"We are humble travelers here to save the world from the evil plans of your former council member. Two of your council support us already, while Armistril stays involved with his work and can't be bothered. Tell us, Malindil, would you die here under a hoard of demons or rocks from space, or would you perhaps wish to see your foes thrown down, evil defeated, and your regal presence restored in the realm?"
Calla snorts at Kelendra's words.
"They let us in because they realize the truth of what's happening outside these walls. We're here to try to fix it."
"Moreover, the architect of destruction is someone I am given to understand you know quite well," Bruendor says. "The traitor Allevrah now works for the drow, though she has sworn allegiance to House Azrinae in Zirnakaynin. Her plans have not shifted; only her targets."
"Come, Elven lady," Anklebiter says. "There may be no love lost between your people and mine - and justly so - but if even a Goblin can see the writing on the wall, and tells you there is an evil about which no sane person can tolerate, surely you can see which way wisdom lies."
...while Armistril stays involved with his work and can't be bothered...
"Oh save the pretty words for Perelir and her ilk. She seems to enjoy the hot air of others brushing on her ears. I assume you have her support already, hers and Arlindil's? Well, that means something to me. Arlindil's support anyways. Looking over your barbarian friend there, I cannot imagine that it was too difficult to convince Perelir of your cause. He looks surprisingly vertical to have done too much persuading, though."
"Nevertheless, if you have the others' backing, then I will not withhold mine. I am about done with Hialin and his mad attempts to keep this Council rooted here for no reason other than tradition. There was a time once when I too held to that tradition, but I see it more and more as a hindrance than an aid. So, if you have come to call an emergency Council session, then so be it! We have not gathered together in the formal Council Meeting Room since Allevrah - Calistria curse her dark heart - betrayed us all and slew Auramesties. Well, I will call them all there, Hialin be damned! He will have to come if the rest of us are there!"
She moved to the side of the room and pulled a red cord three times. A musical tone chimed through the tower, making the walls shiver, as if with anticipation.
"Come. You are to attend this meeting of the Winter Council as substantive witnesses to the excesses to which Allevrah has fallen, and to the general state of the world outside these walls. We must not tarry. i wish to see the look on Hialin's face when he sees you in the Council chambers."
With that, Malindil moved past you and the guards, heading for the council meeting room. Her pace is such that Anklebiter has to practically trot to keep up.
A smile creeps across Calla's face at Malindil's words, more for the cut at Blondie than the success of their mission, though the latter doesn't hurt her mood.
This all played out far differently than I expected, she thinks. I hardly needed my bow at all here, when I expected to have to shoot our way through here.
"Well," she quietly tells the others. "We've done the first part of what we need to do and gathered them. Now just to finish this. It was all ... easier ... than Quilindria made it seem it would be, though. Something is still wrong, and I suspect it's to do with her and those demons outside ... I think we need to let the Council know of her presence there before they finish this discussion."
"Agreed, we can't just leave Quilindra without at least trying to save her from the demons and the council may be our only chance."
"With the Council like this... who ordered that hit on us in Kyonin?" Anklebiter wonders.
Lefrik shrugs at the commentary regarding him. But Anklebitter's question has him curious too "Perhaps some member of the council we have not met, or perhaps, there are those who are trusted by the Council abusing that trust? infiltration is not always at the highest rank"
Over her shoulder, Malindil said, "Oh, that? Hialin had me send the Shen'Rakorath after you. He thought you were going to upset his great plans. It turns out he was right, after all, does it not? And to be honest, right now, anything that shakes that old coward out of his tree is fine by me."
Calla's eyes narrow as she thinks of taking vengeance now. Unfortunately, priorities mean some things will have to wait.
"Is it possible that Hialin and Allevrah are still working together?" Kel wonders out loud.
A small, clawed hand tugs on Calla's. If she looks down, she can see Anklebiter grinning up at her.
Or at least, she can see the Goblin baring his teeth.
"First we save the world," the little Wizard says to the Inquisitor. "The rest comes after. But yes; we should speak of Quilindria, if only to ensure that she truly is who she claims to be."
Anklebiter shakes his ears at Calla. "Doubt it. If he was that far gone, he would've been murdering the rest of the Winter Council. It would be easy for him."
"Regardless, he should be made to lay his plans bare before the Council. If his works have merit, then he may continue. And if he is working at cross-purposes, then a solution should produce itself rather quickly."
As you reach the council chambers, your escorts peel off to either side and take up position at the door. You are allowed in, as guests of Malindil, and she gestured to some seats to one side, away from the large circular table that took up most of the chambers' central floor. In astonishingly little time, the other councilors appeared, each looking at you before taking their place. Given that each of them had said they would support this meeting if you could but gain the approval of the others, none showed surprise at your presence. None but Hialin, that is.
The arch-mage glared at you, then said "What are these vermin doing here? They sully this tower and the history that it has stood on for hundreds of their lifetimes. I know Allevrah's leaving broke your heart, Malindil, but really? Is this what you have to hold onto these days? I mean, I expect it of Perelir - everyone knows she is guided by her loins rather than thoughtfulness - but I thought better of you."
The mage's hurtful words seemed to spark something in the others, and all at once the room is flowing with four different conversations, as each council member tries to shout down the others.
Arlindil's morose voice can be heard despondently claiming that the time of the Winter Council is over, and that perhaps it should be disbanded, or perhaps join the Queen as a formal board of advisers.
Hialin, unsurprisingly, insists that the other elves and their tendency to lean on the "lesser races" are to blame for all the woes of the elven nation, including the siege of Thorn's End itself. He insists that he alone is holding true to Auramesties' memory, and that he is very close to a solution for both the demons at their porch, and for leading the elven nation to greatness once more. He casts more than a few barbs at Malindil and Arlindil's relationship, all but accusing them of fornicating on the council table itself, likely watched over by the "whore of Calistria there", as he gestures at Perelir.
Malindil, as she explainedin her chambers, is ready to use whatever tools are at hand, including you, to assault the demons and free Thorn's End from their influence. She refuses to hear any plans that do not include an immediate assault on the demonic leaders, stating that destroying the nalfeshnee will send the other demons into enough disarray that they might be able to close the portal that allows the enemy such a steady flow of demonic allies into the Tanglebriar. At Hialin's comments, she drops the militaristic talk to hurl insults back at him, defending her and Arlindil's relationship with venom.
For herself, Perelir believes that their only real choice is to disband the Council and throw themselves fully on the mercy of the Queen. The only way to retake the Tanglebriar is with the full commitment of the elven Host, starting here at Thorn's End. Her suggestion to give the secrets of the Winter Council to the Queen in exchange for aid is the only thing that the unites the other three, who immediately shout her down. Hialin's insistance that Perelir be exiled from the Council her memories erased, shocks the other two into immediately distancing themselves from him once more.
Calla snorts at the squabbling.
"Break up the council? Ha! You're clearly no more of a Winter Council than we are with your inability to act together. You couldn't even kill us despite your efforts. Demons are at your door, and your former member is now a dark elf who wants to wipe out everyone on the surface of the earth again. You want to blame us, Hialin? Fine! Maybe that makes you feel better about the fact that you are an utter, abject failure who's best works clearly are impotent in the face of your so-called lessers!" Calla rants, derision and acid dripping from every word out of her mouth.
"We will take care of your problems once again, since you're clearly so impotent sitting here in your tower. We just need you to give us the barest bit of help if you can manage it. Give us the weapons we need to fight your former companion and the demons and you sit here safe and continue to squabble while nothing else happens!"
"In the meantime, events conspire against you. The demons hold an elf, Quilindra, who wishes you dead, and I wonder if she's not working with them at this very moment to get them into this tower -- or you out of it -- but you're all too useless to care!"
"Ladies and gentlemen," Anklebiter says in a dry tone of voice. "Might I perhaps remind you of a little detail of having a council, rather than an absolute ruler? Majority rule."
The Goblin turns a chilly look on Hialin.
"This person is apparently too unwilling to look past the chip on his shoulder and his outdated racism to actually do what is needful to preserve your people -- and by extension, all other life on the surface of Golarion.
I will not say I like all of you, and I do not expect all of you to like me. But my friends and I came here for the sake of the world, all the world, which includes your people as well as ours. We can see the road that must be walked. Most of you can see it as well. So lift your feet and start walking! We do not have time to waste on arguing.
Majority rules, ladies and gentlemen. Who here is willing to walk the road to the world's salvation, and who is not? A simple show of hands will do."
The Councillors ignored both Calla and Anklebiter, continuing their bitter accusations and recriminations. It was as if centuries of slights and long-held grudges were finally loosed in a paroxysm of petty politics. The council chamber now seemed more like a playground full of children than a council of some of the oldest and most detail-oriented minds in the world.
Finally, Hialin slammed a hand on the table, the loud boom magically enhanced. He said, "I am tired of this bickering. Ever since Allevrah slew Auramesties and changed, this Council has acted as if it were nothing more than a collection of monkeys, each to their own ends. For centuries, we have held the care and enrichment of the elven people in our hands, making hard decisions for the good of all elvenkind. Hard decisions that rulers like Queen Telandia cannot make because of public opinion. Yes, some of our actions have caused suffering, but by and large they have led the elven people to strength and on the path towards recovering their former glory, from before the Catastrophe."
"No! I am tired of this. For too long we have not acted. Earthfall was the solution, Allevrah was right about that. But it did not finish the job, and that may be the greatest failing in history - but it is a failing I intend to correct!"
With those last words, Hialin chanted a short phrase and pointed at the wall holding the Maleificus Spike. The wall changed from stone to flesh, and blood began leaking out from around the spike, whose magics began to erode the soft, malleable tissue. Hialin raced over and yanked it free. As he does, his dark brown hair faded to pure white, and his once golden skin turned pale as death. As he completed his transformation from elf to drow, he shouted "Allevrah was right!"
As you gaped at the transformation, you realized something else...with the Maleficus Spike in Hialin's hands, what was preventing the demons from entering the tower?
Before anything else can go wrong, Anklebiter shouts a spell and a warning: "Drow! There is a Drow in the council chamber!"
The spell causes a cord of dark energy to form in his hands. With a desperate swing of his skinny arm, Anklebiter flicks his necromantic whip at Hialin...!
Calla's jaw drops, stunned.
I told them! Failures!
"Son of a ..." Lefrik charges towards the drow trying to knock the spike from the Drow's hand " I'm going to assume drow are't allowed on the council and this hateful bastard is now fair game."
Lefrik and Bruendor move as one, both with a singular purpose - separating the Maleficus Spike from the transformed Hialin.
Kel watches Lefrik attempt to knock the spike from the drow's hands and hopes to take the advantage if he does.
AC 26/29, touch 18, flat-footed 21/24
Fort +11*, Ref +9*, Will +13*; CMD 25
Divine retribution (DC 18) 0/6; Judgments 1/4; Bane 0/10; Discern lies 0/10
cold iron arrows 0/29; elf-bane arrows 0/3; human bane arrows 0/4
Spells: 0/5 (first-level); 1/5 (second level); 2/4 (third level); 0/1 (4th level); Consumables: Gravity Bow ring 0/3
Effects: Heroism, greater magic weapon, Justice judgment (+3 to hit; +6 to confirm criticals), purity judgment (+3 to saves; +6 vs. curses, diseases, and poisons)
Calla whips her bow from her back and grabs one of her elf-killer arrows as she calls on her goddess's judgment.
"Calistria take you!" she spits at the new drow as she prepares to fire.
anklebiter
kelendra
bruendor
calla
lefrik
hialin
perelir
arlindil
arrival
demon1
demon2
demon3
demon4
dispel
Bruendor is fast off the mark, even as the others reacted, he was already moving, drawing his blade and rushing at Hialin, even though the drow was too far for a clean strike.
The drow wizard stepped back, then waved his hand and changed, casting a pair of spells upon himself. A pair of ghostly wings sprang from his back, lifting him into the air, and his figure blurred as his movements sped up. Perelis stepped forward and commanded in a loud voice , "By Calistria's breath, Hialin come down from there!" Her voice dispelled the wings keeping Hialin aloft, and he crashed back to the floor of the chamber, landing on his feet, but shakily.
Everyone but Bruendor can change their actions if they like. This is going to be a complex combat, so hang onto your butts and post often. I'll be trying to post multiple times a day as needed to keep it moving.
R1: bruendor, hialin, perelir, lefrik, kelendra, calla, anklebiter, arlindil
"Aranea arcanorum rescindenda est!" Anklebiter chants, and he hurls his magic at Hialin as another might hurl a dagger - or a handaxe!
Bruendor silently thanks Perelis for her timely dispelling, and resumes his attempt to separate Hialan and the Spike.
Calla's arrow shattered on Hialin's magically reinforced skin, doing no harm, even as Bruendor and Lefrik both ran up to the man, preparing to disarm him. The Maleficus Spike flew from the mage's hand and clattered onto the floor, only to be scooped up by Kelendra's telekinesis spell. The oracle tried to put the spike back in place, but it would not penetrate the wall. Arlindil screamed something unintelligible, then his form blurred as he ran forward, taking the form of a shambling mound as he charged Hialin.
From the doors leading into the rest of the tower, a fight could be heard. Then, the doors came crashing down and in them stood the nalfeshnee that had threatened you and taken Quilindra hostage. Beside it stood a succubus, tall and dusky-skinned, with familiar facial features. It bore a striking resemblance to Quilindra! Arrayed around them, and at the other door to the chamber were a handful of babau and vrocks, all of them eager for blood!
In bold may act
R2: bruendor, quilindra, hialin, vigrizzor, perelir, lefrik, kelendra, vrocks, calla, anklebiter, babaus, arlindil
"See? See? I told you I saw her talking to someone!" Magpie chirps as she shakes Duchess' shoulder.
"Yes, well done, now is quiet time!" Duchess hisses as she gives the demons a nervous look and tries to cover her younger sister's mouth.
"You see what this whole adventure has done? Made even ME distrustful against women who show an interest in me." Lefrik says as he notes the succubus.
"You do seem to have a bit of a weakness in that regard, humongous friend Lefrik Olegson," Duchess notes. "Maybe you should try dating women for a bit before moving on to other activities for a while, get to know them better?"
"I was doing that, nice Mwangi woman... then someone dropped the sky on us. "
"Do you really think this is the time to talk about your love life?" Calla asks acidly. "If we all survive this, perhaps you and Perelir can talk about this privately!"
Bruendor's eyes widened as the doors burst open, and a multitude of demons began to pour into the chamber. "LEF! You're on demon-killing duty! We can't let them overwhelm us! Arlindil and I have Hialin!" He moves forward, menacing the drow with his sword. "Time to die, drow," he growls, stabbing at the elf's heart.
hc , DC
l
a
b
h
p
a
m
q
Bruendor's feint worked, and his rapier dove past Hialin's defenses to scrape along skin as hard as stone!
Quilindra stepped into the room, her form blurred from her defensive spells, and her hand writhing with dark energies. A spoken word and Calla felt her body locking up.
Hialin stepped back and cast a spell, body crouched and ready to spring away as Lefrik swiped his blade at the mage. A coruscating flow of multi-colored energy whipped out, wrapping itself around the three foes closest to the newly-made drow. Bruendor was wrapped up in an orange beam that felt like acid burning his skin. Arlindil cried out as lighting played across his body. Lefrik froze in place as his skin began to harden.
The Nalfeshnee burst into the room and seemd to grow in size as colored lights played around its body. Te room filled with a burst of light and color, dazzling everyone.
Perelir, eyes blinking against the nalfeshnee's aura, chanted a dismissal spell and flung it at the nalfeshnee. one of the nearby vrocks ran forward and intercepted the spell, it's call of victory fading into a squawk of misery as it disappeared from this plane.
Calla must pass a DC 27 will save (enchantment, mind-affecting) or be paralyzed!
Bruendor takes 40 acid damage, reflex DC 25 for half
Lefrik must pass a DC 25 fortitude save or be turned to stone!
Everyone must pass a DC 22 Will save (mind-affecting) or be dazed for rounds!
R2: bruendor, quilindra, hialin, vigrizzor, perelir, lefrik, kelendra, vrocks, calla, anklebiter, babaus, arlindil
current status:
anklebiter 70/70 (dazed?)
bruendor 90(50?)/90 (dazed?)
calla 84/84 (paralyzed?, dazed?)
kelendra 83/83 (dazed?)
lefrik 153/153(stone?, dazed?)
Dazed and confused, Kel staggers back unable to act.
If Lefrik had a comment about this being a fine time to discuss his love life or frustration back of (can you think of a better reason for a man to find his inner berserker?) it is cut off as his skin starts to harden, but only for a moment as the graying retreats.
Alas, the flesh is strong but the will is weak, or weaker as he is dazed
Bruendor screams as the gout of acid melts his skin, and he stands there dumbfounded as the pain racks his body.