RQG 216 - Death from Above

## Content Warnings

Fire, Bombs & explosions, Physical violence, Heights & falling, Vehicular collision, Discussions of: building collapse, Mentions of: death & apocalypse, undead & human remains, blood & gore, suicide, immolation, loss of consciousness, visual distortion, SFX: wind & rushing air, flapping, explosions, rumbling & roaring, distorted screaming & voices, fire, thunder, machinery & metallic scraping, brief beep

## Summary

Join Alex, Helen, Bryn, Lydia, and Ben as friends and enemies alike descend on all sides! This week Azu holds the line, Hamid opens fire, Zolf drops it, and Cel strategically bombs.

## Synopsis

The party is continuing to battle Guivres and the rest of the plant monster horde as they wait for Babbage’s failsafe to trigger. Cel continues to bomb the plant monsters that are climbing up the north side of the tower, while Hamid keeps on being a nuisance at Guivres. He’s able to successfully maneuver around her, continuing to fly closely to her. Wilde, meanwhile, lands on the platform between Zolf and Azu, starting to sing.

The swarm draws closer to the top of the tower, but down on the ground, the doors to the Abbey burst open and a horde of dead creatures rush out of it, presumably led by Geoff, who begin attacking all of the plant monsters below. On the top of Big Ben, Zolf and Azu are fighting the plant monsters that have been making it to the platform, carefully protecting Babbage as he works on the finishing touches of the failsafe.

Apophis, who has been plummeting down toward Guivres from the sky, suddenly bends out of the way and reveals that the Vengeance is on a direct collision course with her. The ship crashes into Guivres while the crew all jump off, letting out parachutes; Guivres is impaled by the bow of the ship and crashes to the city below, flattening buildings as the ship flies to pieces from the impact. In no time at all, Apophis is on her, tearing at her savagely as the two of them fight. He seems to have the upper hand, at least for the moment, with Guivres still being dazed and injured from the ship hitting her.

Cel and Hamid work together to get rid of the plant monsters that have made it onto the tower and the platform; as they work, the tower begins to groan ominously; the marbles Azu dropped have gotten into the gears and mechanics and the grinding metal has started to catch the tower on fire. Noticing this, Zolf grabs Babbage, dropping his glaive in the process and letting it fall into the tower below. He flies up into the air, situating Babbage on his back, so that Babbage can keep working without the fire catching up to them.

Azu, meanwhile, is surrounded on all sides by plant monsters, and Hamid flies down to support her, hovering at about shoulder height as they get ready to fight some more. Before they can, however, they both hear the sound of teleportation and turn to see Einstein appearing there, looking heavily injured. He collapses once he appears, but with him are Ed, Vesseek, Emeka, Brutor (yes, that Brutor), Barnes, Carter, and Kiko, all armed and ready to go. They charge forward as the container holding Babbage gives out a pulse of energy, and everyone gets a moment of vertigo as the world looks odd for a moment before returning to normal.

## Combat Breakdown

Initiative rolls from 214: Azu gets 20, Zolf gets 24, Skraak gets 24, Hamid gets 9, Cel gets 10 (Wilde rolled lower than 9 but the amount is not said)

At the top of Cel’s turn, one of the plant monsters takes another 14 damage and dies. Cel bombs the plant monsters climbing up the tower. They hit on a 26, dealing 36 damage (+14 splash damage). The second bomb misses with a 14. The third bomb hits with a 30, dealing 33 damage (+14 splash). The fourth bomb hits with a nat 20, but does not confirm the critical (rolling an 11), and deals 35 damage (+14 splash).

Hamid casts Resist Energy on himself, and flies around Guivres again to keep her attention on him. He rolls an 18 on an opposed flight check and succeeds in maneuvering around her.

Wilde lands between Azu and Zolf, confirming that the first Apophis was his but that the second isn’t. He begins singing the same spell that he did in the Garden of Yerlik.

The swarm draws closer to the top of the tower.

There’s a massive commotion coming from the Abbey, along with eldritch cries, and a spiral cloud starts forming above it. A horde of the dead are swarming out of the Abbey and attacking the plant monsters.

Azu holds her action and prepares to cast Prayer when the plant monsters get within 10 feet of them.

Zolf casts Searing Light on the plant monster on his side. He holds out his hand and a bright white ray flies out of it, dealing 42 damage. The plant monster dies. He takes a 5 foot step out to put some space between himself and Babbage.

Zolf and Azu make a perception check: Zolf gets 17, Azu gets 13. Zolf can start to smell smoke coming from beneath them.

The plant monsters move closer, triggering an attack of opportunity from Azu. She misses on a natural 1, but her prepared Prayer goes off (Zolf, Azu, Wilde, Topaz, and Babbage get +1 on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks. All opponents within 40 feet get -1 to the same). On the opposite side, they trigger an attack of opportunity from Zolf. He hits on a 24 and deals 13 damage and 6 fire damage. One of the root guardians to the south plunges its hands into the ground and some blue light starts pulsing up the walkway; a bolt of lighting shoots down and hits Azu. She makes the reflex save with a 17, taking 4 damage. Seven more root monsters appear on the top of the parapet. The three that Cel hit the previous turn dissolve as they make it to the top of the tower.

Apophis continues to plummet from the sky, moving much faster than he should be able to; he swerves at the very last second, revealing the Vengeance. All of the crew members jump from the ship and the Vengeance crashes into Guivres, impaling her as the ship is obliterated.

Cel throws a bomb at three plant monsters bunched together; they miss on a 22, and throw a second bomb. They hit on a 26 and deal 30 damage (+14 splash). The third bomb hits the plant monster on the left, hitting on a 23 and dealing 20 damage (+14 splash). The middle monster dies. Cel throws the bomb at the other plant monster, and hits on a nat 20 (doesn’t confirm the crit, rolling a 7), dealing 20 damage.

Hamid flies toward the tower and ascends to get a better vantage point. He casts Fireball on the southwest corner of the pillar; the plant monsters miss the reflex save and take 40 damage. The tower makes an ominous groaning noise.

Wilde continues to sing.

Azu makes a perception check and, with a 25, realizes that the tower has caught on fire and tells Zolf. It seems like something has caught in the gears (probably the marbles). Azu rolls to hit the plant monster in front of her, succeeding on a 39, and deals 28 on the first hit. She attacks it again, hitting on a 27, and deals 20 damage. The plant monster dies.

Zolf moves away, triggering an attack of opportunity from the plant monster; it hits him on a 27, dealing 4 damage. Zolf rolls a 30 on a fort save. Spores come from the plant monster as it hits his metal leg, extending into vines. Zolf drops his glaive, grabs Babbage and the tripod, and levitates 35 feet into the air.

More of the plant monsters make it up the tower; the two that Cel hit both die once making it to the top. One charges at Azu, triggering an attack of opportunity. She hits on a 33, dealing 17 damage. Another takes a running leap and lands on the platform. Another tries, but fails and falls into the flames below. A final one takes a running leap and succeeds; Azu is now surrounded on all sides by the plant monsters.

Apophis falls upon Guivres and begins savaging her; they begin tearing into one another. Apophis seems to have the upper hand for the moment.

Cel flies to the southwest corner of the tower. They throw a bomb at the plant monster standing to the east of Azu, and hit on a natural 20 (not confirming the crit with a 5). They deal 35 damage to the main target, who dies, and Azu and the other plant monsters take 14 splash damage.

Hamid notices that Azu is alone surrounded by plant monsters; he tucks his wings in and dives toward the top of the tower, stopping 10ft above the platform near Azu.

There is the sound of teleportation and a haggard-looking Einstein shows up, accompanied by Ed, Vesseek, Emeka, Brutor, Barnes, Carter, and Kiko. Einstein collapses and everyone charges forward.