Silver and Crystal: Against the Night

[Snowfire]

It has been two weeks since the Scream. Since a huge part of the universe you knew collapsed in seven seconds of mind searing pain and utter loss. Less than a day later, following the message from Amber that two of her Silver Pentacles had been released to try and find out what must have happened at the Gate, all interplanar forms of travel and communication died. Links to the other Pentacles sliced off, some in mid-sentence. All that remained was your link to each other and those on your world. The immediate reaction was to send Adamant out and have the Lightship jump into the Between. That failed, to the great shock of her entire crew and especially her captain, Mari Branca. Swiftly returning Adamant to her place in orbit around Celtha, you looked to other means of trying to work out what was coming.

You got about as far as the gates of the Enclave before every single expert in Diviniation on the plant teleported in with exactly the same message. “The Neverwere are free. Prepare.” There really wasn’t much else to do after that point but what they said. Ancient agreements were invoked, the planetary government ratifying a state of absolute war against the Neverwere shortly following your request. Some complained about the activation of the treaty, but most knew better. In these matters the Pentacles knew best. Centuries of experience had shown that. Celthan magi-industrial complexes ground into high gear, the artificers running them pushing their abilities beyond limit in an attempt to produce enough wands and other such gear to ensure that the protectors of their world were the best that had ever been equipped – even as still more sought to ensure that the population of the world, numbering in millions, were provided with means for safety. Adventuring teams, local military, militia, everyone, all united in a desperate effort to ensure that – when the Neverwere came – they would be as ready as it was possible to be.

The ancient warring nations were swiftly overrun in a series of lightning fast assaults carried out by the planetary government’s military. Adamant provided overwatch for the attacks, picking off demons and other such terrors with impunity from high above. You didn’t like doing it, but against something of this sheer scale the entire planet had to be ready. Not most of it, not even almost all of it. All of it. A single chink in the defences and the whole planet might pay the price. So you do what you must. And it is not long before the warnings of the Diviners are borne out by truth. Powerful magics designed to detect incursions of Neverwere into Celtha – the same as those in all realities where there is a Pentacle presence – trigger twelve days later. And now you stand on the edge of a precipice. The Neverwere are coming, swarms of Nameless pouring into the reality that holds Celtha and heading straight for her, the bastion of the Pentacles here. So far it seems like only Nameless are involved in this attack – but that would make sense. Most Named are likely tied up on assaults against either Amber or the Radiant Worlds. As a Rising World, Celtha doesn’t really warrant that sort of attention.

You’ve gathered in the Enclave in Eilize, the planetary capital, to put final plans in place before you confront the Nameless tide bearing down upon the world you were tasked to protect. Celtha has been busy the last two weeks, putting in place all that it can, and you will not be alone above Celtha when you face the swarm. Adamant shall be beside you, as you expected, as shall the other Pentacles on Celtha. But there is something more as well, borne of desperate attempts by the artificers of the world. Something that may, with your abilities, be just enough to hold back the tide. The first sets of Lightforged armour ever made on Celtha, enough to equip a few hundred of the planet’s best to stand beside you in the void above when the time comes.
They have given their all over the last weeks, more than you might have thought possible. And tonight, their work – and your power – will be put to the ultimate test.

The room you have gathered in is cool and quiet other than your own words, lying at the heart of the Enclave. A picture of Celtha spins in the air at the centre of the room, tiny icons spread across its surface to represent cities, military response forces, industrial complexes, everything. For now it is only the five of you – the other Pentacles spread out across the world at present ensuring that the last few pieces of the frantically constructed defences are finished. So you have peace – for the first time in days – but not to do what you might wish. Adamant circles the globe before you, the vessel of golden light shining like a second – albeit strangely shaped – sun. And far off behind the world, the black tides of the Nameless swarm inch ever closer across the vastness of space.

Six hours. At the absolute most. And you can only pray that the Pentacles of other Rising worlds have managed to prepare even a fraction as well as you have.

[kestrel404]

Chaitali "Wildfire" Mrapen, the most junior member of the pentacle, paces on one side of the conference room. Her movements are dance-like and fluid, but very clearly agitated. Every few minutes she pauses and looks skyward before resuming her motion, as though verifying that the sky is still there.

"Let's go over this again. What do we know about their forward elements? Formations, defenses, weak points? I still want to do a recon by force..." The last part is said quietly, but with no real effort behind it, like an argument long since lost.

[Danakir]

Muria zu Latonesh is standing right next to the holographic display of Celtha, the smoldering embers of her gaze fixated upon the sight. It shines against her eyes, her expression one of quiet determination and restrained emotional turmoil. Given their current circumstances, there's something to be said for her choice to remain in full battle regalia.

She lowers her eyes toward her open hands "We don't know enough, that's plain to see. But what can we do about it? There's no way any scout could really hope to avoid detection by the swarm, at least not enough to collect any more meaningful information. Like a shapeless legion of only one mind... we can't scare or demoralize them into submission." she grits her teeth.

"This is a different kind of war entirely. The best we can do is hit them hard and hit them early, focus on the priority targets and cut off their leadership so the rest of the mindless monsters end up thrashing impotently." she clenches her fist.

"Least, that's the theory. I really don't know, I'm out of bright ideas. We just can't let them land on the planet or else..." she closes her eyes and exhales sharply. She then turns to face all the others, as if expectant to hear what they have to say on the matter.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil studied the holographic image for several moments, and then said, "I believe capture of at least one of the leaders would be a wise tactic. More than one, if we can manage it, would be ideal." His voice was calm and measured, underscoring the quiet confidence of his words. And why not? An artificer of sorts himself, he had been heavily involved with the preparations, and had no doubts about the force they would be bringing to bear.

So he allowed himself to have full confidence in their coming victory. What concerned him most was afterwards. They needed to know what was going on, reestablish contact with other planes, and above all, learn how Amber fared. To do that, they would need information. A decent-ranking enemy or three to interrogate would be a strong bet.

"In terms of immediate tactics, neutralizing leadership does seem to be our best option. Locating them among the horde is likely the trickiest part. Perhaps, engage an enemy unit, see if we can't compel one of their minds, use that to learn the location of the leaders, teleport in under the cover of invisibility and silence, neutralize or compromise the target, continue from there?"

[GFawkes]

"I agree with Muria. We can't let them land. We need to take them out in orbit." Evelynn says, leaning forward in her chair.

Perhaps Eranil was on the right track: remove the head, and the body withers. Though if these creatures are anything resembling intelligent, the leaders will be heavily guarded. We should try to lure the leaders out, make them fight on ground we define.

[kestrel404]

"The only thing that's going to lure one of those things out is bait. And they're not out to capture, only destroy. We're gonna have to locate the wraith swarms and blast them apart until we find the shrikes inside, unless we can find something they want in one piece more than they want it destroyed. And as far as taking one alive and questioning it, I'm open to ideas, but it sounds pretty dangerous."

Chaitali continues her pacing as she talks.

[Danakir]

"There's another way. Actually, I'm pretty sure Evelynn over there can do it just the same as me." she brings a hand to her chin thoughtfully "I can feel them, sense the wickedness and corruption in their hollow hearts. With a little concentration, I could probably pinpoint their location pretty accurately. Then we'd just have to launch a strike to the right points." she blows some hair out of her face, illusory heat rising silently from her athletic frame.

"We're not going to accomplish much striking on our own. There's just too many of them for us to handle without support from our allies, much as I hate to admit it." her expression is one of annoyance.

"Our best chance is to strike hard while the rest of the Neverwere force is trying to breach the defenses. In that regard, mobility is probably the highest priority so we can distribute the Pentacle forces judiciously." she gives Eranil a sidelong stare and tilts her head somewhat dismissively.

"If we can capture one for information, that's great. But our highest priority right now should be to make certain we survive the first wave. Then we can think about going on the offensive. Otherwise, there's just no point." as always, she's brutally blunt about her opinion.

[Kasmania]

Raika stirs from her seat, lowering Alyssa to the floor from her lap. Her dragon wyrmling seems to have mostly calmed down now after some significant reassuring from from her master, and is now sitting on the floor, though still nervously exhaling sparks every so often. It appears as though the tense atmosphere of the room was affecting her pretty badly.

Moving towards the holographic image of Celtha slowly rotating in midair, Raika pauses, as if considering the daunting task at hand, and just how desperate the situation looked. She states in a quiet tone: "No, Muria is right. The highest priority is to ensure that none of the Neverwere forces can reach Celtha's surface. I'm certain our defenses can handle just the wraiths and nameless, but the Shrikes..." She glances briefly at Chaitali pacing around the room.

"Chaitali has an idea there. The Shrikes will be attacking in full force, but if we mount a strong enough defense, we may be able to bait them to come to us. Should we begin to pose a powerful enough threat to the invasion, their attention will be drawn to us, and away from Celtha." She looks back at the slowly rotating image of Celtha. "That may be our best chance to capture a Shrike, but if not, defeating any that come for us will certainly help our chances."

[Danakir]

"It'd be ideal if we could provoke them into coming to us. Still, I can't say that sounds too likely. If we can break the back of their assault while the foot soldiers are focusing their attention on our allies, then we can keep the risk to our friends to a minimum." she suggests firmly, clenching her fist determinedly, her sharp fiery gaze turning back to the floating display.

"We'll have to be proactive. It's our place and opportunity to take that risk..." she turns around and walks away from the center of the room, her eyes focusing down at her own shadow.

"Simple plans are the best ones. With their location known to us, we can go commando once the battle is joined and teleport on top of the Shrikes. The other Pentacles can hopefully force similar confrontations with the rest of their leadership." she looks over her shoulder, grinning confidently "I think we can pull that off."

[kestrel404]

Chaitali's pacing stops and she faces the others with a serious expression. "Plans are all well and good for the first one we face, but there are going to be a bunch of these things, they're smart and we've got to assume that whatever we use on the first one isn't going to work on the second one. If our evil detection has enough range to pick one shrike out of the crowd - and by the way, I can do that too as long as I have the Bitter Angel bound to me, which I do - then we can probably ambush that one. Maybe even one per pentacle, since we can probably get scrolls of detect evil out to the groups that don't have enough paladins. But it's not going to work a second time - the Shrikes will start moving constantly and in random patterns, and we'll just be jumping blind into the middle of a swarm of wraiths."

Chaitali takes a breath. As she talks she appears to get calmer and more focused - the activity of planning giving her something to focus on other than her worries.

"Second problem - after we teleport in, we're going to be sitting ducks against a swarm of wraiths and a shrike. They'll get a free shot at us, and it's pretty unlikely we'll all survive that. Maybe if we go in buffed to the hilt, but it's gonna be a rough thing. We need an equalizer - something to keep the wraiths at bay or better, destroy them on arrival, so that we're not constantly dog-piled while trying to take out the shrike."

Chaitali frowns and bites her lip. "Third problem, we're probably going to have to give up on the shrike-capture unless one of you has a really good plan for that, because from everything I know there's no good way of putting them out of commission without killing them. Does anybody here think that they're stopped from dimensional travel the same as us? Because I've got something like a portable hole in my inventory, except big enough to bag the shrike, and I could catch him with it like a giant butterfly net, then close it - if he can't plane shift out of it, there's no there's no other way to get out of the pocket dimension..."

That last bit sounds VERY unsure, since the plan is kind of dodgy in Chaitali's mind.

Re-focusing on the present, she goes back to speaking confidently. "What we need is ideas. Tactics, solutions, but mostly ideas on how to get close to the shrikes so we can take them out."

[Danakir]

"Sounds like you've got a pretty big misunderstanding how the theory behind translight teleportation operates." Muria comments to Chaitali, waving her hand in front of herself as if to reject her arguments "Even if they move around rapidly and randomly, that won't stop us from tracking them down. And although it might take us some time to prepare ourselves for translocation, it's still going to be a mostly instantaneous process. We can pinpoint the location right as we change location so that wouldn't help them in the least. Worst case scenario, they'll be waiting for us, but that's probably already true. They're not stupid, they know our best chance to break the first wave is to target them." she explains insistently, stubborn as ever about her thoughts.

"Much as I'd love to destroy all the Wraiths, it's just not plausible for us to accomplish that with the numbers in play and our current circumstances. Given everything, we're still going to get the drop on them with my plan. By the time they can act, they'll already be down for the count with any luck." she then blows some smoke past her lips, her crimson hair shifting and dancing a bit as if an open flame, as if she's getting more passionate "At the very least, I can ward us all against the cold of their blasts. And shelter our essence from the taint of contact with the Shrikes or the void. It's nothing the Sacred Flame can't shield us against." she folds her arms.

"Capture isn't our priority. We shouldn't bend our plan around it."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"I'm with Muria on this. I can work to ensure the first strike is ours. Invisibility Sphere and Silence before we teleport; as long as we don't get a Shrike capable of seeing the invisible, we should have a good shot.

"Capture need not be a primary goal. I have options that may allow for it, so I'll take them if opportunity permits. But you're all correct, it's a tertiary priority at best.

"What I'm concerned about as far as baiting them is that they have sufficient numbers to overwhelm us with Wraiths. There's no pressing need for Shrikes to take to the battlefield against us. The real bait would be Adamant. They'll almost certainly need their combined attacks to do appreciable damage to it...it takes them what, about fifteen seconds or so to charge one of those, right?"

He stopped for a moment as an idea hit him, and even took Caitali's place pacing as he tried to puzzle it out. "We have the advantage of incredible mobility. What if we went at it like this? Get as many as we can on board Adamant, including all Pentacles. Adamant flies in, starts unloading, making noise, wiping out whatever it can. We keep our eyes peeled, once we see a group of them start powering up, we move. Even without evil detection, that lets us know where a Shrike is, and that its guards are busy. We hit it with overwhelming force, pure focus fire, and get out thereafter. Try and take a few down like that, then fly Adamant off, opposite the direction of the planet. Recoup, repeat.

"Then we consider their response. I see four main possibilities. One, they scatter, trying to avoid a repeat performance. That's smart, but it doesn't take into account the speed of a lightship; they do that, we hunt them down in groups, blow them away with their main advantage neutralized.

"Next possibility, they give chase. We lure them away from Celtha, and use Adamant's speed and our access to teleportation to strike surgically. It may take more time, but we're still dictating the terms of battle, and we no longer have a time limit.

"Third, they split, one group coming after us or seeking to hold us off, the other going for the planet. Again, though, Adamant can orbit the world in a minute, they fly twice as fast as humans. We can target the weaker group and annihilate it with Adamant, move on from there. If they split evenly? Well, I'd bet Adamant backed by our full forces capable of taking half their forces twice.

"Finally, their best move, they ignore us and charge straight for Celtha. Even in this case, we hammer them with strafing runs the whole way there.

"Here's the trick. For this plan to work, we need to move soon. Be proactive, as Muria said. We can't wait for them; we have to take the initiative and engage them while they're still a few hours out. If we try this while they're in range of Celtha, every situation where they send anything more than minimal forces towards the planet is a loss for us."

Once he had finished, he turned towards the group and shrugged. "Best I can come up with, given the situation. I do wish I had had the foresight to craft an item capable of casting Sonorous Hum...having concentration-free illusions could have been very useful in this case. In any event, what do we think on that, and what am I overlooking?"

[GFawkes]

"Perhaps. But how can we be certain that they themselves won't expect that? They've shown at least a degree of intelligence, is it too much of a stretch to assume that they'll have at least a few defenses?"

What about this? Evelynn, move your body to the hologram and let me have an arm.

"Just tell me what to do. I don't like you using me like a puppet."

Evelynn walks over to the holographic display, putting a hand near the center of the enemy fleet.

What if we had the Adamant attack from the front, powered suits flanking it, while we go to the flagship? If we keep quiet while there, we could reasonably take out the controlling force of the attack. The Shrikes would still have some control, but they'd be uncoordinated, less able to respond to, as Eranil put it, surgical strikes.

[Kasmania]

Raika raises her hand in the air to interrupt. "Evelynn, we really don't know if there are going to be true commanders in this attack force that's coming our way. I think we're going to have to worry most about the number of Shrikes, and the swarms of Wraiths at their command. I'm with Eranil on this one; if we can intercept them far out in space, we can deal substantial damage without worrying about Celtha for the time being. But rather than moving away from Celtha as a lure, we should instead retreat towards Celtha as we battle. As long as we can maintain our defensive line, we can force them to move at our speed and slow them down to the point where we can afford enough time to locate and destroy the Shrikes in command without risking Celtha being overrun." She pauses a moment to collect her thoughts.

"As long as we can blunt their momentum, and destroy enough Wraiths in the front line with the Adamant and our other forces, the Shrikes will almost certainly bring their power forward as support. As soon as we detect one, the five of us can go in, eliminate the Shrike as quickly as we possibly can, and then retreat back to the Adamant for the next one. If we destroy enough of them, their entire attack force should fall apart from lack of command."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"That sounds good. I do think though, that we should try to position Adamant off to the side of their line of advance, say somewhat further than midway between their position and Celtha and as far to the side as we can be and still hit them reliably. They should be a much larger target than we are, so I believe we will have the advantage of superior range.

"If I'm figuring it right, and we can position it right, this will force them to take one of two options. First, they continue their advance, and we hammer them with Adamant from relative safety for as long as they're in range. We can use the reactor drive as needed to get closer with Celtha as they move, and once they're close enough, wade in directly.

"Alternately, if we do have the advantage of range, they'll have to adjust their course to approach or evade, which should force them to slow down, and build speed back up later. That will give us more time to hammer them. And of course, if they split, we can engage a partial force, a huge advantage for us.

"I believe this will give us more opportunities to hit them before they can hit us, as opposed to a headlong charge where we're both just forcing beams down each other's throats."

[kestrel404]

Chaitali considers what she knows about their enemy and their resources. Adamant being their primary resource in this fight. With what the others are saying, the outlines of a possible plan forms in her mind.

"OK, Muria, you've got a point on the teleportation - I keep forgetting that you can change where you're going at the last second instead of having to concentrate on it the whole time. And with Adamant's sensors or whatever spell we use to find the Shrikes inside their swarms, hopefully we'll have good enough coordinate to get within a few dozen feet of them when we hop in. I like the idea of going in invisible, just in case, and going in prepped for the enemies primary weapons is never a bad plan."

Then she grins. "I like the idea of going after them early. Always hit them early and often, I say. The only issue I have with either plan, Adamant as defender or harasser, is maneuverability. The enemy's not dumb, if they go from ship to swarm too early, Adamant's speed blows theirs out of the water, we outmaneuver them and we defeat them in detail - not gonna happen, we're not that lucky. Even if it does happen, we can adapt to that kind of luck on the fly. We need to plan a course for the Adamant that keeps her in effective weapons and sensor range for as long as possible, and doesn't let the enemy slip past."

Chaitali gives the group a self deprecating smile. "Unfortunately, this is rocket science, so I'm a bit out of my depth. But I think that our best bet is gonna be getting the Adamant out to about half way to the enemy, stopping, and then blasting back home at top speed. The trick is timing it so that by the time we reach top speed heading back, the Neverwere are at long range for our weapons. Then, the Adamant stops accelerating, turns 180, and starts shooting while flying backwards towards Celtha. She brakes at the last possible moment to avoid hitting the planet, or as soon as the enemy starts turning into swarms."

She shakes her head, and starts playing devil's advocate for her own plan. "Of course, I'm not sure whether that's possible. And I know that the teleportation stuff is gonna get touchy. I've never done a teleport at those kinds of speeds, let alone one where I'm trying to hit a moving target. Anybody know what happens when you go from one moving body to another with a teleport? I don't wanna find the Shrike and 'port in just to get ripped to shreds by my own magic, or to get hit by all the wraiths at once because I'm suddenly moving at 1/2 lightspeed relative to them."

[Quellian-dyrae]

"That should work just as well. Whether from side or front, the main goal is to hit them as hard as we can for as long as we can. I don't expect we'll actually be teleporting in until we near the planet and they break up. I do not expect that teleporting into them while they are swarming would be a survivable tactic.

"When it gets to that point, though, I'll cloak us. I also enchanted a wand of Death Ward for just this sort of occasion; hopefully it will keep the special effects of the Shrikes' blasts to manageable levels. Also, let's remember to invest Primal Cold into our costumes, and put some energy into it if we can spare it. It won't be able to completely ablate their attacks, but it should tone them down some. If anyone can't spare the energy for that, let me know; I have a Protection from Energy wand as well."

Eranil would, in fact, take his own advice immediately, working the simple artifice rituals that allowed him to manipulate the raw Light that infused his costume, though he still paid attention to the discussion as he did so. Over the next few minutes, his robe became somewhat more stiff, taking on a pale blue hue, and the low, constant hum it generally emanated quieted some.

Altering Costume effects, replacing Nimble with Primal (Cold). Changing the six invested motes from Primal (Sonic) to Primal (Cold). Sonic damage bonus reduced to +1 per die, Sonic Resistance reduced to 5, lowers Acrobatics, Climb, and Swim by 5, adds +2/die to cold damage for what it's worth and Cold Resistance 20.

[Danakir]

"We'll have to ask the Captain whether she believes she can make it back to the blockade before they engage us if we were to intercept them for bombardment out there in space. Personally, I think it sounds like a risk we can't afford. We stand to lose more than we gain if our theories on whether we can out-maneuver them turn out to be even slightly off." she doesn't sound all that comfortable with their fancy plan and tactics, it's clear her preference is for maintaining the initial blockade and letting them crash against everything they've built in the last weeks.

Her expression turns particularly deadpan at Eranil's last words "Haven't you've been paying attention to what I've said?" she smacks him on the back to get his attention, sighing sharply "With the blessing of the Sacred Flame, I can ward us all against the cold. You can use that wand of yours if you'd like, although I can also provide similar protection. Really, we should focus on enhancing our mobility as much as we can. It'll be the only way we can keep their speed advantage in check, don't you think?" she meets his eyes firmly.

"Just have some faith." she then clicks her tongue, turning her attention back toward the display of their planetary defenses.

"We really should get in contact with Captain Branca if we plan to change the Adamant's orders."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil just gave a self-deprecating laugh. Since they learned they would be fighting Wraiths and Shrikes, he'd been telling himself, don't forget to switch to cold, don't forget to switch to cold. So, yep, he had just kinda glossed over that. Duh. He canceled his costume alteration.

"I might have a trick or two to assist with mobility, although it's not really my forte. Fortunately, teleportation works just as well at short ranges as long. As far as staying here though...I can't see the benefit. We have enough time and enough speed to at least make the attempt, and it gives us a chance to cause some really heavy damage from relative or, if we pull it off really well, possibly even complete safety. It seems a much bigger risk to face a swarm that outnumbers us by orders of magnitude in a straight-up battle, to my mind."

[Danakir]

"None of us are engineering experts or pilots for that matter. We really should bring in Captain Branca so we can get a realistic assessment of how viable this plan is, no?" she shrugs sheepishly.

"Well, then again, I'm only really speaking for myself. I've never really had to manage an entire planet's defense." hollow laughter follows afterward.

The pressure on all of their shoulders must be crushing.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Agreed. We definitely do not want to be hasty about this or any plan."

He gave a sympathetic smile in response to her other comment. "Indeed. Nonetheless, I am confident. We have prepared well, and have I believe a solid strategy taking shape."

[kestrel404]

Chaitali speaks up. "Mobility I can help with. I've got a wand crafted by a druid that let's you fly faster. Each use lasts for three hours, so anyone who wants can be significantly faster than normal for the battle. And you're right, we should call the captain and her navigator to see if my idea will even work."

[Kasmania]

Raika glances hesitantly between her teammates. "Um...I think I'm with Eranil and Chaitali on this one," she says with an apologetic look towards Muria. "If we can ambush them out in space, and still make it back to Celtha before the rest of the swarm, then that can only be to our benefit. Every single Wraith and Shrike we can kill out there will be one less we have to deal with at the defensive line around Celtha. I...don't really understand all the numbers and terms being used, but if it's possible, and the Adamant can do it, I think we should go for it." She glances over towards Chaitali and Eranil. "Can you contact the captain and explain this plan? If she says that it's possible, then I'll trust her judgement on the matter."

[kestrel404]

Chaitali nods and moves to a communicator on one wall and starts talking into it - making a request for some of the captain's no doubt limited time to discuss the feasibility of a battle plan. She also asks for the other Silver Pentacle, since they've got as much say in the coming battle as her own Pentacle and it would be rude to cut them out of the loop.

[Danakir]

She offers an understanding smile to Raika, as if she understands how she feels even if she doesn't agree with the others on this subject. Her attention then shifts to Eranil as she leaves contacting the Adamant and the other Pentacles to the rest of her team.

Approaching closer to the much older man, she puts a hand on his arm to get his attention "Hey, speaking about tactics and everything, I've got this plan I kinda want to try and I was wondering what you think..." she clicks her tongue, the fragrant scent of burnt incense hanging about her person.

"I've been thinking, since you could use that wand of yours to protect us against the Shrikes, I might be able to offer a blessing of freedom to everyone. Assuming they all clump together and you can impede their ability to move, then we'd be able to turn their great advantage on its head and have control of the battlefield." she runs a hand through her crimson locks, grinning sheepishly "What do ya think? Could you work something out?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Hmm...interesting," he said, considering for a moment. Then, as was his wont, he gave a perhaps-rather-too-detailed analysis of the plan. "Depending on just how clumped up they are, it could be viable; at the scale that this battle will take place on, we can't be assured that a large group will be all within a twenty-foot sphere. If they are, though, I have two spells that can work, and work well together. One to conjure a cloud thick enough to impede movement, the other to weave a zone of clashing illusions that induces vertigo. The second is partially selective.

"However, they aren't perfect. Even with unrestricted movement, both spells include several non-selective sensory elements that can impede an offensive. If we likewise had some way to grant us all the ability to target foes without recourse to sight, it would be perfect. If we can rely primarily on area attacks, it would also work, although effective targeting outside the cloud would be highly difficult. Otherwise, it would likely still lead to a greater advantage than disadvantage, but we must remember that Wraiths and Shrikes are primarily ranged attackers. Limiting their movement may not significantly hamper them in direct combat.

"However, if we could lock them down inside the cloud, while we remain outside and fill it with area attacks, their ability to target would be crippled, while we would be fairly well assured to be catching several high-priority targets with our blasts. Further, it might then also be possible to center a field of silence on the cloud. This could cripple their ability to lead their units, as at that point they could be neither seen nor heard...ah, although I do not think they communicate verbally, did we ever get that confirmed...?" ((Knowledge Check! Taking 10))

"Well, in any case, it's a solid plan to consider. It will depend on the situation of course, but if I see a large enough clump, I'll definitely lay down such spells. Having unrestricted movement will likewise be worthwhile in any case, so that the option to wade into such effects is available."

[Danakir]

She considers his words and then nods with something of a frustrated expression "I hadn't considered the issue of visibility. There's not really anything I can do to help with that issue... still, it could come in handy. At least, I think." she shrugs good-naturedly "Just an idea I had."

[Snowfire]

Chaitali – remembering that she actually has a telepathic link to both the people she’s trying to contact - forgoes the communicator and directly contacts both Mari and Valerie, requesting their presence for advice and professional expertise. The request is met with easy acceptance and, after a short wait, there is a flash of light off to one side of the room and the two are with you. At first glance you likely wouldn’t know that one was twice the age of the other, but the almost tangible aura of experience around the one dressed in white and gold makes it very clear which is which.

Valerie, the commander of the other Silver Pentacle, hangs back as the two approach. She’s in full battle dress, her staff shining faint gold in the low light of the room. From both practice exercises and actual combat, you all know that there’s almost definitely a rather unpleasant Illumination held within it. She’s clearly on edge, but then, so are you. And she has rather a lot of reason to be, considering her mother was one of the Golden detailed to defend Celtha. Mari on the other hand?

You’ve all met Mari before. Pentacles know the command staff of the Lightships that work with them. It makes things a lot easier. But your impressions before now were of a calm, relatively composed and competent woman. She’s all of those things right now, but there’s something more to it. She isn’t shaken. Not even a little. Maybe somewhere deep down inside, but…nothing that any of you can see. She glances at the holo-display, at the solid wave of Neverwere bearing down upon the world, and dips her head in recognition.

“We’ve got a full count on them now - or at least as full a count as we’re going to get at this range. Looks like fifty thousand or so of them.” Her voice doesn’t even waver. “What did you have in mind?”

[kestrel404]

Chaitali looks a bit nervous as she steps forward and starts to explain her idea. "Well, Ma'am, I had an idea and most of the Pentacle seems to agree. I think we should use the Adamant's superior maneuverability to hit the Neverwere sooner rather than later. Move out into space between us and them, and then start back towards Celtha so that we match their speed about the same time they come into firing range. It would put them on the defensive and let us take out more of them before we have to mount a full defence... But none of us knows enough about space maneuvers to know if that's feasible, which is why we brought you in. I asked for Mari since she's got as much say in this as any of us."

She turns to Mari and continues, "We're also discussing the feasability of pinpointing the Shrikes within the group when they inevitably come together for a counter attack, and teleporting between the Adamant and the Neverwere formation while they're distracted firing back at us, though I'm not entirely sure that's possible at that kind of speed. Do you know if that's been tried before?"

She looks back and forth between the Captain and senior member of the other Pentacle before adding, "Oh, and if you've got any questions for us or tactical advice, fire away!"

[Danakir]

Muria's expression darkens imperceptibly as they get a solid number on their opposition. Watching the pair, she quickly makes her way over to Valerie, holding one of her arms "Fifty thousand... I've never seen even half that many at once." she mumbles to herself and then grins up half-heartedly at her old friend "How are you holding up, Val? We haven't really talked since, well..." she shifts her weight awkwardly and then goes silent.

Seeing Valerie immediately forces thoughts Muria would rather keep back to the fore. The simmering elemental-blood doing her best to listen to Mari's assessment of the situation nonetheless.

"Personally, I think it'd be best if we waited until we made it back to the defense line to intercept them. But that's just my opinion, you'd know a lot better, Mari." she looks into the older disciplined woman's eyes.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil stayed quiet, listening closely but keeping out of focus. Ever since Eileen's promotion to Silver, his relationship with Valerie and the other members of that Pentacle had been...strained, to say the least. Fortunately, they all had far more important matters than petty rivalries to deal with at the moment. Regardless, he saw no wisdom in breaking his normal protocol for dealing with their counterparts - interact as little as possible, if you have to talk don't try to explain anything, and for the love of Light and Amber, don't ask how Eileen's been doing.

[Snowfire]

Mari listens intently as Chaitali talks, blue eyes glinting in the faint light, and the more perceptive of you can almost feel the razor sharp mind behind them analyzing tactical options and possibilities. And then she nods once, the motion sharp and economical.

"Adamant can do it. We'll need to time the turnover right, but that would be child's play for Eira without active systems. From what you've said, I assume you would be coming along for the ride?" She shrugs. "I will admit, I can't say I've ever heard of anyone trying teleporting onto the Wraith-ships like that, but I would very strongly advise against it. We can't afford to lose you. Any of you."

Valerie starts as Muria approaches and speaks, the older girl's lips thinning.
"I endure," she says, her tone hard and terribly flat, "and I pray to the Light that she is not lost." Her expression hardens into an icy determination. "But either way, the Neverwere will pay a dread price for trying to take this world." Her black eyes - iris and pupil both the same - turn to meet Muria's and the Firebound is struck by their blankness. If eyes are the windows of the soul, Valerie's got her storm shutters up.

[kestrel404]

Chaitali jumps and pumps her fists in the air. "Yes! We are so totally gonna shred Neverwere behinds! Unless somebody's got something important to add to the plan, I'm ready to head out now."

With the possibility of action, Chaitali's mood has picked up despite the dire odds.

[GFawkes]

Evelynn breaks her silence. "Don't think we're going to come up with a better plan in time to use it. I say go for it now."

In this, we are in agreement. Valtyra adds.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil gave a slight smile at Chaitali's confidence, nodding his own assent.

[Danakir]

"She's not!" Muria exclaims loudly, silence sweeping over her after the sudden outburst, until she clears her throat with mild embarrassment "She's not... I know it's not possible. She has to be alright." she insists a bit less firmly, rubbing her arm and holding that empty gaze steadily, her own demeanor one of lamentation "Yeah, we'll make them pay for sure. Please, be careful out there." her own eyes are striking as always, churning and blazing dimly with the peerless furnace within.

"Good luck." she offers an hesitant smile and then turns her attention back toward the rest of the group. Their enthusiasm is heartwarming, to say the least.

"Yeah! We'll show them why they shouldn't have crawled out of their ugly hole, those bastards!" she steps forward and pumps a fist up, grinning gregariously and confidently.

[Snowfire]

“I will be as careful as the situation warrants. As long as you are the same.” Valerie replies to Muria, before raising her voice. “Myself and the other Pentacles will remain here to ensure that the defences of Celtha are as complete as they can be. We shall be ready when the Neverwere reach us.” Mari nods.

“Good. In that case, we’d better get moving as fast as we can. And Val?” The Stargazer looks across at the Captain. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Who, me?” She replies, eyes widening innocently as her hands move in a familiar pattern. “Hadn’t even crossed my mind.” She vanishes in a burst of light. Mari’s expression tightens slightly, but she shakes it off quickly and turns back to the rest of you.

“I’ll get everything set with my crew. Shouldn’t take long. We’ll leave orbit in twenty minutes. If you have anything you really need to do before the battle, I would suggest doing it now.” She smiles then, faintly. “We’ll make the Golden proud that they left us here to guard.” Her own hands move swiftly in the same pattern as Valerie’s, and then she too flickers out of being.


Several Hours Later

The long travel out to the incoming Neverwere is quiet, no sudden threats from the dark or…anything really. Adamant hums cheerfully with the power of her drive, the unchanged sound an obvious comfort to those aboard her. Even now, in the depths of despair, the Light was no different than it always was. Mari converses occasionally with her crew and with you, letting you roam relatively free across the vessel as it prepares for the oncoming combat. It’s quite strange really. They’re going into battle, one where they very well might die. But…they’re happy. The older among you understand it though. It’s not cheerfulness of the battle to come. It’s the fact that they’re doing something other than waiting. And that it might – it just might – help in stopping this first wave. You hope so, and yet at the same time a part of you all fears that eventuality. For if Celtha holds, what then? What might the Neverwere send in response to your defiance of their will?

But it really doesn’t matter right now. Worries for another time. Right now, all attention is focused on the steadily scrolling rangefinder, and on the enhanced pictures of the Neverwere armada steadily moving in. Now less than five minutes from action, and in the acceleration cycle to match velocities, the crew of the Adamant are hushed, as if all are drawing in a deep breath for the fury soon to come. The Starlances have extended their lenses, targets already identified and locked in, and the Wraiths are moving together, the Shrikes commanding them forming their commanded into larger vessels that will better survive the fire soon to be unleashed upon the. And probably able to fire back too, but that goes without saying.

“One minute to contact.” Eria reports from the helm station. “Acceleration sequence is locked and ready. We’ll match their velocity at nine hundred and fifty klicks.”

“Very good.” Mari acknowledges calmly. “Master Hunt?” The gunnery watch-stander turns his head away from his screens for a short moment. “You may fire when we attain lock.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The fair haired man replies. “We’re starting the overcharge sequence on the Starlances now.” Adamant’s comforting hum grows stronger, a higher pitched one overlaying the lower growl of the engines, and Mari sits straighter in her chair as the seconds tick down. And her voice echoes across the ship.

“All personnel. Twenty seconds to contact. Let’s give them hell.”

And, mere moments – or were they days? – later, Robert Hunt taps a single key on one of the screens around him. The results are nothing short of spectacular.

Twenty beams of radiant fury erupt from the Starlance lenses, streaking across the relatively tiny space between Adamant and her foes and a soft, unintelligible sound of satisfaction mutters across the bridge as all of them slam home into the Wraithship directly behind you. The Wraiths directly in front of the beams seem to explode as they connect, their shadowstuff burning helplessly away in the face of the Light of Amber. Inky blackness swims around the Starlances, their passing burning great swathes through the massive ship behind you as they swung across the target in the few seconds of firing time they had. The Wraithship itself staggers, speed faltering suddenly as Light cut across it before steadying out again as the beams stop firing.

“Energy spikes from all Wraithships.” Eria notes, her voice eerily calm. “Shifting all secondary shielding planes to stern sections.”

“Twenty seconds until second Starlance burst. Wraithships fire incoming in eight seconds. Brilliants and Dawnspears in point defence mode.” Robert reports. “Brace for impact.”

Blackness pools around the prows of the oncoming Wraithships, baleful ribbons of voidstuff stretching out from the point – the Shrikes aboard them clearly preparing to exact vengeance. Two hundred and fifty rays of utter nothingness lance across the night, blotting out the stars as they pass in front of them before slashing in to hit Adamant’s shield. The Brilliants and Dawnspears blaze in response, their projected radiance slamming into the beams of not-light and stopping well over a hundred of them. And then the entire crew tenses as the remaining bolts of voidstuff pass through the point defence envelope and then…don’t hit? The blackness seems to vanish just ahead of the planes of force shielding Adamant from harm and Mari’s head snaps round. “Eria, what the hell was tha-“

She’s cut off by the sudden scream of alarms – and the sudden movement of Robert is the only thing that saves her, tumbling her out of her seat as a blast of darkness smashes through it from behind. You turn as one, eyes widening in horror, and see five – no, six – Shrikes folding out of nothingness in the small chamber directly behind the bridge. The one at the front hisses with annoyance at the survival of its prey, the ones around it raising their own claw-hands to fire and Eria slams her fist down on the emergency seal button for the ship and every door on the Adamant slams shuts. Five rays of nothingness slam into the door to the bridge, and Mari’s voice is taut as she pulls herself up. “Eria, get us out of range now!” She says sharply, before turning to you as another six blasts rock the door.

“Well, it looks like they’ve got some new tricks, damn them.” She mutters. “We’ve got about twenty seconds before that door goes. I advise you ready yourselves. Myself and the others will do what we can, but we won’t be much use against Shrikes."

You have three rounds to prepare and the door will go down on the Shrike's action in round four.

Roll initiative :smallamused:

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil spent much of the flight gripping his staff apprehensively. It had been a while since he'd been in the field. Confidence in their preparations and tactics was one thing, but the long flight gave him the chance to consider, was he prepared for battle?

He would, it seemed, get his answer earlier than he would like.

His tactical mind immediately considered the situation. No time to layer the whole party with protections from their draining powers. He drew his wand nonetheless. "Can anyone use this?" he called, holding it out. Regardless of the answer - or lack thereof - received, he would begin casting. There were more valuable spells for him to work.

The first, he centered on the door. "Warriors of Amber, rise to defend us!" All around that area, warriors of pure Light would appear, gleaming weapons held ready to strike at any foe who would move or cast within their area.

The second was for his personal defense. "Light of Amber, pass me by!". He vanished immediately into invisibility. He also moved back some from the door.

Finally, for his party. "Not a moment goes to waste, once you've received the gift of haste!" His fellows would perceive time seeming to slow as his spell doubled their speed. Meanwhile, he'd call upon the Light of Amber, creating an illusory fortress near the door that his allies could teleport within.

That done, he began to prepare his next move, to call down an illusion of debasing laughter upon his foes, followed by a spell to blast his enemies with pure powdered Light once they broke through. Hopefully, he'd be ready before they got free...

Initiative: [roll0].

Prep Round 1: Legion of Sentinels, centered on the door. Spell will last for six rounds from start of combat, every square within its 10' radius is occupied by an illusory warrior that threatens adjacent squares and can make one AoO per round at +9 for 1d8+3. Warriors can provide flanking, but can't attack except for AoOs. Spell is an emanation, so should be able to extend into the room once the door opens.

Prep Round 2: Greater Invisibility on self, move action to move back...preferably about forty feet from the door, but in a position where I can get line of effect. This will last seven rounds from start of combat.

Prep Round 3: Haste on as many of us as I can, prioritizing the other PCs/companions, then myself, then Mari, then other crew, lasting eight rounds from start of combat. Move action to use Traveler's Rest Illumination; the square directly in front of the door, a sqaure twenty feet back from that, and a square twenty feet back from that, say directly to my right. For three rounds (two from start of combat), any ally within fifteen feet of an affected square may take a move action to teleport to the affected square.

First Combat Round: If I win initiative, delay turn until the door opens, then use swift action for Laughter on High on the nearest three Shrikes (ranged touch, anyone hit takes -3 to saves for three rounds), followed by casting of Glitterdust (DC 21, or 22 if they are flat-footed).

Touch Attacks:
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[kestrel404]

Chaitali is once more pacing, moving constantly, impatient to get to the action. This time, as she walks, a bright golden shield flickers into and out of existence on her left hand, like a nervous tic.

When the attack comes and she spins around to see the Shrikes, she charges them, only for the door to slam shut before she reaches them. As the captain mentions that they've got a few seconds to prepare, she lets out a nearly animalistic growl of frustration and impatience, but she doesn't waste her time on emotions.

Instead, she grabs the wand from Eranil, assuming it to be the wand of warding he mentioned earlier and uses it on herself before passing it to the next team mate who wants it (or dropping it on a nearby console if no one does).

Then she grabs another wand from the small bag strapped at her hip, her hand sinking in further than it really should be able to before withdrawing the slim device. Flicking that, she grows a set of cloudy wings from he back.

Finally, she shoves the wand back into the back before taking what looks like a runners crouch, 5 feet back from the door.


Initiative: [roll0]
Actions:
turn 1: take wand, use wand, hand off wand (or drop wand). UMD is at +19, so I cannot fail to use a wand.
turn 2: draw wand from handy haversack, use wand
turn 3: drop wand back into handy haversack, activate Lunge feat, then ready an action to use Dance of Death the instant the door opens.
Current status:
Soulmelds/Binds -
Paimon, good pact, bound feet, 3 essentia
Balam, good pact, shaped hands
Mantle of Flames, shaped shoulders, 2 essentia
Strongheart vest, shaped waist
Costume effects:
Weightless, 6m
Nimble, 9m
Subtle, 0m
Illuminations readied:
Concussion Blow, Elemental Strike, Elemental Beam, Rain of Mana
Current movement speed w/haste:
105', fly 135' (good)

[Kasmania]

Raika had silently returned to her seat with Alyssa for most of duration of the flight, and had alternated between staring out into the inky blackness of space, and glancing at the display of the Neverwere fleet they were flying out to meet. She tensed up briefly when the first attacks went out, and leapt to her feet as the Shrikes attacked and the blast doors closed off the bridge, quickly dropping Alyssa down to the floor as she whispered something briefly into her charm bracelet.

She is immediately surrounded by a glowing whirlwind hiding her from view, emerging a few seconds later clad in radiant silver armor, with a cape emblazoned with Alyssa's image hanging loosely from her back. Glancing around the room, she decides there's not quite enough room, so she calls out to Alyssa "Not this time. Come on, hide," as she moves towards Chaitali. Alyssa scampers over and clambers up Raika's armor, settling in a special nook behind the cape, as Raika takes the wand from Chaitali and applies its effects, first to Evelynn, then to herself. She looks around briefly for Eranil, but he had cast an invisibility spell on himself and had vanished somewhere. She leaves the wand on the counter for now.

As she strides towards the door, a glittering longsword appears in her right hand, while a faintly glowing golden shield appears in her left. She takes up position directly behind Chaitali, 10 feet from the door, and calls out "Whip form!" Immediately, her sword separates into a dozen distinct sharp fragments attached by a long cable, and hovers in the air around her head expectantly as she assumes a defensive stance. "I'll cover the bridge," she declares firmly. "Don't worry, and fight the best you can."


Initiative: [roll0] (24) (Holy cow that was a good roll)

First Turn: Raika gets up and uses a full-round action to don her Costume and banner. Everyone within 30 feet gains a +8 morale bonus to saving throws against fear as long as she is visible. Any charge attacks gain a +1 morale bonus.

Second Turn: Takes Wand of Death Ward from Chaitali, uses it on Evelynn. [roll0] (30) Alyssa does not drop her Change Shape for this fight, and instead will hide under Raika's armor.

Third Turn: Standard action to use the wand on herself. [roll1] (35) Moves to 10 feet away from the door, standing behind Chaitali, and swift action to activate Reach mode on her device so she can threaten the door.

If she beats the Shrike's initiative (unlikely), she will delay action until the door is broken down. Any Shrikes that move through the doorway, she will immediately Attack of Opportunity (AoO) with the Stand Still feat, making a combat maneuver check to force them to lose all remaining movement for that round. If she fails, and the Shrike continues moving, she will continue to attempt to stop them so long as she is capable of making AoOs on them. If someone next to her is attacked in melee combat from the doorway (or another space she threatens), she will AoO with the Aid Another action to add +9 to their AC. She has 6 attacks available per round.

Current mote investments: Weightless (6m), Blazing Aegis (9m), Protective (0m), Defiant (0m)

[Danakir]

Her motions are smooth and fast as a flame burning against a clear surface of oil, her crimson blade hissing with the heat of a volcano's greatest fury nearly leaping of its own will into her hand. She tightens her grip on it, her gaze meeting with the Captain's as if to make sure she and the rest of the crew are alright. Then she turns her attention away "They come into our home. They come into our territory with the arrogance of conquering predators... break them! Shatter their hollow hearts upon the crucible of light!" she thrusts her blade upward, her costume shifting about to be wreathed in chilling blue-white flames, dancing and flickering with pale hunger that transcends that of the void itself.

"I call upon the sea of light, gather from our hearts and with it shine forth holy radiance! The Sacred Flame's presence is amongst us." patterns of light spread along the ground at that, filling everyone with a sense of purpose and confidence, as if the Light itself had turned its gaze upon them all. "We are the blessed."

"The emptiness from which they scream blasphemy does not slow us down. Even the chill touch of death itself does not give us pause. Such things are ephemeral and meaningless before the Sacred Flame! BLAZE FROM WITHIN!" she roars the last words and her holy symbol now burns fiercely, a thin radiant blue outline forming around them all, repulsing away the very idea of cold outward, letting it dissipate harmlessly. As she does this, shafts of light begin to appear one by one underneath Captain Mari and her staff.

"Praise the Sacred Flame. As I ready myself to walk into the darkness, let no blade strike me. Let no claw rend me. Let no evil touch my heart. I call upon the Holiest of Holies, let purity be my shield." she closes her eyes briefly, an halo of light spilling forth from her form, hardening into an invisible pane all around her and then dimming into a faint glow. At the end of this, the shaft of lights disappear around the crew at last, leaving them standing atop a complex series of symbols and wards.

Her eyes snap toward the door as another loud series of banging sounds bend and crack the luminous material. There isn't much time left at all, with prayers and faith blazing in her heart fiercely now, she readies herself and speaks through her mental link to them all "As soon as Chaitali has cut through them, I will charge into their lot. I may fly overhead one of you if the path is not clear." she explains her intentions, her heart beating fast in her chest.

She looks forward to this, sending her thoughts toward Captain Mari "When we prevail... be sure to make them pay dearly for this. I believe in you, Mari." and with that, she focuses her entire being into her preparation, waiting for just the right moment to launch into her assault.

Initiative: [roll0]
First Round: Draw device, alter costume effects commitments and then cast Bless upon everyone.
Second Round: Cast Mass Resist Energy (Cold) on everyone, she uses Many As One Devotion on the Captain and her crew.
Third Round: Cast Shield of Faith on herself, she uses Many As One Devotion to protect the rest of the crew.

Assuming she wins Initiative, she'll ready a charge against the closest on the same action count as Chaitali. Given Chaitali's higher Dexterity, her action will take slight priority although mechanically they'll more or less act simultaneously. For this charge, she activates her wand of Lion's Charge.

Current mote investments: Weightless (6m), Temporal (3m), Primal (6m)

Note: As a free action, she may also activate her Knowledge Devotion as soon as they engage. To save time, I'll roll now: [roll1]

[GFawkes]

On the flight over, Evelynn familiarizes herself with the ship. While Valtyra is excited to be in space and is itching for combat, Evelynn stays amazed at the vastness of space (still not quite used to it) and worried at the upcoming fight. While the group does have a plan, it's still a risky job. She busies herself by writing in her journal.

When the ship comes under attack, Evelynn reacts by covering her face while Valtyra seizes control of the right arm. Shooting it out, a long haft materializes out of what appears to be a currently being drawn blueprint of a weapon originating from her hand. A massive blade forms at the upper end.

Light of Amber, embolden our ally that she may better aid. She says as a flow of what appears to be feathers made of light surrounds Chaitali.

Evelynn moves to Raika's side, making a line behind the door and gripping her weapon tightly. "You knock them down, I'll slash them up." Her armor seems to thicken, becoming more solid.

She then points her partisan at the floor, holding it high and focusing on the door.


Initiative: [roll0]

While travelling: Create Cartriges (Journal Pages)

Round 1: Summon Device (Move Action), cast Eagle's Splendor on Chaitali (Standard Action).

Round 2: Move to next to Raika (Move Action), Speech (Free Action), Allocate Motes to Defiant (Swift Action)

Round 3: Ready an action to Delay until right after Raika uses her trip action, then use Rising Blade on the tripped Shrike (Standard Action), Switch Device into Reach mode (Swift Action).

Round 4: FIGHT! Come on, I had to

Current Effects:
Aura of Courage (Immune to fear, allies within 10 ft get +4 (Morale) bonus vs. Fear.
Defiant Costume effect: 9 motes (Total: +70% Fortification (Grand total 120%) and +7 DR/Magic
Weightless Costume effect: 6 motes (20 ft flight with good maneuverability)
Death Ward
Resist Energy (Cold)
Bless
Haste

[Snowfire]

Dark cracks splay across the massive door as you all move to your prepared positions, the constant hammering from the Neverwere taking a steady toll on the construct of forged Light. It rattles again, hard, as the last of you takes your places. And you're left hanging for a few seconds as it doesn't break, the lesser degree of power in the last barrage confusing. Until a malestrom of black fire erupts through the door, sending it hurtling across the bridge. Most of you manage to avoid the door - either through diving aside, shooting up above it as it passes, or some other variant of movement. Evelynn and Eranil are not so lucky however, the door slamming into the Aasimar first and then continuing on to sideswipe the invisible Beguiler.

Evelynn and Eranil, take [roll0] points of nonlethal damage.

And then the maelstrom of darkness washes over you. You have a brief moment to be thankful for the fact that the bridge crew aren't in the way of the blast, and then it's upon you. It roars across the bridge, ripping through your defences in a torrent of nothing-fire, sending you once more scrambling out of the way. And then it's gone. The Shrike at the head of the group hisses in annoyance, but those behind it are already readying their own Void-blasts. Not, presumably, as powerful as the one unleashed by the Shrike at the fore of the group, but likely bad enough on their own.

Everyone make DC 24 Reflex saves for half [roll1] cold/untyped damage (half and half). If you take damage, DC 24 Fort save or take [roll2] Strength drain.

Spellcraft and Knowledge (Planes) to try and work out what the Shrike did and how.

[kestrel404]

Chaitali jumps over the door as it comes hurtling past, and reacts to the sight of her prey in front of her instantly, doing her best to ignore the draining energies around her.

She moves forward with a speed and deadly grace far beyond what would normally be considdered possible. She dodges around Evalyn to stand before the lead shrike, punching him in the face with a burst of light and fire that would send him rocketing into the back wall of the room. She then steps lightly to her right and forward, moving as though it is a dance, and spinning around to deliver a devastating kick which manages to hit every Shrikes in the room. Flame and light surrounds her as another Shrike bounces off the back wall.

Step the the left and another spinning kick, her speed whirling causing her form to blur. Step and strike, step and strike, her deadly grace catching numerous enemies with each motion. Finally, after this dizzying display of grace and speed, she returns to stand next to Evalyn in the doorway, bare heartbeats having past.


Reflex save: [roll0]
Fort save (since I don't have evasion): [roll1]

And for the dance of death, I move/attack as follows:
Move to J7, attack with Concussion Blow (Assault + Tremors + Sundering) illumination: [roll2] Crit(20x2): [roll3] Damage: [roll4]+[roll5] fire Crit: [roll6], and the target is moved 20' away from me (to J3) and knocked prone.

Move to K5, use Whirlwind attack (w/10' reach) and Concussion Blow to hit Shrikes in K4 (prime target), J3, J4, L3 and L5:
K4: [roll7] Crit(20x2): [roll8] Damage: [roll9]+[roll10] fire Crit: [roll11], and the target is moved 20' away from me (to K3) and knocked prone.
J3(Was J7): [roll12] Crit(20x2): [roll13] Damage: [roll14]+[roll15] fire Crit: [roll16]
J4: [roll17] Crit(20x2): [roll18] Damage: [roll19]+[roll20] fire Crit: [roll21]
I3: [roll22] Crit(20x2): [roll23] Damage: [roll24]+[roll25] fire Crit: [roll26]
L3: [roll27] Crit(20x2): [roll28] Damage: [roll29]+[roll30] fire Crit: [roll31]
L5: [roll32] Crit(20x2): [roll33] Damage: [roll34]+[roll35] fire Crit: [roll36]

Move to J5 (provokes AoO from L5 & J4) and hit all the Shrikes:
I3: [roll37] Crit(20x2): [roll38] Damage: [roll39]+[roll40] fire Crit: [roll41]
J3(Was J7): [roll42] Crit(20x2): [roll43] Damage: [roll44]+[roll45] fire Crit: [roll46]
J4: [roll47] Crit(20x2): [roll48] Damage: [roll49]+[roll50] fire Crit: [roll51]
K3(Was K4): [roll52] Crit(20x2): [roll53] Damage: [roll54]+[roll55] fire Crit: [roll56]
L3: [roll57] Crit(20x2): [roll58] Damage: [roll59]+[roll60] fire Crit: [roll61]
L5: [roll62] Crit(20x2): [roll63] Damage: [roll64]+[roll65] fire Crit: [roll66]

Move to K5 (provokes AoO from L5 & J4) and hit all the Shrikes:
I3: [roll67] Crit(20x2): [roll68] Damage: [roll69]+[roll70] fire Crit: [roll71]
J3(Was J7): [roll72] Crit(20x2): [roll73] Damage: [roll74]+[roll75] fire Crit: [roll76]
J4: [roll77] Crit(20x2): [roll78] Damage: [roll79]+[roll80] fire Crit: [roll81]
K3(Was K4): [roll82] Crit(20x2): [roll83] Damage: [roll84]+[roll85] fire Crit: [roll86]
L3: [roll87] Crit(20x2): [roll88] Damage: [roll89]+[roll90] fire Crit: [roll91]
L5: [roll92] Crit(20x2): [roll93] Damage: [roll94]+[roll95] fire Crit: [roll96]

Move to J5 (provokes AoO from L5 & J4) and hit all the Shrikes:
I3: [roll97] Crit(20x2): [roll98] Damage: [roll99]+[roll100] fire Crit: [roll101]
J3(Was J7): [roll102] Crit(20x2): [roll103] Damage: [roll104]+[roll105] fire Crit: [roll106]
J4: [roll107] Crit(20x2): [roll108] Damage: [roll109]+[roll110] fire Crit: [roll111]
K3(Was K4): [roll112] Crit(20x2): [roll113] Damage: [roll114]+[roll115] fire Crit: [roll116]
L3: [roll117] Crit(20x2): [roll118] Damage: [roll119]+[roll120] fire Crit: [roll121]
L5: [roll122] Crit(20x2): [roll123] Damage: [roll124]+[roll125] fire Crit: [roll126]

Move to K5 (provokes AoO from L5 & J4) and hit all the Shrikes:
I3: [roll127] Crit(20x2): [roll128] Damage: [roll129]+[roll130] fire Crit: [roll131]
J3(Was J7): [roll132] Crit(20x2): [roll133] Damage: [roll134]+[roll135] fire Crit: [roll136]
J4: [roll137] Crit(20x2): [roll138] Damage: [roll139]+[roll140] fire Crit: [roll141]
K3(Was K4): [roll142] Crit(20x2): [roll143] Damage: [roll144]+[roll145] fire Crit: [roll146]
L3: [roll147] Crit(20x2): [roll148] Damage: [roll149]+[roll150] fire Crit: [roll151]
L5: [roll152] Crit(20x2): [roll153] Damage: [roll154]+[roll155] fire Crit: [roll156]

Move back to K8.

Man, I didn't expect the room to be quite that close quarters.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil took the bruising hit from the door well, waiting until Chaitali was out of the area, then unloading his prepared spells as soon as he got the chance.

Once turn comes around :smallredface:: Spells as posted previously; Glitterdust DC 21 or 22, touch attacks for Laughter on High 24, 13, 25; this does not count +2 for invisibility, or any penalty for cover or shooting into melee. Hopefully, they'll also be flat-footed from invisibility.

Currently relevant information:
Not sure if that void blast provokes AoOs from Sentinels.

Reflex: [roll0]
Fortitude (if necessary; I have Evasion): [roll1]
Spellcraft: [roll2]
Knowledge (Planes): [roll3]

[Snowfire]

Chaitali spins through the Neverwere like a dervish, fists flashing bright with their own luminescent fire, laying out blows to all those around her as she darted between them. But it isn't all one sided. None of the Neverwere actually fall, and as the young Champion retreats, they lash out as one unit, swordclaws slicing through the air around her. She manages to avoid most of them even then, but the last three knife through her in sprays of malevolent darkness.

Chaitali takes 75 points of damage. I rolled two crits.

Somehow she manages to wrench herself off of the blades and, coughing blood, pull back to the tentative safety of the bridge. But then the other Shrikes are raising their long hands, two of them sporting crimson highlights on their spread claws. One is clearly wounded, the voidstuff making it up ripped and torn, but it's not down yet.

And then their hands spit lances of deadly voidfire, slicing out to find targets among their foes. They're picking their targets quite clearly, each of the rear Shrikes focusing on one each of the Pentacle as the other two lash out again at Mari.

Chaitali, either through blind luck or the Shrikes not putting in enough effort, is somehow missed by both shots directed against her, and several other blasts go wild, two actually colliding in the air and detonating in a harmless, if rather spectacular, burst of darkness.

But Raika's swordwhip is everywhere, spinning amongst the dead light and shot after shot goes just fractionally wide. One, two, three, five, nine! The other three however...

Spears of solid death rip into Muria, Evelynn and Mari, ripping cries from their throats as the pain lashes through them - especially in the case of Muria. Mari slumps slightly, and for a moment you fear that you might have lost her, but then she pulls herself up. Her eyes glitter with fury at the havoc unleashed on her bridge, and her hands cradle a Lightbeam rifle (http://th05.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/282/f/9/dewi___black_version_by_peterku-d4cb1ze.jpg). Only usable in the confines of a Lightship, but at this point that doesn't matter, and she's not going to let her help be refused.

Six beams of concentrated white Light lance out from the command crew. Three go awry, but three don't, and the Neverwere nearest to the door hiss-screams in furious agony as those three beams impale it. Another clearly wounded. And the Neverwere, for now, seem to have shot their bolt.

Muria takes 49 cold/untyped damage.

Evelyn takes 26 of the same.

Mari takes 21.

With your Energy Resistance, that comes out to: 25, 13, 11

Death Ward eats the effects of everything else. Whilst you weren't looking, the command staff tossed the wand around.

Muria got critted. Then again, so did one of the Shrikes. It's rather worse off. And they're off action for the rest of the turn. Try to kill as many as you can. Just a piece of advice :smallwink:

Raika, you're up. You may want to advance. These things are ranged critters primarily.

[Kasmania]

As the door crashed into the room, Raika swiftly dodged to one side, only to see the lead Shrike unleash an enormous wave of darkness across the bridge. She closes her eyes and winces in pain as the malevolent darkness flows over her, feeling it trying to drain away her strength, grasping and pulling at the very fiber of her being.


Reflex save DC 24: [roll0]
Fort save DC 24: [roll1]
If Raika makes the reflex save, she takes 13 damage. If she fails to make the reflex save, she takes 38. If she fails to make the fort save, treat all attack rolls Raika makes in this round as having a -2 penalty on attack and damage.


As the darkness fades and Raika can open her eyes again, she sees Chaitali dart into the room ahead, unleashing a flurry of attacks on all the Shrikes she can see. Raika's elation, however, soon turns to horror as 3 of the Shrikes react and slice through Chaitali's body as she tries to retreat to the safety of the bridge, only barely making it back to the doorway as the supporting bolts from the Lightbeam rifles fired by the crew slam into their Shrike targets.

"Nooo!" Raika screams out loud. "Wind's Protection, come to my aid! Don't let her die!" she screams out, as a light gust whips up on the bridge, surrounding herself, Evelynn, and Chaitali. She leaps forward, positioning herself directly in front of Chaitali, and takes up a defensive stance, glaring at the Shrikes in the room across.

She calls to her teammates telepathically: "Evelynn! Muria! Can you two take care of that one?" indicating the heavily wounded Shrike directly in front of the doorway. Looking at the wounded Shrike along the side of the room, she declares angrily "I won't let you hurt anyone anymore. You're going down!" with a strange glow in her eyes, and lashes out her swordwhip directly at it. The blades wrap around the wounded Shrike, and as Raika pulls back her device, the blades appear to tear straight through the Shrike, returning to hovering around Raika's head as she stands in front of Chaitali, attempting to guard her from further attack.

"Eranil, unload everything you can into this room. We need to eliminate these things as fast as we possibly can. Don't worry about me, just hit the Shrikes as hard as you can!" she communicates telepathically back to Eranil without dropping her gaze from the Shrikes ahead of her. Her tightly pursed lips reveals her underlying nervousness, but she stands confidently, daring the Shrikes to attack as she awaits her teammates.


Swift action: cast illumination Wind's Protection as bolts, targeting Raika, Chaitali, and Evelynn. Gain +6 con for 1 round (27 temporary hitpoints, +3 to fort saves). Lasts until Raika's next turn.

Move action: move 15 feet forward to stand in front of Chaitali, at position K7.

Standard action: challenge wounded Shrike at position L5, make a standard attack while fighting defensively.
Attack roll: [roll2]
If crit threat (on 19 or 20): [roll3]
Damage roll (haha unlikely): [roll4]
Extra crit damage: [roll5]

Raika gains +2 AC up to 43 AC against Shrike at L5, no change against other Shrikes.
All allies attacking Shrike at L5 gain +3 circumstance bonus to their attack rolls.
Attacks of opportunity reset to 6 attacks.
All allies standing adjacent to Raika gain a +2 Sacred attack bonus on their attack rolls.

[Danakir]

Cursing inwardly as the sudden wave of voidstuff crashes solidly into the command room, Muria steps about, doing her best to mitigate the surprisingly fierce assault. She had no idea they were capable of such violence. Had she underestimated them? No... no, she hadn't. Of course. It was their nature to cheat even their own natural order. Wicked creatures that they are. Resting briefly to take a breather, she watches as Chaitali launches into a vicious assault that is as a blur of light into the darkness, a flash that cuts a deadly path through their foes.

Her elation is short-lasting however, a lance of pure darkness piercing through her chest, extracting a loud cry of pain from her as the unreality tears through her vulnerable body and wreaks havoc with her focus. Within seconds however she swallows back the cry, a few tears dripping down her cheeks and her eyes burning vividly with determination and righteous fury.

"That won't be a problem." she responds to Raika confidently, her sheer certainty and assurance comforting her anxious peer. All plays within a few brief moments, her thoughts so loud that they can be heard by all her friends "Absolute radiance." as if a mantra to herself.

She launches into a run and then kicks off the floor, smoke and steam rising from the back in the process even as suddenly burning wings of pure ruby-colored flames crackling and hissing with heat flap on her back, her momentum rapidly increasing even as she screams the words in Celestial "ABSOLUTE RADIANCE!" and with that the prayer strip loaded into her device burst into a white flame, consuming it and with it soon her own skin and flesh, the brittle surface cracking and splintering, as if paper held above a white-hot furnace, bits of skin flacking off as flames run over her form, soon enough the entire costume of meat and sinew vanishing in a sudden burning burst to reveal her amazing and awe-inspiring presence.

An entity of only white-hot fire, with eyes of gold that burn with all the fury of Light itself, her presence warping the air around her with the sheer unbearable heat spilling forth from her new shape, her liquid body darting through the air with further increased speed. Then at last with a roar to make even a king of lions bow down, she crashes into her first target, striking with words that hold the promise of sacred retribution "Breaker Light!" and with that her blade suddenly explodes into a sea of multicolored flames vivid enough to blind and yet diverse enough to make a rainbow blush, every element she has mastered crashing and colliding together to rip her foes asunder.

Reflex Saving Throw: [roll0]
Fortitude saving throw is unnecessary due to Soulfire protecting against ability drain.

Free Action: Activate loaded cartridge to empower Weightless attribute.
Swift Action: Activate Lion's Charge wand loaded into shield's wand chamber.
Full-Round Action: Charge to J5. First attack against Shrike on J4, activate Assault Burst on that same attack. Will decide where the other attacks go depending on the result of that first attack.

Attack roll: [roll1]
If crit threat (17-20): [roll2]
Damage roll: [roll3] + [roll4] + [roll5]
Extra damage if crit: [roll6]

Special: Currently considered incorporeal. Gain many benefits, main one however is that all her attacks during her turn will be considered touch attacks.

Special 2: Bonus damage from Assault Blast is considered Fire, Sonic, Cold or Electricity, whichever is most advantageous at any one point.

[GFawkes]

Evelynn clutches her side, the pain of being hit by a door and several attacks not being kind on her. Valtyra mentally slaps her and gets her refocused on the Shrikes. That one is within reach, attack! she says, doing her best to indicate the nearest Shrike without a physical form. Evelynn swings her blade up, then in a downward cross, and finally to the side. With a slight flourish, she readies her polearm for further attack.

Reflex Save: [roll0]
Fort Save: Death Ward protects

Full Attack on the Shrike at J6. Not much else I can do. Mental note: prepare better Illuminations next time:smallsigh:

Attack modifiers: Haste (+1 to hit), Flanking With Muria (+2 To Hit)

Attack 1:
To Hit: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Critical Confirmation: [roll3]
Critical Damage: [roll4]

Attack 2 (From haste):
To Hit: [roll5]
Damage: [roll6]
Critical Confirmation: [roll7]
Critical Damage: [roll8]

Attack 3:
To Hit: [roll9]
Damage: [roll10]
Critical Confirmation: [roll11]
Critical Damage: [roll12]

Note: The numbers here are different from the sheet because I accidentally factored in the Divine Bond bonus even though it has a limited timeframe of effect. This has been corrected on the sheet.


Current HP: 51 + 27 temp
Motes: No change
Spells: No change

There, I think that's everything. If I forgot anything major, let me know OOC and I'll fix it to the best of my ability.

[Danakir]

For most that would be that, they'd be too unbalanced to continue before any riposte from their loathsome enemies, but there is nothing 'normal' about Muria's current state. She follows through without hesitation, fast as a comet streaking liquid fire across an open sky, slamming her blade into the wounded Shrike behind her and attempting to cut it down with a single brutal slash. Without waiting she then spins back on herself, piercing slash going right at her secondary target again, threatening to cut it with a blade that is currently a literal fountain of raw purifying Light.

In this one stretching moment, Muria is nothing more than a vessel for the boundless radiance of the Sacred Flame... and Amber.

Both other attacks on J6.

Attack #2: [roll0]
Crit confirm: [roll1]
Base damage: [roll2] + [roll3]
Crit damage: [roll4]

Attack #2: [roll5]
Crit confirm: [roll6]
Base damage: [roll7] + [roll8]
Crit damage: [roll9]

Special: Still all count as touch attacks.

[Snowfire]

There is a ripple as Muria streaks forward, a reaction of not-quite-consternation from the Shrikes as the blazing avatar of Light and fire cuts a burning swathe through the Neverwere closest to the door. Her blade sweeps down, exploding with a coruscating mix of light and colour just before it strikes its target and the Shrike seems to explode. Light pulses and shimmers, ripping its essence out of existence as it loses control over its shadowformed body and then it's gone in a rippling vortex of silent hate.

Evelynn springs forward, her polearm slashing at the Shrike in front of her and sending it reeling back - although unharmed - until Muria's still lambent blade punches through its back and then out through its chest in a welter of liquid fury. That on its own would be enough, the form of the Shrike already beginning to come apart from the sudden explosion of Light at its heart. But Muria...does not seem to be in a forgiving mood.

Her third - and final - strike burns an arc of solid light through the Shrike as she spins, the blade ripping away any desperate hope of continued existence for the creature. Light flares, ringing against the screaming fear-rage of the Shrike, and then the Neverwere is simply...gone.

J6 and J4 Neverwere are both dead. AoOs missed this time (you got lucky).

Eranil, you're up :smallbiggrin:

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil reacted quickly to the expanding wave of darkness, raising his hands up in a seemingly futile defense, but the ring on his right hand, though it's usual brief flicker went unseen, still did its work, a fleeting shield rising up to ward away the dark energies.

He watched his allies work with a bemused, self-deprecating smirk on his face. Champions all. Sometimes he did wish he had that level of martial skill, to take to the front lines in a blaze of glory, rather than bending the light away and around him, working behind the scenes.

But his grin became a grimace when the shrikes struck back at Chaitali hard. Other times...

No time to spare on that, though. He completed his spells, and the room the shrikes inhabited was filled with echoing, mocking laughter, booming in their ears, demeaning their efforts to oppose the champions of Light. Even as the laughter faded, Light gathered in the wizard's invisible hands. "Brilliant starlight all around us, blind as you reveal!"

With a flourish, he unleashed the magic, and with Muria having expertly changed the current definition of the front line, he'd center his spell on the back wall, to catch the four remaining shrikes. Shining white radiance exploded in a shower of revealing and - more importantly - blinding motes. Hopefully that would cut down on their offensive potential some.

That done he strafed left with silent grace, edging slightly closer. Maybe if he was lucky, one of them would waste its attack on his previous position.

Pretty much as stated, but with description!

Well, and an actual move action. Eranil's in I14.

Glitterdust DC 21 or 22, touch attacks for Laughter on High 24, 13, 25; this does not count +2 for invisibility, or any penalty for cover (or, now that I think of it, the +1 for Haste, so should be 25, 14, 26 at least). Hopefully, they'll also be flat-footed from invisibility.

Laughter on High targets the three in the back. Glitterdust centered in J-K 2-3, should get all four of the shrikes and not any party members.

Status:
HP: 90/90, 12 nonlethal.
Motes/Round: 12.
Complex Formulas: 1.
Luminous Reservoir: 15.
Spell Slots: 6/9/7/6/5.
AC: 31. Touch: 17. Flat Footed: 27. CMD: 20.
Fort: +12. Ref: +10. Will: +10.
Special Defenses: 50% Miss Chance. Cold Resistance 30. Sonic Resistance 20.

[Snowfire]

Two of the Neverwere recoil from the booming laughter, the other seeming to knock it away with a twisting, contemptuous gesture as the blooming motes of light spray out across them. Most shake them aside, wreathed now in Light but not blinded by it. One is, however, its frantic movements giving away the sudden loss of vision quite clearly.

Highlighted square is the Neverwere that got blinded by Glitterdust.

That one and L5 were hit by Laughter on High. It missed L3.

Round end, Chaitali's initiative.

[kestrel404]

Despite the dire nature of her wounds, there is a manic grin on Chaitali's face. She reaches a hand into the air and calls out, "Rain of Mana" as motes of light form over herself, Muria and Evelyn. The motes streak down like raindrops, washing away wounds and fatigue.

Then she steps up and to her left, in front of Evelyn, before striking out at the Shrike at the far edge of her lunging range.


Rain of mana: Healing surge illumination -
Chaitali: [roll0]
Muria: [roll1]
Evelyn: [roll2]

Full attack on the Shrike in L5:
haste attack(crit 20x2): [roll3] Damage: [roll4]+[roll5] fire Crit: [roll6] Damage: [roll7]
attack(crit 20x2): [roll8] Damage: [roll9]+[roll10] fire Crit: [roll11] Damage: [roll12]
attack(crit 20x2): [roll13] Damage: [roll14]+[roll15] fire Crit: [roll16] Damage: [roll17]
attack(crit 20x2): [roll18] Damage: [roll19]+[roll20] fire Crit: [roll21] Damage: [roll22]
attack(crit 20x2): [roll23] Damage: [roll24]+[roll25] fire Crit: [roll26] Damage: [roll27]

[Snowfire]

The Shrike targeted by Chaitali weaves around her blows, whirling with a strange beauty and somehow avoiding all but one of her attacks - still not enough to kill it. It hisses at the girl, and then unleashes a flurry of bolts as the two non-blinded Shrikes move in around Muria, the one on the far side stepping deftly around her strike as it moves past her. Their claws spin and thrust, one cutting a gash along the side of the warrior-champion even as the bolt from the one to her right slams into her.

Chaitali and Raika are both hit as well, the dark lances spearing through them and even with their cold defeated, they still do harm.

But it's not enough. And even as the blinded Shrike pulls itself free of the dancing motes of icy radiance all around it, the Lightship crew open fire again - this time a flurry of bolts erupting from each one. Several go wide, but enough don't. The Neverwere just attacked by Chaitali comes apart under the hail of fire, the spray of Light blasting it out of reality.

The one now closest to the door staggers under fire as well, the short beams of light punching clean through the voidstuff of its form, but maintains cohesion. It's clearly badly hurt though.

Muria takes 23 damage. Chaitali takes 18 damage. Raika takes 28 damage.

That is after cold resistance taken into account.

[Kasmania]

Raika barely even notices the Shrike's attack, taking a brief step forward as her earlier blessing fades away. Glaring with anger at the Shrike standing directly ahead of her, she raises her swordwhip into the air and lashes out directly at it-

And immediately fakes out to the right, drawing the Shrike's attention over towards the side and causing a brief misstep. "Muria! That one's wide open, take it down!" she calls out telepathically, as she raises her shield, and a shimmering golden wall of wind appears, neatly bisecting the room and separating the two Shrikes in the back from the rest of the party.

Raika takes 28 damage, but 27 of that was to temporary HP, which just faded away at the beginning of Raika's turn, and DR 2/- negates the rest. Chaitali and Evelynn also lose the con bonus. Current HP: 90

5-foot step forward into K6
Standard action: fighting defensively to Aid Another (DC 10), targeting the Shrike in K4 and applying effects to Muria. [roll0] Muria gains +9 on her next attack roll against that particular Shrike (as long as it wasn't a natural 1 on the roll).
Move action: cast illumination All Range Protection, along the line separating 4 and 5. All allies behind the wall gain +6 to AC from ranged attacks, and +3 to reflex saves. The wall does not hinder movement.
All allies adjacent to Raika (currently Muria and Chaitali) gain +2 Sacred bonus to all their attack rolls so long as they remain next to Raika.
Raika gains +2 dodge AC against all enemies in the room for fighting defensively.
Raika currently threatens the Shrikes in I6 and K4, and can Bodyguard Muria and Chaitali from attacks with attacks of opportunity.

[Danakir]

The coming healing rain gives Muria some pause, the creature smiling to herself as she feels the emptiness left behind by their attacks mend itself. It doesn't last however, another spear of liquid nothing piercing through her, followed quickly by rending claws. Neither lend a particularly solid blow, but it is enough to make her swear inwardly.

Then Raika advances on one of the Shrikes attempting to corner her and distracts it. She doesn't need the telepathic encouragement to take advantage of its failing, lunging at it immediately with the force of an avalanche, erupting into another powerful blow, her blade cutting the air with a hissing sound as she stabs out between its loathsome eyes.

Right before impact, she cries out to strike fear into their wicked hearts "Breaker Light!" and with that, the world is once more engulfed in a beautiful display of vivid flames that churn with the intensity and chaos of reality unbound.

Full-round action: Full-attack. First attack on K4 with full Power Attack.

Attack #1: [roll0]
Threat roll: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] + [roll3] + [roll4]
Extra crit: [roll5]

Rest of attacks determined in next post.

[Snowfire]

The Shrike who had managed to land a blow on her rears back from Muria's attack, already distracted by the sword-whip feint from Raika, and the blade of solid light goes straight through it, sending cracks shattering through its form. Muria's sword erupts in a screaming vortex of fire, and another Shrike falls before her weapon.

Two left. And at the rate they're dropping, they probably aren't going to get off any more shots.

[Danakir]

With her promise fulfilled, Muria's spirit is further invigorated, the walking volcano thrusting back without looking to crush her likely shocked opponent, following it up with a second slash in which she puts all her might should it survive this as she turns to face it, glaring with her own radiant gaze into its spiteful and hateful eyes.

She mouths words, both a prayer... and a farewell. It should never have been.

Let it be drowned away in her sacred radiance.

Other two attacks on I6.

Attack #2: [roll0]
Crit threat: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] + [roll3]
Crit damage: [roll4]

Attack #3: [roll5]
Crit threat: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7] + [roll8]
Crit damage: [roll9]

Special: All attacks are touch attacks.

Then, she uses a Swift Action to load her last Cartridge into Laevatein.

[Snowfire]

And the second last Shrike in the room, already badly injured, has a split second to register Muria's whirling blade before it cuts across twice in the space of a second. There's another burst of light, a blast of wind and fury, and then there is only one Shrike left.

Evelynn's initiative. One left.

[GFawkes]

Evelynn relaxes slightly at the healing rain, feeling her body begin to re energize. She points her partisan downward seeing only one Shrike left. "May this blade rise as we have to this challenge," she says before plunging the blade into the floor. A second later, the blade emerges beneath the Shrike, shooting upwards at it before plunging back into the floor, leaving no trace it was there.


Current HP: 84
Current Motes: 0

Keep the allocation of motes into Defiant, and use Rising Blade on the last Shrike.

To Hit (vs Touch AC): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
If it hits, the Shrike has a -3 penalty to AC for one round.

[Quellian-dyrae]

One to go, and already aboard their ship. A better opportunity could not have presented itself. Eranil advanced, flying with hasted speed to close with the creature. Sometimes, even he could bask in the glory of Light.

Though physically he remained invisible, his body manifested in a fleeting illusion. But where normally he appeared a mere wizard, this illusory form blazed with luminous power, and radiated an aura of menacing command. A wave of sheer awe would fall over the last remaining shrike, weakening its resolve and hammering it with an insistent compulsion to bow before him.

Then the illusion would then fade, leaving Eranil again invisible.

"You have failed!" Eranil yelled, voice booming with thunderous power. "Cease all action but for communicating with us until you leave this ship! Refuse, and you will be destroyed!" Those last words were imbued with his power over sound, blasting into the shrike's mind as a compelling command.

Move action to fly into L5.
Swift action to evoke Awesome Presence; shrike takes -2 on all saves for one round and must make a Will save (DC 23) or fall prone. If he's one of the ones that was hit by Laughter on High, of course, penalties probably don't stack.
Standard action to cast Suggestion (DC 23 with Cloaked Casting).
Free action to cross fingers that a "surrender or die" command counts as reasonable since his entire boarding party's been wiped.

Status:
HP: 90/90, 12 nonlethal.
Motes/Round: 12.
Complex Formulas: 1.
Luminous Reservoir: 15.
Spell Slots: 6/9/7/5/5.
AC: 31. Touch: 17. Flat Footed: 27. CMD: 20.
Fort: +12. Ref: +10. Will: +10.
Special Defenses: 50% Miss Chance. Cold Resistance 30. Sonic Resistance 20.

[kestrel404]

Chaitali is about to rush forward and strike the last standing creature when Eranil's words register. Instead, she maneuvers to get a clear shot at the final abomination and readies herself for its inevitable betrayal.


Move such that I can use a beam and not hit anyone but the shrike. Then ready an action to use my Elemental Beam in the event that the Shrike takes any action other than talking.

[Snowfire]

The final Shrike undulates strangely, splitting around Evelynn's blade as it rises to pierce it, the light glaring - but not burning it away. It doesn't even flinch as Eranil blazes into being, refusing to bow even when surrounded and outnumbered. And then at Eranil's command, it stops for a moment, looking over at the glaring illusion of the Stargazer. A hissing, spitting laughter sweeps the deck, and it smiles a death's-head smile.

As you wish, fool of Light.

The words echo into your mind, distracting you for a moment from the sudden presence, and the Shrike collapses in on itself. A wave of blackness blasts outwards like a dark nova, washing over you all - and then the Shrike is simply...gone.

Everyone in the room - that being all of you except Evelynn - take 90 points of cold/untyped damage. DC 24 reflex save for half.

The problem with the command was not that it was unreasonable. It was that you told it to stop doing everything but talk. Neverwere hold themselves in reality by sheer force of will alone. You told it to stop doing that. And discorporation is rather nasty if there isn't Light controlling it.

Combat over. Do not worry about healing each other - i.e. save your slots.

[Danakir]

The blistering creature of holy flames and wrathful light cries out and kicks back, flying backward as she shields herself from the chilling black wave.

"Motherf-!" Muria is less than thrilled by this turn of event. If Mira was present, she'd likely have chastised her for being so undignified.

Landing on her feet beyond the radius of the destruction, she peers back into the room to witness what'd become of her less fortunate comrades.

[roll0]

[Kasmania]

Raika has a split second of relief that her illumination is still separating the Shrike from her teammates, before the wave of darkness washes over her. Cringing in pain, as soon as the darkness passes, she whirls around to see how her teammates had fared.

Raika's wall is still up, so everyone gains +3 to their reflex save.

[roll0]

[kestrel404]

From her place near the ceiling where she was lining up a shot on the Shrike, Chaitali watches as the wave of darkness forms and just manages to use the exposed corner of a ventilation duct as partial cover against the blast.

Looking very much the worse for wear, she screams, "Flame Blast" in retaliation and fires a searing beam of light and heat...at the patch of empty floor where the Shrike once stood.

Embarrased by her outburst, Chaitali sinks to the floor and asks, "Did we get them all? Captain, are there any others on the ship?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil was distracted, distracted by a cool feeling of satisfaction as those words came into his mind. Now they'd be able to learn what they needed to know. Who was coming, what new powers the Neverwere had, maybe even what had happened to the Goldens. The questions danced in his mind, tantalizing him with answers that wer-OHMYGODTHEFREEZINGEMPTINESSWHATWASTHATKILLITKILLIT KILLIT!!!

Had it not been for Muria's previous ward, he might have passed out from the pain. As it was, he stumbled back, shivering helplessly. His mind quickly caught up to what had happened. He had known that the Neverwere maintained a presence on this pain through willpower - he had not known that it was a strictly active thing. He had thought it like breathing, an automatic reflex, beyond the scope of his command. He had been wrong.

And his miscalculation might have cost them horribly. He whirled to see that his teammates and the crew were alright, and was glad for the moment that he was still invisible, that they could not see the panic on his face. Seeing them all up, he took a moment to school himself back to calm, then dismissed his spell. "I'm sorry, all. Clearly, I did not think that one all the way through," he said simply, trying to keep the words neutral and professional, but there was no hiding the guilt and shame in his voice.

But he was nothing if not practical, and spared such feelings no further time. "And how goes the space battle?" he added to Chaitali's questions.

[Danakir]

There's something distinctly intimidating about a tall, statuesque and powerful pillar of radiant flames shaped like a woman standing nearby, the air still warping from the heat spilling with wild abandon from her ignited frame.

And then her tone and voice, especially as she runs a hand over her face, those piercing golden eyes like twin suns narrowing slightly "This should be all of them. We should decide our next move now. I recommend we return to the defensive line now. We can't afford to have more of these monsters board our ship." there's something distant about Muria's presence at the moment, as if she is a creature less than human.

She then sighs sharply, acrid black smoke escaping her lungs "... I'm glad everyone's alright. Thank the Heavens." she smiles broadly.

Well, perhaps not so lessened.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil hesitated. After that mishap, he wasn't quite keen on lending his dubious aid to a tactical discussion.

So he told himself to get over it. Like all of them, he had a job to do, and self-doubt would not enable him to do it any better.

"Perhaps, although that may be hasty. It all really depends on, how often can they do that, and how many can they send, and can they control where on the ship they arrive more effectively? If what we saw was the most effective option they had? Well, sure, they cost us some spells, and they hurt us some, but we can deal with that. We neutralized six of our primary targets, and gained some valuable tactical information in the doing. The advantage of the previous exchange goes clearly to us, and we will be better prepared if it happens again.

Again, assuming they can't pull it off better."

[Danakir]

"Eranil, do you feel comfortable risking the lives of the crew onboard this ship based on guesswork?" it's a low blow, dirty tactics really, but it does get Muria's point across effectively.

"We don't know. And because of that, I say we pull back to the defensive line and prepare for conventional warfare. I have full faith that we can prevail against them without taking these unnecessary risks." she lowers her white-hot blade toward the ground.

"We don't need to go in blind to win against these worthless monsters." she grins confidently.

[Quellian-dyrae]

It was a low-blow, and it struck home; a flicker of doubt crossed Eranil's face, and he momentarily lowered his head. Still, he stood his ground, biting back the urge to respond in kind. "No, I am not. I simply do not see how falling back is anything less of a guess. Who is to say they do not have some capacity to form a new super-weapon that can annihilate Celtha if they get within orbit? Or to shoot their shrikes past any defensive line we can create to various points on the planet? Or, of course, simply overwhelm our forces with sheer numbers?

"A defensive line gives them the initiative, and puts us immediately in an end-game situation. We hold, or the world is destroyed. Out here, we have time to react, to change plans, to learn more. I'm not saying staying out here is the best option...but it still sounds better to me than a head to head fight where we're outnumbered hundreds to one."

He looked to Mira. "Adamant is by far our strongest weapon. What do you think? Is Adamant more effective in the current manner of engagement, or would its power be best expressed in an orbital combat situation?"

[kestrel404]

Chaitali's shield vanishes again as she pants and leans against a wall. Still waiting on the Captain's response, she comments on Muria and Eranil's argument. "I may have gotten a bit hammered by that last group, but that's no reason to give up. I'll be fine in a couple of minutes and nobody else was really hurt - right?" Chaitali looks around the group to make sure she hadn't missed something in the fight before continuing. "Eranil's got a point - we need to know what other new tricks the Neverwere can pull before the rest of our forces engage. The point of coming out here wasn't just to shoot at them - though that was a big part of it. We also met them out here to find out what they were capable of, and force them on the defensive. So far, we've managed exactly one of those."

Chaitali turns to Mira and asks, "Any idea how the Shrikes managed to get in here? If we could keep them out, or at least confine them to one spot, we can defend the ship while you do the shooting. That's what we're here for, after all."

[Kasmania]

Raika shivers slightly, the memory of the wave of cold and darkness washing over her still all too clear in her mind. After checking on Chaitali, making sure that the younger girl was still alright, she turns back to Muria and Eranil. "Muria, you shouldn't be so harsh on him. Eranil has a point here; Chaitali nearly died in that fight just now, and that was a full silver pentacle of us, with support from Mira as well," she says, indicating the bridge crew. "If 6 of them can do this much damage to us, then just how much could they do to the defenses at Celtha? What if Celtha has to face a dozen at once? Two dozen?" She shakes her head slowly. "If it's at all possible to reduce their numbers before we return to Celtha, then we should try it. Though I fear for our safety, and for the safety of the Adamant and its crew, if it's at all possible to continue fighting, then I believe we should. If a group of Shrikes infiltrates again, we can fight them off just as we just did. If a group of Shrikes attacks a vulnerable position at Celtha, and we are otherwise occupied, then we are all doomed."

She turns to Mira as well. Mira, you know best of all of us the capabilities the Adamant has. Like Chaitali says, do we know how the Shrikes got onboard, and is there anything we can do about it?"

[Snowfire]

As you look back, Mari and her crew have returned their rifles to wherever they came from, and she and Robert are searching through databases. On the holo projected above the centre of the bridge, you see that the Adamant has pulled well out of range of the Neverwere Wraithships and is continuing to accelerate as Mari's last order to Eira. Mari looks up as you finish talking, and shakes her head firmly.

"We have guesses, but we're having to look way back into the archives. Robert is certain that he remembers something similar to this, but it's buried so far back that finding it is going to be a challenge. We could theoretically jury rig something to act as a protection against unwanted dimensional travel, but as the commander of this vessel I will not take Adamant back into an engagement with the Wraithships until such a time as I am either forced to or we have a defence against hostile teleportation. Only six Shrikes got aboard, yes. But imagine if they can do that with every firing? We'd be overwhelmed in minutes. And I cannot in good conscience risk the only major force multiplier we have." She shrugs. "We'll keep looking, and if we find something we'll get it online as fast as possible. But until then I'm keeping a light minute of separation between us."

[Danakir]

Eventually, Muria's form coalesces back into flesh and blood, the intense flames dimming and then vanishing the reveal pristine skin underneath, her costume still presence as she brings a hand up to her head, stumbling a bit as if dizzy.

"Mm, took something out of me..." she mumbles to herself, running a hand through her hair and then nodding at Mari's assessment "If that's the case, do you think we can get some rest? It'd be best if we could mend our wounds and get some time to collect ourselves." she inquires quietly, her expression distant as if she's deep in thought.

[kestrel404]

As the various mystic enhancements peter out and falling motes of light wash away Chaitali's wounds, she seems to collect herself and her irrepressible energy returns.

When the Captain finally looks up from her consoles to answer their questions, she looks mildly disappointed but nods her understanding. Honestly, she hadn't particularly looked forward to running around the ship fighting a constant war against boarding actions by the Shrikes.

"So they sent six against us as boarders. How many more are there in that fleet? Not one per ship, right? If there are over two hundred left not counting wraiths, we're in serious trouble."

[Snowfire]

Mari chuckles at Muria's words. "We've got some time at least, definitely enough for a short rest. And if you'd rather not stay here, you can teleport back to Celtha." She shrugs, then her face hardens at Chaitali's question. "Quite...a lot worse than that actually. I didn't want to say anything until we had a firm count, but now that we've gotten as close as we where..." She sighs.

"Shrikes are....limited in their ability to control Wraiths. They can't direct more than a certain number on their own. That number is generally around a hundred apiece - although we have seen it higher on occasion. I was hoping that was the case here." She runs her hand through her hair, eyes intent - but not directed at you. "It isn't. That swarm has almost five hundred Shrikes in it." She pauses, letting that sink in, then goes on. "Even then, we can beat it. I ran the numbers. It's possible. But we'll all need to be at our absolute best. That's the other reason I'm not going back in range of the Wraithships unless we have a surefire way of preventing hostile teleport. Celtha is going to need all of your power for the line-battle."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil nodded at Mari's decision, wracking his brain trying to think of some way they could neutralize the threat of enemy teleportation. Nothing came to mind, certainly nothing that they had time to do.

EDIT: Deeming that course of thought unproductive, Eranil would see if he could recall anything of this nature. If nothing came to mind, he'd ask, "May I access the archives? I'm a fair hand at research."

Knowledge (Planes): 1d20+21
Knowledge (History): 1d20+21
Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20+21

If nothing comes up and I can access the archives, with DM permission (and time permitting), I'd like to use them to take 20 on the above checks.

...Right, can't roll in an edit.

[kestrel404]

After whincing at the number the captain gives, the usually boisterous girl slumps. Hearing that there are fifty thousand Neverwere in this wave was too big of a number to make an impact on her. Hearing that there were five hundred or more of the creatures that nearly killed her a couple minutes ago has finally cracked Chaitali's confidence.

This was bad. Actually, she was pretty this went beyond bad. The more she though about it, the more it brought up memories of the old days. She leaned against the wall of the ship and shook silently. Her costume and the radiance that infused her very skin melted away, leaving her dressed in a worn old t-shirt and jeans. She still has an otherworldly cast to her from the various mystic energies bonded to her, especially the ghostly shimmering pseudo-flames on her back and the ever-shifting essences of bound vestiges that inhabit her. But without the Light of her Champion's mantle, Chaitali Mrapen looks like a brooding and rather sinister teenager.

She pulls a worn looking photo out of her belt pouch and stares at it, slumping down in a corner of the room where the Shrikes appeared.

[GFawkes]

Evelynn catches her breath, not realizing she had been holding it since the Shrike de-existified. She does a quick look around to ensure that everyone is alive and conscious, then turns to the group. "Perhaps Valtyra knows something of how they did this. Additionally, we should expect this to merely be the first attack in a series. I'll start patrolling the ship, maintaining contact via telepathy."


Knowledge (the planes): [roll0]

[Danakir]

Rolling her shoulders, the crimson firebrand listens to Captain Mari's assessment with a tired smile. Fighting with such intensity always took something out of her, especially when she let her elemental nature come to the fore like that. It was difficult for people who did not share her intimate connection with the Sacred Flame to understand how taxing harnessing its awesome power was on her both physically and emotionally.

Stiffling a yawn, she scans her surroundings, taking in the situation. The teenager then approaches Chaitali, plunking down right beside her and taking a peek at the photo as she speaks, her voice just as warm and smooth as ever "You did well." there's no trace of sarcasm in the words, her smile as disarmingly friendly as always.

She runs a hand through her hair, her armored costume seemingly not limiting or bothering her in the least "What's wrong?" Muria always had a great talent for reading people.

And Chaitali felt like someone she could relate to... even if they were different in many ways.

[kestrel404]

The photo in Chaitali's hand is worn and grainy, obviously taken with one of the early-model magitech cameras that supposedly went out of use decades ago, but also obviously not quite that old. In it is a smiling family, all dark haired and dark skinned like Chaitali, with two adults (both bearing enough resemblance to the girl that they're obviously her parents) who are obviously in love, with a veritable horde of children crowded around their legs. The children, five girls and two boys based on the clothes, ranged in age from probably nine down to newborn, with the two youngest, obviously twin boy and girl, held by the two eldest. The oldest girl is most likely Chaitali herself, smiling and looking like she's going to start dancing, not a care in the world. The next oldest, the other boy, looks calm but happy and is smiling fondly at his big sister's antics. Despite the idyllic foreground, the background is slightly off-putting. The house behind the group is little more than a sturdy and well kept hovel, with a fence that's obviously made by an amateur and looks to be meant as a last-stand defence as well as a well-tended vegetable garden that takes up most of the fenced in yard. The location has the look of a 3rd world country, but Celtha hasn't had areas like that on it for decades, right?

When Muria speaks to her, Chaitali startles slightly and slips the photo back in her pouch. She looks up and gives the other girl a lopsided grin. "Thanks, you did pretty good yourself. I'm just trying to remind myself what I'm fighting for. I can't lose any more of them..." That last part was whispered and probably not meant for Muria's ears, but she's so close to Chaitali she can't help but hear it.

[Danakir]

Pulling one knee up and leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling, Muria's smoldering embers dance vividly, as if to reflect her racing mind and tightening heart "It's the least I can do. I ain't real smart or clever like the lot of you, most of the time. But at least I can hit 'em good where it hurts. Right?" she grins sheepishly, doing a few punching motions and then dampening somewhat as the mood fails to lighten up.

"Have some faith. Not just in yourself, but the rest of us, yeah? We're all good and dedicated people. They won't overwhelm us, and we'll prevail. That's just the way it goes. You just gotta believe." she taps her chest plate. "Cause when you're doubting and questioning and mulling dark thoughts, you're just one step away from giving up. And that's no good, y'know?" she grins sheepishly, reaching out and poking her nose.

"You're too cute to worry that much all the time. C'mon, we gotta do everyone proud." she winks and then blows some hair out of her face, smiling charmingly, the fiery redhead giggling "Besides, we're the heroes. How uncool would it be if we didn't even think we can win? We gotta be strong."

[kestrel404]

Looking up into Muria's eyes, Chaitali's half-hearted grin turns into a full blown smile. Impulsively, she reaches out and hugs the other girl. "Thanks."

Standing up, Chaitali offers Muria a hand up before taking an overly dramatic, classic magical girl/hero pose and saying, "With the power of love and teamwork, we will beat them!" Grinning like a loon and giggling a bit, she calls up her costume again, making the pose look (slightly) less silly. With real determination in her voice, she states with absolute confidence, "And not one of the slimy things will set foot or tentacle on Celtha."

[Kasmania]

Standing over by the bridge console with Mari, with Alyssa back on her shoulder, Raika smiles slightly as she carefully watches Muria and Chaitali over in the corner of the room. The two younger girls reminded her of her days in the orphanage on Liare, back before Celtha and the Pentacles. She was like that when she was a teenager too, always offering a smile and a friendly word to the newer kids in the orphanage, confident that each new day would bring better things. At least until the war broke out...

Raika shook her head slightly. That was long past, and while she may not be able to bring back the dead, she can do her best to ensure that those alive today can live long, happy, and fruitful lives. The Pentacles are now her new Dragons, and she will give everything in her power to keep them alive, even if she must fall in the process. She gives a slight grin at Chaitali's absurd posture (it seems like Muria managed to cheer her up a bit), before turning back to the image of the seemingly-infinite swarm of Neverwere and waiting silently for Mari to determine their next best move.

[Danakir]

Muria startles somewhat at the sudden hug, clearly not having expected it, her cheeks flushing slightly as she clears her throat "It's... it's nothing, it's just how I feel." she grins sheepishly, her exotic eyes churning with her own feelings.

Taking the offered hand and squeezing it gently, Muria stands up proudly, much taller than the older girl, grinning happily at her behavior, even as she chuckles a bit nervously "That's right, the power of l-love. And the power of friendship too! As long as we stick together, there's no way we can fail." she smiles brightly, glad that her friend is feeling better, even as she too strikes a dashing pose, pointing upward defiantly.

"The only sight they'll see is the stars as we send them reeling back right into the hole they crawled from. That's the attitude!" she laughs boisterously, her eyes trailing toward Chaitali with a certain relief hidden on her features.

As if she's happy to know she's managed to reassure her teammate.

[Snowfire]

Even as Evelynn moves towards the now unsealed doors to patrol the ship, her mind is suddenly assaulted by a haze of images racing through her mind, Valtyra's memories pouring through her thoughts in a torrent.

Ancient-lost-young-new-forgotten-seen-FOUND!

The blazing flood of endless memory sends her to her knees with a keening cry of pain as the mind of an eternal melds, ever so slightly, with a mortal. She feels Valtyra's sorrow and desperate apology, even as she knows that the Celestial is shielding her desperately from the worst effects. And a sequence of numbers flashes in her mind.

Six-Four-Nine-One-Two-Eight-Nine-Nine-Zero

And then the pain stops, cutting off with the sudden finality of a falling axe, as Valtyra's essence spreads across her mind in desperate embrace.

I...am so sorry. But there wasn't another way.

[GFawkes]

Evelynn places her hands on the ground, catching her breath after that....occurence. "Another way for what? And what was that just then?" Evelynn replies in a mixture of fear and anger. They've never had any sort of event like that before. The closest they came was when Valtyra got really angry at something and demanded action.

For the first time, as much as she hated to admit it, Evelynn wanted Valtyra out of her for a reason other than privacy or anger.

[Snowfire]

Tell...tell Mari that the protocol she is looking for is filed under that number within the archives. Valtyra replies, voice small - and infinitely apologetic. Evelynn feels her working, her essence wiping the pain away like a cloth does dust.

As to what that was... There is a feeling remarkably similar to that of a sad sigh. That was my memory, Evelynn. The memory of a being that has lived for almost as long as the stars have burned in the skies. I could not do that with what little Self I have free to use, not reach so far back with the clarity required. So...I had to let you see it. I tried to shield you. Light above I tried. But there are limits to my power, as you are well aware.

I am so very very sorry. If I must do so again, I swear I will warn you. I did not realise that the effects would be so traumatic.

Valtyra's mental voice sound/feels almost heartbroken as she whispers those final words to Evelynn.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil approached Evelynn cautiously as she sank to the ground. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern in his voice, while at the same time sending telepathically, ~Do you have control of your body and actions?~ As a practitioner of enchanting magic himself, he knew all too well the dangers of psychic invasion, and was quick to react to even the hint of them. Telepathic communication wasn't by any means a perfect way to detect them, but there were some types that it could serve to reveal. After the shrikes' previous play, he wouldn't have put a long-range telepathic compulsion past them.

[GFawkes]

"Thank you. For both the information and keeping me safe." Evelynn says as she stands up. "Mari, check the archive file Six-Four-Nine-One-Two-Eight-Nine-Nine-Zero. The protocol should be there."

She turns to Eranil. "I-we're fine. We just need a minute to collect ourselves. It's nothing serious, just one of those things that happens when you share a mind with someone."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil gave a slender grin when she spoke of the archive file, and nodded when she assured she was in control. He turned his attention to Mari, eager to see what information the archive had for them.

Even given the numbers, he was still quite confident in their preparations, but if they could indeed accomplish more out here, or at least learn what new capabilities their foes would bring to the table, it would be a big win.

[Danakir]

There's some concern in Muria's face as she's distracted from her posing to keep an eye on Evelynn, the confused teenager doing her best to keep abreast of the situation, her arms folding as she looks alternatively between Evelynn and Mari.

Eventually, she runs a hand over her hair and finds herself a seat to begin crafting a new prayer strip.

Looks like they might be getting into some more trouble soon.

[kestrel404]

Chaitali turns to see Evelynn fall and watches in concern. Unable to directly help, she feels relieved when everything turns out alright.

Once things settle down once more, she approaches Evelynn and Eranil, pulling two shiny green crystals from her hip pouch and offers one to each of them while explaining. "Hey, I picked up a bunch of these after...well after the Scream. It seemed prudent. I've been hanging onto them just in case but...after getting really hurt by those Shrikes I thought it might be a good idea to pass them around to anyone I think could use them. They're psionic power stones, kind of like scrolls except you activate them with your mind and will. If you can figure out how to use a scroll of a spell not known to your discipline, you should be able to use one of these. Each stone has the ability to manifest a power called Revivify, which jump-starts a body shortly after the person's heart has stopped. It should work up to a minute after someone would normally be considered dead to bring them back, without the intense ritual and magic of raising the truly dead."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil gave a sage nod as Chaitali explained the devices. "Ah, a wise move," he said, taking the proffered stone and slipping it into his pack...and then, with a slender grin, drawing out a pair of tightly-rolled scrolls, and holding one out to each of them.

"These have a similar function. Not as reliable - they have a window of only a few seconds, and sufficient physical trauma could leave a body beyond their ability to repair - but they have a chance of getting the fallen up and active again immediately, and more importantly, I can scribe replacements with a day of work, given access to sufficient materials."

He figured, if they each had at least one of each option, they'd have more flexibility when it counted, since the scrolls had a much more limited window of efficacy - if one of them could get to a fallen ally in time and use them, and that ally was within their power to heal, great. If not, they had the power stones to fall back on.

[Snowfire]

Mari makes a move towards Evelynn as she falls, but leaves her safe-keeping to those of her Pentacle until she reels off the number string. She looks up, blinking once, then shakes her head.

"Figures." She mutters, tone amused. "Thank you Evelynn. And thank you, Valtyra." She nods to Robert, who keys in the sequence and then both their eyes widen in concert at the data streaming across their screens.

"Eira," Mari's tone has gone flat, "I'm sending you something. I need it implemented yesterday."

"Yes ma'am!" The blonde haired captain turns towards you, her face drawn - but her eyes holding a flame of hope and satisfaction.

"Well, there's good news and bad news. Before you ask, we can still win. So which do you want first?"

[kestrel404]

Chaitali looks up from where she's trading items with her teammates. "Bad news first, always."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Realistically, Eranil thought, the most effective course would be to provide the news in whichever order would provide the easiest understanding. If the bad news is the primary point but mitigated or subverted by the good, then that would be the ideal order. Rather, if the news is predominantly good, with some negative that must be taken into account, it should be revealed first. In this way, we don't receive any information out of context and can come to an understanding of the situation in its entirety. If the two pieces of information are completely distinct, of course, it becomes trickier. At that point, it is reasonable to base the decision on the idea that the first spoken will have the greatest impact on our moods, while the second will find most purchase in our thoughts, all else being equal. Bad coming first then, might be ideal to ensure full focus, while good might leave us complacent, though the value of morale is not to be discounted. Of course, if either presents a new tactical situation that we must work to avoid or exploit, that might be better to present last so it's what we're immediately thinking about. Of course, if the two pieces of information are unequal in their scope, this logic shifts, and it does not perfectly take into account all possible psychological factors that may influence reactions. That would require substantially more time to construct a thorough analysis, slowing down the dissemination of the information considerably...

Blink.

"Ah...yes, bad news first should be fine."

[Danakir]

The exchange of words gives Muria pause. Putting down the materials with which she crafts her prayer strips, she turns her full attention on Mari as she reclines back into her chair.

Bad news.

Just what they needed right now.

[Kasmania]

Raika had started towards Evelynn as she collapsed to the ground, but paused and remained near Mari instead, as Eranil and Chaitali went to her aid. As Evelynn recited out the archive file number, Raika turned to Mari as she inputted the string, waiting for the captain to finish reading. Mari's announcement was worrisome, but somewhat expected; nothing was ever good about the Neverwere.

"As long as we hear both, then whichever order is fine."

[GFawkes]

Slightly woozy from the mental merging, Evelynn turns to Mari. "I'm still in recovery, but let's hear the bad news first."

[Snowfire]

Mari looks between you, then nods and taps a few keys on one of the screens.

"Bad news first it is. We all made a rather hideous oversight." She gestures at the image off to one side, the three dimensional view of the multiverse as explored by the Pentacles, with the Twinned Gate directly at its centre - and Amber close by. "All of our knowledge, all of our experience, is with Neverwere released through the cracks that the Gate could not contain. But these are quite different, in fact they must be if the Gate has been cracked. And would it not be reasonable, then - from what we have seen- to assume that the Gate restrained the powers of all Neverwere that escaped through the cracks created by the Fracture?" She brings up one hand, resting head against its meager support.

"We assumed, oh how we assumed, that just because the Neverwere had found freedom, that nothing else had changed. But the archive file...that has a lot in it. I am quite surprised that it was not known, but I guess a millennia and a half of relative peace and prosperity does that with information that is never expected to be needed again." She taps one of the displays around her.

"But the long and the short of it is this. Adamant is just as effective offensively, but some of our systems are going to need to be reconfigured to shield us from the more invasive powers of the Shrikes. Those powers are, in fact, the reason that we have two shields on each section." She chuckles dryly. "Someone didn't forget then, when the Luminar's were being designed at least. However from everything we've seen, the Neverwere expected this to be a surprise, and it was. That gives us an advantage now. Hence the good news."

She stops, allowing the situation to sink in, and clearly awaiting any comments or questions from the Silvers.

[kestrel404]

Chaitali considers this news, and then pares her responses to the only thing she feels is important right now. "How long?"

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil considered her words a moment, gathering his thoughts. Chaitali hit the primary one. "Indeed, that is the most important thing. Can we reconfigure and then continue with our previous plan, reconfigure in time for the battle at Celtha, or are going to have to make do for this battle?

"Additionally, what do we know about these additional powers? Does the archive have the actual capabilities on record?

"Also, what about the planetary defense system on Celtha? Will it have vulnerabilities, and can it be reconfigured to close them up?"

And with that thought, he also opened a mind link to Valerie. ~We've engaged the Neverwere. They possess additional capabilities that have to this point been suppressed by the Twinned Gate. At a minimum, the ability to "shoot" shrikes at us in what appears to be a form of directed teleportation. Make sure everyone understands this, we'll send you more information as we learn it. It might be a good idea to alert the artificers and technicians maintaining the planetary defenses; it's possible we'll have things for them to do.~ His words were calm and professional as always, but the very fact that he had contacted her directly instead of leaving it to one of his teammates would likely underscore the seriousness of the situation.

[Danakir]

Muria takes in everything that's said, crossing her legs on her chair as she rests her chin on her closed fist "... at least, with everything, they probably don't expect us to close this hole in our defenses so fast. Maybe we can take advantage of their expectations somehow? I mean, they're probably going to try this again so if we could somehow exploit that..." she shrugs slightly.

She had always been more of a tactician than a strategist. So in this, it really came down more to other people's assessment. Still, maybe there was a way they could turn this to their advantage with some clever planning?

[Kasmania]

Raika claps her hands. "Well, that's not all bad news then! So long as we can still take countermeasures, then we can still fight back, even if they're more powerful than we thought they were. Can we finish the modifications by the time we arrive back at Celtha?"

[Snowfire]

Mari looks over at Eira, the question in her eyes very clear.

"Forty minutes. And that's shaving a third off of the listed reconfiguration time." She replies calmly, her voice detached slightly - hands racing across the multiple screens around her. "We'll have an hour or two before we reach Celtha at that point, but the real question will be do what want to let them know that we can block them now. Considering they'll probably fire a much larger salvo at us when they decel and break up, it may be wiser to let them do that. Mainly due to the apparent secondary effect of the reconfiguration." She grins fiercely. "Anything trying to teleport aboard that is of Neverwere will be utterly destroyed as it tries to bypass the reconfigured shields."

"As for Celtha," Robert continues on the end of his bridge-mate's statement, "it really isn't going to matter. The Neverwere are going to focus a lot on us. And the PDCs can just split up their beams to counter the active teleport effects. Beam blocking just stops them, Lightshield reconfiguration will destroy them if we let them hit." He shook his head. "There's no way that we're going to have the Celthan Lightshield active though. That's a project that will take a lot longer than we had to prepare. The best we can do is advise a change in targeting priority and hope it'll be enough. And in all honesty, if we can hold the reconfig in surprise until the line battle, and then get them to fire a full salvo at us, then we can probably cut the number of Shrikes in half. And that, in itself, will probably force them to call back most of the forces that'll have been meant to bypass us."

[kestrel404]

Listening into the plans, Chaitali's radiant smile finally returns. "Yes! They thought they had the drop on us, but we can TOTALLY turn the tables on them!"

She does a little dance in place (even while seated, it looks graceful and well done), then finishes her preparations. That done, she looks around and pouts again, "But that means we've got to wait for them again...what are we going to do until then? I'm all revved up and ready to go NOW!"

Despite her pouting, Chaitali doesn't look like she's expecting an answer.

[Quellian-dyrae]

"Now that is interesting..." Eranil said, sending the new information to Valerie as they received it. "Of course, this leads to two questions. First, if we continue attacking them, will they just unload a full salvo? They've now tested that we can't block their teleport shots, I don't see much of an advantage to unloading a full salvo in orbit that I don't see to unloading it here. Morale impact, maybe..."

"Unless of course, our continuing to attack them after a notable delay clues them in that something's changed. Now, if we can reconfigure but leave the new configuration down, raising it fast enough to matter during combat, we could provoke another testing shot, and only then raise shields to full. But then, if we bet on that, we'd also be betting on the first shot not being a full salvo, and not being a partial salvo that is still sufficient to overwhelm us. So, probably too risky."

"However, that same logic basically holds up at the line battle, although the fact that at that point we're backed into a corner might dupe them. Or, they might play it safe and fire another test shot, and we're back at square one."

"The problem I have with the 'head back to provoke a full salvo' plan is it relies entirely on enemy action. It would be a huge win if it went like that, but if it doesn't, we're still surrendering the substantial initiative advantage that engaging them out here offers us."

"What if we contacted an oracle back on Celtha? I believe discerning which of two possible options would be more tactically advantageous is within the capabilities of communion-style divinations. Ask the question...'Would it be a better idea for Adamant to continue engaging the Neverwere in space than to fall back for an orbital battle?' or something. Maybe use any additional questions to accumulate more tactical data on the various contingencies, so we can check the answer with our own logic before committing to either course."

[Danakir]

Having taken everything Eranil proposed, Muria objects at last, standing back up and speaking eloquently, her fiery armor as striking as usual "That's not entirely accurate. It's best to remember there's good reasoning for us making our stand in Celtha's orbit. As far as terrain and support goes, it's our most advantageous position. You could really compare it with a fortress. There's certainly the possibility of us scoring smaller victories by leaving the fortress to meet our foes directly if we can ambush or otherwise fool them, but can it really compare to the benefits of holding the line? We have limited resources after all and it wouldn't do if we were all exhausted after overextending ourselves trying to ease the burden of our comrades when it isn't necessary." she pauses and the brushes a red bang out of her face, quirking an eyebrow "And honestly, how would they know any different? It's clear they think the Lightship is defenseless. If we don't capitalize on what we found, then what was this even for? Killing a small squad of Shrikes? That's meaningless in the grand scheme..." she sighs.

"As satisfying as clashing against them is... and as much as I'd love for us to be the great heroes of Celtha, we can't just ignore the help of our friends and comrades. It's together we'll prevail..." she moves closer to Chaitali, reaching for her shoulder to squeeze it with a confident grin, even if her eyes shine with her frustration at having to hold back from her righteous wrath "Unless we get some genius idea, we should translocate back to the Celtha headquarters. We can at least prepare any emergency supplies we might need and get some rest."

"If you're feeling too antsy, we can spar too." she teases Chaitali, poking her cheek and then turning back to the rest of the Pentacle.

"Still, I always trust in the wisdom of the Sacred Flame. If you want to contact the Oracles, so be it, but they're already overworked. I think it's best to accept we've already done everything that was in our power to do. Our allies need our leadership."

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil considered the logic with a slow nod, but he wasn't quite ready to abandon his position. "Very true, the fortifications and our allies are a strong advantage. However, I would hardly limit the possible achievements we can make out here to the small group of shrikes we neutralized. Unless I've substantially misunderstood something, once we reconfigure our shields, the original logic we came out here under still stands."

"Adamant is our most devastating weapon by a large margin. Its defenses are sufficient that the enemy cannot destroy it quickly enough to prevent it from getting out of range to recover. Its regenerative powers mean that with modest strategy and timing, it will be at full strength for the line battle...basically regardless of what we do out here. Therefore, every minute we spend fighting them out here is a minute that the enemy is facing sustained fire from our most powerful weapon, with minimal risk to our own resources."

"At Celtha, we have more total firepower, but the risk to our resources not only increases significantly, but their win condition becomes achievable. Now, there are situations that can change that logic. If they have options out here that put Adamant at legitimate risk, which they would not have in orbit. If they have weaknesses in orbit that constitute a significant force multiplier for Adamant that they would not have out here. If we can reliably expect them to make a massive tactical blunder - such as, shooting our reconfigured shields with a full salvo of shrikes - in orbit that they would not make out here."

"Even then though, they would have to outweigh the advantages of a couple hours of...well, not completely risk-free, but as close to a risk-free sustained offense with our most powerful weapon as we're going to get. And if I understand Adamant's capabilities, that is a big advantage to outweigh. Especially if we get really lucky, and they do unload a full salvo at our reconfigured shields while we're out here, although that possibility is hardly one to bet on."

[Kasmania]

Raika blinks, not quite fully catching everything that Eranil and Muria were discussing between them. She pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts before she speaks.

"I don't know if we can count on luck when it comes to to the Neverwere. We don't know if this new-found Shrike teleport is the only new ability we didn't know about, or if they have any others that they're holding in reserve. We can't risk being subjected to something worse while we're out here all on our own." She cracks a small grin. "Besides, if we keep out of range the whole way back, it will look like we're running scared, as if we have no possible retaliation available for their abilities. I'd say that should encourage overconfidence on their part when we reach Celtha again."

"I'll stay here on the Adamant though, if any of you go back. Alyssa and I don't need anything pressing, and I hesitate to leave this ship undefended without any of us present, especially considering that we now know they have more abilities than we previously thought."

[kestrel404]

Chaitali nods firmly. "Of course we'll stay here. No matter what, this ship needs guarding, and there's nothing we can do to help fortify the defenders. We'll wait until the Neverwere have slowed down to engagement speeds before we try to take them on in person."

Then she gets a fierce scowl of concentration. "But I don't know about attacking now or waiting until later. I guess it all comes down to numbers, and probabilities, and stuff. If we start pounding on them now and they only try that teleport trick a few times and only lose a few Shrikes, then we'd have to make up the difference in how many times the Adamant gets to shoot at them before we reach Celtha. We can make one really big attack every minute or so, for two and a half hours - that's not even two hundred shots. And we're not likely to take out a Shrike on every shot, since they're surrounded by the lesser Neverwere. Weigh that against the chance of halving the number of Shrikes in one shot, and leaving the rest of them burdened with a force of Neverwere too large for them to control..."

Chaitali frowns and stamps her foot cutely. "I really wanted to come out here and pound on them, but it looks like the single surprise attack followed by a strong defensive charge from our full forces is the right thing to do." The energetic girl sighs in frustration before she starts to pace once more.

[Danakir]

"Let's keep this simple. As far as we know, the formations they're currently using are necessary to keep traveling at their present speed. That limits how much firepower they can bring to bear and with it how many Shrikes they can beam onboard accordingly. So if we confront them further right now, we'd risk giving up our advantage fully. That's what I'm getting out of all this. Correct me if I'm wrong, Mari." she does her best to summarize the situation as she understands it, grinning crookedly as she continues "It'd be disastrous and make everything we've just accomplished meaningless. And even if we're all ready, the people back on Celtha might need our help getting ready. We can stay to guard this ship too. Either way, those are our most productive options right now, even if they're... boring and tedious." she groans to herself, realizing she's being the responsible one.

To an extent, that's a bit distressing. More than any of her friends, she craved the action and to lay it on hard on the monsters which now threatened the world under their protection.

"I'd love to be wrong on this. Our confrontation earlier just got my fire burning." she blows some hair out of her face dejectedly, following Chaitali pacing around like a caged lion as she speaks.

They certainly had a lot in common.

[Quellian-dyrae]

It was rather amusing in its way, where Eranil himself usually preferred patience and caution. Again he gave that slow nod, still somewhat uncertain, but this time he didn't press his argument, bowing to the wisdom of the group. Fact was, he simply didn't have a thorough enough understanding of Adamant's capabilities and limitations or those of their opponents to feel confident debating further. Something he made a mental note to correct in the future.

[Snowfire]

The bridge crew continue working as the Pentacle debates courses of action, a low murmur of words passing between them as they recheck systems, modifying operating protocols and beginning the complex reconfiguration process. Mari, however, has kept at least half of her attention on the conversation, and at the mention of her name paired with a question, she turns back to them.

""Muria is pretty much correct. If we go back into the fight after we've reconfigured, we'll do very little damage compared to what we'll be able to do when they decelerate to combat speeds and fire." She states. "At that point, they'll break up, fire their salvo - if the archive records in that entry are anything to go by, it'll be a full one and we're perfectly matching the normal profile from the First War before we worked out how to shield against Void Stepping." She gestures at the display, now marking them clearly out of range. "Go get some rest, all of you. You'll need it for the battle. We'll wake you twenty minutes before contact."


***

The next several hours pass without incident. Those who rest find that the beds aboard the Adamant are enchanted in the same way as those in the Enclaves, returning them to full spiritual strength easily within the few hours necessary to reach orbit and for the Neverwere to approach.

Fifteen minutes before contact, you're back on the bridge again though, preparing as the Neverwere formation begins the opening moves to its separation and deceleration. Everything is in preparation, the Radiant Armoured adventurers floating in the void in a cone around the Adamant's slender form. The other Pentacles below, ready to teleport up at a moments notice. And Admanat herself - with you aboard her - her reconfigured shields ready and all those aboard prepared for heavy combat. The Radiant Shell is active, Lightstream drive powered down in preparation for the combat to come.

All that remains are the final minutes of waiting - and any last minute commands or messages to the defenders of Celtha.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Fully rested and refreshed, Eranil stood with serene patience, waiting with his wand in hand. In his head, he was patiently going over his spells, considering each one, their potential tactical merits or lack thereof.

"Chaitali, if you give me just a moment before making your initial assault, I can render you invisible. It won't last long, but you won't reveal yourself with your first strike. Should help you get in among them more safely this time."

With luck, they'd be able to pick their battles well enough that they could work one or two spells immediately before engaging, but if not, he wanted her to be aware that that option was on the table.

[kestrel404]

Chaitali grins and shrugs. She's pacing the room like a caged tiger, her nearly-limitless energy once again expressing itself.

"It'll depend on the situation, but I'll try. Being able to hit the Shrikes when they're not expecting it will be a bigger Benefit than avoiding their retribution - I can usually dodge past that, even if it slows me down. More important, I think, will be that wand of Death Ward - I have a feeling we really dodged a bullet with that one. Between that and adding the new blue highlights to my costume to keep the chill off, I should be ready to soak up a bit more punishment."

Chaitali looks confident in her abilities, striking a heroic pose as she makes her declaration before continuing her movement.

[Danakir]

Without anything else to do, Muria did what is reasonable and took a nap. It is restless and she tossed around in the darkness without dreams or nightmares.

Later in Celtha's orbit on the bridge, she refused to let this get to her. She must show a confident visage to the others and encourage them to surpass themselves. Today was going to be their greatest challenge yet. They'd stood against terrifying odds in the past and handled difficult matters, but none so dire or overwhelming as this. Muria was deeply confident in her own prowess, but there was no way even her sacred power could win the day alone. They'd need to stand together as friends if they wanted to have any chance at victory.

Down on the ground, do the people wonder if it might be their last day? A sombering thought.

"We'll pull through. Typically, I've only used a small portion of what the Sacred Flame bestows upon me. In our time of need, I won't be so stingy. I'll do what I can to protect us all against their attacks and... I have faith we can do this." she looked at every one of her companion in turn.

"I know this is a lot to ask, but please accept the blessings of the Sacred Flame. Each of us is going to be key if we're to prevail this day. And whatever happens... it was great knowing you all." her broad grin does a good job of hiding her own brewing anger. She could nearly hear them in the silence. The ones who ruined their peace.

With that said, she uttered a chant mixing Celestial and Ignan together in a flawless harmony, even as her hair danced and flickered as if it were an open flame and her holy symbol around her neck floated up, shining brightly with crimson holy radiance.

The difference is palpable, as if the bridge has become a sacred place with their hearts swelling with the courage and overwhelming power of Light in ways that surpass even their typical limits. Some of them might have doubts on the existence of this 'Sacred Flame' that Muria so fervently obeys, but only the most cynical and disingenuous of people can deny the miraculous magic that her burning devotion brought to bear.

Taking a deep breath once she is done at last making her rounds, channeling so much divine magic was quite taxing in its own way, she smiled to everyone gathered and she too chose to strike a heroic pose, her cloak flapping dramatically "Let's kick their ass." and with that, her job done until engagement became imminent, she made her way to Captain Mari.

"I'll pray that the Sacred Flame guards you and your crew, Mari. Open the way for us and we'll do the rest." she moved her hand to offer the older woman her blessing, it felt like the right thing to do. Assuming she accepted, she then moved on to isolate herself facing one of the large bay windows that give a view into the emptiness of space.

Looking at her reflection there, she closed her eyes and contacted Mira's daughter through telepathy "I'll pray for your safety. Please come back with lots of stories to tell. The Sacred Flame guide your hand." not expecting much of an answer, she was likely busy, she then sighed softly.

Mira...

[Kasmania]

Raika feels Muria's soothing blessing wash over her, and closes her eyes briefly as she feels herself getting lighter, stronger, faster. Thinking to herself what she could do to help, she pulls out a wand from the bag dangling on her back. Moving to each party member in turn, she taps them with the wand, and gives them a quick hug, with a whispered "Stay safe" to each one. She leaves Alyssa and herself for last, and then puts the wand away as she moves to stare out the viewport, scanning the distance for the approach of the swarm.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Eranil's quiet confidence only heightened when Muria's spell filled him with divine certainty. He found himself hoping, not so much for safety or victory - those, he felt, were assured. Rather, he really hoped that the battle wouldn't be too chaotically overwhelming. He wanted to get a good look at the fireworks when the Neverwere ran into the Celthan Defense Grid!

Since combat seemed imminent, he worked his own initial preparations, starting off by twisting the light around himself to create a series of duplicate images, and then going to each of his friends and subtly bending the light around them, causing their forms to become hazy and difficult to focus on. That done, he went back down the line, using his wand to imbue each one with a ward against the life-sapping powers of the Neverwere.

Mirror Images: [roll0]

"I've some more for us, but the spells won't last long. If I can have about half a minute's warning - or delay - before we move, I can lend some more weight to our initial assault. There's also this," he added, taking another wand out. "It will create a force shield for about a minute, but it's not targeted, so you'll need to be able to use it on yourself."

[kestrel404]

Seeing that everyone else is waving their wands around, Chaitali grins mischievieously and pulls out her own. Pointing at each in turn, she calls out, "Wingardium Leviosa!" causing them to sprout wings made of clouds. She even manages to get Alyssa.

[Snowfire]

Evelynn focuses herself as the final few minutes tick past, ribbons of light spinning out around her to form one, two, four, seven, nine orbs of floating Light in the air around her. Those of you more learned in planar matters recognise them as Lantern Archons, and their cheerfully glowing presences bring smiles to your faces as it helps you remember. Regardless of what might be and of what might come, you are not alone in this fight. Those few hundred equipped with Radiant Armour have been teleported into position to form a disc around the Adamant, and the other Pentacles are standing by.

The Crystals are being held back, their power kept in reserve as a - hopefully - final tipping point, and the other Silver stands ready on the surface of Celtha, watching through a link to the Adamant's sensors. They have made their preparations as you were doing so, and now stand ready - to give all the strength they have to the protection of this world, and then more.

As you close in, the systems on the Adamant start to reach out, picking out individual Shrikes in the horde of Wraiths approaching as the swarmships begin to break apart. There is a slight shudder across the ship as the Radiant Shell activates, moving the entire 'wall' slightly across space. Vectors slide into line, locking in, and outside the ship magic pulses and flares as those gifted with the Lightforged armour bring up the last - and shortest lived - of their protections. There are only a few hundred of them, facing down tens of thousands, but they don't waver.

Even them, those who cannot fight as fully as you in this defence, they hold steady. Not ripple of movement more than the smooth gestures of casting, the unsheathing of weapons wreathed in power and the steady movement as those equipped with the latter moved to the fore of the disc. They too were ready, for whatever might come. And the faint whine of the Adamant's weapons charging in preparation fills the air around you - the Starlances deploying their lenses as the Brilliants and Dawnspears swiveled and locked on their targets. All of it focusing in on that single countdown of range, now blurring down towards the point at which the Shrikes will - hopefully - destroy a great many of their own number.

And even though you know it's not long, time seems to slow to an utter crawl, the swarm inching the final few hundreds of kilometers into range, and an involuntary intake of breath sweeps the bridge as they open fire - a symbol flashing at the bottom of the display that you now know means an incoming hostile teleport. Hundreds of beams of darkness, lashing out across the space between the decelerating swarms and Adamant, apparently made confident by their easy penetration of her defensive systems before.

But it's been hours since then - and the defensive modifications were completed a long time ago - relatively speaking at least. The conduits slash in on the Adamant, and you fancy for a moment that you feel the anticipatory grins of the Shrikes closing in on you.

And then the shields around the hull of the Lightship, newly reconfigured to protect against this very threat, explode with a pulse of searing light that puts the star of Celtha to shame. The lances of beyond-black burnt away under the furious rebuke of Amber's Light, and you did not imagine the vengeful hiss of satisfaction from the bridge crew as the swarm before you lost cohesion.

"That's for my chair, you bastards." Mari mutters quietly and then, raising her voice. "Robert?" She says casually, voice tinged with a hotly vengeful satisfaction.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Fire plan Storm. You may fire when ready. Give those things a taste of the Light they've tried to hide from."

"Fire plan Storm, aye." Robert replies, and you notice the difference. Mari's tone is fiery, but her gunnery officer's seems colder than the blasts that the Neverwere wielded against you not more than four hours past. Then his fingers tense on the firing pad, and space explodes before you. Vast cones of white fury blaze across the star dusted blackness of the starfield, for a moment blotting out even the swarm before you, and you almost feel sorry for the Wraiths and Shrikes in front of those blasts.

Almost.

And then the light clears, the sensors registering hundreds - if not thousands - of kills from the massive combined blast. Adamant shivers slightly, swinging in place as the horde of Neverwere close the final few kilometers, decelerating raggedly now, and a second burning cone of light slams out into them. The leading edges of the swarm crunch into the line, the casters within it releasing their most powerful spells in glorious concert. Again light blazes across the viewscreen - more subdued this time, and of different colours - but light all the same. More Neverwere vanish from the display - although you know that those ones aren't properly banished.

Then they're in amongst the line, and chaos reigns.

Searching swiftly, you pick out the groups of Shrikes, all appearing to be moving towards a central position in the swarm. It goes contrary to what you've had a chance to read of their standard doctrine when their powers were unsealed before, but it must be for some reason, and your bets are all firmly set on 'nothing good'. Nine are already at the centre of the formation, but more are at least thirty seconds away, still reacting to the sudden halving of their numbers.

Valerie's voice echoes in your mind.

:All right, we've got the closest group to the centre. You get the ones at the core before they start doing something.: There's a brief pause, and then she speaks again, warmer this time. :Let us meet under the stars.:

:For it is there that we shine brightest.: You reply as one, the response one of rote, tradition, and companionship. Good luck and farewell if we never meet again in this life.

And then Light weaves around you, the Lantern Archons melding into a swirling gestalt of fireflies, and you vanish from Adamant's deck...

..to appear at the heart of the Neverwere swarm, facing down nine Shrikes. But this time, this time, you've got all your protections up, and you're the ones that have surprise on your side.

[kestrel404]

Chaitali is the first to arrive at the cluster of evil. Their ring-shape is rather ominous, but fortunately they're still obviously thinking in two dimensions. Shifting her inner reserves of light into bolstering her costume, she moves above the group and begins her whirling dance.

She passes downwards through the hole between shrikes, spinning, kicking, punching from above, from within, from below. Ending her run a dozen feet below them she turns and flies back through their formation, and again downwards before shooting off to 'behind' the shrikes from where she first appeared.


Chaitali shifts her motes around to the Nimble(9) and Enhanced(9) costume effects.

She then moves to 10' above I6 and begins her dance of death. Her movement is then to 10' below I6, 10' below H6, 10' above H6, 10' above H5, 10' below H5, then off to 10' below F1.

Attacks (all have 20x2 crit), and should be against enemy's flat-footed AC (since I'm invisible):

H4: [roll0] damage: [roll1] + [roll2] fire, crit: [roll3] damage: [roll4]
I4: [roll5] damage: [roll6] + [roll7] fire, crit: [roll8] damage: [roll9]
G5: [roll10] damage: [roll11] + [roll12] fire, crit: [roll13] damage: [roll14]
I5: [roll15] damage: [roll16] + [roll17] fire, crit: [roll18] damage: [roll19]
J5: [roll20] damage: [roll21] + [roll22] fire, crit: [roll23] damage: [roll24]
G6: [roll25] damage: [roll26] + [roll27] fire, crit: [roll28] damage: [roll29]
J6: [roll30] damage: [roll31] + [roll32] fire, crit: [roll33] damage: [roll34]
H7: [roll35] damage: [roll36] + [roll37] fire, crit: [roll38] damage: [roll39]
I7: [roll40] damage: [roll41] + [roll42] fire, crit: [roll43] damage: [roll44]

H4: [roll45] damage: [roll46] + [roll47] fire, crit: [roll48] damage: [roll49]
I4: [roll50] damage: [roll51] + [roll52] fire, crit: [roll53] damage: [roll54]
G5: [roll55] damage: [roll56] + [roll57] fire, crit: [roll58] damage: [roll59]
I5: [roll60] damage: [roll61] + [roll62] fire, crit: [roll63] damage: [roll64]
J5: [roll65] damage: [roll66] + [roll67] fire, crit: [roll68] damage: [roll69]
G6: [roll70] damage: [roll71] + [roll72] fire, crit: [roll73] damage: [roll74]
J6: [roll75] damage: [roll76] + [roll77] fire, crit: [roll78] damage: [roll79]
H7: [roll80] damage: [roll81] + [roll82] fire, crit: [roll83] damage: [roll84]
I7: [roll85] damage: [roll86] + [roll87] fire, crit: [roll88] damage: [roll89]

H4: [roll90] damage: [roll91] + [roll92] fire, crit: [roll93] damage: [roll94]
I4: [roll95] damage: [roll96] + [roll97] fire, crit: [roll98] damage: [roll99]
G5: [roll100] damage: [roll101] + [roll102] fire, crit: [roll103] damage: [roll104]
I5: [roll105] damage: [roll106] + [roll107] fire, crit: [roll108] damage: [roll109]
J5: [roll110] damage: [roll111] + [roll112] fire, crit: [roll113] damage: [roll114]
G6: [roll115] damage: [roll116] + [roll117] fire, crit: [roll118] damage: [roll119]
J6: [roll120] damage: [roll121] + [roll122] fire, crit: [roll123] damage: [roll124]
H7: [roll125] damage: [roll126] + [roll127] fire, crit: [roll128] damage: [roll129]
I7: [roll130] damage: [roll131] + [roll132] fire, crit: [roll133] damage: [roll134]

H4: [roll135] damage: [roll136] + [roll137] fire, crit: [roll138] damage: [roll139]
I4: [roll140] damage: [roll141] + [roll142] fire, crit: [roll143] damage: [roll144]
G5: [roll145] damage: [roll146] + [roll147] fire, crit: [roll148] damage: [roll149]
I5: [roll150] damage: [roll151] + [roll152] fire, crit: [roll153] damage: [roll154]
J5: [roll155] damage: [roll156] + [roll157] fire, crit: [roll158] damage: [roll159]
G6: [roll160] damage: [roll161] + [roll162] fire, crit: [roll163] damage: [roll164]
J6: [roll165] damage: [roll166] + [roll167] fire, crit: [roll168] damage: [roll169]
H7: [roll170] damage: [roll171] + [roll172] fire, crit: [roll173] damage: [roll174]
I7: [roll175] damage: [roll176] + [roll177] fire, crit: [roll178] damage: [roll179]

H4: [roll180] damage: [roll181] + [roll182] fire, crit: [roll183] damage: [roll184]
I4: [roll185] damage: [roll186] + [roll187] fire, crit: [roll188] damage: [roll189]
G5: [roll190] damage: [roll191] + [roll192] fire, crit: [roll193] damage: [roll194]
I5: [roll195] damage: [roll196] + [roll197] fire, crit: [roll198] damage: [roll199]
J5: [roll200] damage: [roll201] + [roll202] fire, crit: [roll203] damage: [roll204]
G6: [roll205] damage: [roll206] + [roll207] fire, crit: [roll208] damage: [roll209]
J6: [roll210] damage: [roll211] + [roll212] fire, crit: [roll213] damage: [roll214]
H7: [roll215] damage: [roll216] + [roll217] fire, crit: [roll218] damage: [roll219]
I7: [roll220] damage: [roll221] + [roll222] fire, crit: [roll223] damage: [roll224]

H4: [roll225] damage: [roll226] + [roll227] fire, crit: [roll228] damage: [roll229]
I4: [roll230] damage: [roll231] + [roll232] fire, crit: [roll233] damage: [roll234]
G5: [roll235] damage: [roll236] + [roll237] fire, crit: [roll238] damage: [roll239]
I5: [roll240] damage: [roll241] + [roll242] fire, crit: [roll243] damage: [roll244]
J5: [roll245] damage: [roll246] + [roll247] fire, crit: [roll248] damage: [roll249]
G6: [roll250] damage: [roll251] + [roll252] fire, crit: [roll253] damage: [roll254]
J6: [roll255] damage: [roll256] + [roll257] fire, crit: [roll258] damage: [roll259]
H7: [roll260] damage: [roll261] + [roll262] fire, crit: [roll263] damage: [roll264]
I7: [roll265] damage: [roll266] + [roll267] fire, crit: [roll268] damage: [roll269]

H4: [roll270] damage: [roll271] + [roll272] fire, crit: [roll273] damage: [roll274]
I4: [roll275] damage: [roll276] + [roll277] fire, crit: [roll278] damage: [roll279]
G5: [roll280] damage: [roll281] + [roll282] fire, crit: [roll283] damage: [roll284]
I5: [roll285] damage: [roll286] + [roll287] fire, crit: [roll288] damage: [roll289]
J5: [roll290] damage: [roll291] + [roll292] fire, crit: [roll293] damage: [roll294]
G6: [roll295] damage: [roll296] + [roll297] fire, crit: [roll298] damage: [roll299]
J6: [roll300] damage: [roll301] + [roll302] fire, crit: [roll303] damage: [roll304]
H7: [roll305] damage: [roll306] + [roll307] fire, crit: [roll308] damage: [roll309]
I7: [roll310] damage: [roll311] + [roll312] fire, crit: [roll313] damage: [roll314]

H4: [roll315] damage: [roll316] + [roll317] fire, crit: [roll318] damage: [roll319]
I4: [roll320] damage: [roll321] + [roll322] fire, crit: [roll323] damage: [roll324]
G5: [roll325] damage: [roll326] + [roll327] fire, crit: [roll328] damage: [roll329]
I5: [roll330] damage: [roll331] + [roll332] fire, crit: [roll333] damage: [roll334]
J5: [roll335] damage: [roll336] + [roll337] fire, crit: [roll338] damage: [roll339]
G6: [roll340] damage: [roll341] + [roll342] fire, crit: [roll343] damage: [roll344]
J6: [roll345] damage: [roll346] + [roll347] fire, crit: [roll348] damage: [roll349]
H7: [roll350] damage: [roll351] + [roll352] fire, crit: [roll353] damage: [roll354]
I7: [roll355] damage: [roll356] + [roll357] fire, crit: [roll358] damage: [roll359]

H4: [roll360] damage: [roll361] + [roll362] fire, crit: [roll363] damage: [roll364]
I4: [roll365] damage: [roll366] + [roll367] fire, crit: [roll368] damage: [roll369]
G5: [roll370] damage: [roll371] + [roll372] fire, crit: [roll373] damage: [roll374]
I5: [roll375] damage: [roll376] + [roll377] fire, crit: [roll378] damage: [roll379]
J5: [roll380] damage: [roll381] + [roll382] fire, crit: [roll383] damage: [roll384]
G6: [roll385] damage: [roll386] + [roll387] fire, crit: [roll388] damage: [roll389]
J6: [roll390] damage: [roll391] + [roll392] fire, crit: [roll393] damage: [roll394]
H7: [roll395] damage: [roll396] + [roll397] fire, crit: [roll398] damage: [roll399]
I7: [roll400] damage: [roll401] + [roll402] fire, crit: [roll403] damage: [roll404]

Good grief, that looks ridiculous even before I post it.

[Snowfire]

Chaitali's movements are a blur, the young woman moving literally faster than the eye can follow - if anyone could see her anyway - as she snaps into action, sending blasts of fiery light surging out around her movements. Wraiths burn away under the concentrated storm, futile attacks not even touching the invisible destroyer that is now in the midst of their ranks. Ending her rampage through the Wraiths, the Silver goes blurring in up and down between the ring of Shrikes that faced them.

Blazing light vaporises black 'flesh', banishing the creatures back into the nothingness as she starts her attack, but....there's something off. Five of the Shrikes simply vanish as her first blows hit them, with no trace of the Light that would usually seal them. And even as her strikes rain down on the four remaining, something in her mind screams 'Wrong!'.

The other four Shrikes wither away under her attacks, vanishing in flares of light, but again there's something wrong, a disconnection between the spits of radiance that sealed them and the Light that flows through her blows. And you realise you've seen things like this before - but forged of Light instead of shadow - when Eranil has used certain magics before. Illusion magic.

All nine Shrikes were illusions placed for your convenience.

Perception checks please.

[Danakir]

Appearing nearby just after Chaitali in a column of holy fire, Muria zu Latonesh immediately sprang into action to coordinate with her companion, moving into position through space so she could slam into whatever remained of their bewildered enemies in the wake of her friend's devastating dance. And yet... there was something wrong about what she witnessed. It only took a brief moment for insight to flash through her mind as the entire Pentacle came to the same conclusion in unison. They'd been had!

Those clever bastards. Her crimson hair shifting and dancing as if an animated and fierce bonfire lit in the void of space, she tightened her jaw and narrowed her eyes, seeking what manner of trickery could be at play. One hand reaching for her holy symbol, she silently called upon the divine power bestowed upon her to pierce through their lies and reveal glorious truth. And she was not disappointed, her sharp and keen sight catching that subtle distortion of space where the Shrikes stood. Not quite invisible but camouflaged...

She wouldn't let them get away with this as she silently pulled the power locked inside her belt within, turning her motions into a blur of activity even as she spoke the words "Light within the darkness, let it fear and cower from it. Every shadow stands revealed, their powerless deceptions wasted against absolute power! Stand and witness!" every created more and more golden sparks around her which sizzled and hissed with mystical power, soon enough erupting outward in a vast ripple through space, tearing apart all hostile magic and leaving the fools who had chosen to rely on trickery helpless to take further advantage of them.

Then without further word, she charged into the fray, determination etched on her visage as she tightened her grip on her device, eager as she to bite deep into the flesh of the monsters facing them "For Celtha! BREAKER LIGHT!" she cried out valiantly as she slammed into her quarry with the force of a tsunami meeting with a typhoon and befriending an earthquake. Nothing would remain as all elements purified through the lens of her soul gathered together in a large explosion that'd have rocked space if sound could travel through it.

Let the wicked fear what comes for them. That's her way! The prayer strip stuck to her roaring sanctified blade burned away, a perceptible chill radiating in a radiant white hue from her form, such that it could steal the courage and will from all impure hearts surrounding her at that moment. Even when calling upon the primeval blessing of winter she still interpreted through the lens of her fiery and passionate nature.

Current status: Temporal (3m), Primal Costume (Cold, 6m) and Burning Assault was activated.

Action: First, she activates her Belt of Battle, burning two charges for a Standard Action. She immediately uses that action to cast Dispel Magic on the Shrikes. Afterward, she'll use her wand of Rhino's Rush as a swift action followed by a charge on the Shrike at F3. She'll be using Power Attack at maximum output and Breaker Light. After all this, she activates her cartridge through Primal Costume (Cold). It'll last 9 rounds.

Dispel Magic: [roll0] (I love dispel magic optimization <3)

Attack #1: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]+[roll3]+[roll4]+[roll5]
Critical Confirm: [roll6]
If Critical: [roll7]

[Kasmania]

Teleporting into the battlefield, Raika prepares to engage the cluster of Shrikes as she readies a charge. Watching as Chaitali springs forward to engage the group, hitting one, two, three, four, five Shrikes, and obliterating them into nothingness, Raika's elation soon changes to confusion; this couldn't be right, they shouldn't go down that fast, should they? It seemed that Raika's worries were shared by Muria, as the younger girl quickly reacted by unleashing a wave of revealing light across the battlefield, uncovering the Shrikes that had been hidden farther away, waiting in ambush.

It was a trap! What's more, there were others still hiding in the shadows, as Muria leapt to a seeming empty patch of space and obliterated a Shrike still hidden there. 5 Shrikes visible, heavens knows how many still hidden, and Chaitali alone on the far end of the battlefield. Even if she was invisible at the time, she was still in great danger! Changing her plans instantly, Raika urges Alyssa forward, racing to catch up with Chaitali before the younger girl was beset upon.

Knowing her closest friend and rider all too well, Alyssa dives forward without any visible prompting from Raika, weaving between Shrikes and nimbly dodging attacks. Meanwhile, on her back, Raika carefully configures the pommel of her swordwhip, inserting a small gem into a pre-configured slot with a small 'click'. Upon reaching Chaitali's position, Alyssa performs a graceful wingover, ending up facing the five visible Shrikes right as Raika finishes with her sword and looks up to glare at the Shrikes.

"Not today. You will not smother the light today. I will not allow it!" She shouts out in defiance as the gem she inserted into her sword shatters in a flash of light, and suddenly her sword is wreathed in golden shining light from tip to hilt. Simultaneously, Alyssa roars, and an enormous streak of lightning bursts forth from her open mouth, engulfing the 3 Shrikes in a line directly in front of her.

Atop Alyssa, Raika assumes a completely defensive position, as her shield begins to glow with a glorious light, becoming almost too bright to look at. She bares her teeth at the oncoming Shrikes, daring them to attack, as she shouts out a single word of challenge.

"Come!"

Raika spends a swift action to focus, allowing Alyssa to take a full action for the round. Alyssa moves to G2 and faces the 5 visible Shrikes. No attacks of opportunity allowed because both Raika and Alyssa have the Escape Route feat.

Raika spends a move action (as a swift action) to load a cartridge into her device and then activates the Protective effect cartridge, shifting 8 motes into the effect. Any enemy that moves into range of Raika (10 feet) will automatically be subjected to a Stand Still attempt from an attack of opportunity at a +27 bonus to hit vs CMD. Aid Another on Chaitali is also still in effect for +9 AC per attack on her. 6 AoOs per round.

Raika uses a standard action to go into total defense. Chaitali gains a +2 sacred bonus to hit as well as 30% concealment so long as she's within 20 feet of Raika. Also because I can, Raika will activate Daylight on her shield as a free action.

Alyssa's dragon breath attack hits the Shrikes at positions I3, L3, and O4. Reflex DC 20 to save for half. Damage: [roll0]

Raika currently stands at 47 AC and total concealment (50% miss chance) due to displacement.

I need more swift actions, there were like...3 other things I could have done if I had more swift actions available D=

[Snowfire]

Golden sparks blast out across the field, an explosion of sacred light burning away the magic allowing five Shrikes to remain hidden as Muria charges and strikes down another that was still hidden in a riotous explosion of elemental light contained within the light-crafted metal of her blade. Icy blue flame dances around her, outlining her in the dark of the void for all to see, but she does not seem to care. But then, nor apparently does Raika.

Alyssa bounds across the battlefield, weaving between the visible Shrikes to take up a protective position between them and Chaitali as her mistress's sword-whip explodes into shards of golden power held together by a flexing wire of incandescent light. Lightning streaks forth from the dragon's mouth, slamming full force into two of the Shrikes before her and singing the shadowflesh of the last one - which somehow manages to twist away from the bolt of crackling energy and avoid its full force.

It does not, however, succeed in avoiding the full force of Evelynn's charge, the angelic paladin streaking across the darkness separating her from her target with her Partisan lowered to full extension like a lance and radiating divine power.

A ringing tone of pure justice erupts from the blade as it strikes the Shrike, light exploding forth from the blessed weapon in a lethally radiant mix of divine and elemental power very similar to that of Muria's own. The Shrike - again, like the one targeted by Muria - doesn't even have time to scream. Ribbons of light wrap it in deadly embrace and it's gone in a fraction of an instant.

The whirlwind of firefly lights left behind pauses for a moment, spreading out, and then unleashes two blasts of pure force. Lashing out at two empty spaces - one perilously close to Raika - both find purchase in the black shadowstuff of Shrike foes. The rays of holy light shatter the concealment around the two beings, and they hiss in fury at the embodiment of lawful goodness that has revealed them.

Map is updated.

My dice of doom decided to have Evelynn crit with her Partisan, so that's another Shrike down. Said dice also decided that the gestalt noticed the stealthed Shrikes and hence decided to target them.

Eranil's initiative :smallsmile:

[Quellian-dyrae]

Though it went unseen, Eranil's lips twisted in a slender smirk, head dipping in a slight nod of respect. So, the shrikes wished to play with illusions did they? It was a game he was happy to join - and his glamours would be more than just mere deceptions.

He summoned forth the Light, not in a raw outpouring of power, but precisely bound and woven with a mage's precise spellcraft. Suddenly, there were seven more allies on the field, all appearing as Light-armored battle-mages.

And Eranil was thorough. Each one had a distinct appearance, and their arrival duplicated the visual and auditory (or, well, lack thereof, 'cause space) displays of a supernatural teleport - with a couple distinct twists, one of them appearing with a sudden flash of light, another in a shower of magical sparks. The illusion also filled two other spaces with the subtle perceptual hints that an alert watcher would recognize as signs of someone teleporting in invisibly, an addition that would likely go unnoticed, but added purely to make the reinforcements seem more real on the off chance that such things were noticed. Of course, to increase that chance, he had one of those appear right beside a Shrike.

Now, illusions could cause no harm, so how best to have them appear as threats? All but one began chanting and gesturing, the words nonsensical syllables of magic. To even the most untrained eye, it was clear that all were in the midst of casting battle spells with extended casting times - hallmarks of summons, some potent enchantments, and other high-end battle spells. Indeed, if any of the Shrikes were knowledgeable of mortal spellcraft, they would find the gestures made and illusory components drawn to mirror real spells of that type, of varying levels and effects.

Of course, the safest bet when faced with such a force was to attack the mages to attempt to ruin their concentration.

Eranil's strategy was multi-layered, he placing several of his illusions near to his visible allies. ~Those are bound,~ he informed them simply through their telepathic link, a notice that would both make sure they knew the "reinforcements" were illusory, and also that they were a particular form of quasi-real figment that was quite solid and could be used as cover if desired.

It was a complex illusion indeed, one that many mages would have been hard-pressed to pull off with anything less than total concentration.

Meanwhile, with his left hand, Eranil contributed to the team's offense. Using Muria's previous dispel as a guide, he tapped into his personal stores of magical energy and called down his mightiest illumination, knowing it would cause no harm to his allies. Disharmonic vibrations of grating sound would wrack the four remaining shrikes in the affected area. The initial burst of sonic energy was potent, but it did not expend its full force at once; rather, it would instill the targets with those deadly vibrations, rattling their impure bodies for several agonizing seconds.

But, even in this, Eranil was determined to prove the supremacy of his glamours to the shadowy figments of the shrikes; that ninth illusion, the one that had not chanted and gestured, instead brought its arms out wide and let out a piercing scream. That image was in the center of the affected area, so the spell appeared as a devastating blast cast from that image, hopefully helping to keep Eranil's position obscured and lending credibility to the false threat presented by the rest of the illusory reinforcements.

Move Action: Binding of Light and Sound to create the illusion of reinforcements. These illusions also provide +6 AC and +3 Reflex from Cover against any attacks passing into, out of, or through them. Cost 9/12 motes.

I guess we don't have map-editing capabilities, so:

Visible illusions appear in:
L4 (this is the one that appears to cast the Vibration Blast).
D8
M7
G6
H6
I6
K9

"Invisible" illusions manifest in:
E3
H6

Shrikes do receive a Will save (DC 23) to recognize the effect as illusory on sight.

Standard Action: Spend last three motes, and six from Luminous Reservoir, to cast Vibration Blast on the shrikes in I3, L3, O1, and O7, dealing [roll0] Sonic damage, with a Reflex save (DC 23) for half damage. They must also make a Fortitude save (DC 23) or suffer half the initial damage again at the start of each of their next four turns.

[kestrel404]

Annoyance at so completely falling for the Shrike's deception colors Chaitali's features. With most of their true enemies revealed and one within striking range, she revokes her investment in speed in favor of being able to hit harder.

She lunges upwards at the no longer hidden Shrike as her shield vanishes briefly, tearing into her foe with flame-covered fists before it reappears.


Swift action, pull 9m out of Nimble enhancement & 3m out of Enhanced.
Take 5' step 'up' towards the Shrike and activate lunge feat. Free action to store shield.
Full attack on Shrike in F3 (I'm still invis, so it's probably still flat-footed): (Crit 20x2, -2 to hit from TWF, +2/+2d6 from Bane), using Elemental Strike (Fire) on each attack (3m, Power Assault Elemental (Fire), +3d6 fire damage)
Attack [roll0] Damage: [roll1]+[roll2] fire, Crit [roll3] Damage [roll4]
Attack [roll5] Damage: [roll6]+[roll7] fire, Crit [roll8] Damage [roll9]
Attack [roll10] Damage: [roll11]+[roll12] fire, Crit [roll13] Damage [roll14]
Attack [roll15] Damage: [roll16]+[roll17] fire, Crit [roll18] Damage [roll19]

Then free action to get shield back.

[Danakir]

Barely waiting for her utterly destroyed opponent to vanish in a pathetic flicker of emptiness, Muria glared ahead with deep-seating conviction, the chilling flames surrounding her burning intensely as if to reflect her own feelings. She took some solace in taking out her frustration like this on the monsters responsible for all their strife.

Rushing in with great alacrity, she closed in upon the last hidden Shrike, sealing its inevitable destruction in the process. With a single stroke of her lightbound blade, she cuts deep into its hollow flesh, raw elemental might exploding violently inside it, rippling through its corpus and shredding it apart.

She screamed defiantly "That's it!? C'mon, come and get me! Or perhaps you'll just be next to fall to my blade. Come! Hit me!" she taunted them, making herself as much of a target as possible. She'd already proven she could snuff their existence out with trivial ease.

Would they risk allowing her to continue her rampage unimpeded? She hoped not. Every single Shrike that focused on her was one less her friends had to concern themselves with. She had no fear in her heart.

Only the burning desire to do her best to live up to the Sacred Flame's commandments.

Current status: Temporal (3m), Primal Costume (Cold, 6m), Primal cartridge effect active for 8 more rounds

As for her action, second verse same as the first. Only she targets the one on C1 this time.

Attack #1: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]+[roll2]+[roll3]+[roll4]
Critical Confirm: [roll5]
If Critical: [roll6]

[Snowfire]

The illusions prompt many reactions, several openly disdainful - but all wary, even in that disdain. Four of the five can be placed on the field, but the fifth cannot. That made it difficult, and you feel the tenuous hiss of shadow slip around you as they communicate a strategy, realigning their tactics in light of the threat that they're facing.

Eranil's blasts strike true, but not as hard as he might wish, the shrieking vibration finding lasting purchase on only one of his targets. His illusions seem to be more successful, although the actions to come show that some -at least - saw through them.

Chaitali's fists lance up from below, slamming into the Shrike closest to her in blasts of radiant flame, burning away its shadowflesh with gouts of brilliant fire. But it doesn't go down either, clinging to life even as it clutches desperately to its hold on reality. Muria's cry of triumph however, is not without cause as her second target simply ceases to be - wiped out of the fabric of this shell of creation by her blazing weapon. And the Shrikes respond.

As you wish.

The words - second time in the past day that you have heard them spoken such - trigger a momentary shiver of fear at their delivery - again in that same tone that goes beyond the coldness of glacier and space. And your enemies move. Moving back and away, such that for a moment you think that you might have forced them to retreat, but such would be a fool's assumption. The four currently relatively uninjured dart back and away, forming up into a diamond facing you. One above, one below, and one to each side. And dark power whispers and laughs around you, a writhing orb of darkness worming into existence through the cracks of reality between them, focusing its power upon the shining beacons of Light that opposed its masters.

The heavily injured Shrike between Muria, Chaitali and Raika gives a faint snickering hiss of malicious glee and steps carefully back, merging into the form of the other Shrike still on that side of the field as it springs forward - and the newly invigorated creation twists its 'hands'.

And to the three Champions, the world simply goes out. The blazing light surrounding Raika's shield snaps off, extinguished in a mere instant. Searing blackness cuts at your eyes, screeching silence hammering at your ears, and a malevolent power slams into you all from where - you think, it's hard to be sure - the four Shrikes were a few seconds ago.

Despair and hatred slam through you ahead of a wave front of death, slicing deep into your abilities to heal and protect yourselves from harm. And behind it comes the storm. Glittering sparks of light shimmer within the field for an instant, cords of energy surging between them for an instant that sears into the memory of those within who know the intricacies of magic. And then there is nothing but darkness. Darkness and pain.

Any forms of supernatural healing that would affect Raika, Alyssa, Chaitali or Muria requires a DC 25 caster level check to take effect (for the purposes of cartridge boost effects, EL check vs the same) for the next ten rounds. If you have regen/fast healing (I don't think you do, but still), fortitude save vs DC 24 at the beginning of each round for it to function. You are in supernatural darkness - so Darkvision does not aid you - and take [roll0] unholy damage this turn. If you are not out of the field come next turn, you will take the same again. It's a 20' radius sphere centered on F2.

At the start of each of your turns, you must make a DC 24 reflex save vs [roll1] fire damage. A successful save negates the damage. Moving at normal speed through the darkness prompts a reflex save vs the same DC for each square of it you pass through. Moving at half speed requires a save for every second square as you can skirt the more obvious discharge points even in the darkness.

And reflex for half (DC 24 again) against [roll2] cold/untyped damage.

Spellcraft to try to identify the spells that got used here. Those within can roll two checks, Eranil can roll for all three.

Raika's init.

[Kasmania]

As the darkness clamps down around them, Raika shudders slightly at the sudden lack of light, even the Daylight on her shield being completely suppressed. Suddenly, Alyssa makes a fast and violent movement in the air, nearly throwing Raika off her back, right as a sudden wave of cold and malevolent energy washes over them both. Raika winces at the pain, the blessings Muria placed on her earlier taking the sting off much of the attack.

The pain she feels, however, is nothing compared to what she senses through her telepathic bond to Alyssa. Having sensed the attack coming, she had moved to intercept, shielding her rider from the majority of the attack, but as a result, had shouldered the brunt of the attack herself, howling out in a soundless shriek of pain washes over her, burning her to her very core with unfathomable cold. Only the presence of her most trusted longtime friend and companion, and the telepathic link they shared, prevented her from immediately bolting out into the darkness, trying to find an exit.

Another minor wave of pain washes over them both, as Raika gently encourages Alyssa to slowly move forward, working together in tandem to avoid the dangerous pockets of malevolent darkness lurking unseen, both of them straining their senses to their utmost. Despite their care, they still encounter pockets of unstable energy, both of them wincing from their pain as well as the pain they can sense through their bond with each other.

After what seems like an eternity, Raika's shield suddenly blazes back to life as they emerge from the darkness, revealing the 4 Shrikes up ahead in their diamond formation. Raika urges Alyssa forward, Alyssa straining to fly through her pain and cold, until with the last of her strength, manages to swiftly fly through the gap in the Shrikes' formation, ending up on the other side. Completely spent, she changes form back into a tiny wyrmling shape, before weakly crawling back into the safety of Raika's armor.

Raika turns around to face the Shrike group. Just as Alyssa had protected her in the darkness, now it was her turn to keep Alyssa safe. She was reminded of that moment back in the orphanage, of her fear and terror as the knights crashed through the front door, intent on killing her to reach Alyssa behind her, just like now as Alyssa huddled behind her within her armor as she faced down the Shrikes. But this time was different. This time, she had the power and the confidence to know that she could protect her.

Wisps of wind being gathering along her blade's edge, and she shouts out "Scatter on the wind!" as she slams her blade forward towards the Shrike formation. A burst of energy emerges from her, the energy whipping all the Shrikes backwards, pressured by her sheer force of will.

Unassign all motes from Protective effect prior to mote refresh.

Spellcraft: [roll0] and [roll1]

Raika spends a swift action to focus with Alyssa. Alyssa uses 40 feet of movement to half-speed move 20 feet to K2, hitting two pockets of fire damage.
Raika 1: [roll2]
Raika 2: [roll3]
Alyssa 1: [roll4]
Alyssa 2: [roll5]

Alyssa then uses the rest of her move to move to R4, followed by a standard action to Change Shape and crawl into Raika's armor. Raika spends a move action as a swift action to retract her sword back into sword shape, and a standard action to cast Whirlwind Gust illumination. All Shrikes in the diamond formation make a reflex save at DC 22 or be blown backwards 45 feet, become prone, and take [roll6] damage. If they fail the save, Shrike in Q3 will end up in I1, Shrikes in Q4 end up in H4, and Shrike in Q5 ends up in K10. If they make it, nothing happens.

Edit: haha I really need to start reversing these rolls. Raika is currently at 73 HP, and Alyssa is at three. Threeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

[Quellian-dyrae]

My actions are actually dependent on the results of Raika's, so posting the possibilities.

If it's not my turn...well, this is what I'll do when it is.

In all cases

Eranil grimaced as the shrikes unleashed their combined attack on his friends, but he quickly analyzed the magic at work. His frown was replaced by a slender smirk; it would take far more than that to bring down the mighty champions! He sent the details of the spells telepathically to his friends so they knew what they were dealing with.

Then he turned his attention to the shrikes. All clustered up together away from his allies. His smile only grew, and his previous illusions vanished.

Binding of Light and Sound expires.

If at least three of the Shrikes resist Raika's knockback.

Eranil actually let out a relieved breath. That...that could have complicated matters. No matter though. He cast quickly, and mocking laughter descended from above over the Shrikes, a harbinger of things to come. Their world would explode into a confounding clash of lights, sounds, and distorted images, a phantasmal assault on their minds and senses.

Swift: Laughter on High, targeting the three shrikes still clustered, or the least injured three if all four succeeded to resist. Touch Attacks on Flat Footed AC at [roll0], [roll1], [roll2]. Any target hit takes -3 on all saves for three rounds.

Standard: Cast Confusion on the clustered shrikes, centering effect to not include allies. With Spell Focus and Cloaked Casting, all targets must make a DC 26 Will save or be confused.

If exactly two of the Shrikes resist Raika's knockback.

Eranil's smile vanished. Alas for missed opportunities. He spoke a word of power, sonic energy intensified to blast the Shrikes that had managed to resist Raika's power.

Standard: Power Word on the Shrikes that resisted. Targets receive [roll3] Sonic damage, with a DC 23 Reflex save for half damage (or DC 24, if Cloaked Casting applies to Illuminations, but I don't think it does)..

If at least three of the Shrikes are affected by Raika's knockback.

As several of the Shrikes were blasted into the darkness they created, Eranil nodded slowly. With any luck, their powers would prove just as detrimental to them. In any event, darkness was no defense against his powers. Not able to risk catching those of his allies who remained in the darkness with a spell, Eranil unloaded his Power Word over the darkened area, knowing the powers of Light would protect his friends from the effect.

Standard: Power Word on the same area as the darkness, to catch all the Shrikes inside (should be three or four). Targets receive [roll4] Sonic damage, with a DC 23 Reflex save for half damage (or DC 24, if Cloaked Casting applies to Illuminations, but I don't think it does).

And again, in all cases

Regardless of the choice of attack or its effects, Eranil would then strafe right and "down" to ensure he remained undetected.

Move: Move into M13, 15' down.

[Snowfire]

Raikia's power blazes, willborn wind sending three of the Shrikes tumbling back - the paths of two erupting into a flurry of explosions as they hit the darkness surrounding two of their foes. Cries of rage sound from within the area, mixtures of vengeful hissing and screams of anger as their own magic reacts violently to their entrance into it. Whilst not hindered by the darkness itself, the field of explosions is rather less forgiving.

The only Shrike currently outwith the sphere of blackness spread across the stars gives a hissing scream of it's own - that is cut short by Evelynn's charge. The Paladin's weapon slams home, piercing the shadowstuff of the Neverwere's flesh in an explosion of Light. And whilst not, perhaps, as lethal a blow as her first, it is clear to all that can see it that the Shrike is considerably less than happy by its new state of health.

A state of health that is worsened still, as two rays of blinding golden light arc across the distance between it and the Archon Gestalt, slicing through the darkness and burning away even more of the entity's darkness. Still not gone, but greatly weakened. It will not take much to kill it.

Eranil's evasive movement carries him away from the storm of darkness and fire, a ringing tone of power erupting at the heart of the same, passing over Chaitali and Muria as if a gentle hum. But to the Shrikes, it is the sound of Light itself - and they writhe within its heart. He cannot tell if any managed to protect themselves, even slightly, from his word of Light. But from the sounds, none of them are happy.

[kestrel404]

Completely blinded but not disoriented by the darkness, Chaitali heads back towards where she initially entered this fight, looking for the edge. She deftly weaves and twists through the veritable minefield of dark fire, by sense of touch alone - feeling the buildup of heat and dodging away from it at speed. Swiftly finding the edge of the blinding area, she immediately spots Raika battling one of the Shrikes, who is looking to be almost finished. Rushing over to flank the beast, she banishes her shield just long enough to take two swift, fiery jabs at it before calling it back.


Start by moving 3 motes into Enhanced, and 3 into Nimble.
Move to P4. If the Shrike in I1 can see me through the darkness and my invisibility, it gets an AoO as I'm passing right next to it. I've got Uncanny Dodge so I'm not flat-footed if it does.
Reflex saves for moving through darkness/fire, I need to roll not a 1:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

Attack rolls: (Fire Strike on both)
Attack: [roll5] Damage: [roll6]+[roll7] fire, Crit (20x2): [roll8] Dam: [roll9]
Attack: [roll10] Damage: [roll11]+[roll12] fire, Crit (20x2): [roll13] Dam: [roll14]