Epic Evil: Group 2

[Kiranvonstrom]

He shrugs. "Meh. I thought to myself, what would annoy one of them, and I was pretty certain there wasn't a whole lot I could tdo to irritate Theda, not to mention that I've heard a lot about your race's...profound dislike of other elves, so I decided to give it a shot. Too much? I suppose I should try Ia next time. Or perhaps take your appearence but make you a surface elf. See how you like that," Nicos said, never letting the irritiating smirk waver, "Besides, I work in a nation of paladins, is it too much of a stretch that I would have a disguise prepared that no crusading knight with muscles where his brain should be would ever check? After all, what sweet, young elven maiden is actually the devil of Impiltur?" He laughed, and you can't help but notice it's a man's laugh.
Swinging himself up onto Tonn, he gives a mock-salute to Belial. "Don't mind me, sir, I'm just passing through,".
I can only use the statue so often, and I'd rather save it for when I need it. Not to mention that using a big, honking fly might alert anyone casually looking in our direction as to our master. So I'll just ride behind you, thanks.

[Toliudar]

Once all four of them were assembled on Tonn's back, Theda reached down to slap the 'dragon's' side, and Tonn launched himself through the opening the archdevil had opened and out into the 'garden.'

"Any help you can offer give in finding the rock would of course be appreciated, lady and gentlemen. Ladies and gentleman. Whatever."

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Climbing to a height of about 300' to get a sense of how big this 'garden' is, and what the terrain is like.

[Tsumeken]

(I assume you all move forward now and shall post as such as a side note due to the flucuation of time being differant on the planes a full day has passed, just for anyone needing to know timewise what's going on.)

The "garden" is more akin to a volcanic wasteland and is aproximetly some 150 ft wide in diameter. Jagged rock jut from the ground in menacingly sharp points while glowing magma runs around them bubbling from neath the surface. The smell of sulfer is strong as you can assume their must be a deposit nearby, or perhaps something else with the same properties. nwear the center of the garden you see what appears to be a patch of actually Green in this otherwise burnt and blackened scene. A tree grows here and from sprout things that appear to be flowers only dark black with deep-purple veins etching their way through the petals and stems. Set into the tree is a large black stone (about the size of a basketball for referance) with odd runic carvings etched throughout it's surface. The center of the pitch blackness is marred by a single symbol of a snake consuming it's tail.

[VirgoBushin]

~Iivraena Lil'kenafin~

Iivraena merely let out a slight "Hmph" upon hearing Nicos speak. It was her silent way of almost daring him to see if she could ever truly figure out how to really push her buttons. Ia, she had decided, would annoy her yes...but not to a point where she'd admit to him he'd won the battle of wills as it may as well have been considered. As they flew above, she ensured to tighten her grip on Alakdriirn's leash to avoid having either of them fall off.

As they neared the "garden" of sorts, her eye went to gaze downward while still holding on. Nothing seemed overly peculiar at first... until what she believed to be some type of object set into a tree did manage to catch her attention. "What about checking out that tree over there? It looks like something is within it."

[Toliudar]

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I don't think I understand about the time thing. Am I correct in assuming that there was some point in the preceding narrative when we collectively jumped forward a day? Normally, planes' timeframes are internally consistent, but might move faster or slower in contrast to other planes.

Should I assume that this somehow influences ongoing spell effects? If so, Theda would have immediately plane shifted to Lantanna at that point (with anyone else interested in joining her), to rest and restore spells before plane shifting back). I don't know what that means for the flow of the story.

Can you clarify? In the meantime, I'll assume that Theda and Tonn are still with the others.

Tonn will do a quick loop about a hundred feet above the tree, so that he can look around with blindsense and Theda with true seeing, to make sure there's nothing lurking nearby.

With a mental command, Tonn banks and circles high above the tree with the rock.

[Tsumeken]

Theda:

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Regarding to your question about time, time in the planes moves a bit slower. What I was referring to was for anyone outside the planes, maybe someone locked away in their own little pocket *cough cough* who is doing something time related. As for your spell durations, they're slightly extended; maybe by about 5% but not enough to make too much of a difference. The time reference was mainly for the elf's benefit since he will be gone for seven days of uninterrupted working.

Landing near the base of the tree gives you a much better view of it from above on Tonn's back. There is a sweet smelling fragrance in the air that would no doubt increase as you got closer.

[Toliudar]

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Thanks! That makes total sense. Apologies.

Having landed about sixty feet from the tree - better safe than sorry - Theda purses her lips in thought.

"Smells like a trap. And yes, that does mean that traps smell like jasmine. The better class of traps, anyway. Well, if it's dangerous for Mammon to go to the mountain, bring the black rock of hellish power to Mammon. I'm paraphrasing, of course."

She chants for a moment and gestures towards the tree. A hulking humanoid shape of rock appears next to it. Theda sends a telepathic message.

"Pull the rock from the tree and bring the rock to me."

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Burning a seventh level slot to cast Summon Nature's Ally 7, bringing in an Geater Earth Elemental.

[Tsumeken]

As the Earth Elemental approaches the tree, nothing spectacular appears to happen which is kind of disappointing. The Elemental grabs the stone in it's large rock hands and rips it from the tree. Then it gets exciting. A loud piercing shriek like that of a dying maiden pierces through the air, the trees now gaping hole. A black ichor flows down the bark, more like blood than sap as the tree begins to die at an almost accelerated rate. It falls to the ground before rotting into a pool of the black sludge that quickly spreads out in about 30 feet from where you stand and then begins to recede, seeping into the ground.

For a time, it is quiet again Then, a hand seemingly formed of magma itself breaks through the ground followed shortly by another. The gargantuan creature manages to pull at least it's head through before it seems it can emerge no further.

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(Init Rolling time.

(1d20+3)[23])

[VirgoBushin]

~Iivraena Lil'kenafin~

Iivraena tilted her head in a mixture of annoyance and confusion. Was that truly all they needed to do? Pull the damn thing out? "Tch... how horribly disappointing. You'd think---" And that was as far as she got before all the noise began, starting with the loud shriek, making her wince slightly as it'd been unexpected for sure. She rubbed her ears as it finally ceased then waited a couple more moments before a large magma creature showed itself from underneath the ground. She couldn't help but laugh a bit to note it was so big only about half of it's body could reveal itself. "That's actually, if anything, made this fight at least several times easier than I'd thought. Limits it's abilities and with the scream... I can get rid of my anxieties on what I thought it'd been." Banshees were a real pain and she'd never had to deal with one yet and, in truth, hoped to keep it that way for a while after hearing so many stories about them.

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(1d20+4)[13]
(1d20+5)[15] (since he forgot Alakdriirn's, doing it for him )

[Toliudar]

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Theda Initiative: (1d20+8)[24]

How much damage has the elemental taken? Because being dragged underground is of course not necessarily a problem for an earth elemental. They rather like it!

Opposed grapple checks for the elemental:
Surprise round: (1d20+35)[54]
First round: (1d20+35)[51]

[Tsumeken]

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The elemental does hit, the damage it took from underground....well it wasn't so much dragged under, the creature merely had to pull itself out of the ground. The black blood leak through cracks in the ground and brought this thing to life as if you though that might of quick sanded it that did not either. In my looking at things your elemental merely stood there saw a thing emerge and punched it so no damage so far

[Kiranvonstrom]

"Great. It's a jasmine-scented trap. So let's provoke anything that might be watching. Why is 'make it worse' always the first thing we do?" Nicos says, throwing his hands up into the air, "Perhaps it could have been worse, but it could certainly have been better. And this thing probably can't even make a deal,"
He sighed theatrically.

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Initiative (1d20+7)[12]

[Toliudar]

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Ah, I'd misunderstood what was happening. Thanks for the clarification, Tsumeken. So - no attack from the elemental. I'd misread it that this creature had grabbed the elemental.

Um. Roughly how big are the head and hands that are emerging from the magma? Human sized? Ogre-ish? More like this?

I'm guessing Theda & co are going first.

Theda snorts in derision.

"All right then. You can be responsible for getting the next thing."

At her mental command the elemental pops the black stone into its roughly-formed mouth and drops straight down into the earth.

In an instant, Tonn turns from red to silver-white, shrinking down enough in the process that Theda's feet now touch the ground on either of Tonn's flanks. Tonn roars to attract the attention of the...whatever it was, and unleashed a blast of frost from his mouth.

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Earth elemental drops down 30' and heads 10' back towards the rest of the group. Its instructions are to circle under the whatever it is, not engaging in combat, and come back up towards us as quickly as possible.

Tonn shapechanges into a Young Adult Silver Dragon, and Breathes a cone of cold at the emerging whatsis. (10d8)[42] cold damage, Reflex DC 26 for half. If he needs to, Tonn moves up to 20' forward to do so - but Theda will be left behind by this movement.

Theda flies up to a point 15' above wherever Tonn ended up, and casts Enervation at the head of the emerging creature. Touch attack: (1d20+26)[37]. Negative levels: (1d4)[1]

[Tsumeken]

(Yes bigger picture of that but close enough. Only up to it's chest is out of the ground along with arms. I'm gonna have to double post for this fight.

Init List:
Theda & Tonn
Magma Giant
Alakdriirn
Iivraena
Nicos)

The magma giant closes it's eyes as it tries to protect itself from the cold but fails. The black ray also impacts into it and makes it anything but happy. It gives out a roar in frustration as it slams one of it's large hands forward in an attempt to pancake Alakdriirn. Alakdriirn jumps, tackling his mistress out of the way as well, pushing her out of the way as the leash would have hindered his ability to dodge the attack and therefore needed to move her as well as himself.

Vs. Alakdriirn

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To hit roll: (1d20+21)[28] (o.o it actually missed... wow)
Normal Damage: (2d6+12)[21]
Fire Damage: (1d10)[6]

[Tsumeken]

Alakdriirn stands up, pulling back his left hand as a coiling black fog makes it's way up his arm to his palm and then extends it towards the creature, a cold chill accompanying it.

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Adding Hellrime Blast to include the cold factor
To hit roll: (1d20+21)[33]
Fort Save or it loses 2 Dex: (1d20+18)[23]
Damage: (9d6+2)[38]

[VirgoBushin]

~Iivraena Lil'kenafin~

Iivraena shot Alakdriirn a glare as she got tackled on the ground. Her eyes remained harshly on him as she stood, shifting her tongue to Undercommon, "Dos alur vith'ez kyorl vel'bol dos xun! F'sarn er'griff ori'gatoin ol glei'ten p'wal dosst intentions zhahen bwael jhal k'jakr... huthin draeval dos mora doeb d'llye... Usstan wo naut ultlu'kel ulu rrhovor dosst yibin khel tangis'ka l'byrren ph'kyorlin!" She took a deep breath, moving a strand of her silver hair behind her right ear as her eyes finally shifted to the target that still remained before them. After some quick thinking, she nodded and held her right hand out towards it, beginning to cast a spell of her own at it.

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I found a nifty English to Drow translator here and decided to give it a try. Anyways... Energy Drain time.

To hit: (1d20+19)[21]
Loses (2d4)[2] levels

[Toliudar]

Well. It didn't like cold much, which seemed consistent with an ice creature. Perhaps it would be interesting to find out what happened if they were to give it a LOT of cold.

The earth elemental continued to trudge forward and slowly upward, its precious stone cargo still held in its mouth.

Theda dropped heavily down to the ground next to Tonn. In a blink, both transformed into blue-scaled many-headed hydras. Almost as one, twenty four mouths opened in defiance. Twenty four necks tensed. And twenty four splashes of icy breath engulfed the creature.

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Elemental moves 30' towards where Theda was, and 10' back up, assuming that it was able to move underneath the creature. If it bumps into the magma thing, the earth elemental instead uses the rest of its movement to dart to the left.

Theda and Tonno become 12-headed cryohydras. Reflex save DC for each of those is 24. Damage is 1.5 if creature is of the fire subtype.
Damage:
(3d6)[12]
(3d6)[6]
(3d6)[9]
(3d6)[16]
(3d6)[12]
(3d6)[15]
(3d6)[11]
(3d6)[6]
(3d6)[10]
(3d6)[13]
(3d6)[6]
(3d6)[10]

(3d6)[17]
(3d6)[10]
(3d6)[10]
(3d6)[8]
(3d6)[17]
(3d6)[12]
(3d6)[15]
(3d6)[9]
(3d6)[12]
(3d6)[8]
(3d6)[8]

[Tsumeken]

The large lava beast looks very displeased at the sudden introduction of all of this cold. The molten make up of it's body shudders as you see a large bulge catch in it's throat. It begins to slowly creep up towards it's main mouth before it expels a blast of magma. The blast itself is a 70 ft. line directed towards Tonn.

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Fire Damage (Half this if save with your Reflex. DC is 45): (15d8+12)[68]

[Toliudar]

Theda winces as she sees all of Tonn's twelve heads rear back in pain, but is relieved to see her loyal companion recover some of the damage. All of Theda's heads nods a signal to Tonn, and she changes into a long, blue-white segmented worm. Tonn soon follows suit. Both turn as one towards the red giant-figure and let loose a blast of cold towards the creature.

Meanwhile the earth elemental continues its journey, emerging at the end of its movement, about twenty feet behind Tonn and Theda's current position.

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Tonn's reflex save (will fail on anything but a natural twenty, so: (1d20)[4]. Tonn is, however, protected by Heart of Fire, so has fire resistance 30, and fast healing 22 in hydra form.

Both Theda and Tonn turn into Frost Worms, and breathe on the magma beast.
Damage: (15d6)[56] and (15d6)[47], Reflex DC 25 for half.

[Tsumeken]

Seeing his mistress out of danger thanks to the freezing reception, Alakdriirn merely smiles. Teamwork isn't such a bad thing as long as he reaps the rewards of it. He takes another shot at the large magma beast.

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Maintaining Hellrime Blast to include the cold factor
To hit roll: (1d20+21)[22]
Fort Save or it loses 2 Dex: (1d20+23)[38]
Damage: (9d6+2)[39]

[VirgoBushin]

~Iivraena Lil'kenafin~

Iivraena merely looked at the giant, amazed and slightly disturbed at how much damage it'd taken and seeing it still up. It was obvious her spells wouldn't be nearly as strong as they could be, especially because she had nothing that included the "cold" factor into all of this. Turning to look and see Alakdriirn miss, she sighed before keeping her tongue in Undercommon as she let go of his leash, pulling her rapier out and beginning to speak to him, "Zexen'uma rath. Vel'bol F'sarn bauth ulu xun zhah usbyr llaar s'gos, waele, xor tu'jhal wun p'totis ol quarne wund l'sslith p'totis scenario... Usstan ssrig'luin a mzulst uss d'udossa ulu remos .... dro lu'al z'lonzic."

As she finished her warning,, she moved toward the beast, now shifting her tongue to Infernal, "Just die already, you damned fiend!" She hissed, swinging at it with her rapier.

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Using all 3 charges of Rapier of Puncturing

To hit rolls: (1d20+21)[26]
(1d20+16)[23]
(1d20+11)[18]

Damage Rolls:
(1d6+6)[8]
(1d6+6)[9]
(1d6+6)[9]

Minus X to Con
(1d6)[6]
(1d6)[4]
(1d6)[4]

[Tsumeken]

As the magma giant is struck by the rapier, whatever forces were bringing this creature to life seemed to be absorbed into Iivraena's blade. The creature let out a tremendous shout as it began to sink into the ground, the hole that it'd emerged from covering over.

[Toliudar]

The Theda-worm let out a roar of triumph, but quickly transformed back into demon form, and her usual cold-fish analysis.

"Well done. I'll just do a quick check to confirm that the beast is indeed dead."

She turns to the elemental, waiting for further instructions.

"Wait here. If anything tries to approach you, slide back down into the earth."

As they have done before, Theda and Tonn transform into Xorn and drift down into the ground, crisscrossing the area where the magma giant disappeared until they were convinced that it wasn't simply hiding. They slid back up to the surface, where both transformed into pit fiends. Theda beckoned to the elemental, which ambled over and spit the rock into her hands.

"All this for a little rock. Fascinating."

[Kiranvonstrom]

"Well, I was going to help, but it appears I'm not really needed. Not to mention that most of my talents are of a more specialized nature," Nicos said, one eyebrow raised.

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Wow, you don't post for a day...

[Tsumeken]

Nicos:

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We figured you may have been hiding behind a rock or something as you probably aren't used to dealing with such things. Or something like that... but yeah we know the feeling of taking a day and then wishing you hadn't. It's okay though... you still get experience.

"All for a little rock indeed." A mist begins to swirl again as a familiar black cloaked figure (familiar to Nicos) appears. "I doubt that you mortals even know the power you hold in your hands now." The figure reaches up, pulling off it's hood to not reveal a skull this time but the face of a devil with long black hair and two curving horns that jutted from above his brow. He has the look of a schemer on his face as he opens up a hand, calling a trident to himself. "Is that what the slug sent you to get? Thinking he has hopes of reclaiming his old glory? Pah! He should do well to remember his follies in the past and remain content as Lord of that trash heap. It was amusing to see you face the Guardian though and you are indeed powerful for your kind. Perhaps it would be prudent to enlist your help myself. But for now, a warning. A traitor is a traitor and whatever powers he has granted you, they come at a significantly high price. I look forward to the day you learn of such a thing." He slams his trident onto the ground, disappearing in a burst of flame. The ground he had been standing on appears to have frozen a bit but quickly melts, regaining it's volcanic texture.

[Toliudar]

Theda flinched instinctively, protecting the stone with her whole body as the new devil appeared. Her pit fiend form bared fanged, but remained silent and still as he spoke.

As the mist cleared from the black-cloaked figure's departure, she glanced around at her companions.

"Um. Who was that?"

[VirgoBushin]

~Iivraena Lil'kenafin~

Iivraena kept quiet before giving her two cents in on whom they had just spoken with. All the while she'd listened to him, her eye had been gazing at him, as if to study and figure out whom exactly he was. While her efforts hadn't completely succeeded, they hadn't been an entire failure either. It wasn't until after he'd left, however, that she began to reply to Theda, "The fire isn't from Leviticus because me and Ia know of it and he didn't recognize .... well me since Ia seems to be missing at the moment. However, I do think that fire is somehow connected to... the eighth layer of Hell I think somehow which would make him a servant or something of the like of Mephistopheles." With that, she remained quiet to hear their input but her first immediate thought was slowly but surely, they might be getting a bit too much attention and if it kept up for much longer, they would need to fear more than the wrath of Beelzebub.

[Toliudar]

Theda nods slowly, absorbing the implications of this interaction, and tucks the black stone into her pack. She looked around.

"Do you think that we need to get further away from the palace for Mister B to come say hello? Or should we be making our own way back to his realm?"

[VirgoBushin]

~Iivraena Lil'kenafin~

Iivraena thought a bit before speaking yet again, "I get the feeling if he wanted to teleport us back, he would have already done so. Thus, we probably should get back to him or at least out of the city. One of those two options." Now that she was certain their recent visitor wasn't going to try to pull any fast moves on them, she leaned down to regrab Alakdriirn's leash, now once again holding it firmly in her left hand.

[Kiranvonstrom]

"Nice to see that we're getting into hellish politics. You know what they say, you win or you die," Nicos smirked. "It would appear our master has losses to recouperate from. And old friend are getting interested," Nicos's smirk grows into a full grin, seemingly stretching the limits of what is humanly possible.
And if our master losses, I'm not going down with him. Perhaps if we get off time, I will need to speak with this Mephistopheles. However this ends, I don't want to be on the wrong side. Nicos thinks to himself.
"It would seem the plot has thickened. We had best get returning to the lord of this land, or we'll lose some time that I'm not sure we even have,"

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Ninja'd, virgo. Curses.