Ch 6: Part 4: The Throne of Abraxas: Session 107

[15:41] <Kilarra> *****Second Darkness*****
[15:42] <Kilarra> ~~~Chapter 6: Descent into Midnight~~~
[15:43] <Kilarra> -Session 107-
[15:44] <Kilarra> After breaking away from the large scale battle between the CHardas and the bulk of Allevrah's drow, the party had a harrowing encounter with a group of demons guarding the threshold of the Blood Bascilica. Kilarra lost her arm to a Glabrezu's pincer, and Kahree nearly died after being thrown into the lake of Black Blood below.
[15:45] <Kilarra> Both were able to recover, and Kahree was then able to disarm the warding glyph placed on the door, leaving the party standing just before Allevrah's final redoubt.
[15:46] <Aluthyra> Kahree smirks, tools returning to her wrists as they transform into bracers. "Done." She looks back. "Ready to go?"
[15:47] * Kilarra looks to Aluthyra, rubbing her new arm to make sure it had all the right sensory response as well. "How are you doing for arrows?"
[15:49] * Aluthyra frowns. "Just about forty. Not too many left, considering how many I generally fire..."
[15:49] * Kilarra nods, "What kinds?"
[15:51] * Aluthyra nods, checking her quiver. "Twelve cold iron, and thirty adamantine."
[15:52] <Kilarra> Kjell notes, "It's unfortunate that the demons here seem less vulnerable to cold iron. Probably need holy weapons to really get through their hides."
[15:54] * Kilarra keeps looking at the grizzly scar at the base of her arm. "Anyways, what's important is that we get through this." She looks around, "That was a lot worse than I think we were expecting, and I don't imagine it's gonna get any easier." She sighs, "We should have an escape plan, just in case we need to regroup."
[15:56] * Aluthyra looks to Kjell. "Do you have any spells of teleportation left?"
[15:58] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "One prepared, yes."
[15:59] * Kilarra nods, "Okay then. Hold onto it. From now on, we stick close together. If one of us goes down, dead or unconscious, Kjell ports us back to Bhaq's shrine. I'd rather risk losing time against Allevrah than trying to beat her without our full strength. If we tried that, we'd all get killed -and- there'd be almost nothing to stop that star fall."
[16:01] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods, stepping to the side of the door. "Then... Kjell or Aluthyra, lead on."
[16:02] <Kilarra> Kjell looks to Aluthyra, "You should save your arrows for bigger targets. Drow soldiers and clerics Kahree and I can probably deal with without using up resources needed elsewhere."
[16:03] * Aluthyra nods. "Very well. But if you look in need, I will not hesitate to fire."
[16:03] * Kilarra smiles, "Wouldn't ask you to just let them die, but I think they mean so long as it looks like they can handle it."
[16:03] <Kilarra> Kjell steps forward and pushes the door open.
[16:04] <Kilarra> This long, straight hallway is empty except for the friezes of a strange part-snake, part-bird demon carved into the stone walls on either side. Tangled coils of softly glowing runes wind along the walls in dense patterns between these carvings, filling the hall with shadowy light. Two matched sets of doors stand closed on either side of the corridor, with a set of double doors at each end of the hallway.
[16:05] <Aluthyra> Kahree keeps to the edge of the hall, following in the back and within the shadows.
[16:07] <Kilarra> Kjell keeps his sword out and steps through the hall. He glances at the side doors, then down to the end of the hall; "Which way?"
[16:09] * Aluthyra steps ahead of Kjell, shrugging. "Perhaps the smaller rooms, left or right-- we might as well clear out this cathedral so no reinforcements come to the final fight." As Aluthyra takes the lead, she explains, "Allow me to draw their fire, at least. I believe I am harder to hit."
[16:09] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "Go ahead." He steps to the door on the right, leaving the left to Aluthyra. "In case someone comes out of this while after you open that one."
[16:10] * Aluthyra nods, waiting for Kjell to open both doors in sync.
[16:11] <Kilarra> Kjell pushes open the door
[16:12] * Aluthyra pushes hers as well.
[16:13] <Kilarra> As each door is opened, a blast of electricity issues from each. The blast has a small radius, so only those adjacent to the doors opened (Kjell and Aluthyra) are struck.
[16:17] <Kilarra> After the blasts go off, Kjell and Aluthyra each see a pair of Drow Priestesses standing there waiting for them, although they didn't appear to be expecting their doors opened inwards, and were caught in the blasts as well.
[16:23] <Aluthyra> Kahree smirks, slipping in through the door Aluthyra opened. Moving along the side of the room, she positions herself next to the cleric, readying herself to strike...
[16:27] <Kilarra> The first drow cleric, seeing the warding glyphs having backfired due to proximity, casts Mass Cure Light Wounds. Or tries to...
[16:28] <Kilarra> Kahree effortless incapacitates the cleric before she can heal herself and the others.
[16:28] <Kilarra> The second cleric near Kahree, now able to see her after the attack, places a hand on her, casting a spell of poison.
[16:30] <Kilarra> Kahree suddenly feels weak as the magical poison spreads through her.
[16:32] <Aluthyra> Kahree scowls, glaring at the cleric.
[16:32] <Kilarra> The next Drow cleric aims for Aluthyra with another spell, hitting her with a hammer of chaotic energy
[16:34] <Kilarra> the spell fails to penetrate Aluthyra's resistance
[16:34] <Kilarra> The final cleric attempts to poison Kjell
[16:34] <Kilarra> Kjell is unaffected
[16:35] <Kilarra> The twin doors on the far side of the middle of the hall open, with four more cleric spilling out into the hallway. Their intended four way ambush thwarted, they each pull out a wand and unleash two lightning bolts and two fireballs on the party.
[16:41] <Kilarra> Kjell frowns at the two clerics directly in front of him, then unleashes his cone of cold directly into the room
[16:42] <Kilarra> One of the clerics drops, but the other is slightly more nimble.
[16:46] * Aluthyra raises her bow, aiming at one of the clerics. For now, she holds her aim.
[16:51] * Kilarra decides the best way to end this quickly would be to reduce the number by which they were outnumbered. She steps up to the Cleric Kjell didn't finish off and grabs hold, pumping her full of negative energy.
[16:52] <Kilarra> The drow priestess drops
[16:52] * Kilarra smirks.
[16:53] <Kilarra> Kahree manages to tough out the magical poison
[16:53] <Aluthyra> Kahree smirks, stepping close to the priestess. "Shouldn't have," she growls, lunging with her maces.
[16:54] <Kilarra> Kahree makes drow priestess pulp
[16:56] <Kilarra> Two of the Drow Priestesses attempt to hold Aluthyra and Kjell in place
[16:56] <Kilarra> Kjell is Paralyzed, Aluthyra is not
[16:58] <Kilarra> Kjell frowns, not being able to do anything else
[16:58] <Kilarra> The two remaining clerics attempt to fireball Kjell again, since he can't evade
[17:01] <Kilarra> Kjell gets seared rather badly, but Aluthyra is unaffected and Kilarra has some evasion going for her in addition to her heritage
[17:02] * Aluthyra frowns, immediately turning on the two clerics that threw the fireballs. Three arrows fly towards each target.
[17:04] <Kilarra> Both drop immediately
[17:04] <Kilarra> Kjell can't move
[17:04] * Kilarra is prepared to remedy that, and casts remove paralysis on Kjell, loosening him up
[17:06] <Kilarra> Kjell looks appreciative
[17:07] <Aluthyra> Kahree growls, looking to the two remaining drow. She flashes her maces, pointing each towards the downed and bloodied drow she dealt with. "You fuckers haven't taken down -any- of us. Run or die."
[17:08] <Kilarra> The two priestesses look at their dead companions, then both seem to melt into the stone floors, dropping out of sight.
[17:08] <Aluthyra> Kahree smirks. "Good. Two less to kill." She glances over at Kjell. "You alright?"
[17:10] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "Nothing vital, just a lot of burns. Would have been worse if I hadn't still be warded agaisnt lightning." He smiles at Kilarra
[17:10] * Kilarra nods, looking to ALuthyra, "You don't look like you took a scratch."
[17:11] <Kilarra> Kjell notes to Kahree, "They were uninjured, so they probably just moved back to reinforce Allevrah."
[17:11] * Aluthyra nods, moving to the two corpses to check for usable arrows.
[17:12] * Aluthyra smiles, finding five of her six arrows to be in good condition.
[17:12] <Kilarra> Kjell drinks a couple potions to ease the strain on Kilarra's supplies.
[17:13] * Kilarra pulls out her moderate wand, prodding Kjell with it three times and herself twice. "You get hit at all Kahree?"
[17:14] <Aluthyra> Kahree frowns and nods. "With a spell; feel a bit weaker."
[17:14] * Kilarra slips her wand away for now and steps up to Kahree, examining her.
[17:15] * Kilarra nods, "Magical Poison. Not too bad though, lemme fix that."
[17:16] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods her head in thanks, then moves to inspect the dead priestesses for healing supplies; wands or potions.
[17:20] <Kilarra> The clerics have no potions, nor wands save their almost completely burnt out fireball and lightning bolt ones. They do however, each have a curious gemstone. Kahree is able to recover two clear ones, two light brown ones, and one each reddish orange and blueish green ones
[17:21] <Aluthyra> Kahree raises an eyebrow, bringing the gems to Kjell. "Anything magic about these?"
[17:21] <Kilarra> Kjell checks.
[17:22] * Kjell nods, "Moderate conjuration effect... oh! These are Elemental gems. If you crush or break them, it summons an Elemental."
[17:23] <Kilarra> Kjell points out, "There's air, earth, fire and water. I'd wager the other two clerics each had one as well."
[17:23] * Kilarra smirks; "Will they obey whoever summons them?"
[17:23] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "They follow the orders of whoever breaks the bead."
[17:24] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods and smiles, giving the two earth to Kjell, water to Kilarra, wind to Aluthyra, and keeps the fire for herself. She explains, "When we see the bitch, all of you-- use one. It'll make it a hell of a lot more difficult for her if she's got more targets."
[17:25] * Kilarra looks to Kahree, "Those might be just what the cleric ordered then." She takes the water one with a smirk. "Now, mind checking that next door? It seems they decided to put a ward on -all- of them, judging by the bedroom backfiring."
[17:25] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods, moving to the door to check for traps...
[17:26] <Kilarra> Kahree spots the warding glyph on the large double doors this time, near the middle.
[17:26] * Kilarra follows Kahree up, but stands well enough back to avoid the trap if it went off
[17:27] <Kilarra> Kjell does the same
[17:28] <Aluthyra> Kahree gets to work disabling as her bracers turn to tools.
[17:28] <Kilarra> Kahree scratches the glyph out without setting it off
[17:30] <Aluthyra> Kahree smirks, sitting up. "Done."
[17:31] * Kilarra blinks and looks back to the rooms, "We should check to see if they were storing anything -not- on their persons."
[17:31] <Aluthyra> Kahree shrugs, moving back into the room to search. Aluthyra follows, looking to assist.
[17:31] <Kilarra> Three metal-framed beds dressed in sumptuous black bedsheets sit in this room astride low personal shrines carved to resemble writhing snakes. A single table with three chairs sits in the center of the room, a small stone coffer sitting at its center. Softly glowing runes, thousands of them in all, decorate the walls.
[17:32] <Kilarra> In the drawers of one of the coffers, Kahree finds two wands. Aluthyra finds another pair in the other room
[17:33] <Aluthyra> Kahree and Aluthyra both bring them to Kilarra and Kjell for identification.
[17:33] <Kilarra> Kjell does his thing!
[17:34] <Kilarra> Kjell smirks, "Interesting." He indicates two of the wands, "These are used to alter magic auras, and were probably being used to hide those glyphs." He holds the other two, "These are both moderate curing spells." He smiles
[17:36] <Aluthyra> Kahree shrugs, letting Kjell take the aura wands.
[17:36] * Kilarra grins almost mischeviously and adds the two wands to her own. They weren't fully charged, but now she wasn't worried about running out of touch ups. She leaves Kjell the other two, since they were arcane
[17:37] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "Alright then, shall we?" He brings his sword back up and approaches the door at the end of the hall
[17:37] * Aluthyra nods. "Right." She looks to the double-door as she exits the room. "Ready?"
[17:37] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods. "Let's do it." She presses her hand to her chest just as the others are about to open the door, turning invisible.
[17:38] <Kilarra> Kjell pushes open the door and steps through...
[17:38] * Aluthyra nods, moving alongside Kjell...
[17:38] <Kilarra> Four towering rooster-headed, snake-legged statues of stone dominate this large ante chamber, massive sculptures that seem carved out of the pillars that hold up the cavernous ceiling.
[17:39] <Kilarra> Glowing runes wind around the statues, along the walls, and in strange shifting coils across the polished stone floor and domed ceiling above. A pair of double doors to the west bear more symbols, dominant among them the demon head with snake tails trailing from the mouth. To the east, the chamber opens up into a large cavern.
[17:40] <Kilarra> The room has a single occupant. A single, -massive- occupant.
[17:41] <Kilarra> Its scaly shape surrounded by a susurrus of serpentine syllables, the terrible head of a gigantic snake-like terror slowly rises. Bristling with spines, the thing’s body looks like three massive snakes twisted in an unbreakable embrace, splitting only at the tail, which lashes like a trio of flensing whips.
[17:42] <Kilarra> Along the thing’s length runs a pattern of writhing runes, shapes that waver and reform with each terrible undulation. Three pairs of eyes, each burning with terrible intellect, crown its hooded visage, while below gapes a maw crowded with venom-dripping fangs the length of longswords.
[17:44] <Kilarra> The enormous demonic snake is at least 40ft in length
[17:48] <Aluthyra> Kahree frowns, moving to the side of the demon. Once she reaches the side, she throws a elemental fire gem at the snake's scales, trying to hide herself once she throws the gem.
[17:56] <Kilarra> The gem shatters harmlessly agains the thick hide of the demon, but the Fire Elemental appears in its place. The snake seems to find this funny. "And to think I was worried about the ones who opposed my master," it declares with a snickering hiss. It turns on the Elemental, lashing it with all three of its tails, and then biting into it.
[17:58] <Kilarra> The demon effortlessly snuffs the Fire Elemental
[17:59] * Kilarra blinks, "Well... good thing that wasn't one of us."
[18:01] <Kilarra> The snake gives a hissing laugh, "Flee now with your miserable little lives, that you might live to see the Second Darkness unfold. You will not survive should you press on."
[18:02] * Aluthyra shakes her head. "I think we will try our luck." A flurry of six arrows follow.
[18:05] <Kilarra> Kjell frowns. Getting in close would be suicide, so he readies his blade to slash at the creature if it came to them
[18:05] * Kilarra makes use of the large target and unleased a ray of searing light form her hand.
[18:06] <Kilarra> The searing light ray sears the hide of the snake more effectively than conventional fire would have.
[18:08] <Aluthyra> Kahree keeps away as well, readying herself to attack if it attacks her.
[18:10] <Kilarra> The snake chooses all of the above, lashing one tail at each Kahree, Kjell and Kilarra, then lunges towards Aluthyra with its gaping maw
[18:12] <Kilarra> The Snake snatches up Kjell and Kilarra both, constricting them with its tails. Kahree evades
[18:13] <Kilarra> she can't seem to land a hit through the creature's scales though
[18:14] * Kilarra manages to magically slip away thanks to the spell she had cast earlier to evade drider webs
[18:14] <Kilarra> Kjell remains caught
[18:15] <Kilarra> Aluthyra fails to be caught by the creatures massive maw
[18:15] * Aluthyra frowns, letting another six arrows fly at the beast's ugly maw.
[18:17] <Kilarra> Aluthyra manages to ram one arrow right into one of the beast's six eyes, destroying it. The creature hisses and flails as two more arrows sink in through the wound, exacerbating it.
[18:18] <Kilarra> Kjell can't really do anything in his current constricted state
[18:19] * Kilarra frowns, not really having anything left that she didn't want to save for Allevrah personally. She steps back and waits for Aluthyra to kill it so she can fix Kjell
[18:20] <Aluthyra> Kahree growls, standing back.
[18:21] <Kilarra> The Xacarba locks its remaining five eyes on Aluthyra, "Well well well," it hisses, "Perhaps you could stand a chance. It matters not, my purpose here is served, and my master's will is nearly come to pass. Mark my words though, you'd best watch out, lest I come to claim one of your eyes."
[18:21] <Kilarra> The giant snake teleports away, dropping Kjell
[18:21] * Aluthyra blinks. "That's... it?"
[18:22] <Kilarra> Kjell hits the floor with a thud, glad he wasn't up very high
[18:22] * Kilarra blinks, "That's... unusual. Every other demon here kept fighting until we killed or banished them."
[18:22] <Aluthyra> Kahree frowns. "Alright... that works, I guess."
[18:23] <Kilarra> Kjell smirks, "That tells me one thing though; our escape plan is still valid. If that thing can teleport away, so can we."
[18:23] <Kilarra> Kjell gets up and brushes himself off.
[18:24] <Kilarra> -End Session-
[18:25] <Kilarra> rewards: 1 EL 16, 1 EL 15; 32000 exp each