Soulriders 5.0: Legend of the Unending Games

Avernus.

In an instant you see the sickly, cracked ground. The green sky is everywhere, seemingly empty of everything. The air is unpleasant, befouled. As you step in...

Ball is in your court here, Seira. Remember about being detected.

[spoiler]

Jessica
HP: 456+20/456
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Elegy
HP: 512+20/512
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Never surprised or flat-footed (Foresight)
See through everything within 120ft (True Seeing)
Immunity to death effects, energy drain and negative energy/negative levels (Mass Death Ward)
Immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast)
Immunity to disease (Miracle)
Gain 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
Immunity to dazzled and blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
Energy Res 30 (all)
1d4+6 spell levels are turned on original caster/spells that have you as a targets/not melee touch spells (Spell Turning)
Casts Heal on you if you are killed/taken to -30 or below (Fortunate Fate)
Interplanar Telepathic Bond (Miracle)

+15 insight to any single skill check (Divine Insight)
+25 to stealth (competence, circumstance, racial)
+20 to disguise (untyped)
+10 insight bonus to Perception (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
+10 insight to all knowledge checks (Lore of the Gods)
+4 morale to all skill checks (Greater Heroism)
+4 competence bonus to Escape Artist (Shadow Form)

+4 untyped to init (Sign)
+2 insight to AC and Reflex (Foresight)
+5 sacred to AC and Reflex if you have and are using a shield (Shield of Warding)
+5 racial to natural armor (Spiderskin)
+4 morale on attack and immunity to fear and 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
+2 morale to damage/ability checks (Good Hope)
+5 morale to saving throws (Conviction)

"Let's hurry, I don't want to stay here longer than necessary," Seira mutters with a frown at the green sky, staying in character.

So I presume we have that shipment of onyx, possibly in a bag of holding? And Elegy is leading the way.

Sure.

"Let's," Elegy agrees, leading the way. "It's a bit of a walk from here to Noir Jardin."

Seira assumes he lead them to the closest point they could plane shift without casting suspicion on their presence, and is all too happy to follow.

As in plane shift off Baator altogether? Or do you mean teleport?

I assume the reason Elegy didn't have us plane shift all the way to the gates of Noir Jardin was because devils want and expect merchants to appear from farther out and approach on foot. Thus, we appeared at the closest possible point, given he knows Lixer will realize the instant I'm there and we can't travel for hours.

Oh, okay misunderstood.

As you begin to walk, 'What do you want here?' The voice is cold, uncaring. 'What do you want in my domain, Seira Aryn?'

'I've heard about the change in management and decided to take a glance for myself,' Seira responds. 'Nice look with the green. I always thought the fireball rain was gauche.'

'Bel's mistakes are being rectified.' The voice of Lixer hisses in your mind. 'Do you only seek to see this realm?'

'I can't be the only one that stopped by since the regime change. Don't tell me I'm the first?'

I'm going to call for a Bluff check here, Seira.

Taking 10 for 72 (divine insight)

'What is your real purpose here?' Lixer challenges back, 'Leave and nothing more will come of this.'

The Sense Motive counter roll isn't shown, obviously. If he passed it or failed it is a mystery. The funny part is that he could do this line either way, since he's a devil and suspicion is natural to them.

'A counter offer,' Seira's mental voice responds, now sounding offended and tangled with rising irritation. 'I'm not leading a Crusade into Avernus this time, but it that's the only way I can accomplish my goals, so be it. Don't get in my way, and we won't come to blows. With luck, no one will even learn I was here and you'll have no loss of face.'

Also I forgot it with prep, but Voice of the Dragon is cast.

'Tell me your goal here and I will consider it,' Lixer retorts immediately, his voice now leaving a mental chill in your mind, as if winter's bitterest wind was battering you.

'I want to make sure Bel's really gone,' Seira responds, which has the benefit of even being true! 'We have a bit of a history, you might've heard. No one knows what happened to him, and I have better things to do than keep on the lookout for a crazy archdevil with a grudge and nothing to lose.'

'Bel is dead,' Lixer says, 'Now leave. You will find no trace of him, no corpse to savage or raise, nor any sign of his lamentable foolishness.'

'I don't believe you, so unless you tell me the truth I plan on asking a few of the locals,' Seira responds to Lixer's lies. 'And remember, if you decide to force anything, you're the one who started a fight.'

Clink. A soft tinkle as a green crystal, long and narrow, hits the ground in front of you.

'See yourself,' Lixer offers, 'Bel's demise.'

Seira silently studies the crystal with every sense at her disposal, though her magical knowledge will work best for her.

Greater Arcane Sight, true seeing, blindsight. Is it what it appears? What magic on it? Which traps (I can find those!)?

Spellcraft.

22:03 <Lucille> roll 1d20+48+4+15
22:03 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+48+4+15 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{81}

22:07 <Lucille> roll 1d20+48+4+15+1 Kobot
22:07 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+48+4+15+1 Kobot --> [ 1d20=15 ]{83}

Upon request!

It's a crystal that will show you a memory engraved into it. No tricks, no traps, nothing like that. It's exactly what it seems to be.

'Lixer contacted me, and can apparently follow where I'm going,' Seira sends back to her friends still waiting on Astral. 'Taking a glance at his gift.'

Trusting in her skills, she picks up the crystal and examines the memory within!

A gaze, a gaze that sees nothing but darkness and death. Bel kneels at his feet, defeated. He bleeds from a dozen wounds, struggling to rise. His great sword is quenched, shattered. His belt of angel heads is little more than gore, his bracers broken.

"You failed, Bel," Lixer intones, "There is only one penalty for failures in Hell - oblivion."

Bel groans weakly, spitting up blood and fire, "Rot, weakling!"

No words, just a flash of sheer green and black power, hitting Bel head on. The Lord of the First screams as he is consumed, a moment where he seems alive and dead at once. A feeling. Father is with you. This is his will. A flow of power incomprehensible, utterly obliterating Bel to the last as the flames consume him.

Then he is gone, not a hint of Bel left.

Reality returns, the memory finished and the crystal warm in your hand.

Seira puses her lips, observing the crystal to buy time for her response.

In the meantime, she thinks to the others, 'Recording in a crystal shows Lixer annihilating Bel with Daddy's powers and approval. I'm inclined to buy this.'

She also replies to Seira, 'Are you compromised? Is the plan still viable?'

'Alright,' Seira finally relays to Lixer at length. 'Not what I was expecting when coming here. I'm satisfied, so what's left is completing the sale and maintaining my cover.'

22:49 <Lucille> roll 1d20+43+10+15+4+1 bluff, Kobot
22:49 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+43+10+15+4+1 bluff, Kobot --> [ 1d20=11 ]{84}

'Your cover is blown,' Lixer says dryly, 'But only like a dragon to desire money. Very well, I can do business with dragons. What do you have for sale and how much?'

'Onyx, of course. I'm not missing on a good deal. Eight thousand's worth,' Seira responds, exaggerating by a thousand since Lixer's buying at higher prices and it would make a reasonable and, far more importantly, believable profit.

Several clangs appear on the ground, as gold bars appear before you. Several of them, big gold bars indeed. 'Toss the oynx to the ground.'

Seira takes a moment to examine the gold as thoroughly as she had the crystal, earlier, and upon finding no traps collects it and drops the onyx to complete the trade.

'Plan isn't viable,' Seira thinks to her companions. 'Lixer is showing off. My only shot of getting inside is relying on stealth if you violently catch his attention.'

'What happened there?' Elegy sends to you, 'I was keeping my mouth shut.'

Jessica sends after, 'We only caught some of that, yes.'

Replying to Seira, 'Can you evade his notice enough to sneak in now that subterfuge is broken?'

'Lixer knew I was here, which we expected, but he also kept his eye on me the whole time, which we didn't,' Seira elaborates for the sake of Jessica and Elegy.

To Alicia, Seira sends, 'If you catch his attention, possibly. I'm willing to try.'

'That's a problem,' Elegy sends smoothly, 'So we're on borrowed time?'

'In a manner of speaking.'

'Well,' Elegy says, then with a hint of amusement in his mental voice, 'Best make the most of it.'

To clarify, I'm waiting for a telepathic signal from Alicia, and then I will teleport instantaneously and recast my disguise to help throw Lixer off the scent.

Yes, we'll get that going momentarily, once Alicia brings the thunder.

'Gating in now,' Alicia's voice sends to Seira.

At the signal, Seira and her party teleport!

They appear a bit over a mile from their starting point in their fresh guise of emaciated bearded devils, the two spells going off simultaneously due to being guided by the same hand. 'We're aiming for speed and stealth, now,' Seira relays to Elegy and Jessica, as this is repeated again and again for half a minute. 'Elegy, pick another entrance to Noir Jardin.'

Seira herself handles the Veil via Miracle, and SeiraAvatar greater teleports us all, this coordinated to perfection. If we're not stopped within 5 rounds, the 6th round will teleport us over to an alternate position Elegy supplies in the meantime, and we'll utilize stealth. Also, if this goes off, the five rounds will be used to cast combat spells on us, which I'll do as this resolves.

EDIT: To clarify, our disguises keep changing as well each time.

Cool. What will the final disguises be?

They will actually be emaciated bearded devils again, just different ones.

Done, done and done. Nothing immediately happens as you stand here, on a far side of Noir Jardin. No one is immediately around you or appearing around you.

Seira hurries them along to the entrance!

5 rounds of random teleporting and disguise as well as our advance here give me a bunch of chances to cast stuff, so I'll go with greater invisibility, recitation and superior vigor on all of us:

Recitation: +2 luck to AC/attack/saving throws; +3 if worshiping the same religion
Superior Vigor: fast healing 8 for 41 rounds

Should we make stealth checks? Disguise? Both? Priority is being sneaky, and if impossible passing for actual devils.

Make both checks, say.

[spoiler]

Jessica
HP: 456+20/456
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Elegy
HP: 512+20/512
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Never surprised or flat-footed (Foresight)
See through everything within 120ft (True Seeing)
Immunity to death effects, energy drain and negative energy/negative levels (Mass Death Ward)
Immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast)
Immunity to disease (Miracle)
Gain 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
Immunity to dazzled and blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
Energy Res 30 (all)
1d4+6 spell levels are turned on original caster/spells that have you as a targets/not melee touch spells (Spell Turning)
Casts Heal on you if you are killed/taken to -30 or below (Fortunate Fate)
Interplanar Telepathic Bond (Miracle)

+15 insight to any single skill check (Divine Insight)
+25 to stealth (competence, circumstance, racial)
+20 to disguise (untyped)
+10 insight bonus to Perception (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
+10 insight to all knowledge checks (Lore of the Gods)
+4 morale to all skill checks (Greater Heroism)
+4 competence bonus to Escape Artist (Shadow Form)

+4 untyped to init (Sign)
+2 insight to AC and Reflex (Foresight)
+5 sacred to AC and Reflex if you have and are using a shield (Shield of Warding)
+5 racial to natural armor (Spiderskin)
+4 morale on attack and immunity to fear and 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
+2 morale to damage/ability checks (Good Hope)
+5 morale to saving throws (Conviction)

Recitation: +2 luck to AC/attack/saving throws; +3 if worshiping the same religion
Superior Vigor: fast healing 8 for 41 rounds

[19:54] <@Seira> roll 1d20+43+20+4+3+15+1 disguise, SeiraPrime
[19:55] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+43+20+4+3+15+1 disguise, SeiraPrime --> [ 1d20=7 ]{93}
[19:55] <@Seira> roll 1d20+43+20+4+3+15+1 disguise, SeiraAvatar
[19:55] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+43+20+4+3+15+1 disguise, SeiraAvatar --> [ 1d20=15 ]{101}
-1 to that, so a round 100 for the avatar

[19:57] <@Seira> roll 1d20+44+20+4+3+15+1+20 stealth, SeiraPrime
[19:57] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+44+20+4+3+15+1+20 stealth, SeiraPrime --> [ 1d20=2 ]{109}
[19:57] <@Seira> roll 1d20+44+20+4+3+15+20 stealth, SeiraAvatar
[19:57] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+44+20+4+3+15+20 stealth, SeiraAvatar --> [ 1d20=15 ]{121}
+5 to these, so 114 for the real Seira and 126 for the avatar

> roll 1d20+107 Jessica stealth
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+107 Jessica stealth --> [ 1d20=5 ]{112}
> roll 1d20+77 Elegy stealth
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+77 Elegy stealth --> [ 1d20=17 ]{94}
> roll 1d20+44 disguise Jessica
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+44 disguise Jessica --> [ 1d20=7 ]{51}
> roll 1d20+66 disguise Elegy
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+66 disguise Elegy --> [ 1d20=2 ]{68}

Thus the two of you begin to hurry to the entrance - and as you do, light momentarily brightens the horizon, pure sunlight.

'Alicia's begun,' Jessica sends to you. 'Sunlance is a spell both her and Latha favor.'

'It's a good spell,' Seira agrees, not planning to won't bother her or Sulia unless it's important.

As they advance towards their goal, she relies on her senses to ensure that nothing between themselves and the entrance or reasonably around them is trying to sneak up or otherwise has hostile intents. Should that happen, or when they reach obstacles they have to eliminate rather than fly past, Jessica would be invaluable in preventing a telepathic cry for help from reaching other devils.

Personal spell: Many Moments of Prescience

'Lixer has sent an avatar to deal with Latha and I,' Alicia's telepathic voice comments.

Ahead you see the gates are open, soldiers pouring out into defensive positions before the gate closes. They're also coming in your general direction, at least some of them are.

'Attempting plan b,' is Seira's curt response.

She mentally nudges the four of them into position to slip past those devils headed their way. Jessica does this for a living and she's their best way to stop word of the attack from getting out, so she's in the most exposed spot. Seira and her avatar handle the rest, with Elegy hopefully far enough from accidental contact with the patrol to not need his special expertise.

Jessica is absolutely a blur now, difficult to see even to your divine senses as she leads you along. You cling to shadows, hiding without hiding, using mere rocks and pebbles to slip by, along with your magic. As you do...

Do any of you besides Jessica have Darkstalker? Failing that, do any of you have things that prevent detection from estoric senses?

I don't have Elegy's sheet, but I don't have Darkstalker. Just a lot of stuff like Mind Blank and Nondetection on top of my disguises and invisibility, and flying to avoid making noise.

Strike Alicia's earlier telepathic message thanks to the wonders of anticipate teleportation. Replace with this:

'Avatar of Lixer inbound on my location. Also the green hellfire's getting more intense around here.'

Elegy has Darkstalker.

The four of you sneak along, faster and quicker. You get closer and closer to the gates - you're about 50ft out now. The gates are still open as the ground quakes, a flash of green light on the horizon.

Last spurt! The enemy is in extreme melee range, now, and with Jessica at her side none will escape should they spot her!

Seira doesn't allow herself a moment of sloppiness, however, focused as she is on getting within.

[spoiler]Seira: 576+20/576
Unique/short duration spells: Many Moments of Prescience, Mind Blank
Armor Class: 95 (Touch AC 66)
Saves: Fort +66, Ref +73, Will +61
Damage reduction 15/adamantine and epic, immunity to acid, electricity and fire, immunity to paralysis and sleep, spell resistance 45, vulnerability to cold, energy resistance 30 (all), trapfinding, improved evasion, uncanny dodge, spell reflection
A deity is immune to polymorphing, petrification, or any other attack that alters her form. Any shape-altering powers she might have function normally on herself. She is not subject to energy drain, ability drain, ability damage and is immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects)

Protection against all mind-affecting spells and effects as well as information gathering by divination spells or effects (Mind Blank, Nondetection)
Never surprised or flat-footed (Foresight)
See through everything within a mile (darkvision, blindsight, low-light vision) (True Seeing)
Immunity to death effects, energy drain and negative energy/negative levels (Mass Death Ward)
Immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast)
Immunity to disease (via Miracle)
Gain 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
Immunity to dazzled and blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
1d4+6 spell levels are turned on original caster/spells that have you as a targets/not melee touch spells (Spell Turning)
Casts Heal on you if you are killed/taken to -30 or below (Fortunate Fate)

On and on...and through! You four sneak through between the blinks of an eye, through the front gate. No reactions as you hide behind several barrels nearby, devils racing past in a hurry.

With the immediate problem resolved, Seira decides to ensure that she's not going to be surprised by any avatars of Lixer should he tire of fighting Alicia. Her avatar, in the meantime, is delegated the role of seeing whether Find the Path would work for divining the way to Lixer's throne room!

Assuming we are in a situation where no one will overhear us, Greater Anticipate Teleport and Find the Path. If the latter works, we'll follow it.

Find the Path fails utterly.

'We're in,' Jessica says, 'Which way now? Also, the further we get, the more we have to make sure we aren't caught, since our odds of escape go radically down.'

Seira falls back on her more mundane knowledge, combining her deep understanding of magic and engineering to figure out where a throne room to draw power from Zariel for Bel's needs would be most optimally placed, which corridors should lead in that directions and which would be decoys if she were the one to build the place -- she does rely on her practical experience with traps here, crafting, spotting and disarming them.

K:Arcane 10 for 77, K:Engineering 10 for 52, Craft:Traps 10 for 77 (divine insight), Perception 10 for 67 (divine insight)

[spoiler]
Seira: 576+20/576
Unique/short duration spells: Many Moments of Prescience, Mind Blank, Greater Anticipate Teleport
Armor Class: 95 (Touch AC 66)
Saves: Fort +66, Ref +73, Will +61
Damage reduction 15/adamantine and epic, immunity to acid, electricity and fire, immunity to paralysis and sleep, spell resistance 45, vulnerability to cold, energy resistance 30 (all), trapfinding, improved evasion, uncanny dodge, spell reflection
A deity is immune to polymorphing, petrification, or any other attack that alters her form. Any shape-altering powers she might have function normally on herself. She is not subject to energy drain, ability drain, ability damage and is immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects)

Protection against all mind-affecting spells and effects as well as information gathering by divination spells or effects (Mind Blank, Nondetection)
Never surprised or flat-footed (Foresight)
See through everything within a mile (darkvision, blindsight, low-light vision) (True Seeing)
Immunity to death effects, energy drain and negative energy/negative levels (Mass Death Ward)
Immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast)
Immunity to disease (via Miracle)
Gain 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
Immunity to dazzled and blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
1d4+6 spell levels are turned on original caster/spells that have you as a targets/not melee touch spells (Spell Turning)
Casts Heal on you if you are killed/taken to -30 or below (Fortunate Fate)

Toss K:P in too.

K:Planes 10 is also a very celestial result of 77. Same with Spellcraft.

Quick spitballing from your hiding spot in the courtyard, you think a moment. First of all, somewhere underground for Zariel. Likely directly underground of the throne room, and in the deepest basement they have. That would be your rough, on the spot guess. Avernus doesn't have much in the way of numerological twists to it to change that, though it's entirely possible it's a sub optimal setup.

As to where the throne room is? Probably in the center for simple design reasons, though this isn't certain...but based on what you know of devils, it's probably apt and accurate.

'Follow me,' Seira sends to her party. 'I've got a rough idea where it is, but if you spot something important let me know.'

At least with her senses in overdrive the way they are, mapping the corridors they'll be passing should be easy. And after a quick spell to ensure even-smoother travel, they're off!

Seira casts Glorious Rally (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Seira's Avatar casts Celestial Valor (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Both spells are cast over the party, assuming Seira's senses assure her it is feasible.

As you go, you sense that Donald has taken a minor wound.

Deity's watch, OOC his HP is 508/543.

Can you cast those without verbal components or otherwise deal with the sound they make, Seira?

I actually can, if I create a short-duration 1ft radius bubble of silence around me via Miracle SLA.

Thus the spells are cast as you hide and no sign of immediately being spotted or revealed.

Ball is in your court. Go.

[spoiler]

Jessica
HP: 456+20/456
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Elegy
HP: 512+20/512
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Never surprised or flat-footed (Foresight)
See through everything within 120ft (True Seeing)
Immunity to death effects, energy drain and negative energy/negative levels (Mass Death Ward)
Immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast)
Immunity to disease (Miracle)
Gain 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
Immunity to dazzled and blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
Energy Res 30 (all)
1d4+6 spell levels are turned on original caster/spells that have you as a targets/not melee touch spells (Spell Turning)
Casts Heal on you if you are killed/taken to -30 or below (Fortunate Fate)
Interplanar Telepathic Bond (Miracle)

+15 insight to any single skill check (Divine Insight)
+25 to stealth (competence, circumstance, racial)
+20 to disguise (untyped)
+10 insight bonus to Perception (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
+10 insight to all knowledge checks (Lore of the Gods)
+4 morale to all skill checks (Greater Heroism)
+4 competence bonus to Escape Artist (Shadow Form)

+4 untyped to init (Sign)
+2 insight to AC and Reflex (Foresight)
+5 sacred to AC and Reflex if you have and are using a shield (Shield of Warding)
+5 racial to natural armor (Spiderskin)
+4 morale on attack and immunity to fear and 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
+2 morale to damage/ability checks (Good Hope)
+5 morale to saving throws (Conviction)

Recitation: +2 luck to AC/attack/saving throws; +3 if worshiping the same religion
Superior Vigor: fast healing 8 for 41 rounds

Seira casts Glorious Rally (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Seira's Avatar casts Celestial Valor (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Both spells are cast over the party, assuming Seira's senses assure her it is feasible.

So we don't stop every few seconds, let's make sure we all have Pass Without Trace, and ghost touch on armor and weapons, just in case.

Seira follows the path she believes would lead her to the dungeon below the throne room!

You slip ahead - there's rows of barrels and supplies, so this isn't hard going. Past rows and rows of defenses, until you can see the way in ahead. A closed gate, notably, firmly shut.

'Got an idea of getting past that?' Elegy sends.

Seira nods at him, assuming that anyone on the team can see what's going on same as she does, and examines the gate.

Spellcraft 10 for 77 (divine insight), Perception 10 for 67 (divine insight). I have trapfinding!

Are you willing to get close enough to it to check for traps?

Let's set a precedent for sneaking!

I'll use the skills I listed and any others relevant as needed to examine the surrounding area. I have true seeing, darkvision, blindvision, low-light and regular vision that's up to the task.

Assuming I see nothing untoward (traps, trip wires, whichever) and spot no magical auras such as for alarm, I conclude there's nothing mundane or magical that I would trigger by approaching and approach to examine the gate itself from as close as I need to be to it to study it for traps, magical auras and the like. If that's 30ft, then that's where I'll be. If that's 5ft, that works. Just let me know here so I'll know for the future.

Sure, just one more question. What spell are you using to do the spellcraft? Detect magic or something else? Need to know.

Greater Arcane Sight, which to my understanding should tell me everything at a glance instead of waiting 3 rounds. If it's in some way insufficient, please let me know.

It's good. Just make a CL check since there's wards and junk in place, predictably.

[19:38] <@Seira> roll 1d20+32
[19:38] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+32 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{41}

There's also sorts of defensive magics layered onto the gate. Beyond the usual concealment, protection and energy resistance spells? It instantly knows any creature that touches it and reports it back elsewhere. It's warded against knock and similar spells. It blocks incorporeal creatures trying to get through it. Creatures with the good subtype that touch the door suffer grievous injury.

Luckily for Seira, the many wards upon the gate don't contain the one that will prevent her from using her unique skill!

Ranged Legerdemain (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/arcaneTrickster.htm#rangedLegerdemain)

[19:56] <@Seira> roll 1d20+67-5 disable device
[19:56] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+67-5 disable device --> [ 1d20=11 ]{73}

Your superlative skill and reach are able to disable the trap smoothly, unlocking it and undoing it completely. Got it. The door should be safe to open for now.

Seira allows the door to open and then heads past it!

You open the gate. Ahead is a line of cornugons, greatswords at the ready, erinyes behind them with arrows drawn. Sprinkled amid it are robed Necrolytes, foul magic gathering around them, peering ahead and seeing...no one at all opening the gate. A long moment where they all stare ahead, looking around intently.

Chance to react before going out of your hiding spot.

'Jessica, don't let them send off a signal,' Seira sends, before she meets her avatar's eyes and they throw a perfectly coordinated attack at the gathered devils!

Arrows of force trailing golden flames slam into the defenders from behind, pushing them into their fellows at the front. And just as the survivors turn around at the unexpected attack, another series of arrows strikes them from the other side!

[20:14] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+36 fire CL --> [ 1d20=4 ]{40}
My mistake, Force CL check would be at +33, so 37

[20:22] <@Seira> roll 10#1d20+45+10 ranged touch
[20:22] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 10#1d20+45+10 ranged touch --> [ 1d20=1 ]{56}, [ 1d20=4 ]{59}, [ 1d20=12 ]{67}, [ 1d20=16 ]{71}, [ 1d20=16 ]{71}, [ 1d20=15 ]{70}, [ 1d20=8 ]{63}, [ 1d20=17 ]{72}, [ 1d20=14 ]{69}, [ 1d20=13 ]{68}
[20:22] <@Seira> roll 10#1d8+8+15d6
[20:22] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 10#1d8+8+15d6 --> [ 1d8=2 15d6=48 ]{58}, [ 1d8=7 15d6=45 ]{60}, [ 1d8=3 15d6=49 ]{60}, [ 1d8=4 15d6=46 ]{58}, [ 1d8=6 15d6=62 ]{76}, [ 1d8=8 15d6=53 ]{69}, [ 1d8=5 15d6=54 ]{67}, [ 1d8=3 15d6=43 ]{54}, [ 1d8=7 15d6=54 ]{69}, [ 1d8=5 15d6=48 ]{61}
[20:23] <@Seira> roll 1d20+32 CL
[20:23] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+32 CL --> [ 1d20=4 ]{36}
[20:23] <@Seira> roll 10#1d20+44+10 ranged touch
[20:23] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 10#1d20+44+10 ranged touch --> [ 1d20=14 ]{68}, [ 1d20=20 ]{74}, [ 1d20=16 ]{70}, [ 1d20=19 ]{73}, [ 1d20=15 ]{69}, [ 1d20=7 ]{61}, [ 1d20=10 ]{64}, [ 1d20=18 ]{72}, [ 1d20=15 ]{69}, [ 1d20=16 ]{70}
[20:24] <@Seira> roll 1d20+44+10 ranged touch crit?
[20:24] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+44+10 ranged touch crit? --> [ 1d20=13 ]{67}
[20:24] <@Seira> roll 9#1d8+8+15d6
[20:24] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 9#1d8+8+15d6 --> [ 1d8=4 15d6=54 ]{66}, [ 1d8=2 15d6=52 ]{62}, [ 1d8=5 15d6=43 ]{56}, [ 1d8=3 15d6=45 ]{56}, [ 1d8=8 15d6=52 ]{68}, [ 1d8=2 15d6=41 ]{51}, [ 1d8=5 15d6=52 ]{65}, [ 1d8=7 15d6=54 ]{69}, [ 1d8=4 15d6=44 ]{56}
[20:24] <@Seira> roll 2d8+16+15d6
[20:24] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 2d8+16+15d6 --> [ 2d8=6 15d6=56 ]{78}

Intention is to dash at them immediately afterwards, which will either be an init call or free act.

What spell is it, Seira? I don't see it named is all, need to be clear on what it is.

Twinned Seira's Unicorn Arrow for each of us.

The defenders are struck hard, arrows hitting them just so. Blood is drawn as the line holds, devils smashed together but holding from your ambush attack as...!!!

Init.

[20:55] <@Seira> roll 1d20+16+9
[20:55] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+16+9 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{39}
[20:55] <@Seira> roll 1d20+15+9
[20:55] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+15+9 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{41}

How badly wounded do they seem?

Injured but holding up fine on a glance.

Donald has been wounded again, by the way. 428 HP left for him, so not a serious injury.

> roll 1d20+27 Jessica init
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+27 Jessica init --> [ 1d20=9 ]{36}
> roll 1d20+21 Elegy init
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+21 Elegy init --> [ 1d20=20 ]{41}
> roll 1d20+18 Devils
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+18 Devils --> [ 1d20=4 ]{22}

Init is Seira Avatar = Elegy (41) > Seira (39) > Jessica (36) > Devils (22)

Open, Seira Avatar.

[spoiler]


Jessica
HP: 456+20/456
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Elegy
HP: 512+20/512
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Never surprised or flat-footed (Foresight)
See through everything within 120ft (True Seeing)
Immunity to death effects, energy drain and negative energy/negative levels (Mass Death Ward)
Immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast)
Immunity to disease (Miracle)
Gain 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
Immunity to dazzled and blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
Energy Res 30 (all)
1d4+6 spell levels are turned on original caster/spells that have you as a targets/not melee touch spells (Spell Turning)
Casts Heal on you if you are killed/taken to -30 or below (Fortunate Fate)
Interplanar Telepathic Bond (Miracle)

+15 insight to any single skill check (Divine Insight)
+25 to stealth (competence, circumstance, racial)
+20 to disguise (untyped)
+10 insight bonus to Perception (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
+10 insight to all knowledge checks (Lore of the Gods)
+4 morale to all skill checks (Greater Heroism)
+4 competence bonus to Escape Artist (Shadow Form)

+4 untyped to init (Sign)
+2 insight to AC and Reflex (Foresight)
+5 sacred to AC and Reflex if you have and are using a shield (Shield of Warding)
+5 racial to natural armor (Spiderskin)
+4 morale on attack and immunity to fear and 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
+2 morale to damage/ability checks (Good Hope)
+5 morale to saving throws (Conviction)

Recitation: +2 luck to AC/attack/saving throws; +3 if worshiping the same religion
Superior Vigor: fast healing 8 for 41 rounds

Seira casts Glorious Rally (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Seira's Avatar casts Celestial Valor (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Both spells are cast over the party, assuming Seira's senses assure her it is feasible.

Seira graciously allows her avatar to take the lead, which she does by zooming towards the cluster of erinyes and then exploding messily!

[21:10] <@Seira> roll 1d20+32 CL
[21:10] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+32 CL --> [ 1d20=3 ]{35}
[21:11] <@Seira> roll 10#1d20+44+10 ranged touch
[21:11] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 10#1d20+44+10 ranged touch --> [ 1d20=8 ]{62}, [ 1d20=18 ]{72}, [ 1d20=18 ]{72}, [ 1d20=3 ]{57}, [ 1d20=19 ]{73}, [ 1d20=9 ]{63}, [ 1d20=13 ]{67}, [ 1d20=2 ]{56}, [ 1d20=18 ]{72}, [ 1d20=12 ]{66}
[21:11] <@Seira> roll 10#1d8+8+15d6
[21:11] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 10#1d8+8+15d6 --> [ 1d8=7 15d6=45 ]{60}, [ 1d8=3 15d6=52 ]{63}, [ 1d8=6 15d6=51 ]{65}, [ 1d8=3 15d6=61 ]{72}, [ 1d8=2 15d6=53 ]{63}, [ 1d8=4 15d6=66 ]{78}, [ 1d8=1 15d6=38 ]{47}, [ 1d8=4 15d6=50 ]{62}, [ 1d8=4 15d6=58 ]{70}, [ 1d8=4 15d6=50 ]{62}

Quickened Twinned Seira's Unicorn Arrow to clear out the way.

[21:07] <@Seira> roll 1d20+35 CL
[21:07] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+35 CL --> [ 1d20=4 ]{39}
[21:08] <@Seira> roll 15d10
[21:08] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 15d10 --> [ 15d10=110 ]{110}

Ref DC 30, empowered greater fireburst. Damage is 165 for a 15ft radius of superior positioning.

> roll 1d20+20 reflex
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+20 reflex --> [ 1d20=19 ]{39}

Flames explode, golden fury that burns the devils like they were common trash. All around the avatar they burst aflame, forcing a breach in the lines as arrows pepper them, unicorns striking true. Cries of pain and anger echo about as...

Seira. Elegy will hold since firebursts are going down and he wants all that to resolve first.

Seira breathes holy flames upon the brave if foolish defenders!

Tonic-boosted dragon breath!

[21:25] <@Seira> roll 20d10 holy
[21:25] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 20d10 holy --> [ 20d10=120 ]{120}

Damage is x1.5 vs evil, so 180.
Ref DC 36 half, it's a 60ft cone.

[21:28] <@Seira> roll 1d4
[21:28] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d4 --> [ 1d4=1 ]{1}

Her avatar had the right idea, she decides, and also thins out the herd as she gets into melee range!

[21:27] <@Seira> roll 1d20+33 CL
[21:27] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+33 CL --> [ 1d20=2 ]{35}
[21:27] <@Seira> roll 10#1d20+45+10 ranged touch
[21:27] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 10#1d20+45+10 ranged touch --> [ 1d20=5 ]{60}, [ 1d20=15 ]{70}, [ 1d20=16 ]{71}, [ 1d20=3 ]{58}, [ 1d20=8 ]{63}, [ 1d20=6 ]{61}, [ 1d20=20 ]{75}, [ 1d20=14 ]{69}, [ 1d20=10 ]{65}, [ 1d20=2 ]{57}
[21:27] <@Seira> roll 1d20+45+10 ranged touch crit?
[21:27] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+45+10 ranged touch crit? --> [ 1d20=20 ]{75}
[21:27] <@Seira> roll 9#1d8+8+15d6
[21:27] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 9#1d8+8+15d6 --> [ 1d8=4 15d6=63 ]{75}, [ 1d8=3 15d6=58 ]{69}, [ 1d8=4 15d6=53 ]{65}, [ 1d8=5 15d6=39 ]{52}, [ 1d8=3 15d6=59 ]{70}, [ 1d8=2 15d6=60 ]{70}, [ 1d8=7 15d6=55 ]{70}, [ 1d8=8 15d6=56 ]{72}, [ 1d8=2 15d6=57 ]{67}
[21:27] <@Seira> roll 2d8+16+15d6
[21:27] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 2d8+16+15d6 --> [ 2d8=4 15d6=43 ]{63}

Quickened Twinned Seira's Unicorn Arrow

> roll 1d20+20 reflex
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+20 reflex --> [ 1d20=3 ]{23}

The herd is indeed thinned out, a large gap in the line now from your speedy attack. Devils burn and collapse, others impaled by more unicorn arrows. As you advance...

'Are we breaking through or attempting to defeat them in detail?' Elegy asks.

'We kill them all, or they'll send word of this,' Seira responds. With her avatar there to cut off any retreat and her doing the same thing to box the devils in, there would be no escape. Not in this dimensionally-locked fortress!

Elegy begins to advance but stops as the ground shakes. It becomes bitterly, viciously cold in one moment. Seira can feel infernal powers manifesting even faster now, like a torrent flowing through all of Avernus.

Chance to react to that.

'We good?' Seira sends to Alicia and Sulia.

'We're holding,' Sulia sends, 'But we're busy! Good, Alicia, keep pressing him!'

'Lixer's avatar is slain, he'll have felt that,' Alicia's telepathic voice sends, rich with satisfaction. 'After clearing the current area we'll push on to the fortress itself.'

'I'll be waiting for you inside it,' Seira relays cheerfully.

Init is Seira Avatar = Elegy (41) > Seira (39) > Jessica (36) > Devils (22)

Elegy is up.

Darting out of hiding, Elegy moves as a great bell begins to toll, loudly. He dashes amid the gap and makes a wide slash to both sides as he passes, a dagger in each hand. Devils all around him are cut and...

> roll 1d20+62
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 66 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d4+28+2d6+18d6 and 1 strength)
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 103 > [d4=1][d6=4,4,3,3,3,6,4,2,4,1,4,4,3,5,4,3,5,4,4,4]

Great gaping slashes rip into the devils, ones close and far alike. Keeping his head down as he sprints forward, "Sorry, it's just business," Elegy tells them. "Nothing personal." Devils fall and are torn apart, more of the line breaking.

Jessica.

Meanwhile Jessica holds where she is a moment, unseen and yet...

Incidentally, ranged legerdemain isn't purely a Seira thing. PErfect Wight gives it and a superior version since epic PrC. She's using it now to attack.

> roll 1d20+61 Jessica
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 79 > [d20=18]
> roll 1d20+61 Jessica crit confirm
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 77 > [d20=16]
> roll 2d6+82+20d6+1d6
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 165 > [d6=1,2,6,5,1,3,3,1,6,5,3,6,1,6,3,5,6,2,2,5,6,4,1]

A Necrolyte begins to cast...only for a rapier point to impale its throat from behind, silencing it forever. As it falls...

'There is a complication,' Sulia sends, 'Donald and I are facing an avatar of Glasya, who has chosen to take the field. With her is Duke Malphas of Avernus, who is deploying some fashion of hellfire weapon.'

Devils are up in the next post.

[spoiler]

Jessica
HP: 456+20/456
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Elegy
HP: 512+20/512
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Never surprised or flat-footed (Foresight)
See through everything within 120ft (True Seeing)
Immunity to death effects, energy drain and negative energy/negative levels (Mass Death Ward)
Immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast)
Immunity to disease (Miracle)
Gain 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
Immunity to dazzled and blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
Energy Res 30 (all)
1d4+6 spell levels are turned on original caster/spells that have you as a targets/not melee touch spells (Spell Turning)
Casts Heal on you if you are killed/taken to -30 or below (Fortunate Fate)
Interplanar Telepathic Bond (Miracle)

+15 insight to any single skill check (Divine Insight)
+25 to stealth (competence, circumstance, racial)
+20 to disguise (untyped)
+10 insight bonus to Perception (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
+10 insight to all knowledge checks (Lore of the Gods)
+4 morale to all skill checks (Greater Heroism)
+4 competence bonus to Escape Artist (Shadow Form)

+4 untyped to init (Sign)
+2 insight to AC and Reflex (Foresight)
+5 sacred to AC and Reflex if you have and are using a shield (Shield of Warding)
+5 racial to natural armor (Spiderskin)
+4 morale on attack and immunity to fear and 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
+2 morale to damage/ability checks (Good Hope)
+5 morale to saving throws (Conviction)

Recitation: +2 luck to AC/attack/saving throws; +3 if worshiping the same religion
Superior Vigor: fast healing 8 for 41 rounds

Seira casts Glorious Rally (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Seira's Avatar casts Celestial Valor (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Both spells are cast over the party, assuming Seira's senses assure her it is feasible.

The devil line, broken and pierced as it is, rallies. Dark, life-tearing magic echos through out the entryway as...

> roll 1d20+26 SR check
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 44 > [d20=18]

That beat your SR, Seira?

Small post since late and mostly just setting up the morning here.

SeiraAvatar will attempt to counterspell with Chain Counterspell! Incidentally, our SR is 45.

[07:21] <@Seira> roll 1d20+25
[07:21] <Serith> Seira roll for Serith < 30 > [d20=5]

Failure, but at least only Jessica's spell resistance is pierced. She needs to make a Fortitude save.

> roll 1d20+35 Jessica fort
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+35 Jessica fort --> [ 1d20=13 ]{48}

Whatever the darkness is, it slides off all of you smoothly. Jessica jukes to the side, body turning shadow and ghostly as the surviving line surrounds you, a circle that rushes in to chop you all apart.

> roll 1d20+48 vs all
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+48 vs all --> [ 1d20=1 ]{49}

Yet broken and shuddering, the line isn't able to press it. Ahead you can see a long hallway, dark and decorated with strange, sickly plants. Dead vines cover another door deeper within.

Init is Seira Avatar = Elegy (41) > Seira (39) > Jessica (36) > Devils (22)

Seira avatar, go.

Seira and her avatar exchange another long look, and then move in tandem as they cut through the unwary opposition! Really, devils, should invest in true seeing more.

Avatar attack routine:
[17:27] <@Seira> roll 1d20+53+10+2
[17:27] <@Seira> roll 1d20+53+10+2
[17:27] <@Seira> roll 1d20+53+10+2
[17:27] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+53+10+2 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{81}
[17:27] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+53+10+2 --> [ 1d20=2 ]{67}
[17:27] <@Seira> roll 1d20+53+10+2
[17:27] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+53+10+2 --> [ 1d20=8 ]{73}
[17:27] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+53+10+2 --> [ 1d20=6 ]{71}
[17:28] <@Seira> roll 1d20+48+10+2
[17:28] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+48+10+2 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{78}
[17:28] <@Seira> roll 1d20+43+10+2
[17:28] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+43+10+2 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{59}
[17:28] <@Seira> roll 1d20+38+10+2
[17:28] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+38+10+2 --> [ 1d20=8 ]{58}
[17:28] <@Seira> roll 1d20+51+10+2
[17:28] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+51+10+2 --> [ 1d20=8 ]{71}
[17:28] <@Seira> roll 1d20+51+10+2
[17:28] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+51+10+2 --> [ 1d20=13 ]{76}
[17:28] <@Seira> roll 1d20+51+10+2
[17:28] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+51+10+2 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{67}
[17:28] <@Seira> roll 1d20+51+10+2
[17:28] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+51+10+2 --> [ 1d20=8 ]{71}

[17:30] <@Seira> roll 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6
[17:30] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=2 16d6=50 2d6=7 ]{153}
[17:30] <@Seira> roll 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6
[17:30] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=6 16d6=63 2d6=3 ]{166}
[17:30] <@Seira> roll 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6
[17:30] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=2 16d6=56 2d6=7 ]{159}
[17:30] <@Seira> roll 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6
[17:30] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=2 16d6=58 2d6=8 ]{162}
[17:30] <@Seira> roll 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6
[17:30] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=2 16d6=60 2d6=9 ]{165}
[17:30] <@Seira> roll 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6
[17:30] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=4 16d6=63 2d6=7 ]{168}
[17:30] <@Seira> roll 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6
[17:30] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+84+16d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=5 16d6=45 2d6=12 ]{156}
[17:31] <@Seira> roll 1d8+84+15d6+10+2d6
[17:31] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d8+84+15d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d8=7 15d6=59 2d6=8 ]{168}
[17:31] <@Seira> roll 1d6+79+15d6+10+2d6
[17:31] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+79+15d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=5 15d6=62 2d6=7 ]{163}
[17:31] <@Seira> roll 1d4+79+15d6+10+2d6
[17:31] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d4+79+15d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d4=2 15d6=53 2d6=8 ]{152}
[17:31] <@Seira> roll 1d4+79+15d6+10+2d6
[17:31] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d4+79+15d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d4=1 15d6=57 2d6=8 ]{155}

Seira's attack:
[17:33] <@Seira> roll 1d20+57+10+2
[17:33] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+57+10+2 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{76}
[17:33] <@Seira> roll 1d20+57+10+2
[17:33] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+57+10+2 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{83}
[17:33] <@Seira> roll 1d20+57+10+2
[17:33] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+57+10+2 --> [ 1d20=19 ]{88}
[17:33] <@Seira> roll 1d20+57+10+2 crit?
[17:33] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+57+10+2 crit? --> [ 1d20=17 ]{86}
[17:33] <@Seira> roll 1d20+57+10+2
[17:33] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+57+10+2 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{87}
[17:33] <@Seira> roll 1d20+52+10+2
[17:33] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+52+10+2 --> [ 1d20=1 ]{65}
[17:33] <@Seira> roll 1d20+47+10+2
[17:33] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+47+10+2 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{70}
[17:33] <@Seira> roll 1d20+42+10+2
[17:33] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+42+10+2 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{58}
[17:34] <@Seira> roll 1d20+52+10+2
[17:34] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+52+10+2 --> [ 1d20=15 ]{79}
[17:34] <@Seira> roll 1d20+52+10+2
[17:34] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+52+10+2 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{82}
[17:34] <@Seira> roll 1d20+52+10+2
[17:34] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+52+10+2 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{71}
[17:34] <@Seira> roll 1d20+52+10+2
[17:34] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+52+10+2 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{67}

[17:34] <@Seira> roll 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6
[17:34] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=2 17d6=65 2d6=8 ]{171}
[17:34] <@Seira> roll 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6
[17:34] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=1 17d6=57 2d6=5 ]{159}
[17:35] <@Seira> roll 2d6+172+17d6+20+2d6 crit
[17:35] <Kobot> Seira rolled 2d6+172+17d6+20+2d6 crit --> [ 2d6=9 17d6=56 2d6=5 ]{262}
[17:35] <@Seira> roll 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6
[17:35] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=4 17d6=67 2d6=8 ]{175}
[17:35] <@Seira> roll 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6
[17:35] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=3 17d6=54 2d6=6 ]{159}
[17:35] <@Seira> roll 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6
[17:35] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=2 17d6=67 2d6=6 ]{171}
[17:35] <@Seira> roll 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6
[17:35] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+86+17d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=2 17d6=63 2d6=4 ]{165}
[17:35] <@Seira> roll 1d8+84+15d6+10+2d6
[17:35] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d8+84+15d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d8=4 15d6=57 2d6=9 ]{164}
[17:36] <@Seira> roll 1d6+79+15d6+10+2d6
[17:36] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d6+79+15d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d6=5 15d6=65 2d6=9 ]{168}
[17:36] <@Seira> roll 1d4+79+15d6+10+2d6
[17:36] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d4+79+15d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d4=2 15d6=51 2d6=9 ]{151}
[17:36] <@Seira> roll 1d4+79+15d6+10+2d6
[17:36] <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d4+79+15d6+10+2d6 --> [ 1d4=4 15d6=48 2d6=11 ]{152}

That and measures that can defeat non detection/mind blank and other divination stoppers. Alas.

Already broken by the attack, the force beyond it is shattered, Seira finishing them off. For this moment, this bare moment - you have a chance to breathe. Glancing behind you see soldiers turning this way, back from all the noise. The next gate ahead is firmly shut as....

Free act.

'Onwards,' Seira orders, already trying to get the next gate opened the same way she handled this one, while her avatar drops the illusion of a closed gate in case no one managed to get a clear look in the confusion of the alarm. She'll follow it with a wall of force just past the illusion once everyone's made their way inside.

18:20 <Lucille> roll 1d20+77-5
18:20 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+77-5 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{77}

The remnants of devils are around the four of you, broken and shattered. Blood, crushed weapons and split armor lies about, a devil force smashed before you as you rush to the next gate.

Perception, Seira.

Taking 10 for 62

The vines are moving. They are not dead, yet they are dead. You feel it through your feet, Avernus shifting beneath you like a restless sleeper, unable to find peace. Around you Noir Jardin darkens further, as if light was a long forgotten memory, cast away from you the moment you stepped into Hell. The air is thick, cold, miserable to breathe. Jessica follows you, keeping low and at a steady sprint, rapier drawn as you feel the hatred of Hell throbbing. Lixer's hatred, a cold spasm that feels as if it will shatter your stomach, rend your muscles. Hear me.

The gate is indeed locked, powerfully so. Nine-fold puzzles that serve as a lock, twisted and cold logic that hurts the mind to think of, until you grow too numb to feel it. Logic that insists on submission, on that Baator is the only answer. Elegy is behinds you now, daggers at the ready as you work. You stand here, concentrating to the utmost, seeking to break the logic and proceed deeper in. Hurry.

With a final effort, you pop the lock-puzzle and disable the magical wards on this gate as well. It should be safe to open - for now, at least. Even as you see the vines move, the dead walking as if they were still alive. This is your first test. Become my hope. Stand against Hell. Asmodeus will not interfere, not in this, for it is our Competition. Victory is not the key, but salvation. In yearning to be saved from wicked hearts, we find hope. Save Zariel, but if you must, save yourself instead.

'And onwards,' Seira sends to Jessica and Elegy. Flying should eliminate the risks of tremorsense kicking in on the part of the defenders, hopefully, and Seira can deal with undead vines as well as she would with live ones if it came to that.

Ahead is a vast chamber, large and vast. No defenders, nothing like that. Instead there are at least a hundred doors, paths and ways to choose from, all snaking in various directions and into the darkness. There often seems to be no hope of success against Hell. Do not fall prey to that and the way will be revealed.

'Damn,' Elegy whistles in your mind, 'So...don't have a map by any chance, do you?'

'Are you kidding? I wasn't even invited in the front door,' Seira responds, settling in to float in the absolute center of the room and rotating slowly to take it all in. Inspiration will come, she trusts in that.

Her avatar, in the meantime, checks for magical signatures with a glance. Devils are too paranoid to gamble on leaving the way into their inner sanctum entirely unprotected, and there are too many doors to justify spending a fortune on each one. Not all enchantments must have been made equal.

CL check on the avatar's greater arcane sight?

19:32 <Lucille> roll 1d20+31
19:32 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+31 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{36}

Actually should be +2 more so 38.

The magic here is shielded, changing. AS your avatar struggles to figure it out?

You feel it. A faint feeling, to look towards a particular passage to the west. A feeling, an urge towards it. There.

Things are moving again. Why now, after two decades of slow build-up? Was it Afina's achievement, proving their long-held belief? The liberation of Benfal and Lifasa? Her and Alicia's choices in coming here?

Seira follows the voice whispering to her. The suspicious part of her is there, certainly, but she dismisses it. If Lixer knows that much, she'll just need to take him down so nothing material changes. And yet, she wants to believe!

Still, she follows her usual provisions for opening strange doors at Lixer's fortress.

19:50 <Lucille> roll 1d20+77-5
19:50 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+77-5 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{86}

It's not even a door - just a simple, unremarkable passage leading deeper in. Dark, gloomy and without any of the vines at all. Cold. Colder.

'This place chills my heart,' Jessica sends to you. 'It chills me to the quick.' You needed time to grow. You still do.

Perception check real quick?

Seira can't help but think she grows best under adversity.

'We're getting closer to the seat of power and the dungeons containing some of that power,' Seira responds. 'It's understandable. We can't falter, however, not for a moment. We're here to do a job, and as long as Donald and Alicia are fighting outside we'll make sure their efforts aren't wasted!'

20:02 <Lucille> roll 1d20+52
20:02 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+52 --> [ 1d20=6 ]{58}

My avatar will take 10 for 61.

Around and around. This hallway whirls downward like a drain, deeper and deeper - as you hear it, from above! You leap back, dodging a massive wall of flesh blocking the way, and 20ft away one blocks the path back. Horrid things, rotting flesh with limbs and head sticking out of it in all directions. "Really, how t houghtful! I'd prefer a hot meal as far as hospitality goes, though." Elegy remarks, as...

More defenses. Init.

'I'd prefer the minions didn't stand in my way,' Seira muses, taking a deep breath through the mouth....

20:16 <Lucille> roll 1d20+16 S
20:16 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+16 S --> [ 1d20=14 ]{30}
20:17 <Lucille> roll 1d20+15 SA
20:17 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+15 SA --> [ 1d20=19 ]{34}

> roll 1d20+23 JEssica sign is gone since it's single use
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+23 JEssica sign is gone since it's single use --> [ 1d20=20 ]{43}
> roll 1d20+17 proxy
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+17 proxy --> [ 1d20=12 ]{29}
> roll 1d20+9 wall 1
> roll 1d20+9 wall 2
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+9 wall 1 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{18}
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+9 wall 2 --> [ 1d20=19 ]{28}

Init is Jessica (43) > Seira Avatar (34) > Seira (30) > Elegy (29) > Wall 2 (28) > Wall 1 (18)

Jessica opens.

'Can we break through?' Jessica sends to you, tersely.

'We are, hold a sec,' Seira tells Jessica as she unleashes her powerful breath weapon!

K:R 10 for 77 first, though! Fire or holy? What should work better on melting the wall blocking the way ahead?

Both should serve well, but the undead always fear holy power. That's what your check tells you.

20:51 <Lucille> roll 20d10
20:51 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 20d10 --> [ 20d10=81 ]{81}

Dragon breath! Very holy, so x1.5 damage here for 121.

> roll 1d20+5 walls are not good at reflexing things, stunningly
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 walls are not good at reflexing things, stunningly --> [ 1d20=11 ]{16}

The wall is blasted dead on, burning with golden light but still intact, hissing and steaming like ice under an inferno as...

Swifts?

That usually means more power is needed! Seira flings an orb of it at the wall at the weakest-looking spot, where it doubles into two fiery projectile. Meanwhile, her avatar opens her own mouth and what ensues is another stream of holy power seeking to punch through the obstacle! Yellow and green energy swirls around her clockwise, and the avatar manages the same spell with almost casual ability!

Seira:
21:01 <Lucille> roll 1d20+45+10 ranged touch
21:01 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+45+10 ranged touch --> [ 1d20=3 ]{58}
21:02 <Lucille> roll 15d6+15 fiery'd quickened twinned orb of fire
21:02 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 15d6+15 fiery'd quickened twinned orb of fire --> [ 15d6=52 ]{67}

134 damage

Avatar:
21:02 <Lucille> roll 20d10
21:02 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 20d10 --> [ 20d10=119 ]{119}

Holy, so x1.5 for 178 damage

21:07 <Lucille> roll 1d20+44+10 ranged touch
21:07 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+44+10 ranged touch --> [ 1d20=8 ]{62}
21:09 <Lucille> roll 15d6 quickened twinned orb of fire
21:09 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 15d6 quickened twinned orb of fire --> [ 15d6=45 ]{45}

Damage is 90.

If there's a hole to get past now, we still have our move actions to go through it.

The wall is pummeled but intact, gashes and burns across the center but still holding up - it looks to be thick, several feet punched through and more to go.

Init is Jessica (43) > Seira Avatar (34) > Seira (30) > Elegy (29) > Wall 2 (28) > Wall 1 (18)

Jessica takes her held action.

Jessica gestures, a glow around her as a smite of holiness blasts from above, slamming into the weakened center of the wall.

> roll 1d20+30
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+30 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{47}
> roll 10d6
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 10d6 --> [ 10d6=37 ]{37}
> roll 1d20+21
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+21 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{28}

The blast buckles the wall more as Elegy rushes in, "On it, on it," he calls, slashing and hacking away.

> roll 1d20+60
> roll 1d20+60
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+60 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{64}
> roll 1d20+55
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+60 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{69}
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+55 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{66}
> roll 1d20+55
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+55 --> [ 1d20=15 ]{70}
> roll 1d20+50
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+50 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{54}
> roll 1d20+50
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+50 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{61}
> roll 1d20+45
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+45 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{48}
> roll 1d20+45
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+45 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{50}
> roll 1d4+18
> roll 1d4+18
> roll 1d4+18
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d4+18 --> [ 1d4=4 ]{22}
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d4+18 --> [ 1d4=4 ]{22}
> roll 1d4+18
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d4+18 --> [ 1d4=3 ]{21}
> roll 1d4+18
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d4+18 --> [ 1d4=3 ]{21}
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d4+18 --> [ 1d4=4 ]{22}
> roll 1d4+18
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d4+18 --> [ 1d4=3 ]{21}
> roll 1d4+18
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d4+18 --> [ 1d4=1 ]{19}
> roll 1d4+18
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d4+18 --> [ 1d4=1 ]{19}

Elegy darts forward, punching through the weakened wall. A gap! He surges through it, into it, taking a step ahead.

Walls are up in the next post.

I'd like us all to move after Elegy now, since we only used standards and swifts so far and we're all effectively acting at the same time on init anyway.

With a desperate dash, the four of you dive through - and a moment later the two walls of flesh slam together, the four of you hurrying past them.

Free act for the moment.

'Nasty,' Seira comments, as she and her avatar recast Sign on everyone while keeping pace onwards!

'What fun. I thought Avernus couldn't get any worse,' Elegy groans in your mind.

'Complain later,' Jessica says, 'We're on a time limit and found out, we're going into a trap as it is.'

'Lixer's busy and he still might not have a good way of tracking us,' Seira notes as she sets a quick pace. 'Still, we're treating every obstacle as if one of his avatars was directly behind it.'

She disbelieves a coward like him actually facing them directly, not when there is a chance he'll die for good.

Are the corridors large enough for my dragon form? It's G.

They are not.

'Then onward,' Jessica agrees.

Chance to react in case that ruling matters, then onward.

No, I'd just like to know when we emerge into a cavern large enough for that in case I feel like it. Onwards!

Incidentally, SeiraAvatar casts Many Moments of Prescience upon herself to match the real self.

Down and down and down you race. Down deeper until...

Marching order here?

Avatar, me, Jessica, Elegy. My senses are ridiculously large, and avatar's extend for 200ft.

You step ahead - and your avatar feels it first. Dead magic - no magic ahead. Only being a divine being prevents the avatar from suffering it.

'Dead magic ahead,' Seira's avatar relays to the others. 'My spells should still hold, but we're all aware of the implications. Is there any spell you need, Jessica?'

If there isn't, they'll bravely proceed onwards!

'Less that and more that many of my better tricks are foiled by it. I'll be of limited aid within it.' Jessica sends back to you. 'I'll also be more vulnerable to whatever traps he has set to pare down helpless, magicless mortals who press on anyway.'

'I'll do what I can,' Seira promises, leading on. Leaving Jessica here on her own is a death sentence, after all.

Thus you go down. Ten steps into it, suddenly a great force slams into you from above. Gravity intensifies, strengthening many times over.

Strength checks, unless you have freedom of movement.

Staying firm, Seira imbues her party with freedom of movement!

Str check for Seira:

19:50 <Lucille> roll 1d20+13
19:50 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+13 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{20}

In the future, do the checks then any reactions/counters to them, please.

Also roll for the avatar too?

> roll 1d20+5 Jessica
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 Jessica --> [ 1d20=6 ]{11}
> roll 1d20+7 Elegy
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+7 Elegy --> [ 1d20=17 ]{24}

[spoiler]


Jessica
HP: 456+20/456
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Elegy
HP: 512+20/512
Spells Active:
Bonuses:
Negative Conditions:
Resources Used:

Never surprised or flat-footed (Foresight)
See through everything within 120ft (True Seeing)
Immunity to death effects, energy drain and negative energy/negative levels (Mass Death Ward)
Immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast)
Immunity to disease (Miracle)
Gain 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
Immunity to dazzled and blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
Energy Res 30 (all)
1d4+6 spell levels are turned on original caster/spells that have you as a targets/not melee touch spells (Spell Turning)
Casts Heal on you if you are killed/taken to -30 or below (Fortunate Fate)
Interplanar Telepathic Bond (Miracle)

+15 insight to any single skill check (Divine Insight)
+25 to stealth (competence, circumstance, racial)
+20 to disguise (untyped)
+10 insight bonus to Perception (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
+10 insight to all knowledge checks (Lore of the Gods)
+4 morale to all skill checks (Greater Heroism)
+4 competence bonus to Escape Artist (Shadow Form)

+4 untyped to init (Sign)
+2 insight to AC and Reflex (Foresight)
+5 sacred to AC and Reflex if you have and are using a shield (Shield of Warding)
+5 racial to natural armor (Spiderskin)
+4 morale on attack and immunity to fear and 20 temp hp (Greater Heroism)
+2 morale to damage/ability checks (Good Hope)
+5 morale to saving throws (Conviction)

Recitation: +2 luck to AC/attack/saving throws; +3 if worshiping the same religion
Superior Vigor: fast healing 8 for 41 rounds

Seira casts Glorious Rally (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Seira's Avatar casts Celestial Valor (Divine) with Glaciante's Spiteful Ward tied to it. Both spells are cast over the party, assuming Seira's senses assure her it is feasible.

Avatar:

20:04 <Lucille> roll 1d20+12
20:04 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+12 --> [ 1d20=19 ]{31}

The gravity is overwhelming, forcing all but the avatar to their knees - but a moment later Seira's will manifests, ease returning and the ability to move restored.

'Here we go,' Elegy grunts, 'This is going to become tiresome.'

'We must be getting closer,' Seira determines, pushing through.

A few more steps forward - and the air becomes gassy, turning a pale purplish color as gas floats through. But fortunately, whatever it is has no visible effect on any of you.

'Really tiresome,' Jessica seconds, keeping her mouth firmly shut.

'I'm taking notes, so it's not for nothing,' Seira notes cheerfully, pressing on!

A few more steps forward and suddenly...

Perception, Seira.

Seira and Avatar:

20:25 <Lucille> roll 1d20+52
20:25 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+52 --> [ 1d20=6 ]{58}
20:25 <Lucille> roll 1d20+51
20:25 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+51 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{67}

You can hear it - a faint, faint noise coming from above...or below...no, both.

They're flying, which provides an excellent opportunity! Seira summons a wall of force underneath their course, while her avatar seamlessly does the same above them!

Just in time, green hellfire breaks through floor and ceiling, slamming into your walls. It holds, ice forming on both sides of the walls. Jessica's already moving, Elegy too as...

'Hurry,' Elegy says, 'As I said, let's get out of this death trap.'

'There's a way to speed it up,' Seira notes, picking Jessica up into a bridal carry. Her avatar does the same with Elegy, and boosted with haste the pair dash off!

We're strong enough to handle it, and our flight speed now seems to be 260ft. So 260x4 at a run. Let's do this thing!

Hah. Gimme a Reflex save for you and the avatar. I think most of these you can't fail if your Ref is as high as I think, but just for reference.

Greased lightning~

20:50 <Lucille> roll 1d20+74 improved evasion, S
20:50 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+74 improved evasion, S --> [ 1d20=6 ]{80}
20:51 <Lucille> roll 1d20+73 improved evasion, SA
20:51 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+73 improved evasion, SA --> [ 1d20=3 ]{76}

Down you go. Fire, ice, lightning, acid. Crushing force, ripping blades. You dodge them all, a blur as you sprint down and down and down some more. Down deeper, ever deeper until at last you come to the bottom. A simple door is here, closed and made of plain wood.

There is no reason to break from a good thing, and Seira gets it open while her avatar gives the door a once-over.

Ranged legerdemain:

21:01 <Lucille> roll 1d20+77-5
21:01 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+77-5 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{77}

Perception 10 for 61, Spellcraft 10 for 77

It's indeed locked and trapped, but such things are easily done.

Quick check, do you have true seeing up?

Blindsight, low-light and regular vision, darkvision, greater arcane sight and finally true seeing, yes

Ahead is a throne room, a throne of bone and bronze 90ft away. Here Lixer sits - or a projection of him, a mere image. Kneeling before the throne are nine liches, each clad flawlessly in black. They rise as the door opens and turn to face you, "You faced a cabal of less liches before as a great struggle," Lixer's projection sneers.

The room is large, 90ft long and 20ft wide. It's dark here, pitch dark, and no further doors going deeper in. He's stalling. He wonders why his father is allowing this to play out. He does not truly understand his role as a pawn to Asmodeus.

"And you faced Daddy's disappointment while little sis--" And that's as far as Seira gets before she launches a sneak attack rather than play into Lixer's hand!

21:25 <Lucille> roll 1d20+16
21:25 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+16 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{19}
21:25 <Lucille> roll 1d20+15 SA
21:25 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+15 SA --> [ 1d20=5 ]{20}

> roll 1d20+21 Elegy
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+21 Elegy --> [ 1d20=1 ]{22}
> roll 1d20+27 Jessica
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+27 Jessica --> [ 1d20=3 ]{30}

> roll 1d20+18 liches (+5 nerveskitter)
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+18 liches (+5 nerveskitter) --> [ 1d20=19 ]{37}
> roll 1d20+20 Lixer projection
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+20 Lixer projection --> [ 1d20=14 ]{34}

That's some unfortunate rolling. You all faaailed that time at init pretty hard.

Init is Liches (37) > Lixer Projection (34) > Jessica (30) > Elegy (22) > Seira Avatar (20) > Seira (19)

Liches open.

Before you can react, the liches glow. How they cast in this you know not, but they chant as one, words trickling through your mind like a stream of icy water. From them a great wave of cold comes, ice forming around all of you.

Reflex saves, y'all.

[09:40] <@Seira> roll 1d20+74 S, improved evasion
[09:40] <Serith> Seira roll for Serith < 82 > [d20=8]
[09:40] <@Seira> roll 1d20+73 SA, improved evasion
[09:40] <Serith> Seira roll for Serith < 89 > [d20=16]

As a reminder, Glorious Rally and Celestial Valor come up to +10 to saves for Team NPC. Foresight tosses another +2 to Ref saves.

Also, since we're not flat-footed Seira will try to counterspell a Lixer spell if she decides it worth the try, Spellcraft 10 for 62.

The liches are casting a spell that will drown you in green hellfire. It'll hurt, you're sure of that.

Your call on if you wanna try and counter or not.

Not

> roll 1d20+48 Elegy evasion
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+48 Elegy evasion --> [ 1d20=13 ]{61}
> roll 1d20+37 Jessica evasion she hates antimagic
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+37 Jessica evasion she hates antimagic --> [ 1d20=12 ]{49}

Jessica has improved evasion, whoops.

Green fire cascades out from them and around all of you, a roaring inferno. Yet with speed superhuman, Seira blazes through. She ducks and dives, rolling to the side before a burst of sheer glory quenches the flames that seek her. She can see the others are untouched as Lixer raises his hand and...

He's casting a metamagic boosted boneyard's embrace on Jessica. Countering?

Metamagic-boosted how? Which metamagics are applied, and how do I envision that changes the spell? Also, I'd like insight into how a cabal of liches is casting in dead magic/antimagic, since I doubt they're all his proxies. Maybe it's an IC reason I can game myself.

Fell drain, fell animate and maximized.

Seira will do nothing since they are all protected by Mass Death Ward.

How the liches are casting is a very good question, one worth seriously considering. Make K:A.

Taking 10 for 72

There's a few ways.

Mystra's direct intervention is possible, though highly unlikely in this case. If she personally wishes to intervene and support a person's magic, she could choose to.

Otherwise it has to be some sort of deific force. You're not really sure how, however, but it's surely a neat trick of some kind and likely worth a lot if you can figure it out or steal it, or some other such thing.

Chance to react to that if it matters, then the next post resolves the spell.

'Mystra, I don't suppose you're willing to show me the trick and help make thing even for Jessica?' Seira muses hopefully.

As you attempt to telepathically commune with Mystra, meanwhile? The hand grasps Jessica, but nothing happens. There's no obvious reaction as...

Fair warning, that sort of telepathic contact is a standard action to start with alter reality. Rarely matters out of combat.

Init is Liches (37) > Lixer Projection (34) > Jessica (30) > Elegy (22) > Seira Avatar (20) > Seira (19)

Go ahead go, Seira and avatar, I'll sort the other two out after some posts everywhere, trying to break up these big post blocks to keep everyone moving.

Time to break out her ace in the hole! Seira's grin grows unbearably smug, as she steps forward and breathes fire-- no, just one of the ghosts surrounding her does, while the other calls upon a sunburst where the liches and Lixer's image are located!

'Mystra, I don't suppose you're willing to show me the using magic while under dead magic trick and help make things even for Jessica?' a third Seira muses hopefully.

Mirror's Mimicry summons up 8 images of Seira. Three of them take their standard actions, the others will as well after this resolves. Seira has moved 40ft to be 50ft away from them.

[20:25] <@Seira> roll 20d10 ref DC18 half
[20:25] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 20d10 ref DC18 half --> [ 20d10=94 ]{94}
Mirror damage: 47

[20:26] <@Seira> roll 25d6 ref DC16 half
[20:26] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 25d6 ref DC16 half --> [ 25d6=85 ]{85}
Mirror damage: 42

> roll 1d20+25 liches
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+25 liches --> [ 1d20=17 ]{42}
> roll 1d20+30 projection
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+30 projection --> [ 1d20=11 ]{41}
> roll 1d20+25 liches
> roll 1d20+30 projection
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+25 liches --> [ 1d20=9 ]{34}
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+30 projection --> [ 1d20=11 ]{41}

Sunlight and fire baste them, only lightly injuring them as you hear, 'There are ways and means, but none you can realize so quickly to matter here.' Mystra's voice is a gentle pulse in your mind.

> roll 1d20+33 Jessica fort
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+33 Jessica fort --> [ 1d20=8 ]{41}

Whoops, forgot to paste Jessica's fort save. Doesn't change anything at the moment since she's warded.

So it's effective! That's all Seira needs to know to continue her attack, while her avatar stays near Jessica and launches a ranged one!

'I'll have to make an evening out of it some time in the near future, then,' Seira responds. 'In the meantime, could I trouble you to exert your power for my friend?'

Seira's breath weapon:
[20:39] <@Seira> roll 20d10 ref DC18 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 20d10 ref DC18 half --> [ 20d10=107 ]{107}
Mirror damage: 53

[20:40] <@Seira> roll 20d10 ref DC18 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 20d10 ref DC18 half --> [ 20d10=93 ]{93}
Mirror damage: 46

[20:40] <@Seira> roll 20d10 ref DC18 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 20d10 ref DC18 half --> [ 20d10=103 ]{103}
Mirror damage: 51

[20:40] <@Seira> roll 20d10 ref DC18 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 20d10 ref DC18 half --> [ 20d10=106 ]{106}
Mirror damage: 53

[20:40] <@Seira> roll 20d10 ref DC18 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 20d10 ref DC18 half --> [ 20d10=97 ]{97}
Mirror damage: 48

Breath recharge:
[20:43] <@Seira> roll 6#1d4
[20:44] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 6#1d4 --> [ 1d4=3 ]{3}, [ 1d4=4 ]{4}, [ 1d4=3 ]{3}, [ 1d4=2 ]{2}, [ 1d4=2 ]{2}, [ 1d4=2 ]{2}

Avatar casts Mirror's Mimicry as well, following it up with Quickened Arcane Spellsurge!
Avatar's Sunbursts:
[20:40] <@Seira> roll 25d6 ref DC16 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 25d6 ref DC16 half --> [ 25d6=68 ]{68}
Mirror damage: 34

[20:40] <@Seira> roll 25d6 ref DC16 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 25d6 ref DC16 half --> [ 25d6=84 ]{84}
Mirror damage: 42

[20:40] <@Seira> roll 25d6 ref DC16 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 25d6 ref DC16 half --> [ 25d6=84 ]{84}
Mirror damage: 42

[20:40] <@Seira> roll 25d6 ref DC16 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 25d6 ref DC16 half --> [ 25d6=96 ]{96}
Mirror damage: 48

[20:40] <@Seira> roll 25d6 ref DC16 half
[20:40] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 25d6 ref DC16 half --> [ 25d6=93 ]{93}
Mirror damage: 46

[20:41] <@Seira> roll 25d6 ref DC16 half
[20:41] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 25d6 ref DC16 half --> [ 25d6=88 ]{88}
Mirror damage: 44

[20:46] <@Seira> roll 25d6 ref DC16 half
[20:46] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 25d6 ref DC16 half --> [ 25d6=88 ]{88}
Mirror damage: 44

[20:46] <@Seira> roll 25d6 ref DC16 half
[20:46] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 25d6 ref DC16 half --> [ 25d6=91 ]{91}
Mirror damage: 45

[spoiler]
Seira's used resources: Nerveskitter x3, Twinned Seira's Unicorn Arrow, Quickened Twinned Seira's Unicorn Arrow, Tonic x2, Turning x1, Legerdemain x3, quickened twinned orb of fire, Mirror's Mimicry (8 images)
Avatar's used resources: Nerveskitter x2, Twinned Seira's Unicorn Arrow, Quickened Twinned Seira's Unicorn Arrow, Empowered Greater Fireburst, Tonic x1, Turning x2, quickened twinned orb of fire, Mirror's Mimicry (8 images), Quickened Arcane Spellsurge

Seira: 512+62/576
Seira's Avatar: 482+62/546
Unique/short duration spells (Seira): Many Moments of Prescience, Mind Blank, Greater Anticipate Teleport, Glorious Rally/Glaciante's Spiteful Ward (Divine), Pass Without Trace, Ghost Touch (Armor, Shield and Weapons), Freedom of Movement
Unique/short duration spells (Avatar): Many Moments of Prescience, Mind Blank, Celestial Valor/Glaciante's Spiteful Ward (Divine), Pass Without Trace, Ghost Touch (Armor, Shield and Weapons), Freedom of Movement

Armor Class: 101 (Touch AC 72)
Saves: Fort +72, Ref +74, Will +66
Damage reduction 15/adamantine and epic, immunity to acid, electricity and fire, immunity to paralysis and sleep, spell resistance 45, vulnerability to cold, energy resistance 30 (all), trapfinding, improved evasion, uncanny dodge, spell reflection
A deity is immune to polymorphing, petrification, or any other attack that alters her form. Any shape-altering powers she might have function normally on herself. She is not subject to energy drain, ability drain, ability damage and is immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects)

Protection against all mind-affecting spells and effects as well as information gathering by divination spells or effects (Mind Blank, Nondetection)
Never surprised or flat-footed (Foresight)
See through everything within a mile (darkvision, blindsight, low-light vision) (True Seeing)
Immunity to death effects, energy drain and negative energy/negative levels (Mass Death Ward)
Immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast)
Immunity to disease (via Miracle)
Gain 62 temp hp (Glorious Rally)
Immunity to dazzled and blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
1d4+6 spell levels are turned on original caster/spells that have you as a targets/not melee touch spells (Spell Turning)
Casts Heal on you if you are killed/taken to -30 or below (Fortunate Fate)

+9 untyped to init (Sign, Nerveskitter)
+10 sacred and morale bonus to attack rolls and weapon damage rolls; +2d6 holy damage (Glorious Rally, Celestial Valor)

+7 sacred and insight to AC and Reflex (Foresight, Shield of Warding)
+4 sacred bonus to AC and saving throws (Celestial Valor)
+6 morale bonus to AC and saving throws (Glorious Rally)
+5 morale to saving throws (Conviction)
+5 racial to natural armor (Spiderskin)
+2 morale to ability checks (Good Hope)
+4 morale to all skill checks (Greater Heroism)
+10 insight bonus to Perception (Vision of the Omniscient Eye)
+10 insight to all knowledge checks (Lore of the Gods)
+10 enhancement bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate (Voice of the Dragon)

Once the attack goes through, Seira calls upon her magic and speeds up beyond measure! Perhaps she actually does have the time to sort things through with Mystra like this, not to mention observe both the magic and the location she is in. While setting up delayed explosions to ruin the liches's day, of course.

Even in time stop, however, there's only so much time and so Seira prioritizes. First, she needs to figure out the deal with Lixer's image, and through which means it can be harmed, banished or banned from this location. Second, she needs to verify just what else is there in this room through her many and varied methods of detection, mundane and magical. That leads into the third, namely what her next move would be where it comes to reaching Zariel and freeing her.

Quickened Time Stop

[20:53] <@Seira> roll 1d4+1
[20:53] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d4+1 --> [ 1d4=2 ]{3}

The 8 images will be busy SLAing Delayed Blast Fireballs to go off the instant time returns to normal. Seira will moves into melee with the liches, while her spells that time would be:

Round 1
Standard: Consecrate the space occupied by the liches and Lixer's image in Seira's name!
Swift1: Quickened Arcane Spellsurge
Swift2: Moment of Prescience

Round 2:
Standard: Divine Favor
Swift1: Spell Enhancer
Swift2: Volcanic Genesis

Round 3
Standard: True Strike
Swift1: Holy Warrior (5 rounds)
Swift2: Dragonfire Wrath (10 rounds)

As a caveat, this changes if someone appears in Time Stop with Seira, or if she learns something important from the information she seeks out (or even if she needs to spend some standard actions on those checks). I'll roll the delayed blast fireballs once it's been resolved.

> roll 13#1d20 liches really jsut 1 checking here
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 13#1d20 liches really jsut 1 checking here --> [ 1d20=16 ]{16}, [ 1d20=16 ]{16}, [ 1d20=2 ]{2}, [ 1d20=15 ]{15}, [ 1d20=19 ]{19}, [ 1d20=9 ]{9}, [ 1d20=2 ]{2}, [ 1d20=17 ]{17}, [ 1d20=10 ]{10}, [ 1d20=17 ]{17}, [ 1d20=3 ]{3}, [ 1d20=3 ]{3}, [ 1d20=9 ]{9}
> roll 13#1d20 projection
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 13#1d20 projection --> [ 1d20=10 ]{10}, [ 1d20=4 ]{4}, [ 1d20=11 ]{11}, [ 1d20=2 ]{2}, [ 1d20=18 ]{18}, [ 1d20=6 ]{6}, [ 1d20=12 ]{12}, [ 1d20=6 ]{6}, [ 1d20=15 ]{15}, [ 1d20=12 ]{12}, [ 1d20=15 ]{15}, [ 1d20=3 ]{3}, [ 1d20=6 ]{6}

Blast after blast peppers both them, wrecking a steady but manageable toll on them. They're burnt and battered by it as...

'I cannot. Not there, not in the seat of Lixer's power.' Is Mystra's reply.

Going to proceed with casting time stop?

Yes.

When you cast consecrate...

Rank check.

[22:54] <@Seira> roll 1d20+1 Rei
[22:54] <Rei-chan> Seira rolled : 1d20+1 Rei --> [ 1d20=2 ]{3}

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

Consecrate fails. Does that change the rest of your time stop?

No

Okay, run me through all you have happening once the time stop ends.

As Seira returns to regular time in the midst of the liches, a hair's breadth from Lixer's image, dozens of fireballs erupt all over the group and a volcano opens up benath!

Lots of weaksauce fireballs and the third round of the Volcanic Genesis spell go off. Also, my priorities for while in Time Stop:
First, she needs to figure out the deal with Lixer's image, and through which means it can be harmed, banished or banned from this location. Second, she needs to verify just what else is there in this room through her many and varied methods of detection, mundane and magical. That leads into the third, namely what her next move would be where it comes to reaching Zariel and freeing her.

Do I need to run any checks here? I have actions to burn due to time stop.

One quick question I missed: are the delayed blast fireballs searing, goldenfire or otherwise resistance/immunity breaching?

My fire bypasses resistance and immunity, yes.

Okay, no evasion in play so rolling the saves isn't going to meaningfully matter here.

Fire. Massive detonations of fire erupt, scorching away the liches. They wail together as they are incinerated, the projection flickering out and fading entirely under such an assault. The ground bursts - as Noir Jardin shakes from head to toe. A tremendous impact, shaking everything and causing the ceilings to buckle.

"What?" Jessica hovers as cracks appear on the ground, the entire place shaking, burning lich bodies before you.

"The hell did you do!?" Elegy hops into the air, "That spell isn't that powerful...is it?"

> roll 1d100 meanwhile
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 26 > [d100=26]

Free act.

"A drop of water isn't much on its own, but enough of them would erode stone," Seira responds, sending to her allies on Avernus, 'We've taken the dungeons.'

The projection got toasted so is moot, but you can roll K:A on if if you like. Spellcraft as well, but make a caster level check on whatever you're using to scan it.

You can see a few doors in the back, unremarkable and mostly hidden by design. Subtle.

Third move? In theory, keep on going.

K:A 10 for 80, Spellcraft 10 for 80. It'd be nice to know what he was doing and how, etc.

CL:
21:18 <Lucille> roll 1d20+32
21:18 <Serith> Lucille roll for Serith < 49 > [d20=17]

"There are doors, here," Seira says, getting one while her avatar follows suit. "Jessica, pick a third, please."

It's a highly advanced, specialized, quasi real illusion. You can tell that much, but you can't scan it - he has powerful magic on, one that defeats your sensing magic.

Jessica flies to the third door, Elegy taking the fourth and last.

Behind you, your new born volcano spews out lava, rocks and gasses, spreading solidly. Elegy glances back, 'Yes, let's hurry,' he says.

'Yeah, it will keep growing endlessly,' Seira responds cheerfully, getting the door open. They've been vetted already for traps and hostile magic, after all.

Your door leads down to a stairway going down, twisting ahead.

Your avatar's door leads to a passage sloping up and out of sight.

'There-' That's all Elegy gets out before the ground quakes violently, a rush of sensation. BattleWarBloodHateDestruction!

...what was that?

BattleWarBloodHateDestruction!

You feel it, the sentiment pulsing in your mind, burning in your bones. Jessica goes stone still, "...Seira, what was that?"

"The spirit of Avernus? Zariel? Lixer throwing a tantrum?" Seira asks, flabbergasted. It also feels like it's time to try a divination again, and this time rather than rely on Find the Path she decides to overcharge her divine power by brute-forcing past Lixer's defenses while he is no doubt unbalanced.

I want to throw every standard action I have into Miracle emulating some divination to guide me to Zariel. Do I need to roll a lot of divine rank checks out of hope of beating Lixer?

"You tell me!" Elegy calls back, "I don't think this was part of the plan!"

"Alicia threw a ship against Noir Jardin," Jessica reports, "It might be related to that?"

But Seira can tell, she can feel it. Whatever it is, it is divine. Stirring, awakening.

Free.

A massive earthquake prevents immediate casting, the ground groaning violently.

As you cast, you get your answer.

Zariel is free. It is not too late for her. Hurry.

A moment later, you feel it. Below, a tremendous surge of energy, echoing through Avernus, so mighty as to be impossible to miss. Dead below you, the floor cracking more, the volcano rumbling, magma pulsing faster and faster within it. Hunks of floor are collapsing, dissolving as jets of pearly white and deep green flames incinerate them as they fall, erupting out in the room behind you.

'Zariel's free!' Seira sends off, hoping it's not her final communique.

"Zariel!" she calls out loud. "I am Seira Aryn! I'm here to rescue you!"

Do I think there's any sort of path to her, and do I think there's a safe path outside? If both are true, my avatar will grab Jessica and Elegy and take them away.

As you call out, more of the floor collapses, green fire and white flames erupting out. The entire structure shakes again, even more, hunks of ceiling starting to fall.

There's a safe path out - for now. That's probably about to change big time.

Come then, dragon. I am below.

Seira exchange a nod with her avatar, who already knows what is expected of her. As Seira hastens below, her other self picks Elegy and Jessica up in an image's arms and dashes back the way they came from!

Avatar goes to a new topic, we'll sort that out real quick there. Seira stays in here in the next post.

How are you heading below then, Seira?

'Glasya's fled, we'll engage the fortress to keep a path out open for you,' she sends to Seira and her other allies inside.

Before, the Miracles were SLAs and not really requiring concentration, so I'm hoping I was shown a path to Zariel. If the brute force attack hadn't worked, I'll pick the path that feels right and dash down it.

As an addendum, if only one of the four paths leads down I'll take that one barring brute-forcing telling me otherwise.

> roll 1d100
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 43 > [d100=43]

You hurry downstairs, rushing. You get a few dozen steps down before you have to stop - a gush of white flames and then green incinerates the stairs ahead of you, a chasm down left behind after. A groan of stone, as a hunk of ceiling falls at you a split second later.

Ref save you can't fail, so no roll.

You sidestep that almost absently, a wail of infernal fury coming from below. Flashes of green and white light, the pulsing energies strobing one another.

She had evaded electricity while fully submerged in water as a mortal. This is not enough to get Seira to break her stride! Her form twists and turns, wings changing direction seemingly at a whim, and it is as if Seira has eyes on the back of her head for nothing comes close to harming her. Yet the one thing she refuses to sacrifice is her speed in her rush to Zariel!

An easy leap, a dodge of more stone that has no chance of touching you. Here the stairs collapse again - completely gone.

Below is an inferno of green and white flames. In it half melted and collapsed rooms can be glimpsed - rooms of torture, rooms of treasure, room of magic, rooms of burning lore books. All of it you can only glimpse - for you see two. One is emaciated and humanoid, male. He wears pants of a fine, rich black and nothing else, clean-shaven face locked in a sneer. Green hellfire dances around him.

Opposite him is a torso, chest and head. The remnants of a once beautiful thing, scarred all over and with a single wing remaining. Blood drips from her body, her body bobbing in the air. She is nude for what little it matters, one eye gone and the other bloody. Her chest is torn open, her beating heart seen within her chipped rib cage. Divine magic and will flow, green fire against white. Amid the glow of that you note she has no hair left, only a head scarred and bleeding.

DieDIEDIEDIEDIE!

From the maimed angel torrents of white fire come, met, checked and slowly reversed by the emaciated man. Now that you have a moment, you can see he has small horns and his hands are closer to claws, twisted and bloodied things. He says not a word, his attention wholly on the remnant before him.

Chance to act.

Seira throws herself into one swift, overwhelming attack before she could be noticed! True, it is a folly to consider getting away with it in a divine realm, but Lixer is rather occupied at present and her ability to hide is not inconsiderate. And act Seira does!

I'm blitzing him. Taking 10 for stealth 105 (two images aiding me). Does it go through or do I need to roll init?

Go for it.

Dragon's Grace leads the way out of the shadows cast by the oppressive green hellfire and Zariel's fiery defiance! Lixer is a god with a god's senses, but so is Seira and the very plane looks away from her as she stalks towards its master. Harmful energies fill the air with a dangerous lattice of exotic death, but she is a leaf on the wind. Lixer is some manner of undead, but the spark charging up Seira's hand was made to deal with that. He cannot be surprised, surely -- but she's trained excessively to make such protections moot.

A small fire elemental forms out of the blasts of fire thrown about, no doubt as confused about its existence as Lixer for the briefest of moments it distracts the Prince of Hell during Seira's final lunge for his unprotected spine!

22:59 <Lucille> roll 1d20+57+13+5+2+4+30+12 impromptu sneak attack, many moments of prescience, holy warrior, divine might, dragonfire wrath, lvl12 arcane strike
22:59 <Serith> Lucille roll for Serith < 128 > [d20=5]
Attack bypasses Dex

23:01 <Lucille> roll 1d6+86+17d6+13+12d4+3d8+1d6
23:01 <Serith> Lucille roll for Serith < 217 > [d6=3,2,2,5,3,3,2,3,4,4,4,3,5,3,4,5,4,2][d4=3,3,4,3,4,2,4,4,4,4,1,3][d8=8,3,2][d6=5]

Also attempted to dispel him
23:00 <Lucille> roll 1d20+32 dispel
23:00 <Serith> Lucille roll for Serith < 35 > [d20=3]

Other swift action is assay spell resistance on Lixer.

"Hi!" Seira announces her presence at last, unable to restrain her genuine cheer despite the place she finds herself in. "I've been waiting to meet you for two decades, now, Zariel! Let's beat this upstart till he runs crying to Asmodad and get you out of this hellhole~"

Her images nod their agreement eagerly, channeling Greater Restoration into the mutilated angel while one tries to consecrate this place -- it's bound to work eventually, Seira reasons -- and the last one imbues Seira herself with True Strike.

Images are hard at work to diss Lixer and romance diplo Zariel!

Maybe consecrate will work this time?

23:13 <Lucille> roll 1d20+1
23:13 <Serith> Lucille roll for Serith < 12 > [d20=11]

Sandalphon's Amazing Barrage was the spell sacrificed in arcane strike.

Your strike is true - your blade plunges into Lixer's back. It is utterly lifeless, skin resisting far more than it should. With a hissing grunt he utters, "Seira Aryn. For this you die." He bleeds lightly from the wound, flesh difficult to cut through, even with a weapon of your caliber. There's no visible reaction to the dispelling as...

Your images meanwhile channel healing energy into Zariel. It doesn't have any visible effect on her, but you swear the white flames around her grow a little brighter, and after a moment, you see you're wrong. The bleeding is slowing, becoming a trickle down her, the white flames rallying against Lixer's.

> roll 1d20+4 Lixer
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 6 > [d20=2]
> roll 1d20+1 Zariel
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 3 > [d20=2]

Perhaps for a moment things are consecrated for you - but it doesn't last, the two fires consuming it instantly.

But in this moment, Lixer wounded and Zariel surging that...

Init.

Trying to consecrate a Lord of the Nine's domain is a bit of a reach to begin with, to put it lightly, but one where unholy energies of this magnitude are flying? It's just not happening even if you get it through, it's like dropping an ice cube in a lava flow. But as they say, it was more than worth a shot with the images anyway.

08:00 <Lucille> roll 1d20+11
08:00 <Serith> Lucille roll for Serith < 29 > [d20=18]

It's about bothering Lixer and using the moment to heal Zariel better. Also, forgot to add +7 to the damage of that attack on Lixer.

"None of what happened to you was right," Seira tells the angel she came here to save, dismissing Lixer's whining. "I'm hoping to put a small dent in that by getting you out of here and us taking things from there. Sounds like a plan, Zariel?"

> roll 1d20+9 Zariel
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 20 > [d20=11]

Init is Lixer (Supreme Init) > Seira (29) > Zariel (20)

Zariel's one bloodied eye focuses on you a moment as...

Lixer turn to you is slow, "Do you wish to die here, Seira?"

Go ahead and react to this, his action will depend on your reply or lack thereof.

"Not in the slightest," Seira responds cheerfully. "Then again, I'm not the one to die for real if things go south here, am I? I'll let you leave and lick your wounds if you like, I never cared about you. I just want to help Zariel." She shrugs. "You're just not worth the effort to exterminate, Lixer."

A flare of malevolent power gathers around Lixer, enough to shake everything around you. The white flames rally even more at this moment, before....

Lixer is casting a spell that will tear your body apart and do horrid damage, as well as curse it to be unable to be healed. Going to try and counter?

I cannot counterspell that! However! I have:

Spell Turning (please roll for the amount)
Spell Reflection (rogue ACF)
Aegis defense: The most powerful aspect of the shield is it's ability to reflect lines, cones and rays. Any such attack targeted at the user has a 50% chance of being harmlessly deflected away. As this is not an illusion or displacement effect, True Seeing has no effect on this miss chance. Normal ranged attacks like arrows are not affected.

And also Mirror Image with Mind Blank and Nondetection, so good luck telling the real me apart I guess?

Spell turning is breached, something innate to the spell.

Spell Reflection is only relevant if it requires an attack roll and misses, so it will noted in that event.

The only upside is that the spell is a line, so that does apply. Lemme roll it.

> roll 1d100 vs 50
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 64 > [d100=64]

Line's big enough to cover all of you so mirror image isn't relevant. SR first.

> roll 1d20 will do the math as needed
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 18 > [d20=18]

No math needed. Fort.

[19:29] <@UnacceptableMustard> roll 1d20+76
[19:29] <Serith> UnacceptableMustard roll for Serith < 86 > [d20=10]

-3 so 83

How big is the distance between Lixer and Zariel, btw? And is Lixer bothered when he's challenged by my avatar and forced to do rank checks?

Perhaps 30ft apart.

Perhaps mildly due to his focus, but that sorta thing is basically automatic for a deity.

600 damage, halved to 300 damage. OW. At least you survived his big gun.

Agony. Your skin is rent, body torn and flesh ripped - but you endure, survive, casting off a darkness that threatens to consume you. Lixer looks on and with a sneer - vanishes. He's gone? You don't see him any more, the green flames starting to flow upward as everything begins to violently shake, as if in an apocalyptic earthquake.

Free act.

Seira sneers back at him twice as smugly, before turning a bright smile on Zariel. "Now's our chance," she says, offering her hand while her images restore her to perfect health. The manic smile mellow as she gazes upon her, drifting closer. "I don't know what the future brings, but what I do know is that it can be as bright as we want it to be. I'm sort of an authority on the matter. Take a chance on me?"

Five images use Heal on me which brings me up to normal even with the ratio loss. The other three join Seira herself in using Greater Restoration on Zariel.

Make a Diplo check, +7 bonus?

Let's be friends!

[20:16] <@UnacceptableMustard> roll 1d20+47+10+3+4+4+7+15+1 diplo
[20:16] <Serith> UnacceptableMustard roll for Serith < 105 > [d20=14]

Zariel eyes you, one good eye taking you in.

Come to me.

The remnant of Zariel's gaze is impressive somehow, even like this. Boring into you like a drill, commanding without a word.

Come to me.

"I'm taking that as agreement and picking you up so we can get out of here and restore your body properly," Seira responds. Her images spawn eight celestials who are given orders to grab whatever shiny thing they see in Lixer's treasury, but her focus is on Zariel as she carefully picks up her torso. "Let's get back to my friends. They want to meet you, too!"

The moment you touch Zariel, you feel yourself beginning to be teleported, that wordless and movementless sensation of being moved, of traveling vastly in a split-second.

Going to do anything about it or go along with it?

[20:50] <@UnacceptableMustard> roll 1d20+38+4+15 sense motive
[20:50] <Serith> UnacceptableMustard roll for Serith < 58 > [d20=1]

All you can sense is a hunch, a feeling she wants to get out of here.

'Lixer's fled after facing me and Zariel,' Seira sends to the others, letting the teleportation take place. The summoned angels will plane shift to the Cauldron's entrance with their ill-gotten gains if they can manage it, that's all up to them now. 'She is teleporting us. Wish me luck! I'm hopeful.'

Sometimes Seira needs to remind herself that she stands for hope, but once she does so it's easy to go all in and bet on a good outcome!

Just in time - you hear a woosh of flames above, as suddenly you're wretched, thrown. The Astral. The Silver Sea is before you, still and silent as a tomb. Zariel floats there a few moments, gasping out a single rattling, dry breath. "F-free..." she manages, "Ughwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" A great, deep throated cry as you feel divinity surge and flee out of her as...

> roll 1d20+1
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 8 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+32
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 37 > [d20=5]

A single arm regrows, half exposed bone and rippling muscle, but it reforms. Zariel manages a throaty gasp as the feeling of divinity from her lessens and lessens, barely a spark at all.

"Fight it!" Seira urges, already at Zariel's side. She cradles her carefully, focusing all of her divine might on helping. Around them, one of the images summons a metal surface to fill in the blankness of Astral, while another consecrates it in Seira's name, empowering it. Two more channel a restorative and a healing spell, respectively, while the remaining four support Seira by each appropriating an elementary nature.

Balanced between the four primary elements, Seira draws harmony from them and into herself, and through her own divine spark into Zariel's. "You can do great things. Go back to your origins, think on how you first started. It's the same thing, Zariel. Reform yourself, draw in the power that is yours, the power that will let you do so much good for Creation once more! Follow my lead and make yourself whole!"

Seira will try to help Zariel regain her power and heal her body, mind and soul. The latter is more important than a power boost, however, if we would need to pick one.

Also, if Zariel is going to be making saves, I'll use the paladin ACF Stand Fast for her.

You do what you can, healing her up and away. Yet whatever it is, it is utterly inexorable. Zariel collapses once done, divine power barely a spark at all. Her eyes close, going still, silent.

You can feel it like this - her soul, her spirit, everything is in horrible shape, frayed, ruined. She's alive only by will and the last gasps she got out of her divinity before it was tugged away entirely. To say she'll need specialized help now is an understatement.

No saves but a fair idea. Zariel's fucked up and has been fucked up for some time due to lots of things. The fact that she's alive is a small miracle as it is, as well as helping her survive her encounter with Lixer.

"Don't worry, I've got you," Seira tells Zariel warmly, brushing a stray hair from her face. And then she plane shifts from Astral to Ilmater's domain in Celestia, committing a terrible faux pas that she nevertheless feels will be excused due to circumstances.

As you go to teleport, a gate opens, the rest of the party tumbling through.

Empress Sulia cleanses herself with a minute bit of will, "Success," she exhales, "Is everyone well?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Donald says, "Seira, you o-geez, she looks worse than I did after those bearded devils got me."

Latha flies to your side, "That's Zariel? There's barely anything of her left."

"I did what I could!" Seira protests. "She looks a lot better now, let me tell you--" Shaking her head resolutely, she says, "Nevermind that now, I was going to head straight for Ilmater's realm. Let's all go, between you, Sulia, and Ilmater, we should save Zariel's soul and reknit her body."

Alicia heals herself with spellfire on that note, fixing up her leg from where it got shot by Glasya's stupid boat. At least the wound is proportionately pretty small now!

Seeing Zariel looks to be unconscious, she only nods and then smiles at Seira. "Good job. We did it, didn't we?"

At Seira's suggestion to visit Celestia she nods her agreement and opens a Gate to Ilmater's realm. "We do prevail on his hospitality a lot, but the cause is just."

"Zariel's going home at last," Seira agrees with an answering smile to Alicia, stepping through.

A rolling field before a castle keep. Unremarkable enough, yet the feeling is enough. A feeling of warmth, a feeling of overwhelming peace. It hits all of you as you stand in the House of the Triad, a moment of recovery.

But only a moment.

Farther away great flocks of celestials appear, as your eyes are drawn up. Chronias.

Chronias shines bright and true, capturing your attention. Peace. Joy. Completion. You feel all three for a moment.

Latha looks up and stares, tears glistening in her eyes. "Oh!" she gasps, staring openly.

Donald looks up and shakes his head slowly, "Hey, you got the wrong guy, I'm play for the other team!"

Empress Sulia looks up, expression cool, neutral.

Jessica looks up as well, enraptured, "Why?" she murmurs.

Then another. He strides forward, a hale and hearty man in his late middle age, a long  white beard beard and hair flowing freely. He wears well made and kept armor. If not for a stump in place of a hand, he would be unmarred. Tyr approaches you, "Greetings and well met. Explain this," he says, gaze on Zariel. "Mangled as she is, I do not sense repentance in her soul."

Alicia draws herself up. "Tyr, well met," she greets him. "You know Seira and I were given the task of judging Daa-vid, a task that was denied to us after we ascended to join you as Gods. Be that as it may, we learned much of what transpired during the war of the God-King. Torm's fall, and Zariel's fall that precipitated it. Ever we considered it an injustice, for Zariel to be cast down into hell merely for losing herself to Daa-vid's control. Now," she gestures at the comatose figure in Seira's arms. "We have a chance to discover more. To perhaps render judgement on her if not Daa-vid. Where better to start than her old home?"

"Well met," Seira echoes Alicia. "I agree with every word, and to Alicia's argument I would like to add another. It would have been too easy to break Zariel free of her chains and have her spontaneously recognize all her past mistakes. But we're not afraid of some hard work ahead, and I know you feel the same, or we wouldn't have come here. This is our chance, both to make up to Zariel for the injustices done to her, and to go above and beyond to save her soul. Nothing would make us happier than to see you be part of it, and we would all be the better for this."

Make a Diplo check there, Alicia, +7 bonus. Seira, feel free to aid Alicia's check or make your own check.

[20:32] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+60 diplo
[20:32] <Serith> Ebiris roll for Serith < 70 > [d20=10]

[22:32] <@UnacceptableMustard> roll 1d20+49+4+10+15
[22:32] <Serith> UnacceptableMustard roll for Serith < 92 > [d20=14]

"If you can waken her to speak for herself," Tyr says, solemnly. "She is wounded deeply, profoundly."

"I confess that was another reason for us to come here, in case specialist aid was needed. But we're not helpless in that regard. Empress Sulia, can you have a proper look at her now we're safely away from Hell?" she asks their companion.

"I must have misunderstood you, because it sounds cruel under the circumstance," Seira says with an uneasy mix of respect and concern. "Zariel is not in condition for this. Even if her fate was to be imprisoned in Celestia, I don't expect for undue suffering to be visited upon her. Certainly not here! Won't you take my word as guarantee for her own, until she is well enough to awaken and speak herself?"

"Yes, let her at least not suffer, not even this is..." Sulia comes forward, resting a hand on Zariel's body - and another appears over hears. A gnarled, broken hand, a broken-bodied man there. The two share a momentary look, Sulia's face reddening along with Ilmater's pained, twisted face.

Alicia discreetly averts her eyes as Sulia and Ilmater share a tender moment.

"It happens to the best of us," Seira mutters, resisting the urge to shuffle in place. "But please, don't let it keep you from trying again."

For a moment two pairs of eyes meet and then Empress Sulia merely says, "By all means, Ilmater," she murmurs.

In a broken, rasping voice, soft-spoken, "I can dull her pain, but she would need remarkable steps to ever recover from this state. She used the last of the divinity she had to save her life, but only just managed it."

With his strong and yet bloodied arms, Ilmater takes Zariel in his arms, like a baby carried by a parent. Her expression smooths over at that, "Sulia, Alicia, Seira. Walk with me," he says, starting to wander away, in a shuffling, limping gait.

"Wait here Latha, please," Alicia asks before she follows Ilmater, just a step behind on his left and matching his pace.

Seira nods to Donald and after a long look at Tyr, follows suit. Her mind reaches out to Amaryl, and she relays, 'We got out, all of us. Mission is a success. We're currently on Celestia, so let Elle know not to worry.' At her avatar's prompting, she adds mischievously, 'And please check if anything nice got plane shifted near the entrance.'

"Of course," Latha says, letting it go at that.

Donald returns the nod and waits.

'I'm relieved to hear it,' Amaryl sends back. 'I'll let everyone know. Oh, Emily dropped by to pick something up from her room, she sends her love.'

Sulia follows at Ilmater's side, the four of you walking. In a step the bustle of before is gone, as you walk amid a forest now. It is sun-dappled and peaceful, bird song a constant refrain.

"Zariel is trapped because she needs her soul restored, but it cannot be restored so long as her divine nature is damaged. Her divine nature cannot be restored, because her soul is damaged. To repair both requires repairing both of them at the same time, together."

As Ilmater walks, his body breaks. Sores appear and heal, bones snap and mend, cuts bleed and seal, burns blister and fade. Despite his shambling walk, none of this stops him and he carries Zariel without the slightest shaking of his arms. Empress Sulia lays a hand on Ilmater's shoulder, expression pained.

Alicia of course feels admiration for Ilmater's stoicness and willingness to endure the pain of others so they won't have to. They took advantage of it once before when Saul laboured under that Balor's curse as well, and she hopes she can repay his efforts somehow.

"I know that Zariel was the foremost among Torm's champions before. Is her divinity wholly from her time as Lord of Avernus, or did she possess the spark before?" she asks. Quasi-powers are a thing after all.

Ilmater and Sulia share a look, long and inconclusive. Nothing is said, but Sulia's hand stays where it is.

"No, but only because of Ao's judgment," Ilmater shakes his head, voice cracking with his bones, shivering with frostburn. Hunks of him vanish only to regrow in an instant, "There are many worthy quasi powers or even demi powers who will never have the chance. Zariel was one. Many are not willing to risk eternity as a hunefer should Ao rule against them. Your recent elevations are because the risk and the inevitable losses are unavoidable, so that we may oppose Shar more fully. Alicia, Mystra would have long mourned were you condemned to that fate. To invest in one so far, to grow close to them, to support them and to see them condemned, beyond the aid of any? That is a pain that wounds not the body, but the soul."

Looking up, towards the ever-present light of Chronias, "Before the Incarnation of Law vanished, it was different. Rarer as Creation was far more youthful and growing, but far more likely to succeed. Should one Incarnation reject, another could be appealed to for mercy or a reversal of the judgment. It was seen as a temporary chastisement, one that would be reversed in good time by another Incarnation. But as the Incarnations grow ever more distant and the Incarnation of Law has left us, it only Ao's judgment left."

"A cold, cruel judgment," Sulia declares, voice firm. "I would have rather suffered oblivion than become a hunefer."

"Ao's judgment is not all bad. Ao allowed you to rise," Ilmater's pained expression manages the faintest smile. Sulia's own expression softens at that.

"Then there's things like the child of Malcanthet and Talos, the Neverborn..." Alicia says, face twisting in disgust. "But we're digressing..." she too looks up at Chronias and her expression smooths out. "So we're still left with the issue of how to heal Zariel's soul and her divinity. I know magic can't touch on matters of the divine, so it won't be a matter of finding the right spell, will it?"

"I tried to do what I could," Seira voices. "It was a first of a kind situation for me, so I tried to stabilize her divine spark and soul with an elemental harmony ritual, supported with healing magic. I can manage a small amount of it, after all. But I only managed to stop the bleeding and help Zariel regrow an arm, and even then I suspect that was mostly her own effort. Is there anything to be done now? It hasn't been that long, and I can take us to the exact spot on Astral where it happened. Perhaps between all of us, we could manage something?" She frowns, adding, "The only other idea I had was to contact her soul directly through a souped-up derivative of Dream. And it still seems likelier to work than appealing our case to an Incarnation."

Snapping her fingers, Seira asks, "Hey, how about a quick and dirty fix? Say one of us makes Zariel a proxy? Would that jump-start the divine spark in her?"

Alicia's eyes travel to Chronias, the light soothing her. Calmness fills her, worries seeming far more manageable now.

"It is beyond magic," Ilmater concurs, "Your idea has merit Seira, but with the state her soul is in, she could not handle being a proxy of anything but an evil power. Unless she repented sincerely before it and began to atone." Looking down at Zariel as she rests, still as a statue, "Additionally, the proxy spark used will be consumed to restore Zariel. No, you would need the proxy spark of an evil deity. Additionally, you would need to be able to restore her soul at the same time."

"Then how do we do those things?" Empress Sulia asks.

Ilmater's body blisters, an eye bulging before it repairs, thousands of slices appearing across his body.

"You must find and slay the proxy of another power - and know that the other deity will be watching and will likely interfere as they can," Ilmater begins, "Then wrest the proxy spark from the other power in a battle of divine wills. Should you win that battle, the spark will stay with you. Fail and it returns to the deity and you must begin anew."

Empress Sulia inclines her head forward, gently squeezing Ilmater's shoulder. For one moment he seems to relax slightly and Sulia shudders, but it passes.

"For the other, have you yet been taught how souls are incarnated?" Ilmater inquires.

Alicia mutely shakes her head. Transmigrating souls she knows all about, having learned much in Celestia and of course seeing to her own faithful in Sylica over the years. But not how a soul is made to begin with.

"Then I will explain it." Ilmater begins, "It is a three part system: The man, the woman, and life itself. On conception, part of the man and woman's spirit is drawn in as a tiny amount of positive energy is generated by the act. A tiny sliver of soul, a harmless loss, combined with this to form a soul. This soul sleeps and grows within the child who sleeps within his mother. To repair the soul you need the same three part act, but different. You need a portal to the Positive Energy Plane, modified carefully to provide exactly the right amount of energy to the ritual workings. Too little and it will fail, too much and it will consume the heavily damaged soul."

Ilmater's form shudders grandly, as if a great spasm of pain was wracking him. Nonetheless he does not stop nor does his voice shake.

"You must combine that with two donors, who will give a tiny fragment of their soul. It must be done willingly and it must be done by creatures who have a deep similarity to the damaged soul. It need not be any one thing, but it must be a strong resonation. An artist to repair an artist, a celestial to repair a celestial, a young man to repair a young man. It need not be a man and woman, unlike typical mortal conception. With the proper donation, the portal and the ritual, the proxy spark must be pushed into Zariel at the same time. The ritual to repair the soul must be modified to account for this, so that such a thing does not destroy it - impossible but to one of us, no mortal would have the understanding of the divine to do so."

For someone similar to Zariel... a fallen celestial? She'd rather one that rose again afterwards of course but even that difference could ruin her. "Oraga, perhaps?" she murmurs to Seira. "Or... did any of Torm's servants stay here rather than follow to the Abyss?"

Ilmater nods at this, as you come to a great pine tree. It grows high and higher yet, far above the canopy. Here he kneels and places Zariel down, branches coming forth to cover her nudity - as it is, anyway.

"Zariel used to enjoy seeing to and creating forests, once on a time," Ilmater says, "Rest here in a reverie of the past, Zariel, for ones of the light are willing to speak for you." Slowly Ilmater rises after that and continues. "Alansar, who still styles himself as a Knight of Torm. He is the most prominent."

"Could I be used for this?" Seira asks after a brief hesitation. "Waukeen's never deserted me, but I've always felt I could sympathize with her. Especially after what I went through to rescue my dad. I don't know if I'm projecting my own reasons for my actions at the time, but I feel I could understand her. Certainly enough to try and get through to her to return her to the right path. Does it matter at all?"

"It may be possible," Ilmater says, "The strength of a connection can change as well. In preparing the ritual, you will be able to ascertain if a connection can be used or not."

"I suppose our next move should be to identify a target proxy from one of our enemies. Is it alright for Zariel to stay here for now? I presume she won't awaken without this healing, but..." she glances back to where they spoke with Tyr, "I wouldn't want to cause upset either."

"Can she perceive anything as she is?" Seira asks, having planned on staying near.

"She'll be fine and safe here, as much as she can." Ilmater replies.

"Then I trust you for that," Empress Sulia finally lets go of his shoulder and turns back to the two of you. "I'll be glad to help you with this. Perhaps we can have our servants and faithful compile information and present us likely targets?"

"The target is Shar," Seira immediately says. "Targets of opportunity are fine, of course, but we should focus our efforts on her."

"A good idea, thank you for your support," Alicia smiles at Sulia. "And you, Ilmater. I know Zariel may be unworthy, she may have willingly ruled a layer of Hell... but if she only fell because of Daa-vid's power, then there must be a way back for her."

"Be well - and triumph, for suffering lies ahead on all roads. Make it mean something," Ilmater says, "That your suffering may be holy and meaningful, rather than meaningless pain."

Okay, we're nearing the end of this adventure. What's your immediate moves here, y'all? Going to head home or stay together for now?

Lets split up back home to handle immediate repercussions then we can meet up with Sulia again later someplace to figure out targets for proxy-raiding.

Works

Sounds like a plan. Disclaimer: There will be some downtime and RP focused stuff before the next big move here, I do like to pattern it and both of you could use it. So don't go expecting to race off after this immediately, you'll have a bit of time for other things.

Topic locked, new ones incoming.