Chronicle - The Plane of Water
Plan of Action
There were no ships at harbour, or normal trade vessels docked, at Fontainver. Houses were fortified and archers posted everywhere, prepared for war. Stocks of food, water and weaponry were being put in tactical locations around the city. Milai's captain confirmed that the fleet was at sea due to the threat of being caught at anchor; the ships were about three leagues out and down the coast, but in contact with the city should they be needed. A great warship, which was to be the flagship, was under construction. Findorsfelt was held by Orcus, and the region to the west. Malenwe travelled north in an attempt to bring the traitor elves back into the fold by confronting her father. The men of Farass were not aligned at the moment, and their land was to the far west. Malor held the far north, and the lost souls were somewhere in that region. Orcus held the nearby forest, but not the bridge just to the west of Fontainver. After a strategic update, we were at last able to rest. Again, though, we were all gifted visions of various kinds (although it might be nice to just have a good night's sleep once in a while) and compared them when we met the next day (see the separate notes); mine was a very positive omen and gave me heart!
Lanzi communed with Si Lung in the bay of Celinas, as he was concerned about the balance of the planes and the Plane of Water in particular; our visions had told him that Hattori had aligned with the Drow! Si Lung warned him that the Princess of the Plane of Water, the Olyhydra, who had powers similar to a deity, but was currently engaged in battle across the outer planes in order to gain control of some. This was most unusual for a being that should only be concerned with the inner planes, and her lack of attention had contributed to the imbalance between the elemental planes. The Sea Elves had been leading support against the Olyhydra, hence in her rage she tasked Hattori to bring her Milai! Si Lung offered to help us to reach and survive on the Plane of Water, but could not commit to fighting with us.
Lanzi also spoke to Dracor Augusta, who was flying over the mountains of Madur, and explained the concerns over the imbalance of the inner planes and our intended actions. Dracor warned of Demogorgon's intent to attack Nega.
Once we had agreed that the most pressing concern was to restore some balance to the inner planes, particularly as we could not afford creatures from the Plane of Water to attack with the Drow, we planned our route there. First I transported us to the Plane of Air, into the now familiar clear blue, never-ending sky. Milai fell away from us initially, but eventually came to a stop. Lanzi somehow summons a bright golden Kirrin, which greeted us and was glad for our belated assistance. We needed to fight here in order to have the assistance of allies with the Plane of Water.
The Kirrin moved us effortlessly to the Ethereal in order to travel more quickly, but it was still an hour before we reached the battlefield he intended for us. A large section of the plane, almost cuboid, was filled with creatures moving all the time and fighting whenever they came close to each other. We exited the Ethereal in slightly different places, with those intending to stay at range farther back, but all with the intent to enter combat.
Milai threw an ice explosion at a nearby efreet and moved to attack. A couple of efreet moved to attack Hintzu, and a fireball exploded amongst us, causing me a few singes. Snakelike things started to nibble at Lanzi, causing him some annoyance. Hintzu tried loosing an arrow, but it would not fly in this plane! He switched weapons and attacked instead, quickly killing one foe. Milai also killed the efreet she had first attacked.
At this point things were going pretty much to plan, but then disaster struck... Milai took a massive blow in her chest as she turned and her armour (mithril no less) shattered! With the main body sundered, the rest fell or hung from her offering no real protection. Realising that she was now too vulnerable to fight from the position she was in, she began to flee as quickly as she could. To add insult to injury, a fireball destroyed her cloak as she fled. My tabard was on fire, but was easily removed, and then I joined Hintzu - both of us landing solid blows on an efreet. Realising that Milai needed protection, I used a rare ability of my crown to summon a phoenix to aid us, and set it the task of defending Milai. But then I was hit by another fireball, and my holy symbol was shattered! Were we cursed? I was able to kill a salamander in retaliation, but my sense of loss was devastating; my ability to channel Odin's power was now severely diminished. Hintzu killed another salamander that strayed too close, and I used the crown to hurl a positive energy ball at two elementals.
The phoenix started dancing, which perhaps did not seem particularly useful, but was soon to pay off. Lanzi unleashed a blast of cold, and Hintzu finished off an elemental caught in its effect. Lanzi then sent a lightning bolt into an efreet, which got its attention. The phoenix finished its odd dance, and swept to Milai's defence. He merely scratched the two efreets chasing her, and both abruptly disappeared, banished back to their own plane! Lanzi's mirror images came in handy once more to protect him, but were fast diminishing. More fireballs exploded around us, but we were not affected. The phoenix struck again, killing another foe, and I finally managed to finish off the efreet I had been fighting with my hammer.
Lanzi sent another blast of cold at his foes, but then disappeared and instantly reappeared near to Milai, just in time to be close enough to be struck by a fireball aimed at her, but Milai was fortunately able to absorb it without damage. Hintzu and I took hits, and in response I lashed out with chain lightning... fortunately this did not affect Hintzu or the phoenix, which might have been embarrassing. Hintzu's response was just as impressive, moving into a whirl of fast attacks that were hard to follow but resulted in two dead elementals. Hard to argue with that. The pheonix banished an efreet and Lanzi let off magic missiles as another fireball exploded without effect. Magic missiles flew towards Milai, but did not impact. Perhaps our luck was improving. I let out a steam breath from my crown at another elemental.
The phoenix raised a wall of fire to slow the pursuers of Milai, and she paused to take in the situation. Noting that there seemed to be a leader deep within the elemental forces, she ordered us to direct our focus there if possible. The phoenix dived to attack, realising that this could mark a turning point. Lanzi used magic missiles and also dived to engage the creature. I used my mace to let off a fireball, and then landed a killing blow on the elemental I had been fighting. Hintzu sliced and diced another efreet, his fast attacks unstoppable, and yet again the fireballs and magic missiles directed at Milai and Lanzi did not affect them.
I spoke too soon about Hintzu, as he took a blow to the side of his head and hung limply in the air. I used the mace to heal myself; I would need to be able to survive if I was to help Hintzu, although I then suffered some burns from a fireball. The phoenix reached the leader and evaded his desperate attempt to strike it by slowing suddenly and changing direction. Milai killed an efreet that was trying to reach her, still able to hit as hard even without her armour. I fell through the enemies around me, deliberately, to reach Hintzu, taking some damage as I did so, but then used the mace to resurrect him so that he was at full strength to continue the fight. Milai sent more magic missiles towards the leader, as Lanzi went defensive and created a shimmering globe around himself. The phoenix, now well placed to attack, banished the leader as quickly as he had the other foes - this was our chance!
Hintzu, back with us, attacked the nearest creature and shouted a greeting as our friendly Kirrin swept back, hurling lightning at the foes nearest to Milai. I gave myself great strength temporarily and pressed my attacks with the mace.