Annabel Lee Ch. 1: The Angels In Heaven Above

[RelentlessImp]

Zurktz grins wickedly as the battle heats up and flexes his right arm holding the greataxe, rapidly speaking the words to a spell and tracing his left hand down his right arm, causing the muscles in his arm to bulge and strain, hardening beneath his green flesh.

Spoiler

Show

Standard Action: Cast Fist of Stone, +6 Strength for 1 minute/10 rounds.

[Ascension]

Spoiler

Show

No movement? Okay, well, I guess it's Cage's turn again.

[BizzaroStormy]

Nagras spits on the ground with an even nastier look on his face than before. Disgusting! You "blood" would be better as vapor! He twists to his left to line up the Black and white guardians. A small vortex of shadow and hellish energy gathers in his massive claws as he holds out his arm. DIE!!! The energy grows to ball about the size of him and fires a huge beam of infernal power.

Spoiler

Show

Doom Blast - (8d6)[29]

[Ascension]

Spoiler

Show

Wait, line up which Black and White Guardians? Either you move to C3 and hit two of them and Kor (which might upset Neillos), or you move to B3 and you hit two of them, Neillos himself (which would definitely upset him), and pass harmlessly through Hiram's shadow companion.

[BizzaroStormy]

Spoiler

Show

Well go ahead and fire it horizontally, that way I don't risk taking out any living allies.

[Ascension]

Spoiler

Show

Okay, DC 19 Reflex saves for half...

White:
(1d20+8)[21]

Black:
(1d20+8)[22]

Kor:
(1d20+10)[12]

I am surprised a zombie dragon has such good reflexes... but will they be enough? No.

The two angels manage to avoid the bulk of the beam (though they suffer as well), but it tears right into Neillos's deathless companion.

The angel who has been fighting Neillos's pets looks badly hurt.

Spoiler

Show

And it's Neillos's turn!

[Proven_Paradox]

Spoiler

Show

Status:AC: 28 (10 + 5 armor + 6 dex + 1 size + 1 natural + 3 deflect (Shield of Faith) + 2 wisdom)
HP 56/67
Effects: Shield of Faith, Assassin's Stance

I'mma go ahead and post this round's actions. Just fill them in when Toryn's turn comes around if nothing happens that makes it so that he can't do this.

Toryn growls at the angel's responce. There is genuine regret in his voice as he says, "Sorry about all this, but you didn't give me much of a choice, yeah?"

With that, he is enveloped in black light, and suddenly vanishes. Invisible, he jumps into the air to get level with the angel's face, and spins around in the air, extending each leg in a brutal kick, and punctuating the attack with a punch. He reappears just as he hits the ground.

Spoiler

Show

<Swift> Cloak of Deception boost
<Full> Full attack. All damage is non-lethal. Since they are unarmed strikes, no penalty applies. Unless it can see invisibility, it's flat-footed against these attacks and I get a +2 to them, which is NOT factored into these rolls.

Spoiler

Show

Kick 1 attack/damage/sneak attack: (1d20+14=24, 1d4+6=8, 6d6=30)
Kick 2 attack/damage/sneak attack: (1d20+9=15, 1d4+6=10, 6d6=23)
Punch attack/damage/sneak attack: (1d20+14=16, 1d4+6=9, 6d6=18)

[Ascension]

Though he will have a chance to strike again first, when Toryn's initiative comes the male Black Gatekeeper will be knocked out cold.

Such is the power of sneak attack.

EDIT: What the heck? What was I thinking when I put together that Initiative flow chart? I'm sorry, PP, Toryn should have been going after the Black Gatekeepers, not after the White Gatekeepers!

Initiative, once more, with feeling:

Zurktz: 24
Cage: 22
Neillos and his Servants: 21
Black Gatekeepers: 16
Toryn: 15
Asani: 13
White Gatekeepers: 11
Hiram: 7

[Ascension]

What about Neilos?

PP just posted his actions in advance. Neillos and the Black Gatekeepers will still go first.

[JackMage666]

"What the hell, Cage!? Don't hurt Kor! What has she ever done to you?"

He pauses briefly, remembering the initial combat with the dragon that is now Kor.

"Well, what has she done in THIS form?"

Neillos moves up to Kor and uses here as a meat shield, reaching into his bag and pulling out one of his Scum Zombies.

"Get it! All of you!"

Spoiler

Show

Attacking the same guardian as before, the scum zombie taking a 5 ft step to attack (if able, if not, disregard it's roll, and he shambles into place to attack next round. CURSE YOU SINGLE ACTION ONLY!).
The Erinyes move into flanking in it, if able, using 5 ft steps.
Preferable, the situations should look like... If not, I added in flanking on the Erinyes's attack rolls, so just take em away.

Spoiler

Show

- - -
E A E
- - S
- D -
E = Erinyes
A = Angel
S = Skum
D = Dragon

Dragon - Bite - (1d20+20)[32] attack, (3d6+6)[5][5][5](21) damage, the last d6 being cold damage.
Erinyes A - Greatsword - (1d20+13)[23] attack, (2d6+10)[2][3](15) damage
Erinyes B - Greatsword - (1d20+13)[26] attack, (2d6+10)[1][4](15) damage
Scum - Bite - (1d20+9)[15] attack, (3d6+10)[2][6][4](22) damage, the last d6 being cold damage.

Also, forgot my skeletons have damage reduction, so I retroactively subtracted the damage to the one Erinyes. Also, added the damage to Kor.

[Ascension]

Though the newly arrived zombie can't bite through the angel's armor, the rest of Neillos's minons are more than enough to finish off the female Black Gatekeeper. With her torso skewered by Eyrines and her head bitten clean off by Kor, she is extremely dead. Extremely.

The male Black Gatekeeper makes another attempt to hit Toryn (before getting knocked out by the spry halfling), this time only swinging his right hand blade. He meets only air. Immediately afterward he falls to a fusillade of blows.

Spoiler

Show

(1d20+12)[18], (1d8+5)[7]
(1d20+7)[26], (1d8+5)[11]

New map (I hope these positions suit your fancy, JackMage):

Spoiler

Show

Spoiler

Show

Asani's turn

[Bellwether]

Seeing that the battle is almost over, Asani is content to watch and wait, saving her spells for when they are more necessary.

Spoiler

Show

Asani is delaying her turn in case something goes suddenly and weirdly wrong.

[Ascension]

Spoiler

Show

Suddenly and weirdly wrong? It's funny you should mention that! Muahahahahahahahahahah!

Nah, just kidding.

Despite being horribly outnumbered, wounded, and having just watched her comrades easily dispatched, a strange look of serenity passes across the final angel's face. A red aura flares around her for a moment, and then she strikes at the demon before her with all her force. Despite all this desperate effort, she still only manages to wound the demon with one of her blows.

Spoiler

Show

Blade #1:(1d20+14)[16], (1d8+9)[12]; (1d20+9)[17], (1d8+9)[10]
Blade #2: (1d20+14)[34], (1d8+9)[11]
Rend: (2d6)[6]

Spoiler

Show

Hiram's turn.

[TeeEl]

Hiram circles around counterclockwise to get a clean swing without Cage in the way. "Finish 'er off now, quickly!"

Spoiler

Show

Swift action: put up Motivate Attack (+1 to hit for all non-undead allies)
Move action: move to C6
Standard action: Attack (1d20+13)[18], damage (1d10+5)[10]

[Ascension]

Because of the distraction provided by his shadow companion, the last Gatekeeper isn't even looking in Hiram's direction when his glaive bites into her shoulder. She's hurt but she's still standing.

New Map (with semi-new notation: The angel with the bright red x is just unconscious, the half-bright-half-dark x means the angel is unconscious and dying, and the all dark x means the angel is fully dead):

Spoiler

Show

Spoiler

Show

Zurktz is up.

[RelentlessImp]

Zurktz skirts around the demon that is Cage, coming near to the last angel standing, and bringing his blade down in a vicious swipe, his face set in a determined glare.

Spoiler

Show

Move to C-3.
Single attack on C-4.
(1d20+17)[5](22)
(1d12+12)[3](15)

[Ascension]

The angel is struck once more, but somehow remains standing.

Map:

Spoiler

Show

Spoiler

Show

Cage, your turn.

[BizzaroStormy]

Nagras reaches out and grabs at the angel, another ball of energy gathering in his claw.

Spoiler

Show

Touch Attack for Grapple - (1d20+11)[30]
Grapple Check - (1d20+14)[28]
Also doom blast damage if I have the action for it.(8d6)[33]

[Ascension]

Spoiler

Show

No, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Choose one: Grapple or Blast.

[BizzaroStormy]

Spoiler

Show

No, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Choose one: Grapple or Blast.

Spoiler

Show

We'll go with the grapple then.

[Ascension]

Spoiler

Show

A normal ol' full attack might have just killed her and ended the fight...
Grapple: (1d20+11)[24]

You have her in your grasp. What do you do with your second attack now that you've got her grappled? Hurt her?

[BizzaroStormy]

Hehehe. Die.... The demon suddenly tightens his claws around the angelic guardian.

Spoiler

Show

Attack Roll if needed - (1d20+11)[15]
Damage - (3d6+6)[17]

[Ascension]

Spoiler

Show

That's three HP short, but you know what? I don't care. It just seems appropriate for this battle to end with a big ugly demon crushing the life out of an angel.

With a cry of pain, she begins doing just that.

The skirmish has ended. The final toll? Two angels dead, one dying, one simply unconscious. None have fallen on your side... in fact, few are even injured. It's obvious whoever assigned these Gatekeepers to their duty did not expect to be visited by a group as large and powerful as your miniature army. You can be certain, though, that now they're perfectly aware of both your intrusion and your strength.

What next?

[Proven_Paradox]

"Sh*t, sh*t, SH*T!" Toryn mutters under his breath as the battle winds down. "THIS is NOT how it was s'posed to start! Gaaaaah..." He takes a deep breath, seeming to meditate for a few seconds to calm himself ((recover Cloak of Deception)). He kneels down to the unconscious angel's side and begins gently tapping him (her?) awake. In the meantime, he says, "Someone wanna try an' bind 'at one's wounds? We need to try an' get some information outta 'ese guys..."

[BizzaroStormy]

The demon drops the dying angel to thr ground as if he had just been struck in the head. Oh come on! I'm not finished, at least let me kill her! Nagras attempts to strike at the two still living angels but seems unable to move as the black flames that make up his body disperse, leaving Cage standing there with the two large wounds in his chest. He takes a long drag on his pipe, the smoke leaking out through the punctures from the angels. You'll be dead soon so *cough* you might as well tell us how we're supposed to find some- *cough* -one in this place.

[Ascension]

With difficulty, the female white demon replies, "I will tell you... nothing, demon!"

She spits some of her glowing blood in Cage's face and then expires, having expended the last of her energy in this final act of defiance.

Spoiler

Show

PP, before responding to you I need to know if Toryn bound the angel before attempting to wake him.

[Proven_Paradox]

Spoiler

Show

Toryn hasn't bound him or anything--he's ready to punch the angel's lights right back out if he tries to do anything funny. I think, at best, he'd be staggered.

[Ascension]

Spoiler

Show

Right, I just wanted to be sure, for clarity's sake. Do you want to disappoint clarity? I don't.

The black male Gatekeeper slowly begins to stir. Realizing that he and his comrades have been defeated, he only says one word to the halfling standing over him.

"Why?"

[BizzaroStormy]

Cage leaves the now dead angel and turns his attention to the live one. Its not something you angels could understand. You're bred to become sentinels who run *cough* headlong into a deathtrap knowing that you're easily brought back or replaced. You have no value for your lives, nor can you understand *cough* the pain of loss. The blood from his wounds continues to drip onto the ground as well as smoke. I've lost something dear to me and I will take it back or *cough* forsake my soul trying.

[Ascension]

The badly beaten angel manages to raise his head far enough to glare an unfocused glare in Cage's general direction.

"You have already forsaken your soul... demon."