Eric hacks at the giant as it passes by. It is a clean hit, but the vampire's mystical defenses prevent some of the damage.
Dr. Vitruvian shakes himself out of a daze and fires a flurry of arrows at the giant. Two of the arrows fly wide, but the one that strikes is quite effective.
The former Mother Bloodleaf moves in and flames on.
As fast as the zombie is, the giant seems to be faster.
Jules creates phantasmal copies of herself and moves in on the vampire, using the confusion to find a gap in its armor.
Eric presses his attack by empowering his weapon with the ability to cause greater harm to the undead. Only the first of his array of strikes makes contact, but the creature is clearly in great discomfort.
Round 2 - bolded may go
Amwari (3 temp HP, divine power, 2 images, sparkly)
Undy (-3 HP, invisible) and Riddy (-3 HP, invisible)
White (-54 HP, blinded, sparkly)
Crystals (fire on round 3)
Black (-113 HP, sparkly)
Dr. Vitruvian (26 temp HP, fervor) and Zombie Bloodleaf
Jules (fervor, 2 images)
Katswiri (fervor)
Eric (18 temp HP, longarm, fervor)
End of Round
An anguished draconic roar echoes across the landscape. Within minutes, reports begin circulating that some of the Society’s newest agents single-handedly defeated a powerful drake, ensuring that it will be no threat during the final assault. Competing rumors suggest these agents actually convinced the drake to fight by the Pathfinders’ side! Whatever the case, it is a great boon in the fights to come.
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Dr. Vitruvian looks on philosophically as he watches his two errant arrows vanish into the Void as defiant silver sparks.
My colleagues at the University called me mad; my colleagues here and now lecture me with their fearful piety - but here I SEE, so clearly, what it is that I am fighting against, what I am working for; someday, they'll ALL see...!
The combined Pathfinder and Twinhorn forces shatter undead bones and topple the walking dead, even while sustaining wounds of their own, and their momentum seems unstoppable. The holy approval of the empyreal lord Vildeis grows stronger, as if recognizing the Pathfinders’ righteousness by causing their weapons, armor, and even blood to shimmer with angelic power.
Burning Radiance: As an immediate action when dealing damage to an evil creature, the PC can cause her attack to ignore that target’s damage reduction and deal an additional amount of damage equal to 1d6 plus twice the character’s level.
Healing Sacrifice: As a standard action, a PC can touch another creature to heal it. This functions either as breath of life or as restoration (CL 15th). The temporary negative level from this blessing’s breath of life effect lasts only until the end of the next encounter and is ignored for the purpose of determining whether a PC would die from having too many negative levels. This ability can be used offensively against creatures vulnerable to positive energy, but its damage does not exceed 4 × the character’s level.
Unstoppable Wrath: As a swift action, the PC can choose one of the following undead immunities: bleed, death effects, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, or stunning. For the duration of that encounter, the PC’s abilities, equipment, and spells ignore that immunity for undead creatures. Additionally, the PC ignores the impeded magic property of the Negative Energy Plane during that encounter.
Eric adusts his positioning slightly, landing a second blow.
Katswiri takes a defensive stance.
The plane continues to try to drain the Pathfinders' energy.
Undy and Riddy both hurl missiles at the vampire from their wands.
Round 3 - bolded may go
Amwari (-3 HP, divine power, 2 images, sparkly)
Undy (-9 HP, invisible) and Riddy (-9 HP, invisible)
White (-54 HP, blinded, sparkly)
Crystals (fire on round 3)
Black (-170 HP, sparkly)
Dr. Vitruvian (46 temp HP, fervor) and Zombie Bloodleaf
Jules (fervor, 2 images)
Katswiri (fervor, total defense)
Eric (18 temp HP, longarm, fervor)
End of Round
Smoke, pale flames, and incantations rise as one around the Kellids’ stone circle as a combined force of Twinhorn and Pathfinder mystics reach the climax of their ritual. As the magic takes hold, the rift into the Negative Energy Plane weakens and begins to shrink. A burst of positive energy ripples out from the site, washing over combatants for miles around.
The combined Pathfinder and Twinhorn forces have beaten back the worst of Eshimka’s vanguard, and their spellcasters are hard at work repairing the damage around the planar rift. It seems there is at last a lull when a pair of bladelike arms stab through the rift and tear it wider. The wound releases a wave of negative energy that crashes into the mystics’ wards, and the shock causes the trees for hundreds of feet around to wither, their limbs snapping off and turning to ash before hitting the ground. Through the widened rift steps a towering giant with sinister horns, shaking the ground with every step as her army follows her: vampires, towering suits of armor, hungry corpses, and even a powerful dragon! Medda’s shout carries over the din. “Eshimka is here! Strike now!”
The giant laughs thunderously as it regards the mortals around it and tears of pieces from her own flesh that turn into nightmarish beasts.
Amwiri's blade cuts deeply into the bear. It tries to fight back, but is still unable to see the Pathfinders to strike. The team easily finishes off the vampire, and the bear begins to retreat. There is no chance to pursue before Medda's call reaches the agents.
The Pathfinders return to the Material Plane and rush to the site of the ritual. The vegetation is dead and crumbling .
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Also voting for Eshimka.
Restoring 2 uses of Mesmerist Tricks, resetting Mesmeric Mirror on herself & Amwiri (the 3rd still remains set on Eric).
She still has the following spells active at this point:
False Life (17 temp hp)
Death Ward
See Invisibility
Heightened Awareness (She'll be triggering it for the +4 Initiative bonus)
Expeditious Retreat
And tokens have all been moved.
Embiggened Eric, and moved tokens slightly. Feel free to rearrange yourself further within the box.
As a result of the ritual success, you receive two scrolls of cure critical wounds, a scroll of stoneskin, and either a scroll of summon monster VI or a scroll of summon nature’s ally VI.
Please post all your buffs (carryover or new) if you have not already.
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Katswiri has them on her tag line:
Magic Vestment (Shield and Armor), Delay Poison, Ant Haul, Life Bubble, Freedom of Movement, Death Ward, Shield of Faith, Eagle's Splendor, Bless, Communal Stoneskin, Twisted Innards, Heightened Awareness
Bless, Life Bubble and Death Ward should be active on everyone.
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Katswiri casts Bestow Inisght on herself. "Before we engage, I will use my sight to uncover Eshimka's strengths and weaknesses, so we can counter and exploit them."
Katswiri pulls forth a reference guide and falls into a trance, her power building as visions flow through her. "Let it be revealed! We're coming for you Eshimka. Nothing can hide from my sight!"
Katswiri would like:
Spell Like Abilities
Special Abilities
Special Attacks
Special Defenses
Weaknesses
Damage Reduction
Immunities
Resistances
Spell Resistance
Weakest Save
Senses
EDIT: Ask for Spell Resistance in place of Hit Dice, its a high CR extraplanar thing it probably has a bunch.
25 will not get any information. 77... will.
Constant—air walk, detect magic, magic fang
At will—contagion (DC 19), deeper darkness, greater dispel magic, unholy blight (DC 19)
3/day—confusion (DC 19), haste, hold monster (DC 20), invisibility, quickened unholy blight (DC 19)
1/day—cone of cold (DC 20), finger of death (DC 22), plane shift (DC 22), summon (level 7, 4 greater shadows)
Darksense (Ex) Nightshades gain true seeing in dim light and darkness. Regardless of light conditions, they can detect living creatures and their health within 60 feet, as blindsense with deathwatch continuously active. Mind blank and nondetection prevent the latter effect but not the nightshade’s true seeing.
Desecrating Aura (Su) All nightshades have a 30-foot- radius emanation equivalent to a desecrate spell centered on a shrine of evil power. Undead within this radius (including the nightshade) gain a +2 profane bonus on attack and damage rolls and saving throws, as well as +2 hit points per die, and the save DC of channeled negative energy is increased by +6 (these adjustments are included for the nightshades in their entries). This aura can be negated by dispel evil, but a nightshade can reactivate it on its turn as a free action. A desecrating aura suppresses and is suppressed by consecrate or hallow; both effects are negated within any overlapping area of effect.
Fear Gaze (Su) Cower in fear for 1 round, 30 feet, Will DC 25 negates. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Swift Sundering (Su) A nightwalker can make a sunder attempt as a swift action with one of its claws.
Channel resistance +4, evasion, rock catching; DR 10/magic and silver; Immune cold, undead traits; Resist electricity 10
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Katswiri will share her knowledge with the group.
"Cone of Cold can be blocked by your Protection from Energy, Undiana. Death Ward will help protect us from Finger of Death, but our best protection will be to keep Eshimka too busy to use it. I will render us immune to Confusion and Unholy Blight. We will need some method to get our melee combatants into the air, as Eshimka has constant Air Walk."
"Eshimka will have True Seeing in effect if there is darkness or dim light. We should try to bring Daylight or other magical light sources to help counteract this and the possibility of Deeper Darkness. I will give Eric True Seeing to help prevent Darkness or Invisibility from preventing him from engaging."
"To look into Eshimka's eyes will produce supernatural terror. Avert your gaze unless you have protections against fear or feel you are of exceptional will. I can assist some if you succumb with Unbreakable Heart and a scroll of Remove Fear."
"Watch your equipment. Eshimka may try to destroy your weapons or armor. Strike at her with silver and magic weapons. Eshimka will be immune to cold as well as the standard undead immunities and resistant to electricy, and will be evasive when dodging spells."
"I cannot thwart the desecrate as I do not have a scroll of Consecrate."
Katswiri will cast Eagle's Splendor on Jules and Eric, True Seeing on Eric, Air Walk on Eric via a scroll, then will use her Mneumonic Vestment to cast Communal Spell Immunity and make the whole party immune to Confusion and Unholy Blight. Katswiri will rub her Oil of Daylight on Eric's armor and take out her Alexandrite Gem with 3rd level Continual Flame.
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Dr. Vitruvian wastes no time brewing up some fresh alchana: Another strange metal disc which he again hands off to the former Mother Bloodleaf; A small lump of what looks like peach-colored pastry-dough, which he promptly splits in two with his fingers and rubs into his eyes; and, after a bit more tinkering and re-consulting his codices than you'd seen him do before, what appears to be a large black fleshy orb, like a skinned plum or some sea-mollusc's ink-sac, tightly contained in a thin glass-and-gold canister. This he offers to Amwari.
"This should be a particular help to those Human eyes of yours - in fact, it would likely be an improvement for any of us; hold it over your face, open it like so," He instructs with a visual demonstration, "quickly eat that which falls in your mouth, and the rest should find its way into your eyes; you may find it difficult to blink for a bit, but there's no harm in trying. I've never made this one before, please let me know how it fares."
To Jules he offers a spiraled, flute-like ampoule filled with heavy clear-green liquid. "A fighting-style such as your own might do much with this; I look forward to seeing it, and you, work. Again, don't be alarmed by the effects, I think you'll adapt more quickly than you'd expect."
He also reminds everyone not to forget what he'd prescribed them before, either.
That taken care of, he takes out another the thick canteens you saw him partake of yesterday, this one more of brass than tin, but its contents bubble no less furiously; he chugs it with some effort, and after another round of convulsions, his skin has taken on a strange quality and rough texture, and his eyes grow even paler and more alien than before. All in all, he appears to be equal parts ceramic, cactus, and echinoderm .
He follows that by spritzing his face with a small atomizer; the cloud it produces is barely-visible, yet a striking abolone-like sheen can briefly be seen at its edges; beyond that, it's effect is not immediately apparent.
Finally, he takes out a relatively large porcelain bottle, midway in appearance between a Tian-style wine-bottle and an urn. He considers it a moment before drinking its dark contents, and he undergoes yet another transformation: Though still possessed of his alien eyes and strange-textured surface, it and all the doctor's panoply now rest upon the frame of a frightful winged skeleton.
As the Pathfinders reach the circle of stones, a huge, purple-skinned creature with a stag's horns and axes in place of hands emerges. "You have meddled with my plans for far too long. Here you shall perish, and never shall your 'Society' trouble me again!"
Round 1 - bolded may go
Eric
Undy and Riddy
Katswiri
Eshimka
Jules
Dr. Vitruvian
Amwari
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Armed with Katswiri's knowledge of nightwalkers, Undy would have cast Protection from Energy (Cold) on the entire group before the start of the fight.
Undy also dons his smoked goggles when he hears about her gaze attack.
...
Undy shoots Eshimka with his wands of magic missile.
Meanwhile, Riddy uses a wand of haste on the group.
Then they fly off to the side a bit to avoid being clustered together.
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(Eric is casting longarm/divine when you are casting true seeing and eagles splendor I am assuming or when you let me know you are almost done)
Eric sees the foe and declares him to be the target of his wrath!"I smite thee in the name of Sarenrae!!!"
Eric enrages and closes to 5'readying to attack the beast if it does anything other than move.
swift smite, move, and ready
the 1d6 is acid
(If he has combat reflexes I will attempt a parry/rip at -2)
Added 4 damage for first hit vs evil outsider/undead
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Dr. Vitruvian tries his new wings, slowly and sepulchrally beating his way to the foe; much as before, he opens a small jar of red, nut-like capsules, which begin smoking languidly upon exposure to air, and prepares them for use with his explosives supply.
Eric calls upon the power of his god and moves into position to strike Eshimka.
Undy uses a wand to bolts of force at the nightwalker.
They bounce off harmlessly.
Riddy grants the team speed via its own wand.
Katswiri tries to negate Eshimka's ability to float, but the magic is too powerful.
Dr. Virtuvian takes to the air and drinks something that does not look particularly healthy.
His zombie friend starts radiating fire once more.
Eshimka tries to break Eric's weapon. He strikes before the attempt, but cannot stop the sunder attempt.
vs. weapon used to attack
He then tries to slice Eric up directly.
Round 1-2 - bolded may go
Undy and Riddy
Katswiri
Dr. Vitruvian (haste) and Zombie Bloodleaf (haste)
Eric (haste)
Eshimka (-40 HP)
Jules (haste)
Amwari (haste)
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Jules nods grimly & soars around the huge monstrosity into a flank, using her now strangely elongated arms.
"I haven't seen arms like this since that time in the dancing pits in Vudra." she mutters.
As she closes, she glances at the beast long enough to implant her Hypnotic Stare. (-3 to its WIll saves).
Her blade flashes as she strikes, as she averts her gaze.
Note to whoever hits first - be sure to add the +4 bonus damage from the Painful Stare.
2nd note - Jules is fine with Katswiri having the scrolls.
Jules' arms are long, but not long enough to approach Eshimka safely.
She glares at the nightwalker, but is too off-balance to strike back successfully.
Amwari charges forward and casts a spell at the undead.
It gets its eyes partially closed before the burst of light hits it.
Katswiri begins reading from a scroll.
Eric takes advantage of the distraction to swing repeatedly. Sarenrae does appear to be guiding his strikes, as all three swings strike true, and Eshimka drops to the ground too quickly for even a dying curse.
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With a mighty swing, the falcata, appearing even larger than normal and glowing with holy power, strikes the beast! Ribs break and blood explodes from the side of Eshimka, who roars in pain.
Eric takes advantage of the bent over condition and twists his body sideways, clearing a strike for the neck.
Eshimka is unable to block the blow, putting up an arm in defense, but the momentum of the large falcata was too much and it cut through the arm and halfway into the neck. The beast drops to it's knees.
Not one to leave the job unfinished, Eric aims and his last action was to chop the rest of the way through the neck, the head falls, and rolls to the side. Eric picks up the head and roars!
The power of Sarenrae leaves Eric as briefly as it arrived, the job of dispatching Eshimka complete.
Fatigued from his rage ending, he whispers a prayer of thanks and removes his fatigue with Sarenrae's mercy. (from lay on hands)
Hard pressed, Eshimka staggers back from the nearby Pathfinders attacking her. Her undead army retreats on all sides from the Twinhorn and Pathfinder forces. She cries out in dismay at the sight. With one blade-arm she beckons for more of her shadowy minions to reunite with her body and heal her wounds, but the call comes too late. Eric strides forward, raising a heavy blade that glows with arcane power. Cast in the shadow of a nearby standing stone, the dwarven apparition of the paladin warrior Ivvora seems to mirror his movements and guide his steps. Ivvora’s voice rings out clearly over the din of battle, “Eshimka, this fight began a millennium ago, and it ends tonight. Vildeis has judged you and found you wanting.” Eric strikes once, cleaving through one of Eshimka’s bladed arms, and then brings his falcata around in a slashing arc that sends the nightshade’s still-screaming head rolling across the battlefield. Her mouth stays open for a moment, her scream dying away as light pours from the stump of her neck.. The nightshade’s body crumbles into ash that the wind scatters across the snow, and the dying rift at last closes as the remains of Eshimka’s army flees into the night or falls with their mistress.
The towering dwarven ghost salutes the gathered heroes and announces, “You have all proven yourself worthy of Vildeis’ attention. Pathfinders, you have defeated a great evil, so let the tale of your bravery shatter your enemies’ courage while bolstering your own. Eric, you have made me proud and finished what I could not. Medda and Anok, you have done well assembling the force that did this. All of you, go with Vildeis’s blessing, and keep vigilant—evil never rests.” Ivvora smiles and looks up to the stars as she fades away and the blessed armor Medda wears returns to its normal sheen.
Medda looks to the champions surrounding her. “Everyone, I cannot put into words how grateful I am to all of you. You have stood by my side through all these hardships, and at last we have triumphed! Eshimka is forever destroyed, and we of the Twinhorn following have found true allies in the Pathfinder Society. Call on us in your hour of need, and we shall come to your aid. For now though, the danger has passed.” She and Anok give one last look to where the planar scar is already healing.
“Let us celebrate at last.”