Into the Ring [IC]

[angelpalm]

Anjel raises her polearm into the air and yells

"To the victors, glory!"

Spoiler: actions

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Swift action: Alpha’s Roar boost to give all allies a +4 morale bonus to their dc's

Standard:Lord of the Pridelands buff to give allies +10 morale bonus to AC/SAVES/ATTACK/DMG

Move: gain psionic focus

Free:

Immediate:

[rypt]

Rolling to her feet as she is released from the whirlwind of the conjured air elemental, Azaia allows her momentum to carry her forward, leaping upward to land astride the altar at the center of the platform. With one hand holding her spear across her back and the other extended forward for balance, she surveys the cavernous room at the heart of the arena, waiting for the Starchasers to make their approach.

Spoiler: Actions

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Move action: Jump up to the indicated space.
Swift action: Enter Stance of the Thunderbrand (replacing God the Hourglass).
Standard action: Ready Thundering Lancer's to be used if an enemy moves to threaten Val after Azaia has initiated Oath of Eternity.

[3SecondCultist]

The opening moments of the Proving seem to flow by in a blur. Each of you charge out from your starting position with a speed that redefines the word 'haste', using the conjured air and shade of Dr. Val John even as the wizard himself transforms into a living tornado. After passing through several hallways and opening the appropriate doors - with seemingly no interference - you all find yourselves inside a truly titanic ovoid chamber of dark volcanic stone that must be at least three hundred feet from end to end. The heat here is almost intolerable, searing up in waves of glowing magma sixty feet below your feet.

Just as Caedriss told you before the sands of time ran out, here you find yourselves on the outer of the two rings. There in the center lies the jewel, and victory. Of course, the Seneschal failed to mention that the ring would be suspended over a literal lake of molten rock against which any magical or inherent protection seems to be barred, but hey. Still in whirlwind form, the good doctor's air elemental deposits the four of you at your side of the central platform. Azaia is the first to spring into action, leaping atop the altar with her polearm at the ready, bracing her weapon and facing the double doors on the far side of the chamber. Isaac and Dr. Val follow not far behind, the gunslinger aiming his pistol and the mage beginning an arcane incantation. The dark Anjel hangs back, her wings flapping above the void and fiery death below as she uses more psionic energy to bolster you.

And not a moment too soon, for your opponents reveal themselves before you've properly had time to get your bearings.

Before you see anyone, you hear a strange noise emanating from beyond the doors. It sounds like someone is singing, but the voice seems to reach a pitch and cadence that is not entirely of this world. For one thing, you immediately feel your muscles begin to relax and for the briefest of moments, your minds are contented. However, the music is accompanied by a rather ominous glow that presses through the cracks of the reinforced adamantine portal. Then, in a cascade of light, the doors swing open to reveal the shining host of the Starchasers. First is the slender figure of Corin'thael, only now the elf wears what can only be appropriately described as flowing armor of pure light from head to toe and bears a polearm of some refractive quicksilver. Following him is Rikke, although her armor and drawn sword is matched by a gold and scarlet banner that she holds aloft. At the far end of the enemy formation is Thaum, whose wings are now fully unfurled and who glows with some kind of inner heat. Finally, the old figure of Leanne has been transformed by virtue into a creature of song and starlight, white feathered wings and burning passion rippling through the air. What's more, the Starchasers do not enter the chamber alone. When the first two push through the doors, it is on the backs of great golden dragons, each of whom is surrounded by their own ghostly plate-mail.

"Let those who speak do so with edification and exhortation to the spirits of man," intones Leanne in a voice that reverberates at a pitch not entirely of this world. Her eyes burn with the glow of celestial bodies, even as gold heavenly flames envelop the weapons of the Starchasers. "Your grace I foresee; your fall I forbear."

Your opponents waste no time closing the distance to you. Rikke and Corin'thael spur their draconic mounts on first, landing on the platform even as Azaia unleashes a fierce barrage of counterattacks. While a few hit Rikke, Corin'thael appears to effortlessly dodge all but one masterful strike from the Xen'drik-slave-turned-warrior. The halfling standard bearer charges in, assessing her enemy. Seeming to find a flaw, Rikke's sword tears through space to stab Azaia through. Within a heartbeat, the Defender of the Dawn follows suit. Corin'thael meets Azaia's eyes atop the platform, his face settling into a confident - though not malicious - smile. What follows suit is a veritable dance of steel as both combatants hurl their blades about with impossible speed and accuracy. Although Azaia does her best, she cannot stop her fighting partner from eventually catching all of the Silver Sparrows with a strike of tremendous force. The edge of Corin'thael's burning fauchard tears through your ranks, knocking three of you off of the central circle. Fortunately, Anjel appears directly in front of the blow, absorbing most of its energy and dissipating a good portion of it harmlessly from her body. At the same time, the undead archon flicks her wrist and a good many of the wounds suffered by your side disappear. It is as though they had never been inflicted at all.

All the same, it is not enough to forestall the worst of the other team's advance. With only Azaia now to stop them, it would seem that the Starchasers have a decisive advantage in this arena. To consolidate their lead, the last member of their team charges his body with a burning heat from within, launching a blast of blue-gold fire directly at the elf atop the altar. Although Azaia manages to dodge the worst of the attack, the flames still manage to scorch her and leave her burned. Finally, Leanne flies forward under the power of her own wings, alighting on the far side of the outer ring. As she moves, the old woman gestures in Dr. Val John's direction and with a syllable cancels his transformation. What was once a whirlwind becomes a half-elf once more, plummeting to the sea of lava below.

"Silver Sparrows!" The angelic priestess calls over to your ranks. Her hands weave between them the stuff of godheads and miracles, although at the moment it seems to be more potential than actual. "This doesn't need to devolve into further violence. I know that you believe you're deserving of the Proving - and you seem harmless enough to me - but our team has a higher purpose here. Please do not force our hand. Lay down your arms and surrender now, and this can be over peacefully!"

Spoiler: Round 1 OOC

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Roll20 Map

So a lot has happened in Round 1. First things first, you all got yourselves set up and had some counters ready for the enemies, who came at you with lightning speed. Rikke and Corin'thael went first, landing on the central platform despite a punishing series of blows to them and their mounts. Rikke managed to properly stab Azaia while Corin'thael smacked pretty much everybody off the platform Super Smash Brothers style. Anjel did a lot of saving of the party, preventing Azaia from being dropped down into the double digits, meanwhile Leanne successfully dispelled

Please check the Roll20 for rolls and hp totals. I believe that it is up to date for the end of Round 1 (which it now is). By my math - after all counters, reductions, and redirections - Azaia lost all of her temporary hit points and took 82 points of damage, Dr. Val John and Isaac have been knocked back and into the lava for 34 and 89 damage respectively, and Anjel has taken 72 points of damage mostly from Martyrdom.

[Kaouse]

"Well. They've done it. They've successfully managed to tick me off," Val John thought to himself, as his Shapechange was dispelled and he fell into the lava.

Acting quickly, he sent over a mental command to his two Shadow Demons in wait. Knowing that they would not be able to act in time, Val John decided to try and take one of them down with him. Witha flourish and a wave, he altered the power of his previous spell, from one meant to spur ravenous life, to one meant to destroy. In an instant, the storm clouds condensed into a single ball, and with a word a gigantic bolt of energy struck the ground, eating away at it like a fissure. The chain that attached to the rest of the arena was broken, and the stage itself tilted.

Alas, the enemy combatants were able to just barely get out of the way of the blast, and avoided falling into the lava proper. Unlike Val John, that is. Luckily, one of his Shadow Demons were able to lift him out of the lava and fling him back to safety. Noticing how big of a threat the big buy seemed, Val John activated the powers of his Otherworldly Kimono to trap him within it's folds. No matter how strong or fast you are, none of that mattered in the extra-dimensional prison known as Maze. What was unexpected, however, was the intervention of the enemy caster, who counterspelled his Maze with a readied Miracle.

"Hmm, after casting such a high level spell like that last round, to be able to ready another high level spell in the same round is...impressive. I'll have to look into that later."

But for now, Val John would have to rest, and regain his footing. He honestly didn't expect his enemies to come up with the same plan that he did. Was it possible that they knew of the secret of the arena beforehand? Scouting out the area, going the right way and even opening all of the doors in time to reach them wasn't a particularly easy thing to accomplish in such short a time frame. Damn. It appears as though he'd underestimated his opponents. With another mental command, he ordered the remaining Shadow Demon to pick up and relocate his gunslinger friend into a position to attack the enemy spellcaster. As he does so, he also takes out his Portable Hole.

"Let's see how you handle this, Lenne."

Spoiler: Resources

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Spoiler: Mental Focus Allocation

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TOTAL MENTAL FOCUS
20 (LVL) + 10 (FCB) + 18 (INT) + 10 (CHA) + 1 (Armor) + 2 (Feat) + 8 (Capstone) = 69
Abjuration *C* = 14/69 [12/14, Mental Barrier]
Conjuration = 4/69 [3/4, Servitor]
Divination = 16/69 [4/16, Metamagic Knowledge]
Enchantment = 2/69
Evocation = 12/69
Illusion = 2/69 [1/2, Shadow Beast]
Necromancy = 4/69 [3/4, Soulbound Puppet]
Transmutation *C* = 15/69 [12/15, Telekinetic Mastery, Legacy Weapon x2]

MAGE'S PARAPHERNALIA METAMAGIC KNOWLEDGE (-3 MF/Metamagic Feat)
-Solid Shadows
-Quicken Spell
-Dazing Spell
-Persistent Spell

Spoiler: Wizard Spells Prepared

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WIZARD SPELLS
LVL 0: Acid Splash
LVL 0: Light
LVL 0: Oath of Anonymity
LVL 0: Prestidigitation

LVL 1: Blood Money
LVL 1: Magic Missile
LVL 1: Mudball
LVL 1: Shadow Trap
LVL 1: True Skill
LVL 1: True Strike
LVL 1: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 1: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 1: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 2: Frigid Touch
LVL 2: Glitterdust
LVL 2: Limp Lash
LVL 2: Ghoul Touch
LVL 2: Paranoia
LVL 2: Sense Vitals
LVL 2: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 2: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 2: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 3: Battering Blast
LVL 3: Cleromancy
LVL 3: Haste
LVL 3: Invisibility Sphere
LVL 3: Paragon Surge
LVL 3: Phase Step
LVL 3: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 3: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 4: Emergency Force Sphere
LVL 4: Emergency Force Sphere
LVL 4: Enervation
LVL 4: Shadow Barbs
LVL 4: Shadow Invasion
LVL 4: Shadowform
LVL 4: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 4: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 5: Absorb Toxicity
LVL 5: Cloudkill
LVL 5: Duplicate Familiar
LVL 5: Feeblemind
LVL 5: Fickle Winds
LVL 5: Phantasmal Web
LVL 5: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 5: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 6: Break, Greater
LVL 6: Mass Minor Reversion
LVL 6: Greater Illusion of Treachery
LVL 6: Greater Shadow Enchantment
LVL 6: Greater Black Tentacles
LVL 6: Treacherous Teleport
LVL 6: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 6: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 7: Control Construct
LVL 7: Deflection
LVL 7: Hungry Darkness
LVL 7: Particulate Form
LVL 7: Plane Shift
LVL 7: Waves of Exhaustion
LVL 7: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 8: Dimensional Lock
LVL 8: Euphoric Tranquility
LVL 8: Quintessence Mastery
LVL 8: Maze
LVL 8: Prediction of Failure
LVL 8: Stormbolt
LVL 8: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 9: Aroden's Spellbane (Antimagic Field, Source Severance, Mage's Disjunction, Greater Dispel Magic)
LVL 9: Foresight
LVL 9: Impenetrable Veil
LVL 9: Mage's Disjunction
LVL 9: Mage's Disjunction
LVL 9: Shapechange
LVL 9: <UNPREPARED>

NOTE: Unprepared spell slots can be used to spontaneously cast patron spells, or sacrificed for Counterspell. Theoretically, Metamixing can also be used to spontaneously apply metamagic to a spell as it's cast, sacrificing a higher level spell slot, but not the spell's original slot. Lastly, Paragon Surge can theoretically be used to grab the Quick Study Exploit via the "Extra Exploit" feat, and that can also be used to prepare any spell into those unprepared slots.

Spells which have been used will be stricken through.

Spoiler: Occultist Spells per Day

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LEVEL 1 = 13/13
LEVEL 2 = 13/13
LEVEL 3 = 10/12 [Aura Alteration, Resist Energy, Communal]
LEVEL 4 = 10/12 [Life Bubble, Dimension Door]
LEVEL 5 = 12/12
LEVEL 6 = 10/12 [Contingency, Heal]

[aReallyGreatAxe]

It was a mistake to think the lava didn’t matter, as Isaac quickly discovered in its fiery embrace. But then he’s soaring above it again, courtesy of the good Doctor. And stumbling to his feet, far across the arena from where he had taken a most unfortunate tumble.

Near his new position is that old woman who had been so polite during the pre-fight meeting. He feels a twinge, or more than a twinge, of guilt as he levels his gun at the priestess. What had he come to, that he was willing to fill the elderly with holes? But he would do it anyway. Anything for his wife.

“Sorry, ma’am,” he apologizes, before his pistol roars six times in swift succession, letting loose a veritable hail of bullets at the kindly spellcaster.

Spoiler: Actions

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Full round attack vs. Leanne at a -8 penalty. These are ranged touch attacks. All criticals (19-20) automatically confirm for x5 damage.

Should Leanne fall or become otherwise unreachable, he will direct the remainder of his attacks at Rikke, which will still be touch.

Sequence: 33,33,28,23,18

Attack 1: (1d20+33)[43] +10 =53
Damage: (1d8+26)[31] +10=41+1d6 weapon bond =44

Attack 2: (1d20+33)[42] +10= 52
Damage: (1d8+26)[34] +10= 44+ 1d6 weapon bond= 49

Attack 3: (1d20+28)[35] +10 =45
Damage: (1d8+26)[28] +10= 38+ 1d6 weapon bond = 41

Attack 4: (1d20+23)[25] +10=35
Damage: (1d8+26)[34] + 10 =44+1d6 weapon bond = 48

Attack 5: (1d20+18)[33] +10 = 43
Damage: (1d8+26)[31] +10 = 41+ 1d6 weapon bond =43

Attack Haste (rolled in roll20): natural one.

Note: Dedicated adversary (warforged) is active thanks to training dagger
Note: the+10 bonus is from Lord of the Pridelands

[rypt]

Recognizing that Corin'thael holds the upper hand in this contest, Azaia chooses to focus her attention on his more vulnerable teammates. She may not be able to land a blow against her younger opponent, but for now, she does not have to.

Her else-world kin seems to anticipate the change in strategy. Corin'thael's fauchard is in motion even before Azaia begins to shift her weight. Rather than attempting to dodge, however, she steps into the warder's attack, the haft of her spear nudging his trailing elbow and altering the trajectory of his strike. As the blade of his polearm arcs towards an unsuspecting Rikke, hers strikes at his knees, only to find that he has been magically warded against any potential imbalance.

With Corin'thael momentarily overextended, Azaia seizes an opportunity to test Leanne's defenses. A cascade of phantom after-images trail in the wake of her spear as she strikes almost impossibly across the open expanse between her and the Starchasers' cleric. Leanne invokes the power of her deity to divert the blow, giving her protector the time he needs to leap to her aid.

As Corin'thael soars through the air, Azaia's weapon clashes with his more than half a dozen times. The strikes are not intended to wound the defensive master, but rather to keep his focus away from his ward. For the moment he lands beside Leanne, in the narrowest sliver of time before he can ready his weapon in her defense, Azaia delivers a deadly thrust that pierces the clerics's protective wards. Such a blow would surely have proved fatal to a lesser foe, but Leanne remains on her feet, her prepared magics reacting almost instantly the heal the ruinous wound.

Azaia strikes at Leanne only once more, testing Corin'thael's abiltity to defend his companion. Finding his guard unsurprisingly robust, she whirls on her back foot, bringing a storm to steel to bear against the now isolated Rikke. In a heartbeat's span, she delivers four savage strikes, bloodying the halfing once, then again, after Cathal's magic is expended.

Spoiler: OOC

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Azaia attempts to 5-ft. step, provoking an attack of opportunity from Corin'thael due to his stance. Corin'thael attempts to hold Azaia in place with Standstill, but his attack is diverted due to the Elusive Target feat. He strikes Rikke instead, and in the process, opens himself up to an unsuccessful trip attempt.

Azaia's first flurry of blows attack is against Leanne. An initial [75] is re-rerolled to a [57] via Leanne's Divine Interference. The attack misses.

Azaia's second attack is also against Leanne, but this one draws Corin'thael to her defense. He barely manages to make the jump to land beside her. Azaia misses all 8 attacks of opportunity against Corin'thael in the process. Fortunately, Azaia's attack against Leanne is a confirmed critical, preventing Corin'thael from countering it. The attack deals 162 damage, which is immediately healed by another contingent heal spell.

Azaia's third attack is once again against Leanne, but this one is blocked by Corin'thael's flowing stream counter, which he is now able to use as a free action until his next turn due to Extended Defense.

Azaia's fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh attacks are all against Rikke. A [67], a [61], another [61] and unconfirmed critical threat of [66] all hit the halfling. The first two attacks trigger her second contingent heal, which heals her to full. The latter two attacks deal a total of 112 damage.

[angelpalm]

Anjel had just barely managed to protect her comrades from Corin'thael's explosive onslaught in the beginning. Her aura flared brightly as she used her very essence to shift and redirect the flow of casualty in order to stifle what could have been fatal blows.


After following Azaia's lead and finding Corin'thael defenses all but impregnable she realizes she is left with little choice but to strike with her full might in hopes that it will turn the tide and put the Starchasers on the defensive.

Her wings flap slowly at first, but then gradually pick up speed until the resemble that of a hummingbird, becoming nothing more than a blur. She raises her fierce weapon chest high and holds in firmly in place as if position to take an oncoming blow. Suddenly with a bright flare of violet color she is propelled seemingly through her opponents as an incomprehensible speed only to end up a few feat behind Corin'thael.


"Nothing personal" she whispers to the onlooking audience.

Spoiler: actions

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FULL ROUND: Piercing Charge of the Dread Lancer x2 damage +15d6 or half with reflex save with 32 dc

Free: Decree of mercy and echoed to my psicrystal, both used on Corin, this cost 2 pp

Procs healing and temp hp from style feat and sunset feat all going to anjel to bring her to full hp +42 temp hp giving her +4 to ac and

so far she uses martydom on Azaia and spends another 15 pp to negate 75 dmg


Psicrystal

Standard: Aid Another on Anjel to increase ac for round

Immediate: Decree of mercy

Move: gain psionic focus

[3SecondCultist]

When the tides turn, your team certainly makes the most of it. The Silver Sparrows are unrelenting on the offensive. Dr. Val John's shadowy companions are the first to spring into action, plucking both the doctor and the fallen Isaac Crane out of a rather boiling lava bath. Both men are deposited back onto the platform, where the gunslinger fires a number of shots right into your enemy team's elderly cleric with the requisite amount of shame. Azaia and Anjel follow swiftly after, their strikes clearly dealing severe wounds against the Starchasers... only for blooms of light to wrap around their bodies at essentially the speed of thought.

"Ha!" Rikke cries out after Anjel has passed over and left her bloody in her wake. "Gods damn... you ladies have some mean swings! Tell you what, after this is all over I'll buy you a couple of beers, alright?" She has the decency to look away guiltily at Leanne's raised eyebrow and Corin's death glare, as the two of them take action. "If you focused more on winning the match and less on camaraderie, perhaps we would already be celebrating," drawls the elf, squaring his largely uninjured self against Anjel's sudden appearance and either not noticing or ignoring the armored halfling sticking her tongue out at him.

The suddenly-healed Leanne is the first on your opponents' team to move. The golden shadow above the woman burns brightly as it echoes her intonation from earlier and she seems to craft a second miracle in her hands. However, this time you are prepared for their intervention: Azaia leaps effortlessly across the chasm between platforms, her polearm striking the leader of the Starchasers. In an instant, it's obvious that this is a lethal blow and would put her down... but once more Corin'thael stands in the way. The two elves' blades meet in a clang of sparks, knocking the warlord's strike just off its mark. At the end, Leanne is left standing, while her guardian strikes back at Azaia. The resulting damage recovers a great deal of the cleric's vitality, leaving her hale and healthy. Unfortunately for them, the spell is quickly cast out of existence at the moment of its creation by a quick-thinking counter on the part of Dr. Val John.

His face set in a scowl now, Corin'thael looks away from the wizard towards the nearest enemy: Anjel. "I hope your soul finds absolution, abomination," the warrior murmurs as he unleashes a relentless assault. Although she tries to weather the polearm blows, he breaks through her guard easily. It is only her continued psionic endurance that keeps her up and standing at the end of it all. Dark blood oozes out of her flesh, although she has managed to heal the majority of the damage taken.

But nothing matters at the moment that Thaum opens his mouth.

The metallic warforged is glowing now, blistering with an inner heat. He hovers a few feet above the opposite stairs, his eyes burning like miniature suns. Then, with a roar that shakes the entire cavern, emerges from his maw a cacophony of energy that tears through the entire arena like a wave. There is no stopping or even escaping the blast, which seems to combine elements of fire, ice, and acidic along with streaks of lightning and claps of thunder. The air itself is torn asunder in the wake of the warforged's breath, and barely any of the arena is left untouched, as the flames push even through the double doors and into the control rooms you've left. All is noise. All is light.

When the roaring finally fades, it leaves a very different battlefield from the one that preceded it. Both Anjel and Isaac lie dead and gone on the ringed platforms, and Azaia stands frozen in place, stunned by the conflux of magical energies. Yet in a strange twist of fate... so do several of your enemies. Both Rikke and Corin'thael look ready to strike but are unable to move. It would seem that the rules of the arena have superceded whatever protection they might have believed they were offered against their teammate's breath. Leanne - her eyes wide in shock - appears to have emerged largely unscathed. She locks eyes with the very much alive Dr. Val John from across the ring.

"Gods above..." she whispers.

Spoiler: Round 2 OOC

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Updated Map

Right then! I'm not going to sum up everything that happened - it's pretty clear from here and the Roll20 archive - but now the state of play is: you have two dead, one stunned for 4 rounds (until the end of Round 6), and one alive and ambulatory character. The enemies have no characters down, but their two frontliners are currently out of the fight as they are also stunned for 4 rounds.

It's Dr. Val John's turn to move! You are starting off Round 3 for us.

[Kaouse]

That hurt. That hurt far worse than almost any singular pain he had ever experienced, and Val John had experienced death before. But still, Val John endured. With his mastery over the arcane arts, he had managed to alter the currents of airflow in the breath weapon, not enough to completely divert away the damage, but just enough to leave him alive, however barely. Under normal circumstances, he, like most people would succumb to shock from such an effect, but he...couldn't. He wouldn't. No, he absolutely refused to believe that this was far as he could go.

It's clear he underestimated his opponents, and he has certainly paid the price for it. But none of that matters right now. It was time to remember his training. He relaxed his body, closed his eyes, and drew a long breath. "Abandon all useless thoughts and emotions. Allow that clarity of thought to focus you clearly on your one and only goal: WIN."

With that, he opened his eyes and methodologically surveyed the battlefield. Seeing that one of his compatriots were still alive, though incapacitated, he acted quickly. With one snap of his fingers, he created a dimensional rift, stepping through it into the center of the stage. With another snap, his illusion implement lost it's once brilliant sheen and a bolt of shadow raced into a space adjacent to Azaia. The bolt of shadow erupted wings, and shadow gave way to glorious light.

With a word from Val John, the newly summoned Ghaele Azata laid it's hands upon Azaia, healing her wounds. This was all he could do for now. But next round, it'd be time to lay it all on the line.

Spoiler: Resources

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Spoiler: Mental Focus Allocation

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TOTAL MENTAL FOCUS
20 (LVL) + 10 (FCB) + 18 (INT) + 10 (CHA) + 1 (Armor) + 2 (Feat) + 8 (Capstone) = 69
Abjuration *C* = 14/69 [12/14, Mental Barrier]
Conjuration = 4/69 [2/4, Servitor, Side Step]
Divination = 16/69 [4/16, Metamagic Knowledge]
Enchantment = 2/69
Evocation = 12/69
Illusion = 2/69 [0/2, Shadow Beast x2]
Necromancy = 4/69 [3/4, Soulbound Puppet]
Transmutation *C* = 15/69 [12/15, Telekinetic Mastery, Legacy Weapon x2]

MAGE'S PARAPHERNALIA METAMAGIC KNOWLEDGE (-3 MF/Metamagic Feat)
-Solid Shadows
-Quicken Spell
-Dazing Spell
-Persistent Spell

Spoiler: Wizard Spells Prepared

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WIZARD SPELLS
LVL 0: Acid Splash
LVL 0: Light
LVL 0: Oath of Anonymity
LVL 0: Prestidigitation

LVL 1: Blood Money
LVL 1: Magic Missile
LVL 1: Mudball
LVL 1: Shadow Trap
LVL 1: True Skill
LVL 1: True Strike
LVL 1: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 1: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 1: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 2: Frigid Touch
LVL 2: Glitterdust
LVL 2: Limp Lash
LVL 2: Ghoul Touch
LVL 2: Paranoia
LVL 2: Sense Vitals
LVL 2: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 2: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 2: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 3: Battering Blast
LVL 3: Cleromancy
LVL 3: Haste
LVL 3: Invisibility Sphere
LVL 3: Paragon Surge
LVL 3: Phase Step
LVL 3: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 3: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 4: Emergency Force Sphere
LVL 4: Emergency Force Sphere
LVL 4: Enervation
LVL 4: Shadow Barbs
LVL 4: Shadow Invasion
LVL 4: Shadowform
LVL 4: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 4: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 5: Absorb Toxicity
LVL 5: Cloudkill
LVL 5: Duplicate Familiar
LVL 5: Feeblemind
LVL 5: Fickle Winds
LVL 5: Phantasmal Web
LVL 5: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 5: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 6: Break, Greater
LVL 6: Mass Minor Reversion
LVL 6: Greater Illusion of Treachery
LVL 6: Greater Shadow Enchantment
LVL 6: Greater Black Tentacles
LVL 6: Treacherous Teleport
LVL 6: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 6: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 7: Control Construct
LVL 7: Deflection
LVL 7: Hungry Darkness
LVL 7: Particulate Form
LVL 7: Plane Shift
LVL 7: Waves of Exhaustion
LVL 7: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 8: Dimensional Lock
LVL 8: Euphoric Tranquility
LVL 8: Quintessence Mastery
LVL 8: Maze
LVL 8: Prediction of Failure
LVL 8: Stormbolt
LVL 8: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 9: Aroden's Spellbane (Antimagic Field, Source Severance, Mage's Disjunction, Greater Dispel Magic)
LVL 9: Foresight
LVL 9: Impenetrable Veil
LVL 9: Mage's Disjunction
LVL 9: Mage's Disjunction
LVL 9: Shapechange
LVL 9: <UNPREPARED>

NOTE: Unprepared spell slots can be used to spontaneously cast patron spells, or sacrificed for Counterspell. Theoretically, Metamixing can also be used to spontaneously apply metamagic to a spell as it's cast, sacrificing a higher level spell slot, but not the spell's original slot. Lastly, Paragon Surge can theoretically be used to grab the Quick Study Exploit via the "Extra Exploit" feat, and that can also be used to prepare any spell into those unprepared slots.

Spells which have been used will be stricken through.

Spoiler: Occultist Spells per Day

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LEVEL 1 = 13/13
LEVEL 2 = 13/13
LEVEL 3 = 10/12 [Aura Alteration, Resist Energy, Communal]
LEVEL 4 = 10/12 [Life Bubble, Dimension Door]
LEVEL 5 = 12/12
LEVEL 6 = 10/12 [Contingency, Heal]

[rypt]

Azaia has only just recovered from Corin'thael's dizzying blow when Thaum's glowing maw heralds elemental ruination on a scale she has never seen before. A breathless "no" is all that escapes her lips before the wave of destruction is upon her. Despite her attempt to use the central altar to shield herself from the worst of the blast, burning heat and freezing cold assault her already weakened body. The shock is too much for the aged elf to bear, and the vanishing forms of Anjel and Isaac are the last things she sees before succumbing to the warforged's cataclysmic assault.

It is fortunate for her that Val John is able to withstand what she could not. Only a moment later, the master arcanist is at her side, and he is not alone. A gentle touch sends a burst of restorative energy surging through her body, granting her an unlikely opportunity to turn the tide of this battle decisively in their favor.

"Thank you," she says softly, as her eyes dart from the dismayed Leanne and incapacitated Corin, to the similarly afflicted Rikke. Her eyes fall last upon her spear, which lies on the ground at her feat, nearly half it's length hanging out over the broken edge of the central platform. Immediately, a course of action takes shape in her mind.

She steps first on the cantilevered end of her spear, launching it end-over-end out over the lava. Without so much as a glance to follow its course, she turns to meet Rikke's unfocused gaze. "I am sorry for this," she says before delivering a thunderous kick to the center of the halfling's chest.

The very instant that Rikke is airborne, so too is Azaia. Spinning on her back foot, a single step is all the elf needs to propel herself across across the gap to her left. Catching her spear in midair, she aims her extended foot squarely at the Starchaser's cleric.

Having witnessed the blow to Rikke, Leanne is ready for Azaia's airborne attack. With her shield braced to absorb and then redirect the force of the kick, Azaia slides to a stop alongside the Desnan priestess. But where the cleric may have had time to ready a defense against this initial strike, the unrelenting barrage of spear thrusts that follow afford her far less time time to maneuver her shield into place. More than half-a-dozen precision strikes are loosed in a punishing instant, continuing even as Leanne attempts a desperate, and ultimately futile, skyward escape.

Spoiler: OOC

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Azaia is healed for 130 HP, bringing her to 234/254 with no nonlethal damage.

Azaia utilizes the Haft Strike feat for this turn, incurring a -2 penalty to AC in order to attack adjacent enemies with her partisan.

She uses flurry of blows, substituting her first attack for the knockback kick style strike, which she uses to push Rikke into the lava. For her second attack, she utilizes the flying kick style strike, which allows her to jump adjacent to Leanne. The flying kick attack misses.

Between her first and second attacks, as a free action, Azaia retrieves her spear as per the Piercing Thunder discipline ability.

The remaining 5 attacks are all spear attacks against Leanne and 4 of the 5 are hits. The 2nd hit is a confirmed critical that triggers Leanne's final contingent spell. Although Leanne survives the 3rd and 4th hits, as she attempts to fly up into the air, she provokes 2 attacks of opportunity and an extra iterative attack due to the Fortuitous weapon enhancement. This 3rd and final attack is enough to knock her unconscious.

[3SecondCultist]

With most of the former combatants of the match either dead or incapacitated, you find that events transpire much more quickly; the conclusion of this fight is in view now. With Dr. Val John having avoided the worst of Thaum's cataclysmic exhalation and conjured an angelic spirit to free Azaia, the Silver Sparrows manage to retake the advantage. In the aftermath of Azaia's charge, Rikke tumbles into lava while Leanne crumples to the ground on the platform at the veteran elven warlord's feet. At the very same moment, the glowing shadow hanging like a nimbus around the Starchasers' cleric fades from existence.

The remnants of the enemy team scrambles frantically to save what they can from the disaster. Only Thaum is now left standing - well, flying - and the warforged soars through the air on wings of steel to find himself facing down your wizard. Burning eyes stare balefully at Dr. Val John as the adept conjures not one, not two, but four separate bursts of pure fire. These flames seem somehow more real, more potent than any of the fire you've seen here so far, even the lake of molten rock below your feet. All four blasts cut through the space between Thaum and his target, only for the good doctor to summon up a force field at the last moment to absorb the lion's share of the energy. Val John is able to sidestep the final bolt even as his arcane defense is spent, standing unharmed after the barrage.

It is at that moment that both of Rikke's dragons charge back into the fray. Bruised and battered, one of them makes right for the central platform, lashing out with a savage bite that catches Dr. Val unawares. In fact, the dragon's jaws crunch down on the base of the mage's skull in a perfect killing blow... only for his own healing to bloom into reality and close the wound the moment that the wyrm extricates itself from closing distance. The second gold dragon dives below the central platform, letting out a roar of pain as it charges into the lava to emerge with its summoner clutched gently in its claws.

Crrrrack!

With a sudden burst, the second of the great metal chains holding up the platform shatters away, the force of Thaum's breath too much for it to bear. In its absence, the entire central platform lurches and begins to fall towards the surface of the boiling magma, even as the summoned azata takes to the air and Dr. Val John begins an incantation to teleport to safety.

Spoiler: Round 3 OOC

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Updated Map

With most of their team stunned, the Starchasers don't really have the opportunity to do much. Leanne tried to fly out of Azaia's reach in order to get off a Mass Heal, but took a bit too much damage and was knocked out - burning through her last Contingent True Resurrection. That left Thaum, who failed to get any meaningful damage. Finally, the dragons moved in, one of them getting 74 damage on Dr. Val John with a confirmed critical hit. Fortunately, he had his own Contingent Heal, so he's back up and stable at 134 hp.

It is now the start of Round 4, and once again Azaia and Dr. Val John's turn.

[Kaouse]

There was only one thought in Val John's head: Win. All other thoughts had been purged in order for him to better focus on this goal. Given the numerous contingencies on each of his opponents thus far combined with the current state of the match, the choice of what to do became clear. He would unleash upon his opponents, the forbidden spell. But first, some preparations.

With a nod to the Ghaele Azata he had summoned, he opened a rift to his only other standing compatriot as the Azata called down a divine flame to burn the weakened dragon that dare attack her master. Once next to Azaia, Val John excused himself for a moment, before touching her Spear and her belt. With those two items secure, he uttered the names of the forbidden spell.

"MAGE'S DISJUNCTION"

With that, a brilliant blinding bright light engulfed them all. This purifying light cleansed them of all magical effects. Nothing was spared. Not the dragon that held Rikke, nor the Winged Cloak of Thaum. For one blinding second, all magic in the area had left this world.

Val John had managed to protect himself, as well as Azaia spear and belt which he was touching, but the force of his forbidden magic was far too great to protect her completely. Instead, it reaved through his companions magic items, even destroying her Vest.

When the spell was done, Val John quickly took back his hands, ashamed at damaging his friends gear (and at destroying her Vest/Bra). He'd have to make it up to her later.

Spoiler: Resources

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Spoiler: Mental Focus Allocation

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TOTAL MENTAL FOCUS
20 (LVL) + 10 (FCB) + 18 (INT) + 10 (CHA) + 1 (Armor) + 2 (Feat) + 8 (Capstone) = 69
Abjuration *C* = 14/69 [12/14, Mental Barrier]
Conjuration = 4/69 [1/4, Servitor, Side Step x2]
Divination = 16/69 [4/16, Metamagic Knowledge]
Enchantment = 2/69
Evocation = 12/69
Illusion = 2/69 [0/2, Shadow Beast x2]
Necromancy = 4/69 [3/4, Soulbound Puppet]
Transmutation *C* = 15/69 [12/15, Telekinetic Mastery, Legacy Weapon x2]

MAGE'S PARAPHERNALIA METAMAGIC KNOWLEDGE (-3 MF/Metamagic Feat)
-Solid Shadows
-Quicken Spell
-Dazing Spell
-Persistent Spell

Spoiler: Wizard Spells Prepared

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WIZARD SPELLS
LVL 0: Acid Splash
LVL 0: Light
LVL 0: Oath of Anonymity
LVL 0: Prestidigitation

LVL 1: Blood Money
LVL 1: Magic Missile
LVL 1: Mudball
LVL 1: Shadow Trap
LVL 1: True Skill
LVL 1: True Strike
LVL 1: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 1: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 1: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 2: Frigid Touch
LVL 2: Glitterdust
LVL 2: Limp Lash
LVL 2: Ghoul Touch
LVL 2: Paranoia
LVL 2: Sense Vitals
LVL 2: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 2: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 2: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 3: Battering Blast
LVL 3: Cleromancy
LVL 3: Haste
LVL 3: Invisibility Sphere
LVL 3: Paragon Surge
LVL 3: Phase Step
LVL 3: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 3: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 4: Emergency Force Sphere
LVL 4: Emergency Force Sphere
LVL 4: Enervation
LVL 4: Shadow Barbs
LVL 4: Shadow Invasion
LVL 4: Shadowform
LVL 4: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 4: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 5: Absorb Toxicity
LVL 5: Cloudkill
LVL 5: Duplicate Familiar
LVL 5: Feeblemind
LVL 5: Fickle Winds
LVL 5: Phantasmal Web
LVL 5: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 5: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 6: Break, Greater
LVL 6: Mass Minor Reversion
LVL 6: Greater Illusion of Treachery
LVL 6: Greater Shadow Enchantment
LVL 6: Greater Black Tentacles
LVL 6: Treacherous Teleport
LVL 6: <UNPREPARED>
LVL 6: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 7: Control Construct
LVL 7: Deflection
LVL 7: Hungry Darkness
LVL 7: Particulate Form
LVL 7: Plane Shift
LVL 7: Waves of Exhaustion
LVL 7: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 8: Dimensional Lock
LVL 8: Euphoric Tranquility
LVL 8: Quintessence Mastery
LVL 8: Maze
LVL 8: Prediction of Failure
LVL 8: Stormbolt
LVL 8: <UNPREPARED>

LVL 9: Aroden's Spellbane (Antimagic Field, Source Severance, Mage's Disjunction, Greater Dispel Magic)
LVL 9: Foresight
LVL 9: Impenetrable Veil
LVL 9: Mage's Disjunction
LVL 9: Mage's Disjunction
LVL 9: Shapechange
LVL 9: <UNPREPARED>

NOTE: Unprepared spell slots can be used to spontaneously cast patron spells, or sacrificed for Counterspell. Theoretically, Metamixing can also be used to spontaneously apply metamagic to a spell as it's cast, sacrificing a higher level spell slot, but not the spell's original slot. Lastly, Paragon Surge can theoretically be used to grab the Quick Study Exploit via the "Extra Exploit" feat, and that can also be used to prepare any spell into those unprepared slots.

Spells which have been used will be stricken through.

Spoiler: Occultist Spells per Day

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LEVEL 1 = 13/13
LEVEL 2 = 13/13
LEVEL 3 = 10/12 [Aura Alteration, Resist Energy, Communal]
LEVEL 4 = 10/12 [Life Bubble, Dimension Door]
LEVEL 5 = 12/12
LEVEL 6 = 10/12 [Contingency, Heal]

[rypt]

There is a moment of dreadful uncertainty, bordering on panic even, when Val John first takes hold of Azaia's spear and belt. She has no notion of his intentions, and so her mind races to imagine some impending catastrophe, a new threat to rival Thaum's cataclysmic exhalation which she has yet to notice, and from which the doctor intends to whisk them both to safety.

But the pair remain exactly where they are as the doctor begins to speak in the language of the arcane. As close as she stands to their utterance, the power of his words is evident the moment they leave his lips. They are painful to the ear, and though Azaia knows not what the words mean, she does not have to in order to comprehend their effect.

Having waged a centuries-long war against a race of magically adept giants, the slave-turned-warlord is all too familiar with the sensations of dispelling magics. But where those spells were like taking a hammer to a pane of glass, Val John's is like turning the glass to sand. The magic is not broken, it is wholly unmade.

In an instant, Azaia is weaker and less resilient. The world around her seems suddenly to have accelerated, and her spear is now heavier in her hands. The vest she wore over her robes is no more, vanished like Rikke's would-be rescuer and the ethereal glimmer that had previously surrounded the bodies of the Starchasers.

She is less than she was only seconds earlier, but she is still far from nothing. The Iron Claw was not honed with the magics of others. It was wrought of her own hands and of her own will. Her body is a weapon, and as she watches Thaum plummet from the sky, she sets it to a grim but necessary task.

In a single imperceptible stride, she repositions herself between the fallen cleric and the incapacitated Corin'thael. It would seem to some in the stands that she is moving faster now in the absence of magic than she had when it suffused her.

"You fought well," she says in the common tongue. Despite how close she stands to victory, sadness weighs on her voice. In Elvish, she adds, "Sal dath bren lyris, urr sal kerradun."

Her spear moves so quickly it can hardly be said to have moved at all. Both of the Starchaser's are struck by a single, thunderous blow that drives them clear off the edge of the platform. Not long after Thaum impacts the surface of the lava, so too do Leanne and Corin'thael.

Spoiler: OOC

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Spoiler: Elvish

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"If I could have ended this differently, I would have."

As a swift action, Azaia changes from Stance of the Thunderbrand to God of the Hourglass.

As a move action, Azaia moves between Leanne and Corin'thael.

As a standard action, Azaia uses Hammer of the Immortal to kill Leanne and knock Corin'thael into the lava.

[3SecondCultist]

There is a series of brief fizzles and pops as Dr. Val John's disjunctive field springs into existence, the last syllable of the massive working erupting outwards and over the Starchasers. It takes you a moment to see the pops are actually minute crystals - suddenly visible, where once they were subtly surrounding the contestants - cracking and falling to the ground around you. Most fall and bounce on the stone, their enchantments gone entirely, while others tumble off the edge of the suspended masonry. A pair of crashes heralds first the disappearance of the last of the golden dragons, and then the failing of Thaum's magical metal wings. As Leanne lies prone on the ground and Corin'thael stays motionless, now bereft of any of the golden shimmering armor that once protected him, it is an easy enough thing for Azaia to kick both of them down to join the now immolating Rikke below.

Looking around, the last two remaining Silver Sparrows see only carnage. All four of their opponents lie discarded, either dead or dying slowly in the incandescent liquid blood of this Forge. The four strange beings in their cages, who seem to have adopted the shape of gigantic dwarves, salute both the mage and the warrior as they take their positions on the barely hanging platform.

For a single, blissful moment, the oppressive heat around you beats with the silent drum of your heartbeats. You can feel the sweat running down your skin, the almost chill of the fire searing the ends of your nerves as you cling to warm stone. The bodies of Isaac and Anjel lie prone and unmoving, both of them victim to Thaum's terrifying breath. Thankfully, you were able to pull through at the last second, and here you stand, counting down the seconds. Three... two... one...

An immense boom fills the chamber! The air itself vibrates in a noise that you realize belatedly is a familiar voice clearing its throat, and you nearly lose your grip on the edge of the altar.

"Coooongratulations to our champions of the first round, the Siiiiiiiilver Sparrows!!" Caedriss clearly hasn't lost his trademark bombastic tone, and his volume matches what it was before you entered this place than when you left. "What a match that was! I could barely follow the action myself, ladies and gentlemen. You just hold on there, Sparrows, we'll get you out..."

---

You open your eyes without ever realizing that they were closed. For two of you, the last thing you remember is a bright white light and oblivion. For the other other pair, it was the feeling of victory in your veins. The first thing you see is each other, standing on the very same runic circle from before the match started. You are all completely unharmed, even those whose bodies were turned into cinders.

Across from you, the Starchasers stand similarly restored, each of them sporting a different expression. Corin'thael locks eyes with Azaia, holding an unreadable stare. Rikke makes no secret of grinning, the events of her death not seeming to have fazed her whatsoever. Thaum shows the same lack of emotion from before. Finally, the older Leanne looks at all of you with resigned eyes that have seen far too much. "We had a mission..." she trails off, breaking eye contact.

"Aaaaand here they are, your victors!" The Seneschal of Ur-Epoch is in your personal space within moments, stepping amidst your team to grab and corral you to the middle of the ring. He takes turns thrusting each of your arms up into the air to the thunderous acclaim of the crowds.

"Spa-rows! Spa-rows! Spa-rows! Spa-rows..."

[rypt]

As soon as her consciousness is returned to Ur-Epoch, Azaia exhales a breath that is both relief and disappointment. Looking to the two of her teammates who fell in battle, she first lays a comforting hand on Isaac's shoulder before reaching out and gently squeezing Anjel's wrist. "Thank you," she whispers to the team's winged protector.

Holding Corin'thael's stare only briefly, Azaia's eyes are distant and unfocused as the battle replays itself in her mind. Despite Caedriss' proclamation and the deafening roar of the crowd, she does not feel particularly victorious. The Starchasers were far stronger than she had expected, and though they lost, it feels more like they defeated themselves than were bested by Azaia and her companions.

Had Thaum not incapacitated two of his own, Azaia cannot see how she and the doctor could have fought off the entirety of Leanne's team on their own. And not that Azaia should have even survived that long in the first place. Were it not for Anjel's constant and selfless intervention, the warlord is certain that she would have fallen in the opening exchanges of the match.

When Caedriss steps beside her and takes hold of her arm, Azaia does not resist, but he finds her arm to be dead weight in his hand.

[Kaouse]

As the light of unbridled power fades from Dr. Val John's eyes, he slowly returns to his previous self, loosing the machine like quality with which he executed his final moves, and regaining a bit more humanity. As he blinks, his pupils which had expanded during this state of intense focus quickly contract back to a normal size. With healing magic washing over him, color returns once more to his face, and with a flourish of his hand he will fix any rips and tears in his clothes.

With this transformation back to normalcy complete, he will look at his opponents, the Starchasers, and bow deeply. "I'm afraid I must apologize to you. I greatly underestimated all of you. Your team was far more prepared than we, and your teamwork was plain to see, as were your tactical wherewithal. I admit, I did not expect you guys to be able to figure out the location of the center stage and arrive there mere moments after we ourselves had just reached it. As a result, I wasted time on a meaningless spell and almost cost our team the match. Were it not for the power of the stage dulling protective magics against flames and causing your compatriot's breath weapon to affect you, I am sure that match would have had a different outcome."

With this, he will raise his head, turn around to face his own team, and bow once more. "I'm afraid I must also apologize to you. Because I underestimated their team, I was unable to hedge them out of the arena, and unable to protect you all from their powerful attacks. They were far better prepared, and far better buffed for this battle than we were, and as a result two of us lost our very lives. Please forgive me."

Despite returning to his more jovial form, his apologies here are uniquely sincere, a side of him none of you had seen prior in the short time you've known him. After completing his apologies, he will turn once more to the starchasers, specifically to Leanne.

"Your goals need not be over. Let us carry on your mission for you. And in return, help us train to achieve new heights, and become far more than what we are today. I'm particularly interested in those contingent spells you had cast upon your party, as well as a few of your Divine magics. You see, I too dabble in the divine, and worship a deity. Perhaps you would be willing to give me some...assistance, in this matter?" and with this, he humbly bends over, clasping her hand with his own, and gives it a gentle kiss before turning to Corin and winking at him. "Of course, you should feel free to join us, Corin. I'm very interested in your abilities as well."

Diplomacy Check: (1d20+40)[59] ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[aReallyGreatAxe]

So that’s what death feels like, is Isaac’s first thought upon returning to consciousness back in Ur-Epoch… not a feeling terribly unlike being immersed in lava, another new experience this round brought. A flash of light followed by nothing wasn’t exactly the reward he’d come to expect, or any that the clerics tended to ramble on about in this new reality. Funny, he’d thought it would be one of the latter for sure, since they could constantly prove the existence of their Gods, unlike the priesthoods back home. He quickly comes to the conclusion that a death in the arena simply “didn’t count” on some cosmic level.

But shocking beyond compare were the words coming from the Seneschal- victory? Snatched from the jaws- and Thaum certainly had some mighty jaws- of defeat? His arm is a smidgen stiffer than it should have been as it’s raised above his head in a victor’s salute.

“It’s fine,” Isaac remarks in return to the good doctor’s apology. “As you can see, I’m not going home in a box.” Although given the events of the last round, he really should have been.

“I’m afraid I don’t match the good doctor’s… secondary offer,” Isaac apologizes to the Starchasers. “I’m a married man,” He hastily appends, trying to make sure no offense is taken on top of the sting of defeat,” But if there is anything that can be done to make sure your mission is completed…” He tips his hat rather than finish the sentence, hoping his meaning would be taken kindly.

[angelpalm]

Even after suffering a terrible fate on the battlefield Anjel isn't the slightest bit jarred. She was already well acquainted with the summarily destruction of her body. She came to her senses frighteningly quick.

She bows down to her teammates almost immediately.

"Please forgive my performance. I know it isn't any excuse for my poor performance but I am still getting use to my reawakened form."

"That apology extends to both teams. Sorry I didn't mean to cut you off Sir Isaac. I just needed to let that be known."

[3SecondCultist]

"The compliments are kind, but ultimately unnecessary," Leanne retorts with a gracious smile, accepting the kiss from Dr. Val John if not quite the spirit that it is given in. It looks for a second as though Corin'thael is going to interject, but he clearly thinks better of it. "You won, and therefore were ultimately meant to do so. Lady Luck might have taught me to learn to read the threads of fortune, but I know true contenders when I see them. Powerful as we all are, who are we to deny providence its due?"

"Come on Leanne, not this again," Rikke snorts. "The doctor's got the right of it - strength of arms and preparation wins battles. To credit their victory to predestination robs them of any agency - it's condescending."

The old woman lets out an honest titter. "If we were not chosen by Desna herself, then perhaps your logic would be sound. As it stands, we had every advantage... and still lost. How can we say that Fate was not outwitted by other forces? And is that subversion not a kind of Fate in and of itself?" While the halfling screws up her face trying to make sense of that last bit, the cleric leans in closer to the wizard.

"If you want to talk more about our purpose here, then bring your teammates to our palace in the Claimant's Village tonight. We can discuss it there privately at greater length."

The time for talk seems to be over, as the monstrous golems that first escorted you here see fit to take you off. In the background the crowd is still in the midst of screaming your names, but it doesn't seem as loud as it did before. Caedriss gives you all a grand farewell on your way out, and wishes the Starchasers 'the best of luck' in their future endeavors. It's not hard to read the insincerity in his tone.

---

The trip back from Ur-Epoch is nothing like the way you came in. This time, an astral skiff is ready and waiting outside of the arena, ready to take you directly back to the Claimant's Village. Due to Vast's continuously moving nature, the exact path through the realm-space will differ, and thanks to your contract you are being asked to appear as public as possible on your journey 'for the sake of publicity'. The other boats keep their distance, but you can see the glinting lights of scrying mirrors all the way from door to door.

After what can't have been more than twenty minutes off the ground, you catch sight of your destination. The Village is much as you left it: the white-gold marble structure looks more like a gilded peak than a palace, styled after artistic renditions of Mount Olympus and other well-known deific realms. The entire island is surrounded by a constant patrol of Knights-Eidolon to ward off outside threats, the shifting quasi-real serpentine forms of their mounts casting a rainbow cascade of lights through the ambient half-gloom. The front doors, a series of portals nearly forty feet wide made of pure mother-of-pearl, open silently for your ship as the pilot-less craft finds a place to land outside of the realm of the press.

For the first time since you stepped out of the Halls of Anticipation, you find yourselves in silence. A number of robed assistants - the same who run Ur-Epoch - appear to guide you to your rooms so that you may relax and recuperate from today's toil... and start planning your next moves.

Spoiler: OOC

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Now that you've left the arena, we can start thinking about setting up some scenes. To speed up gameplay a bit, I propose that we run several scenes simultaneously. I like to use Bold Headers to split up when a scene is happening and who is in it. For example, you might want to do some scenes split up like this:

Spoiler: Suggested Scene Formatting

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The Return Journey

Anjel starts a conversation with the rest of the Silver Sparrows on the way back to the Claimant's Village.


Retraining

Azaia and Isaac engage in retraining their classes and feats through training scenes / montages, with specialty trainers brought in from outside in order to help them fully realize their potential.


Opposition Research

The team members head to the dining halls and other public spaces of the Village in order to spy on, interrogate, or otherwise meet other teams that are still in contention.


Meeting the Starchasers

Later that night, the whole Silver Sparrows team follows through on their agreement with Leanne and heads to the rooms of the Starchasers in order to have a clandestine meeting about their 'mission'.

Because I feel like this is worth noting beforehand, the entire area of the Claimant's Village is under the effects of several magical wards designed to minimize the harm that anyone from the outside can do to the Proving's claimants... or they can do to each other.

While inside the walls - which are all interlocked with Walls of Force and several layers of Forbiddance spells - you are constantly under the effect of a Mythic Hymn of Peace with a Will save of 'Don't even bother'. That means no attacking, damaging or otherwise being aggressive to other creatures or objects. Most of the Village is also intensely warded against scrying as well, so intelligence gathering will have to be the old-fashioned way.

[rypt]

Azaia stands at the counter of a small but well-appointed shop. Dimly lit by a multitude of glowing crystals, the room practically hums with magic. Behind the counter is a creature that bears some resemblance to a male elf, with fair features, large eyes, and pointed ears. His mouth, however, oversized and overfilled with long, needle-sharp fangs, is that of a creature born of nightmares.

Atop the counter are arrayed more than a dozen lantern-like contraptions. Each glass-walled vessel is filled with a roiling black fluid and is held within a rune-etched metal housing. Azaia has been studying them for some time and has finally made her decision.

"This one." She points to the vessel labeled 'Erizet'.

The fey-featured man smiles knowingly, flashing teeth that are longer than Azaia's fingers. "The Dreamer. An excellent choice." Despite the sinister aspects of the man's appearance, he has been nothing but patient and courteous in their interactions thus far. With an arcane word he conjures a small disk in the air above the counter. He takes the indicated vessel and places it on the floating platform.

"And your choice of terrain?" He gestures towards a piece of parchment containing a list of more than 30 environments both natural and unnatural.

It takes only a moment for Azaia to find what she already knows she wants. "The forest glade."

The man smiles once more as he holds a manicured hand over a small bowl that sits on a pedestal beside him. A ripple spreads across the water's surface and through it rises a glistening crystalline sphere. At the center of the sphere can be glimpsed the features of a wooded clearing rendered at a seemingly impossible scale.

"This stone is keyed to the circle of runes in the room behind me," the man explains as he places the stone on the disk. "While standing within the circle, you need only hold this in your hand and speak the sylvan word for 'passage' -- aieley'esri -- to be transported to your chosen realm. You will find therein an identical circle of runes. The same process may be repeated there to return here."

The man pauses a moment, his raised eyebrows inviting any potential questions. When Azaia asks none, he continues.

"The last item I must provide you is this." Reaching into a pouch on his waist, he produces a small faceted gem. "Simply press it against the skin of your forearm and it will merge with your flesh. So long as it remains as such, you will need neither food nor water. Moreover, you will find yourself well-rested after only a few hours of meditation." This he places on the metal disk as well.

"Any questions or concerns before we proceed to payment?"

---

Azaia stands at the center of the wooded clearing. It is far larger than she had expected. A sun shines overhead, a gentle breeze stirs the grass at her feet, and the songs of birds can be heard in the distance.

In one hand she holds the base of the lantern-like apparatus. With the other, she grips the top of the glass vessel held at its center. Recalling the man's instructions, she twists her bottom hand clockwise and her top hand counter-clockwise, rotating the glass vessel along a threaded track until a series of holes formed in the glass are aligned with a series of matching holes formed in the metal base.

Immediately, the vessel's tenebrous contents begin to pour from these holes, spilling onto the ground but not spreading across it the way an ordinary liquid might. Instead, seeming to exhibit some strange affinity for itself, the shadow-stuff coalesces into a single pool that grows upwards, slowly, until it has taken a humanoid shape.

Vaguely feminine in appearance, the body of swirling shadow has no discernible eyes, yet Azaia is certain that she is being watched. The body has no mouth, yet there is no mistaking when it speaks.

"Your eyes are open but you do not see. Too long have you been blind to the power that sleeps within." At that, the strange entity charges forward, a blade of shadow materializing in its hand.

[Kaouse]

-Scene 1: Leaving the Battle-

Dr. Val John raises his hand, palm upwards, prompting a rift in space and time to appear above it. He will then reach into it, pulling out a book. The book is ornate, a black cover with silver trimmings and a glossy matte finish. Having reclaimed his spellbook from the Ethereal Plane, Dr. Val John closes his eyes and recites a small chant underneath his breath. As he does so, the book opens on it's own accord and the pages begin to flutter wildly. Pages of text with glowing letters, symbols and runes pass by, some of which have lost their light, some of which had never been lighted to start with. As Val John finishes his chant, the fluttering stops on a page with dull runes, which suddenly begin to brighten and shine like many of the others. With that done, Val John will raise his hands and cast the newly prepared spells upon his party.

"Things will only get harder from here on out. We have a lot of training to do, and I don't want any enemies getting any info on us before we're ready to strut our stuff."

Val John casts Chain Mind Blank. He will be casting this everyday, spending an 8th level spell slot each time.

Spoiler

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Val John hides his spellbook on the Ethereal Plane via the Secluded Grimoire spell. He's using Paragon Surge to grab Extra Exploit to grab Quick Study. This allows him to switch out one of his prepared spells for another spell in his spellbook at the cost of 1 arcane reservoire point, taking 1 full round action.

Val John can use Metamagic Knowledge to gain access to a metamagic feat he doesn't possess, and then use Metamagic Master to pay for the effects of Chain Spell, spending 3 points of mental focus in order to negate the +3 level adjustment.

-Scene 2: Unexpected Entourage-
The Silver Sparrows return to their listed abode after an exciting match. However, before they are able to step into their abode, Dr. Val John notices something.

"Hold up, guys." Val John raises his hand, discouraging any others from moving forward. "I think I sense something. Something...familiar." With that, he'll close his eyes, and expand his senses a bit. As he wracks his brain to find out what feels so familiar to him, he stops with a flash of sudden realization.

"It can't be..." Val John says, as he rushes forward into the house. The door opens into absolute darkness, but such a thing is no consequence to him. Val John smirks, then turns on the light.

"SURPRISE"

...scene to be filled out later...

-Scene 3: Meeting with the Starchasers-
...scene to be filled out later...

-Scene 4: Trains and Gains-
...scene to be filled out later...