Tessai steps forward into the vacant space left by Aeron - 'Who are you, and what is your purpose here foul one?' - she addresses the one at the back, even while swinging at the creature.
Aeron freezes in place.
Rn 2
And remains frozen in place.
"Oh, no!" Adalric rushes to Aeron and touches him with a wand.
With Adalric posting, Orlando, Varn and Raven.
And yes Aeron gets another save.
Varn grimaces when he notices Aeron frozen in place... he points his wand at the centipede and sends off yet another bolt of magic!
New Round 2______________________
Standard: Shoot bug.
for a possible piercing damage.
Free: Drop crossbow.
Move: Tumble through the door and the bug to (G,5), drawing his sword along the way.
Varn's magic missile cause the centipede to fade away.
The priestess is irritated that her centipede is gone already. She considers her next move and goes after Orlando who is alone in the room casting a spell of negative energy at him.
will save for half. dc 17
I will update and repost map a little later she moved to h5.
Yep, she hit my Touch.
Save! He manages to resist the full power of her vile touch.
New Round 3_________________
Grimacing at the power of her foul magics, Orlando turns on her.
"Excellent try madame. Now, it's MY turn!"
Move act: Whips his cape around to distract her.
Standard act: He sneak attacks the priestess.
for a possible cold iron, piercing damage.
for a possible extra cold iron, piercing damage.
Doesn't crit and sneak attack doesn't apply (since the bluff doesn't bypass her dc) but does hits for 5.
Round 3
With the centipede gone Varn rushes into the room so as not to leave Orlando alone with the cleric. He spots her just as she blasts him with a negative energy spell. He brings his wand to level and sends off to bolts of magical energy that fly quickly and strike her in the back, leaving two smoking burns!
Round 3
Tessai bursts into the room as Orlando is attacked - "This ends NOW" - she roars, moving towards the creature with a righteous glow in her eyes.
"Stand back monstrosity!" - the tiefling shouts.
Round Three
Adalric falters momentarily as more of his vital energy is drained. Standing back up, he channels forth the healing power of Iomedae.
Rn 3
With a yell of triumph, Aeron shakes off the magical compulsion.
Round 3
With the giant centipede out of the way, Raven has a clearer shot at the insectile priestess in the back of the room.
The priestess takes a 5 step back and channels negative energy to harm Orlando, Tessai, Varn and Raven.
Will save dc 18 for half.[/dice]
Your go.
Fail.
New Round 4_________________
Staggering at the shock of the evil magic, Orlando rallies enough to counterattack.
Move act: Whips his cape around to distract her.
Standard act: He sneak attacks the priestess.
for a possible cold iron, piercing damage.
Varn lets out an involuntary cry of pain as the evil powers of the cleric assault his mind and body, overwhelming his willpower. His body shakes for a moment after the powers leave his body and he takes a steadying breathe. He backpedals a few steps to create some distance before delving into his powers and locating a weakness within the priestess. The weakness presents itself to his allies as a strange, inky orb on her left hip... He then turns to shout through the open door. "Aeron, quit napping and get in here!"
Rn 4
Free from the spell, Aeron hustles into the room and brings his hammer crashing down.
Reeling slightly as more of his life energy is taken, Adalric follows Aeron into the room and channels more healing power.
Round 4
Raven winces in pain as the negative energy washes over her, but then sighs with relief as Aldaric reverses the effect with positive channeling.
She sites up the priestess once again, firing when the spot opens up between the melee members.
Hey Orlando did it! Successful bluff and then a sneak attack. 11 damage.
Actually yeah lots of damage this round all around she goes down.
Check ooc discussion for a newsflash of something I apparently forgot before.
Varn lets out a sigh of relief as they finally down the strange priest. He removes the Rod of Cancellation given to him, hefts it in his hand several times as he stares at the Wardstone fragment longingly. He is torn by the decision to destroy such items for the sheer amount of potential knowledge he could glean by studying even just one of those shards... He begins to reach out towards the cage with an empty hand... 'Perhaps they won't miss just one...'
Suddenly the elven wizard is very aware of the weight of the rod in his hand and pulls back his other, away from the cage. Ashamed as his lapse in weakness, he turns to see if the others noticed... "Let us complete our mission. And then return to help Irabeth." Without further hesitation he brings the rod up towards the shards and touches it to the wardstone....
Raven breathes a deep sigh of relief as the shattered wardstone is neutralized. perhaps now she could return to her mother and their idyllic life in the Estrovian Forest. Perhaps, all of Kenebres would return to normal. It only takes a moment for her to daydream this way, then she shakes it all away with a toss of her head. She is committed to seeing this evil destroyed one way or another, the Forest and her mother would just have to wait.
Orlando flung the blood on his blade away with a practiced flick before sheathing it again.
When the wardstone fragment is touched by the rod, it explodes in a blast of golden light and the sound of an angelic choir. Hundreds of razor-sharp shards of stone spray outward, destroying the cage the fragment was inside and avoids harming any of you.
An unexpected side effect of the wardstone’s destruction occurs. If the holy energies stored in all of the wardstones were the waters of a vast lake formed by a dam, then the fragment just destroyed was the plug in that dam holding the waters back. Rather than simply diffusing the wardstone’s border as the old men had theorized, all of the energies of the wardstones along the border rush out of the "hole" caused by the final destruction of the last and largest fragment of the Kenabres stone. The energy of all of these simultaneously draining artifacts infuses you all with incredible power, causing you to glow with golden light. All debilitating conditions and wounds are immediately healed as you are restored in an instant to full health. All expended spells are instantly restored, and all limited use per day abilities recharge.
Still stunned, you receive a vision of the first wardstone being erected in the Kite here in Kenabres in 4639 ar, in a ritual involving the aid of the Hand of the Inheritor—the herald of Iomedae: a golden, winged angel with a halo of small swords around his head. This event happens soon after the Second Crusade begins.
In the year 4665 ar, you see a vision of a 20-year-old Hulrun leading the burning of dozens of supposed "witches" in the courtyard of the Kite before the wardstone. This event launches the Second Crusade.
In the year 4692 ar, you see a vision of Khorramzadeh the Storm King leading a brazen attack on Kenabres. The Storm King manages to strike a resounding blow with his sword against the wardstone, which suffers only the tiniest of cracks as the balor’s sword shatters. Khorramzadeh is then attacked and forced to f lee when the silver dragon Terendelev nearly kills him—this event launches the Fourth Crusade.
In the year 4712 ar, you see a vision of Irabeth chasing a burly dwarven man—Staunton Vhane (leader of the Hammers of Heaven mercenary group) into the courtyard containing the wardstone. Both paladins are heavily wounded, and as Staunton backs against the wardstone, smoke rises and he screams in pain. He ducks to avoid one of Irabeth’s blows, then manages to smash her knee with his hammer, dropping her to the ground. Staunton seems ready to deliver a death blow, but the sound of approaching soldiers forces him instead to back away and summon a fiendish giant wasp that he swiftly mounts and then flies away to the north, abandoning Kenabres.
You see a vision of a beautiful demonic woman with a long thin tail, clawed hands, and curling horns protruding from where her eyes should be, placing the wardstone fragment in this room and of Jeslyn using a wish granted by the woman to create the cage around it before she teleports away.
Next you see a vision of an event you know will now never happen—Areelu Vorlesh using a deep purple Nahyndrian crystal the size of a human’s head to corrupt the fragment, causing the entire border to flash with nauseating mauve fire that devastates the border cities and transforms countless crusaders into half-fiend slaves of the Worldwound. The PCs should realize at this point that the demons’ entire plan was to draw as many crusaders to the border to defend it from their attacks, in order to maximize the damage this event would have caused.
You suddenly hear muffled shouting..Irabeth is in the room shaking Tessai and shouting at all of you to wake up. You realize that you have been unconscious for some time now. Yet you still feel the power of the Wardstone surging trough you.
Until otherwise noted you gain:
-damage reduction 10/good
-regeneration 5 (unholy damage)
-Each of your attacks are considered good for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and deal +2d6 against evil creatures.
Across the room a dark cloud has formed and you sense the evil coming from it, you can feel it in your soul. It manifest itself into the form of a beautiful demonic woman with bat-like wings, a horned brow and glowing red eyes. She regards you as you slowly rise back up to your feet still stunned from the experience you just had.
"This only delays your kinds extinction! But at least I can take steps to hasten your own! she shouts.
Irabeth draws her sword and charges her.
The demonic woman unleashes a spell of mass suffocation and Irabeth is stopped dead in her tracks gasping for air.
You each feel the foul magic targeting you as well but it dissipates harmlessly.
The woman seems confused at first at her magics failure then seems to come to a conlusion. "Your wardstone's death throes are protecting you from my magic but they wont save you from my slaves!" she shouts
She spreads her arms wide and the air behind her seems to CRACK and split open to reveal what can only be the abyss. In the burning landscape you can see a horde of demons thousands upon thousands of them. A half-dozen Badau step into the room and behind them you can see glabrezus, vrocks and even a marilith coming in behind them...Suddenly there is another bright light and floating in the center of the room in front of the demonic woman is a woman that can only be Iomedae!
Areelu Vorlesh! THIS ENDS NOW" says Iomedea and she hold her hand up and sends forth a beam of light and the powerfull energy hits the abyssal rift and slams it shut before any other demon can come trough. Areelu screams in pain as the magical feedback tears into her body breaking bones and shredding skin an instant later she vanishes and Iomedae is gone as well. The magic holding up Irabeth is dismissed and she collapses. Leaving you an unconscious Irabeth and six babau demons in the room.
Tessai, Raven and Varn you are up first.
Feeling the power of the Wardstone flow through her, and inspired by the actual appearance of Iomedae, Raven draws her morningstar and rushes into melee combat with B2.
Varn gasps as the raw power of the Wardstone washes over them and exults in the amazing feeling that came with it! Suddenly visions begin to rush through his mind and he attempts to lock it in his mind before he is suddenly woken by Irabeth. The next few seconds flash past before he can even think to respond, or even process the events as they unfold.
And then suddenly there were several demons stalking the room, ready to rip them all to pieces! Varn stares down at one of the demons as it stands directly in front of him... Feeling reckless from the holy powers surging through him, the elven wizard brings his blade to bear on the babau! After his attack, he wisely shifts back away from the creature before it can immediately retaliate...
The torrent of images and sensations - at the same time new but strangely familiar - flood Tessai's very being, overwhelming her senses.
The vision of past deeds and heroes ring in her head - deeds of unimaginable importance, courage and valour, all resound in her soul, tapping into the tiefling's most valued beliefs - it all makes sense to her, and even though the events took plae many years before she was even born, they feel right as anything ever could - tears stream down Tessai's face when faced with the dimension of the events she witnesses.
Without even realizing it, the strong paladin takes to one knee as the very image and essence of Iomedae appear before them in all its glory, taking an active role in their lives, standing between their mortal souls and Vorlesh - the implications of that simple fact are something she cannot fathom, but even if it was within her reach to understand it, she would not be able to rationalize it - the source of her devotion stood right there, even if only for a few split seconds - she was THERE!
"Goddess..."
At the edges of the conscience, images of her friends and companions floated, but it all coallesced into a painful sharpness, as Irabeth struggles for her life on the floor, with a score of demons ready to rip them all apart - it was time to ACT! Now more than ever!
Tessai stands her ground, her eyes glowing as she swings Radiance at the Babau Varn has just attacked - "You will all return to the abyss! Spread the tale that we are not your prey - Iomedae stands with US!" - she roars.
Raven, Varn and Raven each strike a demon easily bypassing it's defense thanks to the magic flowing trough them.
Two of the demons in the back teleport to the rear of the group in order to flank or cut of escape. (5 and 6 use teleport)
Babau 1 and 2 attack Raven working together and each getting into a flank.
Babau 3 attacks Aeron using the distraction of his partner who teleported behind to target his vitals.
Babau 4 moves into a flank and attacks Tessai in retaliation.
Adalric, Orlando and Aeron post round 1
Tessai, Varn and Raven can post round 2.
Stunned as the power infused him with incredible power, Orlando glowed with golden light. Powerful images flowed through his mind for an indeterminate time before Irabeth's kicking started to rouse him. He saw the demon woman's appearance and her opening of the gate, and he started feebly moving his limbs when the goddess appeared and slammed it shut.
Terendelev's silver dragon scale, which he kept on a silver chain around his neck, suddenly burned him where it touched his chest. And he realized...
Then the demons surged forward attacking his friends!
Round 1_______________
Move: Bouncing up to his feet as if on a spring, Orlando grinned at the babau.
"You came a long way demon slave; only to fail your master. Extinction is not for us, it is... for you."
He flipped his cape around to distract the demon. He swept his sword out at the same time.
Standard act: He thrust his (glowing!) sword out as he sneak attacks the babau (B3).
for a possible cold iron, precision, good and piercing damage.
Rn 1
Stunned by the enormity of the events that he just witnessed, Aeron is hardly prepared to fend off the swarm of monstrous demons that threaten to overwhelm them all.
Adalric stares, entranced by the miraculous visions. When his Goddess appears, he falls to his knees in reverence. His mind still reeling from all that's happened, Adalric is slow to react to the demonic onslaught.
Round One
Taking a quick step back , he glares at a Babau and utters an imprecation.
Round 2
Varn looks around and realizes he is basically surrounded on nearly all sides, he spots a nearby corner and tactically slides into to prevent being flanked by the demons like many of his allies. He then looks at the demon next to him and begins casting a spell in such a way to avoid lowering his defenses against the opponent! As he begins to speak his form turns wavy and shifts constantly, making it quite difficult to find exactly where his body truly is! "The Void protects those who can turn it to their advantage, demon!"
Round 2
Even with the series of hits from the demons, Raven feels little of the pain. She steps to the side, away from the flanking attack, and slams her morningstar at the nearest demon.