Session
37:
Eye Tyrant
[JadedDM]: Chrysote 22nd,
Frostday; 13 bells. Although early
afternoon, the sky is darkened as the Drow have used some kind of sorcery to
block out the sun over Voxis. The
city is in shambles. Although the
Drow commanders have been slain, many soldiers continue to pillage and kill, as
the dragon above circles the city. The
Tainted Hands, Shadow Bats, Nightmaster, and Lilah have all convened in the
[Jasmin]: Jasmin glances around
at the others, looking almost eager. "Well, if we are going to do this,
let's get moving," Jasmin says.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"We're still missing someone. Aidan.
Did anyone run into him before?"
[Daufer]: Daufer checks to see
that his armor is securely fastened. "I didn't see him, no."
[JadedDM]: Nightmaster:
"Hopefully, he will notice the mist around the temple and head this
way."
[JadedDM]: Kricket:
"If he's still alive," he points out.
[JadedDM]: If that's what you
guys want. However, you never
discussed who was going in what team.
[Jasmin]: "We don't exactly
have time to go out and look for him."
[JadedDM]: Nightmaster:
"Agreed. We'll have to
do without. Are the fliers
ready?"
[Jasmin]: Jasmin gives a little
nod to the Nightmaster.
[Daufer]: "It will take me a
minute to summon a jat'lyn spirit for
each of you," Daufer says.
[JadedDM]: Nightmaster:
"Very well. There's a
stairwell that leads to the roof. I
can show you where."
[Daufer]: Daufer gives a curt nod
to the Nightmaster. "Very well."
[JadedDM]: The Nightmaster
gestures toward one of the darkened corridors, and walks down it.
The Tainted Hands and Lilah follow him.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin doesn't waste
any time in following after the Nightmaster.
[Aidan]: Leaving the protection of
the mageware shop, Aidan heads out into the darkness to find the others, making
use of his divining abilities to track them, and allowing Amaris to assist him
in avoiding any enemies. His
enchanted guardian follows along silently as the mage takes the longer way about
the Viscount's manor, and through the mist before the
[JadedDM]: Gaheris pauses in
mid-stride when he hears the door open. He
reaches for his bow. "Oh, it's
just you."
[Loreleii]: One of the last ones
to take the stairwell, Loreleii turns and shouts, "Aidan!"
[Jasmin]: Jasmin glances over her
shoulder upon hearing the shout from Loreleii. "Looks like he made
it," she says.
[JadedDM]: Meschior turns.
"So he made it after all."
[Aidan]: Aidan lowers the weapons,
stepping out from behind his guardian. "I
see you all managed to stay together."
[Jasmin]: "No, we just found
each other."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"You missed a hell of a fight. But
you're just in time for an even bigger one."
[Daufer]: "Indeed. The
dragon still flies the skies overhead. We need to defeat it to drive off the
Drow armies."
[Aidan]: "Wonderful."
Aidan gestures behind him, his guardian moving to close the temple's
doors. "How are we going to
bring it down?"
[Jasmin]: "Well, some of us
are going to fly up there, and attack it in hopes of bringing it down."
[Aidan]: "Oh.
I see." Aidan does not
look hopeful about that prospect. "I
suppose that's the best option available."
[JadedDM]: Meschior:
"So are you in?" he asks, crossing his arms.
"Or will you be sitting this one out, as well?"
[Daufer]: "We've decided
upon Labree, Cardel, and myself, but we have enough for four."
[Jasmin]: "Oh right,"
Jasmin says, glancing over to Meschior.
[Daufer]: "The rest will
stay on the roof of the
[Aidan]: Aidan says to Meschior,
"Fortunately, there are concerns greater than the petty differences tearing
the Shadow Bats apart, so yes, I will assist however I can for some of
them." Turning to Daufer,
"How are you getting everyone up there?
My guardian might be able to assist, depending on what methods you
have."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"We have a couple of Potions of Flying, and Loreleii has a scroll
with the spell on it."
[Aidan]: "If you'd like the
knight's assistance, then cast the spell on him and I will send him with you.
I'll do what I can from the roof."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"All right. Let's head
up there then."
[Daufer]: Daufer turns and
follows the Nightmaster back up the stairs.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves back up
the stairs to rejoin the others.
[Loreleii]: With wand in hand,
Loreleii walks up the stairs.
[Aidan]: Aidan, his familiar, and
knight follow the others up the stairs.
[JadedDM]: The group follows
after the others, and heads up to the roof.
They have a better view of the carnage and destruction from up there.
The Viscount's mansion is nothing but rubble, and most of the mining
district is burning. Even from here,
the dragon is visible, flying lazily in a circle around the city.
Everyone is there on the roof, both friend and enemy alike:
Eskar, Jasmin, Daufer, Aidan, Loreleii, the Knight, Gaheris, Meschior,
Videl, Kricket, Cardel, Liam, Zikar and Lilah.
These members of the Tainted Hands, Shadow Bats, Vermin Plague and even
the Bloody Maw stand together for what may very well be their final battle.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over Voxis.
"I can't believe we are trying to save this place. It isn't much
anymore."
[JadedDM]: Kricket:
"It's not only Voxis that hangs in the balance."
[Daufer]: "It's our home. We
can always rebuild," Daufer says.
[Jasmin]: "True,"
Jasmin says to Kricket. "Okay, so are we all ready here?"
[JadedDM]: Meschior:
"Yes, let us begin."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Try and lead it toward us...we'll shoot at it when it passes
by."
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"Watch for its breath. And
above all else, be careful."
[JadedDM]: Zikar:
"The flight potion should last at least ten minutes.
Beyond that, you're just gambling it won't give out."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes out her
flying potion, and uncorks it. "Right. I suggest we all do this at the same
time."
[JadedDM]: Kricket hands Cardel
a potion and gives him some instructions.
[Loreleii]: Loreleii unfurls a
scroll and stands before the Knight.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris hands his own
potion to Daufer. He then turns to
Jasmin. "I know this is what
you've always lived for, kitten. Please
make sure you live to tell about it."
[Daufer]: Daufer begins chanting
the words to summon the jat'lyn spirit
into the mortal realm.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes the potion
just in case she might need it later. "Well, you have to live through it
too you know."
[JadedDM]: (Cross that.
Gaheris hands the potion to Daufer, not Jasmin.)
[Daufer]: In quick succession,
Daufer summons three separate jat'lyn
spirits, which fly quickly into the Knight and into the motionless Cardel.
[Loreleii]: Loreleii starts
reciting the words from the scroll in front of the Knight.
[Daufer]: The final jat'lyn
spirit enters into Jasmin.
[JadedDM]:
(Those who are incited, please add a +2 to all attack and damage rolls.)
[JadedDM]: Cardel drinks down
his potion and then draws his mighty axe, Frenzy.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin drinks her
potion as the spirit enters into her body. Her eyes seem to glow red, and
muscles bulge as she lifts into the air.
[Loreleii]: Loreleii finishes
reciting the spell and imbues the Knight with the ability to fly.
[JadedDM]: Cardel begins to
float a few feet in the air, waiting for the others.
[Airellian]: ((Daufer will cast
Prayer then follow everyone else up, I guess.))
[JadedDM]:
(Okay, everyone--both ground and air troops--now get a +1 to attacks, damage,
and saving throws until the Prayer wears off.)
[Daufer]: Finishing the words to
the prayer, Daufer quaffs the potion and begins to rise.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Good luck."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin pulls out Scalebiter
and Radiant Star as she searches out the dragon.
[JadedDM]: The four fliers take
to the air, soaring with ease. They
spot the dragon flying over the farmlands to the southeast.
[Daufer]: "We need to draw
the dragon closer to the city so that the others can help!"
[Jasmin]: "Oh, I wish I
could do this all the time," Jasmin says in apparent glee. "I might
actually be able to hurt the dragon with Scalebiter,
so I guess I can get it to follow me."
[Daufer]: "Alright, let's
go!" Daufer flies towards the dragon.
[JadedDM]:
(State actions for Round 1, and then roll initiative.)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin is going to
attack the dragon somewhere on the right side.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] => [7] = (7)
[Daufer]: Daufer is going to
attack the dragon from a different direction. From the back where a rider might
be.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [3] = (3)
[Loreleii]: Loreleii fidgets
nervously with her wand while waiting for the others to bring the dragon closer
to the
[Aidan]: The knight moves towards
the dragon, aiming for the opposite side of the beast from where Jasmin moves to
attack.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [5] = (5)
[JadedDM]: As the party moves
toward the dragon, a horrible sense of dread begins to well up inside of them.
(I need everyone to roll a saving throw except Daufer.)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] => [8] = (8)
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [2] = (2)
[JadedDM]:
(Okay, you both are affected by dragon fear.
You suffer a -2 to hit and damage as long as you are within 15 yards of
the creature.)
[JadedDM]:
Round 1: Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20] => [9] = (9)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] => [20] =
(20)
[Jasmin]: [1d8] => [1] = (1)
[Jasmin]: [1d8] => [5] = (5)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin flies out to the
dragon, seeming to hesitate a bit, before she strikes out with her two swords.
Oddly enough, the green bladed sword bounces off the dragon's scales, yet she
stabs Radiant Star into a narrow
opening causing the dragon to roar out in a little pain.
[JadedDM]:
Knight's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [9] = (9)
[Aidan]: The knight swings with its
long sword, but the blade misses as the mindless guardian adjusts to flight
combat.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [15] =
(15)
[Daufer]: Daufer flies up over on
top of the shadow dragon and swings mightily, but the maul merely bounces off
the beast's tough hide.
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[JadedDM]: Cardel swings his axe
at the dragon's tail, giving it a minor cut.
[JadedDM]:
Shadow Dragon's turn.
[JadedDM]: Clearly a bit miffed,
the dragon retaliates. It kicks back
with its rear claws, cutting up Cardel in the process.
The mindless warrior remains in flight, however.
The dragon also reaches back with its long neck, and snaps at Daufer with
his teeth.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+1] => [18,1] =
(19)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+1] => [15,1] =
(16)
[Jasmin]: [1d8+7] => [3,7] =
(10)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin dives down a bit
in her flying and flies back up with both of her swords aiming upwards towards
the dragon. Scalebiter hits the mark,
causing the dragon a small amount of pain while her other sword simply bounces
off its scales.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Airellian]: [1d20] -> [8] =
(8)
[Daufer]: Wincing in pain from
his wounds, Daufer reacts against the dragon's sudden bite, but misses striking
at the creature's face.
[JadedDM]:
(State initiative for Round 2 and then roll for initiative.)
[Daufer]: "Start flying
towards the
[JadedDM]: The dragon, its eyes
blazing with rage, turns its gaze toward Jasmin.
[Daufer]: Daufer flies out of
melee and starts chanting words to a prayer.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [7] = (7)
[Eskar]: Eskar attempts to use his
sling on the dragon, assuming it comes near.
[Eskar]: [1d10] => [8] = (8)
[Aidan]: The knight continues to
attempt to attack the dragon from its left side.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [5] = (5)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin tries to get the
dragon to follow her, and then attacks once the dragon catches up to her.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] => [8] = (8)
[JadedDM]:
Round 2: Knight's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [14] = (14)
[Aidan]: The knight swings its
blade, but the long sword bounces off the beast.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+1] => [10,1] =
(11)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+1] => [2,1] =
(3)
[Jasmin]: As the dragon comes up
behind her, Jasmin dives down head first only to come back up to stab her swords
into the dragon's tough hide. Both swords bounce of the dragon uselessly though.
[JadedDM]:
Shadow Dragon's turn.
[JadedDM]: The dragon pursues
Jasmin with a speed that belies its massive size.
Taking a deep breath, it unleashes a cloud of darkness at the dancer.
[JadedDM]:
(Roll a BW save, Heather.)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+1] => [15,1] =
(16)
[JadedDM]:
(Jasmin is now effectively Level 4 until it wears off.)
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin seems to hover
there for a second as the dark cloud washes over her. She seems to sway in the
air for a few moments before shaking it off.
[Airellian]: [2d8+1] ->
[8,1,1] = (10)
[JadedDM]:
Knight's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [20] = (20)
[Jasmin]: (whoo!)
[Daufer]: Daufer finishes
chanting words to the prayer and a soothing feeling washes over him, wiping away
his wounds.
[Airellian]: ((Nice one. We need
more of those.))
[Aidan]: [2d12+6] => [6,3,6] =
(15)
[Aidan]: The knight swings its long
sword again at the beast, this time slicing into its side deep enough to see a
slight trickling of dark blood.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20-2] => [13,-2]
= (11)
[Jasmin]: [1d20-2] => [6,-2] =
(4)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin comes up on the
dragon's side to stab her swords into its scales, but they bounce off
harmlessly.
[Loreleii]: The librarian scans
the dark skies for any sign or clue of the battle.
[JadedDM]: Up in the sky,
Loreleii spots a soft glow hovering in the air.
It's the light of Radiant Star.
The massive dragon is pursuing her with great speed.
They'll be over the temple within the next round.
[JadedDM]:
(State actions for Round 3 and roll initiative.)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin continues
attacking the dragon on the right side.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] => [9] = (9)
[Aidan]: The guardian suit of armor
continues its attack on the dragon's left side.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [1] = (1)
[Daufer]: Daufer flies back
towards the group and attacks the dragon.
[Eskar]: Eskar waits for his
moment to strike.
[Eskar]: [1d10] => [7] = (7)
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [3] = (3)
[Loreleii]: Loreleii raises her
wand and aims at the dragon.
[Loreleii]: [1d10] -> [4] =
(4)
[Aidan]: Aidan raises his own newly
acquired wand at the dragon.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [7] = (7)
[JadedDM]:
Round 3: Meschior's turn.
[JadedDM]: Calling upon his
deity, Meschior blinds the dragon with a burst of light in its eyes.
[JadedDM]:
Loreleii's turn.
[Loreleii]: [1d4+1] -> [3,1] =
(4)
[Loreleii]: Raising her arm high,
Loreleii speaks the word to unleash the wand's power. A bright arrow-shaped
missile bursts forth, but fizzles and dissipates before reaching the dragon.
"It must have a high resistance to magic!"
[JadedDM]:
Knight's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [12] = (12)
[Aidan]: The knight swings its
blade at the dragon once more, but its strike bounces off the beast's scales.
[JadedDM]:
Zikar's turn.
[JadedDM]: The Nightmaster calls
upon his own god, petitioning the dark deity to remove the effects of the dragon
fear on the party.
[JadedDM]:
(Jasmin and the Knight may both make new saving throws, but with a +4 bonus,
against the dragon fear.)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+5] => [14,5] =
(19)
[Aidan]: [1d20+4] => [7,4] =
(11)
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris fires an
arrow at the dragon which merely bounces off its underbelly.
[JadedDM]:
Aidan's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d4+1] => [2,1] = (3)
[Aidan]: [1d4+1] => [4,1] = (5)
[Aidan]: The mage fires his own
wand, two bolts of energy erupting from the end of it and strike the beast along
its underbelly.
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[JadedDM]: The warrior swings
his axe, but it bounces off the dragon's scale as if he hit solid stone.
[JadedDM]:
Liam's turn.
[JadedDM]: Liam fires an arrow,
but has no better luck penetrating the scales than Gaheris did.
[JadedDM]:
Shadow Dragon's turn.
[JadedDM]: The dragon lashes out
at Cardel with his claws while biting viciously at the Knight.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+5] => [18,5] =
(23)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+3] => [19,3] =
(22)
[Jasmin]: [1d8+7] => [3,7] =
(10)
[Jasmin]: [1d8+5] => [8,5] =
(13)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin flies towards
the dragon with her swords out stretched. Both swords find openings within its
scales, causing a small amount of blood to flow from the wounds as she jerks her
swords back from the dragon.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Loreleii]: [1d20] -> [7] =
(7)
[Daufer]: Daufer struggles to
catch up to the rest of the party and manages to swing at the dragon, but in his
haste, he over-extends himself and misses.
[JadedDM]:
Kricket's turn.
[JadedDM]: Playing a fast-paced
song on his lute, five orbs of energy form around his body, and then fire off,
unerringly, toward the dragon. They
pelt his underbelly.
[JadedDM]:
Eskar's turn.
[Eskar]: [1d20] => [3] = (3)
[Eskar]: Eskar slings a stone at
the dragon as it flies by. The rock misses altogether.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris fires an
arrow, but again it serves no purpose.
[JadedDM]:
Liam's turn.
[JadedDM]: Liam fires an arrow
which gets lodged in a small area between scales.
If it hurts the beast at all, it does now show it.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [15] =
(15)
[Daufer]: Daufer swoops down and
tries again to land a blow on the shadow dragon, but he misses again in the
chaos of battle.
[JadedDM]: The dragon passes by
the temple, its altitude lowering. Barely
able to control its flight, it crashes into a building in the Merchant District.
The entire earth shakes with great force.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Noooooooooo! My
house!!!"
[JadedDM]: Zikar:
"It's down! Now to
finish it off!"
[Jasmin]: Jasmin watches the
dragon crash down on top of her home, and she can't help but start laughing.
[Daufer]: Daufer flies over to
the roof of the
[Eskar]: Eskar takes Daufer up on
his offer.
[JadedDM]:
(State actions for Round 4.)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin is going to fly
down, and continue to attack the dragon on its back.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] => [6] = (6)
[Eskar]: Eskar will try to get to
the dragon to attack with his sword.
[Daufer]: Daufer carries Eskar
down to the ground.
[Eskar]: [1d10] => [9] = (9)
[Aidan]: Aidan moves to take the
stairs, leaving the others to decide how to divide up Daufer's offered time
while he heads for the dragon on foot. Aidan's
guardian follows the dragon to the ground, meeting it in combat there.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [9] = (9)
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [1] = (1)
[Loreleii]: Loreleii follows
after Aidan.
[Loreleii]: [1d10] -> [6] =
(6)
[JadedDM]:
Round 4: Knight's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [17] = (17)
[Aidan]: The knight swings at the
left side of the dragon's head, but fails to break any scales.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+3] => [18,3] =
(21)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+1] => [17,1] =
(18)
[Jasmin]: [1d8+7] => [1,7] =
(8)
[Jasmin]: [1d8+5] => [4,5] =
(9)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin dives down as
she flies, her swords once again outstretched. Both swords stab hard into the
dragon's tough hide as she hands on her feet on the dragon's back. The dragon
roars out in great pain as she tears her swords from its scales. Blood starts
pouring down its sides.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: Daufer grabs Eskar's
arm and flies the dwarf down to the Merchant district.
[JadedDM]:
Eskar's turn.
[Eskar]: [1d20] => [6] = (6)
[Eskar]: Eskar's sword is unable
to penetrate the dragon's hide.
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[JadedDM]: The warrior swoops
down on the dragon, his axe clanging loudly off of the dragon's scales.
[JadedDM]:
Shadow Dragon's turn.
[JadedDM]: The dragon begins to
speak--an ancient, sibilant language that makes the skin crawl to listen.
A moment later, it seems to vanish into thin air.
[JadedDM]:
Knight's turn.
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [20] = (20)
[JadedDM]:
(OH, COME ON!)
[Jasmin]: (whoo!)
[Eskar]: (Booyah HAHAHAHAHA)
[Airellian]: ((You can't fight
it.))
[Aidan]: [1d12+3] => [6,3] = (9)
[Aidan]: [1d12+3] => [11,3] =
(14)
[Airellian]: ((Wow, the Knight
rolls high.))
[Aidan]: The knight swings its long
sword at the fading dragon, striking it in the face with as much force as it can
muster. The blade plunges into the
dragon's eye, killing the beast.
[JadedDM]: The dragon becomes
visible again before collapsing to the ground.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks down at
the dragon as if confused, and then she smiles brightly. "We killed a
dragon!" she yells in triumph.
[Daufer]: Daufer lowers himself
to the ground, breathing heavily. His armor clanks loudly upon impact.
[JadedDM]: The others manage to
catch up with the fliers by this point. The
light of the sun returns, and the Drow begin retreating on wyvern back, heading
back to their caves to flee the sunlight.
[Eskar]: Eskar grins, sheathing
his sword. "Good business."
[Aidan]: Aidan runs to the scene,
breathing heavily. He watches his
knight pull its sword from the corpse's eye and nods approvingly at it.
[Daufer]: "It's not done
yet," Daufer says, still trying to catch his breath. "There's still
the Bloody Maw to deal with."
[JadedDM]: Zikar:
"The hobgoblin speaks the truth.
It's only just begun."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin floats down from
the dragon's back. "True, but we still killed a dragon."
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"Take a moment to rest. But
not too long. The Bloody Maw have no
doubt all ready begun the ceremony. We'll
need to confront them in the Mines."
[Aidan]: "The streets aren't
exactly running with blood, so at least we've given ourselves a bit of a safety
net if we fail, eh?"
[Loreleii]: Loreleii runs to the
scene right behind Aidan.
[JadedDM]: Daufer's maul, Dukosh's
Valor begins to glow softly.
[Daufer]: Daufer holds up the
maul closer, uncertain of what is happening.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves over to
Gaheris' side. "We don't have a house anymore," she says, sounding
amused.
[Eskar]: Eskar shakes his head,
looking the dragon over. "Do Dragon's keep a large treasure like legends
say?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Damn dragon..."
[JadedDM]: Liam:
"Likely the dragon's horde is wherever it nested."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin giggles lightly
at Gaheris.
[JadedDM]: Zikar:
"I have a minor cure prayer remaining, if anyone needs it."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Guess we'll need to get a new house.
Once we survive this, I mean." He
sighs with resignation.
[Aidan]: "Perhaps you could
hollow out the corpse." Aidan
dusts off his knight.
[JadedDM]: Kricket:
"All right. So any plans
on how to deal with the Maw?"
[Daufer]: Daufer sets his maul
aside. "What do we know about their ceremony?" Daufer asks the
green-skinned creature.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin pats Gaheris'
back as she turns her attention to the others. "What exactly are we going
to be fighting again?"
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"They'll hold it in the Mines. They'll
probably open up a doorway to an adjacent plane.
It will no doubt be guarded. The
Maw will buy as much time as they can to open up the gateway to the Abyss."
[Eskar]: Eskar scratches at his
beard. "Well. Let us be going, yes?"
[Aidan]: "So we should perhaps
concentrate on whoever is casting or praying, rather than whatever they throw at
us...."
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"Just be careful. Number
One can attack from any angle, any direction."
[Jasmin]: "What do you mean
he can attack from any angle and direction?"
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"There is no safe place to attack him.
Even if you all gang up on him, surround him, he can attack you all at
once."
[Jasmin]: "How can he do
that?"
[JadedDM]: Lilah shakes her
head. "Remember, he is not
human. None of the remaining members
are. Anyway, come with me.
I can probably find the gateway with what little of my powers
remain."
[Daufer]: "We will have to
do what we can," Daufer says, but his grim face shows that he does not like
the odds.
[Aidan]: Aidan rummages in his
component pouches, pulling out a small fragment of plate mail.
He begins chanting and gesturing to himself, then brushes the dusty
remains of the fragment from his hand.
[Jasmin]: "That didn't
answer my question," Jasmin said with a shake of her head. As she walks,
she pulls out the potion of healing that was given to her, and drinks it.
[Eskar]: Eskar nods and follows
Lilah.
[Jasmin]: [2d4+2] => [3,2,2] =
(7)
[JadedDM]: Lilah walks past the
dead dragon, heading toward the mine entrance.
The city is now eerily quiet, save for the burning of buildings in the
distance.
[Airellian]: Daufer and Loreleii
follow after Lilah.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin switches Radiant
Star back into her right hand, and Scalebiter
is back in her left hand as she walks after Lilah.
[Aidan]: Aidan and his guardian
follow the others.
[JadedDM]: The group comes up to
the opening of the Voxis Mines. Stepping
inside, they feel a sudden chill, as if the warmth of day is barred entry.
Lilah walks on, undeterred, grabbing a torch off the wall to light the
way.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin shivers lightly
as she continues forward.
[JadedDM]: Lilah leads them to a
familiar place. The chamber where it
all started--where they first encountered the Bloody Maw.
It's a very large cavern with numerous pathways leading deeper into the
ground. In the center of the room
stand three simple shacks.
[Eskar]: Eskar frowns, looking
about. "Not natural."
[Jasmin]: "Well, I remember
this place," Jasmin says, glancing over to Lilah.
[Daufer]: Daufer looks about the
chamber, trying not to let the chill bother him.
[JadedDM]: Lilah nods.
She pulls out a red coin from her pocket and holds it up to her eye, as
if trying to peer through it. Near
the three shacks, a shimmer of light begins to appear.
[Jasmin]: "Is that where we
go?"
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"Yes, this should take you to them.
I can't go any further than this, though.
I have no power left, and would only be a burden."
[Eskar]: "Is there anything
else you might be telling us?"
[Daufer]: "Very well,"
Daufer says, peering at the shimmering light.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves forward,
but pauses to look over her shoulder to Lilah. "Thank you," she says.
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"Yes. First, they most
likely know you are coming. Second...if...if
you should fail to keep the Maw from opening, there is a way to close it.
A willing sacrifice of blood will seal it shut again."
[Loreleii]: Loreleii blanches.
"Blood? How much?"
[Jasmin]: "So one of us will
have to sacrifice our life to close it?"
[JadedDM]: Lilah nods.
"Hopefully, though, you can stop him from opening it
altogether."
[Eskar]: Eskar nods grimly.
"I am seeing. Thank you for your help."
[JadedDM]: Kricket:
"Then from here on out, it looks like no going back.
Ready, boys?" He steps
into the shimmering light and vanishes. Cardel
and Liam follow.
[Daufer]: "So, who's
going?" Daufer asks, looking around at everyone.
[Jasmin]: "You know I'm
going," she says to Daufer as she moves to follow after the Tainted Hands.
[JadedDM]: Videl:
"If Jasmin's going, I'm going."
He follows her.
[Aidan]: Aidan nods to the knight
and gestures to the light. The
knight walks forward into it, and Aidan follows after it.
[JadedDM]: Zikar:
"The three gods, Shadowbite, Renos, and D'lokka...have chosen us to
be their champions. They watch on
with special interest. Let us hope
we prove worthy of their trust." He
steps in.
[Eskar]: Eskar follows suit.
[JadedDM]: Meschior:
"Loreleii..."
[Loreleii]: Loreleii looks over
at Meschior and smiles. "Sorry, Meschior. Looks like we'll have to postpone
the wedding." The librarian steps through the portal.
[JadedDM]: Meschior sighs.
"Renos help me, but I love that woman," he says, stepping in,
as well.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Well, Daufer...it's been a hell of a ride, hasn't it?"
[Daufer]: "Aye,
friend," Daufer says. "Together?"
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Right. Unlike the Gelmy
Brothers, we'll fight this one together."
[Daufer]: Daufer smirks and walks
through the gateway along with Gaheris.
[JadedDM]: The group finds
themselves in a strange place. It
seems featureless, with no ground, sky, or walls.
It is just a myriad of colors. Colors
of every hue, every shade, flying in all directions in a chaotic dance.
There is no sense of up or down, left or right, forward or backward.
Yet their feet seem to touch solid ground, even though they cannot see
it.
[Jasmin]: "...Pretty,"
Jasmin says softly.
[JadedDM]: Meschior:
"Ugh...it's an assault on the eyes."
[Daufer]: The chaos causes
Daufer's mind to reel as he tries to make sense of everything.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"They're hoping to slow us down, I bet."
[Eskar]: Eskar closes his eyes,
setting his jaw and planting his feet.
[Jasmin]: "Then let's just
keep going forward...or at least what we think is forward."
[JadedDM]: The party moves
forward, or what they feel is 'forward.' It's
uncertain how long they walk, as time seems to have little meaning here.
Minutes? Hours?
Eventually, however, they spot a figure standing in the distance,
patiently awaiting their arrival.
[Daufer]: Daufer approaches with
caution, his maul gripped tightly in his hands. He tries to make out the figure
amid the myriad swirls of color.
[Jasmin]: "And you
are?" Jasmin asks as she follows after Daufer.
[JadedDM]: The figure appears to
be a woman with honey blonde hair spilling over her shoulders.
She's wearing a black robe with the cowl down.
She smiles seductively, before slowly pulling the robe off, revealing her
curvaceous figure and flawless skin. She
is by far the most beautiful woman any of them have ever seen, and all of the
men feel a powerful longing burning inside them almost immediately upon viewing
her.
[JadedDM]: Videl:
"I'd @#%$ that," he mutters softly, lowering his blade.
[Loreleii]: Loreleii slaps the
backside of Meschior's head.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin wrinkles her
nose. "Nice, Videl," Jasmin says to her brother.
[JadedDM]: Meschior manages to
stop gawking long enough to rub at his head.
[Eskar]: Eskar reminds himself
sternly of his race and age.
[Daufer]: "Who are
you?" Daufer says, his maul lowering automatically.
[JadedDM]: The woman steps
forward, crossing her arms against her chest.
"I am called Kakona," she says, her voice like the sweetest
music. "I was sent to offer a
treaty between us."
[Jasmin]: "A treaty? I don't
think that is going to happen."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"What, uh...what exactly are you offering?"
[Aidan]: "What sort of
treaty?"
[Eskar]: Eskar rubs his beard
quietly.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over to
Aidan then Gaheris. "Oh, you can't be serious!"
[Daufer]: "The one known as
Number Three?"
[JadedDM]: Kakona:
"If you agree to leave our leader alone, we will promise to bring no
harm to you. We can transport you
somewhere safe, where you can live out your lives in peace and wealth.
We have quite a bit of treasure to offer you.
And I have agreed to become your slave, as well.
I will serve you in any way any of you wish of me."
She bows down slightly, revealing the cleavage of her ample bosom more
prominently.
[JadedDM]: Kricket:
"That does sound fair."
[Eskar]: Eskar scratches his
beard, glancing at Kakona appraisingly. "How much treasure?"
[Aidan]: Aidan looks around.
"Who's slave? There are
a lot of us."
[Jasmin]: "There is no where
safe if you managed to do what you are trying to do," Jasmin says with a
shake of her head before she smacks Kricket. "That doesn't sound
fair!"
[JadedDM]: Kakona:
"We can make a dragon's horde seem like small change in
comparison," she says sweetly to the dwarf.
To Aidan, she responds, "Oh, don't worry."
She giggles playfully. "There's
enough of me to go around."
[Daufer]: "It sounds
tempting..."
[Eskar]: Eskar considers for a
long while before opening his eyes and shivering. "I have another boss, I
am sorry."
[JadedDM]: Zikar:
"Do not be fooled by your senses down here.
Nothing is as it seems," he warns.
[JadedDM]: Kakona:
"So what do you say? Do
we have a deal?"
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over to
Loreleii before turning back to Kakona. "No, we don't have a deal,"
Jasmin says quickly.
[Aidan]: "One woman shared
between all of us does not sound like a very attractive deal.
And Jasmin has a point. What
else do you have to offer?"
[Daufer]: "No," Daufer
says with a grim set to his jowls. "I worship another."
[JadedDM]: Kakona puffs up her
cheeks, pouting. "That is a
shame. We could have had such fun.
But at least some good came out of all of this..."
[Eskar]: Eskar looks around,
feeling suddenly like a great fool.
[Jasmin]: "Some good?"
Jasmin asks, raising an eyebrow?
[JadedDM]: Kakona:
"It gave Xriss a chance to come up behind you.
Ready, Xriss?"
[Daufer]: "'Behind?'"
Daufer looks around, bewildered.
[JadedDM]: Behind them, an
invisible figure suddenly materializes. He
wears the black robes of the Maw, but his head is certainly not that of a man!
It's purple and slimy with tentacles.
Its eyes are milky white with no sign of any pupils.
It raises its tentacles in the air and unleashes a mental scream toward
the party.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin glances over her
shoulder quickly.
[JadedDM]:
(Everyone roll a save vs. wands.)
[Eskar]: [1d20] => [10] = (10)
[Jasmin]: [1d20] => [4] = (4)
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [3] = (3)
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [19] =
(19)
[Loreleii]: [1d20] -> [6] =
(6)
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [13] = (13)
[JadedDM]:
(Those who failed are stunned for six rounds.)
[Eskar]: (That's cool)
[Jasmin]: (using my soul point)
[Daufer]: Daufer feels the mental
assault of the mind flayer but he shakes it off.
[Eskar]: Eskar falls prey to the
mental assault.
[JadedDM]: Jasmin, Daufer,
Meschior, Kricket, Cardel and Zikar manage to duck or avoid the mind blast, but
the others are not so lucky. Before
anyone can recover, Kakona shapechanges into a demonic, although still
attractive, form with bat-like wings and horns on her head.
She bares her vampiric fangs and moves forward, as Xriss steps toward
them, as well, his tentacles wriggling.
[JadedDM]:
(Okay. Jasmin and Daufer, state
actions and roll initiative.)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks between
Kakona and Xriss. With a small nod of her head, she moves to attack Xriss.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] => [4] = (4)
[Daufer]: Daufer attacks the
succubus.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [9] = (9)
[JadedDM]:
Round 1: Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+2] => [10,2] =
(12)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+2] => [20,2] =
(22)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+5] => [4,5] =
(9)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+5] => [4,5] =
(9)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin rushes in on the
mind flayer, dodging a few of its nasty tentacles before she swipes both of her
swords out across his mid section. It doesn't make any sounds, but it certainly
seems to sway a bit on its feet as it tries to get away from Jasmin.
[JadedDM]:
Kakona's turn.
[JadedDM]:
(Jasmin, roll a saving throw vs. spell. With
a -1 modifier.)
[Jasmin]: [1d20-1] => [10,-1]
= (9)
[Jasmin]: (not again...damnit)
[JadedDM]: Kakona:
"Protect me from these invaders!" she calls out to Jasmin.
[JadedDM]:
Meschior's turn.
[JadedDM]: Meschior pulls out a
fistful of small stones and prays over them.
They turn red and orange in color. He
hurls all three at the mindflayer, which seem to burn at his flesh.
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[JadedDM]: Cardel moves forward
to engage the succubus. However, at
the last moment, she ducks under his axe, strikes his feet with her tail, and
knocks him to the ground. Frenzy
clatters to the ground.
[JadedDM]:
Xriss' turn.
[Airellian]: ((Whose brain will
he eat?))
[JadedDM]: Xriss senses which
creature is the smartest. He goes
for the goblin, lashing out with his tentacles.
One slaps the goblin in the head and latches on, but the Nightmaster is
able to fend off the other three. Zikar's
prayer is disrupted, however.
[JadedDM]:
Kricket's turn.
[JadedDM]: Kricket plays a quick
tune on his lute, and then seems to vanish into thin air.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [14] =
(14)
[Airellian]: [2d4+4] ->
[1,4,4] = (9)
[Daufer]: Daufer charges the
demoness and swings his maul. The weapon crashes into the creature's belly.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin winces as she
hears Daufer hit Kakona. "Damnit, why do you guys always go around
attacking my friends?!"
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Airellian]: ((Uh-oh.))
[Jasmin]: Jasmin backs away from
the mind flayer to attack Daufer.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+2] => [2,2] =
(4)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+2] => [7,2] =
(9)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+5] => [6,5] =
(11)
[Airellian]: ((Oh crap.))
[Jasmin]: Jasmin rushes in with
both swords blazing. He is able to block off Radiant Star, but Scalebiter
makes a home under his arm.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [8] = (8)
[Daufer]: Daufer makes another
attack at the succubus, but Jasmin's backstab distracts him.
[JadedDM]: Xriss appears
wounded, but continues to struggle with Zikar.
Five more rounds until the stunning wears off.
(Actions for Round 2?)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin is going to jump
in front of Kakona to defend her from attacks.
[Daufer]: Daufer backs off away
from the succubus and begins to chant the words to a prayer.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] => [7] = (7)
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [9] = (9)
[JadedDM]:
Round 2: Kakona's turn.
[JadedDM]:
(I need a saving throw vs. spell from Daufer, no modifier.)
[Airellian]: ((Here goes.))
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [14] =
(14)
[JadedDM]: Kakona attempts to
work her feminine charms on Daufer, but the stoic cleric is able to resist.
[JadedDM]:
Xriss' turn.
[Daufer]: Daufer continues
chanting words to his prayer.
[JadedDM]: Annoyed with his prey
struggling, Xriss unleashes a mind blast on Zikar at point blank.
The goblin collapses.
[JadedDM]:
Kricket's turn.
[JadedDM]: The party can hear
Kricket's lute playing a tune. What
effect it has, however, is not immediately visible.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin stands in front
Kakona, moving her swords in almost a dance to block any attack that might be
coming her way.
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[JadedDM]: Cardel gets back up
and retrieves his mighty axe, Frenzy.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[JadedDM]:
(I need a saving throw vs. spell from Jasmin, with a -3 penalty.)
[Jasmin]: [1d20-3] => [6,-3] =
(3)
[Daufer]: Daufer finishes
chanting his prayer, entreating the Lady of War to gaze down onto the field of
battle and help her champion. Jasmin
feels as if she is enclosed by a vice-like grip of a giant mailed fist.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin stops moving,
her swords crossed out in front of her.
[JadedDM]:
Meschior's turn.
[JadedDM]: Seeing the goblin
cleric in trouble, Meschior rushes toward Xriss, drawing his blade.
The mindflayer is too wrapped up with finding his opponent's brains to
notice Meschior's approach. The fire
cleric comes up behind him and slides his blade right through him.
A black, inky blood seeps out as the illithid collapses, releasing Zikar.
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[JadedDM]: Cardel swings Frenzy
at Kakona, but she easily evades.
[JadedDM]:
(State actions for Round 3.)
[Daufer]: "Sorry, Labree,
but you're a liability right now. I'll let you go when the demon's
finished." Daufer moves past the frozen warrior and attacks the succubus.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [1] = (1)
[JadedDM]:
Round 3: Kricket's turn.
[JadedDM]: Kricket suddenly
appears right behind Kakona. He
reaches out to touch her, but she senses his approach and quickly gets out of
the way.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [8] = (8)
[Airellian]: ((Dang it.))
[Daufer]: Daufer charges past the warrior woman and swings at the succubus' head, but she is too swift for the lumbering gait of the priest, and she easily dodge around the attack.
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[JadedDM]: Cardel slashes at her
with his axe, cutting deeply into one of her wings.
She screeches with an ear-piercing shriek.
[JadedDM]:
Meschior's turn.
[JadedDM]: Meschior now turns
his attention to the succubus. He
swings his sword right at her neck. But
surprisingly, it passes right through her, as if it were not even real!
[JadedDM]:
Kakona's turn.
[JadedDM]: Enraged, Kakona
reaches out with her bare hands to grab Cardel.
She appears to be trying to kiss him, but the warrior is able to shove
her off with ease.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [1] = (1)
[Airellian]: ((*&$(*))
[JadedDM]:
(Care to use your Soul Point?)
[Jasmin]: (*laughs* Go Daufer!)
[Airellian]: ((No! No! I'm using
it. I'm going to. I deserve it.))
[JadedDM]:
(Critical hit, then.)
[Daufer]: [4d4+8] ->
[4,3,1,3,8] = (19)
[Daufer]: Daufer swings at the
succubus' brains and a loud crack is heard as fluid is spilled everywhere.
[JadedDM]: With the two dead,
after a few minutes of waiting, those who are stunned recovered.
[Daufer]: Daufer dispels the
enchantment upon Jasmin, and the warrior finds that she can move again.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes a few
steps forward in frustration. "Damn demon," she mutters.
[Loreleii]: Loreleii wakes up as
if in a dream. Shaking her head, she looks around. "What happened?"
[Aidan]: Aidan rubs at his
forehead. "This looks like a
mess."
[Eskar]: Eskar shakes himself free
of the hold and looks to be in a rather unhappy daze. He devotes his attention
to the bodies of the fallen enemies though, searching for anything telling or
useful.
[JadedDM]: Zikar manages to pry
the mindflayer off of him. "My
thanks, Cleric of Renos. I owe you
my life, it seems."
[Daufer]: "Number Two and
Number Three have been dispatched," Daufer pants. "Number One
remains."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Well, we've managed to survive so far."
[Jasmin]: "Daufer, I'm
sorry," she says. "I couldn't stop myself."
[JadedDM]: Meschior nods
modestly to Zikar.
[Daufer]: Daufer waves his hand.
"It matters not. What matters is stopping Number One."
[JadedDM]: Eskar finds nothing
on the two bodies, save for a single red coin on each of them.
[Jasmin]: "Well, we should
keep moving then. Everyone ready?"
[Eskar]: Eskar takes the red coins
and holds them out to the group. "Yes, it is time."
[JadedDM]: Kricket:
"Then we move onward. Prepare
yourselves for the final battle." He
begins to walk forward.
[Aidan]: Aidan follows after
Kricket, a bit warily, as his knight continues along after him.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes a deep
breath, looking over to Gaheris for a second before she follows after Kricket.
[Daufer]: Daufer shoulders his
weapon, tired from the day's battles.
[Eskar]: Eskar shrugs and pockets
the coins, moving with the rest.
[JadedDM]: The group moves
forward anxiously. Soon, the colors
begin to slowly fade as they walk. They
can hear the sound of their footsteps on a stone surface.
It's almost as if the nothingness surrounding them is giving way to a
more solid reality. Soon, they can
see walls and even a floor of grey stone.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin remains silent
as she continues forward.
[JadedDM]: They are now walking
down a corridor. It seems real, but
somehow false at the same time. Like
a mockery, almost. Before long, they
come to a doorway. The door is open,
and a soft, red light emits from within.
[Eskar]: Eskar chooses this moment
to summon his racial energies and enlarge.
[Jasmin]: Glancing to the others,
Jasmin moves to the open door to get a look inside.
[Daufer]: Daufer, likewise,
chants a prayer upon himself.
[JadedDM]: Inside the rather
spacious room is a man. He is
wearing black robes and a cowl, like the others, but he's huge.
Even bigger than Grunk, in both height and girth.
He stands on a massive pentagram carved into the floor.
He looks up as the party enters and watches them from under his cowl.
[Daufer]: "Your servants
have been defeated," Daufer says.
[JadedDM]: Number One:
"Indeed," he says, his voice sounding like gravel being
crushed.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over the
man curiously. "So you are the one behind all of this," she says
casually. "I remember hearing your voice before."
[Loreleii]: Loreleii gulps
nervously upon seeing the impressive figure.
[JadedDM]: Number One:
"I am the first, and the last. The
beginning and the end. You are but
insects trying to interfere in things you cannot possibly understand."
[Daufer]: "What purpose does
bringing the Vile One into the world serve?"
[Jasmin]: "I think we all
understand that you are trying to pull all of us into the Abyss," Jasmin
says with a shrug.
[JadedDM]: Number One:
"Mass extermination, of course.
Once this world is cleansed of your kind, then my own people will once
again be able to emerge from the darkness."
[Jasmin]: "Your
people?"
[Daufer]: "It is ours by
right. Meet us in the field of battle if you wish to take it from us!"
[JadedDM]: Number One reaches up
with his big, meaty hands and removes his cowl.
Underneath is a man's face, but it seems...wrong.
Almost as if someone molded the face after only hearing second-hand what
a man is supposed to look like. His
eyes are too far apart, his nose is too big, and his teeth seem better suited to
a wolverine than a man. He bares
these dagger-like fangs in a cruel grin. "You
are too late. The ceremony is all
ready underway. You can delay it,
but you will not live long enough to stop it."
[Eskar]: Eskar grips his sword,
watching Jasmin for the cue to attack.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks upon him
with a look of distaste. "Ohhh, you are an ugly one aren't you?"
[JadedDM]: Number One:
"Ugly? What a petty,
human concern. Perhaps you'd rather
view my true visage then? Very well.
It is fitting. Your blood
will be added to the sacrifice, as a tribute to our lord and master,
Kulak." And with that, he
begins to change. His skin turns red
and blotchy; his body becomes fuller, rounder.
His eyes merge into one, big eye and his nose melts away completely.
He begins to hover slightly as his hair now wriggles like snakes, each
one growing an eyeball of its own.
[Eskar]: (OH MY GOD)
[Jasmin]: (Oh shit! It's a
beholder!)
[Eskar]: (A beholder, a dragon, a
succubus, and a mind flayer, all in the same day???)
[Airellian]: ((Hmm.))
[Aidan]: (well, shit.)
[Airellian]: ((I kind of wish I
prepared Cause Blindness.))
[Jasmin]: "Now it is really
ugly," Jasmin mutters in disgust.
[JadedDM]: The creature is now
almost a perfect orb, floating in mid-air, about six feet in diameter.
Its eye stalks seem to move about the room, looking in all directions,
but his large, central eye remains focused on the party.
He is a creature of nightmares, the king of monsters.
Some call them Eye Tyrants, or the Sphere of Many Eyes.
But to most, to those who have bothered to read the ancient legends
surrounding these highly xenomorphic beings, they are simply known as Beholders.
"Well met, vermin. Face
me, and stare into the many eyes of death!"
[JadedDM]:
(State actions for Round 1.)
[Eskar]: Eskar nearly drops his
sword, but swallows a big gulp, and throws the last of his charcoal into his
mouth before charging the Beholder.
[Eskar]: [1d10] => [5] = (5)
[Aidan]: "Kill it," Aidan
whispers to his guardian, who raises its sword and begins to march forward.
Aidan pulls a glowing bit of moss from a pouch and quietly begins to cast
a spell.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin seems almost at
a loss on what to do, but she moves forward to attack the thing.
[Jasmin]: [1d10] => [5] = (5)
[Aidan]: (knight:)
[1d10] => [10] = (10)
[Aidan]: (aidan:)
[1d10] => [1] = (1)
[Daufer]: Daufer charges at the
monstrosity, swinging his maul furiously.
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [9] = (9)
[Loreleii]: Crying a low moan of
horror, Loreleii points her wand at the monster.
[Loreleii]: [1d10] -> [2] =
(2)
[JadedDM]:
Round 1: Aidan's turn.
[Aidan]: Aidan finishes his spell,
a single word being called out as he points towards the creature's largest eye.
Unfortunately, a globe of light bursts into existence just behind the
creature, rather than before its eye.
[Airellian]: ((If we do, we'll
have great reason to be proud.))
[JadedDM]:
Loreleii's turn.
[Loreleii]: [1d4+1] -> [4,1] =
(5)
[Loreleii]: Crying out the arcane
word with a great tremor in her voice, a bright arrow-shaped light lances out
from the wand and strikes the Eye Tyrant, but simply causes the creature a minor
irritation.
[JadedDM]:
Zikar's turn.
[JadedDM]: Reaching out to touch
the woman's leg (he's short), he places Shadowbite's blessing on Jasmin.
(Jasmin now has a +1 to hit and all saves, and an extra 8 HP.)
[JadedDM]:
Videl's turn.
[JadedDM]: Roaring out a battle
cry, the former soldier charges right at the beholder, swinging his sword with
his one arm. The blade strikes the
orb and is bounced off, as if he struck metal.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+3] => [3,3] =
(6)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+3] => [6,3] =
(9)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin rushes in on the
beholder, striking out at the thing, but her attacks seem to bounce off the
creature.
[JadedDM]:
Eskar's turn.
[Eskar]: [1d20] => [16] = (16)
[Eskar]: [2d4+2] => [4,2,2] =
(8)
[Eskar]: Eskar's blade finds
purchase on the giant thing's hide, scoring it. However, this seems nothing in
comparison to the thing's size and tenacity.
[JadedDM]:
Teheth-Obz's turn.
[JadedDM]:
(I need a RSW save from Eskar.)
[Eskar]: [1d20] => [8] = (8)
[JadedDM]:
(I need a saving throw from Jasmin.)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+1] => [10,1] =
(11)
[JadedDM]:
(Now I need another save, this time from Daufer.)
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [16] =
(16)
[JadedDM]: The beholder
unleashes a number of colored beams at the party.
Videl, Daufer, and Jasmin all manage to dodge them.
Eskar is struck by one, which leaves behind a small burn mark.
[JadedDM]: It also bites at the
Knight, but is unable to pierce its armor.
[JadedDM]:
Kricket's turn.
[JadedDM]: Kricket places a very
quick-paced tune on his lute, his fingers nearly a blur.
A red haze surrounds Jasmin and in her mind, time seems to slow down a
bit.
[JadedDM]:
(Jasmin is hasted. She gets a -2 to
initiative, a movement rate of 24, and can now attack twice as often.
However, she also ages a year.)
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[Jasmin]: (Well, a year isn't a
big deal for Jasmin)
[JadedDM]: Cardel swings his
axe, but it clangs against the creature with no effect.
[JadedDM]:
Liam's turn.
[JadedDM]: Liam fires an arrow,
but it misses.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris fires next,
but also misses the sphere.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [3] = (3)
[Daufer]: Daufer charges after
the beholder, but his maul simply bounces off of the creature's tough hide.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+3] => [1,3] =
(4)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+3] => [5,3] =
(8)
[Jasmin]: (shit.)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+3] => [4,3] =
(7)
[Airellian]: ((Come on!))
[Jasmin]: Jasmin moves to attack
again, but Radiant Star goes flying. Scalebiter
harmlessly bounces off the tough hide.
[JadedDM]:
Liam's turn.
[JadedDM]: Liam fires another
arrow, but the arrow simply bounces off the creature.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris fires an
arrow, but this one makes its mark. It
sinks into the beholder's skin, to its annoyance.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: [1d20] -> [1] = (1)
[Jasmin]: (*laughs* Oh man)
[Eskar]: (-_-)
[Daufer]: Daufer swings again at
the creature, but his weapon is jarred out of his hands from striking the tough
surface.
[Airellian]: ((Don't fight it.
Fate has ruled that this is what must be done.))
[JadedDM]:
Meschior's turn.
[JadedDM]: Meschior calls upon
the blessing of Renos, Guardian of Flame. All
party members add +1 to hit rolls.
[Jasmin]: (I have all of these
bonuses, but I still can't get a hit.)
[JadedDM]:
(State actions for Round 2.)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin continues to
attack the beholder. And she'll grab
her Radiant Star too.
[Jasmin]: [1d10-2] => [9,-2] =
(7)
[Daufer]: ((Daufer picks up his
weapon.))
[Daufer]: [1d10] -> [10] =
(10)
[Airellian]: ((Geez.))
[Aidan]: Aidan pulls a glass rod
and a patch of fur from a pouch and begins to cast another spell.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [7] = (7)
[Loreleii]: Loreleii pulls out a
scroll and begins reciting the words.
[Eskar]: Eskar continues the
assault.
[Loreleii]: [1d10] -> [7] =
(7)
[Eskar]: [1d10] => [2] = (2)
[Aidan]: The knight moves to attack
the creature.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [1] = (1)
[JadedDM]:
Round 2: Teheth-Obz's turn.
[JadedDM]:
(I need a save from Eskar.)
[Eskar]: [1d20] => [4] = (4)
[Eskar]: Eskar becomes a statue.
[JadedDM]:
(Saving throw for Daufer.)
[Loreleii]: [1d20+1] -> [6,1]
= (7)
[Daufer]: Daufer grunts in pain
as the eye-ray causes him damage.
[JadedDM]:
(And now, a saving throw for the Knight.)
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [2] = (2)
[JadedDM]: The beholder
unleashes another bunch of eyebeams. One
strikes Eskar, turning him into solid stone.
The second is dodged just barely by Jasmin.
The third burns Daufer slightly. The
fourth hits the Knight, disintegrating him into mere dust.
The beholder also attempts to bite at Cardel, but fails.
[JadedDM]:
Kricket's turn.
[Airellian]: ((Now it's our
turn.))
[Eskar]: (There will be a statue
in honor of the Knight!)
[Aidan]: (an eskar statue?)
[JadedDM]: Kricket draws his
rapier and engages the beholder, but his magical sword still cannot pierce the
creature's hide.
[Airellian]: ((Yeah, he's
enlarged right now. You could probably carve away the excess.))
[JadedDM]:
Zikar's turn.
[JadedDM]: Zikar calls upon
Shadowbite's aid to Cardel, granting him more strength.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [17,4] =
(21)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [19,4] =
(23)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [4,4] =
(8)
[Eskar]: (Just carve the stature
of the Knight out of one of his legs. It'll be glorious. Also yay!)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+6] => [5,6] =
(11)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+5] => [5,5] =
(10)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin grabs Radiant
Star, and then attacks as quickly as possible. Both swords make contact with the
main eye, causing the creature to cry out in serve pain as blood oozes from the
central eye.
[JadedDM]:
Aidan's turn.
[Aidan]: Aidan completes his spell,
holding out the hand with the glass rod, wrapped in the fur patch, to his right,
calling into being a growing spark of light.
With a swing of his arm, he sends the bolt of lightning down the clearest
line he can into the beholder.
[Aidan]: [7d6] =>
[1,4,2,5,1,5,6] = (24)
[Eskar]: (Yeah!)
[Aidan]: The bolt plows through the
creature, but it remains afloat, blinking mildly for only a second or two before
gazing angrily about.
[JadedDM]:
Loreleii's turn.
[Loreleii]: [1d4+1] -> [2,1] =
(3)
[Loreleii]: Loreleii finishes
reciting the words from the scroll. The touches the hobgoblin's armored body and
he vanishes from plain sight.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris fires another
arrow, to no avail.
[JadedDM]:
Meschior's turn.
[JadedDM]: Meschior engages the
beholder, but is unable to harm it with his blade.
[JadedDM]:
Daufer's turn.
[Daufer]: Unseen, Daufer picks up
his weapon.
[JadedDM]:
Videl's turn.
[JadedDM]: Videl continues
slashing away at the floating orb, but doesn't seem to be bothering him in the
least.
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[JadedDM]: Cardel manages to cut
the creature slightly with the edge of his axe.
[JadedDM]:
Liam's turn.
[JadedDM]: Just as the beholder
turns to face Aidan, his central eye staring him down, Liam fires.
The arrow sinks deeply into the central eye, blinding the beholder.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [6,4] =
(10)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [2,4] =
(6)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [11,4] =
(15)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [1,4] =
(5)
[Aidan]: Aidan nods his thanks to
Liam.
[Jasmin]: [1d6+6] => [1,6] =
(7)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+6] => [3,6] =
(9)
[Airellian]: ((Stop dropping your
weapons!))
[Jasmin]: (you are one to talk)
[Airellian]: ((Tee hee.))
[Jasmin]: Now that she has both
swords, Jasmin dashes in, her swords seemingly flying all over the place. Radiant
Star scores two hits on the beholder, causing it to sway in its hovering,
yet Scalebiter isn't able to make home, and even goes flying as it
bounces off it's thick hide.
[JadedDM]:
Gaheris' turn.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris, his hands
sweaty, fumbles his bow.
[JadedDM]:
Videl's turn.
[JadedDM]: Videl attacks a
second time, doing no damage.
[JadedDM]:
Cardel's turn.
[JadedDM]: Cardel bashes away
with his axe, but the beholder is too tough.
[JadedDM]:
Liam's turn.
[JadedDM]: Not one to break the
record of sucky NPCs, Liam also misses his mark.
[Eskar]: (The beholder kills two
of us and we miss a lot at it XD)
[JadedDM]:
(State actions for Round 3.)
[Jasmin]: Jasmin attacks the
beholder and picks up Scalebiter.
[Jasmin]: [1d10-2] => [7,-2] =
(5)
[Aidan]: Aidan begins to cast
another spell.
[Aidan]: [1d10] => [6] = (6)
[Daufer]: Daufer attacks the
beholder. [1d10] -> [3] = (3)
[Loreleii]: Loreleii scurries
back and aims her wand at the beholder. [1d10] -> [9] = (9)
[JadedDM]:
Round 3: Teheth-Obz's turn.
[JadedDM]: Teheth-Obz:
"Enough of this! If I am
to go down, I will take all of you with me!"
[JadedDM]:
(Saving throw for Jasmin, please.)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+1] => [12,1] =
(13)
[JadedDM]:
(I need a save from Aidan.)
[Aidan]: [1d20] => [14] = (14)
[JadedDM]:
(I need a save from Loreleii.)
[Loreleii]: [1d20] -> [20] =
(20)
[Airellian]: ((Boo yah!))
[JadedDM]: Enraged, Teheth-Obz
lets loose all of his powers at once. Jasmin
ducks to avoid a beam. Daufer is
invisible and so is never targeted. Aidan
also ducks in time. Gaheris rolls to
the side to avoid getting hit. Zikar,
however, is struck by a beam and with a cry, falls forward.
He does not move again. Meschior
evades the beam. Loreleii also
evades. Videl is struck by one and
seems to be hurt by it. This is made
worse when the beholder bites into him, leaving him severely wounded.
Kricket is struck by a beam and vanishes into a puff.
Cardel avoids the beam. Liam
is hit by a beam, and is then raised into the air--as if some invisible hand had
grasped him--and hurled to the floor.
[JadedDM]:
Jasmin's turn.
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [15,4] =
(19)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [6,4] =
(10)
[Jasmin]: [1d20+4] => [7,4] =
(11)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+6] => [1,6] =
(7)
[Jasmin]: [1d6+6] => [5,6] =
(11)
[Jasmin]: After seeing her
brother hurt, Jasmin narrows her eyes and rushes at the beholder once again. Her
swords seem to almost move on their own, Radiant
Star stabbing the flying orb twice with much force, before she rolls to the
ground to pick up Scalebiter.
[JadedDM]: Teheth-Obz grunts
before spitting out some blood on Jasmin. It
begins to float backwards, haphazardly. Its'
eyestalks begin blasting at random, toward the ceiling and ground, as well as
toward the walls. It seems trying to
speak something, but it is difficult to tell what.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes a few
steps back away from the beholder. She keeps her eyes on the thing as she tries
to wipe some of the blood off of her.
[JadedDM]: Teheth-Obz:
"Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Kulak
R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn..." it mumbles, before dropping to the ground
like a deflated child's toy ball. It
ceases to move.
[Daufer]: Daufer blinks into
view, his weapon in his hand. He looks at the Eye Tyrant warily, waiting for
some trick.
[Jasmin]: "Is it...?"
Jasmin asks as she cautiously approaches the demon.
[Aidan]: "Anyone recognize
that language it was speaking?"
[JadedDM]: The ground begins to
rumble softly, and a black portal begins to form under the beholder.
Its body drops inside as the portal widens.
Within the gate you can hear the eternal screams of misery and torture.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin's eyes widen.
"We didn't stop it from opening!"
[JadedDM]: Videl drops down to
his knees, wounded. "You mean
it was all for nothing? @#$%
that..."
[Aidan]: "Oh."
Aidan worriedly looks around at the others.
"How about that blood sacrifice...?"
[JadedDM]: A massive purple
tentacle begins to rise up into the room from the portal, as if searching
around.
[Daufer]: Daufer's jaw drops, at
a loss for words, especially after so much death and battle throughout the day.
[Jasmin]: "Okay...okay blood
sacrifice, I can do that," Jasmin says quickly as she sees the purple
tentacle.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Jasmin, no! You
can't!"
[Jasmin]: "Well, someone has
to!"
[Daufer]: "Trying to be a
hero, Labree?" Daufer says, looking up.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Send Cardel! He's a
walking vegetable, anyway!"
[Aidan]: "He wouldn't be
willing."
[Loreleii]: Loreleii looks
worriedly at everyone.
[JadedDM]: Videl:
"Ahh...@#$%...I'll do it. I'm
about dead anyway, and besides...not much left to live for.
Help me up."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin opens her mouth
to say something about Cardel before she looks sharply over to Videl.
"...Are you sure?" she asks as she moves to help him up.
[Daufer]: "No, he's your
brother, he's your family," Daufer says. "I have no one else in this
world. I'll do it."
[JadedDM]: Videl:
"All that matters to me, is that you're okay.
And you've shown me, you don't need me anymore.
Not by a long shot. I'm proud
you're my sister," he says, using her help to stand up.
He doubles over in pain, though.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"But Daufer, what about your temple?"
[JadedDM]: The portal continues
to widen.
[Daufer]: Daufer shrugs.
"The Drow would have razed it to the ground anyway." He picks up his
maul and shoulders it. "You and Labree go and make lots of babies."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin looks over to
Daufer, and shakes her head. "Videl would be miserable without his arm for
the rest of his life, Daufer. Let my brother do it, if that is what he
wants."
[JadedDM]: The party is forced
to step back as the portal continues to widen.
More tentacles begin to emerge, and looking inside, they see squads of
demons flying right toward them.
[Daufer]: Daufer grins wide, his
sharp teeth in full view. "I don't take orders from you, Jasmin." The
hobgoblin dashes off towards the portal.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Daufer!!!" he shouts, ready to run after him.
[Loreleii]: Loreleii covers her
mouth with her hand, aghast.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin's eyes widen in
shock as Daufer runs towards the portal, yet nothing seems to come out of her
mouth.
[Aidan]: Aidan looks concerned, but
shakes his head, stepping back.
[JadedDM]: Daufer quickly
reaches the edge of the portal, and peers inside.
He can see the armies of the Abyss flying toward them, their eyes
flashing with eagerness at the carnage they will no doubt cause.
[Daufer]: The priest looks back
for a moment. "Gaheris! Jasmin! Aidan! Loreleii! Meschior! Good-bye!"
Grinning, with his weapon in hand, he dives into the portal.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Daufer! NO!"
[JadedDM]: There is a flash of
light, and the tentacles quickly withdraw as the portal seals quickly.
The entire room starts to rumble, as if some giant god were shaking it
fervently.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes a forward
as if going to stop him, but stops herself to simply keep her brother standing.
[JadedDM]: The room vanishes,
replaced by the myriad of colors again. They
swirl around so violently now, that anyone watching will become dizzy in
seconds.
[JadedDM]: Meschior:
"We...we must get out of here!"
[Loreleii]: Loreleii nods
fervently. "But, how?"
[Jasmin]: Jasmin sways a bit on
her feet. "Come on, Videl." Jasmin says to him. "Just start
moving!"
[JadedDM]: The remaining members
of the group begin to shuffle back the way they came--or what they hope is the
way they came. The room's colors
swirl around so much, it's difficult to even determine if they are going in a
straight line or not. But as luck
would have it, they come across the same shimmering doorway they entered from.
[Jasmin]: Jasmin quickly moves
through the door, helping her brother along the way.
[JadedDM]: Jasmin and Videl drop
through the door, landing in the real world--back in the mines.
This world seems deathly quiet and peaceful in comparison to the one they
just left. Lilah, who had been
sitting nearby, hugging her legs, quickly stands up.
[Aidan]: Aidan heads through the
doorway, back to his own reality.
[JadedDM]: Gaheris follows next,
looking over his shoulder one last time before leaving.
[Loreleii]: Loreleii steps
through the portal and back into the mortal realm.
[JadedDM]: Meschior is right
behind her. Cardel and Liam are the
last to exit.
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"Did...did you succeed?"
[Jasmin]: "...Yes?"
Jasmin looks a little unsure on the answer.
[JadedDM]: The shimmering
doorway of light seems to collapse in on itself, and then vanishes.
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"Teheth-Obz...and the others?"
[Jasmin]: "Dead."
[JadedDM]: Lilah:
"And the Maw itself?"
[Aidan]: "Daufer sacrificed
himself to close the portal."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin continues to
help her brother. "....What do we do now?"
[JadedDM]: Lilah sighs in
relief. Her big, black eyes well
with tears. "Rest."
She looks to Gaheris. "And
mourn. It's over."
[JadedDM]: Meschior:
"Not quite. We must
rebuild the city. We must find a way
to appease the Drow. We have a lot
of work ahead of us, really."
[Loreleii]: "Yes,"
Loreleii says softly. "We do."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"Yeah. I guess Slaying
is something we won't have to worry about for awhile."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin takes a deep
breath, and starts for the exit of the mines. "Let's get out of here, and
see where we can rest up."
[JadedDM]: Liam:
"I guess that's it for the Tainted Hands.
Father's gone...and Cardel may as well be."
[JadedDM]: Meschior:
"And with Zikar gone, the
[Loreleii]: "Grandfather's
library," Loreleii says with a soft moan.
[Jasmin]: "There really
isn't really a lot left of Voxis."
[JadedDM]: Liam:
"And I guess with Daufer gone, that's it for the
[Aidan]: "It would likely be
best to start rebuilding by looking for survivors."
[JadedDM]: Gaheris:
"No. That temple will be
built. I'll see to it myself,"
he says with conviction. "A
memorial to a true hero of Voxis. And
if the Drow don't like it, they can go #$% themselves."
[Jasmin]: Jasmin smiles faintly
to Gaheris.
[JadedDM]: Liam:
"Come on. Let's go find
a spot to rest up. We can talk more
then."
[JadedDM]:
(Okay...I suppose that wraps it up then.)
