Night Terrors - IC

[kinem]

ooc: This first post is reserved for useful links.

How to roll dice (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100917)

The OOC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=266194)

PC sheets:

stanleyindraven as
Brevan Masterson (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=485261), Human Cleric 18

Medic as
Yulwei Ul'Dosht (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=485345), Human Paragon 3/Scout 5/Dervish 10

Zman as
Avaaralynn (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=485305), Human StllwrtBttlSorc10/AC5/DD3

[kinem]

The mysterious letter you received was addressed to you by name. Its contents were:

"Greetings. I am writing to you on behalf of the late Charlie Park. He was a most skillful and stealthy fellow with whom I've had the honor of adventuring, and he saved my life on more than one occasion.

His time on this world having come to an end after what for a human was a long life of 99 years, his last wish was to arrange a contest by which his most prized possession, the 'Eye of the Moon', will be given to a worthy guardian. I can not deny that I hoped it would be myself, but Charlie made clear that only a most skillful individual could properly safeguard it. In any case, he picked you as one of the four contestants, and he was most insistent that his instructions be followed precisely.

You must agree that if you win it you will personally provide its safe keeping away from evil hands.

The Eye is a crystal ball, an inch wide, but besides for scrying it gives the one carrying it unusual insight which is most useful in combat. I assure you, this artifact came into Charlie's possession legitimately as a prize of exploration. It is an ancient artifact, and literally priceless.

The contest itself will consist of safe duels, three in all to determine the winner among four contestants. The duels will occur in an ancient and powerful magical site which was apparently constructed specifically for such dueling. No doubt it was quite a popular spectacle in its day. During such a duel, most wounds (even burns) are magically prevented, but blows still smart and jabs and fires still hurt, and attacks can knock the wind out of an opponent and can knock people out temporarily. Duels end upon yield or knockout. This arena was recently unearthed by myself, and I suspect word will spread of it soon after this contest.

Due to the valuable nature of the prize, you are requested to tell no one of the nature of your journey, nor to bring along unnecessary companions.

You are more than welcome to verify all of these unusual claims by means of divination magic. This is no trick, but a singular opportunity.

If you accept these terms, send a message back via the same courier, and the details about the time and location will be sent to you.

Sincerely,
Swin Braegen"

Now, you are making your way to the small village of Soma in the Calim desert. The contest will be held this evening: Moonfest. As Swin's instructions on the place and time had only arrived to you recently, you did not have the opportunity to arrive in advance. The new letter told you to meet Swin at the Jam Inn today.

Luckily, the desert heat is not so bad in late autumn, even though it's midday, and your guide seems to know his business as he drives his camel towards the village. Luckily it seems that the sandy route is marked well enough for the guide's trained eye, for you've been warned that the open desert in these parts is home to bandits, giants, and monsters of all sorts.

[Medic!]

Yulwei the Family Man

With a flurry of kisses, Yulwei bade his wife Ishri fare-well. "Now now, my Desert Spring, don't fret. I'm only going to be gone to Soma for a short time. What good are my carvings with nobody to buy them eh?"

Oh my Noon-Day-Shade how I hate to lie to you, but I'm sure things will be clear soon enough, and there is no danger. Yulwei's typical give-away, rubbing the underside of his chin, gives away to his wife that he isn't telling her everything. Before she can put him to the question, he snatches up the last of his gear, his prized twin scimitars, and belts them on.

Ishri gives Yulwei a silent, tearful look and he turns back to her, rescuing the teardrop from her cheek. "They're only because of the bandits and giants, Ishri, no real danger. Not near as dangerous as wasting your body's moisture in the desert." The chastising brings Ishri back to her normal self, she kisses Yulwei's finger, stealing her tear back, and the lanky desert man hurries out of their yurt into the evening sand.

A lone man treks across the sands, keeping under the dune peaks and making his way to Soma. As long as no complications slow him, he expects to make it to the Jam Inn right on schedule.

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan Masterson
Brevan makes his way through the desert, hopeful that this opportunity will allow him to share Mystra's dogma with more. He knows full well that he may not win the contest but might be able to make strong connections, if they truly will come to no mortal harm. His morning began with a simple prayer to his beloved Woman of Mysteries and his journey, though hot, was nothing he didn't expect.

As the day whittled away he flew into town on a magical carpet, stopping just pas the first building and then walking the rest of the way. He looked forward to seeing his competition and even more so, looking upon the prize. Surely something as magical as this needed some examination and who better than one of the most devout of Mystra, well taught in the ways of the weave.

[Chambers]

Har Ironeater

A suspicious letter...and a foolish invitation. Har brushes the snow off his cloak as he walks the path of Shar, passing the blurred and dark world around him faster than a dying man's last breath. Does he not know the significance of this night? While the sops will be toasting the dead and crying into their beards over weepy tales of past glory, the Lady of Loss will be culling them through blade and stone.

Har paused as the shadows around him rotated in a familiar pattern and three shadow fey appeared, hung among the branches of a leafless oak. Though dead, the eyes of the shadar-kai watched Har and their lips opened to speak, a soft whispering of the wind that seemed to come from nowhere at once. "A dwarf, my brothers." One of them said as its body twisted in the wind. "It knows the paths. Does it know her?" The second and third said.

Har planted his staff on the ground and turned a slow full circle three times before taking out a small crust of bread from his pocket. "He does, and he has the blessing and right to walk unmolested. Let him pass." Har says and breaks up the crust, tossing the crumbs on the ground beneath each swaying corpse. Taking a pinch of salt from a pouch he sprinkles it on the crumbs then draws a dagger, pricking himself three times and squeezing a drop of blood on each offering. "Bread for the earth that you came from, salt for the pain of your passing, and blood for a gift to Her." The ground beneath the hanging corpses burbles and slowly swallows the offerings while the dead eyes of the shadar-kai gleam.

"Walk swiftly dwarf." "Death follows your footsteps." "Beware the moons servants."

Har nods to the corpses and picks up his staff, stepping off the shadow path and into a shaded alley in Soma. His wards protect him from the oppressive heat of the desert as they did from the cold and he wipes the blade clean before sheathing it. Blood will be spilled tonight, Mistress.

Har uses Shadow Walk (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shadowWalk.htm) to get to Soma. Also, the faithful of Shar have their own celebration on Moonfeast. They call it the Rising of the Dark: "They gather on it under cover of the more widespread venerations of the dead to witness a blood sacrifice and learn of any plots or aims the clergy want them to work toward during the winter ahead." :smallwink:

[kinem]

Despite a few gusts of wind that kick some sand up to eye level, your journey proves uneventful.

Soma proves to be little more than a cluster of tents and a few brick buildings around a large oasis. You see camels, sheep and goats. The people appear to be Calish-ite natives.

The largest of the buildings is built in the northern style, with signs indicating musical notes painted around it, and music issuing forth from the main entrance.

Inside is a busy tavern. Here you see a wider mix of people, though many are Calish-ite. Three such men are playing lively music; one on a flute, one on a drum, and one on a fiddle. Many of the patrons carry weapons, which is not surprising given the dangerous reputation of the surrounding area. Red wine seems to be the most popular drink.

At the largest table are seated five men: Four burly Calish-ites and one green-haired elf. Three of the Calish-ites bear longswords; the other has a greataxe.

The elf waves you over. He would no doubt be considered handsome, an impression heightened by his friendly smile. He has a rapier and a fiddle.

"Welcome! I'm glad you could make it" the elf calls to you. He stands up and offers you his hand to shake. "I am Swin Braegen, of course."

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan will enter and approach the friendly looking elf. "Hello, I am Brevan Masterson, devoted of Mystra. Well met," and extends his hand.

[kinem]

"Well met. Any trouble on the way? Please, join us. Wine? These are my associates."

The three men with longswords introduce themselves as Basil, Dirar, and Ferran, while the man with the big axe is Sergeant Azim il Dabir.

Swin continues "The big contest will be this evening. Sorry for the mysterious letters, but Charlie spelled out how he wanted it and this way seemed fair. Once the others arrive we'll head over to the arena. In the meantime, you can relax a bit, and I'd be happy to answer a few questions if you have them."

[stanleyindraven]

"Thank you, and yes a little wine would be welcomed. I don't believe the Lady would mind," Brevan sits at an open chair.

"I do have some questions. For starters, how did he find such a place, especially out here? And, how is it that it ensures participants will not die?"

[kinem]

"This wine is one of my favorites" Swin says. "It's called Hin Dew. Here, try some.

Years ago, Charlie and I were adventurers of a sort. Along with a few other friends we explored old ruins, hoping to find treasure, which eventually we did indeed. It was dangerous work, as sometimes monsters are found in those places, and not everyone made it back.

In those ruins we came across ancient scrolls which referred to the dueling arena. Different sources suggested the same thing. I was the scholar of our group, and my research led me to this area. It took me many years to find it, and more years to figure out how to operate it.

I've tried it myself. From what I can tell, when in operation it surrounds your body with some kind of force field. This protects you from most attacks but you still feel a kind of blunt pressure which can knock a man out. It only protects living flesh, I've found, not other objects.

Before the contest itself, you'll have a chance to check it out. And we'll have an exhibition match between my friends here. Sergeant Azim will take on the other three, all skilled swordsmen. Could go either way. Bets are encouraged.

I'm telling you, this is going to be big. People will come from all over Faerûn to duel, to watch, and to bet. And when they do, they will all come to my inn to drink and gamble and sleep. Yes, I own the place. I built the place. Smart investment, no doubt."

[Medic!]

Yulwei

"No doubt, to be sure." The lanky tanned man speaks up, overhearing the conversation after slipping quietly in the door and across the room.

Sand flakes off of him onto the floor as he offers a hand to Swin with a warm smile, "Master Braegen, I am humbly at your service." Yulwei takes a seat after introducing himself to each of the men present, then rocks back onto the back legs of the chair in a carefree manner.

The desert-man produces a sturdy knife from under his robes and begins whittling on a half-carved bone, which appears to be taking shape as a sparrow in flight.

"Please, don't let me stop you."

[kinem]

"Ah, welcome! Wine for you? Ah, you are skilled! It is always good to see people taking the time to learn more in life than how to fight. I'm a bit of a musician, I dare say."

Swin recaps his explanation of the arena.

"We await two more contestants."

[Chambers]

Har

The sands will swallow this place. Har looks around at the small town and shakes his head. It will be greatly improved because of it. He makes his way towards the northern building and enters as the elf is describing the operation of the arena. He steps towards them, his staff thudding on the floor, and stops before the table of gathered men. "I am Har, son of Derval, Archmage of the Lady." While most would assume that a mage would be referring to Mystra, the Lady of Mysteries, Har appends it in his head to Shar, the Lady of Loss. The followers of the Dark Goddess have long learned to hide their true allegiance behind such simple misdirections. He nods towards the others around the table and quickly takes their measure while sitting down. Bravos and sellswords, most likely. The elf is likely the friend of the late Parks. Those are armaments of the heavens...some foolish priest, to be sure.

"Your arena sounds reminiscent of the protective field generated during a mage-duel. Is there a connection or is it simple coincidence? Being of an ancient nature, it might be the precursor to such duels, perhaps before mages learned to duplicate the wards away from such arenas." Har says as one hand strokes his beard and fiddles with the seven broken wands that are bound to his silver beard clasp.

Magic of Faerun has rules for running a mage-duel, so that's what he's referencing.

Knowledge: History [roll0] and/or Knowledge: Arcana [roll1] for information about the origin of the modern mage-duel wards.

Active Spells & Effects: Mindblank (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mindBlank.htm), Greater Anticipate Teleport, Overland Flight (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/overlandFlight.htm), Detect Scrying (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/detectScrying.htm), Endure Elements (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/endureElements.htm)

[kinem]

"Hello, Har. I am Swin. Yes, join us. You are welcome to try the wine.

Indeed, the similarity is striking. From what I understand, the Lady Mystra long ago made special provisions to make the powerful magic needed for a mage-duel rather easier to invoke than it normally would be. No doubt she knew about the ancient arena, so I would say that it probably inspired the modern mage-duel.

The arena has a real advantage, though. Anyone can use it, not just mages. We can even pit warrior against mage. Any more questions?"

Swin's words ring true to Har. As Swin takes an other drink from his wine cup, the man with the big axe speaks up.

"I'm Sergeant Azim il Dabir. Soon you can watch me beat up my three friends here in the arena. Bet on it."

The three swordsmen laugh at that. "In your dreams, maybe" one replies. "The only thing worth betting on is how fast we'll clobber you."

[stanleyindraven]

"I don't believe I have any questions more for you to answer, but the arena itself may answer my remaining questions," Brevan replies.

[Chambers]

Har

"Whomever wins it should be an educational experience for all." Har says and raises his hand to decline the offered wine. "I never drink before a duel." He says in explanation. "The Lady of Mysteries knowledge and foresight is unparalled among all the gods of Toril..." She is the greatest fool "...I'm certain that you speak true. If we may be permitted to examine the arena...?"

[kinem]

"Very well. It's almost time, anyway. Excuse me for a minute while I arrange things here." Swin heads into the kitchen area, then returns a short time later, and he converses with a waitress a little on his way back to the table.

"This way, then" he says as he finishes the wine in his cup. "Our final contestant will be directed to join us there."

As Swin leads the way, Sergeant Azim and the three swordsmen come along as well; the latter four continue their friendly taunts to each other. A number of people follow the group out of the inn, not wanting to miss the action.

Swin leads you out to the edge of town. Encircled by tents is a clearing, in which many people are sitting on the ground - many on sheets of leather or on towels which cover the sand - around a central platform. There is a band performing on stringed instruments. The crowd lets out a cheer as the group from the inn approaches the stage.

The stage itself is a black stone square, about 40' on a side, protruding about 6 inches up from the surrounding ground. Nearby is some kind of stone pillar or altar, about 4' high.

Swin tells you "When I first found this place, only this stone" he indicates the altar "was visible above the sand. We found evidence of wooden buildings and benches all around here. Wood! This place was no desert when the arena was built."

He leads you to the small pillar. It has eight stones of various colors set into the top of it. Some protrude a few inches, while others are flush with the surrounding stone.

"This pillar operates the area. It took some experimentation, but I figured out how to use it. Well ... most of it."

He pushes on a green square stone and when it sinks to be flush with the surrounding surface a shimmering transparent but green tinged cube seems to appear around the stage. He then pushes on a red square stone; the green stone rises while the red one sinks in, and the shimmering cube vanishes.

"That's the basic operation. These ones" he points to a yellow and brown pair of stones "light the stage at night. The others" silver and black, and white and blue stone pairs "don't seem to do anything that I can tell, but they must have had some function. My guess is they had something to do with the buildings that are no longer here. Lit them up, maybe.

The force field prevents anything from entering or leaving the arena when it's up. It's not much of a prison though, since the field won't stay up more than a few minutes at a time.

The safety wards are up when the field is. When the field comes down, people recover pretty quick.

We can start the exhibition match between my friends here, so you can see it in action, or if you prefer you may conduct your own tests first."

[stanleyindraven]

Checks while he is operating the device.
Know the Planes [roll0]
Know Arcana [roll1]
Know Religion [roll2]
Spellcraft [roll3]

[kinem]

Brevan recognizes at least a superficial similarity to the wards of a mage-duel (in which mages square off inflicting nonlethal damage to each other while their spells have no effect beyond the ward) but that's about it.

The only way to really find out more about it at this point is to experiment or watch what happens.

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan will watch closely as the events begin.

[kinem]

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" some of the crowd begins to chant.

You notice some people walking around the crowd, speaking to people and writing things down.

"Let's get the exhibition match started!" the swordsman Dirar encourages.

"I think we might as well" Swin agrees. "What do you say?"

One of the people writing things down comes over to the group. "Place any bets?" he asks.

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan will take a seat, close to the control apparatus.

[kinem]

Swin and the rest of the group take seats nearby, and Swin lets the crowd get worked up a bit more, chanting Fight! Fight! Fight!, before the exhibition match. Finally, he gets up, tells the men to begin, and approaches the stone pillar.

Sergeant Azim and the three swordsmen take up positions on the stage, with Azim in one corner and each of the others in another corner, and draw their weapons. The chain-shirt-clad swordsmen also draw their heavy steel shields. Azim's greataxe cuts easily through the air as he makes a few practice swings, his full plate armor seeming to hamper him little.

People in the crowd shout out for their favorite side; based on this, bets on who will win seem to have been placed about evenly.

Swin presses in the green square stone and again a shimmering transparent greenish cube appears around the stage.

One of the swordsmen - Basil - moves to near the middle of the stage.

Azim walks towards Basil, but the swordsman was ready for him and gets in the first blow with his sword, which does land on the Sergeant.

The other two swordsmen waste no time, charging and surrounding Azim, and both of their swords strike home as well.

Yet Azim still stands, and a swift swing of his axe knocks into Basil.

Basil returns the favor, striking Azim on the head with his sword. Yet Azim still stands, and dodges the swings of the others.

Another swing of Azim's axe lays Basil flat on the ground, and he quickly follows this with a powerful blow to Dirar, knocking that swordsman out cold as well.

Suddenly it's just Ferran against Azim, and the swordsman attempts to rise to the occasion by again getting his sword past Azim's armor - which he does.

It's still not enough, though, as the more experienced Sergeant rolls with the blow and manages to stay on his feet, though it's a close thing.

Azim swings his axe again and again, knocking Ferran out cold as well.

Victorious, Azim raises his axe in triumph, and the crowd goes wild with shouts of "Azim!"

Swin press in the red stone, and the greenish force cube vanishes.

The three defeated swordsmen clamber to their feet and walk off the stage. Their pride is bruised, but they seem physically none the worse for wear.

ooc: Unlike in a mage-duel, it looks to your trained eyes that attacks in this arena do full (nonlethal) damage, not half damage.

The crowd cheers for a while, then resumes the demand of Fight!

"If you're ready" Swin tells the contestants "we could start the first duel while we wait for the final contestant. Brevan and Yulwei, yours will be the first match."

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan will stand. "I can't say that I will show such prowess, but I will go," he says as he takes a bow to the crowd.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei stands, dusting off his travel-stained, once-white robes. He reaches out to shake Brevan's hand, "The Gods watch over us both. Winner buys lunch yes?"

When it's time, the dark-skinned man glides out onto the stage, resting his hands comfortably near the hilts of his twin blades.

[stanleyindraven]

Shaking Yulwei's hand, "Indeed a good bid, what would you like." He smiles and then takes to the field."Mystra be gracious and grant me your wisdom to succeed," he prays aloud.

[kinem]

As before, Swin works up the crowd while bets are being made.

The crowd demands "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Yulwei and Brevan step into the arena, and Swin directs them to each take a corner position. Thus, in the 40' square arena, they begin about 50' apart and at opposite corners.

Finally, Swin says "Good luck to both of you" and presses the stone which raises the shimmering greenish force cube around the arena.

ooc: All attacks in the arena now do nonlethal damage in place of any regular lethal hp damage.

Yulwei is able to react sooner than Brevan.

ooc: see OOC

[Medic!]

Yulwei Ul-Dosht

The instant the shimmering field flares up, the lithe man springs into a blur of action. The belt at his waist takes on a faint glow for a moment as he speeds across the arena leaving dust-devils in his wake.

When he reaches his opponent he quickly whispers, "It is my sincerest hope, friend, that this arena renders my blades useless...but if that is not the case, pray with me that they do not find your flesh."

As his foot hits the ground inches in front of the cleric, Yulwei pivots into a sweeping flourish of spins and gyrations, swords flashing at lightning speed. He dances in circles all about the man before him, striking from every conceivable angle.

Yulwei's AC increases by 3 as soon as he's moved 20ft.
Swift action: Use 1 charge from his Belt of Battle to gain an extra move action (45ft move speed).
Move action: Move 45ft across the arena.
Full Round action: Initiate Dervish Dance and A Thousand Cuts

Note: I'm not sure how ability damage or other lethal effects work here...if for some reason they can still be lethal, Yulwei halts his attack before Brevan is killed by them (if possible...he should have no issue at all with the saves from Prismatic Burst but if the con damage looks like it will kill him, please don't!)

Ton of damn dice rolls:
swift activation of belt of battle, gain 1 move
move 50ft
dervish dance + thousand cuts (12 attacks)
AC + 3 (skirmish)
AC + 3 (dervish, forgot to add it)

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2] +2 CON damage
[roll3] +1 CON damage
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]

[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11] +2 CON damage
[roll12] +1 CON damage
[roll13]
[roll14]
[roll15]
[roll16]
[roll17]

[roll18]
[roll19]
[roll20] +2 CON damage
[roll21] +1 CON damage
[roll22]
[roll23]
[roll24]
[roll25]
[roll26]

[roll27]
[roll28]
[roll29] +2 CON damage
[roll30] +1 CON damage
[roll31]
[roll32]
[roll33]
[roll34]
[roll35]

[roll36]
[roll37]
[roll38] +2 CON damage
[roll39] +1 CON damage
[roll40]
[roll41]
[roll42]
[roll43]
[roll44]

[roll45]
[roll46]
[roll47] +2 CON damage
[roll48] +1 CON damage
[roll49]
[roll50]
[roll51]
[roll52]
[roll53]

[roll54]
[roll55]
[roll56] +2 CON damage
[roll57] +1 CON damage
[roll58]
[roll59]
[roll60]
[roll61]
[roll62]

[roll63]
[roll64]
[roll65] +2 CON damage
[roll66] +1 CON damage
[roll67]
[roll68]
[roll69]
[roll70]
[roll71]

[roll72]
[roll73]
[roll74] +2 CON damage
[roll75] +1 CON damage
[roll76]
[roll77]
[roll78]
[roll79]
[roll80]
^ Attack 9 was a Fumble followed by a miss on confirmation

[roll81]
[roll82]
[roll83] +2 CON damage
[roll84] +1 CON damage
[roll85]
[roll86]
[roll87]
[roll88]
[roll89]
^ Attack 10 was a Fumble followed by a "hit" on confirmation

[roll90]
[roll91]
[roll92] +2 CON damage
[roll93] +1 CON damage
[roll94]
[roll95]
[roll96]
[roll97]
[roll98]

[roll99]
[roll100]
[roll101] +2 CON damage
[roll102] +1 CON damage
[roll103]
[roll104]
[roll105]
[roll106]
[roll107]

Prismatic Effects (All save DCs = 20):
1 = 20 [Fire] Damage, Reflex for 1/2
2 = 40 [Acid] Damage, Reflex for 1/2
3 = 80 [Electricity] Damage, Reflex for 1/2
4 = Poison (Death, or 1d6 CON damage with successful Fortitude)
5 = Turned to Stone (Fortitude negates)
6 = Insanity, as the spell (Will negates)
7 = Sent to another plane (Will negates)
8 = Reroll twice, ignore any more 8s


If I made any mistakes here, let me know, but for ease of reading and b/c I'm a bored guy with nothin' to do tonight, that should total up to:
202 non-lethal damage
40 acid (non-lethal?) damage, DC 20 reflex for 1/2
80 elec (non-lethal?) damage, DC 20 reflex for 1/2
16 constitution damage on the dot =\
Plus whatever happens on that fumble (which oddly enough looks like yulwei halting his attack)


Yulwei's blades slip past Brevan's defenses multiple times, leaving painful bleeding wounds. The sunlight glints off his scimitars in all the colors of the rainbow. Careful observers notice that on one particularly vicious stroke, the blade in his right hand takes on an orange hue, followed moments later by his left blade flashing yellow.

[kinem]

As Yulwei's blades strike at Brevan, he finds that a sudden sharp force halts those strokes which ordinarily would have cut flesh.

ooc: As the scimitars don't actually cut Brevan, neither the Con damage nor the Prismatic effects occur.

Brevan finds himself battered about by the sudden forces, and it is enough to knock him out, and he slumps to the stone floor before he can even react.

There is silence for a moment as the stunned crowd watches the impressive display of speed, then a cheer goes up. "Yulwei! Yulwei!"

Swin presses the red stone, and the force cube vanishes. As it does, Brevan finds himself conscious again, his bruises fully healed.

"Wow" Swin says. "I wasn't expecting it to be over that quickly. Maybe we should do best two out of three, and let Brevan start the action, to see what he can do."

ooc: That's up to you guys

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan sighs, then collapses
Edited out actions.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei reaches a hand down to help Brevan up off of the ground with an apologetic look on his face. When Swin mentions another round, the dark-skinned man blanches. At each cheer of his name from the crowd, the old soldier flinches a little, almost as if the words are striking physical blows against him.

"Sincerest apologies, Master Cleric...It has been so long since I've fought...I....I...I just did not expect such a...such a beast to emerge." Yulwei takes a step back and bows to Brevan, scimitars out wide and low. "If it's all the same, I'd rather not fight in this arena again. The prospect of violence without recourse chills my bones."

[stanleyindraven]

"No problem, Mystra sees my safety," Brevan says as he stands and smiles.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

"Mystra...indeed..." Yulwei's face takes on a thoughtful expression. "Master Swin," he addresses the elf with a hint of formality as he deftly flips his scimitars into their sheathes. "I forfeit."

Yulwei ducks his head and slithers to the sidelines to take his seat. Absent-mindedly his knife and sparrow find their way to his hands and begin defining the carving's shape as he watches what will happen next intently.

[kinem]

"Two out of three? What the hell? And forfeit? Forfeit?!?! To the priest of Mystra? This is a farce!" Har declares. "I didn't expect much when I came here, but taking candy from a baby isn't my style, and I'm sure you guys would cheat anyway. The fix is in, has been from the beginning, that's plain to see. I'm going to leave now before I show you what real combat is all about, Swin-dler. Next time you see me I doubt you'll be so lucky."

With that, the dwarven wizard casts a spell of teleportation and vanishes.

[stanleyindraven]

"Well, if he had stayed he could have had his chance at me. As it would be, let us see the next contestants," Brevan says as he calmly walks over and sits on a bench.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei's face tinges red with embarrasment as he turns to Swin, "Well, I certainly didn't expect people to behave like that...but it only reinforces my position that this..." his hand dances on the air, dismissing descriptions for a moment, until it plucks the right one, "murder-made-children's game...is corrosive to the souls of good men."

He flicks a tiny chip of bone out onto the ground from his carving, creating an eye-hole, "Until this nonsense is complete, I would feel wrong in not offering some protection to your person against such threats, meager though the protection might be that one such as I can provide."

[stanleyindraven]

"It did seem to be quite the overreaction. I mean, we had only just met a little while ago," Brevan says to Yulwei.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Another shaving of bone hits the dirt, "I would deem it a peek at his true nature, and it obviously shows he's unworthy to keep-safe the Eye. I can think of no better hands for such an object than a priest of the arcane, Master Brevan." The leather around Yulwei's mouth crinkles into a genuine smile for his new-found friend.

[stanleyindraven]

"Quite a grand gesture on your part for our short tenure together. However, as humble as I am, you may be right. I do see that it would serve me well to have a companion such as yourself though. You are much faster than I, after all," Brevan says with a smile, reaching his hand out to the carver.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei clasps Brevan's hand, teeth shining white, "Gods preserve me when my sweet Ishri finds out, but how could I resist? It's been a long time since the wider world has had this old man as a visitor."

He goes back to his carving, and begins to whistle a nameless tune, "Besides, she will forgive me if I bring her something nice..."

[kinem]

Swin seems rattled by the threat by quickly shrugs it off. "Ah well, it may be just as well that Har not get the Eye, as you say, Yulwei. Thanks for your offer."

In the crowd, confused murmurs spread. The bet-takers declare that Yulwei has won the first match for their purposes, forfeit or not.

[Zman]

Avaralynn

From a distance a small woman with back length platinum hair and a dress of Mithril watches the spectacle. She carries little, but a small amount of coin and a single obsidian blade with a smooth and subtle curve.

As the lithe wiery man assaults the worshiper of Mystra Avaaralyn is impressed, Worthy combatant....

As soon as the duel is finished and the wards lowered, Avaaralyn speaks a simple incantation in Draconic, vanishing from her current position and appearing outside of the arena. If anyone had been there to hear it, her voice is smooth as the finest silk but moves with the force of a mountain.

[stanleyindraven]

"Well Blade Master Yulwei, it appears we have a new addition. A pretty one at that," Brevan says to the bladesman.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei glances up from his carving and his mouth drops open for a moment. "So it would seem...refined, well built, with a marvelous curve to her. And the woman wielding her matches perfectly! It is well that I did not bring Ishri on this trip, or I should find myself buried up to my neck in the noon-day sand of the open bled!" He slaps his thigh and gives Brevan a suggestive nudge.

The desert man places his knife and sparrow-in-progress into his pocket and begins paying closer attention to what's happening around him.

[stanleyindraven]

"Indeed," Brevan smirks at Yulwei. He then stands and takes a bow. "I am Brevan Masterson, Priest of Out Lady of Mysteries. Please, come near that we may speak of your intentions."

[Zman]

Avaralynn

Studying the man, her gaze sharp as the weapon she wields, "You seem worthy of my name. Call me Avaralynn.". Her voice, though beautiful as the first birdsong of spring, is cautious and contains warning enough to turn a mans blood cold.

Though no PvP she does have a +39 Intimidate!

Edit: This is the first female character I've played, should be interesting.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Still a bit charmed by her beauty, Yulwei rises to his feet and proffers a bow, "Mistress Aravalynn, I am Yulwei Ul-Dosht. I must say I am indeed charmed to make your aquaintence, doubly so in light of your choice of arms."

[stanleyindraven]

"Pray tell, are you here for the match? We were expecting more and it would appear that you have arrived. Of course, no one could hurt you while the arena is active, of that, I can assure you," Brevan says with confidence. "The good, master of the arena, Swin, is giving presentation of what this ancient arena was built for. Quite the novel work of magic."

[Zman]

Avaralynn

As her choice in weaponry is discussed she gives him a slight look, a careful observer would be troubled to call it a smirk, most wouldn't notice.

She seems to acknowledge the match when asked.

As Brven is discussing the Arena's magic Avaralynns eyes seems totaling in everything around her, even focusing on each of the two men and their possessions, "An interesting Weave..."

Persisted Detect Magic, assuming the Arena has a powerful Aura.

[kinem]

"Welcome, Avaralynn" Swin says, taking a good look at the newcomer. Of course, many of the men are doing the same.

"I am Swin. Yes, the arena is interesting both historically and magically, as I've spent much time investigating. Are you willing to try it? Unfortunately, one of the contestants has chosen to withdraw."

Zman It has a strong aura of abjuration.

[Zman]

Avaralynn

Looking at Swin, "I am. If you lack worthy adversaries, I shall simply challenge these two, together they may prove enough of a challenge." Her perfect porcelain skins moves ever so slightly, a smile, as the little woman seems undaunted by the prospect of facing two competent and extremely dangerous combatants.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

A shadow slides over the dark man's face as Avaralynn speaks. Genuine disappointment tinges his voice "I thought you prettier than that, dear Avaralynn."

As he takes his seat his attention focuses once again on the tiny sparrow and knife that find their way back to his hands. "Enjoy your bloodsport, but do not look for me in that cursed square again. As Master Swin has already said, I have withdrawn."

[kinem]

"Then I, Sergeant Azim il Dabir, would be pleased to help make the match more interesting by helping out Brevan." the armored warrior declares, bowing to the lady. "Though I won against my friends here, I am not in Yulwei's league, for few are indeed. Yet I am an experienced combatant and may provide Brevan the time he needs to act."

Swin watches the crowd carefully. It is clear that the newcomer, though untried in the arena, is now a heavy favorite against Brevan (who also had not shown off in the arena) since she had been willing to take on Yulwei as well. Unbalanced odds are bad for business. Too risky for the house. Sergeant Azim's offer helps ... but not enough. Not after the crowd was blown away by Yulwei.

"No" Swin declares. "I will help him myself." A surprised murmur sweeps through the crowd. "I retired from the adventuring life many years ago, it's true, but I remember a trick or two from the days when Charlie and I hunted monsters and fortunes." In a flash, his rapier is in his hand. He bows and returns it to its sheath.

[Zman]

Avaralynn

With a nod Avaralynn eyes the two combatants, using her arcane sight to detect anything of note...

Detect Magic, looking for magic items, strength of enchantment. Don't bother with schools.

[kinem]

Zman Both Brevan and Swin have several magic items on their persons.

Swin's rapier, clothing (cloak & vest), rings, and some other items he is carrying detect as magical, including what is probably a bag of holding. The auras are faint or moderate.

ooc: You can get an idea of what Brevan has from glancing over his sheet.

[stanleyindraven]

"Two on one seems to be weighting in one direction, however, if the Lady requests such a thing, I am willing to oblige. Not like we can get hurt here," Brevan says as he takes to the field and waits for the arena to be activated.

[kinem]

"Well, it can just be an exhibition match if you like. This audience contains many of the most ... prominent men in the area, and I think they'd like to see it." And bet good money ...

"But I assure you, from what I've heard of the Lady's abilities, it would be no easy match."

[Zman]

Avaralynn

Listening to Breven, "It is indeed possible to inflict harm here, one's pride is a fragile thing indeed."

Avaralynn softly and leisurely walks towards the center of the arena with a confidence and aura of power few would easily discount.

[stanleyindraven]

"Humility is a lesson hard learned," Brevan agrees.
Initiative? [roll0]

EDIT: For color.

[Zman]

Avaralynn

And so it begins....


Initiative[roll0]

Barely...Guess we wait for the NPC's Initiative.

[kinem]

Swin gives the bet-takers time to make the rounds of the audience.

"Sergeant Azim, if you would do the honors ..."

Azim takes up position at the control stones for the arena.

With Avaralynn near the middle of the arena, Swin directs Brevan to one corner while he takes up position in the opposite corner.

"Good luck to all." Azim presses down the green stone, and the transparent green field appears, enclosing the arena.

Swin's initiative = [roll0]

ooc: Avaralynn acts first, followed by Brevan, then Swin.



S.......
........
........
........
...A....
........
........
.......B

[Zman]

Avaralynn

As Breven begins to move, Avaralynn is quicker propelled forward by her arcane encchantments...

Quick, but not quick enough...

She quickly transforms into a terror, a frightful aspect of her self as she grows to nigh nine feet tall, her beauty terrible... "Fear me, child of Mystra!" Avaralynn sreams, a true toothy smile spready across her perfect features.

Drawing her blade she charges the chosen of Mystra channeling arcane spellpower into her blade...


Swift: Frightful Aspect(Free Action Glove of Stroring to retrieve, and return)

Arcane Strike 6th

Power Attack Charge(-5/+10)[roll0]
Critical[roll1]
Damage[roll2]
Critical Damage[roll3]
Arcane Strike Damage[roll4]
If Hit, Release Scorching Ray[roll5]SR or Resist Fire

You are shaken withing 30', if you hit me you are frightened for a d4 rounds.

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

As Yulwei overlooks the arena and the battle to come, there is a faint sound in the vicinity of his waist. When he looks down, he sees a gnome smiling up at him and offering a small wave, then turning back to observe the battle.

The gnome man has a strangely silvery cast to his skin, and gleaming white teeth. He doesn't seem to be sweating, even in the Calim heat. The gnome is dressed in satin jacket and pants, shiny black boots, a poofy golden ascot, and a single metal glove, ringed with small spikes. He carries a slender walking stick tipped with a slightly ostentatious moonstone. In short, he looks very much like someone who would like to sell you a camel.

"I saw you down there earlier. Amazing, really. How do you learn to move that fast? That's a gift, that is. Sorry. Where are my manners."

He turns again and offers the gloved hand up in greeting to the desert warrior.

"Jack Baldrim. Friends call me Happy. I'm afraid I came too late for old Charlie's funeral, but when I heard about this, well, I had to at least pay my respects. So...now three of them are all fighting at the same time? How exciting. In an Azad sort of way, if you take my meaning."

He turns back to the arena again, falling into a companionable silence.

[stanleyindraven]

"Mystra be my guide," Brevan says with what confidence he has left.

Implosion on Avaralynn: Save DC26 Fort. (that seems low, need to raise that)
Concentration: [roll0]

[Zman]

As Breven casts his magics, Avaralyn resists with every fiber of her being.... managing to shake off the effects of his powerful magics.

Fort Save[roll0]

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei reaches over to shake hands with the flamboyant gnome, "Happily met to you then, Happy!" He chuckles a bit as his own joke. "I am called Yulwei Ul-Dosht." As his eyes return to the spectacle in the arena, Yulwei's words begin to lose focus and volume.

"A desert creature evolves out of...necessity. I move quickly because I must to survive..." "Must" and "survive" are the only words with any conviction behind them by the time he finishes speaking, spoken as he watches Avaralynn's blade descend on Brevan.

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

Jack allows Yulwei the privacy of his thoughts and his silence for a moment as the pair watch the three combatants below. Inevitably, though, his chatty nature gets the better of him.

"Well, if all desert creatures moved as fast as you did, there'd be no more creatures in the desert, because they'd have swarmed out and taken over everywhere else."

Another brief moment.

"What you did, down there, with Brevan. That was classy. On both your parts. Dunno if you heard me, but I was cheering. Truth be told, I was thinking of trying my luck down there too. I'm not as fast with this as you are with those swords, but there are as many ways to win as there are fights, right?"

[kinem]

Though Avaralynn's blow is stopped short by the sudden appearance of a localized force, Brevan feels the all-too-familiar battering produced by the field.


[roll0] AOO
[roll1] Swin touch
[roll2] vs SR


Swin, though shaken by Avaralyn's new appearance, approaches and casts a spell. Due to Avaralyn's longer reach, she is able to strike him with her scimitar as he approaches. Swin touches her, but the spell appears to have no effect, and his fears increase.

ooc: Avaralynn to act

Brevan onlySwin cast Euphoric Tranquility, which evidently fizzled due to Avaralyn's SR.


........
........
........
........
....S...
.....AA.
.....AA.
.......B

[Zman]

Avaralynn

Avaralynn manages to strike Swin, her blow lacking its usual lethality, as he enters the fray, choosing to finish off Breven before he engages Swin, with a whisper she channels much power through her sword, striking with vast arcane energies augmenting he impressive supernatural strength.... The blows unrelentless against her two foes.




Attacks Breven, if he is incapacitated attack Swin

Swift: Wraithstike
Arcane Strike: 8th

Power Attack(-14/+28)[roll0] vs Touch
Critical[roll1]
Damage[roll2]
Critical Damage[roll3]
Arcane Strike Famage[roll4]

123 Damage to Breven

Power Attack(-14/+28)[roll5] vs Touch
Critical[roll6]
Damage[roll7]
Critical Damage[roll8]
Arcane Strike Famage[roll9]
68 Damage to Swin

Power Attack(-14/+28)[roll10] vs Touch
Critical[roll11]
Damage[roll12]
Critical Damage[roll13]
Arcane Strike Famage[roll14]
128 Damage to Swin

123 Damage to Breven
176 Damage to Swin

[kinem]

Both Brevan and Swin are quickly knocked out by the blunt but powerful force fields as Avaralynn's blows are intercepted.

Sergeant Azim pushes the red stone, and the greenish force walls vanish.

Brevan and Swin suddenly feel better and regain consciousness.

"Well, I am certainly impressed, my Lady" Swin says as he backs off from the still-large sorceress, and stands up, fleeing the arena.

[Zman]

Avaralynn

After quickly dispatching two foes, the protective magics sparing their lives, "Unfortunately, I am less so."

The massive and terrifyingly beautiful woman turns to the crowd, "Anyone else dare challenge me?!" the ground shakes with the power of her velvet voice....

Just because I can
Intimidate[roll0]

Hope Jack is shaking in his boots!

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei looks over at Happy Jack with a new interest, "Yes, quite so. I must say I hadn't expected to find such a deep thinker at an event such as this."

He winces as Brevan and Swin are defeated in the arena.

"To be perfectly honest...I mostly expected ones such as that." His obvious distaste for Avaralynn's bravado drips from his tongue.

[Toliudar]

Jack

Smiling nervously at Yulwei, Jack raises his hand to signal his interest in joining in the exercises below.

"This...might not take long. Join me for a drink after?"

He drifts up over the barrier and into the ring. Mid-air on the way down, he executes a flourish-filled bow to Swin.

"Master Swin, I apologize for my tardiness. If it's not too late, I would appreciate the opportunity to try my luck in this amusing forum of yours. My name is Jack Baldrim, but everyone calls me Happy Jack. Well, not everyone. Just the ones who laugh at my jokes, I suppose."

He turns to bow low before the much, much larger Avaaralynn.

"That was absolutely masterful, madam. Bravo. And...I admit to being a little fuzzy on the rules of the ring, so to speak. It's been a long time since I've been in anything like a gladiatorial arena. Oh, let's be honest. The last time I was in a gladiator ring, I was tossed there from the stands by a drunk sailor. But my point, and I did have one, was to say that I would certainly not object to Miss Avaralynn retaining her most impressive magics if I might be given a moment for a little modest conjuration of my own, before we get started?"

He hefts a questioning eyebrow at Swin.

Avaaralynn
If I understand correctly, she has Detect Magic running. Happy Jack would register as having about 20 auras active on him, ranging from faint universal and enchantment to strong abjuration, conjuration, and transmutation magic.

In turn, Jack is checking her out using mindsight. He'd know her intelligence level and creature type.

Kinem
Long-term spells currently active:
Contingency (acquired through Greater Shadow Evocation): Project Image, when he crosses his eyes.
Elemental Body
Mind Blank
Prestidigitation

Invocations currently active:
Beguiling Influence
Entropic Warding

[kinem]

Swin peers at the gnome. "Hello. I've heard of you, Jack. Very well, I have no objection if Avaralynn is willing."

(to the crowd) "This guy is tricky, folks. I wouldn't count him out!" The bet-takers circulate through the crowd once again.

[Toliudar]

Jack

Choosing to take the appelation 'tricky' as a compliment - in this context, at least - Jack settles into the same starting point that Yulwei had used in the first match. There is a brief flurry of complicated gibberish and waving of arms from him, at the end of which there are several Jacks standing together, where there had been just one. The Jacks call across to Avaaralynn.

"Madam, we wish you joy and success in the coming contest! Well, not success, I suppose. But you get the idea."

This assumes that Avaaralynn doesn't object. If she wants an additional round to buff herself, Jack will not object. (If she wants more, then he'll cast additional preparations himself). If she does object, Jack won't argue, and will simply take his place in the ring.

Initiative (using nerveskitter): [1d20+13[/roll]

Spellcraft DC 19:
Jack casts Greater Mirror Image (Spell Compendium) as a swift action, acquiring [roll0] duplicates (maximum of 8).
Spellcraft DC 21:
Jack follows this up by casting Project Image (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/projectImage.htm), leaving the image (well, all of the images) standing where he was standing, while his body flies 20' up and 5' to his left.

Question regarding the order of spells:
It's not clear to me whether a projected image of someone who has mirror image placed on them will also have mirror images. If it does, then Jack casts in the order presented. If not, then he casts the projected image and moves first, and then the projected image casts the greater mirror image. It may or may not matter how this happens.

[Toliudar]

Jack Initiative (helps if I don't screw up the formatting): [roll0]

[Zman]

Avaralynn

Seeing the small gnome enter the field...

Initiative[roll0]

Also, have no idea how my Detect Magic would interact with said illusions.

[Zman]

Avaralynn

As the Gnome gegins his spellcasting, Avaralynn flies between the two groups of gnomes, quite confused by which ones were reality. The large woman decides a scorched earth policy is best...


Quicken Greater Fireburst[roll0] Fire Damage DC22 Ref for 1/2
Autosuccess Defensive Casting(If even Necessary) Greater Fireburst [roll1] Fire Damage DC22 Ref for 1/2

Mirror Images will not help.

Will Save to Disbelieve Project Image for Interaction[roll2]

[Toliudar]

I'll take it that that means no to the prep round. Okay.

My understanding is that Detect Magic would work on the illusions the way it does with any other form of magic. That is, if you spend a round concentrating on it, you know whether there are magic auras in a cone-shaped area. If you concentrate for a second round, you get the strength and location square of each aura.

All of the mirror images are in the same square. Unless you're bull-rushing Jack, you haven't interacted with it yet. Will DC for interaction would be 25.

Reflex saves: [roll0] [roll1]

[Toliudar]

Jack

The gnome on the ground is engulfed in twin infernos. Inferna? Inferni? He never had paid close attention in school. He is much battered and scorched, but the multiple versions of him - and his gleaming smile - remain intact.

The multiple Jacks gesture toward Avaaralynn.

Spellcraft DC20:
Jack casts Greater Dispel Magic, targeting Avaaralynn. Going through her buffs alphabetically. Use as needed:

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]

He then uses a move action to move his body 20' further up and 5' further to the left.

Jack now has 90 HP.

[Zman]

Avaralynn

As many of her magics are stripped away the small woman falls unceremoniously the short distance to the ground whispering a curse in Draconic loosely translated to "Destitute Wyrm". As soon as her feet touch the ground her curse turns into another sharp incantation, firefly orbs pour out of her body and burst the entire arena into flames...


Feather fall

Quicken Firebrand[roll0] Fire DC22 for 1/2
Combat Cast Firebrand[roll1] Fire DC22 for 1/2

Obviously targeted that Avaralynn's square is safe, that's 16000^3 ft of fire!

And my Rod of Quicken is expended.

[kinem]

ooc: Feather Fall takes an immediate action, not a free action, so you can't cast a quickened spell (swift action) in the same round.

[Toliudar]

Jack

[Exact effects of the firebombing to come, depending on clarifications from Zman].

As the smoke clears from another bout of incendiary fury, Jack's smile is looking a little warier now, and his clothing very much the worse for wear. He felt fortunate just to have 'survived' long enough to make this the longest bout so far.

Removing an imaginary speck of soot from his eye, he winks at Avaaralynn, and begins intoning a longer, more complicated spell.

Spellcraft DC 22:
Both Jack and his projected image take a 5' step up and forward. He starts to cast Summon Monster VII, which will complete at the beginning of his next turn.

Restating, now that I realize that I'm visible. WIP

[Toliudar]

Jack

Now looking very much the worse for wear, Jack finally remembers to turn invisible.

What a colossal blunder on my part! Jack uses his walk unseen incantation and flies 20' forward and 20' down.

[Zman]

Avaralynn

Having her quarry disappear from infront of her, Avaralynn attempts to remove the foe in front of her... stepping back she releases a torrent of spells...


Swift Abjuration: Targeted Greater Dispel Magic
Take as needed vs DC 30?
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]

If the Projected Image disappears then cast Flight of the Dragon, if not another Targeted Greater Dispel Magic
[roll8]
[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11]
[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14]
[roll15]

[kinem]

When Jack is surrounded by the flame, he is battered by the force fields which spring into place around him, but is not actually burned.

The force fields don't protect Avaralynn from the fall, though - a sudden stop is still a sudden stop - and the damage she takes from that, while quite minor, actually hurts her a bit.

Many in the crowd gasp in awe at the spectacle unfolding before them.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

A look of concern is quickly washed off Yulwei's face, replaced by genuine amusement as the fight continues on. A smile splits his lips as he claps like a child at Festival, "Ha ha! Well done Master Happy, well done!"

[Toliudar]

Jack

Avaaralynn's first attempt to get rid of the many Jacks reduces the number down to one, but the second attempt does nothing more. There is the murmuring of spellcasting across the arena. The remaining Jack's complexion goes from a faint golden hue to a pinkish red.

Spellcraft DC 22
I'm assuming that she's targeting the projected image with her greater dispel. The first attempt got rid of the mirror images, but not the projected image, and the second targeted dispel similarly fails.

Jack will start with a swift-action Greater Mirror Image)[roll0] images (8 max), with the intent that this time the mirror images are on his actual form, not the projected image. He'll take a move action to land as quietly as possible on a corner of the arena away from Avaaralynn (Move silently: [roll1]). Standard action to cast Elemental Body (Fire).

[Zman]

Avaralynn

Avaralynn continues to cast spells, first attempting to break the the weave in front of her, then she begins erupting more fire, starting with the far side of the arena 20' high and working backwards....


Unless she hears him, then target on the sound. One firebrand will hit the Projected Image as well.

Listen[roll0]

Swift Abjuration: Hreater Dispel Magic
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

Firebrand[roll4] Fire Damage DC22 Reflex for half

[Toliudar]

Jack

Avaaralynn's magic-breaking spell does indeed cause the image of Jack to vanish, and there is a new shout of pain when Inferno 4.0 washes through the far side of the arena. There is the sound of chanting on the far side of the arena.

Greater Dispel does indeed take out the projected image. Jack is hit by the Firebrand. My understanding is that Elemental Body (Fire) gives total immunity to fire, but I'm rolling the reflex save just in case I'm screwing that up too. [roll0].

Jack takes a full round action to start casting Summon Monster VII. It will complete at the beginning of his next turn. Also, fair warning: by my calculations, Avaaralynn has now used up her 5th, 6th and 8th level spell slots.

Edit: I always forget about Warlock fast healing! As a free action at the start of his turn, Jack activates Fiendish Resilience. He regains 2 hit points this round.

[stanleyindraven]

"This is a good show," Brevan says to Yulwei.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

"Quite so, quite so!" He looks like a child at his first carnival, face a-light with anticipation.

[Toliudar]

Amidst careful chanting and gesturing, the invisible Jack manages a quick salute up towards the other participants on the sidelines.

[kinem]

... Several moments later ...

Many crowd in the crowd are on their feet, cheering and clapping or howling in dismay, depending on which way they had bet. Jack's sudden victory had been a surprise, for just when it seemed the gnome could surely take no more, he had resorted to using the ace up his sleeve. The item had been one-use only, and quite costly, but few in the crowd realize that.

"Impressive!" Swin declares, clapping along with the others as he presses the stone to dismiss the force walls around the arena.

Avaaralynn rubs her head as she regains consciousness, and stands back up. She tells Jack "Congratulations. You won fairly, given the rules, though I suspect a rematch would not go well for you."

Swin gives a short speech, praising everyone and promising that future contests in the arena would be just as exciting. Many in the crowd take that as a cue to start packing up their belongings.

"Next tonight, will be the after-party at the Jam Inn! For a mere five gold cover charge, you get free drinks, and get to witness the presentation of the grand prize! And I will play the fiddle! Contestants get in free of course."

Avaaralynn smiles for a moment, but shakes her head. "I have some things I need to do. Elsewhere. Goodbye, and good luck to you all." With that, she teleports away.

After settling up accounts with the bet-takers (at least on paper), some of the crowd follow the group back to the inn, while most start making their way back to the tents or buildings where they are staying overnight.

Swin does indeed play the fiddle, and whatever else you might think of him, you have to admit that it's one of the best and most stirring performances that you've ever heard. The crowd roars its approval and demands an encore, which the bard obliges before joining you for the meal.

The food and drink are good as well, with roast lamb as the main course. Several people stop to congratulate the contestants. As one merchant, a well-dressed man with a large black mustache, makes the round of the contestants' table, he recognizes Ferran. The two talk, trying to figure out where they might have met before.

Finally, Swin draws forth a metal box, for which he has the key. He opens it and takes out ... a large marble, it shows an image of a blue-and-white marble surrounded by a speckled black area. He holds it up to show the crowd.

"You can see why we call it the Eye of the Moon" Swin notes. "It shows not the moon! Most of the time, unless scrying, it shows what I believe to be the planet, Toril, from what could as well be the viewpoint of the moon. At other times, it shows other things. Unpredictable. Congratulations, Jack!"

When he hands the item to Jack, the item flashes bright for a moment.

Jack
Jack suddenly understands that the item can function as a crystal ball, and in addition it gives him a continuous Foresight effect, and allows him to use the following abilities each 1/day: Assay Spell Resistance, quickened True Strike, and Moment of Prescience.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei greatly enjoys the spectacle of Jack's victory, wrapping him in a warm embrace with teeth flashing in a wide smile.

He dances to Swin's fiddle for all he's worth at the celebration afterwards but falls into a reverant stillness when the Eye is unveiled.

Not a sound passes his lips as he's obviously entranced by the swirl of the marble.

[Toliudar]

Jack

Smiling broadly, Jack is happily stunned to find himself the winner. He'd known that that device the gypsy woman had given him would come in handy some day.

He accepts Yulwei's embrace with enthusiasm, and spends a great deal of time shaking hands and babbling incoherently about 'taking it just one match at a time', and giving it up to Garl Glittergold for his success. In short, he spend the next little while alternately talking and taking sips of sparkling wine, and making a genial arse of himself.

Swin's presentation, however, stills him to silence. With reverance, he accepts the Eye of the Moon, cradling it in both hands and staring into it for a long while. His voice, when he speaks, is softer and lacking all of the cocksure elements of before.

"I...will work very hard to be worthy of this. To serve the visions. I...I need to show you what we have!"

He takes one hand off of the Eye and gestures, intoning a few syllables in the ancient language of the gnomes. A huge version of the Eye in its box appears above the crowd. The mammoth Eye floats free of the box, which vanishes from view. The eye swirls for a moment, then seems to expand, with one patch of ground growing larger and larger. The Calim Desert becomes a vast blanket of yellows and browns above the crowd, and then Soma appears at the centre of the blanket. First as a dot, then with the arena itself picked out in a bit of detail. Finally, the image expands to become a kind of duplication of the crowd itself, floating just about thirty feet over themselves. Gradually, the image silently descends, settling onto the viewers themselves for a second before it disappears into mist.

"We are all connected, ladies and gentlemen. All woven together in this great celestial sphere, this great tapestry of life. Weave with joy, ladies and gentlemen, and with generosity and grace. And now. A toast!"

Happy Jack leaps into the air, tossing the Eye above him for a moment and catching it with both hands.

Jack has Mindsight, which gives him basic information about people around him out to a range of 100' (intelligence level and creature type). Most of the time, he's just checking to see if anything well out of the ordinary is nearby. Essentially, if a creature that isn't humanoid, animal or vermin shows up on his Mindsight, he becomes interested.

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan is filled with mirth that night. Watching the others and enjoying the festivities. When the eye is presented he looks with awe and reverence.

"My congratulations Master Gnome."

He is genuine in his admiration of his new companion. The illusion that is presented keeps his attention as he loves all things magic and a well crafted spell is beautiful to his eyes.

[kinem]

The people in the Inn applaud the illusion as Happy Jack lives up to his name.

Jack Jack doesn't sense anyone out of the ordinary at the Inn.

As the gnome catches the Eye, it shows him a strange scene for a moment before returning to the view of the planet from space.

Jack In the small crystal, Jack sees a tavern full of people. Suddenly the people wither and fall dead. He sees many dead, dehydrated and crumbled bodies where the people had been. It is not the same place as the Inn where you are.

After dinner, Swinn invites the contestants to stay overnight at the Inn at no charge. There are four empty rooms available, which he held for that purpose (expecting four contestants). The party in the main room of the tavern goes on until midnight.

OOC: Let me know what your character's plans are for the night. If you stay at the Inn: what's your schedule, will you each take a room, etc.

OOC: I'll be away for a couple of days.

[Toliudar]

Jack

Jack stays with the celebrations well into the night, and spends time with Swinn chatting about the man's past, and about his plans to promote this extraordinary stadium.

"While you've got a terrific handle on this as a place of entertainment, I think that you might be able to explore other sidelines for this place during off-peak times. Think of its possibilities as a training ground for wizards, assassins. A thrilling destination for thrill-seeking nobles. You're sitting on a gold mine, my friend."

He takes the kind words of the other competitors with a slight bow and a grin. At some point in the festivities, he finds a moment to draw them outside for a moment of relative quiet and privacy.

"It's good of you both to say such nice things, but I figure things would be a lot different if the matches had gone in a different order.

Say...I'm wondering if either of you have pressing engagements right after this. At the end of the ceremony, the Eye sent me a vision, and not a cheerful one. An entire tavern full of people - no, not this one - all suddenly withering and turning to dust. Most unsettling. I was thinking that tomorrow afternoon - perhaps after a decent lie-in - it might be good to start to put this Eye to good use. And I'd rather not do that alone. Plus, I figure having someone along who's on a first-name basis with a god couldn't hurt."

He regains a touch of his usual smile.

Jack will probably stay up with the dregs of the party, heading up to one of the rooms provided whenever it finally breaks up. He'd still have Mind Blank, Beguiling Influence, Entropic Warding and Elemental Body active through the night, and would probably turn invisible once he's ready to sleep. With the Foresight effect, Jack would be eager to have the Eye close to him, so would sleep with it in some way.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

The leathery man's bright and awe'd expression is quickly clouded by shadow at the mention of Jack's vision. He falls into a quiet moment of contemplation before responding.

"Ishri will forgive me, I am sure." He caresses the hilts of the scimitars on his hip, "I shall accompany you into this small circle of hell, Master Jack," as his hand passes the blue pommel-gem of one scimitar, then the red he says, "Cataclysm and Holocaust shall follow after."

OOC:
Yulwei will spend the evening beginning a new scrimshaw piece as he listens to his new companions quietly. When dawn is about 5 hours away he will take his 4 hours rest in the most basic, bare-bones room or back storage hole/pallet available, and pay double the innkeeper's asking price. When dawn comes he will be outside waiting to greet the day.

[kinem]

OOC: I'm back :smallcool: Just need to know Brevan's plans.

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan will partake of a little bit of wine and some of the fare before listening to a few stories. After the room is offered he will take his leave to meditate, pray, then sleep.

[kinem]

After the music and merriment have faded, and the guests have left or gone to their rooms, Swin and his crew clean up the dining room. Eventually they too head to bed, Swin making sure that the door is locked one last time. Despite Yulwei's offer the elf refuses any payment for his use of the room.

The contestants are given rooms on the ground floor. The rooms are clean enough, each outfitted with a firm but comfortable bed, a continual flame lamp (with cover), a pitcher of clean water, a window with drapes, and a chamber pot.

After a long and active day, you fall asleep soon after laying down.

Though the night starts out pleasantly, you soon begin to have unpleasant dreams.

You hear a noise in your room and instantly come alert. You see a scorpion - at over a foot long it's abnormally large but by no means the largest you've heard of in the desert around here - creeping towards you. You draw your weapon and strike the beast - as you do, you find yourself back in bed, alone in the room. Just a dream.

Many of the dreams you can't remember but one is quite clear in your memory. There is a sunlit glen, green and peaceful. A young girl lays supine on the grass. Both of her eye sockets are empty; there is blackness there.
She breathes heavily, as if having a nightmare. The growl of a giant, wolflike, tusked beast rouses her and sends her running and screaming in terror. It chases her, its huge jaws snapping shut inches from her. Its eyes too are black, but filled with stars.

The stars are all around you, except that now the distant sun comes into view. There are planets as well. One is much larger than the others. The one beyond it has visible rings. One near the sun is blue, like the view of Toril in the Eye. Yet looking closer ... the continents are different.

There are more dreams, but you can't remember them.

When you wake, it is early morning, and you are drenched in the sweat of fear. You are more tired than when you went to bed.

In the halls of the Inn you hear running and shouting. People speaking of the nightmares, and scared out of their wits.

ooc: You all have the above experience.

ooc: You are fatigued (-2 to Str and Dex; can't run or charge) and spellcasters can't regain spells this morning.

Swin knocks on your doors and asks you to join him for breakfast. It's obvious by the look on his face that he's scared and confused.

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

"Be right down!"

Jack remembers the eye, thinking about what a divination tool this powerful might do to a mind, even unbidden. Something to monitor, perhaps. There was a chance that this was a two edged sword.

Happy Jack is Haggard Jack as he makes his way down for breakfast in the morning. Between the battle in the arena draining most of his magical resources, a full night of revelry and socializing, and the nightmares of the last few hours, this was a rough way to start the day.

Nonetheless, he has an image to uphold. He does a few lackadaisical exercises, then gives up on that crap and casts prestidigitation to clean out the remnants of sweat and clean up his clothes, slaps some life into his cheeks, and heads downstairs with a cheerful grin on his face. He forces more life into his voice than he's feeling.

"GOOD morning! It is still morning, isn't it? Excellent. You know, maybe it's the proximity of this eye, but I can't remember a night with more vivid, harrowing dreams. Were I a different sort of entertainer, they'd make for some excellent ghost stories."

[Medic!]

Not-So-Happy Yulwei

After a night of horrid dreams, Yulwei spends the wee hours of the morning in a pool of sweat, his breathing ragged as though he had physically tried to run after the eyeless beast; as though he flew about outside the world by his own force of will.

As he checks the room yet again for signs of the scorpion he knows he sliced neatly in two a rap on the door shoves him into action yet again. His breath makes the lamp flame dance, tossing a shadow on the wall as he darts to the door. That shadow...it couldn't possibly have been...no it couldn't have been...

His knuckles whiten as one hand slides Cataclysm half from her scabbard as the dark man slides the door open. He accepts Swin's invitation to breakfast. Yulwei begs a moment of Swin's time while he splashes water from the provided pitcher across his pate. Once he's out of the room he realizes he still holds Cataclysm's pommel in one hand, and reluctantly releases her to return to her cradle and sleep once more.

"By Any God Who Will Listen if the dreams I had last night were begotten of that thing, it's a foul gift you've been saddled with Master Jack."

[Toliudar]

Jack

The gnome's grin faltered slightly in the bright light of Yulwei's candour, and he nodded.

"Charlie did have an odd sense of humour to him. I suppose it could be that this is a bit of nastiness wrapped in a shiny package. The Eye of the Moon has been here in town for a while now, though. Isn't that right, Swin? So unless it's somehow been activated in last night's ceremony...the dreams are something different.

"How about it, Master Swin? The world and stars are spinning fast this morning, and making us all dizzy in their movements. You look like you might even know a bit of why. Once the bread gets here, what say you share a bit of that wisdom?"

[kinem]

In the main dining room are several anxious people discussing the recent night's events.

"This way" Swin says grimly, leading you three to a door at the back of the dining room. It leads to a smaller room with a large table, meant for private meetings or dining. Swin calls for fruit, bread, and milk, which a waitress provides, then closes the door for privacy.

"First let me make one thing clear. I don't know much more than you about it. I had no idea this might happen. It's a huge blow to my business, for one thing. Of course that's not the priority right now, but, just saying. If you don't trust the Eye, I can always put it back in the box for safe keeping.

I've spoken with a number of people already and I gather we've all had the same dreams. The scorpion, right? A scorpion in a bedroom is considered a bad omen in these parts. Bad luck, usually death, coming. That has people scared as much as anything. Just superstition, I always thought.

Then the girl in the valley. Well, I have seen her before. I mean, in the Eye. Sometimes Charlie showed me visions in it. The visions seem random but she appears sometimes. Always sleeping. Eyes closed. As far as I know, never with any other creature around.

The monster, I think, might have been what they call a 'nightmare beast'. It's pretty much what it sounds like. What we experienced is sort of like what that monster can do.

Except ... well, not really. From what I've read, those sort of nightmares can kill people. I don't think we've seen that here. Also, sharing the same dream is different, I think. Still, it's unlikely to be a coincidence, don't you think?"

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei sits back in his chair, fatigue plain on his face, as his fingers seem to drift to a pouch on his belt of their own accord.

He absent-mindedly begins whittling on a piece of scorched-looking bone with his artisan's knife as he waits for wiser minds to prevail.

[Toliudar]

Jack

Jack chuckles, rubbing his forehead as he thinks.

"Coincidences are for people who don't see the whole picture."

He pulls out the eye and stares into it, speculatively.

"Never been one for closing my eyes and hoping that things will get better. Either run towards the problem or away. Standing still's a sucker's game. So, we have a world that isn't our own. A nightmare beast, a bad omen, and a woman who haunts the visions of the Eye. Well, we can always try subtle later, but why not start with the simple, direct approach first?"

He hesitantly touches the Eye to his forehead and closes his eyes. Whatever link that might exist now between them, Jack steps towards. He draws the Eye to him like a tango partner, opening his own body and mind to whatever the pattern and swirl might offer.

On the offhand chance that he might recognize the other world from the dreams: Profession (astrologer): [roll0]

[kinem]

The Eye displays a blue planet surrounded by stars. It's not the one from the dream (which none of you recognize) but - based on the continents beneath the clouds - you can see that it's the globe of Toril.

When Jack places the Eye at his forehead, the picture doesn't change:

The blue and white globe floating in starry space.

Then a face. A human man is startled at first, then a cruel grin spreads across his face. He wears a brown traveler's outfit but his cloak has a fancy silver trim, and he wears an amulet in the image of a tiger.

Then the blue and white globe floating in starry space.

[Toliudar]

As the image of the snarly man fades, Jack's concern clouds his features for a moment, then his grin returns.

"Seems a charming fellow. Perhaps a lovely source of, say, bad dreams?"

He takes a moment, and experimentally accesses one of the Eye's other facets. He glances at the others.

"I don't suppose any of you recognized him?"

Jack will use the Moment of Prescience SLA in the eye.

Bardic Knowledge to see if he recognizes the man: [roll0]

[kinem]

None of you recognize the man.

Swinn shakes his head as well. "If he is the source of the dreams, I don't understand how or why.

Whether the Eye is involved or not, I doubt we have seen the last of this trouble. What are your plans now?"

[Toliudar]

Jack glances around at the other two remaining contestants.

"Well, I'm still pretty wiped out from yesterday's exertions. Sadly, there's not much more I'm going to be able to do until I get a decent sleep. After that...we could head out, to determine whether the dreams are localized here, focused on the eye, or affecting a much larger circle."

A caster type who can't renew spells...Jack's basically a really skilled commoner until he gets his spell slots back, unfortunately. I've got a few higher-level slots, but not enough to stand up to a major challenge. I'm open to suggestions, folks.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei rattles his head in agreement, obviously fatigued from his exertion in the arena and his lack of rest.

"Perhaps we could gather some information with what remains of the day, and hope for a peacefull night. Or we could take a lesson from the Mother Desert and rest during the day to fool our foes...in this case not the harsh sun and blistering wind, but these foul apparitions and nightmares..."

[kinem]

Swin remarks "We don't know much about this guy so it probably won't work, but whatever else the Eye may be ... it's a crystal ball. You could try scrying him directly."

Jack Jack senses a highly intelligent aberration coming into range of his mindsight from the direction of the street, headed towards the inn.

[Toliudar]

Jack

Jack is nodding faintly at Swin's recommendation, Jack tenses slightly, then relaxes again. A soft, glistening version of his voice appears at the back of Yulwei, Brevan and Swin's minds.

"Please forgive the intrusion. But there's something smart and odd coming in off of the street. I don't know anything about its intent. It might be best to continue our conversation as if nothing unusual is happening."

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei outwardly continues his scrimshaw, the movement of his hands the only part of his body not betraying a bit of fatigue as they draw the shape of the nightmare beast out of the charred bone in his grasp.

"Not an unpleasant intrusion, even if the news may be grim, my friend. I stand ready to assist you should this odd creature prove hostile."

[kinem]

ooc: Stanley, are you still there?

Swin gives Jack an odd look at the mental contact.

As frightened cries begin to reach you from the people in the next room, Swin stands. "We'd better deal with this now."

[stanleyindraven]

"Sorry for my absence from the table, last night was less than restful."

At this time Brevan will enter the room at a hurried rate. "I guess my tardiness will keep my stomach empty this morn. Looks like we have someone to help today." Though his face shows fatigue, his gait is one of a determined man. Hefting his shield and drawing his morningstar, which ignites in flame, he turns to the screams.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei finds his feet quickly when the screaming starts. He makes his way towards the next room, sliding Holocaust and Cataclysm from their sheathes as he peers ahead. The backsides of the blades rest against the insides of his forearms as he holds each scimitar reverse-gripped, his muscles sore but ready for action.

[Toliudar]

Jack

Jack is the last of the four to find his feet, but he slides to the floor with resignation. He slides a knobbed stick from his pack as he too heads for the door, and murmurs a quick magic to help hurry the four of you on your way.

Jack pulls out his Warlock's Sceptre and casts Haste on everyone in the room.

Can I assume that the mental presence of the aberration has moved into what Jack would estimate is the next room?

[kinem]

In the dining room, panicked patrons are getting out of their seats and running out the front door, or the door to the sleeping chambers. However, there is no visible reason for their fright.

Jack With his mindsight, Jack indeed senses that the strange presence is now in the middle of the dining room.

ooc: If anyone has other means currently active for detecting things, let me know :)

[kinem]

Yulwei With his True Seeing ability, Yulwei can see a roughly spherical gray translucent cloudy mass with multiple mouths and long tentacles in the middle of the room. It's a few feet in diameter.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei decides to act quickly, but not hastily or without a little caution. He calls out to his comrades, "The beast is right before us...juuuust HERE!" as he darts towards the shapeless mass and slashes with a single blade before leaping back.

Using Spring Attack to move at least 20 feet to close with the creature (up to 40 feet if necessary) and make a single attack, then move back 20 feet towards his allies away from the creature. Setting the creature as his dodge target. If any AoO is provoked from movement he has movility for +4 AC against the attack. ACs should be...37 with a Touch of 29, each +4 vs AoO from movement.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2] +2 CON damage
[roll3] +1 CON damage
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]

Save DC is 20

1 Red 20 points fire damage (Reflex half)
2 Orange 40 points acid damage (Reflex half)
3 Yellow 80 points electricity damage (Reflex half)
4 Green Poison (Kills; Fortitude partial, take 1d6 points of Con damage instead)
5 Blue Turned to stone (Fortitude negates)
6 Indigo Insane, as insanity spell (Will negates)
7 Violet Sent to another plane (Will negates)
8 Struck by two rays; roll twice more, ignoring any “8” results.

[kinem]

When Yulwei approaches whatever he's seen in the middle of the dining room, some invisible thing strikes him; though it is unseen, an ugly welt appears and he jerks in his stride. (ooc: AOO hits; 23 damage to Yulwei.)

This produces a tremendous fear in those who witness it!

Yulwei drops his scimitars and flees before he can complete his attack! Swin begins to flee as well, heading back into the private room.

Brevan and Jack manage to resist the powerful urge to flee in panic.

ooc: I'm assuming no one has immunity to fear, so let me know if I've overlooked that. Medic, I'll let you decide which way you want to run - back into the private room, into the hotel, or to the street.

Brevan and Jack can act before the monster does. To speed things up you will act in the order in which you post.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Terror fills the brown man's mind, he hadn't been struck in ages! Must flee, have to get away...too strong! He flees in all haste back towards the dining room, forgetting his weapons in his haste to be gone from this creature!

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

Judging by the effect that a slap from the whatever it was had on Yulwei and the others, it seemed reasonable to suspect that the whatever-this-was was a creature built on fear. A creature that might be partially responsible for the nightmares of the previous night. A creature...that it would be very useful to see in order to gauge its true nature.

Jack rumbles a long, clicking word in Gnomish and snaps his fingers, and he seems to multiply into a whole cluster of Jacks. He then weaves a lilting chant and chucks a ball of glittering light in the direction of the aberration's mind-signature.

"Now, this seems downright ungracious. Swin here runs a classy joint. If you'd have knocked like a proper guest, we might have welcomed you with a lot less shouting and a lot more wine. If you explain what you're doing here, maybe we can come to some kind of arrangement."

Jack still has Mind Blank active, and as far as I know all fear effects are mind-affecting, so he should be immune.

Swift action to cast Greater Mirror image to create [roll0] copies (maximum 8).

Happy Jack will take a standard action to cast Glitterdust. The creature should become visible, and makes a will save DC 20 or be blinded.

Bardic knowledge to try to identify the whatever it is, once he can see it: [roll1]

Jack will then take a move action to move up to 20' towards any cover that might exist in the dining room - a counter, an overturned table, etc.

[kinem]

The area near the middle of the dining room fills with golden glitter, revealing a roughly spherical translucent cloudy mass (a few feet in diameter) with multiple mouths and long tentacles.

There are tables Jack can try to hide behind, though none are overturned.

Jack Jack has heard of strange creatures known as 'fihyrs' that can be produced or summoned by large scale fear. This creature seems similar to those but different as well. For one thing, the 'fihyrs' shun sunlight, while this creature must have been outside in the sunlight before entering the Inn.

ooc: How is Jack casting as a swift action?

ooc: Remember, we're using Pathfinder spell versions when available, so Mindblank grants a bonus to saves, not immunity.

Brevan to act.

[Toliudar]

ooc: How is Jack casting as a swift action?

ooc: Remember, we're using Pathfinder spell versions when available, so Mindblank grants a bonus to saves, not immunity.

Brevan to act.

Greater Mirror Image is an immediate action.

I...really didn't remember that we're using Pathfinder spells. My apologies. Um. Elemental Body is a 7th level transmutation that gives specific powers in 3.5. In Pathfinder, it's a 4th level with a much smaller set of abilities, and it turns you into an elemental. I've allocated a 7th level slot to the spell - is it all right if I keep the 3.5 version?

[kinem]

ooc: Yes. Elemental Body is an exception because the Pathfinder spell is really a completely different spell, not a version of the 3.5 spell.

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan will cast Banishment DC23, but otherwise remain stalwart.

Initiative if needed [roll0]

[kinem]

Brevan's spell did not banish the monster.

Brevan and Jack feel a sudden blast of terror, but they resist the urge to panic. Nevertheless, they feel shaken.

(ooc: quickened fear SLA; Brevan & Jack are shaken for 1 round; -2 on attacks, saves, & skill checks.)

The creature moves towards Brevan and lashes out with a long tentacle. When it strikes it goes right through the priest; though the monster is incorporeal, the wound on Brevan is real enough. (ooc: The monster is 10' from him. 17 damage).

ooc: Brevan & Jack to act

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

The normally unflappable gnome feels a shudder go down his spine as he takes in the massive roiling ball of malevolence before them. He had serious doubts about their ability to contain the creature, and hoped very much that Yulwei and Swin would find their footing again. In the meantime, though, he'd have to do what he could to help keep its attention.

"Hey, you great nightmare beastie! What are your dreams like, I wonder."

An additional Jack appeared to round out the set. He points his gnarled stick at the creature and sends a burst of energy ripping toward it.

An 8th mirror image appears at the start of his action.

Standard action: Eldritch Blast, using Chasuble.
Touch attack: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]

[stanleyindraven]

"It isn't from another plane," Brevan says, hoping he was right. "Try this on for size." His voice shaking but his resolve strong.

5' step to get close, cast Slay Living, Touch attack: [roll0]
Fort 22 or die, if save made then [roll1] damage

[kinem]

Jack's eldritch blast seems to go right through the monster with no effect.

Brevan's spell causes the creature to recoil a little, though doing only a little damage.

The monster sends another quick blast of fear in Jack's direction, shaking the gnome again (ooc: 1 round), then it lashes out at Brevan with three long tentacles. Though he tries to dodge, the incorporeal tentacles sting him badly. (ooc: 3 hits, 58 damage).

By now, everyone else has fled the dining room.

ooc: Brevan & Jack to act.

[Toliudar]

Scared-but-Happy Jack

The gnomish man ducks down behind a chair, feeling an unfamiliar quaver in his heart.

"More likely, it's some kind of symptom, like these nightmares. Um. Duck. I didn't want to have to do this. I may owe Swin some money for furniture."

He waves and murmurs, and a swirl of wings unfurl behind him. They sweep through the room in front of him - Jack does everything he can to avoid hitting Brevan as well.

All right. The gloves are coming off.

Move action as required to get to a position where he can aim Wings of Flurry so that it hits the creature but not Brevan.

Standard action: Wings of Fury. Deals [roll0] force damage. Reflex save DC 22 for 1/2. Roll to overcome SR: [roll1].

[stanleyindraven]

"Lets hope it burns!"
Brevan casts a spell, upon completion of its last word, a gout of flame appears to engulf the beast.
Firestorm [roll0] damage Reflex save for half DC 25

[kinem]

With the wings of force smashing the tables and chairs into firewood, then the burst of flame to incinerate the remains, Jack and Brevan make a team to warm any innkeeper's heart.

The strange monster fails to dodge either attack, and seems badly hurt ... though it's hard to be sure ...

(ooc: Stanley, I'm assuming that Brevan is casting defensively. He made the Conc check. Please specify in the future.)

The monster sends another blast of fear at Jack, who continues to resist successfully (though he is shaken again), and strikes Brevan with a single tentacle causing another nasty wound. (16 damage; Brevan is at 56/147)

Instead of striking out again, the creature moves down into the floor. It is no longer visible to you. The glittery dust still covers the floor.

Jack Jack can tell with his mindsight that it hasn't gone far; it's just under the floor.

ooc: Jack and Brevan - actions?

[Toliudar]

Still-Struggling-To-Become-Happy Jack

The gnome looks over at Brevan, who has been savaged by the creature's tentacles.

"It's just slid downstairs. Why don't you take care of yourself, maybe find Yulwei, and I'll see if I can keep it away from these nice people."

Jack smiles and winks. He seems to freeze in mid-wink, and the extra copies of him disappear.

Standard action: Flee the Scene to move 10' straight down.

5' step away from the creature, if possible.

It's perhaps worth noting that if the fear is an enchantment effect, Jack gets a +3 from Fey Heritage.

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan casts Heal on himself. "I will be right back," then bolts out to the meeting room to find their wayward companions.

[kinem]

ooc: Yulwei and Swin went back into the meeting room, not to the street.

Jack finds himself bounced right back to where he started, a little the worse for wear.

(ooc: He tried to dimension door into a solid; takes 1d6 = [roll0] damage.)

The creature's tentacles reach up through the stone floor and sweep through the area where Brevan had just been.

[Toliudar]

Slightly-Happier Jack

Jack is briefly disconbobulated and seasick when he abruptly returns to his previous location. Then he shrugs and grins.

"Well, I guess I should have checked first. Serves me bloody right."

Seeing that the creature seemed content to flail about through the floor, Jack thought that he would take the opportunity to pray for angelic support. Now, most people, when they pray for angels to come and rescue them, are doing so in a fairly resigned and fatalistic way. They don't really expect the help. Jack, on the other hand, has every full expectation that a big da*n angel was going to come down and save his extremely attractive ass.

5' step somewhere, just so that he's in a different place than he was when the creature last saw him.

Begin a 1 round action to cast Summon Monster VII. Auto-succeed on casting defensively, just in case.

[kinem]

The door to the meeting room remains open, and inside it Brevan finds Yulwei and Swin cowering against the far wall.

The incorporeal monster (still glittering with dust) emerges under the meeting room table, which still has on it the remains of the group's breakfast. Seeing Brevan, the creature retreats back into the ground for the moment.

[stanleyindraven]

"Well, they are of no use still and I haven't a spell for that. New tactic," Bevan seems to be aggrivated that he hadn't prepared the right spells. Then casts Etherealness. "By Mystra!"

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei shouts from the corner, "Get that beast away from me!"

[Toliudar]

Still-Not-Very-Happy Jack

Jack hears the shouting from the meeting room. His summoning completes, and the scent of a pine forest sweeps through the room. An avoral dives down out of the ceiling, settling on a nearby table and looking at Jack quizzically. Jack winks back at it.

"There's a ghostly tentacled horror that's likely to come back in here shortly. I'd like you to blast it when it does."

Hearing that Brevan isn't able to relieve the clouding of Yulwei's mind, all nine copies of Jack trot over to a point where he can see the warrior through the doorway.

"Be at peace, my friend. We can handle this."

He gestures and murmurs in Yulwei's direction. He notices that Brevan is now invisible to his eyes, but still shows up on his mental 'sight'.

"Clever, clever boy."

Jack summons an Avoral into the middle of the dining room. The avoral readies an action to Magic Missile the creature if it enters line of effect. [roll0] force damage.

Move action to get to a point where he can see Yulwei, ideally without leaving the dining room or blocking the doorway.

Standard action to cast Mind Blank (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mindBlank.htm) on Yulwei.

[kinem]

Jack's spell, though it takes effect on Yulwei, does not remove the desert warrior's panic.

Sparkling tentacles poking up from the floor sweep the spot where Brevan was standing, though the priest is no longer there (or rather, is there only in unseen ethereal form).

[Toliudar]

Jack

Jack is surprised that his most potent mind-protecting spell has no effect on Yulwei's fear. And then doubly surprised that Brevan's magic makes him less susceptible to the creature's tentacles, not more. This was indeed a thing of fascinating contradictions.

Crap. I thought that ALL fear effects were mind-affecting. Sorry, Medic.

Did the tentacles' appearance trigger the Avoral's magic missiles? If not, Jack will call it over to stand where it can see the spot where the tentacles appeared, and repeat the readied action. If it did, then the avoral will ready another set of magic missiles: [roll0].

Jack, meanwhile, will ready another elditch blast. I'm assuming he's no longer shaken? Attack: [roll1] Damage: [roll2]

[kinem]

ooc: Pathfinder version of mind blank (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/mind-blank).

Jack is no longer shaken.

The Avoral, being in a different room, couldn't see what was going on. The bird-man comes over to the doorway at Jack's urging, ready to help fight the foe if he can.

ooc: You can try to target the tentacles, but it won't work. The monster has total cover; just because it's using its reach doesn't change that. On the other hand, the floor blocks its sight and hearing, so it has to guess what square to target, or peek up above the floor to have a look (in which case you can target it). In this case it targeted Brevan's last known location. Note that Brevan is ethereal, not incorporeal, and AFAIK would not show up on Jack's Mindsight (since telepathy would not work on an ethereal creature).

ooc: If I were a mean DM I could have given a creature like this Mindsight and Fast Healing :smalleek:

Brevan to act.

[Toliudar]

Doh! You'd even been kind enough to correct me on mind blank a week ago. My apologies.

[stanleyindraven]

Brevan will attempt to move down, through the floor, hoping there is a basement.

[kinem]

Brevan sees the material world as gray and dim. Under a few layers of overlapping stone tiles, he finds only packed sand.

ooc In more temperate lands, a stone building like this would normally have a cellar; but here in the desert, the sand would tend to cave in, and makes such construction difficult; and the hot climate makes a deep foundation unnecessary since freezing of water in the soil lifting the foundation is not a concern.

The monster peeks up near Yulwei, and Jack's blast and the avoral's magic missiles strike it. It lashes out once at the panicked warrior but misses, and dives back underground.

Jack can sense that the creature is moving. It took a turn to the north, heading away from the building. (ooc: flyby attack on Yulwei)

ooc: The fear-causing monster continues to retreat underground at full speed for a while. Unless you follow it, it will leave Jack's mindsight range, and (at least for now) combat will be over. Yulwei and Swinn will recover from the panic within a couple of minutes.

[Toliudar]

Moderately-Relieved Jack

Initially, Jack is concerned that the creature seems to be leaving the building. He's afraid that it's off after easier prey outside.

"It's heading off...that way!"

Rushing out into the street, he strains to track the fading mental trail of the creature. As the trail fades deep underground, Jack stops, panting.

[stanleyindraven]

Having no clear visibility, Brevan will emerge from the floor and look around. Seeing that Jack has bolted down the street he will look that direction but not pursue. Coming back from the near ethereal he will approach Yulwei again. "My friend, is your fear gone now?"

[Medic!]

Yulwei

As the minutes pass, Yulwei's heart beats easier and easier. At last he responds, "Never before have I experienced such an irrational, all-consuming fear. My deepest, deepest apologies for leaving you to fend off that beast without my aid." His eyes make good friends with the deck-boards, "I am truly ashamed"

Without his usual grace, the dark man skulks into the other room to retrieve his blades and sheath them.

[stanleyindraven]

"Do not feel so bad, even Master Jack had fear, though he fought it. I too would have been gripped had it not been for my faith. The creature truly was what nightmares are made of. It seems that we had little chance of hurting it, if not for the magical fire I do not think it would have fled."

[Toliudar]

After taking a moment to compose himself, Jack walks back into Swin's. By the time he rejoins the others, the gnome has regained his broad grin and swagger.

"Well, I always say that there's nothing so bracing after breakfast as fighting an ghostly tentacled horror! Sad to say that it's vanished into the earth, but my goodness, we gave it a scare. Which is of course ironic, really."

He pauses only slightly when he sees the scowl on Yulwei's face.

"Bad luck back there. Goodness knows I've faced a few of those long carriage rides into the abyss of the soul myself. Even had to stop to change horses once or twice. By which I mean to say - only a matter of luck that it was you and not Brevan or me. The important thing now is that we're going to figure out who or what sent that thing and give him a stern talking-to. I mean, look at this place! There was some really good flirting over eggs going on over there twenty minutes ago, and now he's chased everyone away. Bad show all around."

[stanleyindraven]

"We could try to track it, giving that it fled in a straight line back to wherever it came. That would give us a start on how to resolve what just happened," Brevan sits in a chair and picks some lint from his pants. His face is fixed with a slight frown, then after a moment he smiles.

[kinem]

"Good, you ... scared it off" Swin says when he recovers from the fright. "Forget the goose chase. It's long gone ... I hope. We need to make sure the people here are all right."

"Noooooooooo!" he sighs as he sees the damage to his main dining room. "My career as an innkeeper is over, it seems. Ah well. At least I still have my fiddle.

Excuse me while I check on my staff."

He goes into the kitchen and returns a few minutes later.

"They're alive. From what I've been told, some people in the dining room suddenly became afraid, for no apparent reason, but no one was actually attacked until Yulwei charged at that thing. It's best not to make any assumptions at this stage, but if that monster feeds on fear ... might be that it was somehow drawn here by whatever happened last night. Or maybe, as you say, someone sent it."

People begin to filter back into the dining room. Most carry their belongings, which they take out of the inn, looking to get as far from it as they can before the midday sun makes it too hot to travel.

Of Swin's employees, only Sergeant Azim il Dabir is willing to stay on.

"My humble apologies" Azim says with a bow. "I was overcome by fear, but it was magic, I think. Sergeant Azim il Dabir will not fail again! I will help you stand against this fiend! You did say it's gone, right?!?"

"Right" Swin replies. "So ... What now?"

[Toliudar]

Jack gestures to the avoral.

"My friend, if you wouldn't mind offering some of your holy touch to the wonderful Yulwei here, I suspect it would go some way to sweetening his mood."

The archon nods, and approaches the dusky warrior. It's voice is like the tinking of glasses at a dinner party.

"If you would permit me..."

Smiling faintly, the bird-angel lays a feather-light touch on Yulwei's brow, relieving any residual pain from the nightmare creature's tentacles. Shortly after, it vanishes back to the celestial realm.

"What next? Well, if we assume that this creature is a product of the nightmare man, then perhaps by watching where it goes, we learn more about him as well. The fact that he'll be invisible again will just make it all the easier to see where he's gone to ground. So to speak."

Jack puts a chair upright again and hops up into it. He pulls out the Eye and settles it into a hand cupped in his lap.

"Swin, you are not allowed to be out of the innkeeper business yet. If I'm going to spend an hour staring into this lovely eye, I'm going to need a brandy."

Yulwei should be completely healed by the Avoral.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

"My deepest thanks, but I think the true cure for what ails me may be found near that Brandy as well...I would rest much easier knowing that we've gotten well on our way to ending this threat."

Yulwei pulls up a seat, and visibly forces his hand towards his carving pouch, then in frustration he bounds to his feet, making quick progress towards the bar.

[stanleyindraven]

"It appears we will wait out some time letting Master Jack commune with the eye. In the mean time, I will help you clean up your establishment some," Brevan starts to upright chairs and tables that were overturned in the stampede. "Sorry about the burn marks." He seems to be in good spirits, but the way he carries himself is different.

[kinem]

"Thanks." Swin fetches brandy and glasses. "No reason to let it all go to waste" he says, pouring some for all present including himself and Azim.

When Jack pulls out the Eye it displays its usual scene of the planet Toril surrounded by blackness and stars.

ooc: What is Jack doing - just looking at the Eye, or trying to scry with it as per a crystal ball?

[Toliudar]

He's trying to Scry on the Fyfadofjl;l;adksfkljlak. The fasdfdjkksi. The Nightmare Critter.

[Medic!]

OOC


Sally F....Sally FACK.....sally forth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPgHLWYMUkQ)

[kinem]

Jack senses that the scrying attempt has failed.

[Toliudar]

After a while, Jack raises weary eyes up from staring into the small sphere. He reaches over and plucks up the brandy beside him and drains it.

"Well, darn. That's a shame. I can't get a fix. So maybe it's faded away, or is protected from this kind of thing. Well, I might as well try for that charming gentleman from earlier."

Setting down the glass, he turns his gaze back to the eye.

Jack is now trying to scry the man in brown who appeared in the eye earlier. He's especially interested not just in the man, but in everything around him.

[kinem]

Unfortunately, the result of that attempt is no different.

ooc: See OOC

[Medic!]

Yulwei

As Jack tries to focus the Eye Yulwei tosses back a mouthful of spirits and relaxes...a little. "You know, it's too cursed bad that we can't find a way to trap that creature in your arena where it could do no harm." Even a little taken aback himself at his stewing, he throws back another drink, makes a sour face and pushes the glass to the other side of the table.

[kinem]

"Indeed. As I told you" Swin replies "as far as I can tell, the arena can't work as a prison. The force fields will only stay up a few minutes. I think that was intentional; I imagine that a lot of people would refuse to enter the arena otherwise. Also, I don't know if the arena's floor would block the creature, even with the fields up.

I think you guys almost beat that thing, anyway. I doubt it'd have run otherwise."

[Toliudar]

Jack nodded.

"Well, of course! Any one of us is a legend in our own time. But unfortunately, being able to beat it is not the same as being able to hold it here, or to track it. Not yet, anyway."

He turns to the others.

"I have some learned acquaintances in Silverymoon. The might know of such a creature, and be able to tell us more of the Eye, or even of that strangely unfriendly gentleman who's appeared in it. I have a standing arrangement at the Inn of the Wayward Sages. My hope would be that if we spend the day there, we might be able to set the machinery of research in motion, and then get bit of well-deserved rest. If all went went, we'd be back here by midnight. I'd very much appreciate some company, of course..."

With Brevan and Yulwei with him, Jack teleports to the office of Oslai Tenstone, proprietor of the aforementioned inn, and arranges for a suite to be assigned to them under an assumed name. "Baron Jacques of Arden is deeply grateful for your discretion and your security, Oslai."

From there, Jack leads the way to the Vault of the Sages, that learned academy, library and repository of bits of magical nastiness accumulated over half a millenium. Flipping the front desk acolyte a blazing smile, Jack wangles brief interviews with Carsus Aureli, Master of Antiquities, and with Vallence, the noted Oneiromancer.

Carsus Aureli

The Aureli offices are cluttered with a hundred different objects, but is more notable for the fact that the walls, ceiling and windows are painted over with hundreds of protective sigils, incantations and circles, representing a dozen different faiths and at least seven different schools of magical thought.

"Ah, Carsus! I'd say that you're looking well, but frankly I'd say that you've been sniffing too many of your silver resins. A pity, as it is leading to bags under those fascinatingly emerald eyes of yours."

"Jack, you are a hopeless, shameless and remorseless cad, and it has been altogether far too long since we have gotten blind drunk together."

Jack bounds up onto a chair, the better to embrace the sombrely dressed sun elf.

"I'd love to say I'm here to correct that, Carsus, but I'm afraid that there's a spot of bother down in Calimshan that we find ourselves rather swimming in the middle of. Carsus Aureli, I'd like to introduce you to Brevan Masterson, a devotee of the Lady of Mysteries and, I'll warrant, a scholar in his own right. This is Yulwei Ul'Dosht, a man of quick wit and quick blades. I have no doubt that, if not for the protection and bravery of these gentlemen, I'd have been swallowed up by nightmares both literal and figurative. Gentlemen, this is Carsus Arureli, and while there are men who know more about the nature of the shaping of magic into objects, there aren't more than a dozen."

Carceri barks a laugh.

"A dozen?! Blasphemy. There's Fordan in Waterdeep, of course. Elminster and the Blackstaff, of course. Lady Alustriel, probably. Probably one or two of the Thayvian bast- well, you get the idea. Regardless, your infernal baiting aside, I'll help if I can. Have you put on another cursed codpiece, then?"

Jack shrugged happily.

"Who knew that a 'dancing' enchantment would have that particular effect? Well, have you heard of the Eye of the Moon? I am most undeservingly the recent recipient of the item. Here."

With what seems like only a slight gesture, Jack has the Eye in hand, and tosses it nonchalantly to Carsus. Rather than catching it, the elf raises a hand, stopping the sphere in mid-air about a foot away from his head. He slowly walked around the Eye as Jack prattled on.

"It seems to have remarkable powers of divination and exploration. Mere hours after the aforementioned acquisition of the Eye, bequeathed by the late Charlie Park, I'm afraid that I and a great many people around me had a sleep plagued by nightmares, followed by an exceptionally rude and unwelcome visit from an incorporeal, incorrigible and thoroughly inconsiderate creature. A creature that may be linked in some way to this man."

With a wave of Jack's hand, images appear in the air - images of the strange nightmare creature, shimmering silver and then coated in gold, and a rotating image of the brown-clad man who had appeared in the eye.

"Carsus, I found myself inconveniently concerned for the safety of the people who were attacked by this creature. Plus, it's a bloody great mystery, and I seem to recall that neither of us was any good at all at keeping clear of those. I'd like to leave the eye with you for a few hours, get a decent sleep, and then check in with you to see what you've been able to learn about the Eye itself, about the nightmares, and that glowering gentleman. I do have some modest savings set by, and would be willing to cover a portion of your researchers' tavern tabs."

After another few minutes of banter, in which Carsus casually compliments the sealing of the enchantments on Catastrophe and Holocaust, and the craftsmanship of Brevan's Ruby Circlet, the elf promises to come visit at the Inn that evening.

Vallence

Vallence's 'offices', if they can be called such, are small and nondescript, with a dim half-light emanating from the ceiling and only an elaborate bed for furniture. An emaciated halfling girl, her skin grey and taut, is lying asleep on the bed. As the three men enter, a voice swirls into their minds.

"Jack, you still owe me one hundred gold and two flying dreams for the last service I've rendered you. I hope that you have the money."

Jack cartwheels into the bed, coming to rest lying next to the unmoving halfling.

"My dear, I have something far better than the gold that you probably still stash away in iron boxes under this bed. I have a mystery!"

He quickly sketched out the events of the past twenty-four hours.

"Dream magic being rather your specialty, I thought that you'd be interested in someone horning in on your territory, so to speak. I don't suppose you've heard anything about magic to bring a fihyr under your control, or to deliver nightmares to an entire town. Your advice in blocking bad dreams might be needed too. Mind if I stop by again tonight?"

[stanleyindraven]

After the prompt teleportation, Brevan will await Jack's information. When he is finally able to establish a room for them, he will take his leave for rest. "Master Jack, I am sorry for my rudeness, but I seem to be very fatigued after the night we had and the monster we encountered. I must rest and make myself whole again before I can continue to be of any help."

At that, he will cast a healing spell to make sure that he is not down any hit points and retreat to a bed for the next 6-8 hours.

[Medic!]

Yulwei


Yulwei accepts the offer of respite with a hearty dose of gratitude. "Rest seems like the best idea for now, this location should be plenty secure." Mentally and physically exhausted, he wordlessly retires for a 4 hour rest-fest.

[kinem]

The cooler air in Silverymoon comes as a pleasant relief compared to the Calim desert, even indoors.

Inn

At the Wayward House (as the Inn of the Wayward Sage is currently known) the dining room is about half full of people, along with pipe smoke and the smell of good food. It features private rooms with the usual amenities.

When you lay down and attempt to sleep, you can only toss and turn at first. Your legs seem restless. Slowly, though, they begin to feel heavy.

The sun coming through the window has changed its angle in the sky. You have slept, without dreaming, and feel a lot better although nature calls.

After taking care of business, you go to meet the others in the main room.

Carsus Aureli

Later that evening, as he promised, Carsus comes to the inn. Once the group is situated in a private room, the elf tells you what he learned.

"Jack, what have you got into this time? This is too much!" He pulls out the Eye and offers it back to Jack.

"First I tried to identify its magic, of course. Nothing! I suspected but I had to make sure. I hate antimagic fields, since it's so hard to work that way. The Eye was unaffected, of course. It's an artifact, and mark my words, that usually means trouble.

I have to admit, it got me curious. So I conducted a magical search for legends about it. Some visions came to me: Ancient folk had it, kings and wizards. Some of them ... well, it really is an Eye. I don't recommend doing that to yourself. There's a legend that if a good man has the Eye, it will be a good age; and the opposite holds as well. And I saw a girl sleeping in a valley - though I'm not sure of the significance of that.

As for the nightmares ... bit of a mystery there. There was an evil lich once, who wore the Eye. Legends say that people had trouble sleeping, until he was slain. But you had the eye last night, right?

I also tried to get a vision of your mystery man. Nothing, though it left me damn tired.

Except that I saw him. Not from the spell, but in the ball. Or I think it was him. Looked nothing like him, you understand. Same amulet though.

By the way, you owe me some gold."

ooc: When does Brevan prepare spells?

[stanleyindraven]

ooc: Brevan prepares his spells just after waking. Guessing that would usually put it in morning.


"Well, a lich may have worn it and may have sent the nightmare beast we met. That being said, I am sure he would like to see it back. I can consult with the temple here and see if there is any additional information I can find in relation to the eye if need be," Brevan seems to be concerned about the information brought to them.

[kinem]

"All right, Brevan. The lich was very long ago, and though the buggers are as hard to keep down as bad stew, I'd not assume much at this point."

ooc: Carsus cast the spells legend lore and vision, which cost him 500 gp worth of incense. Naturally he wants to replenish his stock. Jack knows that he could offer to owe a favor instead, but who knows what that would entail ...

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei, despite being deeply disturbed at the talk of a Lich, seems his old cheery self this morning after a good night's rest.

He listens quietly to the mages' talk, having little-to-nothing to add to the back and forth. He reaches into a pouch and feels around, with a look on his face plain as day that he first wrapped his fingers around the wrong object, then draws forth a small bone carving of a sparrow, nearly complete.

He begins carving the fine detail of the feathers on the body with his knife as the conversation deepens about him.

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

Jack takes in Carsus' informatioin with a twitchy grin. He takes the Eye back somewhat reluctantly, popping it back into its box.

"I got to hand it to you, Carsus. You've got a sense of style. Guts, too. I appreciate you putting a rush on this.

"Let it never be said that i don't pay my debts. Well. Let's be honest, that's probably been said a dozen times and more. I'll rephrase that. Let it never be said that I don't pay my debts to witty, loyal and powerful wizards."

With more than a hint of sadness, he pulls a ring off his finger and tosses it to Carsus.

"I'm afraid that my recent pursuit of this Eye has depleted my operating reserve. Rather than make you wait, I'll offer as security this ring. I don't know exactly how much you spent in pursuit of these answers tonight, but you'll know what this ring is. I took it from the hand of a drunk ogre mage in the Adder Swamp - and do you know how many different poisons you have to add to a pint flask of brandy in order to get an ogre mage drunk? This ring has saved my bacon a dozen times in the last six years, Carsus. I'll be back with money to claim it, as soon as I can."

With a wink, he tosses the ring, emblazoned with a starburst pattern, to Carsus. He turns to his colleagues.

"A lich certainly might have the wherewithal to poison an entire town's dreams, but we shouldn't assume that he's behind this. First, let's see what Vallence has found out. Carsus, if you're heading back to the Vault, I'd be delighted with your company."
"

Jack is tossing Carsus his Ring of Shooting Stars, hoping to reclaim it later.

[stanleyindraven]

"Master Jack, it should not be your burden alone to fund this expedition. He may have these as payment if it is sufficient," Brevan pulls two diamonds from his pack (500gp/ea in value) and offers them in open hand.

[Toliudar]

Jack

A lot of what had made other people happy in the past had been finding other people willing to foot the bill, or at least a part of it. He shrugged with a big smile and turned back to Carsus.

"What do you say? Those look plenty sparkly to me."

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei smiles and offers up a freshly finished Sparrow carved of bone.

[kinem]

Carsus briefly examines the stones and the carved sparrow, and tosses the ring back to Jack. "Quite sufficient, boys. Always happy to help a friend. But watch yourselves. Sure, I'll walk you back to the Vault. No time for toasting tonight then?"

ooc: All now go to see Vallence?

[Toliudar]

Jack

Jack holds the back of a hand up to his forehead in mock-tragedy.

"Alack, alack, Carsus. We have promised to return as soon as possible, the better to identify this strange dream-riding monstrosity. When I drink heavily, and especially when I drink the magnificent port-wine of Silverymoon, I never remember my dreams. So no, I'm afraid I must decline."

On their way back to the Vault, Jack tells Carsus the story of the new gladiatorial arena Swin has unearthed.

"Perhaps you could pitch your fellow scholars on a visit, as a way to keep up their less academic skills in a safe environment."

[kinem]

Vallence

The thin halfling girl's room now has a few books scattered on the floor next to her bed. She reaches out with her mind:

"Each of you, tell me again how the dream went."

... after that's done ...

"The scorpion ... a threat or, maybe, a helpful warning. Which is it? That's the big question. You overcome it in the dream, after all.

The young girl in the valley with black eyes, sleeping at first, who runs from the beast. Usually in a nightmare threats attack you or something you care about. Here, she's the one in danger. Perhaps ... a call for help?

The nightmare beast itself. The one thing I can think of - besides custom spells that a really powerful caster might come up with - that can give a whole town nightmares! But that wasn't what happened to you, at least not the regular way. Its black eyes were filled with stars, like your Eye, Jack. Maybe it means the Eye is dangerous. Maybe not.

Then the strange planet. Seems a bit out of place in a nightmare custom made to attack or threaten you, doesn't it? I'll throw out an idea. Doesn't mean it's right so don't dwell on it. But, it could be where the sender lives. The planes are big, and Toril isn't the only place with people on it, I believe. 'Course, the whole thing could just be stuck in to throw you off the scent."

She picks up one of the books. "This book tells of a case where a fihyr was controlled by a wizard. Those monsters aren't immune to mind affecting spells. Takes a powerful spell, though, just like controlling a dragon for example. Of course, those monsters are drawn to fear, and there was plenty of it there that morning. Who knows?

I could cast a spell to block your dreams for a day, Jack, but powerful magic might overcome that. Besides, if you have another one, I want the details. You won't disappoint me? You owe me, you know."

[Toliudar]

Jack steps closer to Vallence's bed. As he once again draws together the slender threads of dream-memory, Jack manages to add dramatic detail and heightened emotion only five or six times.

Listening to her analysis, Jack nods. He bends to kiss the limp hand on the bed.

"My dear, I knew that we'd come to exactly the right person for this. Your wisdom and perceptiveness are only exceeded by my desire for you right now. I appreciate the offer, but now that we know that there are ways to avoid the nightmares - by coming here, for instance - it would be useful to be able to remain open to any future developments, so to speak."

His voice softens, and he bends to murmur in her ear.

"I promise you, Vallence. I will return with a story. We will find that story that will allow you to remain awake whenever you want."

Rising, he glances down one more time at the halfling, with a touch of sadness and longing in his broad smile. Then he turns to Yulwei and Brevan.

"Gentlemen. I thank you for joining me in this journey. I feeel that we should now abide by our commitments, and return to Swin's. If nothing else emerges from our dreams tonight, we might return tomorrow, perhaps to explore the imagery of valleys with black eyes. What do you think?"

[Medic!]

Yulwei

The dark-skinned man flashes a white smile with a low bow, "I am your servant in this, Master Happy!" He the turns to Vallence, "And many thanks to you, for your insight, kind Mistress. Should you ever desire to hear a story from the Sands, my Ishri spins quite the yarn!"

Yulwei indicates that he is ready at any time.

[kinem]

Vallence looks intently at Jack and flashes a fleeting smile. You're welcome, and I do indeed want to hear a story from the sands.

When the group teleports back to the Jam Inn in the desert town of Soma, you find that little has changed, other than it's now evening.

"Ah! Hello there! How did it go?" Swin inquires.

[Toliudar]

Jack

Jack is an expert on putting a fresh coat of varnish on bad news.

"Fantastic! We've had two of the cleverest minds in Silverymoon working on this mystery, and have made real progress. There's a suggestion that our morning visitor might have been under the control of the man behind this - presumably, the egomanaic projecting his own image into all of our dreams. The young woman in our dreams may represent a call for help, but I'm not sure who would be making that call.

"As for the Eye...well, as it turns out, it may in fact be a literal as well as a figurative eye. There's a legend that the character of the holder of the eye helps to shape the character of the age. No pressure there! So, when a lich held the eye for a time, it messed with folks' sleep patterns something aweful.

"So, in short, it will be exciting to see what emerges from tonight's sleep - and out of the desert tomorrow morning!"

[kinem]

"I see. Indeed. As I may have mentioned earlier, I have on occasion seen in the Eye that young woman in the valley.

Perhaps we should all sleep in the common room tonight. I can help keep watch, just as in my old adventuring days.

I don't know what's going on, but maybe it's time to let the town of Soma disappear back into the sands, just as it had been before I discovered the arena. No one lived here before that, not for many years. But do you think these troubles would follow us if we were to attempt to flee them?"

Swin pulls out his fiddle and begins to strum softly, apparently a nervous habit.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

"Let this storm have what it can take, we're not finished here just yet Master Swin. Do not despair. If you would like to take a short section of the watch, I intend to be up most of the night regardless. Your company would be greatly appreciated, of course...until then, we should attempt to exorcise this foul cloud that hands over our heads! Play on Master Swin, play on!"

Yulwei begins to dance a wee jig to Swin's fiddlin'

Yulwei can do all but 4 hours of the watch, if there are no objections.

[kinem]

ooc: As an elf, Swin meditates for 4 hours.

Having rested in Silverymoon, the party is not currently tired.

What is the plan for the night?

[Medic!]

OOC
Yulwei is likewise only required to have 4 hours of rest, but he will be content to dance the night away, call it an exorcism of bad-dream-blobs.

[Toliudar]

jack needs a good nights sleep, but has slept during the day, so probably isn't particularly tired. With the others permission, he'd like to keep watch over someone else while they sleep, with the Eye out and in hand, to see if there's any connection obvious between the relic and any dreams that emerge.

[kinem]

ooc: I'll assume that (having slept recently) the PCs keep watch, while Azim sleeps for 8 hours and Swin meditates for the first 4 hours of that time, then joins the PCs in keeping watch.

The common room is not as comfortable as the private rooms, but padded mats are available, and a curtained-off section with chamber pots.

However, the servants who usually emptied the chamber pots left the Inn the past morning. (ooc: Any volunteers? If not,) Swinn will suggest that each man should empty his own. The waste is emptied and buried in a sandy lot near the back of the Inn.

Jack holds the Eye, and for most of the night, it simply displays the planet on a dark sky background, as it usually does. The one exception occurs just before midnight. Jack sees a human man in a dark cloak - who he does not recognize - moving among the streets of a dimly lit city. From the architecture, he recognizes the city as Calimport. This vision only lasts for a few minutes.

In the morning, Azim reports that he slept alright but had a nightmare about walking around town while everyone laughed at him. He couldn't figure out why until he glanced down and saw that he'd forgotten to put pants on. Swin reports no dreams.

Swin suggests not letting the Inn's store of breakfast foods go to waste, and in the main dining room the group tears into a hearty breakfast of fruit, sweet bread, and cheese.

There is a knock on the front door. "Hello? Anyone here?"

Jack Jack does not sense anyone's mind in the vicinity of the door, just as he couldn't sense Yulwei when that warrior was protected by the mind blank spell.

[Medic!]

Yulwei

Yulwei spends his time on watch working on the carving of the nightmare beast and takes his 4 hours reprise when offered. In the morning while breakfast is being readied he cheerfully offers to empty the chamber pots. "I feel as though I should pull my weight around here somehow, thus far Master Jack has been doing the Sand Giant's share of work."

Once the chamber pots are seen to, he sand-scrubs his hands, as a good desert-man would, and returns to enjoy his breakfast.

Almost on instinct he leaps to his feet at the knock and goes to the door. He opens it with a smile on his face.

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

Relief at the relatively quiet passing of the night mixes with the disappointment of no new fun and the deep boredom of keeping watch. Boring boring boring. He'd ended up waking the others up in the middle of the night to tell them about the Calimport vision, but since there had been more sleepiness than excitement in the eyes around him, had not pushed that matter.

As Yulwei goes to open the door, Jack reaches out to check on the newcomer, and realizes that either they aren't really there, or else have some pretty potent mojo working. Either way...Jack sends again to his colleagues in the room: "I can't feel anything about whoever that is. Be careful."

Taking his own advice, Jack shimmers into invisibility and slides off his chair, the better to watch the doorway from behind it.

[kinem]

The man at the door wears the dusty robe of a traveler, and his brown skin is well tanned, but his beard is neat and his clothing and equipment - such the sword and dagger in their respective sheathes - appear to be of good quality. A camel waits behind him.

"Good morning! Glad to see someone still in town! Are you folks all right?

I am Jabril el Aban, and one who has had a few small adventures of no great fame. I got wind that there was to be a great show of dueling in Soma, and set forth to see it. On my way, though, I entered the territory of a giant and just barely avoided his notice before I retreated. Naturally I had to circle around, not knowing the extent of his territory or if he is alone there, and this delayed me and threw off my path. As I neared the town, I met some who were fleeing it, who spoke strangely of nightmares. Yet I could not turn back, for I had not enough provisions; I planned to restock here. And, too, perhaps my sword could be of some small service. How do things stand here?"

[Medic!]

Yulwei

"Well met, Jabril el Aban! I am Yulwei Ul'Dosht, these are my companions, Master Brevan and Master Happy Jack." He holds off on giving any more information upon introduction, keeping to the desert code of social propriety, not giving full names of those who haven't given him permission to do so.

With a weary smile, he goes on, "Things go well for the moment, I fear you have just missed our little Nightmare Beast, as it plagued us this morning...or was it yesterday morning...the fog of interrupted rest still clouds my mind somewhat with fatigue. Master Jack would be the resident expert on this mystery, I am afraid I find myself woefully incapable of deciphering this particular riddle."

[kinem]

OOC: Medic, you may have missed that Jack made himself invisible when he told the others that he couldn't feel the presence of the stranger. Or did you intend to pass off Swin as Happy Jack? BTW, Sergeant Azim is also present.

[Toliudar]

There is a murmuring over behind a table, and Jack steps out, his hand raised in a waved greeting. He smiles at the newcomer, and lopes over to sit lightly on a nearby tabletop.

"Forgive my caution, Jabran el Aban. Our visitor yesterday morning was less jovial than you. Please, join us for breakfast. As Master Yulwei has indicated we have our own difficulties here, but I am interested to learn more of this giant of which you speak."

Jack is using Project Image to create this version of himself, just in case.

Sense motive to look for deception from this man. [roll0].

Does Jack pick up an animal intelligence from the camel?

[kinem]

"Ah, of course, my good man. Pleased to meet you all!" Jabril declares.

Swin says "Hello, I am Swin, owner of this once fine establishment. Please accept my hospitality for your breakfast."

Azim says "And I am Sergeant Azim il Dabir. Good morning to you."

"Good morning!" Jabril goes to tie his camel in the stables, then returns.

"Thank you, sir, for the food." Jabril removes his cloak, revealing a green shirt in the style of Calish-ite merchants. His hair has a small ponytail in the back, held by a tight red band, in the style of some of the desert tribes.

He takes a chair, and some bread and fruit and juice. As he eats and talks, he uses his right hand to gesture and emphasize points, and his left to eat and drink with.

"So, a tale for a tale? Fair enough! Five days into my journey, I feared that I had taken the wrong trail and become lost, for it had been two days since I saw any sign of caravans or marker stones. Great was my relief, then, when I saw a large tent ahead in the distance, next to a hill. I made for it, expecting a merchant oasis. The door flap was huge, and inside, I found no men, only a huge heap of rugs and rags, and a pile of animal bones. Perhaps not all were animal. I suspected a giant then, but the proof was not long in coming. Hearing something coming, I quickly hid among the rugs. Luckily for me, where he lay was not on top of me! He was twenty feet tall, I'd say, and yet he only took up a small portion of that bed-pile. He was dressed in leather, and had a huge ugly sword, and a huge ugly face. I waited until he was snoring soundly, then made my escape. Luckily he had not touched my camel, if he even noticed her. Knowing there could likely be others like him about, I put as much distance as I could that day between that tent and myself."

After drinking deeply of the juice he speaks again. "Now it is your turn my friends. Tell me of the monster! But also, I want to hear about the contest, the reason for my journey in the first place! Who was the winner? What was the prize?"

The man seems sincere in everything he says.

Jack Jack does sense the camel. It's not uncommon for small animals to wander into his range, so that didn't draw his attention at first.

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

The image of Jack is rapt in attention with Jabril's story. When the encouragement comes for a response, Jack glances around the room, and then clears his throat theatrically.

"Sir, I regret only that you were not present for the battle in that arena. These gentlemen here."

Jack gestures to Yulwei and Brevan.

"Seem like civilized and reserved gentlemen now. But on the sands, they were titans. Master Yulwei's two blades were moving so quickly that I think that I saw the light bend around them. Ser Brevan's morningstar blazed like the sun, and crashed down again and again. Half a dozen times, I thought that a blow would finish one or the other off, but I had reckoned without their determination. Their heart. It was humbling and stirring.

"Master Swin's arena is a true wonder. What might be a brief spray of blood on sand in a less considered place is now an epic blow that hurls a man backwards - but leaves him able to rise. I look forward to returning when Master Swin is able to put his organizational gifts to best use, and to seeing what another group of warriors is able to do in this place.

"As for the prize? No less than the Eye of the Moon. Sadly, that selfsame Eye seems to have become the spark that has ignited a string of terrifying visions in this town. Not least of which was was the visit yesterday morning of a fihyr. A creature of teeth and tentacles, a creature literally made f nightmares. My friend, I hope that you have slept well in the nights since you ran into the not so friendly giants, because the rest that there is to be had in this place is fitful at best."

[kinem]

"Amazing" Jabril replies. "I have slept well enough, thanks.

So, Master Yulwei, Ser Brevan ... well done! Which of you finally won, in the end? And what is this Eye of the Moon?"

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

Jack smiles and claps appreciatively.

"I'm afraid that the winner is far too modest to speak too loudly of his victory. And as for the Eye, well, it seems that that remains to be seen. Perhaps it is a gateway to the past, or a key to unlock the future. Perhaps it is an avenue down which to stroll your own dreams, or a well out of which nightmares emerge. I fear that if you stay another day with us, you will catch a glimpse yourself.

"But what are your plans now, Master Jabril? I'm sorry that you've missed the competition, so what's next for you?"

[kinem]

Jack: roll a Bluff check :smallwink:

[Toliudar]

bluff [roll0] the somewhat pointed nature of his questions is similarly making Jack suspicious.

[kinem]

"Well, I intend to stay the night here, resupply with food and water, and then head back home in the morning. After many days on the open desert, a proper bed and a day out of the sun would do me good" Jabril declares. "I am not afraid, not with men such as Master Yulwei and Ser Brevan here with us. That is ... Will you people be here today?"

ooc: Assuming no one objects, Jabril will stay for the day as he said. What are your plans? Once I know that I can figure out what Jabril will do :smallsmile: but we really need the other players to get back :smallsigh:

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

Sorry. Life kicked me in the head in October, and I forgot that the ball was in our court. It seems like we're down to just Medic! and me, but at high levels, it might be nice to have less complexity to take care of. If you're both up for continuing this, I'm good.

Jack's not getting any weird vibes from Jabril, right?


Jack makes a grimace, showing more regret than he probably felt.

"Unfortunately, Jabril, now that the contest is over, I'm afraid that we'll be on our way as well. Gentlemen? I believe that our stone of transportation is probably recharged and ready. Shall we? Master Swin, again, thanks for your hospitality, and all the best of luck to you!"

If there are no objections, both the real Jack (lifting a few inches off the ground so as not to betray himself with footfalls) and the virtual one join up to head out the front door, gesturing for Yulwei and Brevan to join him. Once they've done so, he'll quickly close the door, gesture for silence and grab them both, transporting them to the street scene that he saw in the Eye in Calimport. He moves quickly with the others to relocate to a place where they would be less noteworthy.

"We're short of avenues to explore, so I thought we might be able to pick something up from the Eye's vision last night. I saw a man cross this street. If we can find this man, we might be on our way to discovering the nature of this thing's visions.

Plus, that man Jabril's sudden appearance, his cloaked mind, and his pointed questions - all made me a bit uneasy. I trust Swin to take care of himself, but do hope that we haven't left him in more than a spot of trouble."

Greater Teleport to get them to to the scene that he saw in the Eye last night.

[kinem]

"Unfortunately, Jabril, now that the contest is over, I'm afraid that we'll be on our way as well. Gentlemen? I believe that our stone of transportation is probably recharged and ready. Shall we? Master Swin, again, thanks for your hospitality, and all the best of luck to you!"

Jabril pushes his chair back and stands, as the rest do likewise.

"Far be it from me to impose upon a host. But in this case, for which I apologize, I must insist."

He flexes his right hand - the one he had only gestured with and not used to eat or drink - and Yulwei's expression goes blank. "Where is the Eye of the Moon?"

Yulwei answers "Jack has it."

Brevan reacts next, casting a dispel magic spell at Yulwei. The desert warrior's expression becomes angry and determined.

In a flash, Jabril's longsword and dagger are in his hands. There is something odd about the way he holds the sword, as if he wears an invisible glove on that right hand. As he moves the sword, the tip of it leaves a trail of ash. Tales of the infamous assassin, Artemis Entreri, surely spring to mind ...

In a whirl of blades he slices the air where the illusion of Jack had been. "As I thought." The ash is so thick from all of that rapid movement that you can barely see the man now.

ooc: Jack to act

[Toliudar]

Happy Jack

The gnome's image bows slightly as Jabril's blade slashes through it without resistance.

"The rules of hospitality in the desert do indeed seem to be entirely lost on you, sir. It is a sad day indeed. Perhaps, sir, it is time for us to see who we are truly dealing with."

There is a bit of chanting from the image, and he points playfully up at the warrior. He glances over at his colleagues.

"We'll need him alive for answers."

Standard action: the mental image casts greater dispel magic on Jabril. Dispel checks as needed:
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

Move action: the real Jack, still invisible, floats up to the ceiling of the room.

[kinem]

There is no apparent effect when Jack casts the dispel magic spell at 'Jabril'.

Sergeant Azim draws his axe and swings it for 'Jabril' but misses.

Swin sings out "Don't target him with magic! We must beat him physically!", looking significantly at Yulwei. (ooc: Inspire heroics)

The desert warrior seems inspired by Swin's confidence and moves around the table to attack, his own pair of scimitars whirling and dancing even faster than 'Jabril's' weapons did. Yet for all of that, with the ash cloud obscuring his sight, he only manages one solid hit on the foe.

"Don't target ...?" Brevan takes Swin's warning to heart, and drawing his morningstar, he commands it to erupt in flame, and moves to help surround 'Jabril'.

'Jabril' concentrates his attacks on Yulwei, but the desert warrior is ready and dodges the thrusts of the longsword. However, 'Jabril' is able to stab Yulwei once with his dagger. The wound itself seems superficial, but some of the life seems to drain out of Yulwei nonetheless, even as 'Jabril' seems to recover a bit from his own wound.

ooc: Jack to act.

[Toliudar]

Jack

The projection of Jack swings around to stare briefly at Swin.

"Ah! I see you know who - or at least what - this really is, my friend. Bravo!"

He switches to a mental voice reaching only Swin.

"Since we're risking our lives in an effort to save this literal nightmare of a town, perhaps you'd care to share what you know of this Jabril?"

The projection steps back away from Jabril and begins a complex, wheedling chant.

Projection - 5' step from Jabril. Starting a 1 round action to defensively cast Summon Monster VII, to appear at the beginning of Jack's next turn.

[kinem]

Sergeant Azim swings his axe twice but misses.

Swin changes his tune. "Courage, my friends, we will carry the day!"

(ooc: inspire courage; allies +3 morale bonus on attack, damage, saves vs charm & fear)

He replies mentally to Jack Artemis Entreri, assassin. His gauntlet absorbs magic and can turn it back on us.

Yulwei attacks with speed and skill and scores two well-aimed hits on 'Jabril'. Yulwei seems disappointed though that his strikes did not have more of an effect than they did.

Brevan swings his flaming morningstar at the intruder but can't land a blow.

'Jabril' says "Interesting match-up, Yulwei. But I'm here on business."

His dagger suddenly emerges from the ash cloud and savagely strikes, not Yulwei, but Sergeant Azim. One wound is to the neck, the other to the abdomen. Azim still stands but not for long as the assassin lays him flat with a pair of swift but possibly nonlethal kicks.

"Now hand me the Eye, or I'll finish him."

ooc: Jack to act

[Toliudar]

Jack

Jack weighs his options. As he completes his chanting, a massive figure of earth and stone rises up out of the floor beyond the area where the sergeant has just fallen to the floor. Quickly, Jack sends a mental message to the creature, as well as to Yulwei and Brevan.

"This man is the assassin Artemis Entreri. His lovely gauntlet is protecting him from my magic. I would suggest breaking it."

Dutifully, the lumbering elemental aims its swings at Enteri's weaving hand.

Jack turns his attention to Azim. The sergeant had seemed a decent lot, for a copper, and it wouldn't do to have him simply end up kebabed on some assassin's blade. The projected version of Jack chants and points. An ornate disk of stone, five feet in diameter and about the height of a footstool, appears above and around the fallen guard.

"Surely, Master Jabril, this violence is unnecessary. Why do you need the Eye so urgently?"

Summoning a huge earth elemental, placed to help with flanking as much as possible.

Two sunder attempts from the elemental on Entreri's magic gauntlet. Both attempts draw attacks of opportunity, as relevant. The elemental is AC 18, with DR 5/-. HP 152.
Attack 1: [roll0] Damage: [roll1]
Attack 2: [roll2] Damage: [roll3]

Jack's projection uses Wall of Stone to encase Azim's body in a large, foot-thick barrier, with enough air trapped inside that there's a goodly amount of time to get him free later.

[kinem]

The earth elemental doesn't see any gauntlets. Though confused, it first swings for the assassin's left hand. This connects but accomplishes little. With its second arm it tries for his right hand. Though the ash cloud has dissipated somewhat, it still obscures sight to some degree, and the elemental misjudges the distance due to this and its swing is too short. Both times, the assassin takes the opportunity to scrape a chunk out of the creature with his sword.

Swin keeps singing "Very good Jack, you found a way!"

Yulwei hears Jack's suggestion, but considers his options. His scimitars are not meant to cut metal, and he never learned the trick of sacrificing accuracy for power in his attacks. He continues to aim his scimitars at the man before him rather than trying for the gauntlet. Two of his strikes cut the man's abdomen, one scratches his chest, but none of the cuts are very deep.

Breven keeps swinging his flaming morningstar, but misses again.

The assassin says "Clever, Jack. We will meet again, I think." He holds his sword in front of him and ... vanishes.

Yulwei sweeps his scimitars through the space where the man had been, but nothing is there - apparently the assassin teleported away.

Brevan looks at the stone case around the fallen Azim.

[Toliudar]

Jack grunts, and gestures to the door.

"The camel outside might just be a camel, but it could also be a disguised minion of some kind. I picked up its thoughts earlier, so it's a real thing of some kind. Either way, it will have things on it that belong to this Entreri fellow. Yulwei, would you be so kind as to secure the beast? It may help get us some answers."

Noting Brevan's glance, Jack and his image both nod sharply.

"Ah! Of course, of course. My apologies."

With a mental command, the elemental began battering at the edge of the disk to create an opening. The projected image turns to Swin with a bow.

"Master Swin, you are both a gentleman and a scholar. I had thought merely of the similarities between Jabril and the renowned Enteri. It was you who correctly put the pieces together, that this was the man himself. It's very nearly an honour to be thought worthy of his interest. Or, more likely, the interest of his employer, although I daresay that he too would find uses for our little bauble."

The image looks around, clearly pondering his next move.

[kinem]

Brevan pulls Azim from the rubble and casts some healing spells on him. The sergeant gasps and open his eyes, then pulls himself to his feet. "Thank gods" Brevan says.

"My apologies. What happened?" Azim asks.

Yulwei goes outside and looks at the camel. "Looks like a normal camel to me. Saddle, feedbags, waterskins."

Swin says "Thank you. I've heard tales of this Artemis Entreri. I expect the face we saw was just a disguise. Now the magic he used, could have been stored in that gauntlet. If so, a spellcaster put it there."

[Toliudar]

Jack

Nodding, Jack manages to work his way back towards his customary smile.

"Right. Well, it wouldn't be any fun if we didn't have some complications. Swin, I believe that you've just acquired a camel for your troubles. Well, and a lot of gravel as well. Sorry about that. Maybe you can make a decorative path.

"Yulwei, if you don't mind bringing the waterskins with us. There's some chance that we can use them as some help with the diviners we know. Although this Entreri fellow seems pretty cautious.

"Master Swin, it seems clear that our presence here is endangering you. For similar reasons, I don't want to tell you where we're going. But we'll try to keep in touch."

He looks up at Yulwei, and then over at Brevan with a grin.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of reacting to trouble. I'd like to make some myself. Are you with me?"

[kinem]

Yulwei comes back in with the waterskins and Brevan looks him over and casts a healing spell on him as well.

"I'll help if I can. What do you have in mind?" Yulwei asks.

Brevan nods. "You can count on me, but I want to know what the plan is before I sign off on it."

Swin says "I understand. There isn't much left of this town though. Perhaps you can give us a ride before you go your own way."

[Toliudar]

Jack

The little gnome chuckles, both at Brevan's probing and Swin's pessimism.

"Master Swin, you do yourself a disservice. You managed to assemble this town out of nothing once, before you even had a working arena. Now you know that you have something that has been tested in the field, so to speak, I believe that we've established a number of possible markets you might find for this place. I swear, if you abandon it now, I'm going to come back and claim it for my own, and name my first mansion in your honour. Still, it's your call."

Meanwhile, the clever little man responds simultaneously to Brevan's inquiry.

"Just so, Master Brevan, just so. But to call this a plan would be to do a grave disservice to all other plans. It's less a plan than following up a lead. The Eye picked up a man crossing a street in Calimport last night.

"I propose that the three of us travel to Calimport, and try to locate this man. If he resembles the one who has appeared at other times in the Eye, we may have an opportunity to confront our tormentor, so to speak. Alternately, he may be a man connected with the Eye in some other way - a way that caused it to nudge us toward him - in which case we have an opportunity to learn more about this rather lovely but troublesome bauble.

What do you say?"

[kinem]

Swin says "Calimport? That is where Artemis Entreri is said to live. Maybe the man you saw was either the assassin or his employer. Be careful!

But also realize, sometimes the Eye seems to show random scenes. That would be a very strange coincidence, but then, I've seen some of those as well.

Yes, I built this town out of nothing. But I didn't do it alone, Jack. With the coin from my adventuring career, I hired people and lots of them. Those people are no longer here. What will Azim and I do in a ghost town? And don't forget that feyhr creature is still out there somewhere. Maybe you scared it off for good, but if it returns, I don't want to have to face it without you guys to help.

No. We should take a careful look around the town and find out if everyone really fled or if people are still here. Then, if the people remaining are few or none, you should teleport the lot of us somewhere. Calimport will do.

Will I return here in the future? When and if I'm ready with a proper team."

[Toliudar]

Jack pauses. There were a couple of aspects to this conversation that were catching him completely off guard. He grins up at Swin, waggling a finger.

"Wait a moment, my friend. You're holding out on me. You said that the Eye sometimes shows random scenes. Have you used the eye? Or seen it in action? When, and with whom?

"And you said that you were ready to abandon the town because everyone else fled, but now you're saying you haven't checked to see if that'a actually the case? Something fishy there...okay look. How about we split up and search through the town. If anyone finds someone, give a holler. There's five of us. Shouldn't take too too long. Sound good?

[kinem]

Swin replies "Azim and I looked around and didn't see anyone, but it occurred to me that we should check again just in case. I don't like the idea of splitting up though.

As for the Eye, I've seen it in action lots of times, sure, in the hands of my friend and adventuring companion, the late Charlie Park."

[Toliudar]

Jack pauses to contemplate the latter clarification. He thwacks himself in the forehead.

"I'm of course an idiot, and am missing an incredibly important piece of this puzzle. It's said, is it not, that the Eye is very different, and the land is very different, depending on the wielder. You didn't just inherit this from Charlie, you were his friend.

"What can you tell us about him, both as a man and as a user of the amulet? Was he a decent fellow, did he change after he came into possession of the Eye? Did he live here, or did you come here after his death? Did he receive this kind of unwanted attention? How dd he come to acquire the Eye?"

[kinem]

To that Swin says "Charlie? He was ... a good friend. A real character, to be sure. He enjoyed playing jokes on people sometimes. A bit of a rogue you might say. He was a grave robber to be sure, as was I, figuring they no longer needed much. Very loyal to his friends; he would go to hell itself to protect a friend.

Our little group - Charlie, myself, Diana who was a sorceress, and the warrior Allander, explored many ancient sites in the desert. Our greatest find was a network of tombs. Dangerous work, as the place was full of undead. We lost Allander there, and never could get him raised. Anyway, in one of those tombs we found the Eye. The information I was able to learn there, is what I've already told you. I don't think there was more there. If you want to see for yourself I could probably find the place again but I warn you, it's dangerous.

I don't think it changed him much, though it came in handy as a crystal ball. As far as I know it never attracted any attention. No one else knew he had it, though. Well, Diana did, but she was human and died years ago. Good woman. As I told you, I was hoping to inherit the little bauble, but Charlie had other ideas and so I did as he asked.

He saw the arena, of course, and lived here briefly. Died here, too. He didn't want to leave his body behind, having seen his share of undead, so we arranged to have it disintegrated."

[Toliudar]

Jack nodded amiably, listening to Swin's tale.

"Charlie does seem like a fine man. I take it, from your reference to Diana as a short-lived human, that Charlie was an elf?

"Regardless, the timing of all of this is fascinating. Charlie had the Eye for decades, and it seems unlikely that it could pass so completely unnoticed. Especially since there seems to be a powerful someone who is very very interested in it.

"Ah well. Points to ponder. In the meantime, yes, let's by all means do a quick pass of the town before heading off."

The projected image of Jack winks out, and his actual voice comes from somewhere over by the main door.

"Well, come on!"

Jack is feeling a little paranoid after one assassin comes after him. He'll stay invisible and flying at a height of about 40-50'. He's not going into the buildings, but will stay above the others as they start whatever search pattern they wish. He'll give them a mental head's up of any non-animal mind he detects.

[kinem]

Swin replies "Oh no, Charlie was human, too. Younger than Diana, though."

The town seems empty as the group tours it. A number of animals have been left behind in enclosures or left to run loose, mainly pigs, goats, and sheep. There are empty tents in the sandy areas. The brick buildings seem empty but have been locked.

"Few towns would be so readily abandoned" Swin explains "but no one grew up here in Soma. People came here to work as builders, and many just to see the games in the arena. Few were very young or very old."

[Toliudar]

Jack shrugs amiably.

"Easily lost, easily replaced. There are many people in cities all over this world who would leap at an opportunity to build a new community, to have their own homes. Once, of course, those homes aren't being invaded by nightmare creatures."

Once the community was cleared as, well, cleared, Jack made himself visible again.

"We're agreed, then? On to Cailmshan? If so, if you could all join hands and think happy thoughts..."

He winked, and joined in the circle that forms. When everyone who's going is ready, he forms a clear image of the Calimshan streetscape that he'd seen in the Eye, and teleports the group there.

[kinem]

The air in Calimport is just barely cooler than it was in Soma. In this square you see a mix of architecture - domed buildings in the classical style alongside a big boxy merchant hall. There is a tavern on one corner, labeled the Flying Pig. Vendors of foods, beads, weeds, and other sundries line the larger street with their carts; these will be removed by evening. There are people in the street, Calish-ite humans mostly along with a few half-orcs and halflings. Several stare for a moment, startled at the sudden arrival of your group, but they soon move on, no doubt not wanting to draw the ire of any group powerful enough to teleport so.

[Toliudar]

Jack gently releases Yulwei and Swin's hands as they materialize in Calimport. He throws his yead back, breathing deeply and with great pleasure.

"Ah! So good to be back in Calimport. Do you know, I remember a singularly memorable four day weekend at a remarkable public house in town, with the charming name of "The Glistening Harem". I met a genasi sorcerer there, singularly gifted in the summoning and control of elementals. Gentlemen, you have not lived until you have spent an hour in a hot bath with an obliging water elemental."

He glanced around with a faint sigh.

"But I'm afraid that we are here on more sombre business. Master Swin, and my good Sergeant Azim, my understanding is that you wish to part company with us here. If you do not have friends or colleagues with which to spend the evening, I will recommend the Spitting Camel, just off the Rogue's Circle. About twenty minutes' walk that way, if I've got the right of the neighbourhood in which we find ourselves. You will of course need to get in touch with us if you have any more nightly disturbances."

He turned to the stalwart Yulwei and Brevan.

Gentlemen. I'd like to find a private place, the better to use our little bauble to try to locate the mystery man. Perhaps we can rent a room in that charmingly-labelled establishment. Shall we?"

If Yulwei and Brevan are in, Jack heads over to the Flying Pig to try to rent a room for the day.

[kinem]

ooc: Is Jack still invisible?

Sergeant Azim bows and says "It's been my honor working with you guys. Best of luck to you. I realize that I am not yet ready to face such legendary threats as we have seen."

Swin says "It's been an honor for me as well to fight alongside each of you. If you have need of my knowledge or skills, I trust you will find me. I've been to Calimport before, and the Camel is as good a place to start as any."

Brevan says "Thank you both. May Mystra bless all of our paths."

Yulwei "Yes, thank you. Maybe we will meet again."

"Oh, I suspect so" Swin says. He and Azim head off.

The Flying Pig is full of shifty-looking men and women drinking, eating, and gambling; in other words, typical Calish-ites. Private rooms are available for the low, low price of 3 gp a day. So fine are the foods and beds that the tavern owner, Berbru, a shifty-looking man with a beard nearly down to his waist, would starve if he charged less. Not being utter fools, you bargain it down to 2 gp, and soon Jack, Brevan, and Yulwei are gathered around for the scrying attempt. The room is mostly quiet but occasional shouts and exclamations from the common room can be heard through the walls, though whether such an outburst is due to a win or a loss you can't tell.

Jack holds the Eye of the Moon, which shows the planet Toril as it often does, and attempts to scry on the mystery man he'd seen in it. The attempt is not successful.

[Toliudar]

Jack became visible once they'd finished searching the town.

Jack grimaced as the Eye's search for the mysterious man turned up nothing. He shrugs up at his two much larger companions.

"Hrmf. Disappointing, but not unexpected. But the man was seen here, and there's a good chance that he makes his home nearby. In which case, someone here knows him."

He gestures to the hub-bub from the carousing below.

"This is as good a place to start as any. Everyone has a few coins for drinks, yes? We need to start making connections to find out whether this man is to be found here. Cover story, cover story...ah! We are searching for a man who impregnated Yulwei's sister, Elspeth. We knew him as Carroway, but suspect that it was an alias. The man boasted about his dealings and connections in Calimport, and we've come here to see him meet his responsibilities. Sound good?"

If the others are available, Jack leads them downstairs for a good old afternoon of shoe-leather detective work.

I guess I'm stuck with a few hours of a Gather Information check, with the others Aiding Another if they're willing. [roll0]

[kinem]

"My sister? Charming plan, Jack" Yulwei responds. "But I don't see the point. I guess you would recognize the man if you see him, unless he was in disguise, but it's not like we have anything worth describing to people. We are looking for what - a human man? Those we can find in plenty, but to little advantage. If he's still around, the best bet to find him would be to just walk around until you see a guy you recognize as the one you saw.

But if this is the assassin's hometown, it's a good bet that he'd find us first. He probably has informants here, and there aren't many gnomes in these parts, Jack. Even now, we might have been spotted coming in, and a messenger could already be on his way."

Brevan says ""Right. And while he might be our best lead, he probably wouldn't come alone this time. He knows what we can do now."

As he speaks, the scene in the Eye shifts. A human man in a dark cloak walks among the streets of a dimly lit city. You recognize the street, having seen it just recently, but the scene is too dark to be happening now, a brightly lit day. Jack recognizes it as the same scene he'd seen before.

[Toliudar]

Jack shrugs.

"The point, my dear and doubting Yulwei, is that that man in the cloak is one of a very few leads that we have on this. We know a lot more about him than 'human, dark cloak,' though."

He had just been about to summon an illusion of the man's complete appearance when the Eye does the honours for him.

"You see? We get a pretty good look at him. Now, the only thing that's going to hurt my head is...well, that scene is taking place at night. So, my hope is that it's showing us something that's already happened, that this man is already here. But there's also a chance that it's showing us a moment in the future.

"You seem to assume that the cloaked man is Artemis Entreri. I've never met him out of disguise, or seen a picture. Do you recognize this man as Entreri? I see no reason to assume that the Eye is focusing on the man who tried to kill us. He could just as easily be a man who can unlock more of the Eye's own secrets. Or the man who is sending us dreams.

But even if it is Entreri, in a persona that he uses here, I'd much rather take this conversation back to him on our schedule rather than wait for him to come to us, more prepared. He is, after all, one of the few people who we know holds pieces to this puzzle that we don't."

[kinem]

The scene in the Eye shifts back to the planet.

"That was odd. It does seem like the Eye was trying to tell us something. All right, let's try to find that guy" Brevan says.

Yulwei comments "Right. But when I said the assassin would find us here, that is true whether that guy is him or not. This is his home town; it's only a matter of time.

What now? Can you ... fashion a picture of the guy? The less flashy, the better."

[Toliudar]

Jack's face became a mask of horror at Yulwei's words.

"The less flashy the better? Why, sir, that simple statement is a singular negation of my entire philosophy of life. So, you're suggesting that this might be a bit too ostentatious?"

Jack winks, and abruptly changes into a taller, slightly elongated and especially menacing version of the man in the dark cloak. He executes a deep and flourishy bow.

"No? Too much? Ah well. Then this will have to do."

He winked again, and became a demure large-eyed young woman, hands curling sorrowfully around a full and pregnant belly. She chants and waves briefly, and pulls out a hand-sized portrait of the man.

"Shall we?"

Jack's using the Humanoid Shape incantation twice, and then the Silent Image spell.

Merry Christmas, Kinem!

[kinem]

Yulwei chuckles. "Impressive. But is it wise? We could become the talk of the town."

Make a disguise check to see how good the likeness is.

Have a good holiday :)

[Toliudar]

Jack grins up at Yulwei.

"Again, my friend, you forget that we WANT to be tracked down by this fellow. But by all means, sir, if you have a 'less flashy' way to find this elusive fellow, I am, as you say, all ears."

Disguise: [roll0]

[kinem]

Yulwei replies "I thought we wanted to get the jump on him, not have him do it to us.

But, all right, we'll play it your way. You are the one who has what he wants, and you have been quite resourceful so far in the time I've known you.

Personally, I'd lose the pregnant woman act, though."

He takes his carving knife and a fresh piece of wood out of his pocket, and begins whittling away at it.

[Toliudar]

The pregnant woman seems genuinely saddened by Yulwei's words.

"My friend, you are not usually so negative. It is by seeking him out that I hope to dictate the nature of our next meeting with Entreri. And...well, I'm rather hoping that the sympathy I can arouse as your sister will be more persuasive than your plain speech, my good god of war."

She opens the door to their room and steps out, turning back with a fetching pathos.

"Now, dear brother, shall we go looking for Master Carroway?"

Ready to move forward with one or two Gather Information checks if you are.

[kinem]

Some of the people you saw on your way in have left the tavern, and you see a few new faces.

The long-bearded tavern owner, Berbru, gives you a strange look. He keeps one eye on the door, as usual.

Yulwei and Brevan do their best to play along with the ruse. This results in a bit of embarrassment for Yulwei as he shepherds his 'sister' around the tavern and gambling hall, but he tries not to let it show.

None of the people you speak to say they recognize the man in the portrait, not even Berbru. They all seem sincere as far as you can tell. Many offer words of sympathy.

Using the roll you posted before, with Yulwei and Brevan aiding as they can. If you want to try further Gather Information checks, you will have to do it elsewhere as it is clear that the man is not known here.

[Toliudar]

Jack is, as usual, undeterred by his lack of success. The expecting-but-never-expected young woman gently guides her gallant colleagues out into the street. Jack maintains a mental conversation as they head back out into the afternoon.

"Presumably, the eye didn't show us a passage of this man crossing a street - twice - for no reason. Let's take a look at where he might have been heading from, or to."

Walking out into the street, demurely holding Brevan's arm, Jack tries to place them exactly where the vision showed the man in the dark cloak. She then tries to guage what he was most likely to have been heading from, or towards.

Essentially, Jack is checking out the buildings on the block, and looking at what, if any, seem like likely places for the cloaked man's destination, or place of origin.

[kinem]

Based on what you saw in the crystal ball, the man could have been heading towards the Flying Pig. He also might have been going to one of the posh residences along the street, or away from the merchant house ... Or he might simply have been passing through the area.

Happy new year!

[Toliudar]

Jack glances up and down the street.

"Well, gentlemen. We've rather exhausted our options at the Pig. I really don't feel like going door to door at residences, especially with the likelihood that Entreri is still days away and making his way here in the future. Why don't we go make inquiries at the merchant house? If you were a merchant, surely you would want access to an artifact that predicted the future, yes? Shall we?"

Happy New Year!

I have to admit, I'm running short on good ideas. You've repeated the vision of the cloaked man crossing this street, so I'm assuming it's important, but I'm not sure what to do about it. I'll keep tossing out possibilities as long as you like, but would also be completely open to some judicious guidance.

[kinem]

When you knock at the merchant house door, a guard opens not the full door but a small window within the door at about eye level for a human. "Hello there. What is your business here?" he inquires.

[Toliudar]

Jack smiles 'her' best 'I'm trying to be brave' smile, and holds up the 'portrait' of the man in the dark cloak.

"We're looking for this man. It's terribly important, I'm afraid. I...I'm afraid that the details are a bit personal. I have reason to believe that he's done business here. Is there someone we could speak with?"

Diplomacy: [roll0]

What's your understanding of what a merchant hall would do? I'd rather assumed that it would be a place of business, where individuals could come and go in search of information about producers, traders, retailers, etc. Sort of a Chamber of Commerce. Not the kind of thing that would be member-only. How does that differ from your take on such a thing?

[kinem]

"Ah ... Very well, miss. Come on in."

The guard opens the door and ushers you inside.

ooc: The place is a merchants' guild hall. It is a members-only guild, but people can join by paying dues. In return, the guild handles the merchants' taxes and guild members enjoy a monopoly on certain trades. Its main reason for existence is to help merchants band together against attempts at excessive taxation. Services such as you mentioned are also provided.

You tell your story to the men and women at the guild, including an elven man and a dwarven man with an elaborate beaded beard that curls up to the sides. However, none of them recognize the man in the portrait ...

[Toliudar]

The trio spend another half an hour peddling their tale of woe among the merchants in the hall. By the end, Jack is not so much expecting an answer as simply watching for flickers of recognition. But not even these are in evidence. After the storytelling peters out, 'she' thanks the guildsmen and the three heroes head off.

"I'm so sorry to have lead you astray, lads. I'm afraid that this isn't going as well as I'd hoped. I've got one more avenue of investigation here, and then perhaps we should check back in Silverymoon. Regrettably, my avenue for investigation is by necessity a solitary one. Would the two of you like to try something else, or head back to the Pig?"

[kinem]

Brevan muses "The assassin wore a false face and was well protected against divination magic. Whether or not it is the same man we seek, that could well be true of him as well. How, then, to find such a man?

Perhaps impossible ... Unless we could know in advance where he would be. You said it yourself, Jack. Maybe the Eye showed us the future. We know the spot; we could lay in wait tonight.

If that fails, then I am sure the assassin will be kind enough to pay us another visit if we simply stay in Calimport for a while."

[Toliudar]

Jack nods gratefully at the wise priest.

"That's an excellent idea. We've even established a kind of cover story for why we might be ambushing him in the dark of night, although Calimport legal issues are far from foremost at the moment.

"But...going on Yulwei's assumption that the man with the cloak and the assassin we faced this morning are one and the same, we do have one other piece of information that we haven't used yet. His real name."

Knowledge local: is there a thieves' guild or other form of institutionalized crime in Calimport, and how might we best connect with them? [roll0]