Okay, you were talking about combat, Seira?
I was thinking of asking Selune if there's anything I could do to help, but if we have an idea about one of Shar's proxies I'll pursue that instead.
Gimme a quick K:R check, I'll factor that into some other things here.
I'll take 10 and go all out, so that's Greater Heroism, Divine Insight, Greater Improvisation and Guidance of the Avatar for 155.
'Seira,' Donald sends to you, 'I think our new spymaster has a lead with the information you provided to help.'
And after a check where Donald is and ensuring she's not stepping into any intimate situations, Seira appears before him!
With Donald is Joyn, who sits and rests. "My Great Lady," he greets, "I come bearing profitable news."
"Excellent! Let's hear it" Seira says cheerfully, forming a comfortable armchair to sink into.
"I had a contact with Hope's Landing's spymaster," Joyn explains, "At least I think that's her role, such matters are concealed - but never mind it. We put pieces together and noticed a cube of Acheron where evidence suggests Sharrans may be gathering for an unknown purpose. I did not know where, until you provided the last piece to solve the puzzle."
"I have?" Seira asks in surprise. She's done a lot, but she can't really think of anything Shar-related lately. Maybe it was during her regular research?
"Of course you have, as you surely planned," Joyn says agreeably, "It reminds me of how superior and fearsome your golden mind is."
"We can put it down to a happy coincidence and a lot of hard work," Seira tells him. "I'll take credit for work done, but putting it all together was all you. Take pride in your accomplishments~"
"Thank you, my lady," Joyn rises and bows towards you. "To Hope's Landing's spymaster as well, her work aided me as well, and no doubt that realm will hear of this soon."
Seira nods her agreement.
"This cube is lost in Ocanthus - far larger than the ones normally that deeply in, and it seems to elude travelers who seek it," Joyn continues. "It's known as the Pilgrim's Folly, because those who seek it are usually shredded apart by other cubes instead."
"Do we have an idea what the Sharrans are doing there, or if there's any movement from the Hells in the area?"
A headshake, "Only that whispers speak of an elite Sharran who has gone there, but the cowards in the shadows hesitate to name them."
"Well then, we'll have to go and take a look ourselves," Seira muses. "Donald, the two of us and Amaryl... maybe invite Ranbar as well?"
"Yeah," Donald agrees, "I could use a good fight, how about you?"
"It's just what I need. Thanks again, Joyn!"
With a pleased smile, Seira disappears to prepare for departure.
Let's go! All combat loadout spells will be precast by an avatar on the four of us before we leave.
For reference, NPC spells (CL 37):
Overall: Glorious Rally [A, 1min/lvl], Celestial Valor [A, 1min/lvl]
Defensive: Foresight [10min/lvl], Visions of the Future [1hr/lvl], Dragonskin [10min/lvl]
Perception Modes and Protections: True Seeing [1min/lvl], Vision of the Omniscient Eye [1min/lvl], Detect Scrying [24hr], Greater Arcane Sight [1min/lvl]
Movement Modes and Protections: Freedom of Movement [10min/lvl], Pass Without Trace [1hr/lvl]
Skill Checks: Voice of the Dragon [10min/lvl], Greater Heroism [1min/lvl]
Ability Checks: Good Hope [1min/lvl]
Immunities and Resistances: Mind Blank [A, 24hr], Nondetection [1hr/lvl], Mass Death Ward [1min/lvl], Heroes's Feast [12hr]
Esoteric Boosters: Fortunate Fate [10min/lvl], Spell Turning [10min/lvl]
That all sounds good. How are you planning to get to where you need to get?
Greater plane shift, we'll start by trying for 3000ft away.
No good, blocked cleanly.
Tossing on a few stealth spells, Seira aims for a mile out this time.
Ting. Still nothing.
Seira keeps trying, incrementing by a mile each time.
Up to 10 miles, nothing. At this point your lore tells you that something more than a typical teleport block is interfering. It may be in an area that simply interferes with teleportation or more abnormal effects are in play.
Well then. Seira decides to spend a few moments focusing on the issue at hand.
Super-buffed Knowledge 155 check for how/where to travel to get there.
Something's blocking, obviously. In this case your best guess is that the cube currently is (and may be anchored in) somewhere that simply blocks teleportation over a wide radius, likely through a psychic storm on the corresponding place on the Astral or a large dead magic area. A large area of severed astral links is also always a possibility when a deity's involved.
Your lore lets you know that it doesn't feel like a psychic storm, one that large would have signs and you haven't noticed them. Dead magic is possible you suppose, or the links. In this case your best play would be to get to Ocanthus, find out where it's been last seen and search from there.
There's also the possibility that Shar's personally involved with an avatar or her true form. In that case all bets are off.
"What do you think? Try our luck at Ocanthus?"
Amaryl considers before, "It's our best option to pursue this. Our only problem if that if it turns out Shar is there. We may be in an impossible situation then with no easy way of escape."
"That's where you're wrong," Donald grins, "That just means Shar's trapped with us!"
"We could just send avatars, though," Seira muses. "In fact, let's give ourselves a handicap and do that!"
"Far safer," Amaryl says, but glances over, "But that's just the two of us who plausibly have avatars now."
"Ah well. Ranbar, what do you say? We can leave Donald behind~"
Ranbar considers quietly before, "I'll come, Seira, for you."
Donald grinds, "Well, that'll make four of us," he decides, "No way I'll let you go alone."
"Look at it that way. Zaphkiel left it up to us, in the end. If Shar doesn't know you have an avatar, this is our ace if we need one. If she already does, no secrets were lost."
Donald sits back and considers before, "Well," he says at last, "It would be a nice surprise for her, then."
And then Seira transports their avatars (and Ranbar) over to Ocanthus!
Avatar work in progress. It's only down to DvR0 now so I can express it by penalties rather than a full stat block.
Dark. Cold. Countless needles and shards of metal fly about here, a vast array constantly moving through the air. You appear on a larger shard, enough for the four of you to stand. It's like a storm of fragments of razors unfolds around all of you, and you have a front row seat to take it all in.
[spoiler]
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 648/648
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 890/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Seira tries to see if she can make a variant on spells the likes of Antilife Shell to form a spherical shell repelling metal instead via Miracle.
That's not too hard to work out, sure. As you do that Ranbar looks around whilst Donald adds, "Charming place. Great place to get a shave."
Amaryl glances sidelong at him, "Spoken like a human."
With a little smile at that, as Donald reaches up to rub his chin, "Beards can be nice. Imagine Seira with one, don't you think that would fit her?"
"Not a fan of beards," Seira notes. "Ranbar, pick our direction for us?"
Ranbar does so, pointing ahead and taking off, "What's our plan, Seira?"
"We're jumping into something that we're fairly in the dark about. The only reason we even got a lead is a lot of hard work and a bit of luck at the right moment. That means we've got to capitalize on it, but don't actually know how, yet. So we're going to snoop, and improvise once we're onto something tangible."
"And hope to find it and hope to get lucky," Donald says, "I should've brought some elf bread, it's great when you go fishing."
Amaryl smiles ever so faintly, "We'll catch something much more impressive than a salmon or river bass should we succeed."
"One important bit? Since we're improvising, the moment you think of a better approach, speak up. The worst thing for us is to fall for the sunk cost fallacy. Even if it feels like we've wasted our time, a better idea is a better idea."
"Better is better," Ranbar agrees as you take off.
So going to search around for the location you need and work from there?
Yes
Awesome, give me a few things. Give me Perception, K:P and also a d100.
19:11 <Corwin> roll 1d100
19:11 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 99 > [d100=99]
K:P 10 for 114, Perception 10 for 114
You begin to fly.
The emptiness of this place is only matched by the deadliness. Countless razor blades are stopped by your application of divine will. As if you are nothing but meat to the butcher, held back only through your power.
"Shit," Donald mutters to himself.
"Donald?" Amaryl turns as you fly, "Is something wrong?"
"Yeah," With a scowl, "Who charges a gelugon with only a rusty dagger? There's gambles and then there's being stupid!" Throwing his hands up, "He couldn't even slay a gelugon fully equipped, and his companion got herself killed, too. I think Lathander had hopes for her."
"That's terrible," Ranbar murmurs, a hand to her mouth. "I'm so sorry."
Meanwhile you spy something ahead. A great wiggling mass, something as dark as everything else here, but that stands out to your superb vision. It's over two miles away. It almost looks like a worm.
"How about you offer to resurrect the companion?" Seira proposes. "Could ask Lathander if you'd handle it and give her a second chance."
"I'll ask, I guess," Donald says, "How often do you do resurrections, Seira?"
"When the death is unfair or my follower is unfulfilled with it, plus whenever I'm asked, of course. You won't find someone more liberal than me with resurr-- wait there's Shar."
Pressing her lips together, Seira points in the distance. "I think there's something over there?"
"Really?" Ranbar asks curiously.
That stops them as attention turns, "I see it now," Amaryl points, "Whatever is it?"
Amaryl takes 10 on Spot.
"Oh yes. I believe in second chances, and I like people to help other mortals. Our bigger, planar issues are not the only ones we should help with, after all!"
"That true, but what is that?" Amaryl frowns. "I've heard of strange predators in this place like this, but I'm not that familiar with this layer. I hear that they're almost impossible to cut."
Amaryl takes 10 on K:P.
"A worm?"
I already got my KP of 114. Do I actually know anything?
You've heard of creatures like this. Like Amaryl said, predators almost impossible to slice open. This one is called a Ragnovar, a hunting worm that devours any creature it comes on in these depths. They have no need to eat, just an overwhelming compulsion to do so nonetheless.
Ragnovar are immune to cold as well as fire, and are highly resistant to acid, electricity and sonic. Bladed weapons fail against them completely. A bludgeoning weapon or force damage works best. When pressed, they can emit a pseudo breath weapon by throwing up all the razor sharp shards they've swallowed to slice opponents to ribbons.
"Bludgeoning or force is best, though acid, electricity and sonic might do the trick in quantity. Forget about using swords."
Donald mutters something unkind.
"Then let's be ready if it comes for us," Amaryl checks her bow and arrows, ready for it.
Plan here assuming it comes for the party, since y'all have range?
Celestial Valor+Glorious Rally for +10 to everything combat. I'll go punch it.
How close are you going to get before going into attack mode is what I really want to know here.
I'm going to melee. If my guys want to blast from a distance, that's cool, I'll wait after the aforementioned buffing.
In that case we'll open with init.
In case there's nonallied DvR0s:
21:38 <Corwin> roll 1d20+18
21:38 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 29 > [d20=11]
Otherwise, I start first.
Amaryl has supreme init but will let you go first before she considers methods of arrow doom.
> roll 1d20+7 Donald init
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 20 > [d20=13]
> roll 1d20+19 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 21 > [d20=2]
> roll 1d20+9 worm
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 16 > [d20=7]
Init is Seira > Amaryl > Ranbar (21) > Donald (20) > Ragnovar (16)
Go.
Transforming into a massive dragon, Seira swoops down on the worm even as a perfect replica of her dives at him from every other direction!
Swift to cast Seira's Phantom Battle (my friends excluded), swift to cast Seira's Fiery Leap to get on the Ragnovar's other side and not interfere with my friends. Then, full attack!
16:24 <Corwin> roll 1d20+37 SR
16:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 38 > [d20=1]
Attack:
16:24 <Corwin> roll 1d20+82
16:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 102 > [d20=20]
16:24 <Corwin> roll 1d20+82
16:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 98 > [d20=16]
16:24 <Corwin> roll 1d20+82
16:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 98 > [d20=16]
16:24 <Corwin> roll 1d20+82
16:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 86 > [d20=4]
16:24 <Corwin> roll 1d20+7
16:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 24 > [d20=17]
16:25 <Corwin> OOC: +70, thus 94
16:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72
16:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 81 > [d20=9]
16:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+67
16:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 73 > [d20=6]
16:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+77 bite
16:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 92 > [d20=15]
16:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+77 claw
16:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 95 > [d20=18]
16:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+77 claw
16:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 84 > [d20=7]
16:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+77 wing
16:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 92 > [d20=15]
16:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+77 wing
16:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 94 > [d20=17]
16:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+77 tail slap
16:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 93 > [d20=16]
16:26 <Corwin> roll 1d20+82 crit?
16:26 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 93 > [d20=11]
Damage:
16:28 <Corwin> roll 6d10+127+23d6 +2 str damage if hit
16:28 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 250 > [d10=8,6,1,6,6,7][d6=5,2,5,2,6,1,1,5,4,3,4,4,6,4,5,6,2,6,3,1,6,3,5]
16:28 <Corwin> roll 12d10+254+23d6 +2 str damage if crit
16:28 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 375 > [d10=5,4,5,8,2,2,1,6,5,6,2,3][d6=3,2,3,2,5,6,3,1,1,5,5,2,1,4,1,2,5,3,5,3,3,5,2]
16:28 <Corwin> roll 6#6d10+127+23d6 +2 str damage
16:28 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 227, 238, 236, 228, 249, 254 >
Damage above is bludgeoning since monk
16:32 <Corwin> roll 4d6+108+23d6 +2 str damage
16:32 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 201 > [d6=1,5,2,4,4,3,2,5,3,1,4,1,4,4,6,2,3,2,6,6,4,2,5,2,5,3,4]
Bite, does piercing, slashing and bludgeoning damage
16:33 <Corwin> roll 2d8+108+23d6 +2 str damage
16:33 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 200 > [d8=4,5][d6=2,3,6,6,1,5,6,5,1,5,2,6,2,3,6,4,2,4,1,6,2,1,4]
16:33 <Corwin> roll 2d8+108+23d6 +2 str damage
16:33 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 183 > [d8=2,7][d6=5,6,1,4,1,5,1,3,4,3,3,6,5,1,4,1,1,1,1,2,4,2,2]
Claws, do piercing and slashing damage
16:33 <Corwin> roll 2d6+108+23d6 +2 str damage
16:33 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 207 > [d6=6,6,5,3,1,2,4,5,4,5,5,5,1,6,2,2,6,5,3,4,4,3,5,4,3]
16:33 <Corwin> roll 2d6+108+23d6 +2 str damage
16:34 <Corwin> roll 2d8+127+23d6 +2 str damage
16:34 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 221 > [d8=6,3][d6=6,4,6,2,2,4,4,2,3,5,5,5,3,6,4,1,5,5,2,4,4,2,1]
Wings and tail slap, do bludgeoning damage
It may be a mighty beast, a horror that would drive mortals to terror.
You're just far better than that. Far, far, far better. The beast tries to turn, but a barrage of bludgeoning blows batter it back briskly. Parts of it collapse under it as you then lets you draconic parts do the rest of the work, sending the thing spiraling down, body broken.
Donald throws his arms up and just looks at you in exasperation.
Save some for me!
Get faster
Donald gives you a rather rude gesture as Amaryl tsks, "He's right, Seira," she smiles, "Even if that was masterfully done. I could have hardly done better, and Donald never could."
"It's been a while since I went out as an avatar in a serious way," Seira admits, shifting back into a humanoid. "I see something that would make a powerful adventurer think twice and I don't really hold back. If we were here for real, Ranbar aside, I might've lowered the threat level and held back some."
Still, getting faster is solid advice!
"No one complains if a weak foe is overwhelmed slightly more," Amaryl says, "Save the foe, and they'd complain no matter what."
"It makes sense, it's just hogging all the fighting," Donald smiles a bit, "Into your dragon battle hoard."
"I'll let you fight to your heart's content with the next opponent, alright?" Seira promises. "Thirty whole seconds. Plenty of time to win!"
Donald laughs as you go and...
> roll 1d100
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 89 > [d100=89]
You fly a time and soon enough see something ahead. It looks like an oversized, giant wagon. Rather than a cloth top it has a dome made of what looks to be steel, pitted and scarred, but intact. A phantasmal trio of horses pull it along, the shards here doing nothing to hurt them, passing through harmlessly.
"Let's take a look at the wagon," Seira suggests, adjusting course to pass by it.
"A wagon? Well, it looks sturdy," Ranbar murmurs, "Does it work?"
"It's still going, so yeah," Donald agrees as you draw close and closer. How close are you going to get?
120ft.
As you all come to a stop, so does the wagon. From it a rather soft voice whispers out, carrying into your minds, 'Do you want something?'
"Just curious who's traveling here," Seira responds.
'Linnias of the Styx,' Is the answer in your mind, 'And whom do I speak to?'
K:P 120 for if I know who that is.
A very minor fiend of little note, a yugoloth. An arcanaloth if you recall right. He's mostly a researcher and stays relatively out of trouble with mortals. Almost tolerable as far as daemons go. A monster certainly, but there's far worse than him.
"I can answer that if you're willing to pass on directions for Pilgrim's Folly."
A hint of open amusement, 'Do you think your name so valuable?'
Amaryl merely says, "Is not the oak who survives the storm formidable?"
"I guarantee it," Seira responds with amusement. "What will it be?"
'A counter offer. I will take you there,' The voice offers, 'In exchange for your name and a piece of impressive arcane lore.'
"Negotiations are lovely," Seira agrees, coming all the way across. "My name is Seira Aryn, my final counter offer is safe passage in addition to my name. Take us to Pilgrim's Folly, and our paths shall part amicably."
Intimidation or Diplo check, whichever you prefer. Your name has weight.
21:18 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72 +2 vs men! diplo
21:18 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 83 > [d20=11]
'That...is an acceptable offer.' The voice finally says, as a door slides open on the side of the metal wagon dome.
Seira climbs in, all smiles!
inside is a comfortable carriage. Padded seats and windows to view out, in spite of there being no windows on the outside. An arcanaloth sits here, a book open in his lap. His canine face is brownish and he wears tiny spectacles. He looks on at you with a neutral expression, "And you would be Donald, Ranbar and Amaryl," he concludes quietly.
"Quite so," Seira agrees, taking a seat opposite him. "How did you end up coming across Pilgrim's Folly?"
Amaryl rests as well, a respectful if not kind nod to your host.
Donald sprawls out, comfortable as he can be in full armor.
Ranbar sits next to you, keeping quiet.
"I'm curious about that, too," Donald adds.
"I once had reason to research it ages ago," Is the fiend's answer, voice soft and crisp. "It is not impossible to find again if you are insightful."
"What did your research tell you about its inhabitants?" Seira asks curiously.
"At the time, it had none," Is the answer, "But those come and go as ages pass. I found remnants of fiends of all kinds, ogres and the undead."
"Anything interesting about the local geography?" Seira asks, musing that it will probably return to an empty state shortly.
"The gravity gets stronger deeper in the cube," Is the answer, "It is not well known, for few make it deep within its depths."
Seira nods her understanding, waiting for her first glance at the cube.
Want to skip along then unless the trip has something eventful?
Yes
> roll 1d100
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 3 > [d100=3]
It's a peaceful trip - mostly when Donald and your host manage a fairly civil conversation about arcane theory, anyway. You look out and there it is - a vast cube far in the distance, glimpsed at the very edge of your vision now.
Well, seems like their host kept up his end of the deal!
"We approach," Your host echos, as the wagon slows. "I will go no further, your own power will suffice from here."
Amaryl rises with a curt nod, while Ranbar merely says, "Thank you."
"Thanks. And as a bit of friendly advice, I wouldn't stick around much."
"I do not plan to," Is the concise answer as you step out - and the moment the party's clear, the wagon turns and flies away the way it came.
Once it's gone, "Are we ready for this?" Amaryl asks.
Chance for any spellcasting or prep before this starts in earnest.
"Let's see how things work, here," Seira says, only enhancing her senses for now.
Sensual Blessing. Let's go!
Thus you approach the cube - a vast place for certain, a massive structure of metal. You approach the side, seeing nothing on this side that suggests an entrance. Just the sheer immensity, coming at it straight ahead at it's lower middle.
"Entrance is probably on top or another side," Amaryl says, "We'll need to look a bit."
Seira emulates a Find the Path power that would lead her towards the entrance, even as she wonders at its necessity.
What's stopping me from pulling a Jaela and making my own?
Just the metal, in case that's the sort of thing that stops you.
It isn't. If you wanna try the direct approach feel free.
Seira decides to follow her spell to the regular entrance, for now.
As you go, your superior vision and preparations help you to notice something. As you pass, you notice tiny little slits open up in the cube, little more than murder holes, but they silently open up by the dozens.
Seira attempts to enlarge the area near one with a handy disintegration!
22:00 <Corwin> roll 1d20+52 ranged touch
22:00 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d20=19]
> roll 1d20+15 it's entitled a fortitude save due to how it's set up but I think it's 20 fishing
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 20 > [d20=5]
I know that doesn't touch whatever your DC for it would be.
With a sharp gesture you call on the proper magic, as a hunk of steel is disintegrated, a new gap revealed. Within it are hundreds of quivers of arrows, packed together, as arrows levitate up to aim and fire.
"When in doubt, arrows." Donald agrees, "Good to scare away the trash."
"Hardly a threat to us," Amaryl agrees, at the ready. "Good shot, Seira."
Seira nods, and then wards them against arrows. Try as she might, she can't think of ever using that spell before, so it's nice to try new things.
Then, she proceeds into the entrance she'd made.
To be clear, which spell? It's going to matter momentarily.
Protection from Arrows, though better since Miracle emulation?
Let's call it 30 against arrows and you can change it from something /magic to something a little better. Any preference?
Cold iron for Amaryl.
The party starts to fly -a nd sure enough, a barrage of arrows follows.
Ref saves all, this is so many that it's closer to a dodging hazard than a simple melee attack. If your base bonus to the save is +48 or higher no need to even roll, just say so.
Yes, it's higher.
With bonuses (and inspiration for Ranbar) they all are.
Yet the party is warded and fast, a storm of arrows blocked and pushed through. It's solid wall behind the quivers to punch through - which are readying more arrows, too.
Well, they would be, but a sweep of Donald's blade tears most of them down, and a slash of Ranbar's spear does the rest.
No need for attack rolls that can't miss and the damage is sufficient.
Since there's a solid wall, Seira opens it up with another disintegration!
This opens up into a larger, emptier space. About 30ft by 40ft, hollow within and nothing visible.
"Padding," Donald says aloud, "Probably to slow someone who does this down with excess space they aren't using anyway."
"Except I can do this all day," Seira retorts.
And she does! She'll keep on blasting a path through, following a straight line further into the cube.
Give me a CL check on the next one? Shenanigans are in play.
18:40 <Corwin> roll 1d20+37
18:40 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 40 > [d20=3]
The next wall ripples before fields of force wink out on it and enough of it crumbles away to reveal a passage.
"We're in past the outer ring," Donald rushes ahead, "Split up or stay together?"
"There is no need to split up, since we don't actually have a map," Seira responds, deciding to keep on coring all the way to the center of the cube. She tries for a spell working much like a compass pointing there and keeps on blasting!
I'm thinking it's quite possible to have a spell pointing to the center of the cube, but in case it's blocked I still have have a sense for where the opening for it is, so a bit of trial and error should allow for triangulation. Unless the cube isn't nowhere close to a cube's shape and all that, I suppose.
Or there's interior shenanigans, always a possibility.
Another blast, another hall. But this one has things in it. Great lumpy, fleshy things, as if obsidian black flesh was broken off in great chunks. It looks like shambling, bulging shadows, four of them coming from the gash you opened in the wall ahead.
"Donald, you have your thirty seconds," Seira tells him cheerfully.
This is init! I'll be first with Amaryl due to Supreme Initiative, and ask her to wait on me for exciting spells!
> roll 1d20+8 Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 20 > [d20=12]
> roll 1d20+19 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 36 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d20+5
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 6 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+8
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 21 > [d20=13]
> roll 1d20+5
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 10 > [d20=5]
> roll 1d20+12
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 23 > [d20=11]
Init is Seira > Amaryl > Ranbar (36) > Strange Black Lump 4 (23) > Strange Black Lump 2 (21) > Donald (20) > Strange Black Lump 3 (10) > Strange Black Lump 1 (6)
Amaryl holds so go for it.
Seira grants glory and valor to her friends!
Celestial Valor as standard, swift Mirarcle'd Arcane Spellsurge, then Glorious Rally as swift. +10 to attack/damage/AC/saves and +2d6 more damage vs evil and 76 temp hp to all.
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 86 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 85 > [d20=16]
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 86 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d20=2]
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 70 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 77 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 95 > [d8=3][d6=3,2,1,3,6,1,5,4,1,2,1,2,5,1,2,6]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 125 > [d8=4][d6=4,5,6,2,5,4,6,5,5,5,5,4,6,4,2,6]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 109 > [d8=4][d6=1,3,5,4,5,6,2,5,2,2,4,2,3,4,4,6]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 108 > [d8=4][d6=5,4,1,1,2,6,6,3,6,6,1,4,6,2,1,3]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 85 > [d8=1][d6=3,2,2,3,5,2,1,1,5,2,2,3,1,1,1,3]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 126 > [d8=8][d6=6,5,5,3,2,2,4,5,5,6,6,6,3,6,1,6]
Init is Seira > Amaryl > Ranbar (36) > Strange Black Lump 2 (21) > Donald (20) > Strange Black Lump 3 (10) > Strange Black Lump 1 (6)
Amaryl steps back as her bow sings, heavenly music heard with every twang of it. As if a chorus of voices sing in glory, a song that banishes the chill and darkness of this place. In an instant half a dozen arrows pepper one of the lumps, which melts away like snow under the spring sun. It leaves behind naught at all as Amaryl sighs, "What a wonderful weapon."
Ranbar is up.
> roll 1d20+81 (+10 Seira, +22 inspiration)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 93 > [d20=12]
> roll 1d20+76 (+10 Seira, +22 inspiration)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 91 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+71 (+10 Seira, +22 inspiration)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 82 > [d20=11]
> roll 1d20+66 (+10 Seira, +22 inspiration)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 82 > [d20=16]
> roll 1d8+57+2d6+1d6+2d6 +22 inspiration
> roll 1d8+57+2d6+1d6+2d6 +22 inspiration
> roll 1d8+57+2d6+1d6+2d6 +22 inspiration
> roll 1d8+57+2d6+1d6+2d6 +22 inspiration
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 78 > [d8=4][d6=6,1,1,6,3]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 69 > [d8=2][d6=2,1,2,2,3]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 74 > [d8=2][d6=6,1,5,1,2]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 79 > [d8=7][d6=4,1,1,4,5]
Ranbar steps in a moment later. Her eyes are closed but her spear strikes true. A four-some of lightning fast blows pierce the next one, which simply becomes inert and bloodied, flames sizzling along its body.
Init is Seira > Amaryl > Ranbar (36) > Donald (20) > Strange Black Lump 3 (10) > Strange Black Lump 1 (6)
Donald's next, but segmenting so I'm not forever on this one post. Go ahead and react.
Seira is struck by how similar in capability Ranbar is to Amaryl. Given that she's always been impressed about Amaryl's fiend-slaying abilities, even pre-ascension, that's just fine in her book!
> roll 1d20+79 (+10 Seira, +1 haste, -10 PA)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 90 > [d20=11]
> roll 1d20+79 (+10 Seira, +1 haste, -10 PA)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 85 > [d20=6]
> roll 1d20+74 (+10 Seira, +1 haste, -10 PA)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 92 > [d20=18]
> roll 1d20+69 (+10 Seira, +1 haste, -10 PA)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 86 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d20+69 (+10 Seira, +1 haste, -10 PA)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 74 > [d20=5]
> OOC: -5 from the last.
> roll 1d10+71+2d6
> roll 1d10+71+2d6
> roll 1d10+71+2d6
> roll 1d10+71+2d6
> roll 1d10+71+2d6
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 78 > [d10=1][d6=1,5]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 78 > [d10=2][d6=1,4]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 80 > [d10=3][d6=5,1]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 81 > [d10=3][d6=3,4]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 82 > [d10=3][d6=6,2]
Donald strikes. It's a flick of the wrist, five slashes cutting into the next without a moment to even see. It falls apart, sundered completely as the last lets out an unearthly moan before oozing at him, slamming into him like a battering ram.
> roll 1d20+43
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 59 > [d20=16]
Donald blocks it with his shield dead on, a grunt of, "Wretched thing. Seira, would you?" she asks. "Put it out of its misery."
Go.
Seira decides this makes for the perfect first combat test of her fivefold breath, and proceeds to spear the last shadowy creature with a line of elemental fury further bolstered by holy power!
21:01 <Corwin> roll 5#18d8+4d10 first part is energy, second part is holy, Ref DC40
21:01 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 101, 116, 90, 116, 117 >
> roll 1d20+20 on the dot so still 20 bait
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 34 > [d20=14]
To this fury the last creature simply melts away, undone by your breath. An easy victory indeed, hopefully the first of several here.
"What happened to wanting to fight more?" Seira asks, disintegrating another wall on her path towards the center of the cube.
"I can be sporting," Donald retorts to you, which gets Amaryl to smile faintly and roll her eyes ever so slightly.
"Yeah, sure," Seira says with a snort, continuing to blast her direct path inwards.
Another blast. This opens up into a larger space, and immediately warmer air rushes out. A great blast of it, yet you are strong enough to hold your ground. Within is a larger room, full of what looks to be arms and armor. An armory on a glance - including a large black stone golem and a single, hooded and robed humanoid who turns from inspecting a short sword.
"This is your one and only chance to surrender," Seira tells them cheerfully.
Yeah, that's scary dragon time. Give me intimidate.
Strongly suggest surrendering.
19:20 <Corwin> roll 1d20+69
19:20 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 82 > [d20=13]
The golem does not react, but it is just a golem.
The hooded man freezes cold at this, staring and not moving a muscle. Perhaps wise of him.
"Your name and allegiance?" Seira demands, ready to see through any lies.
Sense Motive 10 for 97 (divine insight).
"...Hegaz," Is his answer, "Loyal to The Lady of Loss."
His words come quickly, hurried, and truthful to your ears.
"Who is in charge here, and where are they?"
"Inside," he points further ahead, "Deadlight commands right now."
Secure the prisoner, Seira relays to Donald and Ranbar. Make sure the golem doesn't activate, either. We'll press onwards.
Leaving it up to the two of them, she blasts a hole further inside!
"Yeah, yeah," Donald fires back without any heat, "Heads up ahead."
Another blast reveals only more metal, so another blast and another are called for. This time it opens up into the side of a darkened auditorium, a curtained stage and many seats here.
Clapping happily, Seira steps through the hole!
Also she swift-casts Ray Deflection because she's surely asking to be shot, here.
Just in time, for well over a dozen purple beams come from behind the curtains. While the auditorium is empty, or at least the seats are, something's clearly behind that curtain.
An application of Telekinesis pulls at the curtains, even as Seira leaves enough space for Amaryl to support her from cover should the need arise.
The curtain is pulled away. A bald man is here, head painted purple and with many piercings. He wears a breastplate and supporting armors, jewelry glinting on his body. Behind him are half a dozen men and women in the same style that - !
Init here. I know you have Supreme and so does Amaryl so we can skip the dice.
Init is Seira > Amaryl > Bald Man and Cultists
It's truly unfortunate that they are all just standing there together, Seira muses as she takes a deep breath....
21:24 <Corwin> roll 5#18d8+4d10 first part is energy, second part is holy, Ref DC40
21:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 85, 121, 103, 106, 94 >
Recharge for fivefold breath:
21:24 <Corwin> roll 1d4
21:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 4 > [d4=4]
Let's resolve this, I'll use my two swifts after. How does the leader look after this?
> roll 1d20+24 evasion leader
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 43 > [d20=19]
> roll 1d20+18 others
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 32 > [d20=14]
Well, that's one way to do it. The leader reacts with great speed and leaps up and back, leaving his minions to take the blast. He lands away from it as they're maimed and burnt by your breath, leaving only him up and alive, if untouched.
Continue.
Translucent unicorns are already descending upon the leader's new position as he lands!
Twinned Unicorn Arrow
08:21 <Corwin> roll 10#1d20+62
08:22 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 63, 79, 68, 80, 71, 71, 77, 74, 69, 70 >
08:23 <Corwin> roll 10#1d8+8+22d6
08:23 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 76, 89, 96, 75, 81, 85, 100, 77, 90, 100 >
Power Word Stun on him if he's around after this.
SR:
08:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+36
08:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 44 > [d20=8]
Do you have anything that penetrates precision damage immunity?
I do but didn't use it, his win. 1d8+8 from each attack still works, just reroll it?
Just reroll for ease.
20:03 <Corwin> roll 10#1d8+8
20:03 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 14, 15, 10, 11, 15, 14, 12, 13, 13, 15 >
> roll 1d20+69
> roll 1d20+69
> roll 1d20+69
> roll 1d20+69
> roll 1d20+69
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d20=2]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d20=2]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 83 > [d20=14]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 75 > [d20=6]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 84 > [d20=15]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 84 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 112 > [d8=8][d6=4,5,6,3,2,6,2,1,4,3,1,1,6,6,1,6]
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
> roll 1d8+47+8d6+6d6+2d6
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 118 > [d8=7][d6=1,5,1,6,1,3,6,6,5,3,5,5,5,1,6,5]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 103 > [d8=5][d6=4,2,5,3,1,1,4,4,3,1,3,3,3,4,6,4]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 101 > [d8=6][d6=1,4,1,3,6,6,5,5,1,1,3,2,1,1,5,3]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 100 > [d8=2][d6=5,3,5,4,4,2,6,2,1,2,1,3,4,2,6,1]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 97 > [d8=1][d6=1,2,5,2,5,4,3,1,2,2,1,4,6,4,2,5]
Fortunately Amaryl's workaround needs no preparation or uses.
Your unicorns pepper the head Sharran. They stab him and throw him about, but he lands on both feet, still up and bleeding.
Then he looks down.
Half a dozen arrows are in his chest, a split second before they explode in a glorious burst of heavenly light. The last only leaves behind his knees and downward, naught of the Sharran left behind.
Amaryl steps forward after a few steps back, "I so love this bow," she murmurs, "It shoots like a dream."
"Glad to hear it!" Seira says cheerfully, trying to estimate whether they're near the center of the cube.
I'll grant another Ray Deflection, this one for Amaryl, and do a quick look around to see what's here.
Perception 10 for 114
Toss in an K:D check real quick, would you?
Taking 10 for 107 (divine insight)
You're making good headway is your guess, based on size. Keep going.
After a cursory glance for anything useful she could bring home with her, Seira continues blasting her way further inwards!
The defeated Sharran dropped a ring if you care to examine it. It's made of plain gold and is a bit dull and tarnished, but intact.
Seira briefly checks it for evil and curses!
K:A 107, Spellcraft 107
It's not evil. It's a ring of great swordsmanship, that grants a +2 insight bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls when worn.
Interesting! Seira pockets it for now and presses on!
Another blast and another. As you go through more, you hear sounds as doors open in the auditorium you just left behind. Footsteps, many of them.
Donald, Ranbar, how far behind me are you? Seira inquires, even as she places a Wall of Good over the last hole she blasted and then passed through with Amaryl. It sounds like there's a lot of reinforcements for you to deal with.
'I see them now,' Donald sends back, 'You go ahead, we'll take care of them.'
Seira keeps going, putting up her Walls of Good over every new entrance she creates!
Another blast and another. Another. Deeper in now. A large, dark room. Here Shar's holy symbol is painted large on the walls, above chains that hold nothing - empty at the moment. Here Sharrans great and small all kneel, paying silent homage to a statue of Shar. It's a rather good likeness, you note.
Who is Seira to deny them a nice and flamy death?
Init?
You both have supreme, so no point. Go ahead and go.
Seira tries to consecrate the room even as she grants her weapons the ability to pierce any defense, before breathing in a cone at the mass of worshippers!
Consecration:
19:27 <Corwin> roll 1d20 DvR
19:27 <Penuche2> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 18 > [d20=18]
Fivefold breath:
19:28 <Corwin> roll 5#18d8+4d10 first part is energy, second part is holy, Ref DC40
19:28 <Penuche2> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 120, 96, 111, 98, 115 >
19:28 <Corwin> roll 1d4
19:28 <Penuche2> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 3 > [d4=3]
The second swift is used to trigger the Armbands of the Spark.
> roll 1d20+23
<Penuche2> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 32 > [d20=9]
Silly question that might matter, what energy is the first part?
Good question!
Prismatic Breath (Su): A prismatic dragon has two breath weapons on top of any breath weapon the base creature has. One is a prismatic spray in the shape of a cone. This cone is as normal for a dragon of its size, not the size of the spell. The second is known as the Fivefold Breath. Five separate breath weapons are exhaled at once, each one matching that of a chromatic dragon. Each breath weapon uses d8s and deals damage equal to one half of the chromatic dragon's hit dice. The save DCs are Constitution based.
I always imagined it would be the five energy types: fire, cold, elec, acid, sound.
But if we go by the SRD chromatic dragons, it'd be: fire, cold, elec, acid, acid.
Up to you!
The Sharrans are assaulted, burned and blasted, shocked. They fall before you - not even a fight, simply succumbing to you utterly.
Yet the area is not hallowed to you, the resistance strong as steel.
No check needed as in this case the check can't be failed by the other party.
"That's a nice exercise," Seira muses, looking for anything useful and presenting a blatant target so any hidden survivors go for her rather than Amaryl.
Speaking of Amaryl, she thinks to her, Do you think anyone of note here already ran away?
Maybe.
Something feels wrong here. Were we discovered somehow, or is something awry? There's resistance, but hardly anything to challenge us. The Sharrans here didn't even resist us. Why?
I figured that we were too swift and Sharran minions are quick to suicide.
Still, Seira gives the room a second look. Searching for valuables is nice, but she also looks for any magic of note and any secret doors.
Plus, she tries to estimate again how far she'd be from the center.
Just as you finish speaking, before you can do any of that?
Seira.
Come.
I await you.
Since she really has no idea where Shar is waiting for her, Seira just presumes it's the center and keeps at it.
Previous actions still work since her taunting changes nothing.
Amaryl readies her bow - as in the wall, a purple gap in space appears. A portal to your eye, something that invites you ahead and through.
Meanwhile you can see there are some magical items scattered about, if you care to investigate. There's also no secret doors that you note.
Seira dutifully calls the magical items over to her with an application of telekinesis. Studying the portal, she asks Donald and Ranbar, Are you far? Shar is extending an invitation.
Is it actually an invitation to her realm, though?
Let's use that Analyze Portal spell to see where it leads.
'On our way,' Donald sends back.
The portal leads into what looks to be a demiplane.
Seira busies herself picking up the valuables and seeing if there's anything immediately useful. If Shar isn't willing to wait until her friends arrive, that's her problem.
Nothing immediately useful - treasure but nothing remarkable, just magical equipment beneath your level.
She waits for Donald and Ranbar to arrive before making any decisions!
In a display of arrogance or compassion, and it ain't the latter, nothing happens until Donald and Ranbar catch up.
"Good to see you two here," Seira greets them with a smile. "This incredibly suspicious portal appeared after Shar sent an invitation. Want to lead the way?"
"She's just...letting us go in?" Ranbar asks, "That has to be a trap."
"It's so obvious that it may not be," Donald says at last, "But that she wants us for something else."
Of course it's a trap, but pretty much any choice here is likely a trap if Shar decides to take it seriously. And at the same time, if she takes things that seriously, she loses the chance to benefit from Competing, much the same as Seira not succeeding much in advancing her cause by crushing Shar's weak mortal minions underfoot.
"That's neither a yes nor a no~"
Donald takes the lead, "It's what you pay me for. That and my wit."
That gets Amaryl to blow out a harsh breath, "At least Donald is Donald. Even a twisted tree is still a tree."
Seira allows Donald to proceed, intending to follow after him.
It's dark here. It's so dark that you doubt light has ever been here until this moment. It is a darkness without end and without limit.
Just a little closer. Come, Seira.
Seira looks around!
Perception 10 for 97.
Just darkness as far as you can see. But you can see subtle signs, reality adjusting - it's likely morphic or otherwise adjustable by will.
Seira adjusts reality to be brighter and more cheerful!
Alter reality? If so make a rank check.
21:09 <Corwin> roll 1d20
21:09 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 2 > [d20=2]
> roll 1d20
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 16 > [d20=16]
No good. You feel another will battle yours, a clash that leaves reality the same as it was a moment before.
Seira keeps on stepping a little closer, encouraged by the contest despite her failure. It looks like Shar is interested in a meaningful Competition after all!
You step forward. It is still dark as Ranbar says, "Who could love this?"
"Well, someone spat out Glasya and Lixer," Donald answers as he walks, shield at the ready, "So someone's stupid enough to."
A chuckle, low and deep. For far ahead in the dark, visible despite it, stands Shar. An avatar of Shar, head bowed and long black hair falling in front of her face like a curtain.
It is time.
"Sorry we took the long way over, Shar," Seira tells her. "So this place is important enough to warrant an avatar, huh? Good to know!"
Donald smiles slowly, "I have to admit, for all we clash, we rarely see each other face to face. It's a shame you're so cute. It's just..." he shrugs, "I expect wretchedly ugly to match the sorry state of your soul."
"Why are you doing this?" Amaryl asks, "You have our attention, don't waste it."
"Come," Shar murmurs, "I invite you because today is the day you realize your struggles are in vain. That everything you have done is a meaningless pasttime until oblivion beckons you to rest."
Metal bars and lines spread out around, in walls of stone that form from nothing.
"The Cauldron would give itself to protect you. You feel the power in your plane, in any plane?" Shar asks.
"You're... diplaying a morphic plane to us?" Seira asks in feigned confusion. "Hate to break it to you, but we, uh, kind of know of them."
"You're a few eons behind the times," Donald agrees, "Oh, did your brooding time cut into your research time? Ooops!"
The planes are a source of power vast and untapped. A power that exceeds even our own. Come, let me show you what happens when I harness that.
Shar steps back, seeming to merge into stone that rises up, as if becoming part of this place.
So like our new home? Seira relays to her companions, observing Shar's actions for now. It might even be an interesting trick, since even terrible people can come up with useful ideas at times.
Much too much to be any good, if she's drawing power from it.
Donald smiles, "Oh good, I was hoping you wouldn't just flail and die."
Snorting, Seira tells Donald, "You're still leading the way."
Die trying.
"No," Ranbar's voice is soft but not that soft, carrying. "You first."
Init here.
21:20 <Corwin> roll 1d20+18 vs DvR0
21:20 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 19 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+8 Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 23 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+26 Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 30 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d20+19
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 23 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d20+34
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 48 > [d20=14]
Init is Shar's Avatar (Supreme) > Amaryl's Avatar (Supreme) > Seira's Avatar (Supreme) > Donald = Ranbar (23)
Note that Supreme Init resolves this way when the same DvR is in play between multiple deities who have it:
If two deities with this ability and the same divine rank are in a battle, make an initiative check for each deity, and the deity with the higher result goes first.
Before any of you can react, a spike of pure shadow erupts above you and explodes, shadow-shards piercing you all over.
Ref.
22:17 <Corwin> roll 1d20+66+10 improved evasion
22:17 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 83 > [d20=7]
As a reminder, the Celestial Valor and Glorious Rally should still be in effect on everyone.
+10 to attack/damage/AC/saves and +2d6 more damage vs evil and 76 temp hp to all.
Thanks for the reminder, Cor.
> roll 70d6
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 223 > [70d6=223]
Halved, but only halved.
Shadow shards pierce your body all over, little detonations of pain all over your body. Not that you have time to react, as dark pressure surrounds you on all sides, squeezing you tight as a vise.
Fort.
18:36 <Corwin> roll 1d20+69+10
18:36 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 81 > [d20=2]
> roll 50d10
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 294 > [50d10=294]
Full. Not your day for rolling.
Seira feels pain erupt all over her body, pressing her down, skins plitting and bones creaking.
HP after this?
Minus the temp hp, that does 329 damage to me.
Avatar HP: 499/828
You stumble back even as Shar's gaze bores into you, entire body aflame as you struggle to stay up.
Will, Seira. Good luck.
19:31 <Corwin> roll 1d20+68+10
19:31 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 94 > [d20=16]
Yet this you shake off with raw energy, a moment that goes on too long and leaves your mind numb, but nothing else.
Init is Shar's Avatar (Supreme) > Amaryl's Avatar (Supreme) > Seira's Avatar (Supreme) > Donald = Ranbar (23)
Amaryl and Seira. Go.
That was frankly horrible to a ridiculous degree, so Seira tips a mental hat to Shar and stops time. Since Mind Blank is so useless here, she dismisses it, focusing the freed up mental power on combat precognition instead.
19:56 <Corwin> roll 1d4+1
19:56 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 3 > [d4=2]
Round 1: Swift for Heal, swift for Heal, standard for Seira's Arcane Thesis
Round 2: Swift to activate armbands of the spark, swift to dispel Mind Blank, move to get over next to Shar, standard for Mass Moments of Prescience
Round 3: Swift for True Casting, swift for True Strike, move to channel Enhanced Maximized Empowered Twinned Orb of Fire into a claw, standard to cast Duelist's Friend
Let's resolve this first, and please describe Shar and our surrounding a bit more, then I'll act out the rest of my turn.
CL check on Time Stop, please?
20:32 <Corwin> roll 1d20+37
20:32 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 55 > [d20=18]
It's darkness and shadows as your magic moves and your wounds heal. There's nothing but darkness and a bit of stone and metal now, which Shar blends into. Your draw on all your power here as...
Continue.
So the seeing Shar thing was fluff, and I don't actually see her now? Does the wall she merged with look any different? Does Duelist's Friend provide any aid at all, for example from the following part of the spell?
"The target is never flatfooted and cannot be flanked. He automatically senses the location of all invisible, hidden or otherwise unseen creatures."
Oooh. Shar's there to see, yes, I thought that was established so it didn't bear repeating. The wall's she's merged with doesn't look different besides the fact that she's part of it.
Yes, and you don't sense any such creatures. It seems to be 'just' Shar's avatar.
Seira claws at the wall with Shar's ugly mug on it! It might look a bit silly, but trying out the direct solution before getting creative is just common sense!
Impromptu Sneak Attack:
21:51 <Corwin> roll 1d20+62+10+20
21:51 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 104 > [d20=12]
21:52 <Corwin> roll 2d8+88+23d6+3d6
21:52 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 181 > [d8=4,1][d6=2,1,3,4,1,2,6,4,5,4,1,6,6,1,6,1,1,2,6,6,2,2,1,6,6,3]
Also Goldenfire Magic'd channeled Enhanced Maximized Empowered Twinned Orb of Fire for 675 goldenfire damage vs Evil.
Does this do anything?
First of all, does that make Shar flatfooted?
Well, that's what the power does (especially in conjunction with the armbands of the spark that let me do critical hit/precision damage on anything while activated).
Impromptu Sneak Attack
Beginning at 3rd level, once per day an arcane trickster can declare one melee or ranged attack he makes to be a sneak attack (the target can be no more than 30 feet distant if the impromptu sneak attack is a ranged attack). The target of an impromptu sneak attack loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, but only against that attack. The power can be used against any target, but creatures that are not subject to critical hits take no extra damage (though they still lose any Dexterity bonus to AC against the attack).
Seira is fast enough to be able to stab in to Shar. Yet while it draws blood, it hardly slows her for a moment. The wound seems shallow even as flames burn her as her claws work. It got her attention - but it hardly seems to be a fatal blow.
Anything else this round?
Seira keeps striking at the same shallow wound even as a light application of her power heals her back to perfect health!
18:41 <Corwin> roll 3d20+62+10
18:41 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 104 > [d20=13,16,3]
85, 88, 75
18:41 <Corwin> roll 6#1d20+57+10
18:41 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 84, 72, 83, 84, 78, 75 >
18:42 <Corwin> roll 1d20+52+10
18:42 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 63 > [d20=1]
18:42 <Corwin> roll 1d20+47+10
18:42 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 68 > [d20=11]
Swift Heal so I'm back to full. Did any of that hit Shar? If not, that's the end of my turn. None of these attacks were impromptu SAs.
Init is Shar's Avatar (Supreme) > Amaryl's Avatar (Supreme) > Seira's Avatar (Supreme) > Donald = Ranbar (23)
Seira's fury is unleashed against Shar, but it's like hitting steel smoke. Hard and almost impossible to touch, and somehow not a single other strike lands.
Meanwhile Amaryl dashes to the sides, staying back but letting her arrows loose. "Don't give up now," she cries over the battle.
> roll 1d20+69
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 89 > [d20=20]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 79 > [d20=10]
> roll 1d20+69
> roll 1d20+69
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 74 > [d20=5]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 70 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+69
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 70 > [d20=1]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 83 > [d20=14]
> roll 1d20+69 crit?
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 77 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d8+48+8d6+6d6+2d6
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 104 > [d8=5][d6=4,2,5,1,5,6,3,1,4,1,4,2,6,1,5,1]
Amaryl's arrows pepper Shar, and one even sinks in, but it seems to have a minimal impact at best. As this happens?
'You got an idea?' Donald sends to you lightning fast.
'We can force a hit, and we can force our magic to take hold, but she's negating it. Since overpowering her is a bust, let's treat it like a puzzle and try other ideas. Light?'
Donald points at Shar, a flare of light around her...that fades into the shadows, unable ot pierce Shar's darkness at all.
You are far from your master's power over the sun.
Then acid rain in the shape of tiny dragons pummel Shar, but yet not a one burns her.
No roll, he can't beat her SR.
Ranbar looks on, a moment of indecision before she says, "I'll stop you," she declares, as a burst of power from above joins a massive burst from all around her. Yet like Donald's magic, it simply can't scratch someone of Shar's power.
Same as Donald.
Shar's laughter is sweet and vile all at once. Is that all, Seira?
You do hold the home court advantage, Seira notes. Not to mention you're hiding yourself in a wall. What's up with that?
You think I'm hiding, Seira?
Obviously, Seira responds. You invited us over for a spar, but then merged with a wall. That's not very exciting, you know? Stabbing a wall. Even if it has a decent likeness of you on it.
Meanwhile, she considers her options. She failed to adjust this realm before, but perhaps Amaryl and the others could do it? Alter the rules so that light triumphs over shadow?
Okay, on thinking about it, give me a Diplo check here. It'll matter for Shar's response to something important there.
20:45 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72
20:45 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 89 > [d20=17]
Suddenly there's a tremendous burst around you - pressure and darkness, a squeezing vice around your mind all at once, an overwhelming barrage together.
Fort, Ref and will saves.
21:12 <Corwin> roll 1d20+69+10+30 Fort, MMoP
21:12 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 121 > [d20=12]
21:12 <Corwin> roll 1d20+66+10+30 Ref, MMoP, improved evasion
21:12 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 113 > [d20=7]
21:12 <Corwin> roll 1d20+68+10+30 Will, MMoP
21:12 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 117 > [d20=9]
You draw in all your power - and somehow you're perfect. Somehow you fend off the three fold assault, leaving yourself shaking all over but unharmed.
Your lucky day. Go.
I wish I could say it's my turn, now, but....
Actually, she'll try saying that anyway. Contacting her friends only, Seira tells them, Focus your divine powers on this place, as if you were on a highly morphic plane. Shar deals in secrets, darkness and evil, and she's merged with it, so if you change its very nature to be her antithesis, it might reject her! We'll go on my mental command, so each of you pick a concept that counters her!
I presume that if the plane is actually morphic, we can adjust it with non-competing effects and they would be additive, ie like making a plane Good-aligned and Fire-dominant, as they don't clash against each other.
Okay, sure. Just make sure to elaborate what you're doing in your post. Are you all doing it together now?
Yes. For example, I want Amaryl to try and counter darkness with light, Donald to use truth against lies, Ranbar will go for Good to oppose Evil, something along those lines? Since I tried to drop the darkness before and got countered, I don't know if I can mechanically roll here, but I do want my friends to try a similar approach, just together.
It's not exactly a common modification to morphic planes, but if Shar's merging her nature to this place it's worth to try an unconventional (aside from Good) modification on our side.
Sure. Charisma checks all.
21:53 <Corwin> roll 1d20+12 (+30 if MMoP can be used)
21:53 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 19 > [d20=7]
Just to be sure since important rolling, any bonuses in play that I might miss?
Not this time, no.
> roll 1d20+9 Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 28 > [d20=19]
> roll 1d20+10 Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 24 > [d20=14]
> roll 1d20+6 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 8 > [d20=2]
Together all of you throw your will against Shar, light and warmth and everything good.
Yet Shar resists. She's too strong - you need more. Her laughter is mocking as you struggle against her, and in a whisper, "Is that it, Seira?"
I'm open to fresh ideas, Seira tells the others.
So am I. Fast.
Retreat or full commitment. That's the only thing that makes sense here. We've walked into the trap, we either flee in defeat or fight to the end.
Having thought that she was doing this for real, Seira asks Amaryl, What do you mean? How much more of a commitment can we make beyond what we did?
As in we do the opposite of retreat. A turn of phrase.
Well then. Maybe they can try harder after all? Ridiculously harder? Seira imbues everyone on her side with magic and then decides to try again!
Let's go back to the basics! Focus on light to the exclusion of all else!
Miracle'd Good Hope to all, Miracle'd Improvisation to all. If everyone can support me for +2 each, good. If not, let's roll.
Bonuses to ability rolls are +2 from Good Hope, +18 from Improvisation.
Init is Shar's Avatar (Supreme) > Amaryl's Avatar (Supreme) > Seira's Avatar (Supreme) > Donald = Ranbar (23)
Go for it. Charisma checks, all.
19:35 <Corwin> roll 1d20+12+3+2+18
19:35 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 38 > [d20=3]
> roll 1d20+30 Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 49 > [d20=19]
> roll 1d20+29 Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 34 > [d20=5]
> roll 1d20+26 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 37 > [d20=11]
Donald helps bring home the bacon here.
This time it's a sheer imposition of will, of light and power. There's a moment where you all push, where light comes. As you make more and more come...?
Are any of you anarchs? In other words did you use Alicia's statue like it was bantered?
All of us are anarchs via Alicia's statue, yes.
Your light wars against the darkness, boosted by your magic and taken to great peaks. You all feel shielded by the light, a corona of it around all of you that buys you precious time as you alter reality and demand it to change.
Yet as it does, suddenly the emptiness returns, an assault pressing against all of you as - !
Fort all.
20:37 <Corwin> roll 1d20+69+2+30 MMoP
20:37 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 104 > [d20=3]
> roll 1d20+49 Donald Fort mettle
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 54 > [d20=5]
> roll 1d20+42 Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 53 > [d20=11]
> roll 1d20+29 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 44 > [d20=15]
> roll 50d10 SEira half everyone else full
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 259 > [50d10=259]
HP?
Blasts of shadow hit you all, shards of it that pierce all of you. It's pure pain as they sink in, like hooked barbs ready to be pulled out. But all of you withstand that, as your mind throbs.
Will Seira.
21:51 <Corwin> roll 1d20+68+2
21:52 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 88 > [d20=18]
HP: 699/828
Yet whatever this is you shrug off, able to withstand it your mind winces but holds its own. You won't fall so easily, even as the darkness tries to caress and bleed you all out - Amaryl's bleeding and Donald's trying to ignore it, while Ranbar holds her ground.
Go.
Ranbar, take a breather to heal, Seira says, resting her hands on Donald and Amaryl's shoulders. We'll try to pull Shar's ugly mug out of the wall.
Heal for 150hp for Amaryl and for Donald. The three of us are going to try and separate between the walll and Shar. Same +20 bonus as before to ability rolls. If Ranbar manages to heal with a swift, she can join in.
07:21 <Corwin> roll 1d20+12+2+18
07:21 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 49 > [d20=17]
Incidentally, did the light Donald force to chase out the darkness remain, and does it feel like it's helping us any?
There's some light, yes. It isn't hurting at the least.
Give me an K:P check real quick?
Dragon~
19:02 <Corwin> roll 1d20+84
19:02 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 97 > [d20=13]
You suspect you'd need more and stronger light based on what you've seen.
> roll 1d20+30 Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 33 > [d20=3]
> roll 1d20+29 Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 46 > [d20=17]
More power is pooled and an arm is pulled out now, more ripped away. Ranbar heals all with a soft prayer as Donald readies his shield.
From the shadows a great burst comes, a massive volley of darkness that threatens to shred all of you in shadowed blades.
Ref all.
19:24 <Corwin> roll 1d20+66+10 improved evasion
19:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 81 > [d20=5]
I would like a few things confirmed, too.
-I presume Ranbar healed herself like I asked? If so, was it with Heal?
-What is the current hp of my guys? The tally can come once Shar's turn ends.
-Donald's previous charisma roll got us light to counter (some of) the darkness. My charisma roll pulled Shar's arm out of the wall. Did Amaryl's charisma roll of 46 do anything, or fail?
Sorry yes, she healed. HPs are below including this.
All of you got Shar's arm out of the wall this round, as noted.
> roll 1d20+53 evasion Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d20=18]
> roll 1d20+54 improved evasion Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 55 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+40 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 58 > [d20=18]
420 damage. Amaryl halves, Seira none, Donald and Ranbar full.
Shadow stuff stabs into all of you - save yourself, as you surround yourself with goldenfire. A momentary defense that saves you and burns it away, a second of peace as the pressure on your mind spikes again.
Will.
[spoiler]
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 329/648
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 361/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Ranbar
HP: 289/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
20:06 <Corwin> roll 1d20+68+10
20:06 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 98 > [d20=20]
Okay, so I got Shar's arm out. But what about Amaryl? Did her charisma roll of 46 to pull Shar out of the wall fail the DC?
It means in total all of you managed to get her arm out. It wasn't a one person job.
Yet even this Seira endures, the pain and mind assault both survived for a few moments longer.
Go.
"Seems like it's working!" Seira cheers, urging her friends to try again!
Heal on Amaryl, Heal on Ranbar (150hp each).
20:29 <Corwin> roll 1d20+32
20:29 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 43 > [d20=11]
Let's keep pulling Shar out.
To be clear, you didn't request any extra healing directly? Ranbar might heal anyway under the circumstances.
It's up to Ranbar.
Okay.
> roll 1d20+30 Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 46 > [d20=16]
> roll 1d20+29 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 31 > [d20=2]
> OOC: Er, Amaryl, wrong name there.
> roll 1d20+26 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 45 > [d20=19]
To your pulls her other arm comes out - only a leg is left in. As you struggle against Shar she smiles, as suddenly another great burst of shadows comes forth from all around the party.
Ref all.
[spoiler]
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 479/648
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 361/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Ranbar
HP: 439/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
18:56 <Corwin> roll 1d20+66+10 improved evasion
18:56 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 90 > [d20=14]
Immediate action to use Stand Fast on everyone. My guys get +20 to this one save on top of the +10 they already have from spells.
Nice.
> roll 1d20+73 evasion Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 86 > [d20=13]
> roll 1d20+74 improved evasion Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 84 > [d20=10]
> roll 1d20+60 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 62 > [d20=2]
420 damage. Seira, Donald and Amaryl take none. Ranbar takes full. Ow.
Yet this time your party stands true. Donald's shield holds while Amaryl blurs in between them with you. Only Ranbar isn't quite fast enough - peppered a dozen times, shards of shadow like daggers all throughout her. She staggers back but stays up, managing to resist just a little while.
That is, until a towering column of shadow erupts all around her.
This is a spell if you have a counterspelling option available, Seira.
[spoiler]
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 479/648
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 361/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Ranbar
HP: 19/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Superb Dispelling
19:11 <Corwin> roll 1d20+37 I always do!
19:11 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 55 > [d20=18]
Forgot my +10 to counterspelling from an item, so 65.
That moment is just enough - you break the spell into shadow fragments, buying you precious seconds which lets you...
Go.
Which Seira attempts to extend further by stopping time!
19:28 <Corwin> roll 1d20+37 CL
19:28 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 42 > [d20=5]
Arcane Thesis gives me this: Your spells are stronger and much harder to resist, cast with a +10 bonus on caster level checks for the purposes of overcoming spell resistance, and with their save DC increased by 5.
Don't know if it'd apply here, since I wouldn't normally roll CL to use my Time Stop SLA.
Go ahead.
As time stops, Seira starts working on a better plan of getting through this. They're doing fine, but this sort of struggle is unsustainable. While plenty of options exist for leveling the field, many are too risky and she'll suffer casualties. Therefore, the best stopgap measure Seira can think of is vastly increased healing. Getting all three of her friends strong enough to shrug off Shar's shadows in time would be hard, but keeping them alive long enough to arrive at a solution is far more doable!
19:47 <Corwin> roll 1d4+1
19:47 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 5 > [d4=4]
Round 1: Greater Heroism, Summon Monster IX, Summon Monster IX
I'm trying to use a Summon Monster IX/Good SLA, unless my knowledge is telling me this is impossible here?
Knowledge check of 96 (Planes, Arcane, Religion).
It should work unless Shar has particular anti summoning features here - which is possible since it's a demiplane.
Did it work so I see what I do with the other rounds of time stop?
I need to know what you're summoning first.
Astral Devas or not-Leonals if I can, Bralani if I can't.
Astral Devas are under SMX so they're out. So are ghaele. Bralani are possible if you want to go that way.
Looking at the various options along what you want, the one that stands out most if the firre eladrin as a single summon with SM9.
As a great deal of hollyphants start appearing next to her friends, guarded by floating spheres of silver!
And as time resumes, everyone is healed! Ranbar's wounds, being the most serious, take the efforts of six of hollyphants crowding her. Donald's treatment requires four. Amaryl needs the aid of two of them, while one is enough to bring Seira back up to speed. That leaves ten of them, with three aiding in the defense of Seira's friends and the remaining hovering protectively around her as she tries to pull Shar all the way out of the wall!
It's time to take this up a notch! Seira calls out to her friends as time resumes with these numerous reinforcements! I'll hold Shar off while the rest of you prepare for the fight ahead. Amaryl! Go for that Endurance spell. Ranbar! Same, but barraged with the superior variant of Divine Power! Donald, let's see a tarrasque roar!
Round 1: Greater Heroism, Summon Monster IX, Summon Monster IX
Round 2: Miracle'd Create Magic Tattoo (+1LC for CL38), Summon Monster IX, Summon Monster IX
Round 3: Many Moments of Prescience, Summon Monster IX, Summon Monster IX
Round 4: Danata's Improvisation, Summon Monster IX, Summon Monster IX
Round 5: Standard: Effulgent Epuration, Move: Superb Dispelling channeled into claw, Summon Monster IX, Summon Monster IX
20:46 <Corwin> roll 10d3
20:46 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 23 > [d3=2,3,2,1,3,2,2,3,3,2]
23 hollyphants, and 38 spheres for Effulgent Epuration. If possible, I'd like them to start out protecting Ranbar rather than defaulting to me.
Time resumes, standard action.
Charisma for Shar:
20:53 <Corwin> roll 1d20+32
20:53 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 42 > [d20=10]
The spells I'm asking them to cast, each on him or herself:
Amaryl: Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Donald: Visage of the Tarrasque
Ranbar: Barraged Greater Divine Power+Barraged Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Okay, give me a single CL check for something you did?
21:18 <Corwin> roll 1d20+38
21:18 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 53 > [d20=15]
If Arcane Thesis helps, that's +10 more.
Healing comes as your swarm appears, the party restored by urgent treatment. Spells follow as your allies bolster themselves, as you find Shar is strong. By yourself, you just don't have enough to finish the job. You need aid, buying time as again the shadows come forth.
"Hold on," Donald calls, "Almost back to it!"
Ref all.
[spoiler]
Amaryl: Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Donald: Visage of the Tarrasque
Ranbar: Barraged Greater Divine Power+Barraged Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 648/648
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 890/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Ranbar
HP: 818/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
21:54 <Corwin> roll 1d20+66+10 improved evasion
21:54 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 91 > [d20=15]
Also, Ranbar and Amaryl should have +4 to Con from the Dragon Princess Endurance spell, so their hp would surely be +36x2 higher? Additionally, Ranbar's Greater Divine Power should give her 3x36 temp hp.
Yes, I just didn't add it yet.
> roll 1d20+53 evasion Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 68 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d20+54 Amaryl improved evasion
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 62 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+40 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 43 > [d20=3]
Could I get a save for the summons, or do they have something to protect them?
They're all dead.
Go ahead and toss me a Will save too, I'll finish Shar's turn all up at once.
22:27 <Corwin> roll 1d20+68+10+15 danatha's improvisation
22:27 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 108 > [d20=15]
420 damage, Amaryl half, you none, Ranbar and Donald full.
Again the cursed shards strike as your mind throbs. Oblivion laps at all you, scoring hits - yet with healing you endure, even if your summons are torn apart completely. You withstand the storm and...
Go.
[spoiler]
Amaryl: Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Donald: Visage of the Tarrasque
Ranbar: Barraged Greater Divine Power+Barraged Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 438(514)/648(724)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 470/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Ranbar
HP: 398(474)/818(894)
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Seira repeats her earlier summoning trick, even as her will attempts to draw Shar out fully!
Donald and Amaryl, with me! Ranbar, please assist via magic!
22:45 <Corwin> roll 2d3
22:45 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 5 > [d3=3,2]
You forgot Ranbar's temp hp, which was 108 (36x3) and should've been hit before actual damage.
5 hollyphants summoned, three heal Donald for 450hp, one heals Amaryl for 150hp, one heals Ranbar for 150hp.
I'd like Donald and Amaryl to roll Cha with me to pull Shar out of her wall, and Ranbar to cast Barraged Beauty of the Dragon Princess on me and Barraged Moment of Prescience on herself.
Charisma roll:
22:52 <Corwin> roll 1d20+34
22:52 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 54 > [d20=20]
Okay, to start off this week give me a quick Fort save too?
18:37 <Corwin> roll 1d20+69+10+18 danatha's inspiration
18:37 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 115 > [d20=18]
Ranbar's temp HP is fixed.
> roll 1d20+30 Donald
> roll 1d20+29 Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 36 > [d20=6]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 36 > [d20=7]
As Ranbar weaves magic? Shar is pulled forth, ripped from the realm of shadows. She lands smoothly, suddenly two short swords in hand. With impossible swiftness she comes forward, "Then let us settle this personally," she declares, not even slowed, coming right for you.
Donald surges forward, trying to get there in time, but Shar is faster. Much too fast, in your face in a moment. Her eyes are empty black, nothing in them. Nothing but emptiness, a cold to it that nips and tugs at your very soul, as if to siphon it away.
What's your reach right now?
[spoiler]
Amaryl: Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Donald: Visage of the Tarrasque
Ranbar: Barraged Greater Divine Power+Barraged Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 588(664)/648(724)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 890/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Ranbar
HP: 656(732)/818(894)
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Reach is 5ft. AC is 94.
I want to see her first three attacks, and then I'll decide whether I'm using MMoP or other special defenses.
> roll 1d20+134
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 147 > [d20=13]
> roll 1d6+58+3d6+12d6+40d6+10d10
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 295 > [d6=4,5][12d6=54][40d6=128][10d10=46]
Just one. Got anything you can activate after it's determined that matters here?
No, that's fine. I'll have to tank it. Temp HP was 20, HP is 828+20/828.
DR is 10/adamantine, epic and colorless, did she bypass it?
Also, aside from my rogue abilities, Duelist's Friend gives me this: The target is never flatfooted and cannot be flanked.
Did Shar SA me?
DR does apply.
Shar has something to provoke it even if you're not flatfooted or flanked.
HP at 563/828
A severing blow.
A stab deep into your side. A blade that wounds you as easily as a knife wounds a mortal, your blood pumping out from a dreadful wound.
Sleep, Seira. Cease and in but a minute I will take you to eternal rest.
Or Amaryl's next breath will be her last, and you will live with the fact that you weren't strong enough to protect her.
Go.
You talk too much, Seira scoffs, summoning another hollyphant that brings her up to speed and then rushes the long way around to flank Shar while Seira distracts her by assuming her draconic form! Didn't we just drag you out for a good fight?! Have at you!
And then she strikes back!
Swift to summon a hollyphant, swift to turn into a dragon.
20:15 <Corwin> roll 1d3
20:15 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 1 > [d3=1]
With Sensual Blessing, I'm up to full hp.
20:20 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72+10+15+30+20 CV&GR+DI+MMoP+smite impromptu sneak attack
20:20 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 150 > [d20=3]
20:22 <Corwin> roll 6d10+117+10+10+23d6+3d6 CV&GR+smite+SA+DF
20:22 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 270 > [d10=9,3,1,10,10,7][d6=3,5,2,1,5,2,2,2,5,6,1,4,4,6,2,6,6,6,2,2,5,5,3,1,6,1]
20:23 <Corwin> roll 1d20+38+10 channeled superb dispel
20:23 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 60 > [d20=12]
20:24 <Corwin> roll 1d20 DvR for Shar to take 2 Str damage
20:24 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 3 > [d20=3]
Please resolve this before I continue my turn?
> roll 1d20
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 1 > [d20=1]
Your lucky day on the strength damage. No luck on the dispel, so continue.
Attack! Break out your strongest spells that boost your combat prowess! Seira calls out to her friends, continuing to keep Shar occupied.
20:35 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72+10+15+30+20 CV&GR+DI+MMoP+smite
20:35 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 148 > [d20=1]
20:36 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72+10+15+30 CV&GR+DI+MMoP
20:36 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 138 > [d20=11]
20:36 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72+10+15+30 CV&GR+DI+MMoP
20:36 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 129 > [d20=2]
20:36 <Corwin> roll 3#1d20 20 fishing
20:36 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 6, 18, 18 >
20:37 <Corwin> roll 6#1d20 20 fishing for natural attacks
20:37 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 17, 10, 7, 1, 15, 3 >
20:37 <Corwin> roll 6d10+117+10+23d6+3d6 CV&GR+SA+DF
20:37 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 237 > [d10=3,1,9,8,1,7][d6=4,3,3,4,3,1,5,5,1,1,2,2,6,5,2,4,2,2,1,6,3,1,5,3,4,3]
20:37 <Corwin> roll 6d10+117+10+23d6+3d6 CV&GR+SA+DF
20:37 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 253 > [d10=6,8,8,5,7,9][d6=3,2,3,5,6,3,6,4,2,4,2,6,2,1,1,2,4,3,2,1,1,3,6,3,3,5]
+2 Str damage from each hit that landed. Which of these two did?
Just the first.
Okay then. Roll 20s, guys!
You strike. Wounds that barely make her bleed as Shar fences with you, as she does battle. Amaryl dives to the side as she snaps off arrows, channeling all her power into them.
> roll 6#1d20 looking for those 20s
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 8, 14, 9, 18, 8, 1 >
A sweep of Shar's blade ends those arrows, cut away before they even reach her. Donald steps in, blade alight with arcane flame as he goes for her, not a word spoken, defiance instead spoken in steel.
> roll 5#1d20 looking for those 20s
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 17, 12, 4, 14, 14 >
Yet blade and shield come to nothing, Shar like smoke amid all of you. She blurs and ripples around the strikes, smooth as can be. Ranbar moves to stop her, spear alight with fire as she stabs forward.
> roll 4#1d20 looking for those 20s
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 7, 15, 19, 2 >
Spear is stopped, as Shar merely strikes all around her, a nightmare without end as both blades stab home, everywhere at once despite being surrounded - save Amaryl, who is away from the melee.
> roll 1d20+134
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 137 > [d20=3]
> roll 1d20+134
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 139 > [d20=5]
AC?
AC is 99.
> roll 1d6+58+3d6+12d6+40d6+10d10
> roll 1d6+58+3d6+12d6+40d6+10d10
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 323 > [d6=3,14][12d6=37][40d6=160][10d10=51]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 294 > [d6=4,15][12d6=43][40d6=138][10d10=36]
Seira, your DR applies. Any hollyphants nearby are dead and then some, obviously.
A meaningless -2 to the attack roll and -2 to damage, so they get a slight HP rebate - 4 hit points, including you, Seira.
Still alive?
[spoiler]
Amaryl: Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Donald: Visage of the Tarrasque
Ranbar: Barraged Greater Divine Power+Barraged Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 588(664)/648(724)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 307/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Ranbar
HP: 43(119)/818(894)
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Yep. 235/828 hp.
Is she attacking us more or is it my go?
Blades lash out.
You bleed.
Your body is torn again and again, blades claiming your vitality. Ranbar's chest is ripped open as she stumbles back, a hand trying to stop the bleeding. Donald stands, bloody but intact, armor rent in several places.
Go.
That was a mistake in retrospect, though at the time merely a risky gamble. One that didn't bear fruit, so....
Ranbar, stand back and work on recovery. It's time for a Mass Heal, Seira tells her, before nodding at Donald. They'll have to work in tandem for now.
In a move that surprises no one, she summons more helpers. One appears behind Donald to support him, while another is by Ranbar's side! Meanwhile, Seira continues to keep the pressure up on Shar!
Swift for hollyphants, swift for refreshing improvisation to all. The pool is 18x4 points, so a 18 luck bonus can be added to attacks or ability rolls.
22:15 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72+10+15+20+15 CV&GR+DI+smite+ASlvl15 impromptu sneak attack
22:15 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 150 > [d20=18]
22:15 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72+10+15+20+15 CV&GR+DI+smite+ASlvl15 impromptu sneak attack
22:15 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 136 > [d20=4]
22:16 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72+10+15+15 CV&GR+DI+ASlvl15
22:16 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 130 > [d20=18]
22:16 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72+10+15+15 CV&GR+DI+ASlvl15
22:16 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 131 > [d20=19]
22:20 <Corwin> roll 1d20+72+10+15+15 CV&GR+DI+ASlvl15 crit?
22:20 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 113 > [d20=1]
22:17 <Corwin> roll 3#1d20 fishing for 20
22:17 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 7, 16, 14 >
22:17 <Corwin> roll 6#1d20 fishing for 20 natural attacks
22:17 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 2, 13, 12, 16, 11, 8 >
22:18 <Corwin> roll 6d10+117+10+23d6+3d6+10 CV&GR+SA+DF+smite
22:18 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 264 > [d10=8,10,3,5,5,4][d6=5,3,3,1,5,6,1,6,6,3,3,1,5,4,4,5,3,3,3,4,3,1,3,4,4,3]
22:19 <Corwin> roll 15d4 AS
22:19 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 36 > [d4=4,2,2,1,3,1,2,4,2,2,1,1,3,4,4]
A round 300 of damage, here.
22:19 <Corwin> roll 6d10+117+10+23d6+3d6+10+15d4 CV&GR+SA+DF+smite+AS
22:19 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 288 > [d10=30][23d6=79][d6=5][15d4=37]
22:20 <Corwin> roll 6d10+117+10+23d6+3d6+15d4 CV&GR+SA+DF+AS
22:20 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 293 > [d10=37][23d6=78][d6=9][15d4=42]
22:20 <Corwin> roll 6d10+117+10+23d6+3d6+15d4 CV&GR+SA+DF+AS
22:20 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 289 > [d10=27][23d6=86][d6=9][15d4=40]
2 Str damage for every hit, too.
22:21 <Corwin> roll 1d3
22:21 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 2 > [d3=2]
150hp healed for Donald.
150hp healed for Ranbar.
And I almost forgot, Lingering Damage kicks in on my turn.
22:37 <Corwin> roll 23d6+3d6
22:37 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 99 > [d6=5,3,3,3,5,2,3,5,4,1,2,5,5,6,5,6,2,1,6,2,5,5,3,6,4,2]
22:37 <Corwin> roll 23d6+3d6
22:37 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 91 > [d6=2,6,6,1,5,1,2,4,2,3,1,4,5,1,4,6,1,6,1,2,5,3,4,6,6,4]
And 4 more Str damage, since SA damage is repeated the next round. This is for last round's attacks.
A dance of blades and death. You land another blow and blood Shar ever so slightly, yet she is unbowed. A flurry of slashes comes, arcane fire crackling around his sword yet again.
> roll 6#1d20 20 fishing slashing flurry and haste
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 14, 16, 12, 12, 12, 4 >
> roll 6#1d20 20 fishing Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 12, 7, 4, 3, 10, 8 >
Yet neither arrow nor blade can triumph, not here as Shar laughs. Ranbar lets her healing come forth, soothing everyone with a soft prayer.
Mass healx2, basically. 500 hit point healing all.
As warmth momentarily heals you, Shar slips away. Into the shadows and ground, gone - just before all the reality erupts in blades of shadows, everything suddenly a kill zone with blades harder than steel.
Ref all.
[spoiler]
Amaryl: Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Donald: Visage of the Tarrasque
Ranbar: Barraged Greater Divine Power+Barraged Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 648(724)/648(724)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 890/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Ranbar
HP: 693(769)/818(894)
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used: 2 mass heals
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
18:54 <Corwin> roll 1d20+66+10 improved evasion
18:54 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 87 > [d20=11]
> roll 1d20+53 Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 69 > [d20=16]
> roll 1d20+54 Amaryl improved evasion and evasion on Donald, whoops
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 56 > [d20=2]
> roll 1d20+40 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 59 > [d20=19]
500 damage. Donald full, Amaryl half, Ranbar full, Seira none.
As the hollyphants are obiterated, a strange, cloying aura fills the air. It lingers over everything, yet seems to have no immediate, obvious effect. Your arcane lore lets you know that this will pervert and twist any summons you make, turning them into nightmares that serve another, not you.
I'm tired of bleeding, we need to go. We're letting Shar toy with us.
Go.
[spoiler]
Amaryl: Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Donald: Visage of the Tarrasque
Ranbar: Barraged Greater Divine Power+Barraged Endurance of the Dragon Princess
Amaryl: -1 everything, -1 AC, -1 reflex, -1 ranged attacks, -1 dex, int skills.
Donald: -1 everything, -1 melee attacks, -1 str/int/cha skills, -1 spell DCs
Amaryl
HP: 398(474)/648(724)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Emergency Skirmish 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Elemental Summon 3/3 Smiting 1/1 Dragonfire 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Always goes first with supreme init, +4 bonus to attacks after the first miss in a round.
Donald
HP: 390/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Ranbar
HP: 193(269)/818(894)
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used: 2 mass heals
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Donald is the one person whom Seira will always heed if he asks for a retreat. The trauma of miscalculating and allowing him to die will never quite pass, she reflects, but being aware of the issue doesn't change how she acts.
I need a description, please. The portal we came through is still here? It still looks the same to my senses?
If yes, as a dragon can I grab two of them in my claws and another with TK, and move through it on my go here?
If no, what do I think is needed to leave this place based on my ridiculously high knowledges?
Lingering damage from last round's attacks:
19:13 <Corwin> roll 23d6+3d6
19:13 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 102 > [d6=6,3,1,1,6,6,5,5,6,6,5,5,4,6,2,5,2,4,2,4,3,5,3,3,2,2]
19:13 <Corwin> roll 23d6+3d6
19:13 <Corwin> roll 23d6+3d6
19:14 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 90 > [d6=4,4,4,6,1,1,4,2,1,1,3,3,4,4,6,5,3,4,3,6,4,2,2,3,6,4]
19:14 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 74 > [d6=2,5,3,6,5,1,2,2,2,4,2,2,1,4,1,1,3,6,1,1,2,5,3,2,4,4]
19:14 <Corwin> roll 23d6+3d6
19:14 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 102 > [d6=3,5,3,4,2,1,2,1,6,6,4,4,5,3,5,4,3,2,6,6,6,4,5,6,2,4]
And 2 Str damage for each one. Since you never told me what hit or how much, just use what fits I guess?
You look back and see the portal seems alive with shadows. Twisting things, writhing things that move back and forth. They seem hungry somehow, ready to eat.
So no, the portal doesn't look like as it did before, but it is still there.
You could go through it that way if you want.
If we're going to leave, then we need to neutralize the shadows, Seira thinks to her friends. We've already brought about light, so let's do it again and force this realm to reject shadows!
Shadows as in the monsters, crowding the place? Shadows as fluff for some sort of magical or dimensional phenomenon my knowledge would elaborate on? Shadows as flavor for Shar's spookiness?
As for concrete actions, I want my friends to focus on modifying this place with anarch powers to clear the path from shadows, make it a realm where shadows aren't allowed to exist, or at the very least weaken them, even for a moment. They have Improvisation with +18 to the charisma check and +2 from Good Hope still.
Shadows as in ravenous shadows that will tear, drain and devour any who come close or through them. Nasty stuff, your knowledge tells you.
> roll 1d20+30 Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 36 > [d20=6]
> roll 1d20+29 Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 33 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d20+24 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 29 > [d20=5]
LIght around the shadows push them back, at least for the moment - the portal is clear!
A burst of power telekinetically summons the avatar of her wife to position her comfortably upon Seira's neck, while she wraps Donald around in her tail and carefully grabs Ranbar in a claw. The silver protections of Effulgent Epuration circle around them as demented ioun stones as Seira dives through the portal!
Your spheres are wise - for more than half of them crumble away as you pass through, a bumping and rioting ride that...!
Fort.
20:20 <Corwin> roll 1d20+69+10
20:20 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 89 > [d20=10]
You endure this and are thrown back out into cold metal, out of the portal intact if momentarily shaken. All is empty here no, no sign of those who surrounded it before you entered and dealt with them.
Luckily, she'd made a very direct path inside through the doors, so all Seira has to do is follow it back and get to a distance where dimensional travel is open. Easy! She does cloak the four of them with invisibility without breaking her stride, just to make it difficult for anyone set to harass them to interfere. Her speed will take care of the rest.
You rush on - but as you go, the walls begin to repair themselves, as if to try and block your exit, creeping shut as inch after inch of metal regrows and replenishes.
Seira is half again as fast going out as she was going in, and doesn't need to stop to fight or bust walls, so she hopes to make it through! And should a wall prove to be a challenge, she'll try to rely on a variant of the unfortunately named Shadow Form to slip past a wall without pausing or leaving clear signs of her passage.
Speed is 350ft compared to 230ft going in, and since I'm running at x4 base speed I figure I could get through. My skill should let me get past walls with Shadow Form.
Sure. Give me a quick Dex check too in case it's needed as I do the math. +10 bonus.
20:57 <Corwin> roll 1d20+5+10+18+2
20:57 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 45 > [d20=10]
On and on and on - there! You escape out, through the cube and soaring free.
"Go," Amaryl calls, looking back as she holds on tight.
Seira goes! And keeps on healing the others as she does so, to keep them in top shape.
You heal up as you pass out of range - you can teleport now if you wish. Do you?
Seira returns home by way of Astral, after making sure no foreign spells are clingng to her or to her friends.
K:A, K:P, K:R 10 for 111. Perception 10 for 111.
No spells, just home. Once there Donald escapes your grasp.
"At least we got some minions," he finally says, "But damn it, we still struggle even against an avatar of hers." He takes off his angelhelm and gauntlet, running a bare hand over his sweaty face. "Let alone this latest bullshit."
"She trumpets it like a supreme victory," Amaryl speaks softly, "But we were eventually able to undo it...and merely face her avatar."
Seira shrugs. "I know we didn't win, but the gap between her avatar and ours was less than her real self and ours. Besides, I felt a definite shrinking of the gap this time. Once we train ourselves up, we'll close it further. So... let's talk improvements?"
Donald looks down at his armor, "Besides Elle's repairs?" He considers, "More everything, more base power. More skill. More luck."
"A better battleground," Amaryl seconds, "That one was completely against us."
She nods at Donald's words. "That's always important. You need weapons that match mine at the very least, so focus on that for now."
Amaryl's suggestion, however, gets her a shrug. "We'll never be able to choose the battlefield, not as long as we're the underdogs."
Ranbar, meanwhile, gets a curious glance. "And your insights? The first thing to take away from this?"
Even as she waits, Seira reaches out to the Red Knight. Hello. Is this a good time?
Ranbar's quiet even after that. She holds up a hand before she says, "I need to go further, I see that now. Even this power is not enough. Nothing I have is enough against Shar. It's not even close. I may as well be a cat against a balor."
If it is of strategy and warfare, it is always a good time.
Seira nods. "More concretely, you ran into the same issue I had, of not having enough dedicated spells for a difficult situation. You need more options for top-level healing, and a staff works just fine if you don't want to overspecialize with spells. Other than that, however, you need more experience. You know the Moment of Prescience spell and its big brother?" She eyes Amaryl here as well. "Why wouldn't you precast it while going into a high-risk situation? It lasts for ages. And once you use it, having it as an extra defense against Shar's spells could've spared you two a lot of pain. Looking back, it could've made the difference between complete protection and taking the full attack."
She frowns. "Plus, Donald, you can quick cast same as Amaryl, right? So why didn't you try it on the off chance you would hit and maximize the effect? True, it's not the best of plans, but sometimes flailing around and throwing everything at the wall gives you a better plan of action for later on. If none of your spells looked like a good option for this engagement, diversify in preparation for the next encounter. Always aim to have at least two attack spells you could use in any possible engagement, and two utility spells besides."
I'd say it's related. My avatar just got done fighting Shar's, and I've found a few areas where my preparation was lacking, Seira tells the Red Knight in the meanwhile. I know you have a restricted spell to boost combat skill because I'm an archmage goddess of knowledge, so I was hoping to ask for permission for me and mine to use it against that level of threat.
As your lessons are taken in thoughtfully?
I have more than one spell like that. Which one in particular?
Shar is nigh-impossible to hit. I was referring to the aptly-named Red Knight's Skill spell, but if you can think of one even more helpful, I'd appreciate it.
"Now, as for me. I didn't take it seriously enough from the start or even during prep. Doing this seriously would've spared you unnecessary pain, and I'm sorry for that. Being better prepared in the future won't be difficult." Seira pauses for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "As you've seen, it looked as if I could've kept the deadlock for a good, long while. But if you hadn't been there with me, on my own facing off against Shar's avatar would've been far more difficult. So if we have to fight her together, you all have to be able to reach the same heights I could, however briefly. I could actually strike past her defenses a few times, and you all must find a way to do that at least twice. One aspect of that is the Moment of Prescience line of spells, which are a must for all such engagements. If you can learn the superior version, do it and keep a couple of them at the ready. If you can't, get Elle to make you something. The standard three times a day item would suit you well, especially if it is swift in activating. But it won't be enough alone. Improvisation is something I can provide, so decide on spells that would achieve a similar effect if you're not fighting alongside me for some reason. The tarrasque spell and the superior divine power are a good start, but get more comfortable with breaking out spells that boost your endurance as well. And finally, look for a third option that's not relying on magic. Paladins have an obvious option, but it's factotums who can truly turn things around."
Peering at Ranbar, Seira asks her, "Boosted by my Improvisation, and with your Divine Power, Moments of Prescience and inspiration on your side, do you think you had a better than even chance of hitting Shar's avatar?"
You ask a favor from me, Seira. I could grant this - but I would request an equal measure in return.
Ranbar listens to it all and when you're done? At last she says, "In all truth, I'm not certain. There's no opponent out there like Shar to compare her against. But...maybe." she concludes, "And if she did not hold a greater trick in reserve."
"The thing is, Shar was holding back," Seira states the obvious. "The advantage of home ground is that great, even without her merging with planes trick. But she wasn't toying with us so much as trying to win while fighting on our level out of a silly sense of pride. Under those conditions, turning the tables on her was possible, where turning the tables means getting her to run away in a sulk. Don't tie yourself in knots worrying what sort of trick she was holding back. After all, I held a trick or two of my own in case we were in such a dire strait there was no choice but to reveal them to protect us. Largely defensive, since I threw what I had into offense." She shakes her head to avoid the derail. "I think you could've hit her, and that might well have been enough to get her to retreat. So what you need the most right now, I think, is believing in yourself and your abilities. You could've hit her, but only if you thought so and went about it calmly. And next time we face off against her, you will. That's all there is to it."
Certanily. If there's a dire enemy threatening you and yours so, I'd happily provide what assistance you wish.
I request a worthwhile spell of your own, one not known to others. One that is useful to me, a clerical spell my faithful can learn and draw on.
Ranbar bows her head to you in agreement, "Yes, Seira. I will live up to everything you say."
"Excellent! You'll be with me on the next big push against our enemies, don't worry, so you'll get to test your might again soon~" Seira tells her cheerfully. Studying their equipment for a long moment, she nods to herself. "Donald, ask Elle to give Guardianil's upgrade priority. I'd also strongly recommend that you look into Ranbar's specific set of skills to draw upon at need. And Ranbar, teaching Donald should help you grow more comfortable with their combat applications, too."
Alright. I'll go over my spellbook and get back to you.
As you desire. Contact me when you are prepared.
"I'll talk to her," Donald agrees, I'll see about it."
Ranbar bows her head, "I will be stronger - I already feel stronger, Seira."
In that moment you feel it - your connection to Ranbar, stronger than ever.
Node update.
Read it. Good luck, Ranbar! Kill a demon lord!
"Nice! Is there anything you want that I can personally help advance?" Seira inquires. She intends to work with Amaryl on her magic to try and overcome the power gap that way, and Donald and Ranbar will be training together in the short term anyway, but she's open to requests.
And she also sends off a quick word to Alicia.
Did you know that Shar can merge with demiplanes? So spooky!
Yes, I just got back from assaulting one at Selune's behest where Shar had an avatar waiting. Concentrated anarchic effort was able to pry her loose, and I'm not sure what she can do with that power outside of a demiplanes or whether Shar herself has merged with the plane of shadow, but it's concerning and seriously complicates offensive action against her.
I hope no one died on your end.
Tone suggests not, that's why it came as an afterthought.
No, thanks for asking! We pulled her out of the wall the same way, but only I could actually hit her and Donald suggested a retreat rather than fighting a meaningless battle. No one asked us to take down that outpost, so it gets to stand another day, minus a few hundred cultists. At least we know now what we each lack and need more training with.
"I do," Amaryl says, "I want to improve my archery further, and I have ideas of how. My sorcery is strong as well, and yet could be stronger."
Good, we're looking at our own angles for catching up as well. Shar's being excessively arrogant about the whole thing so I think she's got more in store to keep pressing us. I heard from Bel that she has new swords as well that deal wounds impossible to heal.
"Let's get to work testing a bunch of ideas, then," Seira tells Amaryl, flashing Ranbar and Donald a smile and offering her hand to her wife. "What do you think about a sniper mode of sorts? If we use either your magic or enchant your weapon in the right way, your first shot could fly true. Then, assuming we imbue a spell into it or daze the enemy with the hit, the rest could find their target more easily. Does that approach interest you?"
Having thought about the spells for her exchange with Red Knight some, Seira contacts her again! I'm willing to provide you with a secret of the faith, a spell holding the pinnacle of what I consider a paladin. I can only dispense with it for use during dire times indeed, however. Rather than your faithful learning it properly, you could bestow it upon them when you consider the condition met. Does that sound agreeable?
Seira's Glorious Visage
Transmutation [Good, Fire]
Level: Clr 10, Pal 8
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level
This spell functions as holy transformation, with several new abilities as noted here.
You gain a +4 sacred bonus to Dexterity.
Your melee and natural weapons are cloaked in flames, dealing an extra 1d8 points of fire damage per strike for every 5 caster levels you have. This stacks with other sources of fire damage, such as a flaming weapon or dragonfire wrath.
You glow with golden flames, providing illumination in a 20ft radius. All allies within 20ft gain a +4 deflection bonus to armor class and a +4 resistance bonus to saving throws against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures. You gain a -20 circumstance penalty to Hide checks for the duration.
As an immediate action, you may add your Charisma modifier (minimum 1) on the saving throws and CMD of all allies within 20 feet excluding yourself. This bonus lasts for 1 round. The spell ends after you use it in this manner.
This spell is a closely guarded secret of Seira's faith and is given to her most capable clerics and paladins.
What Amaryl has in mind, and this will be OOC discussion since it's mechanical, is a PrC that advances both favored enemy and arcane spellcasting. I'm not sure such a PrC exists, so it may require homebrew. Do you know anything that might help her here? It would require at least a few levels away from dragonbreath archer, though.
I don't have spells open, refresh me of what level of spell the spell you want is?
Ugh, really? She cut me but it healed just fine. It's hateful but that's Shar for you.
Regarding Amaryl, that's an interesting approach. I'm not aware of any existing prc like that, so yes, homebrew is likely in the cards. Is she thinking of retraining some of her levels, or picking it up in the future? If the latter, it could be an epic prc so that's always nice.
Incidentally, if she does go for it next, what will she pick on the other side? Sorc and dragonbreath archer are obviously not options for that.
As for the Red Knight....
Given the large disparity, I think the restrictions on her side should be greater. Up to her what restrictions she does place on my side if she agrees to the trade.
Red Knight's Skill
Evocation
Level: Clr 6, Pal 6
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min/level
When you call on this blessing, the martial knowledge of the Red Knight grants you great combat ability. You are proficient with all weapons and armor, including exotic weapons and armor. You gain a competence bonus to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls and armor class equal to your caster level divided by 5 (minimum 1, maximum of +5).
This spell is known to select members of the Red Knight's clergy and is kept to that faith, though a few others have obtained the spell.
She'll reply in this post and you can argue over terms then.
No retraining, I'm not looking for more DM work when I'm just really coming out of the low energy I've had, so picking it up in future levels. I'd rather not do an epic PrC because honestly, there's nothing in the premise that's really epic. Merely making a ranger/arcane caster PrC hybrid isn't epic.
I'd have to decide, more scout would be the default to advance skirmish, but I'd have to review scout's growth past 10 and do some planning.
How do you intend to use my spell should I grant it to you?
At a bare minimum, I need to have it available for myself and those closest to me while facing powerful threats on the level of divine proxy or avatar and stronger. Naturally, I would only pull all stops like that while facing off against evil. However, if you're feeling generous, I could also provide it as a reward to the more martially-minded of my flock.
Fair enough, although in this case I'd say make it epic by finding the right angle.
If I can find a suitable idea.
For you and those closest to you is acceptable, as long as you take measures that others do not see you cast it lightly and copy it.
Agreed.
Since Amaryl's training is off-screen, what's waiting for me next?
First off a check for you if you have anything you're planning to do, and if not I have something.
Not at present.
As you work on that, you get a simple message.
Seira, we must talk immediately.
How about I stop by, then? Seira offers, and dispatches an avatar. It is a blind plane shift to Waukeen's realm, and her longtime sponsor should easily redirect it to a precise destination of her choosing.
Waukeen paces back and forth, in a gown of gold and pearls. She turns as you approach, as you stand on a beautiful balcony that overlooks Brightwater.
"Mystra has informed me of grave news, and news I would spread with you. Shar has gained greater power than we feared." Waukeen begins immediately. "And Shar is very bad for business! I'm not supposed to spread this widely yet but hang that, Seira, you'll probably fight her before someone tells you!"
"Is it about how she can merge with demiplanes?" Seira asks Waukeen. "And you need a lot of pull with anarch powers to counter it? I just got back from a trip where she demonstrated it, and apparently I'm not the only one she was bragging before."
Waukeen rushes to you, "You're alright?" she asks immediately, "Is everyone else?"
"Yes, thankfully. I heard from Alicia that Shar has some swords wounds from which defy easy cure, but she hasn't displayed them today." She gives Waukeen a self-deprecating smile. "Aside from frustration at using the better part of valor, we're all fine. Even if it stings that I have to load up on so many spells you can barely see me behind them to stab her, and my pride in the art of counterspelling is ridiculously unreliable with her."
You get a hug - a tight, motherly hug that holds you to Waukeen. "I'm relieved, Mystra was so clearly worried and upset even if she didn't say so."
"We could've lost someone," Seira admits, keeping a tight rein on her frustration. "I took it too lightly just because I thought it'd be a proxy and not an avatar. Damn, how is she so ridiculously strong?"
"There's a very simple reason for that." Waukeen says after giving you that hug, "Sometimes, Creation isn't fair. I'm just relieved you're all safe - I was worried you'd taken Emily or Xera with you and they were overwhelmed, or maybe Kascha. If she tripped at the wrong time, it could be a disaster."
"That's more a danger while going alone. Though yes, I'm going to let them know. The big question is what now? Do you have a lead on some special training we could do to let our avatars carch up to hers?"
"Seira dear, I'm the wrong one to ask," Waukeen admits openly, "Unless it involves buying and selling, which..." she considers. "Do you have something in mind?"
"I don't suppose you have a lead on an artifact that'll make my dispels more effective?" Seira wonders, moving to investigate new options rather than dwelling on the past. "I managed to counter Shar's magic, but like I said it wasn't too reliable. Being better at it would make a future meeting go differently."
"You don't settle for second best," Waukeen observes, "I may have a lead on one, of course."
"Then I'll pursue that first. My magic is my best option, after all." And for the martial aspects, maybe she can become a stronger dragon? Something to ask Io about.
Amaryl, would you mind informing our friends of Shar's new tricks? she asks her wife in the meantime. Starting with Moore and our daughters, who might be the most at risk?
I will.
"Good. Sit right there, I have a mercane to sweet talk," Waukeen says, a table and chairs rising up from nothing. "You really must be more careful though."
"I'll try! But you know better than I that no risk means no reward."
"And no life," Waukeen sits opposite you, "Things have become so dangerous in Creation lately!"
"Yeah," Seira agrees, before she smiles at Waukeen. "Thanks for... everything. Doing this, being you. It's a great feeling."
A tsk, "If you didn't have me, you'd have run headlong into who knows what by now! You always needed an investor to guide and support your ventures, and I'm that investor. The returns have been legendary."
Yes, they really have been, Seira muses. Good times!
"I do think we'll keep things calmer in the near future," she voices. "Amaryl and Ranbar were thinking of punching out some demon lord, which should be safe unless they shoot for the moon."
"Safe," Waukeen says, "That's what you consider safe?"
"I did it before ascending, Red Knight ascended after beating up one, how hard can it be for other people?"
A laugh, warm. "How hard! Oh Seira," Waukeen says, "Never let the weight of times change you." Her face has a wide smile now, "You speak so easily of such monumental deeds!"
"Okay then, I won't let it~"
Meanwhile another Waukeen appears and drops a scroll onto the table, "Here you are," she says, "Do be careful," she says, before she's gone.
"Ooh, thanks!" Seira pulls the scroll towards her with a gesture and then holds it open to scan its contents.
It's said to be named Wildaros. A trinket of concentrated antimagic, it's said to make breaking magic far easier. The origins of it aren't clear - a remnant of a long forgotten and absorbed Prime Material, a legend without a home. It is said that in these times, reliable merchant sources tracked it down and found it lies somewhere in the Positive Energy Plane. In the belly of some great beast.
"That's all they could find, and only by the greatest luck. The knowledge of this beast is anathemic," Waukeen explains, "I don't consider it a profitable venture to investigate, whatever it is, but you might."
"It's been a while since I visited the Positive Energy Plane, so I'm all for it. Thanks again!"
Who to take with her... Elle and Ranbar? Donald too, probably. It could be a nice outing.
Just as you say that?
Seira, Emily reports that Shar directly threatened Alyssa's parents unless she comes to Shadow as a guest.
She is not so foolish to accept, but it is best that you know that Shar has made threats like that. That is not the only family she could threaten.
Aren't they living in her divine realm, which is within Selune's divine realm? I'd love to see Shar's leverage on that.
Yes, but be aware, in case she manages something.
Oh, Shar.
Putting that bit of silliness out of her mind, Seira decides to change the subject. It's been a while since she just spent some time together with Waukeen, just the two of them. Perhaps they could have some fun in Brightwater incognito?
That could be fun if you want to cover it. Do you or do you want to move along?
Let's move along in this case. IC celebration should come after an IC success!
Okay, so who are you taking and how are you going to investigate this?
What are the libraries specializing in anathemic knowledge that I'm aware of?
As for who I'm inviting, it's Donald, Elle and Ranbar.
Not really much of a thing. I mean, the nature of it means libraries don't really work. It tends to be individuals, or any writings are in the hands of powerful beings who may not like to share.
Any spell prep I need to be aware of?
Let's just gather together and discuss our departure. Maybe they'll have an idea of where to look rather than go aimlessly. When we actually do go, the combat loadout would be precast.
In fact, for the discussion we'll have Greater Heroism and Divine Insight/Bibliotheca Arcana to boost skills.
Sure.
It's not hard to get them together, "So it's an anathemic beast on the Positive Energy Plane," Elle begins, "That both narrows it down and makes it even harder."
"One option is just to travel randomly," Seira voices the obvious. "Traces of an anathemic beast's existence might be something we'll spot if we luck out. Another option is to actually try to aim for it. Perhaps we can try some mortal-level divinations and compare them to divine ones, then try to narrow down the area to check. Finally, I can think of hitting Celestia's archives, or maybe Ohgma's or that Abyssal place. While no library exists that specializes in this sort of knowledge, traces of it could be in any of them, or even at Aurora. Thoughts?"
Elle paces slowly, "It's still a needle in a haystack," she says, "Plus it can survive on the Positive Energy Plane. We also can't discount that it can use the artifact, or may be more than a beast. The anathemic knowledge means either something powerful wants it to be hidden, or it wants to be hidden and is powerful enough to hide itself. No matter how you do the math, it's not a minor foe."
"This time we won't be limiting ourselves to avatars and going properly prepared from the start, so we'll match whatever it is power-wise," Seira responds. "The point about cunning and intelligence is a very good one, so let's keep it in mind. Finally, I agree on the needle part, so that's where we should focus our efforts. Do we rely on luck, try to force it, or hit the various libraries for clues first?"
"I'm asking around. Sylica doesn't know anything according to Jessica," Donald says, "Brightwater's likewise stumped, Waukeen dealt with us straight there. Same with the House of Nature, but I'm talking to Jetina now and she thinks she might know something."
"Yeah, Waukeen wouldn't give me this lead as is if she knew more," Seira agrees, listening curiously to Donald about Jetina's information.
"I'll see if I can invite her over," Donald says, "Hold on."
"Thanks!"
Seira asks Vayley to prepare refreshments for the occasion.
Soon enough the four of you - Seira, Ranbar, Donald and Elle - are joined by Jetina. With her is Moore, "I invited Moore in case he can help," Jetina says, "I understand you're seeking something on the Positive Energy Plane, something anathemic?"
Ranbar rather than Amaryl this time.
"Yep," Seira responds, waving in greeting. "I heard of an artifact that should aid my dispels, and apparently an anathemic beastie that lives on the Positive ate it."
"Huh, I wonder what kind of creatures could even do that." Moore says. "Well, I'll help however I can. We actually just created something that might be of benefit too, once we get the details worked out I'll send over all the information we have on it, you're welcome to use it." He adds.
Thank you, my mistake. I'll edit after this post.
Jetina comes in, "I may know what it is, and if it is, you're in for a difficult quest." Once in she nods, "Most can't remember it or even learn of it. Only the greatest of healers can, due to our connection to the Positive Energy Plane. Moore would likewise be unaffected due to his efforts with anathemic knowledge."
A pause to regard all of you, "It's called the Shining Watcher. It is protected by the plane itself and a healer with perhaps no rival, save for the greatest of the gods who champion healing. It is also said to be the greatest of wild beasts: the tarrasque."
A beat.
"Well fuck," Donald groans, "A super tarrasque who can outheal a god?"
"Well... it sounds like maybe we can at least bargain with it somehow? But I wonder if it's so shrouded because it doesn't want to be bothered." Moore says. "At least it isn't being held in some awful place."
"That's not a problem," Seira reasons. "We're not there to kill it, but just to take the artifact. Is this tarrasque that healer's pet or something? Or is it full sapient?"
"No, the tarrasque is the healer," Jetina says, "I reckon it's as least as smart as a human."
Elle frowns, "The last time we faced an intelligent tarrasque was the Destroyer," she points out, "And that battle was full of horrible surprises."
"Dumb question, but can we just... reach out to it and ask?" Moore says. "Or does its nature prohibit that possibility?"
"I was thinking of asking the healer, so yes, if it's the tarrasque I can do that! But if it will refuse, it better have a great reason. And if it attacks instead of talking, that just means it's following the adventurer's code, so that also works."
"Then reach out to it?" Jetina says, "If it answers or not, either possibility guides our next choices."
Hello, Shining Watcher.
There is no reply.
"As expected, no answer," Seira responds with a shrug. "Honestly, I was thinking of going and talking to it directly so I'll know if I'm getting ignored."
"If it is no imposition, may we journey with you? I'm interested in whatever this is," Jetina asks, "And perhaps I could learn from it., if it a great a healer as legend says."
Moore nods to Jetina's words. "I can probably help smooth over any disagreements too. Maybe we can find it by using its anathemic knowledge against it somehow? That stuff really stands out, ironically, when you know to look for it." He says.
"If you'd like to come with us, the more the merrier~"
Can we get a refresher on Positive Energy Plane traits, btw?
"The feat is to remember you even found it," Elle banters back as you all begin to prepare.
Sure.
The main ones are:
Major Positive Dominant: Any creature who first comes here needs a Fort save or be blinded temporarily. It grants fast healing 5 to any here, plus if unprotected, this stacks as temporary hit points if you're at full HP. If it goes far enough to exceed your maximum hit points as temporary hit points, you explode and die.
Positive magic is enhanced here. In other words, anything like a cure spell is automatically maximized.
Negative energy magic is impeded and difficult to cast.
There's subjective gravity, so flight is the norm here.
That said what prep are y'all taking for this?
Moore will keep up Inspire Heroics on everyone for +18 morale bonus to saves and +18 dodge to AC.
He's also running the Charisma aura, so everyone gets +18 to Charisma checks.
Precasting the following spells at CL 37...
On all:
Foresight [10min/lvl], Visions of the Future [1hr/lvl], True Seeing [1min/lvl], Vision of the Omniscient Eye [1min/lvl], Freedom of Movement [10min/lvl], Pass Without Trace [1hr/lvl], Greater Heroism [1min/lvl], Good Hope [1min/lvl], Nondetection [1hr/lvl], Mass Death Ward [1min/lvl], Heroes's Feast [12hr], Fortunate Fate [10min/lvl], Spell Turning [10min/lvl]
Presumably the protections from overhealing are those planar travel spells? There's one that's daylong, so that works.
On myself only:
Sensual Blessing [A, 1min/lvl], Detect Scrying [24hr], Greater Arcane Sight [1min/lvl], Greater Anticipate Teleport [24hr], Bibliotheca Arcana [A, 24hr], Voice of the Dragon [10min/lvl], Mind Blank [A, 24hr], Many Moments of Prescience [A, 1hr/lvl], Moment of Prescience [A, 1hr/lvl]
How long can you keep it going on people, Moore? It's possible this won't be quick?
It's 10 minutes per use and he can do it 44 times, so it'll last.
I'm sorted. Go ahead and declare how you're getting to the Positive Energy Plane and where you're aiming for there.
[spoiler]
He's also running the Charisma aura, so everyone gets +18 to Charisma checks.
Donald
HP: 890+20/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+4 (+4 morale), Damage+2 (+2 morale) AC+20 (+2 sacred, +18 morale), Saves+20 (+2 sacred, +18 morale), Skills+4 (+14 perception)(+4 morale), Checks+2 (+2 morale)
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Elle
HP: 901+20/901 (fast healing 10)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Dragon Breath (DD) 1/1 Touch of Vitality 126/126 Mythical Cast Maximize 3/3
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Epic Mage Armor (CL34), Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes:
Ranbar
HP: 818+20/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 29/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Jetina
HP: 864+20/864 (fast healing 5)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Courage 10ft (+4 morale vs fear), Positive Energy 10ft (1 hit point healing/round), Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Smite Evil 7/7 Smite 7/7 Channel Energy 17/17 Emergency Healing 8/8 True Believer 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Charity Domain 1/1 Life Domain 1/1 Nobility Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Divine Vigor is +10ft land movement and +2 temp hp per hit die. Divine Shield is Cha mod to shield bonus to armor class.
Seira plane shifts them all to the Positive Energy Plane once protections have taken hold, asking there, "So, Moore, you mentioned a sort of old-style divination for anathemic knowledge? I considered something similar, like zeroing in on the destination by searching for what can't be perceived normally. Or via a backscatter-like spell, although I don't have one handy. Were you thinking along those lines?"
"Yes, that's it exactly." Moore says with a nod. "Basically, you're looking for what stands out by not standing out. Almost something like Lay of the Land, except you're looking for what you can't see."
"I figured comparing two results, a divine and a mundane one, might show us the differences. After all, if you can weaken your spells artificially, you could probably bring your magic all the way down to mortal level too."
The Positive Energy Plane is like an endless sea of radiance around you all. Life itself blossoms here, a steady trickle into your bodies held at bay by your magics.
"It sounds like detecting an invisible enemy by their footprints?" Elle suggests.
"A bit of that, and a bit of how you can spot mental contamination in friends. If someone brave and curious suddenly finds nothing of interest in the ruins she was exploring and wants to get as far away from them as possible, you'd take it as a hint of a mind-affecting spell even if you couldn't see it for yourself, right?"
"It's harder when you keep forgetting," Elle points out, "That's what makes it such a thrice damned headache."
Jetina speaks up here, "Yes, but we should be able to work with this, unless the Shining Watcher is protected greatly beyond our expectations."
"It's pretty much meant to be a spell for deities, given it relies on a deity for casting it," Seira voices. "I think we can actually try the basic concept by altering a preexisting spell. Moore, how about you try Lay of the Land and I'll work from Find the Path? Elle, got a spell of your own to try altering on the fly with divine power?"
"Sure." Moore says as ge invokes some divine power!
Using Wish for a powered up Lay of the Land that should function with some place like the Positive Energy Plane, as well as extending the range. Default level is Bard 4/Druid 4, so I imagine the range can be decently amplified.
With a grin, Seira tries to alter a Find the Path spell she's casting via her divine power, the target being the area where divinations would stop being reliable.
Swift action to cast the original spell, swift action for Miracle, standard for divine will to see if it'll work.
I need CL checks for all of those.
[15:23] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+37
[15:23] <Penuche2> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 46 > [d20=9]
22:23 <Corwin> roll 1d20+37+6
22:23 <Penuche2> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 58 > [d20=15]
> roll 1d100 since it is a random hunk of the Positive
<Penuche2> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 30 > [d100=30]
Moore finds that he gets...not much, as it's simply a random hunk of the Positive Energy Plane. There's simply very little to learn here, unless endless life energy and light are your interests. In that case, boy did you come to the right place. You cover quite a distance, but the Positive Energy Plane isn't known for lots of landmarks or anything of note beyond its main features.
Seira's spell doesn't return any useful results.
Okay, normally I'd be more opaque here, but I feel this is a situation where some DM clarification would be helpful. Something that blocks or stops divinations does exactly that. I don't feel it's a good RAW or RAI ruling to let wordplay get around this. If it's blocked, it doesn't suddenly fail when you approach it from a different angle with the same tools. The target is still something that blocks divinations, and as such, it still fails.
Points for being intelligent though, that was a clever usage.
It's also entirely possible something interfered or simply resisted your spell altogether, or that it may work differently with a more specific location rather than a general one. You're basically back of the envelope sketching out ideas here with magic modifications.
"I don't see anything in this particular area that jumps out at me as being hidden, or anything that raises any real eyebrows, for whatever that's worth." Moore says.
"We are in the middle of nowhere," Jetina concurs.
"Yeaaah," Donald looks around, "The equivalent of the pimply ass of the countryside. The sort where two cows is worth a wedding and three's a fortune. There's nothing here."
"I attended a wedding like that one. The dowry grazed while they had the ceremony," Elle smiles, "That was a long time ago, before magic fully returned to Balmuria."
"Really? What was it like?" Ranbar asks at that, only a bare glance at the light around all of you. "What faith was it?"
"If anything, it was closest to something from the House of Nature, but the beliefs were thin out there. Mostly a blend from various traveling minor priests and a rare cleric. Back then clerics were scarce on the ground." Elle's smile grows a little bit, "Where a simple cantrip could awe an entire village. These days there, most every village has a hedge mage and clerics of all kinds spread blessings and the faith. Ah, Alicia and I get going on about that sometimes, when third circle magic was a great achievement and our works were thought of as mighty."
"It... does feel like a lifetime ago that all that happened." Moore says, but then he blinks and looks off to the side.
"Hm, do we have a way to narrow it down any?" Moore asks. "I wonder if..." He looks off to the side. "It worked on Arcadia, maybe that would work here too... Um, if we can't find anything through traditional means, or even non-traditional by bending the rules, I may have an idea. For right now, let's try magic and see what we come up with."
"If your idea is pulling a Shar and merging with the Positive, let's not!" Seira says brightly, creating a visual representation of the plane and then trying the same approach, except with the most basic divination spell she can think of.
I'm creating a nonmagical map/globe/whatever works for the Positive Energy Plane. First, I'll establish a small section that corresponds with our location and use Divination (the spell) on it to see if it goes through. I'll repeat it a few times to account for the random 10% failure chance, unless I can brush that aside as a deity. If if works, I'll block divinations in it and then try again, to confirm that my Divination (the spell) is blocked.
If that works, I'll get the entire map and divide it into halves. We could work our way down them to halve the suspected area more and more to narrow down the destination.
Okay, so divination provides a simple bit of advice on a particular goal when you ask it. How are you using it relative to that for the globe? Are you asking something in particular?
'Can I find Shining Watcher here if I teleport over now and search around?' whereas 'here' refers to the relevant map section.
"It's nothing so dramatic as that, no." Moore says with a smile as he watches to see if anything comes of this.
CL on divination, at least for the first one, Seira.
18:51 <Corwin> roll 1d20+37+6
18:51 <Penuche2> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 51 > [d20=8]
The spell fails. One of the nice things about divination is that when it fails, it lets you know. In this case, the spell was simply blocked.
"Blocked right off the bat, huh?"
Okay, so the very first spot I tried got blocked. Since I tried to use divine will (Miracle + Alter Reality) to make the spell work with anathemic knowledge, do I take from this that my power was insufficient? Or that my approach can't work without specific spells, similarly to temporal spells?
Your arcane knowledge suggests that the spell was blocked, and you'd know it's not something feeble and almost certainly not a mortal.
In other words you're facing serious opposition here. It's plausible another deity's involved or a planar lord of some kind.
Letting the others try their own ideas for now, Seira takes a breather to contact Waukeen.
I'm on the Positive, and my divination got blocked, she tells the older goddess. It felt quit beyond mortal strength, but I didn't experience the usual tug of war with another deity. Do you know who or what that might be?
I'm afraid not, Seira. There's precious little mercantile interests in the Positive Energy Plane.
"Hey, Jetina, do you know who could be here to outright block my spells? I know I'm after the artifact to make them stronger, but they're pretty hard to beat already and I didn't sense an actual deity doing it."
Since it seems like normal methods aren't working, Moore decides to try something himself!
He closes his eyes and steels his will to send it directly to the plane itself!
I speak to the will of the Positive Energy Plane. My name is Moore, I request your aid.
He's trying to see if he can get some sort of reaction, like he did with Arcadia.
[12:53] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+18+18+16 Charisma
[12:53] <Penuche2> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 71 > [d20=19]
"Well, maybe the Watcher himself?" Jetina ventures, "If he's that powerful a healer, his magic may be greatly powerful."
"Maybe," Elle sounds dubious, "It still sounds like a reach."
Meanwhile, Moore sends a message and gets no immediate response from it.
That did happen last time too, until it worked. He sends his will out again.
We seek the Shining Watcher. You know our intent - this is your plane, after all - and we will do it no harm. Please, show us the way to it.
[13:12] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+18+18+16 Charisma
[13:12] <Penuche2> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 54 > [d20=2]
No reply again.
"Let's fly around at random and see if anyone's heard about a tarrasque? Or bouts of mysterious healing?" Seira proposes. "Its existence might be anathemic, but any aftereffects might not be covered."
"All right. I'll keep trying my other method." He says as he continues to try to be heard! Or at least responded to.
Please, show us the way. You know us to be allies of what you represent.
[13:36] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+18+18+16 Charisma
[13:36] <Penuche2> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 68 > [d20=16]
Still nothing for Moore at all.
"It's at least something," Donald finally says, "Beats floating here. "
"Anything?" Jetina asks Moore in the meantime.
"Nothing immediate, but... let's try Seira's idea. I have... a hunch." Moore says.
Seira picks a direction at random and flies there!
Gimme a d100, SEira. Everyone, give me Perception too.
21:30 <Corwin> roll 1d100
21:30 <Penuche2> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 1 > [d100=1]
Perception 10 for 120
Take 10 for 98.
For some time you fly in the Positive Energy Plane - until you see something ahead. It forms about 1000ft ahead, a gentle green portal that swirls in the air, like a starburst that doesn't dissipate.
Seira zooms towards it, using the time the others catch up to peek past it!
Analyze Portal.
Moore blinks at that, but follows Seira to the portal himself!
She's already doing what he'd do, so he'll wait for her report!
It's not a true portal, but a gussied up teleportation circle. It'll move you to elsewhere on the plane.
"It's a very nice teleportation circle," Seira says, smiling nostalgically. "Whoever uses those can't be a bad person!"
And so she goes through it!
Moore will follow suit, trusting he knows where this came from.
Fort saves all.
As a reminder, everyone gets +18 to their saves.
[21:16] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+56+18 mettle
[21:16] <Penuche2> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 90 > [d20=16]
Alyssa sends a message to both Seira and Moore, Would an attack on Gargauth violate the agreement we have with them concerning the fight against Shar? An opportunity may have presented itself.
I think that question would likely be best answered by our patron, more than anyone.
Who's that again? Seira asks Moore, since he's right there.
07:22 <Corwin> roll 1d20+81+18
07:22 <Penuche2> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 108 > [d20=9]
I was thinking Zaphkiel would be the best person to ask about this, since it involves something tangentially related to Hell.
Cor, just for clarity since I'm not 100% here, you're K:Ping on Gargauth?
Oh, yeah, if the question wasn't to Moore then strike his line. :)
Just asking Moore.
> roll 1d20+61 fort mettle
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 73 > [d20=12]
> OOC: For Donald.
> roll 1d20+58 Elle
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 72 > [d20=14]
> roll 1d20+59 Ranbar inspiration used +16
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 67 > [d20=8]
> roll 1d20+69 Jetina mettle
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 88 > [d20=19]
It is overwhelmingly bright here. You can barely see 30ft in front of you, until your preparations pay off. Vision of the Omniscient Eye aids you further, letting you see farther. Up to 200ft or so ahead. Here is raw life, raw power. It is like the Positive Energy Plane amplified many times over.
[spoiler]
He's also running the Charisma aura, so everyone gets +18 to Charisma checks.
Donald
HP: 890+20/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+4 (+4 morale), Damage+2 (+2 morale) AC+20 (+2 sacred, +18 morale), Saves+20 (+2 sacred, +18 morale), Skills+4 (+14 perception)(+4 morale), Checks+2 (+2 morale)
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Elle
HP: 901+20/901 (fast healing 10)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Dragon Breath (DD) 1/1 Touch of Vitality 126/126 Mythical Cast Maximize 3/3
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Epic Mage Armor (CL34), Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes:
Ranbar
HP: 818+20/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 28/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Jetina
HP: 864+20/864 (fast healing 5)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Courage 10ft (+4 morale vs fear), Positive Energy 10ft (1 hit point healing/round), Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Smite Evil 7/7 Smite 7/7 Channel Energy 17/17 Emergency Healing 8/8 True Believer 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Charity Domain 1/1 Life Domain 1/1 Nobility Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Divine Vigor is +10ft land movement and +2 temp hp per hit die. Divine Shield is Cha mod to shield bonus to armor class.
"I have a feeling if what we're looking for is anywhere, it's here." Moore says.
He doesn't need to ask for anything now, so he simply sends his thanks to the will of the plane.
Thank you for showing us the way.
Seira uses Lay of the Land to see how far this place extends, looking about at random for now.
It extends farther than the spell can reach.
However, there is but one landmark - Olcalceps, a massive landmass a few miles ahead.
"There's an island a few miles that direction," Seira says, gesturing ahead. "Let's go!"
Moore nods and will follow after her!
"...I have to admit that I never thought this would work," Elle comments as you fly along. "Did anyone else?"
"Relying on luck is a time-honored adventuring tradition!"
"I'll explain when we get out of here. I think it's something any of you could do." Moore says as they fly along.
You fly on - and ahead you see a jagged, rocky mountain that floats in the Positive Energy Plane. It is utterly covered in thick greenery, from grass and shrubs to great trees that jut out like spikes. Thousands of such trees are here, larger than the greatest trees you've seen on the Primes.
"It makes sense everything is supersized, given who lives here," Seira muses, scanning for any sort of clearing to touch down.
None at all. It's thick foliage as far as you can see, which is admittedly not far.
Waiting for everyone to catch up, Seira tries to direct her divine will towards a boosted version of Vision of the Omniscient Eye. If she can overcome the brightness, however briefly, she'll probably understand the situation better.
How large of a landmass is it, according to my spell?
Moore looks around for anything, especially things that, for whatever reason, it feels like he can't quite focus on, or any attempts to make him not focus on!
Several miles wide and even taller than that.
Hold off on that one sec pending Seira, since I'd rather just do one round of Perception if this works for her.
10 for Perception 140, if we're doing this (boosted via Guidance of the Avatar). My intention was to get to use my full divine range of 6 miles, even if for only a single glance, by making a supercharged variant of Vision of the Omniscient Eye. Does it go through?
You're able to see enough of it - there's a tiny clear patch higher up, a cavern entrance. Otherwise it really is completely covered.
"Okay! There's only one clearing out of miles of dense foliage, so follow me over to it! Let's check there first."
And then Seira leads the way from the air!
Moore will follow along!
This trip is easy enough. It's a small cave entrance, only big enough for a human, and even then just barely. It goes mostly downwards, angles quickly plunging down and out of sight.
Within you can see more greenery clinging to the walls, albeit no trees here.
"Stay behind me, and don't be shy about shrinking in size with magic if need be," Seira tells the others, before stepping ahead!
Perception 10 for 120 to watch for any dangers or traps, I'll be the rogue! My modes of perception include darkvision, scent, low-light vision, blindsight and tremorsense. Just tell me please if anything of interest happens within 60ft.
Moore will follow along with a nod, trusting Seira to lead the way!
Seira doesn't find any traps as you go in. However, she can detect magic ahead. If you go in, something or someone will be alerted. It's an exceptionally powerful spell by a caster of near unthinkable power, perhaps sufficient to even breach your defenses against detection.
Seira signals for everyone to stop, studying the magic. She's not raiding a devil base in utter secrecy, so it's not like she minds the alarm going off. But since she's here to try and get better about overcoming powerful magic, this feels a bit too much of a coincidence to disregard....
Can an existing spell be altered without being an Incantatrix?
Also, is it a spell matrix where I can dispel just part of it (the one alerting others), or a singular spell like a booster Alarm?
It's a singular spell and you don't think you can alter it - it's just tremendously powerful which limits your options.
"Alarm spell. Going to try and bring it down," Seira informs the others, before drawing her divine symbol upon her palm and holding it towards the spell!
22:06 <Corwin> roll 1d20+50
22:06 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 55 > [d20=5]
Create Magic Tattoo for +1 CL, Spell Enhancer for +2 CL for the next spell, Superb Dispelling on the alarm spell
"Well, they'll know we're here one way or another, I suppose." Moore says.
No good. To withstand this, you know you're not dealing with an arch-wizard, a wizard of legend or anything so relatively weak. The spell doesn't even flicker. Your lore tells you're dealing with a magic of truly incredible potency.
Meanwhile, "As long as we don't have to fight an intelligent tarrasque again," Donald notes, "Though I could go for it, as long as it isn't as bad as the last one was."
"I really don't think we're going to have to fight the Shining Watcher, unless it really, really hates guests." Moore says.
But even so, the will of the Positive Energy Plane opened the way here, so the Shining Watcher probably already knows about them coming.
"If he's this hidden, can't rule it out," Donald whistles, "It might be a heck of a fight, too."
"I really don't think it even wants to fight, if it's this hidden." Moore says. "Hopefully we can make friends with it."
"Go dancing through the fields with a tarrasque," Donald banters back, "Now you're really sounding like Seira."
"I've made friends with worse." Moore says with a bright smile.
"We're in the right place," Seira voices. "That's exactly the sort of magical potency I was after. Let's trigger it~"
She cheerfully does just that, although after covering herself with magical inspiration just in case.
Danatha's Improvisation, in case of scary saves.
The alarm is triggered. Nothing immediately catastrophic happens to your senses.
Seira proceeds onwards!
Moore continues to follow, since there isn't much else to do at the moment!
The passage widens massively as you go down it, opening up further. It's bright here, no respite from the light in this cavern.The ceiling rises to match, and as you go, crude carvings have been worked into the walls, massive sized. It's hard to tell what they even are at this size.
Seira assumes her draconic form, and with a spell, grows even further. Then, using her divine perception, she tries to get a better idea of the bigger picture.
Going Colossal and relying on 6 miles of vision to tell what's going on there.
Moore just glances around. It certainly seems like this place is lived-in, if nothing else...
Were these carvings done by the Shining Watcher? Probably...
Elle rises up in the air, studying them as well.
Donald eyes them, "So...I'm just guessing, but the claw that made those is probably bigger than I am."
Seira reads in the meantime. It's...diagrams. Magical diagrams, this one being most of the magic for a cure minor wounds spell. It's like a spellbook's spell design, carved into the walls and dissected mechanically.
"It's like a huge healer's spellbook," Seira muses, staying in her current form for now. "I've read about esoteric forms of storing your magic in gems, in one's scales or in the ground, so it might be that. Or more of a textbook, if it's meant to be inert. I think my spell laboratories are more efficient, though, if so. Wouldn't you want your assistant to shift the image as needed while you tinker with it?"
"I don't know, when Elle assists me all I really want her to do is to take off her-" Donald muses, only for Elle to cut in.
"No, it's an interesting approach. It's both primitive and refined, to make something out of nothing," Elle reckons, "Jetina, what do you make of it?"
Jetina swells up, larger than Hanna now but hardly on Seira's range. "They're still too big to read easily," she reports, "But technically I don't think I could do better. Or maybe even this good. There's a level of understanding here that's sublime."
Seira diverts some of her attention to copying the design into a much more compact form. They might as well gather the information and examine if all together afterwards.
Like on a scroll, you mean?
Sure
You get a copy of cure minor wounds at least. Going to keep going, assuming the spells do?
Yes
Onward. There's a few more cantrips here as you walk on and on, all scribbled out. But that's not all. Ahead is a figure - a young man, maybe 20. Tall, muscled, strong. Vital. He stands there in a well made tunic and pants of white, unstained. "Excuse me," he says as you come forward, "Divine ones, I must ask why you have come here. This is not a place you were meant to reach."
Moore decides to not explain how they got there unless someone asks, and for now defers to Seira for an explanation of why they came!
Seira draws back into her usual form, approaching him. "My name is Seira, and we came here at my bidding. How shall we address you?"
"A...name?" he says slowly, "A name doesn't matter when you have see more years than grains of sand on the shore," is his answer. "Call me what you wish."
How dramatic!
"I came here seeking Wildaros, possessed by the Shining Watcher. Since I reached out to the Watcher and got no response, there was no other option but to visit in person. Can you arrange a meeting for us?"
A warm smile is your answer, "Well, allow me to..."
Will saves for everyone but Moore.
19:27 <Corwin> roll 1d20+80+4+14 this is where people should drop MoP
19:27 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 115 > [d20=17]
Everyone should also still have the +18 morale bonus to saves. :)
Then my result is 129
> roll 1d20+89 Jetina mettle (+20 various, +18 VoF)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 94 > [d20=5]
> roll 1d20+81 Donald mettle (+20 various, +18 VoF)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 82 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+74 Elle (+20 various, +18 VoF)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 81 > [d20=7]
> roll 1d20+74 Ranbar (+20 various, +18 VoF)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 92 > [d20=18]
Odd. For a long few moments you feel memories slip away. It's like being lulled to sleep, yet your wills are all strong. Seira shakes it off, remembering, not letting herself forget where she is and why.
[spoiler]
He's also running the Charisma aura, so everyone gets +18 to Charisma checks.
Donald
HP: 890+20/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+4 (+4 morale), Damage+2 (+2 morale) AC+20 (+2 sacred, +18 morale), Saves+20 (+2 sacred, +18 morale), Skills+4 (+14 perception)(+4 morale), Checks+2 (+2 morale)
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Elle
HP: 901+20/901 (fast healing 10)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Dragon Breath (DD) 1/1 Touch of Vitality 126/126 Mythical Cast Maximize 3/3
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Epic Mage Armor (CL34), Foresight (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes:
Ranbar
HP: 818+20/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 28/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Jetina
HP: 864+20/864 (fast healing 5)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Courage 10ft (+4 morale vs fear), Positive Energy 10ft (1 hit point healing/round), Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Smite Evil 7/7 Smite 7/7 Channel Energy 17/17 Emergency Healing 8/8 True Believer 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Charity Domain 1/1 Life Domain 1/1 Nobility Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Divine Vigor is +10ft land movement and +2 temp hp per hit die. Divine Shield is Cha mod to shield bonus to armor class.
Does Moore also get that sensation? Just want to be clear for the sake of a response.
"If you don't cease I will treat you as hostile, Older Than Sand."
Tinks off Moore completely.
The figure's smile doesn't even break in the slightest. "Then I suppose you aren't going to turn around lightly?" he asks instead. "It would be better if you left and never came back."
"The will of the Positive Energy Plane allowed us to come here." Moore says - he smiles, but the tone he uses is serious. "Would you deny us the ability to seek the Shining Watcher knowing that?"
"It would be better if we resolved this like actual adults nominally on the same side," Seira counters with a smile of her own. "I require the means to counter Shar's magic, which is pretty high as far as worthy cause in Creations go. I'm also reasonable enough to understand if there is an even more important cause Wildaros is being used for, but if anyone I meet along the way is a cryptic ancient that jumps straight to conflict, well, such is life. Age doesn't necessarily lead to wisdom, and all that."
"It would be better if you put this aside and left," The tone of the being before you becomes serious as well. I would deny this of you, I would tell you to turn aside. Whatever need you have, it is insufficient." His expression is kind and with a smile, yet his voice is not.
Goodness, there's just no getting through some people.
Whatever you decide, you have my full support. Moore says to Seira and their allies, ensuring this... creature in front of them cannot hear it.
"Your opinion has been heard," Seira tells the interloper, ignoring said opinion and walking around him. She's not about to throw the first punch here, and it might actually be a bluff. But if not, that's just how things go sometimes.
Give me a...Charisma check here, I suppose. Note that Moore's Charisma aura is up.
20:25 <Corwin> roll 1d20+15+18+6+17+2 moore+dvr+improvisation+good hope
20:25 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 77 > [d20=19]
Something in your gaze, in your strut and in you walk freezes the man. He just watches you go past, seemingly stunned.
A lot of battles are decided before the actual violence starts, and it looks like her need was indeed greater this time. Seira keeps heading onwards without a second glance at this man.
Moore simply smiles and flies on past with the others!
He may have been fearless, but he wasn't stupid.
This time.
Hopefully everyone here stays that way.
I wish I knew what the problem was. Why can't more people try to communicate properly?
Don't you know? Common sense was named ironically.
Swallowing a sigh, Seira advances even as she hopes a tarrasque would be more reasonable than a regular person.
Deeper and deeper yet. Deeper past more arcane runes and magical works. To a sharp rise, which after opens up into a huge cavern full of light.
Even from here, you can sense a presence. Something nigh overwhelming, something that were you mortal, you doubt you'd even be able to think.
Some day she'll have that effect on people! For now, Seira asks Jetina, The Shining Watcher, you think?
Has to be.
It should be. How do we approach him?
"Hello," Seira calls out, her voice projected into the cavern. "I am Seira Aryn, and I wish to talk to the Shining Watcher."
Moore stays quiet for now, to see how this goes.
Ahead in this massive space it rests. A beast with a shell of light, a beast you have both confronted before. A tarrasque, one that looks on with wary but clear eyes. Not the eyes of endless hunger or civilization ending wrath, but with a clarity of thought.
"I can see that you understand me, and it seems quite likely that you are the one I'm here to meet. Could you please respond to confirm this? As a deity, any language is fine."
It is a wave. A tsunami of raw meaning, of thought that drowns you in the sheer depth of it.
It's hard to put into words, raw emotion. Fear, worry, anxiety. It watches you with unhidden concerns, drowning you with a raw depth of it.
"Please, we are not..." Moore blinks, then he smiles instead.
He's done this before - this sort of communication.
He holds his arms out wide and simply projects his own emotion out - one of hope, safeness, and calm.
Seira can likely do the same as him, but for now he can at least do this much.
Seira projects back the feeling of power, but used to protect rather than destroy.
Gimme raw Charisma you two, this is entirely a Charisma check situation.
19:07 <Corwin> roll 1d20+15+18+6+17+2 moore+dvr+improvisation+good hope
19:07 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 70 > [d20=12]
[12:08] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+18+18+1+15+2
[12:08] <Penuche> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 60 > [d20=6]
Youhavetobestoppedbecauseyoudon'tunderstandanyofit.
ThehungeriseternalandthehungerwilltakemeandtakeyouandtakesomanyifIdon'tstopitandIcan'tstopitalone.
Youalreadywantsomethingfrommeandyouwon'tbethelastyou'llthinkit'sworthitanddoommeforyourownshortsighedneedsandgreed.
What is the cause of your hunger?
Moore frowns briefly. Could this creature have been touched by Him?
For now he stays silent, but continues to evoke a feeling of hope and calm.
ThecauseisobviousyouknowwhatIamandyouknowwhatIwasmeanttobeandtodo.
Iwon'tgobacktothehungerandthat'swhyI'lldestroyyoualltothelastbecauseyou'vegivenmenochoicebecauseofyourgreed.
If it's because you are a tarrasque, I've reincarnated one before and she grew up with most of the power and none of the hunger. Would you accept an alternate way that removes your hunger?
YoucannotandwillnotandcannotnomatterwhatyoutryyoudonotunderstandforIamnoordinarybeastIhavegrownfar.
IwillnotbeanythingexceptthatwhatIamforlosswilltakeitfrommeandIwillnotallowittohappen.
Sorry to bother you, Seira reaches out to Zaphkiel. Do you know about the Shining Watcher on the Positive Energy Plane?
Yes.
Moore smiles a little bit.
He can at least try to get it to think a little differently, maybe that might help...
You said yourself that you've grown here. That means that you've become more - and whatever it is that you were 'meant' to be is in your own power now. No one can take that from you, and we are not here to do you any harm or take you from this place.
It appears that he took Wildaros to eliminate his hunger. I'm trying to understand how that hunger works. I've only ever met one more truly intelligent tarrasque, and she was greed and wrath more than gluttony. Do you mind helping me understand?
Gimme Diplo, Moore, but understand that the DC may be insane, even for you.
A tarrasque is directed by its hunger. Rare is the one who becomes intelligent enough to think of anything but it. This one is afraid of its own hunger, for it is sated by the Positive Energy Plane's energy, in lieu of destroying it.
I see. How does antimagic help with that? Or am I misunderstanding the purpose of Wildaros?
[13:30] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+130 may as well try for a 20
[13:31] <Penuche> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 135 > [d20=5]
Alas and alack.
I doubt it has anything to do with it at all.
Meanwhile Moore's words simply don't seem to have much of an impact at all.
After thanking Zaphkiel, Seira refocuses on their tarrasque host.
Are you hungry for variety? she asks him. If I got it right, you're eating the positive energy here to sate your hunger and that's just fine, we have no intention of getting in your way. But I can offer you some flavor to go along with that if you'd like.
Moore continues to simply exude an aura of hope for the time being, bereft of many other options.
Jetina, I wonder if you showed it one of your new healing spells, if that might get it to realize we're not here to harm it? It does seem to have an interest in that sort of thing...
Idon'tcare.
I can if you get it to relax and watch.
Well, there's no harm in just asking, is there?
May we show you something? Moore asks the Shining Watcher. It's healing magic that I think you've never seen before.
Seira decides to give Moore a chance there and observe for now.
There is no answer, but nor is there no resistance.
Moore nods his head to Jetina - but decides to add a little bit of spice to this, something he hasn't actually done in a while!
He's going to use Healing Hymn to give +39 sacred bonus to the healing spells that happen in the area! May as well show off a little!
Did you have a particular spell in mind?
Jetina's Deathlessness unless she's cooked up something stronger. She should be able to cast higher, but I don't know if she (i.e. you) have been working on custom stuff behind the scenes.
Thus the spell is cast - but it does not manifest. Instead the spell flows into the Shining Watcher, absorbed instantly.
"What?" Jetina breathes out, "Did you just absorb that?"
IfIgobackoutnoonecanhealonaworldIamonanditwillstopnothingdoyouunderstandnow?
That's pretty amazing, Seira tells him honestly. However, I never did want to take you away from here. I only wanted to ask for Wildaros. And in return for it, I was offering you something of equivalent worth.
Moore nods to Seira's words.
Yes, you can stay here for as long as you like. I understand what you're afraid of, and... truly, I think we could help you, if you wished it. You don't have to be afraid of yourself harming those around you.
It's a wave. A wave of frustration, fear, panic. It bombards all of you, like a tsunami that drags you along with those feelings.
Donald holds firm, "Look," he shouts. "Why don't you tell us why all of this bothers you so much? Are you that afraid of what happens if you leave here?"
"He's right," Elle speaks up, "Even if we are truly sincere, others won't be, and all it takes is one able to force him away from the Positive Energy Plane. We're looking at an apocalypse with a conscience. Seira, Moore, look at what he did to be forgotten. Even if we're allowed to press the point, there's a damned good reason he's hidden away."
"So what am I missing, here? Are you using Wildaros to keep hidden and forgotten?" Looking over at Elle, Seira adds, "We only came here because of that, so if it's no longer here won't other people have even less need to come here?"
Gimme your own Diplo check there, Seira.
I went all out and the dice rewarded me!
22:38 <Corwin> roll 1d20+81+4+18+14+15+20 greater heroism+moore's cha aura+improvisation+divine insight+guidance of the avatar +2 more for guys!
22:38 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 172 > [d20=20]
Forgot I had Voice of the Dragon which gives +10 more, so 182/184 vs guys
UsedagainstmeusedtotryanddestroymeandcontrolmebecauseI'mtoovaluable.
Findmeusemedestroyaroundmeanditwon'tend.
Moore frowns, hearing that.
This poor thing needs to have more friends, he thinks!
"Whatever happens, I'm not going to fight you after hearing that," Seira tells the Shining Watcher. "I'm not going to try and control you, either. What if I offer you an exchange? I have plenty of avatars and I could have one move over here on a permanent basis, if you don't mind a house guest. It could be nice to have someone to talk to, and if someone does come after you as you fear, I'll stop them."
Whatwillstopyou?
"Why do I need to be stopped? I'm not here to harm you or take you away. I get being worried about the future, but how is my presence here harming you? If you could explain that in a way I understand, that would stop me and I'll go home."
Gimme a raw Charisma check, +5 circumstance bonus.
18:39 <Corwin> roll 1d20+15+18+6+17+2+5 moore+dvr+improvisation+good hope
18:39 <Penuche2> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 74 > [d20=11]
The Shining Watcher is silent to that.
It doesn't rebuke you, merely silent, perhaps considering?
"...If you might consider this a moment?" Moore speaks up as well. "You've been here so long, but... you've not interacted with anyone, ironically, in a very positive way. Everyone needs friends - they need bonds that they form with others that create support for them. Maybe... this is an opportunity for you to to have friends - allies - who can help and aid you."
You said something right, gimme Charisma as well, pixie.
"Did you ever hear about the black swan event?" Seira asks him, buidling up on Moore's words. "It took place on a Prime-- well, I suppose similar events must've been happening on a number of worlds, but the point is that on this Prime, all observed swans were white in color. Throughout their thousands years of legacy, the mortals of that world never came across anything else to the degree that this featured in one of their metaphores, of 'a rare bird in the lands very much like a black swan'. They used the phrase to express impossibility... and then an explorer discovered a black swan."
Seira presses a hand to her chest, asking, "Do you see where I'm going with this? Sometimes, the unthinkable happens, and we're surprised. We're shocked, and we don't know what to do, because it goes counter to all that we've known before. But even if it's hard to believe that someone might be around you and not wish to harm you at all, through action or inaction, when the unthinkable happens, you can deal with it the same way these people had, by learning to accept it. As a goddess of knowledge, I have to say that you can't go wrong with learning new things."
[12:09] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+18+18+15+2
[12:09] <Penuche2> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 68 > [d20=15]
+1 for 69.
There's an even longer silence after those words.
Redswan.
Donald cracks a smile at that. "Yeah, she is more of a red swan. Black's not Seira's color."
"Red, gold or when they merge into orange," Seira agrees. "One of the things that form the core of my thinking is that if people communicate properly, they can resolve just about any difference." A shame she can't really make a proper aspect of it, though she supposes Hope covers the basics here. "I don't want to hurt you. I want to find a way where your life is better. I do have things that I want for myself, of course, but I can and will put your wellbeing ahead of them. So once again, let me ask you. Does my very presence here harm you, in a way that will only be fixed if I were to go away?"
Moore nods to her words. "Anything is possible when you have people around you to believe in, or who can offer you a helping hand."
It is another wave of emotion that hits all of you.
Fear. Fear, fear, fear, fear. Faces, images. The great powers of the planes at a chess board impossibly vast. Countless pieces in play, all hurled against one another endlessly. Around the chess table are other creatures, from minor to legendary. They are taken onto the board, added into it with endless avarice and rapidity, more and more added to the endless game before them.
Fear. Drowning fear. A million years and a million more, again and again, each moment with one fearful thought: They'll use you. For their aims, for what they consider worth it, for their own greater goods.
"Not all of us will," Seira responds gently. "And fewer still would do that to you if they understood. Those of us here? We've had our chances at greater power that wasn't worth the cost, and we turned it down. We'll keep on coming into our own soon enough, without the need to sacrifice our principles or people like you."
She shows him the time she crushed a demon lord, and was offered the chance to replace him. An entire layer of the Abyss, at the command of a young mortal mage. But the mage chose her friends over this temptation.
"We all have stories like this. Something that helped us understand just what it is we stand for."
In a vision meant just for him, Seira shows the Shining Watcher the crystallization of her nature as she became One. It won't be relayed perfectly, nothing can manage that, but if he can grasp even an incomplete image he should understand her better.
"I can only tell you about my own experiences..." Moore trails off, but offers an image of him forming friendships with those around him when he joined Aurora - and further friendships when he started working so closely with Celestia. Further still, bonds between himself and Jetina, two people who escaped a place so few ever do.
"There are people like that in Creation - but Seira is right, we understand the meaning of Hope - something that binds all of us as friends, comrades, colleagues, and allows us all to be stronger because of each other's support." He says quietly.
Are you using alter reality for this, Seira? It's hardly undoable, but the exact power and scope matters here.
Either that or Miracle. I don't really see how it matters here, so whichever of the two I think would accomplish my goal better.
This image brings yet more silence.
This lasts until...
IjustwanttoliveasIamnowbutotherswillusemeevenifyoudon'totherswill.
IfthehungerreturnsIamlostandsomanydiesomanydiesomanydie.
"I know," It's Jetina who speaks up here, "Death is the enemy, and you won't be an agent of the enemy. Good. That just means we'll have to make sure you don't. If you like, we can research how you can stay here and avoid being moved from the Positive Energy Plane."
Moore looks to consider something before he speaks only to his allies.
It's the most extreme solution, but I do have to wonder what a charge of one of the seeds might accomplish.
Perhaps reckless, but perhaps that would work? If it did not, a divine tarrasque would have almost nothing that could stop its hunger.
I think it's a good idea. The seeds seem to have a restorative aspect to them.
That is...Seira, what do you think? It seems either measures too bold or measures too clever.
You cannot live as you are and be truly safe, my friend, Seira tells the Shining Watcher. But you could find safety by becoming more, similarly to how I showed you for myself. If you trust me, I can help you control your hunger by showing you how to base yourself around the concept of wishing to keep others safe. Through that, you too will become safer than ever, and my friends and I will always be at your side to help you so nothing is left to chance.
Just to be clear, giving Moore a chance to add in here since this is not a trivial discussion or possibility.
Moore rubs his chin for a moment. I admit, that would also likely work, but I don't think you can convince our friend to leave here willingly. We may have to do it in a reverse order... but it would still accomplish the goal. Moore says to his allies.
Showittome.
She already has, but maybe it wasn't clear.
Seira extends her right hand, and a vision accompanies it. Another Seira arrives, bearing a divine seed, and it allows the Shining Watcher to ascend. No longer just a paragon of healing, he acquires divine power to stop his hunger from ever controlling him.
She extends her left hand next, and the vision now shows the Shining Watcher stepping outside Creation with her to refine his nature. As before, he stays the same at the core, except the hunger is redefined outright with the Shining Watcher choosing to place a bigger value on the desire to protect.
Two paths to a similar goal, one accomplished here and another elsewhere. Both would provide you control. With control, you could manage your hunger. With that accomplished, you would gain confidence, and there would be no need for fear. Do you understand the choices offered, or do I need to explain better?
Noshowmetherealthingnotanillusionshowittome.
Seira's avatar transports itself to her location just like in the first vision.
I'm interested in using the Gate variant of B3 that transports our people over. In this case, an avatar waiting in Io's realm with a divine seed holding one charge.
Sure.
The seed is seen.
It glistens amid the Positive Energy Plane's light, even here. It is brighter, like a star that outshines all the other stars. The divine seed sits in your avatar's hands.
Itisnotpossibleitisnotpossibleitisnotpossible.
"It's very possible," Elle calls, "Look at it! See it like you demanded!"
"I hope it helps settle your fears, seeing that I'm not just all talk."
Giveittome.
Seira's avatar approaches the shiny tarrasque and offers the divine seed to him.
Moore watches this exchange!
Just to be clear since weekend interrupted the flow, there's only one charge in this seed?
Yes
One claw big enough to rend even Seira's form reaches out towards it. Slowly and with the greatest care, until it makes contact with the divine seed. The seed crumbles to dust, the Shining Watcher's claw still where it was.
Everything is different.
And yet, everything is also just as it was, Seira muses. It's strange, isn't it? Like getting a chance to look at yourself from the side, or existing in more than one place at the same time. But at the core, you're still the same person who wanted to be safe, and to protect others from harm. That part of you even grew stronger, didn't it?
It's like having a veil lifted from your eyes that you didn't even realize was there. Moore adds, his own experience relatively recent in this regard. You'll find that it's almost as if you feel more... you - like Seira says. It's like you found something deep in your soul that lets you express yourself in ways you didn't realize you could until this moment.
My mind is clearer.
My mind is faster.
I can see. I can think like I was asleep before.
Isn't it incredible? Sometimes it still surprises me how vital I feel with it. It's not merely life, it's life in a new way, on a level that mortal creatures never understand. They can't unless they have it happen to them.
Moore nods in agreement. Hm, something about the way he talks is awfully familiar...
Now you can decide what you want to do and how to go about doing it, and you can do so with your newfound allies. A smile as he nods to the others as a matter of fact.
"Just when you think you've seen all of Creation's wonders, something happens that reminds you there's more to discover~"
I will give you what you want. You asked for what is inside of me?
"That's why I originally sought you out," Seira admits.
You may enter, but it will not be an easy journey. Life blossoms from my throat to my stomach, and it is not a short journey.
"I've got the time," Seira responds.
To this the Shining Watcher's mouth opens - far larger than any castle's gates, a massive maw with teeth far larger than Hanna within, surrounded by hundreds of tinier teeth as well. There must be thousands and thousands of them, lining its inner mouth.
"Let's talk more when I get back!" Seira chirps, and then turns into fire and flashes past the teeth!
Elle and Donald follow, but Jetina lingers a moment. "I have questions for you, but...right now, they may need me if something goes wrong." She dives in and follows after them.
Seira briefly considered bringing over another avatar for a chat, but it'd be rude to exclude the others. And some people want to keep theirs hidden, so that's out.
For now, she proceeds ahead!
Moore will follow the others dutifully on this new adventure!
As you fly in, Ranbar adds, "Life? What sort of life grows inside of a tarrasque?"
"It's best to just treat this as a huge cave. A mystery cave!"
Like this your party heads within. The throat is massive and long - and completely swamped. Within a thick jungle sprouts from every inch of his throat, even when upside down. Tall jungle trees reach towards their opposite, leaving only a relatively narrow path to proceed down the center - only perhaps large enough to march a small army through. The sounds of tropical birds can be heard within, as well as the chattering of the forest creatures.
"I imagine there are plants here even Eldath may not know about." Moore says as they go along, taking a look around at the massive space they have before them.
"You'd think the stomach acids would've gotten them, but if everything is being rejuvenated from positive energy, maybe the healing stays ahead of the damage?"
"I have a feeling we'll run into a lot of very unique things due to that overabundance of positive energy." Moore agrees.
Give me Perception then, Moore.
Take 10 for 99.
As Moore peers about, he can see them. Great hulks silently move through the jungle, massive horned things that are like the Shining Watcher written far smaller.
"They might have grown immune to the acids," Elle speculates. "Like most creatures who grow spikes or spines do so defensively, rather than to be a predator. Exceptions exist."
Moore wonders if those might be the first followers. If it even intends to have them, anyway.
"It's true, who knows how long this ecosystem has had to develop itself." Moore says.
"Let's try to stick to nonlethal if we can, since I can't imagine something actually evil being here," Seira states. "If anyone has difficulty fighting that way, let me know and we'll find a suitable support task for you instead."
Meanwhile, she might as well make use of the space that allows a small army to pass and assumes her draconic form!
Just in time, for they emerge.
Just tarrasques.
Just full sized tarrasques, still tiny compared to the Shining Watcher.
Just four of them.
Just two above and two from below, currently about 500ft away and ascending and descending towards you, respectively.
Just.
This might be scary for ordinary adventurers!
Moore just stays quiet for now but does stay all smiles.
Seira points a claw at Donald, then gestures at Elle and Ranbar. "Mm, the ones below are for you." Glancing over at Moore and Jetina, she asks, "Would you like to take care of the third if it develops into a fight, or shall I have all the fun in the skies while you join with one of the other groups?"
"I don't have much in the way of non-lethal abilities, so we can just act as support as necessary." Moore says with a smile.
"I'll see what I can do," Jetina says as they approach and...
Doing anything?
Just because she doesn't intend to strike first or act lethally doesn't mean Seira will just watch threat approach. A burst of magic bolsters everyone in case it becomes a fight!
Celestial Valor and Glorious Rally on all of us, Arcane Spellsurge on self
CV gives +4 sacred bonus to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, armor class and saving throws and a +8 sacred vs fear.
GR gives +6 morale bonus to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws and armor class and 74 temp hp.
Okay, you do have a round. Moore and friends, anything y'all are gonna do like that in it?
Once that's sorted give me init.
They're not dvr6 tarrasque mooks, I go first~
Moore may as well help this go smoothly, so everyone gets Inspire Courage.
+22 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +22 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls.
On top of that they gain the following: fast healing 11, and gain damage reduction 11/
Cool, gimme an init toss too.
He's still running the charisma aura, so no bonus to init for everyone.
[20:39] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+40 Moore
[20:39] <Penuche> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 44 > [d20=4]
Go ahead and roll Jetina as well. More in the next post as I update spoiler blocks and do init.
> roll 1d20+10 Donald
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 20 > [d20=10]
> roll 1d20+21 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 33 > [d20=12]
> 1d20+19 Elle
> roll 1d20+19 Elle
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 27 > [d20=8]
[spoiler]
He's also running the Charisma aura, so everyone gets +18 to Charisma checks.
Donald
HP: 890+74/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+26 (+4 sacred, +22 morale), Damage+26 (+4 sacred, +22 morale) AC+22 (+4 sacred, +18 morale), Saves+22 (+4 sacred, +18 morale), Skills+4 (+14 perception)(+4 morale), Checks+2 (+2 morale)
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Elle
HP: 901+74/901 (fast healing 10)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Dragon Breath (DD) 1/1 Touch of Vitality 126/126 Mythical Cast Maximize 3/3
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Epic Mage Armor (CL34), Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes:
Ranbar
HP: 818+74/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 28/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Jetina
HP: 864+74/864 (fast healing 5)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Courage 10ft (+4 morale vs fear), Positive Energy 10ft (1 hit point healing/round), Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Smite Evil 7/7 Smite 7/7 Channel Energy 17/17 Emergency Healing 8/8 True Believer 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Charity Domain 1/1 Life Domain 1/1 Nobility Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Divine Vigor is +10ft land movement and +2 temp hp per hit die. Divine Shield is Cha mod to shield bonus to armor class.
[11:34] <Nephrite> roll 1d20+7 Jetina
[11:34] <Penuche> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 27 > [d20=20]
> roll 4#1d20+9
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 15, 15, 25, 16 >
Init is Seira (Supreme) > Moore (44) > Ranbar (33) > Elle = Jetina (27) >T3 (25) > Donald (20) > T4 (16) > T1 = T2 (15)
Open Seira.
"Tarrasques are impossible to harm in combat barring ridiculous moves, so go all out for this fight!" Seira instructs the others as she suddenly appears by the leftmost tarrasque in the sky. "Just don't use the coup in the end and we're golden!"
And then she attacks with all her strength!
19:01 <Corwin> roll 1d4+1
19:01 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 5 > [d4=4]
Time has stopped!
Seira puts up a great deal of Walls of Force around the other tarrasque in the sky, surrounding it in multiple layers so that dispelling one won't allow it to escape the encirclement. At the very least, it should break its charge. There are 4 rounds's worth of Walls there, for 4,4400ft. Should be a lot.
The last round of Time Stop, Seira activates Armband of the Spark and Fist of the Gods, and summons a bunch of throwaway fire elementals on the other skybound tarrasque's side to flank with. She comes into melee range, and as time resumes Seira strikes and strikes!
Attacks:
19:10 <Corwin> roll 1d20+110
19:10 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 123 > [d20=13]
19:10 <Corwin> roll 1d20+110
19:10 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 126 > [d20=16]
19:10 <Corwin> roll 1d20+110
19:10 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 130 > [d20=20]
19:10 <Corwin> roll 1d20+110
19:10 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 123 > [d20=13]
19:10 <Corwin> roll 1d20+110
19:10 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 121 > [d20=11]
Should've been at +105, so result is 116
19:10 <Corwin> roll 1d20+100
19:10 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 103 > [d20=3]
19:11 <Corwin> roll 1d20+95
19:11 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 97 > [d20=2]
19:11 <Corwin> roll 6#1d20+105 natural attacks
19:11 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 107, 109, 115, 119, 110, 116 >
19:11 <Corwin> roll 1d20+110 crit?
19:11 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 120 > [d20=10]
Damage:
19:12 <Corwin> roll 6#6d10+158+23d6
19:12 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 295, 264, 278, 270, 274, 272 >
19:12 <Corwin> roll 6d10+158+23d6 if hit
19:12 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 255 > [d10=9,3,2,1,10,3][d6=3,1,3,3,5,6,1,4,3,1,3,1,1,4,1,3,4,2,5,4,3,3,5]
19:12 <Corwin> roll 12d10+316+23d6 if crit
19:12 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 489 > [d10=7,6,7,3,9,10,10,8,9,8,7,5][d6=1,5,5,4,6,5,5,2,3,2,5,6,6,4,1,1,4,1,3,4,3,5,3]
19:12 <Corwin> roll 4d6+147+23d6 bite
19:12 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 242 > [d6=3,1,3,4,4,4,3,3,6,6,3,1,4,6,3,1,6,3,2,5,5,6,1,2,1,6,3]
19:13 <Corwin> roll 2d8+147+23d6 claws
19:13 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 231 > [d8=2,2][d6=4,1,3,3,5,1,5,3,1,1,5,6,2,2,6,5,4,3,4,4,6,3,3]
19:13 <Corwin> roll 2d8+147+23d6 claws
19:13 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 236 > [d8=6,1][d6=6,3,4,6,6,1,2,6,3,6,4,3,2,1,2,6,3,1,5,1,2,5,4]
19:13 <Corwin> roll 2d6+147+23d6 wings
19:13 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 239 > [d6=4,5,5,6,6,3,2,1,4,3,6,1,6,3,1,2,1,3,5,5,6,3,1,5,5]
19:13 <Corwin> roll 2d6+147+23d6 wings
19:13 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 237 > [d6=5,6,1,5,5,1,3,3,3,2,1,2,3,5,6,4,5,4,6,4,3,3,2,2,6]
19:13 <Corwin> roll 2d8+169+23d6 tail slap
19:13 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 256 > [d8=8,2][d6=2,3,6,4,2,1,3,1,3,3,4,2,3,1,5,5,4,2,6,2,5,6,4]
I'm ending my turn in Gambit, and I have a swift action left, so please show the aftermath before passing on to the next person.
CL 37 for all spells.
Supreme Initiative: (+21 vs DvR6)
Armor Class: 131 (Touch AC 101)
Melee/Ranged Attack: +60 [Good, Lawful and Epic] (Haste, K:D +5, DvR6, Luck +3, Enchantment NOT included)
Full Attack/Dragon (flanking): +110/+110/+110/+110/+105/+100/+95 (6d10+158+23d6 19-20 x2) and bite +105 (4d6+147+23d6 19-20 x2) and claws +105/+105 (2d8+147+23d6 19-20 x2) and wings +105/+105 (2d6+147+23d6 19-20 x2) and tail slap +105 (2d8+169+23d6 19-20 x2)
Saves: Fort +107, Ref +97, Will +102
Abilities: STR 55+2 (22+1), DEX 26 (8), CON 45+4 (17+2), WIS 30+6 (10+3), INT 50+6 (20+3), CHA 41 (15)
Darkstalker, Improved Evasion, Improved Uncanny Dodge, Spell Reflection, Aegis, Damage reduction 20/adamantine and epic, immunity to acid, electricity and fire, immunity to paralysis and sleep, spell resistance 50, vulnerability to cold, darkvision 6 miles, low-light vision 6 miles
My numerical benefits:
AC: +27 normal/+27 touch (+2 insight Foresight, +5 sacred Shield of Warding, +2 dodge Visions of the Future, +18 dodge Inspire Heroics)
Attack: +26 (+4 sacred Celestial Valor, +22 morale Inspire Courage)
Damage: +26 (+4 sacred Celestial Valor, +22 morale Inspire Courage)
Fort and Will Saves: +22 (+4 sacred Celestial Valor, +18 morale Inspire Heroics)
Ref Save +25 (+5 sacred Shield of Warding, +18 morale Inspire Heroics, +2 insight Foresight)
Ability Checks: +2 (+2 morale from Good Hope, +18 to Charisma from Charisma aura)
74 temp hp
Also immunity to all death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and any negative energy effects (Mass Death Ward), immunity to poison and fear (Heroes's Feast), being a difficult target to divination (Nondetection), becoming impossible to track without magic, and limiting the usefulness of scent (Pass Without Trace), moving and attacking normally everywhere, as well as receiving +15 to CMD vs grapples (Freedom of Movement), being healed with 150hp once if dropped below 0 (Fortunate Fate), reflecting 1d4+6 spell levels of spells that have you as a target and aren't touch spells (Spell Turning), +10 enhancement bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks and a really nice and deep commanding voice (Voice of the Dragon), true seeing, +10 to perception and immunity to being dazzled or blinded (Vision of the Omniscient Eye), immediate ability to analyze magic (Greater Arcane Sight) and our favorite combo of detecting when someone's scrying on you and blocking their teleport for 3 rounds any time they try to teleport within a 185ft radius of you.
Foresight [10min/lvl], Visions of the Future [1hr/lvl], True Seeing [1min/lvl], Vision of the Omniscient Eye [1min/lvl], Freedom of Movement [10min/lvl], Pass Without Trace [1hr/lvl], Greater Heroism [1min/lvl], Good Hope [1min/lvl], Nondetection [1hr/lvl], Mass Death Ward [1min/lvl], Heroes's Feast [12hr], Fortunate Fate [10min/lvl], Spell Turning [10min/lvl], Sensual Blessing [A, 1min/lvl], Detect Scrying [24hr], Greater Arcane Sight [1min/lvl], Greater Anticipate Teleport [24hr], Bibliotheca Arcana [A, 24hr], Voice of the Dragon [10min/lvl], Mind Blank [A, 24hr], Many Moments of Prescience [A, 1hr/lvl], Moment of Prescience [A, 1hr/lvl]
Celestial Valor (+4 Sacred to everything), Glorious Rally, Arcane Spellsurge
Inspire Courage: +22 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +22 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Inspire Heroics: +18 morale bonus to saves and +18 dodge to AC.
Charisma aura: +18 to Charisma checks.
Init is Seira (Supreme) > Moore (44) > Ranbar (33) > Elle = Jetina (27) > Donald (20) > T4 (16) > T1 = T2 (15)
To claw and fang, to wing and tail, Seira is a nightmare. Walls surround it as she strikes again and again. Flesh is torn and the beast is ripped to shreds. It plummets down even as parts of it knit back together, crashing into the jungle below. It lands with a tremendous boom, out of the fight at least for now.
Swift, Seira?
The power of miracles surges from Seira, but rather than delivering a coup de grace, she uses it to send the defeated tarrasque into slumber! She'll wake it once they head back.
Got a particular spell in mind here? Also what would be your DC?
It's the actual Miracle spell. That's what you use on tarrasques, so it makes sense. But I'm a deity, so I figure I can just make it docile rather than murder it with the Miracle. DC 50, if it were a spell.
That's reasonable enough.
One tarrasque sleeps now, disabled and put out of the fight. Seira's magic takes care of the first as the rest...
Moore.
If that wasn't enough to intimidate them, there's not much else to be done, but Moore simply smiles and sends a divine blast at the other two that are close, in the shape of a wide beam of white light!
Not actually sure if I can hit both, but if not just pick T1.
[13:05] <Nephrite> roll 1d20 touch
[13:05] <Penuche> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 14 > [d20=14] Not sure that's actually even needed here, but so it goes.
[13:06] <Nephrite> roll 18d12
[13:06] <Penuche> Nephrite invokes Penuche's magic: < 138 > [d12=2,12,8,8,11,11,6,12,12,12,6,1,9,1,6,7,12,2]
That is it for his turn.
Go ahead and give me the touch AC total, may matter for a pair of reasons.
Total of 85 in that case.
Mine is 101, I included it in the spoiler.
Init is Seira (Supreme) > Moore (44) > Ranbar (33) > Elle = Jetina (27) > Donald (20) > T4 (16) > T1 = T2 (15)
Moore's shot his and pierces through two of them, quick strikes that already begin to heal. At the same time Ranbar prepares, casting magic around herself to weave power tighter around herself.
Greater divine power for Ranbar. Elle and Jetina. Go Jetina.
[spoiler]
Greater divine power for Ranbar.
Donald
HP: 890+74/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+26 (+4 sacred, +22 morale), Damage+26 (+4 sacred, +22 morale) AC+22 (+4 sacred, +18 morale), Saves+22 (+4 sacred, +18 morale), Skills+4 (+14 perception)(+4 morale), Checks+2 (+2 morale)
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 15/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 3/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Elle
HP: 901+74/901 (fast healing 10)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Dragon Breath (DD) 1/1 Touch of Vitality 126/126 Mythical Cast Maximize 3/3
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Epic Mage Armor (CL34), Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes:
Ranbar
HP: 818+74/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 28/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used: Greater divine power
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Jetina
HP: 864+74/864 (fast healing 5)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Courage 10ft (+4 morale vs fear), Positive Energy 10ft (1 hit point healing/round), Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Smite Evil 7/7 Smite 7/7 Channel Energy 17/17 Emergency Healing 8/8 True Believer 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Charity Domain 1/1 Life Domain 1/1 Nobility Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Divine Vigor is +10ft land movement and +2 temp hp per hit die. Divine Shield is Cha mod to shield bonus to armor class.
Jetina will hold for now in case of bad things that need to be healed.
Elle flies downward, meeting them about 80ft away as suddenly a thin, translucent silver fog comes forth from Elle as she intones, "Grasp of winter, sigh of regret, bring all to their knees in the name of all sorrows!"
> roll 1d20+3 untrained
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 20 > [d20=17]
> roll 1d20+3 untrained
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 14 > [d20=11]
The two tarrasques below hit the mist and then go plummeting down. They crash into the jungle below, as ice lines the treetops as the mists reach it. A sparking silver ice, little chunks of it in the air within the mist as well.
At this Donald turns up, "Elle has those two," she calls to Seira, turning on the last and charging upwards. There's no a speck of fear as he races in, going to meet its huge gullet with Guardanil out.
Donald provokes the AoO and does not care. They have combat reflexes so can AoO before their turn.
> roll 1d20+60
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 64 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d20+75 (+2 charge, +26 various, -5 slashing flurry, +9 arcane strike, +1 haste, -36 PA, weapon die size increas used)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 80 > [d20=5]
> roll 1d20+70 (+2 charge, +26 various, -10 slashing flurry, +9 arcane strike, +1 haste, -36 PA, weapon die size increas used)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 81 > [d20=11]
> roll 6d8+226+9d4
> roll 6d8+226+9d4
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 284 > [d8=7,7,4,7,5,2][d4=4,4,4,2,4,1,3,1,3]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 270 > [d8=6,1,3,6,4,5][d4=1,1,4,2,1,3,3,1,3]
Donald soars into its open maw as it slams shut - and out through the top of its head, a fountain of gore as he erupts out. This only staggers the powerful beast, as it roars and flails the air, turning towards Donald and going crazy, trying to rip and bite him asunder.
> roll 1d20+60 bite
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 61 > [d20=1]
> roll 1d20+60 horns
> roll 1d20+60 horns
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 76 > [d20=16]
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 78 > [d20=18]
> roll 1d20+60 claws
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 80 > [d20=20]
> roll 1d20+60 claws
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 63 > [d20=3]
> roll 1d20+60 tail
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 66 > [d20=6]
> roll 1d20+60 claws crit confirm whoops needs a 20 so this is probably moot
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 69 > [d20=9]
> roll 2d12+30 does not beat his damage reduction
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 44 > [d12=9,5]
Doesn't beat his DR so only 29 damage.
Yet Donald's barely even touched. Sword and shield hold, armor endures. He gets bashed by a claw but isn't even slowed down by that. Meanwhile below no sign of the other two right away, at least not amid the jungle.
Seira.
[spoiler]
Greater divine power for Ranbar.
Donald
HP: 890+45/890
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+26 (+4 sacred, +22 morale), Damage+26 (+4 sacred, +22 morale) AC+22 (+4 sacred, +18 morale), Saves+22 (+4 sacred, +18 morale), Skills+4 (+14 perception)(+4 morale), Checks+2 (+2 morale)
Resources: Protection Devotion 1/1 +5 One Attack On FA 1/1 (rnd) Take 10 On One Attack (rnd) 1/1 Armor Haste 14/15 Breath Weapon Boost 3/3 Weapon Damage Dice Boost 2/3 Strength Domain 1/1 Luck Domain 1/1 Protection Domain 1/1
Spells Used: 1 8th, 1 9th
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Two quickened spells/round when under armor's haste, unkillable allows Con saves to not be reduced below 1 HP. Slashing flurry enables extra attacks for penalties.
Elle
HP: 901+74/901 (fast healing 10)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Dragon Breath (DD) 1/1 Touch of Vitality 126/126 Mythical Cast Maximize 3/3
Spells Used: 15: Silverfrost Mist
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Epic Mage Armor (CL34), Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes:
Ranbar
HP: 818+74/818
Negative Conditions:
Aura:
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Inspiration 28/29 Cunning Save 4/4
Spells Used: Greater divine power
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Baseline cunning insight is +4 from feats, exalted adds +6, ring adds +1, total of +11 if used in tandem with that.
Jetina
HP: 864+74/864 (fast healing 5)
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Courage 10ft (+4 morale vs fear), Positive Energy 10ft (1 hit point healing/round), Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+0, Damage+0 AC+0, Saves+0, Skills+0, Checks+0
Resources: Smite Evil 7/7 Smite 7/7 Channel Energy 17/17 Emergency Healing 8/8 True Believer 1/1 Blinding Speed 25/25 Charity Domain 1/1 Life Domain 1/1 Nobility Domain 1/1
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Foresight (CL37), Visions of the Future (CL37), True Seeing (CL37), Vision of the Omniscient Eye (CL37), Freedom of Movement (CL37), Pass Without Trace (CL37), Greater Heroism (CL37), Good Hope (CL37), Nondetection (CL37), Mass Death Ward (CL37), Heroes Feast (CL37), Fortunate Fate (CL37), Spell Turning (CL37)
Notes: Divine Vigor is +10ft land movement and +2 temp hp per hit die. Divine Shield is Cha mod to shield bonus to armor class.
In a flash of fire, Seira is there. A moment after that, Donald's opponent is torn up, and she sends it to sleep with her divine power.
Given that apparent AC and how much my full attack does, I'm saving you the math. Using a swift to flash over, and another swift for Miracle coup'ing (nonlethally).
Yeah, you literally can't fail the rolls since natural 1s aren't the enemy.
In a flash they're down.
Elle lowers her hand as mists swirl around her.
That wasn't even a challenge. Aaaah, power is wonderful.
No one's hurt?
Such power we have.
Of course we do, you have me on your team, and Seira too.
"Pretty much," Seira agrees. "Donald got a scratch, but it'll disappear in a few moments on its own. Let's keep going~"
And she does!
Hopefully that display will keep anything else away from us.
Regardless, Moore continues on with the others, but makes mental notes of things here for the future.
Onward. Deep in and down now, deeper into the throat. Here the way is blocked by semi transcluent membranes. Fleshy things so thin as to be see through, about a dozen of them, but they block the way ahead, coming out from the jungle all around.
"There's no need to harm our host, so let's Shadow Form our way through. Can everyone use it?"
Requirement is 5 ranks in escape artist.
Moore cheats and has everything, Jetina doesn't have any ranks in it.
"Worst case, can we just teleport past it?" He asks.
Seira tries. She expects it to be interdicted, but it can't harm anyone to check again.
"I can simply make us ethereal or similar to it," Elle says, "It's hardly a challenge."
No good on teleportation. Admittedly teleporting inside of a living being is a dicey prospect before anything else.
Seira shrugs, and then nods at Elle while providing Shadow Form to all those who can use it properly. Then, she leads the way!
Moore will pass through and follow along!
Between that and a spell by Elle, the party is able to pass through all of them.
Deeper down and in. The jungle lightens and ceases as you go deeper within - and yet ahead is a far larger chamber, and in it you can see brighter light shine out.
Seira leads the way, in case of any unexpected dangers.
If Moore hadn't witnessed a few things brighter than this before, he'd probably have to squint to see.
He wonders how far they'll have to even go, but for now, just continues on!
Within is a great place of light, comign from everything - including a vast, vast lake of boiling green acid, which roils like a sea at storm. There are no islands within it, only stormy expanses.
Donald whistles, "So it's somewhere in here, is it?"
"I'm immune to acid, so I'll take a look below," Seira voices, shielding her artifacts just in case and descending into the lake.
The stomach, maybe?
Moore nods to Seira and will wait for her to explore!
Seira dives in. The acid does nothing to her as she begins to search about - it's a vast, deep space here with poor visibility. How are you going to do this?
Happily, her perception is boosted magically and she's been relying on her senses here as it is with all that blinding light. She also tries a bit of divination, since it might not be blocked while she's inside the actual creature interfering with divinations!
Sensual Blessing gives me scent, low-light vision, darkvision 60ft, blindsight 60ft and tremorsense 60ft. Also will try something like Locate Object with a divinely-boosted range to look for Wildaros.
Gimme perception and a d100 real quick.
Perception 10 for 120.
20:10 <Corwin> roll 1d100
20:10 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 98 > [d100=98]
You wander in the acid and explore - but deific senses are huge here. You soon enough can feel a large lump lying amid all this acid, a ways away but not fitting in with anything else.
Time to go and check it out! Seira comes near the lump, and then uses telekinesis to try and clear up its surface so she'll have a better idea what it is.
It appears to be a large crystalline growth. The acid doesn't burn it and it seems intact.
Seira tries to pick it up! Telekinetically!
It's heavy but you do so easily enough.
Strange. But Seira uses this chance to return to the others, magically cleaning herself up as soon as she exits the acid lake to not be a hazard, and places the lump on the ground.
The crystal is a pale, lime green color. It's large as Hanna or so and quite bulky.
"Is that it?" Donald asks, "Doesn't look like it to me, does it?"
Seira tries to examine it, now that she's in a more comfortable situation!
Does Greater Arcane Sight tell me anything? Legend Lore?
Moore will do the same. Take 10 for 119 on K:A as appropriate, or K... whatever else would work, if it's some sort of gem or something else for 101. :)
Unknown Mineral
This crystal is supercharged with life energies. It's hard and suitable to be used in arms and armor as well. It may well be unique, considering where it was found.
Seira snaps her fingers. "Elle, this might be more up your alley," she notes. "I thought it might be like that when magic actually worked on it, so mind taking a look?"
Glancing over at Moore, she muses, "Perhaps it's time to try stronger divinations?"
Moore nods. "I can try something with Wish, if you want. Failing that, I know a stronger one but it would take a bit of time to cast." He says.
She's taking 10 as needed.
Elle studies it, "I'd have to experiment to know for sure," she finally says, "But you could make an amazing weapon based around restoration and healing with this." She taps the crystal, "I'd absolutely want to craft it in fine conditions to maximize what I could get out of it."
"Then look after it," Seira tells Elle with a grin, before giving Moore a nod. "Go for the lengthy spell, I'll take another dip in the acid for a second look around so we don't waste any time."
Moore nods and will take a breath to start to invoke his Commune with Knowledge spell.
Guessing he's not going to get interrupted.
Question 1:
How do we find the artifact Seira is seeking?
As Seira begins to search again? It's a huge lake of acid, but something very far ahead is sensed. Lumpy but small.
Meanwhile for Moore: Dive down below and continue.
May as well find anything else relevant while they're here...
'Are there any other unique minerals nearby like the one we found?'
Seira makes her way towards it!
Seira reaches it. Whatever it is, it's a lump about the size of your head and covered in a thick, shell like substance.
Meanwhile Moore's answer is: Yes.
Seira cheerfully tries to drag it to the surface as well with telekinesis.
That's easy enough for Seira. It's a purple-green shell, coating and covering something thickly. You can't tell what from the outside.
Question 3: 'Where is the largest collection of them?'
Question 4: 'How many unique minerals are there?' (To be clear as to the meaning of this, it means 'how many different types, not 'how many rocks')
Question 5: 'How many actual deposits are there?' (this is the other part of the last question)
Presuming I get a decent answer here, Questions 6-16 will be 'How to find some of the deposits listed above' basically.
Once he has a list of locations he will end the spell.
Seira does her best to clean it up, examining it magically.
Does Scent or Tremorsense reveal anything? Blindsight? Greater Arcane Sight and Legend Lore?
Whatever it is, the shell is completely absorbing magic and energy sent its way.
Which really is the tip off. Whatever this is has power to negate magic, and as near as you can tell, this shell has grown around it in response. A protection? An accident? Either way it is what it is.
Meanwhile for Moore?
3. On the far end from your location.
4. 3.
5. 5.
"Ooh, this might be it! Elle, Jetina, could you take a glance? I'll keep on diving for now."
"I will," Elle promises, "Moore, you have the locations?"
Just to be clear you do, I forgot to include those but it's mostly a handwave of 'yes' as long as you don't run into trouble.
Excellent! After I complete my sweep and get all we think is there, let's take stock.
With the locations, Moore nods to Elle. "Yes, there's a large deposit on the far end from where we are - there are a total of three different types of minerals here, and there are about five locations we can find them. I have all of them, so we can find them easily enough, though we may need Seira's acid-proof abilities to get to them."
You end up with nine in total. 2 green crystals, 2 orange-green crystals and 2 red-green crystals. Each is quite large, bigger than Hanna, chunky things.
"Let's go back for now?" Seira offers. "I'm pretty sure Wildaros's in this shell, and it seems that we've found all the crystals that grew here in usable amounts."
Moore nods. "Certainly."
Give me a d100, one of you.
22:23 <Corwin> roll 1d100
22:23 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 87 > [d100=87]
The trip out is no great thing now that you know the way. If anything things seem to calm as you emerge out once more and return.
Go ahead.
"Seems like we found it!" Seira tells the Shining Watcher cheerfully, showing the suspected shell of the artifact.
The objects are studied by him before he speaks.
Then it is done.
"What do you plan on doing now?" Seira asks him. "You could grow in power through worship, or just stay hidden even more efficiently."
I must stay here. I must not be found.
"Well, should you ever desire to talk, or if you do feel a threat that comes towards you, please do not hesitate to let us know. We will be happy to support you in whatever endeavors you pursue." Moore says.
"That works," Seira says, nodding in agreement. "Would you mind the company, if one of my avatars were to stop by?"
Diplo check Seira, +30 bonus. You did enough to warrant a check.
19:03 <Corwin> roll 1d20+132+30 (+2 more vs men) Moore's aura+divine insight+voice of the dragon+greater heroism+improvisation
19:03 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 179 > [d20=17]
Alone. Only you. Tell no one else.
Seira winks at him. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me~"
I won't tell anyone. You needn't worry at all.
I may build you some defenses if that makes you feel better. There's a booming industry for lair defenses for dragons, some of that would suit you marvelously.
Yeah. Hey Seira, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?
"I happen to be an expert on the subject, yes!" she brightly agrees.
Moore nods. "I hope we can be friends in the future." He adds with a smile.
Anything to add here in this conversation?
I don't think so. Time to unleash Wildaros!
Not from me.
Are you heading home for that or going to do it here?
What do my friends recommend?
This isn't an IC question Cor, it's an OOC one. I just want to know when you're going to do that and if it's immediately or not, since your post was ambiguous.
We'll crack it open at home, it's the immediate priority.
The party heads out. Once out and free of this place, back in the endless radiance of life, "That was something," Donald says at last, "Do we have any more of those left, Seira?"
"But not something without reward," Elle agrees, "Come back with us Moore and Jetina, you can rest while I get to the bottom of these minerals. I have high hopes for all of them."
"Sometimes you make a friend at the cost of personal power," Seira responds, not answering Donald's actual quesiton.
"I think it was a worthy endeavor." Moore says. "We made all made a powerful friend today." He nods to Elle. "I can help you if you'd like, though I'm sure you can handle it!"
Alright Seira, how many?
Meanwhile Elle gestures, "Come! We can if not celebrate, at least appreciate a victory and ruminate on what this means now."
"Practically...nothing?" Ranbar speaks up, "Not now. In the farther future it may, but not now."
"I'm not really considering weaponizing a fresh friend, and the crystals will take time to get analyzed. But! This thing, both the powerful antimagic shell and what it holds? That's a game changer if it works the way I hope!"
After cleaning it up thoroughly, Seira looks it over with a thief's eye. What's the best way to crack it open and get inside, without too much brute force?
"I don't agree that it doesn't mean anything." Moore says. "We made a new friend and rekindled hope in the heart of one who was hopeless for their future. That is a reason to celebrate in and of itself."
We'll switch to OOC for both aspects of this a sec. First of all, give me a K:Dungeoneering check, Seira? It's the closest thing since that's what gemstones fall in under. If you have ranks in anything like craft(jewelry) or (gemcutting) you could apply that instead.
Moore can help out with this!
Take 10 for 101 on Craft: Gemcutting and K:Dungeoneering.
If Seira's got it covered he'll aid her for +2. :)
Taking 10 for 134 on K:Dungeoneering (Greater Heroim, Divine Insight, Improvisation). I also have Craft: Traps, and the result is the same.
It's a pretty strong, but an extremely focused sonic attack should break it cleanly, you think - but too strong and it'll shatter it all.
"So it looks like sound might work," Seira muses, before calling an Orb of Sound to her hand. Rather than release it, she reshapes the spell to become a scalpel which she then slices across the surface!
Roll the damage for the orb of sound then?
20:51 <Corwin> roll 15d4
20:51 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 35 > [d4=3,2,2,3,4,1,3,2,2,1,3,1,3,2,3]
A few little chips fall away, but nothing else, this not sufficient to break it.
The next scalpel Seira forms after dismissing this one is quite a bit more powerful. Meanwhile, another of her avatars appears, readying a stronger one still.
Maximized Orb of Sound, so 60 damage.
My avatars have a few blank slots in the high levels, so it'd be a Maximized Empower Orb of Sound next for 90 damage, and a Maximized Twinned Orb of Sound after that for 120 damage. A gradual increase to see if it works.
A few more chips before the third orb does the trick. It splits cleanly, able to be removed as you like.
Seira carefully does so. They'll be able to use it! But after setting the outer shell aside and securing it, she takes in what it was hiding!
It's a little crystal, colored an off white, and surrounded by a silver chain. It's broken, as if meant to be a pendant once on a time. It lies there, completely unmarred and undamaged.
Seira stares at it!
Greater Arcane Sight? Legend Lore? Anything to perceive?
"So what exactly is that, anyway?" Moore asks. "Was it what let him absorb those spells?"
You detect no magic from it at all.
Hardly impossible for an artifact when a mortal studies it, but more impressive and far more rare when a deity does so.
Seira's avatar picks it up while Seira herself shrugs at Moore's question. "We're about to find out!"
Seira's avatar holds it. It doesn't feel any different, at least in her hands.
"I'm curious too," Donald says, "Hey Seira, are you back to answering my questions?"
Read the mood, she tells Donald.
Her avatar decides to try and cast a spell, the first being a summoning and the other a dispel to take it down. If there is any drop in potency or increase in dispelling power, she should be able to tell!
Refresh me on your domains real quick?
Certainly!
Domains: Hope, Knowledge, War, Good, Fire, Time, Dragon
It's just...off somehow. Wrong. It's hard to read. It's like the spell is off but you can't pin it down.
Elle instead comes forward, "Let me see that," she says, "I can tell something's wrong about it. Follow my finger when I study it, I think I can point it out and we can figure it out, together. Moore, can you help us?"
"I probably need a stronger divine focus on magic to narrow it down," Seira agrees. "Maybe we could ask Kascha over for a look if we hit a wall?"
All the same, she follows Elle's request!
A nod, as he begins to invoke some power...
+22 to skill checks, he can aid as well for +2, so +24 on top of this.
Spellcraft, both you and Elle.
In that case it'd be 135.
I meant Seira, but yours doesn't hurt too.
Sorry, I see that post was 100% not clear.
22:12 <Corwin> roll 1d20+91+4+15+22 greater heroism, divine insight, Moore
22:12 <Penuche> Corwin invokes Penuche's magic: < 134 > [d20=2]
With Moore aiding, it's 136 now, I guess?
"There," Elle says at last as you all work together. "I have it." With mere gesture arcane knowledge appears in the air, telling the story of this stone.
Wildaros, the Lifestone
Once an artifact to the destruction of magic, this has become something different due to its time within the greatest of all tarrasques. When carried on person, this grants a +2 bonus to the caster level of antimagic field, dispel magic and similar spells, as well as a +2 bonus to dispel checks as well as counterspelling.
For each spell that you dispel or counter, you gain 5 temporary hit points, to a maximum of 100. When 100 hits points is reached, there is a 5% chance that the bearer of Wildaros converts those hit points to a permanent +1 bonus to maximum hit points. A creature can gain as many bonus maximum hit points as their Constitution score.
Finally, the bearer of Wildaros gains immunity to negative energy and negative levels.
"Oh, wow." Moore says. "Amazing doesn't even begin to describe it."
"That is an interesting recovery," Elle says as she inspects it, "It seems all its time in that tarrasque impacted it as well."
"Very interesting," Seira agrees. And all her avatars will have it! "On its own, not enough to challenge Shar's avatar with my own, but we're getting there!"
"Really, we should share it with our allies," Elle agrees, "It can bolster everyone's vitality if trained with properly."
That gets Ranbar to look up, "It works like that? Most artifacts that have anything like that require real combat."
"I mean it doesn't... seem like it cares what you dispel." Moore agrees. "It would take a lot of time, but in theory you could do it an infinite number of times until you succeed."
"Tedious," Jetina observes, "But most training is tedious. The truly irritating part would be to confirm if it works that way or not, unless you get fortunate enough for it to happen early."
"That much is obvious," Seira agrees. "Alicia's my first thought, and you guys are obviously included, Moore. I don't know if we'll go beyond that for now, though. Not until we've put some distance between the artifact and its previous holder, at least."
"We'll need to test it," Elle says at last, "But I think it should work. It'll be trivial for us, regardless."
"I've got it covered," Seira tells her, asking in turn, "How long do you think it'll take you to figure out the crystals properly? They weren't the main goal, but we could all benefit from better gear, I think."
Moore nods. "Thank you. Oh, speaking of better gear - Elle, that object you helped create seems to be working as well. We're still testing it out, but if we can manage to keep everything stable and advance the magic, I think it could be a huge boon to everyone." He says as he shares the notes they have on the mock Syllen pieces. "We're still working on getting one last piece of something as well out of Earth, and if we can manage that we may have a useful tool for emergencies as well."
It's in loot but it's the 'set items that enhance each other' thing.
Right.
"I'll get to the bottom of those crystals, too, "Elle agrees, as...
Plans here to test that, Seira?
"Oh, speaking of gear, Moore. Remember the whole mess with Kossuth, and how we promised him a few Fire-themed artifacts so that he'd stop interfering with Kaja's divine seed?"
"I do." He says with a nod. "I can find some in Celestia to send as a good-will gift, if you'd like."
"I really would, he hates me now. I hoped time would help but no, he's still pissed. Personal reasons aside, we don't want Kossuth to be amenable to devils on Fire rather than us."
Moore nods. "I can share a few unique things we've found on our travels as well. Oh, if you ever can spare an avatar, please come over and meet Will - he's... uh, you know, I don't know how to describe him, he's basically an amalgamation of magical constructs that gained sentience when we combined them. He's an absolute expert at magic, so if you ever need a second opinion, you're always welcome."
"Oh yes, we do need to keep Kossuth happy," Elle speaks up.
This gets Jetina to smile, "I can help with those artifacts, too."
"Sure, I'll come over in person," Seira agrees.
As for testing, I'll just conjure up various elementals and then dispel them. Shouldn't take me more than a couple hours to show that it works, then I'll loan out Wildaros to Ranbar to do the same. For my part, I'll see that my permanent hit points remain even while the artifact is with her at the Cauldron, and then I'll take it back once I've returned from visiting Moore.
Took 41 rolls get a success on that, incidentally. While you're doing that, are you going to support Elle as she works out those crystals, Moore?
Sure, he can give a total of +22 with morale boosters, then add on aiding, and he may as well break out the Int-boosting song so that'll be a total of +30 I think?
+30 then? This may matter so make sure.
Triple checking, +8 from the stat booster, +14 from Inspire Competence, +8 from Song of Fortune, +2 more from Share Skills (the spell), then +1 for aiding, so that's 33.
In that case Elle takes 10.
Green Crystal: This crystal is identical to steel in most ways. A weapon made of this crystal deals double damage to undead creatures, while armor made from it grants fast healing 20 to the wearer and a +2 bonus to Constitution. You have two large crystals of this, which is enough for 9 weapons or 2 suits of armor each.
Orange-Green Crystal: This crystal is identical to adamantine in most ways. A weapon made of this crystal grants a +8 bonus to attack rolls against non living creatures, while armor made from it grants a +5 bonus to the caster level of conjuration (healing) spells. You have two large crystals of this, which is enough for 8 weapons or 2 suits of armor each.
Red-Green Crystal: This crystal is not suitable to be used in weapons or armor. If a large chunk is as an optional material component with a spell, the spell heals 10 hit points per caster level to any living creature affected by the spell. This stacks with any other healing the spell provides. You have two large crystals of this, which is enough for 50 optional material components.
"Goodness." Moore says with a bit of awe. "I bet you'd have to spend a lifetime or two on Jovar to find something even remotely as potent as these."
"You might be able to find and equal there one day, but not lightly," Elle admits, "I've never come across crystal this pure or powerful." She taps one of the red-green crystals. "As long as we don't enchant it further or use it up, broken off pieces will merge back with the greater whole."
Jetina studies it, "It's beyond incredible. It's so supercharged with life energy." A tap of her chest," This armor is incredible, but I want a suit of armor made of the orangish crystal.
"How about layering the Aegis with the green crystal?" Seira's avatar asks, popping in. "And, in fact, would it be possible to make shields rather than armors for the same effect? Does that alter the amount of available material any?"
Elle considers this, "Shields should work and use slightly less than a full set of armor. I'll have to do some measuring, but you could squeeze a bit more out of them that way. As to augmenting existing equipment, possibly. At least the Aegises should be uniquely suited for it."
"It is, isn't it!" Seira agrees cheerfully. "How about eating the crystals? That sometimes works, but would it do anything here?"
Elle considers, considers a long time. "No," she finally says, "I don't see anything worthwhile coming of it, and I suspect most lesser creatures wouldn't survive long with it in them. A degree of separation is best. Few of us can match the unchallenged life force of a tarrasque."
"Makes sense. So let's see who wants what? And in the meantime, I'll visit Hope's Landing?"
I think we can go over wishlist/claims OOC, so let's move on?
Moore nods. "That sounds fine to me."
Sure, go ahead and move plans for what y'all plan to do with this to loot. I'd like to see posts from both of you so I can start to sort this out.
So you were working with Wildaros. Go ahead and sort out how y'all are using that first and I'll sort that, then we'll move on.
I think the armors are much superior to the weapons. Since there are pairs I think it's fair each of us gets one crystal per type. Barring situations where someone wants a weapon or if shields would allow for more of them. If Moore really wants two orange crystals, we can trade. Works?
As for Wildaros, I'll gain all of my potential permanent hp via grinding, then give it over to our guys. Afterwards, Moore's guys can do it, and we'll see from there. The grinding is summoning minions and dispelling them till one reaches 100 temp hp.
Moore would be curious what they might be able to do with a green crystal as a shield and the mock up Set Piece Syllen stuff. Other than that and Jetina wanting the Orange Green for something (probably doesn't have to be armor in her case) Seira can keep everything else. :)
As requested last post, please move that conversation to loot so I can sort that all out there.
Thus Moore, Jetina and Seira head to Hope's Landing and...
What's your play here? Go ahead y'all.
Sorry, it wasn't quite clear.
Moore will bring Seira to Will to introduce them!
As you head towards Will is with Jetina and Seira?
Do you think Seira can get more out of him, Moore?
He considers this as he heads towards the room where Will is currently stationed.
Hmm... it's certainly possible! But exposing Will to other people will help him out, too, either way.
True.
Seira, have you ever dealt with anything like him before?
I've been polite and haven't taken a look, but you're referring to an artificial sapience?
That's what he started out as. It's... difficult to explain exactly... but yes, although I think what was originally artificial has become something much more real. He's not so dissimilar to Elena of Aurora, actually. I suppose technically artificial sapience isn't wrong though, but you'll understand when you meet him, I think.
Artificial doesn't mean fake, you know. In any case, I do happen to be one of the experts on the subject, Seira agrees. Let's go and say hi?
Absolutely.
With that, Moore will take the others to the large, empty room inside his fortress (unless Will has changed it up since he was last there) with one, large central column in the center where Will resides.
"Will, hello. I brought a friend of mine alone." Moore says as he enters.
Hi there! Seira greets with a wave, eager to take her first look at Will.
Will is silent a few moments before, "Dragon."
Seira preens!
Moore has to smile a bit at that. "In our experience, Will has a... unique way of viewing the world. It seems like magic is just... a function to him, if that makes sense." He says. "Will, Seira is a good friend of mine, I told her you might be able to give your expertise on any magical situation that she came across."
"Well yes, Seira is a dragon," Jetina agrees, a sidelong glance at her. "I'd ask how you knew, but I suppose that's not important."
"Dragon," Will agrees, "I will do as Moore asks."
"Oh, he might have some insight on that artifact." Moore suggests. "If you want to see for yourself - or if you have something else that you might want a second opinion on, by all means."
"How very interesting!" Seira chirps. "Will, do you know of all magic, similar in concept to how Mystra does it? Or do you need to perceive the magic in question first?"
"It must be seen. Show me," Will replies, "I will see."
Seira taps her lips, and then uses divine power to gift her own perception of Shar merging into a wall of her demiplane to Will.
"I'm afraid I don't know the actual magic involved just yet, but here's what I witnessed myself."
"A system," Will begins immediately, "An independent system created to allow the merger of two entities as such, but also reliant on the harmony between them. Likes repel, except when they attract and merge as one. A merger of similar beings, of similar things. A system to combine without finality, to establish both a symbiotic and parasitic relationship. She did not take it as far as it could go. A demonstration, a test. A reserve. A surprise. The numbers 2 and 4 are paramount, but need not be because that is their natures. The harmony of body and soul. No, the recognition of it. The establishment of it in formality. The brain and the body. The body and soul. The mind and the will. The establishment of what is true on a deeper level. Are they not one already, but merely apart? Are you not a part of your realm, dragon, in a real way as you rule it?"
Moore blinks several times. "I think I understood most of that..."
"I am, which is why the need to merge physically seems strange to me. My realm is as much a part of me as the concepts that are gathered under my aegis, so why a physical merger? Even when the Triune was formed, it was a merging of concepts alongside the physical, but I can't see it here with Shar. Could you elaborate, please?"
"It is the synthesis of the system. The point of the system. Souls, planes, gods. All part of the same system." Will explains. "But separate. This is deeper, more complete. Symbiotic. Unison."
More comes. "Yet it lends great power to her. Parasitic."
"Is it inherently evil or ruinous for the plane? I didn't exactly have the time to study the technique, but would it benefit me to learn it?"
"No. The plane is stronger, but less aware. Different. You would need a new system. A work around. An impossibility like she had." Is the answer.
"Would providing my realm with a constructed soul help with that? Then the Triune ritual could likely be used with only minor changes."
A consideration, "No. She had to go outside of the system to do it. Her own system. She borrowed from Mystra."
"It makes sense, she cobbled together her own bastardized version of magic where I wouldn't do that to Mystra. So what you're suggesting is asking Mystra directly for a loan?"
"A new system," Is the agreement. "Yes."
"I guess I know where I'm going next~" Grinning, Seira asks Will, "Hey, what about counterspells? Do you know of any useful ways to bolster one's skills with them?"
"Yes, but I believe you know them," Is Will's answer.
"So did I, but then I chanced upon an artifact to boost it further," Seira muses. "You never know."
"Feel free to stop by any time if you need his advice." Moore says with a smile. "I'll let you know once we've sent the gifts to Kossuth."
I suppose I'll visit Mystra now, then?
Sure. You both get new topics. Congratulations!