Planar Odyssey [IC]

[Stelio Kontos]

Sefariel stood, more or less impassively, as the half fiend loomed and toyed with him. It was naught but an attempt at intimidation, he reminded himself, albeit one with a measure of fearsomeness behind it -- but it was obvious that nothing was to come of it. That would rather defeat the purpose of extorting a contract for murder, as distasteful as that was.

He wished he could have spent all day in the market. All day? More than that. But there was, regrettably, work to be done. After making a few purchases, he had just tucked them away when the air let loose.

"That was not an earthquake, I am afraid" he commented to Tanner "though the effects are rather similar. The others may be in danger, I fear. I would recommend we return to the ship, as that would be the most logical place to await their return. I do not intend any attempt at escape, mind you, but we may find we have no choice in the matter."

Spoiler: OOC

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I will purchase one dimensional anchor scroll and one scroll of true strike. I'll need to dip into the party cash and jewels we had gathered to do so, taking 100 gp from that. I can't edit the spreadsheet, which is at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...QkM/edit#gid=0

[CasualViking]

Aron "We..." - Aron paces in a circle - "...don't have a rendez-vouz point other than the ship. We should get back there, fast". With any luck, the disturbance will draw our pursuers here instead of there, he thinks to himself.

[Darvin]

Sefariel
"Let's hope they can make it back. That wasn't natural at all," Tanner sighs, "and you don't need to worry about Carico... I mean, you do need to worry about him, but not explaining yourself to him. He's not the twitchy sort,"

The two of you - three, counting the hitchhiker in Sefariel's shadow - make a quick pace through the bazaars of Yulgamot. Others seem to be quickly heading about their business after the unexpected quake, which allows you to blend in with the crowds easily. However, it quickly becomes impossible not to notice the archons and devils casually milling through the throngs of people, eyes piercing through the crowds.

"They know their quarry is here," a whisper carried upon icy breath funnels into Sefariel's ear, "I do not know how they intend to find you, but they seem confident they can do so,"

Long before arriving at the Drift Docks themselves you can see the commotion up ahead. Tanner gestures you to follow her, and leads you towards a perch from which you have a good view of what is going on below.

Everyone Else
"The Drift Docks then, I can take you there. Gather round and hold hands; if we arrive off target do not let go," Jascon awaits everyone to get in position, then after a moment of incantation the world spins around you. The halls of the House of Tomorrow shift back and the skies of the Astral appear above you, with the Drift Docks before you. You can see extensive damage from this vantage; some more dilapidated buildings have collapsed and market stalls are strewn about. People are coming and going quickly in every direction, but perhaps most alarmingly are the large number of archons and devils that seem to be filtering in out of nowhere.

You aren't the only ones to notice their sudden arrival. The locals being to point towards them, and a few seem to get verbally belligerent. In one of the main avenues of the Drift Docks - blocking your way back to the Cerulean Gray - a group of archons is accosted by a pair of tieflings. The situation rapidly escalates; more archons arrive to further the aura of menace they exude, and then a group of ganzi appear out of nowhere to back up the tieflings, then a group of devils teleports into position not far behind the archons. Your group draws close enough to hear what is going on, but carefully keeps their distance.

Everyone
"I don't care about any fugitives. If you'd just sent a couple bounty hunters to pick them up off the street we wouldn't even be having this discussion. But you can't just bring an army to Yulgamot and expect us to roll over like docile puppies. So go back to your ships and go home you arrogant garbage," the tiefling sneers at the archons, who seem to be at the limit of their patience by this point.

"The fugitives are responsible for that quake and will cause much worse if they are left to their own devices! You should be helping us to find them and remove them from your fair plane," one of the archons insists.

"Our 'fair plane' can handle itself. We don't appreciate people muscling in on our homes, much less treating us like children who can't handle our own affairs. Last chance, goodie-goodie: go. home." the tieflings and ganzi present reach for their weapons. Many of the archons move to draw their weapon, but their leader quickly gives a hand signal to stay.

"We have no quarrel with you, but if you attack us we will defend ourselves," the archon gives a stern warning.

"You invade our home and you act like you're some kind of victim here!? I'm pretty sure you're trying to piss me off," the tiefling shouts and lunges. Weapons are rapidly drawn and a chaotic melee breaks out, punctuated by the occasional spell. Spellcasters for both sides begin to toss spells into the battlefield as bystanders rush backwards.

Spoiler: OOC

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Unless you elect to intervene in this combat, the party is not in initiative order and the battle was resolve in the background. There appear to be a few dozens archons of various description on the field as well as a handful of devils supporting them; on the other side are a slew of Ganzi and Tieflings and other assorted native outsiders taking arms in defense of Yulgamot against the perceived invasion.

[CasualViking]

Aron "Better you than us", Aron thinks to himself. His blade hand jerks slightly at the prospect of a fight, but hs weapon stays lowered and pointed away from the fight as he hustles by, his hood pulled up and his eyes lowered. He frowns at the way the Archons carry themselves. "Idiots. You are acting like an occupying force. And you absolutely, positively can not win a half-assed, un-planned occupation. Apparently, you have not learned the lessons of the Westhurst war, the occupation of Dorbridge or the Siege of Iceport. Fail to remember history, and you get to repeat it. This is what you get when you shape warriors out of pure plane-stuff and neglect their education and empathy".

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus only half-paused his stride at the start of the fighting. He determinedly avoided looking towards the commotion instead making a straight (as possible) path to the Cerulean Grey. A distraction is what they needed and their foes conveniently distracted themselves. He felt a small twinge of sadness that the locals are suffering for his sake, but he quickly quashed it. There wasn't much he could do for them and he wasn't the one causing the issues; he wasn't responsible for his hunter's actions.

[Stelio Kontos]

"So senseless" Sefariel sighed at the sight of the impending affray, bowing his head and giving a soft shake. "All over a misunderstanding. So senseless."

"I am very sorry for that which I am about to inform you" he announced, the little sparkles of light in his skin fading somewhat. "Lord Fairwind and some of his minons waylaid Captain Tanner and I as we sought out a proper navigator for the next step of our journey. He offered a deal. An ultimatum, in actuality. That mnemor devil which has plagued our paths has angered Fairwind as well. His proposition was simple: that we dispose of the devil, once and for all. It is a task which gives me no pleasure whatsoever, I assure you, and were it a task I was remotely capable of myself I would not involve you further. If I thought there were any alternative, any rational possibility of refusing such a vile demand... but I believe the choices were acceptance, or death, and I chose selfishly in that moment. I pray that you might forgive me."

"In roughly four hours time, Fairwind intends to lure the creature to an area known as the Husk Moot. It is an area which should neutralize some of the creature's more disruptive abilities, and give us an advantage. I have purchased a scroll to prevent its departure should that be necessary. I did use my own funds, but unfortunately I did not have the required sum; I did remove one hundred gold pieces from the items previously retrieved on our journey -- less than I would be entitled to should we desire to divide this equally, but I do acknowledge that we have not yet done so and I fully intend to make proper reparations as soon as practicable."

[CasualViking]

Aron "I believe this Mnemor Devil has vexed us before, yes? Much as I loathe that toad Fairwind, confronting this devil might not be the worst we could do. What do we know about fighting it?"

[Stelio Kontos]

"Quite a lot, actually" Sefariel replied earnestly. "In terms of its physical nature, it is quite typical of most devils; ability to see in darkness, immunity to fire and poison, and so forth. I'm sure I need not bore you with that particular minutiae? Where the mnemor's unique qualities lay is in the area of manipulation of thoughts and memories. Should the creature leave your sight, there's a very good chance you will forget it ever existed, save for a lingering but implacable suspicion. Its touch can lead one's short term memories to fade completely. It is the sort of creature those in sorrow or pain find themselves drawn to, begging for any outlet to forget their most traumatic memories -- but of course, as with all devils, the bargain is never worth the price to be paid. The creature will, if allowed, manipulate the memories trapped within one's mind, causing one to question one's closest friends, arouse suspicion, and fear, and much worse."

"The peculiar qualities of the Husk Moot, the gathering place of wayward souls, should provide a backdrop in which the mnemor's abilities are blunted, the Moot providing the equivalent psychic effect of a murmuring crowd from which one cannot easily pick out a particular voice. That should hopefully reduce the skirmish to a more purely physical one, in which I suspect we shall as a group have the upper hand."

[Darvin]

As the crowd falls back from the fray it spreads out to fill the newly-opened area. What begins as a chaotic melee takes a semblance of order as individuals or small groups begin to duel. Despite the animosity apparent earlier, both sides are restrained and those who withdraw from battle are not pursued. This does not make it a bloodless feud, however, and bodies are falling to the ground on both sides. Throughout the chaos the party is able to make their way to the Cerulean Gray where they can reconvene, hopefully without having been spotted by anyone who is an enemy.

"It ain't just Fairwind, sadly. He's called in some... unsavory associates," Tanner hesitates, perhaps unwilling to share with the others just how familiar she is with these associates, "but it seems he's got bigger and more lucrative fish to angle for, so the sooner we disentangle ourselves from him the better,"

Spoiler: Sense Motive DC 26

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Despite her prudent worlds, Tanner seems to be holding more than a small grudge against Fairwind and might be planning some sort of reprisal.

Spoiler: Perception DC 25

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While most of the battle participants fight unabated, the Ganzi involved begin to act strangely. Some begin to stumble as if drunk and fall away from the fight, while others are driven almost to an unnatural frenzy.

Spoiler: Roderick only

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You notice a collection of masked men - very specific masks that you remember all too vividly - have collected on a causeway overlooking the fight. As if the outsiders here are not enough, the Razmirans are also drawing close.

After Sefariel shares the details of the situation with the rest of the group, there is a moment of consideration. What would be a moment of silence is punctuated by loud shouting from the continuing brawl not too far away. Some of the bystanders are rushing in to drag the fallen away from the fight.

Tanner breaks the awkward moment, "look, I'm no warrior and won't be of much help with you in a fight, so I'll stay here with the ship and hopefully get her ready to leave the instant we're off the hook. I... uh... can give you guys a little bit of invisibility to slink past this mess," she turns her gaze towards the astral plane and the maelstrom in particular, "there's something foul on the winds, and it's not just the janni,"

[CasualViking]

Aron Aron winces and sighs deeply. "Yes, I think a spot of invisibility will come in handy. Sefariel, you are more femiliar with the pieces on the other side of the board than I am. What are our next moves?"

[Stelio Kontos]

"I am afraid that I do not fully understand the machinations at play in this instance. The prudent course would be to avoid presenting any sort of opportunity for those angels and devils to unite against their common foe, namely ourselves. Anything we can do -- invisibility, camouflage, simple stealth -- would be of benefit.

"Regrettably, I conclude that we must continue on our present course -- defeat the mnemor devil Siga, and then depart this place with all haste. If we do not, Fairwind is liable to direct that throng in our direction. I would hope in the ideal that he would not be able to find us, but he has proven already his ability to do so, so that is a fool's wish.

"Once we have left, we can continue on and hopefully reach the place in our journey with some semblance of answers.

"As an aside, note with curiosity the behavior of those Ganzi. They seem almost addle-brained. I am not certain if it may be an effect of this place, or of their foes. Be wary."

[Darvin]

One by one, Tanner touches each member of the party and they vanish from sight, "best of luck, friends. I won't stray far, and when you get back the Cerulean Gray will be primed to gun it right outta here,"

Spoiler: Sefariel-only

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Moments after setting out away from the Cerulean Gray you hear Tanner's voice in your head, "watch your back, don't trust anyone who works for or with Fairwind, especially Carico, and come back alive,"

With the aid of invisibility the group manages to slip around the edge of the brawl without attracting attention. The situation seems to be growing more chaotic, with some individuals attempting to calm or otherwise half open aggression while others continue to press for blood. The rest of Yulgamot seems to be undergoing less open violence, but chaos reigns. Impromptu confrontations between the outsiders and locals are happening everywhere. As you climb up a spiraling staircase you get a view of a large public plaza where a crowd has circled around. Three native outsiders stand facing two towering individuals. One is an imperious-looking man with black wings that flow behind him like a cape billowing in the wind and a radiant halo over his head. Beside him is a cloaked figure who stands almost as tall as the angel in spite of his hunched posture. The only physical trait you can see from this vantage is a tail dragging behind him, gleaming with red scales, large black obsidian spines, and a vicious-looking thagomizer at its end. Notably, the Shulsaga seem completely absent, neither their leaders nor their general population are anywhere to be seen.

Tanner's invisibility spell gives way after a few minutes, but the group is already away from the main commotions as they make haste towards the Husk Moot. The tumultuous chaos is left behind, and what lies before you is a rough hewn path that clearly sees few travelers. The way is mostly exposed, but there are no signs of prying eyes here, at least until you pass the first translucent figure. She looks like a middle-aged woman, daydreaming and sitting on a rock, looking into the astral and pays no heed as the group passes. After a few dozen paces, she disappears from the periphery of your view but not before more of them appear.

These are the star-dead, astral travelers who were permanently cut off from their mortal bodies. They are at once bereft of life, and not quite dead. Here in the Husk Moot, they congregate, they speak, their tell their stories. If only for a few brief moments you can pause and even listen as they tell tales of what transpired in their lives, but there is a pressing matter and a purpose to your presence among these sorry souls trapped in limbo.

Spoiler: Sefariel

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The cold icy voice of Carico speaks, "Fairwind has done his part, and the devil has taken the bait. Be watchful, she and her minions will be here shortly. You do not want to be the ones who are ambushed.

A fiendish shriek is heard suddenly in the distance, not far from where your group currently stands. Carefully finding a safe vantage and peering over a ridge, you see a natural rock area that vaguely looks like an amphitheater, and the star-dead appear to be using it as such with a group of them holding a debate in its center while hundreds circle around to observe. Surrounded by the throngs of star-dead is a group of devils. Most of them are medium-sized and wear cloaks to conceal their true nature, but some are larger with more monstrous features. Among their number a single Mnemor devil is on the ground retching before slowly rising and cursing;

"What a distasteful experience. I had expected a sumptuous buffet of thought, but instead I find this to be a foul slurry. No matter, even if these so-called 'star-dead' disappoint, we shall find our true prize here. Fan out and search; if you see any mortals, call for reinforcements so that we can ambush them. Kill first, check the soul later. We'll sweep any collateral damage under the rug; our supervisors do not need to concern themselves with such trifles," Siga sneers and throws a cowl over her head to obscure her fiendish nature. The other medium-sized devils do the same, but the larger devils do not bother to do so. The devils diverge into three groups and head in separate directions to begin their search.

There are three groups of devils. The first consists of six cloaked individuals and four Warmonger devils; hulking armored fiends that stride upon six insectoid legs. The second group consists of four cloaked individuals, but is flanked by two of the warmongers as well as two bone devils. The third group has five cloaked individuals, one warmonger devil, and one ice devil. The combined force here is likely beyond your ability to defeat in a direct fight, but you need only ambush and eliminate Siga to fulfill your bargain with Fairwind and then escape the rest.

Spoiler: Will Save DC 23

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By resisting the effects of her easily forgettable ability, you know that Siga is in group #2 and will be able to identify exactly which devil she is in the upcoming combat.

Spoiler: Attticus only

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Peering through the sight attached to his Musket, Atticus is able to spot half a dozen smaller invisible devils - Imps and Accusers - who take to the air and begin fanning out in search. If they are not eliminated quickly, they will surely find you and call attention to all three groups.

[Stelio Kontos]

Upon Tanner's departuer, Sefariel murmured out loud "Certainly not, even for a moment. Pray that we meet again. Thank you."

"It is time" Sefariel whispered at the moot, tweaking his hands and uttering a brief incantation. "Please keep your senses to the sharpest; the mnemor will no doubt show itself soon. If you do spot it, do all you can to draw attention to it, as others may forget its presence. Until then, allow them to distance themselves."

Spoiler: OOC

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Let's start with Shield, I think.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus growled as he pulled away from the sight. As he dug into his pack for a small oil can, he spoke. Our target is in ta second group. Trust me. But we gotta take care of sumthin' else first. Buncha invisible miscreants are gonna blow our cover. Atticus poured the oil onto his musket, the magical substance completely silencing the sound it would make as it cracked off shot after shot.

[CasualViking]

Aron Aron co-ordinates the attack with long-range magical whispers. After enhancing his weapon and casting another defensive spell, he starts the countdown from 3 to let the others know it's time to start blasting, and rushes himself to attack the a suitable target.

[ThatDamnPaladin]

Roderick genuinely felt as if he'd been in a daze for months his eyes finally unclouding a bit as he realized that 'Man, just one hit of this extra planar Pesh and I was gone...' That being said however; he did flex his hand as he felt his fingers turning into those horridly curved claws that he had- his eyes clenching shut as he felt the rage begin to overtake him; the magic in his blood- no, the magic in his soul roaring out for release as he proceeds to do the stupid thing...

He is the one to break from cover first- he always was going to be; he needed to... but as he did so his entire body entered into a horrid spasm as he grew in size; his claws turning from merely enormous talons on a man- to what were clearly the claws of some sort of... draconic entity of enormous size. Easily able to compare to an actual dragon's talons. And that's not to mention the roar... Drawing attention- hopefully; away from his companions.

Roderick could handle himself...

Of course it might be up to the spirit in his necklace to really guide him where to go. She might, of course, feel the pulse and power of his soul in it- after all the Blood Rage was manifestation of powerful but limited magics...

It might be a boon to her as well!

[Darvin]

A fraction of a second after pulling the trigger Atticus sees one of the bodies fall from the sky. The very invisibility meant to shield it from the gaze of enemies hides it from its allies who remain oblivious to the danger of the sniper. Any pretense of slightly whittling them down is ended as he hears an inhuman bellow emanating from Roderick as the man expands to many times his original size. Aron in his zeal for battle rushes to the side of his compatriot. Atticus, Sefariel, and Mais stand in bewilderment as these two prepare to meet this strike force of devils head-on, though from their position they remain secluded for the moment.

Spoiler: Sefariel

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Carico balks audibly in the back of your subconscious, "is... is that man an idiot?" the cool demeanor of the half-fiend is clearly shattered by this brazen act, and is only thrown into complete silence as Aron follows.

Spoiler: Roderick

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Viri shouts in protest, "wait wait wait! This is suicide! Did you not see how many devils that was? Is that a Gelugon? Is it about to... Fuuuuuuuuu"

Roderick feels a surge of arcane power emanating from Viri's locket. The warmth of a hearth spreads across his body, giving a comforting sensation. Roderick is now under the effect of Protection from Energy [Cold] providing immunity to cold damage until it has absorbed 84 points of cold damage.

It would seem that Viri was holding back a trick she was capable of.

Spoiler: Spellcraft DC 18

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A Protection from Cold spell materializes around Roderick seemingly from nowhere with no obvious spellcaster.

The nearest group of devils takes notice of this display. The ghostly-white insectoid devil leading the group leaps and bounds over the rocks. Its mandibles chitter with anticipation as a high-pitched voice that sounds like the sheering of ice emanates, "Only two? All for Gheshgul's taking. Their heads will please mistress Siga!" he emanates a war cry and charges into battle. Its feet do not even touch the ground, instead gliding with infernal magic towards Roderick.

One of the cloaked figures in the ice devil's group shouts after himm "you fool! Mistress Siga warned us not to underestimate them!" but her warning is ignored. The Warmonger Devil and the other cloaked figures in the group all quickly rush past her to enter into the melee. The woman gives an exaggerated gesture of frustration before leaping into the sky; a pair of jet black wings emerging from under her cloak and a bow formed of hellfire materializing in her hands.

Spoiler: OOC

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The devils roll for initiative as a group with a result of 20; any characters who beat this initiative can preempt the following actions.

The Ice Devil's insectoid features twist into a semblance of a sadistic grin as draws near. It veers upwards to gain a vantage then exhales with the force of an arctic blizzard. A cone of cold sweeps across the battlefield, leaving shards of ice on the ground in its wake, catching both Aron and Roderick in its area.

Cold Damage: (13d6)[35] (DC 20 reflex for half)

The frigid air is pierced by a flaming arrow; the incendiary project veers towards Aron as it leaves a trail of haze.

Attack vs Aron (1d20+14)[26] Damage: (1d8+6)[12] plus (1d6)[2] fire

The remaining devils do not seem to have the gift of flight, nor is their speed particularly noteworthy, and they struggle to keep up with the airborne ice devil. One of the cloaked devils breaks out onto all fours as it charges into the fray. They keep a breakneck pace until approaching within 30 ft of Aron and Roderick. With the exception of the Warmonger, which makes no effort to hid its true nature, the features of these devils are hidden under tightly-wound and heavily-layered cloaks. All that can be seen are menacing grins of inhuman faces that belie an infernal bloodlust.

Though the star dead have ignored both you and the devils up until now, they suddenly jolt to attention. Their murmurs grow in volume as they begin to congregate. They do not interfere or take any action, but they seem profoundly interested in the ensuring battle.

Spoiler: DC 27 perception

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While most of the star dead seem fixated on the battle, a few instead look upwards with a gaze transfixed upon the swirling astral. Though you cannot make out what has caught their attention, there is something unseen up there moving in a snaking fashion and leaving erratic visual distortions in its wake.

[CasualViking]

Aron The frost covers Aron and rips the breath from his lungs. He pulls in more cold air in a gasp, and everything inside him winces at the shock. "Another one of those and I'm dead" - but as quikcly as the thought runs through his head, so does the spell to counter it. A flaming arrow strikes sparks as it flies through his magical defenses, but bounces off his enchanted armor plates. He grits his teeth and leaps through the air to slash at one of the robed figures. Swift: Resist Energy (Cold) 20. Full Round: Charge one of the smaller, robed devils, trying to get into a position where the others will draw AoO from his reach weapon if they attack. attack - (1d20+16)[30], damage 36

[Stelio Kontos]

"Perhaps, perhaps, but quite useful nonetheless" Sefariel replied to nobody in particular while getting down to business.

Sefariel's mind, and body, sprang into action at a quite celeritous pace, his hand darting about to touch his compatriots as he muttered a strange incantation. But a second later, the small buckler on his arm flashed briefly with a glowing light which quickly faded to a faint glow.

Spoiler: OOC

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Casting: communal protection from evil on anyone in the party I can reach, including myself
Quickened casting: Ward Shield
Move: 30' to the side, away from the immediate line of fire.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus unleashed a string of colorful curses from a little blue marble, halfway across a galaxy and a whole plane away. Regardless, he saw opportunity within the chaos of a failed preemptive strike. A distraction, which served just as good. Atticus spun on his heels, rushing off away from the tide of battle, keeping his eyes trained on their true target. He skirted around the quickly evolving melee, using whatever cover he could find to keep him hidden and try to intercept the Mnemor's path.

Spoiler

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Starting Animus: 7
Surprise Round:
+1 Free
First round:
+1 Free
Total Animus: 9
Granted Maneuvers: Energy Hammer, Temporal Body Adjustment, Raging Flux, Assay Resistance
1) Raging Flux
2) Arcane Shield
3) Assay Resistance
4) Fading Strike


Double move action to head off our target, while avoiding the bulk of the battle. Stealth roll, if needed (1d20+5)[9] Includes the -5 penalty for moving faster than half my movement.

[ThatDamnPaladin]

Roderick's form was engulfed by the frigid spell before he simply shattered through it at a dead sprint. His mouth screaming words in the native Nirmathan Tongue as a panther's outline clung to his shoulders and upon his head- roaring in time to his own gutteral shrieking Roar.

Of course he lunged at the nearest demon to him; the one that had stopped a mere thirty feet away was given to several savage strikes to it's body as he tore into it like the horrid monster that he was.

[Attacks] Both Claws are Used:
Claw 1: d20+19 = (4)+19 = 23 (likely miss)
Damage: 3d6+15 = 29
Claw 2: d20+19 = (16)+19 = 35 (Probably a Hit)
Damage: 3d6+15 = 28

[Abilities]
Free Action: Hardened Fists
Swift Action: Pouncing Fury (Spell)

[Darvin]

Roderick savages the nearest cloaked devil, shredding its coverings and revealing a the visage of a bearded devil. The shocked fiend staggers backwards, clutching its grievous injuries, and staggers backwards in shock clutching its glaive to shield itself.

The devil that has broken out on all fours charges at Roderick with gleeful abandon. As it approaches it opens its mouth and a pair of wicked arcs of flame spiral towards Roderick. The scorching rays slam into his body [Roderick takes 34 fire damage] moments before the creature is upon him. A menacing hand covered with hooked barbs reaches forward to grab for Roderick's throat. Though his slips backwards, the attack rips and tears and muscles and blood tissue [Roderick takes 19 damage from the claw attack, but isn't grappled. He must succeed at a DC 20 will save or be frightened for 1d4 rounds]). The creature lets loose some kind of taunt in its dark tongue.

Spoiler: Infernal

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"Embarrassing; go deal with the others, this one is mine!"

Aron's attack strikes home against his frozen adversary. Icy blue blood flows down the devil's carapace as it unleashes a screeching war-cry in response. Another wave of cold ripples across the battlefield, catching Aron, Roderick, and the two devils engaging Roderick. The staggered devil that Roderick had previously savaged has only a moment to widen its eyes before being engulfed and completely encased in ice. The Gelugon lunges into the wake of its own cone of cold with its spear, piercing Aron's defenses. A feeling of sluggishness emanates from the injury, slowing Aron's reflexes slightly as it attempts to spear him again, but Aron deflects two more strikes. Three more flaming arrows fly past Aron's head, but fail to strike their mark. He barely has time to notice a third projectile, a net hurled over his head by the Warmonger devil, and duck out of the way. The final devil in the group positions himself behind Aron to flank with the Gelugon, but his glaive attack is easily deflected.

Spoiler: OOC

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Ice Devil successfully casts Cone of Cold defensively, dealing 55 cold damage with a DC 20 reflex save for half.

This dealt friend-fire damage; the Bearded Devil savaged by Roderick is dead, the Barbed Devil he is fighting succeeds its save and resists the effect.

Aron must succeed a DC 23 fortitude save or be slowed for 1d6 rounds.

Atticus moves swiftly but carefully through the rocky outcroppings, trying to make his way towards where he last saw Siga. Though he can't help but feel his approach is too noticeable, none of the devils in that distant group appear to catch sight of him. Siga's group has turned direction, heading swiftly to reinforce their brethren that have so recklessly thrown themselves into battle. Atticus is now within 150 feet, but before he can take aim Siga suddenly jerks upright as if she suddenly became aware of something, then a split second later becomes invisible to the naked eye. [Siga is now invisible... for what good it will do her]

From his safe vantage, Sefariel can see that all three groups of devils are now converging towards Roderick and Aron's position. He finds it strange that none of them are utilizing their power of teleportation, but even at their current pace Roderick and Aron have perhaps as little as 30 seconds before they are mobbed by a much larger force.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus rolled his eyes, frustration with the illusive devil mounting by the moment. He took a brief moment to sight the devil through his scope before closing the distance even further.

Spoiler

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Stealth (1d20+5)[14] Stealth. Double move to intercept Siga; reduce by however much action it takes to use the sight; I honestly forget what we agreed upon.

[ThatDamnPaladin]

RODERICK: 57/100hp
Despite having his throat torn out it's rather clear that Roderick is less than afraid; there's blood on his hands, there's blood in his eyes, and now there's blood in his VOICE. His counter attack is a vicious swarm of strikes that allow those horrid claws of his to find purchase once- but before the fiend can recover from dodging one of those terrible swipes Roderick comes around and bites the fiend with a vicious and terrible blow. Going for the throat as well and clearly trying to force it to feel it's own medicine. Clearly he is a man without fear and without remorse. His armor however seems to understand what's going on and begins to grow keratenous spikes making him look more like he's wearing Armor of the Angurius rather than Rhino Hide Armor.

That being said he seems more than ready to fight and quite clearly unafraid of doing so. Being large sized and combative.

The cone of cold is absorbed by the shield against cold; dropping it's effectiveness further but also likely causing some other things to happen as well. He seems to be enjoying his fight rather than afraid of the beast before him.

Spoiler: Actions

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Spoiler: Claw 1: Hit I assume

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Nigel the Knight Roll: [17] Result: 34 Reason: Claw 1
Nigel the Knight Roll: [6, 6, 5] Result: 32 Reason: Claw 1

Spoiler: Claw 2: Miss I assume

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Nigel the Knight Roll: [2] Result: 17 Reason: Claw 2

Spoiler: Bite: Might be a Hit?

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Nigel the Knight Roll: [11] Result: 26 Reason: BITE
Nigel the Knight Roll: [6, 2] Result: 23 Reason: Bite (assuming this hits)

Also, casting: Spiked Armor- they are +1 and Magical for Overcoming DR and Large Sized due to his size.

[CasualViking]

Aron Aron dodges the blast of cold; as the ice devil spears him, for a brief fraction of a second, he trades places with another warrior from another time, who takes the worst of the blow. Still, it leaves him sluggish, and as he clicks his heels together for a burst of speed, it only brings him back to normal. He swings and draws a spray of freezing blood from the ice devil in retaliation. Spoiler: Crunch Show 7 damage from cone of cold, 17 from being stabbed. Immediate: Mind Barrier, 2 mental focus, gain 16 Temp HP to avoid immediately dropping. Free: Boots of speed to counteract slow for one round. Full Attack on that ice devil. attack - (1d20+16)[33], dam - (1d10+23)[28]+(2d6)[10]; attack2 - (1d20+11)[20], dam2 - (1d10+23)[30]+(2d6)[11]. EDIT: 22 to confirm for +25 damage

[Stelio Kontos]

Sefariel shook his head in dismay. This was all so avoidable. Nonetheless, the battle had been thrust upon him. It would be most imprudent to interfere without the most basic of defenses, and with the speed of thought he enacted a few; where once one Sefariel stood, there were now a half-dozen, shifting and moving amongst themselves like some sort of cosmic shell game. Then it was time to begin a more complex incantation. Help was needed, even if it would be but a slight deterrent.

Spoiler: OOC

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Quickened: Cast Mirror Image, creating 5 extra images (rolled in discord)
Begin casting Summon Monster 3

[Darvin]

Roderick's claw attacks drive deep into his assailant, ripping away the soft linen cloak obscuring its features and revealing a body covered in brutal barbs. Though his attack bloodies the devil, the creature's defenses tear through Roderick's own arm in turn [Roderick takes 12 damage due to the barbed defenses of the devil]

Aron's glaive sends an arc of cold blood flying through the air, but the Gelugon merely chitters with excitement and taunts Aron for his own wounds, "Feeling anemic yet? You've lost a lot of blood... time to kill" the ice devil's taunt is interrupted by a screaming bolt from above. It strikes the ground with concussive force, distorting the air around him. Aron steels himself as he sees a shockwave of pure chaotic energy wash over him; however harshly it strikes him, it seems the devils are affected far more severely.

Spoiler: Spellcraft DC 19

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Someone just cast Chaos Hammer into the middle of the fray; whoever it is must have been directly above the battlefield, but there is no sign of them.

Spoiler: OOC

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All the devils take 36 damage and are slowed
Aron takes 7 damage, save for half
Roderick is completely unaffected

In the distance, the Erinyes archer seems to panic, "withdraw and regroup!" she screams as she immediately turns tail and runs the opposite direction. The weaker devils, slowed as they are, acquiesce and teleport away. Their destination is not clear. The two stronger devils, however, seem unwilling to break away having already weakened their foes so heavily.

The ice devil, is the first to regain some semblance of composure. His movement is sluggish and suppressed, but he manages to let loose a spell without drawing in an attack. Ice crystals rapidly form over your head, forming a precariously-balanced barrier of ice to block out whatever spellcaster is lurking above. The sheet of ice grinds against nearby rocky outcroppings, holding steady and providing no cover against those at ground level [Sefariel still has line of sight to the battle]. The devil then screams and sends his spear directly into Aron [Aron takes 21 piercing and 1 cold damage]

The devil fighting Roderick twitches as its muscles spasm uncontrollably, but suddenly and without warning lunges. Its clawed hand drive deep into Roderick's chest, ripping through flesh and muscle to latch onto his ribcage directly. As it does so the barbs and spines along its hands and arm extend outwards, ventilating Roderick's insides [critical hit; Roderick takes 62 damage and is grappled].

In the distance, Atticus moves into position and lines up his sight. Siga and his forces are moving swiftly to join the fray, but still seem unwilling to teleport. Atticus finds a concealed nook and takes aim as Siga passes him by within only 50 feet. A perfect clear shot.

Edit: added clarification on the wall of ice that it does not block Sefariel's line of sight, and added the barbed defenses of the devil that Roderick attacked.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus exhaled. He traced his boot in the ground, igniting a Rune of Fire around himself, the elemental energies steadying his aim. His aura coalesced into a dewy mist as he lined up the shot. He inhaled. His animus was flaring as he poured everything he could into this shot. He'd have only one shot before the devil knew he was onto him. The musket glowed a faint blueish-white as he poured all the animus he could into it. And he fired, the musket ball soared animus and magic gently guiding its path.

Spoiler: This is gonna be a lot

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Note all bonuses are already factored in

• As a Free Action; Change Active Element to Water (lose 4 AC (26), increase saves by +2 each)
• Use Move Action and spend an Animus to activate Fire Rune (+1 Circumstance bonus to attacks)
• As a Swift Action, activate Assay Resistance boost, Augmenting with 1 Animus. The next attack Atticus performs ignores up to 25 points of Energy Resistance and deals 3d6 additional damage of his Active Element.
• As a Free Action as part of Initiating Energy Hammer, spend an Animus to use Enhance Maneuver to give a +2 Insight bonus to any D20 roll associated with a maneuver
• As a Free Action as part of Initiating Energy Hammer, spend an Animus to use Animus-Charged Bullets to add Initiation Modifier (Wisdom, +5) to damage rolls with Firearms for 1 round
• As a Standard Action, initiate Energy Hammer, Augmenting with 2 Animus. Make an Attack roll, on hit deal 8d6 Cold damage and the target must make a DC 20 Fort save or be Nauseated for 4 rounds (rolled on discord).

Energy Hammer
(1d20+17)[31] vs. Flat-Footed AC (-2 due to 1 range increment, Not-Touch being outside the first range increment, +1 due to Fire Glyph, +2 due to Enhance Maneuver, +2 due to [Evil] Outsider Bane bullet, Flat-Footed due to stealth)
(1d12+19)[26]+(2d6)[7] Bludgeoning Piercing damage that bypasses non-Epic, non-Null DR + (11d6)[40] Cold Damage that bypasses up to 25 points of Cold Resistance

[Stelio Kontos]

As Sefariel's summoning finally came into being, a small ball of light appeared near Aron and the devil. The wizard uttered a short phrase in Celestial, and the archon moved to engulf Aron in a happy pale glow. It then flitted around behind the ice devil, hoping to distract the creature.

Spoiler: Celestial

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"Welcome, friend. Can you please aid my ally?"

Spoiler: OOC Lantern Archon

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Lantern archon casts Aid on Aron for (1d8+2)[10] temporary HP, plus he gets a +1 morale bonus on saves against fear, and attack rolls, should that be useful.

Not that I expect it to do anything, but its aura of menace technically applies.

His mind raced, and finally he sighed. It wasn't likely, but anything he could do to reduce the numbers... He shouted at the ice devil in Infernal, the words coming so quickly

Spoiler: Infernal

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This place is in peril; I would flee as long and as far as you can, were I you, and not return.

Spoiler: OOC

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Sefariel casts a quickened suggestion on the ice devil.

Finally, that other devil needed something to occupy it. A pit laced with sharp iron would have to do.

Spoiler: OOC

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Cast Shadow Conjuration, using it to cast a spiked pit underneath the devil. (To my understanding this shouldn't immediately affect Roderick, grappled or not, though he is right near it and may have to make a save on his turn.

[CasualViking]

Aron Aron frantically throws up ward after ward, seeing them shredded faster than he can keep up with. The Ice devil draws blood again. He desperately tries to hide behind a gaggle of illusory duplicates. Spoiler: Crunch Show 7 damage from chaos hammer, 21 from being stabbed. 10 temp HP that I hadn't calculated with, another 16 from an immediate action, leaving me at 11. Free action boots of speed to counter Slow, Move action to avoid concentration penalty from psychic magic, Concentration DC 19 to cast Mirror Image Defensively: (1d20+14)[21], #images - (1d4+2)[4]