Nymph interlude (Afina)

[Ebiris]

It's not much, but Afina casts prestigitation and then runs a finger across Bubbles' upper lip, leaving it smelling of particularly potent lemon. She does the same for herself before offering it to Canderella, just to give their noses something else to focus on. 27 at least seems fine.

"Should have brought masks, really. Fill them with crushed flowers or something else with a strong smell." Next time! If there ever is a next time that is.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 287+18/287, glaciante's spiteful ward (CL 24 attached to epic mage armour), 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)
AC 87, spell resistance 39, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear
Spell charges: 5/10/10/10/9/9/9/8/7/7/6/5

[Anastasia]

"Helps a bit," Canderella says, "But if they don't work, you're throwing up into a mask, and that's no fun."

[Ebiris]

That's an unsightly but accurate point. Now, how to get across to that fortress? Wading/swimming through the ooze doesn't appeal in the least... "27, can you carry Bubbles so we can all fly across?"

[Anastasia]

27 does so without complaint.

"My, I get carried around by the strangest things," Bubbles remarks.

Go ahead and describe what you're doing now.

[Ebiris]

With aerial mobility assured, Afina takes wing and leads the group towards the sunken castle ahead, intending to go straight through the front gate.

[Anastasia]

None of the para-elementals move to stop you. You go right in. The courtyard just within is flooded with ooze, gates to within the castle bare of doors. The way ahead is blocked by a giant ooze para-elemental, nothing but muck and filth. As you approach, "Name?" It asks.

[Ebiris]

"Afina Devilsbane, with Bubbles, Canderella, and 27," Afina answers, fluttering to a stop before the enormous ooze. "I would like an audience with Bwimb II if possible."

[Anastasia]

"Inside. Find." The elemental steps aside without any further words.

"Oh joy," Canderella wrinkles her nose, "This sounds suspiciously like a scavenger hunt."

[Ebiris]

"Morniel suggested it would be like that, and we're more likely to find the one we're not looking for than the one we are. Still, needs must," Afina says, flying into the fortress.

[Anastasia]

Ahead is a large chamber. A broken glass chandelier hangs from the ceiling, a few pieces of it floating atop the muck. Filthy cloths that might have once been tapestries or paintings hang on the wall. Deeply corroded and filth-caked metal inlays are in the wall.

There's a door straight ahead, leading deeper in. It's a large double door and closed shut.

There's a hole in the ceiling to the far end of the room on the right, leading to the next floor if you care to go in.

There's also a door just below the level of the muck on the right side, flooded but otherwise open if you care to go mucking.

Finally, there's two doors on the left, but the wall's given way there, a cave in blocking you.

"Dearie, are there ANY maids or servants here? How dreadful, they haven't kept this castle up at all!" Bubbles remarks.

"Sort of nostalgic, but most demons take better care of their holdings. Rather sad to say," Canderella admits.

[Ebiris]

"It feels like they're making a point," Afina says. "They could live in natural surroundings like outside and be just as comfortable. Or they could expend the effort to make this fortress as tidy and gleaming as any kingly redoubt. Look at these," she flutters over towards the filthy cloths, picking at one. "These were never fine tapestries or real paintings. This isn't a grand fortress fallen to decay. Everything here is the way it is for a reason. It's a statement as to the nature of Ooze."

Wasn't the great message of Ice one of preservation and stasis? Is Ooze then a plane of entropy and rot?

But that's a facet she'd link more towards the quasi-elemental planes tending towards the negative energy one. How do Earth and Water combine to form... this? She's not sure yet, but every moment here is one spent learning.

"For now lets try going straight in," she goes to open the double door straight ahead from the entrance.

[Anastasia]

Canderella pauses as you advance, "It's also something for them to do, something to rot other than the ooze."

The door's not opening. It's not locked, but it does seem to be stuck. At least to a mere pixie's casual efforts.

[Ebiris]

Afina isn't any kind of 'mere' pixie! But still she puts a bit more vim into her efforts. "Someone give me a hand with this?" she asks, landing to brace her feet on the ground and push her shoulder into it.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Afina: 287+18/287, glaciante's spiteful ward (CL 24 attached to epic mage armour), 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), energy immunity (acid) (CL 23)
AC 87, spell resistance 39, blindsense 30, immunity to fire, water, earth, cold, disease, poison, fear, acid
Spell charges: 5/10/10/10/9/9/9/8/7/7/6/5

[Anastasia]

Canderella's arms are free and she comes over, "On three," she says, "Three!"

Strength check, both of you.

[Ebiris]

[20:31] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+6 str
[20:31] <Serith> Ebiris roll for Serith < 7 > [d20=1]