4 - 071: The Fourth Piece

[K Man]

Romar - {Are you gonna submit the last post as a novel submission for the next WotC contest? }

[Diplomacy Check] Telena leaves in such a hurry atop the wagon carrying the shard that she barely hears your speech as it leaves your lips. Her and Irris ride off into the night while the few remaining people of the Dune Palace scatter into the dark of night. Somewhere, high above the campfires, you can see Tineniel...Caelith shouting at the top of his lungs defiantly.

Telena doesn't even look back...

Still, you've poured your heart onto the sands and it does not go unnoticed. You feel a hand placed calmly upon your shoulder. Turning around, it's Irinys, the Elven Prince with a sorrowful face.



"I applaud your honesty Romar...and they throw it back in your face selfishly."

He looks to the retreating force, the fleeing wagon and to the mage hanging in the sky.

"They do not understand what we attempt to do, that there is a common enemy here and for the greater good we must try to destroy him...even if it means the loss of a few refugees that greedily hug a source of power they do not understand..."

He is interrupted by an approaching mage from the ranks. A rather young Elf who barely casts a glance at you out of the corner of his eye. The young Elf bows respectfully.

"Sire! They flee into the canyons. What shall we do?"

Irinys responds.



"We gave them the opportunity for peaceful resolution. Give chase and show them no mercy. Use fire, ice and lightning...it will not damage the shard. Do NOT follow into the canyon. It is an old trap and one we shall not fall for."

The young Elf returns to the ranks and gives the command to split. Half the division to the Northeast, the other half to the Southeast. The army divides and begins its march towards the fleeing refugees. Irinys turns back to you and extends his hand outward.



"Romar, there is no need for you to tackle 'The Master' alone. We shall recover this shard and face him...together."

He awaits a confirming shake.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Irris and Tineniel -

Tineniel reaches deep inside of him, to a place he knows is forgotten but somehow still 'natural' and suddenly lifts himself into the air. [Fly] As he rises above the scattered camp and fleeing refugees, he shouts;

"You will not have this shard!"

[Initimidation Check, +2 Circumstance bonus for suddenly flying.] The invading force seems, at best, unimpressed. They are used to magic and to see someone flying is nothing new. However, you can see the leader approach Romar and speak lowly to him and place a hand on his shoulder.

A short while later, a lesser commander gives and order and the army divides and begins to move. You realize it as soon as it hits...

The army is not following into the canyons. They are taking to the edges...just like the guards!

{I'll get a canyon map up next time, but what do you want to do?}

------------------------------------------------------------------------

All those in the fortress -

Galdren, frustrated at this magic user's latest ruse, changes weaponry and advances as far as he can. [Double Move]

Krytsa moves closer to her cohort, hoping to benefit from some healing words soon.

Yuri takes the opportunity to protect himself and then moves away, trying to prevent devastating blasts of fire. [Manifest Energy Retort, Move Action]

Alton moves closer to this skeletal enemy and looses an arrow. [Attack Roll = 13] The arrow sails completely wide and hits nothing.

[Adelia - Since you technically go after 'The Master' in initiative, you cannot ready to disrupt unless you wait at the end of this round and break-up his casting next round. Good news for you though, assuming you don't move, you can cast a standard action spell like Searing Light and then Ready a counterspell next round!]

'The Master' prepares to cast his newest spell. He swivels his eyes sockets about, selecting his targets. He finally settles on the Large Dwarf approaching him. [Ray of Exhaustion, Ranged Touch Attack = 14] A bolt of black enery reaches out and stabs into the Dwarf's heart. [Fort Save = 28, Success] Though he is tough, the bolt still affects the charging Dwarf.

Garor is now Fatigued;
From SRD;

Fatigued
A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a '2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued.

'The Master' then moves along the South wall.

Girud charges, moving around the body of the large and tired Dwarf now in his way.

Garor, struck with fatigue, can only shuffle forward and try to reach for the skeleton. [No charge, no run.]

Adelia summons the power within her and unleashes a holy blast of light directly at this abomination. [Searing Light, Ranged Touch Attack = 10] Though powerful, the bolt sails wide and scorches only the wall beyond...

'The Master' mocks and laughs as the battle continues...

{Initiative: Galdren, Krysta, Yuri and Alton, 'The Master', Girud, Garor, Adelia. }

Map;

                 
  ______________   ______________
 |              \±/ §            |
 |                               |
 |                               |
 |                               |
 |                               |
 |                               |
 |                               |
 |                            A  |
 |                           K   |
 |            R                  |
 |  Y            0               |
 |                               |
 |                               |
 |                T              |
 |                               |
 |                               |
 |                               |
 |          OO                   |
 |        G OO                   |
 |       M                       |
 |_______________________________|
                 

[/pre]
<<<Legend>>>

± = Unholy Throne
§ = The Body of Mordrock

M = 'THE MASTER'
(StoneSkin HP Left 104/150)
(Protection from Energy, Fire HP Left = 94/120)
(Protection from Energy, Sonic HP Left = 120/120)
(Protection from Energy, Acid HP Left = 120/120)
[Real HP 132/153]
G = Girud
OO
OO = Righteous Might Garor (Large-Size)
R = Galdren
K = Krysta
Y = Yuri
T = Alton
A = Adelia

[GeneralMHB]

Yuri now decides that the best thing to do is to continue the offensive and hopefully bring down his protective barriers. He sends a bolt of fire at 'The Master', seeming very powerful....

(OOC: Energy Ray, +8 to hit, ranged touch, 6d6+6 Fire damage, 54 HP left, 33 power points left)

[Jevva]

Hmm, I can't charge him now, can I? If I can't, can I make a move action and get one attack?

+13, 1d10 + 1d6 +7, Flaming Katana of Ooze Bane

AC: 20
HP: 64/75

Btw, I might not be able to post in the next 5-6 days, since I'm in Louisiana visiting my girlfriend. If I don't post, just assume I'm doing all that I can to attack him, with the aforementioned bonuses, with +13, +8 if it's a full attack.

[VemuKhaham]

Romar is frustrated that these words, coming straight from his hearth, don't reach their intented target, for he was glad to finally be able to speak his own mind, not the mind of those that had posed theirs upon his. When he feels the hand touch his shoulder and hears Irinys' words, he knows their purpose is to say what he wishes to hear. But now, Romar's frustrations come out, and he decides to put Irinys to a decision he had better consider if he values his service.

Turning around and pushing off the hand of Irinys from his shoulder, he burns loose at his leader. His words sound cold, yet frustrated:

"You, Irinys, are the lousiest general I have witnessed on the battlefield ever. If you even mean but a little of the words you now say, if you applaud but a little my honesty, then do as I say now:

Do not pursue these stubborn fools. Give no chase but grant them mercy. War has led us too far from each other already. If you embrace the idea of standing together against the Master, regardless of petty squibling among ourselves, then now is your chance to show me. You have with you an army. They have shown that they can be anywhere within a second. Go to Ravenshead. That is where you can prove you admire my honesty. That is, at this moment of the world's reckoning of years and days, where the true battle is fought: the battle against our common foe.

If you show up there now, you will make a bigger statement than any other kingdom has ever made so far on the matter of peace between the few left free people. You might even make the difference in that war. Show the world that the elves, in the darkest hour of need, can rise above inferior disagreements as the first race to do so. Maybe then, when Telena and her people will arive at Ravenshead, and see where your loyalties lie, they might consider giving you your last needed shard, and it will all end."

Romar looks angrily, yet decidedly, into Irinys' eyes. Then, he reaches out his own hand, awaiting a firm shake.

[TheUdjat]

Seeing the tactic just a bit too late, Tineniel utters a quiet curse, and then closes his eyes, searching inward for something unknown and forgotten that might aid him. The memory comes slowly, but it emerges, the spidery words tumbling from his mouth as he calls the magic forth.

He speaks: "The canyon is a trap. The elven army moves to flank it from both directions. You must continue to run!" The words are soft, but intense, and he feels the magic carry them across the dunes to Irris, riding with the Gathered Nations forces.

Tineniel then looks down at the troop movements before him. centering his focus on the group that moves to flank the canyon. It will be up to him to stall them, while Irris spreads the word. He has, for the time it seems, become irrelevant to the elven army. He will make that their mistake.

((Tineniel casts Message and moves to follow the Elven contingent. What do they consist of? And can Tineniel find their leader?))

-----

Down below, riding with Telena, Irris will pass on the message to the half-giant, and listen to her ideas for tactics. He is somewhat unknowledgeable in this terrain, despite having lived it - Only Telena can truly use the 'home' advantage to its fullest extent.

[Fangor the Fierce]

Adelia will cast Vigor on Krysta, delaying until the first initiative of the next round, so that she can go before Krysta. She will then grab a vial, holding it out for Krysta. Krysta will grab the vial and drink it's contents. (Potion of Hide from Undead)

KMAN, please roll a D20 for Divine Spell Power. The spell pretty much gives Krysta fast healing xx rounds, determined by the D20 roll.

[Japic]

Staring the master in hos eyeless sockets Girud prepares to deliver a mighty blow before htis a-hole runs away again...

{Assuming he's still around: PA for 2; +13/+8 to hit; 4d6+16 dam} {AC 22, SR 13}

{if he runs off like a beotch again Girud will growl and wait till the top of the initiative before trying to take the Master down. (can move 60 ft in the direction of the Master)}

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Scooting a bit closer to the action (within 30') Alton looses another arrow, trying to help his buddies out.

{move 10 ft SW (within 30'); +11 to hit, 1d4+4 +2d6 dam} {AC 21}