GM Cellion's Dawn of Flame AP

Game Master Cellion

The two of you who are still up hear Uzmat whispering weakly "I WILL PROTECT YOU AS WELL AS I CAN, BUT TAKE CARE."

Uzmat's aura is restored, emanating its protective field in a 20ft radius. They stay invisible and in cover.

|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt (0|40|0; 5FF)
Bel (11 dmg, displacement, 1 image)
Uzmat (1 HP, invisible)
Flint (0|0, dying, prone)
General Khaim *red (12 dmg, invisible)

Party buffs: Haste

"Things aren't looking good, Uzmat. I'm sorry we brought you into this...stay safe."

Fastening the void hags' robes across his shoulders as a cape, Ordyt turns and sprints across the room, hoping against hope they have time for this desperate move to work.

Bel still up!

Rage is writ clear across Belmarniss' face as she sees Khaim not just ignore her, but stab the man she loved too.

"I SAID YOUR BATTLE IS WITH ME!!!" she screams as she hacks in the direction of Khaim's voice.

Belmarniss uses Challenge.

Junksword (Cold): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 313d4 + 18 ⇒ (4, 3, 2) + 18 = 27

Demoralize (Intimidate): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26

"I AM TIRED OF BEING TREATED LIKE AN UNWORTHY OPPONENT, WHEN I'M JUST AS VALOROUS AS THE BOYS, AND I'M SMARTER THAN THEM TOO!"

Even as this exchange is continuing, the last dregs of strength begin to fade from Flint's body.

Bleed dmg vs. Bel: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 6) = 12

In no position to fight, but unwilling to let another person die on their watch, Uzmat floats invisibly in Flint's direction and attempts emergency treatment to stabilize him (despite being untrained). Unfortunately, they don't make any progress this round. Nevertheless, their mere presence wraps Bel in a defensive aegis (though notably Ordyt is outside the 20ft radius).

|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt (0|40|0; 5FF)
Bel (114 dmg, displacement, 2d6 bleed)
Uzmat (1 HP, invisible)
Flint (dying, prone, 0RP)
General Khaim *red (42 dmg, invisible)

Party buffs: Haste

Activating his jump-jets, Ordyt rockets up twenty feet into the air before invoking the void-hags' cloak. A burst of ephemeral darkness studded with strange stars radiates out from the material to blanket a large portion of the room.

Three times per day as a standard action, a void hag can release the energies of the cosmos stored within her robes. Creatures within 30 feet of the void hag each take 2d6+10 force damage and are outlined in glowing motes of stellar energy for 2d4 rounds. An outlined creature takes a -20 penalty to Stealth checks and doesn’t benefit from the concealment normally provided by displacement, invisibility, or similar effects. A target that succeeds at a DC 19 Reflex saving throw halves this damage and negates the outlining effect. Other void hags are immune to this ability.

Force Damage: 2d6 + 10 ⇒ (1, 2) + 10 = 13

Bel still up.

|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt (0|40|0; 5FF)
Bel (114 dmg, displacement, 2d6 bleed)
Uzmat (1 HP, invisible)
Flint (dying, prone, 0RP)
General Khaim *red (55 dmg, invisible, outlined)

Party buffs: Haste

Belmarniss smiles as her enemy's form becomes apparent, and she points her junksword at him, focusing her power to unravel Khaim's invisibility once and for all!

Dispel Check (Dispel Magic): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16

"Let the light of justice reveal the wicked!"

Meanwhile to the south, Uzmat is (presumably?) alerted to the presence of serums on Flint's person. With a little rummaging, they uncover one of the serums and force the fluid down Flint's throat.

Feel free to roll your healing for the serum, since I don't know the kind!

Bel bleed: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 4) = 5

|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt (0|40|0; 5FF)
Bel (119 dmg, displacement, 2d6 bleed)
Uzmat (1 HP, invisible)
Flint (??HP, prone, 0RP)
General Khaim *red (55 dmg, invisible, outlined)

Party buffs: Haste

(Apologies, I thought I had posted it was mark 1. No matter--here is the roll: Healing: 1d8 ⇒ 3)

Waking up with a start, Flint finds he is still in combat! Briefly considering going for the god-egg as a distraction for his fellows, he instead focuses on reestablishing his photonic power, aligning himself with Sarenrae's power as he glides into the fog after the general using his jetpack to propel him along the nearby wall.

Coming into sight of the outlined Khaim, Flint moves under cover of the fog and gets close enough to strike! With the magic of the Haste spell still affecting him, he finds himself able to strike twice.

"Burning Mother, guide my blade," he breathes as he uses the holy weapon's frost fusion to convert the fire damage to freezing damage, though he does not have time to invoke his powerful Plasma Sheath.

Flashing Blades Solar Weapon Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 3 ⇒ (12) + 19 - 3 = 28
Holy Slashing Damage: 4d6 + 27 ⇒ (1, 3, 6, 1) + 27 = 38 plus Frost Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10

Flashing Blades Solar Weapon Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 3 ⇒ (15) + 19 - 3 = 31
Holy Slashing Damage: 4d6 + 27 ⇒ (4, 4, 3, 6) + 27 = 44 plus Frost Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 4) = 10

Belmarniss darts past Flint and around Khaim's flank.

"Valor is all well and good, but tactics win the day every time!" she taunts, repeating Khaim's words back to him as her junksword lashes out again.

Junksword (Cold): 1d20 + 15 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 15 - 4 + 2 = 163d4 + 18 ⇒ (2, 1, 3) + 18 = 24
Junksword (Cold): 1d20 + 15 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 15 - 4 + 2 = 143d4 + 18 ⇒ (3, 1, 3) + 18 = 25

Cursing as the fog limits his ability to target the general from afar, Ordyt takes up Douser in both hands and moves to join Bel. He doesn't speak, his jaw is tight from pain and grim determination. Despite the magic hastening his limbs he deliberately pauses, waiting for his best chance to inflict pain on the genie warlord.

Attack, Flank: 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 16 + 2 = 28 Douser Dmg: 2d8 + 18 ⇒ (5, 7) + 18 = 30 Cold damage thanks to the Cryopike!

Bel swings around him, but even with the flank he's able to evade her icy lashes. Ordyt has some better luck, coming in with his pike and finding an opening to stab it into the general's leg. The wound flares with ice, overcoming his protections. Nevertheless, he remains standing.

In a flash, Khaim spins and sends his massive blade through Flint's chest, sending him back down. He kicks off from the falling body and into an overhead slash at Ordyt that the oread is only just barely able to evade. He turns his stance and sends his final slash at Bel, bisecting what proves to be an afterimage of her displacement.

Bel's Bleed: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 6) = 7

He backs off from Bel and Ordyt, planting a foot atop Flint.

|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt (0|40|0; 5FF)
Bel (126 dmg, displacement, 2d6 bleed)
Uzmat (1 HP, invisible)
Flint (dying, prone, 0RP)
General Khaim *red (167 dmg, invisible, outlined)

Party buffs: Haste

Seeing Flint fall again raises Belmarniss' ire anew.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME, KHAIM!" she cries as she runs to flank him and strikes with her junksword, trying to knock him off Flint.

Junksword (Cold): 1d20 + 15 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 15 - 4 + 2 = 223d4 + 18 ⇒ (3, 1, 2) + 18 = 24
Junksword (Cold): 1d20 + 15 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 15 - 4 + 2 = 253d4 + 18 ⇒ (1, 1, 4) + 18 = 24

I still have a move action, can I use it to pull a serum out of my pack to administer to Flint next round? It won't be much but it can keep him alive...

The extra move action from haste can only be used to move, as usual.

Khaim fends Bel's strikes off. Grimly, he says "Escape you? You won't be so lucky."

|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt (0|40|0; 5FF)
Bel (126 dmg, displacement, 2d6 bleed)
Uzmat (1 HP, invisible)
Flint (dying, prone, 0RP)
General Khaim *red (167 dmg, invisible, outlined)

Party buffs: Haste

As Khaim's blade comes swooping in Ordyt only barely gets his spear up to block in time, and the force of the blow still rocks him back a step. Breathing hard he uses the seconds Bel's counterattack buys him to tap a few buttons on this wrist console, a preset command that fires off a comms recording to the Torrent of Embers.

"Uzmat," the oread wheezes as he takes up his spear. "Captain Conners has always been the best of us. If you can't save him, please--help us avenge him." Taking up Douser once more the Sarenite battle-priest darts forward to aid Bel with his own barrage of thrusts and sweeps.

Attack #1: 1d20 + 16 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 16 - 4 = 19 Douser Dmg: 2d8 + 18 ⇒ (7, 3) + 18 = 28
Attack #2: 1d20 + 16 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 16 - 4 = 31 Douser Dmg: 2d8 + 18 ⇒ (8, 5) + 18 = 31

Bel, I adjusted your position because you'd moved yourself into a square that's occupied by the support for the big central pillar.

However, rather than admit defeat Khaim moves with blinding speed, blade spinning at Ordyt and then Uzmat. The swirl of the fog is just enough to send what should have been a killing stroke off target against Ordyt, but it isn't enough to save Uzmat, who is cleaved in two by a flash of steel.

With incredible alacrity, Khaim then rushes to the northwest Avoiding AoOs and disappears from view. You hear several steps, a grunt from him, and then nothing.

Bel Bleed: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 1) = 3

Uzmat's form dissipates into wisps of embers and ash, while the light leaves Flint's eyes.

|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt (0|40|0; 5FF)
Bel (129 dmg, displacement, 2d6 bleed)
Uzmat (dead)
Flint (dead)
General Khaim *red (214 dmg, invisible, outlined)

Party buffs: Haste

"Bel--you're bleeding, do you have any serums left? We have to...destroy the Wishing Engine..." Ordyt staggers back out of the fog, looking this way and that for the fled General Khaim. Drawing on the last dregs of his power, he pulls together a spear of psychic energy forged of his grief and faith.

Move; readied Mind Thrust IV the moment he sees Khaim again.

Rising up once more Flint slashes with his solar scimitar at the evil General Khaim, but his blade passes through with no effect, though it glows more brightly than ever before. Only then does Flint see his body, crushed and broken on the ground. Realization hits him hard even as the sun’s plasma grows brighter and the scene before him begins to fade.

Flint smiles sadly and reaches out an insubstantial hand towards Belmarniss as the scene before him fades into a welcoming golden light.

Ordyt looks left and right but doesn't see Khaim anywhere.

Belmarniss sees Uzmat and Flint die and lets out a mournful scream.

She hears Ordyt through the haze of battle and her own grief and nods, pulling a serum from her bag and downing it as she staggers towards Ordyt, desperately trying to hold together both physically and emotionally.

Serum of Healing (MK I): 1d8 ⇒ 1

While the serum proves relatively feeble, it still halts Bel's bleeding. As you stagger toward the Wishing Engine, there's no sign of anyone moving in to stop you. It seems that you have a breather to yourselves, at least for a few moments.

Combat Over

"We...we have to figure out how to shut this thing down..."

Belmarniss moves towards the egg, tears running down her face as she goes. She starts looking the thing over trying to find something, anything, that would give her an in.

Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (13) + 17 = 30
Mysticism: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (12) + 18 = 30
Computers: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (7) + 24 = 31
Engineering: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (20) + 21 = 41

Keeping his head on a swivel, Ordyt retrieves his rifle and the General's rotary gun before posting up near his remaining ally. Eyes and ears straining for any sign of the foe, he lets Belmarniss work her magic while he desperately runs through what few options remain to them.

Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34

"Bel, do you have something that will let you see invisible enemies? He'll be back for us as soon as the cloaks' stardust magic has worn off. If you don't, just...work fast."

"Got a targeting computer...but I uninstalled that for the forcepack..." Belmarniss says as she works.

Bel reaches the "egg" and starts trying to learn as much as she. Though its surface is intricately inscribed with circuitry and it glows with its own inner power, there's no clear interface or controls. However no sooner than she's started examining it than she feels it speaking.

"Hello Master."
"Current Task Completion at 96.4̴̙͓͖̣͕͋̾4̸̲̘͎͓͐3̷̢̑%"
"All Contracts Stable. Cumulative Loss Rate 17.9̷̳̼̌1̶͚̎5̵̼̑́%. Captive Paradox Truancy Within Acceptable Range."
"Nested Consecrations Will Require Maintenance in 33.335.4"
"Antipathic Exclusion Active. No Further Breaches Expected Before Conclusion of Current Task."

"Master, What is your Wish?"

"What's your status, Bel? We need to hurry!"

"It's speaking to me!" Belmarniss exclaims as her grief is quickly replaced with awe. "It's asking me to make a wish!"

She turns her mind back to the "egg."

"Will you be able to grant wishes to others after I make mine, or will your power be spent?"

"Your Wish will be placed in queue. Wishes will be processed in order of acceptance and as long as Contracts remain viable." the Wishing Engine hums with potential.

"Define 'Contract' and what makes one viable."

The voice answers without hesitation. "Contracts - Individual wishgranter arcano-infomatic pathways into and from the event horizon. Viability remains until pathway deteriorates or wishgranter reaches end-of-life. Pathway deterioration currently minimal."

"Are there other wishes currently in the queue?"

"There are currently seventeen Wishes in queue." The voice answers promptly.

Bel's displacement and Ordyt's haste both fade. You think it's been about a minute since you lost track of Khaim.

That answer makes Belmarniss' awed expression fade back into sadness. For a moment, she thought maybe...just maybe...she could save Flint, save Uzmat, save everyone the Legion had hurt and killed over the course of this long, hot and exhausting campaign...all it would have taken was one wish, empowered by this magnificent combination of magic and technology, arguably the pinnacle of what her field strives for.

But now it became clear...others had come before...there was no telling what these seventeen wishes were or how long they would take to grant...one of them could be the Malikah's wish for godhood, and if that was granted all they'd fought for and sacrificed to get this far would be for naught. She thought again about Flint, fighting on even when he could have let her take the brunt of Khaim's wrath, because he cared about her so much. What kind of Star-Knight would she be if she didn't honor his sacrifice? This had been a war...no war was ever won without sacrifice. Uzmat, Jenan, the Protectors, SOL-653, they'd all given so much to get her here. She had to honor them. She had to complete the mission.

She blinks away more tears and looks up at the Wishing Engine.

"I wish for you to cancel all queued wishes and shut down permanently."

Then she falls to her knees and begins sobbing.

Your momentary reprieve ends as Ordyt hears a faint rustle to the southwest. It seems something is approaching, but as you turn you cannot see anything.

You're both up. The direction of the sound is in the direction of the arrow on the map.

|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt (0|40|0; 5FF)
Bel (0|28)
General Khaim *red (199 dmg, invisible)

"Bel. Bel. I need you to get up--Khaim is back, and invisible again. Be ready, but don't get too close to me. If we kill him our chances of making it out of this go up a lot."

Delay. Ordyt's only plan is to make sure that he and Bel and far enough apart that Khaim can get us both with a full attack.

You're delaying until Bel acts Ordyt?

Delaying until Khaim acts, probably. I can't see him and don't have a square to target, so I figure since there's two of us and one of him Ordyt will wait and get ready to counterattack.

Belmarniss hears Ordyt calling and it draws her back to reality. GodsDAMMIT the Sun still needed her. She squeezes the shards of circuitboard that had made up her junksword's hilt in her hand until it hurts, and the blade reforms and rises to her feet, turning around and looking out to the room.

This is flavor text, Junksword lasts for 10 minutes per level, so the duration hasn't run out yet.

She chants another spell and extends a hand out towards Ordyt, who can feel a fleeting vigor in his frame and a renewed will to fight on.

"I've already lost Flint...by Iomedae, I'm NOT going to lose you too!"

Casting mystical aegis on Ordyt.

Then she turns back out to the hall.

"GO AHEAD, KHAIM!" she calls out, rage rising in her tone. "GLOAT! WAX PHILOSOPHICAL ABOUT HOW OUR FOLLY LED US TO LOSE THOSE WE CARE ABOUT! THE WISH THAT SHUTS THIS THING DOWN HAS STILL BEEN MADE! WE! STILL! WON! AND NO PETTY REVENGE YOU OR THE MALIKAH TAKES CAN CHANGE THAT!"

She takes a breath.

"You can't hurt me any worse than you already have..."

|||| INIT ||||
Ordyt (0|40|0; 5FF, +45 thp vs. spells)
Bel (0|0, dying, prone, unconscious)
General Khaim *red (199 dmg)

You know what? I can't even be mad at this! The dice already do everything to undercut Belmarniss' dignity, why shouldn't the rest of the narrative?! XD

I believe I should have enough RP to stabilize, at least?

The words have barely left Khaim's mouth when the efreet commander is lashed by a focused spear of Ordyt's faith and fury, grief and hope and steely resolve. With an act of will Ordyt keeps his limbs and voice steady, his stance shifting to a guard position and estoc extended.

"And then there were two, yes. Let's end this, General."

Mind Thrust IV: 10d10 ⇒ (6, 5, 6, 6, 7, 9, 1, 6, 7, 10) = 63 Will DC17 for half

Casting his very last spell, then moving up a bit--cautiously. If he has a trick up his sleeve Ordyt doesn't want to get caught by a full attack.

Combat Over!

Ordyt stands alone and victorious, accompanied only by the still form of Bel atop the platform and the humming bulk of the Wishing Engine behind her.

Panting, exhausted, Ordyt longs to take his helmet off but doesn't know if the void ritual would hold if he did. Stumbling as the adrenaline drains away, the oread drops to a knee by Bel and pats the technomancer down, hoping for one last healing serum.

Wishing Engine, status report. He casts his thoughts toward the strange egglike device, a little blossom of hope unfolding in his heart.