Richard looks at the inscription. "Sherix, you see that too, right? Split in twain in life and name-"
"Shhh!" She hushes him. "Don't say the whole thing, you might trigger a curse." She finishes reading the inscription. "call upon the One within."
’Split in twain’? I thought we came down here to kill that arch fiend devil lord liebaga. We now have to kill 2 of him?
”Better be ready with your blade. Shall we open it?”
As soon as Tal says the word 'Liebdaga' the door opens!
Entering you see another short tunnel that ends in another door. Richard will tell you all that the inscription on this door says, Placed in iron by ruling hands—call upon the crafter’s name.
Uh, ok, so, then the doors are keyed to certain words. How many doors do you think we have to go through before we are done with this? I don’t want to say the last door and spring it open to a fight before we are all ready.
Do we know who built this place? And more importantly are we ready for a fight when the door is opened?
"Vaccha? Zovarue? Who else did we learn about?"
I thought it was House Thrune that was in charge of the complex here but do we know who?
As soon as Tal says Thrune, the door slides open.
The inscription on this door reads, “Under watchful eye on high—call upon our crown and liege.”
"Our liege... Asmodeus?"
Well the crown would indicate Queen Abrogail but I don’t remember her full title if that is needed. Something like the High Queen Majesty Abrogail of the Thrice Damned House of Thrune. There is more to it but I can’t recall the actual title.
While what Tal says does not open the door, it causes Richard to remember the Queen's full title.
"Her Infernal Majestrix, Queen Abrogail II of the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune." Richard rattles off. "Sorry, some of my clients were quite picky about her full title. Better for me to recall her title than have them panic and call the guard."
Tal snaps his fingers as Richard says the correct phrase. Yep, thanks Richard. I typically start to daze off after the first few words of any royal official speech and never hear the full thing. Anyone that needs that many words to identify oneself has problems. Tal looks quickly around at whomever may be listening even though it is all of the group and he has trusted his life to them multiple times already.
As soon as Richard says Majestrix, the door slides open!
The inscription on this door reads, “From molten metal sea to ragged rusted fortress—call upon his onetime home.”
Tal scratches his chin as he contemplates the next question. I would think we are looking for the name of a realm as I don’t know of any city that has molten metal in it. Are there any places like that in Cheliax, hell or the Abyss?
"I feel like we've been to such a room depicting an area like that..."
">The banquet with those horrid creatures< was in a city of some kind."
"Ah, there was also a >Hall of mirrors<. It depicted most of the layers of hell, except the realm of Nesses."
"Oh! The first layer of Hell is Avernus, the plains of rust and tears, right?"
That could be right Richard. Are there other levels that you know the name of or do you know precisely which level this demon lord was from?
As soon as Richard says Avernus, the door slides open.
Tal looks up at Richard and Duke with tears still streaming from his face. There is nothing any of us can do but to destroy this hell of a place and send everything here to oblivion. Then maybe afterwards I can convince Lily to forgive me and come back to me. Slowly Tal manages to crawl his way up onto his feet. His eyes are wet but no new tears are being shed. Don't get in my way either of you. Just tell me which way to go to find this devil. In the meantime I am going to turn off the last of those valves and hope this place blows up.
A fifty-foot-high domed ceiling rises above this massive room, the air of which is blisteringly hot. An immense, fiery pentagram, inlaid in the floor with strange glowing gems and metals, reaches out to touch the walls. Suspended in the center of the room by seven immense chains is a ten-foot-diameter adamantine cage. Crimson crystal ribs extend up from the walls to the ceiling above where they connect to pillars of what looks like crystallized blood that descend down to surround the center of the room and the dangling cage therein. A discordant humming fills the air of this room, causing everything to vibrate and shake. Every few seconds, a blast of heat washes over the room as a wreath of fire washes over the cage and then slithers like fiery lightning up along the chains to be absorbed by the blood-red crystal ribs.
As the door opens, the heat that escapes from the room is almost unbearable!
Liebdaga the Twin is imprisoned within the cage, forced into a fetal position and unable to move in the constraints of his adamantine cage. The pit fiend’s body seems only partially physical—flickering between flesh and fire and smoke with rapid fluctuations.
Tal takes the blast of heat and raises a hand to shield his face. Looking into the room all he sees are the chains holding the cage in place. Anyone know what to do about this? It looks like the cage is holding the demon but not all of him is there? If no suggestions I am going to try and stab him through the bars of the cage.
Before entering in Tal pulls a potion of enlarge person and drinks it.
"This is it, eh?" Richard's temple throbs. "The devil is trapped within, this apparatus is draining its energy."
Richard thinks of what to do next, but he's too slow to react.
"Be on your guard. There's one particular woman we haven't met yet..."
Tal drinks a potion.
Richard tries to think about the cage. Maybe he's heard of it before.
Richard casts >Invisibility< on himself and approaches the cage.
As Richard enters the room and breathes, hot air burns his nostrils and lungs!
"Ah, of course! The cage is going to defend itself. Gah! It's hot!"
Tal will move into the roomand around the cage to set up a flank if possible for Duke and swing at the demon within the cage. IF that is not possible based on the cage then he will attack the cage to get to the demon. Either way Tal will have his revenge for the trials and tribulations and emotional damage he has suffered getting to this point.
enlarge power attack heroism keen +1 longsword for
As Tal enters the room, the cage, lashes out!
+
+
Since it has a 10th reach, it takes an attack on Tal as he moves to it!
As his lungs breathe in the hot air, it also burns!
Tal attacks the cage with his sword and damages it!
"Go! Tal! Go, Duke! Destroy this infernal contraption!" Richard begins to Inspire Courage within his allies. He moves around the cage to flank with it, still Invisible.
Richard inspires courage.
The cage lashes out at Tal!
+
+
Duke bot first round drinks potion of invisibility and moves into the room.
Second round Duke full attacks with flurry of blows after Tal moves into position.
Unarmed +14/+9 ; Att 1d8+7 Dmg (+7 BAB +6 Dex +1 AoMF; +6 Dex +1 AoMF)
power attack for + sneak if possible
flurry attack for + sneak if possible
iterative for + sneak if possible
Debilitating Injury (Disoriented: –2 attack + –2 more vs the rogue)
3rd bot round for Duke is much the same but with inspire up.
power attack for + sneak if possible
flurry attack for + sneak if possible
iterative for + sneak if possible
Haven taken 4 hits from the cage chains Tal reassesses his approach to the cage. He was able to hit it easily it seemed so he now took care to protect himself just as much as he put power into his attacks. With the aid of flank and the inspiration with Richard it more than made up for his loss of accuracy. Sherix, I could use some healing from a wand if you can do it!
Enlarged inspired power attack heroism combat expertise flank +1 keen longsword for
iterative for
threat confirm for
Duke destroys the cage with his blows!
Once the Duke destroy the cage, it undergoes a shocking transformation—the adamantine bars glow and steadily become transparent, transforming into glass while Liebdaga himself grows solid within the cage.
Tal, not wasting any time for the fiend to fully form, Tal lashes out at the creature.
"From hell's heart, I strike at thee!" Richard turns visible as he drops his whip, draws his Cold Iron Longsword and swings!
Sherix takes this opportunity to draw the Cure Light Wounds wand. "I'm comin' Tal!"
Tal and Richard's weapons do not do the damage that they think they should do.
Ta will pull his oil of bless weapon and apply it to his long sword. Bring it on you blasted devil
Liebdaga roars in combined anger and exaltation, stretches his arms and wings violently, and shatters the glass cage.
He takes his anger out on Tal!
Reflex save only 6 damage
Getting hit by the glass Tal yells to Sherix to hurry it up. I need that wand Sherix please!
"Sherix, go! Quickly!" He drops his sword and picks up his silver shortspear.
"I tried cold iron, but maybe Silver will do the trick!"
Sherix flies over to Tal and applies the wand. "Hold still, buddy."
Duke bot
reflex save
Duke continues his attacks but this time focuses on the devil in front of him now that the cage is destroyed.
Flurry of blows with power attack, flank and stunning fist on first attack for and sneak
flurry for and sneak
iterative for and sneak
Unfortunately, Duke spent more focus avoiding the shattered cage and less attention on directing his attacks.
Thanks Sherix! I needed that. Tal Exclaims as the positive energy washes over him healing some of the burns that the cage's chains caused him. With renewed vitality Tal continues to attack the devil while flanking with Duke and Richard. He does switch to defense while injured and hopes the oil he used is enough to get past the infernal defenses.
expertise flank inspired heroism bless weapon for
iterative for
Richard's spear seems to do full damage!
Duke misses on all of his attacks!
Tal's attacks miss!
"Aha! Silver weapons will do the trick!" Richard drives his spear into the devil, and tries to flank with Tal.
Sherix prods Tal with her Wand of Cure Light Wounds. "Come on, Tal. Stand strong!"