"O, thou art fairer than the evening air clad in the beauty of a thousand stars. You shall most surely be mine little sweetmeat. All of you are mine. To keep or kill as I will it."
The cold flames dance higher, sending demonic shadows coursing over Kyleth's face.
Reason responds to Kyleth's question, "I haven't had a chance to enjoy your library yet, but I am sure that it is going to make a lovely addition to the temple."
Gobi moves to get a better view of his enemy while he invokes a prayer to cause pain for any harm she would cause another.
On Pain of Death vs. Will (1d20+6=22)
Gobi's staunch attack brings the Witch Queen's gaze around to him. "Little dwarf, would you like to learn the true meaning of pain?"
"Book thief, trust that the books will burn before they leave my care."
Her hand rises in a grateful salute to Arianwyn. "My gratitude. I shall keep my enemies close. Feel the fangs of my hound, treasured one. They bite deep. On you and the raven's failure."
Curse of the Bloody Fangs v Arianwyn and Vel (1d10=7, 1d10=5).
Turning to the Rogue Knight, her smile grows more seductive still. "My nameless hero. Let me make you mine. Kord cannot even offer you your name, but I, I will mark it on your face for all to see."
With a gesture of infinite tenderness, she draws her dagger across the paladin's face, before digging deep and scoring the unholy symbol of Gruumsh into his forehead. As the blade leaves the wound, flames spring from the cut flesh.
Gobi's on Pain of Death damage (1d8=1)
Save v On Pain of Death (1d20=18)
Vel dodges away from the warlock. "Stay away from me, you idiot!" she hisses. She then launches another force missile at Kyleth, to no greater effect.
The mage moves irritably across the room to where she can get a good look at the Witch Queen. Kyleth barely looks up from her dagger work on the Rogue Knight.
Whiteclaw lashes out hard with her flail while Kyleth's back is turned, but the blow simply glances off her robes. She takes enough notice of the attack to comment mildly, "Now, what would a gnoll fear to fight. Who does a gnoll truly love?"
Kyleth shrugs slightly as her eldritch hound vanishes. "Clever kennel man."
Arianwyn ignores her barbed comments and goes for the jugular,
ELVEN
If yes
Activate Righteous Rage of Kord, minor action
"Fall in the name of Kord!"
Righteous Smite Attack 1d20+8=27
Additional Damage for High Crit and Vicious 2d12=15
Total damage to Kyleth is 43.
TRK and all allies within 5 squares gain 7 temp HP
"I certainly don't fear you, witch." is Whiteclaw's simple reply as she continues to attack Kyleth.
Elven
"Gruumsh is but a step along my path, sweeting. Would you forbid that which you have not the power to prevent?"
The Rogue Knight take advantage of her momentary distraction and ignores the flaming wound on his forehead as he sends Kord's anger against his foe. Even as the blow lands, the fire flares again, marking the hellish scar deeper into his flesh.
"Fall in the name of Kord!"
As the paladin's axe sinks into her, and the gnoll's flail misses, Kyleth pulls her cloak around her and vanishes, appearing smiling and full of menace in front of Kia, with the worst of the wound she just received newly healed.
"Time to give me my prize, eladrin" She looks hungrily at the backpack, seemingly urging the skull to attack her.
"Ha! Knight takes Queen!" Arianwyn crows.
As Kyleth disappear, he grumbles "She still has not answered my question. I shall force the issue."
"Ha! Knight takes Queen!" Arianwyn crows.
As Kyleth disappear, he grumbles "She still has not answered my question. I shall force the issue."
"Ha! You and your choice of women!"
"Not that question, you oaf! And if it has escaped your notice, I would not 'choose' this witch if we were the last fey in Faerie."
"Not that question, you oaf! And if it has escaped your notice, I would not 'choose' this witch if we were the last fey in Faerie."
"Smack her down then!"
"I am, as you put it, attempting to 'smack' her, but she is tremendously adept as a combatant. You may have noticed this."
"I am, as you put it, attempting to 'smack' her, but she is tremendously adept as a combatant. You may have noticed this."
"Go do something about it!"
"I am, as you put it, attempting to 'smack' her, but she is tremendously adept as a combatant. You may have noticed this.""Go do something about it!"
"Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot that it do singe yourselves."
Seething quietly, Arianwyn mutters (too quiet for the Rogue Knight to hear), "Do something about it, he says. As if bringing forth eldritch powers from beyond his ken is something to be used like a child's toy."
"As if I would be so stupid as to listen to you, witch! I'll not let you have the skull while I have breath to curse you!"
"And you'll have to catch me first. Two can play the that game!"
"Hit and run will you?" Kyleth turns and laughs as Kia's sword bites home, pulling her cloak around her more tightly.
"Sweetmeat," she calls to Arianwyn, "my actions are my own. Let them call it mischief: When it is past and prospered t'will be virtue. The book thief knows how history passes judgement. Are not the victorious always virtuous?"
Reason enters the room to respond to Kyleth's question.
"The victors sins are forgiven only when knowledge is erased. And that will not happen here."
He then launches a bolt of light at the Witch Queen.
Divine light streaks across the room and slams into Kyleth as Reason ranges alongside his comrades.
"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it," she says savagely, for the first time showing some slight hint that your attacks are affecting her.
Elven
"Kyleth, before thy honey turns to venom, I wouldst have thee answer me. Why hast thou forsaken thy birthright to wed thyself to foulness?" Arianwyn asks sternly.
Arianwyn intends this partially as a cover for affecting her perception but her will is too strong to be affected by his illusion.
Elven
"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall. Thou knowst this, surely. The sullied godling is but a step upon my path. My degradation shall exact full payment. Be sure of that. I seek power, sweetmeat, and will pay the price."
Elven
he says, sounding as old as his years.
"Some choose greatness, sweetmeat. Not all who choose so, fall. There is a tide in my affairs, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of this life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea am I now afloat. And I must take the current when it serves."
"Or, you have waded in blood so far that to turn back were as tedious as to go o'er." Arianwyn sighs. "Pride goeth before a fall, to mint a coin from a die well-worn."
Gobi moves to the rogue knights aid. Doing his best to invoke his gods power into revitalizing him. In the process gobi feels his divine gifts grace him with an area of protection.
As Gobi rushes to aid his comrades, an aura of divine light springs up around them, invigorating and strengthening them. The Rogue Knight shakes off the worst of his wounds and takes fresh heart.
"Gathered like sheep in a pen. Or lambs to the slaughter. Look and learn book thief."
Kyleth's eyes glow alarmingly as the chill of her curse lands on Reason's horned head. With insolent grace, she releases a small ball of energy which rolls lazily across the room towards Gobi. As it arrives at his feet, is explodes silently into waves of energy, gripping and crushing the companions. Urho dissolves under the unexpected pressure.
"Time for my books to burn, methinks," she adds before moving into the next room to confront Kia and Vel.
Damage from Crushing Sphere (2d6 6=11)
Curse damage to Reason (1d6=4)
Uncharacteristically, Vel moves forward (D8). "You will not," she says through clenched teeth, as she self-immolates, engulfing Kyleth and Kia in the flames, though the latter is unharmed.
Hot and cold flames mingle and strive for dominance as Vel immolates and Kyleth is just unable to avoid the incoming fire.
"Does the world seem so cold to you, that you must needs kindle fires to warm it?"
Arianwyn gasps, "We cannot have come so far to end thus..."
Hot and cold flames mingle and strive for dominance as Vel immolates and Kyleth is just unable to avoid the incoming fire.
"Does the world seem so cold to you, that you must needs kindle fires to warm it?"
"The world is cold, witch. Anyone who says different is selling you something."
Whiteclaw doesn't engage in banter at all with the witch. Rather, the gnoll tosses her shield aside and moves towards Kyleth with murder in her eyes.
As The Rogue Knight advances into the corridor in search of Kyleth, Whiteclaw throws caution to the winds and simply attempts to wrestle the witch to the ground. Swiftly as a snake, Kyleth dodges, narrowly avoiding the gnoll's long arms.
"Ah. Now I know who you love." Her face start to blur a little at the edges.