Thoon is All!

[Nettlekid]

Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon This home of our name. Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon
Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon That hatred of outside naivety. Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon
Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon The hope of oblivion nevermore. Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon
Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon. Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon Thoon

You are an Illithid. Yours is the pinnacle of creation, and all creatures that crawl the earth, swim the ocean, and soar the sky are inferior. The gods themselves are to fear your presence, for you will one day stand on their toppled thrones. This is not what you "believe." This is what you know. Your kind, at the end of all things, stood triumphant and regal as rulers of the Material Plane. This is your fate, your future. Calamity struck and in infinite defiance of the cosmos' constraints, the Illithid people broke a hole from the future into the past and reestablished their colony in a time before history. Oh yes, humanoids evolved. Oh yes, the Gith uprising lost your kind a quantity of capable slaves. It's little matter, in the long run. With your eventual success written in stone, literally, record of it lines the walls, all that remains is to wait and to move the world in the patterns that lead your people to their inevitable rise.

Now, it is true that Illithids, Mind Flayers, are glorious and without equal in the world. But let's face it, not all Mind Flayers are made equal either. Like subcutaneous pus-filled pimples in the skin of the Material Plane, enclaves of Illithids fill the underworld, slaves to the capricious whims of an Elder Brain and their own baseless hunger. Now, they do what they do, and they're good at it. It's not a bad life being a slave, any Thrall will tell you that, but their purpose is empty. Not like yours. You follow the true path of glory, one whose brilliance spirals in infinite fractals from the potential that your race's future promises. For you see, when your kind traveled back in time, many Elder Brains' lights were extinguished as their potent psionic ability burst through the void. There was one though, which survived the process. It did not make passage with the others, no, it was lost to the rift between time and space. And while the Illithids had learned everything there was in the cosmos to learn, the Brain now learned what wasn't in the cosmos. The Brain met the Kaorti, and Pandorym's Body, and Father Llymic's estranged wife. But most importantly, the Brain came to know Thoon.

Returning to the Material Plane, the Thoon Elder Brain raised its followers to revere and obey the ideals of Thoon. Though they also live deep underground, with schematics imprinted on the Thoon Elder Brain the Illithids created cities supported by sleek laboratories and alien amenities, for the comfort of their people and to make a base for pursuing the will of Thoon. The city is superficially much like any other. Carved straight from the stone of the Underdark, New Thoon features wide spaces for experimentation and grand libraries where knowledge can be recorded. Stairways lead to psionically supported elevators for the discerning Illithid who doesn't wish to Levitate to their destination. The city is carved with canals through which fresh water from underground wells flows, and the water is illuminated a pale green from the clear pipes of Quintessence flowing through them, from factory to factory. There are the labs of the Madcrafters, who use their time and wisdom to sculpt flesh and steel into forms outclassing 99% of natural life. There are the slave breeding pens, where the burly and unintelligent races of both the Underdark and the world above are made to reproduce to keep up the numbers of servants, and existing slaves are kept chained when their owners don't need them. Thankfully, human food is easy to magically create, so there's no need for a farm. There are also the food breeding pens, filled to bursting with Elf-blooded Goblin children (farmers were hoping to take advantage of the Elf male's long lifespan to reduce the need to restock the bulls, while the Goblin's fast gestation period and quick growth to maturity meant fully-developed brains in less time than a Human would need) where illusionists with an eye for gourmet fare attempt to recreate a full and eventful life for the cattle in the confines of the pens. They're making good progress with this artificial flavoring, but it doesn't taste as good as organic.

And of course, held in the highest reverence and elevated above the rest of the city, is the Hall of the Mind where the Thoon Elder Brain resides in its tub of Quintessence-infused brine. Four Illithid Clerics tend to it, changing its fluids and pouring in new batches of Illithid spawn. A grand Ulitharid is the Thoon Elder Brain's loyal vassal and counsel, becoming as a king to the Illithids of New Thoon, and this Ulitharid conveys the will of the Thoon Elder Brain to the masses. Those wishing a closer connection to the Brain may attend the church, where its telepathic humming serves as an unending sermon to the glory of Thoon. This chapel is also where the elite strike force makes their home. Always within the range of echoing comfort of the Thoon Elder Brain, it's the best real estate in New Thoon, and reserved only for those who have earned the position. This strike team represents the clenched fist of the enclave, a force whose strength in battle is dwarfed only by their cunning and skill with espionage so honed that battle is rarely even necessary. They've seen the World Above more than any other, survived what would kill any other, and strike fear into the hearts of any wise enough to know who they are. They're you.

OoC Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?465976-Thoon-is-Thoon!)

[Gunhaven]

Yib'Grllom sat in silence as he listened to the comforting thrum of the telepathic sermons from the Elder Brain within the Chapel of the Mind. He had always loved the messages conveyed, the power of Thoon over all, since his hatching. While he couldn't perform miracles like those clerics that tended to the briny pool and he couldn't perform magical feats like some of his fellow team he found he had one thing that only a rare few had. He could express their alien emotions in such a way that lesser races could feel the dread of what they faced and found that they would submit to the greater cause of Thoon one way or another. Perhaps then it was no surprise that his title amongst the group was Orpheus, taken from the ancient texts gathered in one of his earlier raids.
As one sermon ended and another began, he stood and straightened his armor, sleek black hide that was covered in runes that the higher ranking illithids often had to help defend themselves and slick with mucus to protect himself from the dangers of the World Above. His left fist was permanently encased in a spiked, steel gauntlet that seemed to help hammer home his own personal sermons while his right remained free to lightly caress his brainmate, that connection to the Elder Brain that reminded him of the way of the land above and below. As he left the temple, his well worn tanned leather cloak that was known among the team to help provide for himself on their journeys outside of the city briefly flapped with each stride to reveal the haversack he kept to help hold those belongings that the team was sent out for. With a mission not currently active he decided to insure he was well fed on the brains of the drivel below.

[nolongerchaos]

It had been mere hours since H'aaztre had last been in the cathedral, but there was not much else to be done while waiting. With an unknown assignment impending, there was no time to devote to experiments, no time conduct further tests on captive minds - it would all have to be put on hold. There was not even time to hunt down a suitably powerful mind to absorb, just time to grab some quick nourishment.

For how little time there was, H'aaztre hated all the waiting. But even then, waiting wasn't so bad in the cathedral, where the touch of the Elder Brain's mind was everpresent. It's soothing hum allowed H'aaztre's mind to be still, allowed the closest thing to meditation H'aaztre was capable of.

And so in the quiet, H'aaztre remained still and waited for word of what was to come.

[BilltheCynic]

Ythenoriol strolled through the food breeding pens, dressed as usual in his business suit. The suit was his private joke against the surface races: just as the surface dwellers who wore such suits had their fellows more firmly under their control than most other surface dwellers realized, so too did Thoon have more of them under its influence and control than they could ever dream. Plus, it was always amusing to see the reactions of other races, particularly drow, when they saw an Illithid in such attire, if Ythenoriol let them see him at all. Most of the other Illithids found it distasteful that he would wear surface dweller clothes as opposed to traditional Illithid garments. While the suit was certainly inferior to Illithid-designed clothing, Ythenoriol enjoyed his private joke enough to keep wearing it.

The pen operators thought obvious annoyance of his presence there, most likely assuming that he was devising yet another overly complex scheme. They were right, of course. The current problem was that the illusionists' efforts to grant the food an eventful life were moderately successful, but Ythenoriol felt there were better ways to create gourmet brains. His solution had been inspired by an orc empire than he had helped overthrow: turn some of the more fit food into gladiators.

Ythenoriol was rather surprised no one had thought of it before. Organize some of the more physically adept creatures into small gladiator bands, and have them fight pitched battles in arenas for Illithid entertainment. The gladiators would be armed with merciful weapons and given "lavish" rewards for defeating their opponents without killing them. Naturally, the defeated gladiators would be promptly eaten. Even better, one of the rewards could be a trip to the breeding pen. Since the more fit gladiators would be the most likely to survive, the breeders would be more fit and produce better offspring, and both the gladiators and the livestock would have more varied emotional experiences, making for tastier food. Eventually, the last surviving gladiator band would be sentenced to a free-for-all, with the winner being allowed to survive. The feelings of betrayal, comradeship, and other sentimentalities felt at that moment would make for absolutely delicious experiences. Further, Ythenoriol believed that the final reward had to be real and noticeable to the other gladiators. This way, they wouldn't believe it was simply a hopeless fight where they would all die and feel nothing but resignation; they would know they had a chance, small though it may be, and lunge for it. This hope, this passion, and the crushing despair sure to follow by defeat, would make delectable brains. The winners might be used to help organize and train future gladiators, and would be favorites for the breeding pen. They would eventually be eaten of course, but years later, after they had built up more life experiences. That would make the brain absolutely delectable, possibly rivaling even an adventurer's brain.

The plan was brilliant, if Ythenoriol did say so himself. Naturally, the Elder Brain had been viewing the idea emerge as Ythenoriol had constructed it, hopefully with interest. The illusionists would probably be displeased at the implication that there was a better way to create gourmet food than their method, and many others might be annoyed by the costs to operate the system or be nervous at the prospect of arming slaves and teaching them to fight, fearing a repeat of the Gith. Ythenoriol believed an uprising was unlikely: the Gith became dangerous because the Illithids had engineered them to be dangerous by Illithids. The races they kept now had no way to resist the Illithids' mental compulsions that would squash any uprising before it started. Ythenoriol was confident that this was a genius idea, just like all of his others. The difficulty would be in convincing his fellows, who already viewed him as eccentric.

[kemmotar]

Warllnerg had not earned his nickname through complacency. At the moment he was sparring with 4 of his junior mindspies simultaneously while fending off their attempts to enter his mind, twisting and bending his limber body between swordthrusts, thoroughly read, as he was reading the thoughts of the young warriors. Later in the day, he would be demonstrating advanced inflitration and interrogation methods. The training of the agents of the elder brain to advance the aims of Thoon was paramount and the best way was to impart the knowledge that was imparted upon him by his own masters as well as his own observations. A training stick almost hit him as he distracted himself with his thoughts and so, as to emphasise the point, gave the offender a solid hit on the side of the head. Lessons sometimes were imparted through struggle born of frustration. He then proceeded to quickly beat down his students, almost mercilessly. The students lay there, bleeding purple ooze into the dust of the training area from small cuts and abrasions and broken noses. Yes, they would serve well, they had come at him with something approaching hatred and killing intent. He was proud of them.

The rest of the day was spent in the usual routine, honing his own skills and those of his students. Perhaps one of these days he may take the time to indulge and request an empy resonance crystal and ask about filling one with the emotions of not one subject, but 4 at the same time. His musing brought him to the entrance of the hall of the mind, he sent a telepathic courtesy ping ahead of his entry. Being a darkstalker and wearing a mindshielding ring in mindflayer society was almost a handicap, no matter how useful in infiltration. Still, all must sacrifice for Thoon. As Warllnerg entered the common area he greeted his fellow team members warmly, tinged with anticipation he inquired whether the elder brain had authorised a new mission for them.

[Nettlekid]

The three Illithids in their privileged positions, along with several others in common areas, sit in reverent silence of the ineffable echoes of the Thoon Elder Brains' eternal sermon. Even now their minds are not in direct concert with it, but instead resonant crystal wires lining the walls relay the mental messages from the Elder Brain's chamber. These messages are also supplemented by the more traditionally telepathic preaching of the Ulitharid, Xien'kel, known also as Hades, the operator of the Knights of Tartarus. A strict commander and profoundly devout emperor-priest of the enclave, his very existence as a Ulitharid marks the enclave as chosen, and his natural charisma has the other Illithids rapt.

A telepathic wave so strong that it is visible as light reverberates through the crystal conduits through the room, and then jumps from hovering stone to stone as it spreads to every nook and cranny of the caves. A force of raw emotion and impulse, it is immediately identifiable to every psychically sensitive entity as a summons for the Knights of Tartarus. The Thoon Elder Brain has decided, mid-speech, that there is work to be done. It could easily have sent this request through the conduits only to the minds of the Knights themselves, but as status symbols and divine agents, the request is usually not secret. Somewhat reproachful as being interrupted but eternally respectful of the decisions of the brain, all lesser Illithids depart from the cathedral, leaving the Knights in peace. Two are already here, and they await the others.

Now, at the risk of controlling a player's character, I'll assume you make your way to the cathedral. Feel free to describe the process of getting there in your next post if you'd like, which would take place before this next part. But no need if you don't want to. And if there's some reason you choose not to answer the call, we can retcon this.

When the team is assembled, all is silent for a period. Well, all is always silent because communication is telepathic, but at the moment there is no telepathic dialogue either. At last, Hades "speaks".
Hold in your mind the teachings of Thoon, carry in your flesh the grace of Thoon, and let rest in your hearts the glory of Thoon, Knights of Tartarus. I consider it adequate that two already were in attendance to our Lord's sermon. And Nyx, Momus, your arrival was prompt. This is also adequate. I expect no less in all things. Within its inscrutable matrices our Lord has received divine revelation, and a task has come to the forefront that falls upon your shoulders to bear.

Your mission: Straightforward. Quintessence. Hard to find, and we take it when we do find it. We found some, on the southern continent's jungle. The Quintessence originally manifested as a deposit in soil, but that soil was used to grow a number of plants which the Quintessence now resides within. Our contact among the Yuan-Ti, a Halfblood named Yss-Vahn, has informed us that the plants were harvested and are nearing the end of a month-long preservation process. The Quintessence within is still inact, but it will not persist if the herbs are consumed or otherwise used. Simply put, you must infiltrate the Yuan-Ti settlement, retrieve the herbs, and return with them. Your tactics and methods are your own to decide.

Some words of caution or consideration. Yuan-Ti are famously suspicious even of their own kind, and moreso of outsiders. It will be difficult to use lower-ranked members as pawns to reach higher status, as the Yuan-Ti will not permit those lower-ranked members to act outside of their spheres of influence. Yuan-Ti respect serpent features: The more serpentine a creature is, the more respected it is in their society. Yss-Vahn looks much like a human with long teeth and scaled skin. He is not greatly respected among the Yuan-Ti, hence his being open to working for our cause, but he is more respected than the Purebloods who look almost entirely human. If you must feed, my recommendation is to stick to the Purebloods. The more serpentine a Yuan-Ti is, the more potent the venom you will find in its blood and brain matter. Even the Purebloods are not without risk, but they are the safest suggestion. Finally, I suggest you locate Yss-Vahn as soon as possible. He will be expecting you but will not know when or where, so it is up to you to find him. He will guide you. If for whatever reason you must kill him before the end of this, try to institute another spy and contact within the Yuan-Ti before you depart. Being as secluded as they are, it is invaluable to have connections right in the heart of them.

Do you have any questions, Knights of Thoon? What provisions will you be requesting from our stores?

[Gunhaven]

Yib'Grllom was set to eat some brains before one of his comrades greeted him. Before he could in turn greet his teammate their Holy Leader sent out his summons. Hunger was put to the way side, in fact any concern beyond hearing his leader speak was set aside for the briefest of moments. With the kind of rapt attention fitting for the voice of Thoon, Yib'Grllom listened to every word Xien'Kel and awaited until such a figure was done before he could speak.
More to himself he searched his own knowledge of the Yuan-Ti to see what language their newest converts spoke and if he would need to remove such a barrier before they left. He then opened his mind to the glory of Thoon and "said" "Blessed be us to receive this mission from Thoon. In It's name we will find this quintessence and in Your honor we will return with it. They will enjoy the embrace of Thoon just as we have when we open their minds to It's glory. These things I assure you, my Lord."

If he found no such knowledge of the language of the Yuan-Ti then he added "I am sorry my Lord but I couldn't find any information on our newest converts. What language do these newest disciples speak?"

If the language they speak isn't one Illithid's can learn then he added "My Lord, I personally request a means to overcome the barrier of language with these newest converts. All will follow Thoon in the end and such technicalities as language shouldn't get in the way of our holy mission."

At any rate he says "I simply require a location to Shift to and a brain to sate me before we begin to convert these newest disciples of Thoon into the glorious fold. I will await my comrade's with patience as I am sure they would do the same in my case."

Base d20: [roll0]
Arcana: +13 23
Dungeoneering: +15 25
Local: +10 20
Nature: +10 20
Planes: +13 23
Religion: +15 25

[BilltheCynic]

Ythenoriol started as he received the telepathic summons. Filing his idea away for a more appropriate time, he hastily made his way towards chapel. As neared the entrance, he decided to add a bit a bit of fanfare to his entrance. While opening the door, he made some quick gestures and arcane words, he created some illusions of drow thrall just inside the chapel, sharply dressed and with a trumpet in hand. The illusionary drow raised the trumpet and blared out a short opening tune before dissipating into smoke.

Ythenoriol sent out a telepathic herald of his own arrival. The honorable "Nix" Ythenoriol, Knight of Tartarus, false deity, overthrower of kingdoms and empires, manipulator of drow, and, above all, loyal servant of the great Thoon, may it reign forever, has arrived, that its humble service might further the goals of the Thoon Elder Brain

After his grand entrance, he strolls to an available place in the entry hall and waits for instructions from Xien'Kel.

After the instructions have been given.

Ythenoriol bows deeply. As ever, it is an honor to further the will of Thoon. There are certain matters to be addressed, however. Though we can communicate with the Yuan Ti with telepathy, and we most likely share a few languages, it might be difficult if we have no way to understand their preferred language of communication. I am afraid I have no magic that can remedy this, but if the enclave has some item that would allow us to comprehend their language, it would greatly help our efforts.

These reptilians seem quite fond of poison, and may themselves be poisonous. I therefore request antitoxins to help us withstand their putrid venom. There are a few other minor items that would help, if you could spare them.

Casts "Minor image" before entering
Current number of 2nd level spells: 8/9


Ring of Perpetual Attendance (2,000)
Healing Belt (750 gp)
Masterwork Thieves Tools (100 gp)
Masterwork Tools: Bluff (50 gp)
Masterwork Tools: Disguise (50 gp)
Vial of Antitoxin x5 (500 gp)
Spell Component Pouch (5 gp)

Current gp: 4,000
Total Cost: 3,455 gp
What's left: 545 gp

[nolongerchaos]

H'aaztre remains silent as the instructions are relayed to the Knights, but regards it prudent to request supplies.
Antitoxins would be wise. Additionally, as time is of the essense, I do not believe that scrolls of Locate City would go amiss, ideally of sufficient power to let us know when we are within perhaps 30 miles of the settlement, with enough extras to account for potential misscastings and Plane Shifting beyond the range of the spell.

[kemmotar]

Blessed are we to receive the word of thoon, the instructions of the hallowed elder brain and your wisdom my lord Hades. Dione stands ready to serve, I would only request mundane equipment, though an item with the ability to cast rope trick would be useful for extended infiltrations. For mundane equipment, I would request silk rope, grappling hooks and perhaps an alchemical agent capable of dissolving yuan-ti bodies in a relatively short time to prevent discovery should we need it.

When the orders started coming through Warllnerg's tentacles visibly calmed from the natural yet incessant semi-writhing of a mindflayer's roilling thoughts. Purpose ruled his mind in a place where no extraneous thought could penetrate and divert him. Plans were already being analysed, filed or rejected in quick succession.

[BilltheCynic]

Ythenoriol thinks approval at his fellow knights' requests. As he further considers the mission and his team's equipment, a thought strikes him

Lord Hades, these herbs that contain the holy Quintessence, how many are there? Could all of it fit inside two haversacks? If not, we will need some more extra-dimensional storage to transport it all.

Also, are they any factions, hostilities, or alliances with the Yuan Ti leadership or populace that you can tell us about? It might be useful to play these to our advantage.

[Nettlekid]

Hades relays the requests for equipment through the crystal conduits, evaluating how useful each requested tool will be and what the stores can supply.

Antitoxin is a wise choice, but do not become reliant on it for absolute protection. I will requisition additional preventative measures, though they will be less plentiful than the Antitoxin.

It is surprising to me that you wish to speak with the Yuan-Ti. Yss-Vahn knows Undercommon well enough, and it will be an unusual circumstance when speaking with the Yuan-Ti will do you well. Nonetheless I will inquire as to what is available.

I will request grappling equipment for you. It is difficult to envision a situation requiring a grappling hook that your Levitation would not suffice to surpass, but it is wise to be prepared for any eventuality.

A means to locate the Yuan-Ti village is prudent, as I cannot vouch for the precision of your teleportation. Take care that you do not mistake one establishment for another, as there is more than one Yuan-Ti cult that lives on the southern continent.

Ah, the swift will be rewarded. With the grace of Thoon in its steps here come the supplies now, and the Map.

An Ogre rises on the hovering crystal platform, carrying in one hand a twisted steel pod and in the other a limp Elf woman. It gently places the pod on the ground, and unceremoniously drops the Elf before the Knights. Hades peels back the metal from the pod, the steel becoming highly malleable to any amount of psychic influence.

You are supplied with five vials of Antitoxin, each which last only for one hour. You also have three potions of Delay Poison which will last for four hours each, but remember that all poison will take its effect at the end of that time. We have also managed to procure a single scroll of Neutralize Poison, usable by Nyx and Dione if memory serves, for a more emergency situation. You are also supplied with five scrolls of Locate City, each capable of scanning up to 50 miles in radius. It is not the most absolute of detection, but with Thoon's fortune it will suffice, or you will be able to work with what it reveals. The language barrier is not easily overcome; we have an extensive collection of Pearls of Speech but only a single Pearl capable of granting the Yuan-Ti tongue. It is fortunate we had even the one. To supplement it we have three scrolls of Tongues, but beware of the half-hour duration and use them only when necessary. We also have 200 feet of Silk Rope and two grappling hooks for your use. As for the alchemical agent, there was no acid potent enough so as to bring a sufficient quantity without being cumbersome, but you have been supplied with one Shroud of Disintegration for the same purpose. It only works once however, so make that use count.

If these are all the supplies you need, we can now turn our attention to the Map.

Hades turns to the Elf girl, who has been lying on the ground since she was left there. Hades' eyes narrow and the girl shrieks in pain as her body is lifted upward by telekinetic force pulling on crown of her head. From this position the Knights can see a bright green gem on her chest, one that they've seen before. It's a Kiira N'Vaelahr, an Elven gemstone which records every memory of the bearer. It can play those memories back at will to the bearer and grants the bearer the ability to Detect Thoughts and telepathically transmit the memories as well. In this case however it's simplest to use its ability to create a Major Image of the memory in question.

You know all this already, but it bears repeating. The scouts we send afield to survey the land are equipped with Aspect Mirrors which they can trigger to relay information to us. Each scouting mirror is keyed to correspond to the master mirror in our communications tower, and to none other. The Map unfailingly records all transmissions we receive from the master mirror, and as such has a mental record of everything our scouts have seen through their own eyes. We use the power of the Kiira to collect the information ourselves, as we don't want to lose it all if this Map is rendered inoperable, but as long as we have it we may as well use it. It is fortunate to us that the bearer of the Kiira, an Elf, has no need to sleep.

Hades' psychic threads trepan the Elf's skull and coax her into revealing the memory scouted of the southern jungles. Like a tooth rotted by invasion of bacteria and overuse, her mental barrier is soft and flexible, and pressing into it causes her to writhe in pain. The Major Image projects from the gemstone, and you see what the Elf saw, a wide silver mirror holding the image of a thick canopy. Whatever spy held the Aspect Mirror is a flyer, and you see the loose-fronded jungle trees stretching up to meet it in the sky. You can see the morning sun hanging in the east, cresting over a mountainous region. The spy makes a dizzying descent into the jungle, and you are now among the trees and undergrowth. The spy climbs to the ground, following arteries of rivers through across the land. The spy then breaks away from the river and continues swiftly down what is clearly a traveled path, and the trees begin to thin only barely. The spy then climbs back up a tree, and holds the mirror still to provide a good look at what it can see. The Yuan-Ti terrain incorporates itself into the natural jungle, most smaller dwellings made out of burrows in the ground similar to those of the Halflings. But any grander monument is made of mossy cut stone, locked together in clever architecture without the need for mortar. They are fond of ziggurats, and the clan's home is made of many smaller buildings which join together to form the base of a much larger structure in the center. No building pierces above the treeline though. The encampment is thick with Yuan-Ti, horrific mishmashes of creatures. Some look entirely humanoid, some look like mer-snakes, some have multiple tails and some have snakes in place of arms. By far the dumbest are long snakes with humanoid feet. The image then falters, and the spy takes off back into the air with incredible speed. Something must have spooked it.

Hades keeps the Map where she is, maintaining the Major Image if any of the Knights want to go back over it for any particular detail.
Here we are, the Yuan-Ti territory of Jiresss Ssurkuth. It is in this tribe that our contact Yss-Vahn lives. It is one of three great Yuan-Ti tribes in the region, along with Tsoruth Kaael and the Vaylesss. The architecture is similar between tribes and the people all look the same, but at the very least their war paint differs in color. The tribes' colors are Green, Blue, and Red respectively, so find the Green one. Jiresss Ssurkuth is also the more theistic of the three, revering their progenitor races and what they consider to be paragons of their species as rulers. Tsoruth Kaael is an unaffiliated tribe of lesser power but greater knowledge of alchemy and lost magic. The Vaylesss are a warrior splinter group formed of Purebloods and Halfbloods that disassociated from Jiresss Ssurkuth after deciding that they could take their destinies into their own hands. They raid Jiresss Ssurkuth on occasion for supplies and to establish dominance, but as Jiresss Ssurkuth is still the stronger power they don't overextend.

[nolongerchaos]

After observing the Map, H'aaztre turns to Hades, eyes still bright with interest and perhaps for an instant, a hint of longing.
Hecate stands ready to serve at the will of Thoon.

[BilltheCynic]

Ythenoriol gazed at the image thoughtfully. I've always loved these little maps. Hmm. What species was scouting those images, and what spooked it? I want to know how good the Yuan Ti are at detecting intruders at their border.

There is one last item I request for this mission: a physical map of the area, one that labels the locations of the three cities and a few significant landmarks. I would hate for us to travel to the region, only to wind up closer to one of the other two regions and our Locate City to point us to them. It would waste precious time that we need to retrieve the Quintessence.

And now a few final bits of information: I would like to know the leader or leaders of Jiresss Ssurkuth, Tsoruth Kaael, and the Vaylesss. Are there any factions within the respective regions that are vying for power? What religion does each of the three regions have, and what are some of the practices, customs, and taboos? Do we know if any other parties have spies in the area?

[kemmotar]

Dione too stands ready to serve the Elder Brain.

[Nettlekid]

It was a repurposed Desmodu Hunting Bat that we had sent out to the surface. We do not have information on what frightened the bat, but it is likely not affiliated with the Yuan-Ti. The jungle is the jungle and every creature in it seeks prey. Of course, not enough information exists to draw a satisfactory conclusion.

Regrettably, we do not have a physical map of the terrain. The jungle is too treacherous for us to rely on thralls that would likely be slain, but the terrain and climate is dangerous for our own kind. As a result, the cost and risk outweighs the benefits of a thorough exploration. The Yuan-Ti have not made significant movements in some time, leaving this region a lower priority than say, following the territory changes of Elven lands. The most we can offer you is information about relative positions. There is a mountain rising in the north of the continent, the one you saw in the image. Further north is sparse vegetation in a poorly irrigated region leading to sandy beaches and the saltwaters of the ocean. To the southwest of the mountain is the clan you're looking for, Jiresss Ssurkuth. To the direct east of the mountain is Tsoruth Kaael, in thick jungles. Directly south of the mountain, to the southeast of Jiresss Ssurkuth, are the grounds of the Vaylesss, although they are somewhat nomadic and don't necessarily stay rooted.

The de facto leader of Jiresss Ssurkuth is the shaman Natrix, a burly Abomination notable for his long snake tail but muscular human arms, and a hooded snake head decorated in ceremonial paints. Beyond the strength of his race he is gifted at channeling divine magic from his god Sseth. He claims to be the servant of a paragon Yuan-Ti, an Anathema, but neither we nor our contact Yss-Vahn has ever laid eyes on the Anathema, nor has anyone Yss-Vahn has contacted. It is likely that it does not exist, and Natrix is using the concept of the Anathema as justification for holding the role of shaman, but imposing his own will over the Yuan-Ti. The system is a theocracy, revering Sseth above all, the Anathema as a conduit of Sseth, and Natrix as speaker and sovereign for the Anathema. Race is everything within Jiresss Surkuth, and to stray from your place and role in life is a grave offense. To our knowledge there is no splinter group seeking to overthrow the system of power, though essentially that's what the Vaylesss is.

Tsoruth Kaael is more of a meritocracy, in which those skilled with arcane magical power rise in stature faster than those who are not. This gives Purebloods and Halfbloods a better chance, though the more ophidian a Yuan-Ti is the more potent their magic and so many higher-ups are Abominations anyway. Still, outliers exist. Their government is a council called Orochi, after the eightfold snake, with each of the eight members a specialist in each of the schools of magic. To enter the council, a Yuan-Ti must defeat a current member in a battle of their specialized school. Tsoruth Kaael's exploits are less flashy and grand than those of Jiresss Ssurkuth, and if the two clans were to engage in full-out war I believe Jiresss Ssurkuth would be the victor, but in the long run I believe Tsoruth Kaael has the greater potential. They are also more open to outsiders, especially those wishing to trade in knowledge, though they look down on divine magic.

Finally, the Vaylesss is little more than a rebellion army composed of Purebloods and Halfbloods who resent Jiresss Surkuth. Their current leader is a Halfblood who goes by Sidewinder, but considering the lethality of any undertaking opposing a force like Jiresss Surkuth, which outnumbers and overpowers the Vaylesss the leaders and generals don't really last all that long. They are militant and appreciate raw strength, though they are also cunning and know their race's weaknesses well enough to exploit them, and their strengths well enough to defend. Yss-Vahn has informed us that there are whisperings that the Vaylesss are attempting to ally with Tsoruth Kaael to gain magical aid in overpowering Jiresss Surkuth, though what incentive Tsoruth Kaael has in arming these temperamental vagabonds is unclear. Estimates suggest Tsoruth Kaael is wise enough not to give such a volatile group a means to substantially harm others that could later be turned against them, even if it could remove Jiresss Surkuth from the area.

[Gunhaven]

Yib'Grllom picked up the pearl and grimly said "There will be a time soon that the will of Thoon will grace these future disciples. I wish to be prepared in case I have to speak to these newest followers in their accursed tongue so that they understand the full power of Thoon. It may be best to see if we can't convince some of the other lesser races to ally us and help elevate them to the level fitting for slaves that are blessed by Thoon." He then grinned a hateful grin as he began to plan for the turning of Natrix.

[Nettlekid]

Hades lets the Elf woman go limp, released from telekinetic grip. The Ogre picks her back up, along with the empty cargo pod, and returns down the hovering platforms. Hades points its hand, and all six of its tentacles rise up to frame its face.

If this is all you request, Knights of Tartarus, then set to your mission! To the jungles of the southern continent, to the temples of the Yuan-Ti, to reclaim that which our lord and sovereign asks of you! Thoon is Thoon! it prompts.

[nolongerchaos]

Thoon is all. Hecate replies with a deep bow.
Upon rising, Hecate extends its hands to form the necessary circle to Plane Shift as a group.

[BilltheCynic]

Ythenoriol bows as well. Thoon is all. We shall return with the Quintessence.

The time had come for a mission. Ythenoriol must be set aside for the moment. He was now Nix.

Nix waits for the group to gather, then if and/or when they do, he makes a few subtle gestures and arcane words, and they all fade from sight. He then joins hands with Hecate.

Just before Hecate uses Plane Shift, Nix will cast Invisibility Sphere.

[Nettlekid]

Linking hands, the party first fades into invisibility, and then vanishes from reality itself. Momentarily they touch upon the dark, indistinct land of the Plane of Shadow, greeted by a cave bereft of Illithids but probably not empty as a whole. Or entirely stationary. One more use of Plane Shift returns the band to the Material Plane, with the intent of landing near the site they had imprinted to their mind's eye.

The band flickers back into existence, and is assailed by the uncomfortable heat but relaxing humidity of this tropical jungle. The foliage is about as dense as a normal forest, not the thick rainforest they had seen from the Map. By the sun you are able to discern west, and you see the rising mountain to the west-northwest.

[BilltheCynic]

Nix winces slightly at the sudden rise in temperature. He looks at the area around him, noting that the forest is not as dense as it should be.

We really need a more precise method of long distance travel. Perhaps we should levitate above the tree line to get a better view of the surrounding area. Together, of course. Wouldn't want any of us to leave the invisibility sphere too soon.

Using Mindsight, do I detect any intelligent creatures within 100 ft? If so how many, in what density in each direction, and are there any with an unusual type or relatively high intelligence?

[Nettlekid]

There are many animals of Int 1 nearby, and a couple of Int 2. There are no sapient creatures within 100 ft.

[Gunhaven]

Yib'Grllom, or Momus now that he was on a mission, nodded once at the suggestion. As a safety measure he got out his jug of Shapesand and began to fiddle with it as he floated off the ground. There were no disciples to convert right now and no need to be concerned about dangers so he took the chance to work up a passable disguise. Thoon would provide in these times and once it was set he said "Comrades, I am ready. I believe my disguise will be passable against most of the future converts."
Using Shapesand to turn it into a Disguise Kit (there's no bad things if I mess up the roll). Then taking 10 (using skill mastery if it matters). 10+8 Cha+2 Kit-2 Different Race.

Disguise Check: 18

[BilltheCynic]

Nix projects amusement. Well, if you decide your disguise needs some help, just remember that you're traveling with a master illusionist who could make you look like a Raptoran if you wanted.

[nolongerchaos]

Hecate stares blandly at the suggestion of levetation. Fool.
If Jiresss Surkuth is southwest of the mountain, then we are much too far to the east. I suggest we Plane Shift until the mountain is northeast of us, then try one of the Locate City scrolls. That should give us the best chance to find our quarry quickly.

[kemmotar]

Seeing his comrades reaction Warllnerg was immediately thankful for the dampsuit modification to his armor, his skin stayed cool, comfortable and pleasantly damp. His gaze wandered around, detecting no intelligent life he forsook the need for stealth.

I concur, shifting in again to minimise distance we would need to travel appears to be the best choice.

He sent to the minds of his comrades.

[Gunhaven]

Momus nodded once and sent "You both speak truth and time is of the essence. We can't have the future followers of Thoon waste their quintessence after all. Let us shift until such a time that we either detect someone to question or we find the home of our newest disciples? As for magical disguises I think it may be necessary once we get closer to our objective. The mundane will work while we travel and in case they try to strip away such work." He then floated down and grabbed hands, ready to blink in and out of the transitive planes until they got closer to the city.

[BilltheCynic]

Nix projected annoyance, but let's the insult slide. Well, if the rest of you would rather save a minute of time than gather a bit of information about this relatively unexplored land, so be it. It's not important enough to fight over it.

Nix grabs Momus' hand and waits for the plane shift.

[Nettlekid]

The team skips back into shadow, and reappears in the jungle once more. The foliage is still thinner than you would expect, and the mountain rises to the south-southeast of your position.

[nolongerchaos]

The mountain is still not northeast. Again.

The earlier "Fool" was internal, not projected, hence not being italicized. As listed on the character sheet, Hecate is a Shadow Flayer, and thus unable to Levitate.

[Nettlekid]

I guess I'll just have you keep shifting until it's northeast?

The team makes several shifts. The mountain keep moving around them, first to the east-southeast, then directly south, then to the northwest, then to the southwest again but further, then to the southwest again but closer, then to the northwest again, then to the southeast again, then to the northwest a third time, and then finally to the north-northeast. It looks several hundred miles away, though it's unclear how far from the mountain the city is.

[BilltheCynic]

Ythenoriol looks at the mountains yet again, this time happy that they are finally in the right direction.

Hmm. I guess it still beats walking. Well, some of the walking anyway. Shall we use that scroll now?

Mindsight is active. What do I detect?

[nolongerchaos]

I believe that yes, we might be close enough now to warrant the use of a scroll.

[BilltheCynic]

Nix pulls out one of the scrolls. Very well then. Let's see, Jiresss Ssurkuth is the largest and nearest tribe and we are looking for their capital, so I will see if I can divine the closest metropolis.

Nix gives the scroll a cursory glance and mumbles the incantation.

UMD Roll: [roll0]

Looking for the nearest metropolis

[Nettlekid]

Locate City functions, but does not detect a metropolis withing 50 miles of your position.

[BilltheCynic]

Nix looks at the scroll in annoyance. Well, the spell didn't reveal anything. Either I misjudged how large Jiresss Ssurkuth is or how far away it is. Perhaps both. I knew there were a few more things I should have asked Hades at the enclave. Ah well, it's no problem a bit of magic can't solve.

Nix begins casting Sending to request information from Hades.

How large is population of Jiresss Ssurkuth and how far from mountains is it? Any indiginous creature might pose problem or Yuan Ti might tame?

[Nettlekid]

Hades' reply is prompt.
So soon? Population of ten thousand, estimated. One hundred miles southwest of the mountain. Beasts? Most certainly. That's why we sent you. Thoon is Thoon.

[BilltheCynic]

Nix conveys his initial message and Hade's response to the others. With annoyance he adds, Would it kill Hades to get some more power arcanists to make the scrolls, or maybe buy a few from some drow?

Nix considers the options before them. I suppose we could walk. That would only take about, oh, fifty days. Alternatively, we know the approximate distance from the mountain to the Jiresss Ssurkuth. I say we keep plane shifting until the mountains are both to the northeast and between fifty and one hundred fifty feet away. There is around a one in ten chance per shift that that will happen. After that, we use a scroll. We should be close enough then to successfully find the city, and it will take a maximum of around nine days to travel to the city. If we are lucky, we might be close enough to make it to the city in one day. Any objections?

[Nettlekid]

The party begins to warp again. First the mountain appears to the west-by-northwest at about 200 miles, then again at about 300, then it is completely out of sight, and then you find yourselves about ten miles southwest of the base of the mountain. If Hades is correct, this is by far the closest you've gotten yet, and Jiresss Ssurkuth is only about 90 miles to the southwest.

[Gunhaven]

Once they're at the proper facing Momus sent out "This may be the best we can manage right now without having a clear goal. I believe there's an unrealistic chance we'll be the shortest distance from the city, let alone the right facing. From here we can at least maintain our bearings using the mountain every few hour until we finish the distance."

[nolongerchaos]

Hecate nods assent.
Very well. Once we are closer we can use a scroll to better get our bearings.

[kemmotar]

Indeed, it would also save us the unnecessary complication of having extricate ourselves from the middle of a settlement.

Warllnerg sent in response. His thoughts tinged with anticipation and a desire similar to wanting to stretch or flex your muscles.

[BilltheCynic]

Nix conveys affirmation. Well, if we are agreed, I suggest we start walking.

[Nettlekid]

(As per the OoC decision to warp instead of walk)

The mountain appears approximately: 300 miles Northeast, 50 miles Northeast (closer, stop here?), 400 miles Northeast, 250 miles North, 50 miles East, 400 miles Northeast, 400 miles Northeast, 100 miles Northwest, 200 miles Southeast, and then literally five hundred more indistinct warps so that you have been trying to Plane Shift for almost two hours. As frustration sets in, you shift once more and land in the outskirts of a city. The buildings are tall and thin, made from stone rising out from the earth rather than wood from the trees, painted and decorated with less precious gemstones. There are four Monstrous Humanoids with Ints 17, 18, 21, and 24 within 100 feet, but you also sense several others of Ints 16-28 occasionally enter your Mindsight range underground. You have not yet been spotted by anything, at least to your knowledge.

[BilltheCynic]

Nix conveys his mindsight findings to Momus and slips into a nearby shadow. Still beats walking. Well friends, shall I make us unseen and unheard, or should I disguise our appearances to blend in?

Hide in plain sight: [roll0]

[Gunhaven]

Momus sent out an amused laughter as well as "I request that layer of disguise if they wish to see us. But first, why don't we see if these future disciples need to even see to believe."

He paused briefly, in case an objection was raised and to confirm that they were in at least the right territory, before he sent out in every direction to every intelligent being within range of his telepathy "Children of mine! It is I, your Lord gifting you with My presence! Do not be alarmed by my sudden appearance My faithful for I have always watched you and judged you worthy of receiving My presence that Natrix enjoys. Bow down and I shall reveal to you, the first to be touched, My avatars!"

First to make sure I know something about this religion of theirs: [roll]1d20+15]

Second a bluff check: [roll0]

Third a diplomacy check: [roll1] (without the +4 if I passed the bluff or -5 if we wanted to speed it along).

[nolongerchaos]

Hecate's head jerks sharply in the direction of Momus, then moves into the shadows beside Nix. Imbicile. What in the name of Thoon is it doing, blindly alerting them to our presence.
Conceal us as best you can before things get quickly out of hand. The fool.(Nix)

[roll0]
Huh. Three characters fairly geared towards stealth, and one who desires nothing but the opposite. This could be interesting...

[BilltheCynic]

Nix is silent, but weaves his hands in an intricate manner to cast the spells. Plans? Who needs plans when you can go straight to the false diety ploy. I'm sure that they will be so awed by our incredible theatrics that they'll just hand over the Quintessence.

Casting Silent Invisibility Sphere centered on himself, then Silent Silence centered on Momus.

New hide check: [roll0]

[kemmotar]

Having not initially understood what was meant he thought he might at least take this chance to sneak in, taking advantage Nix's casting of invisibility.

I shall try to make the most of this...distraction. I'll sneak in and try to find out as much as I can. How long will the invisibility last?

Once he got his answer, if there were no objections he closed into the town using his midsight to keep as far away as necessary from whoever might locate him. Whenever possible from cover he uses his detect thoughts to gather information, especially where larger clumps may congregate.


stealth:[roll0] plus whatever circumstance bonus from invisibility you want to apply
Detect thoughts range, spherical 30ft, 4 targets at the same time, instant effect, DC:20

[BilltheCynic]

Nix conveys exasperation. I cast Invisibility Sphere. It's a 20 foot sphere centered on me, so unless we all travel together some of us will lose the benefit. I'll cast a seperate, personalized Invisibility on you. It will last fourteen minutes.

Casting Silent Invisibility on Warllnerg

[kemmotar]

Many thanks, I'll be back soon then.

Warllnerg sent to Nix as he set out keeping in mind the distance travelled from the outskirts of town where he could safely slip out so he can slip out before the spell runs out.

[Nettlekid]

You know that the Yuan-Ti people worship Sseth, and that Sseth's blessings are those which were described to you by Hades as being the origin of Natrix's powers and that the Yuan-Ti of Jiresss Ssurkuth revere creatures like the Anathema as quasi-deities.

The Yuan-Ti nearby stop and stiffen at Momus' telepathic intrusion, listening to the proclamation intently. Even those which you picked up underground have stopped moving, and quite quickly more gather in the 100 foot radius of your Mindsight. Their heads are swiveling, looking for the source of the telepathy, but seeing none. The air is filled with sibilant muttering as they discuss what's happening in their own tongue. They call a few more nearby Yuan-Ti over to continue to discuss.

The first patch of Yuan-Ti that Dione uses Detect Thoughts on is the cluster nearby to the party. Although Yuan-Ti have strong wills, two of these four had a lapse in focus and Dione is able to infiltrate their minds. You hear the thoughts of two, and are able to guess at the conversation between them based on new thoughts entering their mind.

Lord? Our Lord? Who uses such a term among us?
Avatar. It speaks of the hierarchy of deities. It blasphemes the Serpent.
Natrix? I know that name. From where?
Natrix is the leader of the heathens, Natrix is the priest of the clan of Jiresss Ssurkuth.

(It is at this point that they have called over more Yuan-Ti)

It is mistaken. It addresses the wrong flock. It believes us to be heathens.
Ezrae did not hear the call in her mind's ear. It was to us, and us alone?
No, it was to those nearby. Ezrae was too far.
What god beseeches aid from those who turn it away? What god's voice carries not even across a court?
No god could be so blind. So foolish. We deal with a liar. An impostor. We must act.
Tsareli will go to council. Be this an Enchantment in our minds, Sser Vusset will see it gone. Be they hiding, Sser Occaif will find them. The Orochi will not stand for real gods, let alone false!


Three of the Yuan-Ti are standing nearby, still trying to find the source of the thoughts. Three others though, one who had first heard Momus' speech and two who had only been called over, now retreat in different directions.

[kemmotar]

Warllnerg frowns as he "reads" the conversation and decides to try and take advantage of the situation to generate additional confusion. As he reads the thoughts of the yuan ti he selects the one with the lower intelligence and casts suggestion directly into his mind using his telepathy and attempting to introduce the thought into the normal stream of thought, making it appear as an idea born inside the serpent creature's body.

Perhaps it is not an impostor but simply another god attempting to take over the settlement, it could raise my stature if I side with the newcomer and he is successful


Bluff to fake it being his own thoughts (hopefully increasing reasonability thus increasing dc of suggestion?):
[roll0]

suggestion DC:19+any modifiers

[Gunhaven]

Momus couldn't help but grin as he continued to spin the sermon to those that remained and entered the sphere of influence, noting briefly that he was in a different territory than what was desired. "Come My faithful, My lost flock. Look deep within your soul and mind and embrace this grand new age that I offer to you; those few who have been blessed by My presence! Do you not wish to enjoy the gifts of the Anathema? Your standing within the old empire of Tsoruth Kaael no longer matter in My eyes for I have deemed each of you worthy!" With a subtle twist he began to infuse his words to each soul that happens to be within range of his charming nature as he asked them "Are you not tired of lacking the gifts of the Anathema?"

Just gonna take 10 for any sort of bluffs/diplomacy checks. Gets me a 43 Bluff and 55 Diplomacy.

I'm also gonna try and use the Charm Person SLA on anyone I can (besides the group). DC should be 19

[BilltheCynic]

Nix percieves the surrounding situation with interest, both Momus' sermon and the position of the mountains.

Nice sermon, but it needs more threats of divine punishment to the unfaithful. I take it you too have surmised that we're in the wrong city. Ah well, better the wrong city than trekking through the wilderness. Looks like you're going for the "fake phantom foe" gambit. Classic, but I suggest wrapping it up and we get out of here. Word will spread fast, and we want to leave before someone with a way to foil my illusions arrives. Still, this has been a good show. Should start plenty of rumors and paranoia, and we can work this situation to our advantage.

[Nettlekid]

The three remaining Yuan-Ti mutter among themselves further. One then speaks aloud, in its native language.

You, er, you never declared you had actually used that Pearl of Speech.

[Gunhaven]

When Momus hears someone speaking close enough to actually be heard he quickly uses the Pearl of Speech (being able to hopefully defer the couple of words he missed). Someone had to understand the future disciples after all.

[BilltheCynic]

Nix mentally reprimands himself, then watches Momus pop the pearl in his mouth. To his comrades, and in particular Momus, he sends, I suggest we don't respond. Better they think whatever caused this is long gone. We should get out of here. I'll send a message to Warllnerg later to tell him where we went.

Using Detect Thoughts on the speaker. DC should be 19.

[Nettlekid]

Well, you don't watch Momus consuming the pearl, since you're all invisible next to each other.

"-name?" is the only part of the Yuan-Ti's dialogue that Momus overhears. The Yuan-Ti's mind is strong, and able to resist Detect Thoughts at least for now.

[Gunhaven]

With a nod, Momus sent to his comrades "Yes, let's get going. We can come back in a few hours from the other side and start another flare of confusion. I will follow you, Nix, so that we can remain silent and invisible for as long as possible. Let us remember as well the timing of our mission as we spread the word."

[BilltheCynic]

Nix nods, then leads Momus and (assuming he is willing) Hecate to a hiding spot a decent hiding spot in the forest. After about a minute and a half of travel he stops, instructs his companions to hide themselves, and starts casting a Message for Dionne.

Retreated into forest. Traveled for ninety seconds center-left direction to forest from starting point. Regroup. Hidden; use telepathy to find us.

If and/or when the group reassembles, Nix sends the following message:

Well, that entrance turned out to be more eventful than I expected. Still, I think that comrade Momus' theatrics might end up being a boon. I believe our best option right now is to frame Jiresss for this and make it look like Jiresss is attempting to convert an army right in the middle of Tsoruth. This should create quite a bit more tension between the two tribes, which we can also increase on Jiresss' side. Hopefully we can escalate this into all out war, which should distract them enough for us to steal the Quintessence.

However, Comrade Momus raised an excellent point on time; we only have a finite amount. As such, I suggest we establish and prioritize exactly what we need to do. First, we need to make Momus' little sermon look like a slip that reveals a much larger scheme, one that Jiresss is attempting to cover up. Second, we need to plant some evidence that a much larger scheme is indeed going on. Third, I would like to plant some evidence that Jiresss is trying to raise an undead army right in the middle of Tsoruth. And fourth, we need some way to accurately teleport to Jiresss. Personally, I think we can accomplish all of this within three days.

For the first point, I'm afraid that means Momus should not be doing any large scale sermons to the masses. Sorry about that. Don't be too distraught, we will still need some more sermons for this scheme, but they will be more selective. Anyway, onto the first point, I suggest we try to quietly kill two to three of the Yuan Ti who heard Momus today. No need to use the disintegration shroud, I think. It doesn't have to actually be quiet, just look quiet. I expect comrades Dionne and Hecate's skills to be quite useful here. However, touching on point three, on at least one of the Yuan Ti I would like to attack him with some of Momus' undead. The important point here is that there is evidence that undead attacked. Whether that particular Yuan Ti survives or not is of lesser importance. Raising undead should quite fit the style of the more religious Jiresss, at least in the eyes of Tsoruth.

On to point two, I suggest we kidnap a few of the more suggestible and lower profile Yuan Ti and convince them of how wonderful Jiresss is. I assume Momus will have no trouble converting about a half dozen captive Yuan Ti. After that, all it takes is a simple Suggestion to get one of our new converts to make a slip of the tongue in front of someone who would turn him in. Now we have a witch hunt within Tsoruth and highly increased tension with Jiresss.

Finally point four, teleportation. I see one of two ways to do this: acquire an item such as a few scrolls or a runestaff, or find a Yuan Ti who can teleport from which comrade Hecate can, ah, acquire the ability. I would suggest a smash and grab for the former: get in, steal the items, plane shift out.

If all goes well, we should be able to get into Jiresss in a few days with quite a bit of work already none. Now, we are all incredibly skilled specialists who have been doing this sort of thing for quite a while, so I would very much value the imput of my comrades. If anyone objects to my plan or any specific part or parts of my plan, or has a different plan, please speak now.

For the sake of a nice round number, I'm assuming the time since Nix cast invisibility on Dionne was about 30 seconds. The invisibility should last for 14 minutes. If you subtract the travel time and the time to cast message, that should give Dionne about two minutes after receiving the message before his invisibility runs out.

Taking ten on stealth, which puts the check at 42. I get an extra +40 on the check for as long as I remain invisible.

[nolongerchaos]

Hecate's tentacles writhe while pondering the suggested plan for a moment before responding.
The foundation of your plan is fair, however for teleportation we will almost certainly need a scroll or staff. While eating the brain of a mage would certainly allow me to eventually cast Teleport, unless these Yuan-Ti have a sorcerous bent, I would require a spellbook in order to prepare such a spell, and even then we'd need a mage of sufficient power to be able to cast the spell themself.

[kemmotar]

Before regrouping, Warllnerg took a small tour of the defences of the yuan-ti settlement, taking full advantage of his invisibility. Having gathered as much information as he safely could he ran through the forest towards the rest of the team. He listened intently to the plan, his tentacles expanding and contracting in twos as if keeping internal rythm with his thoughts.

There are two ways I see through this, the first, we create internal conflict with the aim of weakening both sides with the purpose of aiding one of them and bring them into the service of the elder brain by force, magic or diplomacy. The second is to spark conflict between the villages, have them attack and use the confusion to infilitrate and steal the herbs.

However, I think this plan may be unnecessarily complicated. For now I believe it would not be too difficult to inflitrate the settlement and steal the quintessence containing herbs. If the aim of all this is to acquire a scroll of teleportation, I believe I could use it having been trained in the use of various magical devices. The difficulty would of course increase depending on the power of the spell and I do not know the pitfalls of the less accurate ones. Additionally, it would be more difficult to infiltrate their wizard's abode, if they even have one, and steal his scrolls. My suggested method of distraction would be to start with a small contingent of wights using Hecate's deadly touch in the middle of the night. They should have enough time to do some damage and while the settlement attempts to understand and combat this attack. Perhaps a well placed sermor to add to the confusion?

This might also fall within your plans comrade Nix, using undead to feign a threat from Jiress. Their wizard, would probably then be called into action to protect the settlement as they might be expecting a larger attack? Perhaps we could convince them of that beforehand. The tower, or whatever structure the wizard uses, would then be undefended, at least for a while. We could search it, take any valuable items and scrolls and immediately teleport out, assuming he actually has such a scroll or magical device. If not, we will have to return to our plan of shifting from plane to plane in order to find Jiress. I suggest we make preparations to enact such a plan tonight. Taking longer to entangle the settlements into conflict has, for the moment, no proven value above that of the herbs, after we acquire them, we can return and convert them at our leisure.

[nolongerchaos]

After pondering this suggestion, Hecate replies I can indeed create wights, but I have not any means of controlling them. The cropses would need to be strategically located to create the proper effect, and we also could not use them to feed, as missing brains would not go unnoticed. Additionally, being intelligent, the wight might act unpredicatbly, and most of us lack means of combatting undead should they find us in the mix.

[BilltheCynic]

Yes, facing a spellcaster wouldn't be pleasant and might draw undue attention. I thought simply acquiring an item might be preferable, but I wanted to lay out all of our options.

You say "unnecessarily complicated." I say "artistically finding interesting yet effective designs to achieve our goals." Same thing really, but it sounds nicer when put my way. Also, do not forget our primary objective: obtaining the quintessence. Bringing the tribes into the service of Thoon would be nice, but let it not distract us from our main goal. Actually, if we provoked war between the two, there might be so much resulting chaos and destruction that some of Thoon's agents, be it us or others, could help things return to order and stability while bringing them under Thoon.

Personally, I don't think a magic item of teleportation will be that difficult. Tsoruth is fairly magically adept; I would expect some magic vendors and magi with satisfactory items. I honestly don't anticipate it being too difficult to obtain them. The point of my, ah, magnificantly elaborate plan is to make Tsoruth think that Jiresss is trying to covertly conquer them. If we play it right, we can hopefully escalate it into all out war, which should keep Jiresss' resources and people distracted so that we can easily slip in and get the quintessence. I'm afraid I do not share your optimism on how easy it would be to acquire the quintessence if we struck now. I would imagine that as of right now whatever location it is in would be fairly well guarded. My hope is that a war will bring those guards away from the quintessence and onto the battlefield.

Honestly, I think it would be easier to steal an item of teleportation from a vendor, or maybe buy one if we must. If we are unable to do either, I think the plane shifting has already proven to be a, shall we say less than reliable method of travel. It might be easier to plane shift back to the enclave and ask for a scroll of teleport from Hades. Of course, I would like to have some sort of accomplishment when we ask for more supplies.

Still, you raise a point that this project, as beautifully constructed as it is, might prove a distraction from our main goal without actually helping it. What say the rest of you? Shall we proceed with trying to start a war, or simply acquire teleportation and port over to Jiresss as quickly as possible?

Ah, I'd forgotten you can't directly control them. Still, there might be another way to utilize them. Perchance, do you know what the Yuan Ti do with their dead? We might be able to simply raise some dead where they are stored and arrange that they are "accidentally" found. It might be better to separate assassinating the Yuan Ti and planting evidence of an undead army. Alternatively, we could bring the bodies of the first one or two Yuan Ti we kill with us, mind blast one of the targets into submission, then create the wights there, have them kill the stunned target, and exit the scene before the wights are done. If the wights chase us, I think I can distract them while the rest of you escape. If there is one thing I have proven in the past, it is that I am quite accomplished at running away. It would look like someone had risen the previous targets and was using them to attack the others, but somehow the wights had broken free of their control.

As for feeding, it will be a pity not to have these brains, but I presume that the rest of you had eaten before we left as I did, so we don't need to feed for a while longer. Missing brains might be peculiar, but if we decapitate our victims after feeding, well, headless corpses are not quite so conspicuous.

[Gunhaven]

After a moment to think Momus sends "Let us use the wights, I can make one of the corpses a loyal zombie if we wanted to increase the suspicion. In the midst we can grab a means to teleport and get to the right area, maybe along with these other soon to be converts. Maybe a days rest once we grab the means to get to our target to help spread the confusion."

[BilltheCynic]

After pausing for a moment, Nix sends, Well, if no one else has any objections or comments, I will need to rest for a while to regain my magic. I should be ready by nightfall, when we can strike.

Nix will find a good spot to hide and rest to regain spells.
Hide: [roll0]

[Nettlekid]

The party rests for eight hours, not sleeping as much as just relaxing some of their higher mental functions. The bright afternoon sun gives way to a starlit night with a waxing half moon. They feel the ever-aching demon of hunger creeping closer.

[Gunhaven]

Momus pondered the plan as he looked about. Once Nix was rested he sent "Come, they would most likely discard any enemies. We can raise one to cement the earlier message being a mission of conversion. That and we can sate our hunger and possibly create some wights to add to the undead diversion. Once in place we can gather a means to teleport toward our objective. Agreed?"

[BilltheCynic]

Nix nods. Right then, let's spread some paranoia. Perhaps we can feed on some of them, though we will need to hide the lack of grey matter. Decapitation might work, but I suggest not using that method too often. Don't want to make raise suspicion on why they can never find the head. Another option is to stick one or two of them in Dione's bag of holding until we can dispose of them later. I would rather not use the disintegration shroud quite yet, since it can only be used once. If anyone else has ideas for hiding our feeding, please share.

Now for my magic, I will locate one of the Yuan Ti that Momus contacted, increase the strength of our telepathy in case we get separated again, and cause us to fade from sight. Hmm, now that I think of it, Momus' single minded focus on conversion has left his talents in stealth rather lacking. In addition, we don't want our target crying out and alerting others. Brother Hecate, with your permission I would like to silence the area around you, both to hide our footsteps and silence the victim when you approach. After I cast, I suggest we move swiftly. My spells are strong, but they do not last forever.

If everyone is willing, casting Telepathic bond on the group, Invisiblity Sphere centered on Nix, and Locate Creature to locate the Yuan Ti who spoke out. If Hecate is willing, casting Silence centered on Hecate.

Spells:
Cantrips: 6/6
1st: 9/9
2nd: 8/9
3rd: 8/9
4th: 7/8
5th: 4/5

[Nettlekid]

At present, the Yuan Ti who spoke aloud to you is not within 800 feet of your location. Keep in mind, you had retreated a bit away from the village to rest, and the village is a decent size.

[Gunhaven]

Momus sent out "Those we feast on we can dispose of in other ways. I can store a few in my own bag, since Shapesand serves more uses than one. If we want a spokesperson then we'll have to hope that one of the other tribes sent someone relatively recently, or to kill one and use it as the voice of our false deity."

[BilltheCynic]

Nix conveys annoyance. Well, it looks like the Yuan Ti I am trying to find is currently too far away for my magic. We will have to get close to the village for the spell to find it. Brother Hecate, are you alright with me silencing the area around you?

Said this in my last post, but I'll repeat it here. If Hecate is alright with it, Nix will cast Silence centered on Hecate.