Hyram is looks particularly grim - more so then usual. He finally speaks as he unbuckles Radiance.
Iona, I hace seen your deeds and no that your heart is true. That you are one of The Inheritor's chosen. It is perhaps best that you wield this noble blade. I feel I am just a humble servant of the Lady of Valor and this never felt right in my hands. Before we enter the breech, I beseech you to be its owner.
He then holds out the sword to Iona.
"I can cast a spell to make the guardian visible with glittering dust, but beware it blinds all those caught within it."
Once the group is gathered near the rift, Milamber will say
"We should all go through together, if you would count us down your majesty"
Queen Galfrey looks about to utter a prayer of her own, but pauses when Hyram offers Radiance to Iona.
Iona's eyes widened when Hyram offered the relic to her. She had no words for such an act, nor did she understand why he believed her so worthy. She was a priestess of Iomedae true, and her mark upon her forehead showed their goddess's approval of her works but this was something else completely.
"I... I can only thank you for believing I am worthy." Iona said as she took the blade from him, looking over it's form she couldn't help but make note of how much it looked like the blade Iomedae was often depicted with. She figure that was no coincidence, and that it had likely been foraged that way, yet it seemed so familiar...
The mark upon her brow glowed softly, almost a reassurance, but more likely Iona's own power connecting with the relic of the faithful. "I will not fail your trust." Iona promised as she went about securing Radiance at her side.
Never had Iona doubted that her path was in the light of Iomedae, never had she doubted the power which she called forth from her goddess. The only thing she had ever doubted was if she was worthy next to those she stood beside, with this Iona doubted no more. The heroes she had praised, the defenders of her home, recognized her as one of their own and bestowed upon her a great gift and burden. One that the priestess was more than happy to shoulder beside them.
As the sword was passed over to Iona, there was a pause, a soundless moment when it seemed that the sword was considering.
Then a blurring glow surrounded the sword and it changed shape from the serviceable, grey steel and plainly wrapped hilt it appeared as in Hiram's hand....to the hilt shaped as a beautiful angel with elven features. Elaborately detailed feathered wings spread from the hilt to form the guard, with the angel’s face at the base of the blade. The blade itself reflects with silvered light.
The Queen smiles at seeing Radiance at home in another worthy's possession, then claps her hands, "Let us begin! Remember your goals on the other side: prevent Noticula from allying with Deskari and Baphomet, and stop the flow of Nahyndrian crystals. You wanted a count down, ser Magician, you shall have it! I will insert the Lexicon pager first after a two dozen heartbeats, I'm sure that the Rift's appearance will change on the other side as well!"
First though, she completes her prayer, a nimbus of light erupting around her ,then fading. Satisfied, she calls out "Ready now? Ware the guardian, if it appears! Five-Four-Three-Two-One...Go with Iomedae!"
With the last syllable, the dauntless crusaders step as one into and through the Rift!
Merely touching the Rift's energy is a shock to each of your systems! Touching pure Evil is not for the faint of heart!
However, the feeling is gone almost instantaneously, as you are suddenly in a very different place..
The walls and ceiling of this natural cavern are encrusted with a tangle of razor-sharp purple crystals, each of which shimmers with a soft, nauseating glow.
The first thought across you minds is something akin to I do not belong here..., the sense of wrongness penetrates to the very core of your being.
The feeling of strangeness flushes over Milamber. He takes a moment to fend off the energy that threatens to affect him.
Resisting the energy, Milamber looks around the cavern for any sign of a guardian.
"This place is definitely foriegn to me. I hope our task doesn't require us to be here very long."
Iona's eyes widened as the blade transformed before her eyes. It seemed the blade itself agreed with being in her hands and she hopped she would live up to those expectations.
Then lining up next to her friends, and together they took the leap into the Abyss, united as one.
The power of the Rift tried to push into their very beings.
Iona is able to push her way through and join Milamber in seeking the guardian.
"That depends how long it takes us to complete our task." Iona said before she stepped up to take a defensive position. Drawing Radiance in it's new form she said "Be ready. And Milamber fear not, we will watch your back."
Ugh. This place. Nilus stammers.
It feels, oppressive. I agree Milamber, we should not tarry.
Nilus raises Rose's Stem and waits....
The wrongness of the place made Hyram angry. It personified the hatred that he felt towards demons and their kind.
He growls as he shakes off the evil and mentally and physically prepares for battle!
The sense of oppression and sheer wrongness is nearly overwhelming, but the elf gives his Desnan symbol a squeeze as he passes through the rift, drawing strength from that connection and throwing off the worst effects of the rift.
Once he has his stomach back in its place and his feet firmly under him, he looks around the area, trying to figure out where this guardian could be.
With everyone safely through the rift, Milamber steels himself for the ritual.
"Before I begin, let me provide everyone with some extra speed."
Milamber casts Haste on everyone followed by touching the page of the Lexicon he received from the Queen to the rift they just went through.
Aladir will also use his mythic ability to will himself invisible, vanishing from the sight of the others.
Without waiting for the Queen on the other side of the Rift to begin the ritual, Milamber thrusts his page of the Lexicon into the shifting substance of the Rift.
A ripple , centered on the Page, propagates across the Rift and it's substance begins to darken around it. Tendrils of black begin to infiltrate the Rift , quenching the red fire and lightning that gave it substance.
After a moment, a huge shadow appeared before Milamber, as if a form had stepped infront of a source of light on the other side of a curtain.
A voice, terrible with age and power, spoke into Milamber and the other's minds, "What do you think you're doing to my Rift, little elf?". The voice sounds amused...curious.
Hearing the voice echoing in his mind, Aladir briefly reels, for a moment feeling absolutely, completely vulnerable, wondering if there is any point in maintaining his present state of invisibility.
Fortunately, he pulls himself back and doesn't yet let that veil drop; even if the being speaking into their minds knows that he is present, it may not know exactly where he is...only that he's there.
He doesn't, for even a moment, consider answering. After all, doing so, even telepathically, might reveal his location, right? And it was speaking to Milamber, after all, and not him.
Show yourself and fight! Hyram bellows.
The voice chuckles in response to Hyram's demand, "Perhaps I will, if your friend doesn't desist. Hmmm, what's this? Someone all alone on the other side. She looks to be a vandal as well..."
Suddenly the Rift swells with darkness, sourced at the where the Lexicon parchment touched it. You assume Galfrey has used her own piece of the Lexicon on the other side.
"NO! YOU CANNOT! " the voice bellows, then the shadow in the Rift disappears, and a moment later the darkness in the Rift returns to the patterns produced solely by Milamber's parchment.
"Queen Galfrey may be in trouble, someone should go make sure she is ok."
Nilus says On it. and he tries to exit the rift to check on Galfrey. He owes the Queen much, and will not hesitate to trade his own life for hers.
Once again you suffer through the almost instantaneous passage through the Rift. Emerging on the other side, you cannot see Queen Galfrey, or rather you can barely see her as she defends herself against a huge 20ft tall demon.
THe demon buffets the Queen with two powerful blows, but the Queen riposte with her gleaming longsword, cutting the Demon's flesh three time in succession, green ichor spraying forth, a roar of rage shakes the room!
"Aladir! Hyram! Stay with Milamber! I'm going to aid Nilus, make sure Milamber keeps that page in the rift! Nilus and I will ensure the page it put back in on that side... I promise we'll find you even when it closes!" Iona called out before she ran to the Rift, throwing herself through it.
You'll be a round behind, once Nilus acts you'll be part of that initiative. In the meantime, need a new DC 20 Fort save for going through the Rift. If you fail , you'll be staggered for 3 rounds.
Hyram will take position and ready an action against anyone or anything attacking Milamber.
MY QUEEN! Get behind me! Close the Rift! Nilus shouts
Nilus charges at the demon with Rose's Stem held high!
Amazing Initiative
Init order
Demon
Galfrey
Nilus
Iona
Nilus's charge is successful, cutting a large swath of Demonic flesh from the Rift guardian. However, something about the horrible aura that surrounds the Demon...'strikes' back at Nilus, sending enervating shivers through his body.
The demon swats away Nilus' second attack with a backward swipe of it's huge hand, then attempts to rend Galfrey to pieces. However, it howls in frustration when the Queen manages to parry and dodge both blows.
Queen Galfrey responds with a furious flurry of strikes with her longsword, all but one rebuffed by the Demon's defences.
Though it takes but a moment or two, when Nilus steps back through the Rift, he takes his holy aura with him. Milamber and Hyram are once again assaulted by the horrible whispers of the Rift!
Face me Demon! The Blessed Rose sends her regards!
Nilus taunts the creature to turn it's attention to him.
Aladir grits his teeth against the whispers of the rift, resisting the urge to make any sound to accompany his resistance, still hoping that his invisibility can be maintained.
Thanks to the fortification of Milamber's spell, Aladir feels the bolstering of his resistance against the mental assault, continuing to keep his eyes and ears open for any danger on this side of the rift as Milamber continues his attempt to seal the portal shut.
Hyram keeps his mind focused waiting for an enemy to appear.
Iona summoned for her magic, speaking a prayer to Iomedae. "Hear me my goddess! Make ready at Heaven's Gates, for by your power I send you a foe who dares get in our way." With her hand now glowing a pale white, Iona ran into the fray reaching out to touch the demon.
Init order
Demon
Galfrey
Nilus
Iona
Nilus scores two hits on the Demon's tough hide, rank ichor spraying through the air with each slice of his longsword. As before , the unholy aura surrounding the Demon responds to the attacks, striking back at the Paladin!
Iona bravely rushes forth and easily slaps her enspelled hand on the Demon's putrid body. As she steps back, it's shape and immediately surroundings begin to shift and stutter. Then it turned and looked down on Iona, it's voice loud in everyone's mind, . After a moment, it's form settles and it is obvious that Iona's spell did not have the intended effect.
The huge Demon gathers itself, then levels a tremendous back hand at Iona. Though she braces herself for the impact, it lifts her bodily into the air...into the malevolent machine sitting nearby!
With a horrible screeching sound, the machine comes to life and sharp prehensile arms attempt to pull Iona further into it's workings. Though Iona struggles, the sharp implements succeed in piercing her enough and begin to draw her inward
From where she lays, Iona can see the inner workings of the machine, a series of huge rollers and blades, all a hum with activity...seemingly waiting for her with excited anticipation.
Galfrey resumes her furious assault on the Demon...calling down Iomedae's Wrath upon the Demon! Her sword , nay her entire body glows bright white and she plunges her gleaming sword into the Demona, once, twice...thrice...four times! Chunks of demonic flesh fly through the air as Galfrey screams her hatred...until the Demon, an incredulous look on his face, dissipates into an oily, black smoke that remains suspended in the air for a moment before disappearing.
Galfrey then rushes to the machine, calling out to Nilus, "Help her, the machine will consume her!"
Some time passes, the whispers of the Rift continue to plague you...the Rift remains unchanged and nothing emerges.
Nilus grunts as the Demon's power saps his strength. (-6 Strength ugh)
Nilus rushes over to assist Iona but his strength is failing him.
Aladir's heart pounds in his chest, in spite of the relative calm around them. "Should we hold here...? Or should another of us go through and see what's going on? Although that would leave Milamber with only one guard...that would seem unwise..."
Though Nilas tried to release Iona from her restraints, his strength wasn't enough. Yet it was inspiring enough to Iona. Who offered the paladin a soft smile and pushed out if the bonds with her own resolve.
"Queen Galfrey! Back to the Rift! Quickly" Iona called as she grabbed Nilas. "We must return! She told him before pushing through the Rift back to the other side.
Great stuff...but Galfrey killed the Demon :) You have time to edit your post I think :) [/ooc]
The Queen nods to Iona, raising the Lexicon parchment in farewell as Iona pulls Nilus back through the Rift.
Once again back in the Abyss, the two both feel the oppressiveness of the alien world press down upon their bodies and souls.
The Queen on the other side obviously wastes no time in plunging her piece of parchment into the Rift, another spot of blackness appears near to the one Milamber has maintained. Slowly, the spots of blackness spread across the surface of the Rift. An eerie silence fills the room as the whispers of the Rift suddenly cease.
The spread of darkness accelerates and with a sudden surge the entire Rift goes black, and begins to swirl in an angry vortex of planar energy.
Black lightning begins to crackle and spit from the vortex of the Rift, filling the room with bolts of electricity.
Milamber realizes that this is the moment to cast the spell, but finds holding the parchment in the Rift will complicate matters.
Milamber focuses his thoughts on dispelling the rift and casts Dimensional Anchor (4th level spell).
Aladir deftly dodges around the strange black lightning, otherwise remaining silent so Milamber can maintain his concentration on his spell.
Nilus will say to Iona
Good servant of Iomedae, the Demon stole my strength with foul magics. Do you perchance have some cure?
Hyram easily sidesteps the lightning.
This place is foul indeed!
Iona looked ashamed as she shook her head at Nilus's question. "I cannot... It wasn't something I asked of my goddess, but I can get the spell for it as soon as I am able... I'm sorry."
As black lightning erupts from the Rift, each of you adroitly avoids serious harm .
Milamber shrugs off the singeing sting of the electric shock and continues to cast his spell on the Rift.
Suddently, his arcane chanting ceases....as does the lightning. However, the Rift begins to emit a sound not unlike several thousand death shrieks.
Then just as abruptly as it began the sound ceases and with a violent , eye churning spasm the Rift disappears, leaving solid wall behind.
Milamber is thrown backwards, solid wall having now replaced the space where his hand had been.
Except for the clinking of crystals knocked from the walls and ceiling from the Rift's closure, there is no sound.
"Whoa, that was intense! Is everyone alright? I think we did it, the rift is closed."
Milamber looks around at the gloomy existence of where they are.
"So this is the Abyss, not the most pleasant of places I've been to."
Hyram shakes his head in the affirmative. Yes, I am all right! Praise to The Inheritor!
Nilus heals himself.
By the blessings of the Rose we survived. The demon attacked the Queen on the other side. Luckily Iona arrived and we defeated it. Nilus says.