Once again, Timothius is willing to help where he can.

Raichel answers Mittens, "It is surprisingly survivable here. But we've been learning, as Kyle pointed out earlier, that reality is different from what people expect. And well... dragons are surprisingly survivable also."

May says, "That's also because we KICK BUTT!"

May is sure to heft one of the prisoners to a safe spot. Raichel helps with prisoner toting also.

May leaves a note that says "warned you" and sticks it to where the gith's scabbard would be. Would be, meaning she took it.

Mits snickers at the May loot message.  The portal is easy to activate and is tied to only one destination.  The sinking island.

The exterior of the 200-foot-high monolith tower is
smooth-sided, polished obsidian (Athletics DC 30 to
climb). Its only entrance is a single gate.

"Should we knock?"

---

THE TOWER OF
DJAMELA
Sarshan’s lair and final hiding place lies in the Ele-
mental Chaos—a tower on a floating island set in the
midst of the Sea of Fire. After activating the portal
through which the shadar-kai fled the “In Fetid Dark-
ness” encounter (page 34), the PCs appear within
a permanent teleportation circle on the shore of a
floating earthberg. Close by, they see the larger island
whose obsidian tower is Sarshan’s lair. On the hori-
zon, the distant spires of the legendary City of Brass
shimmer above the haze of the lava sea.
The Island
Sarshan’s island is a steep-sided rise that juts up from
the Sea of Fire. An ancient stone dike surrounds the
island, bolstered by arcane rituals that help keep the
lava at bay. Environmental conditions on the island
are described in the “Sea of Fire” encounter (page 37).
The PCs can learn more about the island with a
successful History check.
DC 15: Years ago, this island was home to an eccentric
efreet mage named Djamela. When her dangerous
research saw her driven from the City of Brass, Djamela
relocated to this remote location to continue her work. The
monolithic tower that dominates the island was raised by
her hand, and filled with traps and conjured creatures to
defend against intrusion.
DC 20: Djamela’s passion was the study of raw chaos.
The mage was particularly interested in the mutability of
the matter of the Elemental Chaos, and sought to harness
the innate chaotic quality of such matter to efect its
controlled change.
DC 25: Djamela’s enemies eventually found her, and
the efreet mage was slain. In the aftermath, the golems
and spectral defenders that Djamela had conjured were left
to run free, preventing others from continuing Djamela’s
research. With its dike decaying, the island was nearly
consumed by the Sea of Fire.
Djamela’s Tower
The efreet mage’s tower is a sheer-sided obsidian
monolith. Sarshan has constructed a path leading
from his access portal at the edge of the island to
the monolith’s base. However, the shadar-kai has
prepared for unwelcome visitors by reestablishing
control over the mage’s traps and wards—including
a great reservoir of blood chaos in the tower’s lower
level.
Height: The tower is 200 feet high and con-
structed of polished obsidian (Athletics DC 30 to
climb).
Ceiling: Unless otherwise noted, ceilings within
the monolith are 60 feet high. The top level is open to
the sky.

  Kyle casuals the History check with his modifiers.  "Efreet obsessed with chaos filled this place with traps and golems.  She was killed for 'going too far' in her research.  The horde of golems and piles of traps were expected to keep out anyone wanting to pick up where she left off but hey guess what Sarshan has probably had zero problems turning to his cause?  First to guess right gets a sweetheart confection."

Raichel says, "The golems and traps?"

May says, "Dingdingding!"

Timothius asks, "How far does your silk go, Kyle?"

"Somehow I get this image in my head of Sarshan throwing money at them.  Then golems and traps go, 'We will now serve you unquestioningly.'

"So given the arg of the last time we were in a tower, shall we shoot from the doorway and then run around the corner to force the enemy to come to us?  I don't want a repeat of last time where some jerk shot at us from behind a doorway then slipped away when his allies dropped."

  Kyle, using the bionic vision all who live in a grid based world possess, answers "Exactly as long as the tower is.  Though we may have to then fight our way back out while it is exploding or something once a dramatic point passes, so going in the hard way may me for the best to ensure a clear path back if there is not another teleportation circle waiting for us."

  He pulls a wrapped magical cookie from his pack and offers it to Raichel.  Because in a serious situation, of course you meant it when you mentioned cookie prizes.

  "At the very least, cutting down on how often we must fight and deal with highly selective traps at the same time."

Raichel smiles and says, "Yes! Sweetheart confection!" Hey at least Kyle isn't alone. Even the most serious one in the bunch is enjoying the little things in life right now.

May says, "Alright. Through the tower it is! We'll plow our way up the tower to Sarshan and then drag his butt back down!"

Timothius says, "Alive if possible. While I realize this man needs to die, there are a lot of useful, life-saving things he can do for us if alive."

"I seriously doubt we can make use of Sarshan, but time will tell.  So: pull?  Or charge in?"

  "Charge first room unless it is more hazardous then fighting out here by the long drop to the blood of chaos.  Then pull."

May says, "I'll go in and check it out. Remember... I'm sneaky for someone with armor..."

Raichel says, "Be quick, though. We don't want Sarshan to get away or pull something nefarious before we get to him."

Timothius doesn't comment. Partly because he agrees with Mittens. Partly because he's mulling over thoughts about life and death, what they mean to him and why.

May sneaks in to check the first floor out. (Stealth roll 25)

This cavernous chamber drops 50 feet to a vast reservoir
of seething blood chaos. A series of stepped ledges work
their way down the sides of the chamber, some connected
by stairs, others by wooden ladders. Several ledges are
decorated with statues. Straight across from the entrance
and at the same level, a ledge contains the glowing sigils of
a permanent teleportation circle.
The defenders of this chamber stand in wait—two
humanoid fiends with leathery wings, another githyanki
warrior, a centaur bearing a greatsword, and a demon
ensconced in a rune-scribed shell.

The monsters apparently don't notice May.  Mits side-hugs her bro and leans over to ear nibble.  "Rai got a sweet treat.  I wanted one too," she whispers.

  "It is likely a given the statue with the glaive will try to shove us into the lava.   So pulling sounds more practical, or if not taking advantage of ranged attacks when possible instead of rushing to fight flying enemies on small platforms attached by ladders."

Timothius shrugs the shoulder near the ear Mittens is nibbling in a half-cringe and blushes. "I no longer deserve to be called sweet..." Timothius whispers back.

May peaked in and came back, reporting what she saw, and so Kyle says what he says. May says, "Pull it is." peaks her head in and yells, "HI, LOSERS! COME GET SOME OR WE'LL JUST SCALE YOUR WALL WITH OUR MAGIC ROPE!!" and peaks back out, ready to guard the doorway.

---

Surprise: Yell at losers
Actual turn
Standard: Readied Shield Feint for first enemy to get to melee range of May
This message was last edited by the player at 04:18, Sun 01 Mar 2015.

What the heroes don't see or hear is the enemy reaction.

---

Sniper 1 double moves toward door.  Spiralith single moves toward door and readies melee attack.

  4th edition.  You can totally 'roleplay' your way into a dungeon bypass, but you don't want to.

  Kyle preps his crossbow with standard issue at-will shootey shoots, and toughens up May as usual.

  "Timothius, while there is no real good way to say 'lower your standards', you are still basically a saint and what people should have in mind when thinking of religion in a positive manner.  Instead of a locking a man away in a temple alone for centuries manner."

---

Standard: Readied M weapon. pre roll hits 36 AC (so, anything). 18 DMG (16 if no ally next to enemy at the time).
M weapon buff: +1 to-hit, +4 DMG rolls to all allies
minor: resistive buff for May.  +1 AC. can cash in for THP of her surge+8. when she cashes in, an ally within 5 of her also gets that THP.

Raichel goes up the steps and readies her staff.

Meanwhile, apparently, Kyle vouching for Timothius being a good guy seems to make enough of a difference for him to raise both eyebrows in an almost... hopeful look.

---

Move: To doors
Readied Action: Five Storms v all visible enemies when enemies appear

The gith opens the door and...

SLASH! BLAM! ZAP! THUNK! The bug gets half-killed by May, Rai and Kyle in one shot and the gith feels the nasty sting of Raichel's staff and Mittens' hand of radiance! Even the Abishai feel Mittens' attack. All this in the span of ALL AT ONCE!

May yells, "SURRENDER OR FALL!"

---

Readied junk:

Mittens' Hand of Radiance: 15,18,16(All hits), 16+4=20 dmg
Kyle's Magic Weapon attack: 36(hit), 18 dmg
 Everyone has +1 attack and +4 dmg
May's Shield Feint: 24(hit bug), 12+4=16 dmg
Rai's Five Storms: 30(hit),28(hit), 13+4=17 dmg

Abishai 1 HP: 98 - 20 = 78
Abishai 2 HP: 98 - 16 = 78
Githyanki HP: 118 - 20 - 17 = 81
Arctide Spiralith HP: 97 - 17 - 16 - 18 = 46 (bloodied)
This message was last edited by the player at 05:23, Sun 01 Mar 2015.

One of the flying draconic looking things flies closer.

"Keep talking, fools!  And dig your graves with your tongues!"

Timothius' hopeful look goes back to stoney ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQyf9NuyCQU )

Timothius says, "Then I will just crawl back out of the grave and pull you into it with me." He then yells, "For I have been given power over the grave!" with that, he shoots lasers from his eyes into the eyes of the gith. "SEE!"

---

Break the Spirit v Gith. Hit(23)!
 dmg: 19+4=23
 target takes -4(cha mod) penalty to attacks

Gith HP: 81 - 23 = 58 bloodied and -4 attacks

"So I'm wondering to myself why I'm in a tower in surrounded by lava and monsters..." the centaur muses, "Oh right.  For a chance to meet legendary combatants in battle!"

He charges Rai and knocks her back.

"W...  I hit?  I HIT!!!!"

May says with a toothy grin, "OK, centaur, you want a battle, you got it!" and hops over so she is facing all 3 of the front-liners. "Come and get it!" and slices the bug's equivelent of a jugular, slices the gith's side, and slices the centaur's front legs!

---

Come and Get It v Bug, Gith, Centaur. CRIT(36)! Hit(29)! Hit(28)!
 dmg to Bug: 28
 dmg to Gith: 16
 dmg to Centaur: 14

Arctide Spiralith HP: 46 - 28 = 18
Githyanki HP: 58 - 16 = 42
Centaur HP: 150 - 14 = 136

  "The sad part is, that's one of the few things close to a reasonable outlook we have dealt with." Why are you fighting?!  Because fighting is COOL, duh! Oh, okay then.

  Now that May has squashed the big multiple size categories larger than she is, Kyle pitches a packet of minty fresh powder amidts the rest of their enemies, then fires a well practiced shot from his crossbow through a gap in the Gith's armor (Not that such a thing is hard to find with gith armor).

Move: move one.
Standard: Pacification poweder vs all. hits all.  Enemies can't use STANDARD actions, until end of my next turn.
Aftereffect: Slowed, until end of their next turn.
Action point: Standard: Learned boost version M weapon. Hits gith. 21 DMG.
M weapon bonus to all allies but Tim.

Gith: 21 HP left
This message was last edited by the player at 06:30, Sun 01 Mar 2015.

Raichel turns into light, melds into a standing position and goes back to normal, only for her fur and some hair to stand on end, a growl on her voice. She fires lightning that causes a loud ripping sound through the air, but the centaur just barely dodges!

---

Minor: Razorclaw Shifting
 speed increases by 2 and you gain +1 bonus to AC and Reflex.
Move: Stand
Standard: Furious Bolts v Centaur>Abishai2>Abishai1>Gith. Miss first, so miss all.

The gith shrieked when Timothius opened his eyes!

The centaur sneezes on the powder and looks shocked (haha!) that he dodged Rai's zap!  "W...  I DODGED TOO!  OH YEAH!"

A groaning roar suddenly shakes the tower. The seething
blood chaos below begins to boil as a jet of magma shoots
into the reservoir through a wide-gaping crack in the
wall. Foul-smelling steam vents upward as the level of the
swirling pool begins to rise.

Mits runs past the gith triggering an attack that opens him up for a nasty attack from May!  She snaps her fingers and the gith drops.

"I'm willing to overlook your slashing my sister.  IF you surrender to live to fight another day."

Pure glow kersplosion!  The two dragon things shriek and are bloodied!  One flies away and hides behind the statue!

Timothius' form seems slightly distorted, as if being seen through the heat of a desert. He throws his hand forward and to the side as if "smacking" the abishai from a distance and an astral seal materializes on the abishai's head!

"Behold." Timothius continues as he holds a hand out and Raichel's wounds vanish while everyone else in the team seems to gain a blue aura. "The grave laughs at you, but cowers before me. Tremble and beg for forgiveness before I decide to rob you of your right to die!"

---

Astral Seal v Abishai 1. 20 Hit(34)!
 Abishai 1 takes a -2 penalty to all defenses
 Next ally to hit Abishai 1 regains 1d6+8 and Resist 5 choice
Healing Word on Rai: 52 hp restored

Raichel HP: 39+52=FULL +31thp