The Eye of Anubis: Book Twelve

[yalenusveler]

"Destroy what?" Andre muttered, before a second's concentration sent four little orbs of light ahead of him. Andre then promptly did the intelligent thing once illumination clarified things a bit for him...then he promptly did the sensible thing and ducked out of the way of reprisal fire.

OOC:Dancing lights, then moving to AK21. 23 on the spot. THANK YOU GOOD HOPE

[The Whistler]

“Hello, James!” Inasmuch as it was possibly to wave mock-cheerily at someone while transforming into a hideous wolf-beast, Otto did it.

“Fancy meeting you here—although, one should say, if you did not expect some of us to claim higher ground as well, it was hardly being a *good* plan.”

—WHA-CROSSBOW—

Otto pauses for a moment to pull a bolt out of his shoulder. This, while undoubtedly an impressive way to assert battle-dominance over a nemesis, is complicated by being EXTREMELY PAINFUL. Thankfully, his wolf-form is a good deal more resilient than he’s used to, so he manages to conceal most of his reaction…

“…Let us see you try that again.”

…Aside from the fact that he still intends to stop an apocalypse from happening, and is now very put out.

Bite of the Werewolf, then moving to AL20 to activate my Skirmish defensive bonus. Incidentally, Otto would've hooked up a harness lantern before heading into a darkened room, so he's illuminated but has his hands free. Made the spot check too, though I guess it's moot now (thanks Andre!)

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan moves up to AA15

[lostboy]

Like most people, Sascha couldnt see in the dark, he'd had a vague and not entirely comforting view of what was out there, but for now the best thing was to stick with those who had light.

"Watch those above us, if this is an ambush we are sitting ducks" he hisses over his shoulder at Charles as he strides forward after Tomas. The Knight had a bad feeling about being covered by multiple enemies at elevation..

But there was a bigger threat out there, but still one that he wasnt about to charge into the dark with. Brandishing the black sword he blows a harsh whistle in Schrodingers direction, and with a slighlty mad gleam in his eye goads the giant, fosslised, sand cat from hell.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty...."

[OOC: drawing weapon and moving to AA8]

[Nathan of the FoS]

Charles is about to follow Sascha down the corridor when he realizes--he can fly! Which will do nothing to make him a less attractive target to snipers in the balconies (the opposite, if anything) but will at least spread the group out and make sure they can't easily be caught in a single blast.

Charles rises to a position over the seats, within range of Tomas and Sascha should either need help, and prepares his next move.

Moving to AA11, about twenty-five feet up in the air.

[NeoTiamat]

Grand Opera Nationale, Port-a-Lucine, Dementlieu
September 18th, 761, 2:42 PM; Day 184 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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PC Actions
Kuzan: Readies a Counterspell
Charles: Casts Haste
Tomas: Casts Divine Weapon
Lia: Casts Bite of the Weretiger
Andre: Casts Dancing Lights
Otto: Casts Bite of the Werewolf

"Softly, softly." Professor Carter said, adjusting the harness lantern on a strap at his chest. It wasn't a perfect solution, seeing as it made him a rather considerable target, but the alternative was to rely wholly on Sarari's vision, which though good, wasn't quite perfect. "Onto the balcony and shots fired before he know's we're here. On the count of three. One...two..."

"I know, Thomas Carter." Sarari said with long-suffering patience.

"Three." The three members of the sniper team rushed onto the nearest balcony... only to be confronted by one of Cavendish's cloaked henchmen. Up in person, they gave very little more clue to their identity. Merely a grey-black robe that hung in the air, everything else concealed in shadows. The light of Carter's lantern fell on it, and it began to turn.

Sarari didn't give it that long. She raised her bow, and neat as you please, fired an arrow straight through the cowled shape's head, right between where the eyes. Or where the eyes would be, for within the the cowl were only more shadows, and the arrow passed harmlessly through.

"Hope this works." Carter reached into a pocket and drew out a bracelet of silver shaped like thirteen entertwined serpents. He thrust the bracelet into the shadowy figure's robe, pushing in. "I Abjure Thee, Spirit!"

The bracelet glowed for a moment with a cold, white light, like a magnesium fire, and the shadow-robe jerked back. It made no sound, but the aura of chill malevolence about it sharpened into focused hatred. It reached out for Carter, a tendril of animate shadow shaped like a hand, upon which was worn a bracer of forged iron.

"I Abjure Thee!" Carter said again, presenting the serpentine bracelet before himself. The tendril seemed to half-dissipate, grow indistinct as it touched Carter's outstretched hands. Tiny flakes of skin turned dead white, as though from frostbite, but nothing more.

"Read about it in a book." Carter said with a step back, ducking suddenly as a tiny orb of electricity left a black scorch-mark on the woodwork near his head. The shadow-robe's ally had arrived. "Wasn't sure it would work."

"Cool." Dieter said, raising his rifle to his shoulder and putting a bullet through the hooded shape's torso. It quivered, not in pain but in rage. "Got any more tri---"

From above the trio, a column of divine fire roared down, wretchedly hot and searingly painful. Sarari, with consummate elven grace, stepped out of the way, while Carter ducked to the side, followed somewhat less successfully by Dieter.

"Humans." Sarari said with a resigned sigh. "Less talk, we have company."

The elf peered down the corridor, searching for some clue of where the column of fire had come from. She saw nothing.

Sarari takes point, reaches the balcony... spots the Spell-Wraith (Acid) and fires at it. Rolls a natural 20.... and misses the incorporeal percentile.

Carter travels in the middle. Moves to the Spell-Wraith and spends an Inspiration point to use Opportunistic Piety, hits with a 26 touch attack, deals 29 positive energy damage to Spell-Wraith (Acid).

Dieter brings up the rear and shoots the Spell-Wraith. Makes the miss chance, hits (barely), rolls near max damage and deals 20 damage to the Spell-Wraith (Acid).

Spell-Wraith (Acid) turns around and attacks Carter. Hits for 3 damage and Constitution Drain (DC 21 or 6 Con loss). Carter spends another Inspiration point to bump his Fort save, and barely passes.

Spell-Wraith (Electricity) floats over to help, throws a Lesser Orb of Electricity at Carter... which it promptly misses with a 2.

Someone casts Flame Strike at the top-left corner of AC1. 34 damage, DC 19 for half. Sarari rolls a 2 and saves, (no damage due to evasion). Carter rolls a 3 and saves, (17 damage). Dieter rolls a 3 and doesn't save, (34 damage).

================================================

“Hello, James!” Inasmuch as it was possibly to wave mock-cheerily at someone while transforming into a hideous wolf-beast, Otto did it.

“Fancy meeting you here—although, one should say, if you did not expect some of us to claim higher ground as well, it was hardly being a *good* plan.”

"Says the man pulling my bolt out of his shoulder. You've got style, snow-boy. Not much sense, but you've got style." James said, amused. The levered himself to his feet with one hand, the other still holding the lethal sniper's crossbow.

He ducked into the doorway to the nearest balcony, sparing only a quick glance at the main scene in the Opera House. James, as it were, had more immediate concerns.

"Company boss. Two stargazers and wolfy up here." The jackalwere called out, cocking the crossbow for another shot.

"Hold them or kill them, as you see fit. I've pledges in spades down here." Cavendish retorted.

"Right boss." James raised a quick hand to his head, as if to tip his cap, even as the wraiths on his side of the room moved to attack, passing through walls and balcony railings as if they were not even there.

“…Let us see you try that again.”

"Sure, just come out where I can see you." James said, a smile on his canine lips. He took another quick, surveying glance across the Opera House, only to see Charles rise above the rest, at the balcony level. Almost entirely on reflex, the jackalwere sent a crossbow quarrel sailing through the air inches from Charles's head. " 'Afternoon chief."

Spell-Wraith (Cold) appears behind you and casts Frost Breath. 10 cold damage and you are Dazed for 1 round. Reflex DC 17 halves the cold damage and negates the Daze.

Spell-Wraith (Fire) moves down, makes the Will Save vs. Hide from Undead, makes the Blur, hits Kuzan with a Lesser Orb of Fire for 25 damage.

James stands up as a move action, five-foot steps over, calls to Cavendish, and then shoots Charles. 38 to hit, 27 damage... and 13% on the Blur.

================================================

But there was a bigger threat out there, but still one that he wasn't about to charge into the dark with. Brandishing the black sword he blows a harsh whistle in Schrodinger's direction, and with a slightly mad gleam in his eye goads the giant, fossilized, sand cat from hell.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty...."

Schrodinger was happy to oblige.

The cat rushed out of the darkness without grace, without elegance or finesse, but with all the unruly speed of an avalanche. The stone smilodon fair raced at Sascha, moving fast, faster than half a ton of rock had any right to move, and leaping just before the strike.

There was nothing pleasant in the way Schrodinger fought. The hideous dead thing fought with talons like knives and teeth like swords, hard as stone and sharp as steel. The swiping claws left Sascha with a matched pair of bloody red marks on either side of his torso, while one of Schrodinger's rear legs nearly opened up the old knight's thigh. This was going to be a bloody battle.

Squinting in the enchanted light, Tomas calls out to his arch-foe. "You can't just fight me straight, can you dead man?! Hiding behind shadows or hostages or whatever things you cobble together in your workshop...you're just slowing me down!"

"Isn't he cute?" Cavendish drawled, though it was uncertain as to whether he was referring to the undead sabre-toothed tiger that was busily adding one more knight to its daily kill count, or the noble paladin and hero of the light who was stepping forth to challenge him.

The necromancer twirled his quarterstaff, all unconcerned, and then pointed the tip at Tomas. He grinned briefly, showing teeth like a sawmill. "You see, Herr Eisenwald, if there is one thing and only one thing that I have learned over the course of my life, it is this."

"Fair fights are for idiots. Chernoluch!" Cavendish called forth, as ribbons of darkness shot forth from his impromptu wizard's staff. "Chernoluch!

Kuzan spoke, and some of the rays of black light turned aside, striking harmlessly into floor or ceiling, dissipating as their energies failed to find fresh life. Others, though, smashed into you, aimed unerringly for your faces and mouths. They sought to worm their way in, their intoxicating darkness making you forget, for just a moment, what was at stake here.

Or perhaps, not forget, but accept. Accept the new reality. A reality of darkness.

Schrodinger charges Sascha (turnabout is fair play) and pounces for Claw/Claw/Bite/Rake/Rake. Hits three times (after Blur), for a total of 59 - 12 (for DR) = 47 damage to Sascha.

Cavendish casts Maximized, Quickened Darkbolt and Fell Drain Darkbolt at you. Kuzan counterspells the Maximized Quickened Darkbolt successfully.

• =Hits Tomas twice for 20 damage. Tomas must make two DC 26 Will Saves or be Dazed for 1 round.
  =Hits Sascha once (critical) for 16 damage. Sascha must make one DC 26 Will Save or be Dazed for 1 round.
  =Hits Charles twice (both criticals!) for 38 damage. Tomas must make two DC 26 Will Saves or be Dazed for 1 round. Charles also takes One Negative Level
  =Hits Kuzan once for 10 damage. Kuzan must make one DC 26 Will Save or be Dazed for 1 round.

Ravenous Darkness deals 5 damage.

================================================

Victory Condition: Kill John Lancaster Cavendish within 40 feet of the Eye of Anubis OR kill or rout all enemies, regardless of location.

Loss Condition: If Tomas, Andre, Sascha, or Kuzan are killed within 40 feet of the Eye of Anubis OR you are all killed or routed, regardless of location.

Map Notes:

• Terrain: The seating area is Difficult Terrain.
  
  Elevation and Stairs: The Orchestra Pit is 5 feet below floor level. The Opera Stage is 10 feet above floor level. All balconies are 25 feet above floor level. Stairs cost double movement, and let you go up or down 5 feet per square of stairs passed.
  
  Chandelier: The white circle on the ground is the area directly below the big crystal chandelier. The actual chandelier is approximately 40 feet above the circle.
  
  Darkness: The Opera House is currently extremely dark, and so follow simplified Darkness rules.
  
  • Characters in Shadowy Darkness (the lightest kind) have Concealment, that is, attacks against them have a 20% miss chance. Shadowy Darkness is non-magical, and is pierced by Ebon Eyes, Darkvision, and True Seeing.
    
    Characters in Total Darkness (the medium kind) have Total Concealment, that is, attacks against them have a 50% miss chance and you don't know where they are (basically, they're invisible to you). Total Darkness is non-magical, and is pierced by Darkvision and True Seeing.
    
    Characters in Ravenous Darkness (the darkest kind, radiating 60 ft. from the bottom-left corner of H12) have Concealment, that is, attacks against them have a 20% miss chance, and furthermore, all creatures inside the Ravenous Darkness area take 1d6 negative energy damage per round, or 2d6 if they have been Energy Drained or Ability Damaged, with a DC 27 Fort Save to negate damage for that round. Ravenous Darkness is magical, and is pierced by True Seeing and Ebon Eyes.
  
  Multiple kinds of darkness overlap, so something that is inside both Ravenous Darkness and Total Darkness has Total Concealment and takes 1d6/2d6 Negative Energy damage each round.
  
  [HOUSE RULE] In the interests of reducing housekeeping, I am removing the range-limits on Darkvision and Ebon Eyes. Both of those are as far as your normal vision (subject to things like walls in the way). True Seeing is still capped at 120 ft., however (because it's a much more powerful ability)
  
  Exits: On the first floor, you can escape by reaching squares AI11/AI12/AI13. On the second floor, you can escape by reaching squares AM6/AM7 or squares AM17/AM18.
  
  Orchestra: So long as they continue to play, all Listen Checks are done at DC +10. Any Area Effect spell that deals at least 10 damage to each square of the orchestra pit silences them.

In interest of book-keeping, I'll be splitting up the HP and immediate status effects apart from the buffs. HP and status effects go here, buffs and some relevant book-keeping information go later (such as who has SR and who has Miss chances that you need to roll)

Kuzan: 85/96 HP
Charles: 49/[63]68 HP, One Negative Level
Tomas: 121/129 HP
Andre: 85/39 HP
Lia: 100/51 HP
Otto: 61/68 HP
Sascha: 57/108 HP

Carter: 61/57 HP
Dieter: 40/60 HP
Sarari: 82/70 HP

Hostage of Drama: 11/20 HP
Hostage of Dancing: 11/20 HP
Hostage of Song: 11/20 HP
Hostage of Music: 11/20 HP

John Lancaster Cavendish:
James Blake:
Schrodinger:

Spell Wraith (Fire):
Spell Wraith (Cold):
Spell Wraith (Acid): -49 HP
Spell Wraith (Electricity):

Buffs

Kuzan: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, True Seeing, Death Ward, Greater Resistance, Spell Immunity (Blindness/Deafness, Sound Lance, Spiritual Weapon), Haste, Good Hope, Hide From Undead (DC 17), Darkvision, Blur, Longstrider, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction
Charles: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Glibness, Haste, Good Hope, Hide From Undead (DC 17), Blur, Ventriloquism, Message, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction, Resist Energy (Fire 10), Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]
Tomas: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Haste, Good Hope, Blur, Mass Bear's Endurance (+2 Con), Mass Conviction, Rhino Elixer, Eagle's Splendor, Divine Weapon, Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]
Andre: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Haste, Good Hope, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction, Amulet of Tears, Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]
Lia: Superior Resistance, Mass Fly, Stalwart Pact, Greater Mage Armor, Haste, Good Hope, See Invisibility, False Life, Expeditious Retreat, Shield, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Bite of the Weretiger (+6) [Scroll] Contingent Energy Resistance [Scroll], Mass Conviction, Stoneskin [Scroll], Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll], Ebon Eyes [Scroll],
Grimmric: Imbue with Spell Ability
Otto: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Haste, Good Hope, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction, Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]
Sascha: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Death Ward [Scroll], Haste, Good Hope, Blur, Silverbeard, Mass Bear's Endurance (+2 Con), Mass Conviction
Carter: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Death Ward [Scroll], Arcane Sight, Blur, Haste, Good Hope, Hide From Undead (DC 17), Owl's Wisdom, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction
Dieter: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Death Ward [Scroll], Haste, Good Hope, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction
Sarari: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Haste, Good Hope, Mass Bear's Endurance (+2 Con), Mass Conviction, Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]

John Lancaster Cavendish: SR 24, Entropic Shield (20% Miss Chance vs. Ranged Attacks), Fortification (50% Chance to lose a Critical or Sneak attack), 23 Active Spells
James Blake: 13 Active Spells
Schrodinger: 4 Active Spells

Spell Wraith (Fire): Incorporeal (50% Miss Chance), 2 Active Spells
Spell Wraith (Cold): Incorporeal (50% Miss Chance), 2 Active Spells
Spell Wraith (Acid): Incorporeal (50% Miss Chance), 2 Active Spells
Spell Wraith (Electricity): Incorporeal (50% Miss Chance), 2 Active Spells

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan shrugged off Cavendish's spell effect and shook his head. "Not this time, Cavendish," he said quietly, "Not this time."

I unraveled your spell once. I can do it again.

The priest's voice rang out as he invoked gods of destruction, of severance. And the invisible blades shot through the air toward the madman.

Targeted dispel magic on Cavendish. Dispelled spells #2, 14, and 18

"He's on the right side of the stage," the priest announced, "What everyone sees is not the real Cavendish. It's just another one of his tricks."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Lia flinches when the blast of frigid air covers her -- and then just shrugs it off as if it weren't there. "Bastard!" the mage growls, her new physique amplifying and deepening her voice into a tiger's growl. "I was hoping to save that spell for Cavendish, you undead cretin! Vi!"

Lia thrusts out a hand towards the spellwraith, and a pulse of pure force shoots away from her to impact with the cowled apparition.

(OOC: Rolled a natural 1 on my Reflex save, but Contingent Energy Resistance kicked in and saved me. Casting Blast of Force on spellwraith [cold]. Darkvision and Ebon Eyes negate the darkness, force effect negates the incorporeal miss chance. Ranged touch attack: 27. Damage: 15. Unlikely that an incorporeal entity has to make the DC 18 Fort. save or be knocked prone.)

[Nathan of the FoS]

More or less as I expected, Charles thinks dimly to himself as the coils of Cavendish's black darts wrap themselves around his heart. Although to be shot at by that jackal fellow and by Cavendish seems a little unfair somehow. But it just won't do to give up. Dementlieu has many, many evils, but the Martels have served her for hundreds of years, and she needs Charles now--or the new evil will dwarf the old.

His mind steeled, Charles lets the torch fall more or less directly on top of the great skeletal cat and mutters "Ablepsosin" and disappears from all merely human (or jackalwere) sight, then moves upward so that the chandelier blocks his view of the stage. It's not perfect, but it should do something to keep Cavendish from just taking pot-shots at him.

Saves are 34, 31 (phew!). As described ICly--torch falls into Z9, casting greater invisibility, and moving up to a point where (hopefully) the chandelier blocks Cavendish's view--taking Kuzan's advice into consideration, let's make it U10.

[yalenusveler]

Andre barely moved as the blast of frigid cold swept by him, not even causing the dewlike perspiration that coated his skin at all times to freeze. He looked at the undead before him, gesturing, trying to time things to hit the damnable thing when it was slightly in phase with this subdomain of reality. "Clamo!", a lance of sound rushing forth to strike the Spellwraith, and through some miracle resonanting at the proper frequency to disrupt it somewhat.

"Otto...if you can manage to hit it when it's 3/4ths phased in to reality, it should disrupt its cohesion significantly due to interaction of birathic matter with a non-etheric force, at least if Strahlheim's theory of co-existant domain interactions holds true." Andre managed, after a moment's study of the undead form, hoping that made enough sense to be useful.

Advanced domain theory rarely did.

OOC:Made the reflex save, take no damage thanks to cold resistance. Sound Lance, 42 damage DC 19 fort save for half, made the incorporeal miss chance, then Dark Knowledge..29 on the roll, so +2d6 weapon damage vs the spellwraiths for anyone within 60' of me

[lostboy]

Blackness, engulfing, washes like a wave over Sascha, nothing, not even the vision of fossilised feline death beofre him can hold back the tide.

Perhaps this is what death feels like? He wonders with a strange calm, seemingly unaware how quickly that question was about to be answered.

[OOC: Will Save 25 even with True Believer, unless of course Good Hope and Mass Conviction stack? If they do its 27 and he'll full attack, but I doubt it somehow as they are both morale bonuses, so dazed for 1 round facing a giant cat thing with very big sharp claws,... oh dear ]

[DocBeard]

"Arrrgh-" Again with the ice cold death bolt things! Tomas struggles against the living darkness, his mind quickly addled by Cavendish's tricks in spite of the ludicrous amount of prep time Tomas put into trying to avoid what happened in Sebula.

(OOC: 5+13+5: 23
3+13+5: 21. Failsauce.)

[The Whistler]

Thankfully, Otto didn’t happen to be in the path of the deadly icebolt when the spellwraith manifested it, as he had decided to nip out of contemporary spacetime for a few moments. This wasn’t intended to be a dodging tactic—although that was a nice side benefit.

Rather, the gunsmith had learned a valuable lesson after the Battle of Muhar: when one is carrying around a Hazlani arcane artillery shell, it is a dashedly good idea to know how to use it before siccing it on murderous werebeasts.

Somewhere outside of conventional reality, in a timeless simulacrum of a darkened opera house, a gunsmith spent what would have been five-and-a-half minutes examining an instruction manual. In his defense, this was more difficult than it seemed; he had bought the pamphlet untranslated from a secondhand books dealer on the outskirts of the Quartier Marchand, and his technical Vaasi was far from perfect. One works with what one has.

And then, just as the correct sequence of runes had been activated—

--WHA-BAMPH—

“—main interactions holds true.”

What?

HE MEANS SHOOT AT IT.

So Otto did.

Making the save, moving to AJ21, activating the Blast Globes for detonation next turn, burning a charge of the Boots to get an extra attack, which I'll use to shoot at the spellwraith: 33 to attack, 18 regular damage, 3 electricity damage, 59 to get around the incorporeality.

[NeoTiamat]

Grand Opera Nationale, Port-a-Lucine, Dementlieu
September 18th, 761, 2:43 PM; Day 184 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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PC Actions
Kuzan: Casts a Targeted Dispel on Cavendish, gets three spells out, including the Greater Invisibility
Charles: Drops the torch and moves, casting Greater Invisibility
Tomas: Sees stars.
Lia: Blast of Forces the Spell-Wraith (Cold) for 15 damage.
Andre: Deals 42 damage to Spell-Wraith (Cold) and invites people to do yet more damage to them.
Otto: Knocks Spell-Wraith (Cold) to -20 HP.
Sascha: Also sees stars.

"Down, Thomas Carter." Sarari said as she stepped over into a better sniping position. As Professor Carter ducked, the elf sent several arrows neatly through the wraith. It shuddered, then dissipated back into the ether from which it came from. Perhaps destroyed, perhaps merely dispersed, it was a moot point. It wouldn't be coming back any time soon.

"Thanks Sarari." Carter said, even as the elf made a 'don't mention it' shrug. The professor looked out across the scene below, wincing as Schrodinger tore into Sascha, and noticing that Kuzan's spell had began to unravel Cavendish's magic. "Here goes nothing... Araneum arcanorum rescindo!"

The unravelling enchantment reacted with Cavendish's spells, even as Carter gave a surprised grin. One which quickly faded to worry as he called out to the rest of his friends. "The hat's the source of the darkness! Watch out, I think it's trapped!"

"Careful Prof," Dieter said, shooting at the other nearby ghost as it rushed by, stealing Carter's breath in the process. It disappeared into the wall. "We're not out of the woods yet."

"Aaah... thank you.... Dieter." Carter gasped, trying to force some air back into his lungs.

Meanwhile, someone began to methodically unweave the spells around the priest, Kuzan.

Sarari five-foot steps down and full-attacks Spell-Wraith [Acid], getting four attacks, two hits, for a total of 22 damage.

Carter uses up his Dispel Magic on the now-revealed Cavendish. Dispels 5 spells.

Dieter moseys over and shoots the electric ghost. Hits AC, passes Incorporeality, deals 13 damage.

Spell-Wraith (Electricity) casts Stolen Breath at Carter, then hides in a wall.

Someone casts Targeted Dispel at Kuzan, netting Mass Fly, Greater Resistance, Good Hope, and Longstrider.

================================================

The spectre fell in an instant under the concentrated fury of the mages and werewolf's assault. The shadow-robes were dangerous, certainly, but hardly unbeatable. This didn't mean they didn't have reasonably good tactics, however, as the flame-ghost reached the wall, passed just a tendril of shadow through, and forced a gout of fire across the corridor at all three of snipers. Then it ducked its immaterial hand back inside.

James, meanwhile, looked down the corridor, and finding no weretigers, werewolves, or damp humans ready to shoot him, ducked out of the balcony doorway and rushed down the hall, ducking into the next one. The better to get away from those blasted lamp-lights. The jackalwere stuck to the shadows, mostly out of habit, but he admittedly had other things on his mind just now.

"G'Afternoon chief." James said under his breath as he put a crossbow bolt through Kuzan's back. All these spells made proper accuracy impossible, but still, one could take pride in a job well done.

Spell-Wraith (Fire) moves over, casts Scorch from out of the wall, and then ducks back into the wall. 22 Fire damage, Reflex DC 16 for half.

James makes it to the next balcony, shoots Kuzan. Crits, and deals 48 damage to Kuzan. This trigger's Kuzan's Stalwart Pact.

James makes a Hide check, and after all modifiers, you need a DC 19+1 per 10 feet of distance Spot Check to see him.

================================================

Schrodinger was having a field day. The great cat batted Sascha around lightly with his paws, not particularly painfully, but then the undead smilodon proceeded to jam those sword-length teeth into the armor, hooking them through the plate and trying to open Sascha as if he were a can of food and not a knight. There was certainly something of the feline toying with its prey about the battle, but then again games of "cat and mouse" were generally only fun for the cat.

Cavendish, meanwhile, was having less of a field day, as Carter and Kuzan systematically peeled away the layer and layers of spell-defenses the Necromancer had erected. The invisibility screen was the first to go.

"So much for that idea." Cavendish mourned briefly, half-dashing, half-dancing to the front of the stage. The illusory Cavendish favored you with a raspberry. The real one stopped at the center of the stage and grinned. "I hope I don't get stage fright."

"Cruor! Sanguis Malus!" Cavendish began an incantation, one altogether different from his usual, coarse, brutal magics. Older words, and as he spoke them, Cavendish drew a knife of bone from a jacket pocket and slashed at his palm. "Cruor...Sanguis vitam est! Cruor... Sanguis est vim! Cruor...Sanguis animum nobis est!

A drop of blood dripped from from Cavendish's grey flesh, dripped and then flew forth. It grew as it arced across the Opera House, going from drop to rain to pool as it fell upon the ground, not far from you. Then, out of pool rose a behemoth of blood.

It stood easily thirty feet tall, though stood perhaps was not the best word. It had no form, not really, merely a bullet-like shape of thick, crimson blood, more blood than you had ever seen before in one place. It had no eyes or face, but the entity's top part leaned forward, almost a head, which it turned towards Cavendish, though more as one turns a tentacle than a body.

"Lord Cruor! Herald of Spilt Blood! Serve me now! Scribit, fiet." Cavendish grinned like a cat in the cream. "Destroy these wretches."

A mouth appeared on the abomination's head, a huge gash which opened into yet more bloody darkness as the giant thing bellowed in rage and hatred at Cavendish. Then it seemed to shudder as Cavendish twitched his bloody-palmed hand, and it turned to do his bidding. Moving far too fast for something of that size, it flowed forward, extending a pseudopod that drenched Tomas in coagulated blood. It didn't hurt, not very much... but the Lamordian could feel his own blood calling out, yearning, seeking to join this monster, this sanguine progenitor.

"You'll have to forgive me for not using more of the Undead." Cavendish said with a smile, twirling away to from the front of the stage. "But Lord Cruor came so highly recommended. Tuman."

A thick, cloying mist rose from the grinning Necromancer's feet, enveloping half the stage as Cavendish disappeared from sight once more.

Schrodinger full-attacks Sascha. Misses with both claws, but hits with the bite for 11-4=7 damage. This triggers Sascha's Stalwart Pact. Schrodinger also uses his Improved Grab to start a grapple with Sascha, with a grapple result of 21.

Cavendish casts Summon Monster VIII and calls up a Greater Blood Elemental. Then zooms off and casts Quickened Obscuring Mist.

Blood Elemental moves ten feet forward and wallops Tomas. 36 to hit, bypasses Blur, deals 16 damage and Con Drain. DC 27 Fortitude Save or lose 4 Constitution.

Ravenous Darkness deals 2 damage.

================================================

Victory Condition: Kill John Lancaster Cavendish within 40 feet of the Eye of Anubis OR kill or rout all enemies, regardless of location.

Loss Condition: If Tomas, Andre, Sascha, or Kuzan are killed within 40 feet of the Eye of Anubis OR you are all killed or routed, regardless of location.

Map Notes:

• Terrain: The seating area is Difficult Terrain.
  
  Elevation and Stairs: The Orchestra Pit is 5 feet below floor level. The Opera Stage is 10 feet above floor level. All balconies are 25 feet above floor level. Stairs cost double movement, and let you go up or down 5 feet per square of stairs passed.
  
  Chandelier: The white circle on the ground is the area directly below the big crystal chandelier. The actual chandelier is approximately 40 feet above the circle.
  
  Darkness: The Opera House is currently extremely dark, and so follow simplified Darkness rules.
  
  • Characters in Shadowy Darkness (the lightest kind) have Concealment, that is, attacks against them have a 20% miss chance. Shadowy Darkness is non-magical, and is pierced by Ebon Eyes, Darkvision, and True Seeing.
    
    Characters in Total Darkness (the medium kind) have Total Concealment, that is, attacks against them have a 50% miss chance and you don't know where they are (basically, they're invisible to you). Total Darkness is non-magical, and is pierced by Darkvision and True Seeing.
    
    Characters in Ravenous Darkness (the darkest kind, radiating 60 ft. from the bottom-left corner of H12) have Concealment, that is, attacks against them have a 20% miss chance, and furthermore, all creatures inside the Ravenous Darkness area take 1d6 negative energy damage per round, or 2d6 if they have been Energy Drained or Ability Damaged, with a DC 27 Fort Save to negate damage for that round. Ravenous Darkness is magical, and is pierced by True Seeing and Ebon Eyes.
  
  Multiple kinds of darkness overlap, so something that is inside both Ravenous Darkness and Total Darkness has Total Concealment and takes 1d6/2d6 Negative Energy damage each round.
  
  [HOUSE RULE] In the interests of reducing housekeeping, I am removing the range-limits on Darkvision and Ebon Eyes. Both of those are as far as your normal vision (subject to things like walls in the way). True Seeing is still capped at 120 ft., however (because it's a much more powerful ability)
  
  Exits: On the first floor, you can escape by reaching squares AI11/AI12/AI13. On the second floor, you can escape by reaching squares AM6/AM7 or squares AM17/AM18.
  
  Orchestra: So long as they continue to play, all Listen Checks are done at DC +10. Any Area Effect spell that deals at least 10 damage to each square of the orchestra pit silences them.
  
  Obscuring Mist: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/obscuringMist.htm

In interest of book-keeping, I'll be splitting up the HP and immediate status effects apart from the buffs. HP and status effects go here, buffs and some relevant book-keeping information go later (such as who has SR and who has Miss chances that you need to roll)

Kuzan: 37+30/96 HP, Stalwart Pact Activated
Charles: 49/[63]68 HP, One Negative Level, Invisible
Tomas: 105/129 HP
Andre: 85/39 HP
Lia: 100/51 HP
Otto: 61/68 HP
Sascha: 50+30/108 HP, Stalwart Pact Activated

Carter: 61/57 HP
Dieter: 40/60 HP
Sarari: 82/70 HP

Hostage of Drama: 9/20 HP
Hostage of Dancing: 9/20 HP
Hostage of Song: 9/20 HP
Hostage of Music: 9/20 HP

John Lancaster Cavendish:
James Blake:
Schrodinger:
Greater Blood Elemental:

Spell Wraith (Fire): Total Cover (No line-of-effect)
Spell Wraith (Cold): -78 HP, DEAD
Spell Wraith (Acid): -71 HP, DEAD
Spell Wraith (Electricity): -13 HP, Total Cover (No line-of-effect)

Buffs

Kuzan: Stalwart Pact, True Seeing, Death Ward, Spell Immunity (Blindness/Deafness, Sound Lance, Spiritual Weapon), Haste, Hide From Undead (DC 17), Darkvision, Blur, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction
Charles: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Greater Invisibility, Glibness, Haste, Good Hope, Hide From Undead (DC 17), Blur, Ventriloquism, Message, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction, Resist Energy (Fire 10), Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]
Tomas: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Haste, Good Hope, Blur, Mass Bear's Endurance (+2 Con), Mass Conviction, Rhino Elixer, Eagle's Splendor, Divine Weapon, Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]
Andre: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Haste, Good Hope, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction, Amulet of Tears, Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]
Lia: Superior Resistance, Mass Fly, Stalwart Pact, Greater Mage Armor, Haste, Good Hope, See Invisibility, False Life, Expeditious Retreat, Shield, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Bite of the Weretiger (+6) [Scroll] Contingent Energy Resistance [Scroll], Mass Conviction, Stoneskin [Scroll], Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll], Ebon Eyes [Scroll],
Grimmric: Imbue with Spell Ability
Otto: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Haste, Good Hope, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction, Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]
Sascha: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Death Ward [Scroll], Haste, Good Hope, Blur, Silverbeard, Mass Bear's Endurance (+2 Con), Mass Conviction
Carter: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Death Ward [Scroll], Arcane Sight, Blur, Haste, Good Hope, Hide From Undead (DC 17), Owl's Wisdom, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction
Dieter: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Death Ward [Scroll], Haste, Good Hope, Mass Bear's Endurance (+4 Con), Mass Conviction
Sarari: Stalwart Pact, Mass Fly, Haste, Good Hope, Mass Bear's Endurance (+2 Con), Mass Conviction, Protection from Negative Energy [Scroll]

John Lancaster Cavendish: SR 24, Entropic Shield (20% Miss Chance vs. Ranged Attacks), Fortification (50% Chance to lose a Critical or Sneak attack), 15 Active Spells
James Blake: 13 Active Spells
Schrodinger: 4 Active Spells

Spell Wraith (Fire): Incorporeal (50% Miss Chance), 2 Active Spells
Spell Wraith (Electricity): Incorporeal (50% Miss Chance), 2 Active Spells

[Nathan of the FoS]

Moving to keep the chandelier between himself and Cavendish, Charles looks down and curses mentally as he fishes in his coat pocket for one of the scrolls he got from Kuzan.

But first.

"Marteau-ennemis!" his voice cries from the location he just left, filling the opera hall and even, for a moment, outdoing the infernal orchestral music emanating from the pit. "Aux armes, mes braves! Marteau-ennemis!"

Moving to AA11 and using Inspire Greatness on Sascha and Tomas. Charles' voice originates in U9. Sasca gets 13 + 2x Con mod (remember to add your Bear's Strength bonus!) temporary hps, Tomas gets 6 +2xCon mod hp. +2 competence bonus to attacks, +1 competence bonus to Fort saves.