From Across the Multiverse to Barovia II

[TheFallenOne]

Readying the next harpoon Aswin broke into song, bringing tales of glory and bravery back into the chapel along with the light of day.

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Draw harpoon, +1 Inspire Courage.

In which squares are the windows and how high up? If possible Drifa will use her action to smash one.

If she can't get at a window she'll move to C2/D3

[Mahrke]

Isaac turns his head at the assault of clinging shadows, but shrugs away the haze, targeting Annan again and again, giving her moment after moment of frozen time. The tiny temporal stutters would quickly add up, turning her volley of arrows into a hail.

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Triggered Action: Linked Opportunity

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Effect: Annan is granted a single basic attack.

Standard Action: Opportunity, Linked Opportunity

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Cost: 2 PP, Vesper's Psionic Focus
Augment: Linked Power
Target: Annan
Effect: Annan is granted a single basic attack. Linked Opportunity triggers at the beginning of Isaac's next turn.

Move Action: Regain Psionic Focus
Vesper's Move Action: Regain Psionic Focus

[Jeff the Green]

Several of Annan's arrows find their mark, as does August's bolt of darkness. Drifa's attack is somewhat more successful, though only against the adjacent window. Yet more light streams in and the gargoyles scream, but in response the wand user flies to the warrior's side, drawing a scroll apparantely also made of stone, though it flaps in the wind. It uses it and the area is suddenly shrouded in darkness.

The room is quiet for a moment before there is a thunderous crash against the doors. Ashlyn throws a shoulder against one and repels the next crash, but the other door flies open and a zombie steps in. This one is old and withered, and moves much more slowly than the others did. The warrior gargoyle takes advantage of the momentary distraction to drop its massive weight on Isaac, though with his movement slowed Gor is able to damage it significantly before it brings its claws to bear against the suddenly interposed Aswin. Ashlyn, meanwhile, recovers her wits and turns her sword against the dead man while still keeping her shoulder against the door.

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Knowledge (religion) reveals that the zombie is the normal (MM) kind, not quite like what you fought in the village.

Gor

Standard: Ready attack (see OOC)

G2

Move: Move to D1, height 30, drawing scroll
Standard: Use scroll of darkness on G1

G1

Standard: Partial Charge, Battle jump Isaac to E1 (1d20+16)[25] (1d4+17)[21] (-10, and then x2, so 22)[/i]]

Z1

Move: Move to F4

Ashlyn

Move: Draw Longsword
Standard: Attack Z1 (1d20+12)[18] (1d8+3)[10]

Annan senses an Int 13 undead barely at the edge of her mindsight, down the hallway and probably just inside a doorway.

[Sallera]

Directing his floating bowl over Isaac's head, August throws another lance of dissolution into the gargoyle's head. The attack is oddly lacking in visual impact, the energies almost flowing through the target as they turn stone skin to dusty residue.

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The description still has August missing.

Move to F1+20 to avoid cover issues.
Attack G1 with Umbral Touch.
Ranged touch: (1d20+6)[22]
Damage: 30
Concealment: (1d5)[4]

[TheFallenOne]

With their sudden switch Aswin took a vicious hit meant for Isaac, but he just grit his teeth and smiled in satisfaction. Finally the enemy was where he wanted it to be. The harpoon clattered to the ground, abandoned. Instead, the hammer struck down three times to beat the stone creature into the ground and turn it to rubble. Drifa kept a cautious distance from this melee, mindful of the frail professor now occupying the saddle much too big for him, and instead turned her attention towards the less daunting zombie that had forced its way through the door.

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Smity smite, PA 2 (1d20+16)[33] (2d6+17)[26] Trip - (1d20+14)[32]
(1d20+8)[26] (2d6+9)[20]
rolls adjusted for IC and Haste

haste bonus attack (1d20+13)[33] (2d6+9)[16]

Drifa moves to G2/H3 caltrops - (1d20)[5]
Bite - (1d20+15)[20] (1d8+13)[20]

[Mahrke]

The professors actions were fast...faster than the old man should have been able to react. Faster, even, than any of the hardened adventurers with which he traveled could've reacted. A flick of his finger...a failed spell...and then movement that seemed a cut frame in a reel of film, a fraction of a second before blow would've slammed down on arthritic, brittle shoulders. He hangs to Drifas saddle for dear life, sliding awkwardly off the side when wits are regained, and gesturing another spell, words inaudible over the din of battle.

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Triggered Action: Linked Opportunity

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Effect: Annan is granted a single basic attack.

Move Action: Dismount to I1
Standard Action: Opportunity, Linked Opportunity

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Cost: 2 PP, Vesper's Psionic Focus
Augment: Linked Power
Target: Annan
Effect: Annan is granted a single basic attack. Linked Opportunity triggers at the beginning of Isaac's next turn.

Vesper's Move Action: Regain Psionic Focus

Buff Tracker 9000

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Haste: 6 rounds remain.

[Lateral]

Anann glances at the newcomer, but quickly dismisses it as irrelevant, instead merely continuing to pump arrows into the gargoyles while telepathically informing the others about the undead down the hall.

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All shots target G2 unless they bring it to 0 or less, in which case the rest target G1. Rolls:
(1d20+13)[27]
(1d8+2)[5]+(1d6)[1] cold +(3d6)[11] positive
(1d20+13)[22]
(1d8+2)[7]+(1d6)[3] cold +(3d6)[10] positive
(1d20+13)[16]
(1d8+2)[4]+(1d6)[5] cold +(3d6)[4] positive
(1d20+9)[18]
(1d8+2)[4]+(1d6)[5] cold +(3d6)[12] positive
(1d20+15)[23]
(1d8+2)[8]+(1d6)[5] cold +(3d6)[13] positive
(1d20+15)[26]
(1d8+2)[5]+(1d6)[2] cold +(3d6)[10] positive
...damn. Keep in mind Woodland Archer bonuses, so a miss gives +4 to the rest.

Keep me up to date about that INT 13 undead.

[Jeff the Green]

Between Annan's arrows gouging furrows in its stone skin, Aswin's hammer shattering it, and August's bolt of shadow, the warrior gargoyle is now barely recognizable as a humanoid statue. Still, though, it seems to have the capacity to fly and clumsily lifts off. Gor manages to swipe at it with his hooked polearm, but other than that it avoids further damage. The other one flutters back to its perch and, drawing a new wand, fires it at the half-giant in retaliation.

The zombie in the doorway falls to Drifa and Gor but is immediately replaced with a new one, and when the other door shudders a second time it bursts open and sends Ashlyn sprawling at Gor's feet. She rolls with the blow and rises, deflecting blows from the zombies with her shield and counters them. Gor likewise hacks at them; their bladed weapons find much more purchase than Aswin's hammer had on those fought in the village and their targets fall, though two more move in to take their places.

Now with the doors open, you can see some distance into the hall. A mass of zombies packed together stretches out at least twenty feet into the hall. Given the ease with which you've dispatched these creatures so far pushing through might not be difficult, but whether you can do so without drawing the attention of the minds Annan felt as you entered is an entirely different question.

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G2

Move: Move to A2 and perch, drawing wand
Standard: Use wand of ray of enfeeblement on Gor. (1d20+9)[23] (1d6)[3] Strength penalty.

G1

Full round: Withdraw to D1, height 30. No AoO from Aswin or Drifa, but Gor gets one.

Gor's Aoo: (1d20+15)[21] (2d4+11)[15]

Z2

Move: Move to F4

Z3

Standard: Bull Rush Ashlyn through door, end E4

Gor

Standard: Full attack zombies. (1d20+15)[16] (2d4+11)[14] (1d20+10)[23] (2d4+11)[15]

Ashlyn

Move: Stand
5-foot Step: To D4
Standard: Attack Z2 (1d20+12)[32] (1d8+3)[6]

Annan senses the Int 13 undead move 30' closer, so now just outside the door.

[Sallera]

Steadying himself with one hand on the lip of the floating bowl as it shoots upward to match the gargoyle's height, August continues hammering the statue with blasts of dissolution.

"Wait but a moment," he calls lightly. "Once this statue is dust, it should be simple to deal with the dead."

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Move up to F1+30, attack G1.

Ranged touch: (1d20+6)[10]
Damage: 30

[Mahrke]

The tight quarters are no good. The old man feels vulnerable...an exposed weakpoint, easily struck...but he perseveres, continuing to solve for the variables neccessary to leave Annan with those few extra moments.

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Triggered Action: Linked Opportunity

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Effect: Annan is granted a single basic attack.

Standard Action: Opportunity, Linked Opportunity

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Cost: 2 PP, Vesper's Psionic Focus
Augment: Linked Power
Target: Annan
Effect: Annan is granted a single basic attack. Linked Opportunity triggers at the beginning of Isaac's next turn.

Vesper's Move Action: Regain Psionic Focus

[TheFallenOne]

Suppressing a curse while keeping his heartening song up Aswin abandoned his hammer and instead hurled another harpoon at the slippery enemy. Drifa slammed into the intruding zombies with a mighty roar, tearing limbs and crushing bones unwilling to give a single inch to the horde.

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Step to E1, draw harpoon, attack G1
attack - (1d20+4)[13] (2d8+6)[12] miss chance - (1d100)[81] Reflex DC 10+damage or complicated stuff

Drifa attacks Z2. Should first attack dispatch it she will move to G3/H4
(1d20+16)[21] (2d6+13)[17] miss chance - (1d100)[39]
(1d20+16)[21] (2d6+13)[16] miss chance - (1d100)[56]

[Lateral]

Gritting her teeth, Anann sets her bow against the same gargoyle, hoping to finally put it down for good. Finally.

Spoiler: ==> Anann: Annihilate G2.

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(1d20+13)[26]
(1d8+1)[9]+(1d6)[1] cold +(3d6)[11] positive
(1d20+13)[17]
(1d8+1)[7]+(1d6)[4] cold +(3d6)[10] positive
(1d20+13)[16]
(1d8+1)[5]+(1d6)[4] cold +(3d6)[11] positive
(1d20+9)[11]
(1d8+1)[7]+(1d6)[5] cold +(3d6)[6] positive
(1d20+15)[19]
(1d8+1)[3]+(1d6)[1] cold +(3d6)[10] positive
(1d20+15)[28]
(1d8+1)[8]+(1d6)[6] cold +(3d6)[9] positive
As always, any shots after G2 goes down will be at G1, and Woodland Archer applies.

EDIT: God DAMN those are crappy rolls. At least Woodland Archer, though.

[Jeff the Green]

Both Aswin's harpoon and August's bolt whizz past their target, and despite being able to pierce the darkness, Annan manages only to hit with half of her hastily fired arrows. Drifa finds somewhat more luck, tearing apart the zombie remaining in the doorway that Gor had failed to destroy.

The throng of zombies in the hall, though, now pushes into the room, rushing past their torn-apart fellows and clambering over Gor and drifa like army ants engulfing prey. They tear at them, biting, battering, and clawing. At the same time, a bolt of darkness like the kind you saw in the village arcs out of the mob and hits August square in the chest.

Gor and Ashlyn make counterattacks at the tide of undead flesh, but as soon as one zombie is brought down another seems to rush in to replace it. In the chaos, the warrior gargoyle's face takes on a horrific grin and it flies to perch, like its ally. The other takes out yet a new wand and touches it to the warrior's damaged skin, which begins to reform.

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G1

Full round: Move to A1, perch

G2

Move: Stow wand
Free: Draw wand.
Standard: Use wand of cure moderate wounds on G1. (2d8+3)[14]

ZM

Move: Move to cover E3-4, F2-4, G2-4, and H4 (Gor, Ashlyn, and Drifa get AoOs)

Gor's AoO: (1d20+15)[25] (2d4+11)[17]
Ashlyn's AoO:(1d20+12)[27] (1d8+3)[6]

D (off screen)

Standard: Cast magic missile on August. (2d4+2)[10] damage. This triggers his phobia; DC 13 Will or Shaken.

Gor

Full-round: Full attack ZM. (1d20+13)[29] (2d4+8)[16] (1d20+8)[11] (2d4+8)[13]

Ashlyn

Full-round: Full attack ZM (1d20+15)[33] (1d8+10)[17] (1d20+7)[20] (1d8+3)[11]
5-foot step: To C4.

Gor takes (4d6)[13] damage from the mob. Drifa takes (4d6)[16]

Annan senses the Int 13 undead stop, so it's still just outside the door.

[Sallera]

The bolt of darkness finds August despite his elevated position, striking him cleanly through his conjured protections, and he shudders at the unnatural feel of the magic. The bowl drops several feet before he regains control, sending him to one knee, and he rises with a haunted look in his eyes, unnaturally focused on a single point in the seething mob. The remaining energies around his hand writhe and flicker, taking on a reddish hue, and he extends his arm toward his disguised target.

A whisper escapes lips flecked with blood - "Be no more." - and as his fists clench, a seed of light shoots forth, briefly disappearing in the mob before blossoming into brilliant petals of flame that consume the corridor and spill forth into the chapel.

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Sometimes, you just need to go back to the classics.

Drop to F1+10, Maximized Shadow Evocation (Fireball), centred on E7/F8.

48 fire damage to the deathlock, 72 fire damage to the mob. Reflex 18 for half, Will 18 for 1/5.

[Mahrke]

The situation is grim; cornered, shrouded in shadow, with a mob of zombies and who-knows-what-else bearing down on them. Isaac has no where to retreat from the foe that threatens him. Threatens his allies.

The old man's body stutters. Once again, he seems like a poorly cut reel of film. The gestures and words for his magic aren't contiguous; merely a sequence of disjointed frames. Annan and August both feel sudden giddiness overtake them. The breathe seems to leave their lungs for a moment...and then, deja vu. These last few seconds happen once more...but their actions are not undone. Devastation against the undead horde wrought by them lingers, but they both recieve a second chance. Another crack at the glut of undead horror before them.

Even then, Isaac hedges his bet. Vesper hums with luminescent energy, which springs forth into an ablative field against the attacks.

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Triggered Action: Linked Opportunity

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Effect: Annan is granted a single basic attack.

Swift Action: Swiftness

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Cost: 3 PP
Target: Annan
Effect: Annan's initiatve increases to 20, allowing her to act before the baddies this round.

Swift Action II (via Quickness): Swiftness

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Cost: 3 PP
Target: August
Effect: August's initiatve increases to 22, allowing him to act before the baddies this round.

Standard Action: Opportunity, Linked Opportunity

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Cost: 2 PP, Vesper's Psionic Focus
Augment: Linked Power
Target: Annan
Effect: Annan is granted a single basic attack. Linked Opportunity triggers at the beginning of Isaac's next turn.

Free Action: 5' step to J1
Vesper's Move Action: Regain Psionic Focus
Vesper's Swift Action: Protection Devotion

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Effect: Provide a +4 Sacred bonus to AC to all allies with 30'.

[Sallera]

Briefly surprised by the minimal effect of his working, August stutters in time, gaining a second look at the impact, and understands. The shades are not quite as mindless as they seem, sacrificing their own to suppress the flames and instinctively seeking areas where the truth of the faerie magic wavers. "Beware; these shades have many bodies, but one will."

He could gather the flames and have them strike again, with the extra time granted him, but it would do even less than before. Instead, he turns back to the perching statues. With but a glance, their own darkness writhes and wraps around them, preventing them from fleeing. Spreading his arms wide, August begins to glow from within, the false night falling back before his summoned radiance.

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Quickened Clinging Darkness centred on A1+30/B2+25 (DC17 Reflex or immobilized), then Daylight on himself. Should cancel out the Darkness and let the natural light back in.

[TheFallenOne]

Drawing the sword from his hip Aswin pointed the blade at the advancing horde, not to strike but to channel a sudden burst of positive energy into the army of flesh to repel it. Drifa was already caught in the midst of them and struck out in everywhich direction, using her prodigious mass and strength to rend and crush whatever came in her way.

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Draw sword, Turn Undead
Turning Check - (1d20+3)[7]
Turning damage - (2d6+9)[15]

Drifa
(1d20+16)[18] (2d6+13)[22]
(1d20+16)[28] (2d6+13)[19]

[TheFallenOne]

Hastened by Isaac's power Aswin went into a wild flurry of cuts and thrusts, dismembering bodies and severing limbs at every opportunity with reckless abandon while unleashing the divine power of his fury at them.

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Aswin, PA 5
Smite - (1d20+13)[33] (2d6+19)[29]
Smite - (1d20+13)[22] (2d6+19)[24]
(1d20+10)[19] (2d6+11)[13]

AoO if horde moves
Smite - (1d20+13)[30] (2d6+18)[28]

Drifa
(1d20+16)[17] (2d6+13)[17]
(1d20+16)[31] (2d6+13)[18]

AoO if horde moves
(1d20+16)[17] (2d6+13)[20]

I don't think any of my Awesome Smite abilities are relevant, I pierce their DR, they can't be tripped, August dispelled the darkness... I'll go with anti-DR unless another source of concealment crops up.

[Jeff the Green]

Annan hovers in place, firing another volley of arrows. This time she aims them at the warrior before it can trick her into ignoring it.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20+13)[29]
(1d8+1)[6] plus (1d6)[5] cold plus (3d6)[11] positive
(1d20+13)[21]
(1d8+1)[2] plus (1d6)[4] cold plus (3d6)[10] positive
(1d20+13)[26]
(1d8+1)[7] plus (1d6)[6] cold plus (3d6)[9] positive
(1d20+15)[25]
(1d8+1)[4] plus (1d6)[2] cold plus (3d6)[10] positive
(1d20+15)[27]
(1d8+1)[9] plus (1d6)[1] cold plus (3d6)[8] positive

[Jeff the Green]

Annan's volley first shears off one of the gargoyle's legs, then an arm. Finally the last arror hits it square in the chest, carving out a jagged hole all the way through to its back. With Isaac's manipulation of time, she fires off another volley, this time at the other gargoyle. It survives, however, and with little effort and no hindrance from August's spell, grasps its fellow with its talons and bursts through the remaining window. It must be blinded by the light initially, for it clips a buttress on its way out, but once outside of August's light it seems to ease, and disappears from view.

The zombies, on the other hand, show absolutely no sign of retreat. Though Aswin's righteous power instantly turns more than a few to dust, more appear to take their place and August's spell seems to do little to stop them. Ashlyn tries the same tactic as Aswin, forcing holy energy into a pendant shaped like the sun about her neck. Gor and Drifa continue to attack the zombies with tooth and blade, but the mass surges forward like a wave, breaking on top of Aswin and hauling him to the floor.

The undead that has been casting spells—whom you've managed to identify by the fact that it's the only one not pushing wildly forward—seems to do nothing, only smirk. August however, sees the cause of its mirth: dozens of tiny fairies dance about his head. They loop a noose about his neck and begin to pull taut.

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G2

Standard: Grab G1 (effectively, grapple unopposed)
Move: Leave.

Annan

Full-round: Full attack G2

(1d20+13)[27] (1d8+1)[6] (1d6)[6] (3d6)[12]
(1d20+13)[29] (1d8+1)[9] (1d6)[2] (3d6)[9]
(1d20+13)[32] (1d8+1)[8] (1d6)[5] (3d6)[6]

ZM

Move: Move to cover C4, D4, E1, E3-4, F1-4, G1-4, and H4 (Gor, Ashlyn, Aswin, and Drifa get AoOs)

Gor's AoO: (1d20+15)[17] (2d4+11)[17]
Ashlyn's AoO:(1d20+12)[32] (1d8+3)[11]

Standard: Grapple Aswin. (1d20+30)[36]

D (off screen)

5' step: Back (out of sight, G6)
Standard: Cast phantasmal strangler on August. Will DC 16 or be grappled by phantom with same grapple mod as you. The spell ends if you escape (please roll its grapple checks when you roll yours).

Gor

Full-round: Full attack ZM. (1d20+13)[14] (2d4+8)[14] (1d20+8)[21] (2d4+8)[14]

Ashlyn

Standard: Turn Undead. (1d20+3)[12] (2d6+6)[10]

Gor takes (4d6)[15] damage from the mob. Drifa takes (4d6)[21]. Ashlyn takes (4d6)[14]. Aswin takes (4d6)[16].

[Sallera]

Waving away the faeries and their games - he had used enough faerie magic himself to recognize it when it was used on him - August calls up a curtain of flame in the middle of the mob, blue sparks leaching heat from everything they touch to fuel their own life.

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Black Fire in E4-F7. Reflex 16 negates.
ZM: (4d6)[15] cold
D: (4d6)[16] cold

[TheFallenOne]

Individually the zombies were little challenge to the Viking's strength, but their sheer mass overwhelmed him and with the horde clinging to his limbs by the dozen he had no range of motion to strike. "Ashlyn! Again, together", he called out, seeing the success their holy power had when unleashed. He waited precious moments to act in concert with her. "Now!" The holy power flowed into his weapon as usual but he called it back, collecting it in his center and focusing it into the ashwood hammer around his neck to release the cleansing energy in an omnidirectional burst. Light errupted from the pendant as Aswin gave more and more of his strength, feeding all he could give into this attack as his voice grew into a primal scream of defiance.

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Turning check - (1d20+3)[15]
Turning damage - (2d6+9)[20]

Drifa
(1d20+16)[17] (2d6+13)[17]
(1d20+16)[31] (2d6+13)[18]

AoO if horde moves
(1d20+16)[20] (2d6+13)[23]

[Mahrke]

Trapped, Isaac does not have the means that his companions do. Big, flashy effects were not his domain of study back in Oxford...and so, once more, he depends entirely on the seasoned adventurers to do his dirty work for him.

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Triggered Action: Linked Opportunity

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Effect: Annan is granted a single basic attack.

Standard Action: Opportunity, Linked Opportunity

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Cost: 2 PP, Vesper's Psionic Focus
Augment: Linked Power
Target: Drifa
Effect: Drifa is granted a single basic attack. Linked Opportunity triggers at the beginning of Isaac's next turn.

Move Action: Regain Psionic Focus

[Jeff the Green]

Between the burst of holy light and Drifa's assault, whatever mind was forcing the zombies to work together dissipates and they cease to fight together. Gor's guisarme and Annan's light-touched arrows make quick work of those remaining and a single figure remains: the one who had been slinging spells. It points a finger at Gor and his eyes cloud, but immediately Drifa leaps upon it with a growl and through its skull with a sudden, final crunch.

Spoiler: OOC

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D manages to cast blindness/deafness on Gor. Will: (1d20+6)[9] Yeah, he's blind.

[Sallera]

"Well then! I fear the shades have made rather a mess of the room, but those fae statues have retreated, and, ha, now we have light to search by." August seems to have almost forcibly reverted to his usual cheery demeanour as soon as the fight ended, still glowing softly. Slowly floating back to ground level, he approaches the rest of the party.

"Of course, while I do not see them returning, they have proven to be rather deceptive in that regard. 'Twould be wise to recover before we resume our search for the tome we seek."

[Jeff the Green]

<Aye,> Annan replies. She lights on the floor of the chapel and immediately begins balming your wounds. After a few minutes, only Gor, now returned to his normal—albeit gargantuan—size, remains still afflicted, his eyes clouded over.

"If there is another fight," he says, "I will be near useless. Unless one of you can cure blindness."

Annan shakes her head and Ashlyn replies in the negative as well. "I have not that power, but 'twould surprise me not if Madame Eva hath that ability. Still, making the journey there while thou still canst not see beeth an arduous trial."

[Mahrke]

Isaac goes back to work...silent. His face is stoic as he silently recounts all lost in this wretched place. A wise and aged healer. A fiery and furred knight. And now, the sight of another is stricken. Every turn seemed to throw another trial at them; evil hidden in every nook and cranny. He approaches the altar, inspecting the sooty substance there-on, and trying to souse out an effective way to end the taint here.

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Resuming my actions before enemy attack. Namely, holding the tome, I think, and using the Object Reading power from my spectacles to figure out who its previous owners were, and how it was gained or lost. In addition, any applicable knowledge checks.

[Jeff the Green]

Spoiler: Isaac

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They're just garden-variety Gloves of Object reading transferred to the face slot and so ML 1, right?

Most recent owner was a LE male evolved human vampire lord. It's exceedingly difficult to tell his age because of some temporal flaws you think might be related to interdimensional travel, but it's definitely more than a century and less than two millennia. He gained it through inheritance and lost it through fire.

The next most recent was a LN male human. Again his age is vague, but it was somewhere between half a century and a full one. He gained it through inheritance and lost it through murder.

[TheFallenOne]

Panting heavily from the exertion of his last attack Aswin sheathed the sword and retrieved his hammer. "Guess both of these things survived the fight, but can they regenerate these?" He pointed at the stonen arm and leg severed by Anann's shots. "Might as well pound them into dust just in case." He then proceeded to do so, leaving the search for sharper eyes than his.

[Sallera]

"The restoration of sight? I do not know if the shadow can create a new sense... but I will think on it a while." Sitting cross-legged in the floating bowl, August closes his eyes and plunges his hand into the void-that-is-not, seeking understanding.

What was sight? Should he be looking in the light? The void was of the balance - was the balance - and one could thus draw from either side, although the mindset became more difficult to maintain the further one's desires wandered from the centre. The void-that-is-not differed; it may have occupied the same place, but its will - for lack of a better word - did not seem so tied to equilibrium. One started at the same place, but one's destination could be anywhere one pleased. Yet... what could the light do, exactly? To illuminate, or to hide; these affected sight, but the blind knew them not, and cared not. If he were to force the light into Gor's eyes, much like with the gargoyles, it would do no good if he could not perceive it.

Then, was sight truth? To know the world, one must perceive it. Until one saw the truth, it was all but potential. Yet that very potential was what the void - the true void - governed, not truth. Truth he had e'er found in Truth's eyes. And that truth had been manipulated by his own perceptions. It did not change the truth - but the gargoyles had remained potential. He would not find a way to restore Gor's sight in this meditation, it seemed. He needed to know more. Then, what if he could see the potential? Perhaps he could learn.

The shadow was not so different from the void in this respect. It still held sway over potential. Yet if he tried to see the potential in everything, he would be as blind as Gor, albeit for seeing too much, not too little. Perhaps simply the potential for great change - those who were more than they seemed, objects that held hidden power. It felt - just a little - like cheating. But the rules were the tiniest bit different here; not so much that events did not turn out the way he expected, but still enough that bending them a little was becoming a matter of course. Withdrawing his hand, he brings with it a small lens, placing it over one eye as it opens. At first, it is almost unbearably bright, yet after a moment, the power focuses, and all of his companions glow softly with the potential they carry with them. A smile spreads across his face as he stands and turns to inspect the rest of the room.

"Nay, I cannot give you back your sight this way. But I have discovered a new way of looking at the world."

After a thorough aerial inspection of the chapel's interior and exterior, August floats gently down behind the altar. "There is hidden power here. Raw strength and potential, and the taint of the shades. I know not what it will work, nor what will release it, but we should keep caution in mind."

Spoiler

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Do we really have no way to Dispel Magic? I guess that's mostly my fault.

Anyway, yes, August needs to make a production out of learning even a cantrip. :3 He'll use Mystic Reflections (i.e. Detect Magic) on the inside and outside of the chapel, checking both the sun outside the door as well as the roof (since we went and broke the windows anyway) in addition to the main room.