Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asumit, p3
Log Info
- Title: Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asummit, Part 3
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Seldan, Kravar, Merek, Cryosanthia, Cesran, Serene, Karelin, Aya
- Place: The Wilderness of Alexandros
- Time: Tuesday, May 18, 2021, 8:58 PM
- Summary: The Hollow Merek emerges from the Ooze. Cesran stops time, summons T-Rex, retreats and casts protective spells. Griva vanishes. Cryo, confused, casts her Icicle Dagger and stares. The Hollow Merek does something, and two more emerge, a Hollow Seldan and a Hollow Serene. Seldan brings holy fire down on his other self, to no effect. Kravar attacks, Aya arrives and is overwhelmed by the spectacle. Merek casts chain lighting at himself, hits himself, three others and the celestial dinosaurs. Cesran tries some more spells, but magic doesn't seem to be working. Cryo darts in among the dino's, stabbing. Karelin steps in, delivering a blow that would kill most. And the battle continues...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Seldan 5'11" 187 Lb Human Male Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.
Merek 5'10" 215 Lb Human Male A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Cesran 6'1" 185 Lb Human Male A tall dark-skinned man
Serene 6'2" 175 Lb Eldanar/Charn Female Glacier meets granite meets strawberries.
Karelin 6'2" 256 Lb Human Male Tattooed Korite warrior. Tall, dark and scarred.
Kravar 6'2" 220 Lb Human Male Big Aesir Hero...with wings
Aya 4'7" 105 Lb Shadow Elf Female Mul'niessa. Braided hair. Simple clothing.
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-=--=--=--=--=--=--= NPCS of Note =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Griva Brassbringer Khazdi Female Head of the Alexandrian Chapter of the Resurrection Society
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-=--=--=--=--=--=--= As the GM =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Whirlpool 5'0" Otyugh I am stinky!
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Previously
Serene manages to keep to her feet as the ground rumbles, due in no small part to the support of her leoavian ally. Then, perhaps in response to the calls to get airborne, she slips back into Silver's saddle.. but the two don't immediately take off. For a figure has emerged. A new Merek. She settles her gaze upon him, eyes intent... definitely not an improved Merek. "Keep your distance!" she warns sharply, slipping her shield back to her left arm. Then she points at... dark Merek. "Why are you here?"
Merek speaks. It speasks for a few moments. You can not undertand what he's saying, actually. It's a langauge that sounds like your own, but isn't. It's all muddled up. Familiar enough to make you think you can grasp it, but different enough that you can't.
Then he makes a non-comittal sound before he tilts to the side at the waist, and then splits open with a thunderous, bone wrenching crack. A second form erupts from the split ripped open in Merek's torso where he bent to the side and in fact begins tro grow in size, flesh spilling out of him. As the form bloats and further gains in mass, faces and arms and bodies and eyes begin to erupt all along it. Familiar faces.
Your faces, as if Merek had consumed each of you. Screaming. Grasping.
"Okay, well that's not so handsome me," Merek admits while he takes a look to everyone, then the thing that takes the man's face and has devoured all of their faces. The man takes a small bottle of whiskey from his pocket and justs drinks it, "Right then," he offers to Serene, "In that case. Let's kill me, I have quite the bone to pick with that guy. The others, not so much, try and not look at them guys." Then he walks forward with the hood upon him. Nethicite chains, Geas. Iron Hells, a time beyond time and space. The divination of the thing that brought all of them to this place.
At this point, the man seems to consider everything that's he's been through up to that point, "Well," he slams a fist into his palm, "Embrace it, and fight!" The man prepares to face off with himself and its many faces of his friends.
Now
The Hollow Merek is perhaps fifteen feet from the party collectively. It appeared fairly close by.
GAME: Cesran rolls knowledge/The planes: (18)+27: 45 GAME: Cesran casts Shield. Caster Level: 20 DC: 23 GAME: Cesran casts Time Stop. Caster Level: 20 DC: 31 <OOC> Cesran says, "Round 1 of time stop. Move out of Wall of Force box via carpet of flying," <OOC> Cesran says, "trying to keep as many people within 30' of me, " <OOC> Cesran says, "Quick Cast Magic Circle Against Evil, " <OOC> Cesran says, "Cast Summon Monster IX - 1d4+1 Celestial T-rexes within 30' of me and surrounding the baddy." GAME: Cesran casts Magic Circle Against Evil. Caster Level: 20 DC: 25 GAME: Cesran casts Summon Monster IX. Caster Level: 20 DC: 31 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3 (Three Rounds of Timestop) <OOC> Cesran says, "My move action is to move out of the box of wall of force via flying carpet so I have room to summon" <OOC> Cesran says, "Round 2: Finish casting Summon Monster IX (uses up my move action), " <OOC> Cesran says, "Quick Cast Haste on Self and T-rexes and as many other people within 30', " <OOC> Cesran says, "drop Lesser Quickened Wand, Cast Fluid Form" GAME: Cesran casts Haste. Caster Level: 20 DC: 25 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2 (Number of T-Rexes) GAME: Cesran casts Fluid Form. Caster Level: 20 DC: 28 <OOC> Cesran says, "Round 3, Draw Normal Quickened Wand, Cast Greater Invisibility, time stop ends, T-rexes attack." GAME: Cesran casts Greater Invisibility. Caster Level: 20 DC: 26 <OOC> Cesran says, "Rolling for Celestial T-rexes, they will smite on First bite." GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (13)+20: 33 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (4)+20: 24 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (2)+20: 22 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (10)+20: 30 <OOC> Cesran says, "All misses"
Cesran watches as this horrible version of the entire party starts to come towards them. He only takes a moment to try to identify what this creature could possibly be. "I have a theory that it's some kind of projection of fates or even a protean timeline destinations. It's very bad either way that it's here on this plane." He moves to take a rod from his belt with his free hand and he quickly casts the shield spell on himself. "I could use a little more time." He says as he casts time stop.
The world freezes giving Cesran a few moments to breath at least. He moves out of the box made out of the walls of force as they will only get in his way. He starts by casting another spell of protection on himself against evil things and then starts a longer casting. He summons up one of his favorite creatures, Celestial T-rexes. Only 2 with this summons, but he'll take what he can get as he places them around the creature with all their faces. He then quickly casts haste on the entire party including the T-rexes before he drops the wand down onto the carpet and casts fluid form on himself. He draws another wand from his belt and then turns invisible.
Time stop over the T-rexes do what they were sent here to do, mess this creature up. With magical speed a flurry of powerful bites snap at the creature but each bite is turned away with a slap of tentacle. The T-rexes are not happy, but there is little that they can do.
Griva, herself, stares with wide eyes. Her piercing gaze goes shell-shocked with fear for a moment before she fades from view.
She's a wizard, after all, and invisibility is one of the most basic defense spells one can cast. "Don't let it touch you," she yells.
GAME: Cryosanthia casts Icicle Dagger. Caster Level: 10 DC: 15
Attack!
It's Cryo's first flinch! Well, 'friends' was her first flinch, and she's always freezing. Feelings aren't helping and flight... She's having trouble with that. Does levitation count? Her instinctive reactions tree is pruned a little too tight.
In the air, her hand moves through a fast, arcane motion, the scales lighting up on her arm. An icicle dagger forms in her hand, and she leaps forward to stab. Except, levitating, so there's no leap. She's forced to think.
Which means confronting a slowly dawning horror that may take more than a few moments to fully realize. She reacts appropriately.
"AHHHHHHHHH! We have to kill both Mereks!"
Or inappropriately, as the case may be.
She has a moment to reflect on recent events. The group used a rod of absorption to try to pop a magical cyst. It worked and a whole bunch of other echoes of everyone came out. Merek touched one, was mind stabbed a bunch of times. All the other variants went away. A Merek creature crawled out of the hole where the magical cyst was and then morphed into a conglomeration of everyone present.
Everyone? She examines the faces coming out of Hollow Merek. Were they everyone who channeled into the Rod? Griva, Serene, Aya, Karelin woudn't be represented. Or is it everyone present. Or, friends of Merek which would include people he knows who aren't here. Like Braelnoir, Mikilos and Lily. Still, people known, or perhaps people who aren't recognizable. Friends of his, he knows, that everyone else doesn't.
Cryo tries to understand if it formed from things the group did, from all present, or just Merek. Or, if it might actually be a future.
The faces are of everyone that is present. Whatever that may mean.
So this is the result of filling what seemed to be an empty void with magic. Looks like a good idea.
Aya has almost no idea what is going on.
Phasmagorical faces. Maniacal Mereking. Corrupted magic. Magic corrupting. The combination of the quartet is not entirely surprising to some. One being the latest form that emerges into this realm from another.
From fading wisps of shadow, Aya coalesces into being, lips pursed and brows narrowed, attention upon the current nightmarish form of Merek. One of them... or is that two? Three? "I would ask what insanity foolish use of magic brought out this time, but I assume the answer is... that?"
GAME: Serene rolls fortitude: (20)+34: 54 (CRITICAL SUCCESS) GAME: Merek rolls fortitude: (15)+13: 28 GAME: Seldan rolls fortitude: (4)+27: 31 GAME: Aya rolls fortitude: (4)+17: 21 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Charmed life, 1 or 3" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls fortitude+4: (4)+8+4: 16 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+15: (17)+15: 32 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+15: (18)+15: 33 GAME: Cesran rolls fort: (11)+16: 27 GAME: Kravar rolls fort: (14)+17: 31 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6: (2): 2 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6: (4): 4 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6: (6): 6 GAME: Whirlpool damaged Cryo's wisdom for 2 points. 2 total damage.
The flesh stretches and snaps and blood-covered bodies pull free of Merek's torso, snapping into full-sized spectres of... Seldan, actually.
"...Alexandros. I thought it would be for the last time. You can do better. WE can do better than dancing to the strings of corrupt puppet governments and their priests."
The faces still upon the gouts of flesh squirm and dance, their expressions contorting, "the cry of the endless."
As 'Seldan' speaks, another figure emerges, clad in dented armor not unlike her own. Serene. She nods, mutely, a great pair of griffon wings sprouting from her back as she takes to the sky.
"Do not be afraid. We will help you see. Do you not hear the cry?"
And a great keening fills the air, stemming from the mouths that are upon the fleshy globules extending from Merek. The cry is rage and agony and dismay. It is a thing of the purest despair, and it is immediate that you will never forget it. It is a thing of nightmares, chilling to the depths of one's soul.
GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/the planes: (10)+12: 22 GAME: Seldan casts Flame Strike. Caster Level: 16 DC: 22 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+23: (11)+23: 34 GAME: Seldan rolls 15d6: (53): 53
Seldan stares, disbelieving, at the not-Seldan, the spectre of himself. _How_ does it know of that which he keeps so carefully to himself? Is it ... linked to him somehow? His wings beat to keep him aloft as he chants another spell, this one more celestial symbols than arcane ones. The last word is more prayer than incantation, bringing a pillar of divine fire crashing out of the sky above at the not-Seldan.
GAME: Serene rolls knowledge/the planes: (2)+25: 27 GAME: Serene casts Divine Favor. Caster Level: 20 DC: 23 GAME: Serene casts Break Enchantment. Caster Level: 20 DC: 26 GAME: Serene rolls ride: (9)+33: 42 <OOC> Serene says, "Oh, also drawing my sword as a move, WP."
Serene's expression... tightens... as doubles, dopplegangers... 'wrong' twins emerge. As Seldan summons divine fire upon his duplicate, she snaps a simple rod seemingly from nowhere and uses it to channel a swift, but small amount of divine power. Then it's gone. "Defend yourselves!" she calls out as she thrusts her other hand towards her winged alternate, beseeching Eluna to undo whatever magic might be holding the creature here. The prayer seems ineffectivee, but the woman is already taking her next step.. that into the stirrups of her companion. Before she's even done seating herself, the gryphon launches himself into the air after Serene's double.
GAME: Merek casts Chain Lightning. Caster Level: 13 DC: 21 GAME: Merek rolls 1d20+13: (14)+13: 27 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Anti-Merek has spell turning." GAME: Merek rolls reflex: (8)+12+1: 21 GAME: Merek rolls 13d6: (48): 48 GAME: Seldan rolls reflex: (14)+23+1: 38 GAME: Kravar rolls reflex: (11)+12+1: 24 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+12+1: (8)+12+1: 21 (T-Rex 1 Reflex) GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+12+1: (11)+12+1: 24 (T-Rex 2 Reflex) <OOC> Cesran says, "They also have Resistance Electricity/Cold/Acid 15 and an SR of 15"
Merek looks when it seems that more of the creatures come away looking like the members of the party Seldan and Serene. The man lifts up a hand while lightning arcs from it in a chain right into himself. Then, it comes around, and right back into himself. Merek casts lightning at Merek who reflects that along back to Merek, who tries to redirect that to Seldan and Serene though not the actual ones. Though, well, it looks like the actual ones. Amazing. That of course means that he needs to think about what he can do.
Which is difficult with that lightning arcing within him and sliding up his skin to cut it in places while blood splatters away from the wounds that he takes.
Both T-rexes take lightning damage!
As do Seldan, Kravar, and Karelin.
Merek still has his Angelic Aspect, so everything is good.
Possibly even Hollow Merek. At least, it doesn't seem to be evil.
GAME: Kravar rolls 33-4+1+1: (15)+33+-4+1+1: 46 GAME: Kravar rolls 3d10+16+8: (16)+16+8: 40
Kravar is crouched and ready to spring into action, but before he can move lightning flickers across the battlefield and a stray bolt shocks into his chest. It's...well it's lightning, and flashes with the speed of lightning. Hard to pick out even when he's under the effects of preternatural speed. Or maybe not. The look of irritation he shoots Merek after he's singed by the flickering energy - by what might be construed as friendly fire - shows that perhaps he has some inkling of what just happened.
"It appears magic won't work." He muses. "But if they're flesh and blood...their flesh can be rent! Their blood spilt! HRAAAHH!" He raises his glowing blade and launches himself into the air towards the first creature.
Fake Serene flew into the air. Fake Seldan is on the ground still, about 10 feet from Fake Merek.
GAME: Cesran casts Clashing Rocks. Caster Level: 20 DC: 31 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+16: (17)+16: 33 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+30: (15)+30: 45 GAME: Cesran rolls 20d6+10: (76): 76 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Quickened with the rod" GAME: Cesran casts Disintegrate. Caster Level: 20 DC: 28 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+16: (19)+16: 35 (Ranged Touch) GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+29: (8)+29: 37 (Fake Seldan Save) GAME: Cesran rolls 5d6: (19): 19 <OOC> Whirlpool says, "And the t-rexes" GAME: Cesran rolls 20+21: (15)+21: 36 GAME: Cesran rolls 20+21: (9)+21: 30 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+21: (2)+21: 23 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+21: (5)+21: 26 GAME: Cesran rolls 4d6+22: (14)+22: 36 <OOC> Cesran says, "And I'll move 40 feet so I'm not targeted from my spell casting. Turn done."
Cesran winces as his T-rex's take a little lightning damage. They roar there displeasure, but continue their attacks. It seems that this prey is a wily one or they aren't used to moving this fast yet as they take two big chops each and come up empty. Cesran eyes the sky as he sees a Fake Serene fly up and he takes a deep breath as he starts to cast. Two colossus rocks form 30 feet away from Fake Selene and then rocket towards her and slams into her and her little fake griffin too. The shattered rocks then fall to the ground having done there job. Cesran acting quickly casts another spell using his rod of quickening and shoots a disintegrate spell at fake Seldan. He hits, but the spell only has minimal effects.
Griva Brassbringer is still nowhere to be seen, but she can be heard. The low key chant of her summoning magics fill the area. Powerful summons, too. She's a competent wizard, after all.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls knowledge/the planes+2: (4)+8+2: 14 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls knowledge/religion+2: (2)+4+2: 8 <OOC> Cryosanthia rolls eyes too <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so, +1 attack from Haste. Flanking with the T-rexes." GAME: Cryosanthia rolls weapon1+1+2: (12)+17+1+2: 32 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1d6+13: (1)+(4)+13: 18
"I'm... really conflicted here!" Cryosanthia shouts, feeling fuzzy in the head, and staring slack-jawed: Another Seldan has appeared, another Serene.
It sounds like Seldan at least. The other Serene is part griffon. "Silver Empress! Is this an Eluna thing? Oh Ancestors." She feels her thoughts stretching back, but there's no memories in her blood that rise to help. Only the sensation of long past eyes, staring with a shrug.
Her instincts are telling her to help out the larger lizards. As much as she might delight in darting around between their legs like an opportunistic raptor, her higher functions are telling her that's a bad idea. Except that forebrain hasn't helped much lately and all ideas are seemingly both good and bad.
"Someone tell me what to do? Seldan? Am I supposed to attack you? Should I use harsh language?" She drifts down, her feet touching and then she leaps forward to stab at the Faux-Merek. Her icicle dagger cuts coldly, spilling snowflakes when it cuts in. She adds a taunt, "We need to talk!"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Karelin, you can charge it, but I'd say you weren't close enough for a FA." <OOC> Whirlpool says, "NO one else was. :)" <OOC> Karelin nodnods. Okay, sounds good. Charge + Power Attack + Stunning Assault on the Merek. GAME: Karelin rolls 1d20+43+2-5: (17)+43+2+-5: 57 GAME: Karelin rolls 2d10+62+30: (9)+62+30: 101 <OOC> Karelin says, "DC30 Fort save or be stunned for 1 round"
When presented with a puzzling situation such as this, Karelin does what he does best, and charges in with his runeblade in a half-swording position. He jams his sword into the crook of hollow-Merek's neck, point first. If nothing else, it should get his attention!
OOC and Combatty
<OOC> Merek says, "you fools!"
<OOC> Merek says, "this isn't even my final form!"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I was going to say that actually next pose"
<OOC> Merek says, "i did"
<OOC> Merek says, "i failed my own DC"
<OOC> Merek says, "I'm too good."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Oh there it is!"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Merek, hurting himself for knowledge."
<OOC> Seldan says, "Merek, too sexy for his robes."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "THERE ARE LAYERS TO THIS SCENE NOW"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "GOD DAMN IT SELDAN NO"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "NOW I HAVE RIGHT SAID FRED IN MY HEAD AND I HATE YOU."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Just for that, the lightning spreads to you first!!"
<OOC> Merek says, "Merek literally electrocutes self to prove science and a point."
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
25 Cesran 1
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23 Kravar 1
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23 Griva Brassbrin 1
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21 Cryosanthia 5
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21 Aya 6
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19 Karelin 1
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18 Hollowed Merek 1
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18 Seldan-Hollow 1
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>> 14 Seldan 1 <<
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8 Serene 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)
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8 Merek 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)
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8 Serene-Hollow
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