Responding to Hyram, "ah. So you are the one that slew Marhevok. Well done, he was too much the brute to last long. You however must be one of my progeny. I have not been with a mortal in hundreds of years so my blood must be thin in you by now, but I sense that it is still there."
Responding to Alikia, "so you accept my proposal? If so, the one who accepts the wish must wear my ring so I may follow your progress thru here. Is that you?"
Hyram scoffs. Was that his name? He wasn't around long enough for him to tell it. You do not lay any claim to me no matter how diluted your blood flows through my veins. I follow The Inheritor. It is she who claims my heart and soul. Alikia is correct. We will slay this Vang and remove his evil existence from the land on our own accord and not at your bidding. But I do have another question. Why would someone as evil as you want to get rid of some one as evil as him? Seems like your mutual foulness would compliment each other.
"The politics of the underworld I have heard is very gruesome Hyram. It is a thing I think we can not relate to. I am uncomfortable with anyone here wearing an item bestowed by this witch. While I am a powerful healer, curses are something else entirely." Ezro says, eyeing the woman.
"A deal with the devil to gain information may help us in the short term, but what is this in the long term to the dealer..."
Alikia's eyerbrow raises as the Inquisitor's several times great-grandmother admonishes her grandson. "I'm afraid I do not accept your proposal; My father always told me not to mess with wishes or miracles. I do not think that we have anything more to discuss." Placing a hand on Hyram's shoulder, Alikia turns to leave. "Let's go. It is obvious that any more discussion will turn to violence or trickery, and we have other pressing matters to deal with."
Aerianna shakes her head. "No. This is a pressing matter, Mistress Alikia. This 'Jerribeth' is a denizen of the Lower Planes -- whether demon, devil, daemon, I neither know nor care not. Her entertainments," and here she moves her shield outwards slightly, as if to indicate the mutilated corpse decorating the foot of the bed, "are certainly evidence of her lack of desire to repent and rise above her lurid cruelties as the Lady Arueshelae strives to do. So."
"IOMEDAE!!" The short, stocky paladin's voice, lent additional presence by the helm she wears, bears a depth and expansiveness never before heard by those in her company. "Your sword my sword, your shield my shield, this foe to fall, by death or yield. Your edge to those standing by my side, their strength and skill to turn the tide!!"
Her head turns part-way towards her sword-hand, and she speaks again, her voice returned to normal. "Smite this fiend, my friends, even as I do!" And then with the rapidity lent her by Alikia's spell of speed, shield angled towards the foe, Aerianna practically bounds around the torture table and lashes into the one she's declared demoness, Radiance's glow a scintillating gold, her halo flaring golden and red and vivid streaks of green glinting with an edge of silver. Though lacking in the agile grace and speed of, say, Aladir, each cut of the shining sword pauses on the back swing as she gauges her moment, then strikes swiftly and surely, a golden comet of holy judgement.
Not sure whether her initiating combat is still going to mean she (most likely) goes last initiative-wise; probably. But still.
Free Action - Amazing Initiative, +1 Standard Action - 1mp
Standard Action - Aura of Justice - 2 smite
Free Action - Declare Target of Smite
Swift Action - Fleet Charge - 1mp
Full Attack
Attack Calculation: 11 (BAB) + 4 (Strength) + 2 (Weapon Focus) + 3 (Enhancement) + 2 (Prayer) + 1 (Haste) + 5 (Charisma, from Smite)
Damage Calculation: 1d10 + 4 (Strength) + 3 (Enhancement) + 2 (Prayer) + 2 (Weapon Specialization) + 11 (Smite) + 2d6 (Holy Weapon)
Everyone has a Smite Evil using my bonuses -- meaning +5 to your attack rolls, +11 to damage, double that (+22 to damage) on your first successful hit, +5 to your AC vs. the target of your Smite, and your attacks ignore any DR your smite's target may have. Free action to declare, but you have to declare the target before my next initiative pass comes up, and it lasts for only 1 minute or until the opponent is dead, whichever comes first.
Speaking of durations ... what round are we at for the Haste, Prayer, Earth Protection, and Divine Fighting Technique bonuses? My admittedly-vague count, adding in this conversation, would put us at Round 6 or 7, though I did count on it in the actions above.
As Aerianna yells to smite the fiend and moves up, Jerribeth concentrates for a moment, and disappears from view.
Hyram will cast See Invisibility.
With her shield still couched and protecting her left side, Aerianna takes a cut at the space in which the demoness just stood. Should she not hit anything, she looks around warily. "Did she make herself invisible," she asks, "or did she manage to flee?"
Hyram casts a spell that allows him to see invisible creatures, and looks around for Jerribeth, however she is not in the room.
She is definitely not invisible and probably no longer here! Hyram says angrily.
"Then...either that was only a projection of her, or she teleported. Either way, there's little we can do about it now. Whoever this Vang is, though, he's almost certainly no ally of ours and will need killing as much as Jerribeth herself."
Aerianna shakes her head as if in disagreement. "I do not think I would have gotten such a strong sense of evil from a mere image, so she was here, and she managed to teleport away." For a moment she taps the edge of her shield with the flat of her blade, then rests Radiance upon her shoulder as she turns to the others. "I think that this stronghold is not going to have many traps, if any; perhaps if they have a treasury, but not otherwise. This Jerribeth's escape means that our foes will be organizing their defenses. We have, I ken, three ways to proceed: to withdraw ourselves, and attempt to come up with a better way to assault this place; to proceed, but with care; or to attack with speed, vigor, and ferocity.
"To withdraw might give us a chance to catch our balance, but Drezen is too far, days away, to seek reinforcements, and we would run the risk of allowing these demons to be reinforced themselves. Proceeding with care will, I believe, put us at a disadvantage -- double-checking ourselves while outnumbered and on their home ground, thus making ourselves slow enough to outplan and outflank, for them to sting and withdraw until we are worn out."
Aerianna thumps the torture table with her shield. "Advancing with speed, vigor, and ferocity is dangerous -- especially so if there are traps -- but swift, concentrated, and righteous mayhem may instill fear, inspire doubt, and cause cowardice to well up within these foul-minded foes, so that the weaker of them look for escape more than they do a proper defense of this stronghold, and in so doing fail at both. It is dangerous," she repeats, sounding rueful, "but I have used such tactics successfully before. So.
"Heroes of Drezen, Rising Succubus of the Great Dreamer, which way to battle? Withdraw, be wary, or as a cleansing fire?"
"Seems a pretty accurate summation of the crossroads we're at. Those being our options, I say...fortune favors the bold." Aladir responds, flexing his grip on his rapier.
Hyram takes a moment to shake himself of the fog from meeting Jerribeth. Why would one of my ancestors lay with such a foul beast? He thinks to himself over and over again as Aeri lays out their options. When he notices the silence and Aeri and Aladir looking at him, he grunts and says, Whatever you both think is right. He says this not knowing what he is agreeing to, but ready nonetheless. Anything to shake that haunting question from his mind.
Alikia lets out a sigh as Aerianna attacks Jerribeth. "If we withdraw there is no guarantee that the Blackfire Adepts or Vang stay here. The longer we wait, the more demons these degenerates have time to summon. I say we act now while they are still scrambling." Accenting her statement with a slam, Alikia moves back out into the barracks, waiting for the others to chose a course of action.
"Why would we withdraw? The enemy is in this place and we come prepared to vanquish them. We have Iomedeas guiding hand with us, let us not disappoint her." Ezro says. Looking around he realizes he came very close to preaching to his friends and companions and blushes slightly, before continuing.
"I am still strong enough to continue, perhaps we should."
I agree. Aladir? What do you hear behind the doors?
After a firm nod to both Aladir and Alikia, she turns as Hyram asks about the door. "No, Hyram," she states firmly. "Listening at doors and checking for traps is to be wary, and doing so will give our foes time to combine against us. This is a stronghold, yes, and may house a chapel as well for their unholy rites, but it must also be a domicile -- the Blackfire Adepts are, I assume, as mortal and frail as you or I, and so have similar needs: food, water, rest. And as they move through this place, they need to not be always doing special things so the place doesn't slaughter them.
"If we are to be bold, we storm each room. Mayhaps we might discover someone who is not evil, but I think that in this place any such would be either imprisoned or upon a table like this," and she gestures at the rack in the middle of Jerribeth's boudoir. "So once we go, we open the doors prepared to destroy all who stand within. No listening, no checking for traps -- and no questions or calls for surrender, though I think we are beyond that. We strike swift and sure, without hesitation or pause. And then follow that up by doing the same to those in the next room, and the next, and the next, until this place is secure. Once it is, we can search it for items of value, but until it is ..." Aeri, her halo still radiating from her, shakes her head. "Until it is, we must move quickly."
"A compromise, perhaps? You're probably correct in that many of the rooms in here aren't trapped; there's not necessarily a need for them here, in a place where our enemies think themselves safe from intrusion. Even if there are, and my reactions are quick enough that I'd probably be able to get out of their way. Let's agree not to check most of the doors. If we come across something that's obviously important, such as an armory, then we'll take a moment to make sure it's safe before entering." Aladir suggests.
Checking doors will allow us to determine where are enemies might be so we can attack fast with the element of surprise, but I defer to you and Aladir.
Leaving the searching to later, you exit Jerribeth chamber and head back to where you came from.
Following Aladir advice, Hyram and Aerianna open the east door and see: a series of lonely cells, each empty and devoid of furnishings, lines the walls of this room. A set of double doors lead north.
Again, noting nothing of immediate importance, Aerianna and Hyram open the northern double doors and see: the air of this octagonal room is foul with the sickly sweet scent of blood and decay. A pair of stone slabs, each raised four feet above the floor, sit against the walls to the east and west. Each slab bears a human cadaver in an advanced state of dissection, the bodies are restrained via shackles, suggesting that the operations were performed on living victims. The floor is sticky with old blood and other fluids, while the northwest wall is covered from ceiling to floor with strange black runes and symbols. Three creatures stand near the tables, and turn towards you, with a wand in one hand and a bloody knife in the other.
Aladir reacts almost immediately, charging forward to attack the nearest of the creatures before it can use its wand!
vs AC 27
Aladir attacks a mythic ability and moves up next to the closest creature. He then full attacks, hitting it with all three thrusts of his rapier.
The two creatures in the back point their wands at the group, and a burst of energy occurs that affects everyone. The creature next to Aladir drops its wand and attacks him, only hitting him with its claw.
Hyram feels the cloudiness come into his mind, but he shakes it off.
He moves to attack the first creature plunging his longsword into it..
Alikia visibly recoils as they encounter these new foes before she attempts to tap into her mythic power. "What in the holy acts of Iomedae are you?" She asks the creatures as she chucks a glob of acid at them. However her shot goes wide and lands with a splat on the stone floor.
+ 2 if evil
+
There is pressure, but the sudden advance of the slippery elf scout, his flashing rapier, the stab of the inquisitor's blade, the protection of her Goddess, all these things serve to anchor Aerianna in the present moment. As the first foe falls, she moves forward to circle the corpse and bring the battle to those in the rear, her shield leading the way and Radiance's golden glow swinging out from behind it and into her chosen opponent.
Aladir seems about to succumb to the spell when the familiar golden glow washes over his body, shoring up his will and giving him an extra push to throw off the magic!
Pushing aside the confusion entering his mind, he raises his holy symbol, providing a Prayer for his companions.
vs DC 17
vs AC 25
vs AC 25 (claw threat)
vs AC 25
vs AC 25
Alikia conjures a blob of acid, but misses the creature, while she tries to figure out what it is and comes to the conclusion that it is not from the planes. Ezro casts prayer for the group, improving their odds of defeating the foes. Hyram moves up to the damaged creature and wounds it more. Arueshalae, like all of you, shakes off the confusion and attacks the front creature, killing it off with her second shot, then switching to one of the creatures in the rear. Aerianna moves up to the one that Arueshalae wounded and strikes the evil creature.
One of the creatures steps up, both drop their wands, and both full attack Aerianna, one claw critically hitting and multiple claw hits.
Hyram hears Aeri whelp and hopes she can stay on her feet while he works on the creature in front of him.
Aladir reaches within his soul again, grasping the energies that were granted the group by the wardstone; the familiar golden glow envelops the elf and, in an instant, he has jumped ten feet across the room, standing opposite Aeri and taking advantage of their opposite facing to target places that look vulnerable on the creature!
And from his new vantage, he lashes forward with his rapier twice more!
Lay on Hands (self, Swift Action):
Full Attack: +1 Prayer
Damage: +1 Prayer, +2d6 Evil
The creatures have Aerianna right where they want her, trapped between them -- or, well, something of the sort. Of course, it means that they are, in turn, trapped between her and her allies. Despite the creatures' claws scrabbling at her and finding the gaps in her armor (making her gasp), she winds up with Radiance and once again takes aim at her target. "Oh no you don't," she snarls, and lays into it, deep gashes that bring it to the brink of death, even as Aladir and Hyram do the same to the other one. "Finish them!!"
"I'm doing my best!" Alikia shouts as she creates two rays of fire that both miss the large creatures, instead marring the walls. "It's a bit hard with everyone in such close quarters!"
"Aerianna! Focus on them, leave your wounds to Iomedea and I!"
Ezro chants a short spell casting a Cure Critical Wounds( , then braving the blows from the beast inside the doorway, he moves into the room and glowing with mythic power Channels the healing power of Iomedea.
vs AC 30 Ezro, AOO
vs AC 25 (last one threat)
vs AC 25 (crit)
vs AC 25 Aerianna
Alikia casts a spell at the creatures, but both of her fire rays miss and just scorch the walls. She thinks for a moment and it dawns on her what the creatures are. Ezro casts a spell, holding the charge while he steps into the room and after getting swatted by the closest creature, he releases the healing energy onto Aerianna, and then channels Iomedea healing power into all but the creatures, healing most of the groups wounds. Hyram steps up and nicks the wounded creature, while Aerianna swiftly cures herself and they almost puts down the creature to her right. Arueshalae fires four arrows, the first one putting down the creature up front and the second and fourth one hitting the creature in the back, with the last one critically wounding it. Aladir uses his mythic power and charges the remaining creature, wounding it almost bringing it down.
The remaining creature, knowing it is about to die hopes to take one of the group with him, so he concentrates all his attacks on Aerianna, alas only biting her.
Moments later, the group puts it down.
Once everyone is ready, Hyram will open the double doors to the north.
Aerianna pulls her blade out of the last one, her strike nowhere near fast enough to prevent it getting its last attacks in; truth is, it was already dead by the time her slow-but-certain sword-thrust landed. Though one claw rattles against her armor and another bangs futilely against her shield, the obscene creature's bite manages to find a chink and sink into her. "Goo -- aagggh, curse it, the thing's bite must be rancid."
So -2 Strength, in need of a restoration spell.
Wincing as the creature bites him, he smells the metallic, chemical scent of the poison, and hopes it does not affect him.
"Ah, these creatures had poison too I think, blasted beasts."
Then hearing Aerianna curse, he nods, "Yup, I believe they did. Let me see the wound."
Going over to Aerianna he examines the wound and over the course of a few moments, cleanses the poison from it while the others discuss next steps.
And just to roll:
Before Erzo can round the corpse of the two beasts, the same golden aurora as had flared around Aladir radiates about her as well, almost as if coming from the sword she now bears. There is a small gasp -- of pain, perhaps, or unexpected delight -- but it leeches the creature's poison from her wound.
Shaking herself back into the present, she slings the creature's gore from Radiance and hurries around the mound the three corpses make, to get set next to Hyram and move into the next room. "What were these things??" she asks as she moves.
"Ugly?" offers Aladir as the group moves forward.
Ezro manages to shake the poison from the creatures bite, however Aerianna is not so lucky and she feels weaker. After a moment or two, the poison wears off on her and Ezro restores her strength that the poison took away. Once everyone is ready, Hyram and Aerianna throw open the northern door of the chamber and see: the exact dimensions of this cavernous room are difficult to discern because of the presence of thick sheets of strange fibrous materials not unlike tangles of webs or flaments of fungus that cover the walls and ceiling in the room’s northern half. Three large pods, or perhaps cocoons, hang in the tangles about twenty feet above the bare floor. The cocoons have been ripped open and do not contain anything. They look to be about the size of the three creatures you just defeated. There is a door to the west.
Aerianna looks about, up at the odd cocoons, then back at the ... things. "Their quarters, I'd guess," she says, then marches with Hyram over to the western door, to get set before opening the doors wide with him.
Sounds right. Hyram says as he follows Aeri over to the door and ready to open it when everyone is in position.
Alikia kicks at the remains of a pod. "They're called Neh-Thalggu, or more commonly known as brain collectors," she states with a snear, "What's strange is that these creatures are typically found on other planets in our solar system. I suspect that the Blackfire Adepts were trying to raise these three for some sort of nefarious purpose." Giving the room one last look, Alikia follows the group to the next room.
Hyram and Aerianna open the double door leaving this room to the west, and see the landing where the stair from below come up. There is an opening on the right and on the other side a set of stairs leading down to another double door.
Aladir sneaks up to the corner and peers into the room to the north. A twenty five foot tall, ivory colored statue of a goat-headed man grasping a glaive with a crescent moon shaped blade dominates this spacious chamber from atop a five foot tall dais. A series of black columns speckled with white flecks lines the walkway that leads down the center to an altar at the statue’s feet. The vaulted ceiling is painted to resemble a starry sky, while the floor is tiled with a black-and-gray labyrinth pattern. Blood red curtains separate two areas east and west of the dais, which is flanked by a pair of massive braziers.
He also sees; two muscular, violet demons walks upon elephantine feet. Large, razor-sharp horns cover their body.
They have not seen him.
If Aladir returns and describes the demons to Hyram, he will try to figure out what they are.
"Aerianna, Hyram: stay with me. The others, wait until we've drawn them!" Aladir whispers quickly. Waiting for the two of them to get behind him, he steps out from behind the wall and fires a fusillade of arrows at the leftmost monster, peppering it with as many arrows as he can.
With the others behind him, he runs across to the opposite side of the hallway, hoping that the beasts will focus their attention on the three of them and not notice the others in a flanking position behind them.
Ezro nods and waits back from the group until the beasts arrive.