Planar Odyssey [IC]

[ThatDamnPaladin]

Roderick

"Right, Aron; that was my former employer there- turns out that he wanted me dead for some reason. I'd just been employed for a month at this rate and he sends one of his little buddies to go knife me in my sleep." There's a grumble there as he ran his fingertips along his scar muttering to himself now.

"And, Attic, I have seen a musket; that's not a musket- that literally looks like a stick." That must mean that his gun tech might be far, far, far behind what's seen. That said, he does heave a sigh, "Well, at least we won't be going to the City of Golden Death or some ****- ah, I'll tell that story later. If you all don't mind I... am really tired and really hungry. I haven't eaten since last night and have been running since about mid-morning with no chance to really rest or eat."

[Triskavanski]

"I am Mais." Says the strix, not removing his mask, as he moves to put his hands back into the folds of his clothing, as he wrapped his wings around himself. "The timelines have brought me here, though I am not entirely sure why. However, combat wise, please do not expect much from me. I can keep you humans going, but beyond that, I cannot do much.
"

[Darvin]

"Well, Roderick Justine, you're friend now and I ain't got any complaints with ya," Tanner smiles at him, then sighs, "and you're not the first to get screwed over by Fairwind. That man's a villain of the planes. Never a drop of blood spilled on his own hands, but ever a trail of tears where his coin lands,"

She turns to Aron as he asks about their heading, "right now, away from Ankoro. I ain't risking changing course and running into a patrol barge. Once we break from the stormfront and have some visibility I can chart us a course. You folks still heading off to Basrakal, right? Maelstrom territory. Dangerous and difficulty journey, but master navigator Tanner can take you there.

She turns to address everyone, "look, I owe you all a thanks. We got bunks enough for all, so pick one for yourself and get some well-earned rest. Well, any except the captains quarters. We'll meet after a good sleep and we can talk about our course then,"

Spoiler: Sefariel

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At first the book seems to be a religious scripture, but as you continue to flip through the pages it becomes clear it's a work of fictions with deep religious overtones to the cult of Vildeis. The blind demigod supposedly ripped her own eyes from their sockets within hours of her birth, unable to gaze upon a reality tainted by sin. The allegorical story follows the life of an adherent named Kulsan who lashes out at injustice and seeks to destroy evil-doers.

Each chapter follows a similar pattern of Kulsan encountering an evil-doer and having to find the moral and physical fortitude to destroy them, often at personal cost and sacrifice. This pattern continues for sixteen chapters, but the last chapter reads very differently. In this chapter Kulsen is approaching spiritual enlightenment and seeks to complete his transformation by completely purging himself of sin. He seeks out a sacred ritual by which he can split himself into two beings and defeat his evil side.

Kulsen had believed that after a lifetime of virtue he evil side should be weak and easily defeated, but in his overconfidence he is destroyed by his evil side. As he lies dying, a vision of Vildeis comes before him and gives him a choice; Vildeis can destroy his evil side before it can inflict any evil on the greater universe, but doing so would also destroy the good half of Kulsen. Alternately he can restore them to a whole, as imperfect as he was. Kulsen chooses to become whole, embracing a flawed existence over oblivion.

It's a very odd story that doesn't fit with the normal themes of the cult of Vildeis.

Spoiler: Roderick

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As Roderick eases himself to sleep, images of the City of Golden Death flood his mind. Three groups walk through the city as a procession, each unaware of the next. His own adventuring party, so recent. In front of them are the three adventurers a generation earlier, Kassen, Asar, and Iramine. Leading the procession are two undead creatures. One levitates atop the ground with a flowing robe, an undead creature with gaunt eyes, rat-like teeth, and patches of wispy hair draped around his crown. Beside him an unmistakable visage; the Whispering Tyrant.

The vampire stops at a distinctive-looking archway, "this place will suffice lord, may I stow it here?" he turns to the Whispering Tyrant. Without even looking back at the vampire the Whispering Tyrant speaks, "you have my permission to store your weapon here, Kothas of Mechitar,"

"Thank you, my lord," the vampire draws a small and unassuming urn form his robe and stashes it in a nearby alcove. The Whispering Tyrant and the Vampire turn around, "I will return for it at a... more opportune time,"

The second group passes through the first. Asar stumbles and is knocked into the alcove. The urn is jostled and smashes on the ground. Iramine grabs Kassen and drags him aware from where the urn spilled, an obvious ring of necrotic power emanating. The adventurers quickly make distance. The aura disappates and becomes invisible.

Then the third group - your group - walks through the area. The necrotic aura has fizzled away, leaving only a faint outline of a circle in the ground. Footsteps pass nearby, but only steps in the circle: Roderick Justine.

That is when you notice a fourth group walking behind you. The vampire, Kothas of Mechitar returns. He looks up into the alcove and sees it empty. His gaze turns to the ground and the small circle, "it's intact," he turns to a cloaked figure standing next to him, "contact the Church of Razmir. Offer them the usual coin. We need to find who the carrier is. The wards won't last long after leaving the city, and if we don't find it soon the Custodians will become aware of it," the vampire's gaze shifts and Roderick feels like the creature is looking directly into his eyes, "we can't let such a valuable tool slip through our grasp; I'll not have us set back another thousand years over such perfectly avoidable accidents,"

The vision fades, and you get the chilling sensation that this is more than idle dream.


Kothas of Mechitar

After a rocky eight hours through the stormy squalls of the astral, Tanner calls the entire party to her cabin. The skies have cleared revealing a pristine view of the cosmos. Planes and stars shimmer overhead. She gathers everyone around a desk; it's a bit crowded, but everyone has a good view of the desk. "had a little chat with our prisoner this morning. Surprisingly polite for all the trouble he gave you. Even promised not to kill me if he got out, the gentleman that he is. Seems like a complete zealot to me, so don't you worry, I ain't popping that lock until we can dump him safely," she chuckles then unfurls a large chart, "so, you boys want to head to Basrakal right? Dangerous journey, heart of the Maelstrom, but fortunately you have a daring and beautiful captain who has the chops to make that trip. Fastest way to head into the Maelstrom is to pick up a drift wake in Yulgamot. Only problem is that the astral is a bit stormy right now, so we might take a bit longer to reach Yulgamot than I'd like. Could work out in our favor, though; harder for pursuers in bad weather. Unless anyone here has business or would like to be dropped off elsewhere, I'll chart us a direct course to Yulgamot. Any objections or course corrections?"

Spoiler: "DC 20 knowledge(planes)

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Yulgamot is a citadel built in the depths of the astral plane by the Shulsaga people. Their innate connection to the currents of the astral allows them to keep their citadel constantly positioned overtop the intersection of the primary drift currents of the astral. Skilled drift navigators can use the launching point of Yulgamot to reach any other location in the astral in a matter of hours.

Yulgamot is a jumping point for travel throughout the astral - sometimes quite literally. So strong and reliable are its currents that with the aid of a trained navigator to plan a jump travellers can simply leap from its edge and let the currents take them to their destination. Without the assistance of a master Shulsaga navigator, however, these jumps can easily end in ruin.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus growled in his throat. As much as I'd like ta make a beeline for Basrakal, we do have a pitstop I think we should make. We know where and what Fairwind need this here skiff for. I don't see any reason to let him recover it anyways. And frankly, I'd like ta be as prepared as I can and it sounded like what he lost would be worthwhile.

[CasualViking]

Aron "Agreed. Fairwind is nothing but a silken brigand. I would be happy to relieve him of this mystery cargo to repay him his offenses"

[Stelio Kontos]

Sefariel merely let out a small tsk of disapproval, before elaborating. "Unless you believe there are items which may aid us on on our journey to Basrakal, I believe this to be a pointless diversion, and fraught with danger besides. Though I do suppose the chance of that may be sufficient to outweigh the delay and additional risks."

"Depending on conditions, that might be an appropriate place to release our prisoner. I would imagine he could live quite comfortably there for some time, especially if appropriately supplied. It is not as though any court of jurisdiction would seek to take him in. Yes, yes, I rather like that idea -- if it is safe to do so, of course."

"If we are to investigate the skiff, may I suggest that we pull up to a safe distance and wait for a bit. I do have the capacity to procure the services of one friend or another who might be able to scout the vessel for us. I cannot imagine that you are the only ones in all the Astral to consider the temptations of piracy."

Spoiler: OOC

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When we get to the skiff, assuming that's the plan, I would like to try to take the time to summon a lesser planar ally of some kind to flit about and scout the vessel for a few minutes, as much as I can bargain and still make it a freebie. I'm fine with it running at the first sign of trouble, but would rather like to know if something's aboard. Something quite simple like a lantern archon will do.

[CasualViking]

Aron "That would be very useful, Sefariel. Thank you. I can read see alignment auras at twice the usual range, the entire spectrum, and I can discern function and history by hands-on investigation."

[Stelio Kontos]

"Hmm, most interesting, most interesting. That should prove quite useful as well. I shall adjust my preparations accordingly. Thank you for sharing."

[Darvin]

"You had me at screwing over Fairwind. Let me see those charts!" Tanner practically snatches them when they are produced, "M'kay, they're well off the beaten path. Not a problem, but it'll take us a few days to get there. Even if Fairwind suspects we're heading there, he won't be overtaking us,"

With their course set the party took some well-needed rest as Captain Tanner piloted the craft across the expanse of the astral. A watchful lookout is kept at all times, but the days pass uneventfully. Tanner steers the craft away from any storms, and on several occasions she mentions the various tell-tale signs that can be used to spot other craft - or powerful creatures - before they spot you. Many of them seem so subtle as to be imperceptible, as she points to the particular pattern of twinkles in a constellation as a sign of a Devourer being in that direction, "very dangerous beasties, but not particularly fast and they can't teleport. Keep out of range of their spells and they're not threat," she explains.

No one needs Tanner to tell you as you approach your destination. A black smouldering cloud is visible in the distance, and you're heading directly towards it. Crackles of crimson lightning occasionally pulsate across its surface like engorged blood veins before dissipating moments later. Tanner slows the craft as you approach and pulls it alongside the storm. It appears to be about two-hundred feet across, and as your skiff does a slow circuit around the storm you see the shattered bow of a ship hanging limply and extending out of its expanse. Aron's aura sight confirms what he may have already suspected; the entire storm reeks of evil and law.

"The hell is this!? Like literally, I can feel it in my bones, this is actually hell," Tanner scrunches her face, "I ain't afraid of hell. What scares me is who wanted to buy this stuff. No way Fairwind wanted this for himself, he was selling to someone..."

As Tanner pulls the skiff into a slow orbit, Sefariel begins casting his Planar Ally spell. After ten minutes of intense focus there is a flash of light surrounding a silhouette of shadow. A calm voice breaks the silence, "It has been a while, Sefariel. As always, Idrion sends his best wishes to his righteous mortal friends," the Spyglass Archon Lisatryal flexes her wings as she acclimates to the astral.

Spoiler: Sefariel

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You obtained the favor of the Trumpet Archon Idrion several years ago when you rescued some of his subordinates from a daemonic cult, and in your escape you unwittingly lead them into an ambush set by Idrion himself.

You attempted to ask Idrion for aid with your predicament with hostile outsiders, a situation that utterly baffled Idrion. He attempted several powerful divinations on your behalf, and obtained an ominous silence when he attempted to commune with Iomedae herself for answers. He promised you to look into the matter in greater detail, but you never heard anything more.

Ever since your planar ally spell has occasionally called some of Idrion's subordinates

Lisatryal turns her head towards the crackling miasma the skiff is circling, "I see you are still battling the forces of evil. This pleases us," she turns back to Sefariel. After explaining the situation, she nods, "yes, I will enter the storm and see what I can find for you. I'll be back shortly," she casts a spell of Message to stay in contact with Sefariel and leaps into the storm.

Spoiler: Sefariel

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"The storm feels wrong but it doesn't seem to be harming me,"

"There's a bunch of debris in here, but there are three big chunks of the ship holding it all together. I'm moving towards one of them now,"

"I think this is the stern of the ship? Looks pretty intact. Not seeing anything here on the outside, so I'm going to move along,"

"That looks like the hull of the ship. There's a bright light inside. I'm going to check it out,"

"The aura is definitely strongest here. There's something strange growing along the surface of the hull; I'm not touching it. What's that light, though? I should be able to see what's causing it from this distance..."

"Hey, it's getting brighter, I think- oh shi-" the message cuts off suddenly.

After several moments of silence Lisatryal's voice comes through again, "well, something didn't approve of my spying. It's definitely invisible, has some sort of short ranged magical attack, and didn't bother to chase me when I fled,"

"I'm a bit disoriented... how do I get out of here? Wait, isn't that the bow of the ship?"

As you make another orbit around the ship the Spyglass Archon emerges from the point where the ship's bow protrudes from the storm. She flaps her wings and arrives on the deck of the Cerulean Gray, a nasty burn extending down her arm, "take care, Master Sefariel. Be warned that I was unable to detect the aura of that invisible creature before it attacked me. Its aura blends in with the ambient aura of evil in that storm. I will let Idrion know that you are still actively destroying the forces of evil. Farewell," the archon closes her eyes and in a flash of light disappears.

[Stelio Kontos]

Sefariel greeted the spyglass archon warmly and the tiny glitters in his skin shone; it was clear that they had met before, and he pondered each sentence the archon delivered and repeated it word for word to the group.

”Well met and many thanks, Lisatryal. We, my new friends and allies, shall do our best as always. Please extend my greetings and thanks to Idiron as well. Have you need of care for your injury before you depart?”

As the archon vanished, Sefariel spoke carefully. “So, the ship itself is quite problematic, and perhaps covered in some way by what I would surmise is the equivalent to a fungus or mold, not to be disturbed. Without seeing it it would be difficult to say precisely. Best to simply leave it undisturbed if possible. Then, the matter of the invisible creature. I am afraid Aron that the aura of the creature may blend exceedingly well with that of the ship itself. I strongly suggest that we be well prepared for invisible foes, as well as fire, judging by the evidence of the wound Lisatryal suffered. A strong protection from evil would also be recommended. I can prepare many of these for your benefit, of course, but have any of you the means as well? I would rather prefer to maintain additional options should there be additional unexpected distractions. If you will excuse me for about a quarter hour, you may prepare as best you see fit, and then I shall be most ready.”

[CasualViking]

Aron "I can ward four of us against fire for the trip. And I can conjure a burst of glitter to reveal invisible creatures, but I would need a rough idea of its location to hit it. "

[MesiDoomstalker]

I reckon I can stick to Fire as my element o' choice; though most things that throw it don't care about receiving none in return. Atticus slung his musket over his shoulder, eyeing the astral storm. Don't have nothing against no mind meddling though. Nothing but my stubbornness, at least.

[CasualViking]

Aron After Sefariel finishes his preparations, Aron goes around and lies a finger on Sefariel, Roderick and Mais. "That should blunt any fire attacks you take."

[Triskavanski]

"And I shall patch you back up, and improve you flow of time. However, if I'm attacked, there is not much I can do there, as I'm a doctor not a warrior." Mais replies to the others.

[ThatDamnPaladin]

Roderick

Roderick slept; he didn't wake up for a lengthy time either. You see, while everyone else was fine with their visions he was caught in memories of what had transpired during his stay in the City of Golden Death. He'd exhausted himself there too, he'd stumbled against the relic, he'd become cursed and he knew very well what the problem was now. Why he couldn't find peace- it'd been close to a decade since he'd last been there. But the memory, smell, and feeling was all that same. He knew how traumatically he was affected and now?

Now something had given him an acceptable target.

However, he could smell brimstone easily- he'd been targeted by devils and demons often enough that the mere smell of it snapped him out of his slumber and he started belting on his items. He arrived right as Mais was speaking- his heavy tread and rather confused facial expression telling all. He'd slept nearly the full eight hours and looked a little worse for wear. But, as soon as he was able to he did take a gander at everyone, "Ah, sorry... sorry about not waking up- I was..."

"I dreamt. I never do anymore; this seemed important though..." He frowned, "And explains why I'm here, I got ****in' cursed!"

[Darvin]

With their defensive wards prepared, the party ventures towards the wreck. Those with the ability to fly ferry those who cannot towards, dropping them on the shattered bow of the ship just inside the crackling miasma of evil. The ambient aura is strong enough that it can be felt by everyone, even those without the ability to perceive such auras. Merely stepping inside of the storm puts hairs on edge and bombards the mind with a latent sense of dread. The air is thick, hot, and vaguely acrid. Visibility is poor, and the group cannot stray too far without losing sight of each other.

Spoiler: Atticus

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Subtly, masked by the crackling of the storm, Atticus can make out a disembodied voice chanting ominously in infernal.

"Drain the blood from flesh and bone,
Sickly sweet is their tortured moan,
From these husks we'll build our throne,
Nevermore to be alone,

Raise the chalice, light the pyre,
Three great lights growing higher,
We bask in their futile ire,
As they burn in our hellfire,"

There's another voice present, weaving through the chorus of infernal. There are no intelligible worlds, and it forms a single long and tortured scream. Though the chanting seems to be ambient and coming from all directions, the scream definitely is coming from inside the hull of the ship.

Spoiler: Aron

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Amidst the crackling of the storm Aron barely makes out a shrill scream. It is hard to make out over the ambient noise of the storm, but Aron does pick out a few intelligible words in Auran: "please... kill me"

There's another voice that seems to be chanting over the screams, but you can't make out any intelligible worlds.

The party approaches the broken hold of the ship; it is connected by a few loose strands of timber to the hull. With a few modest jumps, even those without the ability to fly could cross the gap quite easily. The hull is clearly the epicenter of the storm, and it feels almost like a living creature, breathing in and then exhaling. Suddenly a gout of flames erupts from the hull. It washes harmless over the part, warded as they are against fire. A deep laugh echoes from inside the hull. As the fire clears there is no sign of the glowing light reported by Lisatryal, possibly having retreated deeper into the hold. True to her reports there is something growing against the inside of the hull, lining it like blood vessels. Whatever they are they do not move, but they shimmer with diabolical energy.

Spoiler: OOC

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You can see clearly up to 15 ft away from you. Anything 20-30 ft away has concealment (20%), and anything further away than that has total concealment.

The cargo hold is smashed open and you can enter directly from this opening. You could enter the hold, investigate the strange growths, cast spells, or just try to smash things up. We are not in initiative order (yet) but keep your actions to no more than 2 rounds worth.

[CasualViking]

Aron "This is going to get ugly before it gets better". He twirls his weapon, trailing a few sparks of magic as he enhances it. Spoiler: Actions Show Move action: gain Blindfighting, Standard: renew flight ability, standard: make weapon Holy, swift: add +2 bonus to weapon.

[MesiDoomstalker]

We've got ourselves a bon-a-fide hell-ritual here fellas. Don't sign nothin' and don't agree to anythin'. Atticus' stance shifted every so slightly, his ever-present aura of wind suddenly dissipating, as twin images of the the farm-boy shifted out of him, following his every action perfectly. The trio leveled their rifles. I'll cover y'all's approach. Don't get too far 'head though.

Spoiler

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Swap to Infinity Mirror Stance (2 Mirror Images).

[Stelio Kontos]

"Most interesting. These lines along the interior seem to focus as both a conduit and a focus for the foul aura of this place. I would not rightly recommend touching them, if it can be avoided. I intend to steer well clear, myself. Perhaps if we are able to defeat whatever is inside, they can be studied in a more leisurely manner."

Sefariel nodded at Atticus. "I've no intention of preceding you, sir. However, now that you mention the subject, perhaps it would be appropriate to send forth a scout, one that might find an invisible creature. I myself am so enchanted as to be able to do so, but the fog itself limits sight. Fortunately, that too can be circumvented" he finished, raising a finger in the air to begin a particularly long spell...

Spoiler: OOC

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Cast Summon Monster 3 to bring forth one celestial dire bat https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/mo...ature-dire-bat , which will hopefully fly into the fog and make a bunch of noise to alert us to the general area of whichever creature might be out there.

[Triskavanski]

"I'll watch from here, incase one of you becomes troubled." says Mais. He could watch to see if anything weird happened to anyone after all and try to reset their timeline if needed.

[ThatDamnPaladin]

The... lack of anyone even reacting to him was something he wasn't used to. Even if folk in his own world found him repugnant? They usually reacted to him at least negatively. This; well, this change wasn't any better so it actually bothered him greatly- but, there is a quiet, "Well alright then..." With all the bravado taken out of his sails- as he already knew that this was going to be a pretty god-awful endeavor. He goes through his steps of self-buffing...First he goes through the arcane motions of the Shield Spell; then- with multiple complicated finger movements and then finally a drop of his own blood he doubles in size as he casts Enlarge Person on himself.

This likely causes the boat to list some. He'll wait for the first person to cross before going; after all, he'd not volunteered to go onto THE NOSTROMOthe ship before them. But, he would- for what it was worth.

Spoiler: Actions

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Casting Shield then casting Enlarge Person.

[Darvin]

Roderick and Sefariel's summoned dire bat lead the way into the interior of the hull. His nose is immediately struck by the oppressive smell of blood laced with a metallic overtone. Hellish whispers fill his ears, and the cloying fog wraps around his eyes and quickly obscures the party behind him. Ahead of him, however, he sees a humanoid figure stumbling silently through the fog. Whoever it is seems unaware of Roderick's presence, and is moving away deeper into the mists; if he doesn't follow promptly, he will lose sight of the figure entirely.

The others watch as the fog envelops Roderick and he quickly and unnaturally disappears from their sight. A peal of thunder rings out around them and claws begin to tear through the miasma. The spirits take the form of disembodied torsos with wicked claws and tormented screams permanently transcribed on their emaciated faces. Their agonizing screaming is so slurred as to be unintelligible, but there is one word unmistakable upon their breath: "Fairwind".

Spoiler: OOC

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You get a surprise round as the shadowy creatures emerge; roll for initiative

Monster initiative is: (1d20+2)[7]

If you beat their initiative, you may take both the surprise round and your first turn as well.

There are a total of twelve of these creatures manifesting around you. Roderick can hear the commotion, and Sefariel can command his summon to return.

[CasualViking]

Aron At the sound of the moaning. Aron swings through the fog, aiming to cleave off limbs and heads. "Give these poor souls some final rest!" he yells to the rest of the party. Spoiler: Actions Show Surprise round only. Attack one of the foggy figures. attack - (1d20+18)[23], damage 21 +holy - (2d6)[10]. Attacks of Opportunity are at +19, for 1d10+13 (+2d6 holy), crit 19-20*2. No special abilities to overcome miss chance.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus tensed as the apparitions formed before him, taking half a moment to steady himself. He quickly drew a symbol in the air, granting his allies clarity through the lesser of the cloying fog. As he finished the symbol, he lined up his shot, hoping to deal with these foes fast.

Spoiler

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Surprise Round; use Illumination Glyph; all allies (besides Roderick and Sefarial's bat) can ignore miss chance from anything less than Total Concealment for 5 rounds

First round;
FA change Active Element to Air
Energy Hammer
(1d20+14)[16] vs. touch
(1d12+12)[21] + (7d6)[29] Electric damage and a DC 20 Fort or be Deafened for (1d4)[1]

Readied Counters
Arcane Shield: (Spellcraft check (+15) vs. any attack (spells included but only ones with attack rolls).
OR
Temporal Body Adjustment: If I'm subjected to a non-Death condition, I am not subjected to that condition.

[ThatDamnPaladin]

RODERICK

"They abandon you even now~." Whispered the voices in the air, causing the bloodrager's flesh to start to shift and change some. But; as soon as it began it stopped. His gaze now fixed firmly ahead as he continued forward. His ignoring of his allies an obviousness that likely compounded a few other issues- but... it was clear that the young man was unafraid to keep going into what could clearly be his death.

"Little cursed Roderick, how can you even think of having friends?" There was a pause in his step now as he followed after the shadowy figure. Before he kept going on; his eyes hooded and brooding; his movements semi-eratic... but only for a moment. He exerted control over himself. He would not fall to the jeering from shadows- he wouldn't be some victim of air and smoke. He was following the entity with a ferocity that only a man with a heart set on showing that he is useful could. Timbers creak and groan as his heavy footfalls warp wood and his frame forces itself into gulverts and hallways.

But he would not stop following; after all...

In his eyes? The whispers were right; his party had abandoned him. And he was not about to be disabused of this notion in the slightest it seemed...

[Triskavanski]

Mais looked around giving a sigh. With a snap of his fingers he increased everyones speed that he could still see at this point. "Where did the last of you go to?" as he moves with an unusual grace through the battlefield, creating ghostly phantoms of himself.

Spoiler

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Everyone except Rodrick is hasted

+20 movement speed, +1 attack bonus, dodge ac and reflex
Then either +1 attack per round or +2 attack of opportunity per round

Spent 2 spell points 9 points left.


http://spheresofpower.wikidot.com/athletics#toc68
I have two after images currently

[Stelio Kontos]

Sefariel looked calmly upon the spirits, studying them and trying to recall what he could of the creatures, anything he could. Massed souls, likely some form of undead, was most certainly not something he was well prepared for. "Trust in yourselves, friends, as I trust in you. Though I vanish, I shall not stray far."

With a brief command to his bat, and a simple gesture, he disappeared from sight, for the moment at least. From the distance, a dire bat rejoined the party, fluttering about angrily.

Spoiler: OOC

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Knowledge check of some kind to figure out what these things are? (Roll it for me in Discord, as I'm not certain what the relevant skill might be.
Cast vanish, not that I expect it to do much good, but you never know right?
Summon bat back in this general direction; its protocol will be to use his attacks to aid another, and to provide flanking if possible.
My initiative round action will be to ready a dimensional step 20' away should I be attacked.

[Darvin]

Atticus and Aron strike in tandem against one of the visages as it forms. It shrieks and evaporates back into the miasma as quickly as it appeared. The others, however, finish forming with gleaming red coals where eyes should be and swarm the party. Most of them swarm at Atticus and Aron; the Occultist twirls his glaive, wrecking havoc on the assailants, but they continue their onslaught with suicidal abandon. Their claws pass effortlessly through armor, like the gaseous substance they are.

A few veer off to pursue Mais. Two of them are mislead by his after images and their claws tear into each other. Their spectral forms swirl like smoke before awkwardly pulling apart from each other with no obvious signs of damage. It does not appear their attacks are capable of harming each other. The third spirit sees through Mais' defense and strikes home, leaving a searing gash that stings with negative energy.

As the spectral assailants strike, their vicitms hear the tormented whispers of their dying breaths ringing out in their ears.

Spoiler: Atticus

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"I'm not going to die here! Not like this!"

"Sorry luv... I guess we'll never get our little cottage in paradise. I just wish I could see you... one last time,"

"Please help me! Why aren't you doing anything!? It's killing me!"

Spoiler: Aron

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"Was an idiot to ever trust her..."

"I just have to grab it. I just have to throw it off the ship. We can clean this up if the heart is gone. So close, I just need to stretch my hand a little-"

"Just a little further, and they'll patch me up. Just a few more steps. Damn my legs feel heavy..."

Spoiler: Mais

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"What just happened, why can't I move my legs? Why can't I feel my legs? Oh... no..."

Spoiler: OOC

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Atticus was attacked 4 times; the first one missed but popped a mirror image, the second one hit, the third one was blocked by mirror image, and the fourth one hit; he takes 9 damage.
Aron was attacked 4 times and hit 3 times; he takes 12 damage.
Mais was attacked 3 times and hit once, taking 4 damage; both after images were hit

Spoiler: Roderick

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As he moves deeper into the deck of the ship, Roderick can see that the very hallways have been warped, bent, and even broken in places by the strange metallic growths along its walls. He follows swiftly behind the figure, but no matter how quickly he pursues and how slowly the figure hobbles away it always seems to be just on the verge of rounding a corner and losing him entirely.

As he proceeds, the tormented whispers of the damned abate as a woman's voice begins to rise above them, "so, your compatriots are the kind to leave you out to dry too, huh? I saw it myself, and can tell you that it backfires in the end. When it's every man for himself, we all just end up dead in a different ways. Roderick Justine, is it? Don't look so surprised, I can read it on your brow. We both have our problems; you seem to be carrying some kind of curse, and my body was quite literally torn to shreds. So how about we cut a deal; I hitch a ride in your body, lend you what's left of my power, and we work at solving both our problems? I don't relish the thought of being absorbed by that infernal tumor like the others were, what do you say,"

As Roderick rounds the last corner he comes to a room filled with macabre horrors. The walls pulsate rhythmically like a heartbeat, and the metallic substance has completely enveloped the crew members. Each one is held fast and frozen with a look of abject terror on their face. As Roderick walks into the room their bleeding eyes follow him even as the rest of their face and body remains motionless. At the center of the room the cloaked humanoid figure is now motionless. Tendrils of the infernal metal ripple through the floor, and would require Roderick to jump over them if he were to approach without touching them. The humanoid figure is motionless and does not turn around to face Roderick.

[CasualViking]

Aron Aron really gets into the flow of things, and his blade zings through clouds and apparitions at great speed. He looks happy. Spoiler: Actions Show Attack 1: (1d20+19)[23], damage - (1d10+13)[19]+Holy - (2d6)[6], Attack 2: (1d20+14)[28], damage - (1d10+13)[22]+Holy - (2d6)[12], Attack haste: (1d20+19)[24], damage - (1d10+13)[21]+Holy - (2d6)[10] No special abilities to overcome miss chance.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus grunted as the things started to mob him. He didn't like being this personal with souls of the damned (or anyone seeing him harm, for that matter). He twisted right and his view changed as he disappeared from the mob of spirits to some distance away as he completed his turn. As soon as his body had fully materialized he fired, aiming to thin their numbers. Again, he shifted his stance, his elemental aura flaring back to life once more. But the musket barfed a gout of smoke and little else. Atticus scowled, bashing his palm against the load chamber and a flash of chaotic arcane energy, dislodged the quasi-real arcane-stuff stuck in the barrel.

Spoiler

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Swift Action; change to Elemental Flux (Air); use AC as listed on sheet
Standard; Fading Strike. Teleport no more than his movement, then make an attack.
(1d20+14)[15] vs. Touch
(1d12+17)[25]