Café de Nuit

Tomas doesn't even have time for a pithy rejoinder, having to do a great deal very quickly. He;

--raises his silver shield, which glows with holy light that enchants the weapons of nearby allies. This has the added bonus of absorbing the bulk of the Grave Weird's fetid breath attack, though the sunlight halo around Tomas flickers a little.

--squats down against the wall, managing to duck under the worst part of the storm of burning ash-he feels a pang for Darius, despite the earlier shiving. Ash hurts.

--kicks off of the ground just in time to plow through the vicious wind attack like he was a storm shutter and it was tornado season. Tomas takes a moment to stick his tongue out at Anna-Marie for reasons of grim importance.

--and lands just in time to bring his sword arm down, slicing the ball of hot ash in twain and letting it fall harmlessly to either side of Eisenwald.

Tomas takes a moment to savor what may well be the coolest thing he's done in a month. This is a bit of a tactical error, as it gives the blast of witch fire a chance to fry him. "Yow!" Tomas snaps, "Damn mirrors!"

Tomas sweats a little, unable to help Katja or Cyrus and Agale without abandoning Darius and Petite Loup (Tomas's name for Kerrian's wolf spirit.) to the tender mercies of Cujo up there.

"You cannot hide behind moral relativism forever, woman!" Tomas snaps, instead, "Justice will prevail! The laws of science demand it!" ...wait, what? Agale! Tomas grins, cracks his shoulder, and charges forward in the grand tradition of knights errant everywhere, smashing into the rear of the Weird with a sunlit sword!

(Minor: Activate Shield of Silver Light. Any ally in 5 squares of me has their weapons silvered.
Move: Nothing.
Standard: Charge to N13. Virtuous Strike: 11+12: 23, miss. +2 to saving throws until the start of my next turn.

Edited again. Cronax informs me that the house rules mean the dazed doesn't happen until the Weird's turn.)

"Fulgur saltat," Lia chants, holding her staff in the crook of her elbow so she can move both hands. Sharp, jagged gestures accompany the first Words of Power: "Fulgur saltat! Tonitrus cantat! Cantio et saltatio resisti non potest! Saltate!"

The spell ends with Lia seizing her staff again and sweeping it at the two specters that have moved into the middle of the group with a final "Saltate!" The crystal at the top of the staff goes black -- then blazes with the eerie glare of lightning. Two spitting, crackling spheres of electrical energy appear at the center of the two Wraiths.

Arcs of electricity burst through the undead creatures' tattered substance, causing their limbs to jerk and contort as if they were still alive. The magic sizzles and crackles, wrenches and heaves, causes the wraiths to go careening out of control and back away.

"Poincare!" Lia shouts after this feat of arcane power. "Where did you get this foul ritual from? Who taught it to you? I have access to an unparallelled source of information on a plethora of subjects - hold off on this ritual! You are willing to pay whatever price you have to, I can see that. But it does not have to be this price! Call off your dogs -- we might be able to find a better way!"

(OOC: Lia casts Rolling Thunder on the two wraiths.
Wraith Z14: Attack roll vs. Reflex: 23. Damage roll: 12 damage. Wraith Z14 is moved to square Y16.
Wraith Y15: Attack roll: 24. Damage roll: 18. Wraith Y15 is moved to square Y18.
Now divide all the damage by half because they're insubstantial, right? In any case, the wraiths are currently out of our midst, unless I mucked it up. Lia sustains the Rolling Thunder-spheres where they are, to hopefully block off the wraiths if they come on again. Yes, I am blindly ignoring the fact that they can go through the walls, thank you. :p)

Runes stitched into the leather armor Kerrian wore briefly flickered as Mr.Agale's blow struck true, a burst of energy flowing from them, to his spiritual hound and those nearest to it.

Kerrian was far from idle though, taking a step forward, his spirit hound advancing to remain by Tomas' side. However, Kerrian was far from idle. All around him, a great roar built, like the waves of an invisible ocean, pounding at the shore with an inevitability born of eternity.

As the spiritual energy flooded out of him, it brought a rime of frost against the mirror nearest to him and his compatriots, then battered against the second wraith, not quite on frequency enough to do anything to the first, the harm it inflicted on their foes equally met with a balm to nearby companions, filling their bodies with healing as inevitable as the tide itself.

OOC: Firstly, Activating my Bear Spirit Armor. Mr.Agale, Tomas, Darius, and Myself all gain 8 temp hp.

Moving to Y13, moving spirit hound to M13. Then using Spirit of the Healing Flood. Kerrian, Katja, Lia, Mr.Agale, Celeste, Cyrus, Nicolas, and Thierri all gain Regeneration 2 while bloodied. They can end this effect as a minor action to gain 10 hp.

Wis vs Fort against Wraith 1, Wraith 2, and Mirror in W14. Miss Wraith 1, Hit Wraith 2, Crit Mirror. Damage is 11 normal to Wraith 2 before being halved, and 21 to the Mirror, 14 normal, 7 cold.

M. Boucher wrote:"Your peaceful overtures, sincere as they are, have been somewhat undermined by us attacking in the middle of them," he sighed to her. "And belligerence is an ill-suited companion to your temperament. Let us find somewhere safer for you to cheer our comerades on, if you judge their actions to your approval."

Celeste did look disappointed, but only mildly. "Ah...I suppose one cannot fault our compatriots for being sincere in their convictions. After all, is not the valiant impulse toward action considered the hallmark of the adventuring classes? One fears the efforts of a mediator to be entirely beside the matter at hand, in such situations... Never matter. I have said my piece, M. Boucher, and am quite pleased to have done so!" She looked it.

"As to your latter comment, I am quite in agreement--though I shall not have my comrades encouraged by an absent supporter! I shall have to find a suitable vantage point that is as yet unmenaced by our adversaries" She cast her eyes around the corridor, moving up towards the central room as she did so.

Celeste moves to W12. The universe decides to make her maddeningly difficult to hit, with Chaotic Defense. She gets a +2 power bonus to all her defenses until the end of the encounter.

Minor: Cyrus uses Oath of Enduring Wrath: Cyrus gains +2 to all saving throws until the end of the encounter.
Standard: Cyrus fires a Radiant Vengeance at Wraith 1 and misses.
Move: Cyrus moves to S13[/b]

Cyrus whirled on the wraith and pointed his sword. A brilliant blast shot forth, briefly illuminating the tunnels. The beam flew into the wall near the wraith. The dommer sneered and hurried down the corridor. There were enough others to deal with these creatures. The real threat lay in the chamber ahead.

Catacombs of Port-a-Lucine, Night of April 21st, 770
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PC Actions
Tomas charges & misses. Nearby allies have their weapons silvered.
Kerrian does a lot of healing, then hits Wraith 2 for 11/2=5 damage, and Mirror W14 for 21 damage.
Cyrus misses.
Darius heals himself for 38 HP.
Lia hits Z14 for 12/2=6 damage, hits Y15 for 18/2=9 damage.
Nicolas
Agale moves and hits the Hound with a Betrayal, making it attack Ash 1, which it hits for 15 damage. Then hits Ash 1 for another 15 HP, the Hound for 12, and both for Ongoing 5. The hound takes 6+5 Radiant Damage from Tomas's MarkGhost utterly misses AoO
Celeste moves and activates Chaotic Defense.


5 Ongoing Fire to Darius.
Hound, Ash 1 both take 5 Ongoing Damage.

Recharge Rolls: Anne-Marie recharges her Boreal Wind, Ash 1 does not recharge the Ashen Cloud.

"Mademoiselle, that is not safer!" Thierri protested. He ran after her, flicking another tongue of flame from his sleeve, like a dove from a magicians act - and like a dove, it fluttered around her with frantic wingbeats. The magician skidded to a halt between the two mirrors in the corridor, raising his hands around him. The air around his fingers began to shimmer, settling into what looked like fine golden sand. Thierri blew on it, sending a cloud of dust settling over the graveweird, the ash cultist, and Anne Marie. A deep lethargy began to settle over them, rendering them sluggish and uninspired, but the fires of undeath proved too hot to quell. The ash elemental, however, collapsed to the ground, its ashen beam flying wildly and clipping Tomas' shoulder.

Thierri gives Celeste +9 Temp HP. He then Sleeps Anne-Marie, Ash 1, and the Grave Weird, who are all now slowed (save ends).

"Anathema!" Katja growled, as she clumsily swung her blade at the spectre before her. The blade struck true, but the unnatural cold in her bones left the blow without bite. The soldier jumped back, blocking the spirit with her shield, as determination shrugged off the chilling effect. "Abomination! You did not break us, and you never shall."

Katja strikes at the ghost, dealing 8/2=4/2=2 damage to Wraith 3. Being a Weakened character attacking an insubstantial ghost is miserable.

"Poincare!" Lia shouts after this feat of arcane power. "Where did you get this foul ritual from? Who taught it to you? I have access to an unparallelled source of information on a plethora of subjects - hold off on this ritual! You are willing to pay whatever price you have to, I can see that. But it does not have to be this price! Call off your dogs -- we might be able to find a better way!"

Dr. Nicole Poincare, lost in her ritual, did not respond to this. Once more, Anne-Marie did.

"You attacked us." Anne-Marie hissed. She tossed her head, ghostly hair streaming. "Fine. Drop your weapons, and we can talk. All of you, drop your weapons."

"Otherwise..." Anne-Marie did not finish the sentence. The Grave Weird, ripping into Tomas with its claws of stone, completed the thought clearly enough.

Anne-Marie tries another Boreal Wind against Tomas, misses. She glides off a bit.

The Grave Weird spends an Action Point and hits Tomas with two double attacks, therefore four claw attacks. All four hit (22, 23, 26, 28 vs. Reflex), dealing 6-1, 7-1, 10-1, and 5-1, fr a total of 24 damage.

The slender form of a woman coalesced in the mirrors once more, fragments of her body coming together like a beads of shattered glass reforming. She glanced up at you, her auburn hair floating about her as if she were in water, before raising her hands again. Rimefire burst once more from the glass, catching the dilettante in its wake - the flaming bird on her shoulders lept into the air and took the brunt of the blow, melting away as the frost overcame it. Ice ran across the floor from the other hall mirror, barely grazing Cyrus as it ran beneath him. It instead struck his brother dead on - a deeper wound, perhaps, than whatever the frost itself would have done.

Mirror W14 attacks Celeste and Thierri, misses Thierri, hits Celeste and deals 14 damage.
Mirror S12 attacks Cyrus and Darius, misses Cyrus with a 4, hits Darius and deals 24 damage.

Ashen Elemental 1 fires an Ashen Orb at Tomas, hits with a 30, deals 5-1=4 damage.
Ashen Elemental 2 fires an Ashen Cloud on Cyrus and Darius, natural 1 versus Cyrus, 3 on Darius.
Both elementals scatter.



Frightful Wraith #1 phases through the wall and unleashes a Frightful Moan against both Lia and Nicolas. Then proceeds to miss against both.
Frightful Wraith #2 uses Shadow-Touch on Mr. Agale. Hits with a 21, deals 9 damage and Agale is Weakened (Save Ends).
Frightful Wraith #3 attacks Katja, misses.

Anne-Marie makes her save, Weird makes it's save against Sleep. Ashen 1 does not make it's save, so it is now Unconscious (Save Ends). Hound makes the save against Ongoing Psychic, Ash 1 does not.

Katja makes her save against Weakening.



Rubble: The patches of black (as opposed to the greyish walls) are rubble. It is Difficult Terrain.

PCs

Cyrus Isfahani (C):
64/64; Regen 2 if Bloodied, +2 to all Saves.
AC 18, F 18, R 17, W 19

Darius Isfahani (D):
33/66 -- Bloodied
AC 23, F 17, R 19, W 19-2

Mr. Agale (A): Weakened (Save Ends)
47/48; Regen 2 if Bloodied
AC 18, F 16, R 19, W 21

Nicolas Etienne de Castaigne (Nc):
54/61; Regen 2 if Bloodied
AC 22, F 18, R 20, W 21-2

Tomas Eisenwald (T): Resist All/1
46+8/65
AC 25, F 18, R 18, W 20

Prof. Lia Mournswaithe (L):
54/54; Regen 2 if Bloodied
AC 20, F 16, R 18, W 17

Kerrian Mauganson (K):
31+8/58; Regen 2 if Bloodied
AC 18, F 19, R 16, W 20

Kerrian's Spirit (Wolfish Outline)
Quasi-Minion
AC 18, F 19, R 16, W 20

Celeste Viardot (Cv):
50/55; Regen 2 if Bloodied, Chaotic Defense (+2)
AC 17+2, F 17+2, R 18+2, W 20+2

Allies

Katharina Zweibach (Green K)
-12 HP; Regen 2 if Bloodied
AC 25, F 22, R 21, W 21

Thierri Boucher (Green T)
Regen 2 if Bloodied
AC 22, F 20, R 22, W 20

Enemies

Anne-Marie, Recharging Boreal Wind
AC 21, F 20, R 21, W 22 - Insubstantial

Grave Weird, Dazed, Marked
-71 HP
AC 24, F 22, R 20, W 18

Mirror - W14 -21 HP
Mirror - S12
Mirror - R8
Mirror - L13
Mirror - K8
Mirror - G15
AC 18, F 15, R 15, W 15

Ash Elemental - 1 -35 HP, Ongoing 5 Psychic, Unconscious (Save Ends), Recharging Ashen Cloud. Bloodied
Ash Elemental - 2 Recharging Ashen Cloud.
AC 19, F 18, R 17, W 15

Frightful Wraith - 1 -6
Frightful Wraith - 2 -14
Frightful Wraith - 3 -2
AC 20, F 17, R 21, W 18 - Insubstantial

Non-Participants

Dr. Nicole Poincare (P):
AC 24, F 18, R 22, W 23

"Sphaera ignis expandens e manu meu evolat!" Lia chants as she charges forward, away from the wraith and closer to Celeste. A tiny sphere of flame erupts from her staff. It zips over the heads of the other brave (or foolish) souls who came down into this pit to fight the cult, and erupts into a zone of raging, howling fire further down the hall.

Lia starts to move as soon as the spell has gone off, putting distance between herself and the wraith, shouting in a strange language. <Draconic> "Poincare! I am talking to you, not to your insipid lapdog! Listen to me! I have access to one of the greater Fey! If anyone knows ways to put the land back into its proper order, it will be he! Listen to me! You are the brains of your operation, so think! If we keep fighting each other, we may all lose -- and if you stay on this dark path, we have no choice but to fight you! Think of the land!"

The Mage claps one hand on Celeste's shoulder. "'Ware the wraiths," she says.

(OOC: Lia moves to V13 and casts Fire Burst at M10, engulfing Anna-Marie and Ash 1 and partially hitting the Grave Weird.
Attack rolls:
Anna-Marie: 11. Miss.
Ash 1: 13. Thanks to the -5, that's a hit.
Grave Weird: 23. That's a hit.
Damage roll: 16 Fire. Only one encounter power left for today, I fear...
Lia continues to sustain the Rolling Thunder-spheres.)

Watching the ice burst forth from the mirror, Nicholas banking ont he theory that cie like glass can be shattered if vibrated at the right pitch, screams a single note, a piercing tone, one that certainly wouldnt win him any followers on the Dementlieuse club scene. For a second nothing happens and the ice snakes its way forward towards Darius, then in an explosion of shards one tendril explodes inches from the Dommers' foot.

Nicholas offers a brief bow for the performance before the appearance of a screaming hellion from beyond the grave immediatly behind his left ear distractes the poet somewhat. "Dear lady, with a voice liek that you most certainly should pursue a career of the more silent and introspective kind" he quips wincing at the horrifice moan.

"Perhaps a little guidance is what you need, now for starters we need to work on your footwork." He raises the humming blade over his head gesturing like a puppeteer "now work with me my dear, yes backwards, forwards, a little piroette, marvellous." He maintians the monlogue as the creature is forced backwards, spinning and twirling in the manner of a deranged marionette. "There see what you can acheive with a little instruction, a wondorous performance, you truely deserve the limelight." He waves the blade once more sending the spectre flailing backwards into the localised lightining storm.

"Splendid" he adds nodding to Lia, "now lets get this show on the road".


OOC:

Immediate Interrupt for Chord of Resilience on Darius knocking 9hp off the mirror S12 damage he took.

Move action: Nicholas shifts to Z12 avoiding provoking an AoO

Standard: Compulsion on the wraith 30 vs will (crit)
hits for 16 + 4 Cha + 7 songblade = 27 psychic damage
Wraith slides to Y15 at the start of its turn thereby taking damage from the thunder thing. Until it saves it can't make any other move actions.

As the specter's claws raked the Tollere's suit, a brief flash of brimstone erupted, searing the wraith. Mr. Agale scrabbled backwards from the wraith's decaying touch, only to find his escape boxed off by Thierri's broad form. Careful retreat impossible, he performs a barreling sidle past the magician into the main chamber.

Anne-Marie wrote:"Otherwise..." Anne-Marie did not finish the sentence. The Grave Weird, ripping into Tomas with its claws of stone, completed the thought clearly enough.

"Two can play at that game Miss Morjuet." With a peculiar glance from the Borcan, the grave weird once again turned upon its former masters. "Your willful ignorance to the reality of the situation serves only to diminish your relevance to this whole affair."


Free Action: Infernal Wrath on Wraith 2. This happens before the weaken takes effect. It takes 9 fire damage.
Move: Going to R11 (provoking again)
Minor: Distract against Anne-Marie (She grants combat advantage to the next creature to attack her, probably the Weird)
Standard: Augment 2 Betrayal on the Grave Weird again. 30 vs will hits it soundly.
It slides so its center is at L10 then makes a melee basic attack against Anne-Marie with a +4 bonus to hit and damage (violating Tomas's mark again.) It then stays dazed until the end of Agale's next turn.

Success on the save vs. weakened

Kerrian advanced and his spirit wolf moved as well,Kerrian gesturing as he moved, and a remnant of the wave of healing energy that he had just unleashed filled Darius, reinforcing his form. Of course, there was quite a bit left so Tomas got some of that energy as well, spilling into him through the conduit of Kerrian's spiritual wolf.

Which was far from idle, letting out a howl like the crashing of thunder as lightning arced and sparked along its ephemeral form, tearing into the Graveweird, sparks from the strike catching Tomas and filling him with the speed of a bolt from above.

Almost as an afterthought, Kerrian said "And the worst part of this? I LIKED Illuminated Wisdom!"



OOC:move to T13 Spirit Companion to N12, Minor for Healing Spirit on Darius for Surge Value, Tomas regains 12 hp as well due to adjacency to my spirit companion.

Then Call the Howling Storm against the Graveweird, 22 vs fort, which is a hit. 19 Lightning and Thunder Damage, and Tomas can shift 5 squares as a free action.

M. Boucher wrote:"Mademoiselle, that is not safer!"

Celeste--after being saved an eldritch blast in the face through Thierri's ministrations--was in no position to argue. While she had (somehow) been facing away from the mirror when it lashed out, she clearly knew that the magician had been responsible for taking the brunt of the damage: after her initial yelp of shock, she cast a very grateful look back towards him.

"After that experience, your advice is singularly well-taken, M. Boucher! I shall find a suitable alcove posthaste." With that, Celeste ducked into the mouth of the tunnel to her right, taking cover near the earthen wall just behind Darius.

--KRAK-BOOM--

It was funny how all the interesting stuff happened when Celeste wasn't looking. For example: weren't you pretty sure that Kerrian's spirit-wolf just "let out a howl like the crashing of thunder as lightning arced and sparked along its ephemeral form?" Well, you weren't, really. You were actually pretty sure that it was ball lightning, that it was louder than an earthquake with a megaphone, and that it discharged enough electrical energy to invent and power an ecologically sustainable light rail system. Kerrian must really have been on fire, tonight.

Celeste moves to T14. Kerrian's wolf looses an electrically-flavored Chromatic Orb at the Grave Weird, hitting its reflex with a 24 and doing 21 points of lighting damage. Kerrian's wolf could slide the Weird two squares, but chooses not to. Good for him!

Cyrus dashed into the chamber, ducking blasts and dodging bursts. He quickly surveyed the scene and a moment later he stood next to the unconscious ash elemental. His sword glowed with holy light and he plunged it deep into the creature's chest.

Minor Action: Oath of Enmity vs. the Unconscious Elemental.
Move Action: Diagonal to O10.
Standard Action: Coup de grace the Unconscious Elemental with Leading Strike.

If you all did not believe my ridiculous dice luck, please take this as proof.

The coup de grace rules say if I hit, I automatically crit, no matter what the attack roll is. As you all know, a natural 20 is a crit under almost any circumstances.

Well, I rolled a natural 20 to coup de grace it.

Can I just get a guaranteed auto-kill for that and call it a day?

Also the attack deals 20 total damage (17 max + 3 bonus crit damage). If it kills the elemental, Cyrus gains +1d6 damage on the next attack he makes before the end of his next turn (Greatsword of Oaths Fulfilled)

"Hellcat," Darius mutters, following his brother forward. His sword now dazzles with a rope of electrical energies, lengthening and sparking as it lashes the air.

"Anarchist, murderess, daughter of Mytteri, you will pay for your crimes."

Lashing out at the ghost with the sword, now a fifteen foot electrified whip, Darius succeeds in wrapping it around her wrist and jerking her forward. Letting the electricity die, he plunges the blade into her spectral form; there is a rush of air as the temperature around the ghostly woman drops and the air around Darius and those near enough to him warms noticeably.


Spending the Healing Surge for 16--thanks, YV. Move to O11 (move action), use Lightning Lure on Anne-Marie (standard action), 21 vs. Fort hits, then pull her to N10 and do 7/2=3 lightning damage. Since the ash elemental is an ally, and is also prone or dead or both, I am pretty sure that works. Minor action to mark Anne-Marie; any attack which does not include Darius gets a -2 to hit, and he prevents 7 damage from any such attack that hits.

Then spend an action point and use Energy Theft on Anne-Marie, 32 vs. AC, 8/2=4 damage, and she gets vulnerable cold 5 and Darius, Tomas, Cyrus and Celeste (I think--all allies within 5 squares) get resist cold 5.

Less agile this time(He was really counting on that charge hitting!), Tomas is viciously mauled by the twisted beast, clothes and flesh flying to reveal Eisenwald's dwarf-forged breastplate; a rimefire hardened piece with heavy chains around the shoulders and waist that almost seem to weld the armor to Eisenwald's skin, and strange silvery stitches up and down his arms and neck. Obviously the lifestyle's taken its toll on Tomas; his skin is patchy, some parts pale and others nearly brown.

As the storm wind hits his back, however, Tomas exalts in the pain; a ball of steaming ash slams into him, cooling off before it can do any real harm. Making a note to thank Kerrian and his pet, Tomas vaults forward, running along the unholy circle Poincaire has created, a small smile on his face.

"A Grudge On He Who Makes War On Me." Tomas mutters the ancient words he was taught, making a quick guess as to relative distances. There's a heavy CLICK from Tomas's chest, as two particularly heavy chains rise from his waist, slithering like steel snakes commanded by the earthy music of Tomas's words, "A Grudge On What Keeps Me From Him!"*

They snap like serpents as well; Poincare and the Elemental barely have time to react, barring some sort of witch shield against the mystic attraction, as the chains snap, spinning both targets to Tomas's heel.

"I can see." Tomas says in Mordentish, all traces of humor melted from his face, "What you do to make those things. What you do to keep them in your thrall. You can hide it from everyone else-you can even hide from yourself." Ivorsen pulls up into the air, and its blue-gold light shimmers with power as Tomas seems, for a brief second, like the man nature intended him to be instead of what he is. "But you cannot hide the truth of you from ME, Nicole Poincare!" The sword flies down at the witch's elemental slave, a halo of Ivorsen's light flickering around Tomas's brow like he had stepped out of a stained glass window to wage war on the unholy!

---
*Translated from the Dwarven.


(Move: Use Kerrian's auto-move and a little of my own to get me to H16.
Minor: Invoke my Warsheath armor's power, letting me pull A2 and Poincare adjacent to me; Poincare only travels two squares to H15 and the elemental can get to I16 in two as well.
Standard: Majestic Halo on A2, 10+11=21 which hits its AC. 8+5+2=15 radiant damage. Any enemy starting its turn adjacent to me is subject to my divine sanction.)