Bastion of Broken Souls [IC]

[Rachel Lorelei]

"Good." Sharra seems satisfied by the efficient dispatch of the demons. "Now let's find the Cathezar, and fast. That got noisy."

Sharra heads for the door to the next room, taking a brief glance at it and gesturing before opening it.

(As a swift action, Instant Search to search the door for traps, taking 10. Then opening it. What's in the next room?)

[ZeroNumerous]

Lithana

The gray elfling follows Sharra.

Kelborn

"Time is of the essence of this cathezar had summoned those demons. It will have known they were dispatched."

[Ellas Aramond]

((Okay, just to be sure, you can be seen by anything that might be in the next room, right Rachel?))

[Rachel Lorelei]

((Okay, just to be sure, you can be seen by anything that might be in the next room, right Rachel?))

((Anything that can beat my Hide and Move Silently. In dangerous situations, Sharra's hiding unless I say otherwise--with her fly speed, half movement rate isn't a big deal. If they're looking right at the door they'll see it open, I guess, but a Spot check is probably called for.))

[Ellas Aramond]

The room the door opens to is one made of wood and sandstone, splotched with brown and crimson splatters. The entire room is decorated with hooked chains, hanging from just about every inch of the walls like brutal tapestries.

In the center of the room, stands the Cathezar, smiling a wicked smile at the party as it goes through the motions of spellcasting.

((I should also mention the fact that she's blinking, just like before.))

Initiative:
36 Aedras
31 Sharra
30 Naomi
29 Cathezar
25 Lithana
18 Mahogany
11 Kelborn
9 Tiatiea
8 Artemus

[Rachel Lorelei]

The unseen Sharra speaks a series of words, and everything seems to skip a beat....

(ime Stop. Shared with familiar. (1d4+1)[4].
Round 1: Swift action--Assay Spell Resistance, shared with familiar, getting +10 to beat the Cathezar's SR.
Standard action: sacrifice an Avasculate for Greater Arcane Sight.
Round 2: Standard action: examine the Cathezar with Greater Arcane Sight. What spells do I see active on the Cathezar? That determines what I do next.)

[Rachel Lorelei]

(PM received.)

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Round 3: cast Maw of Chaos behind the Cathezar, so that it just barely covers her square. (1d20+31)[39] to beat SR. Once Time Stop ends the damage starts, doing (21d6)[84] points and forcing a DC 28 Will save vs. being Dazed until the next round. Spells and SLAs require a DC 25+Spell Level concentration check.
Round 4: get within 30' and ready an action to cast Irresistible Dance on the Cathezar as soon as Time Stop ends. Ranged touch: (1d20+19)[39]. SR penetration: (1d20+30)[48]. Duration: (1d4+1)[3]
Familiar likewise readies an action to cast Enervation on the Cathezar as soon as Time Stop ends. Ranged touch: (1d20+14)[18], SR check (1d20+30)[50], negative levels: (1d4)[4].

---

As the Time Stop ends, blue-green energy ripples into existence, enveloping the Cathezar, and Sharra levels a hand in her direction even as a ray of black light hurtles towards her from the white rat peeking out of her coat pocket.

Edit: never mind, you didn't mention she was Blinking, before. Ignore the above.

Round 3: Sharra casts Greater Blink, sharing it with her familiar.

Round 4: Sharra moves out of the Cathezar's line of sight, still hiding.

"Still blinking, and Divine Favor and Haste spells. Tiatiae, anyone else who's capable--dispel her, please." she sends along the Telepathic Bond as the Time Stop ends.

[Regord_Silentflame]

Aedras

Aedras Peers through the doorway from afar, watching for the fiend to make her move before acting

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Delaying Initiative till right after the Cathezar

[Amiria]

Naomi Drakestorm AC 27 (t 17, ff 24); hp 172/172

Naomi enters the room and moves towards the Cathezar (but not closer than 30'). Then she takes a potion from her belt and downs it in one gulp, growing to twice her height immediately.

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Dodge against the Cathezar, not included in the statistic above

move action = move
free action = draw potion from potion belt
standard action = drink Enlarge Person potion

Crusader withheld maneuvres:1d5, 1d4 = Defensive Rebuke, White Raven Tactics

In case that she gets an AoO on the Cathezar (now 20' reach) on her (Cathezar's) turn, she would use Stand Still (1d20+36 / 5d6+19).

[Ellas Aramond]

In the throes of casting, the Cathezar looks at the party with a wicked, toothy grin. "I shall pay you back for earlier! Gurrokth, aid me!"

She calls out, her voice seeming to echo throughout the room. Soon after the area in front of Naomi is blasted full of smoke. As it clears, the firery form of a Balor can be seen, clutching its blade and whip.

"What is it you require, Cathezar?" The demon asks, it's voice full of scorn.

"Kill them, but leave the swordswoman alive!"

The balor says nothing else, but turns to the Master of Nine and grins, his stare seeming as if he's looking into her very soul.

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Amiria, make a will save.

[Amiria]

Naomi Drakestorm

Naomi focuses her mind to create an impenetrable barrier against the balor's evil stare.

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Using an immediate action for Diamond Defense to boost the save.

1d20+34¹ = 52

¹ = 1d20+39 if it is a mind-affecting effect.

[Ellas Aramond]

The power of the demon's gaze passes over Naomi, not effecting her in the slightest.

Lithana's up, Zero.

[ZeroNumerous]

Lithana

Lithana closes in with the demon, and slashes at it viciously.

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Move: Move five-feet outside the Balor's reach. Move at half-speed(if possible) to Tumble 10ft to the Balor.
Dodge on the Balor.
Swift: Activate Island of Blades.
Attack: Attack Roll = Nat-20.
Normal Weapon Damage: 18
Sneak Attack Damage: 33
Strength Damage: 2.

Crit Confirmation = 30.

Note: Increases should include flanking(+25 bonus)

(For Later)
Kelborn

The small kobold lashes out at both demons with a powerful necromantic burst of energy.

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Move: Put Cathezar and Balor in Line of Effect.
Standard: Spell Resistance Roll(32). Horrid Wilting Damage(74)

[Regord_Silentflame]

Aedras watches the battle unfold, the fearsome presence of the Balor causing him to hesitate. After Kelborn unleashes his burst on the demons, he sees his chance, and lunges forward, curling into a ball and rolling past the momentarily distracted fiend to catch it from behind, springing back to his feet with his sword drawn, steady on his feet and ready to fight.

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Double move action to tumble through the Balor's square, and his threatened squares, getting on the opposite of it than the door. 37 on tumble should auto-succeed, but I'll change the post if the DM says it doesn't.
Aedras cannot attack this round, but does threaten, so he provides flanking to anyone attacking the balor from the front

[ZeroNumerous]

((OOC: Lithana provides flanking to everyone by virtue of being within five feet of the balor due to her Island of Blades stance. You may wanna change your action to something more useful.))

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Mahogany has more or less stayed back and out of immediate harm's way as soon as the battle starts, though his rheumy eyes shine as much with excitement as alarm. He takes a deep breath and glances between the two, and his eyes cross strangely.

[Ellas Aramond]

((Okay, slight problem guys. Somehow my .pdf for our Bastion adventure got corrupted. I have no idea how this happened, and am probably a lot more annoyed then the rest of you are at this. I'm working on getting another copy of the file, but I have no idea how long that could take. So until I can get my hands on one, I'm gonna have to put this on hiatus. I'll contact you all when I get this running again, so don't delete your characters.))