Okay Jaela, any prep for you and Mirima before you go to the Court of Stars?
None whatsoever
Arborea's forests are warm and pleasant as you step out of the portal, Mirima a step behind you. You immediately feel a sense of belonging, a sense of being home. It's like part of you that was missing has been found, and you're right for the first time in a long while.
Mirima takes a long breath in and slowly breathes it out. "Wonderful, is it not? Now we must merely find passage to the Court."
"Wonderful," Jaela agrees, taking a full minute to relax and soak in the atmosphere. After the psychic cries of her dying world, there's nothing better than the calm of Arborea to cleanse the mind.
"I think the Court will assist us, given the situation," she tells Mirima, starting to walk in the direction she had been facing. "Let's keep an eye out for an invitation as we go."
"I have no doubt it will, hopefully in less time than more," Mirima agrees, "But should this take more time, we will simply have to make camp and keep ourselves...occupied. Somehow." She smirks just a bit at that, "I'm sure you can think up ways to keep us occupied, Jaela."
"I've got my ideas," Jaela responds with a grin. "Though we really can't take too long, not with Afina wanting to hit the traitors. I think she's researching the ways we can do this properly, given our recent misses."
> roll 1d100
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 25 > [d100=25]
> roll 1d100
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 11 > [d100=11]
> roll 1d100
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 49 > [d100=49]
You and Mirima wander for three hours. It's a pleasant sort of trip, a morning hike more than anything else. As noon draws nigh, you see something ahead. A closed doorway standing in the forest, made of solid wood and unweathered by nature's touch.
Jaela nudges Mirima lightly before heading for it.
The two of you approach the door. It's a door, alright. One could even open it.
Mirima eyes it, "Our ticket to the Court. Shall we?"
She'll always think twice before stepping through a portal like that, but Jaela doesn't let her fears stop her as she proceeds with a nod.
You step through and into the night. Here all the stars of the night sky shine down, as you stand within a walled garden. A rather large garden, a few benches here and there joining many paths winding deeper into it. Flowers of all types bloom here, many ethereal and fluttering in and out of your vision.
"It's been a while," Jaela reminisces with an almost invulentary sigh.
"It is good," Mirima murmurs, "We are here to find one eladrin in particular?"
"Yeah, Bythalos," Jaela responds. "We'll see how far our letter of introduction takes us."
Mirima nods and starts heading down one path, then...
Mirima's leading on, a chance for you to change direction if you wanna or just follow.
Let's follow the pretty girl
You begin to wander. As you do, you yawn. Hm. You're getting...sleepy? Just a little tired, as if you could use a nap.
Mirima's eyes widen as she murmurs, "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Jaela asks with another yawn.
It's far away, but you believe you can hear the sound of a lyre. Even from this distance, it is a beautiful sound.
"The music," Mirima says, pointing ahead. "It's coming from that way, I think."
"Sounds like a lullaby," Jaela muses. "Let's follow it."
Listen check real quick.
dont suppose a kind sould can roll for me
If I'm not mistaken...
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+12 : 16 + 12, total 28[/blockquote]
You listen and slowly follow. It's not too hard, the song leads you down paths and deeper into the garden.
It's a reverie.
You begin to feel dreamy as you go, sleepy. Reality starts to ripple, shimmering around you as the unreality of dreams wars with the reality around you.
"Perhaps... a nap...." Jaela murmurs, not fighting the pull from the realm of dreams.
Mirima walks with you, silent. She does not slow - nor do you, much. You're tired and you sleep while walking, reality blurring.
The lyre's music is the most beautiful thing you have ever heard. Is joined by a voice singing in Celestial - the Words of Creation, you know, as surely as your own name.
Yet you feel pulled on, towards that. A shimmer, a shine.
Ahead you can see a vast lake, far too big for the garden to hold, yet it is there. A covered pavilion lies ahead, from where the music comes.
Jaela follows the mesmerizing sounds!
Brief pause that should be done by the time you get on in the morning, since I need to get Afina's room to a certain place first.
You enter into the pavilion.
The two figures are blurry, indistinct. You can barely see them as they fade away, the music ceasing.
Yet you feel pulled along to somewhere, ahead. She is waiting for you. She is calling you.
"Just a little further," Jaela murmurs as she follows her intuition.
You drift.
Can the dream last forever?
You do not know, but you drift along, your steps silent, ghostly things as you travel ahead.
Must she awaken?
She must, for Lifasa. Time demands it, I shall intervene. Tend to your children and I will tend to mine.
In an instant, your dream-like reverie shatters and reality returns. You stand in the night sky, surrounded by the stars and the firmament of the heavenly sky. Before you looms a female elf, like a mountain compared to your hill. Hanna would be but a hill to her size, as she wears mithral armor of exquisite beauty, carved with the image of an inverted triangle with three melded rings. She carries a spear of red and orange, as if dusk's light is held within it.
You need not think, for you know it in your bones. Angharradh stands before you.
"My Lady," Jaela greets the goddess with the highest respect, coming to one knee and bowing her head. The Triune had given her more support than Jaela had any hope of expecting, and in doing so had gained her unyielding loyalty. While Jaela has her periodic doubts about the specifics, or her place in the bigger picture -- after all, Angharradh hadn't spoken through her the way other deities allied to Aurora had recently -- that changes nothing in her desire to pay back the enormous debt she has for her goddess.
"I came here to try and improve myself, following the means and training methods I acquired through our allies," she decides to speak, opting not to presume that Angharradh knows everything about her motivations and drawing upon her reserve of audacity. "Reaching the peaks of other angels has been a long-term desire of mine, but the last two days of high-paced battles with no decisive victories have caused me to expedite this. For you to come here in person before me, I can only imagine several options. That you agree and wish to expedite matters for the sake of the Crusade, that you are here to advise me to follow a different path than the one I have been traveling, or that you have some task you need me for. Am I right, My Lady Angharradh?"
"You have proven yourself, Jaela," Angharradh speaks, her voice three whispers within your ears, a chorus that is as loud as normal speech, voices speaking to you. "I come to you with three things: A reward, an aid and a chastisement."
"As Lady of the Lake has chosen to aid Aurora anew today, so shall I. The forces of elvendom shall arise to aid Aurora in your battle for Lifasa's fate. They shall arrive shortly and bolster them, use them to triumph."
"On behalf of our just Crusade and Lifasa itself, I thank you, My Lady," Jaela says in acceptance, lowering her head again.
"You wish to have the undying flesh, that endures to anything but evil's embrace?" Angharradh says next, questioning.
She hadn't thought to bother her patron goddess with this, but that's different when said patron is making it her choice to intervene.
Jaela nods, before looking up at Angharradh. "I have been making the attempt to train myself with Mirima, yes, My Lady. I wish to gain the abilities of an angel, be they better personal defenses or the ability to communicate better with others. I deemed this aspect to be the most critical given our situation."
"Then you shall have it," Angharrdh says. "I wish for you to strive more, Jaela. Master your mouth and the words that come out from it. Speak with wisdom and grace, not crudity."
"It has gotten me underestimated many times, My Lady," Jaela protests, though she's not arguing against the edict as her next words show. "Still, I hear and obey."
"I am proud of you, Jaela. Fight on and free Lifasa, and when you are triumphant, I will see you again." Angharradh declares, "Know that I need champions like yourself and that there is an honored place for you once you are triumphant. Now..."
Light surrounds you and...!!!!
What's your damage reduction, Jaela?
It appears to be Damage Reduction 25/Epic and Evil and Cold Iron
Thanks Neph.
Jaela gains regeneration. The healing rate per round is equal to her Constitution modifier - 3. For example, if she has a Constitution modifier of +10, she has regeneration 7.
Jaela takes lethal damage from epic, evil weapons made of cold iron, as well as spells with the evil descriptor.
Final note, I've said it before but it's one of those things I'm going to emphasize again. Please don't try to gain or use abilities that immune nonlethal damage with regeneration. I admit I was guilty of doing it once for a boss fight, but by and large that's just high cheese, more than I want to see routinely in this campaign.
Thanks, Neph. And sure thing, Dune. Stuff that halves lethal and nonlethal like Supreme Revelry is still okay?
Yeah, that's fine. Any other questions about it while we're here?
Just one. Unless you explicitely tell me the spell is evil I should presume nonlethal damage? Not go 'caster is a devil so evil spell'?
Correct. Feel free to ask if uncertain. Anything else?
we're good
Angharradh merely waits as the power flows into you.
Go ahead and react.
Her first thought is to cut herself and check-- no, that's a terrible idea, what if she gesture is misunderstood and taken as doubt in her goddess's intent or power? Also why would she ever cut herself, that's terrible. Dana probably does this, doesn't she?
Shaking her head of such inane thoughts, Jaela says, "Thank you, My Lady. I shall make you proud."
"Go," Agnharradh says, "You have pleased me and I am proud of you, Jaela. Every soul you save is a testament to this."
Jaela bows deeply, and makes sure Mirima is ready to go before using her magic to take them back.
Mirima is there again when you look back, "I'm ready," she says at the unspoken question, subdued and quiet.
With a curt nod, Jaela places a hand on her shoulder and shifts them to Aurora's doorstep.
You will not be alone.
You stand a ways back from Aurora, watching...and yet you sense eyes on your back.
"This has been humbling, hasn't it?" Jaela asks Mirima as she starts flying for the fortress's gates.
"Yes," Mirima says a single word, then glances back. "...Hold, Jaela."
"Yes?"
"Turn around," Mirima says.
Jaela does so, despite her confusion.
Behind you are many. A small army of elven warrior sand celestials, coming through portals all behind you. They stride through majestically, flying the banners of Angharradh.
"Go on ahead and clear this with Elena so we don't have an incident," Jaela tells Mirima quietly, before raising her voice to address her troops. "Welcome! With your help, the Crusade will drive the devils off Lifasa!"
Okay, going to just sort them or do you wanna get into this in depth?
I wouldn't want to keep the Lifasa mission waiting. Let's say I use the rest of day 87 to sort this out properly, and get back to stuff in depth if needed later.
Fantastical. Moving you over.