The End Of The Multiverse As We Know It (IC)

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Elminster nods his receipt of Laurelin's sendings. "Friend Shade, I would hate to believe ye were lying to me intentionally, so I'll content myself with believing ye misinformed. Ye're indeed damaging the Weave by yer very existence, and all the other Shades and Thultanthar as well. If--" The Shade laughs harshly. "Spoken like a true Chosen," he sneers. "You and that sorcerous whore you call a goddess are always--"

"Hold, Shade," interjects Khelben forcefully. "You might think your own dark goddess superior to the Lady of Mysteries, but think twice before impugning Her name...Mystra's Chosen are here, now, while your own goddess is nowhere to be seen."

"Yes, yes. Intimidation and threats, is that the best you can do, Blackstaff? You moralistic, arrogant bastards have no idea what--"

"We? We are arrogant? We Chosen, who protect the Weave and serve Mystra loyally, are more arrogant than those who wish to conquer Toril and rule a new Netheril? How--"

"Oh, so subservient! So loyal! So meek and mild! You do not merely serve, you impose! You command! You--"

"That's enough, from the both of ye," orders an amused Elminster. The Blackstaff grumbles in Elminster's general direction, but ceases shouting, and with a wave of his staff Khelben returns the three of you to full health. The Shade merely floats there, arms crossed and expression dour. "Vorsilen, we have had our differences in the past, and we will likely clash again elsewhere ere long, but in this instance ye are in the wrong. The Devourer wakes, and the Lady needs must be at full strength if She is to defend Toril from--" The dwarf Shade throws up his arms in disbelief. "This is your plan?" he asks you three mockingly. "A powerful enemy is threatening Toril, and you somehow think the three of you can stop it...yet instead of coming to Thultanthar and asking if dozens if not hundreds of Toril's most powerful mages and priests would be willing to aid you with their Art and magical tools, you wish to destroy the Enclave to minimally increase Mystra's power? And you call us fools!"

Elminster looks upwards and murmurs "Lady, if I may?" The wards of high magic flicker again, though less harshly, and Elminster nods in thanks. A moment later, the shadovar within the wards disappear, fading in shadow back to Thultanthar, and a moment after that the remaining shadovar outside the wards vanish as well, leaving only the one Shade. "I will leave the matter of rethinking plans up to my friends, but now, I believe it is time for ye to leave. And yer friend as well; Laeral, my dear?" The Lady Mage nods and speaks one arcane word, and a field of glittering silver motes of light spreads out to encompass the battlefield. Now that there is something to help him pinpoint its position, Ban catches sight of a humanoid figure a few feet behind him. It makes several gestures telling Ban to perform anatomically impossible acts; a flash of violet light erupts from a few feet behind Ban, and the hidden Shade is gone as well. Laeral dismisses the light, and the three spread out to surround the last remaining Shade.

"And now, Vorsilen," Elminster concludes with a smile, "ye face six quite powerful beings all by yerself, and all of them are quite upset with ye. I would leave now, were I ye." Growling in wordless anger, the Shade shoots you three a glare and forces out one last sentence between clenched teeth: "We are willing to talk peacefully if you ever come to your senses, you murderous bastards!" He, too, then vanishes in a puff of shadow.

"Well, that was pleasant," says a calmer Khelben. "As it always is, dear," agrees Laeral. "And with that, I must away to deal with Samas Kul; the zulkirs are up to yet another scheme." Elminster nods to you all and disappears. "The Shades are not trustworthy; they may attack again, and in greater number, for all of Vorsilen's posturing about peace," Laeral says. "As we have a vested interest in both aiding Mystra and protecting Waterdeep, my husband and I will remain here in case of another attack, if our presence does not disturb your concentration."

[Exthalion]

With a sigh the elf spoke, "I will resume, but some council I wish first. What they say has some truth though it is little and hard won. Were it the will of the Lady I would gladly spare them, but they know not in full the damage they do. Oh that they would turn from their dark mistress and seek again to love the Lady's mysteries. Unless another way be found they will all die, and this Mythal shall be a weapon unlike any other on Toril. It might be best were it undone but such is not my place.

What say you, for I know you both stand high in the love of Mystra."

[Chambers]

Ban

"....wha?" Ban mumbles as the positive energy passes over him. He shakes his head and rights himself, floating in the field. He squints his eyes at his adversary, trying to get a clear view of him before he disappears in the violet light. "Huh. Neat trick, that." He says, nodding towards the lady.

He reaches behind him and feels for the hole in his back. "Couldn't fix my shirt while you were at it?" He says as he pokes his finger through the dagger hole. His hand comes away stained with blood which he wipes on a handkerchief. Floating over to Laurelin he nods to the Old Mage, Lady Mage, & Blackstaff. "Listen...you and your friends seem to have this taken care of. I'm off to get some sleep." He throws a wink at the Lady Mage and says to Laurelin over his shoulder, "If the world ends...don't wake me."

[Niezck]

Welcome the wizards with a beaming smile, Zyethar thoroughly enjoys the beatdown of the shades and swings his greatsword around in amusement.

"Well, if I'm no longer needed for protection, I could do with a quick trip to Elirhondas. If you'll excuse me, gents and lady?"

With a bow to Laeral, Khelben and Laurian, Zyethar vanishes from sight.

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Gonna plane shift/teleport/etc to get back to Elirhondas to rest for a couple hours (ring of sustenance) and magically re-write some class levels and spell lists

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Laeral shakes her head sadly. "I do not love the Shades, but neither do I love needless death. If there were a way to persuade them all away from Shar's clutches and to Mystra's protection, I would gladly take it, but they are stubborn and set in their ways." The Blackstaff hefts his black staff and idly looks at the onyx and ebony at its tip. "You know, dear, there is a way to do that. It simply requires forcibly rewriting each Shade's belief system and depriving them all of free will, and the rest of the shadovar will follow. Difficult, but not impossible; I've induced a bit of programmed amnesia in my day, in the course of my duties."

Laeral gives him a Look. "Even were I to like that particular solution, it would not be practical. Even we could not do that to every Shade in time. Much better to simply warn them to leave Thultanthar, so that their deaths are not on our conscience. Though the attack shows that they are already aware of your working." She turns back to you and continues, "You may as well continue with your current course. Mystra has given you Her blessing, and if She had disliked your actions she would not have done so. We can only act, and deal with what consequences may arise."

[Exthalion]

"Such would be within the power of the mythal. You know that Wish is a mighty spell though still limited in its use. This mythal shall undo that, it shall allow the casting of a True Wish.

However, would such salvation of the Blackstaff suggests be of benefit to their souls? Perhaps as a matter of greater practical relevance could we make use of them for this purpose if they were so turned?"

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Khelben raises a bushy eyebrow. "Impressive. Wish I'd been born an elf. Sadly, my training took a different path." He shakes his head. "But no, I wasn't suggesting we do that, merely noting that it's not impossible. Mind-controlled arcanists don't handle the Art very well, I find--trust me, I'd know--and changing their minds wouldn't make up for all that they had done. Just go ahead with the ritual and let them be damned."

[Chambers]

Ban

Leaving the mages to dicker about magic Ban floats down to the city streets. He flickers in the shadows and disappears from sight.

Walking along the roof tops of the buildings he looks down at the bloodstains on his hands and chuckles. "Forget the first rule, did you? Never fight them on their own terms. I'd have thought you would remember that."

He scowls and jumps across a gap between buildings. "I thought you were going to shut up...just leave things to me." "Well, you've done a fine job so far, getting us stabbed by a Shade. By a Shade! I'm sure that impressed our friends back there."

Ban smiles as the walks along a clothesline spanning an alley. "Friends? You think they're our friends? You're more a fool than I thought. The mage would as soon destroy us if he didn't have need of us, and the other would probably fight anyone if someone paid him enough. They aren't friends. They are tools to be used, at the right time, for the right purpose."

"..."

"When you fought the Knight in the prison, you let your friend do the fighting, didn't you? When the others wanted to destroy the gem you certainly didn't stop them. They're probably dead by now. No. Those are not your friends...even you know that."

Ban pauses for a moment and wraps the shadows around him deeper. They flicker for a moment and he's elsewhere, crouching on a large statue in the middle of a market square. Hidden in the crook of the stone figures arms he watches the people pass by. "Our friends are silence, and stealth. Our friends are the death screams of the mark. Our friends are those we rescued last night. At least they do not have any mistaken ideas about the world! You seem to want to keep persisting that all the blood you have spilled can be washed away." Ban shakes his head and flexes his hand, the dried blood flaking off. "It never goes away. It is part of us. It is us. Never forget that."

"..."

"Good." The shadows flicker again and Ban is standing outside the building where he left Brother Von. "He should still be here. And don't you dare say anything while we're in front of the others."

"...I won't."

Ban nods and goes to the back alley, down the hidden stairway and knocks on the door. "It's me. We need to talk."

[Exthalion]

The City of Splendors was well named. Amidst the cold of the North and predations of many enemies it thrived. Yet even the city that was home to the famous (or infamous) Blackstaff had not seen a sight such as this.

A calm and slow chanting took over the older hymns and exaltation. Though emanating from the wards they seemed to come from the stars and the clouds and the very rock and stone of the earth.

Under the light of Selune at her most radiant the coruscating sphere of the high magic wards glinted taking in the moon and starlight and returning it in shafts and twinkles of color. Around the moon two pale and perfect circular moonbows formed.

As the night went on the wards seemed to unravel into great branching streams of color and light. As these threads branched out in the sky a light, yet ever increasing, rain of glowing motes fell from them; each falling just short of being graspable. This did not obscure the moon or the star, but were like a lens through which they shone clearer and brighter.

As the dawn grew near great rivers of light, rippling curtains like the aurora and pulsing streams appeared at the horizon. With each hour they drew closer until the first ray of sunlight flew out and struck the heart of the mythal at the same instant its outermost extremities connected with the incoming flows.

At once what had been a fantastic display became a blaze of splendor. The chanting became triumphant as if renewed by choirs freshly come from Mystra's side so happy was this music. The calm and cool colors of the Weave, for such had been the great rivers of light, burst into radiant golds, blues, purples, and scarlets.

The great dome of the Weave stretched over the city and environs; the firmament as a dome of lapis and gold. All throughout the city tiny glimpses of the Weave could be seen, a shudder or flicker of light or colors, as the infinite threads of Magic herself shifted to support and embrace the unfinished work of High Magic.

[Niezck]

Arriving in Elirhondas, Zyethar sheathes his blade and makes toward his home - actually walking for once.

His thoughts flicker between the approaching doom of the devourer, the shades of Toril and the trouble at home. What if he's wrong? What if this is all just a mistake or a joke gone bad? He'd lose all support, even those loyal to him would forsake his leadership ... What would he be then? A vigilante?

He reached his home and prepared to rest, so many issues preying on his mind he couldn't really sleep, merely meditate.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Several hours later, everything is proceeding apace. The sun is approaching its zenith, the ritual is a mere hour from completion, the people of Waterdeep have come out in cheerful celebration to witness this historical working of magic, Ban has returned from his talk with the cultists, Zyethar has returned from his meditations and practice in Elirhondas, and the two Waterdhavian Chosen have been making small talk with Zyethar and Ban as the four of them explain to the curious what is going on. Everything seems to be moving as smoothly as a Gondian clock-work device, and to all appearances every preparation will be completed on time and according to plan.

Sadly, Tharizdun despises plans.

It starts as a tiny thread of discord. A tiny sound interjects itself into the workings of magic, not audible to the crowd below but definitely noticeable by those flying above; if the music of the wards is the angelic singing of a choir of elves, this new sound is the off-key humming of a bored orc. Next comes a graying and muting of the wondrous colors lighting the city--ruby red turns to the color of fresh blood, emerald green to the color of putrid bile, sapphire blue to the color of sickly veins. Finally, the sky is rent in two with a sound like the Prime screaming in pain and a crackling black curtain of energy is torn through the clouds. As the crowd below begins running around and crying out in panic, a single...thing emerges from the gap in reality:

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Its main "body"--if one can call it a body--is a shifting, amorphous mass of milky-white ichor. Razor-thin silvery strands trail off the core, flowing out and around like streams of molten mithral. Framed against the absolute blackness of the hole in space, it is a mind-warping sight, and its very presence sets your teeth on edge. The Blackstaff floats forward. "Whatever you are," he shouts, "begone from this place!" He moves his hands in the motions of a spell (one that you all recognize as a spell to banish those creatures not native to the Prime), but when he finishes his casting, the creature remains unmoved; instead, a cloud of pink and green butterflies bursts from the Blackstaff's staff and flutters around him for a few moments before dissipating into harmless light. "Oh, dear," remarks Laeral in a small voice.

The creature gives off the sound of laughter, but it is not the sound of a single creature laughing. One moment, it is the innocent tinkling laughter of a little girl, the next it is the harsh braying of a donkey, the next it is the mad cackling of an imp, and yet the next it is the deep booming voice of a giant. When it finishes laughing, it speaks a few words in an indecipherable tongue that gives you a headache just to hear it spoken:

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At the sound, a great wail comes up from below: except from a few lucky survivors who only have blood gushing from their ears and nostrils, every Waterdhavian remaining within a few dozen yards of the creature on the ground below has fallen over dead at the creature's speech. Another brief chuckle escapes the creature, and it begins leisurely floating down toward the ground to chase after the retreating Waterdhavians. Every few seconds, a random passerby blinks out in a flash of silver light and reappears many feet above the ground, falling to his or her doom, and the very earth near the creature roils as it moves over and through the city. At one point, it halts and rotates, seemingly turning to face you. It flexes its tendrils in a challenge and gives another deep chuckle/bray/laugh/spasm, then returns to terrorizing the common folk. A very concerned Laeral turns to the three of you. "Ideas?"

[Chambers]

Ban

"Yes..." He says, already fading from view. "Resurrect me once it's over." His cloak goes limp and he drops from the sky, a shadow falling to the ground. Before he hits he bounces off a low wall and even his shadow dissapears. "You can laugh while you take life...let's see if you can bleed." His dagger appears in his hands as he rebounds off the wall and streaks towards the thing, trying to slide in between the razor tendrils. His blade grows cold, sucking in the light around it as Ban stabs it into the center of the thing.

Not waiting to stick around, he twitches the shadows around him and blinks back to the street level, crouching down in the shadows of an overturned wagon.

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Not sure how far away it is. The above is mostly falling, then using Fly-By Attack to get close to the thing and then using Shadow Blink to get away.

Attack - Five-Shadow Creeping Ice Enervation Strike.
Using Void Incarnates Null Strike to make it a Touch Attack.

Attack (1d20+41)[55]
Damage (1d4+21)[23]
Sneak Attack (13d6+30)[64]
Five-Shadow Damage (15d6)[55]


(1d20)[16]
(1-7) (2d6)[2] Dexterity Damage, Special: Move 0ft.
(8-14) (2d6)[7] Strength Damage, Special: -6 atks & Concentration checks.
(15-20) (2d6)[9] Dex, (2d6)[5] Str. Special: (2d6)[4] Con.

Will Save for the thing: DC 24. Succesful save halves the Ability damage and negates the special effect. Does not negate Five-Shadow damage.

Ability damage lasts for 1 minute. Special lasts for (1d6)[5] rounds.

---

If needed he'll make a Balance check to try and avoid the razor tendrils as he's going in (plus being stealthed). I dunno, seems appropriate. (1d20+70)[85]

Hide & Move Silently. Take 10 for 98 & 88.

Oh, and it's my dodge buddy.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

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Miss Chance for Ban's attack: (1d100)[91] (36 or below misses)
If attack hits, Will save: (1d20)[10]


Spot check: (1d20+83)[92]
Listen check: (1d20+83)[94]

If either of the above succeeds, creature takes an AoO
Attack: (1d20+42)[61]; Damage: (2d6+57)[66]

If AoO hits, two Fort saves and a grapple check (Improved Grab)
Ban's Fort: (1d20+28)[31]
Ban's Fort: (1d20+28)[36]
Ban's Grapple: (1d20+20)[27]
Creature's Grapple: (1d20+52)[70]

EDIT: AoO resolves before the attack, so Ban either blinks out of the grapple to attack (in which case his attack resolves) or blinks out to escape (in which case he's on the ground and the attack doesn't resolve), your choice

As Ban dashes in, the writhing tendrils block off almost every path to the creature's core. He manages to evade many of them, but as stealthy as he is his movement gives him away. For an instant or two, his cloak makes a fluttering sound as he dodges particularly wide, and in that instant another tendril whips around from behind him and wraps itself tightly around him. It feels like someone has wrapped razor wire around Ban, and where it touches him his skin ripples and boils as the creature threatens to alter his form. The blood leaking from his wounds dances and shifts to form words from the creature's strange language, a rather unsettling sight. Ban manages to resist the transformation and escape in his shadow form before the creature can kill him, but he can feel that he came close to losing himself. The creature continues tearing through Waterdeep, as if the five of you are but a trivial impediment to it.

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Zyethar, Laurelin, and Laeral each get an action as well, then we move into rounds.

[Exthalion]

A brief Psionic sending was all Laurelin had time for, telling one of his Ethergaunts to bring them both here.

"Above Waterdeep both come. A great evil walks. Lend your strength to my defenders. Thy lives preserve is such is possible. Else save the citizens."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

You can see two figures flash into existence in the city. The ethergaunts did not come in their natural form, of course--they appear to all onlookers to be normal humanoids wearing ethergaunt-esque armor--but they turn and salute Laurelin as they appear and begin herding nearby citizens to be teleported away. One appears too close to the dark creature, however, and at the touch of one tendril it is nearly sliced in half; it limps along for a step or two before dissolving into a gibbering mass of flesh and eyes and mandibles, which only sends those nearby into a deeper panic.

The other one manages to teleport two dozen Waterdhavians to safety and returns to get more, staying as far from the creature as possible. On its second attempt to teleport out, though, instead of disappearing it merely turns a bright pink and ends up hanging upside down several feet in the air.

[Niezck]

While helping to organize the Sentinel armies, Zyethar receives the distress call and acts almost immediately.

"You men, with me!"

He beckons to eight nearby sentinels* as he orders them to form a circle and plane shifts over to Toril.

Seeing the strange, vile creature standing there before him, Zyethar presumed his regular attacks would be largely inefficient. Instead he opted for some magical support, causing a massive tear in reality to open inside the thing, sucking everything nearby into a black hole. Then, moving faster than physically possible, he conjures a series of force walls to block in the creature in every direction but up and down.

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Standard: Reality Maelstrom, focused on the creature. The random plane is ... (d100)[92]

It needs to make a DC 35 will save or be sucked into the plane. It's a 20ft emanation centred on the creature for the will save, then a further 20ft beyond that whereby a reflex save DC 35 is needed or become sucked into the initial 20ft and then need to save. All unattended objects of 100lb or less within the first 20ft are sucked in, and all objects of 50lb or less within the extra 20ft are sucked into the first 20ft. Finally, there's a pretty damn strong wind going on.

Standard: Wall of Force infront of the beasty.
Swift: Quickened Wall of Force behind the beasty.
Swift: Quickened Wall of Force to the right of the beasty.
Free: Burn 2 charges on the belt of battle for an extra standard
Standard: Wall of Force to the left of the beasty.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

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Wild Magic rolls

(5d%)[13][27][35][1][49](125)

Rebound, Rain of small objects, Normal, Failure, Illusion

The hole in reality streaks toward Zyethar as soon as it forms, the creature seeming to push it along with one tendril. The walls of force are similarly ineffective; one forms as expected, but another one only appears to be a wall of force, another creates a storm of small marbles that ineffectually pelts the creature, and another one simply never appears.

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Everyone needs to make saves against the reality maelstrom.

[Chambers]

Ban

The winds from the maelstorm whip Ban's cloak around him as he floats next to the creature. Dodging the razor tendrils with mere flicks of his head he focuses on the spot where he pierced the thing. Blades don't work...let's see if you can survive without your magic. Dipping into the moving shadows made by the tendrils he darts towards the creature and passes right through the wall of force as if it weren't there. He reaches his gloved hand towards where he hit before, releasing the void into the thing. Chaos...meet void. Play nice now. Smiling to himself he attempts to fly away, out of the range of the creature.

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Flyby Attack with Confer the Void.

Going to roll my Hide & Move Silently since Taking 10 didn't do so well. :)

Hide (1d20+88)[108]
Move Silently (1d20+78)[80]

Confer the Void (touch attack) (1d20+35)[52]
Hopefully the creature didn't spot him so it's flat-footed (if it even can be). A flat-footed touch attack would be nice.

Also, forgot I've had Blind-Fight so I can roll twice for concealment. Is it still 36 or below misses?
Miss Chance (1d100)[69]
Miss Chance (1d100)[76]

Caster Level check for dispel (1d20+30)[45]
Damage is 1d12 per spell level dispelled, max 25d12.

I don't remember if we decided if Confer the Void was spell-like or supernatural? For some reason I'm thinking it was supernatural.

If he get's another AoO on me this turn I'll be using Fool's Strike as an immediate action to redirect the attack on himself. Ban still has the dagger in his other hand so he can make the opposed attack roll with that.



FUUUUUU - ::facepalm:: Why do I keep botching my MS? Sigh.

[Niezck]

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Reflex save for the effect: (d20+37)[54]

"Time for a change of tactic. Let's see how you like this ..."

As he speaks, he re-manifests directly next to the creature, trying to get a hold on the thing to cast a spell.

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Note: Since these are all single-target, they're all (Ex) abilities and so hopefully won't be affected by the wild magic.

Move: Teleport next to it.
Standard: Plane Shift it to an arbitrary demiplane that Zyethar knows - (d20+45)[51] Touch Attack, since it's (Ex) it should ignore SR and allow no save.
(Move: If it didn't go away for some reason, teleport as far as I can diagonally (backward and up) so that it's still in view.)

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Zyethar and Ban fly at the creature at the same time, converging from different directions. Zyethar, resident speed demon, reaches it first by practically skipping the intervening space and thus narrowly avoids taking a lashing tendril to the chest for his troubles. He touches the first bit of the creature he can reach, and with a noise like a mace being pulled out of a gory chest wound, the creature turns inside-out and disappears moments before Ban gets within reach...

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I'm assuming Ban readies his action after moving within range; no AoO, since the creature's gone by them.

...only to see the creature reappear with the same turning-inside-out motion, this time behind Zyethar and Ban. Ban quickly turns around and strikes with the power of the void. Black lightning courses over the creature, though its light pales in comparison to the creature's own unnatural aura. It doesn't seem to be too badly affected to the naked eye--though its wavering outline is very slightly less blurry--but the energy coursing over it says otherwise. It quivers for a moment and makes a noise that you can only assume implies contempt and anger, as such a collection of noises could never come from a mortal throat.

The creature shifts slightly, and several of its many tentacles lay off attacking buildings and screaming, terrified bystanders to strike at Zyethar and Ban. An instant later, each is covered in a myriad of hair-thin slashes, none of which are incapacitating--yet--but all of which are excruciatingly painful. With a sound that can only be described as a "spqlorsh" Ban, too, turns inside-out and over the course of the next few seconds liquefies into a bluish clump of goop floating in the air.

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Confer the Void is (Su), and thus not subject to the wild magic (spells and SLAs only). Creature's miss chance is now reduced to 20%, and is not concealment. Zyethar knows the creature reappeared via greater plane shift.

Zyethar
Attack: (1d20+42)[62]; Damage: (2d6+57)[61]; Fort Saves: (1d20+27)[34], (1d20+27)[38]; Improved Grab: (1d20+52)[59] vs. Zyethar's (1d20+42)[58]

Attack: (1d20+42)[62]; Damage: (2d6+57)[63]; Fort Saves: (1d20+27)[44], (1d20+27)[32]; Improved Grab: (1d20+52)[59] vs. Zyethar's (1d20+42)[43]

Attack: (1d20+42)[44]; Damage: (2d6+57)[60]; Fort Saves: (1d20+27)[43], (1d20+27)[42]; Improved Grab: (1d20+52)[59] vs. Zyethar's (1d20+42)[56]

Ban
Attack: (1d20+42)[50]; Damage: (2d6+57)[59]; Fort Saves: (1d20+28)[31], (1d20+28)[48]; Improved Grab: (1d20+52)[65] vs. Ban's (1d20+20)[30]

Attack: (1d20+42)[56]; Damage: (2d6+57)[64]; Fort Saves: (1d20+28)[39], (1d20+28)[29]; Improved Grab: (1d20+52)[57] vs. Ban's (1d20+20)[35]

Ban is affected as per Corporeal Instability. The DC for the Cha check is 17.

[Exthalion]

Ire...

Hate...

Wrath...

The Weave was the world and Laurelin was now almost one with the Weave. So horrible, so unnatural, so wrong was this thing that the World was driven to fury against it. As an instrument of the Weave, he was an Instrument of the world.

With the full strength of his mind, what was not dedicated now to maintaining the Weave directed themselves against the enemy.

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Psychic Crush
Powerpoints: 9 Augment: 3
It must make a will save at +4 or fall to -1 hitpoints.

With Psionic Reinforcement the DC is +2
I am using Magical Reinforcement to affectively heighten the power by one level.

Save DC 38

If it succeeds, it takes untyped damage:
(15d6)[44]

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Fortunately, the creature's aura of wild magic does not seem to affect psionics, so Laurelin's crushing mental blow is manifested without any interference. Unfortunately, the creature shrugs off the mental assault effortlessly. Laurelin senses only an ever-swirling vortex of blackness where a mind should be; the creature's mind would seem to be too alien to be harmed by direct mental influence.

Khelben and Laeral trade apprehensive looks. "This monster is unstoppable," Laeral says softly. "Waterdeep will be in ruins before the day is out unless we can think of something. I don't think I can negate the wild magic, as it emanates from the creature, but I can at least try to suppress it for a few moments." She concentrates for a few moments, eyes closed, and when she opens her eyes they are brimming with Silver Fire. A flash of silver light covers all of you, and as it does so Khelben levels his staff at the creature and looses several blasts of fire from the tip. As soon as the blasts are away, Khelben turns to Laeral, not even waiting to see if they connect. She is murmuring a prayer to Mystra and looks exhausted after using the Silver Fire. "There. I hope that gives us the edge we need."

Unexpectedly, Brother Von appears nearby in a puff of smoke, facing away from the battle and somewhat disoriented. He turns around, reorients himself, sees you all, and flies over near the goop-formerly-known-as-Ban. "My, someone's certainly seen better days, old boy," he remarks, and touches Ban; both of them vanish and reappear behind Laurelin, Ban slowly turning back into his normal form. "I'm getting too old for killing things. That's why I took up teaching how to kill things," Von grumbles. "You're lucky you made me promise to help before, or your hide would still be a pile of goop. I'll play healer, but I'm not getting anywhere near that thing again."

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Khelben casts three twinned intensified orbs of fire, two of which are quickened.

EDIT: Screwed up Khelben's rolls, rerolling in the next post.

No one in the area is affected by the wild magic aura until Laeral's next turn. Zyethar and Ban are up again.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Khelben might ignore the results of his attacks, but the rest of you see two of the blasts casually knocked aside by the creature's tendrils; one makes it through to strike the core, however, and though it doesn't burn the creature as readily as you'd hope, it does give off a scream/grunt/cry of anger when the blast impacts it.

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Khelben's orbs of fire:

Attack: (1d20+33)[45] touch; Damage: 360
Attack: (1d20+33)[46] touch; Damage: 360
Attack: (1d20+33)[34] touch; Damage: 360

[Chambers]

Ban

"SY2HX4HL! &^(&...klhyiljsadf??^...ooooooooo..eeeeeeeeeeeeeee .." Ban's eyes snap open and his dagger appears in his hand. Without thinking he brings it up as if to stab Brother Von in his throat, but his eyes blink right before impact and he stops the blade before it pierces him. He raises an eyebrow and smiles. "Sorry. Old habits." The knife disappears back into his cloak and he stretches his arms and legs out, joints popping and cracking.

"Don't worry about that. I don't plan on getting caught again." He tries to smile at Brother Von but the memory of the amorphous goo passed through him and he shuddered. "Damn. What the hell is that thing? Is that his avatar?"

He sighs and looks out over the destruction the thing has caused. "You know, I really liked this town too." He says softly. "Can't let some creature from the chaos dimension destroy it."

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Ban is recovering his expended maneuvers this round. Does the 'almost stab Von and fade the dagger' count as the standard action to do nothing?

[Niezck]

Seeing the total failure of his attempt at containing the creature, Zyethar sighs to himself. His attention is quickly restored, however, as he takes multiple slashes from the beast.

"Alright, new tactic."

The Illumian disappears from view only to return a moment later, unleashing a flurry of blows against the creature with his greatsword.

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Swift: Teleport out
Free: Arcane Strike a 9th level spell (+9 attack, +9d4 damage)
Move: Teleport-Charge

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Flat-footed touch attacks, also dealing +2d6 skirmish damage on each one. Crits are 17-20 and bestow a negative level. Weapon has transmuting too. Power attacking for -10/+10 on each attack.

(d20+61)[80] Attack
(d20+61)[79] Crit Confirm
(2d6+39)[46]+(2d6)[3]+(9d4)[17] Damage

(d20+61)[69] Attack
(d20+61)[69] Crit Confirm
(2d6+39)[45]+(2d6)[5]+(9d4)[17] Damage

(d20+61)[65] Attack
(d20+61)[63] Crit Confirm
(2d6+39)[47]+(2d6)[5]+(9d4)[24] Damage

(d20+61)[64] Attack
(d20+61)[80] Crit Confirm
(2d6+39)[46]+(2d6)[7]+(9d4)[22] Damage

(d20+56)[71] Attack
(d20+56)[72] Crit Confirm
(2d6+39)[47]+(2d6)[10]+(9d4)[19] Damage

(d20+51)[68] Attack
(d20+51)[55] Crit Confirm
(2d6+39)[44]+(2d6)[8]+(9d4)[29] Damage

(d20+46)[58] Attack
(d20+46)[52] Crit Confirm
(2d6+39)[41]+(2d6)[10]+(9d4)[21] Damage

Full-Round: Full-Attack

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Flat-footed touch attacks, also dealing +2d6 skirmish damage on each one. Crits are 17-20 and bestow a negative level. Weapon has transmuting too.

(d20+61)[81] Attack
(d20+61)[75] Crit Confirm
(2d6+29)[36]+(2d6)[8]+(9d4)[20] Damage

(d20+61)[72] Attack
(d20+61)[69] Crit Confirm
(2d6+29)[34]+(2d6)[6]+(9d4)[24] Damage

(d20+61)[72] Attack
(d20+61)[74] Crit Confirm
(2d6+29)[33]+(2d6)[5]+(9d4)[24] Damage

(d20+61)[64] Attack
(d20+61)[81] Crit Confirm
(2d6+29)[36]+(2d6)[6]+(9d4)[19] Damage

(d20+56)[67] Attack
(d20+56)[63] Crit Confirm
(2d6+29)[33]+(2d6)[11]+(9d4)[17] Damage

(d20+51)[52] Attack
(d20+51)[59] Crit Confirm
(2d6+29)[37]+(2d6)[11]+(9d4)[22] Damage

(d20+46)[61] Attack
(d20+46)[48] Crit Confirm
(2d6+29)[38]+(2d6)[2]+(9d4)[26] Damage

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Also going to immediate-action teleport out of there as my 1/encounter if it goes to attack me again in any way. The teleport will be to the edge of the horizon. Basically as far away as I can get while still being able to see it.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

You all feel a scream of anger in your minds that sets your teeth on edge and makes your head pound. The creature is starting to leak silver and black fluids from where Zyethar hit him--finally, some progress!--though strangely the fluid falls upwards instead of down in defiance of gravity.

The creature finally turns around to face you all. Perhaps "face" is the wrong word, since it looks essentially the same from every angle, but it's moving toward you now rather than attacking the citizens of Waterdeep. It quivers for a moment, then releases a barely-visible pulse of energy. The three of you and Brother Von feel a wave of antimagical force pass over you, interfering with the magic around you and attempting to negate it; the Chosen, however, receive a stronger dose in retaliation for the use of Silver Fire. They find all of their magic gone, disjoined; before they can do anything about it, the creature turns inside-out and is behind them, slashing at them with its tendrils.

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The creature hits you four with a chain dispel; please list any magic on you at the moment that doesn't originate from items in the OOC thread so I can roll dispel checks. The Chosen are hit with a Mordenkainen's disjunction, then the creature moves next to them and full attacks.

Khelben
Attack: (1d20+42)[62]; Damage: (2d6+57)[64]; Fort saves: (1d20+28)[36] and (1d20+28)[40]; Grapple checks: (1d20+52)[55] vs. Khelben's (1d20+26)[37]

Attack: (1d20+42)[56]; Damage: (2d6+57)[64]; Fort saves: (1d20+28)[30] and (1d20+28)[44]; Grapple checks: (1d20+52)[66] vs. Khelben's (1d20+26)[43]

Attack: (1d20+42)[55]; Damage: (2d6+57)[64]; Fort saves: (1d20+28)[43] and (1d20+28)[47]; Grapple checks: (1d20+52)[56] vs. Khelben's (1d20+26)[44]

Laeral
Attack: (1d20+42)[60]; Damage: (2d6+57)[63]; Fort saves: (1d20+25)[26] and (1d20+25)[44]; Grapple checks: (1d20+52)[69] vs. Laeral's (1d20+20)[35]

Attack: (1d20+42)[51]; Damage: (2d6+57)[66]; Fort saves: (1d20+25)[28] and (1d20+25)[36]; Grapple checks: (1d20+52)[67] vs. Laeral's (1d20+20)[38]

Attack: (1d20+42)[62]; Damage: (2d6+57)[63]; Fort saves: (1d20+25)[40] and (1d20+25)[37]; Grapple checks: (1d20+52)[68] vs. Laeral's (1d20+20)[26]

Attack: (1d20+42)[48]; Damage: (2d6+57)[60]; Fort saves: (1d20+25)[39] and (1d20+25)[27]; Grapple checks: (1d20+52)[64] vs. Laeral's (1d20+20)[26]

Attack: (1d20+42)[54]; Damage: (2d6+57)[64]; Fort saves: (1d20+25)[26] and (1d20+25)[40]; Grapple checks: (1d20+52)[69] vs. Laeral's (1d20+20)[37]

Attack: (1d20+42)[55]; Damage: (2d6+57)[64]; Fort saves: (1d20+25)[40] and (1d20+25)[26]; Grapple checks: (1d20+52)[68] vs. Laeral's (1d20+20)[30]

Khelben makes it through the slashing tendrils alive, barely avoiding most of them; one of them makes contact and grabs him, however, and after a few seconds his skin begins to crawl and his body mutates into a hideous, barely-humanoid mass in the monster's grasp. Laeral does not fare as well. Her body is literally torn to pieces by the flurrying tentacles, and all of them are absorbed by the creature's tentacles, which blossom into clouds of many smaller silver strands at the end and suck up her remains with a nauseating slurping sound. Khelben, heartbroken, only has time to cry out "LAERAL!" in a pained voice before his mouth becomes incapable of human speech.

[Chambers]

Ban

"That was...fairly horrific." Ban says as his fingers tap unconsciously against the pommel of his dagger. He looks at the glob that was the high mage and shakes his head. "Listen, Von. See if you can find that pretentious Knight of Helm. This thing seems like his kind of deal." Turning over his shoulder he looks at the thing. "I'm going to find it's heart." He says as the shadows swirl around him.

Flying close to the creature his dagger appears in his hand and he slashes at one of the larger tentacles. Open up you slimy bastard...

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Ban has Freedom of Movement (Ex) from Void Incarnate.

Hide (1d20+88)[93]
Move Silently (1d20+78)[86]

Flyby Attack -> Five-Shadow Creeping Ice Enervation Strike (End adjacent to creature)

Attack (1d20+41)[46]
Weapon Damage (1d4+21)[22]
Sneak Attack Damage (just because) (13d6+30)[72]
Five-Shadow Damage (15d6)[48]

Five-Shadow Extra (1d20)[20] Depending on what this is I'll roll in the OOC thread for the extra effect.

---
If the thing makes it's perception check and gets an AoO he'll use Fool's Strike as an immediate action (opposed attack roll, if Ban wins the thing does damage to itself).

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The finger tap is a code to Brother Von: Fade. I'm going to talk with Bhaal.

[Niezck]

Zyethar, seeing he's making progress, repeats his previous procedure of teleport-attacking.

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Free: Arcane Strike a 9th level slot
Move: Teleport-Pounce

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Same as usual, crits on 17-20 for X2 and a negative levels. Touch, flat-footed attacks. Power attacking for -10/+10. Weapon is transmuting.

(d20+61)[76] Attack
(d20+61)[79] Crit
(2d6+39)[45]+(2d6)[5] Skirmish + (9d4)[22] Arcane Strike

(d20+61)[76] Attack
(d20+61)[65] Crit
(2d6+39)[46]+(2d6)[6] Skirmish + (9d4)[21] Arcane Strike

(d20+61)[80] Attack
(d20+61)[72] Crit
(2d6+39)[50]+(2d6)[6] Skirmish + (9d4)[21] Arcane Strike

(d20+61)[66] Attack
(d20+61)[75] Crit
(2d6+39)[44]+(2d6)[8] Skirmish + (9d4)[22] Arcane Strike

(d20+56)[69] Attack
(d20+56)[61] Crit
(2d6+39)[42]+(2d6)[5] Skirmish + (9d4)[29] Arcane Strike

(d20+51)[65] Attack
(d20+51)[71] Crit
(2d6+39)[47]+(2d6)[3] Skirmish + (9d4)[22] Arcane Strike

(d20+46)[48] Attack
(d20+46)[51] Crit
(2d6+39)[49]+(2d6)[7] Skirmish + (9d4)[23] Arcane Strike

Full-Round: Full-Attack

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Same as above except for the power attack.

(d20+61)[79] Attack
(d20+61)[74] Crit
(2d6+29)[35]+(2d6)[11] Skirmish + (9d4)[28] Arcane Strike

(d20+61)[77] Attack
(d20+61)[81] Crit
(2d6+29)[36]+(2d6)[7] Skirmish + (9d4)[23] Arcane Strike

(d20+61)[67] Attack
(d20+61)[75] Crit
(2d6+29)[37]+(2d6)[5] Skirmish + (9d4)[23] Arcane Strike

(d20+61)[68] Attack
(d20+61)[63] Crit
(2d6+29)[38]+(2d6)[7] Skirmish + (9d4)[23] Arcane Strike

(d20+56)[65] Attack
(d20+56)[76] Crit
(2d6+29)[38]+(2d6)[7] Skirmish + (9d4)[23] Arcane Strike

(d20+51)[64] Attack
(d20+51)[68] Crit
(2d6+29)[36]+(2d6)[9] Skirmish + (9d4)[21] Arcane Strike

(d20+46)[62] Attack
(d20+46)[53] Crit
(2d6+29)[40]+(2d6)[7] Skirmish + (9d4)[26] Arcane Strike

"Let's see how it likes that."

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Brother Von looks askance at Ban. "Asking a Helmite for help? You have a strange taste in bedfellows, as it were, boy." He chants a short prayer to restore the Blackstaff to his natural form--albeit still un-warded and in the creature's grasp--then turns back to Ban and shrugs. "Then again, if a whole bunch of Helmites die over this, I won't lose a wink of sleep over it. I'll roust all of them that I can." He disappears with a wink and a puff of black smoke.

Meanwhile, the creature has become more defensive; its tendrils have stopped tearing Waterdeep and its citizens to pieces and are now weaving a defensive web around itself as its "skin" slowly repairs itself, still dripping with ichor. Fewer of Zyethar's attacks break through this defensive web, but those that do strike deep, causing yet more alien fluid to gush out of the creature and fall upwards and outwards; rather than attacking him in return, as it has seen him teleport away often enough, the creature concentrates on the Blackstaff, draining the life from him as black lightning crackles over and around him.

As the mummified remains of Khelben Arunsun are liquefied and drawn in through the creature's tentacle, Ban lunges forward to strike. The creature catches sight of him and grabs him with the same tentacle, but this is exactly what he wanted. With the tentacle right in front of him and staying (relatively) still, he slashes open a huge gash in it, almost slicing it off entirely. Scrunching up smaller than a human should be able to, he follows the Blackstaff's remains into the creature's core, silent as a whisper and quick as a shadow. The creature, which has remained mostly silent since it started considering you all as an actual threat, gives off a sound like twisted metal, harp strings, and boiling mud all at the same time and thrashes about trying to eject Ban, with no success.

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Spot: (1d20+83)[96]
Listen: (1d20+83)[92]

If either succeed, AoO against Ban
Attack: (1d20+52)[57]; Damage: (2d6+29)[38]; Fort saves: (1d20+28)[44] and (1d20+28)[40]; Grapple auto-succeeds

If attack succeeds, Ban's Fool's Strike attempt (if successful, creature takes damage instead):
Creature: (1d20+52)[68]
Ban: (1d20+41)[56]

Attacks against Khelben:
Grapple: (1d20+62)[68] vs. (1d20+26)[36]; Damage: (2d4)[5] Con, creature heals 10 HP
Grapple: (1d20+62)[73] vs. (1d20+26)[43]; Damage: (2d4)[5] Con, creature heals 10 HP
Grapple: (1d20+62)[69] vs. (1d20+26)[27]; Damage: (2d4)[5] Con, creature heals 10 HP
Grapple: (1d20+62)[66] vs. (1d20+26)[44]; Damage: (2d4)[4] Con, creature heals 10 HP

Khelben uses the Blackstaff to heal 16 Con as an immediate action

Grapple: (1d20+62)[66] vs. (1d20+26)[42]; Damage: (2d4)[6] Con, creature heals 10 HP
Grapple: (1d20+62)[79] vs. (1d20+26)[39]; Damage: (2d4)[3] Con, creature heals 10 HP
Grapple: (1d20+62)[69] vs. (1d20+26)[40]; Damage: (2d4)[5] Con, creature heals 10 HP
Grapple: (1d20+62)[66] vs. (1d20+26)[45]; Damage: (2d4)[5] Con, creature heals 10 HP
Grapple: (1d20+62)[69] vs. (1d20+26)[35]; Damage: (2d4)[5] Con, creature heals 10 HP

[Exthalion]

This had gone on long enough. Each second spent in distraction delayed his own casting.

Wait... life must come first. Without people, there is no reason to save the world, for the world was created that they should dwell in it.

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Manifest Fully augmented Inertial Armor on both of you. You both now have an Armor bonus to AC of 22. And it only costs me a measly 74 power points.