CELESTIAL  CAPER

December 11, 2010


Day 3  (cont.)  <date TBD; late spring>

3:00pm  (cont)

20 (cont): [Dagger tells Zeln, "Stay here; guard us" - but doesn't have time to give more explicit directions.]  Ninalyn brings out three potions of Cure Moderate and puts them on the ground, says "drink these"; Axe drinks one for 15; Tarva says, "I'm bringing Zeln's body back; if it moves, kill it; HR: go Holy", snaps the "Z" charm on her Bracelet of Friends, Zeln appears, lying down in front of her, strikes for  19+4 (HR's blade tip turns black), 15+4 (black is creeping up blade); Surune puts herself between Tarva and Zeln's body, "Tarva! What are you doing?"; Rowan drinks potion for 18; Zeln casts Hold Person Mass -- Tarva saves, rest frozen -- says, "What the hell are you doing?  Stop!"

21. Velia held; Ninalyn saves; Axe held; Tarva takes a 5' step around Surune, hits for 16 (black is halfway up blade), 17 (black is to hilt), criticals for 40 (black covers all of HR); Surune is held; Rowan is held; Zeln casts Teleport, disappears [appears in room with Dagger (held by Darinthalus)].

22.  Velia held; [Dagger is surprised by contest of Wills from Zeln, barely wins]; Ninalyn drinks potion, puts another on ground; Axe held; HR telepathically tells Tarva, "I get it now.  I know why it had to be us.  I see how to destroy the Dagger, and I need Mordenkainen's Amulet to control the backlash.  I also see that if you get hit by the Dagger, you won't be controlled, instead you'll be destroyed.  I think you'll be unresurrectable ... I don't want to lose you you, and I don't know what to do." and Tarva telepaths back [ed. note: luckily Telepathy is much faster than talking;-)] "We have to stop him.  Whatever the cost.  I don't want to lose you either.  Do I need to put the Amulet on you directly, or is my wearing it while holding you enough?  What do you need to do?", then uses a Wand of Cure Light on Surune for 10; Surune held; Rowan held; [Zeln finds a loophole in the Dagger's command, casts Temporal Stasis on himself].

23.  Velia held; Ninalyn uses a Wand of Cure Light on Axe for 12; Axe held; HR telepaths, "It needs to be within 20' of me and I need to sunder the Dagger while holding this plane's energy.", Tarva uses her Wand on Surune for 12, herself for 13, says, "HR tells me he can destroy the Dagger if he can hit it."; Surune held; Rowan held; [Zeln in Stasis].

24.  Velia no longer held, drinks potion for 20; Ninalyn uses Wand on Axe for 8; Axe no longer held, drinks potion; Tarva uses Wand on Surune for 7, herself for 13, says, "we need to get into the church and find him as soon as we're ready"; Surune decides we're ready now, yells, "follow me" and runs off to East side of building; Rowan no longer held, follows Surune and catches up; [Zeln in Stasis].

25.  Velia follows Surune and Rowan, flying; [people near the window hear muffled cursing from inside]; Ninalyn flies; Axe activates his boots to fly and flies; Tarva, "We need to stay together", follows the others; Surune climbs to window; Rowan climbs to window, jumps down (4 damage); [Zeln in Stasis].

26.  Velia flies in window, lands on interior room roof; Ninalyn files in, hovers; Axe flies inside; Tarva to window; Surune climbs down; Rowan says, "I heard mumbling from that door", moves towards the north-end double doors, sees that the right-hand wing has a floor, but the left-hand wing has a big hole (thinks of Dragon), much rubble near front of double doors, directly under hole in ceiling; [Zeln in Stasis].

27.  Velia flies down to Rowan; [everyone feels the beginning of another gate opening]; Ninalyn flies to Rowan; Axe asks, "did everyone feel that rip?" lands with rubble between him and double doors; Tarva casts Message on everyone, with herself as center, says, "I've cast Message, anything you whisper I can relay", jumps down (for 6); Surune goes around rubble to doors; Rowan goes around rubble to doors; [Zeln in Stasis].

28. Velia flies to doors, doesn't see lock, does see hinges and handles (doors open out towards us); Ninalyn flies over hole in left-hand wing, edges look worn, hole looks like something has been going in and out of it; Axe reserves for a target; Tarva to left-hand door, "Surune, open yours also please," and opens door -- inside large room (back wall is totally missing) Darinthalus is roughly center, looks tortured, right arm is twisted and blackened, left hand has a smoking metal gauntlet, wearing a face mask of moving silver, wings are blackened, unhealthy, tattered, obviously fighting himself, equally obviously is losing, the normal aura for a Celestial is not present - a Nalfeshnee is where the back left corner of the room would be - halfway along the right wall Zeln is standing unnaturally still - there are two 'puddles' of what Tarva barely recognizes as being the melted remains of Boricens, beasts from Feyland -- "Celestial and Zeln and warthog demon" she calls out; Surune opens other door; Rowan shoots Nal-1 for 15, 19, 16, 15, 17, 18; [Zeln in Stasis].

29. Velia reserves for flanking; Dagger shouts out, "I am Issaqua, the Corruptor, Render of Worlds.  You will make excellent minions and I have a use for that sword and then I can resume the important work of freeing My Master.", then lengthens out to become a Greatsword, casts Waves of Exhaustion -- half speed & -6 Dex, -6 Str on all but Ninalyn (protected by wall over doorway) and Axe (too far away);  Nal-1 (and Nal-2, in front right corner and unseen, but Tarva can see glow) begin to glow in rainbow patterns; Ninalyn flies to Tarva and casts Restoration; Axe flies-charges Darinthalus for 26; Tarva calls out, "HR needs to take out the Dagger; please keep the rest of the bad guys off us", begins to sing Inspire Greatness on Heart's Reach, moves forward, Spring Attacks on Darinthalus for 17; Surune takes a 5' step inside, confronts Nal-2 and criticals for 184+27, kills; Rowan shoots Nal-1 for 15, 11, 14,12, 17, 15; [Zeln in Stasis].

30. Velia flies-charges Nal-1, uses Flick of the Wrist, for 68; Issaque on Axe for 106 and takes him over, "kill the golden skinned one"; Nal-1 casts Rainbow Burst -- Valia dazed [through round 33], Axe dazed [through round 33] -- then Teleports away; Ninalyn to Rowan and casts Restoration; Axe dazed; Tarva's Inspire Greatness takes effect on HR [through round 34], telepaths "this time we strike the Dagger", starts singing Countersong, haste to tumble to Darinthalus, strikes at Issaqua -- AoO misses -- criticals for 32 (Issaque bloopers opposed attack roll) ::= Issaqua explodes for 300 (150 if Reflex save) -- Velia does not save, dies; Axe saves, but still dies; Tarva & Ninalyn save, but are knocked unconscious; Rowan and Surune save, and stay up; Darinthalus says (for those still able to hear) "Bless you: I couldn't do it by myself," and then discorporates; Mordenkainen's Amulet has been turned into a smouldering mess; Heart's Reach is a dull grey.

3:03pm


Rowan uses one of Ninalyn's Wands of Cure Light to bring Ninalyn back to consciousness.  Ninalyn brings Tarva back, then begins work to cast Resurrection Velia and Axe.  Tarva uses Wands to bring herself and everyone else back to full health.  

After all of us are well, Ninalyn uses Spellcraft to examine Zeln's body -- as best she can guess, he's somehow been placed "outside of time".  Tarva says we'll bring him along with us, find someone who can restore him.  Velia finds a bow (and arrows) with a smoking handprint on its grasp.  She brings them to Rowan as the group's archer, then goes off to look at the hole in the floor if the left-hand wing.

Everyone receives 35,000 XP, which is enough to bring anyone from anywhere within 17th level up to somewhere inside 19th level.

The run ends here -- but see also the Epilogue.