Io's Labyrinth

[Ebiris]

Alicia follows Seira Westwards.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia: 696/696
Active spells: Extended nondetection (CL 33, 65hrs), extended repelling shield (CL 33, 43m), keen edge (CL 32, 298m), sensual blessing (CL 32, 10m), vision of the omniscient eye (CL 32, 10m), greater heroism (CL 32, 10m), death ward (CL 32, 10m), extended ray deflection (CL 33, 44m), divine insight (CL 32, 32hrs), foresight (CL 32, 307m), dance of the unicorn (CL 32, 19m), recitation (CL 32, 3m), greater visage of the deity (CL 32, 3m), ghost touch weapon (CL 32, 22m), many moments of prescience (CL 32, 32 hrs)
Defences: AC 79 (touch 40), CMD 105 spell resistance 47, status immunity (dazzled, blinding, polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), energy immunity (fire, cold, negative energy), energy resist 10 (acid), nondetection (DC 48), ray deflection
Stat buffs/penalties: +9 shield AC, 17-20 crit range, +25 competence perception, +10 insight perception, +4 morale skills/saves, +2 insight AC/reflex, +3 luck attack/saves, +1 natural armour, +4 str, +2 dex, +4 con, +2 int, +4 wis, +4 cha, +18 morale attack/damage
Perceptions: Darkvision 2 miles, scent, low-light vision, tremorsense/blindsight 2 miles, arcane sight, perception +88
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/15/16/13/5/7/12/6/4/4/5/2/6/2
Duskblade spell slots: 6/22/20/19/6/7
Quick-casts left: 2

[Anastasia]

Here vast sand dunes reach and stretch, under a sunny-bright sky. At the beginnings of them a single sphere sits, floating in the air.

https://i.imgur.com/SZA7QdT.png

Update.

[Corwin]

Seira approaches the sphere in a flash of fire and taps it!

Fire leaping it!

[Anastasia]

Once tapped, Io's voice is heard.

"The desert and the grasslands. One where heroes overthrew devils and saved their world, another where heroes overthrew devils and saved their world. Both known to parts of you, blood shed to come this far. Alicia and Seira, you saw what would happen had Agares entered your world, for you know the fate of Lifasa when Abigor did the same."

Antenora's expression darkens at that, while Amaryl frowns, a hand to her mouth.

"Yet you stood firm and saved your world."

A pause, words lingering in your minds before Io resumes.

"In my journeys in the Far Realm, I saw things that there are no words for, understood concepts that are not concepts to us at all. Yet in those wars, I held on to one virtue above all of them."

Another pause.

"Will you face part of my hope?"

[Corwin]

"Of course," Seira responds without needing to think about it.

[Ebiris]

"Though we wouldn't want to crush your hope, we'll certainly face it," Alicia agrees.

[Anastasia]

There is a deep roar as the sands ahead part. The ground shakes, Oberuth leaping to the air as the others follow suit. The sands part like a great ocean being pulled apart, and from it emerges. A great platinum wyrm, scales impossibly radiant in the light. It moves like water, smooth and without disruption, only ripples endlessly reacting.

"I am the will to ever continue and ever do battle." The dragon declares, facing all the party. "Death shall never be known to me, nor shall defeat, for I shall never surrender. Show me. Show me how one of you can rise beyond me."

[Corwin]

If that's not an invitation to assume her own draconic form, Seira is hard-pressed to tell what is! With a roar of defiance, she transforms into a red dragon that is on fire!

[Ebiris]

Alicia considers how one might rise beyond something that cannot be defeated... maybe some true-ism about learning from failure? Well she'll just let Seira do her dragon thing and see if that works.

[Nephrite]

"I guess we'll just have to show it our resolve!" Moore says. "But I have a feeling this may not just be a regular swords and sorcery type of fight!"

[Anastasia]

"It's not a question of power, it's a question of Answers," Antenora says, stepping up besides Moore.

Seira grows larger, the wyrm matching her, roaring back his defiance. The sands are blown away by the challenges as, "YOU THINK YOU CAN OVERCOME THE CREATOR OF ALL DRAGONS AS A DRAGON?" is bellowed back.

[Corwin]

"Said by a part of his hope to another part of his hope!" Seira scoffs. "From one trapped in this cage to be our stepping stone as we grow stronger to those Io chose to deal with the real problems plaguing Creation!"

[Anastasia]

The scream that hits Seira is nigh overwhelming, a bellow of pure fear that rocks her like nothing else.

Will save. This bypasses various immunities you have, including divine immunity.

[Corwin]

21:57 <CC> roll 1d20+58+10
21:57 <Penuche> CC invokes Penuche's magic: < 69 > [d20=1]

[Anastasia]

Yet for all of Seira's will, in that moment it's too much. "Not enough," The wyrm bellows, as you find yourself stepping back, overwhelmed in that one moment.

Then Amaryl is there, arrow nocked and at Seira's side. "So what?" she says, "You act like it's her alone. You're a fool if you think she'll be alone in this."