The Thing in the Portal reaches out to Callie's mind and entices her to come closer.  Maybe she saw a holy relic in the magic circle she thought could defeat Kalarel.  Maybe she saw a crying baby in need of rescue.  Whatever she saw, she rushed to the north, into the magic circle.  Claws of black shadow erupt from a dark, whispering portal and reach for her, but she snaps out of the illusion and ducks under the attack just in time!

(( Whispering Lure hit!  Tim chose not to use 2nd chance.  Callie pulled from r12 to r8.  Grasping Claws missed. ))

"Ow," Mittens grunts as she's stabbed, "Doggon stinkin stupid wight deny me my instant retribution against annoying archer skeletons that stab me arrow my friends!  Final Technique, Flaming Sphere!"

Her familiar flaming sphere appears behind the wight, lighting it on fire!  Mittens then walks southeast like she said she would.

"This way, please, everybody.  You know... away from instant death?"

(( Flaming sphere v Wight.  Miss.  Action Point!  Hit!  27-15=12 hp.  move from r14 to w15 ))

Kalarel is furious! With a skull-tipped staff in his right hand, he begins heading towards the group, yelling, "Insolence! You fools will feel my wrath! And after I kill you, I will make your corpses lick the blood from my boots!"

The light jingling of chainmail can be heard as he marches forward, stopping halfway down the stairs. His left hand holding a symbol (presumably of Orcus), he thrusts the hand forward and a sickly yellow-green... brown... putrid beam of smoke heads for Terdisas, entering his lungs and sapping his strength while causing him nasty pain!

(Move: Halfway down stairs! Speed 5 only lets him go that far anyway.)
(Standard: Decaying Ray v Terdisas's Fort. Hit! Only guy in range, sorry Ter.)
 dmg: Max, of course. 11 necro. And weakened (Save ends)
(Minor: Unused)

Terdisas HP: 25 - 11 = 14

Dido glares at the skeletons that are on their way to Ter and says, "Fight me and be free!" then yells "Callie! Terdisas need help!" as he runs for the wight! Pulling Aecris from the temporary storage place on his back, Dido charges the wight, chopping the thing in half and it's upper half wobbles, about to fall into the flaming sphere!

(Minor: Call of Challenge on skeletons in P10 and T15)
 That's skellies 3 and 6. Put on map they are marked by Dido.
(Move: Towards wight)
(Standard: Charge via Ardent Strike v wight. Hit!)
 dmg: 10

Wight HP: 12 - 10 = 2 <- flaming sphere will kill him at the start of his turn.

Callie staggers away from the whispering area when she hears her friend is in need. "Terdisas! Let love hearten you!" and healing power washes over Terdisas.

Seeing Mittens is about to slay the wight and its two guards, Callie says, "The wight's as good as done! Let's bring the fight to Kalarel, everyone!"

Callie looses holy fire from her symbol while unlatching the sword from her back. The fire burns Kalarel good, only for Callie to charge at him, sword in hand! "REPENT!" she yells at Kalarel with more vigor and zeal than her party is used to seeing in her. It's a mixture of fear and righteous anger as it is sinking in just WHAT this Kalarel guy is doing. Not that she didn't know before, just that it's now hitting her emotionally.

When she gets to Kalarel, she scores a loud THWAP with her sword, causing Kalarel still more pain!


(Move: to M10)
(Minor: Healing Word on Ter. Max!)
 heal for surge + 9!
(Standard: Sacred Flame vs Kalarel. Crit!)
 crit dmg: 3
 Ter is granted save throw v weakened. Saves.
(ACTION POINT!)
(Standard: Charge v Kalarel. Hit!)
 dmg: 7

Terdisas HP: 14 + 17 = 31
Kalarel HP: 186 - 20 = 166
This message was last edited by the player at 16:42, Thu 14 Apr 2011.

  Once again, the Sorcerer gets beaten until the candy comes out (well, to be fair at least he was still in double digits HP).  Once again, Callie comes through to keep him not only standing, but clear of the more annoying hindrances.

  Flattering and heartwarming, yes.  Making Terdisas feel he is wasting Callie's time and power for those who should need it more? Also yes.  "Love is such a wonderful thing." he comments, as he raises his staff above his head, lightning arcing across the western half of the room and detonating all four skeletons closest to Callie.  Leaving Kalarel alone to face the Cleric.

  "Of course, spite has it's uses as well." He mutters as he hobbles southward, tossing aside the remains of a skeletons arrow.

  The doomed Wight reaches out towards the fallen Skeletons, only to find their 'I'm going to die a burning slicey redeath' dismay pushed to an entire package of EmoMcmuffin levels.  For even the closest destroyed Minion was one whole tile too far for them to resurrect.

   Man, I didn't even realize they were out of rez range when I made those attacks.

---

  Standard: Lightning Strike vs Skeleton 1, Hits, arcs to Skeleton 2.
  Action Point: Lightning Strike Vs Skeleton 3, hits, arcs to Skeleton 4.
  Move: only 2, as still slowed (back to normal once skeletons go again).

  -.o  Rolled 18 twice.
http://rollr.appspot.com/view/...IIRGljZVJvbGwY_75QDA
http://rollr.appspot.com/view/...IIRGljZVJvbGwYgL9QDA

Skeleton 1, 2, 3, 4 HP: Dead

Terdisas HP: 31/35 S 3/7 V 8

  Too little too late for the wight and it's escort, as Mittens's Great Ball Of Fire Burninates them to ashes.  Meanwhile, the two remaining skeletons close in on Callie, and fire arrows across the room, striking Didi and Kitau in the backs of their legs to make sure Callie doesn't get any aid any time soon.

---

Skeleton 5:
Move: Q15 to N12
Standard: Arrow vs Kitau. Hits 5 DMG

Skeleton6:
Move: T16 to N11
Standard: Arrow vs Dido. Hits 5 DMG

Effects: Kitau and Dido are Slowed Until End of Skeletons Next Turn (Or now, After Terdisas's next turn)

Skeletons 1,2,3,4,7,8 HP: DEAD
Wight HP: DEAD
Skeleton 5 HP: 1
Skeleton 6 HP: 1

Dido HP: 37-5= 32/37 S 4/10 V 9
Kitau HP: 40-5= 35/40 S 2/8 V 10

  So, first I noticed Kitau's surge was wrong on map.. then Mittens, then Callie's...  That makes everyone -.o  Did I win Surge Value Edit BINGO?

Kitau growls at the inconvenience of being slowed, struggling to move closer to her enemy.  Her feet may be moving slow, but the rest of her isn't.  With lightning speed, she sheaths an axe, takes out a javelin, then tosses the javelin with a twist making it fly at the skeletons like a helicopter blade!  It beheads them both then returns to her like a boomerang!

(( move from z12 to x12.  Minor: stow axe.  Free: draw javelin (battle harnass property.)  Standard: twin strike.  Hit!  Hit!  Skellie 5&6 defeated! ))

The Thing in the Portal reaches out to Kitau's mind, causing her to somehow overcome being slowed and stroll closer to the portal!  It then snatches her closer with a claw attack!

(( whisper attack moves kitau from x12 to t8, then grasping claws from t8 to s7 dealing 9 damage to kitau.  new kitau hp = 26 ))

Mits is noticing a pattern.  The portal seems to not bother attacking further away people compared to closer ones.  Could it be it has a limited range?  She takes a moment to study the ritual markings and figures a few things out!

"Stand inside that magic circle and smudge it, please," she requests of Kitau, "The rest of you... That magic portal can be closed in just a few seconds!  It's risky, but if you use your arcane, religious, or healing knowledge to channel some positive energies at the portal, it'll weaken it!  Drawback is that you risk some painful feedback.  I've already started the process.  Also, best to stay at least south of the blood pool or the portal can lure you within reach of it's claws!"

She fires a magic missile at Kalarel and calls her flaming sphere to move west!

(( Free action: CRIT arcana!  Bonus knowledge in addition to basic success: knows the gist of the skill challenge to close down the portal.  1 of 8 successes (0 of 4 failures) Magic missile deals 8 damage.  Kalarel hp: 158. Move flaming sphere from ab12 to v6. ))
This message was last edited by the player at 21:10, Thu 14 Apr 2011.

Kalarel yells, "Fools! You think you understand this power? You don't! You can not stop it and you look like fools for trying! I will crush you!"

Kalarel smacks Callie across the cheek with his rod of ruin, causing some inky blackness to start spreading through her cheek in a vein-like pattern.

Kalarel then vanishes from Callie's sight! He reappears in the magic circle, having teleported. "COME, fools! Or stay at bay where you are ineffective! I don't care which method of dying you choose!"


(Standard: Rod of Ruin v Callie. Hit!)
(Callie uses second chance. Kalarel still hits. Callie regains second chance.)
 dmg: 9, ongoing 5 (save ends)
(Minor: teleport to magic circle.)
(Move: Unused)

Callie HP: 32 - 9 = 23 and ongoing 5 necro
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:43, Thu 14 Apr 2011.

Dido begins silently praying only to feel weak and hear whispers. He pushes on, moving towards Kalarel, despite being slowed. "You make it sound so easy, but a few whispered words of prayer and I hurt like someone stabbed me with a sword!"

He grits his teeth, holding up Aecric defensively and wills the necrotic away as he heals up.

(Move to Mittens, taking the "flee from portal" advice)
(Free: Attempt religion. Fail.)
(Attacked by immediate reaction. Hit.)
 dmg: 7
(Standard: Second Wind.)
 Healing surge value: 9
 +2 to all defenses.

(Not bothering with Second Chance. +8 means they only need roll an 8 or better.)

Dido HP: 32 - 7 + 9 = 34
This message was last edited by the player at 21:30, Thu 14 Apr 2011.

Callie looks Kalarel in the eye and says, "Your pretender is no god. Sehanine, however, IS! Sehanine! Bless this team!"

A huge wave of light blasts across the entire room, filling all of Callie's allies with higher confidence. Even as she does, the inky stuff spills off her face and vaporizes.

(Free: Taunt Kalarel's faith.)
(Standard: Bless.)
 +1 to attacks of ALL allies within 20 squares. That'd be ALL of us.
(Saving throw: Would have failed, but I can haz +2 vs effects from Kalarel, yay!)

Callie HP: 23 - 5 = 18
This message was last edited by the player at 21:41, Thu 14 Apr 2011.

  Terdisas gauges the distance from himself and the circle, as takes time to steady his staff, pointed at Kalarel.  "Are you pondering what I am pondering, dear Familiar?"  "Chirp, I think so Boss.  But how will you take a massage correspondence course if you have no steady mailing address? Tweet"

  Terdisas smiles, "Kitau, if you would be so kind as to bring the axe down on Kalarel's circle.  You will be bringing the axe down upon his life.  I have a good feeling about this one." It's not a pleasant smile.

  Don't tell them, now, but we've got a absolutely Hilarious Anticlimax coming up, courtesy of fast becoming favorite Encounter power Thunder Slam.

---

Readied Action: Thunder Slam vs Kalarel as soon as Ally disables Circle. EXACTLY Hits (well, now exactly +1 more than needed thanks to Callie) once circle is down.  DMG, WHO CARES! See effects.

pasting link cause this is such a OMG result.
http://rollr.appspot.com/view/...IIRGljZVJvbGwYyadQDA


Effects: Push 3 Kalarel.  Kalarel Dies instantly from passing through gate.

Terdisas HP: 31/35 S 3/7 V 8

"Fools fools fools," Mittens echos mockingly, "Is that the best you got?  You need to go back to insult school, fool."

As tempted as she is to hack at Kalarel, Kitau brings her axe down on the arcane circle as requested, remembering "good for badguys, not good for us" revelation earlier.  In a flash, the circle loses it's power!  Just then, Terdisas' readied attack fires, shoving Kalarel through the half formed portal!

"AIEEE!" he screams, as that same black-veined effect he gave to Callie's face overwhelms his entire body!

He keels over dead.

(( Move action to be next to Kalarel.  Minor to quarry.  Standard to break the circle.  Terdisas readied action triggers!  Pushes Kalarel into instant-death zone! ))

The Thing in the Portal grabs Kalarel's corpse and drags it through the portal!  The familiar tug Callie felt on her mind earlier entices her again, but she's easily able to resist it.

((Whispering lure vs. Callie crit fail. ))
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:42, Thu 14 Apr 2011.

"Well..." Mittens says, staring, "That was....  FREAKIN AWESOME!  Step away from the portal now, please, everyone.  As far as you can.  Let's finish this."

She takes her own advice and backs away as far as she can without losing sight of her friends.  She calms herself some and waves at the portal.  It sputters and appears to lose some of it's power!

(( Combat is basically over, so take-10 permitted on skill checks for closing the portal. 2of8 successes, 1 of 4 fails.  Plan to handwave the rest of the successes once everyone's out of harm's reach. ))
This message was last edited by the player at 22:41, Thu 14 Apr 2011.

  Terdias, now that the more personal threats have passed, calmly walks over to stand behind the nearest pillar.  Yeah, whisper pull NOW jerkface gate.  Wisdom is his high defense anyways!

  "To be honest, I am still questioning if that really just happened."  "Chirp, it totally did. Listen to Mittens she's a smart lady."

  The sorcerer slumps to the ground leaning against the pillar, more tired than wounded (Thanks to Callie, yet again) and focusing his own arcane attentions upon the gate.

Callie and Dido pray together, Callie giving Dido a boost with her prayer.

Callie heads over to be by Terdisas and goes to pet his shoulder idly as she continues quietly praying in elven.

(Neither Callie nor Dido have sufficient skill to take-10 ANYTHING enough for the DCs, so Callie is take-10 aiding Dido's take-10, which brings it up juuust high enough. Their religion skills suck because they have average intelligence. The skills these two happen to be good at are no use for this skill challenge encounter)
This message was last edited by the player at 02:23, Fri 15 Apr 2011.

Kitau runs back to the others, penalties and all, hopping over the streams of blood with relative ease.

Before long, the group's combined efforts cause the black portal to fade away until there's nothing but an ordinary wall where it used to be.  Mits tosses a stray skull at it to make sure nothing unusual happens.

"Well...  That was much easier than expected," Mittens says, heading over to investigate the ritual book, "'Tougher than a white dragon' my eye.  Though, to be fair, the dragon didn't have an instant death portal behind it we could shove it into.  Granted, this spot will likely forever be a weak point in the barrier between our world and the next, but there's nothing anyone can do about that."

She studies the book a bit.

"Oh goodie.  Not cursed.  Which means I can take it for study.  Wouldn't hurt to know how best to deal with these kinds of loonies in the future.  So... shall we head back to Winterhaven, then?  No Kalarel head to take back as a trophy.  I suppose this here book will have to do.  Or we could behead that goofball upstairs as proof.  Also... I suppose we should say 'bye' to Sir Keegan on our way out."

She slams the book shut and stows it in her bag before heading back to the ropes.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:32, Fri 15 Apr 2011.

  Terdisas sends Superbird back up through the hole first on the offchance some joker is waiting for them to climb up to almost the top before shoving them back down.  He walks over to the rest, commenting "I must confess, I am uncertain how a traditional exorcism plays out.  So far we have only had time for the rushed violent sort of undead cleansing."

  Ter will make the 'thank goodness it is take ten' climb up at the handy scene transition time.

Upon seeing the amazing end, Callie says with a tone of awe, "Amazing work, everyone."

Callie asks nobody in particular, "How does anyone get that far gone? That priest probably *wanted* to die and join Orcus in the afterlife..."

She and Dido sheath their swords and Callie starts climbing. "Thanks for grabbing the book, Mittens. I am looking forward to showing that guy from earlier how wrong he was."

Dido says, "I would like to say hi to Sir Keegan on the way out, thanks Mittens. I want him to know the rift was sealed and Kalarel defeated."

Callie says, "Then we'll make that stop. And hopefully get some refresh when we get back to town. Mmm... cherries... ice cream... juicy hamburgers... hot bath... maybe I can even get someone to gimme a massage."

Kitau walks over to Callie to give her a quick back rub.  Serious face and all.

  Superbird perches on Terdisas's shoulder once more as they finally get out of the pit.  "Chirp, somehow the dead seriousness makes that more adorable. How does this work?"  "There are some mysteries we will never find the answers to.  Alas, I bellive dear Callie will have to wait for the rest of that wishlist to be available.  Unless prestidigitation flavored rations counted."

No one waiting in ambush up the ropes.  Mits makes no comment on the mysteries of cute.

"So now that we've had a few moments to consider our options," she says, "Shall we have our own little court here and execute swift justice to survivors?  Or shall we go to the trouble of force-marching these villains back to town so they can have a proper hanging?  I can't imagine any other reason for keeping any of these nimrods alive.  I suppose we could ask them 'gimme one good reason to not execute you.'  As for those zombies we passed along the way...  I guess we can deal with them if they're still animated even after the portal's been sealed."

Kitau rolls her eyes and blows up on her hair.  She heads over to the nearest live prisoner and puts a hand on her axe to indicate her vote.  But she looks over at Callie to see if the love priestess objects.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:47, Fri 15 Apr 2011.