Walking to Rosewater

[Anastasia]

The door is gone, a shaking rumble above as Syala and Antenora take the lead. Something big is moving, felt through your feet and tremorsense. The stairs ahead are broad and with a tall roof, plenty of room to move.

Oh, you aren't getting away this time. I know one of mine when I see them, and you will be one of mine.

[Ebiris]

Alicia lets them take the lead so they can enjoy their fill of violence from whatever this bodyguard is.

Though given how the real Violet wasn't even down here it's clearly less important than she'd have surmised. Unless the real Violet's in that room up the stairs, but if she is she's not moving.

"Don't go too wild, we're going to see serious opposition on the surface," she cautions against reckless expenditure of spells and smites this early on. Malcanthet herself and possibly one of her allied demon lords isn't at all out of the realm of possibility here.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia HP: 772+20/772
Active spells:  Many moments of prescience (CL 34), extended greater anticipate teleportation (CL 35), extended mind blank (CL 35), extended nondetection (CL 35), epic mage armour (CL 39), pass without trace (CL 34), greater heroism (CL 34), energy immunity (acid) (CL 34), energy immunity (sonic) (CL 34), telepathic bond (CL 34), sensual blessing (CL 34), recitation (CL 34), foresight (CL 34), greater visage of the deity (CL 34), power of the huntress (CL 34), repelling shield (CL 34), spell turning (CL 35), righteous wrath of the faithful (CL 34), invisibility (CL 34), opal protection (CL 35), celestial valor (CL 35), life's grace (CL 35), Seira's arcane thesis (CL 34), brilliant aura (CL 34), Latha's sunmantle (CL 34), keen edge (CL 34)
Defences: AC 110, CMD 114, spell resistance 49, energy immunity (fire, cold, acid, sonic), status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), nondetection (DC 49), freedom of movement
Stat buffs/penalties: +10 armour AC, +10 circumstance stealth, +4 morale attack/saves/skills, +3 luck AC/attack/saves, +2 insight AC/reflex, +1 natural armour, +4 str, +2 dex, +4 con, +2 int, +4 wis, +4 cha, +20 competence stealth, +8 enhancement natural armour AC, +9 shield AC, +3 morale damage, +3 morale AC, +4 sacred attack/damage/AC/saves, +10 CL vs SR, +5 spell DCs
Perceptions: Arcane sight, low-light vision, blindsight/tremorsense 3 miles, perception +80
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/12/9/9/14/9/4/6/8/4/6/5/3
Duskblade spell slots: 6/23/23/20/11/7/9

[Anastasia]

In this case, let me go towards init.

[Ebiris]

Alicia wins, but she'll hold back to play cleanup after the others get to be violent.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+24 Antenora
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+24 Antenora --> [ 1d20=4 ]{28}
> roll 1d20+23 Syala
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+23 Syala --> [ 1d20=17 ]{40}
> roll 1d20+24 Latha
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+24 Latha --> [ 1d20=7 ]{31}
> roll 1d20+18 ???
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+18 ??? --> [ 1d20=14 ]{32}
> roll 1d20+18 ??? 2
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+18 ??? 2 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{23}

Init is Alicia (Supreme Init) > Syala (40) > ???1 (32) > Latha (31) > Antenora (28) > ???2 (23)

"That many heads?" Syala is heard as she rushes up the stairs and out of sight. Glancing up you see it. Some sort of huge giant, but with eight identical heads sprouting from too large shoulders. No necks, the heads grow like fungi on a fallen tree. Each is bald and bloated, drooling a pinkish fluid. The giant's body is nothing but muscle, with seemingly random plates of metal bolted into its skin, providing some semblance of armor. It carries no weapon in hand and wears nothing - though you note it has no gender anywhere you can see. Its legs are as thick as tree trunks and metal spikes protrude out of them, well over a foot long.

> roll 2d10+42+3d6 and 1 negative level plus save vs stun incoming
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 2d10+42+3d6 and 1 negative level plus save vs stun incoming --> [ 2d10=17 3d6=4 ]{63}
> roll 1d20+53 (+5 ???)
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+53 (+5 ???) --> [ 1d20=9 ]{62}

A solid blow hits giant's chest, knocking it back half a step. With a grunt the heads snap and snarl.

"We can't see her! WHERE IS SHE?!"

"Shut up, I can see her!"

"Liar! Eat them, eat them!"

The heads quibble with each other until the giant's hands come up, thumping his heads rapidly. Cries of pain before they turn and open wide, pink fluids erupting out everywhere, a breath weapon filling the stairway and gushing into the laboratory. Acid sizzles - which does nothing at all to the party.

Party is warded against acid. Latha. She'll hold one sec and play cleanup if Antenora's charge isn't fatal, since it usually is. As a side note, I liked her options here just fine, it merely makes sense to let Antenora do her thing first and bat cleanup.

Antenora's just after Syala, wading through the acid as she darts in, a missile aimed at the giant's heads. Her weapons strikes out, just long enough to protect her from the giant's grasping hands. As she does, "Surrender and be spared to a better life!"

The giant snarls at her, "Eat her, eat her!"

> roll 1d20+65 (+4 charge, +4 fiends, +16 various, +16 holy fury, -30 PA)
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+65 (+4 charge, +4 fiends, +16 various, +16 holy fury, -30 PA) --> [ 1d20=16 ]{81}
> roll 3d8+393+2d6+2d6+8d6
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d8+393+2d6+2d6+8d6 --> [ 3d8=5 2d6=8 2d6=6 8d6=35 ]{447}

Antenora's spear strikes into one the two center heads. It instantly erupts in opal blue light, screaming before it spreads to the others. All the heads are consumed, the body grasping at the heads and wobbling back and forth. At this Latha approaches and points, "Judgment of the seven gates!" she intones, as light immolates the giant from above.

Empowered vivacious righteous smite.

> roll 20d8
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 20d8 --> [ 20d8=87 ]{87}
> roll 87/2
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 87/2 --> {43}
> roll 87+43
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 87+43 --> {130}
> roll 130*2
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 130*2 --> {260}
> roll 1d20+18 (+5 ???) it is not a will save friend
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+18 (+5 ???) it is not a will save friend --> [ 1d20=11 ]{29}

The holy light causes the body to burst into sun yellow fires, ones that consume it as the heads wail. Before your eyes the horror is purged and sunlight shines in the depths of Hades, at least for the moment.

Free act.

[spoiler]

Power of the huntress (CL 34), +8 enhancement natural armour, +20 competence stealth, +6 init, gains combat reflexes and can't be flat-footed. - These are all somewhat situational or overlap, so apply case by case.

Antenora
HP: 986+20/986
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Protective 20ft (+4 deflection/+4 resistance vs evil) Courage 10ft (+4 morale vs fear)
Bonuses: Attack+16 (+5 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 luck, +4 morale), Damage+14 (+7 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 morale), AC+15 (+5 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 morale, +3 luck), Saves+21 (+10 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 luck, +4 morale), Skills+9 (+19 stealth)(+5 blessing+4 morale), Checks+5 (+5 blessing) extra attack per round +2d6 if weapon isn't holy
Resources: Holy Fury 37/37 (enc) Divine Retribution 1/1 Smite Evil 12/12 Channel Energy 17/17 Lay On Hands 476/476 Remove Disease 10/10 (week), Spiritual Connection 3/3 Blinding Speed 25/25 Divine Blast 17/17
Spells Used: Opal Protection
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL35), Nondetection (CL35), Epic Mage Armor (CL39), Pass Without Trace (CL34), Mass Camouflage (CL34), Mass Energy Immunityx2 (Acid, Sonic) (CL34), Recitation (CL34), Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (CL34), Mass Power of the Huntress (CL34), Opal Protection (CL35), Celestial Valor (CL35), Power of the Huntress (CL34)
Notes: Can always inflict nonlethal with attacks, spells, SLAs and abilities.
Smite Notes: +2 damage/paladin level on a charging smite. Each point of favored PA on charge is worth 9 points of damage, post charge multiplier (15 on crit).
Typical Charging Numbers: 34 for base smite damage, 68 for charging smite +2 per per level. So 102 bonus damage baseline. Raw attack plus smite is 1d8+135+2d6+2d6 (+4/+4d6 if fiendbane hits). Doesn't include other factors.
Remember everything triples and x5 on a crit when adding things.

Latha
HP: 756+20/756
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Holy Light 30ft (7d6+7 damage vs evil/round) Protective 20ft (+4 deflection/+4 resistance vs evil)
Bonuses: Attack+16 (+5 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 luck, +4 morale), Damage+12 (+5 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 morale), AC+15 (+5 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 morale, +3 luck), Saves+21 (+10 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 luck, +4 morale), Skills+9 (+19 stealth)(+5 blessing+4 morale), Checks+5 (+5 blessing) extra attack per round +2d6 if weapon isn't holy
Resources: Channel Energy 14/14 Sun Devotion 4/4
Spells Used: Vivacious Empowered Righteous Smite, Celestial Valor, Mass Energy Immunityx2
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL35), Nondetection (CL35), Epic Mage Armor (CL39), Pass Without Trace (CL34), Mass Camouflage (CL34), Mass Energy Immunityx2 (Acid, Sonic) (CL34), Recitation (CL34), Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (CL34), Mass Power of the Huntress (CL34), Opal Protection (CL35), Celestial Valor (CL35), Power of the Huntress (CL34)
Notes: Level + 17 extra damage per hit vs undead during sun devotion.
Channel Energy: Multiply by 1.5 due to empower turning.

Syala
HP: 680+20/680
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Protective 20ft (+4 deflection/+4 resistance vs evil) Divine 10ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+16 (+5 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 luck, +4 morale), Damage+14 (+7 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 morale), AC+15 (+5 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 morale, +3 luck), Saves+21 (+10 blessing, +4 sacred, +3 luck, +4 morale), Skills+9 (+19 stealth)(+5 blessing+4 morale), Checks+5 (+5 blessing) extra attack per round +2d6 if weapon isn't holy
Resources: Rage 7/7 Divine Blast 14/14 Family Domain 2/2 Wrath Domain 2/2 Add Twin 7/7 (non epic only)
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active: Mind Blank (CL35), Nondetection (CL35), Epic Mage Armor (CL39), Pass Without Trace (CL34), Mass Camouflage (CL34), Mass Energy Immunityx2 (Acid, Sonic) (CL34), Recitation (CL34), Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (CL34), Mass Power of the Huntress (CL34), Opal Protection (CL35), Celestial Valor (CL35), Power of the Huntress (CL34)
Notes: Automatically converts vile damage to normal damage.

[Ebiris]

"Nicely done, now lets see what's the rest of the way up here," Alicia compliments them as she follows and they go up the stairs, simply annihilating the door in their path with silver fire to see what the last of the three well guarded rooms was hiding.

[Anastasia]

The walls are inset with slots, where silvery crystals are inset. Each one flickers with magic - you can tell they hold an illusory image, a preset pattern. Something recorded from a creature, to touch it would cause it to play.

[Ebiris]

And no Violet. She has to be missing something here.

She touches one of the crystals to see what was deemed worthy of record by the demons here.

[Anastasia]

As you go to do that?

What's wrong, shy all of a sudden? You weren't shy when you first visited one of my holdings. Do you remember how good you felt then?

[Ebiris]

Alicia is busy and doesn't have time to spend on divine chatting, since it takes a good deal more mental energy than simply talking.

[Anastasia]

Alicia touches a crystal.

The image of a balor appears. "Once I knew nothing of...tactics," The demon sneers. "Now I have the power of a skilled marshal in my mind. I can see how weak the devil's ploys really are!"

"...Is she selling these? Trading them to demons?" Antenora asks aloud.

"Testimonials." Syala's voice is flat, "That marvelous, shameless bitch. She's selling these."

"I'm not sure about that," Latha says, "To believe what you find from demons on face value is folly." She peers at the flaming demon before you as the illusion ends, the massive fiend taller than all of you, a war battered breastplate and armaments glimpsed on it. 

[Ebiris]

"You saw the catalogues in the other room, it's all very mercantile," Alicia says. Nothing especially meaningful or valuable here however, so they'll backtrack downstairs and then through the compressed space tunnel so they can get out of here without triggering all the annoying traps in the room with the styx-water door.

[Anastasia]

You return back. As you do, you notice the air smells strangely, of sweet sugar and a hint of burnt mint.

[Ebiris]

Has she detected any movement in this area with tremorsense lately? Have the astral links been restored? Any magic in the air?

[18:46] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+37 arcane sight CL if relevant
[18:46] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+37 arcane sight CL if relevant --> [ 1d20=19 ]{56}

[Anastasia]

No, no and yes.

There's magic flowing in - some sort of magical poison. An epic poison, just starting to reach all of you. Normally you'd be unable to even detect it due to how those poisons are antimagic, but deities are immune to antimagic. This poison will cripple your willpower and increase your libido exponentially.