"I'll stay here. Offer some protection, be a magical guinea pig, that fun stuff." He declares.
"You'll have a bit of a wait, I'm afraid," the Colangelo announces. "I'm going to set up my gear and start my tests, but my companions and I are otherwise engaged this evening. You can wait here if you like, of course," he says.
"Does mean we're having a slumber party?" Valda looked at the bike leathers she wore. "I don't think I brought my pajamas. Actually, I'm pretty sure I don't own any pajamas..."
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"Don't worry, I won't judge you for sleeping nude."
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"Well, no, you wouldn't," Valda said with a shrug. "I'm hot."
Maria might as well stay also, after calling to let Jessica know she might be gone for a few days again.
Isagoras and Pavel both leave the scene, while the rest of the team stays to observe the work Colangelo is doing on the knife.
Mysterious dice rolls
After a Colangelo has dinner ordered in, and everyone eats, he and his students go to deal with some errand that's part of their reason for being here. Colangelo insists they'll be back shortly.
"Not a problem," Valda replied. "Just leave the dagger on the table and we'll see you when you get back."
Pavel grits his teeth at the question before his stomach growls, announcing that he has not, in fact, eaten yet. He sighs deeply before asking, No. Did you have something specific in mind?
"Not a problem," Valda replied. "Just leave the dagger on the table and we'll see you when you get back."
It very much appeared that Colangelo did just that before they left. However, about 10 minutes later, Valda, on her way to the restroom, notices it is merely a normal knife stuck in the sheath of the artifact. He must have taken it with them.
Meanwhile...
Pavel and Isagoras are eating at the hotel restaurant. They did not notice Colangelo et al leaving, but are still in the building, should the rest of the party choose to act on Valda's discovery.
A sudden coldness overcomes him, and he makes his way toward the table. Dave picks up the dagger, then shoves it into the table. The end of the knife sticks out the bottom of the table a solid inch. "We're leaving. Call Pavel and Issagoras now. There's a situation."
"I wish I could even pretend to be surprised." Valda pulled out her phone and confence called the missing members. "Hi guys. Remember those nice men who were looking at the dagger? Guess what they just stole? And any other guess than the dagger will be met with scorn."
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Isagoras sighs deeply as he puts down his telephone-machine. He takes one last bite of his chicken-with-mango-salsa before standing up. "Shall we?" he says to Pavel.
Walking outside, Isagoras has no idea where to start, so he tries to step into a not-so-public place and summon an Eagle. He sends the thing aloft with orders to fly in an ever-expanding spiral and attack the people he had seen earlier.
That would just leave him to go toward the ruckus of flying feathers.
Walking outside, Isagoras has no idea where to start, so he tries to step into a not-so-public place and summon an Eagle. He sends the thing aloft with orders to fly in an ever-expanding spiral and attack the people he had seen earlier.
The eagle returns fairly quickly, gesturing for you to follow him up the beach on the other side of the building. Once the team arrives, you move to the beachside hotel entrance, and see a large fire about a half mile away; men appear to be standing around it, and some rather large being seems to be forming within it.
Firetruck sirens echo from many directions, and the air is billowing with smoke. The temperature has jumped into a dangerous area, and a red haze surrounds the entire city.
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Isagoras gawks a moment in appreciation of the awesome arcane power that must be being employed, then takes out his telephone-machine and texts to the others still in the hotel.
>>>B1G Nasty heer 0n othrs1de of bldg. Comenow<<<
Then he turns his full attention to the conflagration and tries to discern what exactly is happening.
Dave sighs, and texts back.
>>>Cut the s&~!ty attempt at talking like some teenager. Use full words. Where the hell are they.<<<
"Just follow the sirens, Dave. If I've learned anything in the last few weeks it's that sirens usually mean one of us or something we should look at." Valda followed the interestingly internet directions and the sirens.
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Isagoras frowns at Dave's electronic letter. "Oh confound! I'm sure where he comes from every newborn babe has a Samsung 7 on their hand! 'Tis all I can do to operate this...thing. It's just easier to hit the first button four times to get a 'one' then it is to hunt for which three letters the i button hides in!"
The wizard puts the phone in a hidden pocket in his bilious sleeve and returns to his scrying of the tumult.
>>>Beachside entrance. Demon worshipers. Move quickly.<<< Pavel texts back, then promptly sets his balalaika case down away from any security cameras and gets his gear prepared.
This is why I don't trust the Order, Isagoras. Or... Most people, for that matter. I still don't trust you. But I'm sure you're already beating yourself up about this, so I shall scold you later, Pavel rambles towards Izzy as he slides his guns into their holsters. He draws his sword from the case, now bearing what appear to be a mix of Greek and Cyrillic letters along the blade that faintly glow in the darkness, and keeps it in hand rather than sheathing it. I hope the rest get here soon so we can kill some secret society demon worshipers and stop their ritual... whatevet it is. He also looks upon the ritual to see if he can tell what those gathered are attempting to do.
At least Pavel was reasonable enough. He let's Valda and Maria know the specifics, and gathers his stuff to head out.
Isagoras and Pavel, Know/Arcane: They're casting a very powerful ritual related to the Elemental Plane of Fire. The ritual involves an (obviously successful) summons of a powerful Elemental, but that's just a very small part of it.
Occult: This reminds Pavel of the time he read about the team's mission against a Fire cult several months ago on the internet. In fact, it's likely this is what the original cultists were trying to achieve.
"So...someone has left the door open to hell's oven. We should go close that." Valda considered. "In hindsight, if this dagger has caused an Apocolypse, I vote no, let's not give it back."
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Isagoras nods, as though coming to an internal decision.
"Methinks that this is the greatest threat we have ever faced. No light endeavor this, but perhaps the penultimate realization of their efforts. I canst not approach this immediately, but must needs assemble my forces aforehand.
And no mean task this, but I must needs bring forth an animal insane enough to charge the raging fire with glee, it's only promise that it will meet a beautiful death."
The wizard spends a quarter minute in arcane casting, the air, already tortured by the nearby inferno, shrieks again as the forces of natural law are again bent into breakage.
Rounding some unseen corner, come a chorus of voices of familiar wail. Where before one single throat screamed opposition to all things living, now he has two war-brothers among his flanks, as a trio of rabid wolverines draw near, baying their war-cries, their hides unatural toughened and a brace of thick, wet purple tentacles writhe over each, grasping for life to grapple and quench.
Isagoras tromps toward the conflagration, his small army wailing in tow.
Valda watched the strange abominations that Isagoras summoned and shrugged. "Seriously, that is just wrong. All the wrong, all the time." With another shrug Valda pulled out her newly made gun, like a magician pulling out the world's angriest rabbit. The massive, heavy barreled gun clicked ominously as she cocked it.
She also cast as Shield spell on herself. Better to add as much protection as she could before wandering into the path of something that looked like it had escaped from Hell.
Assume you're all in range of the action at this point (speed of plot) and here's initiative:
Initiative
Dave
Pavel
Valda
Maria
Isagoras
Bad Guys
C = Colangelo (obviously a mid-level caster)
S = Student of Colangelo (probably low-level caster)
Red things = Should be obvious
Blue letters = PCs
Valda advanced into the area as best she could, hoping the heat wouldn't cause her to melt and die. She kept an eye out for whatever monstrosity was likely to be around. Or monstrosities. Idly, she wondered what the collective for such would be. An apocalypse of monstrosities? A g@@#~#ned lot of monstrosities? Maybe Isagoras would know.
Once she spotted them, she raised the heavy gun she carried and pointed it at the monster. The gun had an ungodly range. Looking at the two options, she aimed at the bigger monster. The smaller ones would fall easily once the big one went down.
Dave steps forward with a calm demeanor, ending up about five feet away from one of Colangelo's students. For a moment it looks like he's going to do nothing, before he suddenly whips out his wakizashi in a flourish!
8d10+24
8d10+24
That was her potential crit damage, because guns have a really awesome crit multiplier. She rolled a one though, so it likely dosn't even apply.
That was her potential crit damage, because guns have a really awesome crit multiplier. She rolled a one though, so it likely dosn't even apply.
Thought so, wanted to make sure there wasn't a spell or something in there somewhere.
Valda's hit is successful, but not critical.
Bad Guys
The student Dave attacked steps out of melee range and throws a magic missile spell.
The second student sends a similar spell at Valda
Colangelo, seeing Isagoras' freakish summons, fires a Lightning Bolt at it. Reflex DC 17 for 1/2.
The Elementals do not seem to be in control of Colangelo; they're menacing innocents on the beach, and the big one is moving inland toward the hotels.
Rest of the party can act.
Pavel appraises the situation from where he is, looking at all the beings that inhabit this small patch of beach, aware of the growing sound of the nearing sirens, knowing that he has to finish this as quickly as possible. Or, at least help to end it. He rushes 20' up the beach, fumblinh for the compass tied at his belt and presenting it before the cultists and elementals. His focus momentarily turns inward before a brilliant explosion of gloden dust errupts between the main wizard and his summoned creatures.
Colangelo Save:
Huge Fire Elemental Save:The Huge Elemental, already rampaging inland at random, is now robbed of his sight. It doesn't make him less of a disaster, really, but at least he can't purposely trample civilians.
Isagoras himself is within 60' of one student (who's fighting Dave) and one Medium elemental. I did not place your summoned creature; it can pretty much be anywhere on the board.
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The trio of rapid animals come racing on, wailing and snarling in their lust for combat.
The fiend Colangelo seems to have chosen an opportune moment, and his bolt catches all three creatures in its horrible path.
Heeding preternatural instincts, as one they roll out of the path, their fur but lightly singed in passing.
The air is rent as, impossibly, the trio are even MORE enraged for the damage taken, and their cacophony rises, threatening to wake even the dead. Indeed, one might state that they look even more hardy after the lightening's wrath.
Pleased that he has managed to absorb the attention of the chief villain, Isagoras adds to his arsenal, and summons to the rear of the nearest elemental a familiar Eagle, for to confuse and confound the beast, and give his thralls greater tactical advantage.
The Eagle, similarly augmented and armor and armed to his land-based brethren, strikes down at the fire elemental, taking up his attention first.
Alas, the freshly summoned bird is still too dazed, having been ripped from a most pleasurable encounter with a she-eagle.
At last at last! The trio of berserking wolverines crash into the Elemental, leading with their mouths.
= 22.
The fire elemental seems subsumed under a pile of snarling mouths and gnashing teeth!
The student raises his hand to cast forth his arcane power, but for the fuzziest reason it seems to have failed. "Casting magic missile into the darkness? You people should know better then anyone that won't fly."
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The student raises his hand to cast forth his arcane power, but for the fuzziest reason it seems to have failed. "Casting magic missile into the darkness? You people should know better then anyone that won't fly."
Dave's smartass resolution seems to have defeated the power of the magic!
Isagoras' creatures destroy the medium sized elemental they were attacking. Maria moves up to do...something?
Order: Valda, Dave, Badguys, Pavel, Isagoras, Maria.
Round 2; Valda's action.
End of Round 1: Maria waves her hand at Colangelo and says, "Dormir!"
Slumber Hex, DC 17.
Round 2: Hold, to see what happens.
Valda chambered another round, and then shot the giant again.
Dave moves in to attack, comming from the right side at first, but then the young wizard will suddenly feel a sharp pain near where his left kidney should be.