The zombie blows apart into smelly dessicated jerky chunks
Justin holds up one fingertip, and blows lightly across it.
"Next?"
Justin saves his spells for later, (Figuring he'll NEED them where they are headed!) And pops another Zombie with another blazing bolt of magic.
Another zombie explodes into pieces
Karrin charges into the fray hoping to cleave into a group:
(3 cold damage)
Assuming that hits Karrin attacks the zombie next to the first:
(2 cold damage)
"Best leave the rest to us," Karrin says referring to herself and Rhiannon, "Save your spells for the nasty stuff."
"Ugh! If THIS group doesn't qualify as 'nasty', I'm not sure I want to see what does!" Justin quips, brushing imaginary (or infinitesimal) bits of zombie-debris from his coat.
Ferissirion cleaves through two of the zombies with ease. A spinning frozen finger hits Justin in the chest and spins away
Ekuur simply points the palm of his hand at another of the remaining undead, and a bolt of flame reaches out towards it.
ranged touch fire bolt
damage
The zombie staggers and falls, smoldering
Ferissirion cleaves through two of the zombies with ease. A spinning frozen finger hits Justin in the chest and spins away
Justin looks up from his just-brushed-off coat with a grimace. His glare says much, but stops short of actually accusing Karrin of doing that on purpose. After all, even she couldn't be THAT good,.... Could she,...?
:)
Merle watches Justins dicomfort with a poorly supressed snigger
The last three fall to Rhianon and Karrin. The way to the portal is clear. So far
Ekuur looks over the corpses, and then at the portal. "We must be careful, but if that was the extent of the 'guardians' ... back in Tyre, it was quite common in the gladiator pits to have fights that would pit a very skilled and famous gladiator against a dozen, or even more, of untrained and unskilled people armed with dulled bone knives. The warrior was never in any true danger, and quickly killed those facing him. So the point? It was a very good show."
He turns and looks at the others. "Unless there are any further defenses, I suspect this was for show. To leave the portal essentially unguarded means two things - someone is unconcerned that there is any chance we can close it from this side, and that they want us to go through."
Nari had had difficulty screwing up her courage to step through the portal. She knew it was the right thing to do, but actually doing it was another matter. She made it through just in time to see the group decimate a large group of zombies. Which should have been reassuring, but instead she found herself nervous about how many times they could manage that. This was more difficult without Sanna constantly haranguing her.
"So what you're saying is that this is essentially a trap?" she asked nervously.
Justin snorts. When he sees the effect that has on Nari, he adds a small smile as an apology.
"Trap? Well of course it's a trap! And judging by the area, and the spooky defenders, both of whom we have had previous, recent encounters with, I'd venture to say that it is a trap designed especially for us. I think we must have really cheesed someone off the last time we came through here. Why else go to all this trouble?"
The mage turns to Nari and asks her , as if speaking to a student in a lecture hall,...
"So, you know there is a trap. There are only three basic solutions to the average trap. You can disarm it, avoid it, or,... the easiest thing you can do is,...??" Justin pauses, his poorly hidden smirk becoming larger every passing second.
"You set it off!" He grins conspiratorially.
"After all, seeing as to how someone went to ALL this trouble just for us, it would be rude not to do so, wouldn't it?" He asks, his grin threatening to split his face.
Obviously,... he has an idea,... :)
"Please tell me that smile means that you have a plan and you haven't suddenly developed suicidal tendencies," she said with a quavering attempt at a smile.
"Oh there's nothing sudden about it. I've been carefully crafting my suicidal tendencies since I first stepped foot in Sigil. Fortunately, My paranoia and self-preservation instincts are far stronger. In other words, of course I have a plan!" He says cheerfully.
"I'm just,... working out the fine points." He coughs slightly.
"So,..." he drawls, looking around the group.
"Anyone any good with illusions charms? Their not exactly my specialty." He says straight-faced, an obvious candidate for 'understatement of the month'.
The air reeks of corruption, burnt pork, and a certain metallic smell like old rusty armor. The portal sits in the center of the blasphemous circle, a knothole of utter darkness. The air is chill, and the plumes of breath from the party swirl over their heads like ectoplasmic clouds
Justin checks to make certain that his usual morning magical armor spell is still up and running. (It is.) And taps a couple pockets out of nervous habit to make sure his spell components and magical weaponry is easy to reach.
"Alright. We go in loud as usual? Or do I send in some friends to clear the path for us?"
"Probably not a bad idea." Rhiannon replies.
"Of course it's not a bad idea. It's my idea!" Justin says with a grin big enough to prove that he's not really that egotistical.
Really.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, stand back, and get ready to follow the warm up act!" Justin says, interlacing his fingers and giving his knuckles a theatrical crack. Despite his apparent hurry, the wizard makes certain that all are prepared physically and magically before beginning his incantation.
Merle casting extended mage armour on herself
Justin begin casting his summons. The air begins to crackle with power
"Hey pal, Some nasty undead-demaon things have been coming in from that gate. Care to help us teach them a lesson about bothering nice folk?" Justin asks the Glowing ball of energy in Celestial. He gestures to the gate indicating it should preceed him.
"This is gonna be good!" He chortles gleefully in common.
A sound like chiming bells issues from the glowing ball of light
Celestial
The archon zips into the portal. There's a flash and it is gone
"Well, shall we follow?" Without waiting, Ekuur heads through after the celestial.
Ekuur steps through the portal, feeling that gut-twisting feeling of a plane shift. He steps out into a huge room.
The room is circular, with a dome top. Ekuur stands on a round dias, big enough to host a play. Rows of benches surround the dias, each row a bit higher than the other. A shaft of glowing moonlight (skull light?) comes in from a large circular opening at the top of the dome
A shriek interrupts his investigation. He sees the Archon, ten meters above his head battling a wispy-looking incorporeal man in a flowing tunic and elaborate headdress
Hamar:
He had yet to find a living thing, not plant, not animal. What he had found was undead. The city was crawling with them: Zombies, ghosts, skeletons, ghouls, and less identifiable things. Once he had spied a giant pool of bones that moved of its own accord.
He had managed to avoid the worst of them, and he had survived on small rations from his water skin and rations. Now he found himself near a massive building shaped like a round hill. He had hoped to find a place to rest after outrunning a pack of howling ghouls.
As he slipped inside the entrance of the huge domed structure he heard and odd bell chiming sound, then an unearthly shriek. He ghosted through an abandoned lobby to another entryway and saw a huge theater-like room with a dias, some five dozen meters below him. In the air a golden ball of light contested with a spectral form, battling in a complicated aerial fight. A green circle of light sat at the dias' center. As he watched it flashed and a man stepped out. He was far away, but Hamar could swear he was a living person
"Well, shall we follow?" Without waiting, Ekuur heads through after the celestial.
"Ekuur, Wai,...!" Again, Justin Sighs.
"Well, are you gonna let him have ALL the fun?" He asks the others with a smirk. He raises his wand in his right hand, and holds up his left. A small shimmering disc of force appears before his fist."Ready when you are!"
Hamar:
The party, seeing Ekuur leap through the black portal, follows in hot persuit. They arrive next to him . The archon and the ghost man are fighting above their heads, weaving and jinking
"Curses," Karrin says as she rushes after Ekuur, "Rhiannon, you take the rear, we'll try to make room for a charge."
Justin follows Karrin.
"Come on Merle! Let's see what trouble Glowy scared up for us to blast!" He calls to his fellow caster as he leaps into the portal after Karrin, his ring-shield in front and coattails flapping behind.
---
Justin half-crouches as the wave of nausea washes over him, but it quickly passes. He sees the broad backs of Ekuur and Karrin just in front of him. They seem to be standing very still. Are they spell-locked?
No, they're staring at something above their heads. Justin notes the size of the cathedral-like space they've entered, and vows to appreciate the architecture later. Then he spots his conjured outsider dueling a ghostly form high above.
"Whoa. Glad I didn't try to lead with spiders this time."
"What's the plan boss-lady?" Justin cries as he lines up a finger on the dodging ghost.
Ekuur readies to attack the ghost creature ...
perception
He tries to figure out what it may be - knowledge religion
Ekuur readies to attack the ghost creature ...
perception 1d20+5
He tries to figure out what it may be - knowledge religion 1d20+8
Judging by its cohesive yet transparent look and its intelligent actions Ekuur would guess a spectre rather than a ghost
Hamar:
Initiatives
Merle: 14
Karrin: 13
Justin: 13
Naridre: 13
Ekuur: 10
Rhiannon: 10
As the group appears the small glowing archon is hit by the ghostly man and explodes into a thousand glowing motes. The spectre turns and flies towards them in a blur
Karrin will charge in, with her ax, and attempt to get the ghost's attention.
Karrin rushes across the dias, Ferissirion trailing a fog of ice crystals as she spins it towards the spectre. Her axe bites into the creature, eliciting a howl of agony from the evil spirit
Justin stays where he is, and begins to hastily draw patterns in the air. His fingers leave behind glowing trails of flame, writing a flaming sigil in the air. WHen he is finished, there is a small glass lens hanging suspended in the center of the fiery rune. A thin beam of arcane fire lances from the small lens, reaching for the spectre,...
Justin's flame Ray shoots through the spectre, bubbling off some of its ectoplasm. The Ray continues upwards, striking the ceiling far above and punching a hole straight through
Merle uses a magic missile barrage on the thing
Damage