In reply to A'tril (msg # 428):

Finwe, mounted on a powerful charger, surges toward Vora with alarming alacrity and a deadly sense of purpose.

Unfortunately, his charge takes him through Vora's threatened area, and the massive war maul swings his way. The paladin steadies himself to take the blow with unflinching resolve...

[AOO (Finwe): 41]

[Damage (Finwe): 44]

...and he passes onward toward his target. Unfortunately, his enhanced attacks are unable to penetrate the goddess's defenses.

[Attack (Vora): 34]

"You shall fall this day," he roars at her in defiance. "Even if not by my blade."

In reply to DM (msg # 429):

NOTE: Lyriel's readied action was triggered to something that didn't happen. She will continue to delay, awaiting the trigger, until/unless the trigger occurs.

Dark forces swirl around each combatant, and their shields wither away to nothing. You are now exposed to the full fury of the Plane of Oblivion, and brace yourself for a painful assortment of ill effects moving forward.

On a positive note, the Goddess looks rather badly damaged. Huge cracks and chips are spiraling across her golem-like form, and angry smoke is pouring forth from within.




This message was last edited by the GM at 14:51, Thu 17 Nov 2016.

In reply to DM (msg # 430):

Keef's eyes flick blue, then purple.  A tiny pinprick of light shimmers in his palm and tiny icicles form at the tips of his fingers.

A ray of bluish purple energy springs from his hand and lances outward out into the void.  You can feel the chill from it but it hits nothing.

Damn Coriolis effect...


[Private to GM: OOC: Polar ray, 31 vs AC 38 = miss]

In reply to Keef (msg # 431):

The lingering acid scours Vora's form.

[Damage (Vora): 8]

Surrounded by enemies, she becomes a blur of motion -- swinging her maul at many nearby targets indiscriminately.

[Attack (Auriel, Lyriel, Finwe, Keef): 44,(crit miss. Fumble? no),37,41]

[Damage (Auriel, Lyriel, Maeve, Keef): 49, 0, 45, 36]

After the final strike, she lifts the maul to the sky. Sparks fly, and bolts of lightning surge outward.

[Chain Lightning vs Reflex DC26 (Auriel, Lyriel, Maeve, Keef, Boreas, Finwe): 22,18,(natural 20), 30,(natural 1),17]

All but Maeve and Keef suffer the full brunt of her savage attack.

[Damage (Auriel, Lyriel, Keef, Boreas, Finwe): 72]

[Damage (Keef, Maeve): 36]

>> ALL... SHALL... FALL... << the goddess intones, though she sounds strangely winded.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:21, Fri 18 Nov 2016.

In reply to Vora (msg # 432):

Finwe screams and falls from his charger, laying prone on the inky-black ground. (-3 hp, bleeding out)

A flickering red bubble pops into existence around Keef, then shatters. The mage is hurled to the ground, prone. (-1 hp, bleeding out)
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:19, Fri 18 Nov 2016.

In reply to DM (msg # 433):

As the young mage falls, a small dark shape leaps up and takes position on his chest.

Chubbs focuses his most withering stare of indifference at Vora, making clear that even if she kills Keef, even if she destroys all of existnace:

Chubbs

does

not

care!

Despite the pain of Vora's searing lightning attacks, Maeve lands a couple more good licks, grimly trying to hold on until the end of the fight.

[Damage: 62]

In reply to Maeve Hassan (msg # 435):

Darris swears from somewhere within the prison. A burst of dark energy swirls around it, suffusing it... and suddenly, the prismatic barrier is gone.

"Finally," he mutters, taking stock of the battlefield. "I've clearly been out of the fight for far too long."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:24, Mon 28 Nov 2016.

In reply to Darris (msg # 436):

Vora staggers under Maeve's assault, and huge sheets of stone and metallic plating slide away from the golem's body to reveal a strange synthesis of sinew and skeletal fragments below. These are made of a hard, inky substance, but pulse in a way that seems very much alive.

The giant maul falls from her slender fingertips, the ends of which widen and flatten into sharp, claw-like appendages. Twin wings made of the same dark material sprout from her back, and her mouth unhinges to reveal an enormous jaw armed with multiple rows of glistening teeth. Finally, a whip-like tail extends from the base of her spine. It resembles a scorpion's tail, though in place of the spine there appears to be a knotted club.

In reply to DM (msg # 437):

>> YOU SHALL BE RIPPED FROM THIS WORLD BY MY OWN LIMBS <<

OOC: Initiative order is unchanged. Proceed!

Though horrified by Vora's new terrifying appearance, Lyriel doesn't let her fear get the best of her. Pressing her palms together, amethyst light erupts from her in a series of tendrils, which find their way to her allies.

[Mass Heal: 200]

All of her allies near her (except Boreas, who is too far away) find themselves restored and revitalized by an almost-overwhelming rush of spiritual energy.

Auriel continues his unrelenting assault despite the costume change.

[Attack: Hit, Attack: Hit, Attack: Crit Miss (no fumble), Devastating Smite: Hit]

[Damage: 127]

Boreas floats 10 feet (to E10) and fires a bolt of acid at Darris.

[Casting Vitriolic Blast - Eldritch Chain]
[Ranged Touch vs. Darris 29]

The acid hits him on the sternum and splashes up into his face, sizzling menacingly.

[Acid Damage vs. Darris 54]
[Ongoing Acid Damage vs. Darris for 3 rounds]

The bolt ricochets, striking Vora in the side as well.

[Ranged Touch vs. Vora 41]
[Acid Damage vs. Vora 27]
[Ongoing Acid Damage vs. Vora for 3 rounds]
This message was last edited by the player at 22:16, Tue 29 Nov 2016.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 441):

There is a rustling sound behind Lyriel, and A'tril's position is finally revealed in the form of a darkened blade speeding toward the healer's back.

Auriel reacts instantly, granting a divine shield that surrounds the priestess until the first attack has concluded.

[Attack (Lyriel): 1 (critical miss. fumble? no.), 28, 21, 13]

Despite his stealthy approach, only one of the attacks manages to bite into Lyriel's tender flesh... and then, only barely. Still, the weapon bursts into flames when it connects, dealing additional damage.

[Damage (Lyriel): 49]

"You should have chosen better armor. Yours leaves certain vulnerabilities exposed," A'tril says softly. "I need not strike often, so long as I strike true."

It is unclear if there is poison on the blade, but if there was, Lyriel seems to have shrugged it off without incident.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:38, Wed 30 Nov 2016.

In reply to A'tril (msg # 442):

Finwe, restored to vigor by Lyriel's ministrations, hauls himself painfully to his feet.

This action earns him a swift rebuke from Vora, who slashes at him with her newly formed claws. Though they find their target, they do not penetrate as deeply into his flesh as Vora might have hoped.

[AOO (Finwe): 43]
[Damage (Finwe): 28]

He then swings for all he's worth at Vora, managing to connect a single time. Holy light flashes around his weapon as it makes impact, increasing the damage dealt.

[Damage (Vora): 43]

"STAY DOWN!"

***

Dark forces swirl around each combatant. With their shields gone, the sapping force begins to drain away the heroes' other auras and enchantments.

OOC: Everyone is stripped of their highest-level fixed-duration buff. You get the feeling you will not like what happens to you if you have no buffs to feed to this effect.

Vora and her remaining allies gird themselves for further combat as the struggle to save (or "save", respectively) the universe continues.




This message was last edited by the GM at 15:14, Fri 02 Dec 2016.

In reply to DM (msg # 443):

No!  Not the!

The dark energy rends some of the energy around Keef.

OOC:  I have no idea what buff would be pulled, the only ongoing one from Keef himself is his armor.

Well... maybe we can...

Keef HOLDS

In reply to Keef (msg # 444):

The acid burns Vora's... let's call it "flesh".

[Damage: 8]

Vora considers the battlefield around her, and for the first time she seems... unsure.

>>> WHY DO YOU PERSIST? <<<

An orb of murky darkness begins to form above her head, flickering in and out of reality like the image left behind when you stare at the sun, look away, and blink rapidly. With each pulse, it grows larger until it encompasses much of her surroundings.

>>> THE END HAS LONG BEEN FORETOLD. IT IS NECESSARY. WE SHALL BUILD A BETTER REALTY THAN THIS FLAWED HUSK OF FAILED CREATION. <<<

The orb suddenly solidifies, and then explodes in a violent torrent of energy wide enough to hit everyone. Even Vora's allies. Even Vora herself.

[Voidspark]

[Feedback Damage (Vora): 33]

Everyone attempts to get out of the way of the bursts of energy hurled their way.

[Reflex DC29 vs (Keef, Maeve, Lyriel, Auriel, Finwe, Darris, Atril, Boreas): 29,22,32,37,27,23,22, 31]

[Damage (Maeve, Finwe, Darris, Atril)): 133 raw (30 fire, 30 sonic, 40 electric, 33 acid)]

[Private to GM: Note: Atril and Darris have improved evasion]

OOC: If you have resistance to any of these, please note that in your post. I can't figure out who is resistant to what at the moment.

[Damage (Lyriel, Auriel, Boreas, Keef): 67 raw (15 fire, 15 sonic, 20 electric, 17 acid)]

>>> FALL. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. THE WORLD IS ALREADY UNMADE. I MUST BEGIN THE WORK OF REBUILDING, OR ALL WILL BE LOST FOR NAUGHT.<<<
This message was last edited by the player at 20:24, Mon 05 Dec 2016.

[OOC I have ER 10 to both Electricity and Acid, so my damage total should be 20 lower]

In reply to Auriel (msg # 446):

... we persist because we're right... Keef coughs.  ...and... because you're wrong and... well because we're relentlessly frustrating...

Maeve turns her attention from the goddess to her one-time "ally," A'tril.

[Total damage: 89]

"Good point.  Never underestimate the importance of striking true."

In reply to Maeve Hassan (msg # 448):

"Gk-!"

A'tril's eyes widen as Maeve's weapon slices through his chest. A torrent of blood pours out, and he falls weakly to his knees.

"Paradise..." he whispers, putting a hand to his chest and then raising the bloodied palm before his eyes so he can see the red rivulets dribbling away. "...lost."

His weapons clatter to the ground, and he topples nearby with a lifeless thump.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:16, Wed 14 Dec 2016.

In reply to A'tril (msg # 449):

Darris is further burned by acid.

[Damage (Darris): 7]

"A'tril?" Darris shouts, smoke rising from his armor from the aftereffects of Vora's indiscriminate blasts. "A'tril! No!"

He seems to realize that he alone has survived this final standoff among his mortal allies, and for the first time his eye show fear.

Darris stabs a finger in Maeve's direction.

"What have you done?! He was better than you! He deserved the world to come!"

He clenches the finger into a furious fist.

"He will be avenged. Die!"

[Casting: Divine Disintegration]

A bolt of pure oblivion lances from his holy symbol, striking Maeve directly in the chest.

[Fort (Maeve): 33, success]

The warrior grits her teeth, fending off the worst of the blow, but the crackling energy still deals some damage.

[Damage (Maeve): 46]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:39, Wed 14 Dec 2016.

[Boreas has Resist 5 Fire]

The eye flares for a moment with prismatic light, and a faint glow outlines Boreas for a second before fading.  Some of his wounds close.

[Free Action: Activating Feyic Resilience - Fast Healing 5 for 2 minutes]

Then, another burst of conjured acid streaks toward Darris, striking him in the side.  It ricochets to Vora, splashing her as well.

[Eldritch Chain - Vitriolic Blast]

[Ranged Touch vs. Darris: 28]
[Acid Damage vs. Darris: 41]

[Ranged Touch vs. Vora: 40]
[Acid Damage vs. Vora: 20]

[Both Vora and Darris have their acid damage counters reset to 3 rounds.  Darris should have taken 2d6 acid damage this round.]

Boreas then flies to (D15), descending until he hovers just above the wall.

In reply to Boreas Highwind (msg # 451):

Red electricity crackles between Keef's eyes and fingertips.

A massive bolt arcs from his open palm and bounces back and forth several times between Vora and Darris.  The light fades almost immediately, causing everyone to blink reflexively.

A split second later, the massive thunderclap rings out and fades into the nothingness beyond the battlefield.

We don't ANY of us deserve this... Keef mutters

OOC:  37 damage to each of Vora and Darris

[Private to GM: OOC: I mean... I think.  Chain Lightening.  Primary bolt 20d6 roll of 76 on Vora who made REF save.  2ndary bolt on Darris for half damage, he failed his reflex.]

In reply to Keef (msg # 452):

Acid swirls and burns over Darris's wounds even as Keef's crackling electricity is added to the mix.

"Aaaaaarrgh!"

Darris staggers under the onslaught, his pale blue eyes flickering as the light streams forth from them like wisps of spent breath.

"Where is...Jannah? I see...only darkness."

The Underhand falls backward, landing with a sickening thud on the cold, hard ground.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:27, Thu 15 Dec 2016.