After calming down a bit Willa looked crestfallen.  "Still more to fight?  Where Aviana?"  She sighed.

"Well, if must fight more, Willa no want fight in dark also again.  Maybe one open door and rest stay?  Looking at the passageway, she then adds  "Also door look special may be.  Could be traps?"

Jubei gave a nod to the narrayah. "Hmm, yes... take as much as you need.", he just grunted. Before he again looked to the door. "Well, I would assume that those turrets that Drex has taken care would have started shooting us if we had opened that door, so well done with those.", he nodded into Drex direction. "I can only assume that we will find the daemon behind this door... somewhere.", he finally shrugged with his shoulders.

    Jubei pulls open the doors and a slick, impenetrable darkness lies just beyond the doorway's threshold.  Whispers spill out from the door joining with those already present in the ears of most of the adventures, it felt like some presence was delving through their minds, though Drex and Midagarra seemed oddly immune to this.

[Everyone save Drex and Midagarra make a saving throw at a -2 penalty.]

Willa heard the whispers, but they were unable to affect her peculiar umbrean mind.  What did have an effect on her however, was the sight of yet more darkness.  She was becoming very grumpy with all these stupid tricks.

"Big Bad Voice in Darkness Soul Stealer Demon Coward Hecatomb, still hiding from us?"  She wanted to shout out angrily, but could only manage a quiet mumble whilst being so full of disappointment.

Saving Throw: 15 (13)
10:05, Today: Willa rolled 15 using 1d20. Saving throw verses whispers.
Sorry - I forgot to add the -2 modifier, so final result is 13.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:12, Mon 06 Apr 2015.

Phelan's mind filled with detailed calculations; algorithms, equations and mechanical rituals repelled the mental penetration with almost disdainful ease. A slight sneer developed on his face as the probe was casually turned aside. "Hmph. Child's Play."

Saving throw: Natural 20.

Jubei however found himself unable to resist the mental probing. He tensed up and snarled at the darkness before of him. "Out of my head, monster!"

[Saving throw against Brainstabing: 6]

Perhaps due to having his nerves ground by the darkness and monsters, to the lack of field experience or possibly to sheer aleatory chance, Daryl fell prey to the whispers as well. His thoughts broke into panic at the invasion, rendering him unable to so much as shout.

The gods have shown their discontentment through a roll of 3. Subtracting 2, my saving throw was 1

[Those who failed their saving throw has their Daementation affliction move up on the track to stage two which means you now grant combat advantage whenever you are bloodied.]

    Black fluid spilt from Jubei and Daryl’s throats as they almost chocked on something that they had tried to vomit up but failed to, the same black material spilt from their eyes like tears streaking down their faces.
  ”Come children into the embrace of the one true god.” a husky, womanly voice called from somewhere within the dark recesses beyond the doorway.

Willa was more concerned about her friends than anything else and angrily shouted back:

"Willa no care for cowardy demon stealing little girls and hiding in darkness.  Not things powerful big do."

She then ran over to Iron Jubei, hoping for some signal from him that he was okay, before running off to gather as many of the dropped light sources as she could.  She wasn't entirely confident in and of herself though and made sure that her own protective shadows (those formed from the power of the dark void above the sky), guarded her.

OOC gain shadow walk
This message was last edited by the player at 16:34, Wed 08 Apr 2015.

Jubei's hand clutched the spirit lantern, hoping that it's light would dispell the darkness around him as he spat out the black... slime that had appeared in his throat. "A monster is what you are... that's for sure.", he snarled at the darkness ahead, unwilling to buckle further.

"Once, only once you got that close. It seems you squandered your chance to take me. You will not be able to get that close again." Phelan's snort was disdainful. "Do you wish to dance again? Because you will not enjoy the outcome." He sneered, and followed up that statement with a few invectives in Narayan that, by the tone of his voice, were likely incredibly impolite and probably not suitable for Willa to hear and understand. Sheer contempt seemed to drip from his words as he stared into the darkness, accepting his sunrod from Willa once she returns after picking it up off the ground.

“Fa cotv iop Gmiotdj-Jepfmis, iop Pess apf iop Giohmoph. Fa cotv xoi iopi Lsuvi - jettmodj apf hogvoh. Nivjopl’tv fa cotv iopi emmhiniopi Jepfmaph apf kifis Nepp tummvi fodj ba tdjmehip." The tone of disgust as he spoke his mother tongue was truly a change from the normally polite voice of the artificer.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:31, Fri 10 Apr 2015.

The doola was shocked beyond words to see that much black substance leaking out of him, and was this close from having a disgraceful bout of panic when the brave words of his companions made through the horrendous sensations clouding his mind.

As a scholar, he knew that sort of courage was probably foolish.

As a person, he admired them.

Coughing the last bits of black goop clogging his throat and managed to growl angrily, "I shall bow to no god that revels in playing mind games while hiding in the shadows."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:36, Fri 10 Apr 2015.

    ”Then you shall drown in your own corruption.” the woman mocked as she laughed the darkness swallowing up the adventurers…

[So begins Phantasmagoria, I will make a post to each of you privately in which your delightful parts in this encounter play out.  Be warned though the stakes in this one are as high as normal combat yet it is far more easy to fall.]

[Thus ends the Phantasmagoria and we pick up the story from here.]
Phatasmagoria:  Each player receives 125 Experience Points and the party gains +2 Fortune tokens.

    The dazzling brilliance which had swept away each of the adventurers dimmed a bit, as they found themselves in the now brilliantly lit arena.  The once forbidding doorways remained open and a room was now visible beyond, the darkness which had smothered everything before now gone.
  That room appeared to be about thirty feet across with a high ceiling for the second storey entrance that lead onto a small podium that overlooked the broad altar bowl at the centre of the room.  Stone benches sat against the wall, facing the bowl at the centre.  Stairs against the far wall from the arena door lead up to the podium and the entrance on the upper storey behind the podium.

  Willa stood before her companions facing a woman dressed an ornate white dress.  Though the adventurers could only guess it was Willa as the little umbrean was nowhere else to be seen and the brilliant figure, wreathed with white flames was about here size.  There was no heat shimmering about her though the light was searing to the skin of her companions, it was doing much worse to the daemons.
"Fallen Priest of the Transcend!" a voice issued from the small radiant pyre that was Willa, tt was her voice but there was a grace and power to it which Willa hadn't demonstrated before.
"You are accused of usurping my dominion over those who called upon my name!" though Willa was pointing at the women in white, who was shrinking back from the small inferno before her the light vaporising the shadow stuff which still clung to her like gossamer veils but to a torch, the gesture was unseen by anyone who did not wish to become blinded.
"Of twisting my image and perverting my words to suit your whims then stealing away my children!"
"You made them forsake their bodies, consumed their minds and imprisoned their spirits within your own!"
"With your vicious whispering you made them forget me and when they finally despaired within your cavernous husk of a being they could not even summon a name to plea unto for salvation!"  the anger in her voice was like a blow to the foul priestess as she fell down unto her back before Willa, up against the bowl of the alter, a vicious grimace upon her face but there was still proud defiance coloured by fear which kept her from cowering.
"You shall hold them in Torment no longer!" the blinding pyre advanced upon the woman in white and she screamed as Willa reached out a hand and touched her, though the hand passed through the immaculate white dress and went somewhere inside the women's stomach.

The sudden transition back into the waking, or real world had Jubei remain in a rather tense position as he stared onward and was nearly blinded by the sudden radiance the room was bathed in. And yet, his dumbfoundedness did not remain for lonh as he listened to the words spoken. "By the dragons...", he muttered while he tried to understand what he saw.


23:08, Fri 01 May 2015: Iron Jubei rolled 10 using 1d20+5 ((5)).

As his vision returned, Phelan realised that he had now physically returned to the room he was in before. The incandescent being that had come up behind him was now in front, confronting the priestess. As a small paw protected his eyes from the worst of the glare, the gears in his mind turned as he analysed what the being in control of Willa was.


12:54, Today: Phelan Drixos rolled 20 using 1d20+6. Religion. Understanding what is in Willa.

    The radiant Willa withdrew her hand from within the woman in white as the white flames which covered Willa engulfed the woman.  She screamed.  A cry that swiftly changed from that of a woman’s but something more completely unnatural as she flailed against the flames then fell limp as the fires died as immediately as they had started the body of woman, untarnished by any sort of corruption lay there as still as a corpse.

  ”I regret I can’t save them all.” she cried.

  ”My time is short.” the pyre said, ”The Hecatomb is defeated, not destroyed the curse upon Appirga negates much of my power against the deamon.  The girl you wished to save, Aviana is a part of the Hecatomb, there is no spirit which could be considered to be hers to be saved.  To break the power of the Nemesis here the altar must be broken, though it can only be truly done by one who’s power does not come from gods.  It is up to you Noïa Moondelay Phelan or Noïa Moondelay Daryl.” there was a pause before Willa said ”I release you Noïa Moondelay Willa.” as suddenly darkness returned and the flames which had covered the umbrean was gone, leaving behind a considerable amount of smoke as Willa then fell to the floor.

[Willa lose all remaining healing surges save one and take 33 radiant fire damage.]

  It was quiet apparent that Willa has been very badly burned, though her clothing and equipment appeared intact he body was burned to such a degree that it was amazing she wasn’t still burning with at least embers.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:35, Sun 03 May 2015.

"Willa!" Phelan hissed in shock and the Umbrean's wounds. Both of his prepared vials were uncorked and the magical energy  spiraled around Willa, cooling some of the burns. He watched the magical energy do the work, before moving on to examine the altar structurally as well as magically, trained eye examining every inch. "Jubei, look over Willa? I think I've taken care of the worst."

Minor Action: Healing Infusion: Curative Admixture
Effect: Willa heals for SURGE+3

Minor Action: Healing Infusion: Curative Admixture
Effect: Willa heals for SURGE+3.

In total Willa  heals for two surges, and an additional 6. No surges spent.

Arcana check on the altar: 15
Dungoneering check on the altar:  13

... Naturally.

Jubei had stared mouth agape at witnessing what he believed to be some kind of divine manifestation within the little umbrean. Though when the light faded and that presence disappeared back to wherever it had come from, he only hesitated for maybe a moment, as he rushed over to Willa. Already muttering prayers to his own gods and ideals to render aid, before Phelan had preempted him by the usage of the curative mixtures. "Yes... I think that should help.", he said before he looked over to the altar and examined it from the distance, while staying close to Willa to also make sure she was indeed safe.


13:16, Sun 03 May 2015: Iron Jubei rolled 23 using 1d20+5 ((18)).

The face planted Willa stirred from unconsciousness.

Her body felt so strange.  Hard and crispy.  Shell-like.  She's not really sure where she is or how she got here, but there is coldness and...pain.  But not fresh pain.  Old pain.  It hurt, but felt like it was just within, not everywhere.  She'd experienced such sensations before, but not so much so.  She had probably been injured and someone was taking care of her.

She tried to see where she was, but everything was a greyish blur, tinged with a yellowy glow.  She opened her mouth to speak, but was momentarily confused to find she could only manage a squeaky pop.  It was then she realised that she was face down, head splatted on the floor, creating an almost air-tight seal with the it.

She tried to move, but something restrained her.  Bound her somehow.  It was hard and solid, but thin and brittle too.  She felt a snap and a crack and thought to break through the restraint.  With effort she twisted her arm, sending splinters flying off of her arm.  It was only after she finally managed to roll over and bring herself to a sitting position, sending a shower of such fragments all around, that she realised that she hadn't been restrained at all.  It was her membrane!  Her 'skin', crystalised and broken.  She looked at her sore hands with worry. They were yellow-raw.  Missing their normal healthy orange sheen. Eyes full of concern, she looked up at Iron Jubei shaking.

"Willa..." Her voice weak and emotional, "is okay?"


Current HP - 22/33

    Morrey flew over to the dark brown flakes on floor beside Willa, the bird looked at her blinking before cawing and skipping over to one particular fragment which seemed to have his interest and then pecked it before grabbing it in his beak then flitting off back to the shoulders of the advancing Midagarra who was walking over towards the body of the woman in white.  She appeared to be examining her.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:31, Mon 04 May 2015.

Jubei tensed up noticeably as he stared at the altar, then quickly looked around before his eyes landed on Phelan again. "We're not done yet. We must still destroy the altar. I don't know how... but... whatever had taken a hold of Willa...", he looked over to the goopling with something that might be considered a faint smile, ".. mentioned that you, or Daryl, can do it. Otherwise this.. god of dark still remains here for the next unfortunate souls to find."

Drex stood there as a silent witness to all this. A wrathful rage brewing in him, because he is denied the opportunity to fulfill his vow. But he was not gong to let this feeling jeopardise the groups success.

"Yes and lets make it quick before we loss our window of opportunity!" Drex comments in response to Jubei's comment. "If I can't have the pleasure to be the one to eliminate this affront to free thinking that The Teacher stands for. At least I can bear witness to the destruction of this alter of indoctrination ..." Drex shouts to the heavens.

Phelan shuddered as he examined the altar carefully. "I know Drex, I'm making sure that we destroy it right so it can't be repaired, and so it won't have further negative effects on the nearby town." He moved closer, barely avoiding brushing the altar with his fingers as he examined the altar ever so carefully, wanting to make sure he understood everything about the destruction and its aftereffects.


10:25, Today: Phelan Drixos rolled 24 using 1d20+9. Dungeoneering - How to Destroy Altar beyond repair.
10:25, Today: Phelan Drixos rolled 14 using 1d20+13. Arcana - How to destroy altar safely and disjunct spell.

Willa turned at Phelan's voice and saw for the first time the room that they were in.  She stared blankly at their surroundings for a couple of moments then her eyes widened and she suddenly shouted:

"Do quickly, Mr Phelan sir!  Is no time.  Willa told Kyssea in trouble!"

She then spotted the shape of the floor.  "Who..?  Aviana!  Must help!" She jumped up and ran over to the prone body desperate to see if there is anything she can do.

06:49, Today: Willa rolled 6 using 1d20+2. Healing on Aviana - can anything be done?