"There are no promises. You may fall. If you do..."
A long pause, "your world will change. Not for the better."
"But you have our support. You have the love of others."
"And you will have power."
Another loss of time, and again the modern city that you remember from only days before. A horde of winged demons attacking the city, being met bravely by crusaders, both sides throwing down hurt and taking some in return. Above it all a very familiar pit fiend comes streaking out of the west, his lightning-embedded sword swinging down on the wardstone above Kenabres.
And the sword shatters. At the same moment a silver blur slams into the pit fiend, Terendelev almost disemboweling the demon. The demon desperately falls back, the dragon close on his heels. Just as Terendelev's jaws are about to snap down on the doomed demon's throat... the demon gets far enough from the warding influence of the city to teleport away.
You feel your vision sharpening. Piercing the smoke and fire of the attack, letting you see ever detail as if it were not there.
A demon grabbed you during the failed raid the Storm King led against the wardstone and while it was killed by an arrow, you fell to ground in the midst of the Worldwound. Despite your fear, you felt there was something watching that did not hunger for your soul.
That didn't stop the demons from attacking.
But just when you thought you were lost there was a flash of silver. Arrows streaked out from the darkness. A woman with short dark-hair followed the arrows, a starknife at her waist. She never spoke a word to you, but pushed, dragged, and carried you past the river at the base of Kenabres's cliffs.
It is only now that you see the wings and the horns that she used magic to hide.
She tries to keep her features neutral, but at the word 'power', there's a keen interest in her eyes.
"What must I do? What must we do?" Her question is actually several; how can she gain power and where should she go when she has it?
Another shift in perspective, just a blink.
Irabeth chasing a burly dwarven man. She in her golden armor which marks her as a member of the Eagle Watch, him in solid plate emblazoned with a hammer. Both are heavily wounded but have used divine powers to staunch the flow of wounds that would otherwise have killed. The dwarf backs away from Irabeth, defenses up, and his back slides against the base of the wardstone.
Thick black smoke rises from the intersection and the dwarf bites back a bellow of pain. Irabeth moves in an attempt to take advantage of the momentarily distraction, but the wily old campaigner recovers faster than expected - he ducks the blow and uses that to slip through her defenses to smash his hammer into her knee, dropping the half-orc to the ground.
A smirk on the dwarf's face as he takes the few steps to stand next to Irabeth's head and kick the longsword from her grasp. He raises his hammer to bring the heavy weapon down on Irabeth's head.....
And pauses.
Instead he starts to chant in abyssal, a fiendish wasp tearing into the world next to him. He mounts and flees mere seconds before a full watch of the Eagle Guard moves around the corner.
Nonplussed by the visions, Míril manages to let out a flat "What."
You see the bestial and insane Jeslyn quavering in awed fear in the presence of a statuesque woman dressed in dark blue armor. Her long blonde hair is pushed back over her large black horns and she would be stunningly beautiful except for the blankness on the upper half of her face where eyes should be.
The woman snaps clawed fingers to bring the half-elf to her side. Jeslyn's little girl voice, "I wish the wardstone to be protected and kept here until Areelu Vorlesh is able to come to it."
The blond woman smiles, her power charging the wish, and the metallic cage appears around the shard of the wardstone Samirah destroyed. The large minotaur bodyguard comes into the room from the hallway and with a pleased nod, the blonde demonic woman teleports away.
You find yourself looking into the small protected room in which you battled Jeslyn. The fragment of the wardstone within its magical cage still glows with divine energy.
A woman with bloodstained wings strides into the room, her voluptuous body scantily clad in sparse arcane robes. Her demeanor is intensely focused on the wardstone, which loses its cage as she approaches. With purpose, biting out the final words to a ritual, she touches a large deep purple crystal to the wardstone. The purple of the crystal flows oil-like over the wardstone, occasionally receding a bit as the defensive artifact fights its own unavoidable corruption.
As the wardstone is cloaked with purple, a nauseating mauve fire bursts out of the shard - moving north and south, touching every other wardstone in the barrier along the Worldwound in just a few minutes. With each fallen artifact the mauve fire grows, encompassing more of the land and the people in each of the border cities.
As the fire touches them, the bodies of crusaders and townsfolk twist and writhe. Wings, claws, scales. Each person it touches grows fiendish, gaining demonic power even as it binds them to the abyss.
Roshan's hand goes to the golden starknife at his side. He pulls it forth, holding the sun shaped blade before him in both hands, studying the cold iron weapon intently. Then his eyes close. Radiance remains in place before him.
As the final vision - now never to be thanks to your group and the destruction of the wardstone - fades, you feel your consciousness settle back into your bodies fully.
Even as you pull yourself to your feet, there is a flickering above the ruined remains of the cage which had held and protected the wardstone shard. The flickering resolves into the slightly translucent image of the raven-haired beauty from your final vision, her red glowing eyes narrowed in fury. The voice is smoked whiskey smooth, a low alto.
Her eyes move from the group to the useless remains of the wardstone, "This only delays the extinction of mortals."
She looks back at the group, "But your destruction, I can help hasten." Pleasure at this hinted only in the eyes, her mouth still set in a serious line. Irabeth moves, her hand going to the hilt of her sworld. A single word from the winged image, "Vozdukh." And you feel an intense pressure on your chest, but only for a brief moment, then the spell slides off of you with no effect.
Irabeth falls to the ground, trying to gasp for breath.
The fury dims only slightly as the muscles of her face tighten in frustration. "Fine."
"The death of the barrier wards you from my magic." A slight smirk, "But it can't protect you from steel in your belly."
"The power of abyss is mine to call." She claps her hands, dark rifts opening all around the room, and blood demons - babaus - almost fall through the openings. Beyond them, moving towards the new passages, you see masses of demons, most far more powerful than the babau that have successfully moved into the room.
Samirah kips up to her feet, scimitar at the ready as she turns to face the woman and the demons she has summoned into the room. She looks slightly disoriented after the visions.
"Then we shall cut the source of that power." She says firmly, stepping forward to place herself in front of Irabeth and their enemies.
Initiative
Konstantin calls the deep chill through the floors to freeze the skins of the demons.
Save DC 19
Save DC 19
Save DC 19
Save DC 19
Samirah lunges forward to strike, familiar smile back on her face as she engages the enemy closest to her.
Roshan
masterwork: +1
Point Blank: +1/+1
Flurry of Blows: -1
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
Roshan attempts to relieve Irabeth's distress by touching her with the scale.
"Then we shall cut the source of that power." She says firmly, stepping forward to place herself in front of Irabeth and their enemies.
The woman's eyes light with amusement, "So very young."
She motions westward, "My mark on the world has only just started." The woman's face grows more serious again, "And ensuring that you never get a chance to make yours seems wise."
"No man, or woman, has stopped me from getting what I wanted before, and I see no reason for that to change now." Her stance becomes more confident as the disorientation passes.
"What's your motivation for ruining a perfectly lovely, if cold, Plane of existence?" She looks the woman over. "You don't look all demon. Surely that means you had at least one parent who cared about you?"
"Ну, мы не хотели бы, чтобы скучно, теперь, мы бы?"
Adamantium sword in hand, Míril darts to the nearest demon she can flank, and sinks her sword in it.
Chancre sits with his mouth open almost until the raven-haired woman starts to speak. At the sound of her voice, he scrunches up his face and shakes his head. "You..." He trails off, tries again. "I..."
He shakes himself like a dog after a bath, and you can almost see the pieces of Chancre's personality click back into place like scales. \
"Lady," he says. "You have no idea who you're talking to."
Chancre strikes without thinking ... the corkscrapier flashing out toward the nearest demon.
His aim is a little off from his recent demise. "They say you can tell a lot by the characters that a person associates with. These guys lack personality."
The woman's eyes light with amusement, "So very young."
She motions westward, "My mark on the world has only just started." The woman's face grows more serious again, "And ensuring that you never get a chance to make yours seems wise."
Roshan's eyes narrow. He surveys the room, assessing the pieces in play.
Roshan
magic: +1/+1
masterwork: +1
Point Blank: +1/+1
Flurry of Blows: -1
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
Circular cold iron blades fly towards the demons that might menace the downed half-orc. Radiance follows quickly after. Deep purple and maroon begins to pool across the floor.
one demon (D4) - darkness
two demons (D3,D6) - dispel
Irabeth hits the ground, her flesh going pale as her body is unable to draw breath. The other demons waiting to pour through the abyssal rifts surge forward, the corners of the woman's mouth quirk up ever so slightly as she starts to respond to Samirah.
Then the golden energy which infuses each of your pulses outward, slamming the rifts closed as the energies intersect. The woman bites down on a scream of pain as the energy backlash tears into her body. In the floating image you see wings shred and bones break - but even as the image fades you see the woman working to heal her wounds.
Chancre strikes without thinking ... the corkscrapier flashing out toward the nearest demon. His aim is a little off from his recent demise. "They say you can tell a lot by the characters that a person associates with. These guys lack personality."
"Ну, мы не хотели бы, чтобы скучно, теперь, мы бы?" Adamantium sword in hand, Míril darts to the nearest demon she can flank, and sinks her sword in it. Even catching the demon off-guard, she too is still off balance from the visions, and her blow is too light to pierce armor.
The demon that Miril just tried to fillet empowers a spell, only for the spell to fail as the energy supercharging the group pulses back against it.
Samirah lunges forward to strike, familiar smile back on her face as she engages the enemy closest to her. Her blow lands true and cuts through with far more ease than Samirah was expecting, the glow from her body pulsing down to cover her weapon in the split-second before she strikes. The energy burns the demon () leaving even more of a wound.
Another of the demons, seeing the draining of the darkness cast by his ally, attempts to dispel the 'spell' the group has over them. Which fails as it is truly something more.
Circular cold iron blades fly towards the demons that might menace the downed half-orc. Radiance follows quickly after. Deep purple and maroon begins to pool across the floor. His weapons, too, gain a golden energy as they fly, burning the demon with the energy as they sink home () The demon is heavily wounded, but still stands.
More focused on the flanked maiden, the demon to the south tries to gut Samirah with his blade and he manages to get in one lucky blow. But almost immediately her wounds start to heal.
Konstantin calls the deep chill through the floors to freeze the skins of the demons. The cold resistance demons scoff at the pulse of cold, then stiffen as the cold penetrates the magic of their flesh to freeze. And the demon heavily damaged by Roshan's weapons falls to Konstantin's ice.
This time very prepared, Samirah () just barely manages to deflect the blow from the other demon flanking her.
Another demon, apparently not paying enough damage to the fast-paced battle, tries - unsuccessfully - to dispel the magic from the group.
The final demon steps around the fallen Irabeth in an attempt to gut Konstantin, to be discouraged by a flash of power that solidifies as an additional force barrier protecting the spellcaster.
D4 -66,-74
Roshan
magic: +1/+1
masterwork: +1
Point Blank: +1/+1
Flurry of Blows: -1
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
Roshan's eyes narrow again. His blades fly forth towards the demon closest to Irabeth. This time though, only the golden starknife finds its target. It drinks deeply...before once again returning back to his hand.
Konstantin steps away from the demon long enough to send a snowball flying at Areelu.
Save DC18
"A woman could get used to this!" Samirah cries as her wounds immediately begin healing, and golden energy flickers across her weapon.
Samirah continues her dance between the three enemies that surround her, lashing out at the demon. She begins to sing; Ignan lyrics following and rolling with the sweep of her weapon. .
[Spoiler=Ignan]It's not a folk song, she's just stringing together lyrics about killing demons and wiping the floor with their bodies. You know, the usual.[/fakespoiler]
Míril decides to leave her current opponent, and dances around it to end up on the other side of one of the demons flanking Samirah. Flanking the flanker. She stabs at the demon.
Chancre nods to himself at the contents of the Perception spoiler.
Roshan's golden weapon flies back to his hand of its own will.
Chancre tries to settle his breathing down to steady his hand, and attacks again.
Míril decides to leave her current opponent, and dances around it to end up on the other side of one of the demons flanking Samirah, although she has to squeeze against the wall to do so. Flanking the flanker. She stabs at the demon. But the demon easily avoids the blow.
Samirah continues her dance between the two enemies that surround her, lashing out at the demon. She begins to sing; Ignan lyrics following and rolling with the sweep of her weapon. Especially with Miril's aid flanking the demon, Samirah's blade is true - and again burns the demon mightly. ()
Chancre's foe on the north side of the room gives up on the fancy spellcasting and instead just tries to slash Chancre to pieces. The first blow slides into the recently dead human, but his armor protects him from the second.
Roshan's eyes narrow again. His blades fly forth towards the demon closest to Irabeth. This time though, only the golden starknife finds its target. It drinks deeply (very deeply )...before once again returning back to his hand
Although flanked himself, the demon chooses to ignore the red-head whose attack was unsuccessful in favor of the one whose attack drew ichor. Samirah easily dodges his first blow and () and just barely manages to parry the second.
The cold which Konstantin called forth bites at the flesh of the demon remaining in the area.
Konstantin steps away from the demon long enough to send a snowball flying at the babau attacking Samirah both freezing and staggering the normally cold-resistant creature. As the spell settles into the creature it creates a cold so deep it burns. ()
Staggered, the demon on the northern side of Samirah's flank, still tries to swing at the fire-haired woman, but she is able to easily parry the blow.
The demon goes for the weapon throwing man, the demon's eyes narrowing with anger as Roshan dodges the blows.
The same demon continues to chase and attack Konstantin, the second of his attacks managing to slide blade to flesh beyond the remarkably strong force shield protecting the sorcerer.
D2 -19,-27,-42, -51
D5 -23,-30
Chancre -11
Sam -18, -13
Roshan
magic: +1/+1
Roshan circles left while continuing to face his opponent. He suddenly pivots and punches the golden starknife into the groin of Konstantin's opponent. He twists the blade then rips upwards as he does so. The blade may have failed to dig in as deeply as he hoped, but it should be enough to get the infernal creatures attention.
Save DC18
Míril continues her assault on the demon, seeking out unprotected soft spots while the demon has its attention on Samirah.
"Ah, Miril! Good to see you!" Samirah interrupts her song to greet the elf merrily, even as she continues to slice and dice the demon between them.
"To heck with steady," Chancre mutters to himself, and lashes out wildly again at the demon. The wild swing doesn't seem to have any greater effect than the more measured one. But the wounds he sustained start to heal.
Míril continues her assault on the demon, seeking out unprotected soft spots while the demon has its attention on Samirah. But the fates are not with the lovely half-elf.
"Ah, Miril! Good to see you!" Samirah interrupts her song to greet the elf merrily, even as she continues to slice and dice the demon between them. Her blow, happily since she is flanked by two deadly serious blood demons, landing and burning the outsider. () And destroying the evil outsider.
The demon who has been attacking Chancre jerks his head to one side as he takes a step, clearly indicating he'd like a flank from his demon buddy. Even without the aid, one of his blows does perforate Chancre's flesh - although his armor protects him from the second.
Roshan circles left while continuing to face his opponent. He suddenly pivots and punches the golden starknife into the groin of Konstantin's opponent. He twists the blade then rips upwards as he does so. The blade may have failed to dig in as deeply as he hoped, but it should be enough to get the infernal creatures attention.
Although Roshan's move protected Chancre from being flanked this round, one of the demons does move up to flank Roshan. That pair attacks the silent man and with the ruthless efficiency of the assassins they were in life, both introduce demonic steel to his body.
The final demon, now partnerless in its flank, attacks Samirah. While it looks like she might just dodge the blows, she instead () she tries to parry... and has to dodge the blow at the last moment.
D5 -23,-30,-44
Chancre -11,-6,-15
Sam -18, -13, -8
Konstantin -14
Save DC15
Samirah glances to make sure Miril is okay, winks at her, then lunges forward once more to pierce the skin of the demon flanking Roshan.
"You demons are falling to our weapons like chaff before the fire. Are you sure you don't want to reopen those portals and go home?"
Roshan
magic: +1/+1
masterwork: +1
Point Blank: +1/+1
Flurry of Blows: -1
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
Roshan steps away from the demon assassin to his left and into position to more properly menace the one between him and Chancre. Then, perhaps something unexpected. As he spins into a crouch, cold iron flies from first his left hand, then his right. Not towards the creature right next to him, but the one he left behind.
OOC things
"Be right back, Samirah. I have to go around to help you flank that demon on your right."
With that, Míril starts making her way clockwise around the basin. She stops to help Chancre and Rohan dispatch the demon in their midst with a sword-thrust.
"Be right back, Samirah. I have to go around to help you flank that demon on your right."
With that, Míril starts making her way clockwise around the basin. She stops to help Chancre and Rohan dispatch the demon in their midst with a sword-thrust. Which distracts but does not damage the demon.
Samirah glances to make sure Miril is okay, winks at her, then lunges forward once more to pierce the skin of the demon flanking Roshan. Which means she is once again working with Miril. And Samirah's blade just barely gets through the demon's thick hide. ()
"You demons are falling to our weapons like chaff before the fire. Are you sure you don't want to reopen those portals and go home?" As Samirah doesn't seem to be speaking to any of the blood demons in the room, none respond. Nor does Areelu reappear as a ghostly image above the once-cage. Of course, she is probably still licking her wounds.
With only a little visible annoyance, the demon shifts back to its left to flank Chancre with a cruel leer. Only due to that flanking does the demon's first strike land, the second still blunted by armor.
Roshan steps away from the demon assassin to his left and into position to more properly menace the one between him and Chancre. Then, perhaps something unexpected. As he spins into a crouch, cold iron flies from first his left hand, then his right. Not towards the creature right next to him, but the one he left behind. Radiance slices deeply into the demon () adding his damage to Samirah's.
Konstantin hurls yet another snowball at a demon. This time the ice bites deeply into the normally cold-resistant outsider, staggering it (). The demons looks stunned, then starts to break into ice shards that lay shattered on the ground.
Completely flanked on all sides and in fear of the flame-haired avenger, the demon strikes out at Chancre, hoping to open up a avenue of safety. But his slightly stunted blows only rain down on the man's armor, doing nothing.
Still no flanking partner, but the demon smiles as it tries to fillet Samirah, fixated on his goal. Even without the flanking, it is clear Samirah will not be able to dodge the blows. However, () her attempt to parry the first blow fails. But she does get her cold iron blade back up to guard in time to parry the second blow... And to counterattack successfully.
D6 -12,-26-32
Chancre -11,-6,-15,-10,-30
Sam -18, -13, -8,-3,-12
Konstantin -14,-9
Save DC18
Samirah finally appears distracted enough by the battle on all sides of her that her next attack doesn't have enough 'oomph' behind it to get past the demon's defenses.
Roshan catches Miril's attention. He makes switching motions so she had flanking with Chancre.
Chancre squints at the nearest demon. "All right, fine," he says. Again he attacks.
Again his attacks are unsuccessful.
Roshan catches Miril's attention. He makes switching motions so she had flanking with Chancre.
Míril nods in reply.
Following Roshan's suggestion, Míril takes a step to her right so she can flank the demon with Chancre. With the demon suitably off balance, she stabs her short sword into its side.
Roshan
[ooc]AC 19, touch 16, flat-footed 14. . (+5 Dex, +3 Monk(wisdom+bonus), +1bracers)
hp 40 (5d8+10) taken: 22-5fast healing?
Ki Pool: 8 used: 4 (extra attack x2, ki missile x2)
Fort +7, Ref +9, [b]Wil
magic: +1/+1
masterwork: +1
Point Blank: +1/+1
Flurry of Blows: -1
Deadly Aim: -2/+4
With Miril's assistance, Roshan steps out of harms way. A moments concentration as he imparts a portion of his essence into his blades. Maybe it's the ki, maybe just luck, maybe the wardstone's holy energy, but this time they both strike true, sinking in deep.