Voyage of the Golden Dragon (Eberron, 3.5 D&D)

[Phantom.exe]

The air is cold in Arcanix.

Very cold indeed.

You've been sprinting down this hall for more than a minute. It's an extremely long hall.

It shouldn't be.

But Sethous, the mad mage, has power over the very fabric of reality itself. Making a hallway bigger on the inside than the outside is easy for him.

You probably never expected yourself to be involved in this sort of thing; deep in Karrnath, lost in the magical academy of Arcanix.
Sethous's mad machinations had to stop. That's why you, through one way or another, teamed up with this rag-tag bag of fellow adventurers.

It started differently for the entire party; but it's ending the same. Right here; in his headquarters. You fought him in the foyer, in his classroom... even in his workshop. And now you face him again - probably for the last time - at the very pinnacle of the academy.

You have faced many enemies indeed, and many troubles have besieged you. Hopefully, with the death of the wizard Sethous, your travails will be at end...

You take a few minutes to remember how you got in this situation...

Treat this as a short chance to describe how you would be motivated, and a little about how you look and act. You've been adventuring with each other for a little while, so say if there are any small mannerisms we should know of already.

This works like a climax/denouement/prologue. Pretend it's the end of a big campaign, and you'll get a feeling for it. Sethous is a grave threat to the world, and has been tricked and controlled by the Daelkyr into controlling the weather to his own chaotic whims. The wizard worked as a teacher in Arcanix, but his exposure to the mad lands of Xoriat has twisted him.

Whatever his strange weather-affecting spells and artifacts have done is up to you. That's for you to figure how, exactly, you got in this situation. Sethous's goals remain incomprehensible to any sane mind; whatever the Daelkyr have in mind, there's no way a human or mortal could understand it. Butterfly effect, eh?

Well go ahead. Snap to it! Combat will be IRC after a little while.

[The Bushranger]

Marle Windstrider (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=16229), Half-elf Swashbuckler/Beguiler

Remind me why I signed up for this again?
Marle clutches her rapier tightly in her hand as they rush down the hallway, wiping away a trickle of blood from a cut on her forehead before it can get in her long brown hair, tied back in a ponytail but so much of it getting loose.
Oh yeah, right, 'we need someone who's good with a sword' and you just HAD to go bloody showing off didn't you?
But as hard as it is to admit she's come to like these people, usually she blows into a town and blows back out but sticking with this group has felt...right. Mad wizard trying to end the world or not it's just been...well, pleasant to have people who she actually knows and who actually trust her for a change, who put up with her sense of humour and who see her as more than just an object (regardless of how nice that is sometimes).

And so she clutches her blade still tighter, and runs as hard as she can.

[JupiterJazz]

Anassiair d'Thuranni (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=76718)

Huh... darkness? Is this death? His mind was cluttered with hundreds of questions as he looked around the eternal void of his subconscious, suddenly he started to recall just what had happened. He slowly lifted his eyes, but his only reward for doing so was blurry tunnel vision and a pounding headache.

It seemed like it took hours for his vision to return, but finally he could see he target again. Still fighting with the Wayfinder group. Good, he thought, I haven't been out for long. He was sprawled out across the far side of the room, and he tried to remember exactly how he got there, I was studying this mage for weeks, Sethous he recalled the Wayfinder group had made their way here into his lair, and it provided the near perfect chance to finish this mission.

Near perfect... he reflected on this as he attempted to pull himself off of the ground, the searing pain of a few broken ribs shot through his torso, but only strengthened his resolve. I nearly had him, or so I thought. I had snook up on him, I was mere feet from accomplishing his death when he turned on me. Raw magic in the form of a small hurricane was my reward for failure.

He finally had made it to a crouching position when he noticed his mask laying at his feet. He calmly scooped it up and pulled the chain mesh over his head before pulling the skull face plate down and fastening it. He finally stood up and prepared to finish his mission, or die. Those where always his only two options.

I have a question. I'd like to change my character to take 1 level of Assassin since I think it would go good with the character concept. I only want to take one level so I can get the death attack ability. I'd end up having no magic. Anyways I thought it'd be best to ask before combat began.

[Inhuman Bot]

http://www.3edb.com/viewCharacter.asp?cid=18786 Ses lith the druid and
http://www.3edb.com/viewCharacter.asp?cid=18783 Kasten d'orien, favored soul.

Moving near the back of the group, Kasten holds his sycthe closely and sighed
"Remember what I said earlier Ses'lith, about wizards?"
The druid paused to think for a moment. "You'll never take a job fighting one?"
"yes"Replied Kasten. "Because things like this happen."
Kasten was lost in his thoughts for a little while. Maybe if I was just a little higher in Orien's hierchy, then maybe I could avoide the adventuring life....But then, I would'nt be in interesting situations like this, having life and limb risked for a few gold and a shiny trinket..... I guess, I stay adventuring rather then politicking because of the people then... Yeah, that must be it. I like this group, and I'll probly stay with it until we end up failing a mission.... But what's more importent is that we get a move on so we can stop this madman!
"Come on, Ses'lith. We've got work to do."
The druid nodded, and started moving faster.

[Stycotl]

Ra'aexkhet: Maug Psychic Warrior
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=76440

At the rear of the group, unable to run--this was something he would have to work on, he thought for the 3,654th time--Ra trudged along. His gait was quick compared to a walking humanoid's speed, but did not hold a candle to the ability to jog or sprint. However, the construct was patient. He had been unable to run for the last 400 years, through dozens of battles, most of them victories--what was one more?

Ra was used to the groundshaking, thundrous echos of his footsteps, so it did not bother him so much that he was giving the deranged wizard a very clear idea of how far away he was. However, he knew that his companions were already quite irritated with his lack of stealth, and wished for their sake that he was as quiet and light of step as a nimblewright.

Alas, that was the least of his problems as he lumbered through the hallway. Though it was wide, he still struck the sides every now and then. His senstive ocular lenses were fixed to the end of the hall, beyond the bobbing forms of his companions as they raced ahead of his slower form, and his turret was also aiming ahead, the micro-ballista pointing ahead always, even with his less-than-graceful movements. If he were equipped to feel the sensation, he would have been itching to fire a shot at that arcanist. Just one. The maug's artificial intelligence could even imagine the razor-edged broadhead as it pierced the human (?) wizard's torso and pinned him to a stone wall.

That was what he existed for, after all. Slaughter in and of itself was not satisfying to him, but strife and competition for a purpose, a strategic gain, was very fulfilling to the maug, and this, he knew, would acheive a greater purpose. That, and it would encourage his allies, and his employer, to gant him a bonus or two, maybe even a raise in his sallary.

Ra's footsteps continued to shake dust from the stone ceiling as he moved tirelessly on, just hoping that there would be enough of the mage or his allies left to take a shot at when he cleared the hallway.

[Hecore]

Nico Silius, NG Kalashtar Duskblade/War Mind -
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=76573

Running down the corridor, Nico felt a sharp pain in his sides.

It better just be a bruise, he sighed inwardly.

But it was always this way, he thought. Stop a madman terrorizing a village and you'll discover an ancient cult. Try to kill a vampire and you'll have three more breathing down your neck.

He sighed again.

But when summer had turned to winter overnight and the crops shrivelled in the fields someone had to step forward to stop those responsible.

He shook his head to clear them of the thoughts that were troubling him. This wasn't the time for a self-defeating attitude. With any luck, the mage that was responsible would fall in a matter of minutes and he could put this whole ordeal behind him.

Gritting his teeth, Nico picked up the pace as he hurried towards the place of the final encounter.

[Ditto]

Daffyd Mann, Halfling Warlock (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=74996)

Daffyd scurried along, jogging at pace with the sentient hulk beside him. There was no rush to stand on point, in his mind, as he far preferred to stand behind the big walking brick and throw eldritch fire from a goodly long distance. He really meant to ask Ra at some point whether he could ride on its shoulder opposite that nasty ballista mount, providing him dual artillery... but that was a question for another day. He'd only worked with him for a short time, and was a good policy to set the details on that sort of arrangement well ahead of time.

He hoped there wouldn't be another pit along the passage way - Why do they build pit traps in their own hallways? - but he was still poised to walk across the adjacent wall, thanks to the invocation he had cast on their way up the tower. Daffyd had had to jot out a window and circle the periphery to find the next window and unlock a door to the upper level's stairwell. It was just another day to him, an imp of a halfling, following where the winds took him.

A policy I have to revise, he reminded himself, at least until we've ended this business with Sethous spinning cyclones at a whim.

[Stycotl]

ooc-daffyd might as well be riding on ra's shoulder. especially if you end up being the pc that bought his guard services for the time being.

[Ditto]

((Ha! - that's a possibility, but it was just sort of an aside. Daffyd rather prefers attacking while walking on the ceiling on the opposite side of a large room, whereas you seem the sort to walk up and step on something. It's a thought for going forward, though!))

[Phantom.exe]

The hallway continues at least for another two hundred feet. The cobbled bricks and the occasional window seem to fade into a darker, more menacing tone.

Eventually, you reach the end of the hall - and to your right, the only point of ingress, is another hall. You're almost positive you saw Sethous expeditiously sprint in that direction.

But something is wrong. Something is bigger, worse about the hall. It's at least 20 feet tall, and the walls and floors - even the ceilings - are black. Just black. Black stucco. Black wallpaper. Black siding. You can't tell what it is.

Just blackness, that seems to literally echo down the hallway. You can physically hear your own breathing being reflected back at you.

Somewhere, farther down, you hear a cackle. The hallway suddenly shifts - in the blink of an eye, where once stood a nigh-infinite path of umber shadow is now a very short, well-lit passageway, no farther than 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 10 feet tall. All very comfortingly precise.

And at the end of the hall is a door marked "Roof Access" in an older Common script.

[Inhuman Bot]

"well I guess this is the place.... Well, at least the lair of some damned creature...

" I would suggest caution, everyone. Please allow my master to provide a solution. Ses'lith glances at Kasten.

Smiling KAsten replies Yes, I have just the remidy for a situation such as this. (OOC Focusing, Kasten casts Summon deathless I, summoing a undying warrior with 8 hd) Come to me, my ally. We are in need of service of one such as you...
From blue-white mists, a deathless emerges.
Yess...What do you require?
"one moment, please" turning to the group, Kasten speaks Let's move on. My deathless ally will lead, unless any of you have an alternitive plan."

[Hecore]

"I have no qualms with your creature taking point - Sethous has proven himself a master of trickery, and I trust he has a surprise ready for the first through the threshold."

Nico draws his Falchion and manifests Force Screen, granting himself +4 shield AC for 2 minutes.

"I wonder if he can dodge fate a third... no, damn it, fourth time."

Nico wipes the sweat from his brow with the crook of his arm.

"He can play cat and mouse with us all he likes, even his luck has to run out some time."

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Any plan that kills wizard-boy and keeps us alive I can get behind.
Marle makes some quick guestures with her free hand as she mutters briefly in Draconic, and Mage Armor springs into being upon herself.
And I thought it was more than four times. Either way this is the last, so lets do this.

[Stycotl]

Ra finally catches up to the others as the prepare to go through the exit. The amount of magic in the air is playing with his sensory systems, and he shakes his head, trying to clear it off the static and noise. His own force screen manifests with hardly a conscious thought as he prepares to follow them through.

"Who is hooking, who is crossing?" As everyone gives him a blank look, he mumbles something incoherent about the need for some downtime to fully train in entry procedures. "I am ready--and I am hooking to the right when we get in the door."

[Inhuman Bot]

"we should prepare a little more" breifly praying, Kasten casts Sheild of faith on himself ans Ses'lith
"Does anyone else require sheilding?" Kasten asks.

Spells cast:
He also casts Bear's endurance on himself and 1 of the melee charcters.
Then, he uses Light of Lunia to make a cone of light.
Ses'lith casts longstrider on himself, and tells his animal companion to wait at the entrance. Then, he uses Magic fang on his claws. Ses'lith also redies an action to cast Flaming sphere on the most threating hostile creature that appears.
Lastly, he casts Bull's strength on one of the melee chacrters, or failing that, Himself.

Durations:
Bear's endurance: 7 minutes
Light of Lunia: 10 minutes
Longstrider: 5 hours
MAgic fang: 5 minutes
Flaming sphere, when cast: 5 rounds
Bull's strength: 5 minutes
Sheild of faith: 7 minutes
Summon deathless I: 7 rounds

[Phantom.exe]

You hear a terrible, wrenching sound come from above, and see the hallway - and most of Arcanix - shudder. When I say "see" it shudder, I mean it.
Dust and cracks seem to form in the walls of the hallway leading to the roof, and you can hear a creaking sound coming through the door.

"What was that?" someone says.

You don't have an answer; but you get the feeling that you'll find out very soon.

In the meantime, the door seems to almost come to life. The handle seems to be enchanted with Magic Mouth - not uncommon, and you recognize the spell instantly. Arcanix has many other similar spells on doors and passages.

The door has a low, slow baritone for a voice. Speak, Friend, and enter!

[Hecore]

Nico steps forward slightly and addresses the door.

"Xoriat! [pause] Sethous! [pause] Daelkyr!"

Nico then says the word for friend in Common, Quor, and Riedran for good measure.

[Stycotl]

Ra waits for a moment as Nico tries the door. Then a metallic grating sound rumbles in his chest--the equivalent of a growl--and he hefts his double-bladed sword. "I bet I know a password that would work."

[Inhuman Bot]

(Melleon! :smalltongue:)

Kasten motions to his deathless, and ses'lith.

Kasten moves to the back of the trio, with the undying warrior standing by the door, readying an action to attack the first hostile crearue that comes through.
Ses'lith stands so he has a clear shot with flaming sphere at the door, and motions to his animal companion to move to guard Kasten.

[Ditto]

Daffyd

"Oh, shoo! Everyone scoot!" Daffyd sidles through the array of people arcing around the door. He looks at the doorknob gravely for a moment, then waves at it saying, "Hi buddy!" before trying the handle.

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
Things like this are always what you least expect...
She clears her throat.
Friend, and enter!

[Phantom.exe]

The door takes a few long seconds to respond to the myriad guesses and attempts impressed upon it.

When it does open, it opens very quickly, quite surprising you as it swings forward like a gust of wind.

Through the doorway is a very long staircase that leads straight up. The walls are the polished stone that lines the rest of Arcanix, and the stairs are very clean. The stairs don't spire around any sort of column, like in a castle keep, so you can see the terminus of both ends of the staircase.

(((I'm just trying to hurry some of these moments along. I'm not trying to control your character; but other than a few spells cast or the like there's really not much else to do. That's why I'm just going to assume that you run up the staircase.)))

Your ascent takes another 30 seconds, during which time you hear a similar wrenching sound to what you hear before. This one is clearer, and louder, and sounds a bit more like an explosion.

As you burst through the door to the roof, you are met with a beautiful, sweeping vista of the Korth. The city goes on for miles, the white granite and marble reflecting the evening sun with a warm glow.

Raising your eyes a little, however, produces a much more horrible sight. A House Lyrandar sky galleon is rapidly cruising around Arcanix's roof, firing a variety of arcane missiles as well as conventional weaponry at one spot - a second, smaller House Lyandar airship, turned into a smoldering husk and impacted on the surface of Arcanix's roof.

The area itself is diamond-shaped, several hundred feet across, if not more.

Please, roll a spot check. The sound of the airship's missiles make it difficult to hear.

Also, feel free to do - well, as much as you want in your posts. When you're not in combat, the only limit is your imagination and common sense!

[Inhuman Bot]

Ses'lith makes a spot check to see the crew on the attacking ship! (I'd roll, but Invisable castle isn't working, and I know of no other rollers)

Kasten casts updraft on himself and moves slowly towards the sttacking ship!
the undying warrior moves to guard ses'lith.

[Stycotl]

spot: [roll0]

Ra bursts out onto the roof with heavy footsteps, always keeping an eye toward the ground in order to appraise the strength of the stone floor under him. His micro-ballista swivels to target the circling airship above, while his eyes flash between the roof, his companions, the wreckage, the airship above, and a dozen other things all within the span of a heartbeat, ocular lenses adjusting instantaneously.

[Hecore]

Spot: [roll0]

Nico steps out of the dim stairwell and shields his eyes against the light. Pulling his eyes from the two galleons, he looks around for the mage that he's sure is responsible for this - Sethous.

[The Bushranger]

Oh great, aerial bomardment - just what we need!
Marle takes a deep breath, taking in the scene. Ever since she was a little girl she'd dreamed of flying - she'd always loved dragons, and had listened to her parents' tales of the old times and friends of the family who had actually been dragons. Tales of their adventures, of fights, of romance, of her great-great-great-great-great uncle Orion who was such a talented bard he charmed the dragon Mirage to become his wife...

The explosion of an errant missile close by snaps her back into the present, and she shakes her head, mad at herself for having drifted off in such a dangerous situation. She slips her rapier back into her scabbard and exchanges it for the longbow strapped to her back, nocking an arrow as she looks around, her piercing green eyes sweeping across the rooftop...

Spot: [roll0]

And also a Knowledge (Local) check to see if she can identify either of the airships specifically: [roll1]

[Inhuman Bot]

"Hey Daffyd. You can try to blast that out of the sky, right?" Kasten turns to his warrior "Enter the damaged airship. Search it and tell me what you find when I re-summon you. (I always summon the same creatures when I use summon spells, if possible)
The undying warrior, now moving jerkily as the spell animating it starts to were of, moves into the bombarded ship.

[Phantom.exe]

Marle recognizes both House Lyrandar airships as - well, just that, House Lyrandar airships. Neither one of them is fitted for combat like this, though they both still have the ballistae and power of the bound Fire Elemental to see them through tough times.

You are able to catch sight of the name Cloud's Destiny on the side of the larger airship still flying about. It launches another ballista bolt imbued with the Fire Elemental's fury at the downed husk, sending more debris into the air.

(There should be a DC 5 reflex check to dodge debris, but most of you have a higher saving throw modifier than 5.)


Nico, Ra, and Marle all notice the same thing - the crashed, burning airship seems to be slowly repairing itself- as though the wood itself is slowly moving back together, sinewing the shattered pieces of the hull with some dull brown ectoplasm.

Second, the Deathless elven warrior gracefully strides toward the downed airship. Its highly polished armor gleams in the evening sun as it begins its descent below the horizon in the West.

[roll0]

The Deathless erupts into flame as a ray of light - from either one of the ships - pierces its armor.

[Inhuman Bot]

Mouth slighly agape, Kasten says "what the hell was that? Has anyone ever seen something like that before?"

[Stycotl]

Ra is silent for a moment, busy targetting the falling debris with his sensory systems in order to calculate a an effective vector of evasion (try saying that a few times fast!).

[roll0]

After the largest pieces that fall near him have landed with smoldering explosions, Ra straightens, brushing embers and flotsam from his armored shoulders, and roars, "I do not see the wizard! Does anyone else see him?"

Then, as he fully digests the implications of the resurrecting airship, he pauses, "Is he in there?"

[Stycotl]

ooc-i had to post a response to that save. whew!

[Ditto]

My spot: [roll0] Activating Detect Magic, 'cuz it's always useful. Maybe Sethous left a vapor trail. :smallsmile:

Daffyd

Glancing around, Daffyd tried to make out where the wizard they sought might have gotten to. He wasn't that far ahead of us... where'd he go... He jogs a little ways away from the group, spreading out in case they should come under fire from artillery. He hollers back at Kasten, "I could try, good sir, but those are a little bigger than I'm used to pitching at. Do we know which of those guys are white hats, or what?"

[Inhuman Bot]

Moving downwards, instead of his origanl plan of moving to the ship, he lands by Ses'lith and daffyd.

"Damned if I know.. what's a white hat...?"

Ses'lith moves over to Ra.
"I could not see him, my freind. I would suggest we group back inside the tower, so we are not slaughterd by the attacking airship"

[The Bushranger]

Marle
Now that's new, yeah...
She nods in response to Ra's question. I'd say thats a safe bet, yes. Ships don't just regenerate like that by themselves. That's got to be him.
The half-elf says the word "him" as if it were the vilest of curses...to her, presuambly, it is.
She then frowns at Ses'lith's proposition. Back away so close to our goal? I think not!

Marle takes a deep breath and looks up at the Cloud's Destiny, pointing at its bridge as she casts Message and whispers.
Are you fighting Sethous and is he aboard that ship?

Reflex save for formality: [roll0]
And Sense Motive for any reply from the airship: [roll1]

[JupiterJazz]

Anassiair

Anassiair sat there watching the battle from the doorway, before making his way up behind the group of adventurers he had been following through Arcanix for gods know how long.

{Elvish}"It's unlikely that he is aboard that airship, Wayfinders. In my experience wizards as powerful as Sethuos rarely risk their own life without exhausting all of their resources first."

[Hecore]

Nico turns towards Marle: I'm not sure that they'll be able to hear your message, far away as the ship is.

This will probably fare no better, but...

Nico conjures Dancing Lights. 4 bright green globes appear in a rough question mark formation, and move over the crashed ship.

(OOC: I'm not sure how far away the downed ship is. If it's within 100 feet the lights move out that far and hover over it. If it's further away then the lights move as close to it as they can next round (up to 150 feet total). They then hover over it until the spells duration ends.)

[Phantom.exe]

-I think I read that someone tried to Detect Magic on the ship. You detect weak, low-level magic in predictable places on the ship, such as what remains of the helm and a few parts of the Elemental Binding Ring - which appears to have been sewn back together by now.

Marle does not receive any response from the Cloud's Destiny in the form of an answer...

However, the lofted airship fires another flaming ballista bolt at the downed ship, causing the elemental binding ring to shatter once again.

Its response to the Dancing Lights is different. As the Destiny comes around for another attack run, it diverts from strafing the wreck and instead aims at a roof access port.
Specifically, the one you stand near.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll0]

You are buffeted by arrows -one aimed at each of the party.

[Hecore]

(Couple of questions OOC: 1. Not sure which arrow is meant for me. It probably won't hit at 21 AC, but I'll change my reply if it does. 2. You said "[...] and instead aims at a roof access port." Does this mean there are others that Sethous could have exited the roof from?)

Nico notices the ship turning towards the group, and reflexively takes a step back. He's glad he did - an arrow appears lodged in the roof where he was a moment ago.

I'm starting to think formulating a plan in the middle of a battle wasn't such a great idea.

But before I go... Nico says under his breath.

Nico attempts to pull the arrow free from the rooftop before retreating into the roof access port.

[roll0]

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Hm, not all the rolls took - just the first and last. Presuming one of those 16's had Marle's name on it :smalltongue: then it's deflected, since her AC is currently 22...thank heavens for Mage Armor...

Marle dives for cover in the access port.
Somebody needs to learn to discriminate friend from foe!
Looking up, she casts Detect Magic on the Cloud's Destiny...

[Phantom.exe]

There are three ways onto the roof. However, the one you chased Sethous through is the only one he could have gone through unless he could move exceptionally fast.

The airship above radiates all sorts of magic; but nothing exceptional stands out at you.

However, the airship below is beginning to glow (for whoever hit it with Detect Magic before). Almost like there are a number of small auras concentrated in one place...

[Inhuman Bot]

OOC- we don't know whos in the attacking ship, right?

Activivating his own ability to detect magic, Kasten turns to the downed ship.
"Hey, you see that magic in the downed ship? Wonder what that is." as he says this a bolt crashes into him, being narrowly stopped (I think, at least) by his magic "What the hell!? Guys, we need to do something quickly, or we'll all bne impaled!"

[Stycotl]

ooc-
something that just came to my attention is the fact that constructs not being able to run was 3rd ed rule, that--as far as i am aware--does not exist in 3.5 ed. fiend folio (with the maug) was a 3rd ed book. so i can actually run, which means that i am pretty quick (at base 40-feet speed). so, we'll just say that i wasn't running through the hall because i'm wide enough that maneuvering was difficult, so i had to take it slow.

sound reasonable, dm?

ps-are we getting an ooc page? i actually prefer to just post ooc here, and like the way it is now, but it is not a big deal.

Ra growls a curseword in his native tongue and advances on the seemingly self-repairing ship. "I am going to check this out." He moves fast, keeping a wary eye on the sky, sword hefted above his head and ready to obliterate any puny human wizards that he finds. Arrows skip off of the roof around him, and one of them off of his force screen, but (so far) none of them can find a vulnerable spot in his armor.

Of more worry to him are the siege missiles and fiery detritus falling from the ship. He takes an evasive course as another one streaks toward the side of the ship that he is approaching.

you need any spot checks? wil have to roll my reflex save next post cuz i already edited this one...

[Ditto]

There's an OOC thread here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88741).

Phantom - I have the Detect Magic going still, so I should be able to sort out the specific types of auras on the downed ship. Please tell me about that concentration. :smallsmile: I'm quite curious as to why the ship which is crawling all over itself to reassemble isn't showing as magical (besides at the elemental binding site, etc.).

Daffyd

After hopping away from the arrow launched in his direction, Daffyd decides further cover would be advisable. He dashes to the nearest piece of rubble available, keeping his head down and away from the Cloud's Destiny while still angling to get a stronger read on the creepy crawly crashed ship.

[Phantom.exe]

Magical Auras: Cloud's Destiny is the same as before, with conjuration, with evocation and abjuration at expected areas (Wheel of Wind and Water, Elemental Binding Ring, etc.)

The crashed airship becomes more clear to you. The ship continues to repair itself, and you can see the sinews re-binding the ship in better light.

Rather than any sort of cloth or wood, this substance appears a dull, mottled fleshy brown. It oozes more like a viscous liquid than any other state of matter, but once it brings pieces of the ship together, it hardens and mostly disappears, remaining as nothing but a stain on the Soarwood.

I forgot who advanced on the ship. Regardless, you're about 30 feet away at this point in time. The assailing airship continues to fire ballistae at the husk and mundane arrows intermittently at the party and at the approaching party members. The ship continues to repair itself, even while being peppered with fire - two steps forward, one step back.

Only the party members near the ship notice that although most of the pieces are in place, it's not looking much like a ship at all. So to say that while the ship is repairing the pieces as they were before in a sturdy configuration, they do not appear to be actually repairing the ship - more reforming the parts.

Daffyd begins to get a better idea of the magic contained inside the ship. First of all, the elemental binding ring, although mostly repaired, lacks the aura that it should; the ship will never fly again without significant repairs by dedicated magewrights.

Second, there is one concentration of magical auras inside the ship. They include faint enchantment, moderate conjuration, and overwhelming transmutation, among other auras. They are all in one small patch, a mostly vertical space about 5 feet tall.

[Hecore]

You guys stay out there and get fired on - I'm comfortable inside the stairwell where I won't get speared by arrows. Besides, I have a feeling something is about to happen soon, regardless of what we do...

Nico casts Detect Magic and looks towards the downed craft.

[Inhuman Bot]

"Don't be a coward! Stay u-" another arrow nearly spears Kasten, closely followed by a third. Sheepishly, Kasten moves to the stairwell.

[Stycotl]

Ra continues to scan back and forth, "I don't see him--" He pauses as has to sidestep a smoldering missile, "...anywhere! Maybe I should try to get inside."


reflex save for last round (in which i approached ship): [roll0]
reflex save for this round (as i yell back to allies and hope to be given direction to move): [roll1]

[The Bushranger]

Marle

You guys can sit here and do nothing, I'm moving out!
Marle sprints across the rooftop torwards Ra, dodging incoming.
OK big guy, let's go get 'im!


After all, the clock is ticking fast on that Bear's Endurance... :smalltongue:
Reflex save: [roll0]

[Stycotl]

Ra brushes more debris off of him, aware that his armor was dented on his right shoulder. His joint now moved with a grating pop that concerned the meticulous construct. As Marle comes up behind him, Ra tries to shield her with his bulk as much as possible. "Him? You see him? Where?" Ra begins looking around the rooftop again, afraid that he was wasting time at the downed ship.

[The Bushranger]

Marle

The half-elf points at the downed airship.
Inside that ship, he's got to be!

[Inhuman Bot]

Regaining his courage, Kasten joins Ra and Marle.
"Come on, Ses'lith!"
Ses'lith and his companion move towards Kasten.

[Ditto]

Daffyd

Sure... why not? Daffyd decides to stick with the group (in spirit) by charging (after a fashion) the gooey ship. While sticking behind his rubble, helpfully pitches his own variety arcane blasting at the magic center of the magic boat to match the functional airship's assault. Maybe they'll take a hint?...

Random Eldritch Blast time! Touch attack (For a stationary object!): [roll0], Damage: [roll1]

[Phantom.exe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgnbmoB1Dik&feature=related

The Cloud's Destiny breaks off its strafing run from the party, instead continuing to fire at the mysterious craft on the roof.

It continues to fire one last ballista bolt at the ship before abruptly disengaging and moving to a farther distance from Arcanix.

Meanwhile, Ra and Marle have arrived at the edge of the crashed ship. I'm not much one for maps or the like, so I guess I'll just have to describe it to you.

You can now see the charred remains of what was the ship's name. It must've said "SHRO DE DA CER... well, it wouldn't have said that, exactly. You know.

The ship appears to be reforming itself into a completely different configuratoin. As such, you are rather unsure of the current layout of the ship.

Right now, the 'deck' is facing the side- though many of the rooms seem to be popping out of nowhere and the different external features are in the wrong place, you can see a door jammed open. It appears to be what -was- the ornate door to the Captain's Quarters... if it were inexplicably placed face-down on deck.

Inside, and around the ship, you notice the mottled sinews have grown thicker, and larger. They are now splotchy, thick, and almost seem to pulse as they repair the ship. Work progresses much more quickly (which is to say, not really all that fast) with the Destiny broken off.

From outside, you can only see a few feet into the jammed ship. The door appears to lead to a t-intersection - well, like this -


--------
---{}---

* & ^

Where {} is the door, * & and ^ are you three.

Daffyd, actually, is about 15 feet away from the door. The rest are closer.

As for the members who retreated back to the alcove and roof access, you are able to enter unmolested. You catch a wiff of a coppery, acrid scent.

[Inhuman Bot]

Moving up to the door, Kasten nearly opens it, then turns to (Bushranger, you're a rouge right? if not, then disregard this post)

"Hey, you can you check this door for traps?"

[The Bushranger]

((*raises hand* "I am not a rogue." :smalltongue: But close enough!))

Marle

Shrouded Dancer? Pretty name but this ship is becoming some kind of ugly...
Marle sighs, then nods at Kasten's question.
I know a little about traps, yeah, so I can try.

Trapfinding! Beguilers have got it. ^_^
Search: [roll0]

Edit: Ewww. :smallyuk:

[Phantom.exe]

Marle almost knocks the door off of its hinges while searching the area around it. In addition, she triggers - well, something. A loud sound like a cowbell is heard several times, and an arcane mark begins to glow on the door's edge.

A half-moment later, the door swings open with tremendous force, still sounding the cowbell alarm. Marle is able to dodge out of the way, but Ra's is not so reflexive.

Fortuitously for him, however, the door lacks the mass to do anything more than stun him for 6 or so seconds. He is unmoved, and his feet are still firmly on the ground.:smallcool:

(Isn't that convenient?)

For the members still in the stairwell, make a Listen check.

[The Bushranger]

Marle Tumbles away, rolling to her feet as the Warforged rings like a bell from the hit.
I think we can safely say that yes, the door was trapped...
She switches weapons back to her rapier and warily inches torwards the door...

[Hecore]

Listen check:
[roll0]

Nico remains in the stairwell, unsure of what he heard (if anything).

I may change what I'm doing if I heard something. If I don't hear anything I'll remain in the stairwell this turn.

[Stycotl]

The door flying open catches Ra completely by surprise. It impact his face as he stoops to get a closer look, and his sensory systems spin in confusion for a few moments, unable to read his surroundings. He also teeters a little bit, but his well-balanced weight automatically settles him back into a standing position, and he twitches slightly in recovery.

[Ditto]

Heh, I figured I was shooting at the thing for kicks from somewhere across the roof. Daffyd's MO is getting VERY FAR AWAY from bad things, but no flying doors hit me so I guess I'll be okay.

Daffyd

Daffyd looked dumbly at the empty doorway where Marle had successfully discovered a problem. "Y'know, I prefer bashing just-so - " he pitches another bolt to the side of the doorway, because it was fun to watch the sinews refold. "The doors usually go the opposite direction when I do that."

"I wonder where the airship is going... d'you suppose we shoudl be concerned? I hope they aren't running *away*."

[Inhuman Bot]

"well at least it wasn't a fireball..... "

KAsten casts another sumon deathless I and sends his warrior into the ship.

[Phantom.exe]

To those seeking shelter near the stairwell... well, I'm going to just give the assassin 10 on his listen check. Still, that isn't enough to detect what's coming at you.

Nico's attempt at listening does not go unrewarded, however. He does indeed hear something - an immensely powerful deafening blow, emanating from somewhere near the stairwell.

So powerful is it, you are - well, let's just roll for damage to see what happens.

[roll0] Sonic Damage to Nico and Anassir

Roll a Fortitude save to see how you react to the roar.

Regardless of how you take it, you quickly see the cause of the bellow. Something is standing at the bottom of the 25-foot stairwell. This unusual brute has a squat, centaurlike form, with deep azure
skin. Its elongated head has two mouths stacked upon each other
and four menacing eyes. It doesn't look particularly friendly.

As for Ra, Marle, and Daffyd, and Kasten you are able not now see the interior of the crashed airship.
The inside is much worse than the outside. Gear, ropes, and all manner of other items are either smashed against the floor, forming a heavy, slowing layer of debris, or are sickeningly stuck into the self-repairing sinews of the ship. The material itself is now more available to you; it feels somewhat spongy and soft, though the areas that are formed and hardened feel like vulcanized rubber.

The Deathless you now summon is a pale Elf in gleaming chainmail. His coif has a long tassle that floats and flutters as he charges into the intersection. This one is more lucky, and does not explode when he gets near the ship.

The interior of the ship is also somewhat dark. No artificial light keeps the ship lit, and there are few cracks in the hull to let it in. There is enough to see something of a layout. I don't want to go into great detail, but you can just imagine that you're climbing over things and it's all confusing.

X---| |------------------ |
X-----------| |------------|

So realistically, you have two exits. The 'X's are blocking debris.

You think you can hear chanting.

[Hecore]

[roll0][spoiler]

Nico attempts as much of the following as possible, depending on the result:

[spoiler]Nico turns to Anassiair: I think I'll take my chances in the ship.

Nico casts Swift Expeditious Retreat and moves towards the party (up to 120 feet).



If Nico reaches the party:


There's some kind of creature in the stairwell - sapphire skin, a pair of mouths, two sets of eyes - I'm not sure what it is, but it has got a hell of a scream. As soon as I saw, or rather heard it I made a dash for it.

Nico takes a quick glance behind him. Damn! I don't see Anassir. Hopefully he's as tough as he looks.

[Inhuman Bot]

"woah, creepy. My soldier, please move at the front of our group. Allright, which way should go,guys?"

[The Bushranger]

Marle raises an eyebrow.
Better the critter's down there than up here. Now, you guys lead the way for a lady, if you would?
She has a tight little grin as she says this.

[Ditto]

Daffyd

"Leading the way it is. 'Kay." The halfling toddles into the ship after the creepy elfthing. He takes out an everburning torch and elects to try the entry nearest to him/on the bottom, figuring Sethous would be in the bowels of the blob if he were still inside.

Is that layout viewed from the top down or facing forward? I'm not clear on whether the two entries are doorways on two levels or both hatches in the floor.

[Stycotl]

Ra looks dubiously at the entrance as he clears his head, "I am not sure that I am going to fit through that opening."

(ooc-would he?)

He taps at the frame of the doorway, wondering if he could widen it with a quick chop or two of his massive sword.

[The Bushranger]

Marle slips past the Warforged and enters Shrouded Dancer, following Daffyd with her rapier at the ready.

[Phantom.exe]

Ra could easily smash through the wood, if he so chose. Well, not easily, but easy enough that a 10 or so would so it.

The image was supposed to be a top-down view.

The deathless, not really having much in the way of specific orders, makes his way to the left. Deftly Knocking down the door, he stumbles over some heavy, semi-flaming wreckage into what looks like the galley- though it's upside-down.

Nico is unable to hear a thing save an extremely heavy ringing in his ears. He does, however, make his way across the roof to the ship, and now stands just outside the entrance.

The deathless makes a soft, almost comforting hissing noise. His voice is an extremely audible whisper. "There is an uncanny sensation manifesting itself from somewhere near here. It feels... unnatural. Unsettling. Positively... aberrant.

Amid the creaking sound of the ship, the sound of crackling flames and the occasional snap is also audible. From somewhere deeper inside the ship, you can hear someone - or something - yelp.

Finally, the area you are standing on appears to be the solid stone roof of Arcanix. The downed ship is much more contorted on the inside than the outside, giving a 'falling' feeling. And the sinews that hold the ship together are starting to seem more like flesh...

[Stycotl]

After a moment of perusal, Ra hefts his double sword in both hands and raises it above his head. With a whoosh, he brings it down in a tightly spinning arc, smashing into the tissue of the ship's exit.

hit: [roll0] (power attack -2/+2; which is as much as i can do now)
damage: [roll1]

[Inhuman Bot]

OOC: Does anyone have knowledge: Aracana?

Slowly moving through the wreckage, Kasten and Ses'lith follow the deathless

[Hecore]

Nico concentrates for a moment and renews the effects of Force Screen, then moves to keep up with the party.

Looking around he sees what the party already knows - that there is something not right about this ship.

Nico ponders the fleshy cables for a moment. This craft... I have the feeling that I may have heard about it before.

Though it was likely constructed through Arcane means, there's always the chance it was created via Psionics.

Knowledge: Psionics [roll0]

Nico glances over his shoulder from time to time, hoping to see Anassir, or tp at least spot the monster before it catches the party unaware.

[The Bushranger]

Marle

This is just creepy. What's he doing, making it alive or something?

The half-elf quietly moves deeper into the ship with the others, keeping a tight grip on her blade.


Yes, somebody does have Knowledge (Arcana). :smallwink:

Move Silently: [roll0]
Knowledge (Arcana): [roll1]

[Ditto]

Daffyd

Stepping over the detritus strewn about the ersatz rooftop, Daffyd turns his head this way and that curiosuly. He moves toward whichever hatch it sounds like the yelping/chanting came from - or, given a choice, the bottom/right/near one and checks it out.

And someone has a little more! :smalltongue:
Kn: Arcana: [roll0]
Kn: Planes: [roll1]

[Phantom.exe]

No knowledge is gained through Psionics.

Knowledge: The Planes only tells you that the material is fleshy, spongy... and probably not extraplanar. It feels very basic and organic, rather than elementally strange or particularly aligned.

Knowledge: Arcana tells you that this material appears to be growing. It also tells you that Dungeoneering would be better suited to your needs.
This is probably the work of Sethous. He was known for using the Daelkyr's mastery of the flesh to shape his means. This terrifying discovery; that the mad mage may very well be turning this husk of a ship into a living, breathing aberration of nature - is horrifying.

What's worse is that you are in it.

With fortuitous timing, the walls appear to be shifting, taking on a different hue. The ship appears to almost... sigh as the roof moves a little higher, and the walls sort of shift; as if it's trying to wake.

Daffyd finds the hatch handle locked. However, he's in luck; it's damaged enough from the assult to just push down.

Inside is what was crew quarters.

Was.

Now, it's something much worse. Roll a Will save.

It's hard to describe the unspeakable horrors of what you see here. Almost as if spewn from Xoriat itself, this room writhes with horror after horror. Tentacles snagger, walls creak and crack. Sinews of brown and eyes of blue cover the floor, and more than a few mouths seem to gasp unintelligible words - not that you'd want to understand them.

And at the center of the room stands a figure wearing exotic robes. Potions, wands, rods, and all manner of gear hang from every available buckle, saddle, and belt. Sethous was always a purveyor of all things magical; whether they were useful or not, as long as they interested him, he would obtain them.
The figure has a short patch of scruff at his chin, beginning to grey towards the bottom. A short ponytail hangs down from neatly-kept and straight hair. A few gems are inlaid into earrings and pendants around his neck, and a mouth uttering unpronouncable unhingences complements the flitteringly closed eyes.

All in all, it is a horror that is hard to swallow. Anyone else who enters the room needs to make a will save.

[/FONT]

[Stycotl]

ooc-
initiative: [roll0]

if there are no obstacles in the way by the time it is my turn, or if i can move first to a spot where no obstacles would be in my way:
charge (-2/+2 power attack): [roll1]+8
damage (horn; as primary attack): [roll2]
AC would be 27 till end of turn.

if i can't charge when it is my turn, standard attack with sword after move action. use same mechanics, only +6 to hit instead of +8.

Ra sees the wizard amid his strange creations and lowers his stance as he prepares to rush the deranged human.

[The Bushranger]

((Um...Sty, we're not going into combat just yet.))

Marle

Marle claps a hand to her mouth as they enter, her eyes widening.

Will save: [roll0]

...crap.
:smalleek:

[Inhuman Bot]

Mouth slightly agape Kasten tries to steel himself at the sight of the horror.

willsave [roll]+5 Hmmm..... How do I roll on the threads?:smallredface::smallconfused:

[Hecore]

OOC: To roll - (what you want to roll here). So if your Will save is +5 you'd put in 1d20+5.

Nico recoils at the sight of the foul magics that have been wrought upon the craft.

Will Save: [roll0]

[Stycotl]

((Um...Sty, we're not going into combat just yet.))

any reason in particular? ra isn't going to wait for an invitation. and he doesn't have to will save against the effect, so instead, he charges.

[Stycotl]

nevermind, just read the ooc's latest...

[The Bushranger]

Marle's initiative (bearing in mind that natural 1 on the will save...): [roll0]
Dodge designated against the BBEG, too.

[Inhuman Bot]

OOC: Will save: [roll0]

[Hecore]

Rolling for init, not sure if I made the Will save, though = [roll0]

[Ditto]

Daffyd

Looking down at the creepy crawly room below, Daffyd frowns slightly. "Hunh. Isn't that something." He then scoots along the nearest bulkhead to make way for the rest of the party, standing on the nearest portion of the wall which isn't looking at him or likely to bite him. Thus situated, Daffyd lets fly a powerful bolt from his thrusting fist.

Walking on the gooey walls with Spiderclimb, because I can.
Init: [roll0]
Will save: [roll1]
Empowered Eldritch Blast, Touch attack: [roll2]; Dmg [roll3] x 1.5 = 25 dmg

[Phantom.exe]

Everyone made the Will Save. Yaaaay!

Without warning or explanation, the wizard turns to you. His eyes, formerly gently close, open wide. Wider than any human's eyes normally can.
The white, unnatural gleam in his sockets is clear. He looks... uncanny.

"Sometimes' it's the curve of a rist or what's left of roance, still hiding in the drawer of some long lost nightstand carefully drawn in the margins of an old discared calendar."

Sethous throws his arms and legs into the air, and the sinews of the ship rapidly grow to encompass him as well.

He now stands, elevated and hanging in the air by a few feet, his arms and legs covered in the flesh of this living monstrosity, mad rants spewing from his mouth, intermixed with spells.

[roll0] A ball of fire (hence, a fireball) flings at the ground beneath your feet. (You'll need a Reflex save for this, now, too.)

As the fire singes across the cold roof of Arcanix, it too scorches the ship's wood and the fleshy sinews that hold this monstosity together. Sethous is noticeably pained.

Another loud groan emanates from the ship, like some arcane giant trying to rise from a long nap, reaching for the sky, trying to stand up but knocking the cricks and cracks in its spine first.

Ra's also makes a great charge. Hit! Hooray!
Did you roll for damage? 'cuz you directly punched Sethous in the face just as he was about to extricate himself into the ship.

EDIT: Damage from everyone noted. If you haven't rolled for initiative, which I think everyone has, it looks something like:

Sethous, Marle, Nico... Daffyd, Ra's...

[The Bushranger]

((Whew!!))

Marle

The lithe half-elf dives to avoid most of the fireball's blast, springing to her feet looking a little singed.
Get him good, big guy!
She raises her rapier and rushes towards the wizard...

Note: Mage Armour still active. Sethous designated as Dodge opponent.
Reflex save: [roll0]
Attack: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[Inhuman Bot]

(Hey, so am I and Ses'lith in this combat? I can't tell...)

[Phantom.exe]

You're there, aren't you? Why wouldn't you be?

The ship groans more. The ceiling seems a little higher.

[Phantom.exe]

Didn't see that you rolled an attack.

After a quick flip to the right, Marle's sword slashes through Sethous's wringly collarbone, forcing blood in a nice arc as the weapon curves through the air after the hit.

[Hecore]

Nico dodges to the left, attempting to avoid much of the fireballs blast.

This is it, Sethous. The time for games is over!


Reflex Save = [roll0]
Free Action: Nico activates both Chain of Personal Superiority and Chain of Defensive Superiority.
Swift Action: Nico uses Quick Cast ability to conjure True Strike.
Move Action: Nico moves next to Sethous.
Standard Action:
Nico uses his Arcane Channeling ability to imbue his blade with Ghoul Touch [Fortitude DC13].
Attack Roll = [roll1]
Damage Roll = [roll2]

[Ditto]

Daffyd

Stepping closer on the squicky floor, Daffyd adds, "Yeah! What he said."

Ref save: [roll0]
Empowered EB - Touch atk: [roll1]; Dmg [roll2] x 1.5 = 28 dmg

[Phantom.exe]

While Daffyd is able to duck below the blast's radius, Hecore is not so lucky.

Nico takes 13 damage from the conflagration.

Both Daffyd as well as Nico is able to hit the mass of flesh that continues to grow. Sethous's back arches as Eldritch Blast burns him.

The difference between the roof/floor and the ship is now noticeable, and at least a foot. The ship is clearly... getting up.

It takes a few more seconds for the monstrosity to completely stand; the purpose of the ship's re-working is clear.

The pieces of the ship, completely repaired but in all the wrong places, have formed into a Huge, 20-foot tall walking monstrosity. Halfway between a crashed ship and a humanoid figure, Sethous's body hangs at the front of the mass, twitching and writhing as though he controlled the hulk like some aberrant suit of armor.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37gYwkTTPEw

[Inhuman Bot]

Kasten's Init [roll0] Ses'liths init: [roll1] Ses'lith Casts call lightning, and holds in the bolts. His Wolf attacks [roll2]. The deathless attacks [roll3] and Kasten readies an action to cast cure light wounds on the next wounded person

[Inhuman Bot]

Kasten's Init [roll0] Ses'liths init: [roll1] Ses'lith Casts call lightning, and holds in the bolts. His Wolf attacks [roll2]. The deathless attacks [roll3] and Kasten readies an action to cast cure light wounds on the next wounded person

(Oh, and you put Hecore by mistake, Phantom.)

[The Bushranger]

No problem on the miss, happens to me too. Did Marle take any damage? I was assuming it was save-for-half...

Marle looks up...

and up...


and up...



I think I'm gonna need a bigger sword...

[Inhuman Bot]

Kasten doesn't seem particuarly prepared, as he moves slowly. Ses'lith on the other hand, Moves quickly and orders his wolf to lunge, yet his foe moves out of the way of the cainines clumsy bite.
The undying warrior swings, and....

OOC- Can you put a smiley at the start of the topic on the first post? It will make it easier to find, then.

[Phantom.exe]

{Sorry. Marle took half damage.}

The towering monstrosity begins to lumber forward, spouting nonsense.

"In."
"Seen."
"What."
"For."
"Am."

Though, despite all the gibbering, you seem to interpret as, "I am not what I used to be."

{Slaanesh didn't make any rolls.}

The monstrosity's body is more fully formed, and its stride grows. It covers an 10 feet in the blink of an eye, and it's only getting started.

Sethous's Final Form Crush Attack:
[roll0] Marle
[roll1] Kasten
[roll2] Ses'lith
[roll3] (Where did Ra's go?)
[roll4] Daffyd

[The Bushranger]

Marle easily dances clear of Shipzilla's attack, scowling deeply. And you're going to be even less like you used to be once we get done with you!

She makes an arcane gesture with her free hand, and casts Color Spray.

[Inhuman Bot]

Ses'lith releases a burst of lightning!

[roll0] LIGHTNING STRIKES! (ref save)

[Ditto]

Daffyd

"HOLY SPOON! ...that's sort of cool." Daffyd decides to change his opinion after it gets squishing on him. He pitches the last of the charged-up version of his energy bolts at the Sethous-hulk.

Is the ship-thing actually off the ground yet? I was standing on what used to be a bulkhead on the inside of the ship with spiderclimb, so theoretically I’d still be clinging to it. I’d like to stand on it, if possible. That’d prevent me from being crushed a bit, theoretically. Also, it’d let me walk over to Sethous and honk his nose.

Either way, another one of these: Empowered EB, Touch attack: [roll0]; Dmg: [roll1] x 1.5 = 25 dmg

[Phantom.exe]

Color Spray Save: [roll0]
Lightning! Save: [roll1]
Damage noted from Daffyd.

The monstrosity is off the ground, for now, though it still seems to be lumbering along. It does not seem to possess the ability to gain altitude.

Marle, Ses'lith, Kasten, and Nico are all on the ground. They were either outside the ship when it got up, or they were inside (but standing on the ground, rather than standing on the interior of the ship) when it rose.
Daffyd, since you were spider climbing, you're still on the inside of the aberration.

I forgot. Sorry, lil' warlock! Ignore that attack roll against you.


Sethous's form lumbers about, attempting to smash the tiny creatures below him. To him, you probably look no bigger than rats.

You can hear a dull 'humming' sound.

Sethous is blinded.

[Ditto]

Please note- I forgot to go in and re-type the Empowered damage, so it should be 25 not 17.

Is the humming coming from the shipman, or elsewhere? No longer being able to fly is a very very good thing for me. :smallbiggrin:

Since I'm standing on the side of this thing, would I be caught in the Color Spray's cone? I've got a crazy good Will save so I'm not that worried, but just for kicks: [roll0]

[Hecore]

OOC: How far is Sethous off the ground? Do I need to un-sling my bow?

Nico sheaths his Falchion.

I need a free hand for what I'm about to do next.

[Phantom.exe]

Sethous is about 10 feet off of the ground. At least, that's where his toros and head is.

The Monstrosity is about 30 feet tall; but the "arms" are much higher up. Very convenient.

Will save noted. Damage: increased.


After a few seconds of stumbling about, you find yourself once again on the defensive as Sethous regains his composure. Even from your distance, you can see veins popping in his face, the sinews enveloping him losing their concentration.

You feel the hairs on the back of your neck prick up as Sethous "casts a spell". In reality, something oozes out of the back of the towering Monstrosity before you. It takes half a second for it - or now "them" to stand up.

This squat, hunchbacked wretch has four spindly arms and no head. Forming out of its chest is a twisted visage with two squealing mouths. This creature brandishes a morningstar, spear, and shield in its arms. It indeed looks something like a pair of humans fused together.

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Geez, how disgusting! How about I fire him up a little?
Marle pulls a vial of Alchemist's Fire out of her pack as she moves to be 10 feet away from the newly-spawned monstrosity, and tosses it...


Ranged touch attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] fire
(If it misses, then the 1d8 miss-direction roll is up to the DM :smallsmile: )

[Stycotl]

ooc-i'm here. school had me away yesterday. yes, i had posted damage. it was... 17.

reflex save for the fireball: [roll0]

ok, when it is my turn, i'll take a whack at the ship-golem-mecha's leg with my sword.

[roll1] first attack. if it hits, it does [roll2]
[roll3] second attack. if it hits, it does [roll4]


Ra staggers as the construction rises, nearly falling over as it brushes past him. Then, as the gout of fire scorches past him, the maug angles his force screen and lowers his shoulder, trying to deflect the brunt of the assault. Stomping away from the lingering flames, he finds the ship-creature towering above him, and analyzes his chances of knocking it down with a successful hit to the lower limbs (ooc-how far from the ledge is the ship?). Bracing himself, Ra steps forward and weaves his large double-blade in a spinning dance of destruction.

[Inhuman Bot]

"Ew." KAsten then casts light of Lunia and attacks the monster.

[roll0] It is subject to SR.

[The Bushranger]

A summary of the combat in Wednesday night's IRC session:

* Marle's Alchemist's Fire attack damages the Dolgaunt

* Nico's Color Spray blinds Sethos further

* Marle attacks the Dolgaunt with her rapier, gets a natural 20, confirms crit, DMG 4x2

* Daffyd dispels the Dolgaunt

* Nico attacks Sethos for 14 damage, Sethos saves against Ray of Enfeeblement

* Ra attacks for 15 damage to the groin (ouch...)

* House Lyrendar airship returns with three others, and several skiffs

* Sethos clobbers Daffyd across the roof for 31 damage

* Marle uses her Wand of CLW for 7 healing and makes a Spot check

* Daffyd attacks for 20 damage, "head" of the monstrosity is crumbling

* Nico attacks for 30 damage

* Ra attacks for 15 damage

> Airships are within 400 feet and closing, and it's Sethos' move

[Phantom.exe]

Sethous's final form is beginning to degrade, that much is clear. Parts of the ship that seemed sturdily held in place are beginning to drift off, sag, and even break off in a disgusting display.
Seeing the bridge snap off the ship and land on the ground is not unlike seeing mozzarella cheese stretch on pizza.

Ra's first attack barrels into Sethous's left leg, sending bits and pieces flying into the air. However, his second cleave goes for the same spot, and mostly just slides through the already damaged leg.

The Cloud's Destiny reappears - in force- flanked by a trio of smaller ships and at least 6 soarwood boats brimming with what might be soldiers.
However, the lot of them appear to be wearing helmets and large black cloaks, making it difficult to determine their allegience or identity.

Regardless of their actual affiliation, they're clearly helping you. The Destiny fires another charged ballista bolt straight into Sethous's body, sending an fireball across the area, dwarfing Marle's smaller (but more accurate) throw earlier.

The other three ships respond in kind, though they appear to be using Air Elemental rings of Fire Elemental. Thus, their shots move with much more velocity, but with much less cinematic flair.

And... I can't think of any better way to say "Sethous Casts Chain Lightning."

Reflex save for everyone, or ... [roll0]
Sethous has a lot of levels in Alienest as well as being a boss. I got PM wondering about why he had such a low caster level.

[roll1] Damage

-Damage noted from all players.
-Spell Resistance did not kick in. Torso damaged. What looks like the galley falls down.

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle dives aside as the down-but-not-yet-out wizard fires off Chain Lightning.

Reflex save: [roll0]
...so that should be 8 damage for her then I presume...
@v In that case...owie. :smalleek:

Rolling to her feet, she scowls, and begins waving her free hand while uttering the gutteral sounds of an incantation in Draconic, seeking to turn the twisted mind of Sethous against its owner.

Marle casts Phantasimal Assiliants
Concentration check (if necessary): [roll1]
Ouch. >.< Hopefully it wasn't necessary...
If so, then Sethous: make a Will save to disbelieve or take damage...
4 points each DEX and WIS. Fort save for half damage...
(And this is why she was checking for a Helm of Telepathy, lest he disbelieve and turn it back against her.)

[Ditto]

Daffyd

As the lightning causes him to yelp in pain (a minor complaint after being slammed mightily moments before), Daffyd fishes a potion out of his sack and downs it.

What's that 2d20 for?

The 6d6 is for all secondary targets, yes? Meaning the primary target took 12d6, since his caster level would be 12 to cast a 6th level spell? Also, if it's not clear, I'm *way* farther than 30 feet away from everyone, halfway across the roof. A clobbered Daffyd is not a happy Daffyd.

I don't think you made the save on that spell, Bush... 6th level spell plus an Int of at least 16 means 10+6+3 = DC19.

Ref save: [roll0] fails, so 15 dmg (out of 16 remaining, yikes!)
CMW: [roll1] hp recovered, leaving me at 15 hp.

[Hecore]

Hoping he can dodge lightning better than a fireball, Nico rolls to the right in an attempt to avoid most of the crackling arc of electricity.

[roll0]

Nico then dashes forward and makes a devastating strike at what remains of Sethous's body.


Move back towards Sethous.
Use Arcane Channeling and charge my blade with Acid Splash.
Power Attack for 4.

Attack Roll = [roll1]
Damage Roll =[roll2]
Damage Roll (Acid Splash) = [roll3]

[Inhuman Bot]

Seslith Kasten [roll1] NOTE: I may have confused my modifiers, and will adjust my rolls accodingly if they are wrong.

Kasten roars and lunges at the monster with his sycthe!

[roll2] Attack roll. [roll3] my sycthe. [roll] 2d6 My caustic and flaming damage, 1d6 acid 1d6 fire [spoiler]

Ses'lith gathers energy, and it slowly crackles with elcetrcity
(casts lCall lightning, and waits ith it)
His wolf howls and lunges

[spoiler] [roll4] [roll5]

[Phantom.exe]

Marle and Daffyd hit the ground, though their celebration is cut short when the spell in question arcs around to slam them from behind in the torso.

At that moment, the airship brigade seems to open up a concentrated volley of fire, with the anomalous soldiers in the skiffs doing the same. Dozens of arrows pepper Sethous. He is clearly dying. Any semblance of skills or tactics he gained during his time sane has long since faded away.


Daffyd, thanks for the help on the chain lightning. Duly noted. Since you were too far away... well.

The 2d20 was supposed to be 4d20. It represents the damage that the new airships are doing. I've been calculating damage for ballistae wrong so far, but really - I don't feel like going back and changing it up.


Nico and Kasten heroically lunge at almost the same time. The pair cleaves into Sethous's physical form - or what's left of it -in an elegant fashion, making an almost symmetrical cut on his now ragged body.

"No trace in the crowd, I race in the cloud!", screams the wizard.

Tragically, the wolf companion's strike was not quite as heroic, and is interrupted by a tentacle bursting from Sethous's "torso."


[roll0]+7 Tentacle Attack on wolf
[roll1] Damage if hit
[roll2]+29 If hit, begin a grapple using this roll as a free action
[roll3]+7 Slam Attack on Nico
Sethous does not attempt a crush attack this turn.

[Stycotl]

reflex save [roll0]

1st attack [roll1], for [roll2] damage.
2nd attack [roll3], for [roll4] damage.
no power attack.

Ra moves as quickly as he can, attempting to outdistance the reach of the arcing lightning as it comes for him. A mere step or two in the right direction, at the right time, he knows, can make the difference between the energy of the spell grabbing ahold of him or not.

Ra's direction of movement is strategically chosen to take him closer to the faltering monstrosity before him, mind focusing on the leg joints of his foe, hoping to drive it closer to the edge (if clsoe enough; i never saw how close seth is to the edge), and topple it.

this action is assuming that i am still threatening seth. if not, i can't make a full attack, but will take a move act till i do threaten. in that case, i only get one attack at +10 melee, +7 damage.

[Ditto]

((Sethous went, guess I'm up again.))

Daffyd

Feeling slightly hardier, Daffyd takes another few paces away from the wizard, who is happily still well within range of his Eldritch Blast.

Touch atk: [roll0] Dmg: [roll1]

[Hecore]

Nico cries out as he's struck by Sethous's attack.

I can't afford to take another hit like that.

Nico rummages in his Handy Haversack for a moment, withdraws a potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, and drinks it.

Cures = [roll0]
Concentration (if needed) = [roll1]

[Inhuman Bot]

"Does anyone need healing?"

Ses'lith isn't listening as he moves out to aid his injured wolf, in any way he can.

[The Bushranger]

Marle

I'm fine until we take this rat down!
Having dropped her rapier, Marle grabs her bow, pulls back an arrow and lets fly, aiming for the crazed wizard's head...


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Phantom.exe]

Erm, Slaanesh, I grappled your wolf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whuZunX8bQo

Things are looking bleak for the party. Despite Sethous's battle wounds, his power seems limitless - or, if nothing else, frustrating and cinematic.
Tentacles wave wildly, striking at Arcanix, and, unable to properly do more than gibber the somatic components, spells of all shapes and sizes fly around the area.
Maximied Magic Missle slams into the roof, while Cloudkill begins to settle down, roiling off of the tiered rooftop and presumably to Korth below.
Flares and Arcane Marks begin to cover the ground, turning the area into a cavalcade of light and danger.
Worst of all, all manner of unnatural creatures begin popping into existence - Dolgaunts, Dolgrim, Gibbering Mouthers, and dozens of Otyughs materialize at the whims of Sethous's Xoriat-twisted mind.


Finally, throwing the wolf against the ground, Sethous turns his attention to the rest of the party. In a stunning moment of clarity, he seems to "grow" a fleshy pseudopod. Barbs and bits of something-or-other drip down from the "limb" as he stretches it up into the air. Large enough to block out the sun, he is just about to bring it down on Ras, Marle, Ses'lith, and Kasten, when...

The Cloud's Destiny streaks in front of the monstrosity, taking a massive hit to the bow, and sending the ship careening out of control. Spinning wildly and emanating huge billows of smoke and debris, it barrel-rolls down, past the edge of Arcanix, disappearing as it goes down.

This massive distraction was all the rest of the flanking ships need. The skiffs continue to show Sethous a rain of fire, but some touch down, dropping soldiers you can't quite recognize.

Roll Knowledge (Nobility & Royalty) or Knowledge (History).

A few of the soldiers, brandishing longswords, rush over to you.

"Move along."

Another explosion next to Sethous ignites the remaining pieces of the ship. The air runs black with the scent of burning flesh.
Finally, a ship that you can regonize as being named the Beginner's Luck swoops down. Taking one massive strafing run at Sethous's exposed body, it fires the ballista...

And contacts, sending the Alienist to a screaming doom as his form writhes and thrashes on the ground. Covered in dozens of arrows and bolts, battered at the knees and legs, sliced and diced at the torso, and burnt to a crisp, Sethous no longer seems quite as menacing.

The remaining troopers, however, do. One in a feathered coif - ostensibly the commanding officer - makes a few hand gestures, which you interpret as sending more troops over to your position.

Four stand, flanking Ra, with weapons sheathed. Two flank everyone else, save Marle, who the becoifed soldier directs a gnome toward.

"Apologies, ma'am," says the gnome. "We're with the Brelish govnerment. This is under our jurisdiction now. You can understand."

"Not that we don't 'ppreciate your hard work, no. You proved an excellent distraction, and we would've never taken him down without a little help on the ground. Quigley at your service."
"Sorry we couldn't come sooner; we weren't sure who you were with. We were getting paranoid of anyone in Arcanix once Sethous took down the Shrouded Dancer."

"Funny thing, that. He seemed to have a penchant for airships. Didja see his office? Dozens of models all over the place. Papers, blueprints, paintings. 'spected a guy like him to have mad ravings and bits o' Aberration flesh, but nope. Not this guy."

"Which, eh, brings me to my final conclusion. I'm no so sure it's a good idea to let everyone know that a wizard with Brelish protections, Karrnathi citizenship, and ties to Thronehold went about and tried to destroy the world. We've already heard 'bout a dozen theories 'bout all the wacky weather, eh? So we're thinkin' this last one might push some folk over the edge."

"So, that jus' leaves us the question of what to do with the adventurers who just so happened to have tracked Sethous, gotten dozens of proofs, called in hundreds of favors, and helped to finish the deed. Nice work on fightin' him in his office, by the way."

"See, now I'd never hurt a lady life yourself, I am unsure what to do with the rest of your group or your... rocky friend."

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle throws up her bow, aiming to fire an arrow in defiance into the massive tentacle, when the airship takes the hit...and then watches in amazement, and not a little frustration, as the soldiers take over and finish the job, pulling out her Wand of CLW and using two charges on herself.
Wand of CLW: [roll0] [roll1]

Finding herself thrust into the position of the de facto spokesman and leader, she listens neutrally to the gnome's speech, then gives him her broadest smile.

I'm glad that we were able to help, Mr. Quigley. She gives him a curtsey. Marle Windstrider. Are the crew of Cloud's Destiny alright?
The half-elf straightens up, and gives the impression of being deep in thought as her mind races.
Well, I can certainly understand your position. And I agree that it would probably be best if your man-on-the-street didn't know exactly what went on up here. And I also suppose that just giving you our word not to speak of what happened in any detail won't go over too well with your superior officers.
Marle tilts her head in a coquettish guesture and allows her smile to get bigger.
However, we do work together well as a team, and it'd be a shame to lose that. So, I'd have to speak with the others of course, but, you know, I'm sure there are other situations, either now or in the future, that would call for the government to be...discreet in its handling of them. That might, mayhap, require the services of...independent contractors to clean up, with those in charge being able to deny any involvement on their part - and truthfully?


Alas, Marle only has Knowledge ranks in Arcana and Local...
However, she can make a Diplomacy check on the good Mr. Quigley: [roll2]

[Stycotl]

Ra watches the demise of Sethous with mixed thoughts. Though he feels no satisfaction or disappointment, he dearly wishes that these soldiers would have left the battle to the professionals.

Silly homids.

He hefts his double-bladed sword in both hands and glowers down on the four soldiers about him, inspecting their armor and boots, inspecting their weapons, and how clean and neat their uniforms are.

When the gnome makes reference to not hurting Marle, but being unsure as what to do with the others, Ra speaks up, his voice grating like a rusty trap, "Not to put too fine of a point on it, but you have two options that I can see. Either you treat your impromptu allies honorably, and be treated as such by us as well, or you attempt to quiet us, and in so doing, initiate a short battle. Now, I have no reservations about this exchange coming to blows. I doubt that my companions wish this to become a violent conflict, and certainly, I would rather continue existence in order to fight further battles. But if it comes down to it, I would happily see how many of your soldiers I can destroy before your ships take me down. It is my destiny to die in battle--it is what I was created for. If you wish to accelerate that destiny by threatening my existence, or the life of my allies, then so be it. But I can promise you that it will be an expensive decision."

With that, he glares at the soldiers around him again, taking note of one of them (whether or not the human was guilty of the offense), "Stand up straighter, man. Don't slouch like that; you're a warrior, not a baker."

intimidate check: [roll0]

[Stycotl]

ooc-stupid low charisma rolls...

[Phantom.exe]

Quigley lights a pipe as he listens to Marle, and puffs it a bit. When Ra speaks up, he moves a bit and turns to him.
The human fighters surrounding Ra wear half-plate armor, mostly black and blue, and a few other elegant touches. Their faces are impossible to see due to the expensive and functional helm, but by their physical motions, they are somewhat confused. One of them does try to stand up a little straighter.


"You are asking to do favors for the Crown?Quiet you?
I was just going to bribe the party not not speak, but sure, why not, eh?

I s'pose the King's Dark Lanterns technically I owe you a favor, too, fer getting Sethous out here where we could take him out without too many witnesses. If he had been able to control more of the ship... he might've even been able t'insinuate himself with Arcanix itself.

Erm, righto. Well, anyway, little miss, you asked 'bout the Cloud's Destiny? Well, her sister ship, the Shrouded Dancer, wasn't quiet as lucky. Sethous had the ability to somehow control flesh and inorganic materials as one, letting him use... well, the crew as some sort of monstrous control mechanism. The Desnity took some losses when it impacted in Southern Briar Park. Not too many people on the ground were hurt... but a few were."

Quigley struts about the area, thinking, and puffing his pipe. A few Dark Lanterns near Sethous's body seem to be picking through his remains. They procure broken items, dump out a bag of holding containing a disgusting green slime, and thumb through a pocket folio.

"Give me a little while to think about giving you a job."

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle cringes just ever-so-slightly at Ra's statement - not that she doesn't totally agree, but, not perhaps the most diplomatic of approaches. But she gives the warrior a thankful smile.

Then Q reveals the fate of the ships...
He used...the crew...
Marle turns away for a moment, clamping a hand over her mouth as she tries not to be sick...
Impromptu Fort save against DC10: [roll0]
...and succeeds, but not by much.

After a moment she composes herself and turns back to Q.
Um, sure. Listen, while you think I'm going to see about patching up my friends, alright?
If Quigley or any of his fellow soldiers don't object, she'll head over to Daffyd first, offering her Wand of CLW.

[Hecore]

Nico stands back and watches the proceedings - never being much of a diplomat he feels that he has little to add to the conversation for the moment.

He had been, however, paying close attention to the ships and the soldiers, racking his brain to discover just who they are.

Knowledge: History = [roll0]

[Inhuman Bot]

After seeing the screaming alienist's demise, KAsten began to think.

So, who are these guys....

Ses'lith moves over to his wolf to see if there is anything he can do.

Knowledge: N&R [roll0]

[Ditto]

Daffyd

Daffyd draws his own wand and waves Marle off, smiling and wiggling it at her indicating she should attend to someone else without healing.

"Yeah, what she said."

Lesser Vigor for me! And I forgot about my DR, so that's 2 more HP I have. How long does Lesser Vigor last, again? I don't recall.
I'm totally ready to just run off the side of this place if they insist on being prigs and make us 'come quietly'. :smalltongue:

[Phantom.exe]

Nico, Ses'lith, and the rest of their party comb the annals of the mind to try and remember if they have seen the ships or soldiers before.
They can come up with neither.

However, you can infer from Quigley's statements and the black lantern motif that adorns the soldiers' gear that these are members of the Brelish Citadel, the royal intelligence agency.

Quigley continues pacing.

"I don't know. Methinks maybe we owe you a few favors...."

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle gives Daffyd a nod and smile and looks to the others to see who needs any help, raising an eyebrow at the gnome's musings as she does so.

((Speak up if you want her to zap you with the Wand of CLW. :smallwink: ))

[Phantom.exe]

Quigley struts across the roof, puffing a long pipe. He makes a few hand motions, directing the party to come closer and to group up.

"Okay, okay, keep your pants on. I have a proposition for you."



Quigley removes his pipe, and begins polishing the shiny, lacquered wood. He clearly likes it in good condition.

"I see it this way. You came pretty far, you know? You did a lot of work that the Citadel and Karrnathi Military Intelligence didn't have to do. That saved us a lot of red tape."

"Now, I can't give you any promises right away, but...
I think I have something for you."

Rushed, yes, I know. The idea looked much better on paper.

...and... opening credits! >.>



Voyage of the Golden Dragon
Voyage of the Golden Dragon
Run by Phantom.exe
Illustrations by Antifan-Real, Wayne Reynolds, Lisa Hanson
Map work taken from maps drawn by Jonathan Hill
Caterer - Tony's Food Services
Gametable created by Gametable Group
Eberron Campaign Setting Created by Keith Baker


(In no particular order)
Ra, - Stycotl
Marle Windstrider- The Bushranger
Daffyd Mann - Ditto
Ses'lith and Kasten D'Orien - Slaanesh
Nico - Hecore
The Wanderer - Tacitus
Quigley - Chronicled
Tanith Durac- DyslexicFaser
Paldrith Malinko - Phantom.exe

Very Special Thanks to Indiana Jones

D&D, all terms thereof, and all related items, including design, d20 license, and use of sourcebooks belong exclusively to Wizards of the Coast, (c) 2006-2008




2 Months Later...


Recommended Soundtrack - Stormwind Theme, from World of Warcraft (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYidb1LvMs8) or Sharn, City of Towers theme by Wizards


The day after you were unceremoniously dropped off in Thronehold (The island that once held the capitol of Galifar), you were given a short letter. Well, 'given' is a manner of speaking. As with all mysterious letters, it was inserted - by means unknown - into your locked hotel suite in the Ignited Basilisk, an upscale inn on the edge of Thronehold.

The letter reads something as follows. It is printed on fine Karrnathi paper, and written in a dark blue ink. The writing is elegant- extremely elegant - almost elegant enough to be difficult to read. It spills over to a second page.

Dear Wayfinders & Co;

It has been too long since we last spoke. How a day flies! Indeed, it would seem like two days ago would never end; hours of cleanup, reams of paper, and dozens of contracts and items to sign. Be lucky you are not yet formal agents of the Brelish crown.

I have good news for you. My superiors agreed with my judgement, and approved the operation I decided upon. It is for the best; considering that I had already made the arrangements for your task. (Something bearing resemblance to a renaissance-era emoticon depicting a smiley face appears here.)

I also have bad news for you. I do not have any formal reward for working with us (whether you knew the identities of your patrons or not). Most of his magical items - items which I knew that adventurers and mercenaries as yourself would love - were damaged or destroyed.
Meanwhile, any monetary gifts are absolutely out of the question; while we could arrange a 'gift' for you, right now the Brelish Parliament and Karrnathi crown are being very stingy, and trying to distance themselves from anything relating to the recent weather fluctuations.

So, what do you receive for saving Karrnath from being turned to dust, Aundair from perpetual winter, Stormreach from flooding, and Breland from hurricane-force winds?

A trip on the Golden Dragon, my friend. You may have heard of it; the Golden Dragon is the world's first luxury airship; the first of its kinds. None is finer, none is more stately. Indeed, it has been all but determined 'unsinkable'. I'm sure you can find out more about the Golden Dragon once you get there.
The nature of your mission will be revealed once the ship departs. Among other things, it is of critical nature that the ship makes it to Stormreach, the northernmost (and only) city in Xen'Drik.

Until then, your covers are as follows. Do not, under any circumstances, make any connection with the Brelish Government known. Even to who might be other Citadel agents or Dark Lanterns. Same goes for any Karrnathi Military Intelligence (abbreviated as KMI) chaps.

-My lovely Marle, you are an entertainer and 'friend' of House Lyrandar. You are working on the ship as entertainment and as a guide.
-Daffyd, you and the Maug bloke are here with the Wayfinder Foundation. Luckily, you actually are. We have arranged for something of a 'trial membership', if you did not already have one. If anyone asks, you are there for an expedition to reach the icy southern tip of Xen'Drik.
-Nico, you are a diplomat from Riedra. That's only if anyone notices that you're more than Human. If not - well, you're still a diplomat from Riedra. Regardless, disclose as little information as possible. Enclosed in this is a 100-gold letter of credit from House Kundarak; use it to buy a more upper-class outfit.
-Ses'lith, you and Kasten are both working with House Orien in Xen'Drik to further advance some sort of transit or highway system out there. Strangest thing, that; the Dark Lanterns wouldn't give me any approval on this. I work for Citadel, so I outrank all but the most senior Lantern... still, Strange, huh?

Meet at the Broken Anvil; it's a small, out-of-the-way tavern in southern Sharn. There should be a sky gondola there, waiting to take you to the tallest tower in Sharn; from there, the "launch party" will be blaring.

Await further instructions there.

-Quigley

You finish re-reading the paper, and pass it to the next person. You're still in the sky gondola, which is slowly circling up towards the top of Dalaran Tower. The lights of Morgrave University, just a few hundred feet to the north, are already looking dim in comparison to Dalaran's luminescence.
The gondola you sit in is large - 10 feet wide, converging in the front to a point and about 25 feet long with a covered roof.



The gondolameister seems nice enough, though any of his chatty comments have long turned awkward.
As you approach the tower, you can almost see the top of an elemental binding ring on the other side...

---------

This is it. The main event. Credits rolled, an intro montage played. Something's going down tonight - and tomorrow, too.
You've had quite some time for your characters to relax. I've been thinking a bit about this campaign, too; among other things, I'm a bit frustrated that I haven't given you many opportunities to roleplay. I hope that will change.
I encourage RPing both in an out of combat, both on and off this thread. If you want, the OOC thread can double as a... whisper thread, as can PMs

I don't want to force you to roleplay or post... but I'd like to know what you did with the months you had. Did you stay together? Or not? Did you craft items? Did you study, sleep, or meditate? Maybe you just went exploring. I want to know!

Remember, this is a formal event. Old patrons and old enemies might show up here. What are you wearing? What do you look like? So forth. I'm not sure if I even gave time for character descriptions, though you can always just look at each others' sheets on the first page...

Also, starting very soon, some events in the adventure will be 'time-based', meaning that a certain amount of time or posts must go by for the events to 'trigger'. You're going to be given a lot of freedom; I hope to see proactive use of it. I'm hoping so much, in fact, that I've designed a hidden (for now) table of bonuses and happenings to reward such work.

Whew! Long post.

Also, this gondola ride is a fantastic way to RP.

[Tacitus]

The Wanderer (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=17354)

A small bit of light reflected off the smooth skin of the sickly looking man's skull as he guided them onward. Bright blue eyes glittered from tired sockets and a palpable sensation of warmth and surety rolled off his otherwise fragile body. It was hard to tell but under a jerkin he wore to denote his current status as their gondolier he wore links of fine chain with a slight azure hue that hugged his body. His other clothing was, by and large, less remarkable with baggy brown pants that looked as though they were well traveled and a pair of black boots that seemed caked with mud despite there having been no rain for a fortnight.

His pendant though, oh that was a rare beauty. Though it seemed to be a mere glass sphere set into a golden clasp there was a brilliant light that emanated from within that seemed to hold but a fraction of the Eternal Day that was Irian. The gold was not of any amazing craftsmanship but looked as though it were made by the hands of an apprentice being guided. Aside from this amazing gem and his fine chain the only oddity about him was hint of conjuration magic extending from his pack.

Well, maybe not the only oddity. The man's voice never seemed to quit. And to that point he seemed to have some strange bit of knowledge that no one would ever need to know, "...and in exchange he told me something I never would have guessed in all my years. Apparently there are certain types of frog whose body creates some form of alchemical substance that allows them to freeze during the winter! Instead of literally turning to ice their blood truly runs cold! Isn't that amazing? I wonder if it would be useful for the common man to keep cooled drinks without the use of magic. And to think, all I gave him was the answer to a rather simple riddle. The Common Tongue! Hah!"

[Stycotl]

ooc-hold on, gimme a moment to wrap my brain around this. i thought we had done the epilogue, and were now going to go back and do the prologue through the next-to-last act. now we are a few months after the battle with sethous?

also, you want me to play through that (stuff in seth's desk) on top of the roof, still, or are we just gonna explain that ooc-ly?

EDIT-oh yeah, and howdy, tacitus!

[The Bushranger]

Marle Windstrider (http://www.thetangledweb.net/forums/profiler/view_char.php?cid=16229)

Marle's long brown hair is pulled back into a bun, her dress being suitably elegant (and low-cut), showing off her figure to best advantage, and also being a brilliant shade of green that perfectly compliments her sparkling eyes as she chuckles at the Wanderer's story.
Indeed, sir, that seems it might come in very handy. And who knows what other uses such cold could be put to use for?
She gives him a wink as if suggesting she could think of a few...
But really, you might not want to let people know where it came from. A frog? Like, eww...

As for theme music, after listening to that - at least the first part of it, stupid dial-up :smallfrown: - I've got the theme music from Ark of Truth playing in my head. :smallwink:

[Hecore]

Nico Silius (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheets/view.php?id=76573)

The last two months seemed to drag by. Nico had hoped that once he killed Sethous the group would have been showered in jewels and gold. Instead he got this - a trip on a luxury skyliner - and he was expected to do a job on top of this!. It wasn't all bad, it just wasn't the sort of 'reward' he had been expecting.

Nico turned away from the man that had identified himself as Cassius. The man was interesting, sure, but lend him your ear and he'd talk it off. The man was a trivia bank of useless knowledge; it was going to be such a bother traveling if all the passengers were like that! Nico paused, and shook his head.

Perhaps he is just excited to be on the airship, Nico thought to himself. Beneath Nico's calm, almost bored exterior he was bubbling over with excitement. Even with everything else, this journey exhilarated him. After all, it was the third time he had even been in a sky galley; you could barely count the trip off the roof of the Arcanix.

Nico glanced down at his clothes and quickly turned away. I've got to stop doing that, he thought. These clothes were unusually fine and unlike much of what he normally wore were tailored to fit him exactly. He didn't feel the scratch of wool or of an improperly sewn seam; he kept looking down to make sure he still had his shirt and pants on.

Glancing over the countryside in the ascending gondola, Nico impatiently waited for what he was sure would be the adventure of a lifetime.

[Stycotl]

Ra stood as close to the center of the gondola as possible, and as still as a statue--which he could do an impressionable impression of, by the way--for fear of rocking the boat. It might be largeer than him, but Ra was certain that his density and bulk could send the airship rocking back and forth if he were not careful.

But now, as he stood there as still as possible, he was aware of something tap-tapping against the inside of the thick, steel and iron of his greaves, something he would never be able to reach with his massive, mineral paws. Bending slowly, Ra tries to peer down between his leg armor and his stone leg, but all is dark, and the space is too small for even his ocular systems to reveal.

"Daffyd, could you come over here? I need you to reach those tiny mittens of yours down behind my greaves and see what it is that is flopping around loose in there. Could you do that for me?"

[Inhuman Bot]

Kasten reflects on the time that has passed since the battle at Arcanix.
I wonder if I'll ever have to fight something that deranged again.... It's hard to forget such a monster..

Meanwhile, Ses'lith rests, using a weak spell to warm himself.

Kasten taps his foot anixously, hoping that they will arrive soon.
*sigh* I just want to get back to doing something exciting... and *this* doesn't eve come close to counting..

Kasten begins paceing impatiently, hoping that they can get to something more interesting then a ride in an airship.

[Stycotl]

"Daffyd? Where'd that blasted little halfling sneak off to now?" Ra looks about, rotating slowly at the waist so as not to disturb the ship. "Who has the next smallest hands? Marle?"

[Phantom.exe]

The Golden Dragon is finally rising into view from behind the massive tower. It looks as though the message was incorrect; the Dragon is docked at an official House Lyrandar docking tower.

The ship is moored at the highest level, with not one, but two massive boarding platforms. Dozens of crew and hands can be seen on the ship's deck, scurrying and hurrying about, rushing in an dout of doors and yelling down portholes.
Warforged and a small squad of minotaurs - presumably from Droaam, are loading some of the heavier gear into a large door that leads down to the cargo bay. A few skiffs do the same, being loaded into the lower holding bays.

Everbright lanterns provide light across the ship and on the massive docking platform - one which seems to be hosting the launch party.

The gondola curves around, giving you your first full view of the ship in profile. 400 feet in the air, and with two massive elemental rings, it dwarfs any conceptions you had about the ship's size. At least 300 feet long and 60 feet wide at the thickest, the Soverign Host alone knows what device or artifice could keep such a behemoth aloft.

The final thing that catches your eye is the soarwood covered in scale and talon motifs. Her front bow is rendered into an enormous dragon's head with a fanged mouth gaping wide.

From the sky, you can see that the massive party has been underway for some time. You recognize a few figures in the crowd; Elaydren d'Cannith, the disgraced head of Cannith West; Torren Blackfingers, the skilled artificer that helped destroy the Dragon's Eye; all manner of who's-who's and important people cover the deck.
You can even recognize Sharn's Lord Mayor, Cathan ir'Demell.

Only Nico recognizes the woman with the long, purple hair, glowing teal eyes, and exotic formal gown.

[Tacitus]

Cassius

Had the man training in musical instruments he would have performed a piece to raise tension before they finally set their sights on the grand ship. Unfortunately, he had only his voice and a stream of endless facts, "The brainchild of Houses Lyrandar and Medani along with Brelish magewrights. A thing of beauty commissioned as a flagship in 993. Do you see the lanterns there? Simple creations capable of focusing light long distances, but they are nothing compared to my Lights of Irian. Well, not everyone can devise something so wonderful."

He gestured to the hull, "See the craftsmanship there? Even the frame of the ship itself was constructed by the finest tradesman and over the course of three long years it was not even half completed. It took so long, in fact, that the War had ended long before its magnificence could ever be completed. With no need it was left abandoned here in Sharn in a Lyrandar dock for well over a year before it was purchased and re-purposed from a powerful instrument of war into a glorious beacon of advancement and luxury!"

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle is too busy staring, jaw slightly dropped, at the Golden Dragon, to really be listening to Cassius. But finally it sinks in that she's been specifically addressed.
Er- oh, hm? She looks up, brows knotting slightly. Did you say something, Ra?

[Hecore]

Nico

Nico turns his head from the shrinking vista below and begins to take in the wonder that is the Golden Dragon. The magnificent construction and size of the ship takes him aback for a moment - What can keep a vessel of that size afloat? he wonders - and he suddenly feels small in his new clothes.

While taking in the new sight he looks over the crowd, noticing a few faces that, while he could not say they were familiar, were at least known to him. His eyes linger a moment longer on a mysterious woman with violet hair; Nico clearly recognizes her and her name lingers on the tip of his tongue for a moment, until Cassius's dissertation snaps him back to reality.

[Ditto]

Daffyd

As the gondola approached the docking tower, Daffyd climbed back around from just under the prow to look inquisitively at Ra. ”Sorry, were you looking for me? The view is really spectacular from down there… it feels like flying, sitting under the edge of this little ship and looking down at the city with nothing beneath you.” He looks to the Golden Dragon ahead of them. ”I can’t wait to see what it looks like when we get up really high.”

[Stycotl]

"Yeah, whichever of you two has the smaller hands, I have something rattling around in between my leg and my greaves. You mind?" He answers, pointing a large, stubby finger of stone at his monstrous left shin.

[Tacitus]

Cassius

The gondolier actually stops talking about useless stuff for a moment, "Hold on, actually. I may have something to help." He rummages through his pack and slips out a small case. With one hand he flicks it open and holds it out. Inside are a number of small tools, "I've got several small tongs and pliers that might help ye fish out whatever ye got in there."

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle looks over at Cassius and nods. Those look like they'll work...wonder what's down in there?

[Phantom.exe]

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f332/PrimusZero1/90607.jpg

(This is the only picture of a docking tower I could find. You'll have to imagine it much busier, larger, and in Sharn. =D )



The docking tower is now mere inches away from the gondola. While Cassius procures a menagerie of esoteric tools to discover the cause of the Maug's discontent, a few deckhands throw a rope, mooring the gondola to the side.


"Can park here. Okay. You have permissions." A minotaur with questionable proficiency in Common secures the gondola to the side of a fence.

Everything on the top of the deck appears vibrant, alive. The party is in full swing, now. A buffet headed by a surly-looking human seems to offer the finest of foods - Karrnathi beer and cheese, dozens of Aundairian pastries, a veritable patissiere of simpler Brelish goods and seafood.
At the center of it all appears to be the remaining half of a bullette steak.

You can see a large group standing nearby each other, most of whom are dressed in uniform - ostensibly the captain and his crew.

((All right. There's a lot to see. I'm going to need a spot check from everyone here. If you want to ask someone out or check out the crowd, now's a good time to ask if you see someone in particular. ))

[Stycotl]

(i wanna ask someone out! but for my sake, i'd probably ought to ask my wife out...)

Ra grunts a reverberation of approval when he sees the tongs. "Perfect. You think you can get in there with those, halfling? This thing is becoming an awful nuisance." He smoothly lowers his center of gravity with a spread-legged stance, sticking his leg out and allowing the halfling (or whoever ends up doing the operation), ample room to maneuver.

[The Bushranger]

Marle glances back at where the others are working on Ra, then back outside the goldola, trying to take in everything. She bounces on her feet a little, her enthuiasm for their new adventure building, eager to discover what fun there is to be had.

Spot check: [roll0]

[Stycotl]

(ooc-since daffyd is apparently hanging around underneath the ship again...)

"Marle, you mind doing the honors?"

[The Bushranger]

Marle turns away from the view and steps over, selecting a pair of tongs from the tool kit. Sure, just hold steady big guy. Carefully she probes the indicated area, looking to fish out the source of the annoying rattling.

[Phantom.exe]

Six small, iridescent white spheres - each about the size of a golf ball and inscribed with an Arcane Mark that you have never seen before spill out.

[Hecore]

Nico

As soon as the gondola docked, Nico leaves the basket and attempts to mix in with the crowd on the airship. If anyone was watching him the reason for his haste was clear - Nico didn't want the woman whom he recognized to notice him.

Before stepping into the airship proper, Nico turns back and says to the assembled members of his party "I'll explain later."

Spot: [roll0] Nico is not only looking for anything interesting, but also attempting to avoid being seen by the woman (without being too obvious about it)
Listen: [roll1] If Nico hears the spheres falling out Ra's armor he will turn back briefly to see what's going on before mixing with the crowd.

[Tacitus]

Cassius

For the moment the priest will stay near the gondola, waiting for everyone to disembark as he ensures it is properly docked and no one leaves anything of importance behind. As he waits the jewel at his neck literally begins to gleam with an inner light, showing off the splendor of his Light of Irian. It is not blinding but a beautiful spectacle for man or woman while maintaining a practical application.

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle pulls back quickly, not wanting to mess with unknown Arcane Marks.
What in the...Ra, you have any idea what these are?
She puts the tool away and prepares to go outside while waiting for him to pick up the mystery meatobjects. ((:smalltongue:))

[Inhuman Bot]

((Okay, just letting you all know, Real life is getting hectic, and I won't be able to do much posting for a day or two more.

[Ditto]

Daffyd

The halfling was goggling at the airship tower when Ra's call came, and he continues to do so up until they a moored. "This is pretty much fantastic," he says matter-of-factly. He looks for Ra to follow as he prepares to move onto the boat, casting a curious quirk of the head at the little balls Marle recovered.

Sorry Ra/Ra's mystery glowing balls, crazy work week. I couldn't much find the time to waste the workday trolling the forums, so you know it's bad...

Spot: [roll0]

[Phantom.exe]

The Golden Dragon is technically not where you are right now.

I suppose I should take the time to set the scene in greater detail.

The House Lyrandar docking tower is approximately 80 feet across (16 square diameter); the very tip being slightly less wide than the rest of the tower.
Being on what is essentially a roof, you cannot help but be reminded of your battle with Sethous last month.

The Lyrandar tower, however, has a much more furnished roof. Fine granite and marble walkways are adorned with rugs and slabs, highlighting the extravagance of the event.

The walls of the tower are unlike a palisade or battlement; they are clearly meant for show rather than practicality. Still, the guardrails and walls are at least ten feet tall, which does not obscure your view (Think more along the linse of the Roman Coliseum's appearance from the exterior), but still keeps your from falling.

The Dragon has tall banisters that also serve to keep you from plummeting.

There are rafters above the tower; probably in anticipation of further construction. The roof is still open-topped.

The party is all taking place on the Golden Dragon's deck , with servers running and bustling everywhere. The Dragon is moored to the side of the tower, with two walkways extending onto the ship. Not nearly as many people are on the reception deck as are on the ship.

Nico, the woman quickly slips out of your sight as you bustle through the crowd. He receives a number of stares due to his rushed appearance and willingness to chat with the "adventurers."
Nico, you have lost sight of the woman. You are unsure if she saw you or not.

Things seem jovial for now, but you all get a sense of uneasiness among the guests. For one, none of the nobles seem exceptionally jovial, and there is an air of hushed, needless cordiality among them.

[Hecore]

Nico Silius

Trying to walk at a more casual pace, Nico decides to board the airship and head over to the House of Chance, as it seems as good a place as any to gather information.

Along the way Nico attempts to keep his eyes and ears open, hoping to catch some information about what has put a damper on the festive mood.


Spot: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]

If Nico encounters a group (3 or more) of passengers or high-ranking crew members discussing what exactly is going on he'll attempt to join in the conversation. On the chance that such a group is discovered I'll make a preemptive diplomacy roll as it may be needed.

Diplomacy: [roll2]

[Stycotl]

While Marle pries about with the tongs, Ra casts his gaze about the crowd, iron-crested brow wrinkled in disdain for the socialites and their party. He notes Nico's quick departure, but cannot figure out what his rush would be.

Then the bag of pearls is loosened from its hold within his armor and falls out of the bottom of his greaves, the bag tearing and the items spilling out at Marle's feet.

"Hrmmn, methinks that I have seen that before. Yes, vaguely. That bag was in Seth's desk when I smashed it to splinters before we followed him to the roof. Apparently I am a thief."

[Phantom.exe]

~Nico

According to the simple map on your ticket, the House of Chance is located at the fore of the ship, on the middle level.

Along the way, you are accosted by a waiter looking for a tip (despite you not actually having ordered a drink), yelled at by a Silver Flame priest on the losing side of a religious argument, and, more interestingly, Halas Martain - a fellow member of the Wayfinder Foundation.

Reception Hall - Fore, near the House of Chance and Staterooms

This enourmous cham ber is filled iwth ornately carved tables and chairs of burnished mahogany. Curtains of striking velvet drape from arches above, adn fine tapestries adorn the walls. This appears to be the main social nexus of the dragon, and at least a dozen people crowd around some of the individual tables.

Halas is tall, proud, and blonde -a fine combination. His half-elf features make him handsome, and his short goatee gives him a sense of adventure and ruggedness. However, he is dressed quite unlike anyone embarking on an adventure - the finest of finery, and a three-pointed hat. A rapier hangs at his side.

"Oi, and then I says, 'That's no Talenta Tagnat. That's me wife!"
The four partygoers around him laugh sycophantically.
"So, anyway, we depart t'morrow at dawn. Whaddya think of that?"

With that stupid question, Halas turns to stare at Nico.

~Stycotl
A proud-looking half-elf with a shortsword at his side and tassles on his shoulders approaches the gondola. The ornate finery and earringgs - not to mention the dragonmark that reaches to his neck - identify him as a high-ranking member of House Lyrandar.
He looks very uncomfortable around the Maug.

Another elf, covered in death markings and absently toying with a charm, stares at marle. Delicate fingers trace the patterns on the small charm, belittling his otherwise imposing face and black clothes.

"I am Captain Alastair d'Lyrandar, commanding officer of the Golden Dragon. I... recognized you the moment the gondola arrived, and thought it would be polite to come and greet you now, rather than later."
Alastair adjusts his jacket, and stares at the party.
"It is nice to see you again."

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Nah, not a thief at all. Just consider them as having been...requistioned from their previous owner, who has no further use for them...

As the captain approaches, Marle smiles broadly and gives their host an elaborate curtsy. (If he gets an eyeful as he bows, well, so much the better.) Captain d'Lyrandar. It is indeed a pleasure. I trust both the times and your business have been well for you?

[Inhuman Bot]

Kasten and Ses'lith

"hey ses, you see that guy?" he gestures at Halas.
"what about him, sir?"
Leaning closer to ses'ith he continues."He's halas martain. He's an explorer, for the wayfinder foundation, but he's also a theif of discoveries others make."
"So I should keep an eye on him?"
Nodding, kasten says "That would be best."
They continue to stand, now silent.

[Phantom.exe]

Halas points towards the closest adventurer-looking figure he can find - in this case, Kasten d'Orien. Any questions with the not-quite-as-jovial-as-he'd-like Nico are forgotten.

"Oi, oi, oi! I 'member you! That first expedition to Argonessen? Yeah, Provost Morian's group. Hah, making landfall? The barbarians charging? Boy, oh, boy, you ain't never seen a bigger horde than that. Four hundred, five hundred Seren villagers, at least. And there they come, heading towards the beach, slings drawn, swords flashing, all in a rage - the women were bloody Amazons, the men stronger than Orcs. And then we starts to run, and the airship comes, and I remember- I remember you clear! You were, "Halas! Get thee skiff, Halas!" And then you and me, see- here's the fun part - the soarwood skiff starts to sink, what with all the arrows in it - did I mention the arrows? - and just as it takes off - BAM! Using my feet as leverage, I dive outta the skiff, and grabs him (he says while pointing to Kasten) and sweeps him into the skiff. Still owe me for that, hah!"

You've never been to Argonessen.

Captain Alastair smirks a bit, but frowns the moment she mentions business.
"No."
"No they have not."
"I would not suppose you would remember it, but I saw you and your companions once before. I was the captain of the Shrouded Dancer. I ordered the crew to abandon ship when Sethous began attacking it. Not all of us made it out... as you saw."

"My career as of late has been plagued by setbacks. The loss of the Dancer was the third such catastrophe. My maiden voyage as a captain ended in failure when the elemental broke free, destroying the ship. However, House Lyrandar cannot deny me my rights a wright. They know that there are few captains more adept at controlling the Mark of Storm ,and none can match my abilities at the helm...
or so I am told."

[Stycotl]

Ra gazes down at the captain as he speaks, looking to the bag of pearls in Marle's hand, and wondering at their purpose. He remembered seeing them fly out of the desk drawer as his large blade blasted the wooden furnishing to splinters and kindling, but he had not felt it strike his leg. Whatever, it was likely of little use to a maug anyway, though he had to admit to his curiosity.

With a rumbling growl, he looks back up to the captain, and allows his features to show his disapproval, "Elementals, flying ships, and other such nonsense. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground when I can help it."

He looks concernedly down to the streets so far below and widens his stance a little.

[The Bushranger]

Marle gets somewhat of an "O" expression as the captain explains his history...
I...I'm sorry to hear that, Captain. And I also regret that we were unable to arrive earlier, in time to help save more of your crew, or even your ship.
She composes herself, her smile returning.
There's a saying, I believe, that bad things come in threes. In that case, it would be fair to assume that what has happened in the past is in the past, and that now is the time for your abilities to get the recognition they deserve, and what a magnificent ship with which to achieve that!

...she then rolls her eyes good-naturedly at Ra's comments.

[Inhuman Bot]

"Right, halas...."
Kasten whispers to Ses'lith
"This guy is either nuttier then a pecan pistaschio peanut sandwich, or also a liar..."
OOC: I just wanted to use that phrase somewhere >.>

Listening to the captin, KAsten says
"Thats unfortunate, captin..... BUt we need to look forward, not dwell on the loss. We just need to keep our best foot forward, and keep in good spirits."

[Hecore]

Nico

Taking advantage of the small break in Halas's story, Nico quickly interjects.

Excuse me, Mr... Halas, was it? I hate to interrupt, but when you said the ship launches tomorrow it got me thinking. This is a party, filled with the various who's who in Eberron - yet you are the first truly jovial person I've met. Do you know what's going on and why everyone else's good spirit is somewhat depressed? I'd ask the captain about the matter, but men like him talk in circles and I've found that adventurers such as yourself are less obtuse.

While Halas didn't address himself to me personally, he did mention his name in the story he told Kasten.
Diplomacy (if needed): [roll0]

[Phantom.exe]

~Nico, Ses'lith

Halas smiles at Nico, clearly pleased at his cordiality.

"C'mon! C'mon, c'mon! You know me! You don' need t'call me "Mister Halas." No sir."
"Mister Martain is preferable. I mean, you should know that. I told ye that, din' I? You weren't on the - you - you - Oh, tha's right."
After stuttering and spluttering, Halas motions to his onlookers to listen again. They sychophantically widen their eyes.

"See, this other time, Katheroth - that's your name, right?" he says to Nico. "Well, Katheroth an' I, we go way back. Back to the time of the Dhakaani Empire. Long time, eh? Keep listenin'."

Halas Martain continues to babble on. This time he tells a slightly more coherent (but still rather fictional) narrative of his trip with Nico deep into the heart of Darguun, where you supposedly climbed to the tip of the Bloody Spire in Rhuukan Draal and discovered an ancient tomb to Haruuc Jereth, one of the Four Great Kings of Dhakaan, and located his ancestral weapon, a ridiculous-sounding battleaxe that was sharper than diamond but lighter than wood.

You don't remember ever being to Darguun... ever.

After about 40 seconds of spluttered, overtly jovial storytelling, Halas calms himself enough to grab a glass of bourbon from a waiter. He rudely drinks it in one shot, and continues to gab.
"Well, tha's a good question. Reminds me of when - when that lizard-buddy over there an' I were stuck with those Drow. But that's another story for another time."
"Thing is, this ship's already had a poor spot of luck - you know the private investor that put up all the money for this ship? 'pparently, it was this Sethous guy, old bat what worked at Arcanix. Well, after his apparent suicide, they reads his will - and it says something about him loving airships... or something. Everyone's still a mite on edge, I guess."

"Oh, and the Emerald Claw threatened to blow up the ship. But, heh, I stopped that, right."

"See, I was in Sarlona..."
Martain drifts off into another yarn, this time about him getting the gratitude of the Inspired by saving one of their Pylons from a bunch of terrorists.

(Spot check from Ses'lith and and Nico.)

~Marle, Ra, Daffyd, Kasten

Alastair brushes off soot from his uniform. "Yes, of course. Keep moving forward. M'lady, your friend is quite correct - we cannot dwell on the past. Though..."
"I am curious what happened to your party. I just barely missed meeting you in person, though I was given your description so that I would not fire on you by mistake."

"...perhaps I should explain in greater detail. I had been dispatched under order of the Karrnathi government to immediately deal with a 'threat' on the roof of Arcanix. House Lyrandar seemed to know what was going on, and readily accepted the request."
"I was given your descrioption - a vague one - and told not to attack you. Anyone else on the roof was fair game."
"By the time we got the roof, there was only one person - that professor. He - well, he was able to easily bring down the ship, though we certainly hurt him by crashing. I gave the order to bail out.
I suppose that I failed in my duty as captain to go down with my ship."
"But the rest of House Lyrandar does not need to know that."


"But I do ramble, yes? And about the past, at that! You must tell me of your intrigues and exploits. What brings you to my fair vessel? Tickets were rather exclusive."

Someone coughs behind Ra. "Message for you, suh."

[The Bushranger]

Marle

I certainly wish those same instructions had been given to the caption of the other ship...
Marle shakes her head and continues.
We got held up inside a little bit by some of his minions, unfortunatly. By the time we were able to reach the roof, he was already inside the downed ship, and we got pinned down briefly when somebody decided we'd make fine targets too.
She appears to be rather...annoyed by this.
As for what brings us here today, that should be obvious. Who wouldn't want to be aboard such a magnificent ship as this on its maiden voyage?

[Inhuman Bot]

NArrowing his eyes, Ses'lith speaks coldly to Halas.

" 'Lizard-buddy'? Do not call me that. Ever. I did not offer my services to House Orien to be ridiculed, whatever you and your kin may think."
Ses'lith speaks with no paitence, as he has had insulting comments like that, purposefull or not, reguarlly said to him.
[roll0] My spot check. Also, I have a question. I had earlier said I wanted tolose wildshape in favor of a varient, but I didn't actually make a choice. would it be possible to take a feat that allows me to gain a different ability, such as better eyedsight, rage, etc. instead of wilshape? and get them every 2nd level I ould gain a wildshape use, kinda like bonus feats? If this would be under/overpowerd, then let me know along with the Yes/no answear, as I don't know, not having played druids much.
After he finishes, Ses'lith belives he sees something, but dismisses it. (Unless I passeds it :/)

[Hecore]

Nico

Nico speaks to Halas following Ses'lith's angry reply.

That's right!, Nico says brightly, I remember now! I called you 'Mr. Halas' a couple of times and each time you'd correct me - it made me feel like I was a child in school and you were the teacher!

I can't believe I had forgotten, but the last time I saw you was so long ago...

Nico's face darkens.

That story, about Darguun? Perhaps you should let me finish it.

We finally, me and Halas, recovered the battleaxe of Haruuc Jereth. We were tired, sweaty, and more than a little dirty. Then Halas has this brilliant idea. He turns to me and says 'Katheroth, soon as we get outta 'ere, back to lands a bit more civilized, I mean, we should 'it up the best inn we can find and 'ave a grand 'ole party, what do ya say?'. Nico says the preceding line in his very best Halas Martain voice.

It had been a long, arduous journey, full of adventure and profit, and a celebration seemed like a great idea. I agreed with his idea whole-heartedly.

As soon as we hit our first major city Halas guides me to a place called the 'Luminescent Peacock'. It was one hell of a place, covered in gilt and dripping with pearls. As soon as we step into the door Halas cries out 'Drinks 'er on me!'. That seems more than a little extravagant, but it's Hala's money so I don't say anything; even when I see people ordering glasses of hundred year old Elven wine.

The night passes with much festivity and we both decide get a room for the night. Come morning a bill is presented to me - for a ludicrous sum of money. Clearly most of the debt came from Hala's generosity, so I go to his room so he can pay his portion of the bill.

I step into his room and find that his window is open. Looking down, I see Hala's running to his horse, leaving me to shoulder his massive debt.

Until today, that was the last time I saw him. He still owes me one hundred and fifty-six gold pieces, give or take a few copper pieces.

Nico looks Halas straight in the eyes. So, when are you going to pay back what you owe me? And don't tell me that I was the one who ordered drinks for everyone, that you have already paid me back, or any of your other ridiculous lies.

Nico's eyes break from Hala's face as he thinks he sees something. He inwardly shakes his head - Is my mind playing tricks on me? he thinks.

I'm looking forward to what happens next. =p
Bluff check: [roll0]
Spot check: [roll1]

[Tacitus]

Cassius

The gondolier has been oddly silent, listening to the conversation while waiting for them to get off the gondola so he may finally disembark and stretch his legs. It was a wonderful thing, people babbling on about whatever and not noticing that they still had not moved.

[Phantom.exe]

~Nico, Ses'Lith

There is a noticeable awkward pause after Nico finishes his story. Suddenly, you hear a yelp from one of the courtiers standing around Halas Martain.

"Y- you're - are you injured?"
Halas stares at Nico. The rest of the group notices, as does Ses'lith, that Halas's right hand is bleeding profusely, having crushed the whiskey glass in his hand.

"N-no. Not to worry, mates."
With the wave of an ostentatious cloak, Halas procures a wand and touches it to his hand. In an instant, all is healed, and his hand looks quite comfortably pain-free.

"It happens with these cheap glasses, eh?"
Nico continues to feel Halas's eyes pressed into his head.
"My apologies, friend. Guess the Wayfinder Foundation hasn't put us together on an expedition since. Of course I'd love to pay you back. No worries, right?"

With a furiously trembling fist, Martain reaches into a small pouch at his side, and pulls out twenty shining platinum coins.
"Here ye go. Twenty platinum. That oughta cover what I owe ya, plus interest. No harm done."

Halas's gaze seems to weaken.

"By the way, what's with the ridiculous getup? You're not from Riedra. Don't try and act like it. C'mon. I know the continents better'n anyone here."

"And, fine, then. You don' want me t'call you "lizard-buddy"? Of course you don't. Insulting name. Terrible, terrible name. Well, then what would ye like me to address you as? Your real name, "Skizz" won't do. You'll have to tell me a nickname."
Halas's condescending tone lightens slightly, and he begins walking towards the interior of the ship - probably towards the Reception Hall or House of chance. He 'sort of' motions for you to come.

Alastair d'Lyrandar, however, appears distracted. When Manten Dramgrin, the chief artificer taps his shoulder, he immediately turns and begins chatting with him, walking away from the party.

"I can't take it anymore, cap'n! That - that little idiot gnome. He's - he's completely going to be the death of us, I promise you. That alchemist's lab, he's - he's set up in there, and..."

[Stycotl]

Ra turns as he hears the voice behind him. He figures, however, that the voice is speaking to the captain, since he referred to a 'sir', which is a military title, and though the maug is certainly in a military, he has no rank here in Eberron.

"Hmmmn?"

[Phantom.exe]

A halfling, short even by his own race's low standards, extends a hand towards Ra with a tiny envelope.

"Suh, a quick relay for you. Sent by a gentleman wearing some gorgeous clothes. Says that he works for Quigley. Asks you to meet him. Says that he'll be in Serenity Above the Clouds. The massage parlor. Says to come at 11:00 PM."

It is now 9:30 PM.

[The Bushranger]

Marle watches the captain hurry off and shakes her head. That was...odd.
She turns back to her companions as the halfling messenger finishes his report.
So shall we head aboard and find our cabins?

[Hecore]

Nico

Seeing Halas depart Nico excuses himself and begins to sort-of follow him - that is, he follows him with a gap of several body spaces; enough to claim that he was merely walking the same way if asked (or to give him lead time to run if jumped).

I'm guessing after what I did the spot check changed into Halas breaking the glass - I'd like to know what it would have been (after the spot check would no longer be relevant, of course).

[Stycotl]

Ra takes the envelope in his massive paws and thanks the halfling, fishing a gold piece out of his haversack and flipping it into the air for the little guy as payment.

Then he struggles for a moment to open the small envelope, iron brows knitted in concentration of the tedious act, and finally produces the envelope's contents.

"What have we here?"

[Phantom.exe]

The moment Marle finishes her sentence, a pair of half-elf crewmen wearing the blue and white uniforms of the Dragon attend to the party, gathering luggage and pleasantly herding the group along. (You don't have to come if you don't want to.)

The valets, quirky and cheery, use Manyshot - but with words.
"So, 'bout Alastair?"
"Right!"
"Fourth voyage?"
"The fourth!"
"Good for him!"
"Not good for us!"
"Bad luck, he is!"
"Finances amuck, yup!"
"No support from House Cannith!"
"No sirree!"
"But the Medani Sentries - "
"Some support from them."
"Not too happy!"
"Nope!"
"Something's always amiss on the ship."
"Not sure who feels comfortable!"
"I feel great!"
"Yaaay!"

With that, the crewmen enter the port on the top deck. From there ,they take you down a flight of stairs, which leads to the staterooms and cabins. At the very aft of the ship is your room - a pleasantly large room somewhere around 20 feet square.

There are two massive portholes that look much bigger inside than out. They provide a fantastic view of the Sharn cityscape, and probably a great view of the Shargon's Teeth once you depart.

The staterooms have beds for the entire (not so much for Ra), large dressers for clothing, and the all-important complimentary fruit basket.

Nico notices that some of Halas's sycophants have departed. He also notices that there are a jumble of minotaurs carrying cargo onboard- you thought that they had finished loading some time ago.

As for Ra's letter...
"Dear Adventurers,

My name is Tanith Durac. I am officially a house brother of House Medani. I am currently working security detail on the bridge. Once we leave, I will be bound to my post - no matter what the threats, I will not be allowed to leave unless there is a direct order from the captain or the bridge comes into direct danger.

At midnight tonight, send one of your party to meet me in Serenity Above the Clouds, Zan's massage parlor. And yes, just to ruin it for you - Zan is a changeling.

Come soon. I will relay your orders from Quigley once we arrive. Once there, state the code phrase: 'Any dreamgrass left?' To which I will reply, 'A batch coming in from Riedra in the morning.'

Once you get there, I won't have much to tell you. This isn't a difficult assignment.

Khyber's gates, I get the feeling you won't be having any trouble at all."
-Tanith Durac"

[The Bushranger]

Marle grins at the valets' bantering, mentally filing away their words in the event the prove useful - and also peeking around to get a look at Ra's letter.

If nobody minds, I can go...

[Hecore]

Nico

Nico continues to follow Halas at a small distance. He occasionally takes a surreptitious glance at the minotaurs - whatever they're loading it should have been on the ship hours ago - and the presence of them discomfits Nico.

Nico wonders if these minotaurs are normally dock workers or if they are aboard the ship for a sinister reason. I'm attempting a spot check to see if they appear to be professional workers or if they are loading stuff as a cover; basically seeing if they are carrying their loads easily, if they are lifting them properly, etc.

Spot check: [roll0]

[Tacitus]

Cassius

The gondolier swiftly removes his tunic signifying his status and follows behind the others at the back of the group once everyone has left his gondola. His demeanor has changed, the odd silence almost unnerving as he follows along behind.

[Stycotl]

Ra hands the letter over to Marle, "Better you than me--I am not even sure that I would fit inside of a massage parlor. But, Marle, I'd like to be waiting outside for you if you don't mind. I don't much like the idea of someone splitting us up. If something should happen, shout, roll to the side of the room, and cover your head, because I'll be coming through the wall."

[Phantom.exe]

The party is now free to move about the cabin.
And the rest of the ship. ^-^

Inexplicably, none of the guests seem to look at Cassius as though he is out-of-place or otherwise out-of-sorts. He seems to expertly insinuate himself into the crowd.

And... the maps will come. Until then, let me answer your posts and give you the grand tour of the ship.

Nico, the minotaurs do not appear to have any distinctive markings... at all. There are no clan tattoos, no pieces of flair or otherwise. They do not appear to be associated with any group you know - including House Lyrandar.
Something pricks up on the back of Nico's neck as he stares at the way Halas is rushing. He turns to his side, pausing for a few seconds, looking to the right - probably to the group of minotaurs carrying cargo.

Afterwards, he picks up his pace, making large steps, and ignoring the Nico behind him, heads directly to his stateroom.

I really don't have much to respond to for the rest of the party. Everything seems to be a somewhat subdued cheer.

You notice that the House Phiarlan jugglers and musicians have switched to juggling Drow Long Knives instead of the smaller, ornamental daggers. The musicians are playing a lively tune.

[Ditto]

Daffyd

Nodding to the other halfling as he departs, Daffyd leans up on tippy-toes to look at the note in Ra's hand, which comfortably rests a head's-height above his own. "Interesting indeed, yesyesyes! I'd be happy to accompany as well. Worst case, I pick up a massage on our secret mission. There are worse covers than that!"

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle takes the letter from Ra and tucks it away...somewhere. Aww, we need to get you some polishing up if you want to be a knight in shining armour. She grins, then turns serious. That sounds like a reasonable precaution. So then, I'll see you guys later then?
She then heads in the direction of the first mate, who she noticed earlier didn't look entirely happy with things.

[Hecore]

Nico

Noticing a lack of markings on the Minotaurs, Nico abandons his previous plan of following Halas and instead tries his best to remember the map of the ship as he hurries down the hallway. Something is clearly wrong, and whatever it is the Captain of the ship should probably be informed; but for the moment getting away from the hulking laborers.

Nico will take the first passageway out of the hallway - preferably one that leads to the deck of the ship, the wheelhouse or the captain's quarters, but any one will do. This is assuming Nico remembers the layout of the ship well enough. If he doesn't, he'll duck into the room Halas entered. Nico will be hurrying along to find a way out of the hall. He will also be occasionally glancing over his shoulder to see if any Minotaurs are moving towards him, menacingly or otherwise. If they are, I'll burn a use of Swift Expeditious Retreat and go into an all out run.

Anyway, making a spot check to see if I'm about to be nabbed.

Spot: [roll0]

[Tacitus]

Cassius

In the stateroom Cassius selects for himself the location he will be sleeping before he silently heads back out. He heads back towards the majority of the festivities as he has little interest in letters and finds keeping stationary after standing upon that gondola so long to be unbearable. He has yet to explore this new place and is eager to explore as much of the area concerning the festivities as possible.

For the hell of it, a random Lore check. [roll0]

[Phantom.exe]

It's around 10:30 PM. Yes, I know that time isn't to scale. Maybe Kythri is dangerously close to Eberron this Spring.

Daffyd's cheer almost echoes through the halls- though not echo-y enough to reach Nico, almost lost in the stateroom deck below.

It takes him around ten seconds of jogging for him to realize that the staterooms are in an extremely simple pattern; the fact that they are all identical (Not even any numbers outside the door) was throwing him off.

However, all the running leaves him out of breath and disoriented, so when he runs into an outcropping pipe, he feels it.

Nico takes: [roll0] points of damage from - well, jogging into a pipe.

On the upshot, the minotaurs seem mostly distracted by their current task - moving one huge crate (Around 10 x 10 ) down to the cargo bay, and pay no attention (and a little, after a resounding 'gong' sound) to Nico.

As you come to your feet, you notice the minotaurs seems to have slipped belowdecks.


Cassius finds himself somewhat welcome. Though not quite as sycophantic or sincere as they were with the higher-class passengers, the crewmen (You count a total of 16 crew) are jovial, constantly asking if you could use a drink or any help with your bags.

Also, you're starting to notice that you're hearing more and more about Aberrant Dragonmarks. In fact, the number of rumors and semi-verified reports has probably doubled since the Last War ended.
And you're getting suspicious about the Riedrans. You wonder why they're so isolationist.

(Random lore check = random answer =D )


Marle, on the way up to the main deck with the 'important' crew members, hears a loud 'gong' sound coming from somewhere inside the ship - probably somebody dropping something or hitting their head.

Up top (if you so continue up), you notice that the ship's bosun, the half-orc Velgram Linntorm, is still happily helping out passengers. At this point, it's clear that Mazzia d'Lyrandar, the first mate, is staring at him, while Captain Alastair (standing next to her) continues to answer questions and mingle with Lord ir'Denello (Sharn's Lord Mayor).
The party is still in full swing as a trio of moons make their rotation.

[The Bushranger]

Marle pauses on her way up as the gonnng sound echos for a moment, then shakes her head and continues. People really should be more careful...

Reaching the top deck, she takes in the scene, then quietly approaches, trying to catch Mazzia's attention without being rude.

I'm thinking that Marle might, possibly, be acquainted with her from previous work in one way or another.

[Stycotl]

Ra sighs after a while, at a loss on where to find anything resembling entertainment--since his only real entertainment in (artifical) life is combat and adventure.

Slowly, with steps as smooth as he can make them, he heads for the nearest, supported railing, hoping to catch a glimpse of the ground below them and see if he recognizes any of the city below.

[Inhuman Bot]

OOC: Busy real life, will be busy for awhile, yet.

[Hecore]

Nico

Doing his best to restrain several choice curses, Nico picks himself up and attempts to chose his path to the captain (or at least someone in charge) more carefully. On his way out of the hallway Nico attempts to remember as much of it as he can, in the hopes that he could lead someone back to the maze of doors and rooms.

I'm going to attempt to memorize what I can about the room using an Auto-Hypnosis check. The SRD says it's used for memorizing text, but it can also be used to memorize arcane sigils, so it seems reasonable to use it to remember the layout and vital information about a hallway... or at least any writing or symbols in said hallway.

Spot Check:[roll0] (to notice anything important to memorize)
Auto-hypnosis:[roll1] (DC 15, if I fail I won't bother retrying)

Also: It's always fun to note that a small amount of damage (3, for example) is enough to kill the average commoner. Yes, if I was a level 1 NPC running into a pipe would have probably killed me. =p

[Phantom.exe]

((Wow. I never really think about it that way. Then again, you are heroes. You've seen - well, every action movie ever. A bullet is enough to kill any bad guy, and enough to mortally wound a hero.

But without a doubt, you guys can stand - what - four to five bastard sword swings easy.))

Marle recognizes Mazzia, but is not completely sure where. Then it dawns on her as Mazzia d'Lyrandar beigns to speak. She snaps out a wistful look at the Bosun, Velgram Linntorm.

"Greetings. I recognize you quite well. Marle Windstrider? The Blue Terror of Riverdale?"
"Do not try and disremember our fateful encounters. All that time we spent in my shop?"
"Oh, please, do not play coy. You must recall what transpired! I was at a makeshift docking tower in the far west Eldeen Reaches. You were there, I remember, and were more than happy with visiting my dock-shop every now and then for information about the region and the occasional sky ferry around the area."

"You never did tell me why you were out there, why you paid me so well, or why you were always in such a hurry."

(I sort of imagine her as being your Funky Kong in a previous adventure - renting out barrel airships for you to get around the world map.)


Ra, I am unsure how much time you spent in Sharn. And this post isn't really doing much but I can certainly say that the view is breathtaking in every way.

Though there is a large, sturdy handrail to keep you on the ship (more like a fence, really), it does not diminish the way down. Hundreds and hundreds of feet above the clouds, the Lyrandar docking tower almost nears the skyway.

You do notice that most of the traffic that normally perpetuates Sharn - the sky gondolas - have thinned out. You do notice a number of them congregating around specific spots - your tower, for instance, and the Glitterdust Nightclub - recognizable from anywhere from the Skyway.
You've been there - at least twice. Both times were just before Wayfinder expeditions to Xen'Drik.

Recalling your time in the Wayfinder Foundation brings up memories of dozens of adventures - some exciting, others rather routine. The Glitterdust Nightclub, however, stimulates memories of high, exciting fare in the jungles of Northen Xen'Drik. Your construct mind races with memories and images of "Galethsphyre Greye," a famous explorer you worked with. You have a +4 modifier on the next Knowledge, Appraise, or similar check used to remember details about adventurers or Xen'Drik.

-Nico, a little embaressed, is able to climb out of the upper staterooms. You notice that the rest of the party seems to have split up. You also notice that the minotaurs from earlier have finished whatever work they were doing, and are walking about on deck. The Medani sentires take no heed of them. (There are twelve sentries. They look bored.)

The kalashtar is able to easily navigate back up the stairs, realizing that the staterooms were in a simple pattern, and, once on deck, notice a few other details - namely, that the four burly minotaurs have headed belowdecks by the spiral staircase. Nico frantically looks for anyone in charge. It takes about two minutes of pleading to find the captain, after being rebuffed by a very sour Jaedon Kovane, busy slicing mushrooms.

Alastair d'Lyrandar is dressed to the nines in the same windwright captain's uniform you saw aerlier. Well-wishers crowd around him, but he breaks through them to speak with Nico.
"Nico, was it? You look troubled. What can I help you with?"

A half-dozen goblin magewrights disappear below the deck.

[The Bushranger]

Marle recognizes Mazzia, but is not completely sure where. Then it dawns on her as Mazzia d'Lyrandar beigns to speak. She snaps out a wistful look at the Bosun, Velgram Linntorm.

"Greetings. I recognize you quite well. Marle Windstrider? The Blue Terror of Riverdale?"
"Do not try and disremember our fateful encounters. All that time we spent in my shop?"
"Oh, please, do not play coy. You must recall what transpired! I was at a makeshift docking tower in the far west Eldeen Reaches. You were there, I remember, and were more than happy with visiting my dock-shop every now and then for information about the region and the occasional sky ferry around the area."

"You never did tell me why you were out there, why you paid me so well, or why you were always in such a hurry."
Marle breaks into a broad grin. I do remember now! Forgive me, it seems like it was so long ago. As for what I was doing...well, a girl must have her secrets, you know? But I can say that things wound up working very well in the end.
She notices the look at the bosun, and files it away for future "girl-talk" gossiping.
I'm glad to see you've done well for yourself, getting a position on a ship like this one! Otherwise how have you been, my friend?

[Hecore]

Nico

Captain d'Lyrandar, let me start at the beginning. I was heading below deck to the House of Chance, when I happened to run into Halas. We had a brief chat, then headed off towards the staterooms, and made a motion to follow.

Nico takes a deep breath, and continues. Along the way I saw Minotaurs loading gear. As far as I know, all gear was supposed to have been loaded on the ship hours ago. Furthermore, there were no visible markings on the workers - for House Lyrandar or any other entity. Halas hustled off to his stateroom and I took off to find you.

Nico pauses for a brief moment, as if to collect his thoughts. Anyway, I'm concerned that the Minotaurs I've just seen aboard the ship may be up to something nefarious, and I wanted to warn you as soon as possible. I can describe where I saw them or lead you back myself if need be.

Having finished his small speech, Nico waits anxiously for the Captains reply.

[Phantom.exe]

"I am wonderful," Mazzia says as she stares into the distance. "Just... tense. I am unsure if you know or not, but this is Alastiar d'Lyrandar's fifthcomission. This will make or break his career in House Lyrandar. If this comission fails also - well, he probably won't work for Lyrandar doing anything more than mercenary work."
And with all of his levels in Aristocrat or Dragonmarked Heir, he'll just be the 'sixth wheel' for large parties! D=

Mazzia goes on to describe her recent escapades- being given some impressive comissions in the interim, and being personally selected by Alastair for this venture.

Just as she is recalling an experience on a crashing airship near Sterngate OMG Reference to another GitP campaign!, Mazzia is grabbed firmly on the shoulder by Alastair.

After listening to Nico's message, Alastair's eyes widen.
"Nothing will stand in the way of a successful voyage. Nico, right? Take someone you trust and head down to the cargo bay. I'll give the order for a pair of Medani sentries to escort you. Don't bring everyone - it'll be too conspicuous if you all head downstairs at once. I'll keep things moving here. If anything goes wrong- well, you'll probably start hearing screams."

[The Bushranger]

Cool. :smallbiggrin: Which campaign?

Marle

Well, I'll certainly do whatever I can do to help things be successful here, for both the captain and you...
Marle listens to her friend tell her tales, and is just getting wrapped up in the adventure when the captain interrupts. She gives him a look and a slight frown at the action, then listens as he responds to Nico.
Well, I could go help...

[Stycotl]

From over at his perch, Ra looks back and notices Marle's rapt attention and growing excitement about something. He turns their way, wishing that he had taken the time in his earlier decades to learn how to read the lips of humanoids when they spoke.

With a sigh, he straightens himself up and allows his gaze to sweep over the crowds, though he continues to look back to Marle to see the progress of their conversation.

[Hecore]

Nico

Nico gives a brief nod to the captain, then turns and faces Marle.

Yes, I think it would be best if we both went - even if I did want to find someone else I don't think we have the luxury of time.

Nico turns back towards the captain.

Shall we wait for the escort to arrive or should we head out now and have them meet us en route? Either way, let me quickly tell you where I saw the minotaurs head below deck in case things get out of hand and we need reinforcements.

Nico then recalls all relevant information about the hallway from which he fled, taking particular care to note the large metal pipe in the passageway.

I'll then head below deck, waiting for the escort first if need be.

[Phantom.exe]

That's a cameo - well, it's basically from another campaign in Eberron that I DM'd. It's only for me. Quigley was from a horror campaign, as is Tanith.

Captain Alastair looks stern - and is clearly nervous.
"You can head down there now. I will send the sentries towards the lower levels in just a moment. I only need some time to make it inconspicuous."

"Marle, you and Nico are both clearly qualified. I am -

Mazzia appears about to speak, but quickly shuts her mouth.

"I know the area you are speaking of. I believe that those minotaurs went to the lowest cargo bay - the same bay as the soarwood skiff launching."
"I think you should hurry. The pipe - it leads to the elemental steam room. I don't think it is relevant - now."

Grabbing Mazzia by the shoulder, Alastair briskly walks off, diffusing the staring guests with a joke.
So, two lizardfolk adepts are walking through the swamp. All of a sudden, one of them falls down and stops moving. The other one yells over his sending stone, "I think my friend's dead! He just fell and stopped moving!' The lizardmen on the other end of the stone says, 'first, make sure he's dead.' A loud cracking sound is heard. The lizardfolks then says, 'now what?'"

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Something is NOT right here...
Marle tries to catch her friend's eyes before she's frog-marched off by the captain and give her a reassuring look, then turns back to Nico, her fists involuentarily clenching momentarily before she relaxes.
Let's go. And keep a sharp eye out for trouble. And not just, necessarily, from the minotaurs...

[Stycotl]

Ra turns as they leave. With his long strides, he is beside Marle before she leaves the deck, "What is going on?"

[Hecore]

Nico

As they head out, Nico says to Marle "Yes, there's no telling what could await us." while giving her a knowing look.

As they continue down the passageway, Nico hears the heavy footsteps of Ra as he hastens to be at their side. After Ra speaks, Nico pauses for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Ra, but we're in a hurry. We can speak about it at a later time. Isn't that right, Marle?"

With this, Nico gives a glance, as if asking her to play along.



Meanwhile, Nico activates his Mind Link racial ability with Ra.

Nico then continues down the hallway with Marle, mentally communicating with Ra along the way.

"Ra, I'll try to explain as much as I can as quickly as I can. Try not to stay too close while I'm communicating this to you - I can't let the members of the ship know what I'm doing."

Nico then shares with Ra an abbreviated version of what has happened so far.

"Neither Marle or I trust what is going on. Try to gather the other members and head down to where I last saw the Minotaurs - something is about to go down. And try to be discrete - I'd like to avoid a panic; that, and I don't entirely trust the crew and would rather leave them in the dark."

I presume that I've used this power in the past so both Marle and Ra would have some idea of what I'm doing. For reference, Mind Link lasts 1/2 hour (10 min/level, with my level equal to 1/2 my HD) and functions over any distance (though I need to be within 30 ft. to have established it), so if need be I can continue to talk to him through it if need be, even if he's on the other side of the ship.

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Giving a slight nod of understanding to Nico, Marle hurries to keep up with the other two, her expression neutral but covering a combination of worry and fury.

Once they're clear of the others, she gives Nico a look that indicates she wants to be 'dialed in' to the mental conversation she expects is going on.

[Hecore]

Nico

Nico explains to Marle what he's been telling Ra; catching him up on what happened and asking for him to discretely gather as many of our companions as he can find to help us.

Finishing up, Nico continues walking towards their goal. I don't want to wait too long - I completely agree with your feelings about the crew and I don't want them to know we suspect any involvement on their part. With that, Nico picks up the pace a bit, to make up for any lost time he took explaining the situation for Marle.

[Phantom.exe]

Sorry for not posting earlier. post tomorrow i pwomise

[The Bushranger]

((No prob, Phantom))

Marle

I trust Mazzia, but the captain's really hiding something - two or three times he stopped her from saying something, either directly or by his presence making her afraid to say it. I smell a major-sized rat here; you guys be ready for anything.

Hand on the hilt of her rapier, Marle hurries along with the others, determined to get to the bottom of the goings-on.

[Phantom.exe]

sorry for not posting earlier - **** hapepns - will realyl, realy post tomorrow
sporry

[Phantom.exe]

People Topside:

You get a very, very bad feeling. Captain d'Lyrandar is sprinting away from the main observation top deck, and appears to be heading to the staterooms. Mazzia is in tow.

A few of the sycophants and petitioners stare, but most of them are too busy having a good time (or pretending to have a good time) to notice.

Ra is suddenly tapped on the waist by a gentle finger. Whirling around, he notices the two officers sprinting away - as well as a young girl standing near him.
In a somewhat awkward and untimely manner, she stares up at Ra. Her face is slightly flushed - or perhaps sunburnt - and the rest of her skin is pale. A red hood and purple robe cover most of her skin, save her forearms and face.
She appears no older than twenty, and is at first glance human. She looks up at Ra with a little bewilderment.

(Blah- I don't like that description. Roll Knowledge (Nobility & Royalty) or Knowledge (History). If you have neither, a particularly pop-culture inundated Maug might also be able to make a Knowledge (Local) check. If all else fails, an intelligence check will suffice. )
"Excuse me, but - who are you?" says the girl in a soft voice.

People belowdecks-

Despite being the 'cargo hold', the lower decks of the Dragon are immaculate and still extraodrinarily clean. Porcelain and ivory candlesticks, filled with Dancing Lights give off a soft white glow, while the occasional porthole allows a view of a gorgeous Sharn cityscape combined with a glowing sky. A trio of moons lights the night.

(Unrelated note - In my mind, magic doesn't have a lot of carbon emissions, so the skies are pretty visible at night. Except for the bright light from Sharn that is... you know what? Just go with it, and pretend it's pretty. XP)

The cargo bay is at the very bottom of the spiral staircase. A corridor splits off into two directions - right and left. To one direction you feel a slight draft, to the other you smell - well, you can't quite tell, but you want to say it's cooking oil.


((Sorry for the awkward post. Homework. Writing. Things to do. People to see. Sleep deprived. Abraham Linconln. Please stay with this game. I'm - I'm liking it, really. Sure, the inital excitement might be gone, but that hopefully doesn't diminish it too much.))

[Stycotl]

(int check: [roll0] watch me roll a 2...)

Ra spins arouns and finds the young woman staring up at him. The analytical maug immediately notices that her physiology seems to be somewhat abnormal for a human, as if agitated or frightened.

"Yes?" His deep, gravelly voice grates as he tries to place the face and the garb within his extensive memory. "I am Raaexkhet, but people normally refer to me as Ra. Who are you?"

Even as he answers the girl, his eyes follow the fleeing officers, noting their seemingly undisciplined actions with concern and disdain.

(ooc-Int check or sense motive check to see if i can figure out their direction or goal:
Int-[roll1]
sense motive: [roll2])

[The Bushranger]

Marle

As she and Nico head belowdecks, Marle pauses at the bottom of the staircase and sniffs, then looks to the right.
I smell something, seems to be coming from this way. I think we should check it out.
She starts in that direction, looking to see if Nico follows.

((No need to worry about me vanishing, I love this game too much. ^_^ ))

[Phantom.exe]

Ra has no idea who this girl is.


"Thank you, Ra." You are beginning to notice she has an aristocratic air about her - one which she seems to be downplaying.

"I... was... honestly very curious as to what you were. I am afraid that I have... um... never seen anything like you before. Are you a Warforged?"

Ra is unable to ascertain what the officers are doing, exactly... but he can certainly tell that they are heading a little north, fore of the ship, and specifically towards one of the locked doors you saw earlier.

The right path leads down a short, dark hallway before turning left at a 90-degree angle and leading you back in your original direction. The occasional hanging bag or locked ventilation shaft dots the hallway.
This keeps you uneasy for what lies at the end of the hallway.

About 20 feed down, you are emptied out into the cargo bay. This room is approximately 60 feet long, and each long end is dotted by large Soarwood skiffs - each seemingly placed in a 'launch bay', ready to exit.
There is also something like a large outline in the soarwood floor, probably used to open up and allow more room to enter.

At the very back of the room is one massive crate. A pair of House Medani sentries are cautiously approaching it. This crate truly is large - at least 10 feet by 10 feet.
You're getting a really, really bad feeling about this. Bad enough to enter initiative if you so choose.

[Hecore]

Entering the room behind Marle, Nico eyes the crate - and reaches towards his sword.

Not going for initiative just yet - I'll see what happens in the next post. Also, I *think* Mindlink would work as Ra has an intelligence score and the power doesn't ~say~ it can't effect constructs... but it's your call. If the power works then I'm telling Ra about a really bad vibe I'm getting about the crate, as well as Marle and my general location.

[The Bushranger]

Marle

I've got a bad feeling about this.
Marle slowly draws her rapier, and carefully moves so as to get a better look and open up Nico's 'line of fire', as it were.

Move Silently: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]
Listen: [roll2]

Initative: [roll3]

[Phantom.exe]

Marle tries her best to approach sneakily, but the floor is creaky - and she just seems to keep touching the creakiest of the soarwood boards.

Nico is able to link with Ra. Although it is normally difficult, his experience with Maug brains allows him to reach the delicate magical conduits that touch his vocoder and sensory enchantments.

The two House Medani sentries are in their late 30s - they look like seasoned veterans. (For NPCs, oi.) Both of them have dirty blonde hair, and are dressed in what <i>could be</i> banded mail. One has a spear, while the other has a longsword carried in two hands.

"Good to see you. This crate - we're fairly sure it's not on the shippin' manifest, right?"
"Hold up, Scrakes. They're-"
"They're clearly adventurers. They're the ones the captain was talkin' to earlier. That's all."
"Okay. Well, regardless."
"Regardless what?"
"I dunno. I just - you know, it's like when someone says 'but still' and doesn't have anything else to say."
"I understand. But anyway, you're - you adventurers are - what - invited? I'm just curious. Hey, go and poke-"

The sentry never has time to finish his sentence. The pair of them are caught flat-footed as the box explodes open. Debris flies through the air, and you are noticeably startled.
Something grabs the interrupted sentry, and, before your eyes can adjust, sends him flying into a Soarwood skiff. Wood shatters - as do his bones.

Standing in front of you is a positively terrifying Warforged. Dust and soot cover him. His jaw is smoothed and prominent (I guess you could imagine the the Warforged from that one picture in the ECS that says, "a group of adventurers planning an expedition" early on.), and his optics glow orange.

Rivets and spikes cover his upper body, and his knees look like sharpened armor. What most strikes you is his left hand - which seems covered by an armblade. Except it's not an armblade. It's a massive claw, five feet in length, serrated and padded and rusty.

"SNAP BONES!"

[The Bushranger]

Marle

Marle jumps back as the Warforged does his jack-in-the-box act, shaking her head as the living construct tosses aside the sentry and bellows.
Really. They all act the same. And they all suffer the same fate.

Opening up with her biggest gun, she levels her free hand at their opponent and casts Phantasmal Assilants.

[Hecore]

As the warforged bursts from the crate, Nico draws his blade - I think you've done all your bone snapping for today, friend.

Ra, we've got trouble. Get down here as soon as you can!

Initiative: [roll0]
Free Action: Nico activates both Chain of Personal Superiority and Chain of Defensive Posture.
Standard Action: Nico invokes Force Screen.
Move Action: Nico draws his sword.

[Stycotl]

The maug leans forward as the running officers disappear from his view, trying to catch one last glance at what they are doing, while still talking to the woman.

"Well, not a warforged per se..." His rumbles, his voice like a rusty steel trap. "But, essentially I serve the same design specifications. I just like to think of myself as more advanced..."

Then, as he looks back to her, realizing that he will not be able to see from here what the humans are doing, Nico's voice is in his artificial mind, calling quite urgently for aid.

Ra starts, still unaccustomed to having someone else capable of contacting his mind, and then looks down at the woman. "I am being summoned."

He then takes just a second to read her demeanor, and that of those around him, now wondering if she were merely a distraction of some sort, though he is still moving to intercept his companions before they find themselves too caught up in battle.

(ooc-sense motive [roll0])

[Phantom.exe]

I totally want to post.
But I'm totally too tired.

[Phantom.exe]

((I totally feel bad about not posting.))

Ra feels that the girl is genuinely confused. That gives him a sense of superiority, perhaps, solid in his knowledge that humans find him a curioisty, an unknown variable, a stone giant without apparent weaknesses.

However, this sense of superiority does not last long. As he reaches the main deck and the stairs down, a loud 'bang' alerts him to a small-ish goblin and a pack of minotaurs (the four from before, in fact) obliterating the door to the ship's bridge.

The goblin begins yelling in an oily, squeaky voice - perfectly appropriate, judgjing by his demeanor. Not one, but two eyepatches adorn his face, inexplicably leaving him blind. He actually has a modicum of a beard, with a few scraggly strands of ruff on his face and chin. Entwined in them are sticks - big, round, and red sticks that you could metagame look like flares, but in Eberron, you are not totally sure what they are.

Nico and Marle find themselves under seige by the Warforged.
"Kray snaps bones!" Despite this metal monstrosity's charming demeanor, he is not in the mood to do much talking. He grabs the other House Medani grunt with one arm, and begins forcefully beating him with the other.

"G-get- acchh - tell the captain -"
With that, the warforged slams the man into the floorboards, chipping them and smashing a few.

We're "sort of" acting in initiative order.

[The Bushranger]

Seeing that her spell had seemingly no effect, Marle growls under her breath, bringing her rapier around and slashing at the rogue warforged's arm.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Sorry for not doing more, I've been under the weather the last few days. <_<

[Stycotl]

Ra draws up short upon seeing the goblin and minotaur, and booms, "What is going on?"

Meanwhile, he *thinks* to Nico, wondering if his ally can still hear his thoughts from this far away.

There are minotaur and a goblin trying to break down the door to the bridge. Do you know what is going on? Do you need me to help them, or to stop them, or to keep going and find you?

(remember, ra has no clue as to what has been going on beside the short dialogue with hecore)

He brandishes his two-bladed sword in both massive hands, and takes a wide stance at the top of the stairs, ready to intercept an assault if need be.

[Hecore]

Switching stances, Nico sends a brief thought to Ra Some Warforged busted out of a crate and is tearing the place up. Marle and I can probably handle it, seeing as you have your own problems.

Sensing an opening, Nico lunges forward and brings his glowing blade down in a wide arc, directly towards the Warforged's shoulder.

Power attacking for 4, and the blade was enchanted with Ray of Enfeeblement via Combat Casting.
Attack Roll [roll0]
Damage Roll:[roll1] (2 from falchion, 7 from strength, 8 from Power Attack.
Strength Damage:[roll2] for 5 minutes.
Also, Mindlink works over any distance, so we can still talk for the remainder of the spell (should be at least 15 minutes left).

[Stycotl]

Ra takes that to mean that the goblin/minotaur team are hostiles, despite whatever dislike he--and seemingly the rest of the team--might have of the crew. His stance wide, he stomps hard on the deck planks, sending convulsions through the structure, and follows with a loud challenge, "Who do you think you are?"

His micro ballista turret swivels around and sights in on the goblin (or on the closest minotaur if there are any that are giving cover to the goblin). He takes a shot, and then charges down the stairs toward the bridge, weapon high.

attack+move action
to hit: [roll0]
if it hits the goblin, it does [roll1] piercing damage.

is this area large enough for him to move about comfortably (large size)? what about if he were to grow to huge size? he would be taking into account the hallways that he might have to be racing down within a few moments to meet up with his friends. wis check if you need it [roll2]

[Stycotl]

i forgot to mention, my move action takes me to within 10 feet of the closest foe, but stops there. that way, i can either attack with reach next round, or charge, as i see fit--assuming that none of them close in.

[Stycotl]

bump. we still alive?

[Stycotl]

bump, and merry christmas/happy hanukkah/happy kwanza/etc, etc!

[Stycotl]

well, it was fun while it lasted. see you guys around.

[Phantom.exe]

>.>

Sorry. I'm a bad GM. I guess I just sort of lost interest once I started college.