[Alliance] Chapter Five: Session Twenty-Two
Appearing Characters: Azari, Dar'khan Drathir (Hallucination), Elgin Clickspring, Gilveradin Windrunner, Gelbin Mekkatorque, Kinndy Sparkshine, Liiraluma, Lulubelle Fizzlebang, Millhouse Manastorm, Nemsy Necrofizzle, Oki Overspark, Rin Lostspanner, Samia Inkling, Seria, Teemo Manabrake, Uther Menethil, Velameestra Windrunner
Time-Lost Day 190
The imposing, rippling, unstable portal of magic started to surge, and nether energies erupted from it. Demons started to escape from the portal, including in the courtyard behind them, and students began to scream and run in panic. Felguards appeared and took up their cruel weapons as they charged, and the statue of Millhouse Manastorm warped as another portal opened. A felbat appeared and slammed into the side of the statue, beheading the stone figure. A great claw emerged from another ripple, and a sizable, gangly creature with fel acid dripping from its maw escaped. Its body was covered in felsteel armor, and it purged forward. Two vicious felhunters also scrambled out of a portal, their heads turning toward the mages.
Vel’s eyes immediately hone in on Rin and reached her hand out to try and interrupt the portal.
Vel’s tattoos flared to life as she tried to tear into Rin’s magic and intercept the portal. The portal started to ripple and flicker, and Vel saw a movement and flame out of the corner of her eye.
It was the voice of Dar'khan Drathir. Vel looked over and snarled, but redoubled her efforts. However, for the briefest moment, Vel saw the charred, infernal, smiling visage of Dar’khan. He mozied closer
Vel snapped her fangs at the image as he nearly brushed against her. No one else saw anything, but they heard her snap at nothing.
Gil drew his bow and fired a [Chimera Shot] at the two felhunters. One was blasted with cold energy, while the other was seared with acid. The one blasted with cold was promptly frozen and shattered into pieces.
Luma deployed their turrets and they started to fire on the felbat with a series of arcane blasts. One of the felguards kicked the nearest turret and then cleaved into as it was sent sailing back into the midst of his fellows. It crumbled to the ground as it was knocked over.
As the battle was unfolding, they glimpsed Samia overhead. She saw the demons and landed as she blasted some of them away. She looked over to Vel and began an incantation, and Vel felt the stonework move beneath her and brace her against the unstable surges of the portal. Luma also charged Vel’s magic with a burst of their own, which managed to overwhelm Rin slightly.
The area around the portal destabilized more, and a vilefiend appeared right behind Gil while another one leaped out of a portal behind the group of felguards. One of the vilefiends loped over to the group and unleashed a blast of acid from its dripping maw. It then slashed at Uther as it tried to pry into his armor. Another vilefield also released its caustic spit before ripping into Seria with one of its claws. The third vilefiend exhaled its caustic spit and slashed at Gil.
Uther raised the greataxe he was using and channeled holy energy into it as he swung into the nearest felguard. The demon conflagrated in light as Uther continued through to the nearest vilefiend. As he cleaved into the vilefiend, its acidic blood sprayed over him and seeped into the cracks of his armor. He slammed his shield into the vilefiend’s head, and it crashed to the ground.
One of the remaining felguards ran for Luma, but the artificer was able to deflect his attacks away. Seria shifted into her bear form with a roar, lightning crackling around her claws as she tore into another vilefiend. The ground around her began to break up with plants and earth magic, which exploded around several of the demons. Another felguard slammed into Uther. An arcane [Shield] erupted around him and the felguard grinned before he caught Kinndy in the back of her leg. She winced, but continued to maintain her magic as the felguard laughed.
The felbat soared into the air and released a sonic screech, which stunned Luma as they recoiled and covered their ears. The demon then slashed into Seria with its claws as it dove for the massive bear.
Vel started to move forward, her tattoos flashing with magenta light. A skeletal hand reached out and touched her shoulder.
Magenta light started to crackle around her as she wrestled with the unstable magic of the portal, her eyes burning. Gil used [Zepyr Strike] to get out of the way of the nearest vilefiend and get a better vantage point to shoot at the vilefiend Uther had injured. Acidic blood sprayed from the beast, covering Luma’s turret and coating a felguard. He fired again, and an arrow pierced through the demon’s skull as it collapsed into a puddle of acid and disappeared.
The felbat flew over Seria and released a blast of thick, fel green fire down on her back and over those near the massive bear. The flames stuck to them like burning napalm.
As Vel was pushing the portal back, a hand clawed its way through, and Vel saw the hulking figure of a doomguard as it pulled its way through with a dark laugh. It slammed its feet into the ground with a thundering strike before rounding on Vel. Her eyes were still focused on the portal, burning with magenta rage as she raised her sword and deflected the attacks with an arcane [Shield]. The vilefiend then leapt at Vel and started to try and claw at her, but between her magic and her blade, she was able to deflect or dodge the blows. Meanwhile, another vilefiend started to release a flurry of attacks on Seria, who was stunned from the arrival of the doomguard.
Uther managed to cleave into one of the felguards, which collapsed and immolated into a burst of felfire before Uther swung around and destroyed the remaining felguard. He then used [Flash of Light] on himself.
Gil used [Swiftquiver] and unloaded a flurry of shots on the doomguard. Gil dives into another room and encounters several gnomes cowering.
They all scream and take off as the battle spills into the dormitory. Meanwhile, one of the vilefields unleashes its caustic spit in Seria’s face. She roared and began to rip into its armor and managed to dig her claws into its flesh as life energy was drained back into her.
The ceiling started to crumble, but those inside were able to duck out of the way of the rubble. Gil was able to shove some of the straggling gnomes out of the way. Kinndy, unfortunately, was knocked by the rubble and was knocked unconscious.
Teemo came soaring in on her helicopter and launched a grappling hook around the doomguard. It gave an opening as Vel continued to fight with the portal. Gil shot a mana arrow at his sister, invigorating her, but it had started to stabilize further.
Dar'khan started to laugh.
Vel clenched her fangs.
Vel channeled the maximum power she could into the spell, tapping beyond her normal limits. The magic in the room was almost blinding as the magenta and arcane energy lashed out with the unstable fel magic. The two felguards that had just appeared charged at Vel, but as one connected, a barrier of ice erupted around her as her [Contingency] went off.
Luma held out a hand and cursed in eredun as they added their magic to Vel’s with a disruptive shot. Vel slammed her hands together and put all the force into shutting down the portal. It waved and began to collapse.
The pit lord tried to pull itself out and reached out. It grabbed Rin, but the portal collapsed, and ruptured. One of the felguards was pulled into the portal along with Rin, who had vanished into the Nether.
Vel watched as the nearby vilefiend was suddenly sent hurling across the room. She looked over, and saw one of the potted plants emerge and transform into a fenstalker. Nemsy Necrofizzle finished casting [Planar Binding], which was what she had actually been casting, and two fel infused bracers locked around the vilefiend. The gnome clapped her hands.
The vilefiend snarled and looked down at the felguard as Nemsy gave a thumbs up to the fenstalker. The vilefiend tore into the felguard, which started to bleed profusely.
He started to cast [Fire Storm]. Vel rounded on him and brought her blade up, severing the doomguard’s hand as she [Counterspell]. There was a dangerous look in her eyes, which were still burning with crimson light.
She ran her tongue along blunt edge of her blade to lick the bright green blood from it and the doomguard started to laugh as the stump amassed fel fire and he started to use [Fireball]. Millhouse Manastorm managed to counter the fireball.
Millhouse looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then used [Banishment]. The doomguard was swept into a pulse of magic and disappeared.
The gnome then scurried away to take cover as Uther looked up at the felbat. He shouted the command word of his armor and launched into the air. He began to grapple with the felbat and pummeled it. Unfortunately, he was unable to push him out of the sky. The felbat clawed back at him and managed to throw him back to the ground, where he was knocked unconscious.
Vel looked over at the felguard and tried to grab his throat. The felguard brushed her off, but as he moved she brought her sword around and managed to drive it up through its neck as the blade was wreathed with blood magic. The anima of the felguard was drawn into her as it began to break apart and disappear.
Gil fired several shots into the vilefiend and felbat, killing them as the arrows exploded on impact. It seemed the demonic incursion had been dealt with. He then went down to get Uther back to his feet.
Millhouse got Kinndy back to her feet as well.
He looked over at Vel.
Nemsy shrugged.
Nemsy grinned as the vilefiend flopped on its back for chin scritches.
Nemsy smiled.
Given the Assembly was now secure, the group decided to take a quick breather there rather than go back to Cogfrenzy’s home, as doing so would have simply risked further discovery. After Vel had recovered, she went off to help look for Rin’s notes while the rest of the group finished their resting.
As she was rifling through the gnome’s belongings, she could almost hear the crackling fires that denote Dar’khan’s presence.
She bared her fangs in his direction.
Vel’s eyes flickered to a heating fire which she promptly extinguished with a flick of her wrist.
Dar’khan laughed maniacally.
The charred skeleton took off his hat with a flourishing bow, and disappeared. Vel glared at the spot he had been, and then her ears pricked as she sensed the presence of someone else there.
Vel looked over at her brother, her ears flattening against her head.
Vel tilted her head, her eyes moving down to Gil’s chest where she knew the Demon Soul was hidden beneath his armor.
While the others were resting, Kinndy approached Lulubelle, the sister of the gnome that was pulled through the portal initially.
Lulubelle nodded.
Over the magical loudspeakers, Millhouse’s voice sounded.
As Vel and Gil looked around Rin’s chambers, they found the notes, but they were encrypted and Vel was both too distracted and focused on other things to thoroughly translate it. However, there were some sparse details. Rin had determined the Timeless Isle was sealed against temporary and planar transportation, and was within its own space time. Unless the key was found. However, she had determined that the circumstance was not normal nor random and was created with magic. The lock present was innately arcane in nature and it was put in place by someone. She imagined it was likely the person who claimed stewardship over the isle and whoever brought the first gnomes to the isle. Every time others had arrived, Rin had wagered the door slipped over just a bit, and she believed there were two ways to open the door: either force the door open by having the person who controlled the key open it or by killing them, or when the gateway opened, make a large enough explosion to slip something through. Vel had to wonder if, when the group was brought in, that had started the process of Rin opening the gate. It seemed she had been waiting for an opening to get her foot in the door.
Once the teleporter was back up, the group went through the teleportation network to head toward the High Tinkatory. Vel recharged the disguise illusion and, as they emerged into the Machinist’s Garden, they saw a number of
Elgin led them to a secluded place and pulled out a projection of Gelbin.
The group agreed to try and go the genuine route as it would probably speak more directly to getting Oki on their side, instead of ambushing him.
Elgin swallowed hard.
Elgin explained that she had set it up to feed false information to any divination sensors so that they appeared like normal workers, and they headed toward the massive triple doors. They were able to enter without issue, and they were faced with a massive building that resembled both a factory and a museum. Automated construction bots and guides were zipping around, and it was a pristine and well-maintained atmosphere. One of the sensors expressed that they were not scheduled to work, and asked for the reason of their presence. One of the options was an audience for the High Tinker, and Gelbin spoke up requesting the High Tinker.
Gelbin reached over and withdrew a massive wrench that sparked with power.
Elgin stepped forward as the emissary bot went through its recorded message. However, its voice faded as Elgin connected into the mech, and something sparked as Gelbin twisted something with the wrench, overriding the clearance and sending the message with a priority marker.
There was a split second as Elgin coughed, but then an alarm started to blare and red lights flashed.
Screens and monitors that had been repeating pre-recorded screens suddenly flipped and showed the face of the man they could only assume was Oki Overspark, the former pupil of Gelbin Mekkatorque.
Oki looked down.
Defense systems and bots were activated and started to round on the group as Oki watched through the monitors.
Two tesla coils emerged and started to go off, emitting an anti-magic field. Gil fired two arrows into the midst of the coils, and the defense system started to emit a warning as it began to malfunction. However, at the same time, a lift opened, and a war mech with a massive spear with a drill emerged. Vel looked over and casually cast [Wall of Force] over the mech. It clunked harmlessly into the invisible barrier.
Oki looked hesitant.
However, it seemed that Oki wasn’t fully convinced of his own words as it was clear the group was just defending themselves. However, a number of turrets, lasers, and other bots began to open fire on the group. The shots avoided the majority of the group, and as a buzzsaw came down on her, she conjured a sheet of ice to deflect it. Only a mild hit clipped her, but at that moment a laser shot through her arm and fully detached the arm. It fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Luma shrieked quietly as Vel looked down at the arm.
She reached down and reattached the arm to the stump, where it promptly mended back into place.
There was silence for a moment as Oki looked over at Vel, who literally just reattached her arm.
Uther shook his head.
Oki’s mechanical eyes widened.
It seemed he had only just realized how mechanized Gelbin was.
Gelbin nodded.
The monitors all shut off. A moment later, Oki himself was teleported before them in person.
He looked at Vel.
Oki looked at Luma.
Oki explained the specifics of the Hunter Killer as they ascended to the charging station before he veered off and began to speak to them through a projection device.
Vel used her magic to animate a large object guardian with [Animate Objects] while Luma took their position at the charging station and everyone else fanned out.
Several turrets emerged and began to take aim, and Gil fired an arrow into one turret, which began to spark wildly and shut down. He fired against another one and then used [Swiftquiver] to take out another one. Luma cheered as Gil then dropped to the ground. The hunter killer aimed down at Gil and began to fire at him with a barrage of arcane bullets.
The charging station attempted to teleport Luma out, but they were able to resist the teleportation as several reinforcements were teleported in. Vel commanded her animated object to go after the defenses while she started to work on dismantling one of the turrets.
