"The Inheritor guides my arm through battle, it should be of little concern to her which weapon I use to bring down her foes. I can exchange swords with you once this battle is over if you wish, or I can examine it for possible flaws. But for now," He turns back to this next adversary, and calls out a battle cry, "For Victory, for the Heart!"
One of the tieflings shouts out as loud as he can in Abyssal, "Intruders in here! The map room!! HELP!!!" Attacks leveled at them just miss and they suddenly concentrate, seemingly ignoring the attackers near them.
Sounds from rooms around you denote activity.
AoO
"Guide my arm Inheiritor to stop these evil doers."
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On Going Effect: Life Link (Paritosh); Sanctify Corpse on 4 corpes, 24hrs; -1 Chr checks; Bless, 6 rds;
With a quick glance over his shoulder to the hallway, Sir Bastion warns the the others, "Be prepared Arcessentes and Aakon, more may be coming."
-----------------------------
On Going Effect: Life Link (Paritosh); Sanctify Corpse on 4 corpes, 24hrs; -1 Chr checks; Bless, 6 rds;
Bastion's attack manages to bring the tiefling down while it is casting, but the one near Lirrathan, with noone to attack it, throws his fingers out and darkness seems to radiate out.
Judging by the sounds from the rooms, the next few seconds will bring most party-goers.
Round 3
"Your gifts ever guide me forward, Righteous Iomedae," he says as he still sees the black and white image of the tiefling.
He steps toward the last opponent and brings his long sword arching downward at the tiefling.
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On Going Effect: Life Link (Paritosh); Sanctify Corpse on 4 corpes, 24hrs; -1 Chr checks; Bless, 5 rds;
"What has happened? I am unable to see."
After the room goes dark Arc moves in to where he remembered there was a safe spot and dimensionally steps past the enemy.
You always arrive at exactly the spot desired—whether by simply visualizing the area or by stating direction.
[ooc] No, Fust is right. While the ability does say it works like Dimension Door, it also adds that you must be able to see you destination. Darkness is strange in Pathfinder though. It reduces the light level and does not eliminate it. If he can see he will do that otherwise he will double move without provoking based on where he thinks the enemy is and go as far as possible.
Not sure if I am Alpha or Beta, but I'll stand shoulder to shoulder with Sir Bastion, ready to meet the charge of our enemies.
Group Alpha: Arc, Lirrathan, Aakon
Group Beta: Tieflings, Paritosh, Bastion
The remaining tiefling goes down quickly...but the noises grow louder and louder from the remaining rooms. Then...you realize the noises aren't actually coming from the doorways. Your senses are assaulted by a mind-numbing cacophony of light, sound, feeling. Visions of a beautiful woman with evil wings, a dwarf with a mad grin, and a living shadow flit over you.
Then, you feel the wardstone pulsing. A wash of quiet comes over you.
The hallways are eerily quiet.
"That was a most peculiar sensation. I trust I was not the only one who felt it?"
No, you were not. Arc reassures. [ooc]And the darkness cast by the Tiefling? Is it gone?[/b]
Has the Wardstone protected us? Lets complete our search of this place and see what has become of our enemy.
As you go through the rooms, you find evidence of people (or creatures) occupying the space, but no trace of their bodies. Each room is the same as the last, somethings were here but now are not.
You find stairs leading up, and towards the aura from the Wardstone, in the southern room. You climb up, wondering what fresh horror awaits, but the room is again empty. A door to the east emanates the source of the strong aura you feel...the Wardstone is inside.
"Let's finish this job, and get out of here. I don't mind admitting the place gives me the creeps."
Uncertain of what actually happened and if the Wardstone or some other source of protection aided thier group, Sir Bastion says a prayer of thanks to Iomedae.
Lirrathan, a moment please."
Sir Bastion moves to a window facing the sun, pulls his longsword from it's sheath, takes a knee while holding the blade before him and continues, "May the Inheiritor guide and strengthen your heart, arm and resolve with this weapon, as she has done for watched over me. Let this blade lead you ever forward in her glory, as we strive to vanquish the evils that spew forth from mouth of the Abyss. Let her divine judgment allow you sense when others tainted by the bile of the Worldwound, can be redeemed and brought back to her grace."
He stands and holds the weapon out for Lirrathan to take.
"May this help you as it has me, Lirrathan."
Åkon looks confused at your exchange, but ventures: "What is this "Wardstone" of which you speak?" He looks at each of the members of the group in turn as he speaks "I wasn't originally sent here to aid you, merely to check in on you. Thus I was not briefed on the details of your task."
Surprised at the lack of knowledge on such an important subject, "You're not familiar with the wardstones? They are a series of large stones, housed in keeps along the frontier. Each stone is infused with power to keep back the demon horde, and collectively they form a barrier against incursion. They are one of our chief defenses against the hordes. Sure, some get past occasionally, but usually they do a great job of keeping back the evil. Obviously there have been some issues lately. As for why we're here, ummmm, perhaps we should show you, rather than tell you?"
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Lirrathan looks at the blade and prayer with a skeptical eye. He raises a single eyebrow, nods his head once and says, "Right, whatever." before accepting the proferred weapon. "And may the light of stuff for things goodly and somesuch, forthwith in the place of gods and all manner of whatnot, do for you stuff for fighting things with that stupid talking sword too." he waves off the earlier dropped sword with his best imitation of a prayer in return.
Sir Bastion takes up the new sword and readies to follow the group to the eastern door, the presumed destination of thier search for the Wardstone.
Åkon turns towards Paritosh as the latter spoke, and responds graciously: "Please excuse my ignorance, master Paritosh, I am not native to these lands. However, now that I think about it, I believe I might have heard of these so called "Ward stones" before." He pauses expectantly, waiting for the show to start or for further explanation.
Åkon simply observes the scene which plays out between Lirrathan and Bastion, and follows the group into the room.
The circular room’s original purpose is unclear, but now it seems to be a trophy hall of some sort. A low stone pedestal sits on the floor in the middle of the chamber under a domed ceiling. Atop the pedestal is an iron, barbed cage—and within the cage sits a chunk of softly glowing white stone.
The sensations of powerful magic, blindingly strong, emanate from the stone.
Arc approaches it and the tip of the rod of cancellation brushes the wardstone fragment. A single, golden note chimes inside your heads and an inrushing of light assaults your sense. An angelic choir sings forth as the intense light suddenly darkens and the fragment explodes violently outward. The cage surrounding it is shredded apart by razor sharp pieces of the wardstone.
Miraculously, none of the fragments impact you.
The singing stops and your head rings with the after-sounds. You draw a deep breath when the place where the wardstone fragment was kept erupts in a torrent of golden light. At first afraid, you start feel energized All hp and negative effects are healed. You each begin to glow with glowing golden light, as the outrushing energy is coating you with a layer of paint. You feel beyond energized, you feel as though you've slept soundly for a week. All spells and abilities are regained. In your minds eye, you see images of other towns flashing points of golden light in an arc towards Kenabres. Demons that are overrunning walls are instantly vaporized by the thousands, and thousands more are injured tremendously wherever the light touched them. Millions, seemingly, swarm back towards the Worldwound and into the despised crack.
The light stops, and yet you still glow.
Paritosh exhales. "So you don't see that every day."
"So you saw it also, Paritosh? What about the rest of you?"
Sir Bastion looks around to each of the others, with an expression of awe and wonder at what just occurred.
He begins to look around the room, searching for remnants of the Wardstone, having no desire to leave even the smallest shard here.
The wizard takes a staggered step back and almost drops the rod. Well, that was… unique. I feel refreshed and whole. And we all seem to be glowing. Thinking for a moment he will cast Detect Magic to check first the rod and then himself and his companions, and finally the room.
"Perhaps we have been hit with that glitter spell that blinds?". Paritosh looks around. "I see no enemies, and if you saw what I did, you'll agree that a great many of our enemies were just destroyed."
Tears streaking down his cheeks, Åkon whispers, almost sighs, in an awestruck voice: "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed." With a jump, as if awakening from a dream, he looks to each of you in turn, a fiery respect burning in his still teary eyes, and exclaims: "By my words, by Shelyn, that scene! You are heroes, glorious heroes!" A ball of joyful rapture, he bounces around the room, taking in you in all your glory.
He suddenly stops. He looks at his own, still glowing hands, brow raised as he inspects them in visible confusion "Well" he starts "Whatever it was you did seem to somehow have affected me as well. I feel... Strange. Not bad strange, but strange nonetheless." He looks to Arcessentes, waiting for an explanation.
I think we discharged the energy of the wardstone all at once. Could we have done that?
"So do you think all the wardstones were discharged? Does that mean there is no longer a magical barrier against the Worldwound? Have we just released the Abyss upon the world?"
At Bastion's words, Åkon turns pale. "Was that what happened...? I thought it some miracle you unleashed upon the demonic hordes.
"Miracles, often enough, are simply explainable occurrences mis-understood by the masses."
Lirrathan's eyes are alight with an inner fire... and confusion. "So, we just wiped out all those demons? Like did that happen, or was it just some mental idea thing? Arc, you know, like some magic image?" He is clearly uncertain about what he saw, but he's okay with it. "Cause, I'm saying, if that like really just happened, you have any idea how much tail I'll get when people find out I had a part in it? I mean, I woulda liked to have been more of a fight than just a big magic flash, but still, you know?"
Looking at his hands, arms, all over, and then at the others he adds "How long you think this stupid glow is gonna stick around? I mean, my abilities as a scout are gonna be a little strained if I can't cut from shadow to shadow because of this glowiness."
In a few moments there is an in-rushing sensation and the room becomes deafeningly silent. You are suddenly assaulted by a vision of the first wardstone being erected in the Kite here in Kenabres in 4639 ar, in a ritual involving the aid of the Hand of the Inheritor—the herald of Iomedae: a golden, winged angel with a halo of small swords around his head. This event happens soon after the Second Crusade begins.
After a few seconds after this vision, another hammers on your consciousness as you see a vision of a 20-year-old Hulrun leading the burning of dozens of supposed “witches” in the courtyard of the Kite before the wardstone. This event launches the Second Crusade.
Almost immediately after you see a vision of Khorramzadeh the Storm King leading a brazen attack on Kenabres. The Storm King manages to strike a resounding blow with his sword against the wardstone, which suffers only the tiniest of cracks as the balor’s sword shatters. Khorramzadeh is then attacked and forced to flee when the silver dragon Terendelev nearly kills him—this event launches the Fourth Crusade.
Yet again, another vision pulses as you see a vision of Irabeth chasing a burly dwarven man—Staunton Vhane (leader of the Hammers of Heaven mercenary group) into the courtyard containing the wardstone. Both paladins are heavily wounded, and as Staunton backs against the
wardstone, smoke rises and he screams in pain. He ducks to avoid one of Irabeth’s blows, then manages to smash her knee with his hammer, dropping her to the ground. Staunton seems ready to deliver a death blow, but the sound of approaching soldiers forces him instead to back away and summon a fiendish giant wasp that he swiftly mounts
and then f lies away to the north, abandoning Kenabres.
Again and again, you see another vision, this one of Minagho, a beautiful demonic woman with a long thin tail, clawed hands, and curling horns protruding from where her eyes should be, placing the wardstone fragment in this room and of Jeslyn using a wish granted by Minagho to create the cage around it before Minagho teleports away.
Now you see a vision of an event they know will now never happen—Areelu Vorlesh using a deep purple Nahyndrian crystal the size of a human’s head to corrupt the fragment, causing the entire border to f lash with nauseating mauve fire that devastates the border cities and transforms countless crusaders into half-fiend slaves of the Worldwound. The PCs should realize at this point that the demons’ entire plan was to draw as many crusaders to the border to defend it from their attacks, in order to maximize the damage this event would have caused.
Finally, your senses return to normal and you feel like you can move again. This creature appears before you.
She says, "This only delays your kind’s extinction. But at least I can take steps to hasten your own." She points in a complicated gesture at you, but your glow brightens momentarily and nothing happens. She screams in a fit of rage and she says, "The death throes of your wardstone seem to be protecting you from my magic. No matter. They cannot protect you from my slaves!"
She slices her hand down and a rift in reality itself tears open. Inside, half a dozen slavering demons, babaus something rings in your mind, and they spill into the room. Behind them, still in the rift, your mind tells you other demons you see, vrocks, glabrezus, and even a marilith.
The glow surrounding you all pulses simultaneously and a ball of magical energy slams into the rift, Areelu screams in pain this time as her bones seem to break and her wings shred before your eyes. The rift slams shut and her image fades as the screams, now of rage, fade.
The six babaus look for a moment at you hungrily...
Paritosh yells, " defend the casters!". He raises his shield and sword to form a strong front line with Bastion and the other more martial oriented individuals and commences hacking down the bad guys.
Arcessentes recognizes these creatures for what they are and calls out to his friends how best to fight them as he casts a spell to cloud their eyes.
Lirrathan watches the scenes go by, just shrugging or nodding in understanding. As the image appears of the demon woman, he can't help but lift an eyebrow in appreciation of some of her finer forms. Then he quickly looks around nervously in case anyone, or anything like that stupid talking sword, knew what he was thinking. He reminds himself that she's probably one bad b*!!% and he doesn't want that kind of angry woman after him, he's had plenty of pretty vicious exes already.
As she disappears, and the creatures fill the room, he grins wide. Drawing his familiar short sword, and the magic morningstar just in case, he laughs. "Alright, now this looks like it will be a fun fight. Just what I've been looking for." He sets into the fight with glee and hoots of joy at every hit, and just as equal, anger and frustration at every hit he takes or misses.
"Iomedae, lend us your strength to send these foul creatures, these babaus back hence they came," Sir Bastion calls out as he brings the "talking sword" up to a defensive position, ready to stand with the others.
He wonders to himself about the voice that told him what these creatures are, as he steps to Paritosh's side.