As the demon grabs at Lam, Genryuu holds out his hand. Spectral vines rip out of the ground and wrap around the Glabrezu.
Rampant vines emerge from the frozen ground and grab at the demon in their turn.
Gilliam circles the Glabrezu and sends an arc of searing light into the Flameskull. Unable to move away, the gibbering interrogator is blinded, the radiant blaze seeming to harm it more than other types of attack.
Searing Light (Ref) v Flameskull. Radiant damage and on hit target is blinded to end Gilliam's next turn. (1d20+23=42, 2d6+12=18)
The flameskull twists and turns helplessly, hoping to daze Lam and make his escape more difficult. The fire has no effect on the paladin, but the attack dazes him.
Flame ray v Lam (Ref). On hit, target is dazed. Does fire damage. (1d20+23=39, 2d8+8=16)
Alasandro looks around in mild irritation. "I arranged for reinforcements. They should be hear by now. Old Chorro was going to point them the right way."
Hello all! Nice to be a part of this grand little adventure/experiment. You can call my character Lurean.
Since the last time you all saw Lurean, he has been attending the Queen of Summers Court again. Such is the life of the fey, party to business, business to party, and everything in between. He was a little late getting to the reunion but better late than never.
Important things to note:
(1) everyone within 10 squares of me gets +6 to initiative.
(2) When anyone spends an action point and makes an attack, that attack gains +19 to damage; however, if the attack misses all targets, then you gain 16 temporary hp.
(3)if you are bloodied and I am conscious, then you gain a +1 to all defenses.
Saint Tavar Ignacio, the Divine Oracle of the Raven Queen
A lot has happened since you last saw Tavar Ignacio, Tavar traveled to the winterlands in the far north at the bequest of the Raven Queen to fight the undead that plague the region. After many years of fighting vampire covens and ghoul infestations Tavar was able to destroy the lich lord responsible. For his actions the Raven Queen bestowed upon Tavar the mantle of Sainthood and a vision of his old friends in need of assistance, also presenting the chance to finally rid Sir Keegan of his curse and end his unlife sending his soul to the Raven Queen.
Will post the common adds for being around me in bit.
Lam tries to cut down the beast once more, but is unsuccessful.
Enfeebling Smite Vs. G (1d20+29=36)
A frustrated howl rends the air as Genryu's convulsive vines force the Glabrezu back over the desecrated sarcophagi and in the process causing Lam to fall from its grasp.
Still in shock from the fall, the paladin's blow misses.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lavender can just see a hint of movement from the corridor to his north.
Tavar will start at A1 and run forward to H2 on his turn.
Lavender's missiles strike home this time, even as he tries to discern what new threat may be arriving. "Company coming, old friends."
Lavender's attack causes the demon to shriek again as the force balls pummel it. Success at the attack is tinged with relief as the figure rapidly approaching proves not to be a flanking enemy at all.
Alasandro's face lights up. "Late again Tavar. Did you bring Lurean?"
Theren stabs the skull again, running it through.
The ferocity of Theren's attack is nearly enough to finish the flameskull as hideous wounds open up and the demonic forces powering the creature seep towards the outside world.
A happy smile crosses Alasandro's face "Time we brought an end to the unendable I think, gentlemen."
A casual gesture and the skull evaporates as a burst of eldritch power hits it hard. The warlock vanishes from sight and reappears slightly nearer the Glabrezu.
"You next, little demon. Time to go home."
This time his aim fails him. He shrugs with resignation. "It couldn't last."
EB (Ref) v flameskull (1d20+23=42, 2d10+10=21, 3d8+8=17)
EB (Ref) v Glabrezu (1d20+23=31, 2d10+10=29, 3d8+8=18)
Fire damage at start of turn from zone (1d10+7=9).
The divine flames conjured by Gilliam continue to sear the Glabrezu and the demon struggles once more to assert its customary mastery. Confused at its own lack of dominance, the huge claws fail to hit any target at all.
Double attack v Lam and Genryu (AC) (1d20+26=28, 2d8+8=18, 1d20+26=31, 2d8+8=16).
Genryu watches as his comrades take the fight to the Flameskull, seemingly not paying attention to the huge demon. As the Glabrezu claw moves into stike, Genryu meets the claw with an open palm. All the while watching the others fight.
He continues watching the events unfold.
Genryu's casual blow just misses the demon.
Gilliam maintains the damaging flames and looks cautiously towards the corridor, noticing Lavender's slight change of stance.
"Tavar's here?"
Heartened by the arrival of a fellow cleric, Gilliam gestures at the glabrezu. His attack misses, but still deals more coruscating radiant damage.
"Wait for it. Wait for it." A tall eladrin stands to the north with a blue glowing blade and frost covered armor.
Just because I want to do something other that just run, Tavar spends an action point to take another action after he reaches H2.
Tavar moves to J7 (Prophetic action gives extra move when using an action point.) behind Lam and Turns Undead/Immortals.
“The Night Mother demands your end demon feel her wrath”
Attack vs. will close burst 8 (take the highest) = 39
Damage = 62 Radiant, I also push the devil back 4 squares in to the corner and it is immobilized until the end of my next turn.
“Sorry to took so long getting here my friends I was compelled to offer last rights over the recently deceased at every town I traveled through”.
Lam Swings his weapon as hard as he can at the beast once more and manages to tear into it with all of his might.
Enfeebling Strike (1d20+29=49)
Lam's fullblade swipes into the glabrezu, exacting full revenge for the demon's futile attempt to grab him.
As the blow lands, another, very welcome and familiar figure comes into Lavender's view and the commanding tones of Lurean fill the chamber. The heroes take fresh heart and move to finish the glabrezu.
A cold wind blows as Lurean appears next to the demon. As Lurean begins to hammer at the demon, he yells, "Forward into the breach of his defenses!" Looking over his sholder, "Lam! Hit him again!"
Lurean materialises in a burst of fey power and sweeps his longsword down in a damaging arc. The glabrezu flinches back, confronted now by the combined might of many heroes.
Tavar sprints towards the field of battle and with a gesture ends the life of the demon. The wail of pain and anger as the thing collapses shakes the very foundations of the ancient Keep.
Gilliam moves towards his old friends. "It's good to see you again, but your arrival signals my own departure. Alasandro knows why - he'll tell the rest of you."
A swift embrace, and Pelor's warrior strides from the chamber and back to his old life.
"A good man, and kindly. I remember him well. He wanted to give me rest and it did not lie in his power."
Sir Keegan's voice, faint, but still holding the aura of long command comes from the battered tomb at the far end of the chamber.
"My friends. I only wish our own reunion might be longer, but I fear there is much you need to know and only a little time in which to tell my tale."
"Mmmmm...perhaps I overcompensated for my tardiness, well at least another devil is dead"
"Gilliam it is good to see you even it is so briefly, I do miss our theological discussions. Good travels my old friend."
“There is urgency in Sir Keegan’s tone so we should save our reuinon stories for when we travel. Yes Sir Keegan tell us of this grave threat.”
"I summoned you here - hoping that once again you would right one of my past failures. Orcus has a long arm and powerful allies. My letter was intercepted and they sought to trick you. Even in the depths of my despair, I hoped that you would see through the device and so you did. I chose well ..."
There is immense pride in the old knight's voice as he looks at you all.
"My friends. The Winter Witch is rising again. If she has her way, she will bury the world in frost. Too well I know her powers. When I was a boy, I was squire to one of a group of knights sent to stop her last march. We were bold, strong and armed with her nemesis - an artifact in for form of a mote of pure sunlight called the Sun's Sliver. And yet we failed. Although we forced her to flee the world and we put an end to her last winter, we did not slay her. You must succeed where we failed."
"Well, sounds straightforward enough, Sir," Lavender answers genially. "Is it too much to hope that you can direct us to the current location of the Sun's Sliver?"
"Not as straightforward as you might think, alas. The agents of Orcus tricked me into revealing the location of the artifact. They will be there before you.
My order hid the Sun's Sliver, binding it under a powerful seal hidden in St Alabat's monastery that sits high in the Dawnforge mountains. Without it, you have no hope of finishing Koliada.
Nor are the agents of Orcus the only peril. A mighty invoker bound an angel of prophecy in with the artifact. He must be defeated before you can gain it."
The old knight smiles grimly.
"The flameskull betrayed more than he knew in his gloating. Orcus and the fey are not natural allies. He wants the Sun's Sliver to corrupt for his own uses, no doubt, but he also wants the Winter Witch to succeed. A dormant evil lies beneath a volcano. A winter freeze would unlock it, or so the flameskull claimed.
Lurean walks toward Sir Keegan, an icy foot print left in each step. "Old friends, we should make haste to find this relic. My heart is warmed by our meeting but duty calls!"
DM Rosey
I checked my page and the daily powers seem to be working. Let me know and if there is a problem, I'll just take it out of spoiler.
Thanks for correcting me on the powers. I wasn't aware that I couldn't see the demon from where I was. I'll try to remember to check environmental conditions prior to.
Lurean
All
Lurean recalls the following about the winter fey -
The Winter Witch is particularly malicious and terrible archfay also called Koliada. One of the Winter Fey, she pursues a crusade into the mortal world every century or so and that starts with a long and enduring winter. Some say her ultimate goal is to freeze the world, or to carve off frozen parts that she conquers into the Feywild.
Sir Keegan looks on you all with pride.
"Before you leave, I am permitted to admit you into my order as honoured knights. In this way, I may also teach you the ritual you will need to open the seal. Will you accept this boon?"
Sir Keegan looks on you all with pride.
"Before you leave, I am permitted to admit you into my order as honoured knights. In this way, I may also teach you the ritual you will need to open the seal. Will you accept this boon?"
Lavender smiles. "I haven't been a knight in ages. I'd be honored."
He also searches his long memory for any hints as to what they might be dealing with.
Lavender's memory does not betray him.
The Sun's Sliver, as Sir Keegan has said, is Koliada's nemesis. The one object in the universe that can truly destroy her. Aside from it's obvious potency in that respect, old legend tells that whoever carries the Sun's Sliver cannot suffer from the effects of cold weather and can walk on ice as easily as on the ground. So powerful is it, that the very cold itself is turned aside by the artifact.
A very ancient snippet of lore suggests that the Winter Witch's domain can only reached in the depths of a winter such as this, when her power has grown to the point that a crossing may be made from her domain to the material plane.
Lavender, as (almost always), shares what he recalls.
"Before you leave, I am permitted to admit you into my order as honoured knights. In this way, I may also teach you the ritual you will need to open the seal. Will you accept this boon?"
"I would be honored." Theren then tries to remember anything he heard about the Sun's Sliver.
"I also accept your boon sir Keegan. The Raven Queen is the only lord of winter and I shall take what ever help is needed to destroy any who would seek to usurp her."
Religion check = 24. Would I have any bonus due to winter is one of the Raven Queens domains?
Between them, the group's theologians piece together a little more information. Tavar's allegiance helps them here and Lavender calls to mind another forgotten snippet. High in the Scourge Mountains stands a peak known as the Crone's Finger.
Sir Keegan nods at these revelations. "I am sure you are correct. They say that in the darkest winter, a glacial shelf forms within the Crone's Finger and that this is a fey passage to Winter's Heart, the Winter Witch's own domain. If you find the Sun's Sliver, it is there that you must go to defeat her. She will want to meet you on her own ground, where her power is at its height."
As for St Alabat's monastery itself, Tavar and Theren both know that the place is long abandoned - although Tavar recalls that an angel of prophecy known as Remliel was set to guard an artifact. Until now, he hadn't realised that the artifact was the Sun's Sliver, but the information now slots into place. Even the forces of Orcus will find it difficult to break through the seal.
Lurean shares what he knows about the Archfey. "This will probably make court a little more complicated but I've never much cared for the likes of her. Shall we get going?"
"One second. Keegan, what is the Sun's Sliver? An amulet, a sword, a gem, what?"
"The Sun's Sliver is an artifact. Pure sunlight held in a crystal shard. When the Winter Queen falls to your blows, you must drive it into her body. That act will destroy her and the artifact together."
We should head out at once. Has anybody learned the teleport ritual it would speed our journey?
Sir Keegan nods.
"You are correct about the necessity good Tavar. Any advantage you can give yourselves, you should take."
With a change of tone, he continues. "I am honoured to accept you in the service of the Knights of the Blessed Land. Your deeds speak for you and your battle here serves as your initiation rite. Bear the name with pride and do not dishonour it. I was the last of my kind, but now I see worthier successors before me."
He gestures carefully, touching each of you on the forehead, shoulders and chest in token of your status, using his own honoured weapon, Aecris.
"By your wits, by your strength and by your courage and servitude shall you conquer. You will give your wits to the foolish, your courage to the weak and your servitude to all who look to the land. In your wisdom, there shall be no difference between rich and poor. In your courage there shall be no difference between feeble and strong. In your servitude, there shall be none too lowly for your aid, nor any too high. Bear the burden well."
As a final gift, the old knight teaches you all the ritual you need to open the seal protecting the Sun's Sliver.
All
"Alas, my blessed friend, my skills with teleportation are only useful over tactical distances. I can, however, ensure that we sleep comfortably and securely on our journey."
"Alas, my magic is only uselful for short range movement and offensive means." Thinking carefully.
Lurean knows nothing of any portals, fey or otherwise, leading to St Alabat's, but he recalls that it stands overlooking a ravine and is linked to the outside world by a single bridge. Old tactical hand that he is, he know that any approach is likely to be difficult.