AND STAY DOWN

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Log Info

  • Title: AND STAY DOWN
  • Emitter: Delilah
  • Characters: Delilah, Donna, Ashes, Elyanna
  • Place: Underground: Magus Ectra Na'Garra's Manse, The Lab
  • Time: Monday, August 23, 2021, 8:00 PM
  • Summary: The Valethor gang continues to battle the Illithid, Ectra, and her animated statue. The odds are even, with Ash's wasp swarm and archon annoying Ectra, but it is still two casters against one and there's a lot to fight. Donna is occupied with zombies. Elyanna rushes forward to lash at Ectra with her whip, drawing a strike. She uses her Ear Piercing Scream, twice, managing to deny the molusc actions. Ashlee keeps cursing her, to weaken her resolve, as Donna flattens zombies. The statue hits Ashes with lightning, then the web, the swarm, the archon and Elyanna with a fireball. Finally a gust of wind blows the swarm away, allowing Ectra to touch Elyanna and vampirically drain her near to death. Ash rushes through the stinking cloud, calling for Donna to help with Ectra, as she quickly heals Elyanna back to consciousness. Donna expertly acrobatically flips away from the zombies, then less acrobatically over Ectra to land behind her, getting a slap in the process. Ectra is preparing a powerful spell, as both Elyanna and Donna smack her, causing her to somehow lose concentration. Ashlee lays on another Evil Eye hex, to make Ectra vulnerable, she pleads for her life, but Donna finishes her off, returning the favour of their worst memory trades by giving Ectra one with a fist to the brain. As the gang stands, stunned that they've won, with the statue taunting them an unexpected friend arrives.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Donna        5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A black-haired human girl in black robes.
Delilah      5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A golden haired human girl in white robes.
Ashes        5'11"    177 Lb     Hobgoblin         Female    A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face
Elyanna      5'11"    153 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    A grim, Arvek-blooded woman in raven feathers. 
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Delilah      5'4"     106 Lb     Human             Female    A golden haired human girl in white robes.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

Delilah has been trapped in a mirror, unleashing the Illithid.

Lerethil has been stung to death by wasps.

Ectra is standing near the bridge to the library, surrounded by web but not restrained by it. She's beset by wasps, and there's a lantern archon irritating her. The library is encased in a globe of invulnerability with a statue inside casting spells off of pages that it's tearing out of spell books. There's a stinking cloud taking up most of the lab's space.

Donna is beset by zombies.

Ashes has just sorted out Elyanna's mental domination.

GAME: Ashes rolls reflex: (19)+4: 23 (save for half damage)
GAME: Delilah rolls 6d6: (18): 18
<OOC> Delilah says, "Ectra will do her will save to try to cast through the annoying wasps"
<OOC> Delilah says, "(seriously a swarm of wasps is like the worst thing ever for a caster)."
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+14: (1)+14: 15 (EPIC FAIL) (Concentration Check)
<OOC> Delilah says, "The zombies are all on Donna because what else are they gonna do."
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (15)+3: 18
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (2)+3: 5
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (11)+3: 14

"Mistress! You are trapped!! What should I do?" The statue isn't standing idle while waiting for instructions; while it speaks it is hunting through the books, and rapidly selects one from which it removes a page. As it reads, it holds out its palm and a blast of lightning arcs through the shield, striking Ashes, albeit without hitting the nimble Mourner with its full strength. Still, it's enough to give her a singed side and make her clothes smoke.

"Kill *That one*," Ectra snarls, pointing at Ashes. "Make her friends watch me rip the meat off her bones and animate them *separately*, so they can see her skeleton dance while her flesh flops around on the ground!" The Illithid raises her hands to start casting, but the arcane energies escape harmlessly almost immediately, as several wasps fly into her mouth and one crawls up her nostrils. Sputtering, Ectra spits them back out and her eyes practically glow with rage.

"Change of plans," she screetches, "Take the best spells from Torison's Treatise on Fire and cast them! The entire lab can burn! Nothing in it cannot be replaced! KILL THEM ALL AND DESTROY THE MIRROR!"

Zombies, meanwhile. Oh yes, the zombies; three of them are already surrounding Donna, with the other three busy getting their bearings or shambling around looking for something to chew on. "Brains," gasps one of them. "Liver," suggests another. "Eeeyeeeeeesss..." gasps a third, with its jaw connected only on one side and its tongue perpetually hanging out. All three near the dark haired twin swing their arms wildly, and two of them manage to connect with Donna's breastplate, but the days when such simple undead were a threat to her are, as it turns out, long over.

<OOC> Ashes says, "Evil Eye to be -4 to her saves, standard action, does not provoke, will save, DC18 (1/2 x 11) so 5+3+10
<OOC> Ashes says, "so, swarm damage is 2d6"
GAME: Ashes rolls 2d6: (8): 8
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+14: (9)+14: 23 (Ectra Will vs Evil Eye)
<OOC> Delilah says, "I believe she makes her will save."
<OOC> Donna says, "So that means the -4 is just for this round."
<OOC> Delilah says, "Alright, we'll agree to time saves for ongoing effects so they happen at the end of the caster's turn."
<OOC> Ashes says, "Old poison, new poison, and Archon field, are all DC13"
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (10)+3: 13 (Ectra Fort vs Old Poison)
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (10)+3: 13 (Ectra Fort vs New Poison)
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+10: (11)+10: 21 (Ectra Will vs Archon Aura of Menace)

The Mourner has no words for the Illithid. She does have a few for her friends. "Donna, Elyanna, don't let her cast. I'll keep you alive."

It's in this moment that she has an epiphany, although not a very helpful one. She has the power, but not the time. Vardama has blessed her with the spells and curses but she can't throw them fast enough. If they succeed, or fail, it may come down to the strategy she chooses.

The wasps continue to swarm all over the mind flayer, while the Grey Lady's butterfly hovers near, holding it's beams for the right moment.

Ash, simply glares, staring at Ectra, a representative of her goddess who is not happy she's escaped. Her eyes bore into the mollusc, unrelenting, reminding her of the Grey Halls.

<OOC> Elyanna says, "i can hit at 15', i can threaten at 10"
<OOC> Ashes says, "swarm is 10' square, reach 0"
GAME: Elyanna casts Ear-Piercing Scream. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14
<OOC> Elyanna says, "Ectra can make a fort save vs 14. if she fails she's dazed for 1 round and takes 2d6 damage."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "half damage if she makes it, no daze, and i'll move as close as I can to ectra,"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "drawing my backup whip within 10' wil do, within 5' wil be better"
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (2)+3: 5 (Ecta Fort vs EPS)
GAME: Elyanna rolls 2d6: (3): 3 (Ectra dazed for 1 round)
GAME: Elyanna rolls fort: (19)+3: 22 (vs Stinking Cloud)

It's with only a crisp, "Yes!" that Elyanna acknowledges the Mourner's call to tactics, then draws in a breath, sounding a peculiar note on the inhale. <goblin-talk>

The hand behind her hip wings outward and flicks upward in a counterclockwise semicircle at the wrist, leaving her first and third fingers pointed skyward before the hand closes into a fist and thrusts, like it's twin down at her side as she leans into a forceful roar.

The air 'twixt Keeper and Usuper ripples in agitation, even rage, that batters the illithid's ears with a sense-splitting shriek, but avails all others the ominous aria of silence.

As she recovers from the scream, the red woman starts to move with haste toward the hateful creature, hand snapping the mamba like leather lash from the hook on her belt as Maidenhead still lay on the floor amongst other hazard in a different vector. Nearing the edge of the buzzing swarm, knowing this part is going to absolutely suck, she brings the lash back with intent to punish the squirmy countenanced abomination forthwith.

She sneers in disgust and fury, "You'll end up dangling from the ass of a maggot demon this time, you upjumped pustule. FOREVER!" <Infernal>

Even money, her bluster evaporates once that rancid smell makes her puke.

GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (17)+12+1+1+-2: 29
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (19)+12+1+1+-2: 31
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2-5: (4)+12+1+1+-2+-5: 11
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2-5: (12)+12+1+1+-2+-5: 19
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1: (6)+12+1+1: 20
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (1)+1+2+3: 7
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (2)+1+2+3: 8
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (5)+1+2+3: 11
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (2)+1+2+3: 8
<OOC> Delilah says, "You kill two of them, with two hits each."

It has been some time since Donna has felt quite so... helpless. *Powerless.* Once again, her sister is in dire, perhaps fatal danger, and there seems to be simply nothing at all that can be done. It's *infuriating,* vastly more so than the pitiful lurching dead who break their teeth on her armor.

It's so upsetting, there just isn't even any satisfaction to be had when two of the three zombies is compressed to paste under the force of her fists.

GAME: Elyanna rolls reflex: (12)+10: 22
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+3: (7)+3: 10 (Swarm Reflex)
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+3: (7)+3: 10 (Archon Reflex)
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+7: (19)+7: 26 (Ectra Reflex)
GAME: Delilah rolls 6d6: (14): 14
<OOC> Delilah says, "Yes. And the Archon takes 21. Elyanna and Ectra each take 7. Also, the Web is destroyed."
GAME: Ashes rolls 1d6: (1): 1 (Web Fire Damage)
<OOC> Ashes says, "Ectra was dazed and couldn't act?"
<OOC> Delilah says, "Ah ha, that's right."
<OOC> Delilah says, "Two more zombies will close with Donna, one is still on the way in. And they attack! Naturally! Brains."
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (3)+3: 6
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (16)+3: 19

The Statue snatches a different book off the shelf, and flips it open precisely to a particular page. A page that it tears out, and promptly reads from. "Gird yourself, Mistress!" the golem calls out, as a bolt of flame passes through the globe -- and abruptly everything around Ectra, and Elyanna, is fire. A raging inferno swirls around them, setting half the laboratory aflame; as the blaze clears the Archon is slain, and the swarm is... smoldering. The webbing is smoldering as well, leaving Ectra standing free from it.

The Illithid herself, mind you, is still blinking her eyes after what just happened to her moments earlier. "Curse you," she snarls, "All of you. Slave," she spits, holding her head, "If they best me, annihilate the mirror and destroy the weak one."

The Zombies, meanwhile, do what Zombies do, and go ahead and attempt to gnaw on Donna. One of them almost manages to bit her somewhere soft but at the last moment decides that the breastplate is the best place to put its teeth. One of the other ones bites so hard that its lower jaw crumbles, and teeth go bouncing across the floor.

GAME: Ashes rolls 2d6: (5): 5 (Swarm Damage)
<OOC> Ashes says, "So I'd like to hex her again, for saves, with her having a -4 on the DC18"
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+10: (4)+10: 14 (Ectra Will vs DC18 - Fail)
<OOC> Ashes says, "oh nice, 7 rounds of -4 to saves.
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (3)+3: 6 (Ectra Fort vs New Poison)

"Don't let her get to the library. Beat her down." Ashlee says in monotone, no concern in her voice, her 'commands' sounding more like helpful advice. Her archon is dead, her swarm is depleted... but not done, not yet.

Vardama's holy symbol is the scales, to balance the deeds in death. The Mourner feels the weights shift in this combat, although like all things, she isn't sure which side is lower. Her worry is that the Illithid's has tipped higher.

Unsure what to do, she stands silent, staring and glaring. She's brought back to her time with Nan Mochtrath, sitting in the corner of the hut, watching worms in the dirt. Unmoving. Weaken her, please, her silent plea is made.

While her eyes bore, dark and angry, out of the skull that marks her face.

<OOC> Elyanna says, "trip and whip"
GAME: Elyanna rolls cmb: (18)+7: 25
<OOC> Elyanna says, "woot! now whup her good and, with panache, precise strike adds to the damage"
GAME: Elyanna rolls weapon3: (6)+11-5: 12
<OOC> Donna says, "An extra -4 for being prone to her AC"
GAME: Elyanna rolls 1d3+7: (2)+7: 9

This isn't as going as well as she'd like, but, given some of her past do-righting, if it were, the Keeper would be concerned about whatever moral compromise she'd overlooked.

Before any such doubts can seep overlong into her heart, her world is a toasty orange glow, and she cries out in shock as the universe decides her moral compass needs positive reinforcement in it's fashion.

Smouldering, and wafting the fine scent of burnt hair and singed flesh, Elyanna snarls between the interlocked daggers of her carnivorous sneer, "You will steal no more lives!"

The black lash hisses around behind her back and snaps taut with a sharp >crack!< about the illithid's ankle. Bodily, the red woman thrusts back off her leading foot, even as she torques her far hip further and yanks at the lash, spilling the unjustly returned mollusc ass over teakettle to the ground.

Slithering free of the limb via cunning flex of wrist and elbow, Not-Maidenhead splits the air with another crack of the popper over Silverlash's head then flashes forward to sheer a bleeding stripe out of the corrupted body with yet a third.

"By what Gods hear me, by every star that lights the sky, I say-NO MORE!"

<OOC> Donna says, "Punch zombies it seems."
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (1)+12+1+1+-2: 13 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (10)+12+1+1+-2: 22
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2-5: (18)+12+1+1+-2+-5: 25
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2-5: (2)+12+1+1+-2+-5: 9
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1: (19)+12+1+1: 33
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (4)+1+2+3: 10
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (1)+1+2+3: 7
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (4)+1+2+3: 10

The shouted orders spur Donna on in desperation, but she remains surrounded by zombies. A third is pulped, but three yet remain, and the dark twin is no closer to saving her sister's life. It might be an artifact of the magics speeding and smearing her form, but a chance glimpse might catch hot, frustrated tears at the corners of the brawler's eyes.

GAME: Ashes rolls 1d20+5: (4)+5: 9 (Swarm Fort)
GAME: Delilah rolls 2d6: (8): 8
<OOC> Delilah says, "It's an AOE effect, so the swarm will take... 12 damage. >.>"
GAME: Elyanna rolls weapon3: (10)+11: 21 (AOO on Ectra standing)
<OOC> Delilah says, "RELEVANT. Does this attack count the penalty to her AC from being prone?"
GAME: Elyanna rolls 1d3+7: (3)+7: 10
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20
GAME: Delilah rolls 7d6: (21): 21
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 |     Name      |  CHP (T) |  HP  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 | Ashes.........|   52     |  69  |
 | Donna.........|   34     |  61  |
 | Elyanna.......|   -6     |  44  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL) (Zombie attack on Donna)
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (10)+3: 13 (Zombie attack on Donna)
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (19)+3: 22 (Zombie attack on Donna)
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d6+4: (5)+4: 9
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (15)+3: 18 (Ectra Fort vs DC13)

"Mistress! I have an idea!" The statue drops the book it holds and snatches up one that it had already been through; a page is torn free, and the spell uttered. A fierce gust of wind erupts and blasts down the bridge; it's enough to ruffle Ectra's tentacles and Elyanna's hair, but it's the wasps who truely suffer, as they basically get blown into lab equipment and lingering flames.

Which, it turns out, leaves Ectra free to act.

"Very good, slave," she sneers, as she bears down on Elyanna with the wind at her back; and snaps one clawed hand out, seizing hold of Elyanna with an electrified grip. "Give it to me," she snarls; and a cruel blue light arcs across the Keeper, lacerating her with wounds while Ectra's seal up. By the time she is finished, she pushes Elyanna away from her, leaving her sprawling unconscious on the ground.

The Zombies, meanwhile, are up to their old tricks again; and this time one of them manages to club the brawler right upside the head with a balled up fist, giving Donna visions of stars. "Brains," it supplies, helpfully.

<OOC> Ashes says, "subbing consecreate for CMW"
GAME: Ashes casts Consecrate. Caster Level: 10 DC: 15
GAME: Ashes rolls 2d8+10: (9)+10: 19

Ashlee senses another weight shifting from her side of the scales to Ectra's, as the swarm blown away by the statue, this is followed by a massive clunk as Elyanna is grabbed, sucked dry and used to patch up the Illithid, and then goes down.

"Please. Beat her down. Donna." Ashlee asks again, "I'll handle the zombies. Keep up."

She takes a breath and dashes through the stinking cloud, emerging and switching immediately to a healing spell. Kneeling, she touches her hobkin friend. "Get up. We're losing."

Elyanna feels the coolness of the grave.

And her wounds close... a little.

To (Ashes, Elyanna), Donna pages: -4 to attack from prone.
GAME: Elyanna rolls cmb-4: (5)+7+-4: 8
GAME: Elyanna rolls cmb-4: (16)+7+-4-5: 14

Elyanna doesn't have much chance to say, 'No' before the claw latches on and the illithid's eldritch incantation sears her body with agony that distends her face in another scream without sound. The shock sends her to layers beyond before she can wonder who is more entertained by her struggles at this point, Vardama, Althea, or Taara.

She smoulders there insensate and proceeding into the darker reaches, when the grave reaches out to caress her in turn, nudging her wounds somewhat closed. She awakens with a gasp, cogent enough to recognize her situation on the floor, she snaps the whip at the legs of the mind flayer but the angle is trying and she makes no contact, nor again when she tries in vain to seal the deal on her recovery.

Drat!

<OOC> Ectra's CMD23, DC is 28 for an Acrobatics check to move through her space
<OOC> Donna says, "I also have a speed of 70' thanks to Haste, so I know I can *get* there."
GAME: Donna rolls fortitude: (8)+8: 16 (vs Stinking cloud)
<OOC> Delilah says, "Nevermind, the statue made a big gust of wind, the cloud is gone."
<OOC> Delilah says, "Roll that first. Their CMD is, I dunno, not very high."
GAME: Donna rolls acrobatics: (1)+14: 15 (EPIC FAIL) (vs Zombie CMD 14)
GAME: Donna rolls acrobatics: (12)+14: 26 (vs Zombie CMD 14)
GAME: Donna rolls acrobatics: (14)+14: 28 (vs Zombie CMD 14)
GAME: Donna rolls acrobatics: (5)+14: 19 (vs Ectra CMD 23)
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+10: (19)+10: 29 (Ectra AOO)
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (3)+12+1+1+-2: 15
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (9)+12+1+1+-2: 21
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2-5: (9)+12+1+1+-2+-5: 16
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2-5: (20)+12+1+1+-2+-5: 27 (THREAT)
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2-5: (11)+12+1+1+-2+-5: 18 (Not Confirmed)
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (6)+1+2+3: 12
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (5)+1+2+3: 11

Ashes' voice cuts through the frustration, the aimless flailing. The zombies were targets because what else could she do, really? But her friend saw an opening where she saw none.

Getting there would be the hard part. Not for the zombies, those shambling rotten things were only a threat to anyone *but* her. The movements required to dodge and weave past their fumbling grasp was complex, but not *difficult.*

Likewise, the series of handsprings that allowed her to cross the gap between laboratory and bridge, building the necessary momentum for the *really* difficult part.

That being a soaring leap over Ashes' head, and Elyanna's prone body, tucking into a spinning flip that allowed Ectra's lazy backhand to do little more than graze her in passing.

One foot planted solidly on the ground, the other skating out in a wide arc to bleed off momentum... And have the brawler face Ectra's back.

And, oh, ever since meeting the betentacled bitch the first time, Donna had wondered if Illithids have more than two kidneys.

LET'S FIND OUT.

GAME: Donna rolls will: (12)+4: 16
<OOC> Delilah says, "However, that moves things along to Ectra's turn, so I need a reflex save from everyone."
<OOC> Delilah says, "Donna, I think you can do an AoO for Ectra casting next to you."
GAME: Ashes rolls reflex: (9)+4: 13
GAME: Elyanna rolls reflex: (2)+10: 12
<OOC> Donna says, "Yes, and she gets a +2 for her defensive-casting DC."
GAME: Elyanna rolls weapon3-4: (15)+11+-4: 22
GAME: Elyanna rolls 1d3+7: (3)+7: 10
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1: (13)+12+1+1: 27
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (3)+1+2+3: 9
<OOC> Donna says, "So in order to cast, she has to make a Caster Level check and beat... 21."
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+15: (3)+15: 18 (Ectra caster check)

Ectra is bleeding -- and bleeding *heavily*. The statue is getting frantic, and simply grabs the first book it can come across; it rips out a page more or less at random and casts it, trying to envelop Donna in the ever tightening grip of cruel time itself, only to have it utterly fail to contain the brawler.

Ectra, herself, is busy casting a spell of her own; and the electrical energy building between her hands as she generates it is no joke, certainly. But then there's the snap of a whip and a solid impact from behind, and the next thing she knows she's on her knees, wheezing and spitting blood out of her mouth.

"ENOUGH!" she screeches, and holds out one hand -- not to cast a spell, but to ward off a blow. "Enough," she repeats. "Slave, defensive spells only. Enough. *Enough*." She draws a ragged breath, and her tentacles coil anxiously. "I have underestimated you, to my great chagrin. So I propose a trade." She turns her head to look over her shoulder at Donna. "You want your sister. I want to live. I will give you back her life, and you let me keep mine."

"Brains," states one of the zombies, as it comes shambling towards the party; along with its compatriots, of course. But it'll take some time to get there. It's a zombie, afterall.

<OOC> Ashes says, "evil eye hex her for -4 to AC, DC18"
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+10: (4)+10: 14 (Ectra will)
<OOC> Ashes says, "oka -4 AC for 7 rounds"
<OOC> Ashes says, "and still the -4 saves, to round 12"

"I can speak with the Dead." Ashlee says in response to Ectra's offer. She stares at her, a living momento mori. A physical embodiment of the phrase, 'Remember, you too are Mortal'.

Something she intends to confirm for the Illithid. Her eyes are dark pearls in the skull that is her face, burning intently. This being has brought indifferent suffering, devoured the brains of countless individuals, has an ego the size of her manse.

"Merek can figure out the mirror back in Alexandria." Ashlee says calmly, "Or some other mage. Plane Shifting is not unknown."

Her gaze doesn't leave Ectra, and she adds calmly, "She's vulnerable."

<OOC> Elyanna says, "with kip-up, i don't provoke to stand long as i have a panache point."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "I can spend one to make it a swift action"
GAME: Elyanna casts Ear-Piercing Scream. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14
GAME: Delilah rolls 1d20+3: (4)+3: 7 (Ectra Fort Save)
GAME: Elyanna rolls 2d6: (10): 10
<OOC> Elyanna says, "10 sonic damage, and she's dazed for a round, no actions"

Of all the ignoble postures she's found herself in during battle, this, for some reason, seems to chafe the most.

Incensed by the failures of her lashes in this engagement, even though it's likely the lingering poison, she manages to peel another stripe out of Ectra as she starts to summon her arcane powers once more.

A smile, much like the one she showed in her most dire memory, parts her lips, and it's so emboldened that she swings her feet up, then snaps them back down; the bodily recoil casting the Keeper from the flat of her back to the soles of her boots.

Her empty hand spins and flexes at the wrist as the battered Illithid tries to ply for bargain, as Ashes rebuffs her, and her chest swells with the intake of her breath.

THe air ripples in oppressive silence between the two females...

As Elyanna again overloads the usurped nervous system with her roar of, "NO!"

<OOC> Donna says, "Gonna monologue a bit, then punch her exactly as many times as I need to. :D"
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (2)+12+1+1+-2: 14
GAME: Donna rolls finesse+1+1-2: (19)+12+1+1+-2: 31
<OOC> Delilah says, "Pose it as you like, she's got 1 HP left and I'm confident you can... yes you can."
GAME: Donna rolls 1d6+1+2+3: (6)+1+2+3: 12

Turning her head away from Elyanna's sonic hellstorm -- even as focused as it is, at this range the notes are perceptible, if not damaging -- Donna looks past her Hobkin friends, to the mirror, eyes narrowing in thought. "Trade, huh? Well... Way I see it, we're just wrapping up the trade from before." Bones pop as Donna tips her head to one side, then the other, then cracks her knuckles. "Cos you wanted us to give you our worst memories. You *got off* on it. So? Here you go. Here's *your* worst memory, an' I hope Vardama puts you in the *special supermax* Halls so you can think it over awhile."

The thing about Illithids is, their skin may be tough... but their skulls are *not.*

Ectra barely has a chance to scream, before Donna is granting her the most gruesome death that anyone's likely seen in some time. Her tentacles thrash as she collapses, and her legs twitch; almost as if she's about to get back up. But she doesn't.

The Statue, meanwhile, is openly sobbing. "You killed her," she whimpers. "You killed my Mistress. She *made* me. She gave me meaning. You... you savages! You... you!!!" It draws itself up to its full height, "But doesn't matter. Break through my shield and destroy me, then, it won't matter! Mistress Ectra is more powerful than you know, she has *contingencies*, she'll be back! She will! She *will!*

"No.... no she won't."

A familiar voice calmly cuts off the Statue's bluster; arriving from, well, more or less out of nowhere is Tessa, the Psychopomp resplendent in her shining armor, with her sword unsheathed and the naked blade resting on her shoulder. "We're about to take care of that." She meanders up to where Ashes, Elyanna, and Donna are all standing around the broken corpse of Ectra. "But first... I must say, I'm impressed. When Delilah wound up in that mirror, I thought for certain I was going to have to... bend the rules just a bit and help you three out, just this once. But you didn't need it. Well done indeed."

Ghoulish cp line.png

OOC & Combatty

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 3 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
     20   Ectra            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     20   Zombies             
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     12   Ashes            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     10   Elyanna          1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     7    Donna            1  
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> 6    Statue           1   <<
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ==============================================================================

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 |     Name      |  CHP (T) |  HP  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 | Ashes.........|   52     |  69  |
 | Donna.........|   34     |  61  |
 | Elyanna.......|   15     |  44  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 |     Name      |  CHP (T) |  HP  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 | Ashes.........|   52     |  69  |
 | Donna.........|   34     |  61  |
 | Elyanna.......|   -6     |  44  |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Post battle elation
<OOC> Elyanna hugs, "Aces pose D!
<OOC> Ashes says, "and oh wow those are glorious poses, both of you. wow wow wow"
<OOC> Elyanna hi5!
<OOC> Donna dap! :D
<OOC> Delilah says, "Also? Congratulations you three, you beat a level 15 Illithid necromancer. Without needing the help that I Had lined up for you."
<OOC> Elyanna woot!
<OOC> Ashes says, "It was very tense going"
<OOC> Ashes says, "I legit thought we were doomed"
<OOC> Donna says, "Elyanna, lemme expand on that;"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "i was very skeptical of success"
<OOC> Donna says, "You just beat a monster with more than twice your HD."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "aunty badtouch went down hard"
<OOC> Ashes says, "pah!"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "ah lahk pah!"
<OOC> Donna says, "Ashes was the only one not punching *hilariously* above her weight class."
<OOC> Delilah says, "The spell you managed to make her fizzle was chain lightning."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "I think Faran is the only alt I have who actually swung more above her weight class"
<OOC> Donna says, "Remember, Ash, when Silmeria was so proud of the party for killing a dragon?"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "ouch.... chain lightening would have done it"
<OOC> Donna says, "You just topped that achievment."
<OOC> Ashes nods, "oh wow. wow."
<OOC> Elyanna hugs tight, "Woohoo!"
<OOC> Ashes says, "I was imagining Ashes understanding this battle as inspiration for her hexing tactics with the dragon"
<OOC> Donna says, "And it turned out to be *easier* than this fight, all told. XD"
<OOC> Ashes says, "that would have been a very nasty spell. This was, very edge of the seat, clenched teeth"
<OOC> Donna says, "And it's due to you two that it *was* a fight at all. :D"
<OOC> Donna wants you to be very aware of that. I provided numbers, and numbers helped!
<OOC> Elyanna shifty eyes, "We're... people-people."
<OOC> Donna says, "But without y'all locking this shit down, my numbers would have meant nothing."
<OOC> Donna really, really wants y'all to be proud of yourselves. :D
<OOC> Elyanna says, "Ty"
<OOC> Ashes says, "Thanks!"
<OOC> Ashes says, "I think Donna's punch is a great one to end on?"
<OOC> Donna says, "Just remind me that I had a thought about the mirror next week. :D"
<OOC> Elyanna hugs, "I've worried more than a few times, if Elyanna's build wasn't a mistake, not gonna lie. But, if she's got a good team who work together, she can help :)
<OOC> Ashes says, "And I really felt it was one spell or one blown save awy from losing the whole time"
<OOC> Donna says, "The presence of Chain Lightning backs you up on that. c.c"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "Was that Shocking Grasp or vampiric touch she hit me with?"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "i was like 'we might have this' till that happened, then i was like 'ohshit'"
<OOC> Donna says, "Vampiric Touch I think."
<OOC> Ashes says, "I have a thing I want to say but will work it in next week"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "But Ashes, Ty for the coordination, Donna, thank you for the damage and threat and soak-it-upness on everything so far. and thank you Delilah for brinigng us along through this"
<OOC> Ashes says, "because I was really going with 'Ashes isn't talking to Ectra', though it's something I wanted her to say to Ectra, or something"
<OOC> Ashes nodnods! "Yes! Much thanks, this was awesome."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "and the emotional stakes, DD"
<OOC> Elyanna bighug
<OOC> Donna hugs and noms all around!
<OOC> Delilah says, "Nobody go yet, I'm doin' a pose!"
<OOC> Donna says, "Oh! Also that. :D"
<OOC> Ashes says, "the thing was something along the lines of 'she whined about being killed by her pupil in her sleep,
perhaps she'll be happier being beaten by three people she's never trained at all.. oh okay"
<OOC> Ashes says, "oooooooooooooo"
<OOC> Ashes says, "Interesting!"
<OOC> Donna D :D :D
<OOC> Delilah says, "Okay, so."
<OOC> Elyanna hug
<OOC> Delilah says, "What I *had* planned was that Ectra was going to blast you all into next week with the Chain Lightning, and then Tessa was gonna be there and say "Well, that looks like that didn't go according to plan; want a little help?""
<OOC> Delilah says, "But you all didn't need help. :D"
<OOC> Donna says, "I mean, we don't make friends with psychopomps and die *without* something weird happening. :D"
<OOC> Ashes says, "heeee"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "hehe"
<OOC> Ashes says, "well chain lightning would be humbling."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "i probably would have been dust"
<OOC> Ashes says, "we were very, very luckly"
<OOC> Ashes says, "well, not failing my reflex save"
<OOC> Ashes says, "that was so, so close"
<OOC> Donna says, "Luckily you didn't need to."
<OOC> Donna says, "And *this* is what Donna was built for. :D"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "lol, this fight ruined my streak ;p"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "i think up till now, though i could be wrong, elyanna's never failed to trip someone with maidenhead"
<OOC> Donna XD
<OOC> Elyanna says, "being she was punching upward though is kinda molllifying in that regard :)"
<OOC> Delilah says, "This fight was designed to be unwinnable without help."
<OOC> Delilah will just leave it at that.
<OOC> Donna says, "NEVERTHELESS, WE PERSISTED."
<OOC> Ashes says, "heee. Hobgoblins are very stubborn"
<OOC> Ashes says, "and I pulled out the stops with the summons"
<OOC> Ashes says, "it was really challenging, and yay! impressed Tessa, heee. nice. thanks Delilah, I'll upload it. Hmm.. Log names?"
<OOC> Ashes says, "Ectra Returns was the last one... Ectra Leaves? :)"
<OOC> Ashes says, "or 'A counterpoint to assassination'"
<OOC> Donna says, "'Making It Stick'"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "And Stay Down"
<OOC> Donna says, "YES."
<OOC> Ashes says, "And Stay Down?"
<OOC> Ashes says, "I like that one"
<OOC> Donna says, "AND STAY DOWN."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "hell, use the all caps. i think it conveys the ladies' feelings on the matter ;p"
<OOC> Ashes says, "I was thinking that"
<OOC> Donna XD
<OOC> Delilah Snorks.
<OOC> Elyanna says, "hehe"
<OOC> Delilah is really glad you all had fun. :3
<OOC> Elyanna hugs, "TY!"
<OOC> Donna hug, thanks *very* much!
<OOC> Ashes nods!
<OOC> Ashes hugs all, "This was great. Very much so."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "just realized"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "we did that, and i think donna and i are still poisoned"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "phiir da stubrn bastrdz!"
<OOC> Ashes says, "it's almost at 'lets find a non-creepy bed and sleep in it' stage"
<OOC> Donna says, "We should open up our own Private Adventurers."
<OOC> Donna says, "Stubborn Harridans, Inc."
<OOC> Ashes says, "heeee"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "Heh, so who gets to wear the fedora?"
<OOC> Donna says, "Elyanna, naturally. She's the fashion-forward one."
<OOC> Ashes says, "mmhmmm"
<OOC> Donna says, "Delilah's in the flapper dress and pearls, and Ash and I are in overalls and newsboy caps."
<OOC> Elyanna snerk
<OOC> Ashes says, "sounds about right"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "or the pinstripes and wingtips?"
<OOC> Delilah checks herself out in... the mirror. Ironically. Damnit.
<OOC> Donna XD
<OOC> Donna says, "Yeah mirrors are gonna be a thing from now on. XD"
<OOC> Elyanna drags another mirror over, "Hey Donna, how many sisters do you want?"
<OOC> Donna says, "DONNA: Look if we *have* to look at our reflection, I'm'a just fucking get a nice flat shield or something."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "like Spike and furniture"
<OOC> Donna XD
<OOC> Elyanna says, "or should elyanna be in the chaneuse dress, lounging on a piano?"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "..."
<OOC> Donna says, "There is that."
<OOC> Elyanna says, "We need to do something with this."
<OOC> Ashes says, "mmmmhmmm"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "we come back like something out of the 20's and everyone's like Aroo?"
<OOC> Ashes says, "I like the infinite Delilah mirrors"
<OOC> Donna says, "Which case, *Ash* is in the trenchcoat and fedora."
<OOC> Ashes says, "heh"
<OOC> Ashes says, "no one ever sees my bones tattoos"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "no one ever sees my belly piercing"
<OOC> Ashes says, "everyone at Ma Rosie's did"
<OOC> Elyanna hmmm's. Beach episode?
<OOC> Elyanna ducks.
<OOC> Ashes says, "the stream was almost that..."
<OOC> Delilah says, "Nobody ever sees my nipple piercings either."
<OOC> Delilah says, "Err."
<OOC> Delilah says, "Nevermind."
<OOC> Ashes says, "well there's always the TarRaCe baths"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "that must have been an awkward confiscation"
<OOC> Ashes says, "some things should count as extra ring slots"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "yeah, if they ever clear their names they'll have to do the baths"
<OOC> Elyanna says, "pf does have magic piercings"
<OOC> Ashes says, "sith'makar miss out yet again..."
<OOC> Donna XD
<OOC> Elyanna says, "hehe"
<OOC> Elyanna hugs tight, "gonna take off for now. ty again for everything everyone, was great! have a good one!"
<OOC> Ashes nods! "Same!"