Aria was regrettably distracted from conversing with (and visually appraising) Kass, turning to listen to the boastful Faebion. Her thin crimson eyebrows rose as she heard the reactions of her companions and realized what the wizard had been doing - and then saw what it'd earned him.<br/><br/>Though no demonologist, she never had a second guess about the creature's hostility. Aria swept an open left hand over her right shoulder to her thin back, and slid forth a bow nearly as tall as herself, while her right hand reached crossways for an arrow. As she strung and let it fly, the wood, metal, and feather missile phased into a ghostly gray-white thing of pure force.<br/><br/>Like a spell-beam it zipped across the room, veering ever so subtly between hanging bead-strands, and down the hall. It struck the marilith in the hollow of her throat before she'd even locked her eyes on the trio in the room. She writhed atop her serpentine lower body, hissing, while more arrows struck her ribs or the wall around her. She vanished much like Faebion had, one more force arrow striking the wall behind her.<br/><br/>The six-sword wielding demoness reappeared right by Aria and Saturnia, towering over both. Saturnia was already spellcasting, and weaved her upper body away from the swords as she finished the spellcasting syllables to trumpet a more comprehensively, "Five centuries is yet not long enough! Back whence you came, Karsysa!" The ghaele's ribbon-like outfit flickered as she reached over a bare shoulder and produced a glittering greatsword from a previously nearly-bare back.<br/><br/>She threw her hands out, and the air around the demoness seemed to ripple inwards, as if trying to pull her not this way or that but out of space entirely. The marilith purred throatily, "You never did have taste for a long engagement, Saturnia...perhaps because eladrin males leave you accustomed to such brief and anticlimatic affairs."<br/><br/>Aria had gone wide-eyed at the sudden six-sworded presence towering above her, but seemed to reorient and recompose herself at hearing Kass's more courageous voice. "One quick death it is..." she gestured to Saturnia, who circled about Karsysa the opposite way from Aria. But a step later, while Karsysa taunted the eladrin, Aria drew a concave-edged kukri knife in her right hand; as she stepped around Karsysa her right arm flashed up as serpentine in nature as her target's lower body, an in overhead crescent motion. The kukri sliced and hooked in between several of the creature's many shoulderblades; Karsysa screamed, back arching and her six arms all flinging wide.<br/><br/>"Ah!" Aria gasped, drawing away as if striking the marlith's body had shocked her. She shuddered briefly while Karsysa dropped her swords in a rain of sharp metal which Aria had to spring back further from, and then crumpled in a coiled heap across the plush-carpeted floor of the den with six arms and one great tail all spread wide.<br/><br/>Clutching her body crossways with kurki and bow holding hands, Aria grunted, "There was some muscle-addling backlash from striking her, but I think I am fine. " She hopped towards Kass and kissed her cheek, "In fact I'm feeling really good about that one! Already nice working with you."<br/><br/><br/>yeah, actually writing out the stuff for bards can be hard! Nice ones though, I really like 'em. (Don't feel you have to every post going forward, but so far they're great!)<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Aria</span><br/>activate Haste from boots (free) and Sniper's Shot [a spell that lets you sneak attack from more than 30' for 1 round] from gloves (swift), draw bow (free [crystal of least return]), full attack at Karsysa<br/>Karsysa has +4 AC from cover (the corner of the T junction), and 20% concealment from the beaded curtain [should've mentioned in my last post]<br/><br/>attack mods 29/29/24/19/14, dmg 1d8+3 +(if sneak attack vs evil:) 9d8+19<br/>rolls Result: 20, 16, 17, 8, 8,<br/>[seeking property bypasses concealment but not cover]<br/>threat roll from first attack Result: 7,<br/>crit hit hit miss miss<br/>dmg 4+11+9 + 65, + 2 Str damage (weakening critical) [passes DR b/c force bow]<br/>dmg 7 + 64<br/>dmg 11 + 41<br/>total 212<br/>Karsysa fails Fort save vs staggering strike; staggered for the round<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Karsysa</span><br/>teleport to G5-H6<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Saturnia</span><br/>Concentration check to cast defensively: 15 + 17r, success (DC 21)<br/>Casts Banishment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/banishment.htm), CL 14th, DC 19, branishing Sharessan holy symbol for +1 vs SR and +2 DC<br/>check vs Karsysa's spell resistance: 15 + 18r, passed<br/>Karsysa's will save: 29, resisted<br/>Saturnia draws sword, and 5' ne (to help others flank)<br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Kass</span>(as per your post - bardic music doesn't provoke AoOs I think...and if it did Kass could just 5' back)<br/><br/><strong>Round 2</strong><br/><br/><span class="bbc_u">Aria</span><br/>5' nw, into flanking position with Saturnia<br/>draw kukri, full attack<br/>attack mod 37/32/27/22 (17 bab 10 dex 1 weapon -2 twf 4 flanking 4 subtlety 3 inspire courage)<br/>rolls and threat rolls Result: 2, 2, 20, 16, 3, 19, 15, 9,<br/>hit, dmg 12 + 57 (passes DR b/c of cold iron weapon & Sacred Strike]<br/>total 281, slain<br/>Unholy Aura (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/unholyAura.htm): Aria must make DC 25 Fort save or take Str damage (lol, like revenge for weakening critical)<br/>Aria Fort 26 + 18r, saved<br/><br/>SNIPER’S SHOT<br/>Divination<br/>Level: Assassin 1, ranger 1, sorcerer/<br/>wizard 1<br/>Components: V, S<br/>Casting Time: 1 swift action<br/>Range: Personal<br/>Target: You<br/>Duration: 1 round<br/>When you cast this spell, you extend<br/>and sharpen your perceptions for<br/>one devastating ranged attack. Your<br/>next single ranged attack (if it is<br/>made before the start of your next<br/>turn) can be a sneak attack regardless<br/>of the distance between you and<br/>your target.<br/>This spell doesn’t grant you the<br/>ability to make a sneak attack if you<br/>don’t already have that ability.<br/><br/>A' = starting square of Aria<br/>S' = starting square of Saturnia<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: courier;"><br/>  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P <br/>1         . .     . .<br/>2         . .     . . <br/>3         . .     . .<br/>4         . .     . .         . .<br/>5         . . K K . .         . . <br/>6         . A K K S .         K K<br/>7 . . . . . . A'S'. . . . . . K K<br/>8 . . . . . . K . . . . . . . . .         <br/>9         . . . . . .         . .<br/>10        . . . . . .         . . <br/>11            . .<br/>12            . .<br/>13            . . <br/>          (to street)<br/></span>