of things to battle them and keep them busy and away from us.

It varies tool to tool. There's small ones you could animate, sure.

Surraruthru pulls on his innate magic with a disdainful look Baleruk and pulls various other small objects up to fight the tools.

Animate Object, CL 26, Duration 26 rounds
Animate up to 26 small objects. Medium object counts as two Small or smaller objects, a Large object as four, a Huge object as eight, a Gargantuan object as sixteen, and a Colossal object as thirty-two.

Afina's up, but interrupt.

As Afina flies ahead and Surraruthru invokes his magic, animating various tools to do war with their kin, pain.

It is absolute, white-hot agony as Lifasa screams. There is no other word to it as both of you tumble to the ground, lost in pain.

Go ahead and react, both of you.

Afina loses all her poise, dropping to the ground in a heap and screaming a shrill cry in echo of the planet, all strength fled her bones!

Surraruthru tries to focus and find the source of the pain, writhing as he tries to throw his senses out.

Surraruthru is able to look up.

The tools fall. All of them.

Wailing spirits are torn out and plunge down through the floor, ghostly essences pulled down.

As Afina begins to recover, she swears she can hear the sounds of war - swords clashing, iron rending, the dying screaming in agony, the crackle of fire burning.

Free act, the tools got taken care of.

Surraruthru stands up shakily.

"Any idea what that was?"

Afina begins to rise sluggishly before a surge of panicked energy shoots through her and she flies over to Baleruk and Surraruthru. "It's Bel, we're done here," she says curtly, plane shifting all of them to the Elemental Plane of Air.

Surraruthru blinks at the sudden shift.

"Hm. I wish I could have seen the magic... I wonder what it was... Or how to counter it."

This is so close on timing that I'm going to ask for a Dex check here, Afina.

[19:38] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+12 +25 more if this counts as opposed and I can use moment of prescience on it
[19:38] <Serith> Ebiris roll for Serith < 17 > [d20=5]

You do so as reality cracks. A shudder, and at the same time Jaela's voice is heard. It echos as you travel forever in an instant.

"Bel coming from below. Unable to assist in time. Taking down dimensional interdiction now. Escape off plane at once! That's an order! Evacuating myself."

The three of you hear it over and over and over again, plunging and tumbling, until the endless expanse of Air is before you. You can breathe. The air is clean and untainted, purifying all of you with each breath. You fly there, nothing in sight from horizon to horizon.

"I think we made it just in time," Afina says, looking around before she opens a gate to Aurora's last location on Elysium, assuming they'd go back there. "That wasn't a fight we were prepared for. And I shudder to think what Bel's presence will do to Lifasa... but it's not our day. Not yet."

Baleruk bristles, "Soon," he says, "SOON EVEN THAT FOOL WILL KNOW OUR WRATH! SURRARUTHRU!" Baleruk declares, pointing one finger at you, voice dropping to a whisper, "You will punish them with all your magic."

Surrarithru raises an eye ridge.

"You refused to help me gain my power, which might have been even Moore significant had you helped, and now try to dictate its use to me?"

Surraruthru snorts.

"I'll be using my power as I will, and will break everything that stands in my way."

Elysium. Aurora at last, soldiers ready. A cheer goes up as the three of you come through, while Baleruk adds, "Hah! Finally spoken like a true dragon, even if you dress like a gaudy human woman." He smiles, a toothy and sharp smile across his still transformed face.

Afina raises a hand to the assembled troops, keeping herself firmly out of the draconic posturing. "For now we'll remain on alert until all our forces are accounted for and we know we're not going to be pursued here," she says to the pair, looking for someone in charge she can go check in with.

You see Adrian and Calleigh nearby, having a conversation and just starting to turn to you.

Lemme move you into that thread, pending one moment and a possible Iddy post first.

"And yet you just desired the use of the power they grant."

With that, Surraruthru begins heading to at least a semi-quiet area near by to relax and begin reweaving his Tapestry to include the higher ranking officers likely to deploy again.

Surru, who are you adding to it now? Just officers in general who may deploy?

Yeah. Primarily like Afina, Jaela, ect. Whoever is around that's likely to go back out. If there's not enough of them to fill all 9 slots for it, then just generic offers.

That'll work for the moment. One sec.

As Surru goes off, Afina sees Adrian hurrying over. Calleigh too, darting at her like a tactical courre strike.

"We made it out in time," Afina nods to Adrian and Calleigh as she flutters to a stop, before she sweeps her gaze over the Elysian fields. "No sign of Hanna's group yet, though? How's everyone here? You got away before the attack could take place?"

Calleigh careens into Afina, glomping onto her side and babbling at near-indecipherable speeds, "TherewasabignoiseandthenGisfalorderedusofftheplaneandlotsofshakingandaBIGLOUDvoiceandfireinthewordsandthenweshiftedhereandGisfalwasmeantomeandthenAdrianWOULDN'TLETUSLEAVEandweweregonnasneakoutanywaytotrytorescueyouandyoucameback!"

Luckily Afina is used to having to slow herself down for everyone else's benefit and so she can understand Calleigh's torrent of speech! "I'm sure Gisfal didn't want to be mean, he's just under a lot of stress," she says, patting the smaller fairy's back above where her wings protrude. "It was scary on Lifasa too, but we saved a lot of people so it was worth doing."

"Oh." Calleigh's grip loosens. "Well I guess that makes sense. He's in charge, so he gets all the stress. How was Lifasa?"

"Amazingly we managed to leave it worse than we found it," Afina grimaces at that. "I only just plane-shifted away after Bel arrived, but considering what happened when Abigor set foot on our world? That might well have been its death-blow."

"Nooooo it used to be so pretty! Don't tell me you're giving up!?"

"I'll never stop fighting, whether for liberation or revenge," Afina says firmly, looking around once more. "Where are the others, they should be back by now..." she says, growing worried.

Calleigh nods, satisfied, "You guys were the first to show up. Who are the others?"

"Jaela and 27 were guarding our rear - she gave an order to retreat just as I was already fleeing. Hanna, Simmer, Garm, and Fenrir were the other group down in the caves. I'm hoping Simmer just shifted them to the plane of Fire and Hanna doesn't have any way to get here immediately."

"Dang, ok. So we're missing two groups. That's...a lot. What are we gonna do?"

Looking around, you two see Moore's group coming out of a portal, back and safe as well.

Afina didn't even know they were gone anywhere. "First we'll try and contact them via sendings or find them with divinations. Can you see to that for now, Adrian? I have to talk to Gisfal about something related."

Adrian nods, "Yeah, I got it."

Okay, what do you need to talk to Gisfal about? I'm aiming to move you all along, but if you need to talk to him first, say so.

I want to talk to him about kicking Tailiel out because this all happening right after we recruited him is suspicious as all fuck. This can be incorporated into the general after action meeting if we're gonna do something like that.

Indeed then, okay. I'll lock this thread, and once I get a reply from Jaela, I'm gong to move onto that.