De Anima IC

[Penril]

You make your way through the night time streets of the city. Perhaps off home from a long day at work, rushing to a library for some research on an ancient tome, or off for a bit of thievery. The new moon is a large, black blot on the fair, star-lit sky overhead and the city is quite and still.

As you make your way further down the street, you slowly become aware of the sound of music and realise that it had been there, just on the edge of hearing, for some time. A pipe organ-like sound, playing a tune that would be cheerful, but the deep, flat notes make it sound more like a dirge. You pay it little heed until you walk past the mouth of an alleyway and a movement catches your eye. Around the corner at the end of the alley is a flickering light and shadows are being cast on the wall. Tumblers by the looks of it, as well as dancers and jugglers. This strikes you as strange, public events are usually well advertised in the city and you have not heard of any circuses in town.

You are inexplicably drawn down the alley and, as you turn the corner, you find yourself in a large courtyard you have never seen before. Here, the music is much louder and a dizzying carnival of swishing colours, outrageous makeup and magic engulfs your senses. You wander through in a sort of dream, between the jugglers and dancers. You see clowns standing on great stilts, juggling brightly coloured balls, fire eaters dazzling a crowd with her pyromantic feats. Gaudy, top-hatted magicians perform parlour tricks, much to the amusement of the gathering children who are gasping with wonder. A number of large, brightly coloured stalls with games of skill and exotic delights catch your eye and you wander through, as if dreaming, unable to focus on any one thing for more than a moment before something else calls your attention. You are not worried though, you are awash with a cheerfully mellow euphoria and are content to wander and allow your senses to remain immersed in the kaleidoscopic wonder.

The largest stall isn’t a stall at all, it is a large wooden building covered in purple and red pain. Intricate patterns weave around the side, leading you like a steam towards the large door with a sign hanging over head.

HALL OF MIRRORS

You are ushered inside by a large, round man with a tall top hat. The click of his ebony cane echoes inside the mirror room. The music in here is different from the dirge outside. In here the tune seems seductive and melodious and you soon find yourself spinning around your reflections in a happy, graceless jig. Suddenly, the music slows down dramatically and you stumble over your own feet. You reach out and place your hands on a mirror to balance yourself. There are no lights now and you can see your worried and confused face staring back at you in the gloom. You let out a cry as the glass beneath your fingers begins to crack and before you can gather your fuddled wits, you fall through the mirror!

Tumbling through darkness, you feel a tug, as though a fishing line were caught in your chest, trying to reel you back in. You have control of your faculties again, though your head throbs terribly. Just as you become fully aware of you predicament, the tug releases and you suddenly land on your back, unconscious …

All

A smell pulls you from the bed of unconsciousness. A harsh, rank smell of rotten eggs and sulphur creeps down your nose and throat. As you surface from the murky depths into the shallows of wakefulness, you become aware of sounds, water for one, as well as a closer sound, that of quiet lamentations and sobbing. You slowly regain feeling and twitch your arms and legs slightly. Nothing broken. The stone on your back is damp, yet very warm and the light on the back of your eyelids suggests a bright, hot day.

You open your eyes.

From you position you can see nothing but a great, unfamiliar sky. Bloated red clouds, like blood clods hang in the air, almost completely backing out the dark, turbulent sky beyond. As you watch, you see a shape burning across your vision like a huge, flaming comet. As it reaches the edge of your vision you sit up and follow its trajectory and watch as it explodes on a distant mountain range. So awed are you by the sight that you forget to take stock of your immediate environment. You do so now and the sight causes you to cry out in horror!

You are sat on a series of large, flat rocks in the middle of a massive, putrid river. Its turgid, ochre-coloured waters lap slowly against the black rock and flow onwards as far as you can see. Stood on the rocks is a crowd of people, wailing and sobbing. As you look closer, however, you realise that these are not humans at all, but mockeries of life with rubbery skin, distorted limbs and milky-white eyes. You can make out the closest one’s lamentations of fear and regret and woe. All around you, wavering through the hot air like so much heat-haze, you can hear the constant, maddening cries of these wretched souls.

As you take in the sorrowful scene and holding down the lump in your throat, you see two or three others that look vastly more normal and the sight of them is like a beacon in the fog. Where ever you are, you do not appear to be alone in your plight.

((Roll Knowledge (the Planes) and/or Knowledge (religion) to gain some insight into the scene))

[Eldan]

When he found himself lying on the floor, Elias left his eyes closed for a moment and listened. He felt the rock under him, smelt the stench and heard the wailing, but he wasn't tied or chained. Still, he first moved one hand slowly towards his belt.
Dagger... not here., he thought, moving his hand further down his leg.
Other dagger, also not here. Not good
He opened his eyes and looked at the scene.
Definitely not good. Where the hell am I?
Standing up, he stretched his muscles and moved his brown hair of of his face.

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

Tam groans as he rolls over onto his back and opens his eyes slightly. What he sees causes him to tense up and jerk his head around frantically, trying to make take stock of the situation. He wipes some of the sweat and grime off his face and runs his fingers through his dark brown hair before patting his body and experimentally moving his arms, legs, and head. Satisfied that he is more-or-less in one piece, he stands up.

Almost immediately, he puts his hand to his forehead and holds the other arm out for balance as the ache behind his forehead intensifies and the world spins momentarily. Tam takes a second to reorient himself before looking around again, his mouth firmly closed and his face ashen at the sight of the wailing crowd.

His gaze quickly latches onto the few other normal-looking people present, and he moves stiffly over to join the nearest one, a brown haired man patting his empty dagger sheathes in confusion. Tam holds out his hand, his voice shaking, his face still pale, and his eyes constantly glancing around at the distorted figures, but his politican instincts beginning to take over as he greets the stranger.

Heyhowareya? Tam Celwyn. So...where are we?

OOC
Hey everyone! I'm looking forward to this game. A lot.

In other news, I choose navy blue for my IC speaking color, if no one has any objections.

[Eldan]

Elias slowly turns round as Tam approaches him, taking a step backwards and raising his arms slightly.
Looks humanoid. Doesn't say much. But seems harmless enough.
"Beats me. Never seen anything like it. Elias Roway."

[Sir *TIM!!!!!!*]

James Western


Knowledge (Religion) Check: [roll0]


James awakes with a start, his senses reeling. Glossing his eyes over the strange figures, he decides that they pose no threat at the moment and inspects himself.

Nothing broken.
Nothing bloodied.
Everything missing, from the holy symbol on my neck to the daggars in my boots.

Hmph. Two out of three. Not bad.

He stands, inspecting the melancholy figures. They do not fit any description of 'normal' he has ever encountered.

Glancing around with his brilliant blue eyes, he spies several decidedly less bizzare figures.

He quickly steps over to the two who are beginning to converse.

"James Western. If either of you have any idea what just happened, I would be thrilled if you could tell me."

[Job]

Amanda Ralil

“By the gods where am I” Amanda exclaims as she gazes at the vivid sky. I’ve never seen anything like this. She stands slowly, checking her balance, but falters when she spots the creatures. Nausea almost overcomes her, sickened by the appearance and pain of these beings. The confusion is compounded when she reaches for her weapon only to grasp at space.

Amanda takes a shallow breath of the putrid air, and attempts to center her thoughts before panic sets in, ok, stay calm, one step at a time now.

Seeing the Three more human figures in the distance Amanda approaches them quickly, being careful not to touch the monstrosities that surround them.

“Hail, who might you be” her tone is defensive, and there is tension in her stance.

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

Tam moves forward quickly to greet the two newcomers, reaching out to give them a firm handshake. While his tone is jovial (almost smarmy), you can see barely controlled fear in the slight tremble of his hand, his abnormally wide eyes, and his pale complexion.

Hihowareya. Tam Celwyn. Good to meet ya, James. Elias and I were just discussing that very question, and I've gotta say, I've got nothing. I do know, though, that I'm going to have some words to say to the district council about that circus' performance permit when I get back to the city.

Either of you know anything about where we are?

While he waits for a reply, Tam casts his gaze over the water and up into the sky, looking for anything that looks like it might be a way out.

OOC:
Meh, why not. I'll make a few checks, though I doubt they'll amount to anything.

Spot (Untrained) - [roll0]
Knowledge (Arcana) - [roll1]

[Penril]

James

Your initial diagnosis of the situation is not good and hugely paradoxical. Looking around, this place looks like Hell. Specifically, Avernus, its first layer judging by the blood soaked ground on the banks of the river and the red sky. You are at the place where doomed souls are destined to arrive when they first reach Hell and then are distributed amongst the devils who have claimed them. Off of the top of your head, you can't recall being seduced by some evil being and signing your soul away so by all rights, if you where dead, you god ((OOC: who is your god btw?)) would have come and collected you. A shiver runs down your spine as you realise where you are and the fate of all these whining souls.

As you go through your spiritual inventory of knowledge, you also are releived to note that your prepared spells are still safely locked inside your head, even if the rest of your equipment is lost.

Tam

Roll an Intelligence check ((d20+Int mod, 15 of above means that you successfully recall your spells))

((I will tell you what you have spotted after James tells you, or chooses not to tell you, the above.))

Elias

You breath a sigh of relief at the sound of a loud hissing to find that your faithful companion has travelled with you and has take refuge from the mournful creatures in a large crack in the rock. Its warning are futile, however as the beings seem not to hear it.

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

OOC:
Intelligence Check - [roll0]

[Sir *TIM!!!!!!*]

James repeats the information he gets from his Knowledge check, namely:

We are on Avernus, the first layer of Hell. This is bizzare, because none of us seem to have signed a pact with any evil beings involving a transaction of our soul (I hope). These poor saps around us are the souls of the damned.

OOC:
I was going to make it Pelor, but since there was no mention of the campaign setting being used I thought I would just leave it blank. If Pelor is ok, then that is his god.

[Eldan]

"Wait."
Elias shakes his head, while he walks over to his Snake, Khaira and picks her up.
"That can't be. I mean, Hell? That's something priests talk about, not a place you actually go, right? I've seen weirder monsters than these, and I can accept fire falling from the sky, but Hell?"
After putting the snake around his neck, it starts crawling into his clothes.
Elias prays to the entire pantheon, more or less, depending on the situation. But he has never thought about the gods much, and certainly not chosen one to worship. Consider him backwater guy, who's seen some magic, a a few weird monsters and maybe a handful of clerics in his entire life.

[Job]

Amanda

“Transactions, no…how?” her confusion is obvious, “If we had we would look like one of those things, right?” she says as she point to one of the nearby creatures. “but more importantly how do we get out of here, we should start by getting off this rock.”

[Sir *TIM!!!!!!*]

James twists his mouth in a wry half-grin as the two speak. He waits a moment and then responds.

"Hell is every bit as real as the eyes with which you see it. We are only on the first layer, there are ways of exiting. The problem is to be able to do that without arousing the attentions of the various horrid devils and general unspeakable monstrosities that reside here."

[Penril]

Tam

As if on cue, you notice something. On both banks of the river, to your left and right as you look downstream arrive 9 large gaoler’s wagons, pulled by feral-looking oxen. Blood drips from their ringed noses and covers the matted hair around their heads and onto their obsidian hooves. The beasts are driven my foul-looking brutes with green skin and tangled, black beards. Each carries are green-bladed glade with a dangerously serrated edge. You also note a smaller, neater figure carrying a clipboard and scribbling notes on it. When they reach the bank each cart team sets about pulling wide, simple boats and poles. With practiced precision and skill, they slide the boats into the water, two bearded brutes to a boat and punt their way through the foul water towards you. Five boats come from the left, four from the right, with the smaller figure, which you make out now to look like a human, but sporting an impressive pair of horns, sharing a boat with one of the left-hand crews. As the approach, the mournful figures all around you begin to wail all the louder. After just a few powerful thrusts, the boats are propelled onto the shores of your miserable island.

((You have a few moments to collect yourselves before they arrive))

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

Tam starts backward when he notices the arrival of the gaoler's wagons. He quickly focuses on his internal energies, trying to bring some power together to protect himself from violence (which would appear to be on the minds of at least the large brutes with the serrated swords). His face turns even whiter and he begins to whimper slightly under his breath when he realizes that he can't call upon any of his magical abilites. He turns around to face the rest of the group and speaks, his voice shaky.

Um, guys...I like theology as much as the next guy and I hate to break of this discussion, but has anyone else noticed who's heading towards us? Should we be worried? I feel like we should be worried.

[Sir *TIM!!!!!!*]

James stares at the oxen, more out of fear than of surprise. He stands ready, although being unarmed and unarmored doesn't help the situation much.

"This would be the general monstrosities I mentioned. Don't worry, a feeling of worry is perfectly normal."

[Job]

Amanda

Paradoxically the sight of the approaching devils seems to steady Amanda’s resolve. She moves rapidly through a series of combat stances while addressing her companions in a steady voice.

“James, you know the most about our predicament. How large a threat do those things pose, and is that threat greater then swimming these waters?” she say as she points to the foul smelling river.“If we leave right now, we could swim submerged down-stream, maybe they will miss us.”

OOC:search check to find a hiding spot if necessary: [roll0]

[Penril]

James

Your Knowledge roll was sufficient for you to divine the following: The River Styx surrounds you. Legend has it that mortals that touch it have a variety of hideous things happen to them.

Amanda

A quick look around indicates that unless you are a bug and can hide under a rock, there is no where to hide.

All

The boats land ashore and half the crew dismount and begin stalking through the crowd of shrieking souls. You are towards the back of the crowd and they do not seem to have noticed you yet. You watch as they grab the arms of the wretched souls and bring their grotesque faces in close and breath in some scent or odour from each individual. Most are met with violent shove, but then, one seems to take the fiend's fancy and he drags the struggling wreak onto one of the boats, where the clipboard carrier makes a mark on its sheet. Interestingly, you note that when one particular shove threatens to send one poor soul over the edge and into the water, the nearest brute quickly grabs the scruff of its neck and throws it back into the crowd. It seems that these pitiful figures hold some value at least. A chill runs down your collective spine as one looks towards you and narrows its eyes and stalks through the crowd, making a bee line for Tam.

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

Tam steps backward nervously and frantically tries to cast some sort of spell. Every time he does so, the magic fizzles before even going beyond his fingertips. He's clearly starting to panic.

Um, a little help here? F-for some r-r-reason I can't c-cast anything anymore. At least, not now. And th-they're headed r-right towards us! I'd c-consider it a p-personal f-f-favor and I'm a-always good for my debts.

[Eldan]

"No place to hide here. We either have to swim, or to fight!"
Frantically, Elias starts looking around for any smaller stones that could be used as weapons, anything with even remotely weaponlike qualities.

[Job]

Amanda

Amanda turns to Tam and places a (hopefully) reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Tam you need to stop, we are all vulnerable, concentrate on something else if you need” then addressing the rest of the company quietly “we should break for the boats”.

[Eldan]

"Ah, yes. A great idea. Run through the crowd of heavily armed monsters to jump into the boats full of more monsters to reach the shore full of monsters?"
Even though this was probably meant to sound sarcastic, Elias' voice sounds more frightened than anything.

[Sir *TIM!!!!!!*]

"This is not a good situation." James unhelpfully points out.

"I could cast some of my spells unequipped like this, but these... things... probably won't so much as get a nosebleed. Unless they aren't taking all of these poor souls right now, we don't appear to have a choice besides getting on the boat. I suggest we stay together--and towards the back. They may not take us, and if they do, we'll last much longer in a group of people who still have souls."

[Penril]

You huddle together as close the edge as you dare, but the creature stalks ever closer. In a sudden movement, it leaps forward and stops with his face an inch away from Tam's quaking form. He takes a large breath and you can smell the foul, hallitotian stench in its jaws and its matted, greasy beard.

Rather than consuming you, the beast pulls a face and mutters something in its strange language before lurching back towards the main group, calling out to his fellows. A moment later, the clipboard carrier appears from the crowd, taking great pains to avoid touching anyone else (quite a feat given the small space). She is dressed in scarlet robes, adorned with black occult runes. Her eyes and large, curved horns are black. She addresses the other monstrosity in a language that Amanda suddenly recognises, Undercommon!

((Amanda, roll a Listen check))

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

The politician gulps, standing completely still and holding his breath as the hulking figure examines him. When the figure turns, his lets out his breath in a sign, but becomes quickly alert again when the clipboard carrier moves toward the group.

Did anyone understand what she said?

[Penril]

Amanda

You catch a few of the words that pass between the two. The large of the pair clearly struggles to speak the language, but the smaller has a keen grasp of the curious mannerisms of Undercommon. "Well they don't look very undead, are you sure? Best to take them and report them to Kulzu, I guess. Right!" ...

All

... she shouts suddenly in Common tongue, walking briskly towards you like an irritated teacher herding idle children. "Listen up, you will ask no questions, you will not speak to each other, you will not do anything I consider a hostile action and you will do exactly what I say or you will suffer for the rest of eternity do I make myself clear?" she takes a breath after her loud, fast speech. Your presence seems more like an annoyance than a threat and you feel slightly chastised, as though you were indeed back in school again. Before waiting for an answer she continues "Make your way down to the boats and wait to be punted back to the shore. There's plently of space in that empty one there," she points to the boat she had arrived in "come now, chop, chop! Get a move on!"

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

Seeing no alternative, Tam looks silently at his companions before moving carefully through the grotesque figures toward the open boat. He looks over his shoulder to see if his new acquaintances are following.

[Sir *TIM!!!!!!*]

James silently follows, motioning for the others to do likewise.

[Job]

Amanda

Amanda moves in line after James, being sure not to make eye contact.

[Penril]

You all step gingerly into the boat. As you all board, the wide vessel sinks worryingly low in the water and you are further disconserted to note that the hull as been repaired many times in the past.

You move as far up as you can to avoid the stench of the one of the bearded devils that joins you wordlessly in the boat with the clipboard matriarch. The devil pushes off from the shore with his glaive and uses it as an impromtu oar to direct the boat towards the banks of the river. In spite of your predicament and you unknown future, you feel a great sense of relief as you leave the Shelves of the Despond and its pitious, doomed inhabitants.

You float down river for about 15 minutes or so and before long the little island is out of sight. The land on either side of the river is bland, scorched and featureless. However, after a time, a squat, single-story building up ahead. The boatdevil steers the vessel towards the stone structure, which is adorned with carvings of devils slaying mortals and angels, and comes to a stop outside the door. "Right, you lot, out!" demands the bossy devil and she begins to shoo you off the boat with her clipboard towards the door of the building, which is flanked by two fearsome, red-skinned warriors. You are led inside by one of them, and you march down a corridor about 50ft long. Halfway down, the creature stops, pulls out a key and opens a door on his right. It is of the dread portal variety, with several locks and a tiny, barred window. You are marched inside by the boatdevil and the door swings shut behind you. The room within is large and bare. Four stone walls, no window and no furniture. From the little window in the door, you can see other doors on the opposite wall further down the corridor.

[Mephibosheth]

Tan Celwyn

Tam leans back against the doorway of the cell, running his fingers through his hair in barely-restrained desperation. He casts about the cell for any implements that might be helpful in their predicament. You never know when even the smallest scrap of wire might be useful, after all.

After a brief search of the cell, Tam moves away from the door and leans heavily against a side wall before sliding his back down the wall into a sitting position on the floor. He's clearly exhausted.

What do we do know? Just wait to see what happens? If I had any wire or bits of steel, I could make a try at picking the door lock. I could use magic to get us out of here, but I can't seem to access any of my spells. At least, not until I've rested. Anyone else have any ideas?

OOC:
Search Check: [roll0] - looking especially for any stiff wire or similar objects that could be used as improvised lockpicks.

[Eldan]

Elias shrugs.
"Well, we have no equipment and the door seems strong. I could get Khaira here outside, but I doubt that would do any good."
He pets his snake, which is looking out of his shirt.
"I really doubt they would leave the key somewhere where she could go and get it."

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

Tam hangs his head.

Well, then I guess there's nothing we can do until we get some rest. Unless anyone else has any ideas. What do you think will happen to us, anyways?

[Sir *TIM!!!!!!*]

James seems disturbingly happy, considering the situation. He isn't exactly jolly, but he doesn't seem to be frightened out of his wits, either. He adds his own thoughts to the pile:

"Well, we aren't being sent to the general droves of Hell, so that's either a good or a bad sign. At least, we may have a chance to find out more about what has happened. My magic has not yet left me, but I am loathe to use it, because this is, after all, the Nine Hells, and the devils here are sure to be watching in some way."

[Job]

Amanda

“I think I agree with you James” Amanda speaks softly, but with a hint of contempt, as if she resented him for saying it first. Her voice quiets even further, to a barely audible whisper “The one with the clipboard, she was speaking undercommon. She was confused by what we were exactly; there was mention of us being undead…She going to report us to someone named Kulzu.”

Amanda moves to the corner of the room with her back to three men and begins a series of stretches and controlled movements.

OOC: Amanda will take the opportunity to exercise and ready her maneuvers if the party can spare 5 minutes uninterrupted

[Penril]

After a long hour of speculation and badly concocked plans, you lose a great deal of your enthusiasm for being trapped and boredom sets in. To pass the time, you prepare yourselves in case something miraculous changes ... but it does not. The light coming through the tiny, barred window never changes, so it is impossible to determine how long you have been here. After what seems and age, James begins to drift off to sleep.

James
You fall asleep with remarkable ease given the circumstances, but as your eyes close, your mind's eye opens and you realise that this is no ordinary sleep. You can see nothing but white light all around you, but you seem to be blanketed in a veil of shadow. You look up and around and can see no source of the shade. Suddenly a voice calls out, seeming to come from everywhere at once "Lost One, I have at last found you. I beseech you, act on my guidance and find your way back to my light. Open your cage and find your anchor inside the heart of the red devil. Chase the northern mountains and seek out the remarkable businessman. Curse the Hog and escape into the cage." the voice fades as soon as it came and you awake with a start and feel at jabbing pain in your hand. You open it to find a stong, bend piece of wire.

All
By this time, eight hours have past, so spells can be prepared etc.

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

Tam jerks awake, looking around in a panic before realizing where he is and settling down somewhat. His face retains some of its pallor and he has bags under his eyes, but you can see that he's calmed down and is feeling a bit more sure of himself. He looks around and speaks to those who are awake.

Well, what do we do now? I could see about magically opening that door and getting the hell out of here, if people are...wait a moment!

His eyes have fallen on James' opening hand and the piece of sturdy wire contained therein. He lunges forward and grabs the wire, twisting it between his fingers and grinning.

Where did you get this? Never mind, who cares. Let's get out of here!

He rushes over to the door and begins to examine it carefully, looking for a place to try manipulating the lock, mumbling to himself under his breath. If he finds one, you begin hear a faint scratching sound as he twists the wire all different directions and scrubs it back and forth over the pins in the lock. He stops occasionally when he hears something that might indicate someone approaching.

OOC:
Sorry if I'm speaking/acting out of turn. Tam is really excited to see something that's familiar and offers hope of escape, even if its nothing but a piece of wire.

Also, rolls:

Search - [roll0] - looking for access to the lock from this side of the door.
Open Lock - [roll1]

If either of these checks fails and if time permits, Tam will take 20 as necessary. He will stop working, hide the wire in his shoe, and move away from the door if someone appears to be opening the door.

[Penril]

Tam

With a little bit a force, you manage to push your arm through the tiny gap in the bars and, with a grunt of effort, manage to find the first lock. Struggling to keep hold of the wire and trying to ignore the pain in your arm, you focus on the task at hand. You feel your way into the lock and begin working at its components, pushing a little here, a little there, you inch the lock around. As you begin to feel the irresistable force of the lock turning open, you suddenly hear a sound outside; footsteps coming your way!

[Mephibosheth]

Tam Celwyn

Tam's head jerks in the direction of the sound and he abandons his efforts to open the door, yanking his hand back in through the window and stowing the piece of wire in his shoe, where it digs uncomfortably into his foot. He whispers quietly to the rest of the group.

Someone's coming down the hallway towards us!

[Sir *TIM!!!!!!*]

James has had visionary, even prophetic, dreams before, but this was nothing less than startling. As the steps appear, he sets on the floor against the wall as though he had been there for ages. He holds the dream in his mind like water in his hand, waiting for a quiet moment to reveal what happened.