Fartooth’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+47 = 56 (Miss)

Fartooth’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+47 = 50 (Miss)

Fartooth’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+42 = 53 (Miss)

Fartooth’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+37 = 48 (Miss)

Fartooth took one look at the situation, and stepped to the side, so that he could fire without trying to shoot through Siora’s legs. Four bolts of psionic force lashed out at the archon-turned-mindflayer, but not one of them managed to penetrate the woman’s dragon scales. “This one is too tough for normal attacks!”

Zarall’s Attack Roll (Ebonheart): 1d20+47 = 53 (Hit)

Damage: 1d8+16 = 21 (Piercing) (DR 15/Adamantine)

Zarall’s Attack Roll (Ebonheart): 1d20+42 = 60 (Crit Threat)

Confirm Crit: 1d20+42 = 45 (Confirm Crit)

Damage: 2d8+32 = 38 (Piercing) (DR 15/Adamantine)

Zarall’s Attack Roll (Ebonheart): 1d20+37 = 55 (Crit Threat)

Confirm Crit: 1d20+37 = 52 (Confirm Crit)

Damage: 2d8+32 = 47 (Piercing) (DR 15/Adamantine)

Zarall had a worried look on his face. Seeing one of their number turned into a rat, despite the magical protections they no doubt had in place, would do that to a person, even if a raging barbarian of a black unicorn wasn’t staring him in the eye. Despite this, he lunged forward with his rapier, scoring three good wounds on Ebonheart, the blade slipping through the unicorn’s armor as though it were not even there. “Sister, perhaps a retreat is in order? We can come at them another time.”

Melinda’s CL Check: 1d20+37 = 48 (Fail)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+55 = 70 (Hit)

Damage: 1d10+28 = 32 (Slashing) (DR 15/Adamantine)

Archonbane Crystal: 1d6 = 6

Vile Weapon Ring: 1 Vile

Ruinous: 1 CHA

Vampiric: 1d6 = 3 (Melinda heals 3)

Anarchic Power: 3d6 = 12

Anarchic Power: 1 Negative Level

Melinda’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+50 = 59 (Miss)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+45 = 50 (Miss)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+40 = 57 (Miss)

“Oh, no. Don’t think you can so easily run away, after pretending to be so big and scary when you rode up on dragons!” I taunted as I stepped forward. Soul’s Violation cut a sable line through the air as I swung the blade, but only the first strike hit true. The shapechanger’s dragon scales were not just for show. And the blast I channeled through the blade did nothing, just as it had before. Whatever else one could say about the archon, it was clear that her defenses were on an entirely different level from the others.

Mumiel’s Concentration check: 1d20+48 = 53 (Success)

Mumiel’s CL Check: 1d20+34 = 52 (Success)

Melinda’s Fort Save (Wail of the Banshee): 1d20+95 = 107 (Success)

Ebonheart’s Fort Save (Wail of the Banshee): 1d20+72 = 73 (Fail, Dead)

Siora’s Fort Save (Wail of the Banshee): 1d20+49 = 66 (Success)

Vestele’s Fort Save (Wail of the Banshee): 1d20+55 = 57 (Success)

Fartooth’s Fort Save (Wail of the Banshee): 1d20+53 = 73 (Success)

Zarall’s Fort Save (Wail of the Banshee): 1d20+36 = 54 (Success)

Zophiel’s Fort Save (Wail of the Banshee): 1d20+0 = 3 (Fail, Dead)

The tentacled freak before me just hissed and projected her thoughts, as a mindflayer would, “Calm yourself, fool! We are not beaten yet!” And then she unleashed a keening wail, just as she had before. Only, this time there was some effect. A rat that had been hanging out, on the edge of the dome near the bard’s feet suddenly became the naked corpse of a hound archon, and Ebonheart stopped moving as though struck by a heavy blow, and then collapsed to the ground, dead.

Vestele’s Concentration Check: 1d20+38 = 56 (Success)

“I think we’ve had just about enough of that,” Vestele said, coldly, as she walked up to the mindflayer, unafraid. And then the symbol of Malcanthet on her shield glowed, as she cast a spell. The next instant, the mindflayer was an archon once again, the field of black tentacles was gone, and the wind and snow began blowing in, as the tiny hut spell collapsed. Over the sudden onslaught of noise, Vestele cried, “She’s vulnerable now, so long as the antimagic field is up!”

Siora’s Concentration Check: 1d20+40 = 50 (Success)

Siora’s CL Check: 1d20+32 = 47 (Success)

Siora’s Attack Roll (Zarall): 1d20+23 = 33 (Touch) (Hit)

Siora fought her way through the sudden snowstorm to the Bard’s side. In a voice that cut through the wind, she pronounced doom upon the archon as she pressed one hand against his chest. “And you, Zarall Hadriall Sareash, will not leave this place, either. Be damned to the eternal torment of bliss!” And, with that, she completed the spell, the bard uttered a moan of pure ecstasy as he fell to the ground, senseless.

Fartooth’s Will Save (Sustain Mind Arrows): 1d20+41 = 55 (Success)

Fartooth’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+47 = 59 (Hit)

Damage: 1d6+13 = 16 (Piercing)

Fartooth’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+47 = 60 (Hit)

Damage: 1d6+13 = 15 (Piercing)

Fartooth’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+42 = 49 (Hit)

Damage: 1d6+13 = 16 (Piercing)

Fartooth’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+37 = 55 (Hit)

Damage: 1d6+13 = 19 (Piercing)

Fartooth grit his teeth as he took aim at the archon. Four arrows of psionic power left his hand, and four arrows struck home on the suddenly diminished Archon. The arrows struck with no more force than a normal arrow would, but the fact that they penetrated the antimagic field at all was a testament to the kobold’s will.

Melinda’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+39 = 51 (Hit)

Damage: 1d10+13 = 17 (Slashing)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+34 = 45 (Hit)

Damage: 1d10+13 = 18 (Slashing)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+29 = 31 (Hit)

Damage: 1d10+13 = 23 (Slashing) (Dead)

Melinda’s Attack Roll (Mumiel): 1d20+24 = 39 (Hit)

Damage: 1d10+13 = 15 (Slashing)

Of course, I, too, was weakened by the antimagic field. Much of my power was magical, after all, but not all. Not nearly all. The katana in my hand may no longer have been made of manifested shadow, but the black blade was still a blade, and I was still proficient in its use. Four times I struck the archon, and four times my blade drew blood. The fool of an archon was dead before she hit the ground, with the fourth hit being just a bit of insurance as she fell.

Your party has defeated Zophiel, the Divine Tracker, Zarall, the Sacred Eunuch, and Mumiel, the Twisted.

Melinda gains 20199 XP.

Siora gains 19622 XP.

Vestele gains 19622 XP.

Fartooth gains 19622 XP.

You have Leveled Up!

You are now Level 35.

600599 / 630000 XP to level 36.

+1 Epic Attack Bonus

HD: 1d8+10 = 16

+1 Bluff, +1 Diplomacy, +1 Intimidate, +1 Perform (Dance), +1 Sense Motive, +1 Spellcraft, +1 Use Magic Device

New Warlock Ability:

DR improves to DR 8/Cold Iron

New Marshal Ability:

New Minor Aura:

Master of Opportunity – Add CHA to AC against Attacks of Opportunity.

Loot:

Kulrys:

Great Wyrm dragon heart

Amulet of Supremacy

Amulet of the Iron Dragon

Gorget of Tempest Breath

Gemstone of Heavy Fortification

Jaws of the Dragon

Greater Pectoral of Maneuverability

Kulrys’s Left Claw

Kulrys’s Right Claw

Bracers of the Holy Dragon

Belt of Relentless Might

Tailbands of Swift Impact

Flaming Dragoncloak of Illusions

Angelhelm

Zophiel:

The Light

Misfortune’s Razor

Starlight Messenger

Zophiel’s Boots

Divine Tracker’s Mantle

Divine Tracker’s Traveling Clothes

Ring of the Archon

Zadkiel’s Bracers

Zadkiel’s Collar

Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone

Incandescent Blue Sphere Ioun Stone

Iridescent Spindle Ioun Stone

Zarall:

Sacred Eunuch’s Riposte

Invoker’s Bane

Sacred Magehunter’s Breastplate

Sacred Eunuch’s Cloak

Dutiful Performer’s Boots

Zarall’s Courage

Freedom in Submission

Zarall’s Earrings

Vest of the Divine Bard

Zadkiel’s Bracers

Zadkiel’s Collar

Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone

Incandescent Blue Sphere Ioun Stone

Iridescent Spindle Ioun Stone

Efficient Quiver

60 Cold Iron Arrows

6 Cold Iron Javelins

6 Adamantine Javelins

6 Silver Javelins

+1 Cold Iron Spear

+1 Silver Spear

+1 Adamantine Spear

Handy Haversack

Mumiel:

Staff of Shifting Truths

Tentacular Staff of Domination

Tentacular Staff of Tentacles

Mumiel’s Runestaff

Horn of the Radiant Pack

Mumiel’s Truth

Pervert’s Glasses

Boots of the Twisted

Band of Unfortunate Truths

Band of Blessed Fantasies

Belt of the Perverse

Mumiel’s Twisted Truth

Zadkiel’s Bracers

Zadkiel’s Collar

Handy Haversack

Mumiel’s First Grimoire

Mumiel’s Second Grimoire

Mumiel’s Third Grimoire

Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone

Iridescent Spindle Ioun Stone

While I was checking the bounty the Voice of the World had for me, as well as the loot total from the last two fights, Vestele took a moment to look around for other threats, but there was only the bard, moaning pleasurably to himself. She canceled the antimagic field, and both the tiny hut and the tentacles came back, though the black tentacles soon faded away. Looking over to her sister, she chuckled. “Just what in the abyss did you do to him, Si?”

Siora smiled happily, and said, “That would be a spell I picked up called Eternal Torment. Traps the victim in a state of unending pleasure or infinite pain, depending on the caster’s mood. And it marks the soul in such a way that even in the afterlife, or even if they are brought back to life, they’ll still suffer it. Even if it is somehow removed, the memories will haunt them unless they receive another spell to drive off madness.”

We all just looked at her for a moment, silent. Finally, I said, “That seems a tad bit overpowered. Surely there’s a catch?”

“Oh, of course. First, it requires a spell slot of the ninth level. Second, I have to actually touch them to get the spell off, which can be tricky on slippery types like you, while also putting me well within the danger zone, if I can’t get them the first time. And finally, I need to know their full true name in order to cast it. Which greatly limits the spell’s utility, obviously.”

“Let me guess, Sanvi was all too happy to spill true names, once you told her why you needed the information?” Siora’s grin told me everything I needed to know. I took a breath, and then nodded, once. “Still, if you have that piece of information, then anyone who cannot throw off the spell is in deep trouble. That may be worse than even the spells that kill instantly.”

“Speaking of which,” Fartooth cut in, “what should we do about Ebonheart? He was always clear that if he died in battle we weren’t to bring him back, correct?”

“Yes,” I replied. “He is off to the halls of his god, to fight in eternal slaughter, or whatever it is the followers of Garagos believe in. That is the fate of all his followers who die in battle, whether it be a fierce fight that sees them with more wounds than uncut flesh, or a killing spell. The normal spells to raise the dead will not work if the soul is unwilling to return, so there is no point in using them for him.”

I looked down at my friend, and said, “We will take him back to Frostreach, and build for him a proper resting place, so that all might know of his victories in battle. Falling to a killing spell from a mage of such power as Mumiel was supposed to have is no dishonor. Greater beings have been brought down by less. Which reminds me,” I grinned as I turned to the sisters. “How did the great wyrm die? I happen to notice that the Voice of the World mentioned a dragon’s heart?”

Vestele grinned widely at that. “Well, that was as much a lucky shot as the scream that felled Ebonheart. You have seen me use the Heartclutch spell before, yes? Well, it was a fight to get any spell or weapon through the dragon’s defenses, and he was doing a fair good job at wrecking our castle. I did not think it would work, but trying it was better than just waiting for him to burn us from the sky. And, in the end, it worked, and that caused the dragons to rethink their choice to aid these archons.”

I chuckled, and nodded. “Yes, I noticed that the dragons turned and ran, stopping only to drop off the archons, once they realized that we had a chance to defeat them, or at least take most of them down with us. It was a pleasant change to fight creatures that weren’t slavering zealots, for once.”

Fartooth nodded. “Indeed. But perhaps we can continue this discussion elsewhere? The icy cold may be warmer in this bubble, but we might be better served returning to Frostreach, and going over the spoils, identifying them to see if there is anything we might be able to use, or at least repurpose later down the road?”

“Aye,” Siora signaled her agreement. “Let us return to the castle, and we will share a drink in honor of our fallen friend, before heading to Frostreach to prepare for the final battle with Zadkiel and his army.”