the Ritual's page

The Altar of Blood, drawing closer to Sigurd, stalls a moment here, it's primary (and incidentally: last) caster stretching her attention too thin despite her chanting. It's energy dwindles slightly, like a bonfire receding in grandeur into a mere campfire, waiting to be stoked with more fuel...

Zoudou's lapse in Sustaining "counts" as a single Success to Disable!

The Altar of Blood, at her words, begins to swirl as ethereal wisps from the Wall of Ghosts gather into a gentle twister of crackling electrical spiritual energy, and move towards Sigurd's fallen form like grasping tendrils of malevolence!

...Sustained by one Zoudou herself, the Altar of Blood appears to be quietly dormant for now...

...Sustained by one Acolyte, the Altar of Blood appears to be quietly dormant for now...

The party looks closer...

...there is someone in the cage...

...it is Kazuki's mom!...

...she looks preserved, but malnourished, and does not yet see the party...

...ritual paintings all over her body...

Botting Merellin Saving Throw @ 6 void vs Basic Fortitude DC 18: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9 (6 damage)

Ramona heroically blocks Assistant One, herself sustaining the full void! (8 damage)

Then, the ritual surges again, releasing a second shadow creature from the other side of the pale! It fixates upon Tavvar, One, Two, Three, Haohji, Merellin, Ramona, or Veiled Lady: 1d8 ⇒ 2 Attendant One!

Arrival Square @ NE, SE, SW, NE?: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Blue Shadow Creature
◆) Step
◆) Shadow Tendril Strike
◆) Shadow Tendril Strike

Shadow Tendril Strike (void) vs Attendant One (AC 13): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 201d6 ⇒ 6

Attendant One falls - her own grip on the ritual releases a greater surge of power! - the "flaw" she had been correcting returns to it's jilted state, it begins to spiral out of control even more! (3 successes needed □□□ now to 4 successes needed □□□□ to fully Disable!)

With the first ritualist fallen, it makes a wild swipe for Ramona, who dodges easily

Shadow Tendril Strike (void) w/ MAP (-5) vs Ramona (AC 17): 1d20 + 8 - 5 ⇒ (6) + 8 - 5 = 91d6 ⇒ 1

Meanwhile, the Shadow Creature engaged with Haohji strikes back!

Shadow Tendril Strike (void) vs Haohji (AC 18): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 231d6 ⇒ 4

With it's grip on him, it attempts to clasp it's shaded claw around his own shadow!

Shroud Clasp vs Haohji (Reflex DC 18): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Entering his square and dealing him immense pain, it forces Haohji's shadow to attack Tavvar, Attendant Three, or Merellin?: 1d6 ⇒ 6 Merellin!

Stretch Shadow vs Haohji (1d6) to Shadow Tendril Strike w/ MAP (-5) vs Merellin (AC 18): 1d6 ⇒ 61d20 + 8 - 5 ⇒ (17) + 8 - 5 = 201d6 ⇒ 5 (6 damage Haohji, 5 damage Merellin)

Black Shadow Creature
◆) Shadow Tendril Strike
◆) Shroud Clasp
◆) Stretch Shadow

...

Horul runs up and tries to disable ritual - but fails!

➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤

The ritual surges a second time - this time including the Gunslinger who gets his fingers dirty smudging the inked runes desperately (Failure to Disable - open check is okay)

➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤

Shadow Surge (2d6 void) @ Tavvar (full HP): 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7
Shadow Surge (2d6 void) @ First Attendant (-9 HPs): 2d6 ⇒ (3, 5) = 8
Shadow Surge (2d6 void) @ Second Attendant (-2 HPs): 2d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7
Shadow Surge (2d6 void) @ Third Attendant (-6 HPs): 2d6 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4
Shadow Surge (2d6 void) @ Merellin (full HPs): 2d6 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6

➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤

And then, with heroism, Haohji again throws himself in front of one of the Ritualists (Tavvar or Attendant #3?), Ramona throws herself in front of Attendant One, Veiled Lady decides whether to throw herself in front of Attendant Two, and Merellin decides whether to throw himself in front of Attendant Two or Three!

➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤➤

Anyone using the "Block Energy" reaction (see below), please specify which ritualist you are saving and immediately roll your DC 18 Basic Fortitude saving throw now!

Horul - feel free to finish your third Stride per my previous prompt, and if that situates you to use the Block Energy reaction (above in spoiler), you may immediately do so!

A blackened surge erupts forth from the center of the room!

Tavvar and her assistants are bombarded by a spiritually corrosive energy, their essences slowly drawn from them, draining color from their skin!

Shadow Surge (2d6 void) @ Tavvar: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6
Shadow Surge (2d6 void) @ First Attendant: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 6) = 9
Shadow Surge (2d6 void) @ Second Attendant: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 5) = 11
Shadow Surge (2d6 void) @ Third Attendant: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6

↺) Haohji heroically jumps in front of (Tavvar or Attendant Three), sacrificing his own body to shield hers! Haohji - please make a Basic Fortitude DC 18 vs the damage meant for your choice between Tavvar or Attendant Three - if the latter you immedately Step to become adjacent to her!

Then, at the center, a creature steps through, and immediately attacks Tavvar, One, Two, Three, Haohji: 1d10 ⇒ 9 Haohji!

Arrival Square @ NE, SE, SW, NE?: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Shadow Tendril Strike (void) vs Haohji (AC 18): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 271d6 ⇒ 1

◆) Step
◆) Shadow Tendril Strike
◆) Shroud Clasp

Shroud Clasp vs Haohji (Reflex DC 18): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

It attempts, but fails, to latch itself onto Haohji's own shadow - he feels a stinging sensation only (1 void damage) like the spirit of a severed limb tingling with impossible nerve, but that is it... (Critically failing, Haohji, the Shadow Creature is Off-guard to you for your next strike!)

...the black energy crackles in uneven spurts, nearly spilling forth from the central enruned circle, gracing the toes of the magical attendants...

...something, shaded!? (untargetable), looks to be almost poking it's head through from the other side...

Flawed Ritual to Initiative: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8

Blackish energy begins to seep through the central circle of power, exiting through runes that look haphazardly scribed, unable to contain, only release, whatever lurks on the other side...

...The four ritualists (Tavvar and three attendants) each have similarly colored "tethers" that writhe with shadowy energy connecting them to the center, each straining their bodies as if in spiritual contest with the ritual itself...

...the party has a moment to react before it appears that something will happen!

Haohji, Merellin, Veiled Lady, and Ramona are Up!