View Full Version : rip the flaness apart
white rider
2012-01-23, 03:35 PM
The IC thread. All your RPing goodies go here.
The storms whipped around the roof of the tower howling as it was compressed by the mountains and the Tower of the Temple. The Temple jutted out on its plinth of rock, the thin bridge connecting it the path was covered in snow and ice and blasted by the winds generated by the Ice Heart hidden in the heart of the fortress.
Olaf looked down from the Tower roof. Behind him the 3 massive steelwings stretched their wings on their stands, the strange extraplanar birds with their 60ft adamantine wing spans were some of his friends, he had reared them from chicks. In the courtyard below him were some of the newest recruits training hard, Skaine barking orders at them as they began to master the basics of the Iron Heart discipline. He would commend Skaine later when they had a private practice in his Tower.
A soft voice beyond him broke his reverie... "Olaf, are you coming in?". He turned to see Atli standing there, his wife tall and proud with a warrior's bearing. He still remembered their first meeting some 12 years ago. The frozen mountains not that disimilar to the bleak lands of the Hurgan. "Yes dear. I shall be in a minute. There is a change coming". His voice deep, coarse and harsh as he looked into the black clouds bloated with heavy snow and ice. "I can feel it. Soon the Temple will be in danger. Do not fear, I shall keep you and Ethil safe".. She nodded, her hair blowing in the gale. "I know my heart. Sif watches over us and your spear and sword will defend us." Olaf nodded dutifully as his eyes narrowed, A mistake. The students need more time. I shall have to spend more time with Skaine. The Iron Heart is the most important of the disciplines..
Heading down from the tower top he passed through his private museum of trophies and memories from battles past. Dragon scales, tusked skulls and barbed demon weapons remind of the foes defeated, whilst a battered shield emblazoned with Pelor, a staff broken in two and a portrait of a young thin human woman the reminders of fellow adventurers who had not been as lucky, as skilled or as fundamentally violent as Olaf. Passing down to the floor beneath he could hear Orloff preaching the glories of Sif to the crusaders in the chapel and a few sevants singing and chanting odes to the gods in the large auditorium. The bustle filled with Olaf with pride, he had helped rebuild this but he could still sense something bad coming.
Heading down to the busy dining room he sought out the wizened small gnome. "Gineth?" he asked. His voice quieting the men and warriors in the dining hall as they craned their heads to hear their lord speak. Olaf silently shook his head... there was to be no lesson right now. Leaning closer down to the gnome, he seemed like muscled giant next to her "What news from the Inns? Is there trouble. I am uneasy?"...
Toliudar
2012-01-24, 01:25 AM
"And congratulations also to the border fort at Ely. Not only did they complete construction on their new stockade, but also managed to discourage a pack of wights from even trying to get close to the border last night. May Pelor's light shine steady and bright on you, ladies and gentlemen.
"This is what a wight looks like, brothers and sisters. Note the prominent fangs, and the telltale yellowing of the eyes. They have the ability to suck the life right out of you with a touch. If you see one at the border, raise an alarm immediately. Use your slings and bows at a distance, and call for help from your local priest.
"Next, I'd like to read this letter next from our friends, the Four Diamond Merchant Coalition in Dyvers. 'To the Pelor's Light Crafts Guild, care of the house of Alla. We are pleased confirm receipt of four hundred swords, each measuring precisely thirty-three inches. You may be pleased to know that two hundred and fifty of these swords have already been sold on to a group of Shield Knights bound for the northern wars. The consistency, balance and sharpness of your work is remarkable. Congratulations. We hope that we will be able to make further connections with your Guild for many years to come. Signed, Daewell Stockwell, Guild Magister and Accounts Supervisor.' Congratulations and thanks again to Sister Mercy for her exceptional work on Pelor's Fountain of Blades.
"Finally, a special blessing to Jessop and Vallarin Whitecourt, on the birth of their daughter Sophi. See, isn't she a cutie!
"And I'm afraid that that's all that we have time for this evening, brothers and sisters. Sleep well, and Pelor's blessings on you."
Alla blinked and wrapped up the link, feeling the contact with ten thousand minds fade to nothing. She smiled wanly to young Brother Calamer.
"Well, I think that went well."
He grinned and waggled his hands in a 'so so' gesture.
"I dunno, Grandmother. You don't think it's a bit hokey to always be showing pictures of babies at the end?"
Alla chuckled, and patted the acolyte on the shoulder.
"After everything that we've been through, the peopel need hope. And nothing says hope like a baby, kid."
She rose from her meditation chair and went to the washbasin. She splashed cold water on her face. Controlling the flow of words and images to make sure that none of her own worries seeped through was always a strain. She sought out Mercy's mind among the milling hundreds in the House.
"I am going to seek another friend for the mission. Do you have time to join me?"
Mercy's mental voice, sharp and weary, came back after only a moment. The impatience and frustration was evident in her voice.
"Blast it! Not tonight, I'm afraid. The new defensive trap for the main gate is giving me a headache, but I feel like the problem is in the force lines in the summoning region. I've almost got it. I want it in place before we go. Have fun, though. Who are you going after?"
Alla frowned slightly. Mercy was still so young, but she was burning herself out with work. But what could Alla say? The sharp-tongued woman would only point to Alla's own fifteen-hour workdays.
"Olaf, I think. He's often out during the day, so I thought that evening might be the best time to reach him, and it should be dark there now. Shall I give your regards to Erik?"
"I do NOT carry a torch for Erik. If you continue to insinuate otherwise, you old buzzard, I shall blast a hole in your new robe, and in your ass to boot."
"Methinks the lady doth protest too...ow!"
Alla winced, then grinned, as she felt Mercy cut short the connection. Now...what to wear for a meeting with the most powerful warrior alive?
Heading to her small bedroom, Alla gestured for the night acolyte on duty...Bealla, she thought...to join her. Alla hung up her grey robe, and took off her surplice, revealing gleaming mithril underneath. She took out the tiny spear-axe, looking barely the size of a child's toy, and experimentally caused to to grow to the length of the room before restoring it to a size such that a halfling might use it with some degree of grace. She glanced at herself in the mirror, noting that there was more grey up top than the last time she'd checked. When had that been? With Bealla's help, Alla slid her spiked gauntlets onto strong, if slightly arthritic, hands, and her small shield onto her arm. A golden crystal floated off of her dressing table and affixed itself to the throat-clasp of her shirt of mail. Alla held a hand to it, enjoying the warmth for a moment, then turned and nodded to dismiss Bealla.
Alla slipped out into the hall, nodding cursorily to a pair of lay-workers on their way past. They were clearly startled. It was not often anymore that Grandmother Virk appeared in full battle regalia. She made her way to the Chamber of Circles, where a dozen guards stood at ready. Four of them, she realized, were actually loyal to Olaf. Well, she thought, she'd just better bring him back alive. She nodded to the warriors and stepped to the fourth circle, murmuring a password to activate the power within. The loop blazed with blue light for a moment, and Alla stepped in.
Emerging in a much colder climate, higher up, was always disorienting. Doubly so when you find a pair of very large swords pointed towards you. Alla smiled benignly up at the guards.
"Why, Huorn and Valli, as I live and breathe. It's good to see you both again. Huorn, that moustache is very fetching, and don't let anyone tell you different. Valli, it looks like you've been mastering your study of the Diamond Mind stances. Bravo. I don't suppose you could tell me if Atli and Olaf are in residence tonight. I'd really like to speak with them."
"Why, Huorn and Valli, as I live and breathe. It's good to see you both again. Huorn, that moustache is very fetching, and don't let anyone tell you different. Valli, it looks like you've been mastering your study of the Diamond Mind stances. Bravo. I don't suppose you could tell me if Atli and Olaf are in residence tonight. I'd really like to speak with them."
The two guards on the main gate started as the dimunitive halfling, glowing with power and clad in mithril appeared from nowhere. Both went for their weapons before seeing who it was and flushing red wih embarassment. "Well met Lady Alla. Please enter and be welcome. We shall send someone to fetch our Lord and Lady". As the massive iron door swings open and All steps within the icy blast of the freezing wind is cut off and replaced with the sound of revelry, shouting and singing.
The doorway opens straight into the grand hall and the high arched stone ceilings and walls are decorated with trophies and almost every kind of weapon imaginable. Training tools lie scattered around and at the far ene dof the room upon a small plinth large throne stands to dominate the room. As Skadi, one of the serving girls, leads Alla in she looks down at the halfling, a hint of worry in her eyes, "Grandmother Alla. Are you here to take our Lord away from us?". Olaf, while known far and wide as a creature of unbridled desruction and death took care of all in his Temple and was well loved by them. Skadi led Alla through the busy dining hall and tavern, the noise diminishing down to a whisper as the warriors, guards and servants all offered respectful bows and curtsies to the aged clerc, their huge roasted haunches of meat and horns of mead temporaily forgotten. "Gods bless you Grandmother". "Can I fetch anything Lady Alla". "Do you need Aid grandmother..." a few of the quiet requests as she passes through.
As she begins to climb stone stairs the noise slowly returns to the tavern as the students begin to debate what has brought the old halfling to see the Master of Blades. The stairs, like many of the corridors include trophies of the martial arts, one she recognises, it may be a premonition what is to come- a Balor's sword blade, sheared off half way down its length. The inscription below, written in both common and the barbarian cold tongue, reading "The foul demon Askard'hash'Bakla fough the Temple Master. Both battling in the heart of the lake of fire. The demon thrust his blade through the Master's shoulder but the Master was not to be dissuaded and took the great demon by the throat with his bare hands. Revealing his cowardice the beast fled, vanishing back to its hellish home. The blade remaining in the Master's shoulder..."
Eventually, and still following the young Skadii she arrives in the Olaf's private quarters. Inside the scene is not what she expects. In the corner of the large room strewn with cloths and weapons, a light perfume fraganting the air is a small bed. The bed a wooden crafted thing of great beauty with dragons and giants on the ends containing a young 10 year old girl gleaming with almost unnatural power. Beside the bed hunched over with a strangely gentle look on his face the Master of Blades. A massive hulking brute of a man festooned with the scars of a thousand battles his actions seem out of character as he reads Ethil the story. "The fey elves danced and sang in the moonlight. The feat going for many hours as they celebrated..... At the sound of the door opening the gruff voice cuts off and Olaf turns to see who has entered. "Grandmother Alla. Be welcome to my home. "Granny!" the young girl shouts as she rockets out of bed to run to the halfing. The 10 year old built like her father already towers over the halfling and her impact is crushing in the over enthusiastic embrace of a child.
"Enough now Ethil. Back to bed." The giant mutters softly. Skadii, would you mind finishing the tale?" The youngservant blushes at being addressed by name but nods her aquisence.
"Good night sweet darling. May dreams bring tales of valour." With his daughter returned to bed Olaf beckoned the Lady Alla to follow as he headed into his private study. The room looking bare of decoration and trinkets, warded by powerful magic. "Well met Alla. How can I help you. Would you like food, drink, warm milk?. His hand srokes the bone hilt of his massive blade at his side, "I have felt something coming. A sense of unease that my skills will be tested again".
Toliudar
2012-01-24, 04:17 AM
The doorway opens straight into the grand hall and the high arched stone ceilings and walls are decorated with trophies and almost every kind of weapon imaginable. Training tools lie scattered around and at the far ene dof the room upon a small plinth large throne stands to dominate the room. As Skadi, one of the serving girls, leads Alla in she looks down at the halfling, a hint of worry in her eyes, "Grandmother Alla. Are you here to take our Lord away from us?".
Alla smiled and reached up to take Skadi's hand.
"Skadi, no one takes your master anywhere he doesn't wish to be. And from where I hope we'll go, he'll be back as soon as I am. Can you guide me to him, please?"
Olaf, while known far and wide as a creature of unbridled desruction and death took care of all in his Temple and was well loved by them. Skadi led Alla through the busy dining hall and tavern, the noise diminishing down to a whisper as the warriors, guards and servants all offered respectful bows and curtsies to the aged clerc, their huge roasted haunches of meat and horns of mead temporaily forgotten. "Gods bless you Grandmother". "Can I fetch anything Lady Alla". "Do you need Aid grandmother..." a few of the quiet requests as she passes through.
Alla breathes deeply of the smells of the hall, but nods and declines the kindly offers of food and aid. "I wish I could linger here...that roast pork smells absolutely amazing. Do you use honey or sugar on the glazing?"
As she begins to climb stone stairs the noise slowly returns to the tavern as the students begin to debate what has brought the old halfling to see the Master of Blades. The stairs, like many of the corridors include trophies of the martial arts, one she recognises, it may be a premonition what is to come- a Balor's sword blade, sheared off half way down its length. The inscription below, written in both common and the barbarian cold tongue, reading "The foul demon Askard'hash'Bakla fough the Temple Master. Both battling in the heart of the lake of fire. The demon thrust his blade through the Master's shoulder but the Master was not to be dissuaded and took the great demon by the throat with his bare hands. Revealing his cowardice the beast fled, vanishing back to its hellish home. The blade remaining in the Master's shoulder..."
Alla nodded grimly. She had indeed come to the right place.
Eventually, and still following the young Skadii she arrives in the Olaf's private quarters. Inside the scene is not what she expects. In the corner of the large room strewn with cloths and weapons, a light perfume fraganting the air is a small bed. The bed a wooden crafted thing of great beauty with dragons and giants on the ends containing a young 10 year old girl gleaming with almost unnatural power. Beside the bed hunched over with a strangely gentle look on his face the Master of Blades. A massive hulking brute of a man festooned with the scars of a thousand battles his actions seem out of character as he reads Ethil the story. "The fey elves danced and sang in the moonlight. The feast going for many hours as they celebrated..... At the sound of the door opening the gruff voice cuts off and Olaf turns to see who has entered. "Grandmother Alla. Be welcome to my home. "Granny!" the young girl shouts as she rockets out of bed to run to the halfing. The 10 year old built like her father already towers over the halfling and her impact is crushing in the over enthusiastic embrace of a child.
Alla does her best to brace herself, picked up and flung about in a delightfully undignified manner. Although breathing...breathing would be useful...ah, yes. There we go.
"Ethil? This can't be Ethil? Ethil is a little girl! This is practically a young woman. Ah, sweetheart, you're so beautiful."
"Enough now Ethil. Back to bed." The giant mutters softly. Skadii, would you mind finishing the tale?" The young servant blushes at being addressed by name but nods her aquiescence.
"Good night sweet darling. May dreams bring tales of valour." With his daughter returned to bed Olaf beckoned the Lady Alla to follow as he headed into his private study. The room looking bare of decoration and trinkets, warded by powerful magic. "Well met Alla. How can I help you. Would you like food, drink, warm milk?. His hand srokes the bone hilt of his massive blade at his side, "I have felt something coming. A sense of unease that my skills will be tested again".
Alla nods and follows Olaf into his study.
"Milk would be wonderful, Olaf, thank you."
Hopping up into a visitor's chair that is too large for her by at least a factor of four, and with a nimbleness that belied her years, Alla sets aside the rather silly trappings of war on the seat next to her, and tucks her knees up to her chin.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you, Olaf, and I won't be offended if you say no. As you know, the ruins of the Great Kingdom have mostly been swallowed up by its northern and southern provinces, leaving a band in the middle where anarchy and a few twisted death knights rule."
Alla pauses as a servant arrives with the requested milk, and nods a silent thank you. She sips pensively.
"Mmm. Yak or sheep?"
And then back on topic.
"I wouldn't mind so much - the troubled area around Rauxes is a thorn in Xavener's side, and anything that weakens Ahlissa would normally be all right with me. But we've seen a lot of low-end fiends - soldier 'loths, chain devils and the like - showing up on our borders in the last few months. Nothing that Mercy and I can't handle, but we can't be everywhere at once. And it's a sign.
"Olaf, I think it means that the purge of fiends that was effected by the Crook of Rao has faded, and they're moving back into the land in numbers. It also probably means that the so-called impenetrable barrier around the hellmouth that Rauxes became is not so impenetrable any more. So, I'm proposing to gather a strike team of the boldest warriors, the most knowledgeable wizards that I can muster. That we go into the remains of Rauxes, and we try to seal off the breaches to the nether realms, once and for all."
Grandmother Alla speaks with a quiet matter-of-factness, it would seem more like she was discussing a Sunday tea than a strike against the most ancient and active font of malice on the continent.
"I don't know if you've met Them Hepmural? Enigmatic fellow. Travels the continent in a floating fortress that makes Zagig's tower seem like a sidewalk beer garden. As dedicated a follower of Pelor as any you're likely to meet. He's already agreed to take part. And I'm still looking for a few more. I'm hoping to have everyone assembled in a few days. Would you be willing to help out?"
Alla nods and follows Olaf into his study.
"Milk would be wonderful, Olaf, thank you."
Hopping up into a visitor's chair that is too large for her by at least a factor of four, and with a nimbleness that belied her years, Alla sets aside the rather silly trappings of war on the seat next to her, and tucks her knees up to her chin.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you, Olaf, and I won't be offended if you say no. As you know, the ruins of the Great Kingdom have mostly been swallowed up by its northern and southern provinces, leaving a band in the middle where anarchy and a few twisted death knights rule."
Alla pauses as a servant arrives with the requested milk, and nods a silent thank you. She sips pensively.
"Mmm. Yak or sheep?"
And then back on topic.
"I wouldn't mind so much - the troubled area around Rauxes is a thorn in Xavener's side, and anything that weakens Ahlissa would normally be all right with me. But we've seen a lot of low-end fiends - soldier 'loths, chain devils and the like - showing up on our borders in the last few months. Nothing that Mercy and I can't handle, but we can't be everywhere at once. And it's a sign.
"Olaf, I think it means that the purge of fiends that was effected by the Crook of Rao has faded, and they're moving back into the land in numbers. It also probably means that the so-called impenetrable barrier around the hellmouth that Rauxes became is not so impenetrable any more. So, I'm proposing to gather a strike team of the boldest warriors, the most knowledgeable wizards that I can muster. That we go into the remains of Rauxes, and we try to seal off the breaches to the nether realms, once and for all."
Grandmother Alla speaks with a quiet matter-of-factness, it would seem more like she was discussing a Sunday tea than a strike against the most ancient and active font of malice on the continent.
"I don't know if you've met Them Hepmural? Enigmatic fellow. Travels the continent in a floating fortress that makes Zagig's tower seem like a sidewalk beer garden. As dedicated a follower of Pelor as any you're likely to meet. He's already agreed to take part. And I'm still looking for a few more. I'm hoping to have everyone assembled in a few days. Would you be willing to help out?"
Olaf listens intently as the elderly halfling speaks explaingnig the problems that may be about to beset her small fledgling, but growing, kingdom. At the mention of milk he shrugs slightly.... "Close enough to be called yak". Before waving at her to go on.
At the mention of Them he concentrates searching his memory before shaking his head, unkempt shaggy hair flapping about. "I am afraid not Mother Alla. I spend much time here and in general most of the wizards I meet do not survive the meeting... If he is, as you say, a servant of Pelor then I will be glad to know him and fight alongside him. You know I have much respect for your Sun Lord."
At the mention of the growing armies of fiends attacking her borders he scowls, massive hands clenching and knuckles tightening drawing the eye to the iron hard nails and reminders of the rumours that the man sat before her had torn the throat out of the green Wyrm Khosska with naught but his bare hands. "If you wish I can strip some men from my watch forts to reinforce your border. They are all doughty warriors, skilled with axe and shield. If you wish scouts I can dispatch one of my steelwings to aid your border patrols?"
He means offering some of his 340 hireling 4th level warrior vikings. Maybe even a Steelwing! (A fun CR14 flying adamantine coated bird of doom!!)
His eyes narrow as she outlines her plans he nods in agreement. "You know that I bear much hatred for the fiends. They destroyed my people and I feel nothing save vengeance for them. When you wish to leave my axe and sword will go with you. Gladly so.". He looks quizzically again at the woman, "This quest will be dangerous, are you sure you wish to put yourself at risk Mother? Your loss would devastate Chathold.". The question is phrased respectfully. He is aware of her power as the favoured scion of Pelor on Oerth, but still... she is frail and old. "Do you wish to leave immediatly? If so I need but an hour to save my farewells to Atli and Ethel, instruct my students and have Sleipnir woken and saddled.
Toliudar
2012-01-24, 05:03 PM
Alla
Visibly relieved by his immediate offer of aid, Alla waves off Olaf's concerns about her health.
"Olaf, I'm old enough to have stared at death, and I'm not overmuch afraid of it. Besides, I'm just a dried up old spinster. You're the family man with children to think of, and I don't see it stopping you, Mister 'I killed a balor with his sword stuck in my shoulder'."
Her gaze turns towards the door they had come through, and to Ethil beyond, perhaps, and she becomes sombre again.
"And you know the love I bear for you and your family, Olaf. What you have accomplished here at the temple these last few years is nothing short of remarkable. You're a beacon of hope in what has been a pretty blighted corner of the world.
"If I had my druthers, none of us would be doing this. But for ten years and more now, Mercy and I, and the people of Almor, have been fighting a defensive battle against the fiends, against the undead. We've carved out a little space, a little time. And the offer of your warriors is very kind, but if the fiends are coming south to us, odds are good that they'll start to show up on your doorstep as well.
"But, just once before I die, I'd like to win one, yes? Not just drive the darkness back a bit, but actually make a place for the light. Imagine what the closing of the hellmouth would mean, both to the health of the land, and as a symbol of hope to all the nations.
"As to how soon...well, Master Hepmural has secreted himself away in his inestimable library, looking for writings new and old about Rauxes. I'd like to shore up our group with a few more like-minded folk - and if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear em. I want to travel light, to be able to move in and out without having to hold ground, so a small group would be best. As much as it might seem like a good idea to march in at the head of an army, I'd rather have five of you than five hundred of just about anyone else. If you know what I mean."
"All of which is to say...three days from now? Perhaps you and Sleipner could start with a visual reconnaissance over Rauxes, while I visit a few other possible allies. Or vice versa, if you prefer. It gives all of us a chance to put our affairs in order, pick up any other trinkets we may need, and still not have word of our intention spread too far. I think that Rauxes is still isolated from the world, but in case it's not, I'd rather not have whatever's inside knowing who we are and when we're coming."
She shrugs and slides forward to the edge of her chair.
"But I'm more used to organizing weddings and council meetings than warbands, these days. What do you suggest?"
distant quasar
2012-01-24, 05:30 PM
"Just a little more... almost there..." the student squints down at the bottle he is mixing, attempting to mix his first potion. His partner stand beside him, hurriedly geting the next needed ingredient. Satisified, the furst student sets the vial back down, looking at the next step to refresh his mind. "It says we need 3 drops of citric acid... how odd can you possibly be..." His partner holds up the neccessary acid, squeezing in the drips with care. 1... 2... the next drop doesn't want to come. After a few attempts, the frutstrated student shakes the canister, and a small stream comes out. The potion begins to fizz up, then overflows...
"Argh!"
"Alright now, everyone." Jenor's voice is hear in the lab clearly. "Can anyone tell me what the proper procedure is when you can't get the needed liquid out of the stopper?"
"You grab a new one, and fix the problem later."
"That's right, Trant. But what if you need the liquid quickly, or else you'd ruin the potion?"
"um... You use magic to ease it out! A cantrip!"
"Excellent memory! Now, who wants to help Xan and Soal clean up their mess?"
A few more students get busy helping the unfortunate pair clean up the sticky liquid that was proving very hard to get off the floor.
"Now, I want everyone to have their completed potion stopped up and in my office in 2 hours, alright. Don't forget review the properties of basic alchemical subtances for your quiz tommorow!"
The students chimed their acceptance, without too much enthusiasm however. Nonetheless they knew they were fortunate to be a part of a university whose teaching methods were so hands-on. The University traveled around Oerth at whim, giving the students unparalled experiences around the world and preparing them to adventure in the name of Pelor.
Jenor watched the students work for a moment more, then went off to find his uncle...
Of course, he already knew where to look. Ever since Alla had visited, Themmer had been stored away in his library day and night, searching relentlessly for anything that might have to do with Rauxes. And of course, he had made it clear enough that he didn't want to be disturbed. Jenor knew, though, that his uncle needed to take a break.
"Jenor, your uncle is busy," calls Grant the head librarian upon seeing Jenor approaching, "Which I'm sure you're aware of."
"I know. I'm just gong to make sure he doesn't work himself to death, you know."
"Ah, don't worry. He's in some form or another so he doesn't need the sleep. I'd have thought you'd have realised that."
"I did. All the same, it'd be good for Them to take a break."
"... Fine. Just don't break anything." Not an imposibility, actually. Some of the older tomes were quite worn down, and turning a page to fast would easily cause it to rip out...
As Them was just reminded of. cursing for a moment under his breath, he looks up from the tome for the first time in hours. Stretching his current pair of feathery wings, he sighs. Then he spots Jenor approaching.
"I suppose it was only a matter of time before you tried to drag me away, eh? All the same I'm going to keep at it a while longer."
The Hepmurals could all tend to be a bit too persistant at times.
"Don't make me drag you away, now. I know your body might not be tired, but I'm sure your brain is exhausted. How good is your research going to be when you can't even think straight?"[COLOR]
Them glares at Jenor a moment half-heartedly. [COLOR="DarkOrange"]"Fine. But now you have to bake me a cake too."
"wha-why?"
"My taste buds are lonely. Get working!" Themmer gets up and walks towards his quarters.
Jenor watches him go, then sighs and shakes his head. Of course, there was no reason for him to bake a cake personally... in the meantime, he takes a look at the books his uncle had left stacked near the desk he'd been working at. The list of incredibly dull names left him feeling bored already. Jenor shrugs and walks off towards the kitchen to set the cooks working. In fact, a cake didn't sound half bad for himself either...
"All of which is to say...three days from now? Perhaps you and Sleipner could start with a visual reconnaissance over Rauxes, while I visit a few other possible allies. Or vice versa, if you prefer. It gives all of us a chance to put our affairs in order, pick up any other trinkets we may need, and still not have word of our intention spread too far. I think that Rauxes is still isolated from the world, but in case it's not, I'd rather not have whatever's inside knowing who we are and when we're coming."[/COLOR]
She shrugs and slides forward to the edge of her chair.
"But I'm more used to organizing weddings and council meetings than warbands, these days. What do you suggest?"
It shall be as you say Grandmother Alla. Please stay the night, enjoy the hospitality of the Temple. The students will enjoy your prescence."
Olaf also rises, head near brushing the ceiling, to shout for a servant to saddle the massive horse Sleipnir at dawn. I shall depart in the morning and scout the area. Any demons I see shall be destroyed"...
Looks like I'll be getting ready to go. Start by using the Platform of Greater Jaunting to teleport to the right area then do aerial recon...
I'll update my current prepared moves known later today.
With one last effort, the boat hisses forward onto the sand.
Are we in the right place?
Yes. The dwarf eases himself to the front, eyes the surf dubiously, and then jumps, landing on the rising beach. He gives a few practice tugs on the brine-soaked rope, and then hauls. His boots sink deep into the sand. The boat, laden as it is, slides a few protesting yards until it is clear of the water.
Because the last time I let you read the map, you said we were in Krakenhome, and it turned out...
You know this would easier if you got out of the boat.
Ya? With a effortless step, the large blond man steps onto the prow. For a moment he balances on the very tip, outlined against the sinking sun for a golden instant, before letting his momentum carry him over. With a single stride he is clear of the surf and standing next to his companion, coiling the rope around one fist.
Still this looks ok. No demons this time. So this place we're going to...
Chathold
You're sure it's the right place? It's the place on the map, and not, oh.... a border fort in Stygia say?
You're not going to let me forget that one, are you?
We land, is very cold, and I say, hey Baldan, are you sure this is Krakenhome? And you say, of course, of course, the map says so...
I didn't know we'd passed through a dimensional rift in that last storm.
The blond man sweeps his cloak aside, the spray beading on the rippling muscles of his tanned chest. With another heave the boat slides clear of the water entirely.
...So then I say, well if this is Krakenhome, what are all those winged things with pitchforks, and then we run. Again.
He glances around, his long blond hair streaming in the wing like a silken river.
I'd feel better if there were more people.
This is Almor, Canarius. It was pretty thoroughly depopulated.
Feels empty.
I know.
They drag the heavily laden rowboat up to the dunes. They stare at it.
The dwarf looks at the rowboat, whose wooden sides are just shorter than he is, and gives a sigh. You unload, and I deal with the boat?
The blond man nods, and starts flinging heavy sacks and boxes out of the boat. The dwarf concentrates, and shape of the boat starts to sparkle, to granulate, and then with a soft hiss, it collapses into glittering sand.
Hurry, the wind is up.
Still concentrating, the sand starts to flow and coallesce, into four disks, standing upright, a platform growing between them as the sand flows and stick into position, until the shape of a cart is formed. With a final burst of mental energy, the cart loses its sand-like quality and becomes wood, metal and leather.
The first of the bags lands on it with a thump. A box follows.
So we're taking this one seriously then?
Yes. I.. sent a trade ship, the Huntsmen, up to Roland, escorted by the Shibboleth.
That's.... Ah, you're thinking of Drax.
Yes.
The Sueloise man pulls a well-worn wand from his boot and leans over the rail of the now laden cart. With a flourish he conjures a horse.
It's only two miles
So? We should be arriving on dragonback!
She runs a poorhouse, Canarius.
Ya, but we want to look like allies, not inmates! We can't shuffle up to her door pulling our goods in a handcart. At least change your clothes. We need to make an impression.
And so it was that they arrived at Chathold, a hansome horse pulling a laden cart. Canarius wearing a sheer silk shirt in concession to the wind, his cloak of deepest blue flapping from his shoulders, and his waist length blond hair streaming in the wind. His every move is oiled grace, his every word is charm. Baldan hanging behind in a jacket of blue fur tipped with silver, seemingly more interested in the masonry than the inhabitents.
Canarius steps forward to introduce himself.
Hi. I'm a revolutionary. I'm here about the war?
Toliudar
2012-01-25, 01:15 PM
There is a small watch-tower on the shore not far from the beach on which Baldan and Canarius land, but it looks abandoned.
The lands between the bay and Chathold are showing signs of being recently worked, and with the warmth of spring full on the land, there are dozens of farmers out breaking soil and planting. The dwarf and man receive many a cheerful wave and curious gaze on their way towards the city. The wind is brisk, and there are clouds in the southwest that seem to predict rain to come.
Chathold itself shows many scars of the decade-old war. Most of the outbuildings that are still standing are either very new, or else show signs of major repairs and patching-up. Entire neighbourhoods outside the walls are still little more than piles of rubble.
The walls of Chathold are a study in contrast. They seem to have been built up in seamless masses of basalt, clearly magical creations, to a height of 30 feet, but then hastily modified to make better provision for watch-points and emplacements. Not very many buildings peek up over the walls. The walls extend some hundred feet out into the waters of the bay. There are a few anxious-looking warriors on the walls, but the main gatehouse - also looking very new and crafted in broad strokes by magic - shows a steady stream of traffic in and out - mostly small wagons, and human and halfling farmers carrying sacks out of the city. To Balran and Canarius' keen eyes, the outbound travellers are moving more quickly than their loads should allow.
A quartet of guards in simple livery, showing a stylized sun shining out behind a crenelated wall, are processing visitors. An additional four are at the far end of the gatehouse, and a stone slab covers the floor of the passage between. The gates themselves, currently wide open, are clearly new, with massive timbers painted red, so recently that you can practically smell the paint. Beyond there are dirt roads and a scattered mix of buildings, all similarly either hastily thrown together, much-patched, or showing the unimaginative architecture of magical crafting.
The largest of the guards, a burly man of northern aspect, smiles wearily as the dwarf and man pull up in the wagon. He smiles a bit quizzically, but seems pleased to hear their words.
"Wars we're short on, Sif be praised, but plenty of battles. Are you here to sign up with the militia, or the city guard then? We've certainly got room for more."
The big man's accent matches his look. His tone is clearly hopeful, although the two men's fine clothes seem to cast some doubt on those hopes.
Once Baldan and Canarius hit shore, they'd be into an area covered by Hallow, in case they're sensitive to such things. I've assumed that they're approaching from the west. Approaching from the east tends to be more of a pain in the ass, since that's the direction trouble usually comes.
You see?! Carnarius says. Dragonback! Baldan ignores him, staring at the watchtowers and crenalations with an intent expression. Canarius turns back to the guardsmen. Alas for the militia, and I weep for the city guard, for although I would be fascinated to see them in action, that is not our destination today. We sorry and footsore travellers....
We came by boat. Says Baldan, eyes still fixed on the stone walls.
...we sorry and footsore travellers, repeats Canarius with emphasis, have come across your humble abode not by chance, no, nor by happenstance, but as voyagers of the will, as ambassadors of action, as instruments of intention, and that intention, forged in the crucible of our ambition and fired by our steadfast and holy purpose, is a visitation upon the most wonderous and worshipful lady Alla, to discuss vital matters of state. Could you possibly inform the Chateline of Pelor's Light that there are visitors awaiting the glory and majesty of her presence, to whit, one hero, called 'The Canary', and his ugly dwarvern companion.
This earns a snort from Baldan, but he seems entranced by the movement of the people past the gate. Burdens going in, burdens going out. Eventually he glances up.
We're here to see Lady Alla. Is she in?
After speaking with Alla and offering her the sanctuary of the Temple Olaf returns to Ethil's room. The giant towering over the girl like some sort of fearsome scarred statue watches her for some 20 minutes as she sleeps before gently kissing her and leaving the room returning to his chambers.
Entering the chambers he smiles at the glowing valkyrie lying under the dire bear furs that cover the low bed. "In the morning I shall leave. The Grandmother brings word of demons and beasts of the underworld that are invading from another realm." Atli looks up at him, concern for Olaf clouding her face. "Is it necessary for you to do this. There are other warriors."
Olaf looks at her, a hand brushing his wife's face. "There are others my heart, but none of them are me. None have my skills and none have my thirst for vengeance. Come let us sleep, then I shall leave...
In the morning as the snow and wind rages around the Temple and ice coats the walls Olaf takes leave, slipping out of his chambers before wife and daughter awaken. Heading down to the stables he greets Sleipnir like an old friend. THe massive warhorse of legend had been a friend and companion for many years and they knew each other. Seeing his master garbed for battle with armour, sword and spear, boots and gauntlets the horse whinnied and reared up massive barded plates and saddle ready for combat. Mounting up Olaf trotted towards the small courtyard, a few of the students and the guards on the wall watching him with worried or eager expressions. Approaching the low platform covered with runes he holds the horse by the harness and presses a few small well hidden runes envisioning the maps hanging in the library and the meeting of the Imeda and Nallid rivers.
With a Flash and influx of displaced air the ground crunches beneath his feet and the massive spiked hooves of the horse as he surveys the ruins of Rauxes in the distance and the rushing water surrounding him. "Shall we explore then my friend?" Olaf asks the horse as he vaults up onto its back pulling the reins gently as the horse shoots into the sky racing through the air towards the ruined city that is the heart of the infestation of the demons...
@Toliudar: Where was I to meet you?
@White rider: I'll update my sheet with todays' readied moves.
Toliudar
2012-01-26, 04:24 PM
Allan rises to embrace Olaf, drifting up off of the ground in order to reach his neck.
"Now you know how much I love playing with Ethil, and I have the bruises to prove it."
Allan winked, her affection clear.
"but I shall have to forego your legendary hospitality tonight. It's still daylight back at Chathold, and I'm expected to bless a meeting of the new city council tonight. Ah, the glamour of it all. Keep in touch, and don't take any chances you dont need to tomorrow."
Releasing the mighty warrior, Alla drifts earthward again and toddles off towards the teleport circle.
--
The big guard is by turns confused, impressed and skeptical of the blonde man's rhetorical flourishes. He is visibly relieved by the dwarf's brevity.
"Oh, right. Grandmother just finished her daily message about an hour ago. Best way to find her is to ask at the House. Of you think about it as you head through the gate, it'll lead you there. But really, you just turn left onto Dawn Road, an you can't miss it.
The guard nods and turns his attention to what seems to be a circus of Chaos Gnomes drawing up to the gate behind their wagon.
Sure enough, the pair pass through the gate with a confident assurance of the correct path to the House. A first left, second right, and they've arrived at a sprawling and ramshackle complex resembling a merchant outpost more than a soaring temple. There is a steady stream of wagons in and out at one entrance, and young women in obnoxious yellow tunics lead groups of earnest looking people around the outside. There is the sound of music from within, although Pelor's hymn to the setting sun is not typically performed by a trio of drunken flautists and a timpanist.
Inside, it would seem that an open air service for about 200 is in full swing. The guards at the entrance nod amiably to the pair, and direct them over to a stables around the side, where they can leave their wagon.
white rider
2012-01-26, 05:25 PM
As Olaf approaches the ruins of Rauxes, he notices that the entire city is enclosed in a shimmering field of scintillating light. He can only see the faint outlines of buildings through it's interference.
ooc:do you have anything that lets you use see invisibility/ true seeing/arcane sight, etc.
Olaf and Sleipnir gently come to a hover above the shimmering field, Olaf's magically enhanced sight trying to gaze through.
"Hmm my friend. A strange thing to see. Maybe we should have come with a mage" he mutters in the rough cold tounge rubbing the horses shaggy mane.
He also casually drops a rock onto the field to see if it will pass through...
He's got See invisibility but that's all.
white rider
2012-01-27, 03:39 PM
As Olaf looks at the city, he notices something strange. He sees two cities, in the same place with all the same features, but they seem different. Than, he makes out a shape moving in one of the cities but not the other. It seems that the cities are in the same place, are indeed the same city, but are different somehow. As Olaf drops the rock, curious, the rock touches the field and hovers for a moment- before exploding in a small blast of fire.
Kazyan
2012-01-27, 11:44 PM
“Question! Question! Hello, I have a—”
“Stop.” Korun slammed a book shut and sighed to himself. He pinched the rough skin over the bridge of his nose, and set down the book on the floor under the lever. His thigh shifted so as to be removed from the lever, allowing the magic to spring back into place with an unsubtle clack. “What. What could you possibly want this time? Aren’t you on duty?”
“Yes, buuu~uuut a lot of people are sleeping and I told you about the question, right?” The vibrant pixie clicked his boots together and adjusted his shirt.
“No. Ask. It’s about her, isn’t it?”
“Which ‘her’? There’s five hundred ‘hers’ in Cinnabar Site.”
While the overwatch giggled and waved his hands, Korun wished that he had a bit of cold iron with him. “You know perfectly well. Rafflesia. You can't just go around asking for personal appointments.”
“I'm doing it right now! When is she coming back?”
“In fact, she just recently returned to me.” Korun stroked his beard. “She seems to have spent most of her time in trance and daydream this past score of days. From how she answered my questions, the mental rest worked perfectly.” He smiled, recalling her relaxed face. Teasing that expression out of a gray, wrinkled undead meant good things, thought her pixie body helped with that, reflected outwardly with her glittery outfits. “She’s out right now.”
“Where?”
“Lake Spendlowe. I can only assume that she’s attacking an entire ecosystem today, or needs a place to be serene.”
“Awww, she’s going to get rid of all the fishes…”
“You can’t exactly argue with her.”
“And—”
“You know what? A bedroom. Take me to a bedroom, overwatch. You can talk to her when she comes back from whatever unfathomable machinations are happening.”
---
Rafflesia really wanted to go for a swim.
But with all of these fish, insects, and vaguely green plant-sludges in the water? Absolutely not. Cinnabar Site didn’t have a large enough space in it to make her own body of water, so she would just have to clear out part of this one. Normally, the chant drained her mentally, as would any task that required one to maintain focus for such a great time, let alone one in which it was mandated to hold open the flow of arcane deep within her to acquire the next words in sequence, each giving her but a fraction of a second to learn the next. In short, awful. Investing that time, however, yielded the sweetest reward. And after her downtime, however brief it may have been, her mind sharpened enough for this event’s demands to feel manageable.
“… kuin laethe braoen oceanus, ach armon generum an vocativ jopa chro, sill ghealach ascataves. Numeri nomen omia lopettanut mo maritimus, opacare, matutinus, septentrio kuten hin beo, an declinantur psyst. Per mys teoksiaan, singularis masculini mo generis …”
The hideous sun glared off the petrified wood face of her arcane sculpture. Nearby, a delicate rabbit hopped towards the developing black veil surrounding Rafflesia. Its tiny nose sniffed at the evaporating powdered alloy.
“…Halolo mriv NIMSALAEN io…” she continued with a shout, and the filthy animal darted away, frightened.
She made a mental note to find that vermin’s corpse afterward. The cylinder of blackness developed further around her, from the ground to the obnoxious color of the sky.
As Olaf looks at the city, he notices something strange. He sees two cities, in the same place with all the same features, but they seem different. Than, he makes out a shape moving in one of the cities but not the other. It seems that the cities are in the same place, are indeed the same city, but are different somehow. As Olaf drops the rock, curious, the rock touches the field and hovers for a moment- before exploding in a small blast of fire.
Olaf continued to stare through the field trying to see if he could make out the shape beneath. As he does so he'll gently ride Sleipnir back to the edge of the city's Western edge and patrol the forests and plains there lest any fiedn dare try and escape the field and harass the land of Chathold....
He'll just hang around the Western edge of the dome until he either sees a potential victim or Alla + friends arrive and explain to him how to breach the field...
white rider
2012-01-28, 06:15 PM
looking down at the city, Olaf makes out the strange overlapping buildings.
what you can see:
Map of Rauxes (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5851594/Downloads_Section/Maps/City_of_Rauxes.gif)
as the map, but most of the buildings are destroyed.
as Olaf wings away from the city, he sees a wide barren wasteland, devoid of life. make a spot check.
Winging across the desolation Olaf leans forward to the horse whispering some encouragment before continuing to scan the area looking for something to slake his thirst for blood...
Ah, perception! The weak point of Olaf!
[roll0]
- and the horse [roll1]
white rider
2012-01-29, 09:14 AM
Aah, good enough.
looking down at the city, Olaf sees a shimmering in a small patch of the field.
Looking down at the shimmering patch Olaf heels the great flying beast towards it. Slept resting above it he'll drop another stone, and its pews explosive than last time dive through on Sleipnir. Come boy. Let us explore thus den of fiends. I yearn for blood!.
Slipping the stance of alacrity and the charge he will draw sword and spear, lips drawn in anticipation of violence...
white rider
2012-01-29, 10:44 AM
As Olaf flies down, he sees a large figure with wings, a sword, and a whip, standing next to two six-armed creatures with the bodies of serpents. They turn and look at Olaf as the shimmering of the field stops.
Olaf howls a savage battlecry as he spurs the Sleipnir into a full gallop, balancing on the massive broad back of the horse he howled again a delicate balance of white raven battlecries and diamond mind focus in stance.
The shout spurred both him and the horse on as they unleashed the highest order of the White Raven slamming into the gap between the winged and flaming beast and one of the snake ladies. As he neared he started the death spiral of the twin weapons initiating the feared Girallion whirlwind death rend...
"KISS MY BLADE DEMONSPAWN!"...
Glad that this is PbP. This may take a while to work out :smallbiggrin:
(They are flat footed right as its the first round of combat).
Currently in Stance of Alacrity/ Leading the Charge
(Currently +2 Saves from Defensive stance)
Charge at the gap between Balor and Marillith 1 to nail 'em both- auto do the DC10 jump check for the leap attack to multiply power damage by 2.
Swift: Initiate Boost Girallion Whirlwind deathrend
Full: Initiate Warmaster's Charge - Power attack for 10 (so +20)
(+50 damage on charge, no AoO's, if me and horse both hit Balor then its stunned) (+9 for strike, +8 for flat footed, +24 for stance)
--> Spirited Charge doubles the damage! :smalleek:
Sword Hand: +43/43/38/33/
Attack Balor [roll0] damage [roll1] x2 +[roll2]
Attack Balor [roll3] damage [roll4] x2 +[roll5]
Attack Marrilith [roll6] damage [roll7] x2 +[roll8]
Attack Marillith [roll9] damage [roll10] x2 +[roll11]
Spear Hand: Vs Marillith [roll12] [roll13] x2
Deathrend on Balor: 2 hits= [roll14] extra
Deathrend on Marrilith: 2 hits = [roll15] extra
Sleipnir: Attack Balor [roll16] damage [roll17]
--> If threat Attack [roll18] dam [roll19]
In Robilars' Gambit so on their turn they get +4 hit and damage, but for each attack I get an AoO against them...
First attack from Balor, or if he doesn't attack then Mariilith then do Fool's Strike counter attack [roll20] against his attack roll, if I win they hit themselves instead of me :smallsmile:
-If I use the counter then I'll change the Leading the Charge Stance into Supreme Blade Parry (DR 5/-)
Assuming all attacks hit: Balor takes 842 damage - 4x DR
Assuming all attack hits: Marrilith takes 916 damage - 4xDR
white rider
2012-01-29, 06:21 PM
attacks of opportunity:
balor: attack: [roll0] damage: [roll1]
marlith: attack: [roll2] damage: [roll3]
Olaf leaps from his horse, jumping a full 15 feet into the air. Plunging to the ground he twists, spearing one marlith. Holding onto the spear, five feet above the ground, he hacks and slashes, slicing off the marliths arms and plunging his sword into it's body before back-flipping to the ground and eviscerating the balor and subsequently decapitating it in the same motion. The balor's eyes show shock for just a second before it is consumed in a massive explosion.
As the balor self-destructs, Olaf twists and jumps behind the dead marlith, avoiding the blast entirely, but Sleipnir is unable to completely evade (50 damage)
the last marlith tries to turn away, but takes the full force of the blast.
white rider
2012-01-29, 06:34 PM
The last marlith hisses and concentrates, and a wall of spinning blades springs into existence. behind the blade barrier, the marlith slithers away. (60 feet away from Olaf when his turn starts)
edit: the blades surround Olaf.
You know, Baldan, this is a pretty impressive place.
They wander out of the stables, where they have left the laden cart in a nook that they hope will remain undisturbed.
Yes.
Lots of people, safe, happy.
Baldan says nothing.
Singing songs. Praising Pelor...
Canarius trails off invitingly
Baldan again says nothing. More loudly this time. They watch one of the young ladies in yellow darting across to a faltering wagon, the energy in her step, the pride in her purpose.
Canarius raises an eyebrow.
Baldan breathes deeply. Let's talk to her nibbs first. It's... it's not impossible, all right?
Canarius grins. So where do we find her? Try the big building? I'd suggest not going to go find her yourself. Or would you rather make a fuss?
People are having fun, let's not risk spoiling it. His eyes flick over the crowd, looking for status or rank. Ask a tunic girl?
It would be my pleasure!
Baldan makes are if to take back his hasty words, but quickly subsides. Canarius strides over to the nearest yellow-tuniced lady and gives a great bow, with all the flourishes.
Fair flower, shining clear in the gathering light, I bessech you grant me a boon before the everolling stream of fate gathers this the time of our meeting to it's breast, and carries all our hopes away. I am Canarius, and this Baldan, and we seek that pillar of rectitude, the chatellaine of Pelor herself, the Wise Lady Alla, that we might improve ourselves by her presence and guidance and bestow upon her what meagre fruits our company might bear, for the greater glory of he who sent us, the Lord Majesterial of the Basalt Throne.
We're here to see Lady Alla. says Baldan, following up behind. Is she in?
Canarius Charisma check [roll0]
Toliudar
2012-01-29, 11:39 PM
The young woman - of sturdy Oeridian stock, curly brown hair - is briefly startled and then significantly and obviously smitten with Canarius as he speaks. She immediately ignores the group of twenty visitors who she seems to be leading around, and focuses entirely on him. Baldan's comment barely penetrates.
"Lady? Oh, Granny! Oh, I, um, I don't know if she's, um, who'd know that? You could ask one of the priests, or the guards might know. She was somewhere in town about an hour ago, cause that's when her message came. But if you'd like a tour of the grounds, maybe, a private tour later? Um. I'm Santiava."
A few more conversations up the food chain of a burgeoning and the-kinks-aren't-all-worked-out-yet bureaucracy later, and Baldan and Canarius find themselves in waiting room outside of an office, where a pair of rather officious and harried clerks are trying to record the desires of a dozen distressed petitioners. They are there only a moment when an older woman bursts through the doors, dressed in simple grey robes and with a slender wooden staff tapping rapidly along with her step. There is a brief ripple, and the petitioners begin to stand. She looks immediately at the older of the two clerks and barks out sharply.
"Right, Carmel, I've got ten, maybe fifteen minutes, so if you could prioritize YEEEPERS!"
She had begun glancing around the room, and her gaze landed on Baldan and Canarius. She zips over to look at the two men. Several of her long grey hairs have escaped from the bun at the back, and there is the distinct impression of 'it's been a long day' about her.
"Well, you two don't look like you need alms, and you seem healthy enough. So...what can I do for you?"
In case the gentlemen have magic detection abilities: there are a variety of magical auras on her, predominantly abjuration and transmutation. There is a simple disguise self effect, although true seeing would confirm that right now the only difference between what she looks like and reality is the concealment of a rather nasty tear to the hem of her robe.
Alla currently has no special sensory effects active, but has just manifested Hypercognition (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/hypercognition.htm), and assume a sense motive check of [roll]1d20+52[roll] and a spot check of [roll0]. What would she discern about Baldan and Canarius?
Olaf glances at the mass of spinning chaos hewn blades then looks down at Sleipnir seeing the blood and broken flesh. "Stay my friend, be safe" he murmurs as he dives forward into the shadow of the spinning blades, leaping out of the Marillith's own shadow stunning the beast.
Tumbling and rolling up to the beast evading the 6 spinning blades as he vaults up and over the towering monster's head the blade and spear clashing together as they slam into its chest as he corkscrews around in a vicious corkscrew to rip its upper half away from its lower half...
Swift: Shadowblink 50ft
Move: DC 40 Tumble to 10ft step [roll0]
Full round attack: Feral Death Blow
Jump Vs Marillith AC: [roll1] (including +16 bonus for speed)
Attack Roll Power attack for 20 [roll2]
--> If jump and attack hit then Considered flat footed & Fort DC 37 or die
--> If pass save then [roll3]+[roll4]+[roll5]
If she attempts to move away then Mirrored Pursuit counter to move after her (I move 70ft- Fly 150ft) - she can't SPA defensively as I have Mageslayer.
Try and trap me now snake demon!
Alla looks at them, her mind whirling.
Canarius, six foot something, probably a pure-blood Suel if the waist-length blond hair is any indication. Deeply tanned, suggesting not just a hot climate, but a sunny one. He also has a furry tunic, furry shorts, and furry outers on his boots, and a necklace of large fangs (hunting trophies?) around his neck, suggesting not just a barbarian, but to Alla's jaded eye, someone trying to hard to stay a barbarian, and proclaim themselves a barbarian. The fine cloak of midnight blue, the manicured nails and well-kept waist length hair tell a different story, of someone well-aquainted with civilisation and all it has to offer. His exposed chest, legs and arms gleam with muscle oil, making him seem almost an ornament. This fits in with the clear signs of vanity, but it seems unusual that anyone as attractive as he is would feel the need to try so hard.
He has the callouses of both a skilled warrior and a skilled musician. His careful and precise speech suggest common is not his first language, and he clealry has a somewhat mercurial temperment.
Baldan is small, even for a dwarf, only a little larger than Alla herself. He is dressed in a less showy fashion, and has the rough skin of someone who works with his hands for a living. He seems very solid, very centered, not inclined to fiery emotion. He has a knife in his belt, and a spare hidden in his boot, but is otherwise unarmed.
It would be easy to think of him as a servant to the more glamourous Canarius, but Alla's not not quite convinced somehow. If nothing else, he's slightly impatient, as if he has somewhere else to be. He's also a little on edge, as if something about the situation makes him uncomfortable, even uneasy.
The two of them clearly know eachother very well, and have worked together extensively. It's easy to miss, but you reckon Canarius is actually deferring to Baldan, for all that he seems to lead.
A good sense motive check (DC 60) would reveal that they're both good aligned.
Disguise [roll0] means you can't tell more.
Toliudar
2012-01-30, 02:35 PM
Fixing the Sense Motive Check: [roll0]. Who knew that a +49 spot modifier would be insufficient. Ah, epic.
In case you need more detail on Alla:
Alla is a small, wizened woman, with a tanned and deeply lined face. She seems to have an inner radiance. She is dressed simply, currently in a calf-length grey cotton robes, but with a few obviously magical doodads sprinkled in with them. Particularly lovely is a simple gold chain with a delicately crafted gold sun medallion below - smaller and less ostentatious than you might expect from a priest. She leans slightly on a slender walking stick.
I'd forgotten that the disguise self effect is also editing out a small backpack and slightly gaudy, iridescent cloak. In case they're able to see through illusions.
Standing close to her, they notice that it actually feels like a faint, cool breeze is coming from her.
white rider
2012-01-30, 03:35 PM
marlith fort save: [roll0]
edit: dang, nat-1. well, the marlith has been diced, and the blade barrier dissipates.
The Ruined City of Rauxes
As the two halves of the Marillith seperate in a vast spray of demonic ichor the blade barrier explodes in a shower of metal and gory fragments. Kicking the body parts further apart lest the regerante in a demonic manner he stands amidst the remains of the dead demons "RAAARGH! For SIF!. The massive bellow echoing over the long dead courtyard, twin weapons held high dripping ichor as he rises some 30ft into the air hanging there,a challenge to any other demons in range...
Dropping to the ground he focuses for a minute, regaining some composure before gracefully sliding over to Sleipnir. "Not so bad boy" he murmurs, as he inspects the shallow wounds streaking his horses massive flank. "He didn't hurt you so bad, not as bad as you hit him.". Pulling out a thin wand of dragon bone he lightly taps the wounds caused by the blast gently stroking the beast's head quieting it as the wounds quickly heal...
Use wand of Heal Mount with UMD to heal Sleipnir's wounds.
Charges used 1/50.
If nothing else presents itself as a threat then he'll examine the corpses looking for anything of a magical or a vaulable nature before taking to the sky once more to continue his patrol.
Swordsage sense magic [roll0]
white rider
2012-01-30, 05:57 PM
um, it might just be me, but I can't see the sense magic roll.
edit: looking at the bodies, you find a used scroll, as well as 400 pp, 10,000 worth of gold rings, bangles, gems, and other jewelry, and 3 magical longswords.
um, it might just be me, but I can't see the sense magic roll.
edit: looking at the bodies, you find a used scroll, as well as 400 pp, 10,000 worth of gold rings, bangles, gems, and other jewelry, and 3 magical longswords.
Olaf looks at the trinkets, the slightly creepy jewelery formed into the shapes of tortured mortals and the large gem encrusted waist belts the mariliths had before scooping it and dumping into the saddle bags on Sleipnir. "It may be demon gold old friend but we can find a use for it I feel.". he nods to himself, raising and running the temple was expensive work and he was sure Alla would appreciate a donation to her church.
He looks at the longswords trying to judge their worth before he slings them on the horse as well. Surveying the destruction, the large crater where the Balor had been eviscerated and the wreckage of the snake demons. "A fine begining boy?" he asks the horse offering him a small wizened apple from his pocket belt.
Toliudar
2012-02-03, 12:23 PM
She had begun glancing around the room, and her gaze landed on Baldan and Canarius. She zips over to look at the two men. Several of her long grey hairs have escaped from the bun at the back, and there is the distinct impression of 'it's been a long day' about her.
"Well, you two don't look like you need alms, and you seem healthy enough. So...what can I do for you?"
The two men's hesitation is only momentary, but Alla becomes distracted, and turns back to a distraught-looking middle-aged couple. She gestures to her office.
"Denom. Lyla. Go wait in my office. I'm assuming that this is about Gemma? We'll keep looking for her, I promise."
Alla turns back to Baldan and Canarius, curiosity mingling with a faint impatience.
white rider
2012-02-03, 06:02 PM
as Olaf patrols the border, he notices a disturbance. It looks a lot like the one the demons came through, but it is a lot bigger.
Canarius steps forward, and gives a courtier's bow.
We are emissaries, my lady, from far across the sea.
From Irongate. Adds the dwarf.
From far across the ocean's shining wave. continues Canarius, a little irritably. We have come in search of Wise Lady Alla, Mistress of Chathold, Chatellaine of Pelor, Saviour of Almor, to speak on matters of state on behalf of the Basalt Throne. Though breath halts at the very thought that we might be in her august presence, might you, through serendipidy that must surely arise from the graces of the deities themselves, be her?
Baldan gives her an even stare. We're your neighbours. We thought we should talk?
Toliudar
2012-02-04, 02:27 AM
Alla squints up at Canarius, then looks with some relief at Baldan.
"Ah, from Irongate? Welcome, welcome. Old Cobb Darg still in charge down there? I'm a bit out of touch. I'm actually trying to get out of the politics game myself, so if it's discussion of waterways and export taxes so on and so forth, best take it up with Lennie Thalway, over at the new city hall. Lord Leonard, I'm supposed to call him now. But if you changed somebody's diapers, it's hard to get all deferential to him now. But if there's something that a poor priestess of Pelor can help you with gentlemen, just let me know. Or...well, we're a little tight on rooms, what with the immigrants coming in now from Geoff."
She gives a glance over at Carmel, who offers a guarded nod.
"Ah! Looks like we've got rooms. You need a place, you're welcome. Sorry, was it me you were trying to talk with? I'm normally a much better listener."
With a conscious effort, Alla shuts up. She hefts an eye upward, looking up at Beldan.
Olaf trots slowly up towards the much large rift slowing the horse as he draws near. Stopping about 200ft back he slips down from the monstrous horse's back and walks slowly forward on foot clutching spear and sword to investigate the rift... "Hmm, by Odin's unseeing eye what is this?".
Setting down nearby resting on his haunches he pulls some dried venison from his pocket and waits to see if anything comes through the shimering portal...
Canarius smiles broadly
We are both humbled and awed by your apology, he announces, although he appears neither awed, nor, it must be said, particularly humble, and can only offer our keenest regret that we could not send word of our arrival sooner.
Or at all. You know I should talk to this Lennie guy.
But our first and primary concern, continues Canarius with heavy emphasis, must be to discharge our duty, for which crave the indulgence of an audiance, m'lady, to discuss an idea that recently graced the ears of the Szek of Onnwal. A matter of delving into antiquity?
Yeah. It's amazing what can turn up when people really start digging into the past.
Mayhap we could discuss this in private? Politics is rarely kind to the ears of the innocent.
Unless you're busy at the moment? I heard something about a missing person?
Toliudar
2012-02-04, 08:54 PM
Alla tilts her head when they mention delving into antiquity, but keeps the same smile on her face.
"Missing...yes. Denom and Lyla's daughter Gemma went missing two days ago. She's not within the city limits, but it's not clear whether she ran off, or something less pleasant. I was going to be doing some praying about that this evening."
She smiles as reassuringly as possible over at Denom as he scurries into her office.
"There's a small chapel just two doors down. Why don't we go there for a few minutes to talk about our mutual interest in antiquities?"
With a speed easily double that of the hobble with which she came into the room, Alla zips out of the waiting area and down the hall, into a small and, it had to be said, rather ugly little room, brightened only by a brass sun symbol rimmed with flickering lights. Inside, she settles into a cross-legged position in midair, and closes her eyes for a moment. Her voice, sounding a little less world-weary and a little more excited, is soft and furtive. She gestures for the door to be closed.
"All righty, then, gentlemen. You've got my attention. Suppose you tell me who you are."
Baldan nods. From the small bag at his belt he pulls forth a large shapeless black lizardskin sack, and starts rummaging through the contents, muttering into his beard. Canary, where's that letter?
Canarius glances at him, and then reaches into his bag and smoothly pulls out a wax package. He offers this to Alla.
Letters of accreditation from her Grace Saelma Relaster, Duchess of the Storm Coast, penned by her own hand. We played a small, but I trust worthy part in the recent Liberation of Onnwal.
The Canary here did some training of local militias, freed up a lot of regular troops for the front.
Whereas Baldan was more on the logistics side of things. He kept the arteries of Onnwallian trade flowing despite the Brotherhood blockade.
Smuggling and bribery mainly. And arguements in council about their bullion account. Baldan has stopped rummaging. I brought you a pie. he says doubtfully.
So you see we... a what?
A pie. I figure we're neighbours, so I made a pie. That's what new neighbours do, right?
Canarius' expression doesn't waver. Yes, yes, that is the tradition in some cities, although I think, Baldan, that as much as your effort is appreciated, this is, how can I put this, not exactly a culinary moment. Alla's time is surely limited and we must get down the meat of the matter with the upmost speed. Which unless I am very mistaken, involves a trip to Rauxes? The Free State of Onnwal would be most happy to assist you if you make a formal request, and would of course discuss the matter of help, support and active participation with their allies, which would include Sunndi, Irongate, Nyrond, the Sea Barons...
...and Ahlissa. Says Baldan flatly. And anyone else the Szek's sold himself to in the last few years.
Or continues Canarius encouragingly, we could keep this a private matter. In which case you might consider the services of individuals of capability and discretion.
Us.
white rider
2012-02-05, 08:57 AM
there is a rumble, and two titans armed with warhammers burst through the wall. around their feet dart six small figures armed with scimitars and daggers. one of the titans yells out something in abyssal to the smaller demons, and the demons nod and vanish.
if you understand abyssal:
the titan yells: Kill the human cleric named mother Alla! Destroy her and you will be rewarded greatly!
Olaf
"By all the Gods!" Olaf mutters as the two massive titans burst through the towering gateway. The presence of the demons announcing their evil intentions. At the harsh words that hurt his ears such was the vileness he growled... he may not understand their tongue but he recognised the word Alla. "I think not vile demons..." he mutters as he begins to charge forward to enact instant and detsructive rage filled devastation on them...
As the demons vanishes he bounds forward towards the nearest, taking flight as he does twisting around the unsuspecting beast's hammer as he vaults skwards spear and sword twisting combining the highest arts of the Devoted Spirit and Iron Heart schools. As he lands at the beast's feet he launches a savage blow with his sword aimed at bringing down as quickly as possible iwth all the might of the Stone Dragon.
Initiative [roll0] - so assuming I win :smallwink:
Swift- slip into stance Alacrity and Thicket of Blades (They treat squares I threaten as difficult terrain so no 5ft steps and I can take 2 counters)
Move- move 150ft towards the nearest one (if they can take AoO while flat footed then tumble check [roll1]
Standard - Land at his feet and break his knee with Mountain Tombstone strike (power attack for 10)- attack [roll2] (assuming either giant bane or Evil outsider bane will apply to a Titan)
(If threat then [roll3] to confirm)
Damage [roll4]+[roll5]+
strike also does [roll6] CON
If they attack me then do:-
Fool's strike counter opposed attack roll [roll7] or hit themself on the one that I'm standing beside
Second attack do scorpion parry opposed attack roll [roll8] to trun second Titan's attack to hit his friend that is adjacent to me...
Robilar's gambit they get +4 hit/damage against me but every attack they make I can make an AoO so here is 4 to get me started
attack [roll9] damage [roll10]
attack [roll11] damage [roll12]
attack [roll13] damage [roll14] threat
attack [roll15] damage [roll16] threat
attack [roll17] damage [roll18]
(If I get any threats then here are some conformation/damage rolls
attack [roll19] damage [roll20]
attack [roll21] damage [roll22]
attack [roll23] damage [roll24])
Toliudar
2012-02-05, 01:57 PM
Alla accepts the sealed packet with a quick nod, and quickly breaks it to examine the contents. She tucks it away into a fold of her robes. Alla's face brightens considerably as she listens further, and positively beams when the pie emerges.
"Baldan, is it? You are a man after my own heart."
Sliding back down to the floor, Alla steps up and leans over to inhale deeply over the pie.
"Brilliant. Apple, with cloves and cinnamon? Too often we get caught up in troop movements, stacks of gold, crop reports, and we forget the important things. Like sharing food."
She smiles broadly, and accepts the pie with a small bow. After a moment, her voice drops to a hushed tone and serious tone.
"As to the other matter, well, Canary and Baldan, I'd say your information is correct. More on that in a moment. I'm a bit concerned that you say the Szek is getting himself tied up with Ahlissa. We've had nothing but grief from them for the past few years. I hope he knows what he's getting into. None of my business, I suppose.
"If the two of you were as involved as this letter indicates in Onnwal's independence, then you're exactly the kind of men I'm looking for. 'I hereby make formal request for assistance, that assistance being the advice and confederacy of Canarius and Baldan.'"
She pulls three small plates and forks out of a pocket of her robe, and hands a set to each of her guests. She passes the pie up to Canarius.
"Would you be a dear and serve?"
She drags one of the simple wooden chairs of the chapel around, the better to chat with the other two gentlemen. Her hushed tones continue.
"As you probably have heard, in the last year of the war, Ivid started losing the support of even his most depraved and callous nobles, and tried to hold onto their service by making them all into undead monstrosities. Idiot didn't realize that he had even less control over most of them then. So, the story goes, he made worse and worse deals with powerful fiends, until the whole of Rauxes might as well have been an outport of Dis.
"Fiends started to spread through the land, and it was only some kind of huge, crazy magic that made the city sort of fold in on itself, capturing everything in a giant bubble of nastiness. Which would have been fine by me - serves em right. Except that, for the last few months, we've been getting demons and other hellspawned things coming at us from the north and northeast. Now, the militia here are getting pretty good at turning aside a pack of wights, or some bandit baron. But fiends...I have a few folk here with the training to deal with such things, but we're spread pretty thin.
"More to the point, my best guess is that this means that the barrier around Rauxes is beginning to crack, and the garbage of the universe is spilling out. Pelor's light shine on those poor benighted souls still actually living close to that city.
"My friend Mercy and I, we've been playing clean-up here for a decade, and done a pretty reasonable job of getting Almor back on its feet. But I'm getting old. I don't want to risk losing everything by just reacting to little skirmishes on the borders. I want to make this threat go away, and soon. I want to close the Hellmouth at Rauxes.
"I've already gotten offers of help from two old friends. Themmer Hepmural has been a good friend to the church, and is about the smartest man I've ever met. And that includes five of the Circle of Nine. You've probably heard of the Floating University? That's him. He's doing some research into what he can find out about the background of the Hellmouth. And Olaf Magnussen, the warrior who's brought a ray of hope to the blighted lands in the northwest. He's already doing some preliminary scouting above the city, and I hope to contact him tonight.
"Clearly, this is dangerous enough to call for a whole new word."
She glances over at Canarius, clearly picturing him as just the man to come up with such a word.
"And might I just say that this pie is exquisite. Did you make this yourself?"
After a moment of small talk, she continues.
"Tentatively, we are gathering two nights from now to share counsel and lay on magical protections against the nastiness to come. And then, on the following morning...we go to Rauxes."
The little priestess shrugs.
"I don't know what makes you tick, gentlemen. If you're after some kind of fame, well, this would certainly take you down that road. Money, power? I suspect that there are hoards of such things stored up in the ruins. Me, all I want is a chance at making a real difference in our world."
She polishes off her slice of pie, and the plate cleans itself.
"What do you say?"
white rider
2012-02-05, 03:39 PM
The titan roars in pain, clutching his knee. Than, from the other side, a bolt of lightning hurtles at you as the second titan charges
quickened chain lightning: [roll0]
sunder: [roll1] damage: [roll2]
the first titan soon recovers, also hurling lightning and trying to sunder your blade
quickened chain lightning: [roll3]
sunder: [roll4] damage: [roll5]
edit: by the way, Mother Alla, what kind of defenses do you have? (hallow, true seeing, etc.)
edit edit: does sundering count as an attack for the purposes of rollibards gambit?
Toliudar
2012-02-05, 04:40 PM
All of Almor is under the effect of a Hallow (through the Hallow Region spell) with Remove Fear thrown in for all humanoids.
Usually active personal buffs:
Anticipate Teleport (wand)
Contingency (Temporal Acceleration, when she gets within 50' of an antimagic field)
Divine Power
Elation
Elemental Body (Air) (through Miracle)
Energy Immunity x4 (Cold, Electricity, Acid, Fire)
Freedom of Movement
Heroes Feast
Holy Star
Magic Vestment
Magic Weapon, Greater
Mind Blank, Psionic
Recitation
Lesser Vigor
Holy Aura
Spell Immunity (Avasculate, Wish, Prismatic Sphere, Disintegrate, Prismatic Ray, Wings of Flurry, Maw of Chaos, Prismatic Wall)
Ray Deflection (through Miracle)
Spell Resistance (gives SR 41)
Superior Resistance
Undeath's Eternal Foe
The two Titans closed on Olaf with swift speed, lightning cascading off his spell scarred skin and reflecting back onto the (hopefully surprised) Titans. Spinning sword and spear in a deadly arc Olaf twisted and parried the massive warhammer guiding them away from his own smaller weapons.
Feeding the power of his belt, a gift from Thor himself, he swung the sword towards the first Titan, the blow slamming deep into its body sending it sprawling before he lunged forward, a vast flurry of destruction of swords and spears plunging into deific flesh as he flickered faster than humanly possible, his extreme focus allowing near superhuman speed with his strikes... the cold focus of the diamond mind tapered with the feral rage of Tiger Claw!
Activate Belt of Battle for free standard action:-
White Raven Hammer on Titan 1 - power attack for 10
Attack [roll0] Damage [roll1]+ [roll2]bane + [roll3] Hammer + He is Stunned for 1 round.
Tumble 10ft to the other one [roll4] DC40
THen Time stands still + Girallion death rend
Full attack 1
Swords:-
Attack [roll5] Damage [roll6]+ [roll7]bane
Attack [roll8] Damage [roll9]+ [roll10]bane
Attack [roll11] Damage [roll12]+ [roll13]bane
Attack [roll14] Damage [roll15]+ [roll16]bane
Attack [roll17] Damage [roll18]+ [roll19]bane
Spear
Attack [roll20] Damage [roll21]
Full attack 2
Swords:-
Attack [roll22] Damage [roll23]+ [roll24]bane Crit +62
Attack [roll25] Damage [roll26]+ [roll27]bane
Attack [roll28] Damage [roll29]+ [roll30]bane
Attack [roll31] Damage [roll32]+ [roll33]bane Crit +64
Attack [roll34] Damage [roll35]+ [roll36]bane
Spear
Attack [roll37] Damage [roll38]
If I get a total of 8 hits from all those then I can add the full damge from Girallionwhirlwind deathrend:- [roll39]
-Any threats I'll cover in the OOC and add back in here.
AoO or Opposed rolls for Disarm,s Sunders etc... Attack [roll40] If you need more then let me know :smallsmile:
TITAN 1 (the one I hit last time) = 74 damage + Stunned 1 round
TITAN 2 = Assuming AC 40+ = a paltry 767 damage...
white rider
2012-02-05, 05:58 PM
Olaf twirls and spins, turning one titan into a bloody pulp and smashing the other upside the head. (one dead and one stunned)
as mother alla eats her pie, she feels a tingle as someone tries to teleport inside the range of her anticipate teleport spell
Toliudar
2012-02-06, 12:04 AM
Since Anticipate Teleport gives locations, numbers and sizes, I'll assume one teleporter until I hear otherwise.
Alla tilts her head, and sets down her plate.
"Odd. Six human-sized creatures tried to teleport to right around me. Mercy would know better. Hmm. Better safe than sorry."
Her form shimmers briefly and reappears, looking cloudy and whitish, in front of the door. She brandishes a white gauntlet that is ringed with spikes - still a laughably small weapon by any standards, however.
Standard action to manifest Temporal Acceleration, shared with her psicrystal. Spending 23 points to gain 4 rounds of subjective time.
Round 1:
Standard action: Manifest Schism - 7 points
Move action: pull out her rod of Greater Quicken Spell
Swift Action: cast a quickened Miracle, using it to create a Dimension Lock effect in the chapel.
Round 2:
Standard Action: Cast Godsight to get True Seeing, Blindsight and Arcane Sight.
Move action: swap for lesser rod of Quicken Spell
Swift Action: cast Invisibility Purge, quickened by the rod.
Round 3:
Standard Action: Manifest Greater Concealing Amorpha - 5 points
Move action: move to as close to the door of the chapel as possible while still maintaining line of sight to the person teleporting in.
Swift Action: Enter Giant Killing Style stance.
Round 4:
Move Action: Put on her spiked gauntlet. Shift all of its bonus into defending.
Standard Action: Ready an action to cast Psychic Crush (Spending 23 power points) on the nearest of the creatures teleporting in if it has obviously harmful intentions. Will DC 23 or it drops to -1 HP. If it succeeds on the save, it takes [roll0] untyped damage.
The Lost Cityof Rauxes
As the body of the Titan slowly slips to the ground in several large wet thuds Olaf turns to face the one just recovering, his body dripping thick blood that had splattered over him. Switching to Giant he mocks the beast... "You would challenge the Gods. I spit on you and your kind. Now... Where did your little friends go?"
THe last words punctuated by a dull thudding as he raced forward, twisting to avoid the massive swinging hammer his spear lashing out like a snake finding the weak point in giant's armour, hand encasing in shadow as he goes for it's heart.
Tumble towards it [roll0]
Attack with Power attack for 10 with 5 shadow creeping ice enervation strike... [roll1]
--> Damage [roll2]+[roll3]bane+[roll4] strike
Plus:- [roll5] VS Fort 29 (please fail with you fort damage :smallsmile:)
1-7: Legs [roll6] Dex damage; Spec' Speed = 0ft
8-14: Arms [roll7] Str damage; Spec' -6 To attack/concentrations
15-20: Heart [roll8] Str [roll9] Dex: Spec' [roll10] Con
A failed save takes full damage and the special effect
A passed save ignores the Spec' effect but still takes half the ability damage
Baldan and Canarius glance at eachother.
Two days sounds fine. Says Baldan slowly.
Canarius, laboriously chewing through some pie, merely nods.
As for what makes us tick. Well, I don't doubt there will be ancient treasures. Wealth is power, if you use it in the right way, and I've never heard of anyone with enough of either. And I'd like to think that preventing an invasion from hell is reason enough in itself. Canary?
Vulnus mundi facit bellum internecionem. He says softly. I have seen what evil can do, loose upon the world. If someone had done for Rary what you propose for Rauxes..
So we're in, then. Although if you already have the likes of Olaf and the Floating University on board, we may be a little outclassed.
Canarius clears his throat. You are talking about some of the most powerful warriors and puissant wizards in the Flaness. Still, I don't doubt we'll be useful people to have around too. If only to solve practical difficulties.
We'll see. We should sort out how we're going to get there, and who we're going to bring. I assume you're leaving your militia here? At the least, I want to see the state of Rauxes first hand, and I'll need The Canary along for the aftermath.
Yes, about that... We had discussed earlier about the probable consequences of such a mission, and waxed lyrical as to the possibilities as to outcomes. But one common thread shone forth from amongst the mere straws of Providence. One theme reoccuring as if an old fable coming home to roost. What happens to the city once it is clear of the shadow of Dis? When it is no longer merely a ruin given over to the spawn of Ivid's disasterous pacts, but merely the unoccupied seat of an ancient and continent-spanning empire. A powerful symbol in ambitious hands, and we have no shortage of those.
Freeing Rauxes may start a war.
Vulnus mundi facit bellum internecionem. = A wound in the world creates a war that spares noone.
By convention, I'll be using Latin to represent Ancient Suel, Canarius' native tongue. Any halfway decent on-line Latin->English website will give you a translation. Ancient Suel is one of the two main ancient and dead languages of the Flaness, the other being Old Oeridian.
Baldan and Canarius both scramble to their feet. Canarius starts to chant, an Ancient Suel recitation that sounds suspiciously like a manual of training katas from the old Suel Imperium, forced into a poetic form. He holds his ranseur ready
Baldan takes out a curved knife of silvery metal, invoking some kind of magical blessing as he does so.
Canarius sings a combination of Inspire Legion and Inspire Recklessness. Baldan invokes the bless weapon effect of his scabbard on his magical knife, Fenir's Tooth.
white rider
2012-02-06, 03:32 PM
mother alla: you sense 6 medium creatures trying to teleport around your former position
olaf: fort: [roll0]
the giant gasps, than falls to the ground, dead.
Olaf rolls back out of the way as the Titan collapses backwards in a torrent of blood that soaks the barbarian. "IS THIS ALL YOU CAN BRING. IS THIS THE MIGHT OF THE ABYSS"
As he steps back he breathes a sigh of relief, the battle, though brief had been exhilarating. A fair challenge for him.
Whistling he summons Sleipnir and begins stripping the corpses letting his magical senses guide his looting.
"May the gods shield Alla. We can do nothing more."
He mutters as clips the magical trinkets to his horse.
That done he resumes his watch on the portal lest more fiends appear.
I'll take 10 to find magical loot.
white rider
2012-02-07, 04:55 PM
olaf: you sense 2 magical manuals, a wand, and a staff, as well as the magic from the 2 gargantuan warhammers and suits of half-plate
if you can find out the exact specifics, the items are thesemanual of gainful exercise +2 (55,000gp)
wand of unholy blight (8th) (charges 24) (11,520gp)
staff of illusion (charges 40) (52,000gp)
tome of leadership and influence +5
2 gargantuan adamantine warhammers +3
2 huge suits of half-plate +4
Mother Alla and togo:
will: [roll0]
6 humanoids, armed with scimitars and daggers, appear around where Mother Alla was standing just a moment ago. When one of their number explodes, they scream and jump back. Their apparent leader yells to the others, "Help! something went wrong! This can't be Mother Alla!"
The CIty Rauxes
Glancing at the books he throws them casually into the saddlebags though impressed by the powerful magics emanating from them. THe wand and the staff are slipped into his Quiver
The rest are strapped onto Sleipnir's wide and strong back. He knew well how Gineth appreciated the magical trinkets he returned with. the small gnome was excellent at keeping the troops supplied and with more cash he could recruit more men to help pacify the local area around the Temple.
Deep in thought he remounted the horse and took to the sky once more. A vague hope that Mother Alla was okay and all was well for her. He was sure she would be okay, the small halfling had many tricks up her silvery sleeves. He was no doubt in far more danger, even if he was enjoying the high density of fiends in the area. "What about you old friend? Next one you can take a bite out of I promise." he jokes roughly, patting the horse on the head. "If you see water we'd best land, can't be doing stinking of fiend blood, Atli will be annoyed."
Olaf's Loot Table...
manual of gainful exercise +2 (55,000gp)
wand of unholy blight (8th) (charges 24) (11,520gp)
staff of illusion (charges 40) (52,000gp)
tome of leadership and influence +5
2 gargantuan adamantine warhammers +3
2 huge suits of half-plate +4
400 pp, 10,000 worth of gold rings, bangles, gems, and other jewelry, and 3 magical longswords.
I'll add them to my kit list later :smallsmile:
Initiative:
Baldan [roll0]
Canarius [roll1]
When it's my turn:
Canarius:
Free action to switch martial aura to motivate arts of war
Swift (mental) action to activate Helm of tactics
5ft step during the full attack to get maximum number of targets at 10'
Full attack to trip attack, on different targets if possible. Successfully tripped opponents get a follow up disarm attempt (NB they get -4 on their roll to oppose disarm for being prone)
Touch attack [roll2] Trip for[roll3] if successful disarm for [roll4]
[roll5] Trip for[roll6] if successful disarm for [roll7]
[roll8] Trip for[roll9] if successful disarm for [roll10]
[roll11] Trip for[roll12] if successful disarm for [roll13]
Baldan
Free action: Wildshape into a Geriviar (MM3 p52)
Full Attack (-4 for nonlethal damage, reckless attack for 22, power attack for 22)
slam [roll14] for [roll15](cold, iron good) plus 1 con plus swift action to stun (Fort DC 25)
slam [roll16] for [roll17] (epic)
slam [roll18] for [roll19]
slam [roll20] for [roll21]
slam [roll22] for [roll23]
slam [roll24] for [roll25]
slam [roll26] for [roll27]
slam [roll28] for [roll29]
bite [roll30] for [roll31]
Canarius steps forward, his ranseur whirling in a swift series of moves, made in accordance with the ancient batle manual, seeking to disrupt and disarm.
Baldan grows alarmingly in size, his skin becoming rougher, gnarled and stonelike, and an extra set of arms appearing from his sides. He now crouches to avoid gonig through the cealing with his shoulders, while his face, sunken into his torso, glitters with savagery as he leans forward to strike.
Toliudar
2012-02-08, 06:44 PM
Grandmother Alla
Interesting. These people know me, but not my title. And they knew exactly where I was, even though I'd only been there for a couple of minutes, and hadn't been planning to be in this chapel today. Many questions to answer.
Seeing the effectiveness of her first action, Alla concentrates again on felling two more with her brain. Almost as an afterthought, she speaks a word of power and sends a bolt of silvery light spilling towards one of the attackers.
"Wait, what is this all about? I'm sure that this is all some misunderstanding."
To be clear, the Psychic Crush would only have affected living targets, who go unconscious at -1 HP, and do not, um, explode. This is important, both because she wouldn't have killed if there was a choice, and also because she's going to want to talk to these folks afterward.
Initiative: 1d20+20]
Knowledge (local) to identify the race of the attackers: [roll0]
Both her primary and schismed brains will manifest Psychic Crush again, on opponents not already engaged by Baldan and Canarius. Spending 23 and 19 PP respectively. For both, Will save or fall to -1 HP. My previous post had a typo. The DC of the will save is 30.
She then casts a Quickened Moon Bolt at one of the attackers who is still up and about. Touch attack: [roll1]. If living, it takes [roll2] strength damage, fort save DC 27 for half. If undead, it takes a -2 penalty to actions and makes a will save DC 27 or falls helpless for [roll3] rounds.
Togo, anything I should know about the auras etc?
Auras:
If you are willing to follow Canarius' advice:
+1 to hit in melee
+13 to trip, disarm, grapple, overrun
If you can hear Canarius:
You BAB is equal to the highest on our side, which is 22, unless your Divine Power breaks the epic BAB progression?
You subtract a number (min 0 max BAB) from your AC and add the same to your to hit. You can change the number on your initiative every round.
Baldan can spot scrying quite easily, so presumably they used some means to teleport directly to your location, not knowing where it was - limited wish or similar?
Toliudar
2012-02-09, 12:11 PM
Thanks - that helps. BAB doesn't advance beyond 20 as far as I know, so 20 would be my cap.
So...the ability works like Shock Trooper? Interesting.
white rider
2012-02-10, 03:38 PM
init-[roll0]
will-[roll1]
fort-[roll2]
do you have imp. trip? if so, ignore attacks of opportunity.
AoO[roll3] damage[roll4] and 2 ongoing and fort. 19 or [roll5] con damage; avoid trip [roll6] and counter trip [roll]1d20+16[roll]
AoO[roll7] damage[roll8] and 2 ongoing and fort. 19 or [roll9] con damage; avoid trip [roll10] and counter trip [roll]1d20+16[roll]
AoO[roll11] damage[roll12] and 2 ongoing and fort. 19 or [roll13] con damage; avoid trip [roll14] and counter trip [roll]1d20+16[roll]
AoO[roll15] damage[roll16] and 2 ongoing and fort. 19 or [roll17] con damage; avoid trip [roll18] and counter trip [roll]1d20+16[roll]
Balden smashes the first 4 of the men, who fall unconscious to the ground. Than, Canarius whirls around the two who remain standing, slamming them to the ground and disarming them. Finally, Mother Alla sends two silver beams from her hands, and the two prone men fall senseless.
Baldan shifts his craggy torso, the thick gnarled head facing in Alla's direction. The granite fanged mouth opens, and Baldan's voice comes out.
So, what was that at all about?
As he speaks he shrinks, returning to his former state as a scrawny minature dwarf.
They were very strong, Canarius puts in, collecting the weapons from the fallen, and looking any identifying marks. Stronger than me. Maybe as strong as you.
Hm... not likely human then... Outsiders? Alla, can you tell what they are?
And how they pursuaded fickle fortune to have them arrive in precisely the right place to find you? Canarius asks, not looking up. Is this a noteworthy event, to be recorded in annals and saga, or do you get such uninvited guests dropping in all the time?
Canarius will use detect evil
(And yes, he has improved trip)
white rider
2012-02-10, 09:39 PM
As Canarius detects evil, his eyes flicker over the bodies of the men. Suddenly, he gasps as he is hit several overwhelming auras of evil. Looking at the bodies, Mother Alla notices that they appear to be desert men, from the far west. But when she observes more closely, she sees carefully applied makeup covering their faces, arms, and legs.
Toliudar
2012-02-11, 02:00 AM
Alla
Still reeling from the invasion, Alla speaks softly.
"There hasn't been an invasion directly into the House in more than four years. Not that we're some impregnable vault - it just hasn't happened. I don't suppose that this kind of thing happens to you very often?
"Hmm. Those men only look like Paynim. They're wearing make-up of some kind. Can you try taking it off of one of them?"
Alla does a quick check of the three men she rendered unconscious, to confirm that they are in fact people, and that they weren't slipping further towards death.
"I'm going to try to get some answers directly from their minds, while they're still out. If any start to come around, I trust that you gentlemen can gently encourage them back towards sleep? And if there are any particularly pressing questions you'd like to ask, let me know."
She stares down into the face of one of her fallen attackers, her face a mix of concern and curiosity.
Heal checks to stabilize the unconscious humanoid figures (or to see if they're fast-healing on their own, which is a different problem: [roll0], one potentially solved by inflicting moderate amounts of non-lethal damage on an ongoing basis. If they're disguised, spot to see through the disguise: [roll1].
She'll start by manifesting Mind Probe (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/mindProbe.htm) on the first one that she knocked out. It takes a minute to activate, so we've got time for the mundane info to come through first. Her first questions will be:
What is your name?
Where do you come from?
Who sent you to kill me?
How did you know where to find me?
Do you know of any others being sent to kill other individuals?
[I]Pausing there to detetermine the rest of the questions based on answers to the above, and possibly feedback from Togo.
white rider
2012-02-11, 01:14 PM
The makeup is skillfully applied, but wipes off easily. The creatures appear human, but have reddish skin, with dark red streaks going down their bodies. The creatures are not healing, and their mind yields to your assault.
What is your name?
Where do you come from?
We came from inside Rauxes, and before that the 218th layer of the Abyss
Who sent you to kill me?
Q'xyanior, of the black wings
How did you know where to find me?
We hid in your village for a few hours, investigating. We were told by the blade where this puny town was.
Do you know of any others being sent to kill other individuals?
We are the first, but more of us will come. Mercy has already been targeted, and soon your wizard friend will die, too.
Canarius clears his throat.
If they've been touring your fair establishment for a while, it might be worth finding out whom they've been entertaining. We might be able to track them from there?
Baldan frowns.
We can track their movement back to the Abyss, sure. We want to?
It might be worth finding out who they ran into on the way.
Couldn't we just ask directly? They might have a blind drop, or a handler Primeside, but demons don't usually indulge in sophisticated operations way out here. Time works against them in too many ways.
Toliudar
2012-02-11, 07:36 PM
The make-up wears off to reveal angry red flesh. Alla looks over at Baldan and Canarius, deeply concerned.
"Dawn's light! The creatures seem to have been sent by someone named Q'xyanior, from the abyss to kill us. They say that they're targeting Themmer...I wish them luck in doing so...but also mentioned my friend Mercy. Would you mind keeping an eye on these things for a moment while I check on her?"
Alla rises and, if the two men seem willing, she dashes out the chapel door. She dashes down the hall to her office.
"Carmel, call an alert. Send Thorbald and a dozen guards to the east chapel."
Not even waiting for a response, Alla vanishes, reappearing outside Mercy's workshop. She dives in without knocking, and grabs Mercy from where she's working on a large stone bowl.
"Alla? What?"
"I'll explain in a moment. Time's wasting."
She reappears back in the chapel. With her is a confused and dissheveled human woman, mid-thirties, beautiful in a pale, wan way, with almost translucent skin and deep blue eyes. She's dressed in a dirty artisan's smock, covered with stone dust.
"Who in the great bloody hells are they?"
Alla glanced over, pointing at the dwarf and the man. She speaks quickly and distractedly.
"Oh, sorry. Mercy Morriss, these are Baldan and Canarius. Agents of the Basalt Throne, just arrived from Onnwal."
Mercy harrumphs and points at the six unconscious swordsmen on the ground.
"Oh, them. The two hundred and eighteenth layer of the abyss. It looks like we're making someone very powerful very nervous."
Almost without missing a beat, she turns her mental attention back to the unconscious demon.
"How many portals do you know of that link Rauxes to the Abyss? Do you know of any links between Rauxes and other planes?"
Mercy has turned even paler, if that is even possible without becoming transparent.
"Fcking Sun preserve our skinny old asses. Holy fcking sht."
Knowledge (The planes) [roll0] to identify the creature, and perhaps to recognize the name Q'xyanior.
If I DON'T find Mercy well, ignore the rest of my post.
So that's a couple of greater teleports, using her schism'ed brain. As soon as she has a moment, she'll memorize a couple sendings in order to alert Themmer and Olaf to the danger that, well, Olaf already knows about.
white rider
2012-02-11, 08:03 PM
The creatures are Kelvezus, the elite assassins of the abyss. They are quick, efficient, deadly, and very costly to hire. Only the greatest of the abyssal beings could order them, for they are all united in one order.
Q'xyanior is a great general of the seven heavens, serving directly under Raziel, lord of the 5th layer of heaven.
Toliudar
2012-02-12, 12:56 PM
Alla quickly updates the other three about what she's learned.
"That's disturbing. I mean, flattering, I suppose, that someone is willing to commit such resources to eliminating a little old woman. and they were brought her through a gate, not summoned, so destroying them would remove these blights from the dance permanently, thank goodness. But disturbing that either the great Q'xyianor, an angel of surpassing grace and might, would either be involved in this, or else so ably mimicked that these perceptive fiends would be fooled."
She glances down at the unconscious creatures uneasily.
She would have lost not more than two or three rounds out of the Mind Probe's duration to the jaunting around to pick up Mercy, and it's not an effect requiring concentration to maintain. So her next two questions to the demon are:
"How many portals do you know of that link Rauxes to the Abyss?
Do you know of any links between Rauxes and other planes?"
white rider
2012-02-12, 03:17 PM
How many portals do you know of that link Rauxes to the Abyss?
Rauxes is not 'linked'. It exists in both the abyss and the materiel world.
Do you know of any links between Rauxes and other planes?
Rauxes is linked to the Abyss, the Nine Hells, and a portion of the River Styx, as well as Chaos, Mechanicus, and the Seven Heavens.
Devils are the essence of elabourate deception, says Canarius, whereas demons are more chaotic and destructive. It may be that the demons themselves were fooled.
Or not. says Baldan bluntly. Angels can be twisty buggers. If Ivid made a deal, he made a deal, and they may feel obliged to honour it.
For the greater good, of course.
Yeah. Maybe this all serves some good so great we can't see it. Until we do, I'm going with the idea that the people trying to kill off the good guys, are bad. Maybe that messes with celstial balance. Maybe we're supposed to get overrun with fiends as part of a greater plan. But while we're waiting to be let in on the big secret, let's just assume that whoever is giving orders as General Q'xyanior is bad news, okay?
There is a silence.
If Rauxes has really been incorporated into planar geography as they describe, then it is literally part of the landscape of good and evil, correct?
Well, maybe. Why?
I was just thinking that salvation for this benighted stretch of real estate might become possible only if the city were to be corrupted by something so fundamentally alien to landscape of the outer planes, dominated by something so contrary to it's nature, that the shock of it would force the city's rejection by the planes of thought, break the contract that holds it in its present ambigious state, and so contaminate its planar alignment as to bring it fully back within the manifold of physical reality.
Like what?
Canarius shrugs. Us.
white rider
2012-02-12, 08:25 PM
As Themmer sits studying, there is suddenly a horrendous noise from outside the castle walls, and a terrified scholar runs to Themmer crying "Dragon! Dragon!", before fainting.
Kazyan
2012-02-12, 09:27 PM
At some point, distant from the Chathold, the black pillar to the sky would expand. Depending on the distance, it may have appeared as anything from few arc-minutes of the horizon line before dissolving into the same blue color, or it may have occupied a percentage of the skyline before doing the same. Whatever the case, it would disappear without apparent incident.
At the center of the site, Rafflesia stood in silence, watching her spell's handiwork. So much was purified. Leaves fell as wet, dark bits of what looked like cloth. The blackened trees still stood, only from the strength in their dead roots. Secondary to the main point, but enough to encourage a biocide in the first place. The green sludge in the water darkened to the same color of the falling leaves. It hadn't explicitly evacuated, but it no longer thrived as one of nature's horrors. Rafflesia considered the still-floating mass for forty minutes, dimly aware of the passage of time, before deciding that she should clean up.
"Hilolunu Derima."
Rafflesia perceived a crackle at the back of her cranium as the silver cord shuddered with the teleport. She found herself back in her room, standing next to a wall, in front of a steel pinwheel. Now in a familiar location, she hovered over to the half-size mirror, and set down her arcane focus. The gear turned one tooth from imprecise momentum, then settled. Satisfied, Rafflesia spun in place and waited. She didn't particularly care how long it took for an overwatch to come by, not that it mattered much with her damaged sense of time. After a certain amount of time, a second pixie would appear in the room. He looked at Rafflesia, and his eyes widened.
"Hi! You're back!"
"Workstation, taking your time." Rafflesia extended her arm.
"You got it!" The overwatch darted over and, very slowly, took Rafflesia's hand. "Move workstation."
Rafflesia blocked out the next sensation, instead focusing on the desk now in front of her. She reached out with her free hand to open a drawer, and plucked out a small sapphire with a tiny hook dangling off it.
"Do you want the rest of your stuff?"
"No. Just this." Rafflesia pulled the sapphire to her ear, slipped the hook into her peirced ear, and flipped the catch to keep it from slipping out. "Back to Lake Spendlowe."
"Move Lake Spendlowe!"
Rafflesia surveyed the new scenery, supressing a scowl. "Over there, where the black is."
"Move over there, where the black is!"
Rafflesia released the overwatch's hand at the earliest opportunity. "Now you can go back home. By the way, is the bouquet alright? I didn't see them while talking to Korun."
"Kind of? They're doing their best to cheer up everyone, but, Kitty's throwing up and Lily's crying a lot. It's a downer."
Rafflesia sighed and patted the overwatch on the back. "Keep Lily in her box, and get her a blanket. Take Kitty to the Table of Feasting when the room is sparse in population. Give them all hugs, too. Carefully."
"Oh, okay. Bye! Move Cinnabar Site!"
Rafflesia flew away from where the overwatch just resided, now hovering over the lake. She pointed her finger at the surface, and the sludge began to clear. Slowly. Her mind wandered to the problem of how to find the rabbit corpse.
Greater Teleport spent, and using Prestidigiation from the earring. She'll be there for a while.
Toliudar
2012-02-12, 10:09 PM
Alla considered the prospect.
"You're suggesting that our very connection to this world lies at the heart of the secret of severing Rauxes ties to other worlds. Fascinating. I love the poetry of it. I suspect that Pelor would as well. Which makes me wonder if the gods know of the mingling that's been made there, and if they approve. If they do, then it's going to be significantly more difficult break the links that are described."
She continues her mental interrogation of the demon's unconscious mind.
"Are agents of all the planes you've listed committed to maintaining the mingling in Rauxes?
"Do representatives of the different planes you've mentioned cooperate in Rauxes, or are they battling each other?
"How can mortals from outside the city break through the barrier around Rauxes?"
As Mercy slowly pieces together recent events, she continued to swear in a steady stream.
"You're thinking it's time to ask the Boss directly."
Alla shrugged slightly, and nodded.
"Canarius could be right. If there's a convoluted and multi-layered game at play here, then we're better off knowing what role 'our' side might be playing in the game."
distant quasar
2012-02-13, 10:58 AM
Themmer moves in a flash, making a hurried mental note to get his scholars more hands-on-experience...
He quickly shifts into the form of a Pit Fiend, fortifying himself with the magical immunity of a Mithral Golem. He sends a quick telepathic message to Jenor (assuming he's in 100 ft; if not to one of the guards) to activate the tornadoe's eyes, and then teleports himself outside the walls.
He scans the university quickly, attempting to locate the threat before the winds start blowing.
Spot: [roll0] (not sure how neccessary that role is if it's a big old abomination...)
white rider
2012-02-13, 03:43 PM
Mother Alla: "Are agents of all the planes you've listed committed to maintaining the mingling in Rauxes?
No.
"Do representatives of the different planes you've mentioned cooperate in Rauxes, or are they battling each other?
The Abyss and the Nine Hells battle, and both assault the Seven Heavens. Chaos is indifferent, and Mechanicus has shut itself off from the outside.
"How can mortals from outside the city break through the barrier around Rauxes?"
The wall is impenetrable on this plane, but vulnerable to disjunction on other planes. The multi-planer traits of Rauxes extend just beyond the city, so one can simply travel to a plane other than this, disjoin the wall, and walk through before it reforms.
Themmer: The creature is not a dragon, but a massive blotchy serpent, 40 feet long. It shrieks in pain as it turns and charges through the air towards you, it's maw opening wide.
attack: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
if attack hits, grapple: [roll2]
Rafflesia: the lake slowly begins to become clean, revealing clear, pristine, lifeless water.
distant quasar
2012-02-13, 04:18 PM
Themmer responds faster than the serpent can move, shifting forms entirely, this time into an incorpereal Mithral Golem. He quickly sends out an emerald ray from his hand, quickly followed by small orbs of force that streak towards the serpentine monster. He seems utterly unconcerned by the fact that he is now swiftly traveling towards the earth below, and he quickly searches his mind for anything that resembles this creature.
((Jenor or someone else are currently going to activate the Torandoe's eyes, right? It should be a free action to activate them as soon as they reach one of them, there is one in each tower of the university.))
Using Reflexive Change to change shape as Immediate Action.
Casting Dimensional Anchor and Twin Maximized Orb of Force (60 damage for each orb)
(ranged touch attacks)
Dimensional Anchor: [roll0]
Orb 1: [roll1]
Orb 2: [roll2]
Knowledge (dungeenering) [roll3]
(nature) [roll4]
(arcana) [roll5]
(assuming such checks are allowed in combat, to determine what kind of creature he's facing here)
white rider
2012-02-13, 07:05 PM
Themmer: All three attacks hit, denting the creatures flesh as the creature dives towards you. Despite the speed of your fall, it steadily gains, and it's mouth opens wide in anticipation.
nature: nothing doing
arcana: the creature is a findwurm, an ordinary worm twisted by dark magics into a massive abomination with a portal to one of the evil planes in it's stomach
dungioneering: findwurms, while unintelligent, are fierce combatants with massive strength and a deadly bite. it can slither and burrow through the earth.
ooc: the worm will reach you next round, and the tornadoes will activate the round after that.
Toliudar
2012-02-14, 12:50 AM
Alla quickly relates what she's learned from the demon's mind to the other three.
"Interesting. Well. I'm going to suggest that, after we finish here, I'll try to contact Themmer and Olaf. The two of you are welcome to join us here for the night. It seems likely that more demons are roaming around my city, looking for Mercy. And while they might find her, they're significantly less likely to find it."
The old halfling's voice remains light, but there is a pinched look that suggests that things will not go well for other assassins tonight.
Canarius has been sorting the weapons, and going through the pockets of the fallen for weapons, clues, or dangerous items.
So what does the Castellian of Chathold have in store for these creatures we have already found? Many fiends can translocate many leagues in the blink of an eye, so for all I know, they could be out of a cell and back into Chathold proper the moment their wits return to them. Do you kill demon assasins? Bind them? Or would banishment prevent them from returning for a good long while?
If we're staying, I might as well have a look for that missing kid. Anything special you want us to do if we spot any more disguised demons?
white rider
2012-02-14, 05:19 PM
Canarius finds 6 daggers and 6 scimitars, 100 PP, and a used scroll
Toliudar
2012-02-14, 05:40 PM
Alla
Alla glances down at the unconscious and disarmed demon to continue the probing:
"Who does Q'xyanior serve?
"Is Q'xyanior allied with the faction from the Abyss?
"How do demons who can't use disjunction access Rauxes?"
She turns her attention back to her guests, blinking for a moment as she processes Canarius' request.
"The castellian? Oh, well, I suppose you'd be better off asking him. To be honest, though, Bertram's only been on the job a few weeks, and he's better at road repair and duty rosters than demon imprisonment.
"You're welcome to check in about Gemma. I haven't had a chance to do a proper search, although I was going to try to scry her this evening. And I think that you've displayed an excellent manner for dealing with disguised demons. As for what to do with them next - as soon as the guard detail arrives and we've got all that we can out of them through this form of questioning, I'd like to suggest that we wake them up and talk with them. While they remain in this room, they can't just teleport away. And I can be very persuasive. As, I suspect, can you, Canarius. Perhaps together, we might turn an implacable enemy into an ally?"
I have no storyline planned for Gemma, but am happy to either make up something, or to pass it over to White Rider if he likes.
White Rider, should I assume diplomacy rules as written? Something like the Giant's fix (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172910)?
Kazyan
2012-02-15, 02:25 AM
Rafflesia cares little for how much time the clearing takes, but once she cleans a cube with a length of about a human's height, she casually wades into the pure blue liquid. It satisfies her to know that she has such power over what is supposed to be completely indestructible. Still, life may return to this section of the lake, if not the soil around it. She points at a few stray patches of blackness once submerged up to her neck, then pushes away from the last of the silt on her toes.
There was something to be said for uncontaminated water.
A voice whispers in her mind, the familiar mental speech.
'Is this a good time?'
Rafflesia considers Dotod before responding through the telepathic link. 'For what? I'm doing nothing of importance.'
'Teletalking. I miss you.'
'It's good to hear from you.' She avoids using the same, untrue wording.
'Thank you. I like you. Methrin kept Cinnabar Site together.'
'How so?'
Rafflesia continues idle, somewhat informative telepathy with her construct friend as she moves farther into the lake, clearing dead algae along the way.
distant quasar
2012-02-15, 01:13 PM
Themmer shifts forms again, this time into a leShay with a pair of angel wings growing from its back. He flies towards the creature and meets its gaze, seeking to calm it.
DC 44 Charm Monster gaze attack :smallsmile:
We might, Canarius conceeds, although it is harder to convince someone when we know nothing of their motivations. And even a tongue that might charm the very birds from the trees or a mermaid from her lair might baulk at trying to turn a creature of inherent evil to a good cause. Still, I shy not away from adopting the machinations of either mine enemies or of angels, and we face one if not both in the cusp of this hour.
Great. I'll go try and work out the last place the kid was seen. If you need me, scream.
Baldan pauses by the door.
You know, Canary, unless these demons have some form of protection, you may just be able to see them.
Canarius shrugs. I know. But so do you, and they also, and a hypothetical visitor might suppose that all too many of the staff here could sense the presence of evil. I think if they are here, they are protected. They would have to be very foolish...
Or desperate. Or in a hurry. Baldan stares at the wall. This feels... rushed. Why try to kill Alla, now after all these years? Sure she's a nuisance, but a few plagues or some sabotage would keep her busy enough. Someone wants her out of the picture entirely.... which means something is going on. Something has changed, or is about to. We may be running out of time.
white rider
2012-02-15, 04:21 PM
Who does Q'xyanior serve?
himself.
Is Q'xyanior allied with the faction from the Abyss?
he is the faction from the abyss.
How do demons who can't use disjunction access Rauxes?
they use scrolls of disjunction
Themmer: the beast slows and comes to a stop directly in front of you.
distant quasar
2012-02-15, 04:46 PM
Themmer carefully mounts himself on the creatures back, then exchanges his angel wings for telepathic communication.
casting Detect Thoughts as per leShay ability.
Once I can read surface thoughts, I use telepathy to ask why the creature is here. If it doesn't understand language, I use feelings and visual to raise up memories in the findwurm's mind. Not a thorough questioning by any means, Themmer is simply trying to determine where the findwurm came from, and how and why it got here--are there memories of any particular person/being before arriving here, for example?
white rider
2012-02-15, 08:54 PM
The creature's surface thoughts are only pain- horrible, tortured, unending pain. It dimly remembers being in a harsh, cold world, before everything shifted and it came here.
Toliudar
2012-02-16, 06:31 AM
Alla
Alla quickly shares the results of her last few questions with the others.
"Good luck, Baldan! If you could check back in about an hour or two, I may have news, and a possible excursion on which to invite you. And your points are well made, Canarius. I think, however, that given that we are dealing with elite assassin demons, it's initial motivations involve killing a great many things in imaginative and painful ways."
The little halfling smiles. Mercy does not. Alla tires of waiting for the guard detail to arrive, and takes matter into her own hands. Raising her hands, she crafts a simple wall of stone over and around the bodies of the six demons, so that only their heads remain exposed.
"There. With luck, it'll give us at least enough time to chat with one of them long enough to present our case. Ready to lend a hand, Canarius? Mercy?"
Alla murmurs a preparatory prayer. The pale woman shrugs, clearly dubious about this plan, and takes up a position near the door. When Canarius signals his readiness, she murmurs a brief prayer, touches one of the demons (not the one whose mind she has been probing, and steps back. As soon as it stirs, she begins to speak.
"I apologize for the need to confine you, but you were after all trying to kill me. I would like to present you with a one time offer. You've had a great deal of time to find out what benefits might accrue to the lifestyle of a killer, and I'm certain that there are many significant pleasures to that life. But you have an opportunity, a unique opportunity, to reconsider, and to spend a time, perhaps only a brief time, finding out what it is like to work in a place of trust and cooperation, to find out what it is like to help others instead of plotting against them and seeking their death. You have an opportunity to make a difference, to achieve a place of power and respect, and to be on what is, based on the fact that I am standing here and you are trapped in stone there, to be the winning side of this particular conflict. And all that I ask for is a week of honest service and advice. Of course you could turn me down, but then I have to go consult with some of the wizards I know about the best way to trap a demon forever. It's a lot of bother, and I'd much rather be friends. What do you say?"
So that's a Divine Insight, Wall of Stone, and then lesser vigor to bring the demon around. Assuming that the demons are in more or less adjacent squares, they're all now encased in about a foot of solid stone up to their necks.
Mercy will stay by the door, readying an action to eldritch blast the creature back into unconsciousness if it seems to be attacking or having any luck in escaping the stone.
Alla is using a full-round action to attempt to use Diplomacy on the demon. Because of the Communications Mantle, she only takes a -5 penalty for rushing this as a full-round action instead of a full minute of talking. Alla will also use the +5 from Divine Insight on this check.
The DC to turn someone from hostile to helpful is 50, or 55 with the rushing. I'm hoping that the implied self-interest in this pitch - they clearly have a great deal to lose by turning this offer down - works in our favour, but that's your call, White Rider.
So, Alla's check, augmented by anything that Canarius is able to add to the process, is [roll0]. Sense motive to get a feeling for the demon's sincerity in his response: [roll1].
distant quasar
2012-02-16, 03:52 PM
Themmer sighs, then shifts into an angel, flying up. He turns back to the creature, looking at it with pity as he casts his spell.
Casting Imprisonment (DC 28) as the angel spell-like ability
Canarius nods gravely. You were, at the very least, sent on a mission you were very unlikely to survive, without proper support. You should, at the least, consider how long you would last were you to return home.
He's pulling off the odd trick of being reassuring while at the same time carrying just the hint of danger. Impressive, but a mere candle in the wind compared to awesome presence of Alla.
For what's it's worth.:smalleek: Diplomacy [roll0]
Also he's deliberately dropped in a suggestion that they were left unsupported. If true, that should touch a nerve. If false, Alla may be able to pick up on their reaction to it, and then we know we have more to look out for.
white rider
2012-02-16, 06:30 PM
Themmer: [roll0]
the creature stays put.
Mother Alla & co.
the demon looks at Mother Alla and speaks with a low, gravely voice far different from the one you would expect from a creature of it's stature, "I would accept, but to live and to fail... him would mean a punishment far worse than you could imagine. And the Kelvezu help their own. I will be set free after... he wipes you from the face of the earth."
Most of the rest of the group seem to agree with the speaker, but two of them look a bit doubtful at his words.
Toliudar
2012-02-17, 04:49 PM
Alla is both undeterred and unruffled by the demon's pronouncements. It helped that, at this point, three demon princes, a lich and a death knight had already told her that they were going to kill her. It made someone slightly more sanguine about death threats.
"That's as may be, but it won't help you if they don't know where you are. And they won't, more's the pity."
Alla shakes her head, regretting the waste already.
"And there's no need for sinister pronoun usage. We already know all about Q'xyanior. It's been more than a decade since Rauxes merged. If he hasn't wiped me from the face et cetera et cetera, it certainly doesn't seem likely that that's going to change in the next little while. Or is there another 'him' that I should give your location to, presumably while writhing in unimaginable agony somewhere?"
To be clear, White Rider, I was only reviving one of them, precisely so that this process can be repeated again with the others, if there seems to be any point in doing so.
white rider
2012-02-18, 01:06 PM
ooc: oh, my bad.
"None can stand against him. Two lords of heaven are gone. A demon prince is in retreat. I will not fight you, seeing as that would lead only to my doom, but nor will I aid you."
distant quasar
2012-02-18, 01:29 PM
"Hmm." Themmer groans. "Wouldn't expect a creature like this to have that much will... might as well try again."
:smallsigh:
Cast it again. And again. Until it works. :smalltongue:
Toliudar
2012-02-18, 05:40 PM
Alla
Alla leans close.
"I suppose it's useful to know that you fear something more than oblivion and torment. Sad, but useful."
Alla leans close to the assassin-demon in order to deliver a surprisingly firm punch, knocking him out. Reaching into the mind of the still-unconscious demon she probed, she finishes off her contact with a last couple of questions.
"Who do you know that Q'xyanior has defeated or betrayed in order to achieve his current position?"
Even Alla's pitiful by any standards 1d2+4 damage should be enough to punch the demon back to unconsciousness.
--
For Baldan:
The dwarf finds a very worried pair of parents waiting back in a rather spartan office decorated primarily with children's drawings and a few small sun symbols. They're eager to share their story.
"Gemma's fifteen, a good girl. Three days ago, she was going to meet some friends down by the beach, but didn't arrive. We have spoken to the friends, and they could tell you where they were supposed to meet her, but none of them, as far as we can tell, have the faintest inclination where Gemma's gone."
white rider
2012-02-18, 06:03 PM
Themmer: [roll0]
The creature looks at you, and lets out a long, keening cry before dissipating.
Mother Alla:
Who do you know that Q'xyanior has defeated or betrayed in order to achieve his current position?
Raziel, the crusader, and Seatiel, the defender, are dead, and Barachiel has been laid low by a dark spell.
distant quasar
2012-02-19, 12:08 PM
Themmer flies back towards the tower, turning incorpereal so as to not be buffeted by the tornadoe winds. To be on the safe side, the winds will stay up.
Jenor spies him approaching, and lets him through the barriers. "What was that?"
"A findwyrm. And no, I don't know who sent it here. Do me a favor and fetch the obsidian focus for Cloister; I'm going to put it up tommorow."
Jenor's eyes open a bit wider, but he nods and goes off.
Themmer shakes his head as he makes his way towards the library again. The mess could be sorted out later, but he needed to know what was going on now.
He ought to contact Alla first...
Casting Sending.
"Hello Grandmother. I have some disturbing news; the university has just been unsuccessfully assaulted by a findwyrm. I was unable to determine who sent it."
Toliudar
2012-02-20, 01:16 AM
Alla mentally sends back to Themmer:
"Six assassin demons here. I have news, and new allies. Keep your school on alert. Can you come? Alla."
--
When she receives the mental information from the last gasp of her mental probe, Alla turns pale and gropes towards a chair. When she manages to speak again to Mercy and Canarius, her voice is distant, strangled.
"This fallen angel. The demon believes that he has already killed Raziel and Seatiel, and has ensorcelled Barachiel. This is...even worse than I thought. Canarius, do you by any chance have a way to contact Baldan. We may need him even sooner than anticipated.
"The good news is that Themmer has just contacted me, and has bested the beast sent to kill him."
Canrius stands.
I know not these names, but I can see these tidings are dark indeed. Baldan, I can summon at need, as can those few we have left back in Irongate, although why they would be a target, I can not imagine.
He sweeps his long blond hair back, letting it cascade down his back in a shimmering golden wave.
Is there anyone else who needs to be warned? Anyone else you know who might, through fate or circumstance, be a target, either by the ballad of their own deeds, or stained by fate through their assocaition with you? And is there anything we need to do to secure this stalwart fortress of the sun against further threat? If this angel is acting here, he may have interests here. Including mortal allies.
----------------
Baldan nods
I can't promise anything, but I can certainly try to track her down. If the trail is too old there may be nothing I can do.
Can you get me a pair of her shoes? Or stockings? Anything that hasn't been washed? And can you show me where she was last seen? Not where she was going, but the last place where we know for sure that she was there
Toliudar
2012-02-21, 11:12 AM
I know not these names, but I can see these tidings are dark indeed. Baldan, I can summon at need, as can those few we have left back in Irongate, although why they would be a target, I can not imagine.
Alla slides into a more contemplative mode for a moment, her voice mumbling out thoughts as her brain raced elsewhere.
"Raziel the crusader, Seatiel the defender, and Barachiel the messenger. They are to the seven heavens what the archdukes are to hell. Only without the in-fighting and jockeying for power. Well, with a much more polite jockeying for power. If Q'xyanior has already taken out four such beings, he has ascended to the power of a god."
Is there anyone else who needs to be warned? Anyone else you know who might, through fate or circumstance, be a target, either by the ballad of their own deeds, or stained by fate through their assocaition with you? And is there anything we need to do to secure this stalwart fortress of the sun against further threat? If this angel is acting here, he may have interests here. Including mortal allies.
"Everyone should be warned. If Themmer's been targeted, who knows about Ral Deep in Dyvers, Lynwerd in Nyrond, Gasgal in Greyhawk, even Canon Hazen in Veluna and Mordenkainen of the Nine. I sent out feelers to a dozen courts all over the continent, subtle conversations the likes of which you responded to. And this crisis threatens all of us. Mercy, you were with me on those jaunts. Can you jot notes about this, arrange for messengers to head through the Circles to all the places within reach? We'll have to deal with the others tomorrow. And Canarius, if there are any back home who knew where you were headed, best to be contacting them too. And see what's keeping that guard detail.
Mercy nodded and popped out the door. Alla paced for a moment, thinking.
"Stronghold of the Sun? Ha! More like a Sun Bonnet. We're doing what we can, but we've been focused more on rebuilding lives and a city than building a fortress that can keep out angels and devils. Angels? Lord of Light, what if Q'xyanior has corrupted a whole cohort of angels? Can you imagine a more fearsome..."
She drifted off into her own thoughts for a moment.
"Right. Defenses. No, I don't think that we have anything that can withstand a demon or angel onslaught."
There is a knock on the door, and four human guards in chainmail, three squat men of clearly Oerid stock and one lanky northerner, come in. They see the six heads protruding from lumps in the stone now covering most of the floor.
"Right. Not enough. Daneel, go and speak with Sergeant Lassiter. I want round-the-clock supervision of these heads, seven to a shift. Arm the men with, oh, spears or some such. Any of them wakes up, I want you to stab them in the head. No listening to what they have to say. No chatting with the amusingly incapacitated prisoners, right? These are powerful demons, and they were sent to kill us. The rest of you, spread out and watch them in the meantime."
Her face softens briefly, sensing the unease her words are causing.
"Good lads. Not to worry. We've survived worse."
She turns back to Canarius.
"Right then. Come with me. We need to make a quick stop off in Rauxes."
----------------
Baldan nods
I can't promise anything, but I can certainly try to track her down. If the trail is too old there may be nothing I can do.
Can you get me a pair of her shoes? Or stockings? Anything that hasn't been washed? And can you show me where she was last seen? Not where she was going, but the last place where we know for sure that she was there
Lyla nods, hope rising in her face like an early dawn.
"What, really? Sure! Our home is about half a mile away, on Deepsun Road. There would be lots of Gemma's things there, and it's the last place that we know she was."
With a flurry, Lyla and Denom get to their feet and lead Baldan out of the office. Out in the hallway, he meets up with Alla and Canarius slipping out of the chapel.
"Ah, Baldan. You've found them. Excellent. Um. Worse even than we thought, as it turns out. Treason in heaven, end of the world, sorry to say."
She pauses to smile at Lyla and Denom distractedly.
"Sorry, dears. Tell you all about it when I get the chance. Shouldn't worry."
"I'm off to Rauxes to check on Olaf and bring him back here. Thinking that it might be easier to start our journey topside, as it were. I don't suppose you fancy meeting Pelor?"
She turns and looks around the hallway, as if sizing up whether something very large and imposing would fit into it. She shakes her head, and heads back into the waiting room of her office. She nods.
"Yes. This'll do in a pinch. Carmel, we're closing for the day. Get everyone out, right now. Sorry, everyone. Come back in three days."
Alla vanishes, reappearing a mile over the city of Rauxes, which seems to be the local nexus of all this trouble. Spotting a magnificent warrior on a flying horse isn't all that difficult, and Alla zips on over to him.
"It's worse than we thought. What's the plural of armageddon? Whew! What's that smell. Ah. Demon blood. I see. Well, sounds like we've both got stories to tell. I've got new friends to introduce you to. I think one might be from your neighbourhood."
Settling gently on Sleipnir's saddle, Alla focuses again on the waiting room, and suddenly the three of them are there, together with a very large blonde man and a very small dwarf.
"Ah. Olaf, these are Canarius and Baldan."
Sorry for the long, convoluted post. I just thought that this would be more fun once we had a chance to get together. I can retcon some of this back if anyone objects.
All appeared to a very quiet picture of Olaf sat around a small fire with a tent beside him cooking some meat and tossing some small bits to Sleipnir. The body of the two enormous Titans lying in the blood soaked earth nearby.
As she appears Olaf rose swiftly, claws outstretched and sword leaping into hand but the weapons fell away as he recognised her. "Mother Alla. You are early. It has been an enjoyable morning so far." the words puctuated by pointing a still blood splattered arm towards the bodies.
"I had feared for your safety. Some smaller demons came through with the big ones. I heard your name in their tongue then they vanished."
At her words he nods folding away tent and soon breaking camp. "I am relieved to see you well and eager to mee these men who helped you. I'm sure we can avert the coming destruction. or die a glorious death trying"
With the faint pop they appear in the Alla's town and he quickly sends Sleipnir off to the stable to be well tended for. "There are some magical trinkets on the horse that you can keep Mother to raise funds for your people. I do not need them all."
Looking at the short and tall adventurers he gives a short nod of with his ragged hair and blood covered and scarred body. "I am Olaf. Well met, it is good to meet you. A friend of Mother Alla's is a frient of mine.
What is it that has got you so worried?
Toliudar
2012-02-21, 04:52 PM
Pre-teleport:
Alla glances over at the two dead titans and shakes her head.
"I should have known I didn't need to worry about you. Good work. We did indeed get a visit by half a dozen assassin demons, about ten minutes ago. They're still alive, in case you'd like to chat. We've learned some significantly unpleasant things."
She glances over at the dome covering Rauxes.
"Things best discussed elsewhere."
--
After Sleipner is taken care of, Alla leads Olaf back to the others, and Mercy joins them, her immediate tasks completed. Alla leads the group back into the room with the unconscious demons. She nods at the three guards inside.
"Good work, gentlemen. Guard from outside for a few minutes, please?"
She holds up a hand, forestalling Olaf's questions.
"I'll answer everything, but we might as well speak about this once only. I've asked Themmer to join us, and he gets around even more quickly than I do."
Baldan eyes Alla carefully
To answer your earlier question. No. I would not. Once was enough. If he wants to talk, he doubtless can find me. You might take Canary though.
There's a moment's silence.
Canarius is the first to break it.
Do I have the honour of addressing Olaf Magnusson? The heros Olaf DevilSlayer Magnusson? Words fail me, they simply fail me. My name, good sir Knight, is Canarius. I can not in good conscience express how amazing it is to finally meet you in person. Words simply can not describe...
You're still using them though. adds Baldan.
Canarius' eyes narrow.
And what a wonderful pair of boots he's wearing, did you notice Baldan?
Baldan rolls his eyes, but says nothing.
A fine pair of furry boots, rather similar to mine, wouldn't you say? Remind me what you were saying about them, won't you Baldan? "Decades out of fashion, and thankfully forgotten" wasn't it Baldan? Maybe you'll change your mind now that you see them on Olaf Magnusson himself!
Canary, I don't know why you were relying on me for fashion tips.
No I don't know why I was listening to fashion tips from a dwarf. And a poorly dressed minature dwarf at that. Oh, maybe it was because said dwarf insisted on giving me advice whether I wanted it or not.
Look, all I said was that if I was going to make you boots, I wanted them to be something you could wear all the time...
What you said, if you would be so kind as to remember, was that you weren't going to spend all that effort so I could shuffle around in a pair of dead badgers. Now the mightiest hero of the Flaness turns up in exactly the same style, and suddenly furry boots are height of fashion again.
Baldan sighs and stick out a hand.
I'm Baldan. I have bad taste in boots.
Toliudar
2012-02-21, 07:05 PM
Mercy's eyes briefly pinball back and forth between Canarius and Baldan, trying to follow the conversation. Eventually, she just turns to stare at Alla, who shrugs.
"Trust me. They're worth it."
Olaf looks at the pair slightly confused before looking down at the heavy hob nailed boots. "What is wrong with my boots? They are very comfortable?"
Looking down at the dwarf he offers a hand to shake before he offers tha same to Canarius. "From which tribe do you hail?" he asks in the coarse Cold Tongue of the North.
Looking back to Alla he grins with a feral grin "When the wizard gets here will he take us to a place where we can kill some more demons?"
There are bags in the corner of the room filled with magical loot and a pair of Huge admantine warhammers.... it may interest the pair?
distant quasar
2012-02-22, 04:14 PM
Themmer considers for a moment, then decides to go on ahead to meet Alla; he can finish his research later. He leaves a note for Jenor, who he is sure is still busy getting things under control, then adopts the ability to teleport and jumps to Alla's location.
"Ah, good to see you again. But who is this?" he asks looking towards the company.
assuming the teleport at will of a Pit Fiend, but other than that in my natural form.
Toliudar
2012-02-23, 12:21 AM
Good call on the 'your own form' part. This group, seeing a pit fiend port in, is apt to shoot first, second and third, then ask a few questions.
Alla's face brightens as Themmer appears.
"Ah, marvellous. Thank you so much for joining us, Themmer. You remember Mercy, of course. I'd like you to meet Olaf Magnussen, lord of the Temple of Nine. This is Baldan, who seems to have your affinity for a multiplicity of forms, and Canarius, who has a gift for words. Canarius and Baldan are emissaries from the Basalt Throne, in Onnwall. Gentlemen, I'm pleased to present Themmer Hepmural, dean of the Floating University."
She shifts and points to draw attention to the six demons unconscious and imprisoned in the floor.
"And those...are Kelvezu demons, sent to kill me. They believe, at least, that they have been sent by Q'xyanior, who I'd last heard of as an archangel serving under Raziel. They claim that Q'xyanior has killed both Raziel and Seatiel, and laid Barachiel low with some kind of spell, and forced the retreat of an as-yet-unnamed demon lord. But perhaps I should go back further.
"About ten minutes ago, these six tried to catch me by surprise in order to ambush me. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for them, I was having pie with Baldan and Canarius - extremely good pie, might I add - and the six assassins ended up as you see them now.
"They claim that Rauxes is no longer entirely of the material plane, but is also comprised of areas from the Abyss, Hell, Mechanus, Pandemonium and the Heavens. They claim that the devils and demons have been continuing the blood war there, that both also attack the forces of heaven, and that Mechanus has shut itself off from the rest.
"Further, they claim that the only way that anyone can gain access to Rauxes, at least from one of the outer planes it is part of, is by using a disjunction of some kind and stepping through before the barrier reforms.
"These demons firmly believe that Q'xyanior, whom they label "Q'xyanior of the black wings" will destroy us, take over the world, and free them.
"About an hour ago, Olaf fought other demons, and a pair of mighty titans who also seemed to be in service to the same power.
"I was going to suggest heading to heaven to chat with Pelor about this directly, but Baldan apparently has some friction in their mutual past that might make that...inappropriate, at least for all of us together."
She turns to look around at the others gathered together.
"What have I missed?"
Olaf starts, weapon jumping into hand as the wizard pops into the room. Looking sheepish he shrugs slightly as he sheathets the giant blade... "Apologies Magister. Merely habit."
As the motherly halfling runs through what has happened Olaf looks with a dangerous glint in his eyes at the six trapped demons. As the halfling continues to talk he glances at the other great heroes in the room hoping that at least one is struggling to follow things as he is.
"So... Mother Alla. We go and kill this Q'xyanior now yes?
At the mention of talking with a God Olaf grimaces. "I have spoken with Gods in the past. Interesting but not always helpful. The concerns of the mortal world are not the same as thos of the Gods."
Forgive me, says Canarius once Alla has finished, but I'm not familiar with... is that a northern tongue? I am Canarius, called Canary, and am of the Suel tribe Praecursoris near the Brass Hills. Formerly an emissary to the Gynarchy of Hardby, I now serve the Basalt Throne.
He pauses and then continues more deliberately.
I have never dared to aspire to an audiance with any deity, let alone with one of the great powers of the world. Nor have I ventured into the heavens. But I am not afraid to make the attempt, for the sake our cause, the honour of our alliance. Let it not be said that Canarius did not dare to face a challenge.
Baldan raises a thick eyebrow.
Going via the seven heavens has its advantages. We need some kind of entrance to Rauxes, and it's probably safer than going through one of the lower planes. If they let us use it.
He sighs.
Let's talk to Pelor, or his representative, or however you usually do this. He shouldn't object to me. If the seven heavens are at war we need to know who's on what side, and what we're getting into.
A grimace.
The thing is... Now you're the expert, I suppose. Will we be putting him in an impossible position? You're his servant, he can reasonably give you orders, and expect you to obey. We're not.
But if we're allying with you, then we have to support you. So if you ask him what to do, what's he going to say? If he tells you anything that we wouldn't do anyway, he risks straining either our alliance, or our relationships with our patrons and supporters. If he doesn't, he risks you following less than perfect advice. About the only thing he can do is exhort you to use your best judgement, or give you a riddle so obscure that the solution ends up being mostly your own idea.
He gives a frustrated shrug
Look, I'm sure's he's smarter than me. Heck, you're probably much smarter than me. It'll work out, somehow.
We can surely make it work. Says Canarius softly. And there is nothing in approaching him that is not equally true of bearding any ruler in his lair. Dare we approach a great spirit of law and goodness and offer less than total obediance? Ask for mere information and advice? I dare. I, Canarius, dare it for the sake of right, and a holy cause. We are all here for the same purpose, and we should approach Pelor for that same purpose.
He glares fondly at the dwarf.
We can treat him as any other ally, can we not, Baldan?
Baldan stares back at him. Then lowers his gaze, and nods, apparently deep in thought. Then he looks up again at the most recent arrival.
So Professor. Going to help us free Rauxes and save the world?
distant quasar
2012-02-23, 04:04 PM
Themmer smiles at Olaf's sudden movement, nodding his head in acknowledgement. After greeting the rest of the company, he turns and listens attentively to Alla's recap, and then to the various responses.
"Yes, of course.
I do think that it would be best to enter from the Seven Heavens. I personally would like to consult with Pelor before going into Rauxes, and I am sure Alla feels the same, but nonetheless as you said," he nods to Baldan, "It could pose difficulties. However, I this is my view-- we go to Pelor to ask for advice, not for divine mandates. If Pelor sees fit to give us such mandates, I would hope he might be wise enough to impart them only to his followers, perhaps by way of an emmissary, and not directly to a group of adventurers that do not all pay homage to him. I am therefore inclined to believe that such a meeting would be only of benefit to our group, and of great help to our mission."
Baldan is staring into the middle distance.
Practical detailsHe says, without warning. We going on foot? Mounted? By boat? Who's going? Are we travelling light? Heavy? Taking an army? Tactics and a plan we can sort later, when we know what's going on, but if we're going to mobalise people or supplies, we should start now.
He glances at Mercy and Canarius, and then says quickly, not quite looking at either of them. Also, who goes, and who stays behind?
Toliudar
2012-02-24, 10:14 PM
Alla smiles at Baldan's concerns.
"Perhaps your conversations with Pelor have been less convivial than mine. He's never told me to do anything, because he hasn't had to. If his suggestions make sense to you, you'll follow them. If they don't, I doubt that he'd smite you for telling him so. Conversation is not conversion."
She grins broadly, getting back a measure of her good humour.
"I don't see the point of a whole army. If there is anyone outside of this room who you think that we should be inviting along, this would be an excellent time to contact them. If anyone in this room does not wish to go, there will be plenty to do here in this world. And if you would like to bring along a mount of some kind -"
She glances over at Olaf briefly.
"- by all means, do so. In my experience, with travel through the planes, how fast you move has very little to do with your feet."
Olaf grins at Mother Alla's words. "Thank you Mother. Sleipnire would be most distressed to miss the opportunity to eat something more exotic than corn"
Looking to the others he describes the strange portal he had seen in Rauxes. "If we needs go through the Seven Heavens then so be it. Otherwsie we may able to pass through a portal as things Evil come through".
Shrugging he does howver apologise "I am sorry that I did not stop to speak with the Titans or the snake demons. There are some book that I took from their corpses, would they be of use? Do they detail what has happened?
While I know they are Tomes, Olaf thinks they may be theb Titan's dear diary.
"Anyway, some mead, some meat for me and the beast and we shall be ready to travel once more. I cannot many more than are gathered in this room would be needed. I know that I would not risk any of my acolytes in gthis venture. Not yet at least."
Canarius clears his throat.
The magics we have available to us allow us only to travel very inaccurately from plane to plane. I've never been quite sure if this a feature of planar travel in general, or a charmingly unique touch of Baldan's work, but we always seem to end up many leagues from our intended destination, assuming we end up on the correct plane at all.
That was one time. growls Baldan. And that was a planar storm.
It might behoove us, continues Canarius blithely, to travel as a group, using a single means of transportation. My experience is largely confined to one of Baldan's nautical devices.
I have a boat. says Baldan. We can take crew, cargo, whatever you want.
But if we should only wish to take a few people, then perforce we must leave the boat behind. And if we do that, then certainly Baldan and I have no reliable and safe means of transporting this many people. We would have to cast ourselves upon your generosity and magical skills.
We all need to ride on one person's ticket. Any volunteers?
After that, it's just a matter of when we leave. Olaf has suggested after we have a good meal, which seems sensible. I note the lateness of the hour, which may suggest a departure on the morrow, but then the very fact that we are travelling to heaven might well shake to its root our sense of times and days, and render such procrastinations moot.
We can leave any time. Who needs time to prepare?
distant quasar
2012-02-27, 12:31 PM
"I myself would prefer to cloister my university before leaving, which would neccessitate waiting until tommorow to depart. However, I can offer you all a more accurate way to travel through the planes, which should solve that problem."
Toliudar
2012-02-27, 12:33 PM
Alla smiles and nods at Themmer's kind offer.
"I wasn't suggesting that we leave right away. There's every chance, if the war has extended into the Heavens, that when we arrive we will not be met with sweet cherubs - who are only sweet until you beat them at darts, let me tell you - but by massive conflict. Right now, my magical preparations are better suited to blessing the spring planting than taking on rogue archangels. It would also seem prudent for Themmer to prepare several disjunctions, in case we need to cross the barrier of Rauxes several times.
"There are a set of simple protections that I use each night. It has been a tradition that, on the eve of battles, I share such protections with colleagues. This would seem like a perfect example of such things.
"So...unless any of you wish to interrogate these further..."
She gestures at the demons heads with some distaste.
"Which, by the way, Themmer, I might need your expertise in finding a secure way to imprison - anyway, we can head over to the west dining hall - it's small, it has a door that locks, and we can eat, chat, and share ideas."
If others are okay with doing some preparatory long-term buffing and getting a night's sleep before storming Heaven, Alla can offer everyone the following (just opt out of whichever ones you don't want), CL29:
Persisted Align Weapon (Good)
Divine Insight
Elemental Body (Air)
Energy Immunity (Cold, Electricity, Acid, Fire and Sonic)
Persisted Divine Power
Persisted Freedom of Movement
Greater Magic Weapon (+5)
Heroes Feast
Persisted Holy Star (I usually keep it on the +6 circumstance bonus to AC, but you can do with it as you wish)
Magic Vestment (+5)
Psionic Mind Blank
Persisted Moment of Prescience
Persisted Ray Deflection
Persisted Spell Resistance (gives SR 41)
Persisted Spell Immunity (Avasculate, Wish, Prismatic Sphere, Disintegrate, Prismatic Ray, Wings of Flurry, Maw of Chaos, Prismatic Wall)
Superior Resistance
Persisted Lesser Vigor
Persisted Weapon of Energy (you pick)
I know that you're all pretty badass, but there might be a few things on this list that fill in a few chinks in our collective armour.
I've also got a few open slots, and still a few charges on the rods that are allowing me to do this, so if there are specific other cleric-buffs you'd really like, let me know and I'll do my best.
I'll prep Greater Visage of the Deity (good) for the morning - it's got a lot of great little perks, will make us all read as outsiders (which might be useful), and gives untyped bonuses to a bunch of abilities. What's not to love?
Olaf looks at the others nodding eagerly. "A war in the heavens sounds like it may be fun. The squeal demons make as you rend them asunder is most reassuring and cheerful".
"I'm sure Mother Alla that there are many protective magics that I would appreciate. As would Sleipnir". He looks at the others proudly. "I look forward to shedding blood and creating deeds of legend alongside heroes such as yourselves".
In terms of spells... I don't massively need many but are these essentially free for you with chaining/ splitting or are these extra for you?
Olaf would like (if that's okay):-
Moment of Presience (Why do you persist this? It lasts until discharged presumably so once you've used it goes away?- and lasts 29 hours by default.)
Energy Immunities
Sleipnire will take the lot - if that's possible without costing you lots of spells. If not the Persist lesser vigour, divine power, energy immunities and Spell resistance
But again if it costs you many slots don't worry about it.
Toliudar
2012-02-27, 04:22 PM
Olaf looks at the others nodding eagerly. "A war in the heavens sounds like it may be fun. The squeal demons make as you rend them asunder is most reassuring and cheerful".
"I'm sure Mother Alla that there are many protective magics that I would appreciate. As would Sleipnir". He looks at the others proudly. "I look forward to shedding blood and creating deeds of legend alongside heroes such as yourselves".
In terms of spells... I don't massively need many but are these essentially free for you with chaining/ splitting or are these extra for you?
Olaf would like (if that's okay):-
Moment of Presience (Why do you persist this? It lasts until discharged presumably so once you've used it goes away?- and lasts 29 hours by default.)
Energy Immunities
Sleipnire will take the lot - if that's possible without costing you lots of spells. If not the Persist lesser vigour, divine power, energy immunities and Spell resistance
But again if it costs you many slots don't worry about it.
These are all essentially free through chaining, so not to worry. I persist MoP because the psionic version, sadly, only lasts for 1 round/level. Yeah, I wasn't thrilled the first time I noticed it either.
Baldan would benefit from:
persist align weapon x3
Energy immunity
Greater magic weapon x2
persist holy star
persisted ray deflection
persisted spell resistance
Persisted Spell Immunity (Avasculate, Wish, Prismatic Sphere, Prismatic Ray, Wings of Flurry, Maw of Chaos, Prismatic Wall)
Divine insight
Canarius would benefit from:
persist align weapon X2
Energy immunity
Greater magic weapon x2
persist holy star
Magic Vestment +5
Psionic Mind Blank
persisted ray deflection
persisted spell resistance
Persisted Spell Immunity (Avasculate, Wish, Prismatic Sphere, Disintegrate, Prismatic Ray, Wings of Flurry, Maw of Chaos, Prismatic Wall)
Persisted Lesser Vigor
Divine insight
(Although considering we are going up against literally armies of demons, many of whom have greater dispel magic at will... still can't hurt, right?)
Baldan is willing to cast nystul's magic aura on anyone who wants it. Canarius can do heroes' feast as well, although Alla's version will be considerably better.
Toliudar
2012-02-27, 06:17 PM
Perfect - just record whatever you like from the list.
I'm not too worried about Greater Dispel Magic. Most of these will have a CL of 29, meaning that they'd need to roll a 20 to peel off a spell. Disjunctions are harder, especially since getting hit with even one of those leads to an hour of recalculating everything on a sheet.
white rider
2012-02-27, 07:37 PM
Disjunctions are harder, especially since getting hit with even one of those leads to an hour of recalculating everything on a sheet.
Hrm- you might want to prepare a list of what will change with loss of buffs.
Toliudar
2012-02-28, 12:42 PM
Except that it's impossible to do that, since we won't know until it goes off which magic items are toasted. This is why I dislike Disjunction more than than pretty much anything else in D&D. It's the random less-fun button.
white rider
2012-02-28, 01:25 PM
I dislike Disjunction more than than pretty much anything else in D&D.
Ooh, that's too bad. Disjunction is going to be a primary part of my arsenal against you.
Toliudar
2012-02-29, 01:52 AM
Well, I'll live. It'll just be a ton of number crunching, but c'est la vie.
Baldan nods. So we rest tonight, and go on the 'morrow. Time to sort out something more important.
He turns to the worried parents. Deepsum road, did you say?
Canarius sighs. And so I am cruelly abandoned to my mine own devices until the prospect and conviviality of food draw me back from my sojourning. Wherever shall I go, whatever shall I do, bereft of mine hirsute footstool?
Knowing you? Satiava's private tour.
You wound me sir, wound me to the quick. No, I was thinking that these poor benighted folk are no doubt sorely unenlightented when it comes to dead man's bluff. I might stroll around and see if I can get enough people together for a game.
Remember these are city folk. Try and avoid injuries.
As wise as he is maloderous and unfashionable, however will I manage without you?
Manage? To get into trouble? Don't worry, you'll do fine.
Canarius looks at the others with a shrug. He's a dwarf he says, by way of explanation. If anyone else finds themselves at a loose end for the evening, I'm more than happy to share my company. Otherwise, I will catch up with you in the morning.
Toliudar
2012-02-29, 01:26 PM
Alla begins a blitz of prayers, pulling out several gold, silver, steel, copper and striped rods at different times. A range of magical protections wash over the group. She ends with the summoning of a sumptuous feast to which all are welcome.
At his comments, Mercy immediately steps towards Canarius. She wipes her hands on her robe.
"Well, fck. If I'm going to die in some plane hopping madness tomorrow, I don't want my last accomplishment in this life to be that I got the copper spranger to mesh with the mithril gearbox. Chathold's not exactly the most cosmopolitan of cities, but if you like, I'd be happy to take you on a tour after supper."
She glances down at her rather dirty and shapeless robe.
"Maybe you could also give me a couple minutes to change out of this pieceasht as well?"
--
Baldan doesn't have any trouble tracking down Gemma's parents, naturally, and they lead him back to their home, a simple three-room dwelling in what looks like rebuilt shop, across town. Like most streets in Chathold, Deepsun Road is fairly wide, but still unpaved, and shows the dusty passage of hundreds of feet.
A simple curtained partition shields Gemma's few belongings - a bed, a few toiletries, a few makeshift shelves with clothes, a small mirror, and a large seashell. Lyla stands behind Baldan, clearly wanting to help.
"We haven't really moved anything since she disappeared."
Denom steps in behind her, holding her shoulders. His voice is soft.
"Well, except for some crying on the bed."
Lyla's eyes widen.
"Do you think that that would affect anything. I TOLD you!"
Denom clears his throat, and Lyla turns quickly back to Baldan, an earnest smile on my face.
"Sorry. Sorry. Can I get you tea, something to eat...is there anything else that you need?"
I'm assuming we can handwave Sleipnir being here with us, so that she gets the spell effects as well.
Canarius smiles broadly
Of course I have no objection to you changing out of your ceremonial robe, your... peace sheet? Can I possibly inquire as to whether I am suitably attired? I can put on some fresh oil...
-------------
Baldan look around the room.
Can't promise results, but I'll try. He fiddles with a leather bound tube, capped at both ends, and then, grasping it on hand, transforms. In place of the small dwarf, there is now a medium bright green lizard, standing upright on two legs, much like a bird. The tube is now tightly gripped in one foreclaw. Its tail sticks out straight behind it, although the tip curls and uncurls, while its head supports a small crest and two large eyes that regard the parents intently.
Right then, it says, in much the same voice as before.
It bends its head down and thrusts it under the bedding, and gives a snort. It moves down to the shoes, and snuffles loudly. Still shnuffling, head still lowered, it awkwardly waddles in a circle until it is heading out of the door.
Wildshape into a deinonychus, use the rod, try to track by scent. The DC will be high, if this is possible at all, because it's been a few days, and in the city there are going to be many many many conflicting tracks.
Survival [roll0]
white rider
2012-03-01, 03:25 PM
Balden: you easily find the girl's scent. It trails out the door and into the street.
Assuming that you follow it, ignoring startled pedestrians, the trail leads to the door of an abandoned warehouse.
Toliudar
2012-03-02, 12:11 AM
Canarius smiles broadly
Of course I have no objection to you changing out of your ceremonial robe, your... peace sheet? Can I possibly inquire as to whether I am suitably attired? I can put on some fresh oil...
Mercy smiles.
"I think you're vastly overestimating the level of couth of this joint. It might help to remember that all of this was smouldering rubble a decade ago. Wait here. Or in the hall, if the demon heads freak you out as much as they do me."
With a bob of her head, Mercy slips out the door. Alla turns to Olaf and Themmer.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to sift through what you both went through in greater detail, and perhaps go through more probing of the demons' minds before we turn in. Forewarned, forearmed, and all those other chestnuts, after all."
Olaf looks back to Mother Alla with a quizzical look on his face at the interplay between Baldan, Canrius and Mercy. The grizzled warrior has never particulalry understood the norms of social behaviour- the beast was not buried deep in Olaf.
"I will tell you all I know Alla. When I arrived I saw a shimmering portal in the dome over the city. I went through into the ruins and saw a large demon boss with two lady six armed snake demons" He shrugs an apology at the lack of the knowledge of the demon's true names. "If it helps the larger demon is of a sort I have faced before and he exploded when i chopped him apart."
"I did not speak with them. Then another portal, a larger one appeared. As I approached the two titans and the them" here he points at the entombed small demons Came through, they spoke a foul tongue but I recognised your name Mother Alla and then vanished. At that point I battled the giant ones. I offered them surrender All, knowing your wish to speak with such beasts. But they turned down my offer and died for their stupidity."
The massive barbaric warrior looks to the others. "I look forward your thoughts on this and beginning our journey. I will keep you safe. Both of you."
distant quasar
2012-03-02, 02:38 PM
Themmer looks around the group, listening silently to the discusion as he ponders what occured regarding Q'xanior.
"I have studied well on Rauxes, but there is little to learn until we go there ourselves. I must say though, I look forward to the chance to adventure again, especially with such a group as yourselves.
Before we depart, I have a few things to attend to, not the least these assasins."
He heads towards the demons, casting his spell to imprison them.
Chain Imprison, DC 32 and 28 for the secondary targets. I believe they're unconsious anyway? :smallconfused: Forgot how those rules worked.
Once the demons are sent below the earth, he teleports back to his university. The repairs were, of course completed, and he was pleased to see that classes were back on schedule without any loss in education. Nonetheless, the excitement of a giant wyrm attacking the university hadn't quite died down, and rumours were abounding. Jenor was handling everything well, though...
"I suppose I should've expected you'd just be leaving again... but do you really have no idea what's going on?"
"To be honest, no I, don't. We're not even sure if Q,xanior is really responsible for all this.
But no worries. Alla's managed to bring together some of the greatest individuals on Oerth to aid us."
He pulls out the obsidian focus and casts his spell, before exiting the tower in the form of a dragon, flying outside of the range of the spell before shifting back to his form and teleporting back.
Using teleport as the Pit Fiend ability.
Casting Cloister.
white rider
2012-03-02, 05:44 PM
saves
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
edit: 4 of the demons vanish with a pop, but the last 2 stay put
Toliudar
2012-03-02, 06:13 PM
Alla
Alla nods, deep in thought.
"Well, whoever's behind this certainly sees us as a credible threat, anyway. It also confirms that all of these have been demons - I'd been concerned that the devils were also getting in on the action, so to speak. If the forces of the lower planes remain divided, that may be a weakness we can exploit."
As Themmer takes his leave again, Alla offers up a silent blessing on him.
"Good luck. We'll see you in about nine hours, then?"
Mercy returns a moment later, dressed in a simply white wool pantsuit that nonetheless serves as a reminder that she is still a very fit young woman. Her hair has been tied back into a ponytail, and a few basic cosmetics applied. She smiles at Canarius.
"Right. A stroll along the bay, or dancing at the Ogre's Toes?"
After she leads the big blonde man out into the evening, Alla turns to Olaf.
"I'm not sure I see any alternative to oblivion for those two last demons. Do you? Oh, and, um-"
She reaches down among the chairs overturned in the battle with the demons, and emerges with a small half-full pie plate.
"Pie? It's very good."
Olaf nods, a second later lashing out with his iron clawed hands physically tearing the demon's heads from their stony prisons. "Not a problem Mother All". he mutters as the demonic ichor soaks onto the floor.
If you want I can roll, otherwise assume a pair of coup-de grae attempts or latrge and over the top Tome of Battle moves...
"Ah, my apologies" he murmurs softly watching the stain spread across the floor.
Ignoring the blood he smiles at Mercy leaving the room with the large blond barbarian. "Ah to be young again. Would you care to take dinner with me Mother Alla? I'm sure you can recommend a nice restaraunt here in Chathold".
Canarius gives an airy wave.
Oh, somewhere with life, and light, and people. The night is still young. I have spent the last few days on board ship, with narry a cheery face in sight.
-------------------
Baldan pauses at the warehouse entrance. His form melds into that of a large dog, with spotted yellow-brown fur, and then he noses his way through a gap and into the warehouse proper, still folowing the trail.
Wildshape into a blink dog. This reduces my survival bonus by 36, but should be a little more inconspicuous than a dinosaur holding a telescope.
white rider
2012-03-04, 08:26 AM
The trail leads into the warehouse and down into the basement. Strange symbols are scratched on the walls, and your sense of smell seems numb, somehow. At the bottom of the stairs is an iron door.
Turn back into a (small) dwarf.
Listen [roll0]
Assuming Bladan hears nothing untoward, he then opens the door.
Opening the door. First try the handle.
If that doesn't work, and he's heard nothing that suggests he's in a hurry, silently pick the lock.
Open locks [roll1] Move silently [roll2]
If that doesn't work, or he's in a hurry, try to rip the door off its hinges.
Strength [roll3]
Toliudar
2012-03-04, 11:13 PM
"Ah, my apologies" he murmurs softly watching the stain spread across the floor.
Ignoring the blood he smiles at Mercy leaving the room with the large blond barbarian. "Ah to be young again. Would you care to take dinner with me Mother Alla? I'm sure you can recommend a nice restaraunt here in Chathold".
Alla blanches slightly at the sight of the neck-snapping, but says nothing for a moment. She shrugs at the sight of the demon blood. She sets down the pie plate.
"Well, the floor was...temporary. I'll probably have to re-consecrate the whole chapel, given this evening's goings-on. I wouldn't worry too much about it."
She gestures at his hands, and the blood slowly begins to peel away and vanish. In a moment, the demon- and titan-blood stains across Olaf's ensemble have similarly vanished.
"Sadly, if we're to get a reasonable start off in the morning, I'll need to turn in now. 'Looking this good doesn't just happen, you know' as Mercy says. But one of your countrymen - Thodred, I think - is outside as one of the guards. He's been here a few months, and probably has a better sense of the good places to eat in town than I do, frankly."
white rider
2012-03-05, 06:27 PM
Baldan- The door opens easily. Inside is a dark alter, illuminated by several torches that surround the room. Behind the alter is a pile of dead bodies. Their throats are slit open, their wrists are slashed, and their chests have been smashed open. On the alter is a pile of hearts, ripped from the chests of the deceased, and on the faces of each body a strange symbol is hacked and burned into the flesh. Atop a pile of removed viscera is the skull of a baby, it's visage desecrated to the point where it is unrecognizable.
There is no change in Baldan's expression, concentrated as it is to a few square inches not covered by hair, save a slight tightening around the eyes. Then he opens his eyes wider, and then wider still, his great swelling orbs migrating upwards and back along the sides of his head as he grows taller, his mouth bulging forward to form a toothed maw, his hair receeding into scaled skin, his shirt melding into his flesh as a single serrated fin rises behind him. He looks carefully around the room, while taking a headband from out of his bag and wrapping it carefully around his head. Giving the room a final glare, and grasping the telescope tightly, he kneels down to look at the ground once more. Now he's not just following a lost child, but looking for traces of anyone who might have been in the room.
Wildshape into a KuaToa (free action). Look around the room for creatures, magical scrying sensors, exits, etc. Use the headband for Truesight.
Spot [roll0]. Ignore invisibility, polymorph, and, if the target moves, etherealness.
Then search the entryway for tracks. Search [roll1], and try and identity number, type, and race of those who made them. (race is DC 60 Survival check.) Survival [roll2]
Then search the rest of the room from the doorway, by casting instant search. Search [roll3]
Only then does he enter the room, treading cautiously. as he approaches the altar he slips on a pair of thin white gloves. Carefully, deliberately, he closes his fingers around the uppermost of the grisely trophies, and lets his mind feel.
Using gloves of object reading (MiC) to determine who last touched the head.
white rider
2012-03-06, 04:52 PM
Baldan- Nobody is in the room. You find the tracks of various demons, all several days old, and discover that the last person to touch the various skulls was a babau.
Baldan thinks for a moment, then carefully puts the skull back exactly where he found it, and backs out of the room, making sure to conceal his own tracks
Survival [roll0]
He closes the door and leaves. It's a pleasant evening, and the sky is beginning to darken, promising a clear cold night. He doesn't smile.
He walks over to the main building where he met Alla, and acosts the first person in a yellow cloak that he can find.
I'm sorry to disturb you. He says with a solemn little smile, but I just need to ask a little favour...
A few minutes later he has arranged for a message to be sent to Alla, telling her that the problem of unwelcome guests may be more widespread than we first thought. A second message is for whomever is on duty tomorrow working on those magical items that Chathold exports, asking for a moment of their time. Both are to be delivered 'at their convenince', which will probably mean tomorrow morning - something that the yellow smock brigade can determine far more easily than he can.
About ten minutes later he is rolling a heavy barrel into a disused stone room. Some kind of crypt or memorial room, by the looks of it, but Baldan isn't really paying attention. The lock was a formality, and there seems little enough in hear that anyone would want to steal. The barrel rolls into the middle of the room, and then collapses back into a pile of sand, the same sand that had earlier formed his cart. Another journey and he's back with the supplies that were brought in the cart. A sack of firerock fuel, and a canvas satchel with his writing supplies.
He dribbles a few drops of water on the inkstone, and watches as the liquid swirls and darkens. Then he glares at the sand, until it starts to move, and shift, and transform. While the small furnace starts to form under his watchful eye, he sharpens his quill, the first letter already forming in his mind.
It's well after midnight when Baldan finally banks the flames, although the forge won't fully cool until morning. Sitting cooling on the hearthstone is a strange tangle of looped wire, the scent of the acid used to etch painstaking tiny sigils into the metal still noticeable in the heat of the room. The strange object so near the flame forms strange twisted shadows on the stone wall, the deep carved script of dedication to the dead overwritten, for the moment, with a new pattern. On the floor a large bedsheet lies, scrawled with boxes and diagrams in black ink And near the base of the forge, lost in shadow, bathed in heat, a small black cat called Baldan lies in a tight neat curl on a pile of parchment letters, asleep at last.
Olaf heads out seeking some barbarian guards to meet before feeling oddly melancholic he seeks instead the Blade and Bottle. A few cheers and "My Lord!" resound as he strides in, his vast hulking form near enough blotting out the doorway.
The pub is rough and ready with a thick layer of ale soaked reeds on the floor and the dull roar of the crowd watching the fighting ring on the lower level. Olaf smiles and nods to a few of the adepts that he remembers from the Temple before slowly pushing through the throng to the bar. Casually he tosses a large chunk of demonic jewellery onto the bar and grins ferally at the small bearded and bespectacled gnome behind the bar. "Good evening Godfrey. The drinks are on me this evening. FOR ALL BRAVE MEN!" the last words shouted over the roar of approval that greets the drink and the quick rush to the bar...
Leaning forward, dwarfing the gnome, the stench of titan's blood making the poor Gnome's eyes water he whispers quietly "Send a message back to the Temple. Tell my daughter I love and she is to continue her training. Tell Atli that on the morrow I will be venturing across the planes in search of a Prince amongst demons. If I fall I shall see her in Valhalla, if not I shall return, no matter the distance or the nature of my trappings."
That said he hefts a horn of mead before turning and joining in some drinking and heading downstairs to watch the fighting though despite the entreatments of the young men and women he deigns to take part in the ring this evening.
After a few hours he then returns to Mother Alla's keep and finds the stable. "Hey boy. Sleep now. We batle on the morrow" before he unrolls a blanket and curls up alongside the massive horse as both man and beast slip into a nice slumber....
With the dawn he wakes. "Let the battles begin"...
Dawn breaks, the fingers of light drifting across the city. They caress the noble lines of the floating university, gliding through the morning mist. They find Olaf, waking to the glory of a new day. They flicker through a window to Canarius, wrapped in a loincloth, doing the stretches, pushups, and other exercises with which he greats the new sun, while trying to shake himself awake enough to work out what room he is in, and where he needs to go. They pass over Alla's chamber, and over a stone crypt where where a sleeping cat called Baldan lies surrounded by a forge, tools and general debris that wasn't there the day before. And it glints in the eyes of the yellow smocked servitors, bathed in the blessing of Pelor, as they start their day.
Toliudar
2012-03-12, 08:37 PM
Alla/Mercy
Mercy is disturbed by the sound of very soft, polite and somehow eloquent grunting, and rolls over to discover Canarius exercising next to her bed.
"Fcuk me. Oh wait. Already taken care of."
Sliding out of bed, she pauses only long enough to pat him affectionately on the ass, then makes her way to the nightstand, where she washes out assorted bits of dust, sweat, and less definable substances from her face, neck and hands. The rest could wait. If she was going to hell, Mercy sincerely doubted that anyone would be checking her armpits.
Smiling faintly as memories of the previous evening washed over her, she turned and looked again at this marvellous, if slightly eccentric, sweetheart. How was this going to fit in with twice daily prayers and fourteen hour days in the workshop? Time enough to deal with such questions later. If at all.
Mercy carefully selected her least dirty robe, and began layering on all the magical doodads and charms that she had found or made for herself over the past decade. She was going to need every bit of it.
Returning to Canarius, she planted a rather chaste kiss on his forehead.
"Breakfast?"
--
With the ease of decades of practice, Alla woke with the first glimmer of pre-dawn, smiled and stretched. The luxurious moment before she remembered what they'd be doing today blossomed, wilted and disappeared in the dark frost of duty.
Over the past few years, Alla's prayers to Pelor had taken on less the tone of praise and thanksgiving, and more a tone akin to that of a shopping list. 'Thank you for this bit of progress, and the birth of this child, and could we find sometime today between the two of us to look at these fourteen problems?' Today, though, thoughts of Carmel's sore foot and the sahuagin raiders were entirely thrust aside, and Alla prayed long, hard and with a renewed fervour for the future safety of her world, and everyone in it.
Quickly binding her long grey hair up into a bun, Alla ran through three more lists - instructions for the staff and local government, messages to be sent to assorted kings and arch-priests, and finally a list of preparations still to happen once Themmer returned. And then.
Alla didn't take visits to 'the Boss' lightly. She'd dared to do so only three times before, and while Pelor had been gracious enough to receive her, it was by no means a given. And each time had left her feeling light-headed and a bit uneasy. She remembered a lovely afternoon spent arguing with Riggby, who asserted that Gods survived on the faith of their followers, and that any faith that relied on the presence of miracles to sustain it was no faith at all. He posited a god who, in proving his existence incontrovertably, eliminated the possibility of faith in him, and who consequently vanished in a puff of logic.* She was silently relieved that meeting Pelor had neither eliminated her faith nor caused him to vanish. But still...meeting your god is not to be undertaken lightly.
All of this darted through the priestess' mind as she dressed, added her full armour, double-checked her equipment, and finally left her small room. As usual, her assistant was waiting - this time, holding Baldan's message.
"Oh, good. He's back. I hope he got everything he needed. More extensive than we thought. Charming. No, I don't know what he means about exporting magic items either. Maybe he means Mercy? Well, invite him to breakfast in the southeast dining room, and we can piece it together. Please send invitations and to Olaf, Mercy and that big blonde fellow, Canarius, as well, wherever they ended up last night. And when Themmer arrives, please make sure that he is directed there as well. Please post a pair of guards at the entrance to the dining hall. There may be some need for private conversation. And Olive...thank you. You've been a wonderful assistant these past six months."
Alla hugged the young woman quickly, and then darted on to the dining hall. She was afraid that there was no chance of an appearance at the morning service, and the fewer people who she ran into in the halls, the fewer conversations would slow her down.
In the dim gray pre-dawn ligh as Pelor's rays are beginning to arrive Olaf awakes, his natural feral instinct as always pushing him to movement. Stretching he looks about the stable, before rising and heading out towards the courtyard.
He looks about the courtyard nodding a few times to the guards or servants who may be wary about the massive hulking brute. A douse in a horse trough does for a rough bath before he begins the morning training ritual.
Flickering through the forms he dances effortlessly between stances and massive strikes, the impacts leaving small gouges in the paving stones and the jumps and flips easily covering 20-30ft at a time as he moves faster than the guards can comprehend.
That done he heads back inside searching for Alla or Baldan. Heading into the busy dining hall the community of healers instinctively draw away from him but he finds Alla.
"Well Lady Alla. Are we ready?"
Toliudar
2012-03-13, 11:19 AM
Alla smiles up at Olaf and settles in one of the chairs.
"'Ready' as in 'at peace and content for my soul to end the day where it will', or 'ready' as in 'prepared for the consequences of the actions we're about to undertake this morning.' I can vouch for one of those."
She shrugs, and for a moment she looks just as old as she is. It passes.
"I've left messages for the others. We'll give them a little time. In the meantime, do you need to make any other preparations - any messages for loved ones, stewards, the like?"
Her slender poleaxe, her tiny shield and blue-white armour, felt all the more silly to her in contrast to this great warrior. Still, one works with the tools one has, not with the tools one wishes for.
Olaf grins at the tiny halfling before responding to her question. "I am ready to leave Lady Alla, I have left all the messages I need to leave. Ati will know what to do in the event of my passing to Valhalla."
He looks around the bustling community. "Do not worry Mother Alla, I will keep you safe from harm so that you may tend your flock here".
As he waits he eats heartily from the breakfast and moves slowly around the room sharing a few words of advice with any of the guards or soldiers there.
When Canarius and/or Mercy enter he looks wryly at them, his nose twitching at the scent of each other on them. Clapping the large blonde man on the shoulder with near bonecrushing force he'll whisper "A fine way to spend the night before battle". Before calling for another horn of mead.
distant quasar
2012-03-13, 03:16 PM
Themmer arrives back sometime during the night, unceremoniusly. He joins the rest again for the last part of breakfast, after having prepared his spells and his himself for the coming battles.
He nods to Alla and Olaf "A fine morning, is it not?"
Canarius finishes his last pushup, turning it into a handstand. One leg falls forward, followed by the other, until both feet are on the ground, and he straightens up, standing once more.
He groans.
Breakfast, yes. I'd prefer a hot drink and a roll, but we're going questing...
He starts rummaging in his belongings.
...so we'll probably face a positive mountain of sustenance, doubtless laced with beneficial magical goodness, but still more of a feast than I like to face this early in the morning. Unless Alla has a different way of handling these things?
This last question is delivered as he stands, now clutching a string bag containing two pots of oil, a switchblade razor, a scraper, a hairbursh, a fine toothed comb made of horn, a lemon, a pumice stone, a tiny pair of green-tarnished copper siscors, and what looks suspiciously like a small bottle of nail polish.
Canarius unselfconsciously starts climbing out of the window. We're supposed to meet Pelor today. He says, a little defensively. I'll catch up with you at breakfast once I've got cleaned up.
From outside the breakfast room there is a plaintive mewing, sounds of guards saying something softly, then a noise of startlement, a small dwarf speaking, and then the door opens.
Baldan hurries in, a roll of papers clentched in one fist, a tangle of wires and glass disks more carefuly held in the other.
Sorry, he says curtly, forgot I was a cat.
He stalks over to the table and pulls out a hobbit-sized chair.
I'm ready to go. I've got a few minor items to sort out, unless someone else wants to go first?
white rider
2012-03-16, 08:10 AM
Nobody speaks.
Toliudar
2012-03-16, 11:01 AM
There is a timid knock at Mercy's door, and Alla's message regarding breakfast arrives. Reading it with a grunt of acknowledgment, she pads back to Canarius.
"Good call. We are indeed invited for breakfast."
She takes a moment to simply lose herself in the absolute focus of his preparations, which made her all the more self-conscious about her own appearance. Not for Pelor's sake, of course. She'd only met the Boss once, but he had a way of looking at you that suggested that he was in fact focused a couple inches below the surface of your skin. But for Canarius himself. Mercy knew that she had a certain charm, but has pale skin and good bone structure ever been enough to hold someone's attention. No.
As if to confirm her thoughts, Canarius bolts for the window. Ah.
"Um. Okay. We're in the southeast hall - just ask anyone for directions."
She shakes her head. Wow. She'd had men bolt out the door at first light, but this was the first to climb out a window. She returned to her mirror for a quick look, decided that the lack of sleep suggested that 'kempt' was a lost cause, and made her way down for breakfast.
--
Alla completed her long chant, and a sumptuous banquet appeared before the group. She gestured for the others to sit, just as Mercy arrived and slid into a chair.
"Perhaps the gods of courtesy will bow to the gods of necessity, and we can speak as we eat? Now. With seven of us, that should be a manageable group for travel between the planes.
"A bit of protocol with Pelor. Me, I've never found him particularly stuffy. Conversations with him are often pretty brief because he usually seems like he already knows what you're going to say, and is vaguely amused about the whole thing. On the other hand, he has two personal assistants, Azaragon and Yeslof, throne archons, who are two of the most insufferably self-important stuffed shirts you'll ever meet. Be patient, don't let em bait you, and we should be fine."
She takes a bite of something that looked like mashed potatoes, but tasted like a cherry cobbler.
"Oh! Baldan, your notes said something about things being worse than we thoguht, and about wanting to talk about making some kind of magic item, or somesuch? Mercy's our resident expert, although I don't know what we'd have time for..."
White Rider, I'm just making stuff up about Pelor etc. If you've already got different ideas, just tell me where I'm transgressing and I'll edit/remove.
Baldan nods.
We might as well not wait for Canarius. He's probably cleaning up.
Behind his right shoulder, the window looks out onto the dawn sky. A winged blond figure hangs for an instant, haloed in the sunlight, before folding his white wings and diving, hard and fast, into the waters of the bay. A quarter of a mile away, the splash is a faint soft sound.
Baldan doesn't turn his head. If he's rinsing off, he'll be here soon.
He sighs, and unfurls his roll of papers.
First things first. Gemma, the missing girl. I followed her trail last night, and found an unholy altar where a Babau - an assassin demon - had been piling the remains of its human sacrifices. Looks like it's been here for at least a week or two, and killed at least six or seven people. I tried to disturb as little as possible, in case it comes back, but I suspect it's already moved on to a new location. And if there is one demon operating out there, there may be more.
He passes down the table the largest sheet, a closesly detailed chart of ink on vellum.
I've marked the location on this map of Chathold. I didn't know if you had a recent map or not, so I made my own. That map shows all the rooms and buildings in the settlement as of last night. If you have any secret rooms or passages you don't want people to know about, you probably don't want to show this map to anyone else. Or, if there are rooms shown on that that you didn't know existed, they might be worth checking out. I've marked a few guesses of where it would be practical to put a hidden demonic altar, but your people will know the settlement far better, and should be able to narrow it down.
He takes a small sip from his a drinking horn, and then continues.
Of course, if they're going to hunt demons, it would help if they can actually hurt them. I'm not sure how you're doing for Veingraldt*, or cold iron, here, but it can actually be pretty cheap if you're not to picky about the quality. I know a guy in Irongate who's sitting on inventory there, so you've got 20 spearheads, six cases of bolts for light crossbows, 80 arrowheads - sorry you'll have to get those fletched here if you want to use them, and they'll only work for shortbows - and a lucern hammer, all cold iron. I've covered that, the total comes to less than Olaf's bar bill, and they'll arrive some time next week on the cog Green Lady.
He slides a shipping manifest scibbled on cheap rag paper along the table, his hand grabbing a turkey leg on its return journey, and continues.
If you need more, you might want to think about setting up a more regular trade. Irongate metal prices are going to be cheaper than going through Nyrond, particularly if you trade as an insider. To do that you'll need a line of credit in Irongate. I've worked up letter of introduction and suggested some terms they'll probably go for, or can you do your own version and just use that as a guide. I've attached an attestation on behalf of the Manufactory. Sorry the documents are in dwarvish, and archaic dwarvish at that, but I've found it really does help smooth the process.
He adds two curls of vellum to the growing pile.
In the meantime, I'm not sure who you've got to spare looking for these craetures, so I thought you might want, he winces, to get some adventurers in. I know they'll be rude, dangerous, and disrespectful, but they're also effective, spend like drunken sailors on leave, and only get paid by results. I've got a factor down in Sornhill, familiar with all the peculiar traditions of the process, who can make the arrangements, and he can get them up here within a few days of getting the go ahead.
He carefully adds the last sheet of rag paper
If you don't like that idea, we can get some professionals in. A friend of mine is looking for a base to move people in and out of Ahlissa, without attracting the attention of the authoriies. I'm not sure how you feel about that, it might make this settlement more of a target, but having some people based here who know all about keeping their activities secret may make it harder for demons to keep a low profile.
The sealed tube of a message scroll tops the pile.
Of course, identifying the demons is going to be difficult no matter who goes after them, so I started to make these magical lenses.
He nudges the tangle of wire and glass discs.
But I'm not going to have time to finish it before we go. I wanted to hand over the project to the craftsmen here, but if that's Mercy, and we're taking her with us, that's not going to work... Is there anyone else here who could finish something like this?
Canarius strolls in, his waist-length hair wrapped in a towel. He flashes a grin at Mercy and then stops dead as he notices the pile of paper on the table.
Whoa. Who p*ssed off the dwarf?
He grabs an apple, tossing it from hand to hand.
Well, we're both ready to go if everyone else is.
*
Veingraldt is an old Norse term for cold iron
white rider
2012-03-17, 11:45 AM
Mother Alla: That describes the gods' attitudes almost perfectly, that is great.
Baldan: Great thinking on the adventurers, and you now have an answer to the age-old question of why those epic-level rulers can't just take care of the problem themselves.
Toliudar
2012-03-17, 10:10 PM
Alla
The old halfling leans forward onto the table as Baldan speaks, and gradually shifts more and more weight onto her elbows onto the table. Alla looks all the more like a grandmother by the time he finishes, and leans back to ponder. She is saved from an immediate response by Canarius' arrival. She too gestures to the map on the table.
"Baldan was just explaining that our incursion of demon assassins may in fact be something more akin to an invasion."
She lifts the map and examines it, nodding occasionally, then slides it over to Mercy.
"I didn't even know Beira had a cellar in that tower. Interesting."
Mercy takes up the eyepieces and turns them over and over, nodding.
"Nice work. Countering the sagging of the glass too. I could probably finish this pair with a day of work. But..."
Alla nods grimly.
"Indeed. But.
"Baldan, you have proven yourself just as resourceful as you'd said, and more so. I am deeply disturbed that demons were able to set up shop a dozen blocks away from my own home. Clearly, I have been travelling too much.
"Of course, I'd be delighted to solidify a trading partnership with Irongate - it had been on my list of priorities, but the list doesn't seem to get shorter - and your generosity in arranging for delivery of the iron is extraordinary. My dwarven is a little rusty, but we'll manage.
"There are a few ways to tackle this problem. It certainly wouldn't be the first time that we called in, ah, contractors, to help cleanse Almor. But there are half a dozen cities closer than Chathold to Rauxes. If the demons are here, there's no reason to believe that they aren't in a dozen, a hundred other places. I'd suggest that, if we're still alive at the end of this particular jaunt, we will be making another plea to borrow the Crook of Rao (http://www.canonfire.com/wiki/index.php?title=Crook_of_Rao)."
She digs the heels of her hands into her eye sockets, then seems to gather strength and straighten up again. Resolutely, she takes a bite of something that looked like ham but clearly wasn't.
"But one catastrophe at a time, I say. Is there anything else that we need to talk about before we go?"
Olaf looks at the others as they chatter. Ears pricking up as he hears the word demon. "Demons, here?" he looks to Mercy and Mother Alla, "Would you like me to summon some of the men from the Temple to help hunt down this rogue Babu?"
He looks to them. "As to the gods.. I will let you do the talking Mother Alla, I would not want to offend. My Gods are rougher than yours I suspect."
Looking to the others he rises to his hulking height and checks his weapon belt. "I am Ready."
Well, if we can get someone in to identify the bodies, then we can tell whether Gemma...
Baldan... says Canarius warningly, biting into his apple.
Most likely she's dead, course, but there's a chance that...
Let it go.
The dwarf stares at blond barbarian, as if trying to peel back his skin with his eyes alone. Canarius takes another bite of his apple.
No, says Baldan quietly. Nothing more to do here. Nothing that we should be handling ourselves. I'll send the lenses to the Church of the Valaeri in Onnwal. There's a priestess of Atroa there who could probably finish them off. The construction involves methods that were lost for the last few hundred years, so she'll probably go for it just to learn the technique, maybe make a set of items using the same process.
He spreads his hands. I'm ready to go.
Canarius waves his free hand vaguely. As am I. As previously suggested, we could go by boat, carrying extra supplies, weapons, and a safe place to sleep. But going by foot is more flexible, so I'm happy to abide by the earlier decision to on foot. If Baldan is ok to carry the supplies from the cart...?
The dwarf rolls his eyes, but nods.
Then we're both good to go.
Toliudar
2012-03-19, 11:23 PM
Alla
Alla nods, glancing at Themmer for his go-ahead, and pauses to consider one of Canarius' recommendations.
"You've mentioned your, ah, boat. I'm not sure how much weight Themmer can handle on interplanar travel. Typically, my travels in the Heavens haven't been aquatic in nature, and unless your experience has been different, I'm assuming that this is a flying boat of some kind. Is it? Because I'd rather assumed that we'd be, well, a fast-flying once we got there. If need be, I'm guessing that someone else would be happy to carry you, Canarius, and my guess is that Baldan is able to fly under his own power."
Canarius shrugs.
Why would Themmer need to handle anything? Baldan can modify the boat itself to travel between planes, carrying us, horses, supplies, weapons and anything or anyone else on board. And from what I understand, heaven is actually well supplied with seas and ports.
Rauxes isn't. says Baldan. And nor is Hell.
Ah, but you do have a boat that flies.
Barely. growls Baldan. It's a prototype, Canary. It barely keeps itself above the mountaintops. And it's only as fast as a cog.
You can improve it as we go. Mercy might have some ideas. And there are definitive advantages in not having to rely on personal magics to keep moving, and to having a barrier to crouch behind.
Sure, but there are also advantages to actually being able to explore the parts of Rauxes where a flying barge won't fit.
Hah, we could leave it somewhere. You're just shy about showing people your toys when they're not finished.
Not as shy as I am about taking a transport made of wood and tar into Hell.
We could stop it catching fire.
Yes, by leaving it behind!
Canrius lifts a steaming mug to his face, and takes a long drink. Spoilsport. He says at last.
Darned straight I am.
Canarius sighs.
I can fly. Baldan can fly. Baldan can carry other people over long distances if necessary. I suspect Themmer could as well, but he may have some sense of personal dignity, so best leave mount duties to Baldan.
He lowers the mug.
I have this somewhat dangerous feeling that we're actually ready to go. We've eaten, we have spells sorted out, we have supplies all packed, we've left notes to various minions.
Shall we go?
Toliudar
2012-03-20, 10:37 AM
Alla
Unclear whether the boat was or was not being put forward as a means of transportation, Alla simply rises and nods.
distant quasar
2012-03-21, 02:40 PM
Themmer simply blinks over the boat conversation, uncertain if they had even been serious in the first place.
"No need to be concerned about my dignity there, I'm willing to do whatever is neccessary. And yes, I'm ready to go. If you'll all join hands, we can be off."
Unless anyone has more business, Greater Plane Shift to Pelor? or Rauxes?
I believe it's safe to assume Themmer had visited Pelor before, but probably not Rauxes, which would incur the 5-500 mile deal :smallsigh:
Toliudar
2012-03-21, 05:51 PM
Since it's not clear whether Rauxes counts as being on this plane or not, I think it's safer to use Greater Plane Shift to head to Pelor-land.
white rider
2012-03-22, 04:10 PM
The group joins hands as Themmer begins to chant. Slowly the room fades away and the circle of companions close their eyes as one, before opening them to a grand marble palace atop a tall mountain, miles tall. From the topmost tower, a brilliant light shines, and massive gold doors, taller than the tallest dragons, swing open to greet you. Within, an old man in fine robes greets you. At first, he seems like any other mortal, but than you see that his very skin shines radiantly, and his eyes seem like wells of molten gold. In a voice that trembles with kindness and wisdom, he says, "Greetings, my children."
Toliudar
2012-03-22, 04:21 PM
Alla/Mercy
Any sense of tough-girl bravado fades from Mercy. She takes a step from the others and kneels to abase herself, smiling, basking.
Alla slowly releases Themmer's hand and similarly bows. Her voice, seemingly barely a whisper, nontheless carries through the room.
"Lord, would you like us to explain why we are here?"
white rider
2012-03-22, 06:39 PM
Pelor cracks a small smile. "You seek help, or some form of advice, for a great evil has arisen and threatens your land."
Olaf looks around, sniffing the air slightly like a suspicious beast. A mutter of "He possesses much gold for a god that alleviate sthe suffering of the needy", before advancing with the others, hands resting lightly on weapons hilts- not in a threatening manner, more one of mere habit.
As the colossal doors swing open and the hall beyond is revealed the scale dwarfs Olaf's mind, sending his thoughs back near a decade to when he first died and lay in the great hall of Valhalla, surrounded by the feasting tables of the great heroes and jovial cheers of wrestling warriors.
As the deity approaches them Olaf feels the weight of the power emanating from the figure. The feral nature and stubborness of his people asserts itself asss he refuses to bow but instead offers an honourable salute. "A great Evil indeed Lord of Light. We would seeek aid in destroying it" . The words followed by a look to Alla to see if she approved of the words or the tone?
Toliudar
2012-03-23, 11:14 AM
Rising from her own bow, Alla nods, affirming Olaf's statement. Tears were running down her cheeks, but she made no apology or move to wipe them away. She suppressed an impulse to introduce her companions - completely unnecessary here - and then a very different urge to simply run up and bury herself in the folds of his robes. She forced steel into her voice.
"A demon that we interrogated claimed that Q'xyanior has turned traitor. That he has killed Raziel and Seatiel, and ensorcelled Barachiel. It sounded like there was open warfare between heaven and the abyss, with Rauxes as a battleground. What can you tell us of such things?"
white rider
2012-03-24, 07:06 PM
"All of what you say is, alas, true. Originally, Rauxes was a small worry compared to our other concerns, as nobody knew how to penetrate the barrier, but that was before the fall of Q'xyanior." Pelor's smile fades, and he sighs heavily. The fallen angel took over a large section of of the abyss after he struck at the seven heavens, and has massed huge legions of demons. Somehow, he found the secret to penetrating the Rauxes wall, and he now sends massive hordes of fiends at all hours at Celestia. My forces have reenforced the archon's, but we are taking heavy losses. Hundreds of solars are dead." At that last statement, Pelor's voice breaks. "I fear that despite our best efforts, Celestia could fall."
distant quasar
2012-03-26, 03:17 PM
Themmer steadily rises from his bow, and clears his throat where a lump had formed.
"We will not let this happen, my lord. What shall we do to stop Q'xyanior?"
Olaf smiles a savage grin and dares to pre-empt the God's words. "Easy Mage. We seek this prince amongst demons and tear his blac heart out of his chest while yet he lives..."
Toliudar
2012-03-26, 03:54 PM
Alla smiles, but remains silent. Pelor knew who they were and what they were capable of. More importantly, he knew much more about what was going on in the battlefields of the planes. Whatever he thought that they'd need to know, he'd say.
white rider
2012-03-27, 08:56 PM
Pelor sighs. "Unfortunately, neither I nor any of the other gods can confront Q'xyanior directly. He has some sort of ritual that prevents divinities from accessing his fortress, or even viewing it. Information from a summoned and bound demon suggests that Q'xyanior's fortress is a massive flying spire, hundreds of feet tall, bristling with defensive turrets. You will have to enter through the only entrance at the top and- I'm sorry, what was that?"
At that moment, a trumpet archon flaps up next to Pelor.
"The demons are advancing on our position in the second layer! Heironeous requests reinforcements!"
Pelor looks grave. "It is time. After long ages, I must take up my mace again. I go to the battlefront. My throne archons will tell you everything you need to know. Azaragon!"
With a loud crack, the archon materializes.
ooc: ask, and ye shall recieve. (answers, that is)
Toliudar
2012-03-27, 09:03 PM
Alla's heart leapt into her throat. Bad as she had thought everything was last night, this was much, much worse. Destruction of the entirety of one of the great bastions of good on the upper planes would lead to demons spilling out unopposed not just into their world, but all worlds.
She straightened, her mind whirling with possibilities as the mighty Azaragon appeared. She nodded cursorily, and spoke quickly in the language of humans.
"Quickly, Azaragon. What do we know about this fortress. Even if it's blocked from divine view, there must have been some direct observation. What are the defenses, and where was it last seen?"
Olaf looks as the god looks to depart. Olaf bears his fangs "Do you wish assistance Sun Lord? Send us to the heart of the demonic army and we shall carve a path of blood to give even the most horrid demon pause."
Then to the throne archon "How would you send us to this floating spire?"
Canarius shakes himself into some kind of semblance of witfulness, wiping some moisture from his eyes.
How is it that Q'xyanior has become so puissant, that he can shake the very heavens with his legions? The Abyss is not so new, nor has it ever been not teeming with powers of evil. So what has changed?
Baldan tears his eyes away from the architecture, which he's been studying in an attempt to avoid the gaze of the deity. A throne archon is evidently less of a problem.
Why Rauxes? What's so important about it, and what are we supposed to achieve by going there?
white rider
2012-03-28, 08:36 AM
Quickly, Azaragon. What do we know about this fortress. Even if it's blocked from divine view, there must have been some direct observation. What are the defenses, and where was it last seen
"The fortress is about 400 feet high, shaped like a massive adamantine nail, with the tip pointed down. It flies with the speed of an air elemental, and is lined with hundreds of spell turrets, which fire at anything within 300 feet, disintegrating the victim's flesh. The spire was last seen above Rauxes, blasting our fortifications, but it has since vanished, we think to Q'xyanior's layer of the abyss.
How would you send us to this floating spire?
"We would send you into Rauxes, where you can move between the planes and the layers of the planes with a single thought.
How is it that Q'xyanior has become so puissant, that he can shake the very heavens with his legions? The Abyss is not so new, nor has it ever been not teeming with powers of evil. So what has changed?
Q'xyanior is different because he has united and directed the demonic horde. Originally, the demons could be repulsed because they attacked without strategy or forethought, but Q'xyanior was one of the greatest military tacticians of Celestia, and he has the strength and power to force the demons into a trained army. Furthermore, Rauxes allows Q'xyanior to both gather demons from every level of the abyss, giving him the largest army that the planes have ever seen, and also allows Q'xyanior to invade every layer of Celestia at once, meaning that our forces are spread out on seven fronts."
Why Rauxes? What's so important about it, and what are we supposed to achieve by going there?
"Rauxes allows Q'xyanior to gather huge numbers of forces in a very short amount of time, meaning that he will never run out of minions as long as Rauxes is open. By going to Rauxes, you will attempt to close the planer rift, cutting off Q'xyanior's reinforcements and eliminating his greatest tactical advantage. You eight must destroy Q'xyanior's castle in the middle of the city and shatter the artifacts that keep the planes blended, and than continue on to attack Q'xyanior's flying fortress to kill the archfiend.
Toliudar
2012-03-28, 11:07 AM
Alla nodded. She pulled a slender white rod out of her pack, and began composing a list of magics that might help in battle.
"I understand. I'll need a minute to help protect us from the demon horde. Not all of us are as hardy as angels."
She's offering to chain Undeath's Eternal Foe, and then to cast an extended Haste on everyone just before we teleport. Plus, of course, all of the buffs you got last night.
Quasar, I don't suppose you have a Telepathic Bond memorized? In case we get separated, telepathic communication can be a huge boon.
distant quasar
2012-03-28, 11:56 AM
Themmer shakes his head sadly at the thought of an invasion on Celestia, but the next instant he has snapped back to himself, determined to stop this evil.
"What do you know about the artifacts that keep Rauxes in such a state?
Why did Q'xyanior fall?"
I'm afraid not. If you can think of a creature that has it as an SLA, I can change into it and cast it on us, but I'm not aware of one off the top of my head.
Olaf looks to the others. "Very well, we shall leave Pelor to fight his battle here. I am ready to leave now. My sword and spear thrist for demonic blood"
He happily accepts the spell, vaulting onto Sleipnir's saddle as he is literally champing at the bit and raring to go and slay things. Looking forward to roaming through Rauxes againt destroying portals.
Do we have to shatter the artefact, or can we just disable it in some way? Also, what does it look like, is there any way of detecting it if it is hidden, and do we know where it is in the castle? I suppose the castle itself is obvious enough?
Baldan looks thoughtful, then produces his black leather sack and starts rummaging through it.
Canary, extra-dimension check.
He pulls out set of small bags made of thick hessien, and tosses a few to the blond man, who catches them grudgingly. He starts rearranging his equipment, taking some items into the small pouches, and putting his belt pouch into a hessien bags.
Baldan puts his own sack into a hessien one, and relaces the strings with practiced ease. He looks more like a pedlar than ever. Then with a ripple of flesh and clothing, the bag vanishes.
I'm ready. I can, if necessary, block incoming teleportation effects, or make it snow.
Or plunge us all into icy water without warning. says Canarius, fiddling with a woven basket.
Hey! I gave you warning.
Look out Canar- glub glub glub is not exactly what I call a warning. Although it certainly was instructional. If anyone can't swim or is perturbed by the idea of full immersion, it would be as well to warn the minature dwarf inventor now, rather than wait until he gets that gleam in his eye that harkens to another really bad idea.
He holds up a fresh peach and eyes it speculatively.
Mercy? Is this any good to you?
Good to go?
Yes, yes says Canarius, carefully putting away his ranseur. I'm ready.
Baldan will use his nystal's magic aura spell-like ability to remove the auras from any spells cast on his, so he doesn't radiate magic.
The peach grants divine power for 10 rounds when eaten as a standard action. As such, it's pretty much useless for Baldan, and Canary has similar abilities that are better. If nothing else, it grants 20 temp hps, which might be useful.
Would very much appreciate the chained spells, thanks
white rider
2012-03-29, 10:35 AM
What do you know about the artifacts that keep Rauxes in such a state?
"The artifacts are large crystals, about the size of your fist. They are located in Q'xyanior's castle."
Why did Q'xyanior fall?
"He discovered some peace of forgotten lore, hidden deep in Pelor's library, and the temptation was too much. That is all I know of that subject."
Do we have to shatter the artifact, or can we just disable it in some way?
"The artifact simply needs to be removed from the alter where it is placed, and it will deactivate."
Also, what does it look like, is there any way of detecting it if it is hidden, and do we know where it is in the castle?
"The artifacts are on a large round adamantium table, and shine brightly. We believe that they are in the center tower of the palace, but we could be in error."
I suppose the castle itself is obvious enough?
"Yes. It is a massive black fortress on the portion of the abyss that intersects with Rauxes."
white rider
2012-04-01, 06:01 PM
"Now, I believe it is time for you to go. We have a teleportation circle that will take you directly to our camp outside Rauxes. Come."
distant quasar
2012-04-01, 06:09 PM
Themmer nods his head. "Thank you for your help."
Olaf nods his massive shaggy head. Patting the horse he motions the uptight throne archon to lead on. "It will be good to RP battle again. How far is the fortress from where we will arrive The question asked as he struggles to curb in the huge horse that is literally glowing with magic.
Toliudar
2012-04-01, 11:55 PM
Alla simply nods. She reaches up and Mercy steps forward to clasp her hand. Alla smiles faintly.
"And you say I never take you anywhere interesting."
She tilts her head in thought, and turns to all of her colleagues.
"When we reach Rauxes, I suppose we can see whether we think that there are in fact any survivors. If so, I have a way to contact them, everywhere in the city. But at the expense of giving our enemies the same information. Think about whether that seems like a worthwhile trade-off."
white rider
2012-04-02, 07:32 PM
The archon guides you to a raised platform. "This will take you to our warcamp, about two miles from the castle. I bid you farewell."
Olaf nods to the Archon, a casual nod to the strange and bizzare creature of law. "Once we have arrived at the war camp of good creatures then we may be able to get some more information on the fortress with the portals."
He heels Sleipnir slightly and the massive lumbering beast heads to the teleportation circle. As he readies to enter the circle he looks to the others. "If you wish give me but a few seconds and then follow me through in case the camp has been overrun".
To suit his words he pulls out the blade and the spear twirling both around as he settles into a readied stance as the battle leader's charging alacrity readied for war...
Not that I don't trust the GM or anything :smallwink:
distant quasar
2012-04-04, 02:32 PM
Themmer nods respectfully at both the archon and Olaf in turn.
"As you wish, although I certainly hope it is not so."
Toliudar
2012-04-04, 04:35 PM
Alla nods her assent as well. What's the point of having a genius general with us, if we don't take his tactical advice?
Canarius looks puzzled, but nods, keen to see how events unfold.
Baldan looks,for brief flash of a moment, a little insulted, but then steps back to stand with Canarius and the spellcasters.
With assent given the mounted warrior surges forward into the teleportation circle cheerul and even hopeful at the thought of destroying swathes of demons...
Sorry Baldan, I keep forgetting that the you are a fighter and not a spell caster. Its just Olaf trying to keep his friends safe :smallsmile:
white rider
2012-04-06, 08:22 AM
Various angels and archons jump up as Olaf thunders into the camp. For a moment, hundreds of bows and swords are trained on him, before an angel yells, "He's clear!"
Olaf pulls up short raising his spear and sword in somewhat threatening show of peace as he surveys the assembled Angels and Archons with an expression close to contempt.
Wheeling around he rears up on the massive horse making sure to circle around the teleportation area awaiting his colleagues. Shouting to the assembled host he barks "Who is your leader. We seek to raid the fortress and end this petty war".
distant quasar
2012-04-08, 11:17 AM
Themmer raises his eyebrows slightly at Olaf's brash actions, though he is certain he has proved himself in many battles. Still, he finds it hard to imagine a war between the Abyss and Celestia petty...
Shaking his head slightly, he decides to keep quiet and observe. No sense arguing with allies.
Toliudar
2012-04-08, 03:29 PM
Alla and Mercy hop through the portal a moment later, tense and expecting the worse. Olaf's question seems a reasonable place to start, so Alla stands in wait.
white rider
2012-04-10, 02:45 PM
"Heironeous, our leader, is fighting currently," the angel says coolly, "But I can take you to our chief tactician, Domiel."
Olaf shrugs as he slides down from the horse. The name means nothing to the hulking brute as he walks through the archons and angels, ignoring the throng.
"Bring us the Domiel. We would have answers before we launch the assault. If you have needs we can joing the current battle?"
white rider
2012-04-12, 05:47 PM
The angel turns and waves for you to follow him. "We have no need of assistance in the actual field of battle, but we cannot penetrate the castle walls. That is where you come in."
Toliudar
2012-04-12, 06:00 PM
Alla floats up to something approximating the angel's eyeline, the better to converse. What could their group, mighty though they were, accomplish that the very hosts of heaven could not?
"What's keeping you out of the castle?"
Canarius strides forth and stands, surveying the scene. He draws his lyre, fingerings the strings softly and then, pulling a face at the sound, begins to tune the strings. Behind him Baldan follows, carrying both of their bags and gazing about in wonder, looking for all the world like a servant following his master.
Disguise [roll0] to look like a servant
NB divination magic can reveal his true form and drop the check by 14, but it will also confirm his role as a servant. Baldan does not radiate magic, nor any significant alignment
white rider
2012-04-13, 02:40 PM
"What's keeping you out of the castle?"
"The defenses themselves are incredibly strong. The walls are high, and lined with hundreds of arrow demons and ballistas. And thousands of demons appear in the inner courtyard every minute, another one jumping into existence as soon as we strike the first down. But the entire castle itself is covered in a massive magical aura, which prevents teleportation and slowly kills all celestials who enter."
Toliudar
2012-04-13, 03:28 PM
Alla nodded and glanced at her companions. A hand rose unconsciously to the small sun-symbol at her throat.
"That does sound bad. Is it far from here, geographically? Perhaps we could get a look all around this castle at a distance, the better to determine how we might enter."
Olaf looks at the archons and the angels before looking to the horizon where they are pointing. Looking to Alla he asks her "Are they fearsome these arrow demons?"
If we can get within range then we can charge and anhillate the courtyard. We needs only carve a path through the cortyard to get into the keep then can disable the gate and everyone we kill will not return.
Looking to the sage Themnor and the wise Alla "How far away can demons's see invisible or concealed creatures? If not we may need to ask Pelor to dim the light or request some heavy fog.
Toliudar
2012-04-13, 03:53 PM
Assuming an arbitrarily high result on a Knowledge (the planes) check.
Alla grimaces.
"Individually, arrow demons are not particularly powerful. It's only when there are a hundred of them, each firing two bows at you at the same time, that they become a bit daunting."
She pauses, becoming more pensive.
"Actually, preventing teleportation in the area works sharply to our advantage. As we've experienced back in Chathold, one of a demon's most powerful tools is its ability to move around in space wherever it wishes. They've essentially taken that away from themselves. If we're able to get to the place where the demons are entering the courtyard and hold it, Themmer and I have some chance of figuring out a way to shut such a gate down."
white rider
2012-04-13, 05:08 PM
"That does sound bad. Is it far from here, geographically? Perhaps we could get a look all around this castle at a distance, the better to determine how we might enter."
"The castle is just over a mile away."
How far away can demons's see invisible or concealed creatures? If not we may need to ask Pelor to dim the light or request some heavy fog.
"To the best of my knowledge, the vast majority of the demons cannot see the invisible at all, but there are hundreds of Balors and other powerful demons patrolling the walls, who can see through such magical obstacles. You could ask for a fog, but previous attempts at divine intervention have been unsuccessful- hence the reason that Heironeous is in the field instead of sending a divine storm from afar."
The angel grimaces at the mention of arrow demons. "The castle has thousands of those lining the walls, firing ballistae and those huge bows at anything that moves. And worse things top the guard towers. Marliths, shooting arrows. Balors, lining the ground with fire. Massive portals, dumping out lava. And crossbows the size of houses, that fire arrows on their own.
Toliudar
2012-04-13, 06:51 PM
Alla nods at Canarius' suggestion.
"Coming up from underneath would seem like a wise choice to me as well. Unfortunately, I suspect that most of us would be insufficiently good at concealing our appearance to get past any balor we encounter."
She shrugs.
"But if it's only a mile away, we should be able to see it from here."
She floats up a hundred feet or so to take a peek.
white rider
2012-04-14, 12:41 PM
As Mother Alla flies up, she sees a massive castle. Larger than the town of Chathold, it towers over a huge army of celestials. From the gate in the front, a massive contraption two hundred feet wide, thousands of fiends pour out. From atop the hundred foot tall inner walls, arrows fall like raindrops in a storm. On the top of each guard tower, massive catapult-like contraptions hurl massive globs of lava, which explode upon the front line of attackers. As you watch, a group of angels breaks through the line of defenders and charges the gates, only to fall to the ground screaming, victims of the defensive wards. As the celestials writhe on the ground, hundreds upon hundreds of arrows pierce their bodies, before the fallen warriors are burnt to a husk by a shower of lava from atop a guard tower.
Toliudar
2012-04-14, 06:39 PM
Alla quickly descends, and in a hushed, sombre voice describes what she's seen to her colleagues. She then turns to the angel providing them with this information.
"Blessed one, I am a humble mortal, and no warrior born, but it would seem that bringing your forces this close to the castle is only playing into the demons' strength. If the attack is as hopeless as it seems, it would seem more worthwhile to form a defensive ring around what you can with strength contain. That also has the benefit of splitting the enemy's attention between an assault on unfamiliar territory and the need to defend their own stronghold."
Olaf looks at the huge walls, the studded towers of destruction and the seemingly impregnable gate lined with demons. Turning back to the others he looks up at Sleipnir "It would be a long run my friend. Do you think you could do it?"
That mile would take a whole 8 rounds for the horse to cover without some form of magical assistance.
THough given that its running at 600ft /round and for most of the rounds we'd be at >1500ft it would only be the last couple of rounds we'd be exposed to violence.
Turning to the archons he quickly asks- "How close to the walls can you teleprort? Or do you have any siege weapons capable of hurling small-ish cargoes at the walls?"
Canarius shrugs. Certes, I may fly that fast, or almost so, as a bird upon the wing. But such wings are all around us, a vertiable host of angelic feathers. Will speed grant us what it has not granted them? I would prefer stealth to speed, at least at first. Let us creep unawares upon them until the hue and cry is raised, and then by all means we can show these winged fiends how fast the landborn can run.
We can't hide behind stirring verses though, and a hundred feet of smoke is still going to kinda stand out.
Not as much as standing behind a tree that wasn't there a moment ago.
Hey, you said find us some cover to hide behind, I found us some cover to hide behind. How was I supposed to know it wasn't the right climate or whatnot for trees?
You created an oak tree in the Bright Desert. A big oak tree. It was visible for several miles.
So comparative plant life isn't my thing. It sort of worked though.
Baldan, hiding up an oak tree while being repeatedly fireballed is not my idea of 'sort of working'. We only survived by faking enough screams of pain that they didn't realise we had fire resistance.
They got a bit suspicious, sure, but then that hippo cult turned up.
The sacred priestess of Tem-Et-Nu, guardian of rivers and springs, and her retinue of holy guardians. For they had seen the fire and the tree and came to find this new holy oasis, for the greater glory of the goddess.
The hippo cultists, yes. So that was ok. I mean sure, they were a little testy at first.
Baldan, they tried to kill everyone.
Sure, but they drove away the bad guys first, because they were at the bottom of the tree. And weren't, you know...
Playing dead. Up a tree. A burning tree. On fire.
Yeah, that. And then they helped us out and it was all ok. I mean sure we had to join their cult, but you seemed quite keen on that.
You told me it was a fertility cult!
It is. They're very concerned with soil, water, all sorts of bountiful growing stuff. I still don't know what you were expecting. Besides, it wasn't me who nearly got us chucked out. That poor priestess.
Hey, she didn't have any complaints.
She didn't, no. The holy guardians who found you in her tent, on the other hand, had plenty. I'm going to take a wild guess that that was the point at which our story about being holy pilgrims started to wear a bit thin. It was going to take a miracle to get you out of that one.
Which you thoughtfully provided. Claiming the goddess had moved you, that you should dig right then and there. And lo, the holy spring was uncovered.
It was a muddy hole.
It's the Bright Desert. Even mud is impressive. Besides, the water started fountaining up as they dug deeper. Then she commanded them to stop digging, and declared the site an oasis most sacred and a shrine most holy to the great and majestic glory of Tem-Et-Nu.
In other words, she suddenly realised she didn't want them digging any deeper. You always did go for the smart ones. Baldan sighs. I never did get my decanter of endless water back.
I know. I went back a few years ago, told her the command words. Just in case.
You went back?
Canarius nods. She's a high priestess now, and the shrine's on a trade route. Caravans, pilgrims, nomads. They've got a wonderful little inn there too. Does spiced hare baked in a clay oven.
There's a pause.
Baldan clears his throat. So... angellic seige. You're saying we combine the ideas?
Precisely. Get a bit closer first. Then bad weather, to mask our approach. If they counter that, then we can burrow underground, see what stops us. If that fails, then surface and use the smoke. If the smoke gets blown away, then, he glances at Olaf, then we use speed to close the remaining distance.
If things go right, we arrive and they can't see us. If things go wrong, we should have made the distance in any case. He glances anxiously at the spellcasters. Can we arrange for something suitably apocalyptic once we get close enough? Then one of us dismantles the gate while the rest hold off the endless hoardes of demons.
Sounds like a plan. Canarius frowns. The one thing that bothers me is those wards. If they can fry angels, what are they going to do to us?
white rider
2012-04-15, 12:30 PM
"Blessed one, I am a humble mortal, and no warrior born, but it would seem that bringing your forces this close to the castle is only playing into the demons' strength. If the attack is as hopeless as it seems, it would seem more worthwhile to form a defensive ring around what you can with strength contain. That also has the benefit of splitting the enemy's attention between an assault on unfamiliar territory and the need to defend their own stronghold."
The angel grimaces. "We tried that, at first. The fiends held back until they had completely filled our ring, than attacked. As soon as we were pushed back a few yards, the stronger fiends teleported to behind us. We were almost destroyed. Our only option is to continue pushing forward, up until the defenses become too strong."
Hearing Canarius's concerns, the angel says, "I do not think that the wards will kill you, although they may cause you some discomfort. But if you seek to tunnel into the castle, beware. There are fiendwurms under the ground. You may be able to avoid them, but they are extremely dangerous in a fight."
distant quasar
2012-04-15, 01:59 PM
Themmer grimaces at the realities of the war, his mind churning with thoughts.
"Are the demons magical barriers somehow immune to a Disjunction, or do they simply spring back up immediately afterwards?
At anyrate, I can think of plenty of catasrophes. Perhaps a Sunburst would be effective? It wouldn't harm them that much, but the blindness, combined witht he sheer area that the spell covers, would be very helpful. If needed, I can do something more deadly, however.
Also, I would much rather try my luck with a few fiendwyrms than thousands of arrow demons and the like. Unless there are objections, I'll take on a suitable form for burrowing...?
Olaf smiles at the dwarf and fellow barbarian arguing in their good natured manner. As Themmer mentions burrowing Olaf nods. "Above, below or from the front I care not how we approach them. Merely that I get to grips with the fiends most brutally."
Looking to the mages he asks a polite question. "If I charge the largest and strongest of them to deal with him can yourself or Mother Alla utilise some sort of area effects to cripple or remove the weaker ones.?"
"Are you ready for a tunnel my friend?" he asks the massive horse swiftly dismounting.
white rider
2012-04-15, 03:31 PM
"Are the demons magical barriers somehow immune to a Disjunction, or do they simply spring back up immediately afterwards?
"The wards cannot be disjoined."
Toliudar
2012-04-15, 09:00 PM
Alla nods, her understanding of the situation shifting as they spoke.
"Well, given a little preparation, I can raise a fog. Potentially, I can also collapse a section of the walls with an earthquake, if we think that that will help. But I would still recommend we test an underground approach first."
distant quasar
2012-04-18, 02:49 PM
"Well then," Themm says, a glint in his eye as he anticipates what is to come. 'I'm looking forward to it really,' he thinks. 'It's been too long...'
"Let's be off. Oh, and you might want to stand back a bit," he remarks, looking at those near him.
Blink, and you might miss the change. A lot of angels, no doubt, will notice the large Frost Worm that just appeared amongst them--that is before it vanishes into the ground, leaving a small tunnel behind it.
assuming form of Frost Worm, with telepathy to 100 ft.
The next moment, the others in the group hear Themmer's voice in their minds. "Won't you join me?"
Olaf looks at the hole in the ground. Then follows soundlessly, sword in hand, the other holding Sleipnir's rein. The savage grin on the warrior's face belies his excitement at the coming carnage!
Toliudar
2012-04-18, 03:30 PM
Alla and Mercy both hurry into the hole after Olaf.
Canarius slips fluidly into the hole. Baldan gives an awkward wave, and brings up the rear. In the darkness of the tunnel, he concentrates, and enormously thick overlapping metal plates, made of a red speckled material and tipped with edged spikes, envelop his small frame. He then shifts form again, into a huge insectile burrowing creature, with purplish chitin, and huge claws and manidbles.
Call armour
Wildshape into (truely horrid) Umber Hulk (MM) - just in case we run into hard earth or stone
distant quasar
2012-04-21, 11:52 AM
Themmer's telapthic voice sounds in their head.
"An excellent idea, Baldan. I'd forgotten these creatures even existed. Would you come up beside me so we can widen the tunnel?"
shifting into truely horrid Umber Hulk form :smallredface:
Baldan moves to the front, helping to create a wide low tunnel. Canarius is now at the back, looking a bit nervous, and fidgeting with his musical instruments.
Toliudar
2012-04-22, 01:52 AM
Alla and Mercy walk side by side down the tunnel, watching the side walls nervously for any signs of movement. Alla plucks a pearl from an inner pocket and squeezes it in her hand for a moment before replacing it. She continues to drift forward, her feet barely grazing the floor of the tunnel, and closes her eyes.
Alla activates a pearl of Karma. She prays to place Earthquake into her empty 8th level slot.
Pacing impatiently as he leads the clanking armour bound warhorse into the tunnel the warrior looks unhappily at the cramped walls and the chitinous backs of the umber hulks in front of him. Looking to where Alla and Mercy are he mutters quietly. "If we are assailed in these tunnels please hide behind Sleipnir. He will keep you safe. If it you wish Mother Alla you could ride i the saddlebags to save you from getting tired with the walking?".
She may be a massively powerful ardent and cleric but in Olaf's mind she is still like an grandmother; tired and fragile. Looking back ahead and up at the stone and earth roof he shivers slightly. "I do not fancy digging my way free should things go awry."
white rider
2012-04-22, 08:07 AM
With a rumble and a crash, a massive segmented shape erupts into the tunnel behind you. Within seconds, it is gone, leaving only a pile of earth in it's wake, but you know that you are not alone...
Muah hah hah!
distant quasar
2012-04-22, 09:01 AM
replace the telepathy in the previous post with a casting of Message :smallredface:
cast 0th level sorceror, 3rd level sorceror spells
"If everyone would come can lay a hand (or in Baldan's case a mandable on me, I will cast a spell that should allow us to keep track of each other's position."
At the crash of a vast beast going past Olaf brings out both spear and sword slipping into the best diamond mind could offer with just a touch of white raven. "It would appear trouble may be about to arrive."
Reaching back with a hand he moves close enough to touch the horrid umber hulk.
Toliudar
2012-04-22, 07:34 PM
Alla and Mercy also crowd closer to Themmer.
Baldan works feverishly to make the space they are standing in larger, in preparation for a fight, pausing only to stick a manible into whatever group spell is being perpetrated.
You know he says thoughtfully, in a voice totally at odds with the chitenous monstrocity he has become with a basic magic circle enchantment we might just be able to ignore most of what's out here. Doing that and digging might be a problem though.
Canarius crowds in with Alla and Mercy, his long spear-like polearm clutched in his hands. His eyes flick over the earth walls surrounding them. No need to worry about collapses. Once you've travelled with Baldan a while, you get used to it. The central theme is not to get seperated. That specifically means not getting routed or eaten. Alla, could you possibly keep an eye on the floor, while Mercy watches the cealing? I'll keep an eye down the way we came, and Olaf and Themmner are already covering the sides.
As always, anyone heeding Canarius' directions should feel free to add 12 to any initiative rolls they make.
Toliudar
2012-04-22, 10:15 PM
Mercy offers a faintly nervous nod back to Canarius. Alla does indeed focus her attention on the ground at their feet, but murmurs a soft response to Baldan.
"If only that were true. If the demons are coming through a gate, a magic circle will not deter them. However, the Auras that we all share will certainly make it more difficult for them to hurt us."
A good time for a reminder that Holy Aura gives a +4 deflection vs all attacks and +4 resistance vs all attacks (in case you don't have a higher bonus), SR 25 vs evil sources, and any evil creature that hits you makes a DC 30 fort save or goes blind.
When Themmer casts his spell, Alla and her psicrystal will both take a moment to become psionically focused.
white rider
2012-04-24, 08:24 PM
With a crash, a fiendwurm erupts from under Mercey,
Attack: [roll0], no dex bonus to AC (flat-footed, since you cannot see the attack coming)
(if successful) damage: [roll1], grapple: [roll2]
As the fiendwurm erupts under the hapless Mercy the mighty Olaf whirls around sword and spear in hand as he leaps forward into reach of the massive demon worm, both weapons flashing with the highest limits of mortal fighting.
The massive adamantine blade flashing in a beautifil diamond arc repeatedly...
5ft step into the beast
Avalanche of Blades
Attack [roll0] damage [roll1] + [roll2] holy
Attack [roll3] damage [roll4] + [roll5] holy
Attack [roll6] damage [roll7] + [roll8] holy
Attack [roll9] damage [roll10] + [roll11] holy
Attack [roll12] damage [roll13] + [roll14] holy
Attack [roll15] damage [roll16] + [roll17] holy
Attack [roll18] damage [roll19] + [roll20] holy
Attack [roll21] damage [roll22] + [roll23] holy
Attack [roll24] damage [roll25] + [roll26] holy
-- Just roll down the list until one misses
Toliudar
2012-04-25, 02:19 AM
Thanks to Dark Foresight, Mercy is neither surprised nor flatfooted. The bite hits, but the grapple is foiled by Freedom of Movement.
Initiative:
Mercy: [roll0]
Alla: [roll1]
Mercy glances down at the ground and starts to float up away from the ground, but not in time to avoid the maw of a great wurm erupting from the earth. The teeth clamp down on her and she lets out a quickly muffled shriek, but then slides sideways out of the teeth.
Toliudar
2012-04-25, 02:58 AM
A stray memory drives back to Alla - a story from an old gith traveller she'd nursed back to health. Something about the fiendwurms...
"Don't kill it! Something bad happens when they die. An...explosion, I think."
Alla swings towards the exposed mouth of the creature gaping up into the tunnel, just as Olaf leaps forward, his blade accelerating to near-invisibility. She lacks the mighty warrior's strength or speed, and doesn't even try to match him. Instead, she simply reaches out into the mind of the creature and twists, hard.
Mercy drifts up to the ceiling of their makeshift tunnel. Heeding Alla's cry, she sends off a pulse of white light, a holy light meant to ease the creature's suffering, and to change the massive thing from wurm to vole.
Alla, assuming that the creature is still alive, of course: standard action to use Psychic Crush. Will DC 27 or reduced to -1 HP. If the will save is successful, instead takes [roll0] damage.
Mercy takes a 5' step straight up and defensively casts her word of changing invocation. As Baleful Polymorph, Fort save DC 27 or turn into a vole.
Initiative
Canarius [roll0]
Baldan [roll1]
Canarius barks out a few instruction, pointing out where the beast is not being engaged, and tries to get between the monster and Mercy. He then strikes a heroic pose, and starts to sing. The Gray Dawn, a ballad of a desperate battle to overwhelm a dread sorceror before daybreak, is perhaps an appropriate choice, although the fact that the ballad is about Olaf, and mentions him by name, is perhaps a little unsettling, if curiously inspirational.
Singing combined song of legion and song of recklessness
Everyone has a BAB of 20, if they had less before
Everyone gets +2 competance bonus to weapon damage.
Everyone may, on their action, choose a number to substract from their AC and add to their to-hit rolls. This effects all their attacks until the start of their next round. Unlike Shock trooper, you don't need to charge, and the number you choose can be anything from 20 to 0.
Anyone willing to follow Canarius's advice still gets +1 to hit in melee and +12 to dex checks, dex-based skill checks, and initiative checks.
Baldan turns into a gargantuan coiled serpant, like an ancient dragon shorn of wings, and buried in a mossy ruin. Its scales are greyish black, covered in slimes and litchins, and the scent of decay is heavy on its fetid breath.
It opens its jaws and lets out a stream of corrupted air. The breath is almost invisible, yet the stream of corruption is obvious to all, grating on the senses and drowning the nerves.
With a sudden rush of speed, the beast burrows into the wall, emerging nearer the fiendish wyrm, threatening with teeth and claw.
Baldan turns into a Corpse Tearer (see Linnorm p.140 MMII) as a free action
Paralysing breath as a standard action. 120 foot line hitting only the fiendwyrm - Fort DC 36 or paralysed for 1d6+12 rounds
Move action, burrow around to provide a flank.
white rider
2012-04-25, 08:18 AM
The Wurm lets out a large roar as it dies. For a moment, Olaf stands triumphant, before a massive explosion rocks the tunnel. Dirt and rocks are sucked into a vortex of earth.
Everyone within 5 feet of the Wurm (Olaf, Mercy, Mother Alla, anyone else?) make a DC 31 reflex save. (muah hah hah)
Toliudar
2012-04-25, 02:00 PM
Alla Reflex Save, using Action Before Thought: [roll0]
Mercy Reflex Save, using an inspiration point: [roll1]
Both Alla and Mercy are able to shy away from the worst of the explosion.
Olaf twists, flicking savage fiendblood off the adamantine blade into the walls of the tunnels stepping back and feeling the savage power of the bard flowing into him sadly too late to benefit from the reckless power that calls to his feral soul.
The change of Baldan as the small dwarf -come umber hulk turning into a strange burrowing dragon with foul smelling breath leaves him reeling slightly. The sword quivering for a second as it misses ending the avalanche of diamond blades.
As he twists around the fiendwurm glows with power and begins to vibrate before exploding in a vast cloud of abysaal DOOM! Olaf diving sideways, dragging the horse down with him.
Olaf reflex [roll0] Evasion
Sleipnir Reflex [roll1] Evasion + bonuses from any of Alla's spells
Thanks the Gods! I hadn't noticed you said within 5ft of the wurm :smallbiggrin:
distant quasar
2012-04-25, 03:23 PM
By the time Themmer had turned and reoriented himself from burrowing, the only thing he saw was the massive explosion.
"Damn!"
he seems furious, though not at anyone in particular--himself more than anyone, since it took him so long to react. He's been out of this adventuring business for too long. After the single outburst, he is back his calm, rational self.
"Is anyone hurt?
Hopefully we'll make it there without encountering any more of these, but if not, perhaps we can leave them alive long enough for them to be charmed. If any of them are made to serve us, they could provide a useful distraction when we reach the fortress."
Saves
Canarius Reflex [roll0]
Baldan Reflex [roll1]
Baldan finds it easy to brace against the sudden vortex. Canarius stands impassive as rocks and dust is torn from the walls around him, and sucked down into the Abyss.
Toliudar
2012-04-26, 10:35 AM
Alla dusts herself off, and Mercy slow drifts down from the ceiling, but hands in midair above the crater. She is even paler than usual.
"Fcuk. Fcuk fcuk fcuk."
The old priestess turns to her companions with a shrug.
"Er, yes. Like that. An explosion when they die. So if we can find ways to make them stop trying to kill us without actually killing them - or at least if we can do it at a safer distance - that might be best."
She edges around the new hole in the ground.
"Perhaps we should continue?"
distant quasar
2012-04-26, 02:20 PM
Themmer nods his large, horrid head, and then turns again to burrow further.
"I agree. The faster we get above ground the better."
Olaf looks at the crater, wiping fragments of worm from his body. I'm sorry mother Alla, I could not hear your warning over the sound of the blast.
How shall we destroy them?
Toliudar
2012-04-26, 04:30 PM
Alla smiles and offers a tiny shrug.
"Well, as long as they're not dead, we're safe. Paradoxically. Striking them in a way designed to render them unconscious rather than killing them should work. Themmer and I have magics to try to contain the creatures. Whatever works."
Themmer nods his large, horrid head, and then turns again to burrow further.
"I agree. The faster we get above ground the better."
Baldan turns back into a chitenous insect. The plan was to dig as far and as fast as possible. We stick to the plan. As his words die away he look quickly around for objections, and then joins Themmer in the digging.
Canarius looks a little surprised, raising his voice to be heard above the sound of rending rock. Shouldn't someone, ah... ministrate to the wounded Mercy? I have a wand of healing here somewhere. I can usually get it work. I'm sorry, Baldan, was that a snort of derision?
Can't be, says Baldan the Umber Hulk with a studied innocence. I'm far too busy digging. There is a pause, while the two creatures continue to rip through earth and stone like trailblazers cutting brushwood. Just as Canarius draws out his wand, Baldan continues Besides, what could possibly go wrong.
Baldan, if you are trying insinuate that I might repeat the error to which you are eluding...
Didn't say a word. He coughs. I must be getting a little.. ah... 'horse'.
Canarius glares at Baldan's carapace, and then turns back to Mercy and draws out a thin wooden dowell of a wand. Now do you want me to use this, or do you have some other-
Nei-ei-eigh. The sound is like the drawn out whinney of a horse.
Baldan? Says Canarius icely.
Just said 'Nay'. Someone is bound to have some kind of minor healing spell, won't they? That would be more powerful.
Yes, but wands are cheap, and can't be used for anything else.
Let the spell caster's decide then? Since they can, you know, tell one spell from another.
Baldan... Canarius said warningly.
Just in case Mercy finds that instead of being healed...
That happened once. Only once!
...she has a saddled and bridled horse looming over her. I mean all wands look sort of the same, right?
Those wands were a very similar shape.
Sure, never mind that one was brass, not wood, and the other was twice the size.
It was dark, I was wearing gloves! Because I might add, someone had decided that rigging an iceberg for dimensional travel was a really grand idea. You know how all long thin things feel the same in the dark.
Careful Mercy, he's setting you up for some disappointment.
Canarius' ears start to turn a fascinating shade of golden-red, the flush starting at the tips and working down.
Baldan! what.. um... how...
Did I know you fancied her? Because she's fantastically pretty, because you've been mentioning her almost every other sentance since we got to Chathold, because you do that thing where you try and walk straight and tall whenever she looks in your direction, and because you 'heroically' threw yourself between her and an overgrown abyssal earthworm despite having all the physical toughness of a diseased lemming. How could anyone miss it?
There's an awkward silence, as the digging continues.
Please someone tell me that Mercy already knew he likes her, says Baldan plaintively, still not turning around. Or have I just majorly put my foot in it?
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