The past burns (Afina, Tryll)

[Anastasia]

Starting this one OOC with a quote of the plan:

The Spirit Gorge strike force will consist of Afina, Tryll, Calleigh, and the Master. Using interplanar telepathic bond to remain in contact with Tepen at Aurora, they will Gate to the Gloaming Wood (now renamed Soulsworn by stupid devils) and proceed on foot to Spirit Gorge and wait until either reinforcements have been dispatched to aid Lethe or the battle has swung decisively in our favour. From here they will infiltrate the complex with the goal of ending the magic that is effected on Lief by whatever means necessary. Dispelling should work but removing or destroying Lief's corpse are also acceptable options. Further, the capture of Willah is a secondary goal, though her death is acceptable as well if this proves untenable. If neither are present the strike force will relocate to the former court of Alfheimr where Willah maintains her fief in hopes of capturing Willah from there and then obtaining information on Lief's location.

Once these goals are effected the strike force will evacuate back to Aurora which will then either retreat from Lethe or solidify control over the area depending on how the feint attack has progressed.

Any other prep to do, you two?

[Ebiris]

[16:21] <@Ebiris> roll 1d8+10 heroes feast temp hp
[16:21] <Serith> Ebiris roll for Serith < 13 > [d8=3]

I'm good. Afina will gate us from Water to near Spirit Gorge and we'll go from there.

Tepen will everyone in the group via interplanar telepathic bond so we can stay in touch with home and talk silently amongst ourselves.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 287+13/287, heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), epic mage armour (CL 24), moment of prescience (CL 24), interplanar telepathic bond (CL 23)
AC 87, spell resistance 39, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/10/10/9/9/9/8/7/8/7/5

[Anastasia]

Please hold briefly, this post is setting up the Master's stat block.

[spoiler]

The Master
HP: 304/304
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL15), Fortunate Fate (CL13), Planar Tolerance (CL7), Greater Mage Armor (CL5), Interplanar Telepathic Bond (CL23)
Bonuses: -
Negative Conditions: -
Resources Used: -

[Anastasia]

Let's begin.

The four slip away and a single Gate opens the way.

The four of you stand in a dead forest. As if a great fire came through and nothing regrew, the ground ashes. The scent of smoke lingers in the air and it's hot. All around you is devastation, death and ruin.

[Ebiris]

Of course, why would they bother to clean up after themselves?

This more than proves the futility of devilkind to Afina's satisfaction. It's one thing to devastate a land while conquering it so you can build something better on the ashes, but Willah and her ilk just laze about on the ruins. Looking around a bit both to mark South and to figure out where she is... well, the foliage is wrong, but the lay of the land feels familiar enough to her after three and a half centuries of murdering all across this forest. 'This was the Duchess of Spider's territory, if I'm not mistaken,' she remarks telepathically to her companions, flitting down low against the ashes and charred wood for cover as she starts to move. 'She liked to capture pixies and other small fey in the webs of her pets. They didn't fare so well against devils.'

taking 10 for 67 and 63 on hide/move silently respectively

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 287+20/287, heroes feast (CL 20), mind blank (CL 17), fortunate fate (CL 15), planar tolerance (CL 7), epic mage armour (CL 24), moment of prescience (CL 24), greater heroism (CL 24), interplanar telepathic bond (CL 23)
AC 87, spell resistance 39, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 6/10/10/10/9/9/8/8/7/8/7/5

[Anastasia]

The Master moves nigh-silently, following. 'Strange. Was she an Unseelie?' The Master asks.

Taking 10 for 60 on Hide and Move Silently.

[Ebiris]

'Yes. From what I've learned since leaving I believe almost all of Lifasa's Unseelie lived here. The rest of the world was much more harmonious,' Afina explains.

[Yuthirin]

Missed the bus on this one, sorry. Didn't see this go up. Statblocks will be up in a bit. Life is...interesting.

Tryll and Calleigh remain incorporeal, moving in perfect silence.

'It's so different now. It's sad. We were here a long time ago, and it was so pretty.' Calleigh sends.

[Ebiris]

'It was,' Afina agrees. 'Even the dangerous parts were beautiful. The Duchess had a good eye for aesthetics.' She does wonder what happened to her, and the other notables who called these woods home. Are they all dead and living their next lives? Held captive by devils in some dark forgotten hole? Either way they've neither seen nor heard any trace of other survivors since the fall.

[Anastasia]

'Today may be the day we find them,' The Master murmurs into your minds. 'Meditate on the past later, for today is the day.'

[Yuthirin]

'Yeah! Maybe we can rescue them too!' Calleigh cheers.

[Anastasia]

'We can only hope,' The Master murmurs. 'Focus.'

[Ebiris]

There's nothing else that really needs to be said, so Afina continues her hidden and soundless path towards Willah's torturous retreat, aiming to find a good vantage and then wait for word from Tepen.

[Yuthirin]

Tryll and Calleigh follow dutifully!

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100+9 sneaking
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 30 > [d100=21]
> roll 1d100+9 sneaking
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 37 > [d100=28]

The four of you move like ghosts - silent and unseen. The blasted and ruined forest holds little but signs of battle, and soon you see the devastated woods beginning to thin. The sign of the gorge, alright. It shouldn't be too much more ahead.