Silken touch

[Ebiris]

"Welcome back, everything went well?" Alicia says, looking to see if they're carrying anything green and shiny.

[Anastasia]

Nothing like that. Antenora instead withdraws it. It is an emerald larger than a human fist, chunky and yet shiny-sleek and cut well. It seems to glisten with all the light. It is attached to a chain of what looks to be pure gold, yet it does not bend or warp from the weight of the gemstone. A pendant in other words.

[Ebiris]

Alicia studies its magic, leaning closer to look.

Take 10 for 80 on spellcraft with divine insight.

[Anastasia]

Loot post, go check it out.

[Ebiris]

"It occurs to me that this also works as an anti-Marie amulet given the tactics she employs recently," Alicia says.

"Since it seems to work better at boosting pure magic rather than divine power, I think it would work best if I wore it, and then the two of us could return to 666. What do you think, Antenora?"

[Anastasia]

Antenora passes it to you, "It's yours," she agrees, then with a soft smile, "Like you'd have to ask for me to give you something."

[Ebiris]

"Then tomorrow we'll go back to the Abyss," Alicia says. "We'll want to be well rested for it. Hopefully Malcanthet won't be watching as closely now she knows we've already been and gone."

[Anastasia]

Okay then, any prep for this of note?

[Ebiris]

Marie will offer out her epic mage armour as usual. CL 37, +22 armour to AC.
Alicia will offer Anty many moments of prescience through divine familiar bullshit. CL 38, 4 chances to boost a roll by +30 insight. She'll also cast extended nondetection on her too too so they get a CL 39 nondetection which is DC 54 to overcome. Extended mind blank too, and greater foresight (CL 38, +7 insight AC/reflex, free action divinations about threats each round), and sensual blessing (CL 38, +25 competence perception, blindisght/tremorsense/scent, and doubled healing).

Alicia will provide CL 36 recitation for +3 luck AC/attack/saves.
They should both alter reality a greater heroism for +4 morale attack/skills/saves and +20 temp hp, and vision of the omniscient eye, +10 insight perception and no dazzling.

I'd like if Syala could cast greater true seeing and freedom of movement on us both.

We'll go to layer 433 to reach it the same way we did last time.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia HP: 831+20/831
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 38), extended mind blank (CL 39), extended nondetection (CL 39), greater heroism (CL 36), extended ray deflection (CL 39), epic mage armour (CL 36), sensual blessing (CL 36), greater foresight (CL 38), keen edge (CL 36 on sword), dance of the unicorn (CL 36), extended greater anticipate teleportation (CL 38), repelling shield (CL 38), freedom of movement (CL 36), greater visage of the deity (CL 36), recitation (CL 36), greater true seeing (CL 36), vision of the omniscient eye (CL 36)
Defences: AC 87, CMD 113, spell resistance 51, energy immunity (fire and cold), status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), nondetection (DC 54), freedom of movement
Stat buffs/penalties: +4 morale attack/skills/saves, +10 armour AC, +25 competence perception, +7 insight AC/ref, +4 str, +2 dex, +4 con, +2 int, +4 wis, +4 cha, +1 natural armour AC, +9 shield AC, +3 luck AC/attack/saves, +10 insight perception
Perceptions: Arcane sight, true seeing, 5 mile tremorsense/blindsight/scent perception +97
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/14/9/9/15/9/7/5/8/6/7/7/6/3
Duskblade spell slots: 6/23/22/23/11/7/16

Antenora HP: 900+20/900
Active spells: Many moments of prescience (CL 38), extended mind blank (CL 39), extended nondetection (CL 39), greater heroism (CL 36), epic mage armour (CL 36), sensual blessing (CL 36), greater foresight (CL 38), greater true seeing (CL 36), vision of the omniscient eye (CL 36), freedom of movement (CL 36)
Defences: AC 88, CMD 109, spell resistance 51, energy immunity (fire and cold), status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), nondetection (DC 54), freedom of movement
Stat buffs/penalties: +4 morale attack/skills/saves, +7 armour AC, +25 competence perception, +7 insight AC/ref, +3 luck AC/attack/saves, +10 insight perception
Perceptions: True seeing, 2 mile tremorsense/blindsight/scent perception +92
Holy Fury: 41

[Anastasia]

That all sounds good. I'll work up spoiler blocks in the morning for you, but one question: So I'm clear, what's the party?

[Ebiris]

Alicia and Anty.

May as well get used to running with smaller squads, and it works here since they'd be the only two able to see through the lies anyway.

[Anastasia]

When you return, the battles still rage. They roar about the two of you as you appear, nothing but fury and hatred all around you.

[spoiler]

Antenora
HP: 900/900
Negative Conditions:
Aura: Protective 20ft (+4 deflection/+4 resistance vs evil) Courage 10ft (+4 morale vs fear), Divine 20ft (various)
Bonuses: Attack+7 (+3 luck, +4 morale), Damage+0 AC+10 (+3 luck, +7 insight), Saves+7 (+14 ref)(+3 luck, +4 morale), Skills+4 (+39 Perception) (+4 morale), Checks+0
Resources: Holy Fury 41/41 (enc) Divine Retribution 1/1 Smite Evil 13/13 Channel Energy 18/18 Lay On Hands 540/540 Remove Disease 11/11 (week), Spiritual Connection 3/3 Blinding Speed 25/25 Divine Blast 18/18
Spells Used:
SLAs Used:
Spells Active:  Many moments of prescience (CL 38), extended mind blank (CL 39), extended nondetection (CL 39), greater heroism (CL 36), epic mage armour (CL 36), sensual blessing (CL 36), greater foresight (CL 38), greater true seeing (CL 36), vision of the omniscient eye (CL 36), freedom of movement (CL 36)
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: 36 for base smite damage, 72 for charging smite +2 per per level. So 108 bonus damage baseline. Raw attack plus smite is 1d8+145+2d6+2d6 (+4/+4d6 if fiendbane hits). Doesn't include other factors.
Remember everything triples and x5 on a crit when adding things.

[Ebiris]

As before they have a sphere of invisibility up, and Alicia sent a couple of earth elementals through the gate as well to act as a diversion while Alicia and Antenora move towards the castle, retracing their steps from last time.

[Anastasia]

Like this it's simple enough to escape the warfare, to slip deeper in without being noticed. You hurry to the true gate. You find no guardian outside of that room this time, the previous one gone as Antenora took it away.

[Ebiris]

Again, be mindful of our words when we're in there.

With that warning given, Alicia leads Antenora through to 666 itself.