Wrath of the Righteous 2 [3.5]

[Novabomb]

Tellos strides forward with purpose attacks with an overhead strike.
Stay with us comrade.

Spoiler: OOC

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Move AU6
Initiate Crusader Strike.

Att: 6+2(Knowledge Dev)+4(Song)
Dmg: 6+2(Knowledge Dev)+5(Song)

Attack (1d20+12)[31] Dmg (2d6+13)[23]
CAttack (1d20+12)[27] CDmg (2d6+13)[24]
On hit Heal Macy (1d6+2)[4]
On hit Heal Dona 2 (Martial Spirit)

[Kish]

Tellos moves to Maci's side and stops, dropping his sword on the floor.

Irabeth rushes around the half-elf woman, blinking but shrugging off the effect, and reaches to touch Dona, whose wounds heal somewhat. Her movement leaves her vulnerable to the half-elf's scythe.

Spoiler

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Irabeth provokes an attack of opportunity from Jeslyn: (1d20+13)[31] Critical threat check: (1d20+13)[17] Damage: (2d4+6)[14] Critical damage: (8d4+24)[44]

Irabeth stabilizes Dona with Lay On Hands. Wyne approaches; Trawyn uses Inspire Courage.

>> Alamryn 10
>> Jemus 8
Trawyn 5
>> Maci 26
Dona 21
>> Semult 18
Jeslyn 15
Tellos 13
Irabeth 12
Wyne 10

Map is updated. Alamryn, Jemus, Maci, and Semult are up. The dog needs to make another Fortitude save; if it rolls an 18 or better, it becomes unstunned and can act.

[razorback]

Jemus, emboldened by Trawyn's horn, rushes forward with the rest of them, seeing creature Irabeth, as he lunges forward. "'Ware the blade!"

Spoiler

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Jemus
AC ~17; Current ~ 17
HP ~ 35; Current ~ 35

Move Action
AU-8

Standard action
Attack
(1d20+10)[23]

(1d6+10)[16]

Crit 19-20/x2
(1d20+10)[20]
(1d6+10)[11]

Effects ~
Trawyn Inspire Courage +4/+5

[Kish]

Jemus is stunned and drops his shortsword.

[Cavir]

Semult deduces there must be some aura coming from the half-elf. His mind was clear though. Even if some, including himself, or all of them, fell here there was only one pair of items mattered at this point. The wardstone and the rod hidden in his hand. The conjurer dashed past the stunned dog around to the back of room, keeping his distance from the woman in the center of the room. Reaching what he assumed to be a portal, he reached out and put the rod to the wardstone. To save the city he didn't care what happened to himself trying it.

Spoiler: OOC

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30' move to AY8 via AX10 and AY9. Touching the Rod Of Cancellation to the suspended wardstone.

[Kish]

Semult runs around the half-elf to the back of the room, shrugging off a disturbing feeling that Deskari's gaze is directly on him, and touches the Rod of Cancellation to the chunk of wardstone. The woman turns and lets out a horrified yell as the lights around the wardstone begin to pulse alarmingly. The wardstone goes black, and the room starts to shake as an increasingly loud humming fills the air. Before any of you can decide what to do next, the network of lights around the wardstone chunk brightens until you can't look at it and then explodes.

You come back to yourselves a few seconds later. Maci and Wyne have dragged the unconscious Dona back towards the door; the half-elven woman's twisted corpse lies against the east wall. What immediately gets your attention is that in those few seconds, a new figure seems to have arrived. Superficially she resembles Sera, with massive bat-wings, but her eyes are red rather than black. Her inhumanly beautiful face glares at you, projecting overpowering fury as she casts a spell. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Areelu Vorlesh demands.

Spoiler: Spellcraft 15

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She cast Wall of Force.

Spoiler

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Alamryn, Jemus, Trawyn, Semult, and Tellos can all speak and/or act.

[razorback]

Jemus stands, still stunned, as he listens to Vorlesh speak. Taking out the sword they found, he stand and waits, seeing what would happen next.

[Cavir]

Semult was surprised he still lived. The blast had knocked him to a knee but as he stood he realized he was unharmed, unlike the half-elf whose body lay just a few feet away. Spellcasting caught his attention. He recognized the spell and the voice. Areelu's brief attention towards the only way out allowed him to notice that some had escaped the room at least. His voice was firm to give the others a sense of urgency. "This door is barred. The rest of you get out while you can!"

He turned to look back at Areelu. She was incredibly beautiful but his own eminent death and knowledge of her endless evils kept him from getting lost in her eyes. "What have we done? I don't know the full details of your plans but from what I figure we've just destroyed the one thing you need to finish off this city and grow the Worldwound. So that's it. Demonic crusade over. Time for you to to go back home and answer to your boss who will probably save us the effort of killing you. Who is that by the way?" Semult knew he was living on borrowed time so it didn't matter. Better a quick death.

Spoiler: OOC

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Spellcraft at +14, so auto pass the spellcraft check.

[Kish]

"Oh, you idiot," Areelu says. Irabeth charges her, slashing with her axe; a bracelet on Areelu's wrist flashes and Irabeth is thrown backwards into the wall of the building. Areelu continues speaking, not acknowledging what just happened at all. "I'm almost going to enjoy telling you this. You've blown out the entire wardstone network. My hopes for a bloodless victory here are indeed thwarted. In their place is the certainty of an extremely bloody victory. Demonic forces all along the border will be jumping into action. Just a little longer, and there would have been no need for anyone else to die."

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

Pushing forward to the doorway, "If you expect us to believe you were in anyway concerned with the loss of life, then you do indeed take us for fools. "

[Cavir]

The news, if true, hit Semult mentally as hard as Irabeth had just been blasted across the room. Was it true? Could the whole network be taken out by any one city falling? Surely not!

He turned to those in the other room. "Go! Spread the warning!" He directed his attention back to Areelu. Possibilities ran through his mind. His own magic was virtually expended. The most he could do was to summon another dog. Needed to delay her. Maybe even a few minutes would give time for the army to arrive. Trawyn took her attention for now.

Spoiler: OOC

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Defeating the plans of a major demon is worth 50k xp each isn't it?

[CWater]

Alamryn had been wholly surprised to see a half-elf in the room instead of a demon, although they had already fought cultists who were regular humanoids so she shouldn't have been so shocked. And before she had time to act the explosion struck.

The druid finds herself lying on the ground, head throbbing. Whimpering a little she clambers up to her feet, then freezes as she notices the winged death that had arrived. It takes all her willpower to keep her knees from failing her. Was this it? The end? Had it all been pointless? No! No, it can't be! I... I can't stand it!

"Y-you're lying..", she whispers.

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

At a loss for words, the bard pushes weakly at the invisible barrier blocking the threshold, "How were you able to attack Kenabres if the wardstone network was still intact?"

[Novabomb]

Tellos
It wasn't. Her minions brought down the stone temporarily some how. There was an explosion in the tower.

He then turns his attention back to the Demon.

We are all dead, but at least we did the task we set out to do.
Now all that's left is to die with dignity. Actually thats not true. Any time we spend holding her attention is time the others have to escape.

I will humor you, what were you planning.

[Kish]

Areelu shakes her head. "Convincing you of anything is unimportant. What you think is about to stop mattering, even to you." Then she casts another spell.

Spoiler: Spellcraft 19

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It's Weird.

Each of you sees your worst fear take shape in front of you, but somehow even as it does, you know it's not real. The spell collapses and Areelu blinks.

"Why are you still alive?"

Spoiler

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She pauses there long enough for you to speak or act, if you want to.

"Hm. It appears...the energy I invested into the wardstone wasn't wasted, after all. The gift I planned for all the people of Kenabres...now resides within you. But why you, and not the orc paladin or these pathetic creatures?" She pauses again, her red eyes studying you, and then says, "You were all marked even before this. This is...interesting. It'll be useful to me." She casts another spell, sending a green beam of energy against the east wall. The center of the east wall collapses into dust, leaving the Gray Garrison's top floor open to the air.

"However unplanned, I've done you a favor," Areelu says as she walks toward the hole in the wall. "Next time we meet, I'll collect." Then she jumps out and flies away.

[razorback]

Jemus stands, ready to launch into an assault, waiting with the others while the demon Areelu speaks of her plan. "As the others said, perhaps one of us might live to pass on the information. he thinks to himself.
As she cast the spell, the devil dog from his nightmare comes into view, the one who almost killed him as a kid. Vile spittle runs from its mouth as it stalks towards him and he waits for his impending doom... only, he realizes that it isn't real. He shudders as he hears Areelu ask her question. Standing up, back straight, he replies "Because your evil, though vile and like a disease, is temporary. Good will overcome you in time. Flee back to your master." he chides her.

[Novabomb]

Tellos really does not know how to respond to that, so he doesn't.
He needs a minute to get over the fact he is not dead.

[Cavir]

Semult's eyes went wide as he recognized what spell Areelu was casting. The spell hit him and he saw the creature that came to cut his heart out when he was a kid. Fear started to grip him but the spell washed over him. Was it the fact that he knew that spell was coming? That should have no part of it. No time to ponder that now.

The gift I planned for all the people of Kenabres...now resides within you.

He tried to get her to spill more. "Gift? How is it a gift if you don't say what the mark is?"

Once Areelu was gone Semult turns to the group. "That spell should have easily killed most if not all of us. I don't know if even Aravashnial has seen a spell that powerful used. The force wall will be down shortly. In the meantime go check on Sera and Cema." He picks up the spent rod then turns to Irabeth, but sees her crumpled on the ground. He's pissed but she is in no condition to respond. He checks on her and sees she is still alive. "Anyone have a healing spell to help her? I'd like to save my last potion for the heat of battle if possible."

Spoiler: OOC

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Only have a CMW potion. Edited my post since I thought Irabeth was conscious but was wrong.

[Kish]

Irabeth is lying in a crumpled heap against the wall. She's still alive, but unconscious.

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

The bard's knees buckled as he stood in abject terror watching behind his own eyes as he stabbed his helpless, prone victim again and again. He was powerless to stop it as his consciousness tore at itself threatening to come apart completely....but then it all suddenly seemed.....fake....a cheap parlor trick. He straightened and leaned heavily, head hung low, against the invisible barrier separating him from his friends.

"Why are you still alive?" I do not know....something has surely saved us, for we could not stand against this evil alone. Instinctively his hand reached for the Sun and Sword holy symbol around his neck, and he raised it just enough so that he might gaze upon it.....study it, in truth, for the first time. The holy symbol of Iomedae.

Spoiler: artwork

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Unbidden the words spilled from his lips in a barely audible mumbling sing-song chant:

"I am the first into battle, and the last to leave it.
I will not be taken prisoner by my free will.
I will never abandon a companion, though I will honor sacrifice freely given.
I will guard the honor of my fellows, both thought and deed, and I will have faith in them."

He heard the words more than he spoke them....he knew there was power in those words, but they were not his words and it was not his power. In fact, he felt shame....shame for his weakness....shame for his cowardice...shame for his lack of faith. He was flotsam cast about on the floodwaters, careening from one calamity to the next.

"The gift I planned for all the people of Kenabres...now resides within you." No....the 'gift' you planned for the people of Kenabres was surely death. Am I dead then?

He was vaguely aware that more words were spoken, a flash of green light, followed by a crash....as he slid to the floor, turning as he did so to recline against the unseen wall and wept without shame.

There were more words. His friends spoke....I can hear them. Are we all dead?

Someone spoke of healing, but it was a distant voice, someone surely that he couldn't help, another as lost and hopeless as he. Then the words came again, "I will strive to emulate Iomedae's perfection."

He pulled himself up slowly on shaky legs, rubbing the dirt and dust from his hands on his breeches. Reaching out toward the doorway he finds the invisible barrier is gone, and answers uncertainly, "Healing? Yes, yes....who is injured? I don't...I mean I can't...wait...what?"

[CWater]

Alamryn sees people being cut down and slaughtered, buildings collapsing and demons laughing at the destruction. She wants to help but fear has frozen her in place. There's nothing she can do. Powerless. Useless. A fiend with horrific claws starts to walk in her direction and she can't even run. But before the creature reaches her she hears a whisper and vision of the night sky flashes in front of her eyes. Then the whole scene dims, becomes just an illusion and fades away.

The half-elf realises she's still in the garrison and above all, still breating. As are the others, except that Irabeth is down. She hears Vorlesh say something, but can't make out the words, then the demon flies away and her feet finally give out and she falls down on her behind. Raising a hand to her face tells Alamryn that it's wet with tears and she's still crying, unable to stop.

[Kish]

"What happened here?" Maci demands. "There was a barrier blocking the stairs, but it seems to be gone now. Can any of you heal her?" She gestures to Irabeth.

You all realize you feel both very odd and very strong.

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

The mutant's words somehow cut through his fugue, "What? Oh....yes." Crossing the room, Trawyn bends over the fallen paladin and places his hands on her forehead while intoning a few soft notes of music.

Spoiler: Curing

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Cure Light Wounds (1d8+4)[9]

[razorback]

Jemus walks over to the hole that Areelu used, looking out to see if he can see which direction she flew off.
"We need to leave. Trawyn, can you get Irabeth up enough for us to move? Areelu will probably send minions to deal with us, so the further away we can get, the better." Sheathing the sword he aquired, he moves to pick up his own swords.

[Kish]

As Trawyn casts his spell, he has an odd sensation of power. Irabeth's injuries heal considerably more than he expected. She opens her eyes and jumps to her feet, looking around wildly for her dire axe, then slows. "Where is she?"

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

As Irabeth leaps to her feet, the bard studies his hands for a moment, "That's....odd. I thought we were dead for sure, but now I think 'the gift' may have been something else all together."

Looking up at the paladin, "She's gone. By the looks of it, she blew a hole in the wall and flew away. Said something about how we've foolishly disrupted the wardstone network and the impending bloodshed that will result from the onslaught we've unleashed." Straighten to stand, he takes a step so that he's mere inches from Irabeth's face, "Tell us, did you know this would happen all along? Was this your plan?"

[Kish]

"What? No. I'm not an expert on magic by any means, but that must have been something to do with her spell, if it's true." She pauses and then adds, "Whether I would have gone ahead with the plan if it had meant destroying the entire wardstone network to save the Kenabres refugees, Queen Galfrey, and her army...well, it's not a decision I'd want to have to make."

[Novabomb]

Tellos
Whats done is done. If we have done ill, we will attempt to mitigate. Let us collect Sera, and Mom and get out of here.

[CWater]

"I feel strange", Alamryn says, finally gathering herself and standing up, "Like, really strange. An also... I don't know. Do you sense it as well?"

[Cavir]

Noticing the strange feeling Semult rotates his shoulders a little and swings his morningstar a couple of times. He was studying himself, testing for the extent of changes that he would hopefully be able to compare later to see if they were growing stronger or fading away. Irabeth's short interrogation distracted the academic conjurer for now. He had trusted her to have at least consulted with others in the know if she wasn't knowledgeable on the subject. He knew better now. Aravashnial should know more. They needed to get back safely and spread the word.

"Yes, we need to get going. We've got Sera downstairs and whatever was giggling behind the one door on the ground level which we should deal with. After that, stop by his mom's then decide to sneak back out or deal with the gate guards. Let's go." He tested the force wall until it was gone, then headed back down the stairs to Sera's room. "Come on, time to go."