Is that it? I think I see it in the mist approaching... but I can definitely hear it...
Vega takes a quick and careful step towards to large mass he can barely make out in the fog beyond. After the quick step, his head lifts up slightly as he realizes just how large this creature actually is.
...of course the fog would hide something large like this...
Without wasting a single heart-beat, Vega begins to pummel the creatures side. No words need to be spoken, no battle cry or verbal beration, just a simple and effective physical assault. Either the creature will wisen up and flee, or it will fall.
____________________________
- Protection from Evil
- Cat's Grace
- Evolution Surge (wings w/speed boost)
- Unarmed Strikes count as Magic, Cold Iron, Silver and Good for overcoming DR
- Immune to all elemental damage
Hearing the archons call out that there's been contact on the Eastern side, Gror starts to fly forward, following the wall to his left. When he sees the massive worm through the mist he strikes out at it, but the blow easily glances off the worm's hide.
As his claws glance off of it, he realizes the massive heat that's radiating from it's body, and is thankful that his evolution surge is still protecting him from heat. "Careful comrades! This thing's hide is tough...and radiates some ferocious heat. I might've been badly burnt were it not for my magical protection."
Dori remains near the ceiling, claws ready to attack anything that comes in range. "What are they? I'd rather not blow through any more spells just yet."
Hearing Gror's advice, Ophelia quickly begins to cook up plans. She quickly begins thinking about everything she knows about Winter Worms. Considering the nature of these beasts, she concludes that they likely have weak will power. The Sapphire Summoner quickly asks the lantern archon in front of her for a head count. After getting eight calls back, the little shimmering wizard begins throwing her scheme into action.
"Archons to my right, fall back. Those to my left, guide Lucero to the nearest worm via sound while distracting it with your lasers. LC, follow our voices and Plane Shift the worm," Ophelia quickly begins to order in the same manner as a general giving instructions to her soldiers.
"...Geez, and I just got healed up..." Lucero grumbles at the thought of getting roasted by a worm as he flaps his powerful wings and moves his way into the fray.
Hearing the Couatl flying her way, Ophelia calls out, “Over here! By Dori!”
As he flies over Cho, Lucero shifts his flexible serpentine frame toward the way of Ophelia’s disembodied voice. The feathered snake is rather happy to be a bit of the large side; his size lets him see most of the group despite the thickness of the fog. He directs himself toward Dorialis once the living shadow comes within sight.
“Good luck,” he hears Ophelia say gently as her tiny invisible hand brushes against his scales.
Meanwhile, the four archons on Ophelia’s right either unleash a barrage of lasers upon the second worm or move close to get a quick zap in. Each one of them gets at least one shot in despite their poor line of sight. The other four on Ophelia’s left quickly retreat behind the much more durable Sapphira and Vega.
The four attacking quickly hear Lucero’s rapid approach and begin pointing the Couatl in the direction of the nearest winter worm. Thanks to the effects of Poppy’s Haste spell, LC manages to cover the distance within mere seconds. The worm is caught completely off guard by the feathered serpent’s sudden arrival from the fog. It barely has time to flinch as Lucero wraps his tail around the creature’s body and then sends it shrieking to the Plane of Negative Energy, where its life force is swiftly drained to nothing.
Once the deed is done, Lucero looks at his tail and expects to see terrible burns. Instead, he finally notes the lack of pain and finds nothing sans a small sapphire shimmer radiating from his scales. Glancing back to where he suspects that Ophelia is hiding, the Couatl can’t help but give his friend a smile.
All the while, Lily continues to play her celestial harp.
Poppy hears quite a commotion coming from the next room. I hope that means they're taking care of the bad guys! She lets her more deadly companions and Ophelia's army of summons have at the worms. She sticks close to Lily and pokes herself with her wand again. "Heehee!"
Unable to see through the fog and only vaguely aware of the direction of the rhemoraz, Cho'ankai struggles to fight in the tight confines of the tunnel. The flickering snaps of the lantern archons being destroyed and the horrific cries of the beasts responsible for this destruction feel both immediate and distant at once. Blocking the main passage back, Cho'ankai braces his huge, earthen form and squares his footing, rocky lips pulled back revealing razor-sharp obsidian teeth. It's here he stands his ground, waiting for the wave of archons to fall and open up a passage for him to strike. In his mind, Cho has already considered the proper spell for this task, and whatever threat lurks int he fog rendering it into a helpless animal must be of some use. They just need to get in range of such a baleful curse.
Is that it? I think I see it in the mist approaching... but I can definitely hear it...
Vega steps between LC and Sapphira, trying to get to the worm. He sees nothing though, LC has already shifted the creature into another plane.
The cramped quarters clogged with summoned creatures and the fog cutting off virutally all visibility have thrown the Chosen into a confused mass of conflicting actions and instructions. Despite this, they have already managed to subdue one of their foes.
The remaining worm lashes out again with it's spined, white-hot body trying to smash two more of the archons. It blows right through one of them, smashing it into celestial powder. The worms body is deflected by its mass however and misses the second archon.
___________________________________________
Hit
Hit
Natural 1 miss
Now that Gror is beside the hideous worm he's ready to go. Feeling the terrible heat roll off of his magically warded gargoyle form, he digs in with everything he's got. His first swing somehow misses the huge Remoraz entirely, but he focuses his attention and his next four strikes carve through the beast's carapace like butter, sending steaming green hunks of worm flying into the mists.
"Steady as we go, comrades. We have this beast where we want it now. Anyone know how many more there are out there?"
_____________
AC 43 (+14 natural armor +4 armor (Mage Armor), +3 dex, +4 shield, +3 deflection +5 barkskin)
Abilities:
Judgement 2/4 | Bane 11/17 | Seize Initiative 6/9 | Combat Mastery 8/12
Buffs:
Barkskin: +5 Nat Armor (118 min left)
Mage Armor: +4 Armor
Magic Fang: +1 on claws
Inspire Courage: +2
Haste: +1, extra attack
Evo surge: immune (cold, heat)
Inquisitor Spells Remaining
1st (4/7)
2nd (5/7)
3rd (5/5)
4th (3/4)
Summoner Spells Remaining
1st (3/6)
2nd (4/6)
3rd (3/4)
4th (3/4)
Listening to the sounds of battle and the brutal attacks Gror visits upon whatever horrors dwell in the fog, Cho'ankai tries to attenuate his senses in a manner that gives him a clearer understanding of the situation. Still wedged between icy walls and scraping large portions of the wall off with each movement of his rocky form, Cho has little other recourse but to wait for the others to move ahead before he can continue onward.
Sometimes, it appears, size does not always matter in the positive.
____
"Maybe we should turn back and check the other way?" Ophelia suggests as she asks the lantern archon in front of her for a headcount. She frowns upon learning that she has a little more than half the number of celestial troopers she originally summoned. "I don't think these guys are going to last much longer if we keep stumbling around in the fog."
Gror shakes his head no. "There's a reason this area was walled off and hidden. I say we find out why. It may well be the path to the torc."
________
"Fine. I will have the remaining archons scout ahead then; hopefully, they won't all be reduced to celestial powder," says Ophelia as she immediately backs off from being devil's advocate. Making a mental image of her remaining troops, the little elf begins giving out instructions. "Okay, guys. Use the buddy system. The four closest to Lucero, go straight ahead. If the path diverges, two of you go one way while the others keep going ahead. You three next to the dead worm, go to my left if you can."
The archons let out a collective "Yes, ma'am!" before carrying out their instructions and floating off into the unknown.
As the celestial troopers leave, Lucero quickly shifts back to the middle of the group, behind Sapphira and Vega. As durable as he has proven to be, the Couatl would rather not be ambushed by one of those worms. He concludes that it makes far more sense for the untouchable monk and the nearly immortal angel to be the frontline of defense.
Meanwhile, Lily calls out, "Want me to keep playing, Ophelia?"
Ophelia quickly replies, "...Sure. The archons can follow the music back. Those worms aren't too big a threat; Gror just wasted one in seconds. Let them come this way if they want."
Dori continues to stay near the ceiling, second in line from the front, with an eye out for traps and ambushes.
I like this flying, much quieter than creeping up stairs. Why I could get into the old Granph place like this! No more worries about squeaky stairs...
She manages to appear as nothing more than a flitting shadow on the ceiling as she scans the corridor below her.
Size: Medium
AC 35/18/27
Saves 17/16/15
CMD 33
improved Evasion
Resist Cold 5, elec 5
Shadow Blending 50% miss chance, concealment
Spells in effect:
Haste (3 rds)
Spells remaining: 2/6/2/2
The archons fan out. They report a roughly circular chamber opening up south of the group. A roughly sixty foot passage to the east with a vertical tunnel in the ceiling. The archons to the west report a side passage opening to the north and then further westward expansion. After a few seconds the archons in all directions call out "CONTACT!" and there is a loud crashing noise of ice and steam.
_______________________________
Initiative:
Party 32
Worms 18
Gror briefly refocuses his senses away from his sight and then follows the sound of the Archons forward until he spots several in front of a worm. He flies up toward it and takes a swing, but the worm sees him and pulls back, causing Gror's claws to skate harmlessly across its hide.
"Yep, we've got another worm over here! I'll take this one if you can get to the others. Ophelia, can a few of the archons keep on scouting?"
_______________
AC 43 (+14 natural armor +4 armor (Mage Armor), +3 dex, +4 shield, +3 deflection +5 barkskin)
Abilities:
Judgement 2/4 | Bane 11/17 | Seize Initiative 6/9 | Battle Mastery 7/12
Buffs:
Barkskin: +5 Nat Armor (118 min left)
Mage Armor: +4 Armor
Magic Fang: +1 on claws
Inspire Courage: +2
Haste: +1, extra attack
Evo surge: immune (cold, heat)
Inquisitor Spells Remaining
1st (4/7)
2nd (5/7)
3rd (5/5)
4th (3/4)
Summoner Spells Remaining
1st (3/6)
2nd (4/6)
3rd (3/4)
4th (3/4)
Hearing the sounds of archons engaged in battle, Cho'ankai lets loose a thunderous earthen roar and slams forward, his huge rocky limbs dragging his gigantic girth through the tunnel passages, pushing others out of the way as three granite heads snap and chomp in the air. Barely able to see reflections of the beacon-light of the archons on the icy walls, Cho struggles through the passages, alternating cavernous and narrow, breaking off ice and rock as he forces his way towards the sounds of combat.
____
The archons will just get killed if they stay out there. I know they won't be "dead" dead, but it's still cruel to make them fight something they can't handle, Ophelia thinks as she hears their calls of contact. As such, General Ophelia immediately gives out her orders, "Fall back! Duos, follow the music. Trio, check out that northern passage."
Seeing Gror and Cho’ankai head off into combat, Lucero finally works up the urge to go into the fray himself, knowing that he will not be just by himself. With a vicious hiss, the celestial snake follows the calls of the archons as they retreat back toward the sounds of Lily’s harp. As he flies, the Couatl recalls that lantern archons can give small blessings to other creatures that give slight protection from most forms of harm. The magic itself would probably not work on anyone covered by an eidolon, but it would be perfect protection for him. While Ophelia’s spell might be able to absorb most of the heat from the winter worms, Lucero knows that there is a slight chance that he might still get burned.
“How about a little Aid, guys?” he calls out to any archon within hearing distance.
Only a second later, one of the retreating pairs comes within view, and upon seeing him, one of them briefly stops to prove some celestial assistance to his ally.
“Go that way,” says the archon as it finishes casting its spell.
With a nod, Lucero adjusts his movement and flies in that indicated direction. Thanks to Lucero’s long body, the feathered serpent is able to receive the blessing without actually stopping. A second later, he almost crashes right into a worm. The surprised creature rears backs its head to bite him, but LC proves to have superior agility. Just as the vermin’s massive teeth are about to take a chomp out of his neck, Lucero manages to twist around it and hold his foe fast. The Coutal’s eyes flash white, and he jets the weak-willed creature to the same plane as he sent its brother. Lucero does feel a slight burning sensation on his scales, but the archon’s spell takes any stray heat that Ophelia’s spell fails to absorb.
_____________________________________________________
Dori tries to squeeze herself into a corner as Cho'anki pushes past. Watch the teeth!
She'll stay up above him, provided there is room, and try to assist with anythign dumb enough to get close.
Gror briefly refocuses his senses away from his sight and then follows the sound of the Archons forward until he spots several in front of a worm. He flies up toward it and takes a swing, but the worm sees him and pulls back, causing Gror's claws to skate harmlessly across its hide. "Yep, we've got another worm over here! I'll take this one if you can get to the others. Ophelia, can a few of the archons keep on scouting?"
Hearing the sounds of archons engaged in battle, Cho'ankai lets loose a thunderous earthen roar and slams forward, his huge rocky limbs dragging his gigantic girth through the tunnel passages, pushing others out of the way as three granite heads snap and chomp in the air. Barely able to see reflections of the beacon-light of the archons on the icy walls, Cho struggles through the passages, alternating cavernous and narrow, breaking off ice and rock as he forces his way towards the sounds of combat.
The archons will just get killed if they stay out there. I know they won't be "dead" dead, but it's still cruel to make them fight something they can't handle, Ophelia thinks as she hears their calls of contact. As such, General Ophelia immediately gives out her orders, "Fall back! Duos, follow the music. Trio, check out that northern passage."
Seeing Gror and Cho’ankai head off into combat, Lucero finally works up the urge to go into the fray himself, knowing that he will not be just by himself. With a vicious hiss, the celestial snake follows the calls of the archons as they retreat back toward the sounds of Lily’s harp. As he flies, the Couatl recalls that lantern archons can give small blessings to other creatures that give slight protection from most forms of harm. The magic itself would probably not work on anyone covered by an eidolon, but it would be perfect protection for him. While Ophelia’s spell might be able to absorb most of the heat from the winter worms, Lucero knows that there is a slight chance that he might still get burned. “How about a little Aid, guys?” he calls out to any archon within hearing distance.
Only a second later, one of the retreating pairs comes within view, and upon seeing him, one of them briefly stops to prove some celestial assistance to his ally.
“Go that way,” says the archon as it finishes casting its spell.
With a nod, Lucero adjusts his movement and flies in that indicated direction. Thanks to Lucero’s long body, the feathered serpent is able to receive the blessing without actually stopping. A second later, he almost crashes right into a worm. The surprised creature rears backs its head to bite him, but LC proves to have superior agility. Just as the vermin’s massive teeth are about to take a chomp out of his neck, Lucero manages to twist around it and hold his foe fast. The Coutal’s eyes flash white, and he jets the weak-willed creature to the same plane as he sent its brother. Lucero does feel a slight burning sensation on his scales, but the archon’s spell takes any stray heat that Ophelia’s spell fails to absorb.
Sapphira also moves forward, ahead of the retreating lantern archons, she readies her blade should a worm come withing reach.
I wonder what could possibly cause so much fog? Must be some terrible magic. Or maybe it rained earlier. Rained inside? Unlikely. Poppy continues to stay close to Lily, letting her mind wander as the others take care of the worms. Best to save my stuff for later! Who knows what we'll do next? I wonder what they're doing to the worms. I don't like those squishes. Like grubs in the garden. She addresses her companions, all of them except Lily hidden from view. "I'm going to hang out with Lily. Holler if you need something!" she says sweetly. She then fires off another charge of the wand.
Dori tries to squeeze herself into a corner as Cho'anki pushes past. "Watch the teeth!" She follows behind him, in case he should need help.
The two remaining worms skitter forward, attacking Cho and Gror. The earthen Cerberus stands firms as a boulder as the worm facing him's teeth grind harmlessly across his stony exterior. Gror gives the worm two right hooks with his massive paws, swatting it's maw away from him before it can do any damage.
_____________________________
Miss
Miss
Dori will head southwest, behind Cho', checking to see if she can get around behind the worm.
Size: Medium
AC 35/18/27
Saves 17/16/15
CMD 33
improved Evasion
Resist Cold 5, elec 5
Shadow Blending 50% miss chance, concealment
Spells in effect:
Haste (1 rd)
Spells remaining: 2/6/2/2
Now that he's made it to the Remoraz and is confident that it's within his power to defeat, Gror relaxes his concentration and lets his senses return to normal. He tears into the worm with a roar, as sizzling carapace and guts spray off into the mist.
_________________
AC 43 (+14 natural armor +4 armor (Mage Armor), +3 dex, +4 shield, +3 deflection +5 barkskin)
Abilities:
Judgement 2/4 | Bane 11/17 | Seize Initiative 6/9 | Battle Mastery 7/12
Buffs:
Barkskin: +5 Nat Armor (118 min left)
Mage Armor: +4 Armor
Magic Fang: +1 on claws
Inspire Courage: +2
Haste: +1, extra attack
Evo surge: immune (cold, heat)
Inquisitor Spells Remaining
1st (4/7)
2nd (5/7)
3rd (5/5)
4th (3/4)
Summoner Spells Remaining
1st (3/6)
2nd (4/6)
3rd (3/4)
4th (3/4)
The horrifying shape writhing in the fog, massive and bristling with spines glowing red hot through the mist, snakes across the ground. Multiple chitinous legs clatter and clack across the ice, its hissing shriek echoes down the tunnel, and Cho'ankai's rocky lupine form stares it down. Orange eyes glowing the same hot-forged steel color as the rhemoraz's spines pierce through the fog, waiting for an opportunity.
As the creature becomes more than mere silhouette, as it closes in on Cho and rears up like an adder ready to strike its mandibles open and thousands of teeth bristle outward like the needles of a pine tree's beanches. Cho's quadrupedal form hunches down, rocky lips pulling back to reveal onyx teeth, six eyes on three heads trained on the rhemoraz. From deep within Cho's cavernous form a chant begins to rumble out like a dozen men singing in a cave. The rhemoraz strikes out, but Cho'ankai springs backwards, then snaps out with one jaw a sonorous howl that resonates through the cave. The rhemoraz jerks its head back, flexes its mandibles open and closed, and then...
...freezes in place.
"SLAY THE BEAST!" Cho'ankai shouts back to Dori, his tripartite voice echoing through the icy cavern as the Rhemoraz grows deathly silent with paralysis.
________________
Hearing Cho's shout Dori turns around and heads back to Cho. As requested!
More speed please!
Dori swings at the creature as she maneuvers into position behind it, preparing to deliver a coup de grace. She strikes out with a claw checking for the most vulnerable point on the creature's body.
Size: Medium
AC 35/18/27
Saves 17/16/15
CMD 33
improved Evasion
Resist Cold 5, elec 5
Shadow Blending 50% miss chance, concealment
Spells in effect:
Spells remaining: 2/6/2/2