Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asumit, p13
Log Info
- Title: Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asumit, Part 13
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Cesran, Seldan, Cryosanthia, Serene, Karelin, Aya, Merek
- Place: The Void Demon Tower in the Ethereal Sea of Mana
- Time: Tuesday, August 03, 2021, 8:58 PM
- Summary: The Tower crumbles. Everyone falls, some fly. All land on or hover above rocks, bobbing in the Sea of Mana while the void creature itself has become a whirlpool of chaos and mouths, screaming nightmarishly at them. Merek is determined to bring about a new dawn for the world and calls all to victory, prompting questions; How, exactly, is this to be dealt with. Karelin shoots arrows at it, Cryo throws her dagger... Seldan makes a snap decision, then changes his mind, and his casting fails. Cesran stops time, summons Celestial Rocs, creates an image of all the Gods invoking the great seal, builds stone bridges between the islands, turns invisible and brings up a Globe of Invulnerability. The Void Beast shoots tendrils of nothing up, caging all the rocks, and disintegrating a Roc that flies into one. Serene struggles to control discord and calls everyone to her. Merek attempts to channel the Sea of Mana and is overwhelmed by it, held together only by his protective angel, left lying smoking with his skin cracking. Aya joins up with Serene. Karelin fires more arrows into the void... and it seems like the adventurers remain much where they started, and worse off.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Serene 6'2" 175 Lb Eldanar/Charn Female Glacier meets granite meets strawberries.
Cesran 6'1" 185 Lb Human Male A tall dark-skinned man
Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Seldan 5'11" 187 Lb Human Male Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.
Aya 4'7" 105 Lb Shadow Elf Female Mul'niessa. Braided hair. Simple clothing.
Merek 5'10" 215 Lb Human Male A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Karelin 6'2" 256 Lb Human Male Tattooed Korite warrior. Tall, dark and scarred.
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-=--=--=--=--=--=--= NPCS of Note =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Griva Brassbringer Khazdi Female Head of the Alexandrian Chapter of the Resurrection Society
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-=--=--=--=--=--=--= As the GM =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Whirlpool 5'0" Otyugh I am stinky!
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Previously
The Unravioli Tentacles reach and rend all all who come in contact. Cesran, Merek, Aya suffer contact, Serene, Seldan, Karelin and Cryo are able to avoid them. Seldan's divination and Cesran's deep thoughts arrive at a conclusion, the tentacles and the tower are all one beast, and having manifest must obey rules even though they are of the void. Damage the tower! Statues are pulled down, Cryo stabs it, both have some effect. Merek's Anti-Magic Field does nothing, if anything strengthening that which attacks him. Cesran attempts a banishment, which fails. Serene draws Discord, and wills it to obey her, and stabs the tower in the hopes their alternates did leave something useful behind.
Discord pierces the tower floor seamlessly, barely seeming to cause harm at first.
Then, slowly, cracks begin to erupt in a chaotic circle all around it, spiraling ever outwards from the hollowed stones that compose the floor. Immediately, the ground beneath feels ... wrong somehow, as if it's giving way, but not. Along the walls the portals, the ones that Asumit was walking through in his many guises, swirl back to active life, energy blazing and burning from them as Discord seems to grant them new strength.
There's a shrieking sound as the tower itself seems to begin breaking apart, all around, everywhere, dissolving into composite parts as the Sea of Mana rushes in. A sensation felt in the beacon of blazing magical energy that seems to suffuse every sense.
But somehow, things are going terribly wrong at the same time.
Griva Brassbringer screams, closing her eyes tightly, blinded by the sheer power of the Sea's radiance. Blinding white fills your vision for but a moment.
When awareness returns, you are scattered across rocks floating on a raging river of magical energy, circling a great ... *thing*. The Unraveller has changed forms, forced out of the spire it had been drawn into. Now, it's many maws and hungry gaze falls upon you, accompanying madness, but at least brought into a more definable form -- but it is one of swirling chaos that now impedes the sea even further, and it's impossibly vast mouth is an opening to the Void itself. It opens it's maws and you can hear a cry come from it, one of indescribable rage and anguish that will haunt your nightmares into the future.
And you will have nightmares.
Now
Aya will... do her utmost to ensure she remains on a floating rock for the moment.
GAME: Merek casts Greater Angelic Aspect. Caster Level: 15 DC: 18
When it looks like the sword will break the tower, Merek nods. Waiting... Then the world begins to break into the Sea of Mana. When they come upon the floating rocks, the man looks about the place and will lift up the hands of his while he begins to draw upon mystic power, "I call upon the power of Eluna!" His wings begin to extend, black and golden while he shimmers with a kind radiance. The man begins to lift into the skies from the platform and will draw the gauntlet which he wears on, visor as well, then he draws what looks like a foci. It's a spear. The nightmares, well he has been through many of those, now is the time to make everything that came up until that point mean a new dawn for the world. "WE WILL WIN! THE WORLD WILL NOT END HERE, NOT LIKE THE OTHER WORLDS. Ourselves came and told us the path forward, take it!"
Aya regains her vision (she really, really does dislike blinding light) to find that the tower is mostly gone. Unfortunately, they were all standing in said tower. She now finds herself perched precariously on a rubble remnant of said tower floating over.. everything? nothing? Her eyes immediately shift to the others, to keen how they now fare as well as to make a pivotal query regarding their current tactical plan.
"Someone please explain," she calls out, "whether this is an improvement and, if so, how? As well, any suggestions on how best to handle ...that?" a gesture to the now more fully exposed collection of nightmarish maws, teeth, and whatever those other pieces might be (which she may not wish to know).
<OOC> Karelin will full attack w/ Haste (from the boots) the giant thing of doom with his bow. GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+30: (3)+30: 33 GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+30: (16)+30: 46 GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+25: (16)+25: 41 GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+20: (4)+20: 24 GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+15: (7)+15: 22 GAME: Karelin rolls 1d8+12: (7)+12: 19 GAME: Karelin rolls 1d8+12: (6)+12: 18
"I'll start to kill it while you figure out what to do about it." Karelin admonishes, pulling out his bow and firing arrow after arrow into the giant thing of doom. It's hard to hit but impossible to miss, the arrows bounce off. Even the ones that strike deep seem to provoke no notice or response.
But perhaps... shoot too long into the void, and the void will shoot back.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay, activate levitation boots and fly with wings to catch myself falling twice (wings were alread out). Throw my icicle dagger at it, if it's within 50'. Questions 1) Are the glowing handprints I put on the inside still visible, distored on it, suggesting some consistency of form. Other is a two part, k/arcana related one, which I will call on my ancestors to help, but also shout out since pretty sure I won't grok the answer 2) Is it possible to 'channel' the sea of mana through some damage over time spell, or repeat casting of the same spell, that might effectively hose it down? Related to 2, 3) Can the energy type for 'Draconic Reservoir' be 'Mana' and would jumping into the sea add mana damage to melee attacks?" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls weapon1: (19)+17: 36 (THREAT) GAME: Cryosanthia rolls weapon1: (2)+17: 19 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "that's a nice 7 10 split." GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1d6+14: (3)+(6)+14: 23 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls knowledge/arcana+2: (12)+12+2: 26
Aya is at her side, "Than..." is all Cryo manages, before Serene and Discord destroy the world in a blinding flash of light.
Full of falling.
Full of screams.
Full of nightmares.
The whitescale feels a tightness in her belly as awareness rushes in. A spectacle unprecedented. Another thing to add to what she doesn't know.
"How?" She echoes Aya and Karelin. Assurances of victory are nice, but a path to it is what she needs. Just hit it? She has a dagger before her, and a yawning chaos mouth. She flings her icicle. It sails into the whirlpool, an almost perfect strike. Which does nothing.
If it comes back one with the void, that will be an answer but not a good one.
"Ancestors, help me." The whitescale pleads quietly, every scar and highlight scale lit up from the ambient energy. "Cesran! Griva! Anyone! Can mana be channeled, through an Acid Arrow Spell or a repeated Ray of Frost cantrip and push it out that way? Is it an energy that Draconic Reservoir can absorb so it can be wielded that way?"
She hovers in place, levitation boots at their limit and barely tested wings holding her up. Seeking Aya, seeking advice, staring at things she can't comprehend.
One could certainly try to use the Sea to bolster their magic. However letting raw magical energy course through the body would hurt a lot.
The Seer perks up, "Yes." He rubs his hands together. He will attempt to this.
There's a good chance of survival but it might hurt a lot. The damage might not necessarily be physical.
GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/the planes: (6)+12: 18 GAME: Seldan rolls spellcraft: (10)+18: 28 GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/religion: (14)+15: 29 GAME: Seldan attempts to cast Disintegrate but fails due to ASF.
Falling - falling. Seldan's about to summon the angel wings to stop that fall, the screams echoing through his ears. He'll remember that later, but now - now is time to survive. To fight.
And then, he finds himself balanced on a flat piece of the tower, staring at something ugly enough to trigger memories of another maw, in the Alexandrian mountains. A maw that led to ... elsewhere.
"Seldan, what are you thinking?" the nasally old woman's voice pipes up. "It is connected to the Void!" Seldan shouts back, not really sure if the others can hear him. He does it anyway, because ... being alone would be much worse. He raises his hands, to begin another spell. "In holy Eluna's name, you do not belong here!" he shouts, but instead of blade, this time he draws magic.
Only begins, then pauses. No wait - pulling it more firmly to this reality is a two-edged sword. A different course is wanted -
But in his haste, he neglects to modify the sigils he draws, to simplify - and the armor gets in his way. A sigil is off. The sickly green fire begins to light the sigils as he speaks the words of power, then drain away and fizzle. He scowls, then snarls, "I am a fool. Let us begin again."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Draw rod of quickening, quick cast greater invisibility, cast time stop" GAME: Cesran casts Greater Invisibility. Caster Level: 20 DC: 26 GAME: Cesran casts Time Stop. Caster Level: 20 DC: 31 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4 <OOC> Cesran says, "Round 1: quick cast forceful hand to act as interposing hand, cast summon monster VIII (1d3 Celestial Rocs)" GAME: Cesran casts Forceful Hand. Caster Level: 20 DC: 30 GAME: Cesran casts Summon Monster VIII. Caster Level: 20 DC: 30 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d3: (3): 3 <OOC> Cesran says, "Quick cast wall of stone to create bridges on the different segments to fill in the gaps so we can move from segment to segment, cast shapechange, put away rod of quickening" GAME: Cesran casts Wall of Stone. Caster Level: 20 DC: 27 GAME: Cesran casts Shapechange. Caster Level: 20 DC: 31 GAME: Cesran casts Shield. Caster Level: 20 DC: 23 GAME: Cesran casts Grasping Hand. Caster Level: 20 DC: 31 <OOC> Cesran says, "Round 4: quick cast Major Image of The Gods all of them Re-enacting the Creating of the Great Barrier at the maximum distance I can but still being able to be seen by the void monster, cast globe of invulnerability on Serene" <OOC> Cesran says, "Globe is from my Staff of Power. 2 charges/8 left" GAME: Cesran casts Major Image. Caster Level: 20 DC: 25 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Cesran, that's a hard illusion to pull off." GAME: Cesran rolls knowledge/religion: (14)+29: 43 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+18: (18)+18: 36 (C-Roc Flyby) GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+18: (7)+18: 25 (C-Roc Flyby) GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+18: (16)+18: 34 (C-Roc Flyby) <OOC> Whirlpool says, "All miss."
Cesran lands thankfully on his feet and he uses his staff to stabilize himself as he looks over where they are. He sees the void monster above them. He steels himself as this is not the time to panic. If he panics then others will get hurt and he does not want that to happen. He reaches to take a rod from his belt and starts to cast spells. The first is a spell of greater invisibility and then he casts time stop to give him time to prepare. He starts by quickly casting a forceful hand to give himself some defense and then starts to summon monsters. He has to use a lesser version, but is still able to summon three celestial rocks. He moves on to the next set of spells as he quickly casts wall of stone and makes a bridge from one segment to another. Cesran then casts shapeshift on himself, but doesn't change from just yet as he has other spells to cast.
The next spell Cesran casts is a simple, but effective shield spell and then a powerful Grasping Hand in a defensive position. He doesn't stop as he can feel time starting to catch up to him. Cesran casts a major illusion image of the Gods, all of them. He animate the image so it looks like that they are re-creating the Great Barrier that is supposed to keep the Void in. He has to dig deep to draw from all those religious tombs he read. He then casts a globe of invulnerability on himself.
As time starts once more the celestial rocks go to swoop in and attack the void monster, but their talons have little effect.
The Unraveller has ... unspooled, one might say, becoming something more real and yet even more awful than before.
Still, the imagery of the Gods doesn't exactly hold its attention despite the exquisite detail. It utters terrible blasphemies. The kind that reach down into your soul. Whatever it's saying is impossible to decipher, but the sound of its many voices, speaking in decipherably and with such hate, will remain with you in your nightmares once again.
Thousands of tiny threaded tentacles, bursting into interative threads themselves, raise up around it, then lash out, touching the stones, creating a network of threads between then like razor wire as they go up all around you, all around it.
You have the distinct impression you don't want to touch them -- because as soon as one of the rocs does, flying by, it simply ... dissipates.
Not even a poof of feathers left. It's just *gone*.
This... may make gathering difficult."
Everyone has ended up on their own personal stone islands, and cut off from one another via the strands of non-existance.
Serene still has Discord.
GAME: Serene rolls will: (1)+34: 35 (EPIC FAIL) <OOC> Serene says, "I will RPP that." GAME: Serene rolls will: (3)+34: 37 GAME: Serene rolls knowledge/religion: (12)+13: 25
It wasn't consumed in the destruction and its power was not extinguished. Only the Paladins have any real chance of holding Discord.
The Arch-paladin checks her allies' positions. Cesran has vanished, turned invisible. Merek is moving. Aya, Karelin and Seldan are on separate rocks, Cryo is hovering just a little above her rock.
There is no place to stand close enough to the void creature to melee it.
Using Discord could make things worse. Or better. Or worse. There's no way to tell. There are no obvious options.
Dip Discord into the Sea of Mana? At this point almost anything goes.
GAME: Serene casts Greater Angelic Aspect. Caster Level: 20 DC: 26
Serene goes down to a knee to steady herself as the world literally crumbles... Discord comes free of the stone and her shield hand braces against what remains of the floor around her. As well she does; it takes a moment to orient herself, to put order to the chaos that suddenly envelops everything.
When the tendrils lash out, creating barriers between everyone, she grimaces... then rises, Discord rising with her as if to strike at those very tendrils of oblivion. But then it stops, the paladin giving a rough shake of her head, and instead speaks a tongue that feels like it ought to be accompanied by silver bells and hymn.. then, much like Merek, wings burst forth from her back and an aura envelops her, one that seems intent to push the darkness back. Then the paladin speaks. "If you can get to me, do so!"
GAME: Merek rolls will: (2)+13: 15 <OOC> Merek says, "RPP that" GAME: Merek rolls will: (8)+13: 21 <OOC> Merek says, "Wait actually." <OOC> Merek says, "I'm an idiot" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Haha" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "I don't think it'll make a difference. One moment. :)" <OOC> Whirlpool is thinking. Gimme asec!
Merek looks to the Sea of Mana and will think about it a moment while taking a look to Cryosanthia, "Well, alright. I will check and see what it will be like to tap the Sea of Mana." Then he looks to the void creature, and will take the time to lift up both hands. What anyone watching will need to know, is that this is not a great idea. And he in fact proves to others not to do what he's doing. Let it not be said he isn't the first to walk into the deep for the sake of science and magic, to protect the world.
Calling upon all of the energy within him, he will begin to weave the magic and bring his angel into him, while he draws upon the power they have. It is this that probably keeps the man alive, and in fact is probably the only reason he will survive that. While he begins to channel the Sea of Mana, it all comes to pour into him from the waves themself, drawing in white energy blinding the world, before it begins to take inside of him. He tries aiming that towards the void, only for there to be a sound like zapping electricity while he screams, part of his skin begins to chip away and shimmer, leaving white scars while the angel barely keeps the man from taking himself to pieces. Then, he hacks up a cough, blood spilling from that while he lowers onto the platform, his body shimmering with smoke.
That he survived it is nothing short of a miracle.
Aya considers The Thing That Should Not Be, and the Sea of Mana, whilst also contemplating the whitescale's words. She is no mage, though given some of those that are, how difficult might it be?
Merek then provides some strong, pertinent evidence to be considered as he's left... smoking?
Aya departs the rock on which she stands to appear at the Great Paladin's side. "I am here. If you have any plans, suggestions, or perchance a wild imagination, I will entertain them all. The alternative would be to withdraw to find a better ground... if there would be such a thing."
GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+30: (11)+30: 41 GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+30: (3)+30: 33 GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+25: (10)+25: 35 GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+20: (1)+20: 21 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+15: (1)+15: 16 (EPIC FAIL)
Karelin takes a knee, "Let's see if that lattice has holes in it."
With a smooth and rapid movement, he draws and fires arrow after arrow, a precision arching machine. Two strike strands and vanish, without even a feather of fletching left behind, just like the C-Roc. Two more fail to do anything meaningful. One shot, his first, is comparably accurate to his first volley.
It should have hit, it should have hurt. There seems to be no resolution.
Karelin says, "..."
Combatty
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 4 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
>> 24 Karelin 1 <<
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20 Cryosanthia 5
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20 Seldan 1
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18 Cesran 1
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13 The Threads Of 1
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12 Serene 1
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11 Merek 1
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10 Aya 6
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Cryo's Questions
1) Icicle dagger at my level makes it returning, cold, and magical, and it either hit the creature, did nothing and fell inside it into the void, or into the sea of mana. When it reforms in my hand - is it any different. Is it of the void, is extra glowy suggesting it absorbed some of the Sea of Mana, or just normal.
2) Avoiding the threads of nullification. Is that an Acrobatics or an Escape Artist or a Fly roll? I might try flying through them to Serene,
3) Is there an angle where I can shoot Acid Arrow through the sea of mana, like a wave or a bubble, and then hit the void creature? Hoping/testing if the Sea would work as a power-up booster. Alternatively, Snapdragon Fireworks allows me to specifify a 5' square anywher, and the firework flies in a zig-zag path there, avoid things, but still could go through the sea of mana and up to hit the creature right where it's touching so the spell goes off against it in the mana.'
4) Knowledge/the Planes, Knowledge/Arcana, Knowledge/Religion, know/any, I've got them all, for 'How to Hurt This?' or 'How to use the Sea of Mana to boost spells to hurt it' or 'Can we will the Sea of Mana to overwhelm it the way we could will ourselves around in it', or 'is there a chain of spells that allow us to channel the mana, or manipulate it, like could you Dimension Door a bunch, or Globe of invulnerability to pick up a bunch and put it in the creature, or would a giant globe of invulnerability do it, or a plane shift?'
Like, I'll shout it all out if I have to just pick one, but I have no clue, no attacks that will hurt, and minimal knows, unless it's rod of absorbtion or bag of holding and portable hole time again, I have no idea.
Mereking
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "You can certrainly try to use the Sea to bolster your magic."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "However, letting raw magical energy course through you could hurt a lot MEREK THAT IS NOT AN INVITATION"
<OOC> Cesran puts on his bathing suit.
<OOC> Merek perks up.
<OOC> Merek says, "YES."
<OOC> Merek rubs hands together.
<OOC> Merek says, "I am going to unironically channel the Sea of Mana on my next turn."
<OOC> Merek says, "Certified Merek."