A Tiny Part Of The Dimension Wars (Interdimensional Spy Follies

Game Master GM Hansj

She comes out of her meditation sleep

::"I know where your family is. So the team who wants to come do a hostage recuse."::

You can practically feel Terexaltherin rousing himself from his study over the hive mind connection. Huh? Rescue mission? Oh, so that's what he was muttering about... yeah, that seems like a really good idea. We'll have to be subtle about it, though. Make it not obvious where we're all going. Maybe we can leave separately and meet up a little outside of town, check if we're being followed, and figure out how we're going to get there?

:I'm up for a rescue mission:, Arlo chimes in.

::I'll come as soon as I can.:: sent Azzim.

::[i]"Then when your ready let me know, We will try and port right to them, score them, then fight our way out"[i/]::

The priest does a slow double take as Azzim drops his disguise and describes the situation. Once Azzim finishes his description, he stops, think and answers slowly... "I believe you and will aid you. Let me know what you need. I should warn you I cannot rely even all those below in this hierarchy so I will not mention your reason for visiting. But you return will likely not raise eyebrows since this city filled with mysterious visitors and dealings... It is sad that things have reached this level of corruption but not entirely surprising...". He then directs Azzim to leave back in disguise but arranges to meet with him periodically if he wishes.

...

Terex engages in feverish research following Gift's vision of the location of Poinifaxsis' family on an island of the Norward Sea. With 25,000 years of history, it's not strange that a detailed picture book of these islands was made 5,491 years ago and so the rescue party is able to teleport in hops to tin Vinhale Island, overlooking Caliop Island where the hostages are held.

Keeping watch, you see a couple juju zombies and a graveknight patrolling the area but most of the Island's buildings look empty and ruined. Further, you by experimentation that the basalt castle is hidden by magical mist in the center of Island which prevents teleportation past it.

Note link to map. Dotted area in the center is mist where stairs to castle can be seen.

Perception: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (11) + 21 = 32
"Damn", Arlo says to himself.
::From what I see, we have two Red Fire Ghosts. Almost evil outsiders in their ferocity!::

::" I can't get hold of their minds, Dad undead are your thing, what should we do?"::

Arlo considered his next thoughts. :The hostages are the main concern; getting them out of danger will be paramount. We'll need to isolate them from the undead, so they can escape. Could your mind powers create a barrier? If so, the rest of use could engage the undead, while you help the hostages get out of the area.::

::With some time for meditation I could prepare an undeath ward which would hedge out all but the strongest undead.:: interjected Azzim.

::That sounds good, Azzim. How long will you need?::

Hmm... they might be able to smell me or detect me with lifesense, so I probably shouldn't try to sneak in there, Terexaltherin comments. But we'll still want to get as close as we can before they notice us... maybe if some of you engaged them, I could slip by unnoticed and free the hostages?

"The undead are not permitted in the city, much less the library stack. Please make me a detailed report on your observations and include your name and where in the library you are employed. I will see that it reaches my superior..."

A little nervous that this rule would mean Peri is not allowed in the library, Chella immediately does some mental gymnastics and reasons that most of the time, Peri is part of her club and not manifested as one of the undead, so she doesn't count. Then she proceeds to describe what she saw and deduced about the creatures with as much detail as she can manage. "For my own records," she asks, "will you tell me who is your superior? I may need to follow up with them myself."

Chella is still unsure about how the hivemind works, and has never responded to it before, but now decides that she must give it a try. ::Hello? Hello? This is Chella?:: ::AND THIS IS PERI!:: ::Owww, Peri, that's much too loud. Can you think more quietly?:: ::i will try:: (Peri's voice sounds embarrassed and a little hurt.) ::We are happy to join your expedition to rescue the hostages if you think the mission can spare us from our duties in the library. I will prepare myself for the teleport?::

(Assuming she is teleported in too...)

Chella looks over the enemy. ::Well, me and Peri could just wade in there and attack. It would be dangerous, but we didn't sign up for this just to translate tablets. Maybe some of us attacking them would distract them enough that others could sneak in and free the hostages, as Terexaltherin suggested?::

So, anyone doing a frontal assault could dimension below the water and emerge to attack the next round by surprise. The grave knight is AC 30, the Juju Zombies are AC 25 and the Red Fire Ghosts are AC 28 (touch AC 24 too). To get to the "Ghosts" you need a successful 30 perception or sense motive check on the round you attack. Anyone trying to get past the Red Fire Ghosts into castle, roll stealth and a will save. Roll away...
(remember, anyone dimension-dooring or teleporting onto land can't act till the end of the round and you probably don't want that)

Arlo will want to teleport in as close to the shore as possible, considering his heavy armor.

Gift gets ready to port her father and anyone who wants as close as they can.

Hmmm... probably best to make it as much of an ambush as we can. Though at the same time we don't want to make them desperate right away, because we want to draw reinforcements out, not make them skip straight to 'stop or we kill the hostages', Terexaltherin muses 'aloud'. Anyway, as soon as you start making noise, I'll make my move to sneak in.

He makes sure to cast invisibility on himself shortly before they teleport. He won't trust they don't have anyone who can see through it, but it will help against more ordinary undead.

Stealth: 1d20 + 38 ⇒ (2) + 38 = 40
Will: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33

Terex manages to teleport to the front of the mist-shrouded castle and is apparently not being observed by even the alert and whisper-quiet Red Fire Ghosts. Approaching the steps, he senses that the mist itself serves as some sort of barrier Roll disable device for magical traps, this may take a small amount of time...

The dwarf paladin has The Arlosword drawn, keeping his guard up.
Perception: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (20) + 21 = 41

Sorry I've been very busy this week. Azzim is capable of casting Jester's Jaunt via the Heaven’s Leap hex which might help Arlo or anyone else get into melee range.

Considering all the undead they were facing, first thing Azzim did was consider what he knew of their likely attacks, defences and weaknesses. He knew several powerful spells that could potentially help, but which to use?

He prepared a ritual draught and cast a spell to sharpen his focus before considering.
Casting: Tears to wine and Heightened awareness

Kn: Religion - Grave Knight: 1d20 + 23 + 2 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 23 + 2 + 10 = 38
Kn: Religion - Juju Zombies: 1d20 + 23 + 2 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 23 + 2 + 10 = 36
Kn: Religion - Red Fire Ghosts: 1d20 + 23 + 2 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 23 + 2 + 10 = 48

He's wondering in particular how effective Sunburst is likely to be.

GM what time of day is it?

Magical Defenses, disarming. May take me some time, keep them occupied. Terexaltherin's communication is focused and to the point as he takes out his tools and gets to work, physical and magical senses working together to identify what he needs to do while he uses both the tools in his claw and his telekinesis to carefully break the wards and traps.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 28 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 28 + 5 = 43

Terex is making reasonable progressive with the trap but it's difficult work staying out of range and sight of the various creatures flitting around...
Five round to completion, make another stealth roll... the undead and the red fire ghosts would both be vulnerable to sunbrust...

Over the hive mind, Azzim said ::If it comes to a fight, I have a spell that should be effective against the undead, a burst of intense sunlight. Ideally if they're within eighty feet of each other I can get the lot of them. One thing we don't want anyone but the undead in the blast radius::

She says to them all
::"That is good, I have a power I can you that can protect anyone close to me and block out ethereal beings. We can move with it but slowly.::

psychokinetic-sphere

Thanks Gift, does that cover undead lifesense? Terexaltherin sends back.

Not trusting to his invisibility and Gift's power, he continues staying hidden while he works.

Stealth: 1d20 + 38 ⇒ (2) + 38 = 40

Of course, the fact that he can work at a distance with his telekinesis helps...

Disable Device: 1d20 + 28 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 28 + 5 = 38

Arelo's back is to the others as we watches their back as they work.

After 30 seconds, Terex knows how to open cloud-gate to castle/demi-plane where Gift determined pontifax' family is being held. However, he won't be able to actually open it without attracting attention. One of 'fire ghosts' seems nervous but isn't doing anything...

The grave knight very mechanically patrols the area and so the door could be opened when it's at the furthest reach of it's patrol (50' from the door). The fire ghosts move randomly but don't have life sense.

Hopefully, it's reasonably clear what happening - the rest of the group is off the island, ready to teleport to a hidden location and then attack (or with Chella, just attack). Terex has figured out how to open the "cloud gate". He could open it and you all rush through, he could open it and some folks attack the undead and other rush through. He could open it and sneak/dive through (but then he'd have to deal with what inside, the creatures could might close the gate and so forth). Everyone else could attack and then Terex opens the gate. Since you're just off a small island, you would attack first if you chose to act. Add questions in the discussion (or message me) if unclear.

Sorry. I thought we made it to the island.

I know how to open this now, but they'll know as soon as I do, Terexaltherin reports. So we probably want to have them already busy when I do. Maybe you can attack from an angle that leaves a clear path to the gate, or as close to it as you can manage? Then I can open the gate and part of us go through while the others finish off the opposition here and hold open our line of retreat?

Azzim replied ::I expect I can distract them, with a sunburst-stormbolts one two combo. Will likely be in trouble after that though!::

"If they are susceptible to powers I can hit them hard if needs be, I just worry about collateral damage"

You had all seen what she did to a bunker, there was such a thing as having to much hitting power.

So Terex opens the magical mist simultaneously with Azzim setting off Sunburst, seeming blinding all the undead visible to you... Azzim roll 15D and 6D6. Terex roll reflex save, keeping your improve evasion in mind (ie, you can't be blinded regardless etc). Meanwhile, a voice thin, threatening voice calls from within the mist...

The castle in the mist is something like a demi-plane, nothing done on the Island proper short of nukes is likely to affect those in the castle - still, keep in mind, Terex did open a gate between them

Reflex: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (2) + 23 = 25

As soon as he's opened the gate, Terexaltherin slips through, still invisible--though he knows that matters little against many undead.

Stealth: 1d20 + 38 ⇒ (10) + 38 = 48

When open, the mist-gate still only shows vague onlines of what is beyond it - some kind of castle in this case

As Terex slips through the mist-gate, the party feels him cut off from the hive-mind... (though apparently sound does pass through the mist-gate and the rest of the party has an idea of the action from this).

Immediately on the other side, Terex can see steps leading to a small castle of a style similar but distinct from Orguanion. But in front of that, he sees a figure in a simple gray wool tunic and trousers with a necklace of dark wood, a human or near-human, face palid white but animated with an expression of amused focus. It looks like a blood drained corpse a week dead but well-preserved, walking... The figure with one hand sends a flood of floating embers in Terex' general direction, illuminating him (glitter dust Will save 20 or blinded ) while sending a more powerful spell towards him with the other hand. But that spell is stopped by Terex' spell resistance.

The meanwhile, one of the red fire ghosts charges through the mist-gate as well and breath fire in Terex's general direction but with the creature blinded, the blast goes wide...

In the Island side of the mist-gate, The other red fire ghost and the graveknight (A dark figure in flat, gray, unadorned plate armor, only an pail green glow of eyes visible in the helmet) move closer to the gate...

The Juju zombies stay where they are.

Over the collective, she pulls a power for Nexqin and manifests it on Terexa as Nexqil can push.

chameleon PP7 for +13 Encharment to stealth for 90 mins

Azzim came in soaring over the battlefield as Terex opened the mist. With a syllabant word of power and a gesture an intense detonation of light erupted in the middle of the undead. It was utterly soundless but so strong that the bones could be seen through the fleshy parts of anyone nearby!

Casting Sunburst. Reflex DC 25 to negate blindness (seems to be permanent otherwise!) and halve damage.
Sunburst damage vs undead: 15d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 5, 6, 3, 3, 4, 6, 1, 1, 6, 4, 4, 4, 1) = 59
Sunburst damage vs normal creatures: 6d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 4, 5, 3, 5) = 26

At the same moment, Laurana whispered the final word to a powerful spell and suddenly any party members near her felt a tremendous jolt of adrenaline.

Casting familiar blessing of fervor. Azzim will select +2 AC and reflex saves.

Arlo charges through to take out the red fire ghosts. "Fu<k off!" The dwarven paladin bellows.

The Arlosword: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (6) + 19 = 25
Dmg.: 1d8 + 4 + 4d6 ⇒ (3) + 4 + (6, 5, 3, 1) = 22

The Dwarven paladin's blade bites into the snarling, squirming brown-red beast. The creature lets out a screeching, babbling howl while spraying brownish spittle in Arlo's area DC 22 will save or be confusedand also scratching with it's 6" claws 11 points of damage - w/DR 8 point damage while the gray suit of armor charges Arlo as well, slashing him on the side 21-3 point slashing damage plus 6 acid damage . As the graveknight closes, Arlo also feels the foul effect of his aura of its Sacrilegious Aura You must overcome a caster check 20 to use positive energy effects like lay on hands. .

The Juju zombies remain inert.

The glowing motes on Terex go out as he again as well hidden as a ghost himself.

Will: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28

Terexaltherin manages to blink just in time before the flash hits. Yeah, he had thought the invisibility wouldn't really save him... though he suspects the undead could have hit him with something much worse, so at least it saved him from a second nasty spell.

After a moment's debate (while flying an evasion pattern) he pulls his tangleburn bag out of his pack and hurls it at the undead. He doubts it will care much about the damage, but right now he's just playing for time so the others can get through the gate and back him up. Fighting one-on-one like this is not his strong suit...

Touch attack: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (2) + 21 = 23
Direct hit fire damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

On a direct hit, DC 20 reflex or catch on fire and DC 15 reflex or be glued to the floor. It takes the initial fire damage and is entangled even if it saves.

The walking corpse on the castle steps seems to ignore the flames but does seem stuck to the steps...

Will DC 22: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25
The dwarf grunts as the red fire ghost's attack, but this triggers his Retribution attack as an immediate attack.
The Arlosword: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (2) + 19 = 21
Dmg.: 1d8 + 4 + 4d6 ⇒ (3) + 4 + (5, 5, 4, 3) = 24
Arlo feels a rising dread coming from the incoming graveknight, but the paladin girds himself to continue the rescue mission, and full attacks the red fire ghost.

The Arlosword: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (20) + 19 = 39
Confirming: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (16) + 19 = 35
Dmg.: 1d8 + 4 + 4d6 + 1d8 + 4 + 4d6 ⇒ (5) + 4 + (3, 6, 3, 4) + (8) + 4 + (6, 1, 3, 1) = 48

The Arlosword: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15
Dmg.: 1d8 + 4 + 4d6 ⇒ (3) + 4 + (2, 1, 6, 3) = 19

The Arlosword: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Dmg.: 1d8 + 4 + 4d6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + (3, 5, 4, 1) = 18

Arlo swings mightily and opens a huge rent in the hyena-like red fire ghost, which bleeds flickering flames as it screeches shrilly... but the force of the first blow slightly unbalances the dwarf and the wriggling aberration dodges his further strikes making a snuffling, hissing sound...

Have to admit I'm a bit confused where everything is. Is there a nice juicy clump of enemies for Azzim to swoop in and cast stormbolts?

Battle Map tomorrow, my life has been more hectic than usual...

Basically, Terex and Nexqil are beyond the mist gate facing one red fire ghost and an undead caster (probably a lich or equivalent). Arlo, the other red fire ghost and the evil-armor/grave-knight are locked in combat on one side of the "mist gate", which is in the center of the quite small island. Two Juju Zombies are standing unresponsive about 60' away. Azzim, Gift and Chella are concealed behind rocks on at the shoreline, 160' from the mist gate. You know the mist gate will stop some effects - Terex is got back in communication with the party when Nexqil went through mist gate. Rough Map

Also, the area inside the mist-gate, include is somehow bigger than the dotted area would indicate.

'

Also, Azzim and Chella have yet to act, then the monster act, etc

Gift was worried about unleashing too much, but she had spotted and undead caster and that became her target.

There was a shock wave a bubble of force was revealed around Gift, then she was gone, coming into being close to the caster. Archs of power lashed to the walls and floor and her eyes blazed into its dead form.
One arch of psionic power reached out to pummel her target.

Nomand step, move action, display of her force protection free action. Disintegrate PP spend 11+4 RTA 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 11 + 4 = 30 DMG Maximasex power 22x6=132 DMG no save, PR yes / she beats PR27