A new land? (IC)

[brujon]

Prologue



You hands flickered and faded as you were being slowly sifted to the Astral Sea... It relaxed and felt queer, but oddly right, despite being something as unnatural as being transported to the nothingness which is the sea were the dead gods drift away endlessly... You felt lighter and lighter as the substance around you - A sea of Aether and possibilities, it soothed and calmed you until you doze off completely...

And you dreamed. You dreamed of the Great Wheel, of the Cosmos beyond it and many cosmologies far beyond your wildest dream.Wars far greater than anything you've ever imagined, buildings as tall as mountains, men wearing black masks and walking in a battlefield of desolation far worse than the fields of the Grey Waste, battles fiercer than the Blood War, strange languages, and bright lights. You saw strange entities rise from the sea and bring forth destruction and madness in a rage greater than that of the Gods themselves, books that told of unknown beings in the farthest reaches of the Multiverse and planets and stars that could dream and shape reality, many races, faces, beings... All in a flash and blur, clear yet mystifying.

And then... You woke up.


You see... other people, each one against one of the four walls. They seem to have come from every place and you see in their eyes they saw the same thing as you saw... There's... A connection, between you, almost tangible, almost palpable, and yet you can see nor hear it, only feel it in the back of your head, as you know their names and faces from that strange dream...

You look around and see the cleverly cut pitch black stones that compose the interior of the room, which is cleaner than anything you've ever seen. It's otherwise featureless and blank, no furniture, no decoration, no doors and no windows. It haunts you that you may have been sent to a place between places, a void where nothing happens. The room is deceitful, as it looks at the same time large, small, tall, and wide.

The room is neither cold, nor hot, but at a temperature that seems almost too perfect to be natural, same with moisture, which is perfectly balanced - neither dry, nor wet. The stones are almost perfectly interlocked with each other - with the spaces carefully planned between them so you can only discern where one starts and the other ends, and even that is not too obvious.

There's a feeling, this room, it doesn't obey the natural laws of natural things. When you stand up, you see that the floor is completely leveled, to a degree it almost feels odd to stand, as if you never ever standed upright before. There's also no noise but that what you and the others make. If you stay still, even a heartbeat becomes like the drumming of a thousand war drums...

It's clear you have been sent with a purpose... But what is that purpose, who - or what - sent you, and how you came to be, is something you haven't even begun to grasp...


But one thing is clear... This - Is a new land, indeed.





The Characters

Hunter - Human Gravetouched Ghoul Spellthief 6 - Chaotic Evil


( http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=148468 )

James "Jitters" Barlow was a relatively normal child, albeit with the misfortune to be orphaned by Ghouls. He was always a sneaky type, and during his time at the orphanage he stayed at he picked up tips and tricks from various friends who had been born into shady backgrounds. His prowess at these arts soon started earning him a living. His knack for the Arcane soon earned him a short street education on the art of spelltheft. He eventually joined an adventuring group, and soon became friends with the members; Thomas the fighter, Jaina the sorcerer, and the strongest of them all and group leader, Radagar the Cleric.

One day, his group was given a job to kill a ghoul; one particularly troublesome Ghoul named Sporn who was intelligent and causing trouble to small caravans travelling along a common trade route. It seemed an easy enough task, so they set out to track down and to slay the creature. Just a ghoul would have been a moderate challenge for the group, but nothing too serious. However, the information they had been given was a little off; they weren't dealing with just a ghoul. The creature was a Ghast, and the same one who had orphaned James. This came as a shock; not just because of the coincidence, but also because the group wasn’t prepared to be ambushed by a pair of ghouls in the middle of the fight. They fought hard, and managed to put James' parents to rest, but they had struggled greatly.

At the loss of his minions, Sporn went all out on the wounded victors. Jaina was the first to down. Then went Thomas. When Radagar finally fell, James knew it was over. He was bitten, and he fell unconscious.

He woke up inside a chapel, where he had been taken after a guarded caravan had passed by, scaring away Sporn. He found that him and all his group were alive, and were being cared for. They were all feeling weak, but this was attributed to hunger and the battle. They were tended for days, but they kept getting weaker and weaker. Nobody could understand why, until they turned. It was a massacre, as the unprepared priests and doctors were killed and eaten by the hungry new batch of Ghouls.

However, James was different than the others. They had been turned directly under Sporn, whereas James was turned by his now-dead father, making him free willed.
And James had luck on his side; the Patron Deity of Ghouls, Doresain, saw potential in him. And so, he was blessed to be Gravetouched. After the incident, James ran away to just outside the town, whereas his ex-party members ran to serve their master. After much effort, James found himself a Hat of Disguise, which he used to travel around civilisation unpersecuted. He now served a higher lord; Doresain. However, he was intelligent and skilled, and managed to find more work in the city. Any targets for murder were either consumed or kept for later. He couldn't keep his old name, however. Not just because of his alias, but because he was a new being now. He was now the stalking shadow in the night. He was the creature of nightmare who haunted people in their sleep. He was the evil who he had fought to defeat. He was Hunter.




Vanamir Remel - Human Warblade 6 - Chaotic Neutral


( http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=148454 )

Vanamir was born in a small town on the borders of Tokis and Dodera in the month of Sowing (the 2nd month) to well-to-do parents who owned a vineyard plantation. Youngest child out of 8, he was spoiled, the child of his parents' twilight years. One day, when Vanamir was around 10, the town was raided by goblins, who were driven off by the adventuring party of a travelling Crusader of Deb'fo the Knight of the Gods who happened to be passing through the town.

Vanamir had watched the battle from the safety of an empty wine barrel, and was utterly enamored of the impressive and flashy fighting style the Crusader used. After the adventurer's victory, during the celebratory feast held by his parents in the party's honor, Vanamir eventually worked up the courage to ask where he could learn how to fight like that. The Crusader looked Vanamir in the eyes, and it seemed he was looking into his soul, judging his character.

Then he replied, "Boy, I don't think you have the conviction and purity of spirit to fight exactly as I do, but I'll tell you a secret. There is another path along the Sublime Way that you could take, that of the Warblade.

I could tell you a place you could go to learn their art, if you're really certain you wish to learn."Once he'd learned the location, he badgered his parents about being allowed to go off to train every week for 4 years, till finally, they relented.

In that timeframe, the place he had been told to learn the Warblade's art had been moved, but one student, Azakh Khagar, a hobgoblin, had lingered behind.

He accepted the responsibility of training the boy, for the sum of 2500 gold a year. His parents agreed, and the training began.

During the third year of training, his family was killed, the vineyard he grew up on burned to the ground by the imperial legions of Kalamar, who rule Tokis as a puppet state. The charge was treason against the empire, and harboring fugitives from the crown. These charges were true, for Vanamir's father was a secret agent of the true emperor's family, and not the usurper who currently holds the throne. In any case, with his family all dead, save an older sister, there was nobody to pay the final year's training debt. Azakh, being a cruel and capricious master, sold Vanamir into slavery to a Maximedes Crestaterius.

Crestitarius decided to add him to his stable of gladiators, because of the specialized training he had. In time, Vanamir became an undefeated champion of the stable, and could have bought his freedom, but fate had another destiny in store.One of the healers attached to the arena was a priestess of Relivik the Liberator, and she urged the gladiators to throw off their chains and free themselves. Then, one day, some unknown person released the beasts into the stands, and the 12th legion began slaughtering all who were there to restore order.

In the confusion, Vanamir fought his way free, along with a few other gladiators. After getting out of the immediate vicinity, he found a young man, the son of a senator who had been arranging fixed matches, drugging gladiators, and other nefarious plots.This son wanted to fix his father's mistakes and ruin him. Vanamir and the others decided to hire on to his cause, and ended up raiding his father's home, where Crestitarius and Azakh were attending a party. In the aftermath, Vanamir had avenged himself of being sold into slavery by slaying Azakh, and Crestitarius was slain by another of the group.

After taking the weapons and armor from his ex-master's cooling corpse, he fled the city, and was travelling back to his home town to investigate the death of his family. He stopped to rest at a roadside tavern, when suddenly he was magically transported to whatever realm he is in now...



Serena Threeclover - Unarmed Swordsage 6 - Neutral Good


( http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=29237] )

Maya was born on the outskirts of a small farming village in a region of consistent general unrest. Named Maya after her grandmother, she spent her infant years in a simple but content manner on her father's small farm.

Maya's village was situated along one of the major travelling roads through the area. All of her life, she had seen people (mainly warriors) of different races proceed along the road, and since the village was one of the few resting places within a long distance, most of the passing troops remained non-violent to the populace. Maya liked to watch these people as they set up camp on the fields outside; while never really taking the courage to talk to them, she was content with watching them mill about. Somewhere along the way, she stopped thinking of them as "kobolds" and "goblins" and only considered them "people".

Granted, not all were as friendly as that. During her 8th year of life, on her way to the market, Maya was assaulted by a pair of gnolls that passed the region, who seemed to believe that she was too small to be missed by many. She would surely have died if her father had not seen the atrocity and rushed to her aid. To this day, she remembered the exact sequence of actions: the gnolls had growled something threatening, her father had come to a standstill, and even while seething with rage, his face had become calm and determined as a rock. Then, a flash of movement, and the gnoll who held Maya lay sprawled on the ground, every rib in his ribcage broken twice.

Her father glanced at the other assailant. He ran.

From that point on, Maya was given regular training in self-defence. She hadn't known that her mother and father had been adventuring before settling down and taking up farming, but now, she was thoroughly schooled in the ways of the Sublime Way. Her father taught her a style that utilized control, focus and iron will, while her mother introduced her to a wholly different dance of passion, rage and lust of battle. She took to the studies, and soon started to develop a personal style that incorporated both her mother's and father's teachings, while also adding her own moves.

As she grew, Maya worked on the farm, studied her defense and slowly became and adult. As she grew, however, she became more and more unsettled by the village. She was not good with people, had few friends and spent every night at home. She felt that this was not the place for her, and so, in the spring of her 19th year, she set out to find her way.

Her parents had, in addition to defense and how to harvest oats, taught her the morality they had shared on their path through the world. It was something she had been exposed to as soon as she had been weaned. Judge a man by his actions. Do what your heart tells you is right. Always seek to do good, for it will reward you in the end.

Therefore, she endeavoured to help people who asked for it, be it with a piece of gold or an arm in battle. She found that she enjoyed the respect she was shown, her actions speaking louder about her than her own voice was capable of.

Now, she had obviously been successful enough to catch the attention of a dragon. She wasn't sure this was a good thing, but she was sure that it would not be a good thing to piss off a semi-divine creature from beyond history. Therefore, she set off towards the assigned destination, when she was magically transported to this new and strange land, her mind both intrigued and worried about this new twist in her life.


Illque Krichevskoy - Wizard 6 (Illusionist) - Alignment


Not quite ready yet, but already kicking in.




Story Abstract:

Our protagonists were going about their endeavors when suddenly an strange phenomena befalled them. They began to become ethereal, slowly, first their hands and feet, then their whole body, and they were transported to the Astral Sea. There they drifted for a indiscriminate amount of time, experiencing strange dreams, and when they wake, they're in this strange, featureless black room, which seems to defy everything about normal archictecture. No doors, no windows, no furniture, no nothing.

Who - or What - sent them? What is their purposes, why is that they feel connected to each other, and why it didn't seem strange to be transported? This they'll find what - or perhaps not. FATE is which what guides them now, and we will see what FATE brings them...




Informations

Gaming System:

Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition.

Books Allowed:

Forgotten Realms, 3.5 core and splatbooks, unupdated 3.0 material, no BoED/BoVD. Dragon Magazine and Homebrew upon consultation after submitting material.

Inspirations:

Planescape: Torment, Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P Lovecraft, Joe Hill, Anne Rice, Agatha Christie, The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Solaris, Dune, endless hours of discussion amongst friends, forum going and sleepless nights. Also Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.


Posting Time:

I'll be checking for posts from 14~18 and from 23~2 monday through friday, and at chaotic hours at weekends. I expect a single post daily, more will be appreciated, but not so many that you end up going through so much action as to dwarf the more infrequent posters. Try to post according to the least active poster so as to be on the same pace as them. If you're going to be more than 2 days without posting, warn me beforehand so i can control your character or pass control to another player, your choice.If for some reason you think you won't be able to continue the game, warn me beforehand so i can arrange something like a new player/character. If i don't hear from you in 2 days, i'll control your character for 2 more days, if i don't hear from you until then, control will be passed to another player who wishes to join the game. Players who wish to be alternates to the game can post on the OOC thread or send me a PM or a PM to any of the other players.

Tone of the Adventure:

The adventure has a somewhat dark atmosphere, and i'll try to describe the best i can to that degree. The use of unnecessarily descriptive detail sometimes will be necessary as to set the mood for the campaign.

The Campaign Proper:

There's not an ending in my mind yet, and i have plans for a pretty long time of game, but not an estimative, so the game will go on for as long as everyone has fun. Some time in the future it may be possible to add new characters to the game.





Don't Panic.

[Thalnawr]

Vanamir stands and states:So, it looks like we're stuck with each other. Does anyone want to help figure out a way out of here?

OOC: For future reference, I'll be using this color for conversation.

With that, I'll pull the hammer from my smithing tools out of my pack, and start tapping on the walls and floor with it.

Search Check (taking 20 if I can, for a result of 22) otherwise, [roll0]

[brujon]

As you tap with the hammer, the sound it produces rises in intensity, until you can no longer withstand the sound pressure and stop, being stunned momentarily. Yet, the sound seemed to be slightly different in every brick you tapped with the hammer, not unlike the sound produced by passing your finger on a crystal glass filled with water. It's beautiful, yet frightening and daunting.

[Nebuchadnezzer]

"I wouldn't go tapping the walls like that, lad."

Edword Magnus was a mountain of a man. The man was clad in black, heavy armor. It was nicked and scratched everywhere from constant use. His face was a hardened mess of scars. Strapped to his back was a large sword whose workmanship was clear even to an untrained eye. It was almost as big as the man was.

"What sort of place am I in now?" Edword said. He rubbed his neck before turning it with an audible crack. "I swear I was enjoying the company of a comely lass at some backwater tavern. The drinks were flowing like a river of honey. Life was good until, well, this. Care to enlighten me?"

Edword looked around. He closed his eyes, and felt the world around him melt away for a moment.

Edword calls dark slate gray.

Spot:
[roll0]
Listen:
[roll1]
Search:
[roll2]

[Thalnawr]

"It had to be tried. I'm not really one to sit around and wait for fate to claim me, I'd rather act."

Vanamir begins pacing back and forth across the room. "This is too much like a cell, for my liking. Anyroad, I was enjoying my first night's rest as a free man. I wake up to find myself here with you folks, so I'm as lost for an explanation as you. Anyone else have any ideas why we're here? And more importantly, how do we get out of this box?" he asks, including everyone, hoping someone has more of a clue.

[Melamoto]

A tall, pale man wearing ragged clothes and with ruffled, uncut hair stands up. He looks like a beggar or hobo; but upon looking around, he stands up and walks with a high stride, and speaks with a haunting, gruff voice that seems to lack humanity.

Well, well, what do we have here? Is it magic?

He focuses for a second, and then his eyes glow a very dim blue.

OOC:
Using my Detect Magic SLA, looking at the walls of the room to see if I find anything.

I can use Detect Magic 4 more times today.

[brujon]

As the Hunter's eyes glow blue, immediately a floating mouth appears in the center of the room, speaking a very soft and eloquent manner, reminicing of a scholar.


"Congratulations on your perspicacy. But what have you discovered, and will it be enough to lead you towards more, are two completely different questions;

"for you, Hunter, i present you with a question. What is, your true nature? Do you think that what you've become in any way alter your perceptions, or do you think you've always been that way, deep down inside your heart. Heed with your answers, for they will be judged."

"for you, Vanamir, i present you with a gift. *A piece of broken glass appears directly in front of Vanamir*. Make with that what you will, but see beyond what ears can hear."

"For you, Edword, i ask; What would a man of faith do in a world of the Faithless?"

The mouth grins widely, as if in disdain. "We will be waiting, we will be ready, and we will be mercyless"

It then disappears, leaving in it's place a single golden earring with a triangle inside.

[Thalnawr]

Vanamir picks up the piece of glass, carefully handling it, so as not to get cut.
"A piece of broken glass, and it's supposed to be a gift? What the hells? See beyond what ears can hear?"

Puzzled, but curious, he begins looking through the glass. First at the earring that appeared, then he'll scan the rest of the room, including each of it's occupants. Then he pulls a sack out of his pack, places the glass in it, and the sack back in his pack.

"Well, I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Vanamir Remel, a champion of the arena in Bet Urala." Then he looks at the others expectantly.

Spot (while looking through the glass): [roll0]

[Melamoto]

Hunter lets forth a lifeless, unholy laugh. "What I've become? I have become more than human... and yet less than human. My heart is stopped, my body cold. My mind, my nature...there is nothing there that wasn't there before. Now, it simply follows Doresain. My soul is prepared for whatever "Judgement" you may render."

He then looks straight into one of the corners. "And my eyes see your tricks." He approaches the corner, and looks straight into the lens of a box shaped object. "What do you want from us?"

[brujon]

A voice, which emanates from every direction in the room, speaks in a harsh cynical manner, with a low growling pitch.

Doresain, your God? We surely slipped when congratulating on your perspicacy. Look deeply inside of you. See if you can sense your god's touch as you always felt, se if your prayers are answered when calling for advice. Nay, it's foolish to rely on him now, you're no longer in his realm, no longer in his grasp. You have much yet to comprehend about yourself, about your very nature.

The room shifts a little, and then part of the black stone wall disappears and a passageway opens into a hallway. The hallway stretches as far as you can see, and torches burning green flame lit it in a cryptical yet fascinating way. On the ground, a black carpet with red lines on it's sides extends troughout it, bearing runic markings in white on the whole of it's surface. The voice speaks again, on a more eloquent and soft manner

Come... You have lingered too long inside this cubicle. But heed... This is not a wholly friendly place. Hear with your eyes, see with your ears, smell with your skin and feel things you've never felt before... We are much intrigued about many things and seek to learn. And ponder hardly on which you have been brought... You will still be Judged and we will be mercyless.

[Thalnawr]

"Now that's more like it! I'm taking my leave of this cell, and if any of you wishes to come along, you're welcome to. Fate seems to have bound our destinies together for the time being." Vanamir remarks.

And with that, he adopts a battle-ready posture, then heads towards the newly revealed passageway, hand on the hilt of his well-worn bastard sword.

Swift Action: Entering the Absolute Steel stance, +10 feet to base movement & +2 dodge bonus to AC, each round I move 10 feet or more.
Spot (if needed):[roll0]
Listen (if needed):[roll1]

[Melamoto]

Hunter snarls at the voice, and then turns to Vanamir. "They want us to walk down this nice neat path they've made for us. This is a trap if I've ever seen one...but if they really wanted us dead, they would've killed us in the chamber. For now, we just have to play along with their game. You lead the way." As hunter says this, his ragged clothes disappear, and in their place is a black hooded cloak, that covers his entire body and shadows his face.

[Thalnawr]

"Indeed, it is most certainly a trap, a test, or some kind of sick joke. We're forewarned of that fact, and can take precautions against that fact. However, since this voice brought all four of us here, the trap is quite likely to have been designed for all of our capabilities together. Especially if this is the test I believe it to be." Vanamir then continues down the hall, attempting to stay alert for any danger.

"Neat trick with the clothes, by the way."

Move actions: 40 foot move per round
Spot and Listen checks as reactions (not sure how you want to handle this, but me making round-by-round rolls would be tedious)

[brujon]

(OFF)As long as you're in a room, say room 1, you make only one check and use that result until you leave the room. If you reenter room 1 at a later date, you make new checks.(/OFF)

[Nebuchadnezzer]

"I am always eager to prove my worth in the eyes of Tempus," Edword said. "Even if through eldritch means."

[brujon]

As you walk through the hallway, you begin to hear music, at first, faint, then progressively increasing in tempo and strenght. Harps, violins, pianos, organs and cellos, flutes and drums, an orchestra. It rises and tides, and the lighting turns from green to red, from red to blue and back go green and then red again, and the floors and walls begin to twist and turn. It doesn't throws you off of balance - as it would be expected, but it seems oddly right, like it should be that way. You come to an intersection. And the lights behind you go dark. When you look behind, there's no more corridor, only a wall. The sound suddenly stops.


There are 3 paths, one to the front, one to the right, and one to the left. The one on the front has green torches. The one on the right has red torches. The one on the left has blue torches.



----


(OFF)I'll be posting again later, sorry if i kept you all waiting! The party is now split, what will happen to our heroes? Keep tuned!(OFF)

[Thalnawr]

"Three ways onward, and no way back... I guess any path will do. No sense in wasting more time than we have, I suppose." says Vanamir. And with that, he heads down the path with the red torches.

Listen: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]

[brujon]

As you continue down the red hallway, you begin to feel lightheaded and dizzy, and you smell almonds... Make a fortitude save, DC 15.

[Thalnawr]

Fort Save: [roll0]

"Ugh, what the..."

[Melamoto]

Assuming this is for poison or disease or something, i'm not affected. Correct me if I'm wrong, and i'll change my post.

"What is it?"

[brujon]

You feel sapped of vitality, the weight on your shoulders increases and you feel feeble. You take 1d6 str and 1d4 con damage. Melamoto isn't affected by the gases.

Vanamir - Knowledge(History): [roll0]

[Thalnawr]

Vanamir turns to Hunter and says "An assassin's poison... Death lies this way, we must pick a different path."

With that, Vanamir heads back to the intersection and states, "Perhaps you would like to choose our path, as I seem to be only wandering into death?"

[Melamoto]

"Let me take a look before I make a judgement."

Hunter looks straight down the path with the green torches, and shortly after his eyes glow a dim blue.

Spot: [roll0]
Using my Detect Magic SLA. If I see anything, i'll keep on looking for the full number of rounds it takes to achieve maximum detectage.

3 uses of Detect Magic left today.

[brujon]

Important disclaimer: The rules for sanity i'm using are from Unearthed Arcana, and can be found here on http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/campaigns/sanity.htm . I will be using this consistently during the campaign to add flavour and atmosphere.


As you gaze down the green lit path with your eyes wide open to the arcane, you see the undefined ramifications of dimensions beyond the three to which you are already familiar. It expands your mind to unknown depths and permits you to see a path which had previously been obscured by the haunted geometry of these halls. A writing is clear on the arch above the door, and it reads: "Forsake all to which you are familiar, those are halls of change". An indentation on the door holds a moldy, dusty tome, with a black cover.


Being exposed to previously unknown dimensions have increased your knowledge of the the Forbidden Lore. You gain two points on the skill Knowledge(Forbidden Lore), and therefore permanently lose 2 points of Sanity. Such strong experience also affected your very convictions on your abilities, and you receive a -2 morale penalty to your saves.

[Melamoto]

Hunter takes a step back, and falls over, his eyes wide. He stutters a little, before forming words. "What...is this?" He then gets up, and approaches the door. He looks at it for a moment, before taking the Tome and placing it in his cloak.
"There is much more to this place than I thought."

[brujon]

When you pick up the tome from the door, it opens and you can hear the orchestra again, very clearly now. The door leads to an circular theatre, in the open. The sky is pitch black, with an aurora borealis dancing in the melody of the music. The theatre seems to be floating on space, because the borders of the theatre don't seem to touch any ground, nor there seems to be anything but the aurora in the sky. A voice beckons you as you approach...

Greetings... You have been expected... You cannot see us, but we are here. Don't try what you did before, your mind is not well prepared yet for what you may see. The other two who arrived with you will be brought before us shortly, but for now... Vanamir, can you see beyond what ears can hear now? And Hunter, have you pondered about what i said? Remember, there is judgement...

[brujon]

http://www.overmundo.com.br/_guia/multiplas/1178643018_manga_4.jpg

For better visualization, this is what the theater looks like.

[Melamoto]

"I have given what you said thought, yes. I think I know what may be happening as well. And my answer to you is this:
Ever since I turned, my life was about 2 things; freeing my old companions, and serving Doresain. Now that I can do neither of those, I feel empty. But I am not completely empty inside. I have my old life, my old mind to live through. I am still my old self in a way. But I am now more than that as well. I am not the man I was, I am the Ghoul I am. James is not dead however; he stands side by side with Hunter. My nature is now to kill and eat, but I will remain human in my own ways. That is what I have become, and what I am."

[Thalnawr]

"Can I see beyond what ears can hear? What the hell is that supposed to mean? No, unless you're talking about something makes no noise, but that anyone can see. I'm a warrior, not a philosopher. If you wish to test me, give me something to fight. Fighting has defined my life for the last 7 years, and I choose to let it define the rest of my life."

[brujon]

The voice speaks in a pleased manner:

To both of you, i appreciate the honesty. Vanamir, a true warrior. A request for a test is clearly what a true warrior would do. The whole life of a warrior is about testing oneself... Constantly going against the odds, constantly improving, constantly training. The very life, nay, the very essence of a true warrior is truly that of the unending battles. We will present you with that test. But first i must say this. Vanamir, do you want to be presented with the ultimate test? Hunter, you also spoke truly. The hunger which consumes you, would you like to have this lifted from you? Would you like to feel truly free? We can give you that, and much more. We can indeed bring to you that what you lost. And for you two, can you forsake that what you left behind on your old lives, and change? Hunter, you have seen things who you'd never see if not brought here... Do you want to see more? Vanamir, you think you are a free man now, but do you want to know what's like to be truly *free*? Just say that you want, and we will bring that to you, and much more...

The voice fades, and the orchestra begins to play again... It's the time to choose. Fate has brought you here, and now you too, must make your own fate.

[Scarlet Tropix]

Illque stirred from his corner of the wall in the room of perfectly interlocked stones. He had mentally dubbed this as the entry room, though he had no way of knowing whether this was true.

Two of the others had left down the hall. One of them remained with him in this strange place. He walked to the beginning of the carpeted hall and stood, giving the room and it's last inhabitant one last look.

[brujon]

You walk through the hallway, and when you come to a dead end, a voice speaks to you. It's calm and serene, but frightening nonetheless. It seems to come to you on your mind, rather than from the environment.

"Come, you have been expected. Don't be afraid, step into the wall and you will come to where your companions are.

[Weimann]

"Uuunngh..."

Maya groaned as she slowly drifted back into consciousness. She could feel the hard wall against her back, and slowly, she forced her eyes open. One quick look made her immediately close them again; she was hoping to have been returned home after the weird dreaming sequence, but this place wasn't familiar at all.

Sighing, she forced herself up to standing, silently scanning the room. She saw someone just leaving it through what looked like a doorway, but she had no idea who it might be. When she finally gathered herself enough to take a few steps towards the doorway, the figure was already gone.

Maya stared into the hallway for a bit, before deciding that there's no point staying around here. She readied herself and walked out of the room.

Maya assumes the stance Hunter Sense, gaining Scent (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#scent).

[Thalnawr]

"Do I want to be truly free? I guess it depends on what your definition of freedom is. Everyone has their own, y'know. If freedom means 'not responsible to anyone or anything but my own conscience' to you, then yes, I would like to truly be free.

As for forsaking what I left behind, I have one question to ask you: Can you confirm what Azakh Khagar claimed? Were my family killed as traitors? If that is the case, then at least offer me the chance avenge them and say goodbye."

[brujon]

The voice speaks to Vanamir...

"Nay, your family were not killed as traitors, but they were killed by the traitors themselves... They had found new allies, and your family knew too much. The so called "true emperor" had made an agreement with the current emperor, they would start war against neighboring lands, and the son of the current emperor would marry the true emperor's daughter, sealing once again his blood into the royal line... The loyalists would then join force with the imperial forces, and war could then begin with true chance of victory. They won the war. We know this not from the future, but from the past, Vanamir, for time flows differently in this place. Azakh Khagar died a unpleasant death, being deemed untrustworthy, he was hanged in public square. Were you to return to your own world, you wouldn't recognize that place anymore... Our definition of freedom is the same as yours, only much more... To be truly free also means to be free from the Gods and their meddling, to be free from the entirety of the universe. We, too, want to be truly free. We ask of you to help us.

[brujon]

As Maya wandered into the hallway, she came to a dead end. Two people passed through here, you scented. And one of them stands now before the wall. Their scents leading to beyond the wall. A voice then speaks to you, coming from all directions. It's calm and pleasant, yet frightening.


"Two have come, now you too must come. Many things have you to learn, these are halls of change. Forget that which you have learned, walk fearlessly through the wall, and you will be brought to our presence. Especially you, Ilque, i sense you have something unique about you."

[Weimann]

Maya glanced at the seemingly solid wall for a moment, then shifted her gaze to the man who stood before it. Illque, it seemed, if the voice was to trust. She had a general feeling that disembodied voices weren't the best of advisers.

Sniffing a little to catch the man's scent, Maya felt a strange tug towards him. She somehow felt... connected to him. It was very strange, since she hadn't seen him before ever in her life, of that she was sure. She shuffled forward until she was level with the man, and glanced at him.

"Will... uh, will you step through here?" Maya asked in an awkward voice. Not that it mattered much; Maya would do it anyway. She had seen nothing in the room she had been in before, and this was the only way to progress. It was a choice in name only.

"I... I'm Maya, by the way. Nice meeting you."

[Scarlet Tropix]

Before answering the newcomer, Illque cast a stern glance at the ceiling, aware that he would not find the speaker lurking there. Cryptic chatter often irritated him, possibly because one saw so much of it in the practice of Wizardry.

"I will come, nameless one," said Illque, clicking his tongue impatiently, "but I hope you will forgive me if I do not abandon all of my caution."

Turning his attention to Maya, Illque nodded. "If it pleases you, I will travel with you, for a time." He shook his head slightly. "If only because I do not trust supposedly benevolent voices from nowhere."

Jovially, he extended a hand to her. "Illque Krichevskoy, at your service, ma'am."

[Weimann]

"Illque Krichevskoy..." Maya repeated to herself under her breath. "I'm Maya Threeclover. Wait, I said that before..." There was a short pause.

"Do you know what this place is? I was just on my way to... uh, a... dragon, and suddenly I'm in this world of dreams and I saw loads of things I have no idea what it was and... now I'm here. And that tells me nothing." She looks at Illque with smile that hopes that he will actually know.

[Scarlet Tropix]

I wish I did. I was in the middle of a study, myself. Examining some fascinating forgotten ruins." He shrugged, obviously put out by the loss.

After a moment he continued. "I'm afraid I have no idea what all this is about. But what I'm more curious about is what a young thing such as yourself was planning for that dragon."

[Weimann]

"Oh... Actually, it was more what the dragon was planning for me. I was summoned by a note, and... huh, I hope I don't have an angry dragon at my tail now..."

Maya grins a little sheepishly, brushing a strand of wayward hair from her face.

"Anyway, I never got to know what it intended before I was swept away here. I suppose that's the bigger problem now." And some problems it could be, she thought, glancing at the seemingly solid wall before them. But again, what choice did she have?

"You said you were examining ruins? Are you an archaeologist?"

As she speaks, Maya makes a gentle motion towards the wall, as if walking through the very sturdy looking surface might be easier if you weren't thinking about it too much.

[Thalnawr]

"Azakh... hung... I thought I killed him myself? I must not have been as thorough as I thought. If it is truly as you say, then it matters not. They're all beyond my vengeance now."

Vanamir pauses, lost in thought. A few minutes pass, and he speaks up again. "Free from the gods and the entirety of the universe? An ambitious goal indeed. Perhaps some introductions on your part are in order? If we're to work towards freeing ourselves, we should know exactly who it is we're setting free. Of course, you mentioned others. Your answer and tale can wait until everyone who is supposed to be here is here, so you only have to tell your tale once."

[Scarlet Tropix]

"You could say that," Illque said, walking ahead through the wall. I study many things," he called back over his shoulder, "but I'm not tied to anything in particular. I suppose the best thing to call me would be a wizard."

As he waited, he tapped at the wall he had passed, checking its solidity from the opposite side.

[brujon]

The wall seems solid at first glance, but when you tap it, it seems as if you're feeling some kind of viscous liquid, it responds to your touch and ripples, sticks to your finger and then lets go, rippling more as it bounces back. But it doesn't make sense, the wall is clearly there. It is as if you're feeling something that is beyond the wall.

[Weimann]

Maya soon follows through the wall, and take a look at the scenery on the other side. Then, she closes her eyes and fall absolutely silent for a few seconds.

Spot check - [roll0]
Listen check - [roll1]
She also sniffs the air for any scent she may find.

[Weimann]

Crap, should have been +13 there on that Listen check. Seeing that I got 22 with a +4 mod, which means that I rolled an 18, I'd have gotten 31 with the correct modifier.

[brujon]

Vanamir and Hunter are standing at the center of the auditorium, where in the pitch black sky an aurora swirls and curves in a marvel of colour. The orchestra sounds beautifully in a crescendo. Ilque enters first, and then Maya soon follows. The orchestra goes and rise once more and then in a final movement, slows downs and cease completely. The aurora in the sky stops swirling in it's ordinary pattern and begins to circle around itself in a kind of spiral, it's colours mixing togheter in places forming yet another pattern of colours. One of those colours, you cannot really positive it, but it doesn't seem quite like any other colour that you saw. It seems like some sort of gas, and yet it's not, some sort of quality that makes it queer. The outwordly colour spreads throughout the entire aurora, casting it's ghastly light in all of the auditorium.

The light indeed does have some kind of eldritch quality to it, for when cast upon the whole of the auditorium, after the ceasing of the orchestra, you can now discern an entire ensemble of humanoid forms sitting in it's steps, gazing upon all of you. Gazing into you, but with no eyes of their own. They are wrought in the shape of humans, but have no clothes, no quality of face or any discerning features. They look like shadows - but have that outwordly colour all over their bodies. They are all sitting there, motionless, thousands of those shapes. And would that be the end of it, it would even seem quite normal.

The whole of the auditorium is now lit in the queer light, and you can see it extends... Looking beyond the black pitch sky you can see thousands of auditoriums just like yours, like you're in a hall of mirrors, only one of infinite and incomprehensible magnitude. All of the featureless forms stand up at once, and them you hear that familiar voice, only that time, it's echoed beyond what thought possible.


"We are, and yet, we are not. There are thousands of worlds, in all of those we are, and in all of those we are no more. We cast ourselves aside of all things to operate in secrecy, to be beyond the gaze of any God or mortal. We are here to tell you a tale that you may not believe completely, but that we hope you will believe because of the things that we showed you."

As they speak, your minds are wrought with imagery.

"Before the God's, before the worlds were even born, there was one being, one of absolute and immense power, one of utter chaos and madness. For eons he existed alone in the void which he himself created, and for eons he there stayed, and of that time we know nothing. But existing with that amount of power for such an infinite amount of time destroyed whatever semblance of a mind that being once had, and as such, that power was cast full-force on a blast of incomensurable proportions. On that moment, the void was torn in countless smaller universes, where your worlds reside, and on the spot that originated it all, some amount of that power remained.

From that small fraction of power, sprouted forth some of the lost conscience of that original being, fractured and mad, and that conscience then sought out the remnant of it's power. They formed beings of power much greater than the gods, and are referred as the Outer Ones.

In our own world, we were in a state of advancement far beyond yours, having mastered the ways of time and space. But that was to be our downfall. Our unstoppable drive to learn more led us to discover the Outer Ones, and our arrogance led us to study them. They whispered things to us that no one could dare repeat again, and we cast aside our gods to worship them. We thought we were being clever, but the unthinkable happened. We discovered that the Outer Ones were still bound to their own, original void, and could not leave that place, for the power was too diluted for them to break the barriers in full force. They came to us in their weak forms, whispering to us secrets that helped us think of a way of bringing them to our world. When they came, it was a terror that we dare not show you, for it would surely make you mad beyond hope. They consumed our gods, and consumed our world. Only few of us escaped, the same amount that is before you in this auditorium. We had to remove ourselves from the universe, from time and space, and create this realm where none can see, just to escape their wrath.

And that leads us to this. When they consumed our gods, they tapped into the universal divine energy that permeated all gods, and can now see through all gods eyes, fearsome a thought as that may be, it's all true. That is why i asked you if you wanted to be truly free. For you must remove yourselves from the sight of every god, evade their sight, and operate in utter secrecy to be able to banish them back to the void whence them came. They still aren't able to cross the barriers for themselves, but they have powerful agents, operating in all of the creation, which could most surely undermine every chance of succeding in this most daunting of quests.

Ilque Krichevskoy, you are one who by fate, were removed from the sight of all gods. That is most fortunate. We are going to tap into that quality to make a veil on your companions that is going to mimick that unique quality of yours, should you accept our quest. There is a world where there are no Gods, and where cults to the Outer Ones are spreading rapidly. It's of utmost importance that you stop them from there, for there is the world closest to the original void. But before we say more, or do more, we want you to talk amongst yourselves.

[Weimann]

Maya blink as the picture show fades from her inner sight. She is breathing faster than she was a minute ago. She stays around Illque, not approaching the strange new people she found waiting in the auditorium, but looking at them worriedly. The experience seems to have shaken her on some level, but she isn't showing any physical signs of distress.

"H- Hello..." She waves at them, whereafter she doesn't really know what to say.

[brujon]

*Forgot to say, this little display of dark and forbidden lore has taken some toll on your sanity, all of you gain 2 points on the skill Knowledge: Forbidden Lore, and therefore lose permanently 2 points of sanity. Also, make a sanity check (1d100, must get a result equal to your sanity or lower. Sanity points equal your wisdom(not your wisdom modifier) x5, minus the number of ranks in Knowledge: Forbidden Lore. As you progressively go lower on sanity, you can gain one or more mental illness.)*

[Scarlet Tropix]

Here we go for the sanity check... [roll0]

[Scarlet Tropix]

I think I forgot to put in a number of dice the first time... DX That and I previewed it. [roll0]

[Weimann]

((Wait, don't you mean that the check result must be equal to or lower than your sanity score? Because otherwise, someone with full sanity would always fail his sanity checks :P))

[brujon]

(Damn! You're totally right. Corona succeeded on her sanity check.)

[Thalnawr]

Sanity Roll:[roll0]
Vanamir looks over to the two new arrivals and waves them over.

"Wow... I guess, I guess we'd better try and think of what we want to do about this."

[Weimann]

Sanity check - [roll0]

This check is associated with the emote up above. I'll edit it to reflect the knowledge gain too.

[brujon]

(For those who failed their Sanity checks, roll 1d10 to see the loss of sanity from the experience.)

[Scarlet Tropix]

"Well, I don't see as we have any choice but to go along with it," said Illque, almost unreasonably calm under the circumstances. "I'm fairly sure no one else here wants to be destroyed by an extraplanar abomination?"

[Thalnawr]

Sanity Loss! [roll0]

[Weimann]

Maya nods at Vanamir's statement, and seem to concentrate to steady her breath. After a while, she seems to have calmed down, and speaks in a low tone.

"What will this entail? The voice spoke of us being removed from the sight of the gods... would that mean damnation? Is that what they are asking?"

[Scarlet Tropix]

"If I have heard them speak correctly, damnation is not what they are offering you."

He paused, turning his back to the rest of the group and folding his arms.

"I say you because it is a quality that I already possess in myself, though under normal circumstances I would be loath to admit it. I know not how much they intend to bequeath upon you, but I pray you do not now possess it in its totality, for it is more of a curse than a blessing, a curse far worst than any damnation."

He paused again, turning to look at Hunter.

"Except perhaps for you, cold one, though I know not how such a thing would affect one such as yourself."

[Weimann]

Maya nods again, her eyes lingering on Illque, seemingly deep in thought.

"This is all so surreal... yet the way this creature puts it, it sounds like the creatures it is fighting is a serious threat to every piece of the world... or any world."

Pausing for a moment, she breathed slowly.

"I think we have little choice. What we can do, we must do, for the sake of everyone. That is the right thing."

Falling silent, she watched the others.

[brujon]

Vanamir stands shock-awed, looking at the sky, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. For [roll0] rounds, he looked to the sky, standing completely still with his eyes wide open. What happened, only he could know.

[Weimann]

Maya glances at Vanamir, then pokes Illque.

"Uh... I think he's broken."

[Scarlet Tropix]

"It might be shock," said Illque, watching Vanamir closely.

"Give him a minute."

[Thalnawr]

Wisdom Check: [roll0]
After a minute or so, Vanamir shakes his head, as if to clear it. His eyes still seem a bit distant, however.

"I'm s.. sorry. Just a bit unsettling to hear that some kind of evil that predates everything is being unleashed, and that I've been chosen to help stop it. Give me a moment or two..."

[Weimann]

Maya nods and sit down on the ground, her demeanour now seemingly natural after the intense experience. She looks down at the ground as she speaks to Vanamir.

"Just... just tell me... if I can help. I have some knowledge of treating injuries... of all kinds."

[Scarlet Tropix]

"A good skill to have indeed, Miss Threeclover. It's one that, unfortunately, I never picked up myself."

Illque sits beside her, pulling a book from a pouch at his side and beginning to read it.

[Melamoto]

Sorry I've been unable to post for a while. Back and ready now.
[roll0] against sanity 58.
[roll1] if I fail.
"He is strong. He can last. As for these beings and their story, I find it a little difficult to believe. However, I will have to go along with it. Just like before. Just like always." Hunter looks around for a moment, and then looks straight at the beings. "And you! I will do as you wish, if only for the fact that I have no other choice. But tell me, how do you expect us to complete this task? What must be done?"

[Thalnawr]

Vanamir nods at Maya, as his eyes slowly come into focus again.
"I think I'm fine now... Thank you for the offer."

He then looks towards Illque, as if just noticing him for the first time.
"So, our hosts can use something about you to hide us from the enemy? This is good to know."

He then mutters quietly to himself, "I think I need a drink..."

[Scarlet Tropix]

Illque shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes," he said, aware that an explanation was due, "although I'm unclear as to exactly how it would work. I'm not entirely clear of how my own condition works... It's not exactly something common, or something I'd wish upon another."

[brujon]

The voices once again speak in unisson



"On theory, every living thing soul is connected to the event which made their existence possible... In your case, your gods, who helped shape your worlds and thus made possible that you exist. So, every one of your souls contain that little bit of divine energy that connects you to the web of life. Everything is connected, but sometimes, fate brings forth a being such as Ilque, who is removed of that web. We conjecture that this is because Ilque doesn't have that divine spark inside her soul. If that is correct, removing your divine sparks will, at least in theory, make it seem as if you died. You won't die, but for you it may seem as if you just did. You will feel empty and question your own existence. You will no longer be able to call on divine help, and no god will be able to see you or even affect you. Not even divine magic channeled by a cleric of a faith will be able to affect you, including healing magic. There's a second consequence, too. If you die, your souls will drift on the astral for all eternity and ressurection will only be possible by altering reality itself. It's a great price to pay, and although it's helpful to the task at hand, it is, as Ilque put it, more of a curse than a blessing. We can shield you against scrying by the gods with spells and magic, but those are temporary and fallible solutions. You must make a choice, however great one it is, before you undertake this quest."

[Weimann]

Maya sits on the floor, looking down on it as she takes in the words of the strange beings. Slowly, she raises her head and look out over the filled seats.

"So you ask us to forfeit our afterlife, our by birthright claimed divine spark and freely take on a quality similar to a curse. That is a hard choice to make." Maya's voice is stable, but cold and rather cynical. "You speak of choices, which means there are options. What are those?"

[Melamoto]

"Divine Spark? Losing my God? I have no true faith in any god, just a following. I have no afterlife worth existing for, and I have no life to question. I will take upon this curse if it helps to further this task. However, tell me one thing first: How have you made your way here, and how will you find your way back after all this? And if you can't, where will you go?"

[Thalnawr]

"Mm, a difficult choice indeed. To be cast out, in essence, in order to attempt to save all of creation. Yet if we succeed, and are known for it, think of the renown we could earn. Our names could echo throughout all the worlds, what better legacy could any person wish for?"

Vanamir looks thoughtful, for a moment or two. "I'll do it! "

[Scarlet Tropix]

"I of course, have had the choice made for me since birth."

For a moment, though it may have been just the lighting of the room, Illque looked like an man twice his age. Then the moment passed, and though his expression was dour, he looked the same as he always had.

"I'll go."

[brujon]

There's a flash of light, and lightning strucks in the center of the auditorium. Momentarily you're stunned by the light and sound of lightning and thunder, but when you open your eyes, the center is now covered with a rug, similar to the one you've seen in the hallways before coming to this room. In the center of the auditorium, four large stone blocks appear, each one with shackles for the hands and feet. In the middle of the stone blocks, a circular plataform stands some 3 feet tall. The lighting on the room shifts from the odd alien color to a blood red, and the orchestra begins to play anew. The forms which surrounded the room have vanished. This time, the orchestra focuses on the organ and the violin, a sorrowful and morose piece. A papyrus floats down from the sky, and opens circularly throughout the auditorium, forming a wall of incomprenhensible and alien runes. For a moment, the music slows down even more, and finnally, you can discern that in the circular plataform there's a black robed figure. You cannot see anything beyond the dark robes that cover the figure's features. It speaks in a somber tone with a thousand voices, you can now truly see it's an totally alien species, for the voice is unlike anything you've ever heard.


"The preparation for the cerimony has been completed... Those of you who have made your choice, lay down onto one of the stone slabs. The rewriting of the soul is to begin. You will enter as yourselves, but will leave anew. First and foremost, i'll explain the whole process.

The music you hear has special qualities, it helps you synch with your soul and achieve uncanny concentration. When you are to lay down onto the stone slab, we will chant the incantations that will put you into a deep trance. While into that trance, you will become synchronized with your divine spark fully. You may experience feelings and emotions that are particular to the gods which brought you forth into existence, and may even see through their eyes momentarily, which can be a frightening experience. Much can be learned from that experience, but do not trust all that you see, for there's the taint deep inside that very divine spark. When you achieve total synchronization, we will forcifully break that link by cutting you off the trance suddenly, and the divine spark will be pulled from you and utterly destroyed by the sphere of annihilation above.


The robed figure points out to the sky, where there's a deep, utter black hole, floating there, seemingly distorting the space around it.


When that happens, the shackles will help keep you into one piece, for that is the most excruciating pain that can be wrought into one being. We will immediately use a powerful incantation to knock you out cold, as to minimize the damage to your mind. When you wake, we will tend to you as best as we can, and prepare you for the journey that you must face.

If one doesn't go through the process, it can mean failure to the entire expedition. But if that is the case, we will make sure to provide the best means of protection at our hands, but outside this realm, the best we can offer is seven days of protection. After that, the protection will wane, and be exposed. We now wait."

[Weimann]

"Very well. It seems the only reasonable choice."Maya stood up from the floor, dusting herself off. She looks highly displeased, but stands firm and fast. She sighs and walks towards the middle of the auditorium.

"I do this for the general good. If my aid can protect life, then I must make my chances of sucess as high as possible." She walks up to a block with shackles and stand by it, looking down at it with disdain.

[Thalnawr]

"Well, I can't back out now." Vanamir then walks to the middle as well, taking his place by another of the stone blocks.

"Are you sure there's not some way to store this so-called divine spark outside our bodies, and return it to us once we're victorious? Destroying it seems to be such a drastic measure."

[Melamoto]

"I have made my choice. There is no need for a delay." Hunter walks up to one of the stone slabs, and lays himself down upon it. "I am ready."

[Scarlet Tropix]

"If lack of a Divine spark is what is needed," said Illque, eyeing the contraption with distaste, "why did you not call more like myself, or send me alone? I do not wish to see them suffer my fate.

[brujon]

The robed figure steps atop the circular pedestal on the center and speaks


"We have not thought of that, Vanamir. It *is* an interesting idea, to store your divine sparks. They would be protected here, and should we fail to secure them, it is no different than if we were to destroy them. I think maybe a resilient sphere may be enough... hmm...

Ilque, we have tried, but it's quite hard to find one such as you. There are few, many of which are not suited to this task, or who actively go into hiding. And with our little arrangement here, it'll be as good as if we had called three more such as you.

Now, we are to begin the extraction."



As you lay down on the stone slabs, the shackles tightly grasp your ankles and wrists, another band passes through your thighs and chest. There's music, and then you fall asleep. You can hear the chanting, strange words, every one of them making you go deeper and deeper into slumber. You see the beggining of your worlds. Fire and magma, then the forming of the oceans, the first inhabitants, simple yet beautiful creatures. You see the beggining of your civilization and the emotion of the gods to see them grow. You sense the envy of other gods, corruption, death, sorrow. Suddenly there's pain, you twist and bend, your bones almost break. All those images fade, and you feel a deep, consuming void deep inside your chest. You know you are now invisible to creation.




You gain the following special qualities:


Noticed (Ex): A Creature That God Never Saw has a sixth sense in regards to actually being noticed. They can sense when they are the focus of a divination spell or clairsentient power. As well, if they are singled out of the crowd even by a pair of eyes they can sense they are being watched. This sense has no limit as long as the being watching them can see them.

One Chance (Ex): A Creature That God Never Saw does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit like an Outsider. When a creature with this template is slain, no soul is set loose. Spells and Powers that restore souls to their bodies, such as psionic revivify, raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don’t work on a Creature That God Never Saw. It takes a different effect, such as bend reality, reality revision, limited wish, wish, to restore it to life.

Spurn Deific Touch (Ex): A Creature That God Never Saw is immune to all divine spells and powers, be they harmful or harmless. Ongoing divine effects, such as Circle Against Evil, a Creature That God Never Saw may also ignore as long as they allow spell resistance.


In addition, each of you has a marking on you chest that looks like a circle with a triangle with an eye inside. This is a ward that provides spell resistance equal 10 + Char Level against any attempt to locate or spy on you. It also serves as a binding rune for your divine spark to be relocated inside your soul. The marking appears faintly even through clothing and armor, but can be concealed with a simple prestidigitation spell.

[Weimann]

As Maya awakens from her unconsciousness that the beings induced on her, she is immediatley overcome with a feeling of utter emptiness. Desperate, she strains her shackles, but they hold fast. She screams loudly, her cries unarticuated, and seem to be in distress.

((Should this warrant a sanity check? I'd think it would.))

[Thalnawr]

Vanamir slowly awakens, and starts for a moment, struggling with his bonds. As he looks around the auditorium, he slowly calms. "Oh, right, I volunteered this time..."

[Weimann]

Maya has calmed down a bit after her initial panic, but is still breathing hard and seems very tense. She lies with her eyes closed and attempts to regain normal breathing.

[Melamoto]

Hunter gets up, and appears to gasp, although no sound comes out. Afterwards, he settles down, and says simply: "It is done."

[Thalnawr]

"I guess we should get to work on saving everything, then. When do we start?", asks Vanamir.

[brujon]

(sorry for not posting for a while, i'm currently bed ridden, throat infection... I'll be back to normal tomorrow probably)

[Melamoto]

"As soon as we're given instruction is good enough for me." Hunter replied with an air of anticipation.

[brujon]

Drums echo across the auditorium in a slow, steady manner... That of a heartbeat, slowly rising in intensity. The blood red color of the sky fades away, and the blackness it leaves slowly brightens until it's almost white in color. The stone blocks that form the ground of the auditorium begin to levitate around you leaving only the circular center on which you stand, and then reform as a flight of stairs leading up, and up for as far as the eye can see. Yet you now can muster some of the eccentricities of this queer dimension and know the stairs don't go exactly up, but out. The voice gains a feminine and fragile quality, and as the hooded figure seemingly evaporates it speaks in this soft humming manner


All that afflicts you is now gone... You have accepted the challenge, and now the fates of the world fall upon you. When you begin to climb the stairs you will begin to leave this realm and go to the world of which we had previously spoken. Be very careful when using magic there, for that world has no magic of it's own. If you use it too much, people will persecute you, for they do not understand. But you will also find things there to be unordinary... Open your hearts and your minds, and follow the clues leading to the strange cults. Find a way to banish the abominations back to their original void, and stop their devouring. We wish you the best of luck. The earring which you found in the first room, keep it close to heart, for that is what will bring you here when the time comes. We now must bid you farewell, we have done all that we could. Our fates are now interwoven...


All ability damage, penaltys to save and HP damage are now gone. You regain all lost sanity points except for those you permanently lose because of the Forbidden Lore.

[Weimann]

((I will assume my shackles are also loosened :P))

Maya stiffens when she hears that.

"E- earring? I don't have any earring!"

She rushes back to the wall she entered through and feels if it is still passable.

[Melamoto]

"We got it while you were still out. Don't worry, Vanamir has the earring."

[Thalnawr]

"I do? I remember it appearing, but I assumed it was for someone else. I picked up the piece of glass, that they said was for me, but that's all. Well, unless I picked it up, put it in my backpack and forgot about it..."

Vanamir then opens up his backpack, and starts looking for the earring.

[Weimann]

Maya watches the search nervously.

"You got it there? Huh? Huh?"

[Scarlet Tropix]

"Even if he doesn't," said Illque, placing a comforting hand on Maya's shoulder,
I'm sure the powers that be have a spare."

[brujon]

It is with Vanamir, now. We brought it forth from whence it once where. You must go now through the gate... To stop those abominations once and for all. To correct what we did wrong.

[Weimann]

Maya seems to calm down when she feels Illque's hand on her shoulder. She takes a deep breath and, looking at him, even manages to smile a little. Her confidence is further reassured as the spectral voice informs them of the state of things.

"As long as we can get back, I will do what I must. Let's... um, let's get the show on the road! Ehe..." Maya nods and looks at the other, seemingly trying to bring up the mood, but looking rather silly with her downcast eyes and uncertain voice. None the less, her face is encouraging, and she seems to have convinced herself at least. She begins to walk towards and through the gate.

[Thalnawr]

"Yes, indeed. Let's get going."

Vanamir also steps towards the stairs.

[Melamoto]

Hunter gives a quick word before he enters, "Well, if I'm doomed to living death without a god or any hope of an afterlife should I fail, may as well make the most of it." He then walks straight up the stairs, without looking back.

[brujon]

You walk up the stairs, a fog begins to form and thicken as you go. You walk wearily, unable to see beyond two or three steps, and that goes on for what seems like more than an hour. You reach what seems to be the end of the stairs, unable to see any more steps, and then the haze begins to die down, slowly. When it finally dies down completely, you see yourself in the middle of a street.

The street is lit by gas lamps every 6, 7 meters or so, and the cobblestones that form the walk are wet, indicating that it had been raining until some time ago. Not a single soul on the street, the buildings all have their lights out, their brick walls touching one another forming an unending sequence of buildings, it's unlike anything you ever seen. It's rather cold, and from the sewage holes you can see the steam surfacing. There is a light fog forming and disappearing at times. On narrow alleys you can see beggars and hookers in their drunken stupors, and some of them give some shouts asking for some "cash" and telling you to "to hell with you ye bloody jew" when you continue walking. The streets are pretty depressing, and there's some strangeness around. The black hills which you can see beyond the town by the full moon light seem to harbor strange things, and that you can feel. As you wonder and wander with no clear direction, a man approaches you.


"Got lost, cutters? Lucky for ye i'm a friendly chap. Lookin' for a place to stay the night, yes? I know just the place, heh. Cheap, clean enough, and folks don't ask questions. Course, myself will be wantin' some compensation... And if ye don't mind me asking, what the bloody hell are you wearing? Got out of some kinda fancy fair or circus or something? Me name's Chatty Pete, by the way. Ye need anything, just let me know."


Chatty Pete, a normal human, is not a physically imposing man, standing at 1,60 to 1,70, he's not tall, and at some 60 kg he's not in the least a muscular man. His hair is orange, as is his beard, he wears pants and a heavy coat and gloves, and seem rather dirty, like a beggar. His voice is rash and high pitched, in a funny pleasant way.

[Melamoto]

Hunter steps forward and replies to the man. "Whatever place to stay you will show us will be good enough. And I think that we can compensate you for your aid. And as for the clothes..." Hunter takes a closer look at him, straight in the face for a moment, and then steps back. "It would be best to not ask."

[Thalnawr]

Vanamir motions to everyone, and then whispers, "We need to find out everything we can about this place. Perhaps this man can help us in more than just finding lodging. Maybe he can serve as a guide, and knows of others who could serve in the same capacity if we need to separate?"

[brujon]

Heh... Just follow ma lead, cutters... I'll show ye Ol' Mama Jenkins... Now, a word of advise if i may, Ol' Mama isn't in her best of moods tis time of the night... Don't answer her back or she'll be madder than a rabid dog at ya, and Ol' Mama angry tis not a pretty sight to see...

Chatty Pete leads the way, down serpentuous alleys full of the drunk and the scum, whores abound in the streets and more than once Pete has to shout out "they're okay" for them to leave you alone on the way to Ol' Mama's... Sometimes they would come with their knives already in hand, ready for cutting your throats, their eyes blood-shot and undoubtedly full of drugs. You seem to have ended up in the shadiest part of this town, whatever one this is. It's not wholly unfamiliar, this atmosphere. But the town, the buildings and clothing, it seems completely alien. Finally, you arrive at Ol Mama's. It's a large building, large metal doors, looks like a warehouse. A large sign at the top reads "Arkham Meat Processing Factory, Hampster Co. ltd", crossed out by red paint, and written on top lies "Ol Mama Jenkin's". Chatty Pete tells you to stop, and starts banging on the metal door.

OL MAMAAAAAAAAAA! PETEY BROUGHT YOU SUM CUTTERS WANT TO CRASH IN YOUR PLACE FOR THA NIGHT! GONNA PAY ME DEBT TO YOU NOW! DON'T OPEN UP SHOOTING YOU WON'T REGRET!


For a while, there's silence. Then you hear a grating, very loud noise, metal on metal as the doors start to open. From the inside, two very large fellows, 2m tall and at least 250kg each, each carrying a very large piece of wood with a metal barrel are apparently coming outside. They come out and stop. One of them speaks...

"Ol' Mama is asleep. Don't wake her up. Payment will be 30$ for each of you, plus the 100$ Pete owes, and 50$ interest. You cutters better have the cash."

Chatty Pete seems a bit unnerved, it seems he didn't remember correctly the amount he owed to the Jenkin's... He turns to you, checks you up, then turn again to the gargantuan monsters.

"Put down yer shotty's, fellas... Look at them fancy clothes, sure they have the cash. Must be running away from the blues fer some reason."

Pete turns to you again

Time to bleed out the payment, gents... I made me part, now you gotta show them the greens...

[Weimann]

Maya looks at the giant people in towering above them, herself being rather small. She reaches for her money pouch, all the while studying all three of the present strangers... well, more strange than those she met an hour ago.

Reaching for her pouch, she wonders how much to produce. She is certain money will be required, but she'd rather not show them just HOW much she has: too much and they might be tempted to rob them. Not that she has any idea how much a "$" is. She hopes there's an exchange rate, or she might display an abundance of wealth due to sheer ignorance.

Fumbling with her pouch in an attempt to stall, she attempts to catch the vibes of each of them.

If she has studied the people sufficiently, Maya attempts a Sense Motive check to read their intent for each of them. If it's inapplicable for any of them, ignore the roll.
Sense motive check for Pete - [roll0]
Sense motive check for the big guy to the right - [roll1]
Sense motive check for the big guy to the left - [roll2]

[Melamoto]

"We don't have any "$" with us. Perhaps you would be willing to take some of these?" Hunter holds out 3 gold pieces in his hand, as a gesture.

Diplomacy:
[roll0]

[brujon]

Chatty Pete eyes Hunter warily as he pulls out the 3 large gold coins from his pouch, visibly surprised and amused. The two gargantuan men likewise change their somber expression to one of bewilderment, and one of them promptly grabs the coins from your hand, biting one of them. Then, he inspects the coin and sees the dent. He looks Hunter dead center in the eye and speaks.

Holy ****! You guys robbed a museum or something?! Mama Jenkins will want to speak to you personally. Come with us right away.

[I]As this is going on, Chatty Pete whispers to Hunter and Maya...[/B]


"Are you always that generous or you just don't have any idea how much this stuff is worth?? This is pure GOLD! You just handed them a wad of cash! Where are you from anyway? Where did you get this kind of dough?"

[Melamoto]

"That may cost us a fair bit, but I don't like to mess around and waste time, so if it gets us to see Mama Jenkins sooner, then I'll have to make a sacrifice. And if you're wondering where I got it..."
Hunter pauses and looks down for a second, and then looks right back up at Pete.
"...it was inheritance money. My grandfather was quite wealthy before he passed away, and I got a fair cut of it. We used to live some place quite far from here, you probably haven't heard of it."

Hey, I just realised something. I cause 1d6 Sanity damage to anyone here who looks at my true form. And I bet that the dozens of other abilities the group has could probably put someone down to permanent insanity. Anything to say about that?

[Melamoto]

Forgot:
Bluff: [roll0]

And, if he doesn't seem to believe me:

"You can think what you want to think, my grandad was real as that gold. And there could be more of it, as long as you don't offend me about the matter."

[brujon]

We don't ask lots of question here... Your money is as good as any money. If you got it from your grandaddy, from digging up a grave, shooting someone in the face or blowing up Fort Knox... we don't give a damn. Now, if you cause any problems, then you and Mr. Winchester here are going to have a chat...

He pauses and **** his shotgun, making a loud noise. The other one speaks.

We like gold same as anyone. Of course, it's gonna be a hassle to pass this through the black market, but we're used to this sort of endeavor... And by the looks of it, you made it quite worth our while... Now, come, Mama Jenkins is waiting fer ye upstairs... Behave yourself, cuz' Mama's in a bad mood, and the gold is only going to make her less mad at the world, not happy...

He makes a motion for you to follow them, and stand waiting at the doorstep. They seem to be in a bit of a hurry.


{{{As for the potential permanent insanity you may cause others... It's a pretty valid strategy! I'm not using the optional rule that magic will cause insanity to the user, but for those who watch and are not familiar with it, they'll sure be left bewildered and amused, specially if it's something amazing like a fireball or even worse, a summoning spell}}}

[Weimann]

Maya happily lets the big man conduct the discussions, but note the impressions she has received from the henchmen surrounding them. She follows the group as they move, not doing anything in particular to catch any attention.

[Thalnawr]

Vanamir follows behind as well, somewhat warily due to the strange surroundings. He seems to be keeping a watch on the one who threatened Hunter with "Mr Winchester", whatever that is supposed to mean.

When convenient, I'd like to attempt to get a read on these 2 clowns.
The one I'm watching: [roll0] Sense Motive
The other clown: [roll1] Sense Motive

[Melamoto]

Hunter follows along, now holding his hood so that it leans straight over his face. He stays low while he walks, and quietly wonders who this "Mama Jenkins" is. A great warrior? A leader? A form of artisan? Knowing he will soon have to find out, he walks cautiously, while observing his surroundings.

[brujon]

Entering the big warehouse, you see hundreds of boxes, men are piling them up in neat packages and distributing them to various sections inside the warehouse. Huge metal machines pick them up and lift them, puting them in different locations, every one of the men manning them have a shady look to them. The whole ceiling is made of metal, and up ahead you see stairs leading up to where the offices are. The two overweight goons lead you through the stairs, their weight making the metal stairs cringe and make noise above that of the machines operating below. You walk past offices where there are men dressed in black suits, eyeing you curiously. You now know for sure that whatever goes on in this place, it's most certainly not legal. You walk past the hallways and reach a ornated wood door, leading to what seems to be the main office of the building. The goons stop and knock on the door.

"Mama, sorry to interrupt you, but we have visitors... You'll want to speak to them, theys a strange type."


You hear a loud coffing sound, so loud you'd think there's someone *dying* inside that office. There's a spitting sound and a loud hiss, and a rash very old voice speaks in a utterly disdaining unemotional way.

I already told you Jim, i DON'T like interruptions. Just because i don't sleep much doesn't mean i don't need my time alone. This better be worth it cuz' i'm not in the mood today...

When she finishes speaking, the large goon who knocked on the door, Jim, proceeds to open it. Inside, there's quite a view. The room is carpeted, old blackwood furnitures decorate the room, and very disturbing pictures of various incarnations of death are hung on every wall. There's a big snake sitting on the lap of the old woman, black and brown, making hissing sounds as she eyes you. She is old, very old, older than any human should be. Her wrinkles run as deep as canyons, her face a pale expression of a woman who is constantly on the line between life and death. Her eyes are deep and emotionless, cold and ruthless, and despite her old age there seems to be something about her that makes your spine shiver. The environment doesn't help much, either. The candles that light the room stand on human skulls... and at the very corner of the room, there's an iron maiden, whips and metal pliers. She looks you dead cold in the eye, and speaks.

"Well now, sons... I'm old, but even in my younger days people didn't dressed the way you do now. No, those clothes are from before my time and i know it for a fact. Furthermore, the hooded one seems to be hiding his face, which none of the others are doing, so there's a good chance that it's not to avoid detection, but for other reasons. I see here a group of men that are unfamiliar with our surroundings and not because of the nature of my business. I know it because i lived enough to discern foreigners. And the reason i lived enough, is because i don't care about anyone but me. And because of that, there must be a reason for me to give you shelter. Now, i don't ask a lot of questions, but given the nature of the matter at hand, i think that there is a place for them. I don't like to be fooled, so don't try and fool me. Answer true and honestly and i may let you live. You're clearly not from this land, but i think there may be more to that. I don't need to know why you've come and what is your purpose, but my curiosity is aroused, and that hasn't happened in quite a while. Are you from this world, or not?

Chatty pete eyes you, surprised as hell by the question posed by the old woman. The two goons look like they think she finally gone mad, but also are curious. There's silence in the air...

[Melamoto]

Hunter seems confused, and almost steps back for a moment. This person was clearly a witch or sorceress of some kind, for no others could be capable of understanding the differences between worlds. And the snake...a familiar? "That's an odd question to ask, especially around your devoted men. But if you trust us to say, then the answer...is yes." Hunter turns his head to face towards Chatty Pete and the men, looking straight at them, trying to read their reactions.

Sense Motive: [roll0]

[Weimann]

Maya remains in the background, not really knowing what to make of the situation. Her initial reaction to the old lady is distrust, but as she seems to know about their home world (at least fleetingly), she at last represents a familiar point, something increasingly valuable lately.

Maya marks down her scent, for future reference.

[Thalnawr]

Vanamir just stares at the old woman slightly open-mouthed, trying to think of something to say. Then, when Hunter confirms her suspicions, he looks back and forth between the two. We were supposed to keep our origin hidden, I thought. What if she's on the enemy's side? After a few moments, he calms down, and waits to see what everyone's reactions are to this revelation.

Sense Motive: Mama Jenkins [roll0] trying to read what action she'll take on this new information

[brujon]

Hum, i suspected as much. You must be curious as to why i was able to remark your otherworldly origins. Let's for now just say i have a friend of mine to "thank" for that. Humpf.

The old woman grumbles silently for a while

But that matters not. You are here to ask for a place to stay, and paid for it, handsomely i might add. There are empty rooms at the back, you can stay there for a month. There are new clothes, too. More casual, may i say, than what you're wearing now. I wish to discuss business with you tomorrow... You will need real money, if you wish to fit in, which i assume you want to. A warning, though. Don't try to be all heroish here. My business is my business, and i don't want you ruining it. You will see things you will not like, you will ignore them. Also, i don't like answering a lot of questions. Pete, on the other hand... Let's just say he earned that nickname for a reason.

She glares at pete, with a fearsome eye. She might as well be a demon with those ruthless eyes.

And you... You *paid* your debt, but i don't like you. Next time i see you i will cut your tongue and throw it to the dogs, am i clear? If you want to see these gentlemen you will see them outside my fine establishment.[B]

She glances at the two goons and pete

[B]And you, show this fool the door. And forget *everything* you saw here. If word hits the street, i will mop the floor with your faces.

She goes back to petting her snake, eyes as cold as ever, silently ranting to herself.

[Melamoto]

"Thank you for the offer. We appreciate it." Hunter then turns back to Pete. "You have been given your instructions. I shall ask you if I need anything more."

[Thalnawr]

"Yes, thank you for your hospitality and discretion."

Vanamir turns to Hunter and Maya and whispers, "So what now?"

[Melamoto]

inb4 thread necromancy

"I say we go along with it for now. But keep yourselves alert, we don't know whether to trust this woman or yet." Hunter replies in a like whisper.