Afina vs the lich (Afina)

[Ebiris]

Well that's fair enough, if unfortunate. "Alright, just wait here Smrgol? We'll tell you all the details when we're done," Afina says, the crystal dragon bobbing his feather festooned head in understanding.

[Anastasia]

You're lead inside to a library. A small place of wooden shelves and magical light, no candles nor any windows. Here an elf sits, one with pale green hair and sharp eyes with leaves seeming to flash in them. "This is Aurora?" he asks the pixie, who nods and flutters off. "Head Loremaster Honeybrook," he introduces himself.

[Ebiris]

"Hello, I'm general Afina. With me are majors Dana and Meillaberyl," she introduces the trio, walking over to Honeybrook. "Alain told us the basics but we want to get more details before we go up against Tulthas. What sort of spells he favours, what minions he employs, what traps he prefers. A map of the mountains and valleys around his lair would be helpful as well."

[Anastasia]

"He's a master of all spells, a generalist of great skill," Honeybrook steeples his hands together, "He usually relies on evocations for simple threads and a quickened spell if that doesn't immediately end the battle. The few who have fought him more seriously report he starts with the spell time stop and variable tactics from there, but usually repeats that spell often for time to summon minions or set traps, or to withdraw."

"So he's a wizard. Great to know," Dana says, "Any signature spells?"

[Ebiris]

Stopping time is a great technique! But Afina is pretty sure she's better at it than most. "Oh, he's a lich yes? Any clues as to what his phylactery is or where he keeps it?" she asks after Dana's question.

[Anastasia]

"None. Our divinations fail, but that's expected if it's in his fortress. He's never given word of it, so we're in the dark about it."

Dana sighs at that, "Well, if he's competent, then we'll just have to fucking beat it out of him. Lich beatings for everyone!"

[Ebiris]

"What about the minions he uses?" Afina asks, agreeing with Dana. If they can't find his phylactery they'll just have to confine him to Aurora's dungeon.

[Anastasia]

"We know some about them." Honeybrook ticks off a finger, "First, the caves and passes of the mountains are kept by ogre tribes. He's been breeding ogres for centuries now and they're all horrifying brutes and berserkers, far more dangerous than a typical ogre. Secondly are the harpy servants he has aid them. They can't fly there, but they're skilled archers who strike from hidden nests at anyone trying to climb up."

Mei's eyes narrow during all of this.

Dana just scoffs, "Okay, pains in the asses by manageable. These are just the door guards, huh?"

[Ebiris]

None of it really sounds worse than what they faced at Earthfall what feels like so long ago. "Nothing we can't deal with. Do you have any maps or general outlines of the terrain and fortifications that can help us?"

[Anastasia]

"No. Most who go don't make it back," Honeybrook confesses, a sour grimace. "The mountains are mostly a mystery to us. We know he breeds rocs with fiends and uses them on missions outside of his base. He has at least a handful of succubus sorcerers who aid him, as well as a quintet of erinyes wizards who do the same. From all reports, they loathe each other but are absolutely terrified of Tulthas."

[Ebiris]

"Well we'll give them something new to be terrified of," Afina smiles brightly. "Do you have a map showing where these mountains are in the world, or a picture of them? It's easier if I just teleport instead of having to use multiple gates."

[Anastasia]

'Yes," A map is gotten. It's of four continents, with everything beyond it shrouded in clouds. The northern most one has the mountains, a massive ring of them rising up in all directions. "There," he points.

[Ebiris]

Afina takes a good look at the map, committing the mountainous location to memory. It won't be good with an ordinary teleport but she'd rather waste that than two of her ninth level slots. "Alright, that's enough. You'll hear from us after we're finished with Tulthas," she tells Honeybrook. "Wish us luck." And with that she goes back out to collect Smrgol and teleport their group to the mountains!

Limited wish to emulate teleport
[18:54] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d100 teleport viewed once --> [ 1d100=75 ]{75}
Just barely on target!

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 277+15/277, heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), greater mage armour (CL 23), moment of prescience (CL 23), see invisibility (CL 23)
AC 72, spell resistance 38, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear, 50% spell failure (1 hour)
Spell charges: 6/10/9/8/9/9/9/7/7/7

Smrgol: 459/459, mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), greater mage armour (CL 5)
AC 56, immunity to magic, fast healing 10

[Anastasia]

Thus the four of you appear.  Ahead of you are massively tall mountains, rising up like talons from the earth. They spread out far, the forests trailing off ahead and stopping. No treeline here, only sharp and jagged mountains.

Mei looks up at them and nods silently, before climbing onto Smrgol.

[Ebiris]

Afina likewise settles atop Smrgol's head, the ironwyrm dragon stomping onwards and starting to easily climb his way up the foreboding mountains.

He takes 10 for 67 on all his climb checks