,
With your foe both invisible, and flying outside the bunker, out of reach, options prove limited.
Alrik moves to the edge with the rest, prepared to strike, should the fiend come back down, though there seems little hope of that...
At least that is, until Sangkip decides to tug on a few strings.
The small vanaran, darts out from where he was hiding near the western ladder, and clambers up onto the stone teeth of the skull, peering upwards towards through the darkness. He's not entirely sure where exactly the the demon is, but doing his best to follow what Floria is pointing towards.
He concentrates for a moment, a small sickly green nimbus forming on his hand, before lobbing a small glob of arcane acid up towards his best estimate of where Brae-Hagen is.
He can barely make out the blob sailing right through the space he was aiming at... but isn't too worried about that... as his goal was not really damage, but to grab the attention of the half-fiend's confused mind.
You can almost feel the confusion in his mind suddenly coalescing... not towards any sort of sense, but towards the single-minded focus of destruction!
You see him howl in rage, as he utters a spell, before grabbing his spear, now suddenly emitting electrical discharges, in both hands, and literally plummeting straight downwards, the point of his weapon aimed directly for Sangkip!
You all hear a visceral howl of anger, and a moment later the sudden sound of wings catching air, and then Brae-Hagen appears, just above Sangkip, his flaming spear thrust directly into the vanaran's chest! Arc's of electricity race across the rogue's small form, his entire body convulsing from the energy pulsating outwards from the tip of the spear!
The room you are in is encased once more in magically dim light, as the apparent source of it once more blocks the opening.
- Round 5 ------
Pathfinders are up!
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Kara angles past Floria to target the now visible demon warlord. Using her metamagic rod, she pushes extra hard through his defenses with a spray of diamond projectiles.
Floria continues to scramble the half-fiend's thoughts with her own mind, stripping away its ability to focus on anything but the most immediate threat!
Kara seems alright with being that immediate threat, as she fans out aan arcane spray of diamond-hard crystals, aiming high over the head of Sangkip. Despite his mind being completely jumbled, Brae-Hagen seems to still be aware of what's happening around him, and a quick beat of his wings allows him to avoid the worst of the spray... though enough of the particles strike him small tears can be seen in his leathery wings.
The demon's eyes quickly turn towards the source of the attack.
But such attentions are quickly drawn away again, as Sangkip, balancing on and between the skulls teeth, reaches upwards with his daggers, and slashes at the foe above. The first slash is foiled by the shimmering displacement effect, and the second manages to see through that illusion, only to get fooled by the multiple images, slashing through illusion instead of demon. Dispersing another of the copies, but doing no damage to the target.
It is enough to draw his attention back to the vanaran though, who, after suffering so much damage only moments before, is barely standing as it is.
But again, Brae-Hagen's confused mind turns in on itself, as Alessio lobs a small sack of gooey substance at the fiend, hoping to gum up his wings entirely... the consequences of which would be a hundred foot fall to the battle below. But the dim light, and the shimmering form prove too much for Alessio's less sensitive eyes to sort though, and the bag misses entirely, disappearing into the open space beyond. Somewhere, far below, a surprise awaits someone.
But even that failed attempt, is enough to draw Brae-Hagen's confused mind once more, and with an angry snarl, he does a little flip through the air, trying to avoid any knife slashes from Sangkip, as he darts towards the alchemist at the back of the room. Unfortunately for him, his mind is not quite on task, and he leaves a small opening for Sangkip to strike. He utters a arcane spell as he goes, grasping his burning spear in both hands, as once again, electrical discharges start to run up and down the haft.
- Round 5 ------
Currently awaiting Sangkip's AoO and Alrik's readied attack.
As Brae-Hagen flies over his head, focused on Alrik, Sangkip ducks down, for once trying not to draw attention.
Alrik has no such compunctions. As soon as the half-fiend enters the maw of the skull, within range of his axe, the paladin leaps to the attack. Unfortunately, he either rushes the blow, or is not as used to swinging at opponents flying over head. Either way, Brae-Hagen easily avoids the attack, not even losing an image in the process.
Alrik's errant blow does draw his attention though, and the spear in his hand, motes of electricity running up and down its shaft, turns almost immediately on the dwarf.
For the second time, he thrusts the weapon from on high down into a foe below, this time the dwarf. The tip sinks in deeply, the blackish flames licking at the wound to no affect due to the fire protection spell cast earlier. But the spear itself seems infused with unholy power as well, specifically aimed at smiting the dwarf... and the electricity running along the haft quickly discharges along the length of the staff, and sends Alrik into convulsions, as he collapses to the floor, and his muscles seize.
When the charge finally runs its course, Alrik does not get back up again.
"These are your champions?! I shall .. gghhh... I shall destroy you all!" He shouts, as he continues moving into the room, this time his hate-filled eyes trying to focus on Floria... but he is clearly having a hard time doing even that, as Floria continues to warp his thoughts.
- Round 6 ------
Pathfinders are up
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Floria takes a step back and instinctively reaches for her dark half when she sees Alrik go down, and then is overtaken with rage and loses all patience for concentration. Was it protectiveness for Alrik that causes her to change, or the fact that after several weeks without invading anyone's mind she's hungry for it? Either way she tries once again to make this fiend hurt
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Kara steps back and calls forth a shimmering chain of force, which immediately tries to wrap up the warlord.
As soon as Alrik falls, the half-fiend's spear lodged in his side, Alessio reaches for a bomb of a different sort. One with a healing payload he had prepared earlier! He steps away from the demon and, with a deft flick of the wrist, tosses it at where the dwarf lay bleeding on the floor. The healing package erupts, not with fire, but with a soothing pulse of healing energy, stopping the bleeding from Alrik's wounds and bringing him back to consciousness.
A bit of it splashes onto the gravely injured Sangkip as well, though only enough to lighten a bruise or two. Still, the vanaran reacts as if he were suddenly at full health and ready to go, tossing one of his magic daggers at Brae-Hagen, before quickly turning and flying out the open maw of the skull, ready for the inevitable chase.
Kara tries to slow the fiend's advances with a quickly conjured chain of magical force, but it flails helplessly, passing right through the demon, unable to breach his magical defenses. Sankip barely has time to register the dagger missing its main target, instead striking one of the illusory images. The last of them, it turns out, only Brae-Hagen himself left to face the Pathfinders.
Beside him, Alrik slowly gets back to his feet, axe clutched in one hand, righteous defiance on his face. He knows his wounds are serious, but that does not stop him from continuing the fight, as he brings his blade to bare, and hacks viciously at the fiend as it starts to turn towards the quickly retreating Sangkip. Brae-Hagen snarls, easily sidestepping the blow, mad monkeys and their rash plans quickly forgotten, as he turns to face the paladin, his mind still struggling to focus on anything for long, but focused enough to know the dwarf must die.
But the source of his mental struggle is not done with him yet. Floria, her calmer rational side apparently abandoned, has fully embraced her darker side now, her face twisted in anger and gleeful violence.
She makes no pretense at trying to continue her more subtle manipulation of the fiend's mind, abandoning the effort as her alter ego embraces its violent destructive urges. Already, you see Brae-Hagen shaking his head slightly, as if finally starting to shake off the confusion that had clouded it.
But though she had released that hold, it was only to give way to her darker sides more aggressive and violent assault. Her face curled up in a disconcerting snarl of rage, Floria lashes out with her own mind at that of Brae-Hagen. Not trying to manipulate this time, but instead trying to tear it to shreds through sheer willpower.
Brae-Hagen lets out a confused, angry wail, his hands going to his head, as black blood starts to flow from his eyes and mouth. Even more begins to seep from his nose, and ears, as Floria's brow furrows, and she does not let up.
As if some great weight were pressing down on him, trying to physically crush him, he collapses to his knees, his spear clattering forgotten to the floor beside him. Again he lets out a horrifying wail, though this time the confusion is gone, replaced by pain. He seems unable to form words, though he tries. A futile effort, as the invisible weight does not let up, until he collapses to the cold stone floor of the bunker, hands still pressed to his head, dark fluid now flowing freely from every orifice.
Floria's darker side gleefully continues to tear at the mind, until she disappointingly senses no more mind to tear at. Brae-Hagen has stopped moving at all... except for the rapidly expanding pool of blackened blood forming around him.
At long last, the Warlord of the demonic armies is defeated!
Though glancing at Floria, you're not sure at what cost.
You hear a shift in the sounds of battle outside as well. Glancing through the open maw, you still see the Pathfinder forces in combat with the demonic hoards below... but many eyes seem to be glancing upwards, towards the skull-bunker... almost as if they all heard what just happened as well.
You heard Brae-Hagen's wails of pain as if it were being trumpeted across the entire Worldwound from where you were. You're pretty sure all those below heard them as well!
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Alrik straightens up next to the corpse and, with a quick nod to Floria, swiftly decapitates it.
"Just in case!"
He quicklly searches the corpse before flicking his wrist causing the resulting blood to sluice off his axe in a great arc out of the skull to rain down on the armies below.
Collecting both parts of the body, he bellows his satisfaction out into the wild. Then he tosses both parts out to fall to the ground below for all to see.
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Floria cackles with glee at the glorious feeling of a mind well crushed, and scampers with delight at the spray of blood from the decapitation.
Gathering herself back together, and producing a perfect handkerchief to dab at the blood and spittle on her face, she just has time to say "Wai-" before Brae-Hagen's corpse is gone.
By way of explanation she pouts and says.
"Looting is the best part"
Finally she gives into a smile that she can't hold back because they all made it through once again.
As you take a moment to catch your breath, you notice Brae-Hagen's body start to smolder and soon bursts into flames, just as Kara moves over to try to push it towards the open maw of the skull. The heat coming off of the burning corpse is quite intense.
Like a small meteor hurtling towards the ground, the head of Brae-Hagen, now thoroughly engulfed in green tinted flames, hurtles down into the battlefield below. It lands mostly amid the pathfinder troops, but its descent is noticeable by both sides.
There is a sudden cry of triumph from the Army of the Open Road, as return to the fight, spirits suddenly lifted.
The demon hoards however, only falter slightly, continuing to fight their mortal foes with tooth and claw and the occasional pincer.
It takes only a minute for the strange flames to completely consume what remains of the half-fiend's corpse, consuming his gear along with it. At least the mundane equipment. Kara's divine senses quickly pick up the aura of a few remaining items that seemed to have survived the immolation. All of them magical.
Including his spear, now laying a few feet away from where he fell, the metal breastplate he worse remains, as does his cloak buried under the ash, and a small vial almost unnoticed in the thickest pile.
You quickly rifle through any documents you can find on this level of the bunker, though there are few, before heading up one level to secure those scattered about there.
At this point, the battle outside continues to rage, though the Pathfinder armies appear to be making visible advances now. You quickly decide there is little more to be gained in the bunker, and try to head back down to the valley below, to aid in the assault, picking up Huni, who was guarding your rear, so you didn't get trapped in the bunker if more abyssal troops arrived.
It takes some time to make your way back to the narrow trail you followed up the cliff side. Heading back down it seems even more treacherous than the upward journey. You didn't really realize just how steep the steps and the trail itself were, until you find yourself continuously facing down it.
By the time you reach the valley floor, it appears the demon armies have routed, fleeing before the combined might of the Pathfinder, Five Kings Mountains, and Mendevian forces.
For now, the Army of the Open Road has cleared the path to Jormurdun!
Not long after you rejoin the army as it cleans up any surviving demons or unfortunate stragglers, Warmaster Farabellus and Ollysta Zadrian return from the advance group. They both have clearly been in the thick of things themselves, their armor covered in demonic ichor and likely blood of their own.
"Ha, we have sent those fiends scurrying back into whatever holes they crawled out of." Marcos exclaims with a note of pride. "Most of them were unable to grasp that Brae-Hagen was dead for a bit, but you lot sending that flaming message from the bunker... word of that spread relatively quickly once one of 'em realized what it was."
Ollysta cuts in briefly, "We have won a great victory versus the Worldwound this day, for sure." Ollysta adds, her face somber, but somehow radiating pride and confidence.
"Ya, that's good and all." Marcos jumps back in. "But more importantly, for now, the way to Jormurdun is clear! We have seen the gates ourselves! Lost for all this centuries. The Five Kings contingents are already demanding we head in to clear whatever demonic forces are holed up there. Took a fair bit of convincing..."
"Yelling." Ollysta mutters with a feint grin.
"Convincing." Marcos continues, clearly catching her comment. "But they're willing to wait while we solidify and secure our position and supply lines, and get the remainder of the forces in place."
"Well done, all of you!" He says again. "This whole endeavor will be its own Chronicle soon enough!"
"Though you might want to be absent the day they try to get someone to write it all down." He adds with an impish grin... quite out of place on his normally blusterous face.
...
It only takes a couple of days, before the mass of the Army of the Open Road stands as one, at the gates of the Sky Citadel, Jormurdun. Many of them fresh-faced and new when they started, but now grizzled veterans of the fifth Crusade, like it or not.
Very few to leave this place unscared, either physically or emotionally... more likely both... if they leave it at all.
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In the aftermath of the battles, and in the excitement of all the preparations for a push into Jormurdun, Floria finds it easy to slip away and lose herself so she has a time to think. She returns and finds the others with a sombre look on her face.
"It's been an honour working with you all." She hugs Kara, looks like she's deciding between a curtsey and a handshake for the others, but then gives in and hugs Alrik, Alessio, Huni and Sangkip. She picks sangkip up as she does so.
"I came here to find something about myself, and when I was expelled from the spire due to my demonic side I thought I had no place here. You all showed me that I was accepted. Thank you"
"I've decided to take some time off and go back to the Grand Lodge. Teach some new pathfinders for a while, reflect on what I've seen here. If you're in Absalom stop by and we can grab a drink"
With a final hug and tearful goodbyes she disappears off into the sunset.
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Kara returns Floria's hug, trying and failing to hold back tears of her own. She moves to embrace each of the other party members in turn, uncharacteristically quiet in contemplation of the momentous achievement, and the even greater cost.
I've received word that Mother is ailing. I believe I will return to Taldor to see to her needs. I hope we all shall keep in touch.
Best of luck to all of you!
She turns away, lest her tears turn to blubbering sobs.
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Sangkip sputters as Kara picks him up, eventually climbing free up and over her shoulders. To Marcos he gives a weary but maniacal grin. "So now that we've cleared the way through an entire demonic incursion, you think we're gonna be left out of the crown jewels of Jormurdun? Nope, nothing gets rid of Sangkip Thugyeik that easily - when you crack those doors I'll be there!"