[Adventure] A Call for Lovers (DM: jbear Judge:Lord Sessadore)

The hag is all out of tricks. On the knife edge of defeat both sides, Soryth had manuevred herself and her minions to last long enough to finish the heroes how were all but on their last legs. She had not counted on the power of Joven exploding behind her.

The hag falls to her knees, bitter defeat written upon her perfect face. "Oh, Kalbon," she says, "would that I were a devil, so that I might have your company in the Hells."


The beauty of the hag's form peels away as it takes the form of pure light and she screams. When the light finishes pulling free, it flits over to touch Juliana, then it flies from the garden into a white dome nearby. Soryth, again a twisted crone, is left silent. Her twig blight minions wither and crumble into dust around her.

The garden is still but poison still courses in the veins of Rain and Sabynha. Zuri lies unconscious on the cobblestone floor nearby hwever the blood has stopped flowing and it seems death will not take her today.

Since Wat had a minor action left he will use Encouraging Chant. It creates a zone in a burst 2 around Wat. You get a +2 power bonus to saving throws while in the zone.

Feeling faint and very unsteady on her feet, Rain claws her way along the wall to the doorway and across to Zuri.

Massively relieved to find her Eladrin friend breathing steadily, she finds Zuri's healing potion. About to drink it herself, she feels a sudden relief from the aura emanating from Wat and shakes another massive dose of blight poison free. She holds the potion under her nose with the stopper off, breathing in the reassuring scent.

"Soryth might just find herself swarming with a demoted Kalbon in ranks of Lemuredom yet. Sabynha dear, do you need this?" Rain says, but she's almost suddenly sick.

"Juliana?" she croaks.





[sblock]Start of turn Rain takes ongoing 5 poison damage, leaving her on 1 hit point.

Move action: Rain starts in E18 and moves to H16/17 to visit Wat's Encouraging Chant Zone 2 centred on F14.

Minor Action: Find Zuri's potion of healing.

Standard Action: Not used in the current odd circumstances, but if required by jbear, she administer it.

Saving throw, with +2 Feat bonus for Saving throws, Resilient Focus and +2 for Wat's Encouraging Chant Zone = 19. Hurrah! Rain is, in the local parlance, in the one hit point syndrome.
[/sblock]

[sblock=Ministats]Rain


Female Tiefling Swordmage, Level 4.
Initiative: +3, Passive Perception: 11, Passive Insight: 12. Senses: Low-light vision.
AC: 22, Fort: 16, Reflex: 17, Will: 17.
HP: 1 + 0 THP/50 (+5 THP), Bloodied: 25, Surge Value: 12 +1 THP, Surges left: 2/11
Speed: 6 squares. Size: Medium. Languages: Tsugo, Allarian.
Saving Throw Bonuses: +2 Feat bonus to Saving Throws.
Action Points: 0
Powers:
Infernal Wrath - USED
Second Wind - USED
Guardian's Counter - USED
Aegis of Shielding
Sword Burst
Booming Blade
Sword of Sigils
Dimensional Thunder - USED
Arcane Mutterings
Dimensional Vortex
Leather Armour of Aegis Expansion - Encounter Power
Cape of the Mountebank +1 - Daily Power

Conditions:
Bloodied.[/sblock]

Sabynha looks down in horror to see what she was doing to herself after Wat's bolt of divine power snaps her out of the nightmarish compulsion of the hag. Her mouth was agape, her hands were shaking, and she could feel her knees ready to give out. She held in her blood as best she could, so as not to get any on Juliana.

Staggering back a few steps, her blood-soaked blade fell clumsily from her hand with a clang, and she threw herself to a sitting position on the ground not long after, next to the unconscious form of Juliana. At once the vistani began to weep tears of relief, "I can only pray that our victory is no illusion."

She accepted Rain's offer of the bottle, but did not drink from it right away, instead seeing to Juliana. The twig blight poison faded shortly thereafter; next to what happened with the living vines not that long ago, this was nothing.

[sblock=actions]Take 2 poison damage.
Move Action: Move to G16 to be in Wat's zone.
Minor Action: Drop prone
Standard Action: Heal check on Juliana to see what's wrong and /or what needs to be done to help her 1d20+7=17
Saving Throw: 1d20+2=18 = pass.[/sblock]

At the topmost garden, two flowerbeds of red and white roses flank a broad cobblestone avenue that leads to a domed structure of white stone. The light from Soryth went into that dome.


Ragnar and Uma suddenly materialize in a toadstool circle nearby.


"You have succeeded beyond all we dared hope," Uma says. "With the hag's power broken, all her enchantments are dispelled, and the palace is open to us once again."


"Fell deeds well done," says Ragnar with a grin. "Now, it's time for your reward."

Juliana stirs beneath Sabynha's touch and with a groan her eyes flutter open. She seems confused. As she tries to get to her feet the fey, both Green fey and Summer fey, emerge from the grand hall below to join you in the garden which quickly becomes crowded. There are many familiar faces in the crowd. Orlando pushes past them and runs to Juliana's side. The two embrace, taken by sobbing born from deep relief which eventually ends in a most passionate kiss.

When the kiss of the two lovers becomes too passionate and for by-standers awkwardly long, Uma coughs lightly. "Shall we?" she asks the heroes. Motioning toward the water staircase that leads to the exit.

Rain stands unsteadily, "We'll need help to carry poor Zuri, gently now, she's sorely wounded. But what of Porpherio and Caerwyn?"

Sir Flibbertigibbet tosses his sword away with a clatter. "That was well struck," he says to Wat, before dropping into a very low bow as Ragnar appears. He follows the others to the stairs, muttering a few choice flatteries about the Incomparable Lord Ragnar's boundless wisdom, impeccable timing, superior discretion, romantic sensibility, etc.

The fey lead you inside the white dome, Ragnar smiling broadly at Sir Flibbertigibbet as you enter. "Today your fawning does not annoy me, Little Fly! I may even reward you with your freedom since you have done such a fine job" he rumbles at the pixie.

You see that from the inside, the dome is transparent. Within it is a tomb, its occupants resting eternally beneath the sun and stars. Two white marble sarcophagi -one carved in the likeness of Porpherio, the other Caerwyn- are side by side upon a circular dais. An elegant fountain, whose waters flow along a small channel
before exiting the tomb in a waterfall along the back of the palace, is all that separates the stone coffins.

"There" replies Uma to Rain's question. "There they lay once more, at peace within their final resting place."

Uma gestures to the pure water bubbling up between the sarcophagi. "This is the Fountain All Heal," she says. "Drink from it, if you will, and make the wish that was offered you. But let me drink first, so that we can keep our promise that the fountain should not bind you to this isle."


Uma takes a drink of the water, then says aloud, "I wish for the archfey, Oran the Green Lord and Tiandra the Summer Queen, to know what has come to pass here and to join us if they wish."


Two forms materialize in the tomb. One takes shape, amid the smell of a thriving forest, as a mighty male eladrin bedecked in a mask of green leaves and clothes that look like Iiving plants. His dark eyes grimly survey the room. The other form takes shape in a warm glow, until a radiant female eladrin dressed in gold, jewels, and booming flowers appears. Her smile warms the chamber.


All the fey bow low to the newcomers.


"All is as it should be. You have done a mighty deed," says Oran, looking at you.
"Yes," says Tiandra, "mighty indeed. You have earned your drink, and freedom from its binding."
"But first things first," says Oran. "Uma has partaken. Drink, Ragnar, and make your wish."
Ragnar smiles and drinks, saying "I wish for prowess and the authority among the fey that is my due."
"It is yours," says Tiandra.
"But freedom I do not grant you," Oran says, his voice rising. "No, Ragnar, you shall be bound to this island, its geatest master and geatest servant. To those who call this place home, you shall ever after be known as the Green Man, the name of Ragnar forgotten. Now, go!"
Ragnar disappears in a flurry off falling leaves.
"Uma," says Tiandra, 'you shall take the place of Rosaline on the bald hill, serving the fey of this island for me." Tiandra smiles. "I know you wish it."
With a bow and a sad smile, Uma says, "Yes, my queen. I wish to remain here for a while."
"Now, heroes," says Oran, "drink and wish, unburdened by the price the fountain exacts."
"What shall you have?" asks Tiandra.

All eyes are upon you. The Fountain of All Heal stands before you.

"I... I thank you for your offer. It is most gracious," Sabynha mustered her best manners, despite her rough condition. She curtsied low, but kept eye contact.

She continued, "But it is also not something to be taken lightly. I would ask for some moments to compose myself and think carefully about it."

Rain bows deeply to the assembled Fey and holds the greeting for a long while before rising.

"I too am not yet sure what to ask of the Fountain All Heal for myself as of yet, but I am curious and have questions; are Porpherio and Caerwyn actually entombed in death in this place? If need be, could I ask that all others hurt directly and indirectly by Soryth be restored, even beyond the waterfall?" she asks.

Rain looks towards the unconscious Zuri.

"Can Zuri be awakened? Is it permitted that she also make her desires come true should we help her drink as she is now?"