@Belsarious:
There is not one! Nor does SR apply, and it is 1 round/level...
That is why I love it!Sleet storm
Sleet Storm
School conjuration (creation) [cold]; Level druid 3, magus 3, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3; Domain weather 4
CASTINGCasting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (dust and water)
EFFECT
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area cylinder (40-ft. radius, 20 ft. high)
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
DESCRIPTION
Driving sleet blocks all sight (even darkvision) within it and causes the ground in the area to be icy. A creature can walk within or through the area of sleet at half normal speed with a DC 10 Acrobatics check. Failure means it can't move in that round, while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Acrobatics skill for details).
The sleet extinguishes torches and small fires.
Just as Ayleaths attacks find brutal purchase along the drakes flanks, a powerful roar booms through the sky just before Lin closes the distance with the foul drake in her path. She roared her challenged to the drake as she closed with it. Her scales were reflecting darkly from the flames below and she moved like liquid silver through the sky. Her grace was not lost on the Drake as it cried out when she tore into its unprotected throat with her powerful teeth.
She grimaced momentarily at the metallic taste of the drakes blood staining her tongue as she flew past, she focused on moving forward and following Damian's command. She did however eye Valekk as he laid on the ground below, atop the poor creatures that had failed to realize their leader had been thrown down by Min and his Lifebow. She would have to give the smith another scale in gratitude of his great generosity.
As the pair tore past the drake, and he could see his target more clearly, Min nocked and released three arrows in rapid succession at the drake he had wounded earlier. He aimed for the creatures ribs, hoping to strike a vital area and bring it low as well. Avenaada's string sang savagely with his movements. It was odd, He felt no fear, Nor Anger or loss. Even though they faced the Black dragonflight, he no longer hated them like he used to. No, he had found purpose again, a firm resolve to move forward and nothing they could do would stop them this day. Because of Lin's thoughts Min remained very aware of the angry black dragon on the ground below, surely Valekk would want vengeance for being knocked out of the sky by a half-elf.
"Quickly knights mah storm o ice ken not last an thoey make haste for tha gates!"
As Belsarious' sleet storm hassles and slows the troops on the ground, Lin's brutal assault finishes the job started by Aylaeth, and another Drake plummets to its death. As Lin flies on, Min's arrows find their mark.
The drake furthest away shrieks and launches another fireball, this one exploding equidistant between Aylaeth and Mai. The flames come close to the wounded Livain but do not reach her, the tongues of fire just barely scorching the ends of her hair.
The other drake, over the chanting and thudding of the ground troops below that are now busy loading and aiming their ballistas up at you all, rockets across the sky at Min, seeking revenge, but its jaws miss, clashing down on empty air instead.
Min easily ducks out of the way of the vengeful drakes snapping teeth. Lin doesn't allow the drakes attack to go unchallenged and snaps back at the drake for its ill attempts to harm her rider.
Livain screams angrily as she sees her husband engulfed in a ball of fire having to trust in him she fires off one of the special hding arrows atthe drake engaged with Lin. She watches coldly satisfied as the beast falls to the ground.
Maiathreen slashes Servais through the air causing a vacuum protecting himself from the worst of the flames.
Aylaeth Reflex:
Tora'an Reflex:
Alerted by the drake's shriek Tora'an and his rider are able to pull to the side in an agile aerial maneuver. The celestial pegasus' natural immunity keeps it from any harm at all but Aylaeth still feels the heat of the blast scorch her flesh.
HP:42/60
The drake that Livain shot plummets straight to the ground, hitting with a horrid thud. Next to it, the enormous Valkk has begun to stir, raising his head and staring fiercely up at all of you. He flexes his wings experimentally.
Meanwhile, Lin's bite just narrowly misses taking the Drake's head off completely. The angry little thing hisses at her, barely keeping its altitude as it dodges.
Initiative Order:
Livain: 26
Erinyes: 24
Mai: 20
Cavalry: 20
Damian: 17
Belsarious: 15
Aylaeth: 11
Marrashi: 11
Min: 10
Mystery shapes: 10
Ground troops: 10
The fury that Sir Damian just pounded turns and races after him, slicing his armor with her infernal blade, burning with the fires of hell itself. The second fury drops down to Lin's altitude and takes a pair of mighty swings at the silver but cannot connect, the dragon's senses on high alert after the assault by the drake.
The last remaining Erinyes takes out her bow and fires at Mai and Aylaeth, missing the sylph entirely but connecting with the Aellar with a horridly accurate shot that barely misses an artery.
Maiathreen watches as one of his images is pierced by an arrow taking it dangerously close to the neck. With his enhanced speed he hurtles towards the Servais crackling with a spell Maiathreen had cast before attacking the fury. Servais easily slices into the creatures flesh releases the built up energy as well.
With the fallen angel closed in on him, Damian has few tactical choices. Leading the charge had left both him and Keythan drained and injured, with little ability to protect Brook. He weighs his options quickly and efficiently: he can drop the lance quickly or take a moment to hand it to Brook, then draw his sword and strike; while the blessed sword is more likely to strike true, he will not have time for more than a single stroke until the creature is upon him again with her fiery blade. He elects instead to use the lance more akin to a spear, choking up to strike true rather than with the full force of his normal thrusts. He thrusts it forward quickly, plunging into her tainted skin several times. Still, she does not fall, eying him maliciously. With a heroic effort, he plunges the lance into her black heart. She looks down with unbelieving eyes, then starts to plummet down towards the cavalry. He turns to bolster the spirits of his solders, and to despirit those watching. "See how easily they fall when their spirits are untrue? One by one, we will knock them out of the sky!"
"As we rule tha skies so too shalt we engage tha ground!"
Longbow
attack
Damage
Flamestrike arrow at the ballista team!
, 20 foot radius
Kinda hoping to ignite the pitch early.....
Glancing back at the severely wounded Livain Aylaeth's first thought is 'We have to get her to safety! If just one of those ballista bolts hit her she's finished.' And so, with a quickly whispered command to Tora'an they are off.
Putting on an unbelievable burst of magically enhanced speed the pegasus lord rockets towards one of the drakes. This time though instead of charging directly at their foe he merely flies by, allowing both he and his rider to attack the creature. Tora'an's powerful teeth take a chunk out of the viscious dragon kin while Aylaeth's electically enhanced staff smashes into its head and four blue bolts of force smash into its chest.
Attacks on drake @N20
Tora'an' bite: to Hit Damage
Concentration Magic Missile DC17: Force Damage
Melee Attack: to Hit Damage
Hasted extra melee attack:
Speeding by the drake and performing an incredibly graceful 180 degree turn the pair wing back to the Aellar archer.
Stopping just in front of her friend and hoping to convince her to seek safety instead of courageously continuing the offensive as she had been she yells out "Livain, to me! Land behind me and Tora'an shall take us to a safer altitude!"
@S24
Maiathreen charges across the sky and demolishes the drake that was trying to attack Lin, sending its ruined body spiraling to the ground below, nearly simultaneously to Sir Damian doing the same with one of the furies, hundreds of feet away. Belsarious's arrow smacks into one of the ballistas, the explosion of the flamestrike arrow lifting the thing up and setting part of it on fire. Unfortunately the seige engine remains functional for the time being
Aylaeth then wipes out the last Drake, crushing the little draconic cousin and sending its corpse to join the rest of the fallen.
@Aylaeth:
As the cavalry continues to charge pell-mell to the north, the marrashi fan out in front of the main body of your group, blocking your way and getting between you and Sir Damian. At their officer's command, they unleash another rain of arrows, this one not hampered by distance. Their arrows all bounce harmlessly off Lin's armored hide but find their mark on her passengers, as both Min and Belsarious are hit. Mai, too, is badly nicked, a wound opening up. Aylaeth's powerful magics and armor keep her safe, but right in front of her eyes two more arrows slam into Livain's lithe and wounded frame. The Aellar stays up, but it's only a matter of time before the constant beating catches up with her.
As the fight continues overhead, the presence of all these troops suddenly begins to make more sense as over the horizon a large force appears, marching towards this location. Peering into the distance, you Skyknights can make out the Warbanian flag; it would appear the fearsome mercenaries are leading some kind of attack on this fortified enemy position. They won't arrive in time to assist you, but they might at least distract the enemy sufficiently as to allow you to more quickly get through their lines.
But what of the cavalry? Are they going to Izmir? Or setting an ambush? Or flanking the oncoming army? It's impossible to tell.
As the first arrow slams into Min's left side he grimaces and leans over, luckily for Belsarious this deflects an incoming arrow from striking him in the side as well. Min grunted for a moment as he mentally pushed his way through the pain of his combined injuries, the void he had surrounded himself in was threatening to come apart. He couldn't let that happen, not while so many enemies lie before them and his allies were so grievously injured.
Lin's determination was slowly wearing away as well, her thoughts were becoming more full of worry over her rider and their comrades. Too many distractions were weighing on his might friend and sadly he could only do one thing to maintain their offensive. Min focused his mind, bridging the gap once more between dragon and rider to become a force of harrowing destruction.
{Let us destroy them entirely Lin, Valekk must not rise into the sky and these Marrashi will be knock from the sky by our passage!}
Lin let loose a deafening roar in response, forgetting the fury that had swiped at her earlier as she surged forward towards the foolish Marrashi. Her body felt so cold after eating that stone and she had been hungering to let loose her breath upon those foolish enough to come within reach. Luckily for her Marrashi were ignorant and underestimated her, as she reached them she inhaled deeper then ever before and exhaled a powerful breath...
As his companion surged forward Min stood partially in the saddle so he could fire without anything disrupting his sight. He shouted over the wind as he took aim, his words cutting into the black hearts of his foes. "You who are about to die, I salute you and let it be known you died for nothing!" He aimed for the closest two Marrashi and riddled them with a set of Sparrow tipped arrows. He sat heavily and leaned over in the saddle as he grabbed for his last flamestrike arrow, as he drew back on Avenaada he could feel the powerful magic pulse through the lifebow. His aim was careful and he aimed for the black dragons torso, it was too big of a target for him to miss...
As the flame strike flew in its deadly ark, Min looked away. He refocused on the Marrashi that still remained as he said. "You should have stay down Valekk..."
2. They are headed straight north, same direction as you. Aside from that, all you know is what Belsarious and Maiathreen observed earlier.
3. Close to a hundred. Three platoons. Almost an entire platoon got horked up by Bel's sleet storm, but the others went around.
There is a moment when Min feels a spark of hope. Lin's roar is deafening as she unloads a monstrous cone of frozen air. The blast is so powerful that hideous tongues of ice lash out and up and slice the flesh of the erinyes above them even as she slices Lin badly with her magicked, fiery blade in their passing. Lin's exultation at the massive well of power she is suddenly tapping passes through the bond and guides all of Min's arrows right on target; the marrashi first, each one letting a surprised and hurt YIP! of pain as they are struck, and then Valkk, crouching to take off. As Lin hammers their foes with an impossibly huge blast of ice, the black dragon disappears completely in a mushroom cloud of roiling Enhathladi flame, screaming in pain at Min's deadly accuracy.
The tiny curtains of flame and wind in front of them were nothing, and could easily be dodged. Dragon and rider felt a surge of victory as they watched one, two, three, then over a dozen of the marrashi plummet from the sky, each one shattering in a million frozen fragments when they hit the ground.
Then things go bad.
First, human voices are heard on the ground, invoking Lamashtu, Zon-Kuthon, and Rovagug. The individual walls of high wind and flame begin to move in towards Lin, as if to intercept. Then, suddenly, Lin's energy flags badly. Min can feel it through the bond. Her strength and agility alike are sapped badly by the massive and unnatural output of power from the Starstone.
Then, from the heart of the fire, Valkk comes rocketing up from the ground, roaring for vengeance. Bits of his flesh have been blasted clean off and he is horribly disfigured and burned and obviously quite badly hurt. One of his legs is broken, but that leaves him with three more... As the clerics of the gods of death and terror and destruction weave their magic below, Valkk flies right underneath the badly Lin and hammers into her, nearly sending Min and Belsarious plummeting to the ground. The black dragon wraps his legs and wings around Lin, completely grappling her. He sticks his hateful face right in Mins and screams. "IF I DIE THIS DAY I WILL DRAG YOU ALL DOWN TO HELL WITH ME!" Flecks of acid-tinged spittle fly from his maw, hissing as they strike the dragonrider's armor and clothing.
Around the now-intertwined dragons, walls of fire and high-wind gather, making it quite difficult for anyone to assist the silver dragon.
Livain wants badly to help poor, brave Min, wrapped up and about to fall, but she is too injured herself. She heals herself quickly with the wand of curing, then rushes forward and lands on Tora'an as Aylaeth suggested, more than happy to let the noble celestial creature bear her higher.
"You shall not fall!"
Livain wants badly to help poor, brave Min, wrapped up and about to fall, but she is too injured herself. She heals herself quickly with the wand of curing, then rushes forward and lands on Tora'an as Aylaeth suggested, more than happy to let the noble celestial creature bear her higher.
The last Erinyes is cursing and spitting, even as Valkk wraps up Lin. She casts her hateful obsidian gaze at Aylaeth, and calls to Veriala for power, to the fires of hell, to the pain and misery of the torture rooms contained therein. She yells at Tora'an from across the sky; "So you would ferry them to safety, would you King Pegasus? Well not if the pain of the damned has anything to say about it!" A wave of horrid, phlegm-colored air blasts out from her person and washes over Aylaeth's noble steed and companion, tearing great rends in his glossy coat and him terribly, causing him to wobble badly in the air.
The cavalry is heading north and the Warbanians are coming from the west. The two will not meet. The cavalry is already way ahead of you guys, going in the same direction. And you weren't here for this part (it was covered early on in the game), but it's something pretty much any citizen of The Land would know; there are mountains immediately south of Izmir. Nothing overly impressive but enough to be a hassle. Also, as Bel and Mai suggested, the city has walls that the cavalry could use that equipment to scale. For the moment the cavalry are currently on the plains but in another couple days (less at their current pace) they will be in that small mountain range south of the city, and then upon the city.
On my turn.....
"We shall not die with you monster."
Utilizes his flight hex drawing forth the greatclub....
"I shalt splatter thy putrescence upon the earth!"
Add hero point to this roll and hope to knock the grappler loose, freeing Min ans Lin in the process.....
Chaotic Puncturing (bleed)Club
attack
Damage
Damian pulls on Keythan's reins, spinning him back towards his men. Obviously, the plan has not worked as they intended. As his master used to tell him, no plan ever takes the enemy into account. He locks the lance into its secure sheath, then draws the sword blessed by Iomedae. With a flash, he soars back towards where Lin is being pulled out of the sky by the black dragon. His voice cracks through the sky like a bolt of lightning on a clear night:
Over the wind, he issues instructions to his squire. "Be ready to take the reins, Brook, and fly as fast and high as you can towards Izmir when I tell you. Grab Belsarious and fly. Don't stop for anything. Do you understand?"
Maiathreen watches in horror as the Erinyes tries to stop Livain from escaping on Toran so he decides to takes it attention if not it's life. He rushes towards the fallen and channels another strike of electricity through his blade and rams Servais into it's flesh but his spell is unable to break through the Erinyes' natural immunities.
::Boss this isn't good!::
"Shut up Servais!"
Valkk grunts as Belsarious hits him, but keeps his grip. The erinyes that Mai attacks doesn't even flinch as Servais slices her flesh, but instead grins at the brave aellar, her obsidian eyes flashing with glee at the thought of the coming kill. Over all this, Sir Damian rockets back to his companions.
Torn for a moment on whether or not to help Mai or Lin the choice is made for her as Tor'an screams his fury at the Erinyes and speeds straight towards the fallen angel. Yet he does forget Livain's need for safety and so only bites at the devil as he flies by, soaring up into the air while still heading North.
Tora'an' bite: to Hit Damage
Meanwhile, determined to destroy the last of the hateful creatures Aylaeth uses her Magus training to recall one of her already cast spells and once again unleashes electrical fury on the Erinyes. Her deadly focus pays off this time as all of her attacks hit and the sheer electrical might from her attacks blasts the Erinyes into smoking pieces which rain down on the troops below. "That's what you get for attacking my Tora'an!" she can't help but call out to the very dead and now truly fallen angel.
Concentration Shocking Grasp DC17:
Spell Strike Attack: to Hit Damage
Melee Attack: to Hit Damage
Hasted extra melee attack: to Hit Damage
Spell Penetration vs SR19:
Finally, as the pegasus' incredible magically aided speed carries them far and high the Sylph calls on reserves deep within herself, allowing her to act again as she conjures up a cloud of fog around Tora'an to protect them from further attacks; at least for the moment.
The remaining Marrashi watch as Aylaeth rockets forward on Tora'an, the two of them crushing the Erinyes before she can unleash her retaliation on Maiathreen. The sylph, along with Livain, then disappears high into the air, vanishing into a large cloud. Deprived of several targets, they let Valkk handle Lin and focus on Mai, who is stranded by himself in the middle of the sky. The two Marrashi wounded by Min are the only ones that focus on him and Belsarious instead of the Aellar. Unfortunately for them, the writhing dragons make it too difficult to hit the Tuathan scout, though one Marrash does land a hit on Belsarious, nicking him across the back. Mai's magic, meanwhile, continues to afford him extraordinary protection, and all but one of the Marrashi arrows miss him as he dances through the sky.
The hyena-like outsiders howl in frustration and anger, mirroring the death-cries of their leaders.
Just as the furies blade was about to cut into Lin's side, their came a flash of silver and a burst of flame as her blade impacted something other then dragon scales. Min cried out as he felt the impact run up the length of his arm and nearly pull his shoulder out of the socket, he had just barely interposed his shield between the fury and Lin. As he pulled back his arm to quickly inspect his buckler, he found that the mithral was deeply scarred by the infernal blade.
Before he could think of anything else he was nearly knocked from Lin as she was hit from below, as he righted himself in the saddle he came himself face to face with the enraged Valkk. Lin gave a tired gasp as Valkk's heavy bulk and rage filled strength knocked aside her feeble attempt to bite him as he held her tight with his working limbs and wings. Just as Valkk tried to crush the air from Lin's lungs and her remaining momentum was carrying them forward. Min finally felt fear twist his guts.
He could see that the dragonflight casters had cut them off from their allies and very soon Lin was going to fall.
If he didn't do something they were both going to die...
After unleashing her breath upon her foes, Lin couldn't recover quickly enough and in her weakened state that foul cretin Valkk was able to envelop her. She could smell Valkk's charred flesh as she struggled to break free, Min had done a number on the black dragon but Valkk had proven to be far to stubborn to die quietly. The more she struggled though the more she could feel herself weakening and as she felt her momentum begin to slow she felt Min's fear cross the bond.
Just as she began to lose hope she felt Min's emotions quickly begin to calm, a strange resolve was settling upon his thoughts and caused her to shudder as she hear his voice. {I had promised to protect you Lin. You have to make it to Izmir, no matter the cost...} She could feel him reaching for his mothers sword, she knew what he was going to do but at this range he wouldn't survive Valkk's attacks. No, Min planned to sacrifice himself to pry the black dragon off of her. The realization sent a shock wave through her system, she couldn't let that happen. She couldn't lose him.
Valkk's laugh of triumph turn to a grunt of surprise as Lin renewed her efforts to break free. She strained harder then ever before and in his wounded state Valkk could not contain the writhing mass of silver scales and the savage strength she summoned out of pure desperation to protect her rider. Her voice boomed within the screaming walls of magical fire and summoned winds.
Valkk's bones cracked and his muscles tore as Lin broke free of his grasp savagely, practically throwing him to the earth below as she beat her freed wings to maintain her altitude as she pulled away. {Use your lifebow! Finish him while we have the chance!}
[/ooc]
Min had been shocked when Lin suddenly tore herself free of Valkk and moved them away from the foul creatures grasp. Her screaming in his mind snapped him back into action as he reached for a woodpecker fletched arrow and nocked it to Avenaada string. At this close of range it was impossible to miss Valkks black heart.
The black dragons eyes flared open as the woodpecker fletched arrow slammed deep into his chest, spilling the dragons black blood as the arrow tip exploded outward and tore up the surrounding tissues. As his life began to fade the last thing the black dragon heard was Min voice. "WHEN YOU GET TO HELL GIVE MY FATHER MY REGARDS!"
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