Amnesiacs

[Eonas]

OOC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?346470-OOC-Amnesiacs).

Okay. You all subconsciously remember most basic things, like what humans or dwarves or elves or dogs look like, what the basic differences between children and adults, males and females are, how to open a door, how to talk (very basically - you can communicate, just not very eloquently), and how to use your abilities. You don't remember how you know these things, nor could you explain them to anyone, nor do you neccessarily remember non-basic things (like what an Otyugh is, or whatever). Neither do you remember anything about yourself, of course.

You find all yourselves standing in a small, cubical windowless room, without any memory of how or why you got here, or who you are, or who the two others in the room are. The room's walls are whitewashed and clean, decorated with two paintings in the dead center of two opposite walls, and a normal-sized wooden door in the center of a third wall. You feel a very light breeze emanating from the door.

[BornValyrian]

"Blimey, what a headache! Shoulda' laid off of the... um..."
Such were the first thoughts of the young looking man with the blue green eyes, trying to get a bearing past the grogginess that must be what that word hangover described. Then he heard the crashing of the waves in his head and a roar of thunder that only compounded the problem. He stumbles past the well dressed blonde man and almost stumbles over the small kobold. "Apol'gies, me wee Miss," he mumbles as he stumbles on to the door, hoping to get some fresh air. His headache came to a maximum and he couldn't help letting a small jolt of lightning out, hitting a wall to no effect.


Casting Jolt for flavor, it can go where you will, just not the people and hopefully not the paintings.
Perception check for what lies beyond the door: [roll0]

[Kelvin360]

Said kobold doesn't really have the immediate acuity to respond to his movements, and manages to avoid getting smacked on the head by a boot via lying still. She murmurs and ill-defined series of hissing noises and looks around groggily. Upon taking a blurred stock of her surroundings, a jolt not unlike the one recently sent lancing across the room races through her, and she scrambles backward, back against the wall under one of the paintings, clutching her sword's sheathed hilt.

"Where am we? Sss, where are I?" She shakes her head and forces the words out of an unsteady tongue, yet one apparently connected by instinct to the common language. "Where are we? Who are you?" She places a wooden shield adorned with mystical sigils between herself and the humans, violet eyes widening. "Are you to eat me?"

[BornValyrian]

"Eat ya? No. Even if I wanted ta, I probably couldn't ..." A wave of nausea comes over him and he just manages to turn to the corner of the room to vomit. He turns to the kobold with a weak smile, letting the storm inside out just enough to keep a cool sea-breeze running over him. The feel of the breeze, and its peculiar taste, something familiar that he can't remember, seemed to relax him immensely, and the headache and general bad feeling dissipated quickly.
"Sorry, that weren't the best first impression. I'm not gonna eat ya. And I ha'nt the foggiest where we bein'. I don' know who I am. The young man turns to the other human, "How 'bout you, mate?

[Vhaidara]

The man is young, with a hooked glaive sheathed on his back. He is unarmored, but his clothes are fine.
I have no idea. I was hoping one of you could tell me.

[Kelvin360]

"I'm not sure whether there is less reason to trust you if you are lying or telling the truth."

Her eyes scan the room, briefly passing over the painting on the opposite wall. "Is that door locked? If we really aren't here to kill one another, I don't see why we should stay here. This turn of events strikes me as...ominous."

Knowledge (Arcana) and (History) in that order on the painting, with what I'll call a -5 penalty because she doesn't have full memory access and it's only a quick glance. If the penalty is more severe, feel free to subtract.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[BornValyrian]

Di'nt look it, but le's see. He lifts his eye patch to rub his eye and walks over with a calm swagger and opens the door wide , resting his hands on the frame and leaning in for a look.

Perception for the next room, unless you are counting the 7 in the ooc thread, [roll0]

[Vhaidara]

Roderick walks boldly to the door and looks through the opened doorway. On his way, he looks over at the paintings.

I'll let the GM apply whatever changes need to be made to the DCs
Knowledge (History): [roll0]
Knowledge (Nobility): [roll1]
Perception through the door: [roll2]

[Eonas]

As the Muridach opens the door, you all suddenly hear the crashing of waves, even though the first room was totally silent. The open door reveals a short, narrow hallway with whitewashed walls, flanked with several miniature potted trees, and with another wooden door at the other end. The sound seems to be coming from a window in the middle of the wall to Muridach's left.

You see nothing in the room or hallway that's worth mentioning - to all appearances, they contain only what is immediately visible. Outside the window, you see a beach. Your angle with respect to the hallway and window isn't good enough for you to be able to determine more, however.
The painting you glance at is a blurry picture of a wooden hut from the inside. The hut is small, filled with various things that you guess are probably things people tend to have in huts. Most prominently, however, you see three middle-aged kobolds in the hut, two men and a woman. One of the men, wearing robes and jewelry, is animatedly talking with the other two kobolds.
Something in the picture inspires Deja-Vu in you, but you can't place what exactly.
One painting is of a blurry picture of a wooden hut from the inside. The hut is small, containing various household items and three kobolds. One of these is wearing robes and jewelry, and is animatedly talking with the other two. The other painting is equally blurry, but the image is completely different. It portrays a large, richly-attired stone chamber, containing a single four-post bed. Most prominent in the picture is a young human girl of perhaps 10, dressed in white laced garments that match her short blonde hair. Her delicate features are contorted into an expression of childish anger, anger which almost seems to be aimed through the fourth wall, at the viewer of the painting himself.
Something in the second picture inspires Deja-Vu in you - possibly the girl.
You see nothing in the hallway that's worth mentioning - to all appearances, it contains only what is immediately visible. Outside the window, you see a beach. Your angle with respect to the hallway and window isn't good enough for you to be able to determine more, however.

[Kelvin360]

"Wait!" The kobold yelps, discarding her shield and bolting upright. Her chest heaves, slitted pupils dialating. She raises a claw to point at the painting across from her, desperately clinging to the image before something within herself fades entirely. "That! What is that?" Too far gone to remember that everyone else is on equal ground, it seems.

[Vhaidara]

It looks like three of your kind. One wealthier than the others, by the look of him. Come on, little one, we should leave.
Roderick pulls his glaive and moves through into the next room.
Whatever took our memories and put us here, I cannot imagine it is friendly.

[Kelvin360]

"But..." She lowers her outstretched arm numbly, only stopping to look about when everyone else has already entered the hallway. With a soft yip, she scrambles to grab her shield and follow them, her fear of being left behind apparently outweighing her need for answers. And as she turns her back, the connection fades.

"How certain are you that we're not walking into a trap?" She murmurs from behind Roderick's left knee. "This whole place feels wrong, and not just because I don't recognize it." While she speaks, her claws trace random patterns around the chain of a pendant that falls beneath her jerkin.

[BornValyrian]

"Those waves..." Taking his hands off the doorframe he walks into the hallway until he is about even with the window, observing the room as a whole until he comes to the window to look at the beach. "It's like the waves crashing in me head." Muridach reaches out to touch the window.

[Kelvin360]

"Stop." The kobold states sharply, eyeing Muridach's outstretched hand with an expression between wary and curious. "Don't you remember what I just said about traps? There has to be a safer way to investigate that window."

Rolling Intimidate to add weight to the intonation, though not aggressively.

[roll0]

[Eonas]

As you all look outside, you see a beautiful sandy beach bordering a what seems to be a crystal-clear blue sea or lake. The beach is utterly empty and devoid of any features to break up the monotony, and so long that you can't even see where it ends. The ocean is so calm that it might as well have been painted - yet you feel the gentlest of breezes coming from the water. The sky is cloudless, its turquoiselike blue almost the same shade as the ocean. This results in the horizon being vague; it's not clear where the sea ends and the sky begins. When you look down, you see that you are far above the beach - 100 feet at the very least. Yet when you look out at the sea, it seems as if you are almost level with it, as if you were looking at the sea from a window 3 or so feet from the ground. The landscape is saturated with a silence so profound that it might as well be in a vacuum.

[Vhaidara]

Roderick walks over to the next door, and opens it.

[Eonas]

The door opens to a larger room, its whitewashed walls decorated with paintings just like the ones in the first room, masks, herbs, and symbols. In the center of the room, two aged elves dance silently and caballistically in a small circle, limbs wildly jerking to the beat of an inaudible drum.

There is a door in the center of the right wall, just like the others you have seen so far. On the left wall, there is another window looking out onto the beach.

The various items on the walls (except for the paintings) are all materials of occult significance, as is the dance. If you roll well on your knowledge check, I'll give more information.

[Eonas]

The items on the wall and the dance are of arcane significance, required to enact lengthy rituals. It's a complicated ritual, and likely a necromantic one as well.

[Vhaidara]

Roderick goes to the next door and opens it.

[Kelvin360]

The kobold growls low in her throat, setting up her shield between herself and the elves anxiously. She doesn't follow Roderick, instead keeping an eye on Muridach, behind her. If worse comes to worse, she'd rather be with the strange human male who wasn't traipsing about with no caution. Though it appears to be a close contest.

[Eonas]

The kobold realizes, without knowing how she knows this, that the dance is part of a sacrificial ritual. The dancers are trying to kill somebody through magic.

They don't seem to notice you or any of the others.

As Roderick crosses the room, the men continue to dance, seemingly oblivious of him or his companions. The door opens onto a room longer than it is wide, illuminated by torches hanging on the wall. Instead of having a floor, the room seems to be an apparently bottomless pit, leading down and down and down into infinite blackness. In the center of the room, there is a small circular platform mounted upon a pillar (which, presumably, goes down as deep as the bottom of the pit), upon which sits a boy of about 13. Unlike the dancing men, he watches Roderick curiously and silently through sea-green eyes.

A thick steel rope connects the entrance of the pit-room to the pillar, and another steel rope connects the oppposite side of the pillar to another door, set in wall opposite from Roderick. There are eight framed paintings dangling on hooks from various places of the rope.

[Vhaidara]

Roderick turns to face the elves.
Where are we?

Sorry, somehow my brain didn't register that they weren't a painting.

[Kelvin360]

Itovis readies her blade and steps forward grimly, prepared to halt their ritual by any means necessary.

No.

She pauses, and her eyeridges crease in confusion.

This primal rage, this goal, is bound only to the just. Their target is sworn against their heart of hearts. I must not intervene.

Shaking her head, she sheathes her weapon and glances at Roderick. "I...I don't think they can hear you. Even if they are real, this ritual requires utter concentration. They might think us mirages, or be unable to feel our presence at all. Nngh. Would that I knew for certain."

Am I allowed to make a Wisdom check or something to either spontaneously activate my Detect Thoughts spell or recognize that I have access to it?

[Vhaidara]

What are they doing? We need answers, and these people clearly must have seen us when we arrived. The only was out is past them.
Roderick is looking back and forth between the kobold and the elves, cracking his knuckles.

[Kelvin360]

"Unless they mean us ill will, I doubt they will make an attempt to stop us..." She mutters. "That notion isn't free reign to go barging past them, though; keep your wits and caution about you. I'll keep an eye on them and the other human - what's beyond that other door?"

Quiet, unbidden, a thought worms its way through both conscious layers of the kobold's psyche, and she hums a low, haunting tune under her breath, claws twitching in erratic but precise motions beneath the scope of her notice. Would that I knew what they were thinking. Her off-hand reaches into her satchel and retrieves a piece of copper, seemingly on a whim. The bit of metal begins to vibrate and soften in her hands as the melody reaches a crescendo, the tone bouncing off the walls of the room and driving ever so slightly into the skulls of those within a conical viewpoint of the musician.

Itovis is casting detect thoughts with her cone centered on the elves.

[Vhaidara]

I'm not leaving potential enemies at my back. Especially not mages.
With that, he walks over and punches one of the elves in the face.

I'll fill in the text after seeing the results of the roll.
Attack with Spiked Gauntlet: [roll0]
Crit Confirmation: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]
And remember, Roderick doesn't know he's wearing gauntlets He's just socking a guy in the face.

[Eonas]

Okay, yeah. Doesn't look like Valryan is going to be doing much posting, and seeing as his character is important, I'll just NPC him.
From the men, you vaguely see and feel hatred, a young boy, and the dark occult energy pulsing through the elves' minds.

Rodrick Vorns' knuckles hit the nearest elf, who stops the ritual to spin around. For the first time, the three see his face: wrinkled, lacking a nose, and with beady red eyes that pierce through the Knight like knives.

Vorns: [roll0]
Itovis: [roll1]
Muridach: [roll2]
Man 1: [roll3]
Man 2: [roll4]

[Vhaidara]

Roderick swings another blow at the elf.

Attack: [roll0]
Cirt Confirm: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]
Crit Damage: [roll3]

[Eonas]

The blow crunches into the elf's face with a thud. Then, Muridach walks into the room, and both elves suddenly spin around to observe the sorcerer. "You!" hisses the unscathed elf, pointing at him. There is malice in their eyes, hatred plainly shown on their expression.

Though Muridach looks confused, he also seems frightened - so frightened that he screams, or seems to, for no sound leaves his mouth. The wounded sorceror, yelps with pain, looking stunned.

Muridach casts Ear-Piercing Scream for [roll0] damage.
As per Born of Three Thunders, the sorceror is stunned for a round if he fails a DC 17 Fort save: [roll1]
And is knocked prone if he fails a DC 17 Ref save: [roll2]

Kelvin, your go.

[Kelvin360]

"They're fully justified in any attack against either of you now, you realize." Itovis notes, sitting in place with a soft exhale. "I'll not stop you on your course, but I'm not going to help you beat a pair of strangers senseless, either. I feel that would be against my codes of honor."

In truth, she isn't entirely sure if she even has such codes. And the wrath of vengeance is not so easily stoked, as her softly shimmering pupils can attest.

Itovis isn't taking an action this turn, but she is going to ready an action to use Hexblade's Curse on the next person to make an obviously lethal attack. 'Obviously', in this case, means Vorns' glamered fists don't qualify.

[Vhaidara]

And another punch is thrown.

Roderick is going to be as surprised as everyone else when the guy dies :P
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[Eonas]

The other, unhurt, old elf points at Sir Roderick Vorns and begins crying words in a strange tongue which sounds oddly like a series of waves crashing on jagged rocks. Itovis casts her curse, there is a flash of red light, and suddenly a spherical ball of water, larger than a horse, appears beside the knight. It rolls towards him, and the knight has only just enough time to jump aside before it hurtles past where he used to stand, and towards Muridach - who also dodges the aqueous ball.

[roll0]
If first save is failed[roll1]
If first save is failed, nonlethal damage: [roll2]

You made your first save, so you're safe. Muridach also made his first save, so he's also okay.

[Eonas]

Roderick, having jumped aside, channels his momentum to deliver a crushing punch to the stunned elf's face. The latter reels back, still stunned and now looking rather bloodied.

Muridach, on his part shouts in an arcane tongue, two rays of loudly crackling energy shooting from his fingertips towards both old men. One ray misses the unwounded elf, but the other hits the already-wounded elf, spasms uncontrollably; he seems to be hanging onto life by a thread.

Scorching Ray touch attack/damage against bloodied elf: [roll0] [roll1]
Elf Fort save vs. being stunned: [roll2] Ha, this guy really can't catch a break.
Ref vs. being knocked prone: [roll3]
Scorching Ray touch attack/damage against nonbloodied elf: [roll4] [roll5]
Elf Fort save vs. being stunned: [roll6]
Ref vs. being knocked prone: [roll7]

[Kelvin360]

The kobold watches, partly mesmerized, as the water is conjured, and her red eyes narrow when the spell makes to strike Roderick. A flash of energy rips through the air, channeling the powers of vengeance against the caster. She points a talon at the knight. "I suggest you alter your focus."

A deep thrumming sound rises from her throat, and she stands as she begins to sing again, the crackling whip of the Hexblade's Curse drawing elven eyes to meet her own. She holds them there, moving her head slowly back and forth, as one would hypnotize a snake.

First, Itovis fires off another Curse at the bloodied elf.

Then, she stands and uses Fascinate (DC 17, I believe) on that same elf to keep him out of the fight for the time being.

[Eonas]

Itovis feels the elf shrug off the curse and the fascination attempt. Unexpectedly, he giggles, bounds back, and fires a scalding-hot jet of steam at the kobold.

The ball of water, meanwhile, continues spinning in place next to Muridach, who manages to stay out of its way.

Muridach reflex save 1: [roll0] Successful save.
Muridach reflex save 1: [roll1]
Muridach nonlethal damage: [roll2]
Itovis reflex save: [roll3] Successful save, half-damage.
Itovis damage: [roll4] Take 6 damage.