GM Kiora's Wrath of the Righteous

Game Master Kiora Atua

Hinagiku bows in goodbye to the people they rescued from the Ivory Sanctum. The last day had been quite trying and so was adjusting to the loss of her eye. However, seeing the Stone Oak clan reclaiming her birth place from the wound and redidicating it to her mother helped put the monk’s mind at ease.
Halllit ”You and your people have my thanks too Esyllt of the Stone Oak clan. This place now feels… more right. Respected and revered, I feel the earth’s appreciation.” Hinagiku says with a deep bow for the Druid.

Taldan”I am ready to go up above the plateau with the ley to hold me up in the sky.”

Current time: 14:48
At 6 am, Hinagiku cast sense presence, enhanced unarmed strikes x2, superior reflexes, and magic sink. Ki in header has been adjustedn to reflect this.

Myrna is surprised to see druids waiting for them in the cave. It seemed that the influence of their adventures grows, with Sarkorians occupying places that they had cleared of evil. It heartened her to see, and she gives little bows to the druids as they pass.

When Yui announces that they were about to teleport into midair before teleporting across the country, Myrna gives a grumble. "Gah, I hate teleporting," she growls. She didn't want to be hurtling through the air, though, and no one who could fly could also carry her, so she pulls the carpet of flying they had taken from the Sanctum from her bag and unfurls it. She sits on the carpet and then commands it to raise into the air. "Ready," she nods to Yui, "Reluctantly."

Time passes: 3 minutes.

Durik and the druids stand to the side, observing the group’s preparations. The Stone Oak Clan-Liege steps forward. “The ancestors walk with you,” he says. “May their strength guide your actions and your courage light the path.”

While the others talk with the strangers, Sana digs her cat-stamped purse out of her quiver, and counts out a few coins, before placing the bag back into hiding. It wasn't enough to have gotten them out of a bad situation with just barely the clothes on their backs. She moves over to kneel in front of Aedric, before offering five platinum coins. "One last thing, you've got a very important job. Make sure everyone has a nice meal and someplace to rest when you get there. You can have your brother help you figure out how to spend the rest, however you need to. Can you do that for me?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (13) + 17 = 30 Takes the moneys.

After she convinces the little boy to take the money, and to take a bit of ownership over the following days - trying to sew agency back into his life, she stands back up and nods to the others, "Let's get going." she says, as dark wings unfurl from her back to carry her skyward. "I know Ehren can turn into animals and elementals, but do I need to grab Ehren too, so he can save that for later?"

Automating the inactive player.

Aedric hesitates for a moment, glancing between the coins and his brother. Janos places a reassuring hand on his shoulder and nods. Aedric reaches out tentatively, taking the coins into his hands. He clutches them tightly.

“I’ll do it,” he says quietly. “I promise.”

Janos looks at Sana gratefully. “Thank you,” he says. "If there is anything I can ever do to repay you, just say the word."

Time passes: 3 minutes.

Ehren nods at Sana's offer. “You make a fair point,” he says, his geodic gaze shifting toward the druidic carvings on the walls. “If I conserve my magic for the fight ahead, it could give us an edge. Let me just take a moment to thank the Stone Oak clan before we leave.”

He plants his staff of healing against the ground, glancing briefly at the gathered group. “Hoffwn dalu fy mharch,” he says. He moves toward Esyllt and the other druids, bowing his head slightly. “Mae eich Gwaith yma’n anrhydeddu’r. Diolch am bopeth rydych wedi’i wneud. Mae gweld y lle hwn yn fyw eto’n dod â gobaith lle bu anobaith unwaith.”

Esyllt places a hand over her heart and bows in return. “Mae eich geiriau’n garedig, Archoferdd,” she says, her voice warm and reverent. “Bydd y Derwen Garreg yn parhau i weithio i adfer yr hyn a gollwyd. Rydym yn diolch i chi am ddod â’r gobaith hwn yn ôl.”

The other druids murmur their agreement, nodding in solemn acknowledgment. Durik, standing nearby, speaks next. “Os bydd angen unrhyw gymorth pellach arnoch, Archoferdd, byddwn ni’n barod. Gwnewch Sarkoris ein hynafiaid yn falch yn y gully yr ydych ar fin ei hamddiffyn.”

Ehren offers a faint smile, inclining his head. “Diolch,” he replies simply.

Turning back to his companions, he addresses Sana with a hint of humor breaking through his usual calm demeanor. “Alright, Sana, I’m ready to go into storage. Just don’t leave me in there too long.”

Sana spins her parasol with a flick of her wrist. She flips it overhead, and shadows coil outward like living ink. Ehren’s form shimmers and flattens into a two-dimensional silhouette before being drawn smoothly into the parasol’s surface.

“Safe travels, Archdruid,” Esyllt calls after him.

Yui steps forward, scanning the group as she gets ready to cast Dimension Door. Sana, Myrna, and Hinagiku each reach out, their hands lightly touching Yui’s shoulder as they prepare for the teleport.

The spell takes hold, and in an instant, they are propelled upward. The oppressive weight of the underground gives way to a sudden, scorching onslaught as they appear hundreds of feet in the air.

They emerge straight into an abyssal ash storm, the air choking and thick with swirling ash. The storm blocks all sight, they cannot see anything but swirling ash, not even each other. Ash clings to their skin, burning them.

An abyssal ash storm blocks all vision of those with normal or darkvision, and offers concealment against other forms of sight, such as blindsight. It also deals 1 point of fire damage every round. Fire elementals and those with the fire subtype are immune to this damage, while water elementals and those with the water subtype take double fire damage.

Yui, Myrna, and Sana take 1 point of fire damage. Hinagiku takes 2 points of fire damage.

This is a stressful situation, similar to combat.

Allies within 15' of Amber: Spend a move action to teleport adjacent to Sana as well as +(1) Morale v. Mind-affecting.
Allies within 30' of Sana: Spend a point of momentum to reduce damage from a source by 7.
Enemies within 30' of Sana: None

Sana has fire resist 10. Deducted 1 SP and 2 Incorporeal rounds.

"Of course." Sana says as they appear in the swirling cloud of mucky, burning ash. "If the Worldwound had any idea how hard it was to get all this ash out of your clothes, I think it'd do it even more."

Stricken by minor burns, buffered by winds, and with her sight stolen from her, Myrna shouts out, "We can't fly blind like this! We have to land!"

"I'm going down now! Meet me on the ground and we'll talk about a plan!"

She steers the carpet towards the ground, then, gripping it from its front tassels and wrenching it around like a horse by reins. Since she can't see, she doesn't know how high up she is, so she just barrels downwards as fast as she can.

You can descend at double speed, so Myrna double-moves at 160' per round towards the ground.

Always composed, even in the face of unexpected life threatening situations, Hinagiku keeps her calm in the storm despite having to hang tightly to the ley that is keeping so a not to be swept away by the winds.

Taldan”We should stick togtether” she says, her soft voice clear despite the burning gusts. Yet, before she can finish, Myrna leaves their side, descending towards the ground.

Taldan”Let’s descent together to avoid being separated. ” Hinagiku calls, her hand still grasping Yui’s shoulder from when they teleported.

Current time: 14:54
At 6 am. Hinagiku delays until the others start their desceends and follows them.

Sana huffs, and nods. "Alright, yeah. I guess it's back to the ground."

Sana will fly downwards when Hinagiku does.

Time passes: 9 rounds.

Automating the inactive player.

Yui takes 9 fire damage, Hinagiku takes 18 fire damage, Sana & Myrna are protected by fire resist. Yui is at 110/120 HP.

Yui, already worn from the teleportation and now choked by the ash, tries to respond but succumbs to a harsh coughing fit. The fiery particles claw at her throat and lungs as she struggles to catch her breath. "Let’s... go," she manages to rasp between coughs. The storm’s heat takes its toll, her burns evident as she steadies herself for the descent.

Hinagiku begins to descend slowly and steadily. Sana falls in beside her. It takes about a minute for them to descend to the ground. Hinagiku and Yui both suffer the brunt of the burning ash, their bodies bearing the marks of the abyssal weather.

Once they land, Myrna rolls up her magic carpet and stows it back in her bag, and then blindly feels around to locate her compatriots. Shouting to be heard over the billowing of the ash storm, she calls, "What a disaster!"

"I think we should pull out the Archdruid! I may be a halfway decent tracker, but we'll need supernatural expertise for the right clues in this environment!"

Looking at Hinagiku and Yui as they are slowly scorched by the storm, she asks, "Will you two be okay? I can call on my grandmothers' wisdom to summon a shelter so we can plan, or I can protect you from the elements instead, if you need me to. We can't know how long we'll be out here, you should be protected."

Survival: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31 Can I tell which way to go to get to Sesker's?

Sana nods to Myrna as she asks to release the Archdruid, and grabs her Parasol to release him. "There, not in there long at all." she says with a hint of annoyed bemusement.

For the second time in three days, Hinagiku feels the slowly intensifying burn of the ashes on her fur and skin. Experience does little to help her deal with her pain and even seems to make it worse. Focusing on her inner pool of water, she lets the feeling sink, dissolve, and lose itself in the almost boundless ocean.

As she approaches the ground, she can hear Myrna calling for them and guides the others towards the crusader.

Hallit”We are here.” she calls over the wind as the silhouette of the woman slowly detaches itself from the omnipresent gray mist.

Hallit”I agree Mrs. Myrna, we should also release Mrs. Unafe at the same time. With Ehren-kun’s magical protection, we should all be able to travel together. I think we can endure the weather a bit longer if only to know what they will suggest we do, so I would wait on the shelter.

aid Myrna’s survival: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Current time: 14:54 + 9 rounds
Hotaru says he will follow what we ask of Sana, like freeing Ehren and Unafe.

Ehren coughs lightly, futilely attempting to brush off the ash that clings to his robes. “Thank you, Sana,” he says with a faint smile, his crystalline eye squinting through the chaotic storm around them. “It seems we’ve emerged into quite the challenge.”

Sana nods to Hinagiku and spins her parasol once more. Shadows ripple and coil as she releases Unafe.

Ehren considers the storm. He raises his voice to be heard over the swirling ash and scorching heat. “I have a few ways to mitigate the storm's effects, but we’ll need to act carefully.”

He grips his staff and continues, “I can cast life bubble to protect us from the ash and heat. It creates a safe environment for each of us, keeping the storm at bay for hours. That should give us time to navigate without being worn down by the storm.”

Ehren looks at the group, scanning their strained expressions. “I can also use communal resist energy to bolster everyone against the pain of the burning ash, though it won’t help with the ash in your lungs, Yui, or the blinding effects.”

He plants his staff firmly into the ash-covered ground. “As for finding our way, I can commune with the land using commune with nature. It will help me determine the precise direction of Sesker’s Gully, even in these conditions. If visibility remains a problem, I can use echolocation to navigate and guide us through the storm.”

Yui's voice cuts through the storm next. “True north is this way,” she says, grabbing Ehren's hand and pointing it in the correct direction, since they cannot see one another. “From there, we can gauge the direction based on what we know about the gully. Ehren, can you confirm it?”

Ehren plants his staff firmly in the ground. He focuses for a moment on the ley energy pulsing around him. “Yes, the ash’s flow aligns with the natural slope here,” he says. “The land slopes downward towards the northeast, towards the Lake Lost to the Sun—the same direction to Sesker’s Gully."

Ehren's player is currently inactive, so I will automate his use of spells, but since there are multiple ways he could be of assistance, the other players would need to be specific about which/how many spells/abilities they want him to use. To be helpful in narrowing this down, since his player is unavailable, Ehren has been automated to suggest a few examples of such spells/abilities he has available to him. Use of mythic abilities would require at least 2 active players (majority of the total number of active players) to agree this is a good use of his mythic resources for him to agree.

Ehren Aid Another Survival to Myrna: 1d20 + 23 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 23 - 4 = 30
Yui Aid Another Survival to Myrna: 1d20 + 19 - 4 + 4 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 19 - 4 + 4 + 10 = 49

Note: the survival check to avoid getting lost is at a -4 due to poor visibility, this is alleviated if you can see at least 60 ft. But this does mean that Hinagiku's aid another failed. You cannot retry an attempt to avoid getting lost. This check can be made at a +4 with navigational tools. Since Yui's player is inactive, and to avoid the active players from experiencing hardship due to player inactivity, I have automated her to suggest that she always knows the direction of true north, to be of assistance in making this check.

Time passes: 2 rounds.

Yui and Ehren take 2 fire damage, Hinagiku takes 4 fire damage, Unafe takes 1 fire damage

Inactive player tracking: Yui is at 108/120 HP, Ehren is at 146/148 HP.

Unafe blinks as she emerges from Anna’s netherrealm, and then flinches at the pain.

"Perhaps your life bubble would be wise. It lasts much longer, doesn't it? And would you be able to cast Ashen Path as well?

“If you can enable me to see, and help us find the right direction, I'm happy to carry you all. And for what it's worth, I think maybe we need to head just a hair more that way.”

Survival: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (9) + 18 = 27

163/164 HP. Will start to berserk for now, until she has some magic protection.

Holding up a scarf to protect her face from the driving ash and heat, Myrna coughs up, "Being fully protected for hours is probably smart, right?"

"Who knows, there could be storms all the way to the Gully. We could be fighting demons in this weather, couldn't we?"

"We should probably get moving, and be quick about it," she adds, looking up into the dark, opaque skies with trepidation. "It'll take us awhile yet to get there if we're hustling." She was glad they could tell which direction to run, but a five-mile jog in this weather sounded absolutely awful. It was good they could protect themselves from the storm, at least. She imagined regular Crusaders winding up isolated on the plateau during an ash storm and gave a little nervous sigh when remembering that the Hellfire Squad were at Sesker's, and that Sesker's was in danger of being overrun.

Realizing that the ambient conditions will slowly burn them to a crisp while everyone debates their next course of action, Ehren bestows everyone with resistance to fire.

"That should shield us from the heat, at the very least. More protections will be necessary if we plan to travel on foot," he reemphasizes, hoping they have a solution other than simply having Unafe leap through the storm.

Ehren casts communal resist fire on everyone. Duration is 20 minutes.

"At this point it might be best to simply shadow walk with the scroll we found. It will get us there quickly and make it difficult to get lost."

Now protected by Ehren's magic, Yui pulls out the shadow walk scroll and uses it on the group to speed their travel to Sesker's Gully.

Yui retrieves the shadow walk scroll from her bag, but the swirling storm quickly obscures its markings. She frowns, realizing the obvious obstacle.

You cannot cast from a scroll if you cannot see it. Also, you need UMD to cast scrolls that are not known to you. Also, Yui must roll spell failure chance due to the stressful situation affecting her weak lungs.

Myrna waits a moment to be enveloped into the realm of shadows before realizing that it isn't happening. Frowning, she too realizes the problem. "We can't use scrolls here, it's impossible to read! Come on, it's only five miles, we can make it!"

"With the Archdruid's protection, we can survive just fine. Right?" She hoists her backpack, apparently ready to jog northeast into this storm.

Ehren grimaces, realizing his oversight even as Myrna says it aloud. "Hold on," he says, already working on rectifying the situation.

Ehren casts ashen path on everyone. 20 minute duration.

Hallit”I could make it through 5 miles, but that would make me much weaker for the battle that is coming.” Hinagiku replies to Myrna; the tiefling might have had a natural protection against the burning ashes, but she did not.

Current time: 14:55 + 1 round
Hinagiku will use a meditation dice to succeed at her aid, it gives a minimum bonus of +1, thus she reaches 10 on the survival aid check from earlier.

Time passes: 2 minutes.

Use Magic Device: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31 vs UMD DC 31 (20 + 11 CL)

"I'm not walking through this storm at this point, my lungs are bad enough. Lets go." Unfurling the scroll, she uses her knowledge of the workings of magic to activate it without being familiar with the magic used in the spell. She then reaches out and touches each of the group in turn before completing the recitation.

The magic of the scroll unwinds from the runes on the page, filling the surrounding area in tendrils of shadow that slowly swallow up the space around them. Moments later the world is eerily calm, and the ash and embers now seem to flow around them like an illusion.

"Onward, we should be there in a few minutes."

The village of Sesker’s Gully emerges from the gray haze like a dying ember. Nestled in the shadow of a steep ridge, smoke rises in dark, acrid plumes, mingling with the miasma of demonic corruption that clings to the air. The once-proud watchtower is battered, its crenellated walls swarming with defenders and fiends locked in desperate combat.

Above the carnage, a trio of wrath demons hovers, their vulture-like heads swiveling as they survey the chaos below. Their black wings beat heavily, shaking noxious spores from their filthy feathers, raining poison onto the defenders. Crusaders launch spears and bolts, desperately trying to keep the demons from landing and unleashing their devastating storm dance. Around the wrath demons, vescavor swarms teeter in the air like dark clouds, gibbering madly. The swarms are masses of toothy, glowing maws that devour everything they touch, from wooden barricades to the armor of unlucky defenders.

On the roof of the watchtower, naked demons leap among steel-clad Crusaders, claws scraping against shields and swords. The defenders stand shoulder-to-shoulder along the crenellated walls, their discipline holding the line, though their numbers dwindle under the relentless onslaught.

At the tower’s base, brimoraks clash with knights, their flaming swords carving arcs of fire through the ash-filled air. Their fiery hooves scorch the ground, leaving charred impressions in the cracked mud. One paladin, his longsword glowing with divine light, calls upon Iomedae, driving his blade into the belly of a brimorak. The demon collapses with a pitiful bleat, its flaming weapon clattering to the ground. Nearby, squires frantically release terrified horses from the stables. The animals buck and scream, their panic amplified by the sulfurous stench of brimorak vapors.

Vermleks—hideous wormlike demons—emerge grotesquely from their bloated humanoid disguises. Pale and glistening, they slither out of corpses, using the dead bodies as armor. One vermlek raises a bloated arm, casting a burst of negative energy that knocks defenders to the ground, their screams cutting through the noise of battle.

Elsewhere, schirs—goat-headed demons with diseased halberds—bound across the battlefield, their powerful legs launching them onto rooftops and barricades. One schir, perched atop a crumbling wall, hacks at a line of Kellid warriors, its halberd dripping with unholy energy.

The tension between the Kellids and the Crusaders only worsens the chaos. A Kellid warrior wielding a greataxe shouts at a Crusader who inadvertently blocks his swing. “Get out of my way, metal-clad fool!” he snarls, his glowing tattoos pulsating with primal magics.

The Crusader, his shield barely deflecting a brimorak’s flaming sword, snaps back. “If you’d stop swinging like a madman, maybe I wouldn’t have to!”

Amid the chaos, a lone figure strides forward. Gaiwan, his golden curls matted with sweat and ash, his longsword glowing faintly with divine light, emerges from the fray. His battered armor bears the marks of countless blows, but his amber eyes burn bright.

He approaches Myrna, saluting her crisply. “Captain, it is good you have come! There’s no time to report!” he calls. “They’re overwhelmed on the parapets, and the demons are pressing on every front!”

He gestures toward the embattled watchtower, “If we don’t act now, Sesker’s Gully will fall before nightfall!”

Initiative Order: 23 - Hinagiku; 20 - Sana; 18 - Myrna; 13 - Unafe; 12 - Yui; 3 - Ehren

Roll 20 is up to date!

Foliage on the map provides cover.

Weather conditions: Windy (-2 to ranged attacks, acrobatics, athletics checks)

Round 1!

The Heroes Are Up!

Traveling through the boundaries of the Plane of Shadow is spooky, quiet, and peaceful, and over much more quickly than Myrna anticipates. She agrees that it's a superior method of travel than walking, but huffs at the idea at not being able to tolerate inclement weather.

When they arrive, it's clear that the area is in complete chaos. The Crusaders must have been fighting since before they called, which means they must be close to the level of exhaustion by now. They needed to deploy onto the battlefield, and quickly.

She summons her magic and enchants her nearby allies with a speed-enhancing transmutation spell. Then she shouts encouragement to her allies and charges into battle. "For a free Sarkoris!" she shouts, waving her warhammer and shield in the air. "Reinforcements have arrived!" She sees Sarkorian brothers and sisters in melee with schir, and charges into a pair of them that are unoccupied.

SA: Cast haste, targeting anyone within 30' (Myrna, Unafe, Yui, Ehren, plus anyone who doesn't run forward)
SwA: Marshal's Advance, giving anyone within 30' an extra move action immediately
Extra MA: Run forward (60')!
Normal MA: Run forward farther (60 more ')!
FA: Berserk (gain 12 thp, but reduce AC to 28)

Relieved to exit the worldwound into the far less onerous shadow realm, Yui enjoys the peace of their travel until they arrive shortly thereafter at the battleground. Appearing at the edge, she begins to study the situation. When Myrna calls out and charges forward, Yui follows her, rising up into the air to get a better vantage point.

Yui immediately begins reaching for a scroll case to pull out one of the numerous summon scrolls they had just retrieved from their battle. Given the massive battle, the first order of business was to empower their allies against the demons, as there was little she could do with the melee already so chaotic. Opening the scroll she begins the incantation, "Denizens of Elysium, hear me, the above the din and chaos of this battle a cry for help is heard. I beseech you, send aid to bolster our allies and aid them in their triumph against these demonic forces!"

Free move: Move up 20' and forward 30'; Mv Act: Retrieve Scroll; Std Act: Begin casting (Full Rnd Act)
Yui begins to cast summon monster VI to summon a Lillend Azata into battle

Emerging from the shadows, Ehren frowns at the chaotic battle before him, only made worse by the obvious discord between the Crusaders and Kellids. Even at a time like this, they would allow their bickering to get in the way of mounting a proper defense. Spurred on by Myrna's cry, the druid dashes toward the melee, already summoning up his druidic magics to alter his form. By the time he reaches Gaiwan's side, he has assumed his earth elemental form, towering over the rest of the combatants. With a mighty bellow, he slams a gigantic stone fist down on one of the hapless goat demons.

"Ai dyma'r rhyfelwyr y byddaf i'n amddiffyn Sarkoris gyda nhw!?" he roars across the battlefield, "Rhowch y gorau i'ch ffraeo a rhowch eich llafnau i'r gelyn!"

Slam Attack vs. Schir (Bane, Haste, Power Attack): 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 ⇒ (18) + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 = 35
Damage (Bane, Power Attack): 2d8 + 10 + 2d6 + 2 + 6 ⇒ (1, 8) + 10 + (5, 2) + 2 + 6 = 34

Extra Move: Advance 40 feet
Swift: Cast elemental body III to polymorph into a Huge earth elemental
Move: Close in on schir (blue square is Huge Ehren's new space)
Standard: Slam the schir (bypasses cold iron DR)

As the silence of the subdued shadow plane abruptly gives way to the sounds of battle cries and fighting, Hinagiku cast a glance to her allies and, seeing Myrna prepare to enchant them, centres herself. Falling into a fighting stance, she lets her mind and body attune to the present ley, allowing the flow of the world to better suffuse her.

As soon as the monk feels Myrna’s magic wash over her, she swiftly makes her way into the melee. Carried by the calls and pleas of her companions, she weaves past the closes brimorak with grace until she is finally into battle. There she awaits the right opening to aid her allies and attack their foes.

Hinagiku delays to after Myrna to benefit from haste.
Hinagiku will aid (+6 AC or saves all npc allies within reach (blue circle) and also attack their attackers to a maximum of 5 aids).

Allies within 15' of Amber: Spend a move action to teleport adjacent to Sana; Spend a swift action to gain temporary HP +(2)
Allies within 30' of Sana: Spend a point of momentum to reduce damage from a source by 7.
Enemies within 30' of Sana: None

Sana looks over the battlefield trying to determine what the best course of action is... and determines that getting her allies into the fight as quickly as possible, while keeping the Crusaders alive took precedent. She focuses on Amber to shift the magic that her light could provide, before following Myrna in, branching off to aid one ally, hoping to free them up to better engage in the melee.

With Myrna's magic, she's able to quickly flitt beyond her foe's defenses with a twist midair and waylay them with a barrage of starknife slashes. She immediately slides her starknife back into her quiver to draw her parasol off of the side of it, giving it a playful twirl as she frees Rue and Beatrix.

"Don't panic, both are friendlies." she says, back to back with a Crusader.

Beatrix comes into being with a short stagger, her hand reaching for her silver holy symbol in surprise as she beholds the chaotic battle before her. When last she was awake, they were standing in the Sanctum of Ivory. Now apparently they had made it to Sesker's Gully. It was just as bad as she had feared, but by Iomedae's blessings they would make it through.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

Unafe's eyes go wide as she takes in the massive horde of demons, crawling and flying over the fort.

With Myrna's magic speeding her step, Unafe bounds across the battlefield and begins to swing. She calls on her warrior ancestors to once again remind her of the Sarkorian skill of following a blow through from one foe to another.

BUFFS ON ALLIES:
- Temperance (reroll most 1s) on Hinagiku, Rue, and Yui
- Swords (+2 Insight to hit) on Myrna and Yui

The battlefield is a swirling maelstrom of chaos as the Crusaders and Kellids fight desperately to hold the line. The air is thick with ash and the cries of battle, punctuated by the menacing gibbering of the vescavor swarm.

Above the parapets, four vrocks circle and land atop the battered roof of the watchtower, their vulture-like forms silhouetted against the violet Worldwound sun. Their clawed feet scrape across the stone as they begin a macabre, synchronized dance. Each deliberate movement sends ripples of malevolent energy into the air. Below, the vescavors swarm over the parapets, leaving the Crusaders a gibbering mess. One young archer drops his bow, muttering, "The Abyss… it’s inside me… everywhere..." Another stumbles backward, incoherent, leaving the wall defenseless as the swarm surges through. "Hey! The Captain's here!" says Renat, who is up on the parapets. "Captain! We've got f*@@ing trouble up here!" calls out Braith.

At the base of the watchtower, two Crusaders clash with snarling schirs. "Hold the line!" one shouts, deflecting a diseased halberd with his shield. The other glances toward the tower, yelling, "Stand firm, or they’ll overrun us!" Nearby, two Kellids rush to aid, their spears driving into a schir. "Sarkoris lives!" one of them roars as his weapon finds its mark, grazing the demon’s side. A third Kellid lets out a battle cry, his greataxe cleaving into a bloated vermlek, splitting the grotesque demon open in a spray of ichor.

Further from the fray, a Kellid druid raises her staff toward the vescavor swarm. A burst of brilliant light flashes from her hands, momentarily blinding several fiends, but unfortunately also the gibbering Crusader trapped in their midst. Not far away, a berserker clad in spiked armor charges a babau, swinging wildly. His club connects with a sickening crunch, but the demon retaliates, slashing at his side.

Gaiwan charges back into the fray and beheads a schir with a single, precise blow. "We cannot lose this ground!" he shouts, rallying the defenders around him. Yet his voice falters as the vrocks’ dance above intensifies. Sparks of lightning and negative energy swirl around them, heralding something catastrophic.

Meanwhile, in the melee, Unafe swings her fist, smashing through a schir and scattering several vescavors. Yet the gibbering swarm claws at her mind, testing her focus. Nearby, Sana strikes down another schir, her starknife slicing through its unholy flesh. Twirling her parasol, she releases Rue and Beatrix, who leap into the fray.

As the babau press the attack, Yui finds herself flanked just as her spell completes. A radiant lillend azata appears, its celestial form a glimmer of hope in the chaos.

Crusader vs Gibber: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Kellid vs Gibber: 1d20 + 2 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 6 = 9
Hinagiku aid another: 1d20 ⇒ 13
Kellid vs Gibber: 1d20 + 2 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 2 + 6 = 26
Hinagiku aid another: 1d20 ⇒ 12
Kellid vs Gibber: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 38
Babau vs Rue: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15
Hinagiku aid another: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Babau vs Rue: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Hinagiku aid another: 1d20 ⇒ 9
Babau vs Rue: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Babau vs Rue crit?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Hinagiku aid another: 1d20 ⇒ 18
Damage: 1d6 + 5 - 10 ⇒ (5) + 5 - 10 = 0
Schir vs Myrna: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Schir vs Myrna: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
Schir vs Myrna: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Schir vs Beatrix: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Initiative Order: 18 - Myrna; 18 - Hinagiku; 18 - Sana; 13 - Unafe; 12 - Yui; 10 - Rue; 8 - Beatrix; 3 - Ehren

Unafe KOs a schir, wounds another schir, wounds a vescavor swarm. Sana KOs a schir.

Unafe, Hinagiku and Sana must succeed at a DC 15 will save or become confused for 1 round due to the vescavor swarms' gibbering.

Unafe takes 2d6 ⇒ (5, 3) = 8 swarm damage and must make a DC 15 fort save or become nauseated due to distraction.

Hinagiku can AoO a babau that is trying to teleport away, if she wants.

Unafe can AoO the vescavor swarm if she wants.

1 of the Sarkorian warriors are confused for 1 round, standing around and babbling incoherently.

Hinagiku uses 2 AoOs to assist will saves against gibbering.

Round 2!

The Heroes Are Up!

Down on the battlefield, Myrna resolves to rid the field of demons. She would remain near to the crowd and fight until the field was clear, freeing all the nearby fighters to move on to a different enemy. She would begin with the nearest demon -- a measly schir. She summons holy energy into her bane hammer, begins to sing a Kellid war-tune about inevitable death, blood, salt, and iron, and steps up to battle.

Raising her hammer, she brings it down on the schir's skull, her body getting cloaked in holy auras and angelic images as she does so.

Attack vs. Schir (Bane, Swords Motif, Rage Song): 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 17 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 29
Damage (Bane, Rage Song, Holy, Silver Knight Blade): 1d8 + 8 + 2d6 + 2 + 2 + 2d6 + 4d6 ⇒ (2) + 8 + (4, 2) + 2 + 2 + (5, 5) + (1, 1, 3, 2) = 37

SwA: Swap to Stance of the Silver Crane
MA: Begin Raging song, sharing maneuvers (2 rounds per round). Affected allies gain fast healing 4, +2 to hit and damage, +3 to Will saves, double their level in temporary HP, and access to Myrna's Silver Crane maneuvers. They also take a -1 penalty to AC and cannot use mental skills or employ patience or concentration.
FA: 5' step towards the nearest demon
SA: Execute Silver Knight's Blade, healing the nearest wounded ally NPC for 6.

Beatrix wheels about, surrounded by the chaotic melee. She repositions a bit, changing position so that allies are between her and the main crowd of demons. She sees the vrocks up on the parapets start to dance, and she knows that the defenders on the watchtower are the most in need of assistance -- especially with the arrival of the group down on the main battlefield.

With a prayer to Iomedae, a gesture using her holy symbol, and a flash of golden light, Beatrix summons a holy smite that cloaks the watchtower, searing the profane flesh of the demons.

Damage to Demons: 10d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 3, 1, 5, 6, 3, 1, 2, 6) = 34 (51 damage to the vescavor swarm)
Damage to Filthy Neutrals: 5d8 ⇒ (1, 3, 6, 4, 1) = 15

SA: Beatrix casts holy smite, targeting the watchtower area.
I painted a yellow rectangle onto the map to represent the area of the holy smite. Looks to me like it hits 3 vrocks, 4 schir, a babau, a vermlek, and a vescavor swarm.
It is a DC 19 Will save for half damage. Evil foes are blinded for 1 round if they fail their save.

Once her spell completes, Yui gestures to the battle before the Lillend. "دعم حلفائنا في الحرب ضد الشياطين.," she commands, and the Azata flies forward, her feathered serpentine body slicing gracefully through the air.

Once alongside the troops she begins to accompany Myrna's battle-song, her voice and harp an ethereal echo of the skald's earthly war-hymn.

Yui herself moves forward as well, closing the distance towards the Vrocks, whose dance poses the greatest threat to the crusaders and kellids fighting below, and prepares to unleash her magic upon them to disorient them before they can complete their ritual.

Yui / Std Act: Complete Summon Monster; Mv Act: Move up
Lillend / Mv Act: Move up; Std Act: Begin bardic performance
Bardic performance grants a +2 competence bonus to hit/damage and a +2 morale bonus to saves vs fear to all allies who can hear the Lillend

Unafe swings opportunistically as the swarm comes toward her, but then–when she sees the Vrocks begin their blasphemous dance–leaps and sails through the windy air, buoyed by Myrna's Skald-song.

She snatches a Vrock right out of the air. Landing with a thud on the edge of the rampart walkway, she shoves the Vrock's face right into the nearest swarm.

"Chwiorydd a Brodyr, nid yw'r cythreuliaid hyn yn cyfateb i gryfder rhyfelwyr Sarcorian pan fyddwn yn ymladd gyda'n gilydd!"

BUFFS ON ALLIES:
- Temperance (reroll most 1s) on Hinagiku, Rue, and Yui
- Swords (+2 Insight to hit) on Myrna and Yui

This was a massive demonic attack, one that, considering the chaotic nature of their foes, must have been orchestrated by some powerful demon. As this realization dawn on Hinagiku, she calls to the closest member of Myrna’s squad, calling to them for information: Taldan”Mr. Gaiwan, do they have a commander?”

Before waiting for the answer, Hinagiku is already on the move. Her allies had her back and there were more people who needed protection. Weaving and winding through the battle, Hinagiku makes her way to a few sarkorian warriors who seem in a more precarious situation. As the monk reaches their side, she propels herself up into the air to be better position

Hinagiku will aid (+6 AC or saves all npc allies within reach (blue circle) and also attack their attackers to a maximum of 6 aids).
Hinagiku provokes AoO all along her movement.

Ehren is about to charge into the thick of things when the two babau suddenly materialize nearby. Allowing the holy power of Myrna's song to suffuse him, the tremendous earth elemental falls upon the murder demons like an avalanche, fists swinging and feet stomping.

Free: Accept raging song
Swift: Initiate Stance of the Silver Crane
Full Round: Full attack vs. nearby babau (will take a five foot step to put the other one in his reach if he happens to kill the first one), bypassing cold iron DR

First Slam vs. Babau (Bane, Haste, Power Attack, Rage): 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 38
Damage (Bane, Holy, Power Attack, Rage): 2d8 + 10 + 2d6 + 2 + 2d6 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 6) + 10 + (1, 4) + 2 + (5, 3) + 6 + 2 = 45
Second Slam vs. Babau (Bane, Haste, Power Attack, Rage): 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 29
Damage (Bane, Holy, Power Attack, Rage): 2d8 + 10 + 2d6 + 2 + 2d6 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (8, 8) + 10 + (1, 4) + 2 + (5, 5) + 6 + 2 = 51
Haste Slam vs. Babau (Bane, Haste, Power Attack, Rage): 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 34
Damage (Bane, Holy, Power Attack, Rage): 2d8 + 10 + 2d6 + 2 + 2d6 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (8, 6) + 10 + (1, 2) + 2 + (3, 6) + 6 + 2 = 46

Header updated to reflect current form. Also, all rolls from the previous post should have an additional +2 due to the lillend's bardic performance.

Allies within 15' of Amber: Gain Acid Resist +3 (Max 8) and +3 Acid Damage to weapon attacks, and may: Spend a move action to teleport adjacent to Sana;
Allies within 30' of Sana: Spend a point of momentum to reduce damage from a source by 7.
Enemies within 30' of Sana: None

"Amber can teleport you to me. With Myrna's song, I think I'll focus Amber on helping bring down targets faster. You'll be able to injure the swarms as long as you're near to her." Sana shares with the others as the mote of light floats after her, its light shifting to leave an emerald sheen on her allies' weapons. Before she's finished speaking, she's already twisting and twirling through the air, flying towards the upper wall, parasol in hand. As she crests over the edge, she brings the weapon back up into its holster and lets her starknife fall into it with practiced ease. As she flutters overhead, she looks for any unattended arrows - particularly of the cold iron variety - that might come in handy for Rue. Unfortunately, her quiver carried all of her weapons, and so was a little difficult to share.

"We need those Vrocks down immediately, before they can finish dancing!" she calls out over the din of battle, even as she brings her weapon arcing towards her foe.

“Not that I know of!” Gaiwan shouts back at Hinagiku, his glowing blade cutting through a babau. “If they do, it’s staying hidden!”

The battlefield roars with chaos, ash swirling with the metallic tang of blood and the stench of brimstone. Unafe, towering amid the carnage, swings her fist in devastating arcs, cleaving through the vescavor swarm and scattering its ravenous insects. Her gaze snaps upward, locking onto a circling vrock. With an earth-shaking leap, she snatches the demon mid-flight and slams it into the parapet below.

Behind and below, Myrna charges, divine energy blazing along her hammer. With a single decisive blow, she caves in a schir’s chest, its grotesque form collapsing into the blood-soaked dirt. Without hesitation, she turns her focus to the next demon, her song rallying allies across the field.

Hinagiku moves like a shadow, her fists a blur. She intercepts a babau with a powerful kick, holy energy coursing through her strike as the fiend reels back, ichor spilling from its wound. Her sharp eyes catch sight of beleaguered Sarkorian warriors under siege. Darting toward them, she positions herself to intercept incoming blows as they regroup. Together, they bring down a fiery brimorak, but the battle is relentless. Too far away, a Kellid warrior cries out as vescavors swarm her, while a babau's spear pierces her side, her body crumpling under the combined assault.

On a nearby rise, Beatrix raises her holy symbol high. With a flash of golden light, she calls upon Iomedae, blanketing the tower with divine radiance. The brilliance blinds the vrocks mid-dance, their movements faltering but ultimately undeterred, while several schir, a babau, and a vermlek collapse, writhing under the searing power. The remnants of the vescavor swarm are reduced to ash, their maddening gibbering silenced.

Sana and Rue strike as one, their blades carving into the tough hide of a schir. Rue’s starknife strikes deep, leaving the fiend swaying on unsteady legs. Meanwhile, back closer to where the heroes first arrived, Ehren, in his massive earth elemental form, crushes a babau with a single swing before pivoting to another, his stone fists shattering the demon into lifeless fragments.

On the watchtower’s roof, the sound of battle intensifies. Blood pools among shattered shields and broken weapons. Four Crusaders remain standing, their tabards soaked with crimson, as demons claw at their ranks. A paladin raises her warhammer, summoning a radiant glow that scorches nearby fiends. Yet the light struggles to reach its full potential, dimmed by the looming shadows of the vrocks above. Black spores rain down from the grappled demon, burrowing into flesh. A soldier screams as the spores sprout grotesque vines that coil around her limbs. Quick-thinking, a paladin purges the growth with holy water, but before he can react, a vermlek lunges, striking him down.

Sana’s gaze locks on the tower roof where the vrocks are dancing, where scattered cold iron arrows could prove invaluable for her ally.

Suddenly, a shimmer of dark energy bursts across road on the other side of the watchtower. A massive hezrou materializes, its toad-like form emanating a nauseating stench that causes nearby defenders to gag and falter. The demon bellows, its guttural roar shaking the tower. "Hold fast!" shouts Gregary, his voice cutting through the din as the Crusaders steel themselves against the overwhelming malevolence.

Rue vs Schir: 1d20 + 18 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 18 + 3 + 2 = 34
Rue Damage: 1d4 + 6 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 3 + (6, 2) = 21
Vrock Will Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Vrock Will Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Vrock Will Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Schir Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
Schir Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
Schir Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
Schir Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Schir Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Babau Will Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Vermlek Will Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Vescavor Swarm Will Save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Vermlek AoO vs Hinagiku: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Hinagiku AoO to AC: 1d20 ⇒ 11
Hinagiku AoO to AC: 1d20 ⇒ 19
Hinagiku AoO to AC: 1d20 ⇒ 14
Hinagiku AoO to AC: 1d20 ⇒ 6
Vrock vs Unafe: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 12 - 2 = 29
Vrock vs Unafe: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 12 - 2 = 25
Vrock vs Unafe: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 12 - 2 = 25
Vrock vs Unafe: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 12 - 2 = 15

Unafe leaves the vescavor swarm in critical condition. Myrna destroys a schir. Hinagiku wounds a babau. Sana grazes a schir. Rue uses Amber to teleport to Sana's side and leaves the same schir critical. Unafe grapples a vrock. Beatrix's Holy Smite grazes and blinds 3 dancing vrocks, leaves 2 schir blind and critical, grazes 2 schir, grazes and blinds a babau, and destroys a vermlek and a vescavor swarm. Ehren destroys a babau and wounds another babau. Hinagiku uses up 4 AoOs defending Sarkorian Warriors against brimoraks and schir.

A brimorak vomits blood on Hinagiku must make a DC 17 reflex save or take 5d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 6, 5, 3) = 21 fire damage (success halves).

Unafe takes 1d8 ⇒ 8 damage from spores (disease).

If desired, Hinagiku can AoO 1 brimorak and 1 schir.

Sana and Unafe need to make a DC 15 will save or become confused for 1 round.

Round 3!

The Heroes are up!

Gazing up towards the Vrocks, Yui focuses on the three closest together, her will twisting their views of the world until it is unrecognizable, threatening to leave them reeling in confusion.

Std Act: SLA *confusion*, DC 18 will save or be confused for 12 rounds

Spell Resistance - Vrock 1: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14
Spell Resistance - Vrock 1: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27
Spell Resistance - Vrock 1: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26

3/4 uses of confusion remaining

Meanwhile, the Lillend focuses on the nearby brimorak moving down enough to bring it into her reach. She brings down her gleaming longsword on the demon's head in a pair of quick strokes. As goat-demon tries to evade the sword strikes, her massive tail swings around crashing into its torso and coiling around it. Reaching down with her free hand, she grabs the demon by the throat as her tail begins to squeeze the life out of it. "إرحل عن هذا العالم أيها الشيطان!" she says, making her loathing of the demon clear.

Free act: 5' step down; Full Rnd Act: Attack Brimorak
Bypasses DR/Good, and Lillend has Resist Fire 10

Attack: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 12 + 2 + 2 = 29
Damage: 2d6 + 8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4, 6) + 8 + 2 + 2 = 22

Attack: 1d20 + 7 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 2 + 2 = 17
Damage: 2d6 + 8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4, 6) + 8 + 2 + 2 = 22

Tail Slap: 1d20 + 6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 2 + 2 = 28
Damage: 2d6 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1, 5) + 2 + 2 + 2 = 12

Grab: 1d20 + 13 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 13 + 2 + 2 = 36
Damage: 2d6 + 5 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2, 3) + 5 + 2 + 2 = 14

Unafe shrugs off the demonic influence trying to get inside her skull. She pins the Vrock tight, squeezing it by the wings, and begins swinging at at the other demons within her reach.

As she does–thanks to Myrna's song–the demon somehow takes on a holy glow in her hands, burning those it's smashed into with holy light.

BUFFS ON ALLIES:
- Temperance (reroll most 1s) on Hinagiku, Rue, and Yui
- Swords (+2 Insight to hit) on Myrna and Yui

Knowing that the brimorak might engulf many of her allies in abyssal fire, Hinagiku closes her eyes to sense the metaphysical presence of the demon and, when an opening finally presents itself, she strikes straight where fire energy connects with the creature’s physical body, attempting to disrupt the link for a few seconds.

Hallit followed by taldan”I have weakened this one, now is the time to take it down.” she calls to the nearest sarkorian and crusader.

As her allies take care of these foes, Hinagiku watches as an hezrou materializes past the gate. Thanks to years of meditation and training, the sight of the creature that tore her apart all those years ago fails to elicit fear, but apprehension for the safety of her allies does churn her inner ocean; with one word the monster could take down many of the crusaders and kellids. But, flying above the battle, Hinagiku seizes her change to bring the fight directly to her enemy and hopefully stop it from uttering words drawn from the abyss.

Grapping the surrounding threads of ley within her hands, Hinagiku propels herself across the battlefield, flying above their foes and directly towards the hezrou. As she travels, invisible ley filaments gather around her outstretched fingers, forming a huge net which she casts in one graceful motion onto the demon

Hinagiku provokes AoO all along her movement.
Hinagiku takes 0 damage from brimorak due to fire resistance
Hezrou must make DC 26 reflex save or be grappled by Hinagiku. It gets a +1 bonus on the save for being larger than her.

Ehren relentlessly advances on the other babau, swinging at it with another mighty slam.

First Slam vs. Babau (Bane, Haste, Power Attack, Rage): 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 17 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 2 = 36
Damage (Bane, Holy, Power Attack, Rage): 2d8 + 10 + 2d6 + 2 + 2d6 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 8) + 10 + (2, 6) + 2 + (3, 2) + 6 + 2 = 46

"Arrows near the vrocks." Sana says to Rue, as she looks around the battlefield, trying to assess threats. Most likely, she should double down on stopping the Vrocks for now... while still leaving space for her allies to make some use of Amber's ability to teleport her.

"Hezrou in the southeast!" She calls out to the others who didn't have the benefit of perspective. "Multiple vescavor swarms!" she adds.

It was going to be a long day... and they would need to conserve resources, while still saving lives. Ultimately, that meant taking chances and making herself as big of a threat as possible. In the short term, that meant damage control, in the long term, that meant making herself a bit more terrifying. Luckily... Myrna was offering that opportunity. She breathes out one heavy breath that grows from steady to ragged as she lets the inner platform that keeps her safely out of Yui's reach fall from beneath her. Immediately, her eyes dart from the Vrocks, which were a minor threat to her, to the babaus... who had already taken so much magic from her and her allies. She flinches slightly, pushing the thought away. Different babau, same threat. She couldn't bring her magic fully to bear as long as they were there. They would be next.

For now, the focus was the Vrocks, which could very well kill everyone if they weren't stopped. She spirals past the schir nearest her and directly between the babau before darting up onto the low wall to dash across it, getting closer to the parapet. Golden light arcs along the blade's edges, as silver light ripples and crashes amongst the center as she whips the blade with a flick of her wrist to send the celestial-infused weapon towards the nearest Vrock... hoping to eat away its will and force it to act against its own interests.

Continuing her song, Myrna radiates righteous power as she darts across the battlefield, the essence of speed even in her new (falsely emblazoned) mithril full plate. There were powerful demons on the parapets ahead, and she saw Sana and Unafe rushing ahead to deal with them. Myrna wanted to join them, but it was important to control the field. Lives were at stake down here, too.

She positions herself so that she's surrounded by foes, and then pivots to face the babau that was furthest behind the lines. They needed to overwhelm the demons quickly, move on, and get the battle over with.

With a hoarse yell and a huge wind-up, Myrna brings her hammer crashing down on the nearest babau, the swing leaving a bright-white afterimage of righteous anti-evil energy.

Exorcism Strike v. Babau (Bane, Swords, Rage, Inspired, Haste): 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 17 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 44
Damage (Bane, Rage, Holy, Inspired, Exorcism Strike, Brutal Strike): 1d8 + 8 + 2d6 + 2 + 2 + 2d6 + 2 + 6d6 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 8 + (1, 1) + 2 + 2 + (6, 5) + 2 + (6, 3, 6, 1, 5, 2) + 16 = 73

MA: Move to current position
SA: Initiate Exorcism Strike on the babau, also adding Brutal Strike damage. If she kills the babau, she regains martial focus.
FA: Maintain berserk, and maintain rage song (18/26 rounds left).

Staying behind her Captain for now, Beatrix raises her silver sword of Iomedae and intones a familiar prayer. While it was unfortunate one of the Sarkorians lay within the area of the spell, it was more important to strike at the demons. If he were blinded, he could simply withdraw. Myrna and Beatrix were here now, the situation would be well in hand within a minute, she was sure of that.

A burst of radiance appears amidst the battlefield, searing the demonic flesh of the nearby foes and threatening to rob them of their sight. Beatrix nods with satisfaction at the results of her spell.

Spell Pen v. Babau: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 10 + 2 = 19
Spell Pen v. Schir: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 10 + 2 = 27
Spell Pen v. Schir: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 10 + 2 = 27
Spell Pen v. Vescavor: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 10 + 2 = 14
Burst Damage: 5d4 ⇒ (3, 4, 1, 3, 2) = 13
Duration: 1d4 ⇒ 3

SA: Cast burst of radiance, hitting two schir, a babau, and a vescavor swarm, plus a Sarkorian warrior (indicated by orangeish square nearby Beatrix). Reflex DC 17 to avoid blindness.

The babau before Myrna staggers, its claws flailing weakly as it clings to life. A nearby Crusader, emboldened by Myrna’s song, seizes the opportunity and lunges forward with a cry of valor, his sword plunging into the demon’s chest. The fiend collapses in a lifeless heap. “My lady,” the young Crusader murmurs, doffing his helm as he kneels before Myrna, his sparkling eyes filled with awe. Before Myrna can respond, his sergeant barks, “Stand up, soldier!” The boy, barely eighteen, scrambles to his feet.

Nearby, Hinagiku’s fist strikes the brimorak, disrupting the fire demon’s aura as it staggers under her blow, dropping its flaming sword. A schir lunges at her, its halberd narrowly missing as she counters with a swift kick under its jaw, sending it reeling. Without pause, she soars across the battlefield toward the hezrou. Grasping ley energy, she casts a shimmering net over the massive demon. The glowing weave tightens, restraining the hezrou despite its thrashing and ground-shaking roars.

Sana, focused on the southernmost vrock, lets her celestial-infused starknife arc through the air. The blade strikes true, slicing into the demon’s flesh and unleashing a disorienting wave of magic. The vrock falters, its infernal dance breaking as confusion clouds its mind. Its guttural chants devolve into incoherent babbling, the rising ritual energy around the parapet dissipating momentarily.

Also on the parapets, Unafe holds the pinned vrock in her massive grip, muscles straining as she swings it like a living weapon. She slams it into a nearby vermlek, the grotesque wormlike demon crushed under the combined weight and holy radiance of the vrock. Black ichor sprays across the stone, but Unafe is relentless. Pivoting, she brings the vrock down onto a babau, the impact shattering the fiend’s defenses and leaving it reeling. Another swing crashes into a schir, its howls of pain silenced as it collapses to its knees, barely clinging to life.

Yui, watching the parapet, narrows her focus on the three vrocks clustered together. Her magic seeps into their minds, twisting their perceptions. The air around them shimmers unnaturally as confusion overtakes them. Two vrocks falter, slashing at each other with talons and screeches, while the third claws at itself in a frenzy, its chants broken.

Meanwhile, the Lillend Azata glides toward a schir, her celestial presence a stark contrast to the Abyssal chaos. Her longsword flashes with holy energy, cutting deep into the demon’s goat-like form. The schir stumbles, flames dimming under her assault, but it finds no reprieve as her massive tail snaps around its torso. With a squeeze, she crushes the life from the demon.

Beatrix’s holy light erupts amid the melee, searing demonic flesh. One schir disintegrates into ash, and the vescavor swarm evaporates entirely, its maddening gibbering silenced. The lesser demons shriek, while others hurl curses at Beatrix, their guttural voices filled with hate. Taking advantage of the chaos, veteran Crusaders cut down the disoriented fiends. Nearby, a Sarkorian warrior caught in the spell stumbles back, blinded but still clutching his weapon.

Across the battlefield, Ehren advances, his massive earth elemental form towering above the fray. Spotting a babau slinking towards him, he charges. The ground trembles as he raises a stone fist, slamming it down onto the demon. Holy energy from Myrna’s song courses through the blow, shattering the demon into a lifeless heap.

Below the parapets, Gaiwan moves, cutting down a snarling schir near Myrna before raising his shield to deflect another strike. Nearby, Thornam cleaves a schir in two with his greataxe, the demon crumpling as he strides forward, seeking his next foe. Vai’s magic surges across the battlefield, obliterating a babau flanked by a Crusader and a Sarkorian warrior.

On the far side of the watchtower, Hinagiku evades the hezrou’s lunges, her movements a blur of speed and precision. Yet, the battle around her grows dire. A brimorak hurls a fireball into the fray, engulfing two Sarkorian warriors in flames. Their cries echo as they stumble, burned and battered. Nearby, a Crusader surrounded by three schir fights valiantly, but the demons overwhelm him, blades and teeth tearing him apart. His lifeless body falls, blood pooling beneath him.

Gregary charges through the carnage, his sword slicing cleanly through a vermlek. The wormlike demon writhes as ichor spills onto the battlefield before going still. Yet the vermleks press their attack, tearing apart a Sarkorian warrior as his comrades fight grimly to hold the line.

Schir Reflex Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Schir Reflex Save: 1d20 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 3 - 2 = 13
Babau Reflex Save: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 - 2 = 5
Sarkorian Reflex Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Hezrou Reflex Save: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 3 + 1 = 13
Brimorak fort save: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 9 - 2 = 20
Schir AoO vs Hinagiku: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
Brimorak AoO vs Hinagiku: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Vermlek AoO vs Hinagiku: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Vermlek AoO vs Hinagiku: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Dancing Vrock will save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 26
Vrock Will Save: 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 6 - 1 = 6
Vrock Will Save: 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 6 - 1 = 15
Vrock Will Save: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 - 2 = 5
Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 95
Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 53
Vrock vs Self: 1d8 + 5 - 10 ⇒ (4) + 5 - 10 = -1
Vrock vs Vrock: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23
Damage: 2d6 + 5 - 10 ⇒ (3, 6) + 5 - 10 = 4
Vrock vs Vrock: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25
Damage: 2d6 + 5 - 10 ⇒ (3, 2) + 5 - 10 = 0
Vrock vs Vrock: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30
Damage: 1d8 + 5 - 10 ⇒ (8) + 5 - 10 = 3
Vrock vs Vrock: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 5 - 10 ⇒ (2) + 5 - 10 = -3
Vrock vs Vrock: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26
Damage: 1d6 + 5 - 10 ⇒ (1) + 5 - 10 = -4
Rue vs Schir: 1d20 + 18 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 18 + 3 + 2 = 34
Damage: 1d4 + 6 + 3 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 3 + (2, 3) = 16
Vrock vs CMD: 1d20 + 15 - 3 ⇒ (12) + 15 - 3 = 24
Babau vs Unafe: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
Babau vs Unafe: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Vrock vs Rue: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 12 - 2 = 27
Vrock vs Rue: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 12 - 2 = 30
Vrock vs Rue Crit?: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 12 - 2 = 13
Damage: 1d6 + 11 - 10 ⇒ (1) + 11 - 10 = 2
Vrock vs Rue: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 12 - 2 = 28
Vrock vs Rue: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 12 - 2 = 30
Vrock vs Rue: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 12 - 2 = 27
Vrock vs Rue Crit?: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 12 - 2 = 28
Damage: 1d8 + 11 - 10 ⇒ (7) + 11 - 10 = 8
Hezrou Grapple vs Hinagiku: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (4) + 23 = 27
Gregary Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Crusader Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Sarkorian Reflex Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Sarkorian Reflex Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Hezrou Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Initiative Order: 18 - Myrna; 18 - Hinagiku; 18 - Sana; 13 - Unafe; 12 - Yui; 10 - Rue; 8 - Beatrix; 3 - Ehren

Myrna leaves the babau critical (the Crusader kills it). Hinagiku Hinagiku leaves a schir in critical condition and wounds and stuns a brimorak and grapples the Hezrou. Sana wounds and confuses a dancing vrock, which interrupts the dance. Unafe leaves the grappled vrock in critical condition, destroys a vermlek, leaves a babau wounded and a schir in critical condition. The lilend destroys a schir and Yui confuses all 3 vrocks. Beatrix destroys the vescavor swarm and a schir, leaves another schir grazed, leaves the babau critical and the Sarkorian warrior blind. Ehren destroys a babau.

Hinagiku needs to make a DC 15 will save or become confused for 1 round. Hinagiku needs to make DC 24 fort save or become nauseated for 1 minute.

Hinagiku needs to make a DC 15 reflex save or take 6d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 6, 4, 3, 4) = 22 fire damage from fireball, success halves.

Round 4!

The Heroes Are Up!