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August 1st of 2014 had one of THE MOST INTENSE boss fights I have ever gone through, though this is only the first part. considering the session lasted 12 hours, because we all refused to not finish it in 1 go.

In this campaign I play as Ryousuke, a human samurai from Jan, in the world of Ebriven. His friends are: Adro Night, human fighter from Efruven. Ryu Ebonfire, a half dragon sorceror. Blake, human druid from Valshik, and Lyssa, a new addition, A slyph ( half air elemental ) sorceress.

Let me find a map...

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj24/iceman320109/CampaignClimateMap_zps081c261d.png

Recently the group has been traveling around, trying to uncover more history on their world, after discovering a few disturbing things. Such as a terrible monster named the Ash Beast nearly ending all of civilization thousands of years ago. Ryousuke himself had unknowingly encountered a piece of what remains of it in his past, and many other things that tie the group together, with the threads of fate. As of only a few days ago, we took out an assassin while in the desert nation of Landilvar, only to find out many things behind the scenes, and have been dragged into a twisted 'game' between higher powers, deities and whatnot. Now... Ryousuke has been marked for death by a strange monster called "Wrath". He'd suffered knight terrors for 5 nights in a row from its curse, wearing at his sanity until they were invited to meet a man named Marzil, who's family line has been fighting the Ash Beast and its creations for eons. They hatched a plan on sealing Wrath, though it may cost the lives of many, including Ryousuke himself. Lure Wrath through the city... and into a trap where it shall be sealed. We start off the day when it finally arrives... his sanity restored, and his curse lifted for now, thanks to a high priest.

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

About an hour and a half later... everyone who has an Orochi protection amulet, you can feel it burning against your skin.

Ryousuke looks to his amulet. "It's close..."

Adro Night: Ryou, be ready to run the second it sees you.

* Ryousuke nods slowly... "And Adro... If I die... and if you ever get the chance to see Kimiko again. Tell her I'm sorry."

Adro: I will, but I do not intend on letting you die.

Ryu Ebonfire: Nor will I.

* Ryousuke chuckles, and smiles a bit.

Ryu Ebonfire: Ryou....think fire resistance is best?

Ryousuke : Whatever you think will help.

Blake: I believe that perhaps my dinosaur form might be a good idea right about now...

* Blake mutters something in his mystical druidic tongue, and changes from his human shape into that of a large raptor. He growls some strange, saurian syllables and touches Ryousuke to impart a Barkskin spell. (( +2 natural armor ))

The Grand Maestro: ((Where is everyone situated exactly?))
* Ryu Ebonfire touches Ryou's shoulder casting resist energy on him. (( Fire resistance 20. Once we see 'Wrath' coming. ))

Adro: Ryu and Lyssa, be ready to fly to the south as fast as you can.

Minutes later, a loud howl reverberate through the air, a terrible sound you can even feel in your bones.

Ryousuke : ... He's here....

Ryu Ebonfire: I'm not leaving you guys behind.

* Adro pulls out his bow and readies to fire.

One instant, you see nothing, The next a monter stands atop the far sand dunes.
The air seems to shimmer around it

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/289/0/1/warped_one_by_mariana_vieira-d6qq6z0.jpg

http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=_sgRKBot5bs

* Blake growls, wanting to sink his fangs into something.

* AdroxNight rolls: d20+10 => 17 + 10 = 27
The Grand Maestro: ((That will hit))
AdroxNight: ((hmm that arrow might piss it off))

Ryu: (youd think that the crowds would run at this point)
The Grand Maestro: ((They can't see it, for the most part, they are also last on the initative))
The Grand Maestro: ((And Panicking))
The Grand Maestro: ((For this round, at least. panicked crowds tend to not move in one direction at normal speed. the confused tends to slow them down collectively, and some people in the crowd would be moving in random directions. ))

* AdroxNight rolls: d6+3 => 4 + 3 = 7
* After Adro fires, Blake roars a challenge to the beast then begins his readied retreat.
The Grand Maestro: You watch the arrow smash into it.
Blake has received initiative.
Blake: (( Will we all get a chance to move before Wrath? If not, I might want to stay close to Ryousuke, moving only when he and Ryu are able to move, to help protect them. ))
The Grand Maestro: ((Those who readied an action, may take it))
The Grand Maestro: (Keep in mind, Crowds are difficult terrrain, no running through them.))
* Blake gives a look at Adro and waits for Ryousuke to lure the creature toward us. Then he puts himself between Wrath and Ryousuke, moving with the whole group to the south as we stay together.

Ryousuke : Go. NOW.

Ryousuke runs off through the gates.

* Blake squeezes in alongside the townsfolk, giving them a warning growl to flee!

You all rush headlong for the city, as you do so you stop to look back for a moment, you notice wrath is gone from where it was atop the dune.

The next instant, It is in front of you.

ian92867: (( OH GOD HE CAN WARP. FFFFFFFFFF ))

As the creature called Wrath suddenly appears, practically in the middle of the crowd, its horrible feature become apparent. Three heads adorn this quadrupedal monstrosity, and four arms that end in hooked claws stretch outward. Splatters of blood cover its torso, arms, and legs, though the age of the splatters is indeterminable. Additionally, it’s body is covered with countless eyes, looking in all directions. The very air around it shimmers with a weird energy, and even though it isn’t making a sound yet, you can hear a faint howling as though something sinister stands right behind you. All the while, the beasts flesh seems to pulsate and move with a mind of its own.

Almost immediately, the monster unleashes a furious howl, and then every living thing nearby begins screaming as their bodies warp and distort. Some grow horns, others have their legs twist into disturbing shapes, some seem to lose all muscle from their form, while others grow monstrously obese. There are other changes, but these are the most apparent at a first glance. And then the screams and howls invade your body and mind too...

((Everyone but Lyssa, Will save.))

* AdroxNight rolls: d20+5 => 2 + 5 = 7
* Ryu rolls: 1d20+7 will => 3 + 7 = 10
* ian92867 rolls: 1d20+5 => 12 + 5 = 17
Blake: Will save: 30
The Grand Maestro: ((Blake is A-Ok))
The Grand Maestro: ((I'm not getting any lag))
The Grand Maestro: ((Ryu, Ian, and Adro, roll me 1D8 ))
* AdroxNight rolls: 1d8 => 2
* Ryu rolls: 1d8 => 3
* ian92867 rolls: 1d8 => 7

As the sound reverberates through all of you, your thoughts become disjuncted and a sharp pain runs through your bodies as your body starts to change...

The Grand Maestro: ((Adro, you are confused, sickened and blinded for one round))
((Ryu is confused, sickened and Horns grow from your head. If you have a head or headband slot item, roll me a reflex save))

* Ryu Ebonfire throws up his lunch as he screams from the horns growing from his head.

Ryousuke and his camel both suffer the same fate, Their bodies grow thin and skeletal, causing everything but your boots, helmet and headband slot items to fall from your body.

The Grand Maestro: ((Also, fort save to not be entangled in your armor))
The Grand Maestro: ((And yes, these effects are quite random))
* ian92867 rolls: 1d20+6 => 13 + 6 = 19

(( you pass ))

The Grand Maestro: ((Every NPC nearby is suffereing this too))


The Grand Maestro: ((This lasts 1 round, then next round, you have to will save again, until you finally make it))
The Grand Maestro: ((At that point,you are immune to this effect))

* Blake glares at Wrath, gapes his jaws and growls. But the menacing sound is a weak counter to Wrath's howl. Seeing Ryousuke's pain and sensing his rider's confusion, Blake decides to help Wrath's prey. In saurian, he barks the words of a spell and noses Ryousuke's shoulder. ((Bear's Endurance.)) He then steps forward a little, baring his fangs and growling at Wrath.

Wrath backs up a step and howls loudly. Suddenly, one of the people just behind him, i covered in a shimmering dome of force energy.

The Grand Maestro: ((Adro, will ave)
* AdroxNight rolls: d20+5 => 15 + 5 = 20
The Grand Maestro: You feel pain for a brief moment, as the cataracts drop from your eyes.

* ian92867 rolls: 1d20+5 => 8 + 5 = 13

The Grand Maestro: Your body returns to normal size as the voices and pain fill you again, your hands twist and deform, preventing you from holding anything and forcing off your rings.

* Ryu rolls: 1d20+7 will => 16 + 7 = 23
The Grand Maestro: The voices, and horns, recede into your scalp, and the pain vanishes.

* Ryousuke, even though in pain from the distortion with his body, abandons his camel and jumps onto Blake, now on the large saddle with Adro.

* Blak, feeling Ryousuke aboard, feels the adrenalin surge. He moves as quickly as he can to weave around the crowd and Wrath, moving swiftly toward the south of the city.

As you try and get past it, Wrath claws at all three of you in attempt to stop you.

* The Grand Maestro rolls: 1d20+18 => 8 + 18 = 26
* The Grand Maestro rolls: 1d20+18 => 16 + 18 = 34
* The Grand Maestro rolls: 1d20+18 => 6 + 18 = 24
* The Grand Maestro rolls: 1d8+10 => 3 + 10 = 13
* The Grand Maestro rolls: 1d8+10 => 1 + 10 = 11

* Blake moves through he crowds as best he can, but they do slow him down since he's not doing a withdraw, or charge or run.

The Grand Maestro: Ryu.... Wrath vanishes for a brief instant, then appears closer to you, claws at you over the crowd. Then it blinks again, striking at the poor civilian behind it. It's muscles grow bulkier suddenly, as just before blinking yet again. Then it lashes out at Ryousuke and Blake once more.

* After taking another blow from the monstrosity, Ryousuke closes his eyes and seems to take a deep breath, practically ignoring his injuries and pain, before gritting his teeth and summoning forth his resolve and willpower to overcome his blights (( using a resolve point to roll my save twice and take the better result ))

* ian92867 rolls: 1d20+7 => 5 + 7 = 12
* ian92867 rolls: 1d20+7 => 17 + 7 = 24

The Grand Maestro: The voices and pain recede, your hands return to normal. Your ring was lost in the crowds (And any weapon if you were wielding one), and your armor is a mess around you.

Ryousuke : Ngh... Damn, this thing's nasty. Marzil wasn't joking about how dangerous it is.

* Ryousuke proceeds to get his armor back together

* Blake calls upon his dragon-style training to withdraw at full speed, nimbly dodging and weaving through the crowd without having to slow down. He hopes to get as swiftly as we can to the rendezvous.

* Ryu casts his flying spell upon himself and swiftly soars over the crowds, Lyssa flying alongside him as well.

The Grand Maestro: ((Don't worry, Wrath won't be chasing right away anyway))
The Grand Maestro: ((I'm pre-rolling his actions, while you guys take your turns))
((Cause he has to roll to see what he does, who he kills, etc. I'm going to finish up wrath's action, then we can move on to the actual chase mechanics))

Ryu, as you sit atop your building and look down at the carnage below..... you see a strange thing overcome Wrath. His back starts bulging massively, until a creature bursts forth in a spray of blood. The wound seals as quickly as it was made. The creature made looks around for a moment, then glares straight toward the north gate. Suddenly.... half of the citizens in front of it, fall to the ground, dead.

One however, stands... and looks....different. It shambles.. as if it were something along the lines of an undead.

* Ryu watches the creature....

((IT summoned something nasty, A Nabasu demon, that is killing the townsfolk now))

* Ryu moves through the sky with Lyssa, panting, clearly in some pain after taking the previous slash from Wrath.

Your flight to the south, towards the trap, has about three minutes of respite for you, though you occasionally hear shouts in the distance. When suddenly, Lyssa and Ryu both spot Wrath suddenly atop a building some distance behind your group.

* Blake continues to beeline for the rendezvous, seeing little point in engaging Wrath. Helping citizens also seems like it would simply give Wrath more time to destroy the city.

* Lyssa makes a few hand signals, casting a message spell to her allies still down on the ground. "Keep running, he's still coming!"

Ryousuke : I figured it would. Keep moving, no matter what...

* Blake stares pointedly at an alleyway, perhaps drawing the attention of the others in that direction. He cautiously approaches the alley...

While Blake points, You can all hear a howl from behind you, a very loud howl.

Ryousuke : Keep going!

* Blake slips into the alley, his low-light vision giving him a ready awareness. He confronts a stealthy figure.

The Grand Maestro: ((As you enter the alleyway, Ryousuke and ADro too notice the figure wearing Marzil's cloak. ))

Ryousuke : ...?

The Grand Maestro: He runs on ahead, smacking a stick against the wall as he does to make light.

The Grand Maestro: ((Behind you, Lyssa, you can see Wrath has arrived atop the building near them))

???: "Hurry, there's a shortcut through here. I'll try to delay it."

* Blake swiftly follows the Marzil-like figure.

As he leads you deeper, you notice the alleyway has had the top covered with boards, and he leads you through several turns towards a structure made of boards and boxes

The Grand Maestro: A hole higher up looks like it could fit a person, though a dinosaur might need to squeeze to get through.

???: "Hurry, hurry, get through. He's coming. This should hopefully slow him down if you get through fast enough

* Blake eyes the ramshackle dwelling with suspicion.

The Grand Maestro: Behind you all, a howl erupts.

* Blake quickly darts up to the hole, squeezes his feathery, scaly a** through, hopefully keeping his riders aboard.

???: "We don't have time to tarry, GO!"

* Blake nods his thanks to the figure before vanishing into the structure, trying to find a way through.

The Grand Maestro: ((Climb checks for human-sized people))
The Grand Maestro: ((Climb and Escape artist for Dinosaurs))

* AdroxNight rolls: d20+6 => 16 + 6 = 22
The Grand Maestro: ((Adro makes it up and in, in short order. ))

* ian92867 rolls: 1d20+5 => 20 + 5 = 25
Blake: Climb check: « d20+11 = 16 + 11 = 27 ». Escape Artist check: « d20+1 = 8 + 1 = 9 »
Blake: (( Ryousuke like a boss! ))

The Grand Maestro: Two of you make it through just fine, though Blake climbs up, but gets stuck....

The Grand Maestro: As another howl echoes through the alley, closer.

Ryousuke : Come on!

The Grand Maestro: You hear the sound of metal being drawn behind you.


The Grand Maestro: ((Feel free to make another escape artist))

Blake: Escape Artist check: « d20+1 = 20 + 1 = 21 »
ian92867: me and adro made it through
ian92867: (( NICE ))
ian92867: (( WOOT ))
Blake: (( Nat 20 bitches. smilies/icon_smile.gif ))
The Grand Maestro: You make it through the second attempt.

The Grand Maestro: Just as you do, you hear a pained roar behind you, and the scream of the man who led you hear, as well as metal clanging on bone.

((Took your time to get through that.... Wrath almot caught up and slashed Cody's butt))

The Grand Maestro: You hear a pained cream and a disgusting splattering sound.

((Yeah, Chase scene, as I said. This was a short cut. Or there'd have been another brief combat scenario as Wrath caught up.))

The Grand Maestro: ((He can dimension door much faster than you guy can move, if he can see or knows where he is going))

At the end of the alleyway, another Cloaked figure is waiting, and hurries you on, pointing to the west.

The Grand Maestro: Then she draws her own weapon and stands at the end of the alleyway.

* Blake follows the figure's instructions and goes as fast as he can with his two armored protectors.

The Grand Maestro: Some seconds after you head west, you hear a loud crash from behind you.

While you head down the new direction, you see one of the shadow solider running along with you, across the street. As Another howl erupts behind you he points down another alley, drawing his sword as he does so.

Down the alleyway, you see an array of caltrops littering the floor, caltrops covered in some green substance. The alleyway here is also extremely cluttered with other detrious, but some open spots are available to jump between to avoid the obstacles.

* Blake tries to hop and float gracefully over, this is the kind of job he's trained for! Acrobatics check: « d20+16 = 10 + 16 = 26 »
ian92867: (( giggity ))

The Grand Maestro: You manage to hop through the obstacle course, even with others on your back. The course isn't small either, it follows several curves through the back alleys before letting you out again, farther in the city. Another guide waits there with weapon drawn, and directs you to the north west. Meanwhile you hear howls somewhere behind you.

* Blake darts to the northwest, though wonders if it's taking us farther from our goal.

ian92867: (( these twists and turns will most likely keep wrath off us ))

The Grand Maestro: ((The flyers have their own guide, running along the rooftops))
The Grand Maestro: ((The streets are mostly bare of people at this point too, btw.))
The Grand Maestro: ((Wrath was quite loud.))

Farther down the road, another guide directs you towards some kind of entrance to a waterway. He points you to a specific place to enter, and warns you to hold you breaths. ((Swim checks~))
((As a note, it smells quite horrible))

* Blake ducks into the watery canal, going for a swim to cool off from the desert heat. Swim check: « d20+7 = 15 + 7 = 22 »
* AdroxNight rolls: d20+6 => 10 + 6 = 16
* ian92867 rolls: 1d20+5 => 19 + 5 = 24
* Ryousuke just bites the bullet when it comes to the smell.

Blake and Ryousuke both have little difficulty swimming through the underwater path. Adro however, struggles to do just that with his things weighing him down. One of his swords gets snagged on a corner.

* AdroxNight rolls: d20+6 => 10 + 6 = 16

The Grand Maestro: As you two reach the other end, you still don't see adro.
AdroxNight: ((same roll, hurray... not ))
Ryousuke : Adro!

Meanwhile, the water starts rippling with a distorted sound.

* Blake goes back to lend Adro a strong, feathery neck.

The Grand Maestro: You return and find Adro struggling to get free.

* AdroxNight rolls: d20+6 => 17 + 6 = 23

The Grand Maestro: One of his greatswords, the broken remnant of his past, stuck on something

The Grand Maestro: You finally get it free and carry on, just as the sound behind you feels awfully close.

* Blake swims with Adro to the egress.

The Grand Maestro: At the other end, you pass through a small series of marked passages until you reach another guide, who points for you to go due south once more.

* Ryousuke nods.

* Blake , after his riders mount, bolts to the south, his plumage rapidly drying as he soars along.

The Grand Maestro: For another minute, all is quiet, until the howling resumes behind you once more. You find another guide, who directs you into a small building.

???: "There's a hole in the back room, go through there. The rest of the backalleys over here have been blocked up, so it shouldn't reach you until you're close to the trap."
Ryousuke : Thanks.

The Grand Maestro: ((Escape artist for EVERYONE, that isn't flying))

* Blake huffs an acknowledgement and nods his thanks before there's nothing left of him at the scene but a wafting tailfeather.

* AdroxNight rolls: d20-1 => 4 - 1 = 3
* ian92867 rolls: 1d20-3 => 20 - 3 = 17
Blake: Escape Artist check: « d20+3 = 17 + 3 = 20 »
AdroxNight: (( I suppose I'll roll till I succeed ))
* AdroxNight rolls: d20-1 => 4 - 1 = 3
* AdroxNight rolls: d20-1 => 15 - 1 = 14
ian92867: (( cmon cmon cmon ))
AdroxNight: (( maybe on the third try? ))

The Grand Maestro: ((Blake and Ryousuke make it through))
The Grand Maestro: Adro however, gets stuck..

* Ryousuke tries to help Adro through. "Come on! We can finish this! "

The Grand Maestro: That same broken sword handle catching him... Behind you, the howling grows closer.

* AdroxNight rolls: d20-1 => 13 - 1 = 12
* AdroxNight rolls: d20-1 => 5 - 1 = 4

The Grand Maestro: ((They can aid))

* ian92867 rolls: 1d20-3 aid => 16 - 3 = 13
* Blake deploys his lock neck and toothy jaws (and carnivorous breath) to try to tug at Adro's collar to help him through. Escape Artist check: « d20+3 = 16 + 3 = 19 »

The Grand Maestro: Behind you,you hear the sound of combat, or more accurately, the screams of a man dying

* AdroxNight rolls: d20-1 => 9 - 1 = 8
The Grand Maestro: The sword handle is good and stuck.
The Grand Maestro: ((YOur broken greatsword is totally holding you up))
* ian92867 rolls: 1d20-3 aid again => 20 - 3 = 17
* AdroxNight rolls: d20-1 => 2 - 1 = 1
The Grand Maestro: ((Cause something has to))
AdroxNight: (( welp, seems the dice might get me killed instead of ian ))
ian92867: (( come on dice ))
ian92867: (( pleaaaase ))
The Grand Maestro: You hear the terrible howl behind you.
* AdroxNight rolls: d20-1 => 4 - 1 = 3
* Ryousuke seems to be getting rather angry...
* Ryousuke yanks on Adro once again.
* The Grand Maestro rolls: 1d8+10 => 1 + 10 = 11
* AdroxNight rolls: d20-1 => 18 - 1 = 17
The Grand Maestro: You hear and feel the sound of flesh being ripped from your back.
ian92867: (( FFFFFF ))

AdroxNight: (( 52/74 hp after I took the damage from wrath clearly hitting me as I was stuck ))
* The Grand Maestro rolls: 1d8+10 => 6 + 10 = 16
The Grand Maestro: ((Wrath got one last hit on you, as you finally escaped))

You can all hear the sound of impacts on the wall as you begin rushing off again.

Ryousuke : You alright, Adro?

Adro: Let's just get going. we'll try to heal if there is time.

At the end of this maze of back alleys, you find another guide to point you the way, before he runs back the way you came with sword drawn and a war cry on his lips. After a few more harrowing minutes,with the deafening crashes ringing out behind you and the sounds of battle behind you, you finally arrive at a building with Ryu and Lyssa, as well as two shadow guards out front.
----end part 1-------