[Epic][Nation of the Dead] Mere Anarchy

[The Tygre]

"Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity."
~ The Second Coming, W.B. Yeats

An ill wind blows across the world. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q2e8lnqwwk&feature=related) Foulness stirs in the depths of the ocean and the stratus of the atmosphere. Out of the east, the undead stir in Arcnus Mortis, whispers escaping their dried, cracked lips, and rumors swarming like flies around their rotten flesh. A council of liches seek to undo the mistake that is existence, some say, while others view a red star in the sky as a sure sign that Cernin will soon dissolve. Out of the caverns and crevasses of the earth, fiends and demons slither forth, surely the tide of Levakross' work. And on Shello, wild tales say that fate has turned a dark eye on the nation once again, as mutants and abominations rise from fallen cities and broken towns; monsters birthed from arcane fallout and desolation.

Against all this, Tanzen stands alone. The monstrous tide surges toward the continent, seeking to extinguish the last light of life and civilization. In this hour, this long night of the nation's soul, it falls to heroes to bring a light to the world. Not just heroes, but legends; whether they be transient guests on this world, native sons and daughters, or simply strangers from out of the dark, the bravest and the best must step forward. A new torch must be lit, a new banner raised for the living to rally under, or the world must perish under magic and madness. The scale between the two must be tipped, light or darkness, life or death. And it falls to -you- to do it.

OOC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11167488#post11167488)
Recruitment Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11167438#post11167438)


~*~*~*~

Our story begins; the world explodes. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1C-GXQ1LdY) Or that's how it seems to the residents of Horne's Ridge. A rural town about a week's ride from Dawn's Glory, the residents feared for the safety of their home, and all of Tanzen, like any sane folk. But they never expected an attack, much less an apocalypse to come crashing down on their heads.

In the dark of the night, a little before the hour of the wolf, something fell from the sky. Without warning, without so much as a hint to any oncoming danger, a massive object crashed into the town. It ignited half the houses and shops alone with its heat. The trail of its crater is still hot, and a viridian nimbus obscures the still burning invader. As if dancing before some dark god, purple flames devour the homes and residents of Horne's Ridge. Water and wind only serve to spread it, and it will only be a matter of hours before the whole town is nothing but cinders.

Think carefully on what you do next, heroes. Choose your course wisely. For years from now, your grandchildren may ask their sire where they were The Night the Sky Fell.

[Tacitus]

Jacob Riker and Killian Bohl

The older man sighed across the mental link yet again as Jacob turned his head at just the wrong moment, 'Dammit, boy. I'm trying to look at something, will you keep your eyes forward for more than ten seconds? I thought I saw something.' The young man blinked, eyes shifting colors in the interim, 'Yeah, and I see something too, but I can't keep my damn head still when all you do is badger me and scream into my head, so shove off a minute.'

Jacob's arms trembled as he moved closer to the errant wisps of light he had seen in and among the vegetation, which Killian had seemed not to notice. The right arm was built of mismatched parts of iron and stone, each of rather strange colors and flecked with shedding scales. The other arm was one of muscle and sinew perfectly sculpted by the gods themselves; it was the arm of a man-sized black dragon. Both arms end in wicked claws that click against one another in a slow rhythm, a heartbeat drawn out to beats per hour rather than per minute. The arm borrowed from a dragon allowed him to sense creatures nearby, and if he focused his psychic power he could even go without sight entirely for a brief time.

Facts and figures about his own physical condition as well as the strength of his seal over Abraxis streamed down either side of his vision, just barely inside the peripheral. This was the connection that Killian offered; a psychic network that supported Jacob and helped to bolster the cage that his mortal form has become. The wisps of light were not something his keen senses could detect as a physical creature, and so he was curious. His face seemed to disappear into the night as the scales across the still mostly human portions of his body turned a dark blue to blend into the darkness. Still, his eye shone in the dark, a beacon of silent resolve, quite literally crystallized by Jacob's will.

Another flicker of light and Jacob's eyes were drawn up from the ground and towards the horizon. A streak of flame doused the stars with its own light for a moment and then the ground shook. A voice screamed inside Jacob's very soul, a voice that combined laughter and an ear splitting roar. At first the young man thought the event to be caused by Abraxis, either a hallucination or an unwilling use of Jacob's power. However, as the voice calmed it whispered to him.

We must see this, boy. We must see what could make the ground tremble at its coming. Perhaps we'll find another of my kind, and I'll have to rend and tear. Crush and consume. You'll help me do it, boy, you will.

With a burst of psychic power Jacob surged off towards the growing glow, knowing he was to face fire. He directed his thoughts to Killian, 'Do you have a druid on staff that can quench flames or someone who can create large quantities of water? I don't think I can put out many fires myself.'

Immediately, the eight crew members of the squad Killian has set up for himself respond with various negatives, ensuring not to speak over one another. Jacob lets out another sigh, 'Damn, I guess we're going in. Prepare to receive casualties, and if necessary be ready to come in personally to aid with relief.' With a flash of light he zips across space in an instant, looking to survey the scene from the air.

I'll have a better stat block up later, but Jacob has the following buffs: Moment of Prescience, Inertial Armor, Mind Blank, Overland Flight, Dispel Buffer, Metaphysical Claw, and is getting Defensive Precognition for free every minute as a free action. All fully augmented where applicable.

Killian is currently in Celestial or something, using sense Link to see/hear through Jacob. 5pp for 22 minutes, concentration maintained as a move action thanks to the worldthought medic capstone.

Jacob PP: 482/561-15 (below)
Killian PP: 394/433-22

Not sure how far he needs to go, so Greater Teleport to a location roughly overlooking where the fire should be, out of any smoke. As he has line of sight, despite probably large distances, I'm assuming he has enough information and won't just wink out and then back in.

Killian manifest Vigor for 21pp+1 to add himself as a target. Both himself and Jacob get 105 temporary hp for 22 minutes.

Jacob is now 367+105
Killian is now 120+105

Killian has himself, Jacob, and the crew of the planeshifting fortress in the network, plus five chickens. Thats 14/20 in his network.

[Lix Lorn]

A small figure hovers in the sky far above the glowing flames, eyes wide with worry, a scarred, noble wolf stands on a rock some distance away, staring up at her as she tries to think.
"So if water doesn't help and wind doesn't help... only magic will do it..." she murmurs. "Maybe some kind of magical water... it's all I can hope for. Oh I wish I'd thought to prepare for something like this..."

Concentrating, she begins casting the only suitable spell she can.

So... Tidal Surge on the invader. Complete Divine, p184. it's meant for hurting things, but I'm going to try and use it for the '20ft radius of water that casts dispel magic on magical fire' part. It also bull rushes the comet thing directly upwards. Also does 7d8 damage to the target...
[roll0] I assume Bludgeoning.
[roll1] make a strength test for the rockmeteor thing? No idea what happens when you bull rush something that can't move... if the wave wins, the comet is pushed 5feet up, plus 5feet more for each five the wave won by.
Assuming the fire is magical, I get to make a Dispel check.
[roll2] DC is 11+the level of the spell causing it.
I get to dispel anything the wave touches, but I assume that's it.

Now let's hope this doesn't backfire. (crosses fingers from about 250ft in the air)

[The-Mage-King]

Stepping through the gap between the planes, a tall, muscular man with red hair looked behind him, as though he might be being pursued.

Pausing when he notices the meteor, he mutters a curse.

"Not even here for a minute and I'll have to solve some problems. A shame." He says, reaching into his haversack to retrieve... a decanter?

His eyes flashing with mystic power, a wave of disrupting magical energy flies from his suddenly outstreched hand, catching hitting as much of the fire as it can.

Casting a burst Greater Dispell Magic.
CL checks, if needed: [roll0]
For if there's more than one magical effect: [roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11]

[Moose Man]

Huh? As the object hits, he looks up from his book, Make Out Paradise. I haven't even had time to order.

After exiting the restaurant, Kakashi sees the glow. After a few seconds of contemplation, he walks towards the flames, performing many complex signs. 'Ice Cone: Kakashi Style!' Kakashi extends his hand, and attempts to put out the fire.
Walk to 20' away from fire's edge, use energy wave (cold).
Damage: [roll0]

[The Tygre]

Above the burning haze, smoke dances and billows through the air. Buildings collapse in on themselves, consumed by the violet flames as men and women head for the hills screaming. Down below, Lessa's magical wave of water cannot even lift the meteorite from the ground, though hissing and steam pour forth from the object, obscuring it beneath the mist.

Iald's dispellment does nothing to the fire, yet Lessa's wave and Kakashi's icy blast are quite effective. It would appear that the fire, though resilient, is natural; rather like a grease or oil fire, the flames can be spread easily, but dowsing is more than enough to control the pyre. Too bad the villagers don't know that...

All this Jacob observes from on high like a bird of prey, his precognition keeping him on edge. Beneath the layer of his consciousness, Jacob can feel the beast inside him snarling at the celestial object, like a wolf with its heckles raised.

[Tacitus]

Jacob

Psychic power begins to spike within the young man's mind, forcing his perceptions beyond the present into split second glimpses of the future. He is already being informed of defensive measures, but he hones his awareness for an edge in combat, knowing he'll be pressed into fighting whatever comes forth. He feels himself begin to accelerate and expand in size thanks to Killian's efforts as he draws forth a seething mass of ectoplasm to fight beside him.

Overchannel for 2: [roll0] damage
ML 28
Manifest Offensive Precgnition for 28pp, with 7 itterations of +3pp for an additional +1 Insight and 6pp to do so as Swift. Total: +8 Insight on attack rolls for 28 minutes.
Full Round to manifest Astral Construct (craft [roll1] to make it look like a cataclysm dragon) for 17pp for a 9th level construct. I'll edit in a stat block here shortly.
9th-Level Astral Construct
Size/Type: Huge Construct
Hit Dice: 19d10+40 (144 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares), 20ft[A] Fly
Armor Class: 33 (+25 natural, -2 size), touch 8, flat-footed 33
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+38
Attack: Claw +28 melee (2d6+16 +1d6 Acid)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +28 melee (2d6+16 +1d6 Acid)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft.
Special Attacks: Rend (2d6+24)
Special Qualities: Two abilities from Menu C, construct traits, damage reduction 15/magic, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6
Abilities: Str 43, Dex 11, Con Ø, Int Ø, Wis 11, Cha 10
Feats: Power Attack

Menu Choices:
Rend
[2 Menu B choices]
Energy Touch: 1d6 Acid
[2 Menu A Choices]
Fly (20ft[A])
Power Attack

Killian manifests Expansion, augmented for 6pp for Huge, 2pp for 10 minutes per level, and 1pp to affect Jacob as well (1+6+2+1). He also manifests Physical Acceleration as a Swift action, augmented to Swift for 6pp and an additional 1 to affect Jacob as well (7+6+1)

Jacob PP: 422/561
Killian PP: 348/433

HP
Jacob: 367+84/367
Killian: 120+105/120

[Lix Lorn]

Frowning, lessa resorts to simpler methods. With a minor exertion of magic, she forms a torrent of water above the meteor.

Cast Create Water in the air above the meteorthingy. Summons 44 gallons of water.

[Moose Man]

Kakashi, having nothing better to do, walks to a place not affected by his Ice Cone and repeats the gestures to the Ice Cone.walk away, use energy wave (cold). rinse, repeat.
Damage: [roll0]

[The-Mage-King]

Muttering a bigger curse, the mage flies over to above a fire and utters a single word in Aquan, causing the decanter to spray a geyser of water onto the flames.

[The Tygre]

Even as Jacob summons his psychic energies and calls an astral servant to his whim, Iald, Kakashi, and Lessa quell the fires below. Its weakness revealed, the purple flames soon fall under torrents of water and frozen gales of ice. Frost covers the newly formed puddles and streams, preserving ruined buildings in oddly serene entrapments.

But the meteor has not stopped steaming. It continues to burn with the same celestial zeal that propelled the orbital intruder through the cold void of the cosmos. The flames rise, and even Lessa's torrent soon turns to steam around the sky-flung stone. Cracks appear across the meteor in odd patterns, breaking the rock into pieces. The stones shamble and expand, the azure glow renewed in full force. Your perceptions suddenly piece the fragments together; the pieces are parts of a single whole.

The meteor reveals itself as a single massive creature. Covered in the glowing corona of otherworldy fire, the figure stands on two legs. Plates of scales cover a monstrosity somewhere between a dragon and a rough, armored humanoid. Its eyes burn with the heat of the sun, and when the creature opens its reptilian maw, raw fire and energy pour forth. The monster looks at the fleeing residents Horne's Ridge for a moment, before unleashing a vermilion wave of raw destruction.

[Moose Man]

OOC: How big is this thing?

[The Tygre]

OOC: How big is this thing?

Roughly speaking, Huge, of the 15 x 15 variety.

[Moose Man]

Kakashi pulls out a large scroll, apparently blank. The material encircling the scroll looks like cotton. 'Chikyū-Bo'
The scroll unwraps, then attempts to strangle the dragon.Ectoplasmic Cocoon, augmented to fit huge size. DC: 30 (10+3+15+2)

[The-Mage-King]

Muttering a curse, the mage snaps his fingers, bringing the world to a halt around him.



Flying closer to the beast, he begins drawing on the forces of the void, a black sphere appearing before him, moving towards the monster.

OoC
Use my Time Stop SLA, then fly towards the monster, and then use my Sphere of Ultimate Destruction SLA.

The rest of my actions will depend on the result of this roll.
[roll0]

[Lix Lorn]

Lessa, worried, flies clsoer, incanting a prayer for the power of nature to manifest...and it does, forming a glowing hand of emerald power that grabs, and tries to crush the monster.

I cast Bigby's Crushing Hand!

Grapple:
[roll0]

Keeps grappling for 22 rounds, each successful check does 2d6+12 damage.

[The Tygre]

The monster roars in rage, its howl like the crash of a falling star against the world. Lessa's phantasmal fist dissolves against the monster's flames, and even Iald's sphere of ultimate destruction goes up in smoke. It seems nothing can stop the fiery dynamo until Kakashi's scroll reaches it. The creature stares, perhaps a little curiously, at the floating scroll before it. The curiosity turns into a howl of anger as the scroll wraps around the behemoth, ignoring its extraterrestrial flames and gnashing teeth. Before long, the beast is rolled up tight as a cigar, still struggling against its confines.

[Moose Man]

About time. Kakashi sighs, then pulls out his book. (shouting) Does anyone have about 1000 gold pieces worth of amber dust?