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Edit: if you let Sir Hendric go first, he can use his readied move (with Escape Route) to get into melee range of the demon.
That way the demon will have -2 AC from Sir Hendric's challenge, and you will get +1 to hit from Coordinated Shot. Should make your tertiary hit and your crit confirm.
Also, your Justice judgment gives you a doubled bonus on crit confirmation, so that crit confirm should be +3 higher even before Sir Hendric's assistance.
Nikolai draws upon his magic and once more transports his allies out of the box.
Sir Hendrick gets imto the creatures face, threatening and distracting it. This turns out to be pretty vital, allowing one attack to hit and another to land a solid blow into its knee. It roars in agony.
The demon turns, it face drained of blood, it takes a half step towards Kulik, swings it massive head towards Nikolai, gives a bellow and crashes to the ground, dead.
A few moment later the rest of the group recovers from the horrible nightmares. In the distance you see another pair of curator demons reach the huge breach in one of the carcasses of the demon lords which is spilling out masses of dretches. Sacrificing themselves they seal the breach, no more demons emerge but the existing ones are still here. The wall of insects remain protecting the group, holding them back.
Current Time: 100 minutes since entry
Alignment Effects
Kulik Chaotic Good (-2)
Kurik Lawful Good (-4)
Bellum Neutral (-4)
Frag Chaotic Good (-2)
Sir Hendric Lawful Good (-4)
Nikolai: Neutral (-4)
Sentry: Neutral (-4)
Group Buffs: Heroes' Feast, Delay Poison, Blessing of Fervour (14|15)
Nikolai: 50 temp hp (including 10 from false life), Mage armour (13.2 hours), endure elements (22.2 hours), see invisibility (50 min), heroism (50 min), enchantment foil (13.2 hours), false life (10 temp hp, 3 hours)
Kulik 52 damage, Greater magic weapon (13.2 hours), freedom of movement (90 min)
Kurik 40 temp hp, air walk (100 minues)
Bellum 114 damage, See invisibility (constant), freedom of movement (50 min), resist electricity and fire 30 (50 min)
Frag 39 temp hp
Sir Hendric 108 damage, 1 temporary negative level
Sentry 31 ddamage
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Nikolai breathes a sigh of relief when the final demon goes down.
He then moves to the edge of the ring closest to Deskari's corpse, and gives it a calculating look.
"Ve have come to ze corpse of ze Demon Lord of Locusts... and a ring of insects protected us. Zat can't be a coincidence."
He then clears his throat, and addresses the corpse politely.
"Oh Lord of Locusts, can you hear me? Ve seek to stop Koth'Vaul. I understand zat he vas after your heart..."
As the group comes round and starts healing themselves the insects surrounding them dissipate. As they do the sound of buzzing insects intensifies rather than fading and a voice insinuates itself into the minds of all of you.
The voice seems to emanate from the fossilized demon-insect projecting from the wall of the rift. A tunneling wound filled with crawling insects, bores through the chest of the fossil, emitting a dull red glow. Near the back of the tunnel, a massive heart beats rhythmically. Embedded in the walls of the wound, a scattering of large gems glitter.
I am Deskari, Lord of the Locust Host. Though my body is shattered, my essence lives on here in the Rift of Repose. The glabrezu Koth’Vaul has used powerful magic to rend my breast and devour my heart, stealing my power. He now thinks himself my equal and seeks to create a domain of his own. Only I can provide the power you need to defeat him. In exchange, I require only that you destroy Koth’Vaul utterly, flense his flesh and leave his plans in ruins
Current Time: 100 minutes since entry
Alignment Effects
Kulik Chaotic Good (-2)
Kurik Lawful Good (-4)
Bellum Neutral (-4)
Frag Chaotic Good (-2)
Sir Hendric Lawful Good (-4)
Nikolai: Neutral (-4)
Sentry: Neutral (-4)
Group Buffs: Heroes' Feast, Delay Poison, Blessing of Fervour (14|15)
Nikolai: Mage armour (13.2 hours), endure elements (22.2 hours), see invisibility (50 min), heroism (50 min), enchantment foil (13.2 hours), false life (10 temp hp, 3 hours)
Kulik 52 damage, Greater magic weapon (13.2 hours), freedom of movement (90 min)
Kurik air walk (100 minutes)
Bellum 114 damage, See invisibility (constant), freedom of movement (50 min), resist electricity and fire 30 (50 min)
Frag
Sir Hendric 108 damage, 1 temporary negative level
Sentry 31 damage
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Bellum stirs from the dazing inflicted on him by the demon.
Now I know how that worm felt. Well, it gave me a chance to watch this team of Pathfinders function with exquisite precision!
Bellum will cast heal on himself and Hendric.
He will start with cure critical wounds on Kulik and Sentry, and mop up with a cure moderate wounds.
"Well, I've heard worse deals! And talking with a dead god again...it's already been a great day! Let's seize the power and destroy Koth'Vaul." As an afterthought, he adds. "We shouldn't trust Deskari, of course. Living or dead, demons are treacherous creatures."
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"Thank you, Bellum."
Sir Hendric is hesitant about taking the deal. Without my honor, I am nothing. Iomedae is the Inheritor of Aroden, who drove Deskari back before. Would she approve of me taking power from this dead demon lord? Is it a necessary evil to defeat a greater one?
He prays for guidance, though he does not expect to hear Iomedae's voice here in the Abyss. He waits to learn more.
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"Abadar's golden chamberpot, this whole thing stinks right to hell." Kurik grumbles, shaking his head of the horrors inflicted by the demons.
"So only you can save us, Deskari? I think you're a lying demon, but let's hear it. I'll count on revenge being a bigger motivation than anything else to keep you from turning on us."
Bellum busies himself dealing with everyone's wounds while Kulik restores Sir Hendricks lifeforce.
As Frag stomps about the scene the voice of Deskari whispers into his ear.
I sense your anger mortal, it is good, yes, you will need that rage to defeat Koth'Vaul but on its own it is not enough.
The voice then projects to all of you. Koth'Vaul is now unstoppable without my aid. With my heart beating in his chest he cannot be stopped by mortal means. Worse still, he has shared his blood with his followers. Together, they can shape and control this plane. If you battle him, they will use the very Abyss itself to fight against you. Luckily for you, I still have great power, and I am willing to share it with you.
I can offer my blood or another of my hearts. If you accept my blood, you will gain great power for a limited time—abilities matched only by mortal heroes of myth and legend. Even the Abyss will bend more easily to your will.
If you desire true power, then you can accept the gift of my heart. Your powers and your life will then will be eternal. The Abyss will recognize you as one who could rise to the mantle of demon lord, making you just as effective as Koth’Vaul as shaping its essence. Only one of you, the worthiest among you, may accept this gift.
At the suggstion of their being a catch the voice chuckles, a hollow rasping sound accompanied by the hum of a buzzing swarm. The catch? Power always has a price. The more you seize, the stronger the hordes become that are determined to destroy and consume you. The more you take, the more feeble beings cry to you with their prayers, and the more your enemies draw strength from ending their mewling lives. And, of course, if you accept power from one who is stronger than you, you might owe that one a debt. Even those gods that demand ‘charity’ of their followers still demand obeisance and the promise of future souls before they share a drop of their power. In this case, however, you will be acting as vessels of my power to achieve my own ends, which happen to coincide with your own. I demand nothing further
So choose mortals, which of you will drink my blood, who amongst you would take one of my hearts. Even if you refuse my generous offer I shall still show you the way to him, but your efforts then will be in vain
As the voice fades away blood begins to bubble up from the stone carcass you are standing on and in the crack in Deskari's stone carapace a beating heart, crawling with insects slowly emerges from the stone.
Current Time: 110 minutes since entry
Alignment Effects
Kulik Chaotic Good (-2)
Kurik Lawful Good (-4)
Bellum Neutral (-4)
Frag Chaotic Good (-2)
Sir Hendric Lawful Good (-4)
Nikolai: Neutral (-4)
Sentry: Neutral (-4)
Group Buffs: Heroes' Feast, Delay Poison
Nikolai: Mage armour (13.1 hours), endure elements (22.1 hours), see invisibility (40 min), heroism (40 min), enchantment foil (13.1 hours), false life (10 temp hp, 2.5 hours)
Kulik Greater magic weapon (13.1 hours), freedom of movement (80 min)
Kurik air walk
Bellum See invisibility (constant), freedom of movement (40 min), resist electricity and fire 30 (40 min)
Frag
Sir Hendric
Sentry 1 damage
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"If it is the only way, then I will drink the blood of Deskari. But not eat the heart. I have no wish for eternal life and do not seek to become a demon lord. Even the blood may taint my soul - I do not know - and I will ask Iomedae's forgiveness.
I think this is what must be done. I believe that even Iomedae herself, leading the Knights of Ozem in the Shining Crusade, allied with necessary evils to defeat a greater one."
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"You're quite right, Hendric. Remember that time Iomedae gave her blood to that vampire to save her friends? Sometimes heroism makes strange blood-fellows."
Bellum shifts from foot to foot as he sees the blood start pouring out from Deskari's wound. "Kurik, I think you just get the potential to become a demon lord. And sure, who wants that...?"
Bellum looks thoughtful for a moment.
"Oh, I do, it seems." Having blurted that out, he continues with more conviction: "All of my adventures started with a run-in with a dead god--and it's haunted me ever sense, granting me these strange powers! Maybe it was urging me on this whole time! No wonder I've always been obsessed with religion."
The white-haired gnome bobs his head with a nod of assurance. "Yes, I'll take the heart, unless anyone has major objections. Forever is an awfully long time for a gnome to keep himself busy, but there's an awful lot of the multiverse to see. Always new, never bleaching! Nivi Rhombodazzle herself thought similarly."
It's a heady prospect, so the gnome pauses for a second to listen to his companions before claiming the heart.
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The half-orc looks at Bellum with some mixture of awe, disgust, respect, fear, pride, and concern, all at the same time.
Bellum gnome person must be sure this what Bellum gnome person want. KULIK believe no return from this choice. He rests his right hand gently but firmly on Bellum's shoulder as he speaks. If this what Bellum gnome person want, and they know that KULIK must try to stop them if Bellum gnome person become dark and evil of soul after, then KULIK accept this choice.
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"I know you're thinking of the benefits to immortality Bellum, all the things you could do that are denied you now. But I worry what might be inevitable, even if you resist the darkness today." Kurik plants the head of his axe on the ground, folding his hands over the haft. "I fear what a bleached demon might do without the light of good shining on him. And like Kulik, I worry about having two demons to put down instead of one. But it is your choice. I'm not so big a hypocrite to order you back when I've my own choice to make." His glance falls on the blood pooling before the party.
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Nikolai perks up when Deskari explains the offer.
"Vell, I have already consumed portions of souls (including my own)... consuming ze heart of a God seems like a logical progression. If it helps me avoid certain bargains zat I have already made, so much ze better; Baba Yaga can be very demanding, but ze power of a demon lord vould eclipse even her own..."
The voice hisses out, Only one of you may eat my heart, and only the most worthy amongst you....
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"KULIK, old friend, I'd expect you to cut me right down to size! (Or pincusion me, as it were.) I don't think I have it in me to become a terrifying, nightmarish lord of evil, but I can be a little cranky when you wake me up from a nap, so I suppose we all have a bit of darkness in us."
Bellum consider's KULIK's words further. "You know, maybe you're right. It's entirely possible that consuming the heart would trap me in the Abyss--Deskari seems to have had a tough time getting out, himself--and that might get a little tiresome after a few millenia."
Bellum gives KULIK a hearty handshake. "You've always had a way with words."
Turning to Nikolai, he adds: "Heart's all yours. I'm dangerous enough as it is!"
Dark powers are well and good, but demon lords have nothing on gnomes.
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Nikolai raises an eyebrow.
Everyone has ze potential to become a terrifying, nightmarish lord of evil - ze real question is vhezer you are villing to give into temptation, and travel down zat dark paz, or fight against it - ze latter is invariably harder, of course, but is usually more vorzvhile; if everyone did not at least have boz ze potential for Evil and ze hope of Good, zen ze angels and demons vould be out of a job..."
Nikolai grins, showing his pointed canines.
"Certainly, Gnomes can be pretty terrifying - I argue it is because zey have had an eternity to try everyzing at least once, forcing zem to come up viz some truly terrifying zings to stave off boredom..."
With a nod to Bellum, Nikolai moves forward, more than a little hungrily...
...however, he catches himself at the last moment, and casts a few buffs before proceeding, including activating a Sihedron-shaped tattoo.
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Nikolai turns to the others.
"Anyone *not* fancy a quick drink? For zose of you zat haven't tried it before, blood has an iron-like flavor, viz a hint of gouda if zey have recently had a fatty meal, or a hint of honey if zey have been eating a lot of sugary-foods. Personally, I prefer black pudding as a more regular dietary item, but sometimes, you just can't go past an original classic..."
The rift around you fades away, its colors and sounds draining until you find yourself in total darkness and silence. Searing pain pierces your chest, and your heart beats wildly. The slimy, crunchy piece of demon flesh in your mouth writhes in time to the beating of your heart. Sound returns, in the form of skittering, chattering, and buzzing sounds of swarms of insects. In an instant, they engulf you, crawling over every inch of your flesh, pressing into your nose and mouth and attempting to burrow beneath your skin. With a simple exertion of will, you repel them all. Good, Deskari’s buzzing voice echoes. You are not too weak to survive this.
You are back in the Rasping Rifts, Deskari’s former realm. Here, the Abyss itself reaches out toward you, speaking into your mind. Someone must rise in his place. The demons in the distance stop their fighting, turning toward you. They are curious, and they are afraid.
Deskari presses into your mind. He’s trying to be subtle, but you can feel his movements. You can also feel his shock and rage as you prove less pliable than he expected. One thing is for certain—if you finish eating Deskari’s heart, you will become stronger than you ever magined. But this strength will not come without great cost. You can stop now, or you can keep going.
Tell your GM whether you decide to turn back now or to devour the rest of the heart.
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"Anyone *not* fancy a quick drink? For zose of you zat haven't tried it before, blood has an iron-like flavor, viz a hint of gouda if zey have recently had a fatty meal, or a hint of honey if zey have been eating a lot of sugary-foods. Personally, I prefer black pudding as a more regular dietary item, but sometimes, you just can't go past an original classic..."
Sir Hendric looks askew at Nikolai.
"Yes, in fact, I have tasted blood quite often. Generally my own. Occupational hazard. I can't say I've thought much about what I had for breakfast at such times. I suppose I should be grateful you were able to resist the temptation of the bloody mess that I was back there."Then he watches in morbid fascination as the Dhampir goes for a more epic 'meal' than he has ever heard of...
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Nikolai looks mildly affronted.
"As a general rule, I don't consume ze blood of ozer sentients; you had nozing to fear from me, Sir Hendric. You see, back home in Ulstalav, zey prepare special meals by feeding animals specific diets, to give zem particular piquant aromas... some might call it cruel, but it is no vorse zen ze vay goose liver pate, and herb-infused carp, are prepared."
"Zat said, I believe zat if you are going to kill an animal, you might as vell make use of as much of it as possible, so I alvays saw it as being a public service - not letting good resources go to vaste."
Nikolai chews down on the disgusting heart. The power of the Abyss flows through him.
Deskari has granted you a significant portion of his remaining power. As his magic surged into you, you fought a titanic battle of wills, during which the demon lord attempted to turn you into his loyal pawn. You have emerged battered but with your sense of self intact. You are now bound to what was once his realm, the Rasping Rifts. He intended for you to rebuild the realm on his terms, carrying out his orders without question, but you are the one who will shape its future. Will you embrace the nature of your new power and rise as a new demon lord, or will you reject it, using your resolve to bring a new beginning to this corner of the Abyss? Regardless of your intentions, Koth’Vaul’s plans are now a larger threat to you than ever. You can sense Deskari’s other heart beating in his chest, and you know that until he lies dead at your feet, Koth’Vaul will stop at nothing to destroy you.
Demon: You are now a demon. Your creature type changes to outsider, with the chaotic, demon, and evil subtypes. This does not automatically adjust your alignment, though you can adjust your alignment any number of steps toward chaotic evil now if you choose. You gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet. You gain immunity to electricity and poison, and resistance 10 to acid, cold, and fire. You learn Abyssal if you did not already speak it and gain telepathy with a range of 100 feet.
Abyssal Attunement: You are native to the Abyss. Even if your alignment is not chaotic evil, you can treat your alignment as chaotic evil whenever it would be more beneficial to you. You are particularly
adept at manipulating the raw substance of the Abyss, an ability that will have mechanical benefits in your encounter with Koth’Vaul.
Initiative: You gain a +4 bonus on initiative checks.
Mythic Power: You gain four uses of mythic power per day. You can use this power in the following ways.
• Surge: After you fail any check that uses a d20 roll, as an immediate action you can expend one use of mythic power to roll 1d6 and retroactively add the result to the check.
• Extra Action: Up to once per round as a free action on your turn, you can expend one use of mythic power to take an additional standard action. This action cannot be used to cast a spell.
Additionally, you can select ONE additional mythic power ability from the following list. Once you use one of these abilities, you must cross the others off this sheet.
• Spell Surge: As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to cast any one arcane, divine, or psychic spell without expending a prepared spell or spell slot. If you prepare spells, this spell must be one you prepared today (even if you have already cast it); if you’re a spontaneous caster, this spell must be one of your spells known. If the spell requires a saving throw, any non-mythic creatures affected by the spell roll twice and take the lower result. If you must attempt a caster level check for the spell to overcome a
creature’s spell resistance, you gain a +4 bonus on the check and can roll twice and take the higher result. You can’t add a metamagic feat to a spell you cast using this ability.
• Sudden Block: As an immediate action, you can expend one use of mythic power to hinder a melee attack made against you or an adjacent ally. Add 4 to your AC or the ally’s AC against this attack. The creature making the attack must make two attack rolls and take the lower result. Once the attack is resolved, you or your ally (your choice) can make one melee attack against the creature. The damage from this attack bypasses all damage reduction.
• Surprise Strike: As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to make a melee attack or ranged attack against a target within 30 feet, in addition to any other attacks you make this round. When you make a surprise strike, the target is considered flat-footed regardless of any class features or abilities it might have, and you gain a +4 bonus on your attack roll. Damage from this attack bypasses damage reduction.
Granting Spells: You can grant spells of up to 4th level to those who worship Deskari, as well as those who worship you directly. The domains you grant your worshippers are Chaos and Evil.
The rest of you drink the blood of Deskari with various levels of trepidation.
You have let Deskari’s blood flow through your veins, or you have stolen power from his heart on your own terms. Whatever the case, you have avoided the dire consequences that could have come from allowing more of the demon lord’s power to infuse you. You gain the following abilities for the duration of this adventure.
Abyssal Attunement: You no longer take penalties on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma based skill checks based on the difference between the Abyss’s alignment and your own. Additionally, you are particularly adept at manipulating the raw substance of the Abyss, an ability that will have mechanical benefits in your encounter with Koth’Vaul.
Initiative: You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks.
Epic Strikes: Your attacks with natural and manufactured weapons bypass DR/epic.
Mythic Power: You gain TWO uses of mythic power per day. You can use this power in the following ways.
• Surge: After you fail any check that uses a d20 roll, as an immediate action you can expend one use of mythic power to roll 1d6 and retroactively add the result to the check.
• Extra Action: Up to once per round as a free action on your turn, you can expend one use of mythic power to take an additional standard action. This action cannot be used to cast a spell.
Having concluded your bargain with Deskari you do one last check around yourselves. You notice one of the Curators wears an exorbitant amount of jewellery around its neck and one of the gems glows with magic. The other has a strange grey looking blade through its nose which is also magical.
Bellum easily identifies both items. The gem is a Pearl of Power (4th), the blade is a corrupted Sun Blade. While the blade retains most of its typical abilities (including its effectiveness against evil creatures), its effectiveness against undead and creatures from the Negative Energy Plane has been replaced by effectiveness against creatures with a strong lawful aura. Additionally, its ability to replicate natural daylight has been replaced by a once-per-day use of the nalfeshnee’s unholy nimbus ability with a duration of 1d3 rounds (Will DC 20 negates).
As you gather together to press onwards the voice returns. See, over there, the gash in the rift filled with darkness. That is a portal, it leads to the section of the Abyss that Koth'Vaul seeks to claim as his own. Go and finish him my minions...
Current Time: 110 minutes since entry
Group Buffs: Heroes' Feast, Delay Poison
Nikolai: Mage armour (13.1 hours), endure elements (22.1 hours), see invisibility (40 min), heroism (40 min), enchantment foil (13.1 hours), false life (10 temp hp, 2.5 hours)
Kulik Greater magic weapon (13.1 hours), freedom of movement (80 min)
Kurik air walk
Bellum See invisibility (constant), freedom of movement (40 min), resist electricity and fire 30 (40 min)
Frag
Sir Hendric
Sentry 1 damage
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Sir Hendric would definitely like to do some longer-lasting buffs before going through. While "wander around to kill your buffs" is a thing in Hard Mode scenarios, so is "teleport directly into combat." This scenario could be trying to trick us into "fighting the last battle." I think the key is to use the longest-lasting things, the things where we have a backup copy, and the things that are nice but not essential.
First: give the last use of his Incense of Eidos to Bellum (the best at Knowledge (Planes) I think). That would be a 38 to know the abilities of glabrezu in general, emphasizing SLAs and resistances/immunities.
Second: Bellum can use the scroll of Communal Spell Immunity in his Mnemonic Vestments to cast it at CL15, picking three SLAs of level 4 or lower to be immune to. It would last 150 minutes (split up among however many PCs needed but please include Sentry); if it runs out we can use the actual scroll itself.
Mass Planar Adaptation: At 11 hours, this is a good one to use. For the energy type, see if the SLAs give any info, and if not, then maybe acid.
Talisman of Reprieve: Kulik uses this scroll in his Vestments, it lasts 150 minutes, and if it runs out we use the scroll. It would seem to be less useful with the boon we just got, BUT the boon only makes reference to ignoring the penalty on skill checks. If the penalty to Will saves still applies, then the scroll is definitely useful. Sir Hendric would ask for the skill modified to be UMD.
Life Bubble: 18 hours, divided up to 154 minutes per person (including Sentry).
Heroism: Sir Hendric will activate his Knight's Pennon (lasts for 1 hour).
Barkskin: Sir Hendric will ask Kurik to cast Barkskin on him and hand Kurik his 2nd-level Pearl of Power to recover the spell. That is +4, for 100 minutes?
Eaglesoul: this one Sir Hendric has to UMD at DC 31. His base is +17. Heroism makes that +19, Talisman of Reprieve +23, scroll of Eagle's Splendor +25, scroll of Moment of Greatness +27, Bellum using one of Sir Hendric's scrolls of Bestow Insight makes it +29 and able to roll twice. So only failing on a 1 with the chance to roll twice and take the better. Lasts 11 hours (but shifts to 11 rounds when he first deals damage to an evil outsider).
Crusader's Edge (on his lance): lasts 7 minutes. He has a backup scroll for this.
Air Walk (on the horse): lasts 70 minutes and he has a backup scroll. Still, would prefer a slot from one of the casters (higher CL for the dispel resistance). Ideally he would have two overlapping Air Walks on Sentry.
True Seeing: He'd like this cast on him if anybody can spare the slot; he can provide the material component.
Magic Circle Against Evil: lasts 50 minutes. Cast on Sentry (who lacks Deflection and Resistance bonuses).
Resist Energy: if anybody wants to hand these out I wouldn't say no.
Shield: it lasts 1 minute (stored in his Cracked Purple Prism ioun stone) but might as well use it just before we go through the rift.
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As the blood slides down his throat, the Abadaran retches just a bit, spitting a gobbet onto the ground. "Right, time to get back to protocol. We're going in hot this time." Kurik nods to his fellow spellcasters. "Y'say that's a pearl of power, 4th circle? So only I have a use for it? Best we compare notes as to what it is best used for."
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Nikolai convulses as he finishes the last of the heart, his limbs twitching in what appears to be a grand mal seizure, but one complicated by the fact that his body seems to be morphing and twisting.
However, by sheer force of will, he gradually gets control of himself, and as he does so, his body readopts a semblance of normality, albeit with some not-so-subtle changes - namely the fact that his wings have become insectile, and his eyes have become multi-faceted.
"Vell. Zzzzat vas certainly a unique experience. I vouldn't say zzzzat I vould recommend it as a routine activity, zzzzough..."