A loud bang goes off and what looks like part of the wall shoots across the room toward the balor.
1d20+15
8d8"You would think that with all the demons we've killed, word would have gotten out to stay away from here." Part of the wall next to Ryo seems to have turned into a cannon.
"Mmm....yes, but I rather think this one is from the region of the abyss where they send the 'special' demons," she said dryly, concentrating some of her ki into healing her wounds before sending off a volley of stones at the creatures.
To hit:
Damage:
"It's part illusion!" Lysander calls out as he slips to the side.
She stopped to give it a closer look, having some trouble believing that something so real could be an illusion.
Casts haste on himself and his companions, to aid against the apparently very real, and not at all boosted by illusion, monster
Ryo's attack catches the devil but it seems to do little damage. While Ananda's stones are avoided with ease not a single one landing. The duke chuckles at the two mortals.
"Pride, you will serve me well upon your deaths. Your hatred of demons will be useful. And your utter stupidity will make you excellent pawns as well."
Kalesril appears behind the duke using the female as a flank and distraction. Calling upon his inner power he unleashes his breath weapon point blank using the devil's great bulk to shield the female from it's effects. The blows rain down on the beast with no effect, only his hellfire seemed to gain its notice at all.
Hit
Dmg
Hit
Dmg
Rend
Bleed
Hellfire Breath
Reflex DC 30 for half
Fire Dmg
Untyped Dmg
Recharge
Reflex
Filne had been watching and listening. The school and the students were important and the devil had shown its ability to move as it wished not only thru space but among people. He had just the spell, the spell took effect shortly with no signs. Now he could go on the attack.
She sighed.
"I really have been training children too long. Time to stop pulling punches."
She stomped on the floor and brought up a large disk of stone which she tossed at the demon, which at the last minute broke apart into hundreds of tiny crystals which clung to his body and all started humming at the same frequency.
She sighed.
"I really have been training children too long. Time to stop pulling punches."
She stomped on the floor and brought up a large disk of stone which she tossed at the demon, which at the last minute broke apart into hundreds of tiny crystals which clung to his body and all started humming at the same frequency.
"Waaaggh!"
<blink, blink> "Hey!"
A massive *BOOOOOOOOM* is heard in the distance, a peal of thunder that cuts across dimensions as easily as a shout across a room. There is a tearing noise that could, conceivably, be cloth, if cloth came in sheets the size of a world. The boom fades and draws, but the tearing increases, cracking, shattering, increasing to an ear-splitting volume, until a bolt of lightning the size of the moon hammers through the ceiling and pounds the demon, shredding a chunk out of its flesh.
A skull the size of a bus floats in the center of the room, tendrils of cloud reaching hideously out in all directions.
The lightning god has come.
Duke
Fort
Reflex
From the huge hole in the ceiling, a lithe figure floats down, as if on breezes. The attractive, whip-thin young girl has exotic cloud-like tattoos moving all over her bare arms, and her hair seems like it's waving at someone it knows across the room. Her eyes are aglow with white fire, like twin orbs of lightning. She lands deftly in the gym, opposite the enemy. She appears to be completely at peace, her expression one of utter calm. She moves her head around and you can see a gem of some sort is set in the center of her forehead and is glowing brightly. As she moves, so does Khoda.
She angles her head strangely and calls out. "Ephebe? Anaanda? Mr. Sunwake? Asch? Anyone here I know? Reckon I can maybe help a bit more than I used to."
By the look on her face you realize; she is blind.
Vakkler hears the booms upon reentering the school, and vaguely considers following them. Then he remembers that this would be stupid.
"I can't do much while Khoda is here, everybody, we need to finish this fast." The words are urgent but the sylph's voice is musical and relaxed, as if she were discussing a particularly lovely and delicate species of butterfly she had happened upon.
While the demon is busy, Khoda shoots out multiple cloud-tentacles and expands them to create an area of cover for the injured or young to hide behind. Nasima moves carefully behind Khoda, her head still held at that odd, neutral angle, her hair moving about as if looking for things. It makes the shape of a question mark above the teen's head.
A massive *BOOOOOOOOM* is heard in the distance, a peal of thunder that cuts across dimensions as easily as a shout across a room. There is a tearing noise that could, conceivably, be cloth, if cloth came in sheets the size of a world. The boom fades and draws, but the tearing increases, cracking, shattering, increasing to an ear-splitting volume, until a bolt of lightning the size of the moon hammers through the ceiling and pounds the demon, shredding a chunk out of its flesh.
A skull the size of a bus floats in the center of the room, tendrils of cloud reaching hideously out in all directions.
The lightning god has come.
From the huge hole in the ceiling, a lithe figure floats down, as if on breezes. The attractive, whip-thin young girl has exotic cloud-like tattoos moving all over her bare arms, and her hair seems like it's waving at someone it knows across the room. Her eyes are aglow with white fire, like twin orbs of lightning. She lands deftly in the gym, opposite the enemy. She appears to be completely at peace, her expression one of utter calm. She moves her head around and you can see a gem of some sort is set in the center of her forehead and is glowing brightly. As she moves, so does Khoda.
She angles her head strangely and calls out. "Ephebe? Anaanda? Mr. Sunwake? Asch? Anyone here I know? Reckon I can maybe help a bit more than I used to."
By the look on her face you realize; she is blind.
LITTLE DEMON.
TREMBLE BEFORE KHODA.
BOW.
OR DIE.
Another ear-shattering hammerfall of thunder shakes the entire facility, knocking loose girders and stones and floors and all manner of thing.
LITTLE DEMON.
TREMBLE BEFORE KHODA.
BOW.
OR DIE.Another ear-shattering hammerfall of thunder shakes the entire facility, knocking loose girders and stones and floors and all manner of thing.
Perception Check:
Fei is sitting quietly in a corner of the gymnasium, still trying to come to terms with the events of the day, and the means he had to resort to to help his fellow students.
At second peal of thunder rocks the building, he snaps back into reality again. Why thunder should strike this particular chord of familiarity in his mind escapes him at the moment due to the stress of the invasion, but he rises and starts looking around - and notices the stone wall blocking the main doors out into the halls.
The devil suddenly finds itself in a different hell then it is used to. But when things clear the beast is still standing, taking everything in. It gives a wide smile at the lighting creature and its puppet.
"Thanks."
In less then the blink of an eye he is thru the hole that was made by the lightning blast and plane shifted away. A ghost rises from the floor with a face full of sadness and a body torn to ribbions, it is David.
"He has my soul, only his destruction or release will free me."
He makes his way thru the same hole disappearing once he clears it. The room is half destroyed and silent.
Kalesril did not know what bothered him more, that he had failed to bearly harm much less bring down the devil himself or that it had escaped. Once more he cursed his condition, all that was lost, NO! was taken. He spun around and shattered a near by wall in anger.
"Psst Dukes of Hell have their own rules."
He sensed no more fiends in the area. He was only left with the question of what to do next.
In the silence, 'Sima's voice can be heard clearly. "Khoda, I thank you for the blessing of your presence, the favor of your friendship, and the gifts of your power. I will once again meditate with you in the pl-"
THIS CHARADE.
YOU CANNOT LAST.
YOU WILL FREE ME FINALLY.
I WILL NOT BE DENIED.
MY DESTINY.
YOU FRAGILE VESSEL.
Filne inches side ways next to Headmaster Ryo then taps him on the shoulder.
"Um is that girl and being on our side?"
There is another abrupt flash of lightning and the god of the storm plane is gone.
Nasima's eyes return to their normal raindrop color, but are strangely clouded over. She seems still unable to see. She also seems...diminished, somehow. She is a slender girl to begin with but where a moment ago she seemed more...present, more...athletic, now she is very skinny, sort of curled over her stomach a bit, and shivering slightly. She is making an obvious effort to remain upright.
Moving her head around in a strange arc, she clears her throat and speaks through chattering teeth. "Ummm...c-c-could I b-b-b-borrow a jjjjj...a jjjjj...a j-jacket? Puh-please? Someone? Is annnyone st-still here?"
Fei makes his way over to the doorway, when the wall partially ruptures from the other side. On the other side is a rather angry looking planetouched, possibly a tiefling, in a combat gi.
Before he can say anything, he hears a familiar voice from the other side of the breach.
"...." he calls out, still watching the plantetouched.
Angling her head, trying to triangulate on the sound but failing, the young sylph calls tentatively out, her teeth still clacking and words slurring a bit. "F-F-Fei?! Hey, izzat you? Why do you sssound sssso muffled? Wh-where are yyyyou?"
I thought I was in the gym. What's going on here? My eyes...they take so long...I'll never get used to this.
"Sima? What the hell! Was that Khoda?" Asch asks as he conjures a real fire next to her rather than his shadow fire.
"...Excuse me," Fei says as he makes his way through the breach and around the planetouched. Seeing his sabumnim and the headmaster, he bows quickly before going over to the young sylph.
"I am here - we are just outside the gymnasium, in a stone shelter erected by sabumnim Sunwake."
He pauses at the sight of her bent over shivering. As she moves her head up he sees her eyes.
"What has happened to your eyes....are you alright?" he asks, obviously concerned (and quite confused).
Aananda rubbed the bridge of her nose trying to stave off the headache that was the inevitable result of trying to keep her temper.
"I don't suppose there's anyone we can send after him to retrieve David?"
Thrilled to hear familiar voices, Nasima breaks into a smile. "Asch! Hey! Fei! Oh hi g-guys, m-m-man it'ssssso good to hear you. OH! Fire. Ssso warm. Asch. Yeah. That wasss...was him." She fumbles awkwardly over towards the source of warmth. Strange for one normally so impossibly, preternaturally graceful.
"It'sss okay, Fei, it'ssss light blindness, only t-t-temporary. But it-t-t lasts longer each t-ttime. I call. Him." She smiles wanly, obviously utterly exhausted.
Thrilled to hear familiar voices, Nasima breaks into a smile. "Asch! Hey! Fei! Oh hi g-guys, m-m-man it'ssssso good to hear you. OH! Fire. Ssso warm. Asch. Yeah. That wasss...was him." She fumbles awkwardly over towards the source of warmth. Strange for one normally so impossibly, preternaturally graceful.
"It'sss okay, Fei, it'ssss light blindness, only t-t-temporary. But it-t-t lasts longer each t-ttime. I call. Him." She smiles wanly, obviously utterly exhausted.
Fei gingerly takes hold of Nasima's belt to keep her from falling head first into Asch's fire, and to minimize the kinetic buildup from being in contact with her.
"Do I need to take you to the Infirmary to recuperate? It is...crowded...at the moment, but I should be able to find you a place to at least sit comfortably..."
Nasima shakes her head, causing her hair to float indignantly up away from her face for the moment. "Nnnn... 'Sokay. I just...just need..." She begins to topple over, but is quickly grabbed by tiny scraps of wind, breezes from the HVAC system, and other of the "little guys" so beloved to her. They set her gently on the floor. She looks blindly up, still smiling. "...nnneed to lie d-down. By th' fire. For a b-bit. 'Least I'm not-t-t p-passing out anymore, right?" She smiles drowsily at her own joke.
Enre sits in his seat lost in thought after his encounter. Thinking to himself "I wish I knew more about this Madness or what a champion calls for exactly." He shakes out of his thought after hearing a thunderous noise. Looking up he sees a fiend and skull with clouds fighting. Thinking to himself "Well that is very odd." Standing up from his seat after things settled down he places back his seal before walking toward the stage to see what had happened.
Nasima shakes her head, causing her hair to float indignantly up away from her face for the moment. "Nnnn... 'Sokay. I just...just need..." She begins to topple over, but is quickly grabbed by tiny scraps of wind, breezes from the HVAC system, and other of the "little guys" so beloved to her. They set her gently on the floor. She looks blindly up, still smiling. "...nnneed to lie d-down. By th' fire. For a b-bit. 'Least I'm not-t-t p-passing out anymore, right?" She smiles drowsily at her own joke.
"That is a very good thing, yes," he replies with an unseen nod and a smile as he kneels down.
Aananda rubbed the bridge of her nose trying to stave off the headache that was the inevitable result of trying to keep her temper.
"I don't suppose there's anyone we can send after him to retrieve David?"
Filne suddenly finds his robe very interesting.
"Um I have been to Dis now and again but you know if he is a Duke of Hell. Their is zero chance of forcing anything with him their. Hell has laws that are forced upon all who dwell with in regardless of their agreement. Divine magic from any source other then Hell wont even work there for example. Dukes are subject to Lords of Hell from their layer alone. Your only option is to deal."
He did not like where this was going. Dealing with devils was always tricky business and the wise never did it in Hell.
Professor Sunwake was right, but that doesn't mean Vai could yet believe it. He talked about living her life, something that she had given up on entirely. A small smile crossed her face, barely a twitch of the lips. "Yes sir. I understand. He said I would have powers... but I don't even know how to control them. What if I turned into a dragon right here?"
As she lies there, anyone watching can see Nasima's eyes slowly regain their full, normal color, and apparently sight as well. For as the cloudiness fades, subtle differences in head and neck movement indicate she is once again tracking things by sight. The shivers stop, as does the chattering in her teeth. "Whew. Thanks so much everyone. Thanks. Really. You honor me." She slowly stands up, and this time much of her natural grace is present. She looks like she's about to start hugging people, but then notices the presence of teachers and stops herself. Instead she shrugs her shoulders high and giggles. "Wow. That's always so creepy, being blind like that. Sifu Daiyu warned me, but. Wow." She looks around at those assembled. "So, uh, who was that? Anyone I, uh, should have maybe not socked with lightning?"
She smiles sheepishly, her hair coming down and hiding most of her face so that she has to peer out from behind it. "Oh and hi! Um. Hi. How you all been? Have I missed much?"
Filne suddenly finds his robe very interesting.
"Um I have been to Dis now and again but you know if he is a Duke of Hell. Their is zero chance of forcing anything with him their. Hell has laws that are forced upon all who dwell with in regardless of their agreement. Divine magic from any source other then Hell wont even work there for example. Dukes are subject to Lords of Hell from their layer alone. Your only option is to deal."
He did not like where this was going. Dealing with devils was always tricky business and the wise never did it in Hell.
"You're assuming he made it there in the first place." Ryo says as he holds up the Gate card. "He's currently inside a special demi-plane that's made up of bindings. He can't get out no matter how hard he tries unless I let him out. I made it after Lilith managed to sneak those vrock in."
He walks over to Nasima and places a card in her hand, one with fiery designs drawn on it. She feels warmth start to spread from it and into her body.
"It's good to have you back, Miss Shearskye."
Nasima ducks her head shyly. "Thank you, headmaster! I've only sort of been gone, but you probably know that. Sifu Daiyu had me and Percy and a few of the others in the Advanced class locked in ancient China for a few decades. It's been pretty great! I learned a lot! But now I'm a bit out-of-sorts." She smiles.
Professor Sunwake was right, but that doesn't mean Vai could yet believe it. He talked about living her life, something that she had given up on entirely. A small smile crossed her face, barely a twitch of the lips. "Yes sir. I understand. He said I would have powers... but I don't even know how to control them. What if I turned into a dragon right here?"
"Powers of that caliber, and learning how to harness and control them, are what Avalon is all about. I'll just say that we've...had some experience in that field before," he says with a conspiratorial wink. "But I don't think you'll be turning into a dragon right this second. The information we were able to recover on what happened to you seems to indicate that it is more 'latent potential' than 'manifested ability' in you right now. That is to the good, as it means we should be able to help ease you into this gradually rather than be put through the gauntlet like Aegathrax was evidently planning to do."
"However, I think we're putting the cart in front of the horse right now. I think the better thing to do first is try to get you back to some semblance of normal, and then we can work on your abilities once you've got your feet back under you (so to speak). That means getting you a proper place to stay when the nurses discharge you, clothes, supplies, class schedule - all the boring things that help keep a person sane, right?" ;P
There is a tearing between the worlds. Khoda seethes with impotent rage at the gall of his Gate, dismissing him once again like a servant. She would learn. She would understand His glory and exult, and join with him and bring him to the Material Plane once and for all, and spread his gospel of Power, Pain, and Destruction.
The boy. The spirit boy. A pathetic fluttering whisp of a being. So puny as to be enthralled by a devil, which itself was stuck in a ridiculous mousetrap. That boy was almost as puny as Khoda's Gate.
They were all so weak, they did not deserve the death he would bring them.
Distantly, Khoda admired the finely wrought dimensional space created by the school's administrator. There was power in the strange place his Gate was currently interred, power enough to please Khoda, for those who possessed it would taste so good, would feed Khoda's might with their own and raise his glory even further.
Hosanna in Excelsis Khoda.
Yes, the gate was finely wrought, which made its consumption and destruction that much more satisfying. Always better to crush a beautiful thing than one ugly. Sending out Lashes he hacks away the bindings. The devil laughs as it is freed, but then shivers as it realizes what it has been freed into. It attempts to jump, but Khoda locks all the doors, closes the windows, fuses the locks. Electricity jumps and arcs from metal to metal, filling space. As all devils do, this one attempts to plead, to bargain. Khoda laughs and cities fall. He licks his lips and a tidal wave crushes a crystalline city in a fractal dimension. The devil trembles.
"EXULT TO THE FULLEST IN THE GLORY THAT IS ABOUT TO BE YOURS.
YOU FOOL.
LITTLE DEVIL.
HAH. HAH. HAH. HAHHHHHH."
The sound the duke of hell makes is not quite laughter, not quite a hysterical sob. There is a moment where he glimpses the pure, unopposable force of celestial lightning, of Storm made real, then he is immolated, his every particle flung apart, exposing what is left of his soul to the naked void of the nether dimension Khoda has hung them in. It is this that the lightning god devours whole, expanding horribly as he does, getting even larger.
Tendrils of cloud grab David roughly then, and Khoda looks at him.
"YOU ARE LIKE DUST TO ME.
BUT YOU TELL HER. TELL MY GATE.
SLOWLY THE SCALES BALANCE."
With that, Khoda opens two doors; one back to his home dimension, the Plane of Storm, and one back to the School. It is through this latter he flings David.
Deus Ex Khoda.
David lands with a skid and a slide, popping out of thin air and sliding to a stop at Nasima's feet. "I, uh, have my soul back. He...your big lightning friend. He killed him. He...he ate the devil. It was awful. He said to tell you -- you're "The Gate" right? -- he said to tell you "slowly the scales balance", whatever that means."
"Could I get a drink of water, maybe?"
"Th-the 'scales'?" 'Sima turns pale. "Oh boy."
[Blink, Blink]
"What would you have us do now, Headmaster? Sabumnim?" Fei asks, looking between Ryo and Aanandareavekki as he keeps a steadying hand ready in case David keels over.
"Well you missed my right arm becoming infused with darkness" Asch says as he lifts his right arm which is black with undukating shadows underneath which seem to constantly move. "It feels like normal…just looks odd. Amada shoukd be here soon. She stayed in the gym to see if she can't help keep the students calmer. Oh also The Headmaster has me in meditation classes now…i sort of bit another student..."