"This Rasputin, where did he come from? How does a man like him get to be so powerful and no one killed him long ago?"
As Malavarius' servants mill about busily cleaning up various piles of vomit and regurgitations, the wizard himself is delighted to speak with someone so knowledgeable about the planes. "So if the monastery is suspended in a fugue state between planes, I wonder if it's overlapping multiple planes? The heat we felt earlier and those lingering tongues of flame might suggest some nearness to the plane of fire, but I wonder too about the vampires that seem to come and go freely from the place. Very interesting." He strokes his beard in deep thought, wondering at the strange crossplanar interplay.
The mustachioed man shrugs at Pems' question.
"Many tales surround Grigori Rasputin. They say he was raised by a peasant family in Siberia’s frozen wastes, before he received a life-altering vision of the Virgin Mary in his 18th year while serving penance at the Verkhoturye Monastery for theft," he says. "Legend says that inspired Rasputin’s lifelong pursuit of occult knowledge. Somewhere, he met the royal family -- one legend says it was in Saint Petersburg in 1900, when he was invited into the home of a Russian military officer to display his abilities, when he impressed Tsarina Alexandra, wife of the Tsar, during a seance.
"By 1916, Rasputin’s influence over the imperial family was such that political rivals tried to murder him, poisoning, shooting, beating, and
drowning him. By all accounts they succeeded. They even exhumed his grave later and burned his body. But, it must have been some trick, because he approached me to help him with his science, and he remains here in this camp. How he did it, I do not know."
Hektir listen to the man describe RaspyPudding while he drinks and keeps his feets away from Quinn's 'ritual' leavings.
"Hmmpf. Are you saying that RaspyPudding can't be killed? That isn't good...because we might need to do just that."
"All men can be killed, of course," Viktor replies. "Clearly he must have had some trick, a body double or something, so his foes merely thought he was dead while he went into hiding."
Malavarius adds, "Well, there's also the strangeness that thanadaemon teased when we were first trying to leave the Hut; that that Rasputin fellow, the mad monk or what have you, is Baba Yaga's son? No wonder the witches of Irrisen are all wrong in the head."
"So we need to deactivate the four towers while getting past the remaining troops and guards, then go into the hot monastery and find those vampires and Rasputin and put an end to their summer stealing. Shouldn't be that hard after everything we've been through. Soon we'll be back in Heldren being celebrated as heroes." Quinn smiles cheerily, exposing bits of regurgitation stuck between his teeth.
Tsin listens to Viktor via translation, and forms further questions.
"There are four towers. Do we only need to infiltrate one of them to bring the Monastery back, or must we affect all four?"
"How long does it take to work the machines?"
"Do we need to work the machines simultaneously? That would mean separating our team. That's potentially very dangerous, as we have done little to diminish the troops out there."
"Once we bring down the Monastery, how long do we have before the Monastery disappears again? Or does it?"
"How big is the Monastery? Does it replace this entire camp? That would make Mal's safe harbor here unsafe, if that were so."
It becomes clear through her insistent questions that Tsin would like to see what needs to be done, done this day.
Malavarius answers some of Tsin's questions, expressing what he'd learned from Viktor's notes earlier, "All four need to be manipulated, Tsin, and while it doesn't need to be simultaneous, we do have a small window in which to affect the changes before the towers reset."
Viktor answers, as best he can:
The World Anchors must all be calibrated within 1 hour of one another or they will simultaneously reset. After that, the monastery at the center of the camp should return to this plane, reoccupying the space where its ruins are now. Calibrating them, if done properly, is a matter of seconds
The monastery shouldn't disappear again unless all the World Anchors were again manipulated, which only Viktor and Rasputin would be able to do.
Quinn listens to the Russian dialogue with confusion and hopes a good plan is forming.
Viktor warns that destroying the towers would be very dangerous, and would likely cause great harm to whatever did it, at least until the World Engine itself is dealt with, which should render them inert.
Hektir spits, still planning what to do next. He takes another drink.
"What's the plan, Mal? Spell it out for me," Hektir drinks again, getting into the mood for battle talk.
Tsin puts Quinn's quickness of flight and invisibility cloaking up to the light, compared to Mal's disguising magic, now that the dullahans are extinct. With Viktor in tow, they'll need all the help they can get to preserve the dead man long enough to see all four towers tended to by the creator's hands.
The swordswoman waits for consensus to be reached, agreeing to a tour of each tower in sequence, by teleport or flight. She imagines little resistance, once they breach the towers' inner spaces. For her, it is labor. The real challenge will come in the form of the more powerful denizens of the Monastery.
"Will Rasputin understand what we're doing? Will he sense the Monastery's return to this plane?"
Viktor shrugs.
"I do not know," he says. "Rasputin has abilities that made one think magic was real and not merely some dark art spoken of in stories."
Tsin looks back and forth between the boys, waiting for the call for departure. She trusts that between the magic wielders, they'll be able to strike each tower quickly, in succession.
Malavarius nods, understanding things, he hopes, clearly enough. "Very well then. I'll move us from tower to tower, and hopefully our time at each one will be brief enough for the needed steps to be taken to bring the monastery back to this plane."
HP: 77/77
AC: 15 (11 T / 14 FF)
Fort: +8 // Ref: +9 // Will: +15 (+1 vs spells, SLAs, & Su abilities of evil arcane spellcasters)
Resist 10: Cold
Energy Absorption: 0/42 absorbed
Pearl of Power I: 1/1 used
Pearl of Power III: 0/1 used
wand of scorching ray: 14/50 charges used
Cantrips Prepared (4): detect magic, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic
Level 1 Prepared (4+2+1): endure elements [X], feather fall [ ], protection from evil* [ ], mage armor [X], shield [ ], snapdragon fireworks [ ] [ ]
Level 2 Prepared (4+2+1): glitterdust [ ], protection from arrows [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 3 Prepared (4+2+1): dispel magic* [ ], fireball [ ] [ ] [ ], haste [ ], magic weapon (greater) [X], protection from energy [ ]
Level 4 Prepared (4+2+1):dimensional anchor [ ], dimension door [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ], remove curse* [ ]
Level 5 Prepared (3+1+1): break enchantment* [ ], dismissal [ ], lightning arc [ ] [ ], teleport [ ]
Level 6 Prepared (3+1+1): disintegrate [ ] [ ], flesh to stone [ ], greater dispel magic* [ ], veil [X]
Level 7 Prepared (2+1+1): mmm [ ], resonating word [ ] [ ], spell turning* [ ]
Protective Ward used: 0/10
Ongoing Effects:
mage armor (Pemsworth)
mage armor (self)
greater magic weapon (Hektir)
The next morning, after a good solid pee in the corner, Hektir will magic himself up and ready to assault the first tower.
"It's a good plan," Hektir says with a spit. "Can't fail. Let's do this." Hektir begins to spin and whorl until he is the magnificent Zephtyr, Airy Heroic Gasbag to All.
Quinn agrees with Hektir, "Lets do this!"
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 14th; concentration +20)
. . 7th—destruction (DC 23), resurrection, word of chaos[D] (DC 23)
. . 6th—animate objects[D], blade barrier (DC 22), cold ice strike[UM] (DC 22), heal (2)
. . 5th—dispel evil, flame strike (3, DC 21), teleport[D]
. . 4th—blessing of fervor[APG] (2, DC 20), chaos hammer[D] (DC 20), dismissal (DC 20), protection from energy communal, terrible remorse[UM] (DC 20)
. . 3rd—dispel magic, fly[D], neutralize poison, searing light (2), greater stunning barrier[ACG] (DC 19)
. . 2nd—locate object[D], lesser restoration (2), silence (DC 18), spear of purity[UM] (2, DC 18), communal water walk[UC]
. . 1st—air bubble[UC], bless (2), endure elements, expeditious retreat[D], liberating command[UC], protection from evil
. . 0 (at will)—create alcohol (ale or wine), detect magic, guidance, light
Tsin waits until the last moment to bring up Pharasma's protections against inherently evil foes, then waits to see how they will appear at the first tower.
"Alright, let's see how this is done. Guard Viktor as best you can."
Your preparations set, you stand close and Mal casts the first of his spells, and a moment later you appear at the first of the towers, ready to begin your assault! You're please that neither the men in the tower nor any of those in the two nearby trenches seem to have noticed the five of you suddenly appearing, and that Mal's illusion is working for the moment.
The tall watchtower standing on rusted iron pylons stabs upward into the air like a deranged skeleton, its apex topped with a curiously levitating torus dancing with sparks of arcane energy. A ladder climbs up to a trap door in the tower’s floor, and the barrels of machine guns protrude from behind low walls of sandbags.
A medium sized Zephtyr roils and boils in the guise of a soldier. He moves to open the door to allow others entry into the tower.
"C'mon men. Need to find Ol' RaspyPudding."
Quinn follows Tsin up the ladder as Hektir opens the door for them.
Tsin climbs without hesitation, though she expects the door to be barred from the other side.
Pems' small legs find the ladder more of a haul than the larger folks do, but he follows after them as best he can.
Malavarius waits for his turn up the tower, muttering to himself about cramped spaces and young people.
HP: 77/77
AC: 15 (11 T / 14 FF)
Fort: +8 // Ref: +9 // Will: +15 (+1 vs spells, SLAs, & Su abilities of evil arcane spellcasters)
Resist 10: Cold
Energy Absorption: 0/42 absorbed
Pearl of Power I: 1/1 used
Pearl of Power III: 0/1 used
wand of scorching ray: 14/50 charges used
Cantrips Prepared (4): detect magic, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic
Level 1 Prepared (4+2+1): endure elements [X], feather fall [ ], protection from evil* [ ], mage armor [X], shield [ ], snapdragon fireworks [ ] [ ]
Level 2 Prepared (4+2+1): glitterdust [ ], protection from arrows [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X]
Level 3 Prepared (4+2+1): dispel magic* [ ], fireball [ ] [ ] [ ], haste [ ], magic weapon (greater) [X], protection from energy [ ]
Level 4 Prepared (4+2+1):dimensional anchor [ ], dimension door [X] [ ] [ ] [ ], remove curse* [ ]
Level 5 Prepared (3+1+1): break enchantment* [ ], dismissal [ ], lightning arc [ ] [ ], teleport [ ]
Level 6 Prepared (3+1+1): disintegrate [ ] [ ], flesh to stone [ ], greater dispel magic* [ ], veil [X]
Level 7 Prepared (2+1+1): mmm [ ], resonating word [ ] [ ], spell turning* [ ]
Protective Ward used: 0/10
Ongoing Effects:
mage armor (Pemsworth)
mage armor (self)
greater magic weapon (Hektir)
protection from arrows (everyone)
Hektir pushes the door open, allowing Tsin and Quinn to enter, finding four soldiers standing guard there.
The first two arrivals seem to merit little reaction but surprise, but as Pems arrives, the guards in the now-croded space start reacting with more consternation.
"Что это? Что ты здесь делаешь?"
"What is this? What are you doing in here?"
They pull their guns and you realize they're not going to wait any longer!
Hektir:
Malavarius:
Pemsworth:
Quinn:
Tsin:
Antagonist:
Round 1, Init 16
AC = 25 (27 if Evil) (30 if Ward Hex stacks)
HP = 162/162
Weapon Equipped = +1 Flaming Burst Falchion
Condition(s) = PfE, Ward Hex, courtesy of Pems
Tsin gains her feet, standing so close to the hapless guard, and she relaxes as she tightens her grip on her hilt. Yes, this. An obvious foe, a clear purpose. Disable each contingent in order.
She throws out her blade from her current position, wondering how easily the guard will fall, before she considers a 5' step towards the next guard. She can't imagine they are as robust as the dullahans, so she expects this encounter to conclude within several seconds.
Pems groans as the Russians realize they're not supposed to be here. He casts defensively, sending a snowball at the first guard that Tsin isn't butchering.
for cold damage! Fort save DC 18 or be staggered for 1 round!
Seeing the guns, Quinn doesn't hesitate to jab his rapier into the chest of the man in front of him.
Hektir: 5*
Tsin: 16
Pemsworth: 10
Malavarius: 9
Quinn: 8
Antagonist: 8
Tsin, as is her wont, reacts first, blade swinging freely as it guts one of the soldiers, who collapses in a heap, her instincts to hold in her guts stymied by the wound's cauterization and then the sudden onset of unconsciousness. The former butcher can't help but be surprised by the apparent lack of armor on her foe, who didn't seem at all ready for a sword to be brought to a gun fight.
"Bozhe moi!" one of the soldiers cries, opening fire at Tsin, three bullets slamming into her as if she wore no armor at all. She can feel Mal's spell protect her some, but even so feels the impact.
Quinn's blade also finds its mark, but with much less violence, provoking cries of pain from his foe, who slashes back with a knife attached to the front of his gun. Quinn takes a minor wound, but barely more than a scratch . Pems' spell catches another as Mal summons his protective veil as he hunkers down with Viktor. He clutches Zeno to his hat as he ducks down.
The last soldier in the tower also cries out an alarm, which seems to distract him from his own bayonet slashes at the halfling.
T (aqua): 12
T (green): 13, staggered
Quinn continues jabbing at his foe.
Once again, Pems casts defensively (can't fail) and casts snowball at the healthiest looking fellow still standing!
for cold damage and Fort DC 18 or staggered for 1 round!
EDIT: for cold damage
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Round 2, Init 16
AC = 25 (27 if Evil) (30 if Ward Hex stacks)
HP = 153/162
Weapon Equipped = +1 Flaming Burst Falchion
Condition(s) = PfE, Ward Hex, courtesy of Pems, Protection from Arrows, courtesy of Mal(-30)
Tsin steps closer to the next soldier, and lets her blade do the talking.
"Your protective magic is working well, Mal. Those metal flies are much less bothersome now."
Round 1, Init 5
Zephtyr flies higher up to fight with Green
to hit; (-PA)
magic damage.
to hit; (-PA)
magic damage.
AC: 7 armor+2 dex+3 dex(form)+1 ring+5 barkskin+3 NA(form)= 31AC DR 5 bludgeoning
HP 143/143
Speed: Fly (120') perfect + 10' (Gr. Longstrider) = 130' fly perfect
[ dice]1d20+19-3[/dice] to hit; (-PA)
[ dice]1d8+9+6[/dice] magic damage.
to hit; (-PA)
magic damage.
+10 BAB +8 Str +1 amulet = +19 to hit
1d8 + 8 str damage +1 amulet = 1d8+9
Barkskin (extended-280 minutes)
Resinous Skin (extended-280 minutes)
Gr. Longstrider (14 hours)
Resist Cold (30) - 0 minutes
Echolocation - 0 minutes
Elemental Body 1 (druid lvl 6): Air elemental: If the form you take is that of a Small air elemental, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +2 natural armor bonus. You also gain fly 60 feet (perfect), darkvision 60 feet, and the ability to create a whirlwind.
Elemental Body 2 (druid lvl 8):Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +4 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +3 natural armor bonus.
Elemental Body 3 (druid lvl 10):Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +2 size bonus to your Strength, +4 size bonus to your Dexterity, and a +4 natural armor bonus.
Elemental Body 4 (druid lvl 12):Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +4 size bonus to your Strength, +6 size bonus to your Dexterity, and a +4 natural armor
AC: 7 armor + 3 shield + 2 dex + 1 ring +3 barkskin =26
HP 143/143 - DR5 piercing
[ dice]1d20+16+1[/dice] to hit; (bless)
[ dice]1d6+6+2[/dice] magic damage.
+9 BAB +6 Str + 1 Mwk +1 magic = +16 to hit
[ dice]1d6+6+2[/dice] damage;
Endure Elements (24 hours)
Barkskin (extended-280 minutes)
Resinous Skin (extended-280 minutes)
Gr. Longstrider (14 hours)
Resist Cold (0 minutes)
Resist Fire (0 minutes) -Mal
Stoneskin (0) Mal
Mage Armor (+4)
Endure Elements
Druid Spells Prepared (CL 14th; concentration +18)
. . 7th—animal shapes[D], fire storm (DC 21), heal
. . 6th—fire seeds* (2), mass fly[D,APG] (DC 20), quickened resist energy
. . 5th—beast shape III (animals only)[D], fire snake[APG] (2, DC 19), wall of fire
. . 4th—echolocation[UM], flame strike (2) (DC 18), freedom of movement, summon nature's ally IV[D], Life Bubble
. . 3rd—sleet storm (2), fly[D], greater longstrider*[ACG], resinous skin* (2)
. . 2nd—barkskin* (2), feather fall[D], fog cloud, resist energy, lesser restoration
. . 1st—calm animals[D] (DC 15), endure elements, liberating command[UC] (2), produce flame (2)
. . 0 (at will)—light, mending, spark[APG] (DC 14), stabilize
Hektir: 5
Tsin: 16
Pemsworth: 10
Malavarius: 9
Quinn: 8
Antagonist: 8
Hektir flies up, slamming one of the injured soldiers with his airy fists before Tsin steps up and steals his glory, putting the man out of his misery with a swing of her blade.
Tsin pinks the man he's facing twice more, drawing blood, but not enough to stop him from slashing back with his gun-knife, almost drawing the young cleric's blood in return. Pems' magic catches the third soldier in the face, causing him to stagger back. Despite that, he lines up a shot and a spurt of bullets come flying toward Pems, Tsin and Hektir as the weapon belches fire. The first two both are hit, though Mal's magic mostly protects them from anything but a scratch.
"Hurry up, up that, blast you!" you hear from below, audible despite the sounds of alarm and men shouting in the nearby trenches as they realize the tower is under attack.
T (aqua): 12
T (pink): 39, staggered
Quinn keeps jabbing at the foe before him as he wonders how many times he'll have to perforate the soldier before it drops.
Round 2, Init 5
Zephtyr flies around to help Quinn vs. Light Blue, flanking and vitally punching him in the neck.
to hit; (-PA)
magic damage.
AC: 7 armor+2 dex+3 dex(form)+1 ring+5 barkskin+3 NA(form)= 31AC DR 5 bludgeoning
HP 143/143
Speed: Fly (120') perfect + 10' (Gr. Longstrider) = 130' fly perfect
[ dice]1d20+19-3[/dice] to hit; (-PA)
[ dice]1d8+9+6[/dice] magic damage.
to hit; (-PA)
magic damage.
+10 BAB +8 Str +1 amulet = +19 to hit
1d8 + 8 str damage +1 amulet = 1d8+9
Barkskin (extended-280 minutes)
Resinous Skin (extended-280 minutes)
Gr. Longstrider (14 hours)
Resist Cold (30) - 0 minutes
Echolocation - 0 minutes
Elemental Body 1 (druid lvl 6): Air elemental: If the form you take is that of a Small air elemental, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +2 natural armor bonus. You also gain fly 60 feet (perfect), darkvision 60 feet, and the ability to create a whirlwind.
Elemental Body 2 (druid lvl 8):Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +4 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +3 natural armor bonus.
Elemental Body 3 (druid lvl 10):Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +2 size bonus to your Strength, +4 size bonus to your Dexterity, and a +4 natural armor bonus.
Elemental Body 4 (druid lvl 12):Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +4 size bonus to your Strength, +6 size bonus to your Dexterity, and a +4 natural armor
AC: 7 armor + 3 shield + 2 dex + 1 ring +3 barkskin =26
HP 143/143 - DR5 piercing
[ dice]1d20+16+1[/dice] to hit; (bless)
[ dice]1d6+6+2[/dice] magic damage.
+9 BAB +6 Str + 1 Mwk +1 magic = +16 to hit
[ dice]1d6+6+2[/dice] damage;
Endure Elements (24 hours)
Barkskin (extended-280 minutes)
Resinous Skin (extended-280 minutes)
Gr. Longstrider (14 hours)
Resist Cold (0 minutes)
Resist Fire (0 minutes) -Mal
Stoneskin (0) Mal
Mage Armor (+4)
Endure Elements
Druid Spells Prepared (CL 14th; concentration +18)
. . 7th—animal shapes[D], fire storm (DC 21), heal
. . 6th—fire seeds* (2), mass fly[D,APG] (DC 20), quickened resist energy
. . 5th—beast shape III (animals only)[D], fire snake[APG] (2, DC 19), wall of fire
. . 4th—echolocation[UM], flame strike (2) (DC 18), freedom of movement, summon nature's ally IV[D], Life Bubble
. . 3rd—sleet storm (2), fly[D], greater longstrider*[ACG], resinous skin* (2)
. . 2nd—barkskin* (2), feather fall[D], fog cloud, resist energy, lesser restoration
. . 1st—calm animals[D] (DC 15), endure elements, liberating command[UC] (2), produce flame (2)
. . 0 (at will)—light, mending, spark[APG] (DC 14), stabilize
Pems steps to the north and hexes ICE TOMB on any remaining soldiers! Fort DC 22 for half, failure means its paralyzed and unconscious!
Hektir: 5
Pemsworth: 10
Tsin: 16
Malavarius: 9
Quinn: 8
Antagonist: 8
Hektir and Quinn pummel the soldier between them, but he keeps his feet. A second later, however, Pems entombs his companion and allows Tsin to focus on him, her blade sizzling as it cuts him down.
A quick yell brings Mal and Viktor up into the tower, just in time for the troop in the nearest trench to open fire at Hektir.
A quick yell brings Mal and Viktor up into the tower, just in time for the troop in the nearest trench to open fire at Hektir.
Reflex
Round 4, Init 16
AC = 25 (27 if Evil) (30 if Ward Hex stacks)
HP = 153/162
Weapon Equipped = +1 Flaming Burst Falchion
Condition(s) = PfE, Ward Hex, courtesy of Pems, Protection from Arrows, courtesy of Mal(-30)
Tsin spins in place, looking to clear the tower of any proximal risk to Viktor's well-being, and takes care of it, stepping closer to it, if needs be.
Tsin speaks at Viktor, expecting the tone of her voice to convey the meaning of her words, regardless of the language difficulty.
"Be quick about it. The trenches are waking up. Mal, can you send us directly to the next tower platform, or only to its base?"
"Cayden, grant us Fervor!" Quinn pleads.
Each round for the duration of this spell, each of your allies can choose one of the following bonuses for that round at the beginning of its turn (their choice).
~ Increase its speed by 30 feet.
~ Stand up as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
~ Make one extra attack as part of a full attack action, using its highest base attack bonus.
~ Gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.
~ Cast a single spell of 2nd level or lower as if it were an enlarged, extended, silent, or still spell.
These effects are not cumulative with similar effects, such as those provided by haste or a speed weapon, nor do they actually grant an extra action, so you can't use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round. Blessing of fervor does not stack with haste.