Sapphire:Sessions:20200919
Under the cover of night and clouds, the group stealths to the hole in the wall as the elven troops ride openly toward the main gate. (The elves carry 28 doses of the "DH influence cure.") Without speaking to the elf leaders, three dark halflings immediately order the gates shut. There is difficulty closing the gates.
We slip past a dozen guards that surround the administration building. Chalker unlocks a back door that opens onto a 25' hallway. There is one guard armed with a crossbow. Tara, Cal, and Loop fire their bows and the guard drops dead.
It seems "the creepy feeling can't detect us" here so we don't have to fight it.
We avoid the few guards wandering through the halls and meeting rooms. We locate and descend the one stairwell to the basement. Chalker's Penetrating Vision is "blocked by the uneven floor". Chalker and Intrinsius detect a magical trap. Chalker pulls a bolt out of the trap and Shawna reflexively "smothers" a surge of energy. The bolt has a tiny amount of dark copper in its head, and Intrinsius confirms that it is not poisoned or magical; Chalker stows it in his jacket. There is movement on the floor below.
Shawna checks with her communication stone; the elves are through the gate and spreading throughout the town.
We descend a long stairwell into the sub-basement (35' down), Chalker skipping over the last step and jumping through the door. The sub-basement does not line up with the admin building. There are various small amounts of dark copper on the floor and at certain points on the walls; the main mass is in the center of the sub-basement. In a "bump" on the wall Chalker detects a space about 5" across with a bit of dark copper floating in its center.
Intrinsius' Explosive Fireball is "dancing like an excited puppy."
Chalker indicates that Cal, Loop, and Tara should pray. Sanctity will protect them from the dark copper "bumps". Chalker crab-walks beneath them, Intrinsius limbos beautifully.
Chalker peers into swirling darkness. To the right, light globes shine on some weird plants. To the left is a thick wall. From behind a door come four voices speaking in the language of the dark halflings. They are talking about the "attack on the town" and one assures the others "they won't get this far."
Chalker hears the dark halflings moving toward the door and the latch being opened. DH1 rushes out and Chalker thrusts the dark copper bolt into its vitals. DH1 is wearing a DR5 breastplate as well as heavy leather on its limbs and a "contraption" at its belt, but the dark copper sinks right through the DR. DH2 screams "Ambush -- second," bouncing off DH1's back. Intrinsius lobs his Explosive Fireball into the center of the room; DH4 is fried and drops its torch. Intrinsius: "Roast halfling, anyone?" Shawna stabs DH2 in the throat.
Shawna rushes toward DH3 and her wild swing misses. Chalker pushes the bolt further into DH1 and DH1 drops to its knees. Intrinsius steps into the room and throws a Fireball at DH4 who staggers. DH2 swings at Chalker and misses. DH4 manages to yell "Intruders" as well as charge at Intrinsius; its wild swing misses. Shawna dodges DH3's attack.
In a single smooth motion Intrinsius fast-draws his katana, strikes DH4, flicks its ichor from his blade, and returns the katana to its sheath. Chalker pulls the bolt out then pushes it back into DH1. Shawna chops DH3 in the neck. DH4 throws its sword away.
Shawna decapitates DH3. Chalker stabs DH1 who barely remains alive. Intrinsius judo-throws DH4 to the ground and declares, "You are dead." DH4 obligingly goes limp. Loop comes crashing out of the darkness and skids along the floor. Tara lands lightly, straddling Loop. DH1 stands up, grabs the bolt, and pulls it out of its chest. Two doors that weren't there before open in the far wall, and there are two dark halflings in each of those rooms. From a corridor to the right four more dark halflings are approaching. "Someone" sits up among the plants.
Shawna runs toward the plants. Cal jumps in behind Tara. Tara, Cal, and Loop ready their bows. The "plant" runs toward Shawna. The four DHs step out of the two rooms. Intrinsius fast-draws his katana and longsword, covers them with Essential flame, and charges at the DHs. Chalker finds that the dark copper head on the bolt has melted; he runs at the two DHs and fast-draws Dink-Dink; his wild swing misses.
Shawna strikes the "plant" in the neck, stunning it. Cal and Loop take aim; Tara fires and misses DH5. Chalker thrusts at DH7's neck, is parried, and parries its return thrust. DH8 swings at Chalker who dodges. Two more DHs emerge from the corridor near DH5. Intrinsius thrusts his longsword into DH6's vitals.
Shawna decapitates the "plant." Chalker TKs DH7 into the ceiling (which is only 6.5 feet high), knocking its helm off. Intrinsius strikes DH6. DH9 and DH10 stop in front of the plants; one of them brings up a crossbow, the other grabs a "contraption" from its belt. DH5 feints then strikes Intrinsius [its weapon does 4d6 damage, wtf]. DH6 passes out. DH7 feints then strikes Chalker, who fails to parry. Loop fires and hits DH8. Cal shoots and misses. Tara fast-draws another arrow.
Chalker stabs DH8 in the face. Loop and Cal ready their crossbows. Tara fires and hits DH5 but her arrow doesn't pierce its armor. Intrinsius' two attacks are parried and dodged. DH5 swings and Intrinsius parries. DH8 swings and Chalker dodges. DH9 shoots at Tara and misses. DH10 starts chanting nonsense words. Shawna runs toward DH9 and DH10.
Tara nocks an arrow and aims. Loop and Cal struggle with their bows. DH5 feints and Intrinsius parries. DH8 feints and Chalker dodges. Continuing to chant, DH10 steps behind DH9. Intrinsius hits DH5 twice in the neck, stunning it. Chalker shoves Dink-Dink through DH8's head. Shawna leaps toward DH9 and DH10; DH9 sidesteps and Shawna hits DH10, breaking its concentration. Suddenly mana flows into Shawna and she casts Stun on DH9.
Chalker hits DH8 in the head again [DH8 is at -32 HT but won't effing die]. Shawna stabs DH10 through the vitals, killing it. Intrinsius finishes off DH5 with two attacks to the neck and 4d6 worth of fire. DH7 can't do anything. DH8 swings and misses.
Shawna grabs the bag containing the "contraption" then kills DH10. Chalker finishes off DH8. He then kills DH7; removing its breastplate, he finds it had been "infused with spiritual energy, not from Erethel, similar to an astral plane." He senses the DH's "deity spirit" fleeing and fading, and Chalker knows he will recognize this "deity" whenever he encounters it again.
Chalker tries his Penetrating Vision on a wall but the dark gets "thicker." Shawna locates a hidden button, presses it, and a "spirit/magic" door opens. She glances at Chalker, then charges through the door into the corridor. Other corridors lead right and left, and there is a power source five yards behind the wall. Shawna goes right, Chalker left, Intrinsius follows Shawna. Shawna's corridor ends after eight yards in a wall with a button. Chalker sees a "diagonal doorway" through a wall. Intrinsius points right and goes left.
The button opens a way into another large room. There are animals behind a fence. Part of the wall is a slightly different color. Chalker finds a switch and opens another door.
Shawna checks with the elves: 30 dark halflings have been engaged, and three rangers are down. most of the fighting is toward the docks.
Shawna examines a black wall [which the GM is now calling 'obsidian']. Via Santash, Intrinsius senses something dangerous on the other side. Shawna casts Shape Stone and "something pulls her to one side" [wtm]. Intrinsius directs his "pet flame" at the wall; the flame turns an intense blue and the surface of the wall begins to bubble. Chalker checks Intrinsius' Aura; an "aura-like energy" is spreading across the wall.
The wall ripples beneath Shawna's gaze and the northeast corner starts to peel back. She calls to the others, "Guys..." Something behind the wall makes Chalker nervous. Intrinsius' flame seems to try to follow Shawna.
We gain entrance into a sphere. Chalker reads the markings upon it as instructions on how to open the sphere. Its "anchor point" is a mass of dark copper.
Chalker takes a dagger into his gloved hand. Energy moves around us and a door rolls open. In the center of a circle is an "anchor" 7' high, mostly made of dark copper, balanced on a black platform. "Permenating [sic]" power radiates from it.
Intrinsius hears a door slide open, then hears a softly chanting voice. He says "Tara's down," turns and runs toward her. He opens his mind to Santash's wisdom, asking "How should this be done?"
Chalker hooks the anchor; it tries to jerk him forward but he crits on his Will roll. He realizes that this "the anchor that makes the other portals stable."
Intrinsius comes upon a being holding a bag and pointing at Tara. This being (JS) is wearing a "light black" jumpsuit. Behind JS are four DHs dressed like guards. Intrinsius senses that this being is "very dangerous." Intrinsius fast-draws and strikes twice at the being, which phases so the weapons pass through it.
JS pulls on the anchor. Shawna casts Utter Dome. The four DH guards scream in agony and JS says something fast. JS has made a "borehole" through the Utter Dome. Shawna calls upon the "friendly stone force" (that she had sensed trying to help her) to block the borehole.
Chalker draws Dink-Dink and Magekiller and runs to confront JS, aka "the guy who wants me to put Magekiller in him."
Intrinsius strikes and JS phases again.
Chalker comes up as the four DHs charge. JS, shaking its head as though to clear it, steps back.
Shawna finds she has "complete situational awareness" of this level.