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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 816212" data-attributes="member: 1210">Preparing for BattleIt's a gloomy morning.  It isn't raining but it looks like it wants to.  Zeebo tells the party that they should take the battle with the Bile Lords somewhere outside of the Shining City.  They know when they'll be attacked; they can choose where to be.  "We don't want innocent people getting hurt," he insists.  "It's bad for our reputation."  So the party agrees and decides to search for a good spot within a dozen miles or so of town.  Using a wind walk spell, most of the group searches out a nice empty hill with good terrain.  They can't help but worry about this upcoming battle.  Meanwhile, Zeebo and Estelias go to the Council session.  The Council Chambers are beautiful, large and airy; the finest construction of dwarves and grey elves working together, stone and silver interspersed.  There are ceremonial guards, but most of the Councillors are more than capable of taking care of themselves.  There's Vulker Hammerhead; he and Zeebo exchange nods across the room.  And Rillondar, the elven representative that Zeebo spoke with the other evening.  And over seventy more Councillors.  Enough for a quorum, and that's all that Zeebo needs.There are opening ceremonies, including a memorial service, and then Zeebo asks for and receives the floor.  He introduces the Council to the situation: "There's an immense fleet of Chaos coming towards Tirchond.  They want supplies.  We can't possibly provide them with all that they need, but they're going to come looking for everything we've got.  We have an opportunity here- if we give them good deals on our goods, we'll prevent trouble and make money.  This is both a tremendous danger and a colossal opportunity.  We can make Tirchond a lot of money by selling our crafts, our weapons, our gems to the people of this fleet if we act now, taking up the measure I'm proposing; and if we don't take some steps to protect ourselves- such as this measure- we may be putting ourselves and our people in grave danger.  My program will both protect our people and make them prosper."The Council is not expecting this, and Zeebo receives a slightly worried but guardedly positive response.  When Estelias takes the floor to speak, her words are so sweet and honeyed that Zeebo finds himself enraptured, nodding along with the beautiful enchantress.  After she speaks, a few others step up to speak for Zeebo, either moved by his words or- more likely- by hers.  Then a small opposition, isolationist in nature, arises.  "Why not just ignore them?" their spokesperson, a female half-elf named Ziryon, asks.  "We can hide our isle from them, and even if they find Tirchond we can hide our people.""Not all of them," Zeebo counters.  "Not in the cities.  And I've seen this Chaos Fleet.  I've spoken with their captains.  They are formidable.  They might be able to pierce any illusions we created."Eventually, after several hours of debate, the vote on what is now being called the Zeebo Program comes.Meanwhile, the rest of the party has made camp and are ready to fight at nine in the morning tomorrow.  It's late afternoon; a little fire's burning, and it's been a fairly relaxing day despite the threat of death on the morrow.  I mean, hey, they're adventurers, right?  Lester's smoked a bunch of weed, several of them have nipped at some wine or liquor (especially Sybele), and they've had a generally relaxing day.  It's odd, but true.Orbius stretches.  He wonders idly where this Zelman fellow could be.  They need to find him, if Darkhold is where Sybele's daughter is.  He casts discern location- and then gives a terrible, strangled cry as he is stricken blind and feels his mind lose sharpness!  "What happened?" cries Angelfire.  "I- I tried to discern Zelman's location... and was stricken blind!""You what?" Sheva chortles.  "Didn't you just try to scry him the other day and get stricken blind?  In fact, it was my temple that fixed you up!  Don't you ever learn?""Yeah, well, they're not here right now... can you fix me?""You can teleport.  They'll take good care of you.  But you shouldn't be so careless with the gifts of Coila.  You should learn your lesson."Orbius teleports away and returns about half an hour later.  Then, sheepishly, he communes.How many creatures are coming to attack us? Four.Are they all deathbringers?  No.Are they still attacking at nine tomorrow morning?  Yes.What other creatures will accompany the deathbringer?  A psurlon, a giant and a demon.That giant is probably the one we say in Bile Mountain, he guesses.What type of demon is it?  A glabrezu.What is a psurlon?  A mental picture of a weird, worm-like humanoid creature appears in his mind.What are a psurlon's weaknesses?  Easy to hit.What are our chances?  Fair.Do the Bile Lords or their creatures know that we've prepared?  Yes.Did we pierce the hidden secrets as you asked?  Yes.Is Anvar alive?  Unknown.Where in Pesh can we find Zelman?  The Emerald Lantern.What Bile Lords are responsible for sending the creatures tomorrow?  All.Will we do well to immediately counterstrike the Bile Lords after the attack?  Probably not.What is the best way to defeat the Bile Lords?  Unknown.He tells that party what he's learned.  Everyone plans their spells with the battle ahead in mind; everyone will have a chance to renew spells before nine.  There's a slight popping sound as Zeebo and Estelias appear.  "Hey guys," he says."How'd it go?" Sybele asks."The Zeebo Program passed!" he says, and the group cheers him.  It's not his first success, but it is one of the best.That night the party rests fitfully.  They're all up before dawn; it's a beautiful sunrise on a beautiful late summer morning.  It promises to be a good day to die.Next Time:  The Bile Lords send the first wave of their revenge!  The pcs have a brilliant plan; it goes horribly awry!</blockquote>

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