The Catacombs of Wild Energy

[Fenric]

Below the ruined temple of Myrkul lies a series of dark, winding catacombs. These were once sacred to the dark god, but upon his catastrophic death, they were cursed with wild surges. Energy use of any kind within the catacombs is immediately accompanied by a wild surge. (( as wild magic )) Unlike a wild magic zone, however, these catacombs curse any extreme of energy: magic, psionic, technological... Even too bright of a torch is a danger.

[AmberVael]

Aesa teleports into the catacombs in an explosion of fire. She blinks at the flames, then conjures a bit of light in a poof of smoke. She makes a face and holds her nose as she continues fowards and out of the smoke.

[Fenric]

The air away from the side-effect isn't all that much fresher. The catacombs have not seen regular use in hundreds of years and are damp and stale. A few rats scurry around, and here and there the roots of larger trees pierce the ceiling and walls. The corridor is long and narrow, runninng straight ahead and behind for some distance. There seems to be an opening to the right, about fifteen yeards ahead.

[AmberVael]

Aesa keeps going, grass randomly sprouting up behind her, while she begins to shrink a little.
Apparently the sheer amount of energy normally around her is going to make things difficult here...

[Fenric]

A strange, distorted noise echoes up from the passage to the right. It sounds vaguely like speech, but it is garbled and unintelligable. The sound itself is irritating, and the almost-sense of the occasional word or phrase grates on Aesa's mind.

[AmberVael]

Aesa turns down that passage, deciding just to wander aimlessly until it got boring.
Darkness begins floods the passage in front of her (as the spell), and she thanks her trueseeing.
Some of the wall turns into nasty, blubbery flesh.

[Fenric]

The gibbering mouther attempts to send a wave of madness at Aesa (not really understanding how redundant that is). Flowers rain down from the roof all around and the thing oozes forward.

[AmberVael]

Aesa snickers and sends her classic swarm of forcebolts at it.
Faerie fire shoots at the mouther as well, while Aesa frowns as she starts hearing the thoughts of everything nearby.
Just to tick her off, Aesa begins shrinking. Again. She looks more like a halfling now.

[Fenric]

(( Dunno why I'm having such trouble spelling her name today ))

The mouther screams as the forcebolts pound it. The magical scream is unfortunately both invisible and inaudable, and therefore completely worthless. It bites at Aesa 5 times, each time carrying a magical disease:

The first bite turns the mouther bright pink
The second affects everyone in Aesa's party
The third leaves the mouther stunned for three rounds... guess that ends the biting.

[AmberVael]

Aesa gets bitten the first and third time, though she only gets tiny scrapes from its teeth. She shakes her head and keeps going down the passage, a blast of fire jetting out in front of her and hitting a rhino which happens to appear.
She steps over the charred animal and continues.

[Fenric]

Aesa comes to a largish room (( at least, compared to the corridor )). The stiff form of an illithid, turned to stone, stands just inside the door.

Various derelict torture devices adorn the walls; and rusted, useless implements litters the floor. The doorway beyond has the remains of a heavy door, and a relatively low-DC int check will tell her that beyond is most likely dungeons, not treasuries.

A dire rat sniffles around the far end of the room, but is intimidated by Aesa and keeps away.

[AmberVael]

Aesa sighs and goes back the way she came, a massive trail of butterflies floating out behind her.

[Fenric]

The gibbering mouther wakes up from its three-round stunning, and gibbers at Aesa again.

[AmberVael]

Aesa ignores it as she looks for another passage.

[Fenric]

Back at the original, long passageway, the way to the right continues another 15 yeards or so before there is a dark room, full of rubble. The way left, toward where she teleported in, ends in a "T". The place is softly noisy with drips, scrabbles, and squeaks: many rats and therefore things that hunt rats are all around.

[AmberVael]

Aesa uses a divination to try and determine which way will be more beneficial to go.
Of course, as that is a very open question, it may or may not lead her to the rod.
More grass grows, while Aesa starts sprouting leaves all over herself.

[Fenric]

Aesa is informed that going to the "T" and turning left is strongly beneficial.

[AmberVael]

Aesa ponders that for a moment, then decides to go left at the T.

[Fenric]

Aesa walks a few steps down the hall, and abruptly loses her foliage and returns to her proper height as she enters a small pocket of "normal".

Down the hall, many branches lead off to both sides. The hallway turns sharply left again some hundred feet ahead. If Aesa has a good head for direction underground, she would know that that turn will lead back to the dungeons.

[AmberVael]

Aesa frowns at this, and while in the pocket she uses a spell to create a number of small, arcane scrying sensors which she sends flying down the hall, searching the branches and checking down the turn in the hallway.
She is looking a fair bit tired now.

[Fenric]

(( OOoh... arcane sensors! I'll give you 6, since you didn't say. ))

One turns into a puppy, and barks. Aesa feels a strong desire to play fetch.
One turns pink, and relays information about the first hallway on the left which dead-ends in a pile of rubble. All the information is painfully pink.
One bursts into flames. The third hallway on the left looks like a vision of hell overlayed on a pool of still water.
One becomes invisible and inaudible. This does not help
One gets extended range and duration... we'll come back to this one.
One affects Aesa. She gets a close look at herself through the sensor's eye.

Now, back to that fifth one... It wanders up and down the hall, finally coming to a library down the third exit to the right. The library is an interesting place, but the wild energy seems even stronger in there than elsewhere. There is a focus of some sort for the energy in the middle of the room, but it is so strong that when the sensor approaches it, the spell is destroyed by wild fluctuations.

[AmberVael]

Aesa considers herself for a moment with the sixth one, then follows the lead of the fifth one.

[Fenric]

The chaotic energies in the room approach the plane of Chaos for sheer obnoxiousness, with the added bonus that they react to just about anything. Beling alive in the room is enough to trigger minor surges, and a spell might have disasterous consequences.

In the center of the room, a small black altar decorated with the holy symbol of the defunct Myrkul holds a statue of inky black obsidian. While not the cause of the wild energy, this artifact of the dead god has attracted and held more of it here than elsewhere. The floor literally crawls with weird threads of broken spells that twist and writhe with life of their own.

Across the room, a doorway that must have once been sealed and hidden with powerful magic leads to a small chamber. The threads of the hiding and sealing spells twist in the air like grasping vines.

[AmberVael]

Aesa looks at the statue covetously, but hesitates, wondering how exactly she could get it.
Her hands twitch and her eyes dart about the room, then she grins.
I think this will be worth it...
Focusing herself, she suddenly pulls the threads of fate around her, creating a small bubble of impossibility where every chance of wild magic simply acts normally.
Because of the energy, however, the area outside of the bubble roils with even more chaos.
Shaking from her expenditure of energy, Aesa quickly goes towards the statue to pick it up.

[Fenric]

The statue of Myrkul on his throne is cold and heavy, and radiates powerful evil. It is physically nothing more than a hunk of obsidian about 90 cm tall and contained within a cylinder of 15 cm radius. It weighs about 100 kg.

[AmberVael]

Aesa grimaces a little at the weight, then very quickly stows it away in an extradimensional space before backing off and dismissing her fate manipulation.
She catches her breath for a moment, the moves towards the unsealed doorway.

[Fenric]

The threads of broken spells reach out to her and try to attach themselves to her energy as she approaches the doorway. Aesa's spellcraft knowledge shows them to be the energy-gathering portions of the broken spells, and they will drain her like the touch of an undead monster should they connect.

Beyond the doorway, heavily bound and locked wooden chests rest on a series of stone pedistals. Something moves within the gloom.

[AmberVael]

Aesa considers them for a moment, then walks past them without fear, knowing that draining her of Seid was impossible, as was draining her of life.
She moves towards the chests without pausing.
((brb))

[Fenric]

(( Take all the drama of that bit away... :smallyuk: ))

Inside the room, a Thing attacks. It is very much like a living spell, except that it is a living wild surge.

[AmberVael]

Aesa whirls around, quite startled.
She had been a bit focused on the chests, and she was tired, after all.
The black-winged Vala fumbles out her sword, not wanting to risk magic right now, not knowing what it would do- or how much she could even use.

[Fenric]

The wild surge draws energy through Aesa, as if she had cast a 1st level spell (1d10). A fireball explodes, centered on the wild surge. Due to Aesa's myriad connections through Seid, the energy is drawn through her from the plane of Pandemonium (1d100).

[AmberVael]

Aesa feels the energy drawn through her and shudders as she grows more exhausted, then uses her ring to create and Anti-Magic field around her.
One of the ten diamonds on the ring goes dim.
Rain begins falling.

[Fenric]

The wild surge is no more magic than Seid itself (unless I roll 100 on d100. I'll give "plane of your choice" to be the "Plane of Arcane Energy"), and draws again. The energy for a 9th level spell is drawn through Aesa from Elysium. Aesa is forcibly levitated into the air for 2 turns (20 rounds).

(( I am using the wild surge results from the 2nd edition Tome of Magic, by the way, not the Rod of Wonders table. ))

[AmberVael]

Aesa grits her teeth, not sure how much more energy she can stand to give away. She tries to encage the abomination inside a Wall of Force, while also encasing herself in a Prismatic Sphere.
She collapses in the middle of her protective sphere, gasping for breath.

[Fenric]

The Wall of Force expands to a 60' radius, and is pushed well into the stone walls, rendering it useless.

The prismatic sphere succeeds, but "Next phrase spoken by the caster becomes true, lasting for one turn".

The living surge uses the 10 absorbed spell levels to attempt a cross-energy Disjunction (10th level) to banish the sphere. This causes the wild surge's feet to enlarge, reducing movement to half normal and adding +4 to initiative. The surge isn't sure what that means.

[AmberVael]

The sphere doesn't collapse, but the next turn it fails due to the wild magic.
Aesa triggers her ring again, very glad she has it. It creates a prismatic wall between her and the living surge. hopefully leaving her with the chests, and the surge with the rest of the room.

[Fenric]

The prismatic wall is twice as strong, twice as thick, and seals the living surge off hopelessly (rolled 100: "spell effectiveness is doubled")

The surge tries to break the wall, but has no power to do so with. Aesa has all 12 of the chests on her side of the wall. (( WHY CAN'T INVISIBLE CASTLE GIVE ME 100s AND 12s WHEN I NEED THEM??? ))

[AmberVael]

((You need them? Hell, Aesa is about to be dying because of her spell drain. She is relying on magic items to survive))
Aesa quickly begins searching the chests, staggering and limping about.

[Fenric]

(( If it wasn't for that 100 and 12, "would be" would have been "has". I'm the evil DM right now, no matter how much Magician might like Aesa ))

The chests are mundanely locked by now, requiring STR checks at 15 to break. Aesa probably does this without trouble, and has just short of the rest of time to try, so we'll just assume she does.

She finds the rod in question.

The other chests have 6 potions of Harm, 1 rod of Inflict Serious Wounds (15 charges), 1 staff of Destruction (5 charges), 5 scrolls of Summon Planar Ally, 10 diamonds suitable for True Resurrection, 1 sword of 9-lives stealing (9 charges), a scroll of Magic Circle vs Good, a Tome of Chaos, and 6000 gold pieces.

[AmberVael]

Aesa looks at it all, shudders, then decides she can spare a bit more energy. She opens another extradimensional space and scoots it all in (except the rod). She is now bleeding from her nose, her eyes are extremely bloodshot, and she is barely able to walk.
She then triggers her ring to teleport her away.

[Fenric]

A Wall of Force appears surrounding the place where Aesa used to be.

The living surge relaxes once the alien presence departs, and eventually (a very, very long eventually in terms of rounds, but not so long in real-time) everything returns to how it was, with the exception of the library which is now not so weird.

[Fenric]

*************************

A haggard elf, ancient beyond all reason, and garbed in black with a strange skull half-mask limps into the wild zone. He makes his slow, painful way to the library, and stands in surprise at the absence of the relic.

{ ancient high elvish } Can it be? Has the time at last come?

He limps over to the pedistal, and places his hand on Myrkul's holy symbol. With a flare, the black base begins to siphon the wild energies that the statue had collected away to the astral plane.

The old priest limps away from the catacombs, heading for an unlikely destination.

[Fenric]

Krystal looks around. Aesa will recognize the end of the passageway past the gibbering mouther.

The maddening sounds of that particular monster can be clearly heard still, a bit ahead and to the left.

[AmberVael]

Aesa smirks and follows Krystal, trying to suppress the normal energies around her.
She manages, to an extent. But there is a still an odd buzzing sound following her.

[Fenric]

Krystal's fur turns all-over blue. The orb begins to sing softly.

This is going to take some getting used to... and what is that awful noise?

[AmberVael]

Probably another reaction. Most of us use energy all the time, so...
Aesa twirls her scepter, inadvertantly causing a trail of flowers to follow it.

[Fenric]

Krystal nods

I'll have to work on that... I'm so used to drawing shadows all the time now...

She stops as the ugly blob of flesh-colored ooze turns the corner. It seems to recognize Aesa, and screams... which affects it's own party.

Krystal winces

Eeew!

[AmberVael]

Aesa smirks and walks over to the creature, drawing out an absolutely normal dagger.
She jabs at it.
Hard.
Really hard.
Twice.

[Fenric]

The mouther bleeds, and retreats back to the torture chamber.

Krystal chuckles

I see... So, last time you were here...

She stops again, this time because someone is speaking rather loudly in old high elvish up ahead. A vaguely familiar voice, at that.

I've heard that voice before.

[AmberVael]

Aesa raises an eyebrow.
Should make for an interesting meeting then.
She follows the voice, trying to figure out what he is saying via the ever-handy polyglot feat.

[Fenric]

Ivellios seems to be lamenting the passing of the last high priest of Myrkul, and doubly lamenting having to go back to the thankless task of maintaining the Town Public Library.

Krystal also, at the cost of being rained on, listens in with Tongues.

Ivellios??? The town librarian?

[AmberVael]

Aesa chuckles a little.
Well well well...
She walks towards the voice.

[Fenric]

There is nothing, save a little patch of "normal", to hinder the passage to the room with a lake.

There the town librarian, in his rather ridiculous armor, is mourning quite loudly next to a little boat holding the body of an elf, old beyond all reason.

Ivellios turns with a shocked expression, and his gaze first falls upon Krystal and Exachix.

Foxes! Foxes! Always foxes! Is there nowhere you don't plague? Where is my doorman when I need him?

He draws a sword, clearly from the OmniShop. Unfortunately, the heavy enchantment causes Swords to Snakes to be spontaneously cast, and the librarian grapples with an angry viper instead of attacking.

[AmberVael]

Aesa winces and attempts a dispel, hoping for no disastrous effects.

[Fenric]

A fish walks out of the lake and tips its bowler hat to Aesa before leaving, but the snake turns to dust, leaving Ivellios laying on the ground.

I suppose I ought to thank you, even if you travel with foxes.

Krystal shakes her head

I've heard rumors of this... why do you hate us so much?

Ivellios sighs

One thousand, three hundred, fifty seven years ago a werefox sorceror killed my family. I survived only because my mother fell on top of me... I was one of very few who survived when Kalzarath came to us.

Krystal's jaw drops, then closes, then she looks at Aesa.

It couldn't be the same... lich... oh dear...

She looks back at the librarian

But we killed him: he is gone, now.

[AmberVael]

Aesa shakes her head, crossing her arms.
Because you know, if one person does something terrible to you, it means they all must be bad.

[Fenric]

Ivellios kicks at the rocky sand, causing a microscopic civilization to come into existance.

I know that. By the dark one, I run the library with its piles of sappy books. But it doesn't take the pain away. Pain turns to hate, given enough time...

Krystal shakes her head

And you joined the chucrh of Myrkul because of that?

Well... you have a lucky break: he's dead. Your oaths to him mean nothing. Come back to Town, come back to your place.

Ivellios scowls

Old hate is not easy to unlearn.

then he looks away

I'm too old to fight with any of you now, and my only friend lies in the boat...

he goes silent. Should Aesa look, the erstwhile priest of Myrkul played no small part in Ivellios' corruption.

[AmberVael]

Aesa shrugs.
Everyone dies. It's the way things go.

[Fenric]

Ivellios stands back up, slowly and painfully. He takes off the heavy and quite useless black armor and piles it in the boat.

Then let that part of me die, too.

A not entirely friendly gleam flickers in his eyes

Besides, who will torment the silly foxes if I am not there?

Then he folds his arms

Now... what brings you lot to the forbidden catacombs?

Krystal looks at the floor and shuffles in the stones.

[AmberVael]

Looting, pretty much.

[Fenric]

Ivellios chuckles

Well... if old bone-face wasn't dead, I'd tell you that you were up for a smiting.

Since he is, I'll tell you where it is. For a cut, of course. And you'll have to deal with the guardian without me.

Krystal winces

The living wild surge?

Ivellios laughs

That thing? It is completely pointless as someone already emptied that room. There's nothing worth having in the library anymore. No: I mean the main vault.

[AmberVael]

Aesa grins.
Gee, wonder who that someone was.
Certainly wasn't me.
I didn't take the statue of Myrkul either.
Her eyes glint dangerously.
I've put that to good use...
As for a cut... I believe we could manage that. If we wanted to.

[Fenric]

Ivellios shakes his head

I'm far beyond threatening, miss Aesa. And I know you could find it yourself: I'm just offering to make your time easier if you do the same for me.

Krystal gets a headache at the strange negotiations, and sits by Exachix. Exy has been amusing himself watching all the strange things that happen to magic missiles as they fly across the still water.

Dead-time mist seeps out of the pond and takes the foxes and Ivellios.

[AmberVael]

Aesa pouts.
Easy can be so boring...
She sinks into dead time.

[Fenric]

Ivellios wakes, and chuckles

Who said easy? I said easier: finding the place is not the difficult part.

Krystal looks at him

You mentioned a guardian... what is it.

Ivellios smiles grimly.

His name's Anarkazilingaludargar.

Krystal looks troubled

Sounds draconic...

Ivellios just nods.

[Exachix]

Fox-Exachix hmms.

"Hello Ivellios."

[Fenric]

Ivellios looks at fox-Exachix and seems on the verge of an acidic comment, but instead he gives up and sulkily returns the greeting.

Hello, Exachix.

[Exachix]

Exachix shifts to Hybrid and bows.

"never thought you'd be here. Ah well." He hmms. "Did the libary have any books on magical explosives or destruction?"

[AmberVael]

Aesa hums.
Draconic, eh?
Hmmm...

[Exachix]

Exachix smiles.

"Morning Aesa."

He looks at Ivellios.

"I guess we'd have to fight him?"

[Kantur]

Well, I can't remember too many good conversations with guardians of something I wanted...

[Exachix]

Lorrian chuckles and Exachix hmms.

"No... it could riddle us or something."

[AmberVael]

Aesa grins at Kantur.
I can.
Then again, we were flinging spells at each other at the same time... but that was frankly one of the best conversations I've had.

[Kantur]

Must've been interesting...

[AmberVael]

Oh indeed. It was quite fun.

[Exachix]

Exachix smiles and hmms.

[Fenric]

Ivellios chuckles darkly

Old bone-face didn't hold with undead as a general rule, but he did make a few exceptions... this was one of them. Ever heard of a dracolich?

Except the wild energy down here has been doing weird things to him...

[AmberVael]

Aesa looks intrigued.
I'm not surprised.

[Fenric]

Krystal groans

We have to fight a dracolich in this??

Krystal waves her hand, which is enough to cause the sound of of cattle lowing. She sighs.

Ivellios nods

You want the artifact this temple was built for, you face the dracolich.

[AmberVael]

Aesa grins widely and dangerously.
Sounds like a deal to me. Where is it?

[Fenric]

Ivellios heads back out of the room to the main corridor.

Easier to show than to tell, miss Aesa.

He leads them on a winding track, though more than one illusory wall and a few hidden doors. They end up near the sub-basements of the ruins of the temple to Tiamat. A door with Myrkul's holy symbol stands, radiating evil and menace... and guppies. The floor is a bit nasty with innumerable rotten fish.

Bone-face always thought it funny to park a dracolich near her temple. For some reason this door radiates guppies in the wild energies.

[AmberVael]

Aesa rubs her hands together.

[Fenric]

Ivellios begins a complicated ritual, that ends up with the door sliding open. The guppies now have a considerable quantity of flowers, a puppy, and a rather confused looking gerbil to keep them company.

That's gone worse,to be honest.

A dire voice booms out

WHO DISTRUBS THE VAULTS OF MYRKUL?

Ivellios calls out

It is I: The last Hand of Death. I bring the final gifts of the Lord Death Elsadar upon occasion of his passing.

ENTER, HAND OF DEATH, AND ADD HIS BOUNTY TO THE LORD'S

[AmberVael]

Aesa waits, watching the librarian.

[Fenric]

Ivellios walks into the cavernous room boldly.

There, the skeletal dragon sits on a glittering horde. The shape of the skull is reminiscent of a blue dragon, as little as it matters any more.

Two sleepless red eyes watch the group enter, and focus promptly on Aesa. Aesa will see that the dracolich has no ties to fate at all: between the death of it's god and the chaos of the wild energy, it is free.

YOU BRING INTRUDERS INTO THE FORBIDDEN PLACE!

Myrkul is dead, Elsadar is dead: you and I alone remain on this entire world. Will you sit down here forever, alone and bored, until the wild energies finally claim you?

[AmberVael]

Aesa grins very widely.
Well well well... I don't meet very many who have lost their ties to fate.
She enters after the librarian, twirling her new scepter.

[Fenric]

The ancient dragon eyes the group again, then sees the scepter.

YOU BRING MADNESS WITH YOU, HAND OF DEATH. DO YOU NOT REMEMBER THE WRITINGS OF THE DARK TEMPLE?

Ivellios turns to Aesa in surprise, finally paying attention

Her? But... Aesa?

He turns back to the dracolich, who considers carefully.

THE BONE WAS CREATED FOR HER, IVELLIOS. IT IS TIME FOR HER TO CLAIM, OR BE LOST

The lich takes a huge bone out of the pile. It is black, and evil, and has dreadful negative-threads of fate tied to it: the Fates of the Dead, bound by the God of the Dead. He throws it onto the floor, and the weird energies of chaos eagerly gather around it, forming a winged shape of darkness: familiar in appearance.

[AmberVael]

Aesa looks at it, fascinated.
How very peculiar.

[Fenric]

A dark version of Aesa grins at her

Now, let us see whether you gain the fates of the dead, or I gain the power to escape this bone.

She begins to trace black runes in the air: drawing unlife, wild cryofire, dark minerals, death, time, and rage.

(( Mortal Kombat is paused while Fenric goes off to sleep... zzz..... ))

[AmberVael]

Aesa watches her twin for a moment, then swiftly scribes three runes in the air.
One should give her sight dealing with all energies- pretty much a Greater Arcane Sight for all magics and energy.
The second should identify the bone.
The third and last should rebound the next magical (or magic equivalent) attack on her.

[Exachix]

Exachix watches and hmms.

[Fenric]

The bone is the femur of the previous God of the Dead to Myrkul. It seems he dabbled in seid/weaving, because it is scribed with many runes of negative energy and fate.

anti-Aesa releases her runes... silently and invisibly (bah). Nothing appears to happen.

(( A storm of cryofire enhanced crystals swarms out to Aesa, bounces off, and is absorbed by anti-Aesa. ))

[AmberVael]

Aesa hums softly, strengthening her wards as she scribes a few runes in the air.
Energy forms, and she scribes a few void-like runes in the air, which suddenly absorb energy, then a galdr blazes with power, falling into the bone.

[Fenric]

Anti-Aesa furiously prepares a shield, only to gape in surprise as the energy goes right by her.

The fates of the dead, as much fate as any other, are easily and immediately affected by the power.

The chaotic energies notice, and react. Aesa and Anti-Aesa trade voices, not that you'd ever notice.

Dancing lights in a myriad of colors cavort around the room, and a Wall of Fire encircles Anti-Aesa.

But most shockingly, Aesa is transformed into a bearded devil!

Anti-Aesa stands in shock, blinking and unsure of what exactly happened. She dismisses her shield, attracting a response from chaos herself: her feet enlarge to double their original size.

[AmberVael]

Aesa scratches her head and beard.
How very peculiar.
She goes over to the bone and picks it up.

[Fenric]

The bone is more a souvenier now than anything else. There are some runes that Aesa is likely not familiar with, as the Norns did not care much about the fates of the dead.

Anti-Aesa flaps her huge feet

You... released me?

The dracolich as well is fascinated

NEVER WOULD I HAVE GUESSED SUCH A THING AS THIS.

Krystal nods, having a better feel for Aesa than the newcomers

It's in keeping with how she works, though. The goddess of changing fate doesn't like to see anyone chained like that.

[AmberVael]

Aesa shrugs.
She likes souveniers. As for the runes... she dabbles in a lot of things the Norns do not. And she has had a lot of time to learn.

[Fenric]

Anti-Aesa frowns at the wall of fire, and looks around at a loss

Now what do I do?

Krystal starts picking through the treasure, right in front of the dracolich.

YOU COULD AT LEAST PRETEND TO BE AFRAID

Why bother? You want to get out of this hole, you let us scavenge. Try to resist, and we'll just leave you here with the chaos to keep you company.

[AmberVael]

Whatever you want to do.
It is what I do, anyhow.
Aesa also begins looking through the treasures.

[Fenric]

Anti-Aesa can't help but be intrigued by the pile of treasure. Seeing everyone else not get devoured messily, Kantur and Exachix also come to help themselves.

(( Treasure type "whatever" - it's the ancient hoard of an evil temple guarded by a dracolich. I'm not even going to bother...))

[AmberVael]

Aesa looks for the single most intriguing item (to her) in the treasure horde, which her player will decide in a moment.

[Fenric]

After a while, Krystal seems satisfied and starts looking around, addressing the dracolich.

You've been so patient: now we have to figure out a way to get you out of here without turning into potted plants.

Anti-Aesa shrugs

The wild energies were gathered here to release Myrkul. With that no longer possible, they can be dismissed.

[AmberVael]

Aesa raises an eyebrow, then suddenly grins.
I have something else in mind...

[Fenric]

Anti-Aesa turns to Aesa, and simultaneously queries with Krystal

What's that?
What?

[AmberVael]

Why dismiss the energy when we can harvest it?
Aesa grins very widely.
It is always better to try and find use for something, is it not?

[Fenric]

Anti-Aesa looks at Aesa

Do you have the focus, or did you have something else in mind?

Krystal tilts her head

Focus?

Anti-Aesa nods

A statuette of black obsidian, in the form of Myrkul on his throne.

[AmberVael]

We could use that, I suppose. It would be easiest, would it not?

[Fenric]

Anti-Aesa nods

It is what it was designed for. Activate it, and it will draw in the energy that has been collected so far. So long as the focus is not on the conduit to the abyss, the energy will remain inside.

[AmberVael]

Aesa nods and closes her eyes, the summons the black statue, hoping that it won't cause fireworks to go off or something.

[Fenric]

The summoning of the statue causes the Wall of Fire to go out. (( All magical and nonmagical fires within 60' are extinguished ))

Anti-Aesa grins at Aesa

It's cute, really.

She draws the rune for hunger, channeling a tiny bit of that energy into the statue. The wild surge fizzels before it fully manifests, but the world goes insane as the energies in the catacomb are sucked into the statue.

Dazed and disoriented for a little while, no save.

[AmberVael]

Aesa blinks and looks down at the statue in her hands.

[Fenric]

After finally recovering enough to speak, Anti-aesa explains

Using the last of their rapidly fading power, the priesthood changed the shape of the catacombs into the rune of chaos inscribed within the runee of hunger. The statue, a focus for chaotic energy, was placed on a permanent energy portal to the abyss, linked to Myrkul's body.

For a long time, they activated the statue: not really knowing what they did. But as the priesthood died out, their attentiveness failed: energy built up.

Unless the catcombs are broken, they will slowly gather the energy again.

Krystal tilts her head

As far as I know, you are about an hour and a half old... how can you possibly know this?

Anti-aesa chuckles

I was the god from whom that bone was taken. My fate was bound there as well, and formed the anchor to which the others were attached. Now, I am free!

She stretches her black-feathered wings and admires them

[AmberVael]

Aesa smirks and runs a hand along the statue.
I could use this...

[Fenric]

Anti-Aesa scratches the dracolich behind where it's ear should have been

My pet: you watched faithfully for countless years. Will you serve me still?

AS I SWORE AT THE DAWN OF THE WORLD, SO DO I STILL: I AM YOUR SERVANT.

Krystal arches her eyebrows and looks around

As the fast way is now safe, who would like to make the portal home?

[AmberVael]

Aesa forms a portal to Inari's, then looks to Anti-Aesa.
And where will you go?

[Fenric]

Anti-Aesa looks thoughtful

I don't know... it has been so very long: it is unlikely anywhere that I knew in the past remains.

Krystal, Kantur, and fox-Exachix all head through the portal.

[AmberVael]

And that is change.
Change must occur to avoid stagnation.

[Fenric]

Anti-Aesa nods

True.

Then she grins

As the energies chose your form, I will ask you: where would you go, if you were in my place?

[AmberVael]

Aesa considers.
Well, honestly, Town is a very interesting place.

[Fenric]

She nods, and her voice changes slightly

My name was Lirian, and I think I shall use it once again.

She draws in the air, and Anarkazilingaludargar shrings to the size of a small cat. It flies over and perches on her shoulder.

Anar will accompany me, of course.

She nods politely to Aesa, and heads through the portal.

[AmberVael]

Aesa nods and follows them.
The portal closes.

[Fenric]

[much later]

Thorvard steps through from one tunnel to another, and feels the change though there is no marking to make it obvious.

Ware...

even as he speaks, a goldfish flies out of his mouth and flops on the floor. He stands, aghast, and stares at it.

[Ionbound]

Helen looks at the goldfish, looks at Thor, and laughs before eventually saying, "Wow...Where are we now?"

[Deathkeeper]

Mist stares at it too. What the heck?
"That's...weird. Erm, think anything triggered that, or did it just...happen?"

[Razanir]

"Well whatever caused it is affecting me too." Candace/The Bard looks worried. "I can keep my form, and can probably still get to hammerspace. But the magic involved in changing forms is probably too dangerous for me. Looks like I'm stuck as a little girl for now."

[Fenric]

Thorvard shakes his head

I don't know...

And another fish joins the first
The Bard should start to feel itchy for about a minute
Mist is under the effects of Slow
Helen has a gem appear beside her, but it's invisible and inaudible... so you'd never know.
Raril can suddenly detect magic. It's probable that this doesn't tell him much he doesn't already know.

[Ionbound]

Helen boldly and fearlessly walks forwards as she says, "Whatever's going on here, we should move through this area quickly. I don't like it."

[Fenric]

And then there is a maddening sound:

It's sort of like nails on a blackboard
and both Fran Drascher and Gilbert Gottfried are jabbering at each other in their worst voices
there's a Chihuahua yapping endlessly
and a colicky baby screaming
and a car alarm running through its sounds
and a toddler asking "why" over and over
while you accidentally licked your napkin
and there's an eyelash in your eye
you're sure a spider just dropped down the back of your shirt
and ants crawled up your pants leg

the sound pauses for a moment, and Thorvard shudders

Gott im Himmel...

[Deathkeeper]

At this point unless anyone stopped, slowed down, or otherwise noticed, Mist will fall far behind the party as he's suddenly moving at half speed. They might have, as he was trying to ask the Bard, "How do you know any of that?" but it came out, well, slowly. Unless the effect fades with time someone will have to either dispel it, or carry him. Because he can't do much like this.

[Fenric]

(( It's all one-round stuff unless otherwise mentioned, so once you've done enough that it ought to count for a round, you're off the hook... until next time ))

[Deathkeeper]

In that case, if no one slowed down for him, Mist will jog back up to the group presently.
"Caroline mentioned there was one tunnel filled with wild magic that housed a gibbering mouther. It was supposed to be in a tunnel somewhere else, but it must be connected to this one. Does...anyone know what a Mouther is and how you fight one? Because I kinda assumed we'd be avoiding it, and Caroline didn't seem to know much." which is to say, I forgot to ask even though Mist probably would have. Oops.

[Fenric]

Thorvard turns to Mist

Wild magic? A mouther?!

The mind-rending sound begins again, and a rainbow trout swims through the air past the group. Goldfish finally stop flopping from Thorvard's mouth.

This nonsense is wild magic, and that noise is a mouther! It is a blob with eyes and tooth-filled mouths on stalks that makes that confounded noise, spits acid, bites, and can swallow you whole and drain your blood: you have to cut your way back out again! Where's your compass? We must hurry!

[Ionbound]

Helen nods, and says, "Agreed...I'm not entirely prepared to face something like that. Let's go."

[Razanir]

"When you've been around as long as I have, you learn things. And while I haven't learned too much about magical theory, I've still heard of wild magic through my bardic studies. I don't know for certain that's what's happening, but those goldfish are certainly as random as the stories from my repertoire. And if it is wild magic, I certainly don't want to risk a big display like polymorphing." The Bard notices the Mouther approaching, and decides to run and hide behind a stalagmite. He then pulls a lute out of thin air, and some fish fly out with it. "I'm only 7, so I can't really fight. There's wild magic, so I probably shouldn't cast. But I can still attempt to inspire you with song!" He starts playing the lute and singing.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist will point again in the direction of his tracer. He's unsure of how this will go; he's really out of his element right now.

[Razanir]

"No combat, just running? I can handle that." The Bard switches his song from a more action-y combat tune to a fast-pasted chance song.

[Artemis97]

Raril blinks, certainly not remembering casting a detect magic spell. "What in the...?" And then the sounds and sensations begin, chaotic and unnerving. Fortunately, Raril has some experience dealing with things from beyond mortal understanding (he was kind of married to one). Unfortunately, he was also terrified of spiders.


"Oh gods, get it off!" The drow screams, batting at his leg in a desperate attempt to rid himself of the phantom feeling of arachnids crawling over his skin. He drops his crossbow and begins hopping about trying to pull off one of his boots. Someone might want to try and calm him down, or he'll be of no use to anyone. In fact, he's probably attracting a lot of attention.

[Ionbound]

Helen winces and shudders at the noises and sensations and she says, "Oh goddess...That was...Horrible. If that noise is the mouther, I don't want to get anywhere near it..." as she follows Mist's direction.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist turns and claps loudly in the elf's face.
"They're not real! Get a hold of yourself!"

[Artemis97]

The clap startles Raril pretty badly and a dagger slips into his hand, but he stops himself short of actually attacking Mist. The blade disappears and he slowly regains his composure. "Not real. Right. Good. So... wait... what's going on?" The drow asks, adjusting his boot and retrieving his crossbow.

[Deathkeeper]

"Trying to get to the Key, wild magic afoot, Gibbering Mouther approaching?" says Mist testily, trying not to panic as their strongest person is reduced to a screaming kid by a feeling. He would very much like that to not happen again.

[Razanir]

"You guys run. I have a plan. A horribly idiotic plan. It may cost me my life, but I've lived long enough anyway. Hopefully this works. Goodbye, and hopefully I find you again." The Bard, still in the form of a 7-year-old girl, runs bravely down the tunnel toward the mouther. After a bit, you hear an explosion, then silence. The mouther was destroyed, and as far as the party knows, so was The Bard.

(( And thus, The Bard risked his life by successfully teleporting both himself and the mouther to a no-combat zone in the Nexus, to let the threads of plot protection destroy the mouther. Or whatever happens to monsters in those areas. Specifically, they went to Mallside. I had a plot idea for him over there anyway. But yes, he shall be returning to this plot eventually ))

[Artemis97]

"Oh, is that all?" Raril asks, seemingly unconcerned, as he dug through his pack from something. "I've dealt with similar things before. Things from the Far. Beyond... well... everything. Don't think about it too hard, you might go insane. I know a special rune that should hurt it.... Maybe. Nexus, right? Can't guarantee anything, though." From his pack, he pulls a plank of wood (which honestly should not have been able to fit inside), it looks like it had been broken off from some larger piece of furniture. A crooked star was etched into one side. Something about it was... off. Made you not want to look at it too long. Wait, did it just move a bit on the edge of your vision? No, no, it was still the same. Nonsense.

"Worse case scenario, you can bash it with that." Raril advised, holding the plank like a club. "Better to just put the mark on your weapons, though." He also pulls out some chalk and offers it to the others. It would wear off fairly quickly, which was exactly what Raril wanted. Too many folks with this knowledge could potentially hurt his family.

[Deathkeeper]

((Razanir, I'm not the DM, but you can't teleport a monster away when you can't even see it, and you especially can't do it without asking the DM. Plus, only one place in the Nexus has actual anti-violence spells in place, and that's not how they work.))

Mist nods, although he'll let Thor's stuff be marked before his, since he's not much of a combatant and his daggers are a bit consumable. He'll use the normal ones though since the ice ones may not agree with this place.

[Razanir]

((Razanir, I'm not the DM, but you can't teleport a monster away when you can't even see it, and you especially can't do it without asking the DM. Plus, only one place in the Nexus has actual anti-violence spells in place, and that's not how they work.))

(( Fine, he attempted to teleport it away. Fenric, you're free to decide if it worked or not. Although I stand that anti-violence stuff could still work that way, even if just for the Rule of Funny (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFunny) ))

[Fenric]

(( Er... ah... First of all, the general procedure is "post your action, but wait for the results until others had a chance to react". But since we're RUNNING THE HELL AWAY, and aren't going to fight...

You attack, and distract it utterly so it doesn't attack the rest of us who are fleeing, but that's a lot of magic and now you...

1. "The target will get smacked by a trout appearing from thin air." No, not a carp: a trout.
2. "The caster will suddenly find out what happened the last time the target used the bathroom" ... a gibbering mouther... *shudder*
3. You get a small object, that appears to be a normal six sided die... except the top number ends up between 1 and 100. When rolled, the effect is from this table: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=16625804&postcount=888

Finally, you are in Mallside with have a clone of my mouther, not him. After three adventures, he's a PC now, and his name is Kpozytl. He is currently hiding in his den, crying. Meanie. ))

The rest of the group flees until they reach the shore of an underground lake. There is a rowboat tied to sunken stump beached at the end of the path.

[Artemis97]

Reaching the lake, Raril holds up a hand, signalling the others to stop. "Hold on... why is there a stump underground? That's... suspicious. And even if it's not, there can be some nasty stuff in cave lakes." Furthermore, he didn't know how to swim.

[Ionbound]

Helen looks at the boat and says, "I guess there's only one path forwards. On the boat."

[Deathkeeper]

((To clarify, Mallside has OOC non-violence agreements in its OP because you can start fights there. So just say the Bard's eldritch buddy gets stomped by some tough NPC walking by or the mall-kop orks with lots of dakka. But in terms of it working that way, it wouldn't in the DFI, which is the only well-known place with those rules, and I do have some say in the matter since I help run it. No big deal, though.))

Mist eyes the boat warily. "Well we can test it first to make sure it floats, but we don't have many options. Tracer says we still need to go forward, we can't swim over a lake that large, and we're on a tight schedule."
And besides, ADVENTURE! You can't keep away from such neat event hooks! Just kidding, but Mist really isn't seeing alternatives.

[Fenric]

Thorvard scowls at the stump himself

Imported, no doubt... Perhaps it's not a stump, but whatever used to decorate the top got chopped down...

He tests the boat - it's really fairly reasonable.

Not too bad, honestly.

And then... a fish jumps in the lake.

Yeah...

[Artemis97]

The old drow sighs. "I'm getting paranoid." Raril steps up to the boat and only hesitates a moment before carefully climbing in.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist climbs in as well. "I'd reassure you, but that'd only jinx the whole thing." he says with a smiling flick of his tail.

[Ionbound]

Helen nods and says, "Shall we, then?" as she enters the boat.

[Fenric]

Thorvard unties the boat

Row, row, row your boat... gently across the... subterranean lake...

For a time, there is nothing but the creak and groan of the oars. The soft splashing of the water, and the occasional drip in the distance. They soon leave the shore in the distance, following the tracer true toward the temple, and making good time.

A fish jumps, startled by the passing boat, leaving echoes in the stillness... echoes that don't seem to fade the way they ought to. Thorvard stops rowing, but splashing noises not only continue, but grow ever louder.

I have a bad feeling about this...

[Ionbound]

Helen looks around, and says, "I'll help row. It sounds like whatever that is is in the water. If we can make it to land, we should be safe."

[Deathkeeper]

Mist nods, fear growing. Gods dammit, he's seen Episode 1, he didn't need to imagine anything like that in this lake.
"Yeah, I'd say full speed ahead. I don't want to be in the middle of the water if those keep getting louder."

[Fenric]

Full speed ahead it is... except it doesn't really seem to help: the sound grows louder, more insistent, and more distinct. Thorvard is in the prow looking around.

I'd swear it was running water.

He frowns - is the boat starting to go even faster?

[Ionbound]

Helen swears as her inner ear of terror sends one very specific message to the brain. "WATERFALL!" She shouts as she tries to paddle and reverse course.

[Artemis97]

"I hate boats." Raril mumbles, digging through his pack again. "None of you would happen to have a grappling hook, would you?" It was one of the few items he didn't carry, usually able to simply levitate up to where he needed to get. And while that might keep him from going over the falls, it was not going to do a thing to help his new friends.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist sighs. He's got no idea what's going on. He pulls out a grappling hook from his coat pocket.
"If it is, I can at least try to anchor us if there's a rock or something nearby."

[Fenric]

The boat goes faster still, and rowing makes precious little difference anymore. Thorvard looks back.

It's not loud enough for a water...

His words are cut off as current grips the little boat with the fury of a fallen angel and shoots it forward and downward, causing him to face-plant on the floor: not the sheer drop of a waterfall, but the round-walled shaft of a sluiceway. The torrent is noisy, but not thunderous, and so it could not be clearly heard at a distance. The tunnel is quite smooth, but hardly straight - you might want to sit down around now.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist was already sitting, but now he's basically lowering himself to the floor as far as possible. He's on a log flume with no safety bar. He doesn't want to be on this ride!

[Ionbound]

Helen grabs both sides of the boat, and shouts, "WHOA! WHERE IS THIS TAKING US!" over the roar of the white water.

[Fenric]

Side to side! Round and round! Terrifying drops and shuddering crashes, sudden turns and drenching splashes!

[Artemis97]

Raril grips the side of the boat in terror. "We're going to drown!" He decides, sinking as low into the boat as possible. The others might pick up on a high pitched whine coming from him shortly afterwards.

[Fenric]

One last dreadful plunge, easily 20 feet of freefall, and then...

the quiet stillness of another lake, broken only by the gurgle of entering water and the sound of waves lapping the shore up ahead...

... and the crunch of footsteps on gravel.

[Ionbound]

Helen takes a couple of deep breaths while her brain makes sure all her bits are still attached, before asking, "Is everyone still okay?"

[Deathkeeper]

Mist sits up and dusts himself off. "Yeah, fine. That was just weird."
He checks the tracer again. Can they still go where it points?

[Fenric]

Thorvard picks himself up from the floor, blood streaming from his broken nose.

Not drowned... I suppose that counts.

The rowboat crunches to a halt, prow stuck fast in the gravel. The tracer points ahead. From that general direction comes

...crunch... crunch... crunch...

[Ionbound]

Helen stops, and quietly says, "Does anyone else hear footsteps? Like someone coming towards us?" as she slowly and quietly draws her daggers.

[Artemis97]

"Shh." Raril hisses, "Someone's coming." The drow whispered a word in his native tongue and simply... vanished. A moment later, the boat rocked and was suddenly without his weight. Presumably invisible, Raril levitates away from the boat and gently touches down onto the gravel shore, wanting to get the drop on who or what ever might be coming their way, should they prove hostile.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist shifts to fox-shape as he hops out of the boat, hopefully being able to use the boat as cover so he can peek out and look around at what's coming without it/them being able to see him.

[Fenric]

Thorvard turns, still in the boat, holding his nose.

Vat now?

There isn't long to wait: around the corner comes a figure dressed in ornate black enameled armor with a white skull on the breastplate and a leering skull helmet, and bearing a large jagged black sword. The gaunt, dead face inside may once of been an elf, but the burning red orbs hanging in the empty eye sockets are filled with hate and hunger. Unfortunately, invisibility doesn't seem to impress it very much and it lurches toward Raril.

Thorvard jumps out of the boat.

Verdammt! Priestess, quick: bless our weapons so we can hit it!

[Ionbound]

Helen prays quickly, and the group's weapons may begin to glow as the spell takes hold, allowing them to damage the monstrosity.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist would swear, but he doesn't want to give himself away. He'll let Raril and Thor handle this guy for now; they seem more experienced. He'll just wait for his chance to find a chink in that armor and shove a knife in its back if they can't handle it on their own.

[Artemis97]

Raril curses and draws, not his main blades, but a dagger from his boot. An angry cry sounds, not from the drow, but from the blade. He lunges forward, feinting and dropping low to get inside the dead elf's reach. As he steps close, a flash of silver white light erupts from a silver studded belt on his waist, revealing the drow. The blade itself, an intelligent item, glows silver and hold an absolute hatred for undead.

The blade allows critical hits and such on undead, and thanks to the belt is considered silvered. The belt in addition to granting the silver property to all of his weapons has a Daylight Spell like effect, for vampires and the like.

[Fenric]

Raril's ferocity certainly disrupts the initial assault, but this was no novice in life. Raril finds the knight's razor sharp blade flicked down and swept sideways in a bid to shear his hand off at the wrist rather than any attempt to parry the blade itself. A cold voice echoes in the chamber

The master is dead, so instead you all will join me here in everlasting twilight.

Thorvard grumbles

Why do they think that will be any help? Anyone recognize the symbol? Any hints might be useful...

[Ionbound]

Helen shakes her head as she continues praying, eventually trying to sneak around the undead elf and do what damage she can to it.

[Artemis97]

The undead's blade strikes true, shearing through the fabric and sparking off the metal bracers Raril wore beneath. The drow gives barely a thought in graefulness for their protection before continuing to press his attack. With his free hand, he tries to grab at the other elf's wrist, in a hope to disarm, but to at the very least redirect the sword so that Raril can try and slip his dagger into a vulnerable spot, such as a gap in the armor under the arm.

"Skulls are a bit common!" The drow snarls in reply, a little too focused on not losing a limb to think over the question properly.

[Fenric]

Touching a Death Knight is a shocking experience - lightning courses out into Raril as the Knight's other gauntleted fist makes a rapid approach toward Raril's nose.

Thorvard curses and leaps out toward the knight

Hey, ugly! Old skull face can't save you now!

This, surprisingly enough, draws the thing's attention and it looks away from Raril, mid-swing.

[Deathkeeper]

Mist shifts back into his normal shape. You know what beats knights? Technology.
He pulls out the blaster (number one) that Tavlii gave him. He aims it at the knight, just waiting for the two fighters to have some distance from it before he fires it.

[Artemis97]

As the lightning courses through him, Raril spasms badly. As soon as it cuts off, he staggers back, warily keeping an eye on the Knight, in case it struck at him again. The drow's lip was bleeding, from where he had bitten down on it while in the grips of the electricity. Still twitching, he struggles to pull his rapier free, to have a long blade to better defend himself.

[Deathkeeper]

aaaaand now.
Mist squeezes the trigger. Two shots.
Pew, my good sir. And pew.
His aim is pretty good for his first time using, likely due to the lack of kick from the bolts.

[Fenric]

The twin flashes of Mists two shots are blinding in the dim light of the cave. As the latent images fade, it becomes clear that whatever resistances the knight might have had, they just weren't designed for shots from a blessed blaster.

The first shot has melted a sizeable hole in his breastplate, obliterating the holy symbol of Myrkul that once resided there. Charred flesh and molten steel line the wound, and vile smoke pours from the opening.

Looking up, however, one sees that the sees that the second has relieved him of his head: only the smouldering stump of his neck remains.

Without further fanfare, the armor collapses noisily straight down into a heap: the decayed flesh and crumbling bones not enough to even particularly influence its fall.

Thorvard looks at Mist with a mixture of fear, awe, and respect... speechless for the moment.

[Ionbound]

Helen whistles at the sheer destruction caused and says, "Wow...That was...Impressive, to say the least. Nice shot, Mist."

[Deathkeeper]

Mist blinks in surprise, but then stands up, smiling. With a twirling flourish he holsters the blaster.
"Sometimes I really love science." he says, before moving to help Raril up.

[Artemis97]

"Where did you get that thing?" The drow asks, pushing himself to his feet with Mist's help. He was careful not to use the hand he'd grasped the Death Knight with, as it was somewhat scorched. "Nice shooting, too." He compliments with a weary smile.

He then looks for a rock to settle down on and looks over his injuries. "I really hate lightning spells. My sister used to use them on me all the time." Raril grumbles, before muttering a small healing spell over his hand. His lip had already stopped bleeding, too, thanks to his lycanthropic healing abilities.

[Fenric]

Thorvard comes over

Never a dull moment... what have we got for a direction to go in?

[Deathkeeper]

"One of the clerics of Inari lent them to me." he says. Yep, he's got two.
At the other's request, he checks the compass and points again.

[Ionbound]

Helen nods, and says, "Well, that way, then. You sure that thing is working, Mist?"

[Fenric]

Thorvard chuckles

I don't think we have much choice: climbing back up the sluice is not likely to succeed

he walks over to Raril

How goes it?

[Artemis97]

"I'll live." The drow says with a smirk. "Just getting old. How's your nose? Need a spell?" The bard offers.

[Fenric]

Thorvard reaches up and touches his nose, then winces and sneezes gobbets of blood

I was checking on you.... but that would be particularly kind of you if you would.

[Artemis97]

"It's no problem." Raril lifts a hand to very gently touch Thorvard's nose and speaks a few words of a minor healing spell. Pain should change into a strange tingling feeling, like a limb that's fallen asleep which has had bloodflow finally returned to it. That fades quickly, though, and the broken nose should be healed.

As a follow up, the drow casts a few minor spells, making the blood that's dripped over his and Thorvard's close disappear. "Tsk, so hard to get blood out of silk. And what am I going to do about this?" He wonders, looking at the gash in the fabric of his sleeve. "It'll have to wait until we get out of here. I'd rather not use up too much of my magic." Healing spells were necessary, as was getting rid of the scent of blood. A ripped sleeve, sadly for the vain drow, could not be a priority.

[Fenric]

Thorvard chuckles

Ah! My most humble and grateful thanks! And indeed, silk takes natural dye so very readily. But for now, my understanding is that this is an errand of some urgency: so shall we go?

And without waiting for too much of an answer, the Northman heads down the beach.

[Deathkeeper]

The two 'weres having had their talk, Mist nods and heads off as well.

[Ionbound]

And Helen follows Mist, confident that he knows where they're supposed to go.

[Fenric]

The path rapidly leaves the underground lake/river and heads slightly up. It is very quiet here, as the knight had killed or driven off everything else.

And so, without further adventure the group makes good time, up until the path ends at a stone door decorated with a single, shining disk of black obsidian. Helen should recognize it from her previous trip to the Temple of Darkness: it is that god's holy symbol.

Thorvard gives it a push, but it does not move.

Great... a door.

[Deathkeeper]

"Did you try pulling?" jokes Mist as he inspects the door for any locks, etc.

[Ionbound]

Helen looks at the door, and says, "This has the same Holy Symbol as the god of the Temple of Darkness...Sadly, that means we probably can't just kick it down."

[Fenric]

There is no visible mechanism for even opening the door, so locks are a bit difficult. Frankly, only some generic styling cues, the position blocking the path, and Thorvard's assumption make it a door at all.

Thorvard pounds on the door, hard.

[Recaiden]

"Hello?"
Someone appears through the door, without bothering to open it, sadly. A small woman in a robe and sunglasses, with a greatsword strapped over her back. Leah waves at the group.
"You can't figure out how to open it either? We're on the far side, which has a swirl symbol on it, stymied by another door like this one."

[Fenric]

Thorvard stumbles back several steps, not knowing who this shadowy person is who just came through the door like a ghost

Gah!

[Deathkeeper]

Mist waves
"Hi Leah!" he says before turning to the others. "Any ideas, people?"

[Fenric]

Thorvard looks at Leah, then at Mist

Hold on... you know this person?

[Ionbound]

Helen nods and says, "This is Leah...She was part of the other party. Did you kill the construct?"

[Recaiden]

Leah waves back nodding.
"Mhm. Well, it's gone, anyway. I broke it and Frederick did some magic to keep it away. Anyway, we were able to pass some guards with this symbol using a spell of darkness. Try that; I've gotta get back inside. Said I'd be right back."
With that, she attempts to back through the door to the temple interior again.

[Fenric]

Thorvard looks at the others

Darkness, eh?

[Deathkeeper]

Mist shrugs. "I've got nothin'."

[Ionbound]

Helen shrugs and says, "I've got a little. Not much, though. It's Tamamo's gift."

[Deathkeeper]

Mist shrugs. "Go for it. Unless Raril has any better it's all we got."

[Ionbound]

Helen nods, closes her eyes, and concentrates, trying to channel her 1/day Darkness spell to open the door.

[Fenric]

The door to the Temple of Darkness silently slides open, revealing Frederick on the other side, looking surprised.

(( And let's hop back over there, and let this thread sink away ))