Ch 6: Part 3: The Focus Glyphs: Session 103

[14:50] <Kilarra> *****Second Darkness*****
[14:50] <Kilarra> ~~~Chapter 6: Descent into Midnight~~~
[14:50] <Kilarra> -Session 103-
[14:51] <Kilarra> The party had managed not only to infiltrate the Bloodforge completely undetected, but also managed to take down a drow sorceror and a demon guarding the glyph, and the glyph itself without arousing the rest of the fortress. That is, until the glyph discharged a lightning bolt that tore a hole in the wall.
[14:53] <Kilarra> Kjell frowns, "I think we might be about to get some company." He looks to the door, "Make sure that's locked, it'll buy us a little time."
[14:56] * Kilarra looks to Aluthyra, "Do we wanna fight them off, or cut and run?"
[14:56] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods, moving from the drow's corpse to the door, making sure it's locked.
[14:57] * Aluthyra shakes her head. "I would say fight. Otherwise, they will just be used to bolster the drow defenses later on."
[14:57] <Kilarra> The door was already locked while Drexinis had been performing his sick experiment
[14:58] <Aluthyra> Kahree steps back, moving into the shadows. "Then get ready."
[14:59] <Kilarra> Kjell nods to Aluthyra, "If we had gotten both in and out unnnoticed I would say run, but Aluthyra is right. Removing these forces now will make it easier to assail Allevrah's fortress later. With or without the aid of the Chardas."
[15:01] <Kilarra> Kjell raises his spell arm, ready to throw something big as the drow enter.
[15:01] * Aluthyra raises her bow, waiting with arrows ready/
[15:02] * Kilarra smirks and casts a spell. The entire room floods with daylight. "There, now their dark adjusted eyes will mess up their aim. Not that they were great shots to begin with."
[15:04] <Kilarra> After Kilarra's spell is cast, there's a click at the door. Someone outside had their own key. The door is flung open to reveal the six soldiers and four driders that had been in the courtyard all gathered together
[15:05] <Kilarra> Kjell goes first and casts a cone of freezing energy while the drow are so nicely grouped
[15:08] <Kilarra> None of the drow react quickly enough to avoid the cone of cold, and are all drained of heat very painfully.
[15:09] * Aluthyra aims for the soldiers, firing a single arrow into each of them!
[15:10] <Kilarra> A single well placed shot from Aluthyra into each of the cold weakened drow soldiers drops them like a bunch of stones.
[15:14] <Aluthyra> Kahree grins, seeing the drow go down so fast, and moves to the closest drider, swinging her mace at its carapace.
[15:15] <Kilarra> The drider, also weakened by the cold, topples over, its legs curling up under it
[15:18] <Aluthyra> Kahree moves on to the next drider, attempting to deliver several swift blows to its legs.
[15:21] <Kilarra> Kahree pulverizes another drider into submission
[15:21] <Kilarra> As Kahree moves out of the large tower, she spies a previously unseen figure well behind the driders. A female ghoul with bleached white skin. She was approaching behind the driders, but upon seeing all of the soldiers and two of the driders drop, she seems to be waiting now.
[15:23] * Aluthyra attempts to finish off the driders, firing three arrows at each.
[15:25] <Kilarra> Aluthyra deftly peppers the driders with arrows, removing both of them.
[15:26] <Kilarra> Kjell lowers his spell arm, "Well done."
[15:26] <Aluthyra> Kahree frowns, turning her attention to the ghoul. Her weapons are still raised, ready to fight. "Better run before you end up like the rest of them."
[15:28] <Kilarra> The ghoul, dressed in clerical vestements, looks Kahree over, then the pile of corpses. She licks her lips a bit at the sight of the dead drow, "Well, if you insist. Might I take one for the road at least?"
[15:28] <Aluthyra> Kahree blinks. "...Are you not an ally of the drow?"
[15:29] <Kilarra> Atendri shrugs, "I was working -with- them, not for them, but now those who were feeding me are dead. I've no interest in joining them considering how easy you made that look."
[15:32] <Aluthyra> Kahree frowns, gesturing to Kilarra (hoping she might know more about ghouls) and the others to come over. "You do know their plans, right?"
[15:32] * Kilarra comes over to Kahree and immediately frowns when she sees the ghoul, reaching for her holy symbol.
[15:32] <Kilarra> Atendri nods. "More dead humans just means easier food, if not exactly exciting."
[15:33] * Aluthyra frowns, bow ready to fire if the ghoul turns hostile.
[15:33] * Kilarra scowls, "Why are we even talking to it?"
[15:34] <Aluthyra> Kahree shrugs. "I don't know... I thought you'd know more about it."
[15:36] * Kilarra frowns, "What's to know? They're flesh eating undead abominations. They have a paralytic touch, can spread their feverish undeath disease with a bite and are, frankly, horrendous."
[15:36] <Kilarra> Atendri raises an eyebrow, "Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me." She looks at Kilarra's horns and hooves.
[15:37] * Kilarra visibly seethes at that, but isn't about to dignify the taunts of a ghoul.
[15:39] <Aluthyra> Kahree frowns. "So... should we let her go, or...?"
[15:41] * Kilarra looks to Kahree, "Give me one good reason why we shouldn't just dust her."
[15:42] <Aluthyra> "She's not attacking us," Kahree shrugs. "But she probably would if we did poorly in that fight, so... I guess just dust her."
[15:42] <Kilarra> Atendri chimes in, "I'm still standing here you know. And frankly, I can give you a reason. I am a servant of Kabiri, and I'm more than willing to simply walk away from this slaughter. If you insist on attacking me, I -will- respond in kind." She hisses.
[15:44] * Kilarra snorts, "Yeah, and that doesn't impress me. Unlike your gnawing demon lord, I get my power from a -real- god."
[15:46] <Kilarra> Atendri actually looks offended this time. "Then perhaps you and I should settle this ourselves."
[15:49] * Kilarra sneers, "Gladly. If you can actually beat me, you can leave. Hell, you can even take along a snack." She gestures to the drow corpses
[15:50] <Kilarra> Atendri doesn't seem keen on exchanging any more words, brandishing her own unholy symbol
[15:52] <Kilarra> Atendri is quicker than Kilarra, and lays a hand on her, snarling in abyssal and flooding the tiefling with negative energy.
[15:53] * Kilarra knows that spell well, having used it earlier today. She couldn't do the same thing back to the ghoul, but she could grab her right back with positive energy instead.
[15:55] <Kilarra> Atendri screams, Kilarra's healing powers harming her necrotic flesh
[15:55] * Kilarra follows it up by spontaneously quickening some of her lesser healing magic
[15:57] <Kilarra> After that exchange, both Kilarra and Atendri look pretty badly messed up.
[15:58] <Kilarra> Atendri tries to grasp Kilarra again, her hand seething with unholy flames
[15:58] <Kilarra> Kilarra manages to duck back out of the way of the swipe.
[16:00] * Kilarra grasps Atendri again, trying to finish her off with more positive Energy.
[16:01] <Kilarra> Kilarra's spell almost does the trick, but Atendri hangs on
[16:01] * Kilarra spontaneously quickens another light curing to finish the job
[16:02] <Kilarra> Where Kilarra's last spell touched her, Atendri's undead flesh begins to turn to ash. She screams for Kabiri to no avail as she disintegrates.
[16:03] * Kilarra pants a little. "Fucking... told you so." She wobbles a little, then turns and presses herself against Aluthyra. The monk can feel some tears drip onto her.
[16:04] * Aluthyra sighs, holding Kilarra close as her wings wrap around the tiefling. "Are you hurt?" she asks, concerned after that fight.
[16:04] <Kilarra> Kjell looks relieved that Kilarra won.
[16:05] * Kilarra nods while pressed against Aluthyra. The physical harm from the unholy magic she could deal with, but that remark about her being an abomination jsut like the ghoul hurt.
[16:06] <Kilarra> Kjell moves over to the drow Sorcerer and beckons to Kahree. "Let's let them be for a moment and see what our friend here has left us." He then shoves Tyrant's bane through the drow's neck to make sure he was dead
[16:07] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods, first finishing off the unconscious driders before following Kjell.
[16:07] * Aluthyra lightly hugs Kilarra. "...You are not like she, Kilarra."
[16:09] * Kilarra hiccups a little. "I know I'm not. You and Shorafa are about the only ones who can see it though."
[16:10] * Aluthyra smiles. "The other's opinions do not matter. Only your own."
[16:11] * Kilarra sighs, "I know you're right, but that doesn't make it sting less."
[16:13] <Kilarra> Kjell finds on Drexinis, his dagger, a belt, a glove, a ring, and his robes that are magical.
[16:13] <Kilarra> He also finds 175 gold pieces
[16:14] <Aluthyra> Kahree looks over the items. "...anything nice?"
[16:15] * Aluthyra nods, giving Kilarra another squeeze. "And whenever you feel that sting, I will be by your side."
[16:16] * Kilarra snuggles into Aluthyra's wings. She hadn't talked about it, and knew it wasn't Aluthyra's fault, but she stung just a little bit too. She had felt it when the Aasimar's blood on her after she was attacked by that green dragon. It had left her wit ha mild rash.
[16:16] <Kilarra> Kjell sets about identfying the items
[16:20] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "This dagger is interesting. It can spontaneously empower any low level arcane spell (As a Lesser Empowered Metamagic Rod), the ring bears a protective enchantment, the belt provides an increase to constitution, the robes bolster ones charisma, and the glove has an interesting enchantment."
[16:21] <Kilarra> Kjell notes: "It can shrink and store any one item weighing up to twenty pounds, hiding it, and re conjure that item wit ha snap of the fingers."
[16:22] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods. "Not sure any of that would be much use for me." She shrugs. "Might check if Aluthyra or Kilarra want any of it, after you take what you need."
[16:23] * Kilarra takes a deep breath to calm herself and lets go of Aluthyra, approaching the rest of the party. "Anything good?"
[16:24] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, slipping the dagger onto his belt, "I believe I can make good use of this. As well, this ring's protection enchantment is better than the only I presently wear."
[16:24] * Aluthyra nods, turning to Kjell. "Then take the ring as well."
[16:26] <Kilarra> Kjell smiles appreciatively and exchanges it, pocketing the lesser ring to add to what they could offer an extraplanar allies Kilarra summoned.
[16:27] <Kilarra> Kjell looks between the belt at Kahree's amulet, "The enchantment on this is also fortitude bolstering, but my belt already does that." He offers it to Kilarra, along with the glove
[16:27] * Kilarra looks to Aluthyra, "You have any need of the belt?"
[16:31] * Aluthyra shakes her head. "My belt is already enchanted."
[16:33] * Kilarra nods and slips on the belt and glove. The belt left her feeling invigorated, although she was still wounded from dueling the ghoul cleric. She pulls on the glove and then pulls out her moderate curing wand, touching herself up
[16:35] * Kilarra stores her wand in the glove for now, figuring it would be easier to retrieve that way.
[16:37] * Kilarra stands up, "Do we want to make a run on the final glyph today, or wait until we've had some rest
[16:38] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods. "I'm still up for it, if you two have the spells."
[16:38] * Aluthyra nods. "As am I."
[16:39] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "I have most of my higher level enchantments still, and this dagger is still fresh with power for the day, making my lesser ones more than adequate."
[16:40] * Kilarra nods, "Well, I'm still healing from that glyph, although who knows how long that'll last, and I've got my best spells still. I used up all my next-to-best ones though." She chuckles a bit.
[16:42] <Aluthyra> Kahree smirks. "Then let's finish this last glyph."
[16:42] <Kilarra> Kjell smiles, "Then we should take advantage of it while it persists." He looks to Kahree, "Did you gain any benefit from the glyphs you disabled?"
[16:48] <Aluthyra> Kahree nods. "Yeah, feel like I'm seeing a bit more clearer, and I'm a bit faster-- harder for the drow to hit me, and all."
[16:50] <Kilarra> Kjell smiles, "Then let us make use of every advantage we have." He calmly redons his armour, albeit with a bit of haste, and then resumes his vapour form, floating out the hold made by the lightning from the glyph.
[16:50] * Kilarra vaporizes as well, following him.
[16:51] * Aluthyra and Kahree both follow after assuming their vaporous forms.
[16:52] * Kilarra lights up her mace once more to provide Kjell with reading light
[16:53] <Kilarra> {The Glyph of Fury: The Weeping Cliffs}
[16:54] <Kilarra> Against the southern edge of the Land of Black Blood rise the Weeping Cliffs, a swath of vertical drops coated in the slime and muck of the great cavern. Here, the legendary black blood oozes raw and thick from a number of fissures among the cliffs
[16:55] <Kilarra> Lightning crackles angrily from the carved face of the cliff, lashing out in all directions every few breaths. Rage flows from the wounds cut into the rock, as though the walls themselves are protesting the glyph’s presence.
[16:55] <Kilarra> Unlike the other glyphs, this one is massive, easy to spot from a distance, and very very active.
[16:58] <Kilarra> Kjell looks at the Glyph from a safe distance. He smiles at Kilarra, "It is a good thing we have your spell granting us aerial movement. I doubt any of us could scale cliffs that sheer."
[17:01] * Kilarra looks to Kjell, "What did Bhaq say was guarding this one?"
[17:03] <Kilarra> Kjell turns the map over. "Ropers. They would be difficult to spot, and likely to pull us in if we get close." He looks to Aluthyra, "Perhaps we can simply take the same approach to this glyph that you took against the drow guards. It is certainly a large enough target."
[17:05] <Kilarra> Kjell notes, "Getting close enough to reach it would likely put us in range of those lightning bolts its throwing around, and that probably means my own lightning evocations won't work on it."
[17:05] <Kilarra> *read it
[17:07] * Aluthyra nods. "I can certainly try-- but if it is resistant to my arrows, I will not have enough to break it."
[17:09] * Kilarra nods, "It's worth a try. This doesn't strike me as a glyph we'd be able to just talk to, and whatever other disabling means we might need require getting a little too close for comfort."
[17:09] <Kilarra> Kjell looks to ALuthyra, "How many arrows do you have? I might have an enchantment that will allow them to penetrate the glyphs resistance better."
[17:10] * Aluthyra examines her quiver for a moment, then answers, "83 left."
[17:11] <Kilarra> A few moments of observation should show Aluthyra that the lightning hurled by the glyph, while impressive, still doesn't equal the range of her bow.
[17:14] <Kilarra> Kjell nods to ALuthyra, "Perhaps we should get closer, then you can take a shot with different arrows to see what works. Then I can enchant up to fifty more arrows to match the type required to penetrate."
[17:15] * Aluthyra nods, deactivating the spell and resolidifying. She looks to Kjell. "Can you cast the spell while we are in the air, or will we need to land?"
[17:15] <Kilarra> Kjell shakes his head, "My sword would not be effective in this form, but my casting is unimpaired."
[17:18] * Aluthyra nods. "Good," she flaps her wings, starting to move closer. "Then let's move into range."
[17:18] <Kilarra> Kjell follows her
[17:18] * Kilarra follows as well, just in case a stray lightning bolt got lucky or something.
[17:18] <Kilarra> Kjell comes to stop just over a hundred feet from the glyph and nods to Aluthyra
[17:19] * Kilarra , before Aluthyra can start shooting, casts Owl's Wisdom on her to heighten her senses and improve her aim.
[17:19] * Aluthyra nods, nocking an arrow of silver and firing it at the glyph.
[17:20] <Kilarra> Aluthyra's silver arrow hits the glyph, but leaves no indication of damage to it
[17:20] * Aluthyra frowns, nocking a new type-- a blunt arrow-- and fires it at the glyph.
[17:21] <Kilarra> Aluthyra's blunt headed arrow, although its difficult to see at this range, does indeed leave a chip in the face of the glyph.
[17:22] * Aluthyra smiles. "Good," she notes to Kjell, "I believe I have plenty of those arrows."
[17:22] * Aluthyra aims downrange, firing a duo of blunt arrows.
[17:24] <Kilarra> Only the first one finds its mark.
[17:25] * Aluthyra frowns. She will need to take this slower.
[17:25] <Kilarra> Kjell looks to Aluthyra, "Perhaps we should take this slowly."
[17:25] * Aluthyra continues, firing a single arrow.
[17:25] <Kilarra> Kjell chuckles, realising someone as wise as Aluthyra would have figured that out quicker than he did
[17:26] <Kilarra> Aluthyra's aim is true, but the Glyph is well protected magically, and onlythe most precise shots are penetrating
[17:30] <Kilarra> Aluthyra's arrows, slowly but steadily, start to crack the glyph
[17:33] <Kilarra> The punishment begins to take its toll as a large crack runs up the middle of the glyph, spiderweb cracks branching off from it in multiple directions.
[17:34] <Kilarra> The cracks grow larger with each successive hit until the glyph seems ready to shatter. Aluthyra has one shot remaining
[17:34] * Aluthyra frowns. A single blunt arrow left. Taking in a deep breath, Aluthyra lets it fly.
[17:35] <Kilarra> Aluthyra's last blunt arrow doesn't penetrate
[17:36] <Kilarra> Kjell pats her on the shoulder. Or attempts to, but his vaporous hand passes through. He chuckles a bit. "Perhaps a little bit more." He raises his hand and conjures a fireball right in the middle of the massive glyph.
[17:37] <Kilarra> Kjell spell -almost- works. However, the badly damaged Glyph remains on the Cliff face.
[17:38] * Aluthyra sighs. "You said you can change my arrows to better penetrate the glyph?"
[17:39] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "I'd say one more well placed shot would do it, and my spell didn't quite fit the bill." He casts versatile weapon on some of Aluthyra's arrows, allowing them to bludgeon.
[17:40] * Aluthyra nods, firing another arrow.
[17:42] <Kilarra> Aluthyra's magically reshaped arrow strikes the raging glyph dead center. It explodes with a furious storm of lightning that covers a huge radius of the weeping cliffs in a display likely visible from anywhere in the land of Black Blood. Mercifully, the burst does not extend beyond 60 feet
[17:43] <Kilarra> The face of the weeping cliffs is left scorched and blackened, with rivulets of black blood flash fried throughout the radius of the burst
[17:45] <Kilarra> Kjell chuckles, "Well... that worked. I suppose."
[17:46] * Aluthyra nods. "I suppose so." She smiles. "So, shall we return to Bhaq's chambers to prepare for the last fight?"
[17:49] * Kilarra nods, "If I'm going to summon some extra planar allies for us, I will need to rest again and request the appropriate magic. As well, we've only been gone a couple hours; not long enough for the CHardas to get their messengers out and back."
[17:50] * Aluthyra nods, reassuming the vaporous form. "Then let's depart."
[17:53] <Kilarra> Kjell leads the party back to the Shrine of Bound Earth and touches down just outside the grove of statues. "Quite frankly, I'm pleased we were able to remove the glyphs with such alacrity. We have rested twice, but it has been less than fifty hours, give or take... I think, since we left Iadara."
[17:54] <Aluthyra> Kahree smirks. "Hopefully the last is as easy."
[17:55] * Kilarra lands and dismisses the spells as she does so. "Doubt it. Allevrah herself will be there, not to mention that she'll now be recalling everything she brought down here with her to the last Glyph."
[17:56] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "I concur. Although hopefully the Chardas will be good to their offer of assistance, but even then it will simply even the fight against what's probably a small army on her side."
[17:57] * Aluthyra nods. "With all of our allies... we shall see. For now, we should res."
[17:57] <Aluthyra> rest*
[17:58] <Kilarra> Kjell nods, "Perhaps we can even the odds a bit more. I can take a bit of time tomorrow to put the finishing touches on some additional spell research."
[17:59] * Kilarra smiles, "Perhaps Calistria will bless me with a bit of extra power as well, considering the gravity of our mission. She is an Elf Goddess after all."
[18:00] <Kilarra> Within the shrine, Haiten Bhaq is waiting. "Welcome back. I felt the disruption of the glyph on the Weeping Cliffs through the stone."
[18:01] <Kilarra> Kjell bows to Haiten Bhaq, then goes to deposite the equipment taken from the drow with those taken from the ones they had slain here at the shrine.
[18:03] * Aluthyra waves to Bhaq, retaking the spot Kilarra and her use to rest.
[18:05] * Kilarra bows to the Genie as well, "If the glyphs destriction disturbed your lands, we apologize." She then lays down next to Aluthyra.
[18:05] <Kilarra> Kjell makes a few notes in his spellbook before removing his armour and heading to bed.
[18:06] <Aluthyra> Kahree takes her spot once again, dozing off for rest.
[18:09] <Kilarra> As the night passes, things go into motion around the party. Dire bat riding drow return to their fortification at the throne of abraxas, Charda messengers swim the rivers of Black blood to reach other tribes, and Allevrah herself stands almost without rest by the Master Earthfall Glyph. She had seen the destruction of the Glyph of Fury, and knew that her enemies would soon come to her. She would be ready for their slaughter.
[18:13] <Kilarra> Eight hours pass in the deep darklands...
[18:14] * Kilarra groans a bit as she wakes up. She no longer felt that healing magic within her, and they had pushed themselves quite a bit over the last 36 hours.
[18:19] <Kilarra> Kjell wakes up feeling a bit ragged himself, but pulls over his spellbook to put the finishing touches on some new magical assets
[18:19] * Aluthyra sighs as she sits up. Today will be a long, exhausting day... She looks over to Kilarra with a smile. "Feeling better?"
[18:20] * Kilarra nods, smiling. "I do actually. A bit stiff and rough, but I suppose that's not worth complaining about when the fate of the world is at stake."
[18:20] <Kilarra> Kahree, when she awakes, find that her heightened sense of perception and insight is still with her.
[18:21] <Aluthyra> Kahree won't wake until the others wake her! She doesn't need prep time.
[18:21] <Kilarra> -End Session-
[18:22] <Kilarra> Rewards: 2 EL 12, 1 EL 13, 1 EL 14
[18:23] <Kilarra> 25,600 Experience Each