As soon as it's come, the torrent subsides, draining into the dark chamber to the east and falling away in a cascade of blood into some dark, subterranean lake.
Darvesch finds himself lying atop Lureene's right wing, the succubus face-down in the now empty channel. Sasha is sprawled atop them both while on the other side, Ieana is groaning and barely conscious, coiled up in a ball atop Lureene's left wing, head resting atop her tail and she rubs her back.
Sasha makes no sound at all.
Suddenly, from the opposite end of the chamber, you hear a shout of pure rage. Peering through the rain that still falls, you see Shëakatri still standing, staggering next to a blackened, bloody crater where her altar once stood, all the rubble washed away.
"I'll KILL you! If it's the LAST thing I do, I will STRIKE YOU DOWN!"
In a single step, the Proxy of Charelle, burn, naked, and smoking from the holy rain steps forward and drives her sword thru Priyya's chest, pinning her to the wall. She gives a savage, bloody grin, gloating for a moment before there is a sharp intake of breath and she falls to the ground, crumbling to ash along with her black blade.
Priyya slumps into Mal's arms even as the Soul Crown strikes the floor, ringing like a silver bell.
Lureene blinks out of existence and rematerializes a short distance from the badly damaged altar. A globe of burning green acid forms in her hand, sizzling from the rain striking it and she hurls it at the point-blank range and the red marble block is engulfed in a curling plume of foul yellow smoke as it seeps into the many cracks.
Summoning all his strength, Darvesch set his jaw and brings his axe crashing down like the fist of Kahn himself!
For a moment, the evil focus remains intact. The chamber falls silent with held breath and Shëakatri gazes at it wide-eyed, teeth clenched and fangs showing. Even as a great gout of fog pours forth from the grate in the wall and the other three vampiresses you fought earlier take form, the quantity of blood gushing from the stone increases in volume, dousing everything in sight. The whole chamber begins to shake and you can hear the stone beginning to splinter and crack from the immense pressure within.
Between Darvesch and Priyya, a thick mist pours into the room, quickly forming into the shape of Shëakatri. She is no longer holding the small, sacrificial dagger she had earlier, instead, she now holds a thin, double-ended lance that crackles with unholy power.
She is just about to reform when she spies Priyya standing beside the grate. Feigning ignorance, she materials in the same spot where she vanished. At the same instant, the Surya-ka-Vahaak and the Proxy of Charelle unleash their worst upon each other. Priyya unleashes all the light of Venya in a blinding flash of pearlescence, even as Shëakatri drives her blade through it seeking the warrior-priestess' head.
The clash is nearly deafening!
When the light clears, you see the two priestesses staring at one another with cold hatred. Shëakatri's vestments are scorched and blown away, only the blackened tatters of bandages concealing her sensuous form, the holy rain making her entire form smoke all the more.
Priyya smirks, before a wracking cough seizes her, blood spraying into the air with her cough. She nearly falls, but somehow is just barely able to remain standing.
"Tch–" the vampiress' choleric expression practically echoes throughout the chamber when she sees her mortal foe still standing.
Somewhere out of sight, you hear the sound of a loud gong reverberates throughout the chamber.
Although Lureene and Ieana cannot discern the source, and Alis and Sasha can't indicate whether they do or not, Darvesch, Mal, and Priyya turn to glance toward the grate in the south wall of the dais. Shëakatri was up to something...
Her harsh but lovely countenance marred by hatred, Shëakatri glares at all of you and you and crushes an amulet hanging from around her neck. Instantly, you feel the sensation of ice freezing your minds and bodies. Before they realize it, Alis, Darvesch, and Sasha find themselves unable to so much as blink!
The vampiress then turns into mist once again before quickly flowing into the grate in the south wall after her spawn.
Inside your minds, you hear her voice, "This is NOT over!"
S 1d20 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 18 Alis, prot vs evil, good hope
Next Up: Lureene, Ieana, Priyya, /Alis/, /Darvesch/, Dolls, Snake, Mal; /Sasha/, Shëakatri /paralyzed/ MAP: Z-Temple of Charelle, (Round 1068) Note: Full-round action required to break free of Hold Person with a Will DC 26 save.
Good Hope: +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls. R1126
A hp:29 = 29/30 Expeditious Retreat 1128, HELD R 1077, Mage Armor R3603, See Invisibility 1757
k:15 = 15/15
D hp:63 = 63/63(68) 1 negative level DC 17 each HELD R 1077
L hp:48 = 48/48 Blur R 1087, Light of Mercuria R1625, Mage Armor R3601, Shield R1115
M hp:66 = 66/66 Con 15 = 15/16 Int 10 = 10/12 Barkskin R1658, Delay Poison 3DB, Shield of Faith R1116, Totemic Trans +20-ft R1118
t:29 = 29/42 Dazed R1075
P hp:27 = 27/36(41) 1 negative level DC 17 Light of Venya, Mage Armor R3602
Sasha hp:33 = 33/54 HELD R 1077, protection from evil R1117
Shëakatri's sneer at Mal's words is broken by Sasha's thrust. Yet it is something else entirely that garners her attention. No longer half-hidden behind pillars or taller party members, the proxy finally gets a good look at Lureene. As the succubus before her spins about, hurling dolls off herself, she sees the sparkle of something familiar bounce free from between the blonde's full, pert breasts. No longer obscured from her sight by cleavage or Alexis' shorter vantage point (like back in the entry hall) Shëakatri spies Richardson's locket!
"Avoreen?! Of all the faithless, back-stabbing, WHORES of the Abyss!"
The vampiress' eyes flash with a green glow and her form becomes an insubstantial mist. Mal's arms close on empty air, but he keeps his footing on the blood-slick stone and avoids falling.
As you watch, she flows back up onto the dais and reforms behind the altar, hatred darkening her eyes.
"Foolish Yarzoth, have have done everything I could have hoped for just like the good slave that you are."
As she speaks, an invisible force lifts up the bloody circlet. Shëakatri pulls off her headdress and allows it to fall into the blood revealing a cascade of dark, wine-colored hair that reaches nearly to the floor. As the unseen force places the Soul Crown upon her brow, she breathes deeply, as if savoring a sweet aroma.
"Did you really think Qingu had been reborn?" Scathing laughter fills the cathedral. Your flesh crawls with goosebumps as you realize you can hear the laughter within your very minds! "Such a fool. I slew your god and corrupted his offspring. It is I who has been answering your prayers, granting you spells! Oooh yeees, I can feel you trembling in anger, in disbelief!"
She looks down at Alis and shakes her head. "I should have preferred one of the elder sisters, but what sweet revenge upon dearest Lyria to claim her prodigal daughter as my new avatar! How gracious of you to send her to me..."
"Do not be concerned, my daughter," a silky voice says from near the red-head a moment before a dagger is thrust into her chest, "you can make your apologies in the afterlife!"
With a gasp, Sasha pulls away from Shëakatri, he face going pale from the sudden loss of blood. Even as she reels from the shock the vampiress tastes the blood on her dagger — a dagger that looks identical to the one tattooed on Sasha's back.
"Oh, except for one minor detail, that is... your soul belongs to me!"
Shëakatri attempts to slip backwards, away from the furious assault. She employs the same graceful maneuvers you have seen Alis use to evade injury countless times. She easily evades another slash from Mal, but Alis sees thru her attacks and once again wounds her, mithril rapier now smoking with vampire blood.
"FOOLS!" she shouts, "YARZOTH POSSESSES HER!"
With a curse in some ancient tongue, the proxy vanishes from sight.
Rolls:
Acrobatics DCs 33 & 26 vs A 1d20 + 26 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 26 + 5 = 32 agile defense fail
vs M 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (5) + 26 = 31
Sound in the cathedral returns to normal as Darvesch dismisses his spell and leaps over the channel of blood. Eyes wide and teeth clenched, Charelle's proxy points at Alis and shouts, "STOP HER!"
From behind, Lureene feels King Tut scamper up onto her and whimper nervously.
Shëakatri lowers her hand when she notices that Mal not attacked anyone yet. She glances at Alis, and comments, "Your bodyguard has a remarkable will. Impressive. Most impressive."
With a gesture, the double doors leading towards the purification chamber swing shut, and a plane of telekinetic force crackles over their surface. Looking up at Yarzoth, she says, "Slaves may depart when commanded to do so, not before."
At the same time, Shëakatri stretches forth her left hand and a small amber orb streaks forth. In an imperious voice, she commands, "Avert your eyes!"
A blinding flash of light fills the chamber and a wave of telekinetic force rattles Darvesch and Mal where they stand. There is a sound like breaking glass and when the light has faded, Yarzoth's force field is no more.
As the big warrior moves up into position, the tall brunette frowns and backs away to give the ranger and the warrior a clear line of approach. Reluctantly, she too crouches down to ensure she is below the level of any crossfire.
As Yarzoth casts yet another spell fortifying herself against harm, Charelle's proxy asks impatinetly, "Are all of you prepared?"
Shëakatri turns her gaze back towards Yarzoth. "Powerful, yes, but I may be able to assist with that now... Unless you prefer I assume yet another form."
She raises her hands to begin spellcasting but then pauses. "Do all of you intend to remain where you are, or had you a mind to take up more strategic positions?"
Alexis' eyes turn completely white as she takes a singular deep breath. In the blink of an eye, she grows, standing tall as Sasha, but possessed of the same seductive curves as Lureene. Her skin appears smooth with a cream-like complexion and over her hair she wears an ornate, ancient-looking headdress made from gold, with bands of crushed lapis lazuli, and garnet. Beneath her crimson robes, you can see that her body is swathed in soft, linen bandages.
"Shay-ak-AH-tri," you hear her name in your minds, even though her ruby lips do not move. "I am the high proxy for this temple to Dread Lady Charelle."
