Game: War of Many Facets -- Phase I: Delivery

Okeanos: Flame Cyclone on H1 and H2, hits H2 for 14 fire damage.  Uses Inspiring Word to heal Formula healing 10 total hp. Seigi: Sneak attacks S2, hits for 19 damage.  Uses sword's daily power to zap both H1 (3) and H2 (5).  H1 dies. Coal: Uses second wind to recover 13 hp.  Sustains Snuff Out the Lifeflame.  Lotus Flames on H2, misses, inflicts ongoing 5 fire. Formula: Regains 10 hp.  Ray of Frost on H2, hits for 8 damage and slows H2 until the end of his next turn. Tamara: Re-uses Crown of Stars, hits S2 for 4 damage.  Casts frigid darkness and misses. -------------- S2 attacks Seigi and hits for 7 damage, reduced to 0 by Okeanos's Aegis of Warding. H2 attacks Okeanos, hits for 13 damage. P1 and P2 both attack Formula, one hits for 11 damage. -------------- Unless something goes terribly wrong, once at least one more enemy is destroyed, I will wrap up the combat.

Your combined efforts finally managed to bring down one of the giant, hulking facets.  The creature blinked at you from two faces for a second before it shattered.  The creature broke apart and collapsed to the ground with a thunderous clatter as chunks of salt rock and dust flew through the air.  The remaining giant facet looked in bad shape, cracks running through its crystalline form.

The smaller facet retaliated against Seigi's vicious strike, but its clublike arm rebounded off an unseen barrier.  Okeanos's magic seemed to be working and protected the old gentleman from the creature's attack.

Meanwhile, the two in the back continued their relentless assault, lashing out at the only being they could see around Coal's dark blaze: Formula.  The warforged had been bolstered by the water genasi's words, but that renewed strength quickly shattered as one of the facets struck him again, causing more corrosion and abrasion on the warforged's metal body.   (O) Okeanos: 29/56 (S) Seigi: 34/51 (C) Coal: 36/52, +13 temporary hp, Second Wind, Hunger of Hadar sustained (T) Tamara: Crown of Stars sustained (F) Formula: 14/37, bloodied

H1: dead H2: -62 HP, Reach 2, bloodied, ongoing 5 fire S1: dead S2: -22, marked by Okeanos P1: +10 temporary hp P2: Grey Squares:Normal Terrain (Street) Brown Squares:Impassable (Fences, rooftops, etc.) Purple Squares: Obstacles such as boxes.  These are difficult terrain. That means it takes 2 squares of movement to enter one.  They can provide cover.  Finally, you can move them 1 square as a standard action. that provokes opportunity actions. Dark Squares: These squares block line of sight.  Any enemy in them takes 2d10+1 necrotic damage.  All creatures inside the zone have concealment.

The remaining hulk, already severely battered by your efforts, shattered like its kin, crumbling into chunks and blocks of raw, quasi-elemental salt.  Under Seigi's quick strikes, the smaller facet also exploded, showering everyone with a harmless spray of salty dust.  All that remained were the two shooters in the back.  Though formidable marksmen, though, they proved inept at hand-to-hand combat, so when Okeanos and Seigi engaged them, you all took care of them quickly.

The only sounds in the afermath of the battle were your own breathing and the distant, dull roar of the city going about its business.  It left several questions, foremost of which is what to do next?  Go on to your inn?  Of course, Thalivan might be interested in knowing about this second attack on someone linked to him...

Perception check

The City of Glass, the Dancing Mermaid Day 3 of the War of the Facets, 3:45 A.P.

After recovering your breath and ensuring no other facets were about to leap out of the shadows and get you, you all turned and began heading back toward the Dancing Mermaid where Thalivan was staying. The arcane had asked to be informed if you found anything else, and he'd most certainly like to know about a second attack on his own interests.

The trip back to the Mermaid went a bit faster.  Perhaps it was the urgency of the situation that drove you forward.  Perhaps it was just a better memory and understanding of how the streets went.  Either way you arrived in less time than it took you to get to the alley where you were ambushed. Your battle-weary state and roughed-up look drew several stares from the patrons and visitors, while several others turned away in disdain.

Thalivan had retired temporarily to his suite for the evening by the time you arrived.  The concierge sent up a page boy who returned quickly with a message to have you meet Thalivan upstairs while he prepared for his evening.  So you followed the page up a few floors to the arcane's suite.  His abode in the city was humble -- for a wealthy planar merchant.  The suite took up four rooms, most large enough to house an entire peasant family, though the decorations were not overly gaudy or opulent.  The ceilings were tall, several feet above Thalivan's head, suggesting this suite saw several mercane visitors -- or that Thalivan came here regularly.

He looked up from the table where he was arranging various goods into boxes for shipment.  "You return so soon?" he asked, his brow furrowing as he noted your current state.  One long, elegant hand waved off the page boy, who exited discreetly, and then he turned back to you.  "What happened?"

"Of course, of course," Thalivan said, "I shall inform the local guard.  I am in good standing with them, after all."  He nodded.  "Tomorrow morning, come back and see me.  I will provide you with directions and a letter.  I am sending you to a city called Aremshah on the Plane of Air.  I know of a contact who should be living there during this part of the year.  He is a very knowledgeable gatecrasher, extremely familiar with planar paths throughout the Inner Planes."  The arcane smiled.  "I have made use of his services on many occasions.  He will talk to you if he knows you are my envoys.  If there are any portals to Salt in this city, he will know."

The arcane stood.  "Well, then," he said, "I suggest you rest.  I will need you to come early since I have a rather full day tomorrow."