[alchefire]

Evershade Valley, once the habitat of a very specific series of ghosts has now expanded to contain various spirits from almost every corner of Li. Hanging in the sky above this expanse of spooky land was a deep, violet crescent moon. The large gem hanging high up in the sky. It's light having a strange, pacifying effect on most of the spirits that entered. Allowing the community of specters to flourish in pseudo-harmony.

A small, rusted grate would open up from the ground. A small pumpkin, her whole form glowing with the light escaping her eyes and mouth, hopping out and turning around. Calling down into hole as she hopped up and down. C-C'mon! We gotta hurry, who knows how much longer she can hold that thing off!"

The Pumpkin would then pull her vine down into the hole, a few tugs later and Arle Nadja, one of the leaders of the Life Sphere pulled herself out of the hole. Her armor was a tad dirty from having been rushed down the dirty and damp tunnel that she'd been led down. A powerful, unreasonably cold breeze suddenly blowing by, dragging several dead leaves past the brunette's face, leading her and the pumpkin's gaze over too...



A large mansion that sat at the top of a small hill. The gloomy sky behind it giving it a creepy aura. Several lanterns lighting the pathway that Arle had come out near. Her strange companion hopping forward before guiding the mage onto the path. "I-it doesn't look like anything's wrong... maybe your friend took care of it already...?" There was a slightly hopeful tone to the Pumpkin's words... a tone that would vanish as the path towards the mansion was suddenly obscured. Thick, greenish blue mist would creep in from around the trees, gathering up and forming a large wall before the two girls. The air growing freezing cold as something approached

rH_eiKPhp_1d20

At first the figure appeared to be that of a human woman... But then she slipped out of the dark mist behind her.



"You should have stayed at home, giiiiiiiirl!" A ghastly woman. Cloaked head to toe in faded white cloth, all of it bound to her body via several chains and thick leather binds. The ends of her "clothing" seeming to blend in and mix with the mist behind her. Her gnarled hand raising as it pointed towards Arle.

Suddenly a loud shriek would fill the air as the mist behind the ghost formed up and began to move on it's own. Dozen's of skulls seeming to form from the strange mist, before raising up and coalescing into a massive decaying face!

(Arle, the Wraithcaller has summoned a Mist Wraith! This takes up both of her actions this turn, but it creates a unit that will attack you each round! It has 50 HP and will be automatically hit by any attack.)



"Now... you'll join us!"

Suddenly the mist dived down, heading straight for Arle before it engulfed her. The bizarre fog seeming to cling to her body for a few moments before pulling away... dragging with it strands of green energy. Arle's very life force was being grabbed and forcefully pulled. Whatever this creature was... it was trying to steal her life force straight from her body.

(Arle, whenever the Mist Wraith attacks, you're going to need to make a Con save with a DC of 12. Fail and you'll take 10% Necrotic Damage times the number of Mist Wraiths that have been summoned this encounter.
Right now that total is just 10%, but if you don't end this fast, it'll start stacking up.)

---

Wraithcaller
HP: 120/120
2 actions per turn
Total number of Mist Wraiths summoned this encounter: 1
Cooldown: Wraith Summon (2 turns)

1d20

[Arle Nadja]

As Arle pulled herself back up, she delicately dusted herself off of dirt with her hands, freeing herself of some loose dirt. She hadn't seen Lala in a long time, and frankly the idea of meeting an old friend excited her to no end. Lala... She remembered being lowkey afraid of her when she was little. The weird kid who was into boys in Kindergarten. In hindsight, she felt kind of bad about judging her like that. Not as bad as she felt for Camus being the target of Lala's affections, but she kind of doubted Lala was old enough to be a pervert back then. It stood to reason, then, that her love had been somewhat performative at the time, and all she'd really wanted was a close friend. Was that so wrong? And it did make her wonder. What compelled her to be that desperate? Was she just... lonely? Did she have a bad home life? All questions she was too young to ask back then, but newfound wisdom had taught her to be suspicious of. She resolved to try and be a bit more understanding when and if she found Lala. She just hoped it wasn't too late.

Not long later though, a rather suspicious looking woman confronted Arle and then began crooning doomisms at her. The way she said girl with that contempt in her voice made Arle's chest tighten with anxiety. She was plenty used to being underestimated by people who weren't familiar with her, but she got the distinct feeling there was undue interest in this woman's tone, suggesting she wanted something precious from her--like her life. As she summoned a wraith, Arle recoiled slightly. Yup--That'd do it!

“I can't stay home! My friend needs me!”

HvMZeis6p_1d20+4 (Arle's Con Save; Failure)

As Arle was embraced by the mist, it succesfully managed to draw out some of her precious life energy accompanied by a stifled cry of fright from Arle. Oh--So they were just skipping straight past eating her to assimilating her for her valuables. Yeah, that made sense.

“Warp!! Volcana!!”

A rip in space time opened up behind Arle, drawing her in such that she almost seemed to vanish! ...Only she instead appeared right behind the Wraithcaller. From the portal, Arle threw her fists forward and launched what was basically a cannonball made out of lava at the wraithcaller!! It also hurt exactly as much as being shot by a cannon! Honestly, the burning was perhaps tame in comparison at that point.

p_1d20+4 (Arle's Critical Warp Volcana @ Wraithcaller; Sneak Attack! Targets Wisdom and Does 45% damage) 
p_1d20+4 (Crit Confirm for an additional 45% damage)

She then turned her attention to the Mist Wraith, counting on her initial attack to distract the wraithcaller long enough for her to deal with their summoned monster. She thrust her arms into the air as if to grasp the stars, and then brought them down toward the mist wraith.

“Star Storm!!”

A series of magical stars would rain from the sky, plowing through the mist wraith!

p_1d20+2 (Arle's Star Storm @ Mist Wraith; Does 24% Damage)

...After which Arle rushed the decaying face and took a page from Rulue's book, bouncing a couple of times in an excitable manner before performing a frog-esque megaleap and attempting a flying dropkick with all the force of an elephant behind her! Courtesy of the magical bracelet she was using being tapped, of course.

p_1d20-1 (Arle's Hasted Elephant King Bracelet @ Mist Wraith; Does 26% Damage)

Arle Nadja 200/210 70/70

Warp CD: 2 Turns Elephant King Bracelet CD: 1 Turn

1d20+4·1d20+4·1d20+4·1d20+2·1d20-1

[alchefire]

As Arle Warped away, both the Wraithcaller and the Mistwraith would would look around, almost confused for a moment. Giving the mage ample time to unload her spell right into the main threat's back.

(Wraithcaller Dodge versus Crit Confirm for Volcana
ToUGmv4fp_1d20+3 Wraithcaller passes the Crit Confirm. The Damage is just 45%)

A horrid shriek would escape the Wraithcaller as she was sent flying back by the force of Arle's Volcana. The flames singing her robes as she slammed into a tree and crumpled up against it. The way her body seemed to almost wrap around the tree when it crashed into it... it was clear that there wasn't an actual body underneath those clothes.

As the spector recovered, the collection of mist flying above would be smashed and blasted by the barrage of stars. It's form destabalizing as Arle leapt towards it. That massive dropkick being just enough to make the mist disperse back into what felt like normal fog.

(Congrats, the Mistwraith is dead, Arle!)

"You... are strong, "she" would love it... if you joined her...~" There was an almost cruel playfulness to the wraith's voice as she reached one of her gnarled hands out towards Arle. Bright green energy forming around her hand before a small green hand appeared before Arle and grappled at her body. Attempting to drain the life from her body.

(Arle! You've got two more Con saves headed your way, the first one is from an attack called Grasp of the Undying. You need to succeed on a DC 14 save or else take 10% and heal the Wraithcaller 5%)

However, the hand grasping for her throat wouldn't be the only thing reaching for her. The pale, green fog quickly closed in on Arle, almost as if on it's own. There was something bizarre about this mist, it didn't feel like the usual necrotic magic. It seemed to be almost alive and holding a will of it's own. The cloud forming what seemed to be more hands that reached for Arle's body. Their long, dagger like fingers aiming to tear the very life force from her bones. But that wasn't the most disturbing part of the display...

(Next is the Pain of the Black Mist. DC 12 again, if you fail, you take 15%)

No, that would go to the voices. What sounded like dozens of voices called out to her. Men, women, and even children. All of them speaking in this almost horrified whisper.

"Save us!"

"Why did this happen?"

"M-mommy, it hurts...!"

The fog... it wasn't magic. It was the souls of the dead themselves, all twisted and warped into this corruptive miasma.

---

Wraithcaller
HP: 75/120
2 actions per turn
Total number of Mist Wraiths summoned this encounter: 1
Cooldown: Wraith Summon (1 turn)
Grasp of the Undying (2 turns)

1d20+3

[Arle Nadja]

|jE1WDtcp_1d20+4 (Arle's Con Resistance; Failure)

A soft whimper escaped Arle as some of her plentiful life force was drained away, the mage withdrawing slightly from the attack, a small scowl gracing her face. Well that was a new sort of bad touch...

p_1d20+4 (Arle's Con Resistance; Success)

This time, Arle resisted the bad touch. A sharp red blush of indignation graced her face at all this handling going on and she glared at the fog. Arle hopped back a bit to give herself some personal space and quickly incanted, golden glowing light surrounding her body. “Healing!!”

p_1d15+5 (Arle's Healing; Heals for 7 HP)

...Huh? As Arle was considering her next attack, she noticed the voices calling out to her. That made her hair stand on end. “...I'm trying, but I don't know how to save you!” Arle responded in mild distress. She didn't have any spells or items that could deal with souls, which meant she'd either have to steal a spell for manipulating them somehow or hope she could indirectly save them. Turning back on the Wraithcaller, Arle decided to get dangerous and start tossing the big, exhausting spells around. Pulling back, she gathered up strength and projected a flurry of fireballs out at the wraithcaller, attempting to

“FIRE STORM!!”

p_1d20+4 (Parry this you filthy casual--er, I mean Arle's Fire Storm; Does 24% Damage and has a 30% chance of burning)

Arle then performed a little pirouette, taking a step backward as she did so. As she returned to face the wraithcaller, she raised a single fist to the sky... and then dropped said fist like a gavel toward the spirit, drawing a powerful bolt of lightning from the heavens to smite it!

“Lightning!!”

p_1d20+4 (Arle's Lightning; Sneak Attack, does 30% Damage and stuns)

She then quickly recomposed herself, throwing up both hands and launching a series of large, rather sharp icicles at the wraithcaller in an attempt to finish her off!

“Ice Storm!!”

p_1d20-1 (Arle's Ice Storm; Relying on that stun there... to do 26% damage and an 80% chance of freezing)

After she was done, Arle brushed off her hands on her skirt. They were stinging from their close proximity to such magics. She'd definitely given herself some frostbite before going a bit nuts with ice storm in particular.

Arle Nadja 192/210 70/70

Warp CD: 1 Turn Healing CD: 2 Turns

1d20+4·1d20+4·1d15+5·1d20+4·1d20+4·1d20-1

[alchefire]

BANG, BOOM, KA-SHINK!! All three of Arle's spells hit dead center, sending the Wraithcaller spiraling back before she was suddenly impaled on the Tree behind her. The ghost letting out a series of horrid screams as her cloak seemed to... almost bleed more of the Mist. Her form becoming limp and featureless as the magic keeping her animated faded away.

(The Wraithcaller actually had an AC of 14, you just didn't find it because your only attacks aimed at her required a check. So yeah, you hit all of the attacks because of the Stun on Lightning.)



As the Wraithcaller screamed her final scream, Arle would feel a chill run up her spine as the Mist pulled away for the moment. The souls hadn't been freed from slaying this monster, their forms returning to simple fog. However she felt something new from that eldritch force, something one wouldn't expect.

...Love.

This fog, it wasn't... it wasn't simple necromancy. It was Love Magic, ancient and powerful beyond belief... but that didn't change what it was. The magic, once pure and happy, had been twisted and turned. Sorrow, Anger, Fear, Betrayal, Despair, and so much more was buried in that retreating mist. But none of it hid the true source of it's power. Whoever or whatever had created this fog, did so for the sake of one they loved very deeply.

It... was terrifying in a sense, almost like staring into a warped mirror.

(Congrats Arle! You've defeated the Wraithcaller! For thinking of the Souls trapped in the Mist and managing to land exact lethal twice in a row, I'm gonna let you roll 1d20+ your Charisma mod. If you get a 12 or higher, I'll grant you a Inspiration for the next round and a tiny tidbit of extra information that you can gleam from the Love Magic making up the Black Mist.)

"C-c'mon, let's hurry up and get to Lala...!" The Pumpkin had ran out from behind the tree she was hiding behind this entire time. Her gourd-like form bouncing up the road with renewed vigor now that the immediate danger had passed.

(Encounter roll
vFiFBXJZp_1d20
p_1d40 I... I can't believe how lucky you are)

As Arle and Pumpkin made it to the front of the Mansion, the Mist would return, this time becoming even more thick as it obscured everything but the Mansion itself. Leaving Arle trapped as a pair of ghastly hands suddenly grabbed Pumpkin and dragged her away into the miasma with a shrill squeak. A soft, raspy and femminine voice calling out from the mist as a strange figure descended from above.



"So you are the one I sensed a few moments ago, very well, you'll make an excellent addition to my... family. Come now Children, entertain your new sister~"

As the woman said that, Arle would see several figures moving about in the mist beneath her cage-like dress. Several of them suddenly reaching out and clawing in Arle's general direction...

(Spectral Matron's Call the Children
p_1d2
Spectral Matron has summoned a Tortured Child. This Spirit will perform an attack on you every turn, Arle! To resist it's terrifying wail, you need to pass a DC 12 Int check. Fail and you take 10% with a 20% chance of being inflicted by Fear for 2 turns.)

Suddenly one of them managed to slip through and charge towards Arle. Their misty form colliding with her's... it did no actual physical harm, but Arle would hear a terrible scream fill her ears as he head went cold. The mist suddenly closing in around her, attempting to draw her life force from her body while she dealt with the "Child's" mental shriek.

(You're also going to need to make 2 DC 16 Con saves as the Black Mist swirls about and attempts to drain more life from you. You take 18% for each failure.)

"Heheh, you'll make a fine addition. Far better than that silly girl who just hid from me~" The Matron prepared to slide forward even more... Up until the both of them heard a loud banging coming from the front doors of the Mansion behind her.

p_1d20+3

KA-BOOOOOSH!



A... very loud bang filled the air behind the Spectral Matron as the door to the Mansion suddenly went flying and slammed into the back of the Spectral Matron's head. Causing the imposing spirit to suddenly stumble forward.

"Hey! I'm not done with you! Don't think you can just teleport away from me!" Standing in the middle of the doorway... was a figure that Arle would very quickly recognize.




It was Lala, looking quite a bit older since the last time Arle saw her, granted it had been a while since the two of them had seen each other, that and she was covered head to toe in bandages maybe that's why she looked off. Oh... and she looked super mad! So much so her fists were literally on fire, no wait wait that's... just magic. Regardless, Lala would suddenly charge the Matron before leaping straight at her and delivering a brutal punch straight to the specter's face.

(Lala's Magmatude
p_1d20+3 Hit! Spectral Matron AC Revealed: 15)

(Magmatude and the Improvised Attack both hit Dealing 38% overall.)

The girl's fist would slam into the specter's face, the lava coating it exploding as Lala sent herself tumbling across the ground before finally landing in front of Arle. She was about to turn around and resume her assault... but she found herself looking up just in time to see Arle. The girl's eyes going wide as she realized who she'd just landed in front of.

"Arle...?" Something... strange flashed behind Lala's eyes as she caught a glimpse of Arle's face. It was a mixture of confusion, anger, and... sadness? The blonde haired mage quickly shook her head before suddenly looking down towards the ground as she stood up and brushed herself off. Her fists clenching as she spun to face away from her old "friend" and stared down the ghost before them.

"...What are you doing here?" Her voice was straining as she said that. The usual bratty energy she had earlier having mostly vanished as she slammed her fist into her hand. "Whatever, let's just take care of this thing."

Boss Fight... START!

---

Lala
HP: 178/180
Shield: 65/65 (Regen 8)
Mana: 2 Fire, 1 Earth (Lala adds her Wisdom to both Damage dealt and as a Damage Resistance on her next turn)
Status: Bandaged Up (Limited to 2 actions a turn and her attacks cannot inflict Status Ailments)
Cooldowns: Magmatude (3 turns)

---

Spectral Matron
HP: 262/300 AC: 15
Cooldown: Call the Children (4 turns)

1d20·1d40·1d2·1d20+3·1d20+3

[Arle Nadja]

vh9MhBWyp_1d20+5 (Inspiration Point Get!)

Arle's chest tightened with anxiety as she noticed something familiar about this spell. It didn't smell like death. It smelled like... love. Old, crusty love. Well that was disturbing. Frankly she didn't get it. In what way was there a link between love and ...this? “--Oh, sure!” Arle replied as the pumpkin creature re-emerged. “I still feel like I can keep going.” she added rather casually. She was a tough cookie, after all~!

...As they continued on though, Arle found herself somewhat blind. She stopped as her companion was dragged away. “--Gourdina!!” Arle calls out in alarm, almost turning back for her when another voice called for her attention.

“--Alright then, try it!”

p_1d20+3 (Tortured Child Resistance; Failure) p_1d100 (Not terrorized)
p_1d20+4p_1d20+4 (Black Mists Resistance; 1 Failure)

Arle cringed at the noise, withdrawing  slightly as a deathly chill crossed through her. She didn't like the feeling of that, nope. Stepping back, she decided to unleash a couple of quick magic blasts at the Spectral Matron. “Magic Missile!!” she incanted, transparent force arrows flying forth from a raised finger, following its directing guidance.

p_1d20+6p_1d20+6p_1d20+6 (Magic Missile Rolls; 8 Damage Each)

As Lala interjected though, Arle was briefly taken off-guard. She pauses for a moment, a wonder in her expression as she took in Lala's visage. Wow, she almost didn't recognize her for a moment there --aaand she was staring at a pretty girl like a dork. Given, Lala had probably seen better days, but that didn't assuage Arle's fear that Lala might be able to tell she was a bit bent. “U-Um... Yeah, sure!” Arle nervously replied, designing to say very little until they were done with their fight. “I've got this fight in the bag~! Diacute!!”

((Arle's Diacute (Hip Bash); Has a strength of 30%))

“H-Heaven's Ray!!” Arle incants, drawing down a beam of holy light to smite the Spectral Matron!

p_1d20+4 (Diacute Empowered Critical Heaven's Ray; Does 30% Damage)
p_1d20+4 (Crit Confirm for 30% more damage)

Arle Nadja 159/210 70/70

Healing CD: 1 Turn Hip Bash CD: 1 Turn Diacute CD: 1 Turn Heaven's Ray CD: 1 Turn

1d20+5·1d20+3·1d100·1d20+4·1d20+4·1d20+6·1d20+6·1d20+6·1d20+4·1d20+4

[alchefire]

The Spectral Matron would seem to brush off one of the Magic Missiles as they struck her, only for two of the others to land directly on her torso causing her to stumble back just in time for that massive beam of holy light to strike her directly. Causing her to screech out in pain as she was pushed even further back. Her form smoking for a few moments as the mist seemed to thicken for a few moments.

"How Daaaaaare you!" The ghastly woman's voice would twist and turn as it shrieked out towards the two girls. Her hands flailing forward as she commanded the mist to begin crawling forward. Her gaze locking onto Arle as a small flash of green light escaped her eyes. The Mage suddenly feeling a shiver run up her spine as an illusion played out just for her. She'd feel her body start to move more sluggishly for a few moments and if she'd bother looking down, she'd see her limbs start to wither away for a few moments as the fog and the screaming ghost child crept in for another assault.

(Arle, you've got three attacks headed your way! First you're being targeted with Draining Gaze. This attack is a DC 12 Intelligence save, if you fail it your body is trained for a few moments and the first non-dodge action of your turn is done at Disadvantage.)

(Second you need to make another DC 16 Con check as the mist keeps clinging to you and trying to drain your life force for another 18%.)

(Finally, you've got that Child coming at you with another Shriek. DC 12 Int, just like last time. If you fail another 10% damage and a 20% chance of being inflicted with Fear for 2 turns)

Meanwhile a small skeletal hand would form out of the fog around Lala before grasping at the blonde's neck. Attempting to choke her out and drain her of her own life energy.

(Lala you're being targeted by Grasp of the Undying! You need to make a DC14 Con check or else take 20 damage and give the Matron a 10 HP heal.)

(Lala's dodge against Grasp of the Undying
DmzQ3Jtkp_1d20+3 Fail! Lala takes 3 less damage thanks to her Earth Mana from last turn)

Lala would gag a bit as the misty hand suddenly grasped at her throat. Choking her for a moment as some of her life force was dragged out of her body and drawn out into the Matron's body, a small amount of her wounds healing as Lala grit her teeth.

The blonde haired girl suddenly reared back. Her eyes glowing a bit as her arms both erupted with Pitch Black energy, tendrils of shadow wrapping around them as she charged forward. Suddenly leaping into the air as she yelled out.

"LWARK WOID!"

(Lala's Lwark Woid. Inflicts 16 Dark Damage and grants Lala 2 Darkness Mana. The target also takes additional damage equal to Lala's Wisdom Modifier until the start of Lala's next turn.
p_1d20+3 CRIT! Lala adds 3% to her damage due to her Fire Mana
p_1d20+3 Confirm fail)

She'd slam into the Matron, the tendrils attached to her arms suddenly lashing out as she struck the ghostly being before landing in front of her. She shadows fading away, leaving only a few wisps of darkness which swirled around her body alongside the flames that had formed earlier from her Magmatude. Her hands suddenly being coated in bright green wind which began to swirl around her arms as she began rapidly punching at the ghost...

(Wind! Inflicts 8% and grants Lala a single Wind Mana for each successful hit
p_1d20+3 Fail
p_1d20+3 Fail
p_1d20+3 Fail)

Only for each of them to slip right through the fog forming the Matron's body. The blonde haired girl growling a bit to herself as she crouched down and settled back into what looked like a boxer's stance.

(End of Lala's turn, which means that all Mana she had before the start of this turn gets reduced by 1, removing 1 Fire Mana and removing her only Earth Mana)

There was something off about how Lala was attacking. Sure she'd always been hard-headed and brash in the past, I mean she smashed through an enchanted tower just to bug Arle for crying out loud, but this was beyond that. While her movement seemed fine... her body didn't. There were bandages wrapped all over her, and her dress was hastily stitched back together in dozens of different places. Something bad had happened to her before Arle had shown up and judging from how this ghost had been fighting them so far, she had nothing to do with it.

---

Lala
HP: 161/180
Shield: 65/65
Mana: 1 Fire, 2 Darkness (Lala inflicts additional Damage and heals HP equal to her Wisdom Modifier for each attack she lands.)
Cooldowns: Magmatude (2 turns left)
Lwark Woid (3 turns left)

---

Spectral Matron
HP: 177/300, AC 15
Cooldown: Call of the Children (3 turns left)
Grasp of the Undying (2 turns left)

1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+3·1d20+3