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Insects continue to attack the demon.
The demon heals a bit.
The colors explode again.
No more do the colors alight on the demon.
Desperate, he attempts one more set of attacks.
First a bite against Pallas
Then a claw against Candi
Then another
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You feel an evil presence pressing upon each of your souls, yet you do not feel imperiled by it, rather you feel as though its cold weaight is like walls enclosing you in a fortress of vile power.
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Demon (-265 hp)
Lila (dazed 7)
Candi (temp hp gone; 141/217 hp; touch of chaos)
Connor (dazed 5)
Pallas (3 temp hp remaining; touch of chaos)
Farquahar
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As if to answer Lila, “halt” a hissing voice whispers telepathically. The voice seems to emanate from the fossilized demon-insect projecting from the wall of the rift. A tunneling wound filled with crawling insects, bores through the chest of the fossil, emitting a dull red glow. Near the back of the tunnel, a massive heart beats rhythmically. Embedded in the walls of the wound, a scattering of large gems glitter. The voice continues, “I am Deskari, Lord of the Locust Host. Though my body is shattered, my essence lives on here in the Rift of Repose. The glabrezu Koth’Vaul has used powerful magic to rend my breast and devour my heart, stealing my power. He now thinks himself my equal and seeks to create a domain of his own. Only I can provide the power you need to defeat him. In exchange, I require only that you destroy Koth’Vaul utterly: flense his flesh and leave his plans in ruins.”
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Deskari’s voice swells with rage, “Koth’Vaul is no true demon lord. He is a lesser demon—a servant only, unfit for rule. He thinks that he can steal my essence without repercussions?” Deskari continues quietly and menacingly, “He is mistaken.
But, the glabrezu is unstoppable now without my aid. With my heart beating in his chest, he cannot be killed by mortal means. Worse still, he has shared his blood with his followers. Together, they can shape and control this plane. If you battle him, they will use the very Abyss itself to fight against you.
Luckily for you, I still have great power, and I am willing to share it with you. I can offer my blood or another of my hearts. If you accept my blood, you will gain great power for a limited time—abilities matched only by mortal heroes of myth and legend. Even the Abyss will bend more easily to your will.
If you desire true power, then you can accept the gift of my heart. Your powers and your life will then will be eternal. The Abyss will recognize you as one who could rise to the mantle of demon lord, making you just as effective as Koth’Vaul as shaping its essence. Only one of you, the worthiest among you, may accept this gift.”
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"Forgive my impertinence, m'Lord, but I have many questions.
If we accept either of your gifts, will you gain power over us, or will we remain in complete control of ourselves?
"Is there a price for accepting the gift of blood? And what does it mean when you say the gift of blood allows us to bend the Abyss to our will? How can we bend the Abyss to our will?
"As for the gift of your heart: What do you mean by "shaping its essence"? You mean the essence of the Abyss? If so, how does one shape the essence of the Abyss? What does that do? And must you accept the mantle of demon lord if you accept this gift? Or can you reject that mantle after we destroy Koth'Vaul, and choose to return to mortal life?"
I have so many more questions, but in the end, here's the most important one of all: to be blunt, which would you recommend for an enchantress, one who casts spells to empower her friends and befuddle her enemies?"
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“Power always has a price. The more you seize, the stronger the hordes become that are determined to destroy and consume you. The more you take, the more feeble beings cry to you with their prayers, and the more your enemies draw strength from ending their mewling lives. And, of course, if you accept power from one who is stronger than you, you might owe that one a debt. Even those gods that demand ‘charity’ of their followers still demand obeisance and the promise of future souls before they share a drop of their power. In this case, however, you will be acting as vessels of my power to achieve my own ends, which happen to coincide with your own. I demand nothing further.”
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So, you desire vengeance against Koth’Vaul for the injury he has done to you in the service of his ambition. I shall do this as a holy quest and accept your blood knowing that I am acting in the name of Calistria.
And with that, Candi spits out the last of the cigar that she's been chewing on since before entering the Abyss and lights a new, fresh stogie, drawing its smoke deep into her lungs before exhaling a giant cloud of smoke.
Also, this super weapon, Roast Beef Carver, where do we find that? I mean the real one, not the annoying cursed, sticks to your hands one.
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"If one were to consume your heart, would there be any way to keep one's mortality? Perhaps atone for one's choice?
"And if not, would there be a choice in terms of maintaining one's original moral compass? Or would you be consumed by the chaos and evil essence of it?"
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"As we just witnessed in our encounter with the Collector, my mortal flesh may not be enough to withstand the rigors of the upcoming battle. And we must defeat Koth'Vaul...by any means necessary. For the Society...and all of Golarion...I make this sacrifice."
While she can't convince herself she isn't doing it for her own personal glory, perhaps the rest of her companions won't see through her false bravado and realize her true selfish motivations.
Lila partakes of the demon god's heart.
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As Lila begins to chew the writhing hunk of evil that is one of Deskari's hearts, she turns deathly pale and is drenched in sweat, her eyes no longer focused on her immediate surroundings. Her eyes are darting about at unseen visions of madness, and her entire body begins to tremble. With sheer force of will, she shakes her head and regains her focus on the here and now. She refuses to spit the vile filth back out, and in fact, continues to chew it much longer than necessary, forcing herself to take its full measure before swallowing.
She turns to her fellow pathfinders one final time. "Connor, if you can, be sure to let me finish off Koth'Vaul first. Gentlemen, it has been an honor." With a nod, Lila returns to her grisly meal, making certain to finish every last morsel. With each bite, her confidence grows, and more color is restored to her flesh...until its too much color, too much confidence. With a surprisingly deep laugh, she says, "Come, foolish mortals. Let us deal with this trifling...
I am coming for "
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Abyssal Attunement: You no longer take penalties on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma- based skill checks based on the difference between the Abyss’s alignment and your own.
Additionally, you are particularly adept at manipulating the raw substance of the Abyss, an ability that will have mechanical benefits in your encounter with Koth’Vaul.
Initiative: You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks.
Epic Strikes: Your attacks with natural and manufactured weapons bypass DR/epic.
Mythic Power: You gain two uses of mythic power per day. You can use this power in the following ways.
• Surge: After you fail any check that uses a d20 roll, as an immediate action you can expend one use of mythic power to roll 1d6 and retroactively add the result to the check.
• Extra Action: Up to once per round as a free action on your turn, you can expend one use of mythic power to take an additional standard action. This action cannot be used to cast a spell.
Demon: You are now a demon. Your creature type changes to outsider, with the chaotic, demon, and evil subtypes. This does not automatically adjust your alignment, though you can adjust your alignment any number of steps toward chaotic evil now if you choose. You gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet. You gain immunity to electricity and poison, and resistance 10 to acid, cold, and fire. You learn Abyssal if you did not already speak it and gain telepathy with a range of 100 feet.
Abyssal Attunement: You are native to the Abyss. Even if your alignment is not chaotic evil, you can treat your alignment as chaotic evil whenever it would be more beneficial to you. You are particularly adept at manipulating the raw substance of the Abyss, an ability that will have mechanical benefits in your encounter with Koth’Vaul.
Initiative: You gain a +4 bonus on initiative checks.
Mythic Power: You gain four uses of mythic power per day. You can use this power in the following ways.
• Surge: After you fail any check that uses a d20 roll, as an immediate action you can expend one use of
mythic power to roll 1d6 and retroactively add the result to the check.
• Extra Action: Up to once per round as a free action on your turn, you can expend one use of mythic power to take an additional standard action. This action cannot be used to cast a spell.
Additionally, you can select one additional mythic power ability from the following list. Once you use one of these abilities, you must cross the others off this sheet.
• Spell Surge: As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to cast any one arcane, divine, or psychic spell without expending a prepared spell or spell slot. If you prepare spells, this spell must be one you prepared today (even if you have already cast it); if you’re a spontaneous caster, this spell must be one of your spells known. If the spell requires a saving throw, any non mythic creatures affected by the spell roll twice and take the lower result. If you must attempt a caster level check for the spell to overcome a creature’s spell resistance, you gain a +4 bonus on the check and can roll twice and take the higher result.
You can’t add a metamagic feat to a spell you cast using this ability.
• Sudden Block: As an immediate action, you can expend one use of mythic power to hinder a melee attack made against you or an adjacent ally. Add 4 to your AC or the ally’s AC against this attack. The creature making the attack must make two attack rolls and take the lower result. Once the attack is resolved, you or your ally (your choice) can make one melee attack against the creature. The damage from this attack bypasses all damage reduction.
• Surprise Strike: As a swift action, you can expend one use of mythic power to make a melee attack or ranged attack against a target within 30 feet, in addition to any other attacks you make this round.
When you make a surprise strike, the target is considered flat-footed regardless of any class features or abilities it might have, and you gain a +4 bonus on your attack roll. Damage from this attack bypasses damage reduction.
Granting Spells: You can grant spells of up to 4th level to those who worship Deskari, as well as those who worship you directly. The domains you grant your worshipers are Chaos and Evil.
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Sensing exactly which way to go, Lila locates another portal after 10 minutes of walking. The portal itself appears as an inky wall of blackness. Stepping through the portal, you arrive at a hillside. The remains of twisted trees dot the landscape of this blasted hillside. Swirling storms of chaos, filled with gouts of black flame, rage amid the trees. Koth'Vaul and several of his minions are here, a trio of vulture-like demons as well as some human petitioners all chanting dark praises to their would be god. The middle three humans have glowing red runes on their foreheads.
Chaos Storms: Each of the areas of fire on the map is a chaos storm, filled with raw Abyssal energy that manifests as swirling torrents of oily, black flame. Creatures that begin their turn within a chaos storm take 3d6 points of damage. This is not fire damage, and it harms all non-demon creatures. The raw Abyss inside the chaos storms also helps the PCs manipulate the plane, granting a PC who is in a chaos storm at the beginning of a round a +2 bonus on power checks.
You have won control of the Abyss this round. You can chose one of the following effects:
• Meteor Strike: Two meteors strike the battlefield, as per the spell meteor swarm.
• Acid Bubble: An Abyssal bubble bursts, spraying acid on all creatures within a 20-foot radius. This deals 10d6 points of acid damage (Reflex DC 21 half).
• Abyssal Minions: The dirt of the Abyss squirms with life, as a 20-foot-radius spread of grasping claws springs from the ground. This functions like a black tentacles spell (CL 15th).
• Other: The PCs could potentially create other effects, such as altering terrain features or even creating crude structures from thin air. Allow them some leeway in how they decide to shape the Abyss, especially if it creates fun or cinematic effects.
Lila
Connor
Candi
Pallas
Farquahar
Bold may act!
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Before stepping through the rift, Lila says, "Come to me, minions--I mean friends. Bask in the glory and graciousness of a new Lord of the Realm."
Lila starts littering the countryside with spent scrolls:
Mage Armor on everyone
Communal Resist Energy 30
-Electricity 40 minutes each, 50 min on Candi
-Acid 30 min each, 40 on Lila
On Candi, Pallas and Connor
-Resist Energy Fire 30, 130min
-Barkskin (+5 enchancement, 130miin)
-Fly (13 min)
-Shield of Faith (+4 deflection, 13 min)
Bless Weapon on Candi’s Big Stinger (13 min)
Bless Weapon on Connor’s Spear (since Pallas has Keen) (13 min)
Delay Poison on Candi (13 hours)
And at very end, Lila will cast
Magic Circle v Evil on Candi...and quickly back away.
(130 min)
"May the blessings of Lila Andreas-Salome be upon you...
And if any of you little people would like to use these scrolls, feel free to partake of my largesse..."
- Longstrider x 3
- Shield x7
- See Invisibility x3
- False Life x1
On herself, Lila will cast:
- Mage Armor
- Longstrider
- False Life
- Delay Poison
- See Invisibility
- Barkskin
- Heroism
- Resist Energy Cold & Fire 30
- Shield (13 min)
- Shield of Faith (13 min)
- Find Traps (13 minutes, +6 perception ala Trap Spotter (Take “1” is 32, Take ten=41)
- Tap Inner Beauty (12 min)
- Mirror Image (12 min)
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Spending one use of her Mythic Powers, Lila tells the bright young recruit in the blue and yellow uniform that's been following her around like a puppy, "J, I think it's time for you to move on with your life. I may not be a suitable mentor any more. But before you go, be a good girl and hit me with Greater Invisibility."
After patronizingly patting J. on the head, Lila uncorks a persistent Glitterdust on Koth'Vaul and #2,
Then, drunk with her Mythic powers, Lila uses a swift action to cast a spell-surged Burst of Radiance, also on Koth'Vaul and #2. Then she casually floats 5' back, without a care in the world...
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As the scrolls fly, Candi casts monstrous physique ii on herself and takes the form of a tikbalang as well as starting to chew on a fresh cigar. Hopefully, the burning one she spit out in the Rift of the Repose is not a fire hazard there. As a bit of tobacco juice drips off Candi’s large, horse-like chin, she turns to Lila.
I am honored to be here at the founding of your new realm, and I know that you will make the Abyss great again!
Haste
Monstrous Physique II (11m remaining)
Magic Vestment (11h remaining)
Life Bubble (2h 20m remaining)
Bladeguard (22h remaing)
Blood-boiling pill (6 h remaining)
Stoneskin (110 damage and 7m remaining)
See Invisibility (7m remaining)
Mage Armor (13h remaining)
Bless Weapon (10m remaining)
Magic Circle Against Evil (127m remaining)
Delay Poison (13h remaining)
Fly (10m remaining)
Barkskin (127m remaining)
Shield of Faith (10m remaining)
Shield (10m remaining)
Resist Energy
Fire (30, 127m remaining)
Electricity (30, 47m remaining)
Acid (30, 27m remaining)
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Before heading through the portal, Farquahar tries to make use of some of Lila’s largesse, and also casts greater heroism, heightened awareness and freedom of movement on himself, freedom of movement on Candi, and communal air walk on the party.
temp hp