[4e] Adventures in the Planes - IC

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf bard

Lucan has an arrow nocked and is ready to start shooting when more Zyrrs suddenly appear. "Wait . . . what?"

He peers around, trying to figure out what's going on.

Spoiler

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Perception - (1d20+23)[37]
Perception re-roll - (1d20+23)[26] (from Preternatural senses)

[Hzurr]

DM Post

OOC: Lucan has the same information as the info spoiled for Eltain in the previous post

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain nudges Aramil.

"Look at the way he was holding his own blade just now. Nobody runs into battle like that that means to, and Zyrr is a better actor than that. The real Zyrr would never make so obvious a battle tell. We have to protect Asheroth." He urges Frank forward to Asheroth's side.

"Asheroth, listen, I'm pretty sure that isn't the real Zyrr and I am sure he means to betray us."

[Orsik Vondal]

"Typical!" Ash yells. "I thought it was odd Zyrr didn't det a turn!" Ash turns back to where he came from and spies the transparent Zyrrs. "Sooooo...which one is the real one? And where is that portal?"

Ash leaps toward the rest of his friends, his wings beating the air in order to put space between himself and the dread blade.

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick is about to bring his magic to bear on the drow priestesses when the herd of transparent Zyrr's arrives. He pauses before the spell is cast and rushes off to the sidelines of the battlefield. Something very hinky is going on here. He'd already suspected something might be a problem when they hadn't arrived in Zyrr's alternate reality, but now it appeared perhaps they had. There were a few big differences however, most obvious of course was the fact that there were several transparent images of Zyrr. But then this solid Zyrr could apparently see them, that too was new. Too many divergences from the established pattern in both the solid and transparent Zyrr's to get a very good understanding of what might be going on.

Then an idea struck him, it might bear fruit, or not, only time would tell. He supposed everyone else would be paying attention to the various incarnations of Zyrr in this reality because of those differences from the pattern. But Pavick, as an illusionist, knows that the art of making a truly engaging illusion is in the details. The little side-details must be kept in check as much as the main-focus of the illusion. Maybe that was where he could catch Mab's bluff. He decided to focus his attention not on any of the Zyrr's, but on the priestesses. He specifically watches their reactions to the solid Zyrr and then to see if and how they react to the transparent Zyrr's pouring out of the portal. He mutters a few words and a small green eye appears in the air next to him helping him to gather in all the details of the priestesses reactions.

Spoiler

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Move over to C-5 or so on the map.

Minor to cast Emerald Eye on a priestess (gives me +5 to Insight against them)

Then watch the priestesses reactions Insight - (1d20+19)[37]

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As the quartet of transparent Zyrrs sprint up towards the pavilion, the priestesses slowly begin coming out of their chant, and focusing on the events around them.

Pavick, wisely keeping an eye on the priestesses rather than the Zyrrs, notices that as the drow women come out of their trance, they all have the same reaction. The exact same reaction. As a seasoned illusionist, Pavick is aware that sometimes when your focus is elsewhere, the details on the edge of the illusion tend to get a bit bland. Creatures repeating actions, multiple creatures doing the exact same action, lack of object permanence...These are all telltale signs of an illusionist whose attention is elsewhere.

The solid Zyrr looks from the blade in his hand to Aramil, but his eyes dart to the priestesses waking up. Grabbing one by the hair, he places the khopesh against her throat, and all the other priestesses freeze, not moving a muscle, their eyes fixed on the dagger. "Sorry Aramil, this is the only thing keeping them at bay. You have to protect me from those creatures Queen Mab has created!" his eyes dart towards his transparent doubles. "If they're absorbed into me, there's no telling what I might do!"

Below, the transparent Zyrrs approach, stumbling up the path.

"Stop him! Stop that Zyrr! He's gonna kill you all!" the lead Zyrr shouts as he approaches, still keeping an eye on his footing. He throws out a finger pointing towards the solid Zyrr ahead.

Behind him, the second one calls out "The priestesses! You have to kill them, they're the ones behind all of this!"

Right on the heels of the second, a third transparent Zyrr calls out "The one in front, he's Mab in disguise!", and strains to urge more speed into his feet.

Bringing up the rear, the final transparent Zyrr stumbles briefly as he calls out "I'm the real one, you have to kill me to end this. Eltain, remember your promise!"

As they run, the first transparent Zyrr reaches up around his neck and pulls loose a small amulet, one that you remember the real Zyrr having worn every day since you've known him, and smashes a small ball of wax onto it. The transparent Zyrr's eyes fix in anger on the solid Zyrr, and he tosses the wax-amulet ahead into the middle of the party.

The solid Zyrr's eyes widen in horror as he watches the amulet tumble through the air. Under his breath, he mutters "Vendis..." and drops the Khopesh of Extinction to dive forward, catching the arching amulet as it hurls towards the ground.

There's a moment of pause as the Khopesh clatters to the ground and the four transparent Zyrrs arrive at the pavilion.

The four transparent Zyrrs (three with their amulets, one without), stare at the party, waiting. The solid Zyrr's hands have closed around the amulet hurled by the first transparent Zyrr, eyes wide in horror at the prospect of it shattering on the ground (even as his own identical amulet hangs around his neck).

The eight drow priestess' eyes are transfixed not on the Zyrrs, but on the jet black blade that has just fallen to the ground.

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick takes in the whole scene trying to put all the pieces together. As he contemplates, Slick pokes his head out of Pavick's sleeve. The wizard hold his cuff up to his mouth, whispering to the serpent as he works it all out.

"The solid one is probably not right. I know this is another false reality, so it would make little sense for him to be right. He's probably just another path Zyrr might have taken. The last transparent Zyrr is calling on us to kill him to end this. That makes no sense. This entire challenge was meant as a way to gain an audience, that couldn't happen if the petitioner was killed by the challenge." He points the second transparent Zyrr out to Slick, "And that one is trying to convince us the illusory priestesses are behind this. An illusion that controls itself, an interesting notion, but hardly likely. The third one to appear is trying to cast suspicion on the first. And the first screams warnings about the solid Zyrr."

He turns to look at Slick. "Confused yet? I am, but this puzzle needs to be unraveled. It is probably one of the two we are being warned against. That seems like exactly the kind of obfuscation Mab would attempt. Okay, so the first one's warning us about the solid Zyrr, who was the first I eliminated as a false Zyrr. And the third is trying to cast dispersions on the first, making him my primary suspect as the real Zyrr... If any of them are. Oh gods! I hadn't considered that, what if the real Zyrr still isn't here? I hadn't considered that possibility."

It was just then that the first transparent Zyrr threw away his amulet. Pavick continues to quietly mutter through his reasoning to Slick, "And that has to be some sort of a clue as well. That amulet must mean a lot to Zyrr, he's worn it as long as I can remember. And now he just throws it away? ... but after putting wax on it, maybe to protect it? It would make sense that the real Zyrr would try something unexpected, and that certainly was something I didn't anticipate. The solid Zyrr dove for it, meaning he believes it as important or perhaps more so than the one around his own neck. And the other transparent Zyrr's make no move to protect it. Perhaps Mab doesn't know of it's importance to Zyrr leaving her creations clueless that they should be moving to protect it. So the real Zyrr must be that one over there. What do you think Slick? Am I right?"

Slick simply flicks his tongue in response. "Well, someone has to make a move, and I think now is the time." Pavick reaches out with a mage hand and plucks the khopesh from the ground and lifts it into the air. It soars over the heads of the priestesses and then dives down as it approaches the party. He quickly maneuvers it on a weaving course through the party members. "I'm sending it to that Zyrr, I think he's the right one." Pavick calls out pointing to the first transparent Zyrr. "If you think I'm wrong, grab the weapon as it passes and we'll have to sort it out."

Pavick's intended course takes the blade first by Ash. Then it flew over passing within an arm's reach of Aramil and Eltain, and finally made a loop around Lucan giving each an opportunity to grab the khopesh as it passed. Pavick didn't know whether he hoped they would trust his reasoning enough to let it pass, or stop it in mid-flight so that the decision wouldn't rest only on his shoulders. If none of them stopped it, the weapon would slow to a stop before the first transparent Zyrr giving his hand a gentle nudge with the weapon's hilt.

[Orsik Vondal]

"Vendis? Vyndis? That can't be a coincidence."

As the khopesh hovers toward the first transparent Zyrr Ash flies to him and asks, "What does Vendis mean!? And why is that amulet so important? Quickly!"

[Toric]

Spoiler

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The one Zyrr's eyes go wide with shock when the solid imposter snatches the amulet out of the air. On the one hand, this might have been just the delay he needed to keep the solid Zyrr from fulfilling Mab's promise. On the other.... Ossip wax is well known amongst alchemists, but not so much amongst other people who more commonly see wizard spells or magic items to levitate objects. He could show them what would have happened by coating another object in wax and dropping it, but in addition to being obscure, ossip wax is expensive. As for why the fake Zyrr caught it.... either he just doesn't know about Ossip Wax, he grabbed it intentionally to cast doubt on his falsehood, or it was a reflex because he does still care about his brother. ......It must be one of the first two.

At least his tendency to do things without clear reasons is redeeming itself, as he listens to Pavick's deductive reasoning. Throwing the amulet did something to visibly distinguish him from the doppelgangers, and it was strange enough an action to warrant attention. He keeps his own Imposter's Talon drawn, glancing between the solid Zyrr and the three phantoms behind him. He doesn't dare respond to Pavick's line of reason; shouting "It's me! I'm the real one!" is a surefire way to convince the party he's a fraud. Besides, it would lack class.

As Asheroth flies toward Zyrr (he'll never get used to that) the drow points his blade away from the tiefling. He wants to give the party no further reason to suspect him, and whether Ash knows it or not he's now protecting Zyrr's flank.

"Vendis is my brother, in blood and in spirit." the translucent drow answers. "Far more decent a drow than I ever was. He crafted the amulet, then drow society killed him and I never forgave it." His violet eyes dart up briefly to Ash's, gauging his reaction. If he thinks Zyrr might be stalling this could end poorly. "More immediately it's important because I needed something to stall myself with, and my brother's amulet was the only thing I could think of. Vendis and I reunited during my death. I refused to offer him to Lolth, he aided me, I promised to aid him." He glares up at the solid Zyrr as he finishes. "Or at least that's how it happened to me. I have a hunch things turned out differently for that handsome rogue. What is Vendis to you, turncloak? A regret?" he calls to the central imposter.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As Asheroth approaches the first transparent Zyrr, you notice that this Zyrr turns his dagger slightly away from you.

"Vendis is my brother, in blood and in spirit." the translucent drow answers. "Far more decent a drow than I ever was. He crafted the amulet, then drow society killed him and I never forgave it." His violet eyes dart up briefly to Ash's, as if gauging his reaction. "More immediately it's important because I needed something to stall myself with, and my brother's amulet was the only thing I could think of. Vendis and I reunited during my death. I refused to offer him to Lolth, he aided me, I promised to aid him." The transparent Zyrr turns to glare at the solid Zyrr as he finishes. "Or at least that's how it happened to me. I have a hunch things turned out differently for that handsome rogue. What is Vendis to you, turncloak? A regret?" he calls to the solid Zyrr in the middle.

The solid Zyrr looks down at the amulet in his hands, turns to look at Pavick, then at the Khopesh at the transparent Zyrr's feet. Nodding to himself, he walks towards the first transparent Zyrr. "You're right, things did go differently for me." He holds out his hand, and drops the amulet. Rather than shattering on the ground, the amulet falls a few inches, then hovers.

"What I learned from Vendis, is that no matter how good a person you are, you should always be prepared for a knife in your back"

With that, he drives his dagger in between Asheroth's wings.
Attack: (1d20+36)[43] Damage: (1d4+17)[21] + (5d8)[13] + (3d6)[18]

As he attacks, the other transparent Zyrrs (aside from the one without an amulet, speaking to Asheroth (formerly known as the first transparent Zyrr)), all solidify, and a familiar purple portal opens. These other three Zyrr take a stand in front of it, daggers drawn.

The female priestesses all look up, and as one draw their holy symbols.

OOC:
Not going to update a map for this unless y'all feel it's really needed, but right now you've got an open exit portal, and in front of it are 3 enemy Zyrrs. Roughly 3 squares away is the sole remaining transparent Zyrr, who is standing next to Asheroth, and behind Asheroth is the original solid Zyrr who has attacked Asheroth. We'll assume that the drow priestesses are at least 5 squares away from them.

[Orsik Vondal]

Son of a -----!" Ash yells as he winces in pain. At the same time he torques his hips and spins his blade in a back swing with the palpable force of a holy judge's gavel. His strike catches the solid, backstabbing Zyrr in the midsection and sends him flying backward into the crowd of priestesses.

When Ash spies the swirling portal and the other Zyrr impostors, he turns to the real Zyrr, "Time to get the Hells out of here, Captain!" Ash disappears in a flash of light and reappears at the portal behind the impostors.

Ash winks at the Zyrrs. "Didn't see that one coming, did you?"

While showing a drow sign foul enough to make Lolth cringe Ash steps back and into the portal proper.

Spoiler

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Forgot to put my actions!

Immediate Reaction: Reflexive Judgment
Target takes 26 fire and radiant damage and gets pushed 5 squares.

Move action: Heavenly Escape--Ash teleports 10 to the portal

Minor action: Flick off the drow.

Move action: Shift into portal

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan - Half-elf Bard

There is an expectant silence just before a battle begins, waiting for the first note and new rhythm to fill it. If you have an ear for such things, and a strong enough voice, you can fill that silence with the song of your own choosing. And in Lucan's song, evil not-Zyrr misses.

Spoiler

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Immediate Interrupt
Virtue of Prescience
Ash gets +6 to all defenses. If not-Zyrr still hits, he gets a healing surge instead.

Either way, Ash gets a basic attack against not-Zyrr.

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

"You've taught me something too Zyrr. Way back when I first talked you into turning on your boss. You taught me that evil can be convinced to turn on itself... Like so."

Pavick waves his and over the crystalline skull of Baftis in a swirling motion meant to confuse and bewilder the mind. The now-solid Zyrr's move aside and begin stabbing at each other, leaving a clear path to the portal. Pavick makes a mad-dash toward it, hoping that the transparent Zyrr was following through the hole he'd created.

Spoiler

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That was a Mass Charm. An area burst 1 should be able to catch at least a few Zyrr's. It is an effect that slides them 5 (getting them out of the way) and forces them to make an MBA against a creature of my choice (another Zyrr).

[Toric]

The amulet-free Zyrr reaches out a hand at what he knows will be Mab's promise come to pass - only it's not. The battle-hardened tiefling survives, and flees to safety using teleportation, a skill that has eluded the drow for quite some time. Thus it's one the other Zyrrs probably didn't plan on, runs one thought.

The other is the implications of solid Zyrr's reply. On the one hand, it may mean he was right, that the difference was that Zyrr betrayed Vendis. On the other, Vendis might have betrayed Zyrr. It doesn't much matter which was the case, they both would likely have led to this situation.

Zyrr sheathes his Imposter's Talon - a symbolic act that could have proven useful earlier, actually - and snatches up the khopesh in one hand, the floating amulet in the other. With a glare balanced between hot, murderous rage and cold, calculating focus Zyrr strikes out at his imposter's chest with the khopesh and vanishes in a cloud of thick black smoke. The cloud's twin appears behind the transparent drow and billows out to encapsulate them, so that only drow can see the whirring blade graze each Zyrr's chest in turn.

A shadowy figure darts out from the cloud and stops in front of Asheroth, a solid amulet dangling from the khopesh in one hand, glaring down at the solid doppelganger.

"Wrong lesson. A friend you can trust at your back is worth more than the deadliest weapon in your hand. A friend at your back makes anything possible. You don't deserve to carry this." He holds the amulet out on the end of the sword, then holds his other hand out toward the cloud of darkness: a hand containing four translucent amulets, one covered in wax. He flicks the khopesh up, launching the solid amulet in the air, then catches it with his other hand to clench all five in his fist. "None of you do." He calls out with a grin to the direction the group saw him run from. "Thanks for the schooling, Mab! You're my kind of lady, we should speak again sometime!" And with no further hesitation, he claps a hand on Asheroth's shoulder and hops into the portal.

Spoiler

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Using my Shadowstep ability to teleport, then a move action to go to the portal, if actions are needed. I'll be willing to roll or accept hzurr rolling a Thievery check, but I'm hesitant to roll one unasked-for and give the forum roller the opportunity to wreck this symbolic action with a natural 1.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

As the solid Zyrr's dagger plunges towards Asheroth's back, a quick arrow from Lucan sends the drow doppleganger stumbling back. Meanwhile, the path towards the portal is blasted clear by Pavick, as all the other solid Zyrrs begin turning on each other.

Darting through the darkness, Zyrr has little trouble snatching the false amulets, but as he steps through the portal, there is a brief moment as the world fades that Zyrr can see a gap in the blocks of nightmare-stuff that Queen Mab has built for you. Sticking a hand through, some unknown instinct guides it to grasp a small, hard object. There's a sickening ripping sound as the object is pulled free, and even as everything goes white, Zyrr hears a scream of agony and pain.

As Zyrr steps through the portal, the world begins to fade and stretch for the entire party, and soon you all find yourselves experiencing the familiar white nothingness.

----------------

Slowly, your vision starts to return, and you find yourselves laying across various branches in the city of Senaliesse. Similar to the last time you stepped out of the portal, the air is filled with acrid, burning smoke, and across the city you can see the other adamantine spider construct iinert, and open.

Bodies and small fires litter the city, but rather than the drow priestess chanting that had assaulted your ears previously, the city is eerily silent. High above, you can see that the semi-opaque floor of the pavilion is dark, as if covered by a thick crimson film on top.

Looking at the object in Zyrr's hand, you find an amethyst with countless facets, nearly the size of a hen's egg. In spite of the many facets, the gem does not seem to sparkle, and embedded in the center of the gem is a tiny gnat. The gem vibrates slightly, and there seems to be a very faint whispering coming from it.

For Aramil, although his blade seems to slide in and out of his sheath with ease, the surface is still slightly twisted and bubbling, a faint line of purple smoke trailing when it swings.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain surveys the devastation with a sinking heart, looking up at the now-opaque floor.

""Are... Are we too late?" His stomach churns with horror. "I'm glad you're alright, Zyrr, but we can talk later. We have to hurry." He urges Frank forward a bit, looking like he's going to be sick.

[Mando Knight]

"There's only one way to find out. Zyrr, how many can your carpet carry? We need to get Pavick at least to the pavilion as quickly as possible, with as many of the rest of us escorting him as possible."

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick struggles to his feet, having landed in an awkward position across two branches. "Are we really here now? I kind of expected something different, but this looks about right. We'd better ALL get up there. I can create the portal, but I'm sure we'll have company up there too. I'm not willing to leave anyone behind here to face that alone."

[Orsik Vondal]

Ash lowers his arms and peers up at the pavilion. "Blood, looks like? I think the party may have already begun. We'd better move quick before they cut the cake without us!"

Ash beings to beat his wings against the air and hovers for moment. "Pav, you might want to come with me or ride with Eltain or Lucan on their mounts. I would suggest, General, that you ride with the Captain. No time to waste. Let's go!"

[Toric]

At the time, Zyrr couldn't even attempt to explain what force guided his hand into the divide where reality met illusion. It felt just like any of the random impulses that had gotten him into and out of trouble over the years, and just like any of those times he went with his gut. His reward - or maybe punishment? - was a tug of war with something that should not be there, deft fingers feeling their way around an object that was alternately soft flesh and hard stone. Finally his hand worked its way around whatever it was and pulled it free.

---

Once back in the real world, Zyrr stares down at the amethyst in awe. He knows what he wished to do with that parting subtle flirt, he knows what he felt in that rift, but still this couldn't be....

"The carpet carries myself and a passenger." he replies distractedly, tugging the strings to remove the rolled up thing from under his pack. He drops it to the ground and kicks the tapestry to unfurl it to its full length and function. "I bought it as an emergency measure in case I fell off the 'Jammer or another ship. A two-person life vest more or less." he speaks to the gemstone. The drow hears the whispers, and can't bear to leave them unheard before pressing on. He raises the amethyst to his ear like a seashell and listens.

[DSCrankshaw]

Lucan -- Half-elf Bard

Lucan doesn't even bother to argue about who's carrying whom. He simply hops on Yuri's back and gallops towards the pavilion.

[Orsik Vondal]

"And here I was thinking I was the impulsive one!"

Ash scoops up Pavick and tosses him on Frank's back with Eltain. Then he pumps his wings in order to catch up to Lucan.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

Whether via wings, rug, flying ass celestial pegamule, or communist unicorn, you begin making your way up towards the central pavilion as fast as your wings/tassels/asswings/hooves will carry you.

Arriving at the arena above, the scene is one of carnage and death. Scattered throughout the floor, are the drow priestesses you saw in the dream world, their bodies flayed, mangled, and sliced open. The cold-iron chair that had stood in the center of the room has been ripped open and mangled, and in front of the Summer Queen is a ritual circle around a familiar looking bowl (the same bowl you saw in the dream world, that held the Kopesh of Extinction). In the center of the icicle around Tiandra, a small hole has been drilled all the way to the Fey Queen, and a thin stream of sunlight-gold blood from Tiandra trickles out onto the circle, no doubt part of whatever dark ritual took place here.

Scattered among the dead priestesses are scores of dead gnome and cyclops slaves, their bodies riddled with whip lashes and spider bites. In addition, at least a dozen formorians lay dead and unmoving (except of course for their disfigured eye, which continues twitching long after death).

Stepping onto the pavilion, the ground is sticky with the blood of the slaughtered. At first, everything seems to be still, but across the open arena, sitting on a field of dead grass that once marked the area of the Green Court, is a sole formorian. Like most fomorians, he is almost unbearably ugly, his grey body and asymmetrical face covered in lumps of gristle. His nose is so squashed that it lies nearly flat, his upper lip extending down to the top of his chin. Two iron rings pierce the brow over his crimson “evil eye” and pin back his otherwise droopy eyelid. However, it's the iron coronet around his head that identifies this creature as Thrumbolg, First Lord of the feydark city of Mag Tureah.

The formorian king's good eye zeroes in on you, while his larger evil eye darts around constantly, examining the entire arena. In his hand, is the jet-black Kopesh of Extinction. The blade seems darker now, almost as if it is consuming the light around it, even as a faint set of red runes glows on the hilt. His other hand holds one of the Drow High Priestessess, still faintly breathing. At his feet is a prostate eladrin male, his skin and face deformed.

As you approach, the formorian king speaks. "I assume you're the ones who caused so many problems on the way up." His evil eye examines all of you in turn. "Ah, of course. I have heard of you. As expected, Arvandor has sent only the best." He turns his attention to the unconscious priestess in his hand, an the eladrin at his feet.

"Tell me, which should I wipe out?" His other hand spins the Khopesh of Extinction, and his grip tightens. "The eladrin and I have a long enmity, but their civil war weakens them so I'm not certain it's necessary. The drow are my allies, but they have set their sites on ruling this world. Slaying this one would kill all the drow on this plane, which includes almost every soldier, priestess, and wizard. The drow would take millenia to recover." His evil eye flicks up towards Tiandra. "And there is always the Fey Lords, who have long schemed against me..."

He looks up at the party. "Tell me, who would you like to see wiped from this plane?"

[Orsik Vondal]

Ash turns his head slightly to the rest of his commrades, "Start playing, Lucan. Something to cloud his judgment. Something soothing. Captain, look for an ambush. Pav, have something ready to keep him from using that blade. General, watch my left. Eltain, on my right. I'll try to talk him down."

He directs his attention back to the Fomorian, and his blade disappears in a shimmer. Ash steps through to the front of the group. He spreads his arms wide and takes a deep bow. He swallows hard before he looks up. One false move and many more innocents might lose their lives today. When he raises his head once again, Ash speaks Elven in low carrying tones that mingle with Lucan's sweet song, "Lord Thrumbolg, we have not come here to slay anyone. We came to end all the death. Of eladrin. Of drow. Of fomorian. I understand that you wish to protect your people. To protect your way of life. But trust me when I say that destroying the eladrin or drow on this plane would cripple them in this moment, yes, but that kind of act produces the most deep-seated hatred and vengeance. Possibly not in your lifetime, but soon the race you decimate will rise against your people in rage that will only be sated with blood and death." As Ash speaks he takes slow tentative steps forward and lowers his arms to use them in gesticulating, emphasizing his words.

"The gods would be no less wrathful upon you, Lord Thrumbolg. You said yourself that Arvandor has sent us. If you slay the eladrin, Corellon, Sehanine and Melora would not stand for it. If you slay the drow, I would hate to think what Lolth would do to the Fomorians."

"My friends and I do not wish to see any harm come to any here. That includes you and your kin. This whole situation is the unfortunate result of years of hatred. If you slay one of them, you will only perpetuate that cycle. Bringing more death and pain upon your own race. Think of the long-term consequences of your actions right now. If you lay down the Khopesh, you need not endure all that."

Ash stops some distance away from Thrumbolg, not wanting to excite or threaten the fomorian into doing something rash waiting for his response. Hoping it is in the realm of agreement.

Spoiler

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I'm going for Diplomacy here. If you think I'm being more intimidating, I can roll that instead.

Diplomacy - [roll0] +5 if Lucan is using Words of Friendship
Reroll from Choker of Eloquence if previous roll is below 39 (10) - [roll1] +5 for Words of Friendship

[dariathalon]

Pavick - Gnome Wizard

Pavick leans forward to whisper in Eltain's ear. "If this turns bad, get the blade quickly. I think I can incapacitate him for a moment, but it will not last long and I'll probably be in no shape do do anything about it myself."

Pavick glances around the area quickly looking for any signs that perhaps they are still in a nightmare existence as he listens to Ash's speech. When Ash steps forward, signaling that his appeals are coming to an end, Pavick slowly grasps the horn of the skull of Baftis that is looped into his belt. He watches the formorian king carefully hoping to stop him if he tries something rash.

Spoiler

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First, I suppose is an Insight check - (1d20+14)[29]

Then, ready an action to use the Skull of Baftis to interrupt Thrumbolg if he tries to use the khopesh. The specific power I'll use will kill us both.

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The Formorian king stares at Asheroth for a long moment, weighing his words. "A nice speech boy, but not what I asked. The eladrin and drow already hate us, and if they were able of killing us they already would have. Besides, I'm immortal, I don't exactly fear their reprisal."

He snorts, and goes back to examining the creature at his feet and in his hands "You've got a point on angering the gods, but you and I both know that if Arvandor could have killed me they would have, and neither Corellon or his gilted lover can enter into the mortal realm. Gods rely on their followers to do their will, and if I'm killing almost all of their followers...well, I think you can see why those don't really concern me."

Waving a dismissive hand at Asheroth, the large catseye narrows into a thin slit. "You speak well, but you're a fool and you don't know what you speak of. I don't care about a cycle of death, I don't care about my half-mad race. Now, I can either kill the eladrin and rule the feywild, or kill the drow and rule the underdark as well as the feydark."

He glances to the rest of you. "Any suggestions from those who know what they're talking about?"

Pavick, as you prepare your spell, you notice a faint shimmer around the Formorian king that piques the back of your mind. OOC: Arcana check, please.

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain nods to Pavick slightly before addressing the king of the Formorians.

"If you don't care about your own race, then why not wipe them out? Cull the weak and get rid of underlings who might prove annoying." Eltain shrugs.

"Honestly, I don't really want to see anyone wiped out, not even your race. I think the drow can be redeemed, so why not the Formorians as well? But I think there's something else at work here." He drums his fingers on Frank's neck for a moment, eliciting a snort from the pegamule.

"Why even ask us? Why not just do it before we even had a chance to get here? There's a few possibilities that spring to mind. One, that you're bluffing. If something like that exists, why hasn't someone used it long before now? I can think of many an Eladrin who'd spend lifetimes hunting such a thing down to wipe out the Drow or the Formorians." He ticks off on his fingers as he speaks.

"Two, you're not bluffing about what that does, but it's not as easy as you claim it is. Maybe you need someone else to choose. Maybe there's some crazy ritual."

"Three... Well, where's the glory and the sport in that? Where's the subjugation? Who are you even going to rule over? Conquer the Feywild, sure, but it's not you doing the conquering then, it's a little magic blade. How utterly dull."

"I'm curious, your majesty. We've all got time here, why not tell us?"

Spoiler

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Gonna hate myself when I roll a Nat1 here:
(1d20+25)[28]
Anyone wishing to aid, go for it.

[Mando Knight]

Aramil sighed as Asheroth tried to make nice with the Fomorian king. Eltain's probing inquiries were better, but Aramil had the feeling that trying to speak on anything resembling even terms with a member of the supremacist and megalomaniacal Fomorian race, let alone a king among it, was an exercise in futility.

Still standing at the ready to fight, Aramil searches his memory of Feywild history for tales of the First Lord of Mag Tureah.

History: 20 +25 = 45

[Hzurr]

DM Post

The Formorian king king gives a laugh at Eltain's suggestion. "The lazy ingrates would deserve it, but there's little point to ruling the world if you have no one to rule."

As Eltain lays out the various possibilities for why the dagger may not work, the Formorian King simply sneers "Sorry my little Corellite, but you'll not pry secrets from me." However, Eltain notices that Thrumbolg's large orange cats-eye narrows significantly as Eltain lays out the second possibility.

"What I choose to do for my own amusement is no concern of yours." Seemingly frustrated as his lack of progress, he scans the group in front of him, and the deformed face brightens when it sees Zyrr.

"Ah, the Drow pirate who turned his back on his people. I've heard of you, Zyrr'dellin Morvyndis. Surely you know more than these others what atrocities your race is capable of." He holds out the unconscious drow priestess by the scruff of her neck. "Don't you agree the worlds would be better off without the clergy of the Spider-Queen?"

As he questions Zyrr, Aramil quickly racks his brain on the lessons he learned so many years ago on the Formorian King.

OOC: Next bit is fairly long, so spoilering it, but I'll assume Aramil shares this with anyone who asks

Spoiler

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You know that the Formorian Kings claim's of immortality are supposedly true according to the prophesy of the Baba Yaga. As the story goes, the Baba Yaga predicted that Thrumbolg would be killed by one of his sons, so Thrumbolg naturally tried to kill all of his sons (and, by his logic, make himself immortal). Before he killed his last son Goibniu, Goibniu had a sword named Fragarach ("the Retaliator" or "The Answerer") forged by a cabal of cyclops artisans that Goibniu poured all of his hatred and thirst for vengeance into. Goibniu was eventually killed, but the sword was stolen away at the last minute by one of Goibniu's servants, and hidden. Since this is the only remaining vessel for the Baba Yaga's prophesy to come true, over the centuries he's sent thousands of agents scouring every plane to try and find the blade, but none has ever recovered it.

Aside from recovering the blade, Thrumbolg's greatest focus is on learning how to control the innumerable portals in Mag Tureah. Some say that outside of Sigil it holds the single greatest concentration of portals anywhere in the universe. However, his understanding of exactly how the portals function is incomplete at best, and the portals of Mag Tureah seem to be among the most complicated. Until now, it was believed that he spent all of his time working on these calculations to bring the portals under his control, and march forth on the world.

Pavick, fresh out of the world of dreams, is finding his mind unbelievably focused, especially considering all of the carnage around him. He does notice that there is some deep energy residing within the Formorian king, one that Pavick feels would heal any wound inflicted on him. There looks to be no apparent way to sever that energy from Thrumbolg (though having the magical sword mentioned in the prophesy would be a good place to start looking).

The second thing that Pavick notices, is that the energy fueling the dark dagger is slowly draining. It will be some time before the khopesh is inert, but the odd markings on the side of the blade draws Pavick's attention back towards that hole drilled into the ice that Tiandra's blood slowly flows out of. You feel as if you may have an answer to Eltain's question of "Why hasn't this been used before"

[Nai_Calus]

Eltain frowns and whispers to Pavick.

"Did you see his eye when I mentioned that it might not be that easy? We still need to get that away from him, but we might have some leeway. But we have to hurry before Tiandra bleeds out." He gives the gnome a moment to answer before trotting over to Aramil and whispering down at him as well.

"Alright, Aramil, you're better than me at general Feywild history, they were more interested in telling me all about how horrible drow and orcs were than Fomorians. What do you know about this guy?"

"A great many drow deserve death. Many don't. He's baiting you, Zyrr. Don't give him the satisfaction."