Razorback's Strange Aeons - In Search of Sanity

[farothel]

Seeing that her spells aren't doing all that much, Vri looks around for something that could be used as a weapon. A club of some sort would do. If she sees something, she will go for it.

Spoiler: OOC rolls

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I guess perception to see around me for a weapon (preferably my own, but any will do in a pinch): (1d20+7)[16]

[razorback]

Spoiler: In and map

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Initiative order -
Vri - 22
G3 - Dead (H-2)
Elia - 17
Ebert - 16
G1 - 16 (I-1)
The Owl - 15
Hazel - 12
Lizbeth - 10
Nalgho - 7
G2 - Dead (I-2)
Zapka - 4

Ebert is up.
u-b, I moved Zapka to H-2 as my last post I was under the assumption Nalgo had already moved to J-1 but I failed to update the map.

Zapka charges forward, mouth stretched open at the final ghoul still moving. The ghoul, seeing the teeth, lifts its foot at the last moment and Zapka's bite tears into the box next to it, splintering it in the process.
Vri, looking about, see that the box that was holding her cage down had tumbled to the ground and she sees a rapier, bow, and backpack that look familiar.

[u-b]

Seeing Zapka already entering the grease and Hazel tactically positioned to attempt it next, Ebert dismisses the spell. He otherwise just stays out of the fighting.

[razorback]

Spoiler: In and map

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Initiative order -
Vri - 22
G3 - Dead (H-2)
Elia - 17
[Ebert - 16
G1 - 16 (I-1)
The Owl - 15
Hazel - 12
Lizbeth - 10
Nalgho - 7
G2 - Dead (I-2)
Zapka - 4

The Owl, Hazel and Nalgho are up.

The ghoul, cornered, lashes out at Zapka. Snarling, the abomination strike with one of the claws, and its bite failing to hit but the second claw hits, giving him a small scratch.

Spoiler: Zapka

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Zapka takes 2 points of damage and needs to make a DC 13 fortitude save

[Ghostfoot]

Hazel

Hazel winks back at Nalgho "I do find that attack," she lunges forward at the ghoul "is the best form of defence".

Spoiler: Actions

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Misc: 5ft step
Standard: Rapier (1d20+5)[10] (+1 BAB, +4 Dex) damage (1d8+4)[9]

Acrobatics DC10 vs Grease (1d20+6)[21]

[Bunny Commando]

The Owl - HP:11\11 - Conditions: None - Active Effects: None

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The shadowy beast the Owl conjured into existence now dissolves, having at least distracted for a bit one of the cadaveric figures. However the battle is not over, so now he tries to find another way to hurt the enemies that put him in a cage - he frantically looks around trying to find a weapon, something that could give him a chance to defend himself.

Spoiler: Actions!

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Move + Standard: the Owl looks around, trying to find a weapon; if he finds it, he moves to pick it up.

[razorback]

Spoiler: In and map

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Initiative order -
Vri - 22
G3 - Dead (H-2)
Elia - 17
[Ebert - 16
G1 - 16 (I-1)
The Owl - 15
Hazel - 12
Lizbeth - 10
Nalgho - 7
G2 - Dead (I-2)
Zapka - 4

Nalgho is up.

Concentrating on her footing on the slippery floor to keep out of the grasp of the ghoul, Hazel's blade waivers and fails to hit the creature.

The Owl, in the meantime, casts about as he realizes that there are a dagger and crossbow, long with a backpack, that have fallen on the ground from the box previously holding the lid down.

[Dimers]

Huh, that worked pretty well, Nalgho thinks with a surprised look on his face. He maneuvers around to try another solid kick, instinctually paying attention to how the battle's layout changes the way he should strike.

Spoiler: mechanics

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Looks like I can try a flurry this time. (d20+5)[24] vs AC for (d6)[2] damage, (d20+5)[15] vs AC for (d6)[2] damage.

[razorback]

In a blur, Nalgho kicks the ghoul in the stomach, causing it to bend forward, before whipping around to kick it again, this time connecting with its head with a sickening crunch. In a heap, the creature falls and is still. Besides everyone now breathing a little harder, the only other sound is the dog barking and growling at the fallen creatures, as formerly caged and newcomers look at each other.
After the initial shock, Lizbeth rushes forward and starts to remove the dog from the cage.

[u-b]

Ebert moves into the southwest corner and casts a spell. He then seems to watch over the room, not moving anywhere. Zapka shifts a bit south to let the people free the dog, but does not move anywhere either.

Spoiler

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Detect Magic across the board, just in case.

[farothel]

Vri looked at the others while she picked up her gear and checked it out.
"This might sound like a strange question," she said, her voice sounding quite melodic, "but where are we? And how did we get here?"

[Bunny Commando]

The Owl - HP:11\11 - Conditions: None - Active Effects: None

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The Owl picks up his own stuff and looks at the rest of the group, uncertain of what to expect from them. The elf's questions are met with a slow shake of the head and a pained answer "I do not know. Who are you?" a brief pause, then another disheartened question "And who am I?"

[razorback]

Spoiler: Ebert

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Ebert scans the area and sees a faint blue (abjuration) glow coming from behind the cage holding the dog. If he chooses to move things about a bit, he realizes there is a large, wooden shield giving of the blue glow.

[farothel]

Vri looked around and delved deep in her memory, or tried to at least.
"My name is... Vrilundass, I think," she said, "but most people called me Vri. But I have no idea how I got here. Or where here is actually."

She looked at her equipment, or at least what she thought was her equipment, given that it was on her cage, hoping that any of it would trigger some memories. She used a mirror she found in the backpack to have a good look at her own face. It was a nice looking face, that was clear, but it could just as well be the face of a stranger.
"Nice rapier," she said to no-one in particular, "I wonder where I got that one from.

[u-b]

Ebert, satisfied that none of the newly found people shines magical, notices one shining thing he did not quite expect. He moves things a bit and discovers a magical large wooden shield, which he does his best to examine.

"This thing seems magical. Would anyone be able to make good use of it?"

Spoiler

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Know (arcana): (1d20+4)[20]
Spellcraft: (1d20+4)[23]

[Ghostfoot]

Hazel pokes about the room as the newcomers are given some time to sort themselves out. To Ebert, "No, it's not for me. A heavy warriors shield."

[farothel]

"I seem to have a shield in what I believe are my things," Vri said, putting it on her arm and waving it around a bit to see if it felt as if she knew what she was doing, "that would suggest I know how to use one. So if nobody else wants it, I'm willing to give it a shot. May I have a look at that."

She also cast detect magic and had a close look at the shield.

Spoiler: OOC rolls

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same rolls as U-b:
knowledge(arcana): (1d20+7)[26]
spellcraft: (1d20+6)[21]

[Bunny Commando]

The Owl - HP:11\11 - Conditions: None - Active Effects: None

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"I can't remember my name. I only remember how I was called by others - they called me the Owl." he looks at his own hands, clearly taken aback by the grey skin "Weird. And not weird at the same time. I do not remember who I am, but I do remember how I can command shadows to do my bidding." then again he looks at the others, especially the ones that bursted into the room "Who are you? What are you doing here? Do you know why we're here?" a sense of urgency in the Owl's words, the need to have at least some degree of understanding about what's happening to him.

[u-b]

"Welcome to The Briarstone Asylum, the realm watched over by Argade and Zandalus! You must be mad to be here and you probably are!" recites Ebert and then, with much less pathos, continues "Same thing, actually. Cannot remember last few years even if I do quite remember some of my earlier life. No idea how I ended up here. I'll look in a book, but it might not be there. Meanwhile, we're hunting for some dopplegangers. The place seems to be beset by them as well as by the ghouls. The guards further that way don't care about the ghouls, but promised to let us out for a few dead dopplegangers. Coming with us?"

[farothel]

Vri didn't really get all that, but anywhere else seemed to be better than here and hopefully she would at some point find back her memories.
"Sure, why not," she said, a slight hint of sarcasm noticeable in her voice, "I have nothing else planned in my agenda for today."

[razorback]

Spoiler: Ebert and Vri

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After a few moments the pair of you, each, come to the decision that this shield has been magically enhanced to provide better protection (+1).

As the group is speaking with the new-comers, Elia and Lizbeth move to free the dog from its cage. Elia, while looking for the latch, notices that when Ebert removes the shield that there is a small pouch. She grabs it and finds within it 3 small vials along with a silver necklace with a songbird design, painted with a tail in a rainbow of colors.
They hand over the pouch to the others to review before fussing over the dog and speaking in hushed tones to each other.

[u-b]

Ebert reviews the findings.

Spoiler

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All nonmagical?
Know (religion, untrained) (1d20+0)[15]

[Dimers]

Following the example of Vri and The Owl, the apparently martial half-orc pokes around in the stuff that was holding his cage closed, soon finding a nasty-looking crossbow and some rope. "I don't remember anything ... uh, pretty much stands alone as a statement, but I was gunna say, I don't remember anything about learning to use armor or weapons. Don't know how much help I could be in hunting down doppelgangers, but if you'll have me, I'd much rather stick with you than wander around alone in a madhouse. Uh, call me Nalgho. How're we going to tell when we find a doppelganger?" Nalgho isn't sure he's comfortable with helping to kill a sentient living creature, but if half-remembered tales are true, doppelgangers might not give him much of a choice.

[u-b]

"So far we've had only one suspect, handed her to the guards still alive, she shone magical for no good reason. Might be that's how they change their shape. Did not find any more specimen, meaning that I've just checked you and you are in the clear." While Ebert so introduces new people, Zapka gets out of the southern door (very silently, if anyone is noticing), where she turns right. Ebert nods in the direction. "Zapka. She's with me."

Spoiler

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Zapka moves to G8, unless she notices something.

[farothel]

Vri did another detect magic on the other items found, just to be sure. As it seemed nobody else had a shield and nobody really wanted this, she took it and put her own, smaller shield next to the cage she had been in.
"If anybody wants that, be my guest," she said, not sure if she should be lugging it with her. It was nice to have a backup, but shields were heavy.

[razorback]

Spoiler: Ebert

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You recognize this as a holy symbol of Shelyn, though the name is abstract and unconnected to anything but you're sure the memory is accurate.
None of the vials ping as being magic.
Neither Zapka nor Ebert notices anything further out of the relatively ordinary.

For a few moments, Elia and Lizbeth argue quietly back and forth, Lizbeth with slumped shoulders and a defeated look. Elia puts an arm around her friend as they talk before a bit more, coming to a decision. "We've decided not to go on. This madness is a bit too much for us. We hope that, with the site of what we have given those men and these ghouls, that they will take us in. Hopefully, we can convince them that the rest of you are people and not shapeshifters." Elia says with a strong voice but Lizbeth trembles a bit, not looking anyone else in the eyes.

[Bunny Commando]

The Owl - HP:11\11 - Conditions: None - Active Effects: None

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"An Asylum? Why would they bring me to an Asylum?" confusion and fear seemingly dominate the oddly-coloured and oddly-named human that now pokes his own face, like he's trying to understand how he looks like; then the one called Ebert says something about dopplegangers and a promise of freedom and the Owl clings to it, trying to have a small degree of control of his own predicament; he slowly nods with little enthusiasm but in obvious need to have some kind of objective "I am willing to hunt down the dopplegangers; I remember I can see magical auras, also."

That said, he picks Vri's shield up and is about to move when Elia and Lizbeth tell the rest of the group their intention; the Owl looks at them awkwardly, shrugs and says "Good luck."

[Dimers]

"Um, yeah, good fortune." Nalgho's voice makes it clear he's shaken -- amnesiac, apparently insane if he got stuck in an asylum, and now suspected (if quickly cleared) of being a doppelganger ... it's a lot to take in all at once. "I'd rather go with you, but it sounds like your guards wouldn't trust me anyhow. I hope they let you back."

[farothel]

"Anybody has any idea which way to go," Vri asked. She didn't know how she had gotten into the room, so she had no idea on how to get out. She hoped that the others would know, otherwise it might be a long time wandering around here... wherever here was.

[u-b]

"A symbol of Shelyn and three nonmagical potions. Anyone knows alchemy?" Ebert just nods to Elia and Lizbeth. "We've come from the south and have not checked any other way, so just choose a door, open it for Zapka and wait in the corridor for things to come out. I mean, it is not strictly necessary to charge forward like Hazel did."