With a bit of a curse on his lips, Jubei grabbed the rope and pulled on it again.

Minor Action: Grab
Rolled: 14 vs Fort

But it seemed like his hands slipped just a little bit!
He let out a snarl as he glared at the flying machine. "You rotten thing speak of cowardice and yet avoid the honest fight like a vulture!"

Gonna spend one of our fuckbillion fortune tokens for a Truestrike on this. 17 left now.

Minor Action: Grab
Rolled: 34 vs Fort


And thus, with a mighty yank, Jubei - hopefully - drew the dragon mockery downwards into a waiting blade. Or so was the plan anyway.
There probably was no blade waiting. The dragon probably fell on him or some stupid shit like that.

Prepare Standard Action: Valorous Smite
Attack: 10 vs AC using 1d20+9 (crit fail!)

The sudden transition left Willa stunned and surprised.  Which in and of itself was surprising, since she felt that it was becoming quite a regular occurrence at this point.  So, she thought, shouldn't she be used to it by now?  Apparently not as, if anything, things seemed to be getting worse!  This was, after all, the first time she had been left literally seeing stars.  Like an illustration in some children's book.

She looked down at the crystal in her hand and made a complex look.  It was a pretty little thing and she felt she should be thrilled with it - or more so.  But there was a small feeling of loss for her previous one.  Unruly though it was, it had been hers and held power.  Power she could tap into, despite its...personality.  This one felt...different.  Unbalanced, perhaps?  Like it wasn't meant for her.  Not yet anyway. She sighed wistfully, but her moment was suddenly broken by a booming she'd not heard for too long already.

"Iron Jubei!" She shouted gleefully at the giant reptillian centaur.  "Willa back is!" She looked around, completely ignoring the giant mechanical dragon in the room.  "Oh!  There Drex is!  Also Zebrakoala!  Also, Also, Amare is!  And Mr Phelan, sir!  Hello!  Hello everyone!"

OOC
Save vs Daze: Nat 20.

@Author Unfortunately Willa is not trained with accurate implements so her new rod is basically useless :(

And regarding her appearance,  did she come back with that fancy-looking cloak she found herself in at the academy, or is she back in her normal one again?

Thanks :)
This message was last edited by the player at 16:24, Mon 02 July 2018.

    Jubei's sudden force on the rope caught the mechanical dragon at the wrong time and instead of just drawing the machine down he brought the effigy crashing down.  Though it did manage a landing of a sort.

  Cebakaala took aim with his bow and loosed two arrows against the mechanical dragon.  The first found its mark while the other glanced harmlessly off the metal armor.

  Phelan's bolt pierced the dragon's metal hide, the magical enchantment associated with his shot taking effect on Amare, Willa and Cebakaala's weapons.  Beyond that the wispy trail of arcanum the bolt had left drew itself towards the dragon and sparked motes of lights about the machines which moved as it did.  Guiding blows towards the creature vulnerable spots.

[Phelan used the daily power of his crossbow which allows any attack made  by allies against the target to be rolled twice and you may use either use either result.]

  Taking aim again Phelan fires off another shot at the dragon taking advantage of one of those glowing lights to guide his aim and approaches the machine.

  Amare draws nearer to the dragon now that Willa has returned and casts his mind towards that of the possessed machine.  Psychically tearing into the fabric of its being.

[@Willa see OOC thread for a discussion on the apparent mistake with your rod.]

Round 6 - Enemy Turn

    "No!" the broken machine roars as it struggles against its broken frame.  "I am Justice! I will not be laid low by villains like you!" the dragon attacks Jubei with what seems to be the last of its strength but to no avail.

Blue Dragon Effigy attacks Iron Jubei with Draconic Fury and misses.

End of Round 6, Start of Round 7 - Players Turn

Emboldened by Willa's return, at the guidance of Phelan's shot, Jubei struck out at the machine again. But again failed, no doubt because his defense against the ferocious mauling the machine attempted had left him on bad footing.

"You are delusional, spirit!", Jubei snarled at it.

Standard Action: Virtous Strike
Attack: 18 using 20+9 vs AC

Minor Action: Divine Challenge! Huah!

Start of turn
Vital Surge regeneration: 5

Drex fires off another beam of searing light at the dragon effigy, but his aim was off. Before desiding to fall back a bit.

Standard action: Avenging Shackles
Target: BDE
Attack: 17 vs. Will.

Move action: R21 -> Q21

Willa was a little confused by the enemy's turn of phrase.  Did it really think it was fighting for justice?  Maybe it was just it as delusional as Iron Jubei suggested, or did it mean to be confusing?  She had missed most of the fight already and was sure that her friends would only be fighting this thing with good reason.  But seeing them all still alive and (comparably) well, she couldn't completely justify attacking it...yet.

Willa took a few steps forward, summoning her shadows to her, then jumped into a fighting stance.  "Willa not know why Machine-thing fight.  But know not is justice!  Justice punish for bad-doings.  Willa and friends of Willa do no bad.  Only goods.  Also to protect selves.  So if Machine-thing is not bad, must to stop fighting now!  If not Willa and friends destroy Machine-thing!"

As if to emphasise her point, she held her new implement aloft, cursing the construct.  As her mark scored itself into the inorganic hide, she added:

"Willa and friends of fight to protect each other and other nice people.  Machine-thing want live?  Machine stop fighting and show is not bad-doings!"

OOC
Move action: D31 to K32 (Gains Shadow Walk)
Standard Action:  Diplomacy: 16
Minor Action: Curse vs Blue Dragon Effigy
This message was last edited by the player at 14:55, Wed 11 July 2018.

    The mechanical dragon snorted at Willa’s words and roared ”Your cowardice betrays your wickedness!” as Cebakaala - aided by Phelan’s magic - struck true with one of his arrows while rhyming a barely heard passage about the stubborn nature of machines and dragons both.
  Phelan reloaded his crossbow and took careful aim before he loosened his bolt.

  Sparks erupted from the hole the bolt dug and the machine screeched loudly as it spasmed.  Crackling lighting dancing across its skin and over the sand.  Accompanied by a rapid, building thrumming which ended in an abrupt thunderclap as dust blasted away from the suddenly darkened machine.  The faux dragon stood frozen in its final moment of disbelieving agony.

  ”You cheated!” oily darkness rose from the machine.  For the moment it looked as though Jubei was casting another shadow as the dark spirit stood beside him.  Its white-hot eyes sparking as it tried to lunge at Jubei and simply collapsed beside the paladin.  The brilliant eyes clearly held more energy then the spirit itself had left in it.  ”I will not be defeated like this!  Not by someone as vile as you!  Who left innocents behind to suffer!”

End of Combat Encounter

Vile Justice:  The party receives 250 Experience Points, as well as 2 Wealth Tokens, 1 Fortune, and 1 Fame Token.

Willa didn't understand what the thing was talking about, but didn't much care either.  She looked about proud, but unsurprised that her friends managed to beat the whatever-it-was without her.

Not wanting to interrupt what should be her friends' moment of victory, she took to quietly examining her new rod.

Experience has now been updated on the tracker

This part Phelan didn’t interfere in. This was evidently for Jubei specifically to handle now. Instead he decided to go take a look through the mecha-dragon chassis.

Drex looks to Jubei, then to the spirit. Let me interact with the spirit.

Drex plants the hilt of his axe in the ground, focusing on the holy symbol engraved in it. Give me aid to redeem the spirit and set it at ease, great Aurelians, be my mediator between this spirit and me! He opens his eyes focused on the spirit...

OOC: Drex will wait for a replay form the Aurelians before continuing.

SPIRIT OF THE DEAD, HEAR ME! What do you whant me to do to redeem ourselves in your eyes and put you to rest! Keep your request good and just, without harm to the redeemable living.

    The spirit growls at Drex cursing "You disgust me.  Slay me and be done with it!"

  In that moment Drex's awareness was summoned by greater forces.  Revelation had to it a clarity of thought and suspension of the passage of time which defied logic.  Drex realized he had erred.  The spirit he confronted had never been alive therefore it could not have died.  Possession is not the true embodiment of a being.  No more so than one could truly be the clothing they wore.  No, to life one had to pass into the world through very narrow channels in a process which naturally only flowed in one direction.  As water was drawn down hill.  This entity, this spirit was one of vengeance, born to slay the evil which had spawned it.  It resembled Jubei after a fashion and had proclaimed its need to slay him for so-called injustices.  Its dark countenances suggested the spirit had been twisted.  Some other force had afflicted it to behave in a fashion that was a perversion of its nature.

  Though why it was so eager to be killed was another curiosity.  At best the spirit would only be cast back into the spirit world, to return again at some later time.  Almost certainly stronger and more prepared.  To prevent that one would need to perform a rite to either bind, banish or purify the spirit.

I think not. Drex replied.

Drex puts his axe down and opens his backpack. I have a plan guys, if you would humor me. We'll have to work quickly. Jubei, purification rites. I sure you have preformed a few or seen a few done in your time, would you be so kind to assist me. He pack out a few items he was never leaves home without.

Spend half a fortune token on components.
Religion check :15

Willa, Phellan the other part I'm going to leave in your hands, could you please use your knowledge of the dark and influence of the stars and skills of your subtly arts, respectfully to descern the origins or the corruption of this spirit.

And Ceba can you scott a save path forward before we take a short break?
This message was last edited by the player at 18:34, Wed 25 July 2018.

Willa listened to Drex's request and cocked her head to one side, looking at the spirit-thing in front of her.  She wasn't sure how she could help, at least, not in a way that Phelan couldn't do better.  Sure, she had experience with curses and shadows, but he always seemed to be three steps ahead of her when it cam to simply knowing and understanding stuff.

So she settled for trying to help him.

"What Mr Phean, sir think is?  Willa think maybe is..."

She began listing off things on her hand that she could think of.  Though, as usual, she had difficulty with the actual names of things she knew about, often using her own descriptions for them instead.

15:14, Today: Willa rolled 18 using 1d20+8.  Arcana - Aid Another (Phelan).
Phelan gets +2 to his Arcana

"No need, Willa." Phelan forestalled Willa's assistance. "I already know what it is. I'm not so certain your ritual will help, Drex." He looked over to the spirit, then to Jubei before returning back to his salvaging of the dragon. "... It's a Spirit of Vengeance. If I could hazard a guess, it's a consequence of us not handling the bandits. As a result... Jubei now has a Spirit of Vengeance seeking, well, vengeance for his alleged 'cowardice'. It's not exactly rational though, and hardly honourable considering it cheated first by using the mecha dragon."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:26, Mon 30 July 2018.

    "Stay out of my mind!" the spirit yelled as he twisted a bit to look at Amare.  The man shook his head.  "He's not in his right mind I can tell you that." Amare said.

  He walked over to Jubei and Drex standing over the fallen spirit.  "He's possessed by what I believe you call daemons, several.  Severing his connection to the physical world would cast him back fully into the spirit world.  The daemons lie at the heart of the matter and may simply ensnare this spirit again or find another to use.  Though something wears on me."  He turned to look around at each of his fellow adventurers.

  "If a spirit can be born for revenge, then how is anyone in this world still alive?  It makes no sense that a simple act could birth an entity this powerful.  Unless it is by the will of some greater power.  After all spirits can't flit from the spectral plane to the material one without a significant investment of power.  Besides no one here is great interest to the gods." he looked at Jubei and Drex.  "Even you are simply lower servants in the ranks of your religious orders.  If your gods would discipline you, wouldn't they do so by one of your superiors?  Or even inform you through visions, portents or dreams of your errors?" Amare bent his knees to crouch next to the spirit.

  "Therefore I have reason to believe this spirit was conjured-" he looked over at Willa "-by the one who can command daemons and you have made an enemy of someone who, I've been told, could do exactly that."

  "I think it is the same entity who assaulted Willa's mind and attempted to posses her with daemons.  It called itself Nemesis-" Amare was cut off by the angry roar of the spirit "You! You wretch!  Filth such as you are not worthy to speak the name of God!"

  A sorrowful expression passed over Amare's face as he looked the dark spirit.  "That confirms that.  That name is one of those associated with the Arch Angle of Retribution.  Oh don't fret, we don't face an Arch Angle." Amare said reassuringly.  "Just someone who would invoke its image in...spirit."

  Amare shook his head and stood up going off to one side of the stone platform to tend to his singed shirt.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 07:59, Tue 31 July 2018.

Willa was confused.

"Uh, Willa didn't defeat Nem..." She caught herself from saying the full name. "Uh, Big Bad, in head before?  Oracles congratulate Willa well doing for.  Also, why Big Bad make spirit for not stopping bandits?  Big bad not so big bad is?  Also, also, D..uh...Dreadsknight not stopping bandits?"  Her mind went back to the empty husks found back on the road from Galdion.  Looking back that scene of...desolation did certainly seem like the something a soulstealing demon might leave behind.  But didn't the fog do that?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:51, Mon 30 July 2018.

Jubei's head recoiled a little at all that. "It must have been a truly great injustice that must have born this spirit... how do we free it of the daemonic influence? Wouldn't the purification Drex suggested do that?", he asked with maybe the slightest hint of uncertainty. Maybe he should have paid more attention when rituals were taught.

    Amare turned around, a spool of thread in one hand and a sowing needle in the other.  He had been trying to push the thread through the eye of the needle with little success.  "I don't know where this spirit came from or its true motives, I glanced at is mind as you might inspect a bauble.  This unfortunate spirit isn't any more powerful then you.  Consider that it hasn't taken a true physical form, it borrowed the husk of a machine.  A spirit that could traverse spirit and material realms at will would be able to manifest a true body rather than that wispy mass of ectoplasm."  Concentrating on that thread again and trying to put it through the eye of the needle again Amare added "Rituals are not really my expertise.  I'm frankly more awful at magic than I am at sowing and that is with memories of the former spanning decades and the latter I learned from Nana over a morning." Amare sigh as he missed the hole in the loop of the needle again.

We would not know unless we try. Drex replied. He focuses all his attention to the task at hand. With a prayer on his lips he turns to the spirit and lights a candle...

Religion check: 16

Jubei gave a nod. Indeed, they should undertake the ritual. And so he followed the deseekay into prayer.

10:51, Today: Iron Jubei rolled 19 using 1d20+5.  Religion check excorcism thing.

With the support from Jubei the rite is off to a good start.

The holy symbol on Drex's axe starts to glow, as if the metal is being heated up from the inside. The orbs on Drex's are also starting to glow an iridescent yellow.

There is a sudden shift and the air feels thickly charged. At that moment Drex lights a sweet smelling powder on a small brazier that was stet on the floor. Drex's voice is starting to echo off the walls and the spirit flinches, as the echoing prayer repeats...

    The spirit stirred.  Though his motions were slow and lethargic, he often simply fell back down again.  "What are you doing?" it asked, even as it suddenly spoke up in another voice "Stop them!" that other voice demanded.  Black smoke wafted up from the skin of the spirit.

[Keep it up!  Another Religion check, this is for the performance of the rite itself.  A third will come after and that will be the confrontation.]

Drex is not phased by the spirits out bursts as he continues with the rite.

The perfumed smoke hangs low and is permeated by the soft glow from the candle. Ghostly shadows and flickering lights can be seen just outside. Moving closer as if curious to the activities that is taking pace. but not daring to come to close.

Axe in both hands, Drex now starts to circumambulate the area with the spirte, candle and smoking brazier at the center. The now radiant holy symbol leaves a line golden light in its wake. At each cardinal point the smoke rises and takes shape as Drex's payer continues, twisting and curling upwards. Four towering figures now stand on the outskirts of glowing circle.

Drex passes each point and turns towards each guardian, addressing them in his native tongue before continuing with the chanting prayer.

On the completion of the fifth circumambulate he turns toward the spirit in the center. His prayer ends with an explosive exaltation to the Aurelians "Aurelians I am your vessel empty and ready, bestow onto me thy divine authority on to me, so that the purification of this entity may be done!"

...

Religion check: 25
This message was last edited by the player at 07:13, Wed 15 Aug 2018.

Jubei kept assisting in the rite as far as he could. Certainly, there was a slight bit of unfamiliarity that kept him from performing properly, along with the utter amazement that it actually seemed to be working.

Religion Check: 11