Kada'ne raises an eyebrow.  "Telepathy?  Intriguing.  Standard mask is fine.  I simply want to be able to remain in your hand as a trump card of sorts.  I was not a vocal opponent of Zech'r'r, so most assume I was in his pocket all along."

Mits nods.  "Most of us remaining quiet will make us appear all the more badass anyway."

Amyria knows little else, although the PCs are to ask
for Rel’thrik at the Dreaming Spire in the citadel.
She has learned that Citadel Mercane was raised by
planar merchants centuries ago, but inner strife and
upheavals have seen the power shift to the Society
of Seven Diamonds, a cabal of ruthless merchants
and traders. The Citadel has a cosmopolitan environment, so the adventurers should have little trouble
blending in and picking up whatever supplies they
need. Amyria warns the characters that Tiamat has
operatives everywhere and the adventurers should be
watchful for spies and assassins.

  They are so ruthless they instated "Leave a copper, leave a copper" trays!  Wait, no, that would be silly-oh Gods they actually did that?!

Timothius thanks Amyria for the warning (and arranging everything) and heads off with the others to Citadel Mercane.

When the characters are ready, the two mages
begin the ritual’s performance. It takes 10 minutes,
and when they complete it, a shimmering opening
appears in the middle of the circle they inscribed on
the floor. When all the characters step through, proceed to Blood Mountain.

The mages’ portal opens onto the mountain slopes
just outside the entrance to Citadel Mercane.

The portal transports you to a blood-red shelf overlooking
a jagged slope that eventually gives way to loose bits of rock
and debris hanging in the Astral Sea. Above, the scarlet
mountain rises toward a distant peak, obscured by petrified
trees, jutting protrusions, and roiling mist. A path winds up
the mountain to a massive cleft from which sulfurous smoke
streams. A strange vessel emerges from the plume, sleek and
fitted with sails, spheres crackling with lightning, and other
spars, and then it vanishes in a flash of light.

Blood Mountain has a sinister reputation and for
good reason. According to legend, the mountain is an
ancient battlefield where god and primordial fought
and died. Their spilled blood turned the mountain its
crimson color. The place is by no means safe, because
in the ruins clinging to its surface and beneath the
petrified trees foresting its rugged slopes lurk astral
stalkers, blood fiends, and worse.

"The Astral Sea," Mittens whispers in awe, "Still amazes me that we're actually doing this.

"The Citadel can be reached through that cleft.  Let's go."

She of course lets May take point.

  It is pronounced BLOOOOD Mountain.

  "Shame that we have to visit the less scenic parts of it first.  But then these sorts of jobs hardly tend to be needed someplace nice."  At most, going someplace lame so somewhere that IS nice isn't blown up.

Timothius says, "I remember when we gazed upon the Astral Sea. I felt like I could go there right then and there, and yet, I felt like I was dreaming."

Raichel says, "I know, right? But for as many planes as we are traveling to, I hope this doesn't mean we'll wind up in the Far Realm."

May says, "Pfff... if you're afraid of a little sanity loss, Kyle can fix up something to protect against that, I'm sure. Besides... we can worry about that later. Right now, we are here."

Timothius says, "Well let's get going. The sooner we get to our destination and talk things out, the better."

"Somebody help me!"

The path emerges from the petrified forest and climbs to a
smoking cleft in the mountainside. Standing on the road,
and looking quite terrified, is a tall blue-skinned humanoid
dressed in fine robes. Two muscular four-armed humanoids
with blood red skin and long claws and fangs threaten the
traveler from mountain ledges.

<Primordial>"A deva.  This will make for fine sport."

<Primordial>"I hear their blood tastes divine!"

<Primordial>"Ugh!"

Mits knows Primordial and summarizes for the group.

  Four arms, that means they can flex twice as hard as most... Man these knowledge check results are just ridiculous.

  "Right, I suppose we could try asking them not to eat them but at this point 'shoot them in the face' is the true universal language."

  OOC: Permission to open up with a 'I'd probably need a 1 to miss' Pacification dust.

May charges full tilt at the enemy and her weapon connects.... but does nothing. "Well that was interesting."

---

Charge! Miss(29)

One of the blood fiends flies over to the deva and glares at him!  The deva is frozen in place in fear.  The blood fiend then claws the deva and tastes the blood.

<primordial>"Tastes more like blueberry."

The deva screams in terror and cowers.  "Please!  Help me!"

Timothius steps forward and says in a louder-than-normal voice, "Gods and Primordials both bled here and now so do you."

With that, the blood fiend experiences terror for the first time and he begins bleeding radiance.

---

Break the Spirit v Blood Fiend 2. CRIT(41)
 dmg: 36
 -5 to Blood Fiend 2's attacks

Blood Fiend 2 HP: 220 - 36 = 184

"You must be pretty tough to survive an attack from these monsters," Mits says, flying closer to the enemy, "Sure we'll help.  But you may as well fight back."

She eyebeams the enemy, but one of them manages to dodge her lasers.

Raichel steps up and throws lightning at the Blood Fiend. It bounces to the other fiend, who simply steps aside with practiced expertise. "You're assuming that just because they are tough, they can fight. Whoever you are, IF you can fight, show your gratitude by fighting the enemy with us! Otherwise, get out of here while you can!"

---

Move: Get into position
Furious Bolts v Blood Fiend 2, BF1. Hit(34)! Miss(30)
 dmg: 34

Blood Fiend 2 HP: 184 - 34 = 150

The other blood fiend flies over to Mits and Riachel, glaring at them!

<primordial>"I'll make you pay for that!"

It swings at Mits and misses!

  Kyle rolled a 15! Which means it misses, because Purple Cons.

  He toughens up May as per usual, as well as making Raichel more resistant to Radiant!... Yeah that daily buff is really more for Kyle's benefit, even if it's reliant on Raichel's location.

OOC: Resistive for May.
"Radiant Forcefield" For Raichel.  Gives Raichel 10 Radiant for encounter. Kyle can use Raichel as origin target for Close Burst 2 Vs enemies attack. AUTOMATIC HIT, 14 Radiant DMG and Enemy grants CA until end of my next turn.

Kada'ne teleports closer and hits the blood fiend with a psychic blast!  It freezes up and falls down the cliff, tumbling to Raichel's feet.  He then follows up with a charge, but even his greatsword bounces harmlessly off the enemy's thick hide.

"Fear not.  These adventurers will make short work of these fiends.  Then you will have opportunity to repay their generosity."

May's bloodfiend glares at her, but she is unaffected.  He swings at her, but his own blood slows him down.

<primordial>"The hells!"

The deva grows huge claws and slashes ineffectively against the enemy.

"Thank you so much!"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:08, Mon 29 Feb 2016.

May whacks the fiend again and her weapon bounces off its tough hide. "You FIEND!" she says in a mock-heroic tone. "heh. Get it?"

She smiles at the deva. "Good to have you with us. My name's May! What's yours?"

---

Move: Defiant Shield - haha immune forced movement stance.
Standard: Appalling Crunch v Blood Fiend 2. Miss(32)
This message was last edited by the player at 05:15, Mon 29 Feb 2016.

The radiant blood "cools" back to normal blood. Timothius says, "Nice, May." before pointing a staff at the blood fiend that attacked his sisters. A burst of holy light washes past the fiend, but does not find purchase in even his stunned will.

---

Minor: Solar Enemy
Shining Symbol v Blood Fiend 1. Miss(27)

Mits fires and misses.

"Can someone please bring these two closer together?  I can only use my weakest attack when they're separated like this."

May yells over, "Can't move! Well, OK, I can, but once I do, they'll be able to move me too."

Raichel says, "I'mmm.. o-on it! S... s-stay put, May!" WHAM! She whacks the fiend 5 feet away and simultaneously teleports the fiend farther up the path and then teleports past him! She grits her teeth, looking scared, but trying to push past the fear.

---

Step Between the Worlds v Blood Fiend 1. Hit(37)!
 dmg: 46

Blood Fiend 1 HP: 195 - 46 = 149

The blood fiend shakes off Kada'ne's power.

<primordial>"What hit me?"

  As Kyle steps slightly closer, a shimmering image of Raichel front flips out of the actual Catgirl, landing an axe kick onto the face of the prone Blood fiend before vanishing.

  All perfectly normal for this party.

OOC: Standard, Daily secondary: Autoomatic hit 14 Radiant (+15 Vuln, Thanks Tim!). Blood Fiend grants CA until end of my next turn.

149-14-15=120

"I can help with that."

Kada'ne telekinetically flies May to be next to the prone enemy.  Then he teleports and slashes the enemy four times!

May's target curses.
<primordial>"Kill the male Shifter first!  It targets our precious blood!"

The deva blasts the blood fiend then closes in.

May swings her carrikal and yoinks the enemies to herself, hitting them hard! "Whatever you said, I'm sure it was stupid. So... try talking COMMON if it's within your power, you surprisingly limited spawn of powerful beings!"

---

Lunging Dervish v BF1,BF2. CRIT(43)! Hit(41)!
 Crit dmg: 25
 norm dmg: 27
 secondary attack misses both.

BF1 HP: 141 - 25 = 116
BF2 HP: 101 - 27 = 74

Timothius says in supernal, "We're done with you." and waves his staff. One of them feels like this will be his final attack. Both of them get bound by radiant chains.

---

Pacify v Blood Fiend 2. Hit(39)!
 If BF2 attacks, he will be stunned
ACTION POINT! +4 non-dmg attacks
Chains of Blazing Light v BF1, BF2. Hit(42)! Hit(34)!
 BF1 and BF2 are dazed.
 First time they are hit, they take 10 extra radiant dmg