The Brighter Side of Life [IC]

[BelGareth]

Chapter one: Something stirs

I live to serve.

Those were the last words, his last words, the last things he uttered. You all heard it, it was like a death curse. A final uttering of its last breath, and that’s what it said?

I live to serve.

It seemed to echo in your mind as the creatures lungs deflated one last time, it’s life essence seeping away, its soul departing, spirit and mind finally merging together as one. A finality, that transcended living, or death, or…servitude?

No, this was different. It was as if it had planted the suggestion in your minds, as if it’s death was a tragic thing upon your conscious, your psyche. Who were you to say otherwise, to live, to die, to serve, all of them had divine traits. And yet, this death, this severing of the divine servitude cut like a razor blade upon your morality.

How was this different.

Why did this great Wyrm treat you such, it’s death was just another along the great journey that was your conquest, your life, your adventures.

Why in the Nine, did this last utterance, last verbal rebuke, hurt so much?

It shouldn’t have, you were protected, it wasn’t like it actually cursed you, no, the magics upon you were strong, and its…well were not. It was dead, lying like so much dead flesh upon the floor of its own hoard, upon the mountain of gold and silver, copper, electrum, and platinum.

This thing, this once alive creature, majestic in its life, was no longer.

But yet a whole filled your heart, a yearning.

But for what?

Who knows.

The weather outside was terrible, rain was coming down in sheets, taking turns to attempt to breach the stone walls of the mountain, as if they were in a long set siege, and the water wanted in. Thunder cracked the sky, lightning forked, one moment there, another gone.

The wind howled, echoing down the cylindrical chambers that led to the chamber your stood in, a sort of death dirge for the recently deceased. As if the land itself was mourning the creature, and you know this wasn’t far from the truth.

The Dragon lived as a protector, perhaps that’s what it had meant? It lived to serve the land, its people. But it had failed. Then why say it as it passed?

Pushing the thought aside, you regarded the great Wyrm. It was a rare specimen, a Great Gold. Noble creatures. It was a shame it had to die.

But it had, and somewhere, in this hoard, was the key.

[drack]

Wind and rain lashed the mountains, but among the rain and among the wind, some did not vent rage or despair, but rather drifted in with quiet footsteps, gathering about a girl who sat before all these riches, before all this wealth, and wrapped one of her arms tenderly about a massive bear. As the elementals drifted over to stand sociably about the girl like a group of friends, she looked to the fallen dragon. She was no great mage or warrior, she wasn't a hero or a princess, but she was truly loved by this world. She knew in her heart she could kiss the dragon with life, to play with it once more, to enjoy its company, but that didn't seem right. Rather the dragon would probably be sad that its glittering scales wouldn't be plundered by the adventures, that it's warm dripping flesh wouldn't fill the hungry tummies of the party, and that it could not itself then be considered the crowning piece of glittering gold upon this legendary trove of treasures. That was what dragons tended to like after all, treasures.

As for its last words, she understood them well, but perhaps not how the dragon had meant them. She, who's existence stood as an embodiment of friendship, didn't even understand the servitude of duty to any extent. She knew sometimes servitude was forced to rehabilitate broken souls, but in the end even that would fade to naught but their bonds of friendship. Thus, to live to serve, it could only mean one thing, to live to form friends, to life to enjoy life, and to live to be happy together. In truth, Molly Applecot's heart was warmed by the sincerity and joy of the dragon's words, that it had died happily after a long happy life filled with love and friendship. What more could she wish for it then to let it rest in peace after that?

With a happy beat in her stride she bent down with the elementals and bear to better gather and divide the treasures, down even to the flesh of the great dragon. Without doubt anything important enough would be found as they went. As Molly set to work swarms of thousands of insects descended from the deepest shadows of the room in order to lend their aid in turn.

[Jyssika]

Helana King understood the Dragons words also although in an entirely different manner. To live to serve, because they have died any yet I live...
She did not see the corpse of a Dragon in her minds eye, although all her other senses told her it was large and reptilian she had no sight to see it for what it was.
She imagined her child, lying cold and lifeless on the floor before her and her blindfold dampened slightly with fresh tears.

With the agile step of a gymnast she delicately climbed its fallen form and closed its eyes one last time with her soft hands.
Whatever else her companions would loot from this poor creatures horde she would not allow its corpse to be desecrated.
She removed a small leather book from her belongings, a diary and collection of texts she had collected over the years and quietly performed a Golden Dragon eulogy.

[roll0] Perform (Golden Dragon Eulogy!) [hehehehe]

When she was done she returned the book to her simple bag and began searching for the key.

[roll1] Search (Using Blindsight)

[KingFrog]

Vaartun raises his spear in a quick salute to the fallen, then cleans the point on a brown cloth tied at his left hip. As he stows his weapon, Vaartun follows the eulogy with his own brief benediction, "You served well. Rest now, Kas'deghin" he concludes, using the illumian word for a dragon of this age and majesty.

With the dead honored appropriately, Vaartun began a search of the room, paying primary attention to locating mundane and magical traps that might harm or kill his allies. He cautions his fellows to move slowly until he completes his sweep, "The key, if here, isn't about to leave, and something worth protecting with such a guardian might have other, more dangerous safeguards."


Taking 10, using concentration for search checks, search result 78. Same result for disarming any traps I happen to find.

[MandibleBones]

Altairius instinctively grasps for a medallion around his neck, which seems to be missing. His eyes glisten with unshed tears at the death of a beautiful creature, and for a moment it seems as though the dragon's face flickers over his own as the mage returns to human form.

Shouldering the mighty weapon he calls Spellhammer, the mage blinks twice, activating the magic detection in his eye lenses and preparing to be blinded by the treasures of the dragon's horde.

"I wonder if we can fit the Moonsong into the horde," he wonders aloud, a fresh challenge distracting him from remorse. "Plane Shift, perhaps?"

As an afterthought, Altairius Spellhammer wonders if the dragon had a last will and testament, or if dragons even considered death as a possibility at this one's age.

"Paladine keep your soul, old one," he mutters. "May you -- and the gods -- forgive me."

[CozJa]

The last words of the dragon echo through Kaxen mind, as to remember him something he cannot grasp.
Still thinking at the battle they fought, and the powerful fire they were forced to quench for them to succeed, the arcane smith need time to reattune himself to the new situation.

After all, they had to fight and defeat the dragon, and he was not new to things that must be done, no matter what the cost. In another day, he would have been happy to exchange powers with the mighty beast, even to forge something for him. But now, the dragon had returned to the eternal chaos.

"The key..." he thinks "It may be everything in this hoard..."

Slowly looking around, Kaxen uses his supernatural senses and tries to discern residuals of planar magic, hoping that the key, or something that can point them to it, resonates with the right aura.


Using his Kaxen ability to see magical effects, and taking ten in spellcrft (52) to identify what kind of effects


"Has any of you idea of what the key might be?"

[Zarthrax]

Sigismund nods in respect at the great beast as it utters its final words.

"Service is a great calling, wyrm. Rest, your service is done."

Raising Durindana to his eyes, his gaze sears the dragon's blood from his holy blade. Returning his Dawnstar to its loop at his waist, he turns to the others.

"Is anyone injured?"

The light of his Dawnstar plays across his scarred face, making the garish scars look even worse in the magic yellow light, causing them to appear as more of a grimace instead of the flesh having been seared off of his cheek so long ago.


Tireless March- Allies gain fast healing 5 while at or below half maximum hit points. Additionally each round on their turn they reduce the effects of exhaustion or fatigue by one step. Exhausted creatures becomes fatigued and fatigued creatures return to normal.

Wary Soldiers Perspective- Gain a +5 bonus on Listen and Spot checks, a bonus on Initative checks and a deflection bonus to AC while flat-footed.

[drack]

"Is anyone injured?"

Molly nods and earnestly replies "Mr. Dragon is injured." Then after a moment's consideration adds "I don't think MR. Dragon wants to wake up though."

[Zarthrax]

Sigismund sighs heavily.

"Not what I meant, Molly."

He glances at everyone else, weathered as they are by the fight, but noone appears to be incapacitated in any way. Especially since the focus is now on dividing the hoard in front of them.

[drack]

Molly nods enthusiastically signaling her understanding, yet somehow, while earnest, those who know her know better then to believe she really does understand at all...

[Jyssika]

Helana, whilst still searching with her extra senses and pondering on what form the key might take approached the rest of the group.

She had approached Sigismund early on in this, adventure, and expressed her wishes for their relation to be kept from the others. If she was going to be dragged into another quest to thwart undead she did not need him publicly doting over her and rushing to aid her like some helpless child. She was here as their guide and that is what she would do; when forced into the fray she could hold her own. Sigismund may have stayed with Pelor's church and achieved the highest martial rank achievable whilst she became a circus performer and "wasted her talent" but she was not the weak girl she was all those years ago. Slowly something had grown in her, a warmth and power he had not known her to be able to channel.

The minor wounds and burns she had suffered from the dragon slowly healed themselves before him and she did not seem to be bothered by shaving suffered them.
She approached the group, not speaking yet as she did not have anything to say.

[MandibleBones]

Altairius seems entirely uninjured, his burns and claw wounds having vanished even before he resumed human form. He does seem to be pondering a spell, however, and all but ignoring the vast trove of riches.

[BelGareth]

With the hoard before you, and the another horde of vermin helping...however they can, it still takes some time, but you get an idea of what is here, as items are deposited before you for inspection.


COIN
45,918 platinum coins
90,7629 electrum coins
119,558 gold coins
265,396 silver coins
587,987 copper coins
MUNDANE ITEMS
23 spears
12 longswords
14 short swords
123 quivers of steel tipped arrows
3 scimitars
6 quarterstaffs
2 bastard swords
1 katana
1 guisarme
1 halberd
1 greatspear
56 crossbows
49 short bows
14 long bows
2 great crossbows
1 set of nunchuka
20 shuriken
27 daggers
2 sets of fullplate
5 breastplates
36 chainmail
1 large breastplate
16 half plate
48 heavy steel shields
49 light steel shields
5 bucklers
GEMS
amber (orange) (124.5 gp)
angel's skin (104.8 gp)
azurite (royal blue) (11.1 gp)
blue spinel (452.6 gp)
boakhar (48.8 gp)
boulder opal (brown) (879.3 gp)
coral (94.2 gp)
disthene (9.9 gp)
garnet peridotite (dark green with deep red spots) (637.1 gp)
gypsum (yellow to colorless) (11.2 gp)
harlequin opal (blue with flecks of pink, green, darker blue) (8,128.6 gp)
hessonite (grainy mass of garnet) (91.3 gp)
iolite (white) (75.5 gp)
lavrovite (green diopside) (9.6 gp)
moonstone (milky white) (49.3 gp)
moonstone (milky white) (55 gp)
orange quartz (5.9 gp)
pearl (457.2 gp)
priday plume agate ('thundereggs') (52.4 gp)
red agate (28.7 gp)
red garnet (304.1 gp)
thulite (pink zoiste) (81.2 gp)
uvarite (bright green garnet) (192.4 gp)
violet topaz (507.3 gp)
woodward ranch plume agate (48.3 gp)
POTION
potion of barkskin +5 (1,200 gp)
potion of cure moderate wounds (300 gp)
potion of darkvision (300 gp)
potion of daylight (750 gp)
potion of displacement (750 gp)
potion of fly (750 gp)
potion of greater magic fang +4 (2,400 gp)
potion of greater magic weapon +3 (1,800 gp)
potion of magic circle against (alignment) (750 gp)
potion of neutralize poison (750 gp)
potion of nondetection (750 gp) x2
potion of protection from energy (type) (750 gp)
potion of remove blindness/deafness (750 gp)
potion of resist energy (fire) (1,100 gp)
potion of resist energy (cold) (1,100 gp)
potion of shield of faith +5 (900 gp) x2
potion of water walk (750 gp) x2
RING
ring of earth elemental command (200,000 gp)
ring of climbing
ring of force shield
ring of freedom of movement (40,000 gp)
ring of protection +3 (18,000 gp)
ring of protection +4 (32,000 gp)
ring of mind shielding
ring of regeneration (90,000 gp)
ring of spell storing (50,000 gp)
- Hallucinatory Terrain
- Animal Messenger
ring of wizardry I (20,000 gp)
ROD
rod of absorption (50,000 gp)
22 spell levels unused
rod of flame extinguishing (15,000 gp)
has 10 charges, renewed daily
rod of metamagic, enlarge, greater (24,500 gp)
rod of metamagic, enlarge, greater (24,500 gp)
rod of metamagic, enlarge, greater (24,500 gp)
rod of metamagic, maximise (54,000 gp)
rod of metamagic, silent (75,500 gp)
rod of metamagic, silent, greater (170,000 gp)
rod of negation (37,000 gp)
rod of withering (25,000 gp)
rod of wonder (12,000 gp)
SCROLL
arcane (9,075 gp)
Circle of Death (l6, cl11)
Summon Monster VI (l6, cl11)
True Seeing (l6, cl11)
Protection from Spells (l8, cl15)
Interposing Hand (l5, cl9)
arcane (5,475 gp)
Crushing Hand (l9, cl17)
Stone to Flesh (l6, cl11)
arcane (525 gp)
Mirror Image (l2, cl3)
Slow (l3, cl5)
arcane (8,425 gp)
Phantasmal Killer (l4, cl7)
Persistent Image (l5, cl9)
True Seeing (l6, cl11)
Telekinesis (l5, cl9)
Wish (l9, cl17)
arcane (2,250 gp)
Major Creation (l5, cl9)
Transmute Mud to Rock (l5, cl9)
divine (7,625 gp)
Control Weather (l7, cl13)
Wall of Stone (l6, cl11)
Discern Lies (l4, cl7)
Earthquake (l8, cl15)
divine (7,950 gp)
Blade Barrier (l6, cl11)
Word of Recall (l6, cl11)
Fire Seeds (l6, cl11)
Finger of Death (l8, cl15)
divine (7,275 gp)
Righteous Might (l5, cl9) (scribed 3 times)
Summon Monster VI (l6, cl11)
Cure Critical Wounds (l5, cl9)
Wall of Thorns (l5, cl9)
divine (8,625 gp)
Holy Word (l7, cl13)
Insect Plague (l5, cl9) (scribed 2 times)
Dictum (l7, cl13)
Flame Strike (l5, cl9)
Quench (l4, cl7)
STAFF
staff of charming (46 charges) (15,180 gp)
staff of divination (28 charges) (41,160 gp)
staff of earth and stone (33 charges) (53,130 gp)
staff of enchantment (39 charges) (50,700 gp)
staff of evocation (21 charges) (27,300 gp)
staff of fire (2 charges) (710 gp)
staff of illumination (11 charges) (10,615 gp)
staff of life (46 charges) (143,244 gp)
staff of passage (37 charges) (126,170 gp)
staff of power (31 charges) (130,820 gp)
staff of swarming insects (19 charges) (9,405 gp)
staff of transmutation (36 charges) (46,800 gp)
WAND
Charm Person (l3, cl5) (44 charges) (9,900 gp)
Contagion (l3, cl5) (8 charges) (1,800 gp)
Dispel Magic (l3, cl10) (33 charges) (14,850 gp)
Keen Edge (l3, cl5) (28 charges) (6,300 gp)
Suggestion (l4, cl7) (46 charges) (19,320 gp)
WEAPON
dagger +1
quarterstaff +2
longsword +1, anarchic
dagger +2, speed
Sun blade
Greataxe +3, keen, impaling, unholy
short spear +2, returning, Human Bane, Icy burst
Sling +5, force, splitting, seeking
bastard sword +4, Keen, Holy
-sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
dagger +3, flaming, returning
light mace +4, impact
longsword +3, Abberation bane
mighty composite shortbow (+1 Str bonus) +3
nunchaku +4, Ki focus
-sheds light in a 20-foot radius (as a torch)
Starmetal Dragoncraft Maul +5, Impact
ARMOR
breastplate +5
chain shirt +4
chain shirt +5, ghost touch
dwarven plate
full plate +4, moderate fortification
large steel shield +3, arrow catching
Thistledown +6, Greater Shadow, Greater Silent Moves
Wildwood Fullplate +4, Wild, etherealness
Mithral Chainshirt +3, Reflecting
Adamantium Dwrvencraft Full plate +7
Cold Iron Feycraft Breastplate +4, Ghost touch
WONDROUS ITEM
belt of giant strength (+6)
bowl of commanding water elementals
bracers of armor (+7)
censer of controlling air elementals
headband of intellect (+6)
horn of valhalla (bronze)
ioun stone (lavender and green) (33 levels remaining)
manual of bodily health (+3)
manual of gainful exercise (+3)
manual of gainful exercise (+5)
mirror of life trapping
necklace of prayer beads (summons) (29 semiprecious stones)
necklace of prayer beads (wind walking) (25 semiprecious stones)
orb of storms
tome of clear thought (+3)


Among the various items that are before you, several are well made, and bear obvious sigils and marks of power, making it easy to identify them as magical, others are quite mundane, marking them as they are. Among the growing pile of gear, are a few items, that by arcane sight or normal, bear a middling ground of obvious marks, but only to your trained eye. Those who regard them with the practiced sight of magic, can see no aura, but without it, others can see a refinement of time and skill long gone. Marking them as items of interest.

And to people like you, that means they are powerful items.

Most likely.

Amongst the hoard, you find a deifically crafted short sword, with a flamberge like curve to the blade. The metal is a sheer black that seems to swim and sucks in light rather than reflect it. The sword seems to pulse with power when anyone touches it, as if with excitement.

There is a miniature golem, made of mithral.

A deck of cards.

And a broken clay colored metal chunk.

[drack]

For the moment Molly sets the more powerful items aside and splits the gems and coins. After all, once they and the dragon corpse were properly pocketed by their new owners they would be able to get a better idea of what was where. Thus the overly energetic vermine sort the coins and gems with undue furor, swiftly removing them from every crack and crevice as they keep their eyes out for the key.

Gonna convert down the coins, supposedly those like Molly with a hoard of coinage can simply convert amongst themselves until everyone's got their fair share. Assuming electrum=5gp since I don't think we were given an official rate when I asked.

Jyss->1 ginormous dragon corpse

9,183 platinum coins
181,525 electrum coins
23,921 gold coins
53,085 silver coins
117,600 copper coins
each after Molly supplements 4 coppers to even it. (~7706.28lb of pure coinage each.)

amber (orange) (24.9 gp)
angel's skin (20.96 gp)
azurite (royal blue) (2.22 gp)
blue spinel (90.52 gp)
boakhar (9.76 gp)
boulder opal (brown) (175.86 gp)
coral (18.84 gp)
disthene (1.98 gp)
garnet peridotite (dark green with deep red spots) (127.42 gp)
gypsum (yellow to colorless) (2.24 gp)
harlequin opal (blue with flecks of pink, green, darker blue) (1,625.72 gp)
hessonite (grainy mass of garnet) (18.26 gp)
iolite (white) (15.1 gp)
lavrovite (green diopside) (192 gp)
moonstone (milky white) (9.86 gp)
moonstone (milky white) (11 gp)
orange quartz (1.18 gp)
pearl (91.44 gp)
priday plume agate ('thundereggs') (10.48 gp)
red agate (5.74 gp)
red garnet (60.82 gp)
thulite (pink zoiste) (16.24 gp)
uvarite (bright green garnet) (38.48 gp)
violet topaz (101.46 gp)
woodward ranch plume agate (9.66 gp)

While some are rocks, at a glance, I estimate it weighs less then the coinage.


Molly's gaze lingers particularly long upon the various pretty rocks, but she retrains herself. As someone in a position of authority she knows she ought to set a good example, so without hesitation she throws several bags worth of coppers into her haversack. She'd always liked how that bag made exact change for her whenever she reached her hand in. Still, it wouldn't hold the lot of her share, so next she pulls a small and somewhat malicious looking bottle from it. Stroking it and whispering to it as if to coax a turtle from its shell she summons a
Balor whom she politely asks to gather up her share. Looking furious at having been summoned for such a meaningless task the Balor glares daggers at her, but all the same it kneels down and begins sweeping coins into its arms, clearly frustrated at the lack of sacks. None the less the Balor manages to balance the coinage. Having finished its task the Balor turns to complain, but as it opens its mouth Little Miss Applecot cuts in. "Oh, thanks for your hard work, you can go back in the bottle now." With a face caught between shock and outrage the Balor vanishes once more into the bottle treasure and all.

Expectantly Little Miss Applecot waits for the others to similarly stow their own shares so they can continue excavating.

[Jyssika]

As the rest of the party hauled obscene amounts of treasure into personal extra dimensional holding bags and evaluated each piece of gear's value Helana took a leather wrapped collection of daggers that was half buried in gold coins. Opening up the mundane collection she smiled and began distributing them among her many holsters. To all but the most perceptive each one seems to simply vanish into her light travelers robes.

Accidentally posted in OOC rolled a (59) Slight of Hand!

After she was done she took a seat patiently waiting for the others to be done. Still thinking about the vast number of stories and tales she had heard and whether any of them where relevant to the key's identity.

[MandibleBones]

Altairius absentmindedly picks up a copper coin. "Hmm," he muses, running quick calculations in his head. "Fabricate." The pile shifts and resettles as precisely his share of copper disappears, reforming in front of him as a solid, cubic block of copper. "Much better, yes. Many things I can do with that." He bends down to pick up a certain scroll, reads it quickly.

"By this scroll, it is my wish that my portion of this hoard appear, well-organized, in the hold of the Moonsong, save for the planar key for which we have searched, which shall appear in my hand."

He then moves to the other artifacts, beginning the long process of casting Legend Lore on them. Assuming he is not immediately crushed by the corpse of a dragon representing the key...

[CozJa]

Kaxen takes the first things he find and that can be of any use to him. "If you don't have faster methods I can identify everything you give m..." he stops, hearing his companion wishing for the translation of his share of the treasure and for the key in his hand.

Cautiosly, Kaxen takes two steps in the opposite direction, speaking out loud.
"I surely hope we get to keep our captain, but that doesn't look like the wisest way to bend reality!"

[BelGareth]

As you read off the spell, the words from the scroll light up with the brightness of a dying sun, and then as instantly as they came to life, they faded to nothingness.

You can feel the reality warping spell take affect, and your hold is now filled with a neat and orderly assortment of loot from the hoard.

One of the special items, the broken clay colored metal tugs slightly, as if something was pulling on it and it was resisting. A few more tugs, and it disappears with a snap.

You suddenly feel a sharp burning sensation, and the broken artifact appears inside your hand, which promptly explodes in a shower of flesh, blood, and bone fragments. The artifact dropping to the floor, clinking slightly as it hits several jewels and coins.


You have lost the use of your right hand. Hell, you've lost your right hand

You take [roll0]

You cannot hold anything in your right hand, and you suffer a -4 penalty to Dex and Str

[MandibleBones]

In what is clearly a state of shock, Altairius speaks -- his voice is utterly without inflection.

"I found the key. Also, ow."

[Jyssika]

"Inside my hand, dangerously ambiguous."
She takes a step towards Altairius, knowing Sigismund would take care of the healing, and searches the scraps of meat and bone for the remains of the key.

[roll0] Craft (Writing)
[roll1] Spellcraft

[MandibleBones]

Altairius briefly takes the form of a hulking, ogrish thing with a horn on its head, letting the creatures' fast healing knit sinew and close wounds. He is clearly still in pain, and when he returns to his human form, the stump of his right hand remains.

"Appear held in my hand," he mutters. "That's going to be fun to heal. Mishakal save me from my own stupidity."

[Zarthrax]

Sigisimund chuckles a bit at the results of the wish.

"Maybe next time, just grab the artifact instead of reality bending it into your hand?"

He glances at the stump, then at the vast variety of weapons in the hoard.

"On the other hand, we have plenty of versatile options for replacements here. Would you prefer stab, smash, or slash?"

He pauses for a second, then chuckles again.

"Heh, other hand."

[MandibleBones]

"I wasn't sure which it was, to be honest," Altairius says. "But yes, next time? Definitely won't be as wish-happy."

[drack]

Molly glances over from the glittering sandbox of treasure she's been playing in with her friends, but quickly looses interest. The hand was mangled, but the blind woman could probably set it to heal properly, and half the group could channel positive energy, so it'd be healed in no time.

By the way, remember folks, we don't know positive healing doesn't work yet. :smallbiggrin:

[CozJa]

"Honestly," says kaxen reapproaching his companions, "I expected a bigger explosion!"

When Sigisumund jokes about the "Hand weapon", the Forger offers his help

"Really, if you want it, I can put one of those weapon in place of your hand. I heard that in some of the planes captains with objects instead of appendixes are well-received... With enough time to work on it, I could put even two or three of those weapons together, and bind an elemental to them. Think about it!"

[KingFrog]

Abandoning his search at the sound of the small explosion, Vaartun makes his way over to Altairius, muttering a quick incantation, to inspect and stabilize the wound. "I had long since given up expecting to use these particular skills again, but I suppose one should never rely too heavily on magic. It can be.... unreliable." He looks levelly at Altairius as he says this, hoping the double meaning of his words is apparent.

"Still, you did find the key. Well done." Vaartun turns back to a freshly cleared patch of ground and unfolds his portable hole, before addressing Molly and her many friends, "If you would be so kind, I believe your tiny friends might be able to pack up the treasure more quickly. It can be divided appropriately while we travel." His manner as he addresses her is even more stiff than usual, as though he doesn't fully trust Molly's innocent, friendly demeanor.


Incantation is Guidance of the Avatar for +20 to heal check. I don't actually expect the heal check to do anything, but I put those 3 skill points in heal and I'm going to use them. :smalltongue:
Heal Check: [roll0] to clean and bind the wound and prevent further blood loss/damage etc.

[BelGareth]

You fastidiously examine the healed stump. And come to the conclusion that, his hand is missing. Your gut is telling you, it's irreparable in its current state, and will require some form of Regeneration spell.

Or, perhaps someone could attach a weapon as suggested?

[drack]

Molly frowns slightly as she innocently asks "No time to play?"

(assuming the answer is "none")

For just a moment she frowns in disappointment, but she knew she was the responsible one, so a smile quickly blossomed in its place as she got up and clapped as if to gather attention, informing some unknown audience. "Time to clean up." Almost instantly bats, spiders, and still more locusts swarm forward filling the cave with darkness. After a few minutes the majority of the swarms disperse and not a single dragon corpse remains, or, more precisely, what remains is a single hunk of clay and a single hand dangling from Grumpy's mouth.

Heavily sniffing the ground as bears do, grumpy had come across the hand by happenstance while eating giant spiders of the floor. As it happens he'd been denied the gloriously juicy dragon meat before him and been left with only tasteless two foot long spiders to eat. That being the case he was delighted when he came about something somewhat more palatable and decided to gnaw on it for a while to savor the flavor. Sadly hands are not as meaty as dragon flanks and it was filled with bones, but it still beat spiders so he decided to bear with it.

[BelGareth]

Castings of 3 legend Lore's:

(These images are dsiplayed like an old projector for all to see)

Deck of Cards
At the beginning of time there was a Raven who witnessed creation. As time and space spread out in front of him he longed to view it as the gods could. So the Raven took a pen and brush in his talons and painted a map of all of time and space in twisting colors and deepest blacks.
He kept the map secret for a time.

But one day, in his pride, the Raven chose to reveal the map to lesser beings on the terrestrial plane. When they looked upon the vast map the beings cried out in terror. To them the map showed that all their love, all their hate, all their memories, all their pain—it was all the same thing. It was all the same dream. A dream that they were having inside a locked room. A dream about that revealed their unimportance. And...like a lot of dreams there's a monster at the end of it. That they would not be missed as they walked hand in hand into extinction.

Most of all it showed them that time is a flat circle. Everything we've ever done or will do, we're going to do over and over and over again.

When the gods heard the cries they descended upon the Raven. As punishment they split him into countless common ravens and scattered his intelligence throughout them all. The map was torn asunder, but as its pieces fluttered in space the ravens were able to collect some of its fragments, putting them all together, they created the very first Deck of Many Things.


http://d111vui60acwyt.cloudfront.net/product_photos/1762444/deckofthings1_final_400w.jpg

Sword of Kas
Standing before you is a regal looking vampire. He has the noble bering of a king, and the charisma to enchant most with just a glare. But yet, there is a deference, a respect in his eyes. Shadows grow long, day and night blur together. And the respect has changed. Lost.

Gone.

In it’s place is regret, forlon hope.

He is now battling a great liche, the battle is vicious, the tower they are in crumbles to the ground, and he cuts the left hand off the liche with the very sword you are holding. Then he managed to cut the beings left eye out. Enraged, the injured liche casts him across the multiverse, where he waited imprisoned on a plane of ash.

The sword radiates a preternatural aura of evil, it’s dark black surface does not reflect anything, and seems to swim with something unseen below the surface.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ly52DEugX0/VT2dcXuyUBI/AAAAAAAACD4/UK0PmirazNk/s1600/swordofkas2.JPG

The Sword of Kas is a +6 unholy keen vorpal longsword. It grants the wielder a +10 enhancement bonus to Strength. The sword is intelligent (Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 16, Ego 34) and chaotic evil. It can be used to cast the following spells, once per day each: call lightning (10d6 points of damage, DC 14), blasphemy, and unhallow. Once per week it can be used to slay living.

1st fragment of the Occulus Incarnum
The image of a glade in the opening of a forest reveals three beings talking, happy almost, as if they had just accomplished something great. Something marvelous. One is a being so beautiful you could weep, his skins was golden brown, he had long blonde hair that was tied up in a delicate mitral hairpin, allowing it to flow down his back. His eyes glowed with the golden radiance of a gentle sun. And his face was a marvel to look upon.

Another of them was a human, who looked standard for his middling age. You could tell by his clothes, and the spell pouch on his belt, that he was a mage of some sort.

Another, more handsome person stood next to him. A women of not so quiet diminishing beauty herself, she held her bearing as would a queen, and her radiant beauty paled in the shining light of the first man. She had green emerald hair, and her eyes were the color of a forest in autumn.

The golden eyed man regarded them both with a genuine smile. “Augenies, Ezmirylda. I believe we are done.” he said, holding out his hand and gesturing to the others an item, that seemed to be made out of clay, but was obviously metal. It was a small round disk, with a hole in the middle, about the size of the mans palm.

The man smiled and nodded, marveling at the disk.

The woman sighed, as if a massive weight was removed from her “At long last”, she said “We can put to rest our troubles, knowing the guardian will be able to detect anything.”


http://wizards.com//mtg/images/daily/td/td73_millstoneSplash.jpg

Time suddenly fast forwarded, and the scene morphed into the golden eyed man and the woman meeting in a dark cave.

“Khiethmeriansan, I fear the worst. The Occulus Incarnum has been broken, and the sentinel is missing…” the golden eyed man cut her off with a gesture “Do not speak of it. We shall scatter the Occulus, such magic is too strong for anyone to have, I shall retain your piece, and you will go to your home. Augenies will be safe in his. I shall forever guard this, this I swear.” he said, clutching the piece of broken disk in one hand.

The image fades.

The Occulus Fragment is aminor artifact, that floats near the wielders head, like an iuon stone. The bearer receives the following bonuses.
Darkvision LoS
Blindsense 100ft
Can see invisible and ethereal creatures/objects out to 100ft
Uncanny Dodge

Can sense the direction of the next piece. (currently on another plane)


DC K.Arcana/History 50
The dragons name was Khiethmeriansan

[Jyssika]

Helana reached out with her minds hands, though her party was blinded by the swarms Helana was already blind and she could hear the heart beat of every single creature and she felt them swarm towards Khiethmeriansan's body. With her minds hands she held it firmly in place over the dragon she lifts herself off the floor to float towards Molly, using the same powers of flight to push a large sphere around her clear of any of the irritating swarms as she gently pushed her way through the creatures to appear at Molly's side.

"The Dragon stays buried in his home my dear."

---

When the swarm ends she addresses the group.
"Now that we know the identities of the other key holders and the identity of the key itself I can track them but I will need an hour.
However, should we really be attempting to recreate this artifact whole? There is a reason it was separated."

[BelGareth]

After a while, the dragons horde has been parsed, separated, and ordered. The Artifacts have been identified, and claimed, and whoever so holds the shard of the Occulus Incarnum feels a throbbing towards a certain direction. You could tell it is not on this planet. As it points eerily of into the heavens, past the stars.

A gate spell, or a pair of plane shift spells would do it (the gate would go directly to the planet, whereas the plane shift would take you to another plane, and then back to the correct plane and planet)

[BelGareth]

You gather on the deck of Moonsong and engage the elemental powers to transport, the ships shimmers with power as it undulates through the planes. It appears, and then, just as it did, it disappears. Again, the ship fades from existence, reappearing above a lush green forest, as far as the eye could see.

Mountains dot the horizon, and the bearer of the Occulus shard feels a throbbing from the northerly direction.

Just as you appear, the trees creek, as they lean, vines start to move towards the ship.

[drack]

After magically moving somewhere else, Little Miss Applecot gasps energetically at the expansive blue sky over head and the beautiful misting of clouds which inhabit it. In no time at all spirits of air and wind began to gather to her from that beautiful sky, but even as they did Molly was distracted by the expansive green. Her neighbor Mr. Hayhand had always been meticulous with his lawn, taking the ol' scyth to it whenever it grew the slightest bit out of line. At first Molly had been dismayed watching all the beautiful plants get decapitated without resistance, but she eventually came to accept it when she saw the bunnies and mice come at night to eat that grass. Looking out at this expanse of endless green Little Miss Applecot couldn't help but think that this was what that lawn would look like some day if not for the diligent work of Mr. Hayhand. Moreover, joy filled her heart just knowing that both types of places existed in this world. As she noticed the vines reaching out towards her in merry greetings she energetically leaned out over the edge of the ship, her arms outstretched playfully in greetings. Following her example tow of the nearby shambling mounds mimic her actions hailing the vines below.


Being on the boat I'll have fell flight active, I suppose the shambling mounds, or better yet an air elemental or three, will ready an action to help her if something proves hostile, but she's not really the sort to make too many counteractions or plans herself. :smallbiggrin:

[KingFrog]

"Get us more altitude, I'll go buy us some time." With that calm pronouncement, Vaartun vaults over the railing and drops halfway to the seeking vines before arresting his fall with a quick snap of his sinister looking wings, another prize from his most recent contract. There, he readies himself to repel the vine assault and buy his comrades time to get the ship to a safe height.


So, Vaartun drops down and prepares to defend the ship, knowing that some of the vines will probably redirect their attention to him. He doesn't have excessive AoO's, so he will try to time his readied action (attack the vines when they reach me/past me), and his AoO to hit as many as possible with his Great Cleave feat (assuming I can drop one). I'm going to be generous in the assumed number of possible hits, just to save time. Since I assume these are plant type creatures, I'm omitting crititcal hit damage increases, but I will throw in some critical confirmation rolls, because things like fiery burst, vorpal and bodyfeeder still trigger even if the creature doesn't take additional damage from the confirmed crit.

Readied Attack: [roll0], damage [roll1]
Possible Cleave: [roll2], damage [roll3]
Possible Cleave: [roll4], damage [roll5]
Possible Cleave: [roll6], damage [roll7]
Possible Cleave: [roll8], damage [roll9]
Possible Cleave: [roll10], damage [roll11]
Possible Cleave: [roll12], damage [roll13]
Possible Cleave: [roll14], damage [roll15]

AoO: [roll16], damage [roll17]
Possible Cleave: [roll18], damage [roll19]
Possible Cleave: [roll20], damage [roll21]
Possible Cleave: [roll22], damage [roll23]
Possible Cleave: [roll24], damage [roll25]
Possible Cleave: [roll26], damage [roll27]
Possible Cleave: [roll28], damage [roll29]
Possible Cleave: [roll30], damage [roll31]

Crit Confirm: Readied Attack : [roll32]
Crit Confirm: Readied Attack : [roll33]
Crit Confirm: Readied Attack : [roll34]
Crit Confirm: Readied Attack : [roll35]

Crit Confirm: AoO: [roll36]
Crit Confirm: AoO: [roll37]
Crit Confirm: AoO: [roll38]
Crit Confirm: AoO: [roll39]

[MandibleBones]

At the helm, Altairius barks out his instructions in calm, unflappable Ignan, telling the bound elemental to bring the ship out of range of the vines below and hover there. A brief thought, and he is in his preferred fighting form again -- the blue-skinned visage of a Solar. Though he remains at the helm of the Moonsong in case needed, he scans the trouble below, attempting to figure out where to best insert himself into this madness.

[drack]

As the ship begins to rise Little Miss Applecot begins waving her arms somewhat more furiously in an attempt to reach the vines below, but as they drift to a place well beyond the vine's range she giggles merrily. It was a soft bubbling laugh filled with excitement like the soft plunkety blunk of a babbling brook dribbling anxiously over small round stones. "By by vines!" She replies excitedly as her hand turns from wildly grasping to wildly waving.

Still, she couldn't help but think the vines were gonna be softly lonely at that rate so, without a second's hesitation or remorse, she pushed one of the shambling mounds that were flanking her over the edge. With a smile full of warmth and sincerity sh called out to the plummeting mass of vegetation "Have fun, be nice, make lots of friends, and remember to say 'thank you!'"

With that done she floats up into the air a bit to frolic with the air elementals who were excitedly flocking to her.

[BelGareth]

As the ship moved up to avoid the vines, Vaartun drops down to fend them off. And realizes, to his surprise, by landing on one, the vines were the size and width of large towns. He starts cleaving into the fleshy ground of the vine as it quivers and moves, reacting with startling motion.

Hacking away, green-white sappy fleshy flies in all directions, and the vine suddenly jerks, plummeting to the ground, and slamming into the earth with a massive *Thwump*.

Vaartun flies tumbling across the giant vine and into the toothy overgrowth, which immediately grapples him, tightening and cinching down with immediate fervor.


[roll0] bludgeoning damage from the fall

You are grappled, and take [roll1] Epic damage
You are entangled, grappled, and paralyzed.


The shambling mound plummets down into the eerily stirring forrest, and seemingly disappears.

[drack]

Little Miss Applecot smiles confidently as she flies in the skies with her new friends. "Don't worry." She told them with her usual reassuring merriment. "They're all playing happily together now, and some day our cute little Shumber (The name of the shambling mound she just heartlessly kicked into the forestry below) will grow big and strong until he eats all of the forest, then we can all visit and play together again and drink tea. Until then we have to be patient and respect his decision to go down there and play.

Noticing suddenly that she was having "too much fun" (it really should be illegal you know...) she calls down to the rest of the party aboard the ship. "So, where are we going next? Is it someplace fun?"

[Jyssika]

Harlequin steps up, onto and over the ships guard rail in one swift movement.
Falling towards the struggle below before catching herself and Vaartun with her telekinetic abilities.
Whilst simultaneously carrying them both away from its angry maw she steels her mind to prevent further attacks.

"Look before you leap."

Falling - free!
Telekenetic Full Attack standard action of grapples: 65, 47, 50, 34, 40, 33, 35 - Monster has to roll 7 strength checks vs these! (1 inspiration for +13 to first roll)
Unseen hand [Telekenetic Flight; movement action (anyone within 40ft can move 20ft)]

If Grapple Succeeds! (3 inspiration for extra standard action)
Casting Wall of Force [300ft square over vine monster] standard action!

Conceal Spellcasting - [roll0] Must beat this with spot to realize she cast wall of force.

[BelGareth]

Harlequin attempts to force the plant open with her own grapple via her telekinetic powers.

The plants resist, and simply cinch down harder on the half golem, inflicting more damage, even if he barely feels it.


Take an additional [roll0]

[MandibleBones]

<Stay Here>, Altairius tells the airship in Ignan, before leaping from the side at full Solar speed to soar toward the trapped Vaartun. While the mage knows his ring of freedom of movement should protect him from the vines, he is unsure how to release his companion... and, as is his wont, falls back to magic. "Kill the vines, release the entangled," he mutters, and bellows a long string of draconic while the air around his hands — and then around the vines — grows black.

Taking a move action toward the plant, flying at 150ft speed. Casting finger of death on the plant, auto-succeeding on a defensive casting concentration check. Fort DC is only 33, but at least the plant will take [roll0] damage even if it succeeds... and I'll move on to more productive spells next round.

[KingFrog]

Vaartun vents his toxic reserves into the vines around him and brings his considerable strength and grace to bear in a scything pirouette in an attempt to free himself, before either laying savagely into the vines or withdrawing to a safe location.



Free: use breath weapon, DC 37 Fort save, [roll0] con damage initial, [roll1] con damage secondary, [roll2] recharge
Immediate: Iron Heart Surge
If it works: Time Stands Still vs the vines
If it doesn't: Cast Defensively (automatically succeed), Dimension Door straight up
Swift: regain all expended maneuvers

Provisional TSS attack rolls
attack H [roll3], damage [roll4]
attack 1 [roll5], damage [roll6]
attack 2 [roll7], damage [roll8]
attack 3 [roll9], damage [roll10]
attack 4 [roll11], damage [roll12]

attack H [roll13], damage [roll14]
attack 1 [roll15], damage [roll16]
attack 2 [roll17], damage [roll18]
attack 3 [roll19], damage [roll20]
attack 4 [roll21], damage [roll22]

Crit confirm rolls if needed
attack H [roll23], damage [roll24]
attack 1 [roll25], damage [roll26]
attack 2 [roll27], damage [roll28]
attack 3 [roll29], damage [roll30]
attack 4 [roll31], damage [roll32]
attack H [roll33], damage [roll34]
attack 1 [roll35], damage [roll36]
attack 2 [roll37], damage [roll38]
attack 3 [roll39], damage [roll40]
attack 4 [roll41], damage [roll42]

[BelGareth]

The good captain targets the mass of jungle holding the half golem in a death snuggle with a vicious but powerful spell; it shudders, and seems to shiver from the necromantic energies trying to tear its life force violently from it's limbs.

But it was too strong, too vernal, too living. It shuddered another last shudder, and returned in kind by tightening the vines around Vaartun, cinching down like a hangmans noose around a traitors neck.

Vaartun too had his own tricks, even after those of his allies failed him, the poisonous gas seeped out, but seemed to avail him not. Not to be outdone, he slashed and cut, cut and slashed the vines and leaves, breaking free of their loving embrace, he caused a torrential rain of cut living detritus to fall around him.

He stood in an opening in the forest, a sphere of nothingness, he had cut the very forest, and it had retreated away from his vicious retaliation.

Limbs of gargantuan reds seemed to creep overhead to cover and block sight to the ship, but they hesitated, and then retracted, allowing you to escape the womb of the verdant paradise.


If it wasn't clear, you are now free, and surrounded by a 10' ft globe of space, and can freely fly up to the ship.

[drack]

Little Miss Applecot pauses from her airborne frolicking as she takes note of the gaping hole in the forestry below. Fortunately she knows just the friend to accompany them. With a gentle wave of her hand a bird of blood red, pitch black, and sapphire blue Slides casually into the air as if it were hiding in an adjacent dimension all along. Its body seems to be of sinewy strands laced with barbed, and purple flares pass through it's eyes like nightshade swaying in and out of sight. Without a moment's hesitation the bird drops to the ground faster then any stone could drop down below, aiming precisely for that faint gap in the vegetation.

Burning a summon monster I for summon nature's ally for a greenbound eagle. It can use speak with plants and entangle at will, so it should be good to see what kinda results the not-so-hostile side gets while you folks fight. :smallsmile:

It can descend 640'/round max, or 160' and use a spell. First round hows about we fall 160' and cast speak with plants, calling out a friendly greeting to the vines. Would the subtle rustling of its wings count as speech for plants? I confess, I know very little about how plants speak, but apparently trees can communicate some things via how the wind passes through them, so maybe that's it?

[MandibleBones]

Altairius breathes two sighs of relief in quick succession -- one, at seeing his spell fail, and the other at seeing Vaartun freed. "I hate that spell," he mutters. "Too much of Wayreth in me."

Hovering well out of reach of the vines -- at least, he hopes so -- Altairius watches Vaartun's escape and prepares to help if needed. In the meanwhile, taking advantage of his Solar form's tongues ability and the lull in the fighting, he warily calls out.

"Ho, plant! You wouldn't happen to be intelligent, would you?"

[BelGareth]

*Unless you have telepathy tongues does not work to communicate with the plant*

The mass of tendrils and vines seem to writhe, but otherwise do not move to oppose any movement. You all get the sense, that the plants are not living, per se, but more part of a system of living things, as if, perhaps, part of a larger being.

[KingFrog]

Having purchased enough time with his skirmish that the ship seemed safely out of reach of the vines, Vaartun flies on black feathered wings back up to the ship to rejoin his companions. By the time he alights on the starboard aft railing, his silvery metal flesh gleams pristine again, having quickly repaired itself from the minor battle.

"If someone has the means, perhaps a Legend Lore spell would teach us more about our verdant friend down below, perhaps a name for a Sending or the location of an intelligent node or a central consciousness. Do any of you have knowledge of Legend Lore?"

[drack]

Little Miss Applecot shakes her head "no" while replying "I like stories." with a beaming smile as she takes a seat in the air at the edge of the ship, eagerly waiting. Several of the air elementals drift down beside her as if they've all completely forgotten about the sacrificial demon bird who's still flying into the vines below.

[MandibleBones]

Altairius' injured hand throbs at the words "legend lore." He grimaces.

"Not that I haven't already used," he says. "And I'm not risking another wish. Although..." He winces. "Nobody gets to say a gorram thing, though." And with that, he moves upward, back to the Moonsong, blurring from his glorious form as a Solar to something... more furred, more four-legged, and more feminine.

Landing gracefully on four lion paws, the Gynosphinx curls up on the deck of the planar ship, closes its eyes, and begins to meditate.

Guess want has Legend Lore as an SLA? In before "KITTY!!!!!1!" from Miss Applecot.

[BelGareth]

You get the feeling a legend lore spell would not provide any useful information...or even work.

The roiling mass of green vegetation below seethes and writhes, but, for the most part, keeps to itself, having declared your presence not worth interacting with at this moment.

The Occulus Incarnum continues to throb, off towards the distance near some mountains...

[MandibleBones]

Altairius sheepishly returns to his human form. "Well, that was embarrassing. To the mountains, then?"

[Jyssika]

Helana floated gracefully back aboard the ship; having a pretty good hunch what the mass of tentacles was now she had taken time to think about it.
"Indeed, perhaps we can be less aggressive towards local wildlife in future."

She turned and walked towards a secluded area of the ship and began attuning herself to a new Quarry.
Take 1 hour to attune to Quarries: Ezmirylda and Augenie

[drack]

Little Miss Applecot nods enthusiastically. "Nature just wants to be your friend."

[CozJa]

The forger looks at his companions and at the mass of living plants.
"I'm not adverse to burning down all the forest... but a different approach may be better indeed.