The Forgotten God (Table 2) (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

After breaking into a man's home, disrupting the wards he'd set to protect himself, and working to set about stopping a non-evil fellow's ability to do what he'd dedicated his life to doing - boy, good thing your Paladin's code didn't technically require avoiding questionable deeds - you managed to get your arms around the wizard and pin him down. He was furiously shouting something - although the Silence spell didn't make it clear what - but didn't seem strong enough to break free from the hold.

As she wrestled with the wizard, she remarked to herself how easy it would've been to simple run him through. He'd certainly committed a crime worthy enough of it by putting all of existence in some amount of jeopardy through his foolishness. Which she was surely going to remind him of when this Silence spell finished.

Grapple: 1d20 + 6 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 5 = 31 vs CMD-Dex Critically grappled!

After pinning the man down to the floor, she reached back and retrieved her rope, beginning to tie up the wizard so that she could work without having to keep him held down. After finishing with the bindings, she also produced some cloth to gag him, not wanting to chance him being able to cast a stilled spell.

DC 26 to escape

Eventually - after realizing that you didn't seem interested in stabbing him right away - the Wizard stopped directly struggling and simply allowed himself to be bound and gagged... though judging by his facial expression, he hadn't exactly given up yet. Meanwhile, the crystals continued to hover within the magical circle, glimmering with interior light.

Sevia smirked as she finally saw the Wizard give up, clearly he was a little smarter than she gave him credit for. She was wary of him trying to escape though, that would be problematic. Dropping him to the floor, Sevia waited for the Silence spell to finally end, allowing sound to function once more.

"Did you really think your blasphemous thievery would not go unnoticed Khandescus of Westcrown? You are fortunate that I was instructed to spare your life wizard, it would be well within my rights as a holy warrior to execute you for your crimes against Pharasma." Sevia seethed to the man rather darkly, hoping to convey her immense displeasure. "Do not mistake me, although I have been dispatched to retrieve yon holy artifacts, if you give me trouble I will send you to Pharasma to receive your judgement now." she added, patting Shadow Stryker with one hand to drive the point home.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

"What be your answer mage? Will you hand over the gems without a fuss? If so you will nod - I will then remove your gag and you will tell me how to retrieve the gems. Yell and I will cut your throat. You won't die but it will hurt. Greatly. Cooperate and I might leave you unscathed." Sevia asked, though it mattered little - one way or another she was leaving with them, his help or not.

The Wizard narrowed his eyes slightly, then tilted his head to the side. It wasn't exactly a nod - he seemed more interested in getting the gag removed, and couldn't exactly talk as long as it was in.

Sevia's lips tightened at his response, clearly expecting foul play. Although it was probably impossible for him to cast a spell in his state, he could active a nearby magical item with a command word.

Drawing Stryker, she held the powerful blade up to his chin, and reached forward to his mouth. "Foul play would not be wise in your position." Sevia warned him, removing the gag.

Sevia readies a sneak attack if he tries to activate a magic item, cast a spell, or yell for help.

Sneak Attack: 4d6 + 15 ⇒ (6, 6, 6, 6) + 15 = 39 +3Bleed

The Wizard didn't say anything that sounded like a command word - he just looked straight into your eyes. "If the crystals are some kind of holy relic - and I have exactly no proof that they are - I don't think I'd want to hand them over to a thief who broke into my home and assaulted me instead of, oh, knocking on the door and asking me to look into the claim like any normal person would be willing to do." his tone wasn't caustic, but it was close. "Your best option is to untie me right now, because I am willing to forgive your impetuous, self-righteous thuggery. If you harm or kill me, then perhaps you'd best remember that you're in Cheliax. The Devils of Hell are oathbound to take revenge in my stead, and sooner rather than later, they will come for you."

With a frown, Sevia simply regagged the man; she'd been interested to see what sort of excuse he might make, but his threats were certainly annyoing. "Boy, I have fought true daemons, and horrors that would make you wet yourself. You think I fear what the men of Cheliax would throw at me? I suggest you consider who you are dealing with." she replied with some amount of scorn, standing up to look at the magical circle.

"I did consider coming here to negotiate with you for them. But I am quite familiar with the arrogance of wizards and did not consider trading the element of surprise for the uncertain chance of resolving this diplomatically." Sevia put bluntly, sheathing her sword. Casting Detect Magic on the circle and trying to determine its properties.

"Watch him." Sevia told her familiar, walking over to the circle while her familiar hopped down to the wizard's chest - ready to harass him if he tried to escape. Sevia meanwhile cast Identify to hopefully get a better grasp on what she was dealing with.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 12 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 12 + 10 = 31
Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

The circle's primary purpose appears to be containing the gems in some kind of stasis, isolating them from the outside world and permitting a studious the wizard the chance to examine their properties without interference from other magical auras. The circle also seems to be the primary force stopping the gems from decaying - they aren't really meant to exist on the material plane, and it's clear that Khandescus took great care in crafting the circle to be sure they would be undisturbed as long as the circle wasn't breached. Basic safety precaution, really. Aside from that, it doesn't seem terribly out of the ordinary.

'Well...nothing ventured' Sevia thought, experimentally probing the magic circle with a Mage Hand spell in an attempt to retrieve the gems - failing that attempting to take them by hand.

The magic of the mage hand moved through the air, and prodded the circle as the wizard abruptly threw himself down. The reason why was evident a moment later as the field quite literally exploded and a wave of force blew out the walls and ceiling of the tower, destroying many of the wizard's much-valued books, scrolls, items, and tools of the trade in one moment of cataclysm.

Force Damage: 15d8 ⇒ (1, 7, 2, 8, 5, 8, 8, 7, 7, 1, 3, 6, 6, 6, 7) = 82 No save.

Even before the blast had completely died away, holes opened in the fabric of reality and the crystals vanished through them - and as your hearing returned after the echoes of the blast, you could hear indignant screaming even through the wizard's gag. It was probably for the best that you couldn't understand him, but at least half the city had to be aware of what had just happened. More to the point, so had the servant below, and you could already hear them racing up the stairs.

/sigh I had a feeling it was a trap...

Too say the pain was intense was putting it mildly, being at the center of that magical explosion...well even she with her uncanny ability to escape such things was even unable to do so.

She did however see that the crystals themselves had not been destroyed...merely sucked into whatever plane that tear had thrown them into. Which was both a blessing that her objective was not destroyed - and also a curse in that her mission had just been made several times harder.

"Damned stupid wizard! Not even a warning!" Sevia shouted at him, hissing in pain from that explosion. On the plus side her escape was going to be fairly ease. "This could've been averted if you'd simply cooperated. Well, I hope you enjoy the fruits of your pointless ego!" Sevia said angrily, waving a hand at the carnage around them as her familiar returned to her. Using some of her ki to turn invisible, she simply flew straight off of the roof towards the temple of Pharasma.

She needed to locate Taibhill and arrange to scry out where the gems had gone and arrange for planar travel.

With the Wizard's servant arriving, it wouldn't be long until he acted - but back at the Temple of Pharasma, Taibhill was looking a mixture of angry, upset, and deeply worried about what you might just have done. "Did you at least get the gems!?" he hissed.

"No." Sevia replied rather bitterly, hands on her hips. "When I tried to retrieve them from whatever magic spell Khandescus had them suspended in it released an enormous amount of energy. Reality itself ripped apart at the center, and I saw the gems disappear - likely to another plane." she reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, deeply embarrassed by her failure. She should've pressed her interrogation of the wizard more thoroughly, she hadn't recognized the circle well enough to be confident breaching it wouldn't have caused...something.

"They should still be retrievable. But it will be necessary to scry out their location." Sevia offered.

Taibhill rubbed his eyes a bit, thinking furiously. "All right." he eventually pronounced. "We'll send you to Axis. Pharasma has a number of servants there, of course, and they should be able to help you fix the problem you caused." A wave of red flashed across the sky, and with a sound like screams, the air pulled back near the tower, revealing a red circle surrounded by flames. "...Inside. The faster you're out of here, the better!" the old man set out for the main doors of the church at a pace that belied his age, muttering something as he went. It sounded like some kind of spell - though not a very powerful one.

"Very well." Sevia replied with a nod, glad the man was at least on his toes, before looking back with surprise at the sky. That...was probably not good. She couldn't tell if the source was the wizard itself or the guard acting to respond to the explosion. Neither would be welcome. "Agreed." Sevia said, hurrying after the priest and not sparing a moment.

Take 10 on spellcraft to identify what the spell was?

As they walked, Sevia took a moment to retrieve her Rod of Extend, casting Infernal Healing upon herself.

The spell Taibhill cast was Whispering Wind, a utility spell known for its long range and ability to effectively deliver messages. The reason why was evident a moment later, as someone else within the church - a rather important member of the faith, judging by their garments - was pulling open a portal. "We have someone on the other side who can help you resolve this. Be quick... and above all, discreet. The devils will be hunting you!" Taibhill explained. "And they don't give up very easily, either, not unless the one who set them loose calls them off. Being in Axis won't protect you, either - they have treaties written that allow pursuit through the city, although there are limits to what they can do there." All that was left, it seemed, was to actually get through the portal and make the jump to another plane.

"Of course. I have no intention of allowing devils of all things to interfere with me." Sevia nodded, before quickly pulling some of her mythic power to cast a spell of Nondetection which should hamper any divination attempts against her for the next eight hours. It was the best long term protection she could afford. In the short term her invisibility was better though. "There. That should make it more difficult to track me down. I have other ways of avoiding attention as well...Until I return then Taibhill." Sevia said, turning toward the portal and marching through into Axis.

DC 19 caster level check to scry/use divination magic on me when I'm not invisible.

As you pass through the portal, your senses are assaulted by the sights, sounds, and smells of a particularly bustling city. Wagons trundle along the cobblestone streets; merchants stand guard at their stalls. On closer examination, it appears that everyone’s on guard, on edge, and ready for violence. The portal closes a moment after you pass through it, and a hooded woman walks up, her hands out in front of her in a gesture of goodwill - there's probably more than one reason for that, since your ability to detect evil immediately noted her as someone not exactly bound for the celestial realms. "You're the one Taibhill sent?" she asked.

Sevia noted the veil of apprehension that seemed to be hanging over the immutable city of order. She immediately thought of the explosion at Westcrown but immediately dismissed the idea. Could news of such that was not even minutes old have seriously spread to another plane that fast? No. Something else was going on.

She turned to the woman who approached her. "I am." Sevia greeted, withholding any comment about the evil aura she was feeling over the woman. "I assume you've been appraised of the situation?"

The woman snorted. "Fragments of it. Wasn't time for anything more, but it sounds like you're in a world of s***." Noticing your looks around, she added, "You're in Norgorber's part of the city. I've been the main contact here for Westcrown for years, ever since I left Cheliax. Anyway, you're welcome to use my house if you need a place to sleep, but it's gonna cost you - the Keepers of the Vault have gone nuts over the theft of those gems, and I wouldn't mind them owing me a few favors. Anyway, you'll have to go see them if you want to track the gems down - I don't know the specifics behind it, but they have a way of locating unshielded soul gems." She indicated a twisting tunnel that made it way upwards, away from this den of thieves and murderers.

Ah. That explained things. Her opinion of everyone around her dropped a noticeable tick. Still, the girl at least was able to tell her something useful. No time to dally then.

"Right. Thank you for the information, there is not really any time to spare. Suffice to say there is an enraged wizard after me and soon to be some number of devils inside the city to track me down - though I would quite enjoy sending some back to hell, that would be a rather unacceptable distraction from the mission. This meeting of course, did not happen." Sevia quickly elaborated, then asked how to go about contacting the woman should she have need. After which Sevia parted ways with her to head up the tunnel in the direction she'd indicated.

Emerging from the dark tunnel into the light, the omnipresent golden shimmer and white marble are momentarily blinding. High above looms the Great Spire of Pharasma, and beyond that is the ominous moon Groetus. The crowded boulevard is straighter than an arrow, and its buildings exude an aura of whitewashed perfection.

Marring this perfection is a polluted and oily river coiling around the base of the Spire, in which disturbing shapes twist and form before being sucked back under by strange eddies. A hovering, intricately carved bridge of gold and lead wire spans the river, and at the base of it stands a female figure in ebony-black robes chased with blood-red trim, her face marked with the symbol of Pharasma. The woman’s eyes are intense and ageless.

"Taibhill sent you." she said. It wasn't a query. Quite calmly, she reached into the air and removed a scroll, which she extended outward. "I am one of the Keepers. This scroll will guide you to the location of the scattered gems." Her tone is calm, even, and emotionless... but at the same time, the hovering woman seems just a bit testy. "Should your mind be able to focus well enough, tapping one of the locations of the gems will open a portal to it and allow you to walk the planes, arriving close to your goal. You can also focus on the map once you are nearby, and it will guide you to the soul gem. When you have retrieved the gems, tap its place on the map again to open a portal back to Axis. There may be a slight delay between activating the map and when the portal opens - the magic needs time to work through the planes. The more time each gem spends outside the vault and uncontained, the greater its power grows - one of them is currently being subject to magic that obscures its location, but the gem will soon grow strong enough for its signal to break through, at which time it can be retrieved. Do you understand?"

Much had...changed since she'd last been here, there certainly hadn't been a spire. She tried not to dwell too heavily on it as she approached the figure standing in front of her. Sevia remained silent as the woman addressed her; unflinchingly she offered a polite bow and accepted the scroll offered to her. Immediately, she opened it so that she could visually understand what the woman was verbally explaining to her.

"Yes Keeper. I assume I am to return the gems to you then at this location? Or somewhere else?" Sevia asked while she focused on the map, looking at the locations of where the gems were.

"The map will return you to Axis - give the gems to me and I will deliver them safely to the vault." the Keeper said in the same emotionless tone.

The map was difficult to read at first, but the longer you looked at it, the more sense it seemed to make - echoes of your time as a true deity may have had something to do with it, and soon, you're able to note that one gem is in the Abyss, and the other is in Abaddon. The map clearly hasn't been drawn to scale - the ideas of the locations seem to be more important than the locations themselves. That said, the Abyss might be a better location to raid first - as a plane both evil and chaotic, it's quite literally the antithesis of everything you stand for, and it may be best to retrieve the gem while you're still in possession of most of your strength. That's certainly not a requirement, though, and ultimately, where to go first is entirely your decision.

Sevia nodded, and returned to the map, focusing on the locations presented to her. She supposed it was too much for the gems to end up somewhere in Heaven or some such. The Abyss was...well, it would probably best to start there then, she didn't want to be in such a place exhausted from her journey.

Though, before that - she cast another Extended Infernal Healing and applied a number of her uses of Lay on Hands.

Lay on Hands: 5d6 ⇒ (5, 4, 3, 4, 6) = 22

115-82+20+20+22=95HP 4/8 1st spells 6/7 2nd spells 7/8 ki 5/7 MP 2/7 LoH 9/10 staff charges 1/3 rod charges

"Then, by your leave." Sevia said to the Keeper, concentrating on the map in front of her and then tapping the location of the stone located within the Abyss.

The teleportation from the Keeper’s map is momentarily disorienting. Reality twists itself back to normal, revealing a whirling, crazy sky, a shifting kaleidoscope of nauseating, viscous colors that exude malice. The scene is a dusty, barren plain dotted here and there with thorny trees shaped from the groaning souls of petitioners. A light breeze moans by, kicking up some of the dust, revealing for a moment a buried head, eyes still open, before the dirt covers it over again. Across the plain this repeats—small puffs of dust and the barest glint of skin, revealing suffering souls bound into the very earth. An oily black bend of a river passes nearby.

Up ahead is a palisaded town on a hill, its outer wall made of thorn-covered logs. The buildings within are covered in thorns and spikes, built from the same wood and covered with a thick layer of dried mud. At the center of town, cresting the hill, is a small stone keep with a huge, gnarled tree. Demons fly to and fro over the town, sometimes alighting on the walls or the tree’s outer branches.

The map pulses slightly to get your attention, and magical knowledge trickles into your brain - the gem you're looking for seems to be in the direction of the great tree.

The Abyss is mildly Chaotic/Evil aligned. All Charisma-based checks on your part will suffer from a -4 circumstance penalty until you leave the plane.

Ah, the Abyss. It was of course even more horrible then she remembered. She took comfort in the fact that at the very least these suffering souls were here for very good reasons. That didn't make the scene any less gruesome. Looking ahead to the palisade town on the hill, she felt a shiver up her spine as the map seemed to impress the direction of her query into her mind.

"Best get this over with" Sevia muttered, beginning her approach to the entrance of the town. With any luck she could get in without a fuss and hopefully not draw attention to herself. Well, she didn't doubt in her ability to sneak in though. It was a good thing she was under the protection of a Nondetection spells, because her aura of good would've been more than enough to be swarmed by Demons otherwise.

Standing near the gates are four emaciated figures that look like horned human skeletons - two of them are wearing thick robes, but are clearly the same kind as the others. They're recognizable as Babau - the assassins among the demons - and standing behind them is a large creature that's like a hideous cross between man and vulture, surrounded by a cloud of noxious spores that even his fellow demons didn't look like they enjoyed being close to.

<What do you want, you pathetic mortal?>

Unbidden, a horrible voice enters into your mind - coming from the larger demon, it seems, judging by the particularly fixed way he's looking at you.

Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16 On the big guy

Sevia kept her frown to herself. If this were anywhere else she would've simply struck the beast down, but in this plane one abided by the pecking order - and godling she might have been, mortals did not rank highly. Even devils were better to talk to. "<Greetings mighty demon, this mortal is in awe of your presence.>" Sevia replied in Infernal as respectfully as she could, giving a courteous bow and biting back her displeasure for his insults.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 - 4 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 12 - 4 - 2 = 12 to alter attitude

"<I beseech you. Please allow me entry.>" She asked, keeping her posture. With any luck her groveling would appease him enough to warrant a sidestep. If there were a toll she assumed he would say so and demand a proper tribute.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 - 4 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 12 - 4 - 2 = 25 Request simple aid

You're not able to identify the larger demon, much less its weaknesses or powers. Perhaps more relevantly, pride was a horrible weakness to have - and it was quite clear that the demon was utterly unimpressed by your attempt to flatter it. One of the hooded Babau leaned over a moment later, though, and whispered something into the larger demon's ear. Its expression didn't flicker - it was too experienced for that - but it did look at you more carefully... and grinned.

A moment later, its four minions vanished from where they were, reappearing in a square around you with their longspears held ready to stab out the moment you tried anything. The larger demon just laughed, and its cruel voice entered your mind again. <Entry? Sure, Tomb Raider. We can always use more prisoners, and I'm sure the Upstart will enjoy meeting you.>

The gates opened wide, and... well, at least you were getting inside, right?

Sevia glanced at the spears, then back to the demon. That was not good. No, laughing demons were not good. It took every ounce of her willpower not to assault him immediately. She wondered why he called her a tomb raider though...was this place a burial site?

If they meant to take her prisoner...well that was simply not going to happen. She was confident about her ability to escape, but wanted to hold off until the moment she needed to. If she could just get to the stone, nothing else would matter.

Wordlessly, she stood straight again and nodded, proceeded forward through the gates. She was not afraid - but it was important to make a show of it. Demons feasted on fear. Much of the abyss operated on posturing.

New map at the top of the screen. You entered at (A) on the left.

As soon as you were inside the gates, the demons stopped, and two of them jabbed the edges of their long spears directly against your body, clearly willing to thrust inwards on a moment's notice. Without pausing, one of the hooded Babau withdrew a pair of cuffs and began wrestling your wrists into them.

If you'd like to do something to stop that, now's a good time - unless you'd like to submit to wearing them and see about escaping later, of course.

Smirking to the Babau as he approached, the second he reached out to her she vanished, dodging forward and away from the spears at her back as she did so. Invisible she'd be undetectable, and as she sprinted forward toward the direction she felt the gem to be her feet stepped lightly over the ground to avoid giving them a trail by which to follow her.

The moment you acted to turn invisible, two spears pushed against you jabbed inwards.

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20
Melee Attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22 for Damage: 1d8 + 7 + 2d6 ⇒ (6) + 7 + (4, 3) = 20

Despite everything, you actually managed to avoid one of the blows before sprinting away, though one of the Babau had managed to pierce your side with it. However, none of them bothered to pursue you - the only thing you heard was mocking laughter as you ran away, heading towards the tree in the center of the city. Even so, it took a little while to reach your destination - a tree over a hundred feet high, with a shining gem glimmering up in the branches. It doesn't look like it will be easy to remove without getting through the vicious-looking branches, though - the thorns and brambles thrust out at wicked angles as some kind of defense for the gem. Plus, of course, there's the need to get up there in the first place...

Let's see, I believe the only healing you did was that extended Infernal Healing earlier, which healed the same amount of damage the demon just did... so 115 - 82 = 33 HP is where you're currently at, I believe.

That attack isn't anywhere close to my AC. Remember you can't catch me FF. My current HP is 95.

As Sevia sped away, part of her wondered what those demons could possibly find funny. Likely they didn't realize she could simply jump planes and figured her trapped inside. It was possible that this place was some form of prison - people might come in easier than they left. Soon after her invisibility finally gave out, though she was far from them by then, and continued her journey to the tree.

Looking up she spotted her prize, and drew out her bow and a special arrow she'd been saving for moments like these. Getting up wouldn't be a problem, but those brambles looked nasty. Drawing out her rope next, Sevia took aim with her bow she let fly her grappling arrow, aiming for a spot near the gem. After ensuring the rope was taught and stowing her bow, she began her climb.

Take 10 on climb against DC 10

"Epyon, see what you can find around the gem." she asked her familiar as she began her ascent in earnest.

How so on HP, exactly? Even an extended Infernal Healing won't bring you to full health - the rod only extends it to 2 minutes instead of one, for 20 HP, correct?

The response to your instruction was a blazing inferno that shot down from higher in the tree, aiming straight for the bird as it flew upwards, and...

Reflex (DC 22): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

...Epyon was unable to fully dodge it. Though he does have Improved Evasion!

Fire Damage: 12d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 1, 6, 5, 2, 5, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2) = 32 Divided by 2 = 16, plus an additional 4d6 at the end of each of your rounds until the flames are extinguished, a DC 20 Reflex save.

<"Did you think you could just waltz in here and steal what belongs to me!?"> an infernal voice roared from high above. The entire tree shook as another winged demon - like the one from the gate, but clearly larger and stronger - dropped from above and flapped its wings to hover in the air, rage twisting its already-ugly features into a visage of pure hatred. <"Your soul will be a fine plaything, mortal!">

Initiative (Enemy): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Initiative (You): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

Before you could react, the demon shot through the air, raking at you with one of its claws as it arrived.

Claw: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34 for Damage: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (3, 5) + 7 = 15

Two extended infernal healing spells and a number of lay on hands as detailed earlier. Also, nice 1s!

Before Sevia had even enough time to really begin her ascent, she was distracted by a sudden explosion from above. "Epyon!" she cried out in distress as her eyes suddenly jerked upward towards the bright light. Though it didn't look as bad as it sounded, and Epyon was pretty nimble. As the flames died she spied him still in flight, though smoking and probably none too pleased.

Her attention then wheeled to the bellowing voice from above, and at that point she had understood the laughing the demons before had at her expense. "<I seek only that which belongs to Pharasma!"> She retorted, though she doubted the demon would care or even know what she was talking about. She grit her teeth as she felt the beast rake her with a claw, immediately calling onto her powers of invisibility again to disappear.

She reached out to cast a Drench spell on her familiar to extinguish the flames on him, then sliding down the rope back to the base of the tree - drawing her swords when she reached the bottom.

Fighting a flying demon would be...tough, either she'd need to expend some mythic power to cast Fly on herself or find some way to bring it down to her.

on her next turn

Sighing, Sevia reached in to her mythic power to cast a Fly spell, figuring she'd need to to kill this guy. She also figured she'd cast Haste as well thinking she'd need the extra speed. Then flew straight up to the demon.

Fly: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

3rd turn, AC +1

Finally she was ready to attack, and as she did called upon her holy powers to smite this demon while she lay into him with her Wakizashis.

Sneak Attack: 1d20 + 16 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 16 + 10 = 44 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 27 ⇒ (2, 1, 1, 4) + 27 = 35 +3 Bleed
Confirm: 1d20 + 16 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 16 + 10 = 45 Damage: 1d6 + 27 ⇒ (6) + 27 = 33
Attack: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 16 + 4 = 35 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18
Confirm: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 16 + 4 = 36 Damage: 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (3) + 16 = 19
Haste Attack: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 16 + 4 = 33 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18

Fly: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23

95-15=80HP 3/4 3rd spells 4/7 mythic 0/1 smite +5 AC vs this demon. The above also bypasses all DR

As you landed on the ground, the demon's body flickered - and abruptly, 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 illusory duplicates appeared, as it continued to hover in the air. As you got in close, a burst of spores erupted out of the demon's body and landed on you, digging into your flesh as green vines began to grow.

Vine Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 3 No save. Additionally, you'll take 1d4 during each of your rounds for ten rounds.

Your two swings came in a moment later, and-

Image: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Image: 1d5 ⇒ 4
Image: 1d4 ⇒ 3

-none of your attacks managed to land, instead digging deep into the illusions as the demon laughed, then unleashed a full barrage of blows against you.

Bite: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (14) + 17 = 31
Claw: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (12) + 17 = 29
Claw: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24
Talon: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (1) + 17 = 18
Talon: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25

AC is... 36? Helpful for quick reference if you note the final numbers instead of just your bonuses. XD Easier to keep track of.

None of its attacks seemed like they'd landed, yet... and an oddly thoughtful expression appeared on the demon's face. <"I see, so that's what they're so interested in..."> the demon mused as the two of you fought fifty feet above the ground.

Sevia grit her teeth, if only she'd been able to find the real one with that first attack...However, even as his images shattered - he seemed no more closer to hitting her than she was. The difference was that his defenses were a lot less permanent.

Attack: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 16 + 4 = 23 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16
Attack: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 16 + 4 = 39 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19
Confirm: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 16 + 4 = 24 Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17
Haste Attack: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 16 + 4 = 28 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15

Vine Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Her goal this time was less to actually hurt him, and more aimed to rid him of his images as she spent some ki to turn invisible.

The first attack was cleanly a miss, destroying a fourth image, while your second attack-

Image: 1d3 ⇒ 1

-actually managed to get through them and strike him, digging into his flesh and scattering some of his infernal blood onto the ground below.

Image: 1d3 ⇒ 2

Your last attack also managed to take out an image, but a cruel laugh came out of the demon's mouth as you turned invisible. A burst of chaotic, multicolored energy erupted out of his body a moment after you vanished, seeking to strike you despite your invisibility. He might not have been the greatest enemy you'd ever fought, but this demon was clearly no stranger to battle and had his own ways of going about things.

Spell Damage: 5d8 ⇒ (6, 5, 4, 1, 6) = 22 +Slow for 1d6 ⇒ 3 rounds. Will Save for Half Damage and Negating Slow (DC 19): 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (1) + 19 = 20 ...Well, 5% chance at any time, right?

Convincing me more and more that beyond morality would be great just to avoid alignment based attacks if nothing else

Sevia grunted as she felt the wave of chaotic energy slam into her, catching her off guard at the moment she'd been focusing on vanishing. Any other moment and her full attention would've knocked that spell away, but he'd gotten her just at the wrong moment. Luckily though the worst of its secondary effect was negated by her already caste Haste spell.

She replied back with a savage strike of her own.

Sneak Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 15 + 6 = 35 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 21 ⇒ (3, 6, 5, 2) + 21 = 37 +3 Bleed
Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 15 + 2 = 24 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

80-22=58 HP. 1 round of haste in 2 rounds after which haste is over

That is one of its most popular uses, yes... not that you really need to be more resistant than you already are. XD

Image: 1d2 ⇒ 2

The demon grunted slightly as the last of its images was destroyed, and your followup wasn't quite accurate enough to hit him. With that, the demon focused for just a moment, then pointed a finger at you and whispered one word.

Dispel Check (DC 17): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31

The magic keeping you aloft abruptly vanished as the demon dispelled it, though one of the great things about the Fly spell was that the caster descended slowly unless an antimagic field was involved.

<"You DARE strike at me in the heart of my domain and believe you can win!?"> the demon laughed in his unholy tongue. <"I rule this place! I-"> he broke off as an even redder tint darkened the sky, coming from close to the main gates. <"What the... what did you do!?"> he snarled.

Not so fast

Attack of Opportunity: 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 15 + 6 = 39 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21
Confirm: 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 15 + 6 = 32 Damage: 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20

And you won't make that concentration check

As the demon reached forward to attempt to cast his spell, Sevia lashed out instead - cutting off the demon's finger at its base and ruining his concentration before he could even cast. Looking behind her, she suddenly saw what the demon was talking about - looking at the reddening sky. That probably meant devils on her trail.

"<Have fun dealing with the devils!>" Sevia chided the demon in infernal as she spent a few ki points on invisibility. She didn't have long, but that demon would have to choose between either her - or dealing with whatever infernal host was after her. And both the abyss and hell hated each other. So instead of continuing that fight Sevia simply made a beeline for the gem, no doubt he didn't even know where to begin looking for her.

I'll accept that. XD Don't forget the Vine Damage you should be taking, though.

The demon simply vanished into the air a moment after you darted away from it. The gem was right where it had been before, surrounded by thick thorns and brambles that you'd need to somehow remove before you could pry out the magical gem. The demon's voice called out a moment later, though. "Why don't we play a game, little tomb-raiding mortal?" it growled in the Common tongue. "I know why you're here - you seek to take that which is mine, and return it to Pharasma... but the Goddess of Death means nothing to us. Come out and fight me properly, or for every moment of my time you've wasted, I'll repay a thousand-fold in the blood of innocents... and send you visions of every scream, every curse, every pitiful howl they make."

Vine Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Apparently this demon was more concerned with her it appeared, and she frowned as he spoke. Clearly he knew how to appeal to a goodly person's interest - that threat never would've worked on her if she were more morally unscrupulous.

"Very well, I accept!" Sevia shouted back to the demon, flying at him. Her sword answering his call.

Sneak Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 15 + 8 = 27 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 18 ⇒ (1, 4, 5, 6) + 18 = 34 +3 Bleed surge if need be

Vine Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Catching foes unaware was always a wonderful thing, though it had taken a few moments to spot where the demon had moved to - but he was quite large, and therefore much easier to spot. Thank general goodness for that - if he'd been a small demon, finding him in the mess of the tree would be all but impossible.

Meanwhile, from far behind you, a gout of flame shot into the sky and distant screams could be heard, even as the demon moved back slightly and opened its mouth. As it did so, every divine sense you had began screaming in warning - you did not want to let the demon say whatever it was about to.

You're not on the ground, but you can still use Step Up if you want/need to get closer in order to act. It's still the enemy's turn.

Uh. So, I step up then? And...attack? Opportunity Attack? Not sure what's going on here.

Your enemy stepped (well, flew, but whatever) five feet back, then began casting a spell. It's a, uh, pretty nasty one - and the solo nature of this game means that you should be given more of a chance to react at certain times. If there's anything you'd like to do as a counter - such as stepping up and trying an attack of opportunity - you may do so now. Rolls for that are good. Otherwise, we'll simply proceed.

Sevia ignored the screams, the demon seemed to as well, manuevering back to cast some sort of spell. As he began chanting, she flew forward into his face, stabbing out to stop whatever spell he was trying to cast and deny him. "Fool, you think I'd let you?!" Sevia shouted at the demon.

Opportunity Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 15 + 6 = 41 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
Confirm: 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 15 + 6 = 30 Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16

Doubt he'll make that concentration check

She followed up her attack with a second pair.

Vine Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 15 + 6 = 39 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
Confirm: 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 15 + 6 = 36 Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14
Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 15 + 6 = 37 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17
Confirm: 1d20 + 15 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 15 + 6 = 34 Damage: 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17

swift to recover the two life points in my blade. 7/8 ki