"Time to dance, Ghlorofaex!"
Another wave of holy energy erupts off Jeevika's near divine form, and she steps forward to attack. Taking far more careful swings than usual, the Holy Vindicator unleashes four powerful attacks against Old Blue with finesse that rivals that of Zoli. The first two strikes carve a clean X into the dragon's torso.
plus
plus
plus
plus
A split second later, an arrow sinks into one of Ghlorofaex's existing wounds.
Zoli winces again, but is relieved that her Stoneskin seems to be protecting her from the brunt of the dragon's might.
"So, ready to cry uncle yet, O Great Turner of Tails?"
_________
Ryli chants in a chirping manner and suddenly a 10' high, 40' wide wall of lava appears along the northern wall of the cavern. It affects those near it with waves of heat.
Ryli then concentrates and a blob of lava erupts from the molten wall and splashes on the dragon!
squares
rounds
The purple worm continues attacking the dragon.
plus poison
Olympus also continues his attacks. Maybe he'll get lucky.
The dragon flaps it’s wings and takes to the air, flying away from Zoli and the wall of lava. It moves to the other side of the room, snapping at the annoying archer as it flies by!
__________
Eugeni gets annoyed that the dragon isn't dead yet, and decides to bring in the big guns.
Holding up two hands, he gestures with the third and gathers power for two of his signature battering blasts.
* 1.5 = 37
* 1.5 = 49
+ * 1.5 = 72
* 1.5 = 42
* 1.5 = 43
* 1.5 = 49
* 1.5 = 28
* 1.5 = 49
* 1.5 = 33
* 1.5 = 40
As her draconic foe flies away, Jeevika unleashes an absolutely devastating slash against one of his existing wounds. Using the extra speed from Eugeni's Haste spell, the Holy Vindicator then rushes after Ghlorofaex!
Mere seconds after her foe lands, Jeevika is there to meet him. She quickly sinks her sword deep into the X she had previously carved into his chest!
As the spells penetrate the dragon’s potent resistance to magic, blasting scales away with great force, it’s eyes grow wide!
”No! This is...impossible!” it roads out in pain as large chunks are torn away from it in rapid succession, ultimately ending in a pile of indistinguishable organic matter on the far wall of the large chamber!
Lorthan lands, catching his breath as he shakes his head around towards Eugeni. ”You could have led with that...”
"You are correct. I prefer not to show off. You will be fine, I presume?"
Mere seconds after her foe lands, Jeevika is there to meet him. The Holy Vindicactor prepares to sink her sword deep into Ghlorofaex's wicked heart, likely to deal the killing blow! And then Eugeni just nukes the dragon...
"...That works too!" Jeevika sighs with a resigned chuckle. She approaches Elthariel and begins to Heal the archer's many wounds. "Amazing shots, my friend. If not for that spell, I believe you would have hit Ghlorofaex at least thrice."
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Being the group's healer, Jeevika secures the Scroll of Mass Heal; it will probably be useful for the upcoming battle against Karzoug. She does not really care who claims the Sihedron Ring.
"All signs point to Karzoug being in the Pinnacles. By my estimates, we will need six more pieces of Sihedron bling before we can survive that kill field. Hopefully, Ghlorofaex's death will be a devastating blow to his forces. From here, I say that we continue to neutralize his lieutenants and his rune giants."
Whenever the group gets back to the Skulks, Jeevika takes some time to personally apologize to Morgiv and the other Spared for her earlier behavior. She takes full responsibility and offers no excuses. If they ask for some context, the Holy Vindicator tells them loosely about Setsuna's death and how the scroll might be the one thing that could bring her daughter back. She also sincerely thanks them for all their assistance.
After going through the treasure, Ryli points out a couple pieces. "I might like to use the ring of evasion. Also, if no one plans on carrying it, I might get some use out of the rod of extend."
As they get ready to go, Ryli dons the Sihedron ring and bids a farewell to Lorthan. Then she caresses Olympus before casting her spell on him. "You'll be with me, old friend. When it's safe, I'll bring you back, so you can fight at my side. As you always do, noble hunter."
Olympus's limited understanding is enough, and he shakes his great head before folding his wings tightly and accepting the spell. Ryli picks up the statuette reverently and puts it in a pouch at her side.
After her usual spell routine, Jeevika bids farewell to Elthariel.
"While we might return should we secure some more Sihedron bling, I suspect that this expedition will be the prelude to this war's final battle. You have been of great assistance, Elthariel, and it truly has been an honor working with you. Shelyn be willing, we will reunite soon."
However, before she goes, the Holy Vindicator receives an Extended Negate Aroma spell from Elthariel.
However, before she goes, the Holy Vindicator receives an Extended Negate Aroma spell from Elthariel.
Zoli feigns relief and says to Elthariel, "Oh, thank the gods. I didn't want to say anything, but I really appreciate you casting that on her!"
"The final battle approaches. It is hard to believe that we have come so far. It feels like yesterday we were just basically innocent kids back in Sandpoint, does it not Zoli?"
Mhar Massif provides the very backbone of the world's roof and supports one of Golarion's tallest peaks. Reaching a staggering elevation of 31,565 feet, the peak shares its name with the entire Massif, whose eponym is derived from the gigantic carving of Karzoug's visage that graces the south face of the mountain. This feature is itself 1,500 feet high and reaches the crown of the mountain. Just below this carving soar the mighty towers of the Spires of Xin-Shalast, though even the highest of these dare not intrude upon the elevation that is the face's alone.
The name Mhar is itself from a legend that tells of a powerful entity called Mhar who attempted to enter Golarion from some alien realm, only to be caught and petrified midway through its emergence from the mountain. What Mhar might have been and what power might have been great enough to stop him is unknown, but none dared contemplate the consequences had Mhar been successful in his transition.
As the heroes advance on these upper reaches of Karzoug's realm, they enter the area described to them by the Skulks. The moment they pass over the invisible barrier, they all feel a moment of intense vertigo, as if gravity's direction had suddenly changed to be behind them as opposed to below. The moment passes, though, and everyone can tell they are now in an area of intense power. Eugeni in particular can see that the aura of magic in the region is intense, stronger than anything he has seen before and indescribable in its composition.
The Spires of Xin-Shalast, the fabled citadel on the World's Roof, are situated on the steep face of the mountain, deep in this death zone. These fantastic spires served as the administrative heart of the Satrapy of Greed and the seat of Karzoug and his runelord predecessors. Composed of multiple towers clinging to the side of the mountain, surrounding the central Pinnacle of Avarice, this vast citadel was once a city in and of itself, with each tower soaring hundreds of feet in height and containing countless passages, chambers, and battlements. Despite the size of this fortress, it is all but abandoned. Only the highest level of the Pinnacle of Avarice is inhabited.
You spend several days scouring the lower buildings to confirm this information, before making your way to the Pinnacle of Avarice. It is composed of massive stone blocks hewn from the mountain's surface. It's outer face is smooth, with only small mortared seams between the masonry blocks. Passages are easily 50 feet high, with rooms often opening up to as high as 100 feet. The walls of the rooms are carved in all manner of detailed murals depicting life in ancient Xin-Shalast and are still painted in vibrant color. The floor is highly polished gold and onyx in a checkerboard pattern. Doors are made of solid stone, plated in gold and silver and studded with gemstones. Despite their immense size, they swing open silently at the lightest touch. Ancient everburning torches still light the halls and rooms at irregular intervals, providing shadowy illumination throughout. These torches are made of ivory and inlaid with rubies and glow with a vibrant light. Even the sconces in which the torches sit are made of silver with jade inlay.
Once, these chambers were equally opulently decorated, but over the centuries the majority of the decorations and furnishings within have decayed and crumbled, leaving behind just the stone walls. Nevertheless, with a bit of work you could likely retrieve a fair amount of wealth from the finishings. The air here is breathable and chilly. Entering into the Pinnacle of Avarice, you find yourself standing in a grand foyer, though the only path out of the chamber is a massive spiraling ramp twenty feet wide that winds upwards out of sight into the heights of the complex.
"Amazing. To think that they achieved so much, only to fall anyway..."
"The final battle approaches. It is hard to believe that we have come so far. It feels like yesterday we were just basically innocent kids back in Sandpoint, does it not Zoli?"
Zoli smiles at him, and puts a hand on his translucent brown shoulder. "A lifetime ago."
"Well, for you a couple lifetimes, I guess," she adds, chuckling. "Though I wonder if I've changed any less than you have."
"I certainly do not feel like the same boy who left that town. We have earned our place in history through sheer perseverance if nothing else."
"For our approach, how about we go Veiled as giant guards? Cloud giants perhaps? We did encounter a patrol of them earlier. Unlike Elthariel, I am no professional ranger, but I doubt that our usual gnats live this high up in the mountains," proposes Jeevika, realizing that Karzoug is probably not just going to roll out a red carpet for the Varisian Rangers.
The seemingly infinite stone ramp finally comes to an end here. A massive pair of golden double doors stands to the north, while a smaller golden door to the west allows an alternative route onward. Intricate carvings on the walls evoke images of Xin-Shalast in its heyday, accented with vibrant paint and inlaid gems here and there. The highly polished floor consists of a checkerboard pattern of gold and black tiles, while the entire place is brilliantly lit by what appear to be dozens of bejeweled everburning torches in equally decadent sconces.
As you top the ramp, you see four other cloud giants, each with the mark of the Sihedron branded on their brows. They study you as you approach, one of them calling out "What is the passphrase?"
Zoli replies in giant, "What? Don't tell me you haven't heard the new passphrase yet? It's"--she leans in to whisper--"'The needy steed peed and smoked weed, in the service of Greed'
"Tell us a bit of juicy gossip, and we won't report you for not knowing it yet."
”Imposters,” the lead cloud giant grumbles, before turning to his brethren and lifting his massive morningstar, ”Sound the Alarm!”
Another of them rubs his hand over the rune on his brow and mutters a command word, and the rune glows brightly red energy!
__________
Zoli sighs, steps closer to the giant she was whispering to, and spins into a dizzying, dazzling blur of swordplay.
____________
AC 48
HP 148/148
Luck 18/20
Panache 6/6
Charmed Life 6/6
Luck o’ the Scene 1/1
Lessons of Chaldira 1/1
Lion's HP 74/74
Active effects
Luck +2 to hit, dam, skills, and saves
Zoli cuts the nearest giants heel tendon, causing him to roar out in pain as he stumbles to a knee! She springs up and buries the blade of her sword in his other shin, before bracing there to kip up onto the giant’s arm! She slices through his brachial artery next, causing blood to spray across the chamber before hopping up to his shoulder, where she drags her blade once across his throat before thrusting it to the hilt into his temple! The giant, after his various cries of pain, falls to the floor as his eyes roll back in his head, with Zoli riding his body down to the ground before coming to rest standing between the fallen giant’s shoulder blades!
With one handily dealt with by Zoli, Ryli tries her own greater dispel magic spell to see if she could free the remaining two -- now that they had sufficient motivation to not continue the fight.
The giants all blink their eyes numbly, before looks of panic overcome them as their surroundings become evident to them. They seem to no longer care about you, instead bolting down the ramp in a panicked frenzy!
Ryli casts freedom of movement on Eugeni as they start to progress further into the Runelord's domain.
"Thank you!"
Wanting to get Olympus on the field as soon as possible, Jeevika searches the remains of the cloud giant for any Sihedron bling. If she finds anything, she quickly secures it.
Jeevika does in fact find a ring similar to the others you’ve acquired.
Using her weapon hand (and letting her weapon cord keep Love Hurts near her person), Jeevika quickly secures the ring and shows it to Ryli.
"Grandmother, I have a present for Olympus."
"Oh, good! I feel better with him around." She accepts the ring while pulling out the stone statuette. She brings him back to life and quickly slips the ring on one of his talons.
"Welcome back, big guy."
Recalling that he had been in stasis for several days, Jeevika smiles happily at Ryli's reunion with Olympus. As her grandmother got the roc ready for combat, the Holy Vindicator took the time to approach the big double doors and study them...
Jeevika studies the big, fancy doors.
"A light push would easily open these things," the Holy Vindicator notes aloud. She turned to others, "Is everyone ready to proceed?"
As Ryli quickly begins working some magic on his companion, you all can hear the heavy footfalls of multiple large...somethings...approaching throughout this massive complex. Most of the sound seems to be coming from the direction of the double doors. As it sounds like whatever it is is about to burst through...you instead hear a mechanism and several grinding sounds come from the door itself, though nothing visibly changes in its appearance.
"...I think they just locked the door," Jeevika wonders aloud. She glances at her adamantine sword, "Seems kind of silly, honestly."
"I could shift into the ethereal plane temporarily to walk through the door. I am uncertain of my ability to unlock it from the other side. How would we like to proceed here?"
"...Why not just blow a hole in the door instead?" Jeevika proposes with a grin. "It'd probably use the same amount of magic~"