Planar Odyssey [IC]

[CasualViking]

Aron "Well, this ring is useful to me". Aron slips it on his finger. "The rest is up for grabs. Now, Master Tarbeck, we've heard your story. But what about you, Roderick? Anything you care to tell us?"

[Stelio Kontos]

Sefariel merely nodded at Aron's claim of the ring. "As you wish, sir. I do believe this magnifying device would be of most use to Atticus, skilled as he is with longer-range weapons. I am quite familiar with the magic written into most of these scrolls, though they would quite be of use in emergency circumstances. If any of you have a particular need for any of them, especially for educational purposes, please by all means feel free to avail yourself of them. I personally would wish to review the spellbook of the departed wizard -- knowledge for its own sake at a minimum, and perhaps this Viri can be remembered by what she left behind, if nothing else. It may also provide a clue as to what was intended to be in the box, if there are any unusual wardings recently scribed within it."

He sat, listening with hints of dismay at Tarbeck's tale of woe, rising at its end to place a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "Well, sir, I can say only that I am deeply sorry for the sufferances you have endured, and grateful to the gods for the opportunity to have relieved you of them. If I may offer but a bit of advice: never attempt to forget these events. They are a part of you, and shall remain so. But it is up to you, from this day forward, whether you wish to shape those memories, or whether you allow them to shape you. Given your strength in endurance to this date, I have confidence you shall prevail quite well at the former. I leave it to you as to whether you wish to discuss the matter further, or with whom; know that the door to my proverbial office is always open."

"If you will all excuse me, I would like to prepare the analysis of these strange writings. It should prove quite a delicate matter, and could take some number of days. I would be grateful for any assistance that any of you might believe you can provide. I feel it appropriate to mention that I would be able to complete the task somewhat more quickly with magical aid, but the magic itself requires some fairly expensive material components -- some two hundred gold pieces worth of incense per casting. I should be able to arrange my schedule to obtain maximum usage of the spell, but given the length of the task... well, I leave it to you as to whether accelerating the task is necessary."

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus listened the man's tale with a blank, slightly uninterested look. As it came to an end, he shifted slightly in his stance. The more I hear 'bout this Fairwind, the less I care fer the man. I sorry ya got caught up in 'is mess Tarbeck. He otherwise didn't seem to react much. He seemed... tired. The workings of Outsiders snared more and more mortals in their net and he was tired of it all.

Atticus took a few moments to examine the scope, turning it over in his hands a few times. He looked through the lens, frowning slightly. As he slid it over the barrel of his musket, adjusting the fixed point to attach to the older model, he murmured. Sefrial, you have an invisibility spell right? When we get ta chance, can ya cast it on yerself for me? I wanna see what ya look like through ta scope.

Once the scope was affixed, he stood up. He stood still for a few seconds before deftly snatching the moss-colored disk that slowly orbited his head. Here. This should help with that. I'm a quick study, but I ain't got no book learnin'. Ya should get more use outta it than I. But, I can help still, if ya want.

[Stelio Kontos]

"Certainly, though... well, I suppose if we are to retire for the evening and start fresh tomorrow... allow me a few minutes? If you have not experienced the effect before, it can be quite peculiar at first. I think you shall rather enjoy it, actually."

Sefariel took the moss-colored bead in hand, nodding gratefully as he rolled it in his fingers for a moment before releasing it into its orbit. "That would be most useful indeed, Atticus. I am quite grateful for your willingness, were it my place to do so I might well have considered asking to borrow it myself -- it should provide an excellent focal point for the unnecessary energies and thoughts that interfere in such matters to dissipate. And it is a most lovely shade of green, for that matter. An excellent choice by the creator. You see the slightly less vibrant color here? Most people would regard that as a flaw, an imperfection, but it is precisely that sort of discoloration in this particular pattern which allows that focus."

[MesiDoomstalker]

Atticus quirked a half smile. Thanks. I made it muhself. I made it after the moss back home; its a little bit of home that I carry with me.

[CasualViking]

Aron "I am no wizard. Clearly." - Aron indicates his armor and weapons - "but I do know my way around a research hypothesis. I suppose your standing merits the designation of primary researcher, and I shall be your assistant for now, as we research the writings I retrieved from the wreckage".

[ThatDamnPaladin]

"Oh I certainly do have something to say, you lot are a bunch of *******s that's for sure- ent even letting me have a word edgewise before divvying up loot." His tone of voice is very... calm, "Frankly this innit how a team operates and y'know it. And I don't really like havin' things I retrieved get divvied out without at least a little input on the matter- especially since the ****arse that was in mental contact with me knows I'm carrying this Viri woman with me. And she'd prolly let ya copy notes I doubt she'd let you keep it."

"Now, afore you begin callin' me a git or a fool or a moron let me explain exactly what went on and why I might feel this way- and it's all to do with the fact I were ignored for a majority of what I said and did afore this mess started. I don't take kindly to bein' ignored and I take less kindly from folk thinkin' my lack of wits means I'm some sort of sloth or sot that can be told 'attack'. Innit my thing and never will be- no matter what I worship."

"As for what happened? I ripped the heart out of the middle of the ship; weirdest damn thing in the world too as it didn't even hurt me, all my wounds are self inflicted at best- I did go through a bulkhead." He motions, "I was able to utterly destroy that thing below decks with little issue coz apparently it reacted super negative like to whatever curse is laid on me from that time I were at the City of Golden Death. Apparently have some hellishly powerful vampire lookin' to give me the sippy suck when he's got the time and place to find me. He stuck the Cult of Razmiran upon me, he made it so ****e's negative as hell; and frankly I'm annoyed as **** about everything right now. So sorry if I got the wrong impression by you lot's silence toward me."

"But no, yer gonna wanna ask Viri and I'll, let her talk for herself if she wants to take the reigns so to speak." And with that- Viri will get to talk if she likes. Roderick would definitely cede control; but he realizes that this isn't the same as her casting magic through him- he sighs, "I'm starting to think maybe, just maybe I'm a little stressed... if you open a message to me via cantrip I think she can take a hold of that and talk."

[Darvin]

When the topic shifts back to Fairwind, it raises Tanner's ire and she begins to fume, "Fairwind is trouble, for sure, but this... this is a low point even by his standards. Slavers kept at arms reach and grey-market contraband with plausible deniability for sure, but outright soul-eating horrors? Much as I hate him, the man does have standards, and he at least likes to pretend they're decent standards," Tanner paces down the deck to look at the wreckage field receding into the distance, "but Fairwind's the kinda guy who believes that everyone has a price. I don't know what Fairwind's price was, and I'm not sure I want to know who paid it,"

"Can't help you there," Tarbeck shrugged, "even our destination was some private citadel hidden in the vastness of the astral. No clue where it would be,"

Tanner pauses for a moment to look into the distance, with the look of a woman being eaten by her inner demons (or perhaps inner devils, in this particular instance) before turning around and putting on a strong face, "well, not much I can do about it. Probably the only one I could squeeze answers out of would be Fairwind himself, and I doubt he's going to make himself available for us to do that. If there are no further diversions, I'm going to set a course for Yulgamot. It'll be as good a good place to drop off our new friend here, and from there we can hire a drift-reader to give us a direct lock on Basrakal. We'll have to be on the low-down, though; every possibility Fairwind will guess we're headed there and send his flunkies to stop us, but Yulgamot is a big place and with a few coins in the right pocket we should be able to slip right under their noses,"

Spoiler: OOC"

Show

You have two days downtime before the next event occurs. I presume Sefariel wants to perform his research, but if anyone wants to examine the chest in greater detail they can do so. And, of course, you can keep discussing the situation here before moving on if desired.

[Stelio Kontos]

Sefariel looked back at Roderick's outburst with a look of genuine concern on his face, one that only grew when he revealed that he was "carrying" the wizard Viri with him, somehow. He was quite familiar with many of the conventional means by which one might, for lack of a better term, "possess" another being through mental or spiritual control. Few of them ended well for the host.

With the gentle voice to which the others had become accustomed, and none of the anger that Roderick's brusque manner might have otherwise provoked, he spoke. "Roderick, I am truly sorry. You are absolutely correct that you are as entitled to involvement in the disposition of these things as any of us. I suggest that we consider the assignments of those items as pending further discussion amongst us all. Would that be a satisfactory resolution to the situation in which we currently find ourselves? I would posit that the circumstances which have brought us together have not allowed us suitable time to become more comfortable with each other -- something I suggest we rectify sooner rather than later, for both social and tactical reasons. That is the fault of none of us, but it is cause for the division which you have, in your own manner, brought to our attention. I would be happy to discuss with you at your leisure this 'Cult of Ramziran' and their goals for you. I assure you" he said with a reassuring smile "that all curses -- all of them -- can be broken. Yours as much as any other."

"And, to be clear regarding the matter" he continued, handing over the spellbook to Roderick, "I would never presume to misappropriate the contents of another's labors; had I known that this Viri was with us, albeit in such an unconventional manner as seems to be the case at present, I would never have suggested it. If you would like to possess this until such time as Viri and I have been able to arrange something mutually satisfactory, I would have no dispute with it. I am unsure of the state of negotiations between the two of you at the moment. Do you feel well enough, relative to your normal?"

"I do not believe that any of us believes you to be a fool, or a moron. Nor do we wish to 'tell you to attack'. Nonetheless, I do observe that if something should present the need of being attacked in such a manner, I think we can mutually agree that it is much better for us both that it be you that perform that task rather than I. We all have our skills, and our frailties. There is no aspersion to be cast at the mere observation of that fact."

"It so happens that I do have a message cantrip prepared, as seemed prudent; if it be your will and Viri's, I would like to speak to her for a bit."

After the trivialities of casting that spell in Roderick's direction...

Spoiler: To Roderick

Show

I do wish to sincerely apologize for any misunderstandings. I would like to know how it became that Viri's mind became entwined with your own?

[ThatDamnPaladin]

"Jus' ah sufferin' a tad from the after fight jitters, rage takes a lot outta me and as I figger it's best not to try and force myself to be civilized so-to-speak. Kind of like trying to, uh," Roderick flounders for a moment for the word before just shaking his head, " Think straight while in combat you know what I mean?"

This is all said rather sheepishly as Roderick himself is not used to having to explain his rather Brusque and characteristically rough manner of speech, the book however is accepted. There is a pause, "Ah it's a Church of Razmir, Razmiran is what you call them. They believe in a false god who is a horribly powerful sorcerer."

"As it stands a fair few of the things I managed to liberate are Viri's still and ah, I did promise to get her resurrected as soon as I could... So," it did explain why he might not want to divvy things up then. The owner was technically about.

[Darvin]

Spoiler: Roderick and Sefariel

Show

As soon as the cantrip finishes casting, Sefariel can clearly hear a woman's voice carry through it.

"Hello there. I am Viri Kaddirim, the same Viri that my esteemed colleague Tarbeck was talking about. I was one of the two staff wizards on that ill-fated voyage, and I... died not long after Tarbeck fell in battle," Viri seems somewhat embarrassed, "without Tarbeck or the captain, the crew was in a panic and looking for a scapegoat. I'd expended all my spells making sure Gesin stayed dead, and so I was helpless when they decided to shank me in desperation. I would have ended up like the rest of them if I hadn't owned this amulet, and been able to hide my soul safely inside. I've been lying on the floor in that ship for the last few weeks, and when your friend here came running through I finally had my ticket out of there. He scooped me up, we helped out each other out,"

"I'm not exactly capable of much in this state. I've been trying to see what else I can do, but it seems that I can't even communicate with anyone other than Roderick without a magical spell. I'm just hoping that I can still prepare magic with my spellbook... in any case, I'll do my best to help you lot out, if you'll help me find a priest to perfrom a resurrection,"

Spoiler: Sefariel only

Show

Sophia taps you on the shoulder gently, as if she has something to tell you privately. When you are away from prying ears, she relates to you that the amulet containing Viri's soul is emanating a faint aura of evil. This is disconcerting, but Sefariel's arcane training does give him pause. There is every possibility this is a false-positive from the aura of the item and not from Viri's own soul. Without a more detailed examination of the amulet to determine the precise method she used to ensconce her own soul, it would impossible to say for sure.

[CasualViking]

Aron Aron bares his teeth at Roderick's tirade. He breathes heavy for a while, but puts his blade away. "I merely knew that something was hitching a ride with you, Roderick. Hence the question." He pauses while Tanner and Sefariel speak. "Roderick. You are newer to this fellowship than I am. But you are a warrior just like me. No more an unwitting tool than I am. If I have ever given you cause to think otherwise, I apologize. And I don not do so lightly".

[ThatDamnPaladin]

"Last time I was in a 'fellowship' the fact I was ignored most of the time ended up gettin' me cursed three ways from Starday, normally I ent one to panic but considering I turned a Hell Heart inside of a ship into nothing more than dissipated hate energies with my claws I think it might mean a bit of a bad omen y'know?" That said he did finally relent some and began to sling the pack around and settle out some of the other arcane impliments, "Not sure Viri wants us to use these but they'd be a big boon y'know?"

Namely it was the staff, wand, and a few other odds and ends- save for the women's clothing of course.

"... An' I appreciate the apology mate- on my Battle Brothers in Absolom's sacrifice I ent one to bitch this much, honest." He seems rather more pleased to have gotten all of this off his chest. And he seems much less jittery and far, far more calm than before.

Spoiler: To Viri

Show

When he speaks of men and women he fought alongside of- there are flashes of memories. Of a yellow mist, of ancient ones from the depths; and of a maddened plague of evil only really capable of being understood by the mad. Of course- there is pain the second he thinks too hard upon it. And he quickly puts that away- but it's quite clear something terrible happened at some point in his past or... considering the beard that he sported? The future...

"Oh right, uh- so; I figger that we can sell my Amulet of Mighty Fists if we need to next port- I'd rather not leave the lady I'm toting around high and dry and frankly uh..." He pauses, "I am a tad freaked out by the fact I could do somethin' like that with my hands. Y'know destroy a thing I shouldn't be able ta?"

[Stelio Kontos]

Spoiler: Roderick and Viri

Show

Sefariel nodded, mainly for Roderick's benefit. "That is a fascinating tale, Viri. You are indeed quite fortunate. May I ask, is this amulet, something you made yourself? Or merely a fortunate acquisition? Soul transference at the moment of passing is not an area in which I have more than a purely academic experience. I would be curious as to the particular workings of the enchantment, should time permit. For now, I intend to attempt to discern the nature of the enchantment engraved upon these bits of metallic debris. If you are aware of any of the particulars thereof, I would be most grateful to you for sharing, but if not, I am confident that with sufficient study it shall prove an eminently surmountable obstacle. In time, we shall see what we can do about restoring you to your proper place. I leave the decision about your spell book entirely to you; there shall not be time to do so immediately. I would of course extend to you the same courtesy as well, at a time when you can properly benefit from it. It is a tome into which I have expended considerable resources, perhaps excessively so. It is my vice, as it were."

Sefariel patted Roderick on the shoulder, even as a subtle glance at Aron to back down passed across his eyes. "Well, Roderick, I am afraid that many of us have suffered from the misplaced attentions of others. That is why we are all here, I suspect, in one way or another. No mystery is unsolvable, however. We shall 'get to the bottom of it', as they say. And it seems that whatever curse you believe has been placed upon you, in this particular case it proved to be a blessing. Most things can be transformed as such, given sufficient effort."

"Now, if you will all excuse me, I think it best to begin studies forthwith. Two days shall not prove nearly enough time, I fear, but there is no reason to delay further. I would be most grateful to any assistance you believe your minds can provide."

[Darvin]

Spoiler: Sefariel

Show

There is a pause before Viri answers Sefariel's question about the amulet, "a little of both; I repaired and repurposed an old broken magical item, but I must have made an error in my enhancements since it's not working properly. My research notes aren't among the salvage you have here, so the finer details are lost to us,"

When Sefariel inquires about the metal fragments, Viri doesn't hesitate, "Most of the adamantine was delivered in small ingots, but some of it was in a larger form they called 'shards'. Varied from the size of a halfling to the size of a troll, rough and unhewed, and each one had a series of metal bands strapped tight around it embossed with those runes. It didn't have anything to do with the ritual Gesin and I performed. Only thing I know is that each one of those shards had a Kyton assigned to deliver it. They were not messing around,"

The wreckage from the shattered hell ship disappears into the murk of the astral as Tanner brings the Cerulean Gray up to speed. Though the miasma and horrors are lifted, there is a shadow that seems to hang over everyone involved. Tarbeck spends most of his time in solitude, and Tanner's usually chipper attitude becomes quite somber. Below deck, you occasionally hear the howl of your prisoner. Yet when anyone comes to check on him, the hound archon Girend seems to be in meditation. Cantankerous and cryptic as always, the hound archon refuses to give any straight answers but his attitude seems to have grown even more hostile.

While Tanner focuses on piloting the ship, Sefariel and the other academically inclined party members find a quiet space to begin sorting through the scrap metal and trying to reconstruct the network of arcane glyphs they once comprised. Sefariel finds his progress buoyed by the multi-disciplinary contributions, as he and Aron quickly ascertain that the ritual was in fact half arcane and half psychic in nature. The hint Viri gave him made reconstruction slightly easier, as he knew that the scraps of metal once formed a series of concentric rings. Though he lacks complete specimens, he is able to piece together patterns and extrapolate likely continuations. After working to exhaustion, he and the other researchers head to their quarters to rest and sleep on their findings.

The following morning Roderick can be found in the mess with the spellbook in one hand and a shank of heavily salted meat in the other. Sefariel can practically hear the protestation of Viri inside his head over such a cavalier attitude to the precious possession, but the process does bear fruit and Viri is able to prepare at least some fraction of her arcane power. After a quick meal, Sefariel returns to his study with a reinvigorated spirit. Hour after hour is spent on feverish reconstruction of one of the bands. The other researchers present quickly see where their wizard friend is going and begin to assist in the diagrams and extrapolations and identifying intersections. The passing of time is difficult to measure on the astral, and you have only the master clock of the skiff to serve to remind you of the need for sleep, but as that time approaches the purpose - or at least one of the purposes - of the ritual becomes clear. It is a siphon - a massive siphon - to strip power directly out of a major plane and stow it into a vessel. It would take an incredibly durable material to contain such magnitudes of power, a material such as adamantine.

Sleep is uneasy on for everyone on the second night. There is something reverberating along the astral, and your dreams are chaotic, jumbled, and mentally exhausting. Only a single brief moment of vivid lucid dreaming remains with you when you awaken.

Spoiler: Atticus and Sefariel

Show

You stand atop a great spire overlooking a small but fantastic city that floats high above the cloud cover below, illuminated by the orange glow of a setting sun. Stone structures rise up in all directions around the spire and pristine streets form orderly divisions among the structures. Yet the city seems oddly silent, its inhabitants long gone. A single aging man stands atop a lookout of the spire and surveys the city, a tear in his eye. He turns around and walks inside of the central spire. He touches some arcane runes and the orange glow of sunset subsides into the darkness of a starless night. He nestles himself into a chair, and mumbles to himself, "I don't know if you're still out there, but if you haven't won yet then I don't think you ever will. I hope to meet you again in another life... my friend," and with that he closes his eyes one last time.

A peal of lightning strikes and the city is transformed, ruined by centuries of erosion and neglect. The chair inside the spire is now occupied by an emaciated husk that has been long motionless. The lightning strikes again, and a draconic shadow stretches over the room. As the lightning subsides the only thing piercing the darkness are the two blood-red eyes that glow with avarice.

Spoiler: Aron and Mais

Show

The hell ship shudders and groans before the final scene of its explosion plays out for you. But as you watch you notice a shockwave reverberate outwards that you didn't notice the first time. It passes harmlessly over the Cerulean Gray and with great speed continues across the astral. You see yourselves moving through the debris field, Atticus firing the cannon, Sefariel scavenging up pieces of the debris. Eventually you board the ship and disappear into the distance.

As the hours pass you begin to notice strange movement among the wreckage. Small rifts open amid the wreckage field and through them worm-like creatures begin to emerge. More and more begin to surge through, until the debris is writhing in the worm-like creatures. There is a magical wink as a scrying sensor begins to form, but no sooner does it appear do the worms swarm around it and blot it out. One by one more sensors form, and each time the worms instantly converge upon it.

As the scene fades, you hear a woman's voice, faint and distant: "I've seen this before, I want to help you! I can't see you, I can't find you, but I felt that disturbance," there is a pause as her voice, "but if I felt that, then so did they. You are in danger! You must make haste to the Maelstrom, only there will you be able to shake your pursuers. Find me in Basrakal, or you will surely perish like all the others who have carried this burden before you!"

Spoiler: Roderick

Show

A familiar figure appears in your dream, his grotesque vampiric figure hunched over as he sits cross-legged in a chair. He sits at a round table, and three other figures sit at the table attentively. Two of them are instantly recognizable, one being Gloria Goldeneye and the other wearing the mask of Razmir and adorned in ostentatious robes. The final figure is a somber looking man wearing black armor with ghost-white hair tied behind the back of his head. All sit silent as the vampire speaks.

"There was a... disturbance yesterday, one which brought a significant amount of unwanted attention to this situation. I am confident that our quarry was responsible," the vampire tents his fingers while glaring maniacally, "time is running out, we need to ensure that Fairwind's blackmailers do not find my prize before we do. I must extract what was stolen from me before his assailants kill him,"

He sweeps his hand across the table and a chart of the astral plane appears atop of it, "the disturbance occurred approximately in this region, and according to Gloria, Fairwind believes their pilot is heading to Yulgamot. This puts them somewhere along one of these lines,"

A number of miniature ships appear on the board, "Fairwind has lackeys here, here, and here, and is leading his personal ship out to Yulgamot, along with Gloria. This puts one of our agents in Yulgamot, so you two will focus on scouring the astral for their ship. His collaboration with Siga - tenuous as it is - has given us some insight into the devil's movements. I want you to avoid crossing paths with the mnemor devil at all costs," the vampire explains, "you are dismissed,"

The vampire waves his hand and the other three and the table disappear. Kothos of Mechitar stands up and turns his back to you. He then chuckles, "a fine display, but only a tiny fraction of the destructive power that is possible. I can make you into something so much more than you could ever imagine..." he turns around and looks you in the eye, "Roderick Justine,"

You wake up in a cold sweat.

The morning routine is different today, not the least because no one slept particularly well but also due to the pair of ships in the distance on intercept trajectory with the Cerulean Gray. Tanner does not hesitate to point them out or jump to conclusions, "they're not flying any flags, but I don't think they're merchants or pirates. They gotta be working for Fairwind. Don't know how they found us so far out in the middle of nowhere, but we've got to shake them. I can outrun them in the short haul, but big ships like those can overtake us by sheer endurance in clear conditions like this. I'm not particularly keen on a fight when we're that heavily outgunned. There is a squall on the horizon, and we could easily lose them in there, but astral squalls are quite dangerous," Tanner points off in the distance, where a roiling mass of purple clouds are occasionally punctuated by bursts of crimson lightning.

"Honestly, wouldn't mind giving Fairwind or his goons a piece of my mind," Tarbeck slaps his hand into his fist, "we've got a great gunner, and we've got more than a few good sword hands and a wizard... two if we count the sorta-dead one. Element of surprise, too, I don't think they'd suspect we'd actually fight this. Could get a few good hits in, cripple the ships, get outta there before they even realize what's going on," Tanner's jaw just hangs open, clearly aghast it's even being suggested.

Spoiler: Roderick

Show

"Oh hell no, tell Tarbeck his idea is stupid and he's stupid for even suggesting it," Viri objects.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

You got two days of research in, for 8 KP of progress (using the first two research checks)
The party is free to use either approach suggested by the NPC's, or if you've got your own clever ideas you can go for them.

[Triskavanski]

Mais for the moment, silently watched and observed the 'humans' of the group. he didn't jump on any of the treasure, conflicts of humans have often been around what treasure went to which human. "Well, then we should modify the conditions to not be so clear."

[CasualViking]

Aron "Not cast aspersions on the skill of our good Captain. And I freely admit, with me at the helm we would have been either caught or hopelessly lost long ago. But I do feel the urge to get personally involved in the resolution of the crisis at hand. I vote we boldly counter-attack."

[Stelio Kontos]

Sefariel made it a point to brief the group in some detail each evening at dinnertime as to the day's progress, for those that were not actively participating in the research. The conclusions, he stressed, were at once curious and quite worrisome -- the creation of such a device was frankly a wonder of magical construction, but the purpose... that was another matter entirely.

Having arrived after his morning rituals, the aasimar shook his head at the suggestion of direct attack, the tiny sparkles in his skin darkening slightly at the thought. "There is much to lose, and little to gain, from such a strike. I personally would favor taking our chances in hiding. However, should you wish to join battle with the enemy nonetheless, I am at least somewhat prepared to assist you. I rather suspected that we would require such preparations upon our proper arrival at Yulgamot."

[MesiDoomstalker]

One can-o-neer ain't a gunship make Aron. I can't take 'em both down on my own. Runnin' ain't fun but it keeps our head's on our shoulders. Don't go pickin' fights just cause ya got a mean right hook. Atticus paused, a blank look on his face. Sorry, I got a bit carried away with my sayin's. Point is; I doubt we can win in a ship-ta-ship fight and repellin' boarders is a worse position. If they keep on our tail, we can turn and fight but once we engage it'll be hard to turn tail.

[CasualViking]

Aron Aron looks over at Mais and Roderick. "Well, this is not going to add up to a majority for attacking. Into the storm it is, then."

[ThatDamnPaladin]

Roderick is dead on his feet, nightmares that he doesn't feel like sharing are always there and he just seems exhausted. But he does perk up some but, listening to the lady smarter than he is he shakes his head, "An attack seems dumb to do- no offense. Especially considering that they might actually be ready for us to leap into the fray."

"Into the storm, coz I'd rather not die yet- I have a promise to keep." It seems he's a bit more animated now...

"Oh right, Viri also said the idea was stupid to attack; she doesn't want to get stuck here." He shrugs.

Spoiler: To Viri

Show

"He's itching for revenge, a little slack should be given. I think he liked you."

[Darvin]

"Thank you," Tanner lets out a sigh of relief, "no offense, Tarbeck, but I'm not warrior and I'd rather slink away than fight. There are other ways to get back at Fairwind, like not letting him get what he wants,"

Tanner moves to the wheel of her ship. A soft hum from the lower deck grows louder and you feel the sensation of the vessel rapidly accelerating. The ship cleaves through the soft blue fog drifts on the outskirts of the storm, leaving a streaming wake behind it. The air feels heavy, and a great weight rests upon your minds as if you were deep in contemplation of a matter of the utmost complexity and urgency. Tiny sparks fly from the air around you, occasionally striking at the ship and leaving no sign of damage. A small protective bubble surrounds Tanner - and only Tanner - as she is completely enraptured in her concentration.

Spoiler: Aron, Mais, and Atticus

Show

While small disturbances of energy around temporary portals between the elemental planes can create localized weather effects, this storm is different and is a product unique to the astral plane. The energy here is not elemental in nature, but the raw potentiality of ideas and ideologies made real, and this storm is the clash of two competing ideas. These sorts of squalls are exceedingly dangerous, and have been known to leave travelers completely comatose or with permanent mental or sensory damage. It takes a strong will to navigate these storms, and this particular storm is quite large. It must be a tangle of a large number of competing ideas.

For all this haste, the two ships in pursuit seem to unerringly draw closer. An eerie pale lighting oscillates across their deck, some sort of magical effect of indeterminate origin. There is the sound of a cannon fire; it is premature, perhaps an over-zealous gunner or a shot to intimidate, but it succeeds in capturing the attention. That's when you notice the two figures perched precariously in the Cerulean Gray's rigging. The first is a tall and lanky figure wearing clothing much too small for him. He speaks in an animated fashion, gesturing wildly with his hands while kicking haphazardly with his legs. Opposite of him is a small woman with an indignant look on her face. She paces back and forth along the length of a particular line of rope as she talks.

"Now see here this stone? You say it worthless, and I say it worth a fortune. If enough people believe it to be magic, it shall indeed be worth that fortune. And in that belief of the stone's power they will act accordingly and their behavior shall grant the stone the power that your so-called 'reality' denied it. All things real must be seen and felt and interpreted by the mind and lens of understanding, and through twisting this lens we in turn change reality itself!" the lanky man exclaims.

"But the stone is still a stone, and no matter how many people you convince of its values and virtuous properties it will never be anything more. No amount of sophistry can grant it special powers, and that some fools believe and act otherwise does not change that it and you are grounded by the chains of what is real and what is not," the lady retorts indignantly.

"Yes and no, my dear! But if belief in the stone is powerful enough you too will be swept up in it whether you believe or not. If enough people believe you a fool for doubting you won't question the power of the stone. Oh, would you look at this," the lanky man calls down to those on deck. He twists his hands around the stone he is holding and its appearance shifts into that of a shining multi-colored gemstone, "well hello there, weak-willed simpletons! I have the offer a century for you. I have this magical gemstone that would be immeasurably helpful to you. It cures any ailment, brings good luck, can help you find whatever you're looking for, and even cleans the hard-to-reach places behind your kitchen stove! Surely this is an invaluable item that you would be willing to trade handsomely for, yes?"

"You have better wits about you than that! Surely you can see the charlatan for what he is!" the woman crows.

The Cerulean Gray groans and stalls as it breaks into the boundary of the storm. Behind you another cannon shot falls short. The storm is resisting your entry, and the two figures overhead loom over you expectantly.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Each of you can call upon Tanner once during the squall sequence to help you out. Thanks to her uplink with the ship, all allies on board benefit whenever she casts Thought Shield I, which gives all of you a +4 on will saves vs mind affecting effects for one round. You can call this as a free action when a saving throw is called for, but most do so before you roll.

[Triskavanski]

Mais turned to look at the two, and the sparkley thing in the chaotic being's hand. He hummed, pondering, connecting dots. Whatever these creatures were they were certainly powerful beings, likely tied to the storm itself and their conundrum together is likely what was making the storm of different ideas. One appeared to be a being of Chaos, the other of Law. Trading for the stone thing would likely be somethign they would need to do in order to get the beings off the ship. But as far as he knew, they didn't have much to trade. Or much they should trade. Besides that, as a being of chaos, trading something valuable may not be valuable but only what was invaluable is valuable to those who would create their own value. Never the less, Mais stood at the ready, watching the humans as he had been doing.

[CasualViking]

Aron Aron faces the lanky man. "What you say in not entirely untrue. There is power in the belief in power. There is value in the belief in value. Gods know I've faced down enough looters in my time. Sad, mean people hoping to strip the gold off the rooftops of my village. Idiots who died for nothing but that belief. " He pauses dramatically. "But you are not offering me a legendary, storied item, widely believed to hold great power, holding value in the minds of many men. You offer me a bauble with nothing but your own claims about it. I get that in droves in every marketplace. Begone, peddler!"

[Darvin]

"Then you're a fool and a simpleton," the lanky man scoffs at Aron, "come now, there has to be someone with lick of sense among you? No one? Going once..." the lanky man raises one finger as he slowly counts down. The short woman is oddly silent as the man weaves his duplicitous words.

[Stelio Kontos]

Sefariel barely glanced up at the transdimensional interlopers; the ships bearing down upon them surely constituted a greater threat than whatever farcical debate might occur atop the mast. Nonetheless, his compatriots appeared quite taken in by the charade, and it would serve them all well for it to be terminated with great haste. The two were both wrong in their own ways, that much seemed clear, though the lady had far the better of the argument.

"Very well" he sighed, eyes still somewhat focused on the potential trajectory of any incoming projectiles. "Purely for the sake of academic interest, mind you dear sir, what is it you seek in return?"

[Darvin]

"For you, my dear and open-minded friend, a bargain; I'll offer it in exchange for one of those miraculous pearls I can feel on your person," the lanky man continues to twiddle the now-shining jewel in his hands between his fingers, and Sefariel can feel a slight nudge from the pocket where he stores his pearls of power.

[Stelio Kontos]

"That is, er, a most interesting offer" the wizard replied, putting his hand instinctively to his pouch before pulling it away. "One I am certainly willing to consider, although I must require that I be allowed to examine this stone that you offer more closely to determine for myself the magical qualities which you claim it to possess. If you are truthful in your assessment, I would even be willing to allow you to revise your offer of reciprocity once I am more fully apprised of the situation that I currently am. Without this examination, I am afraid I must decline; any such exchange would be foolhardy.

"The stones I possess are hardly miraculous, I might add. They are the product of nothing more than moderately complex arcane rituals. Not to say that they are not quite useful, to the contrary, but I would hardly ascribe any spark of divinity to their creation."

[ThatDamnPaladin]

Roderick is looking about to his compatriots and specifically to the wizard who is now offering a pearl of power for what appears to be a rock, "I might be an idiot, but this seems like a bit of a raw deal." That being said he isn't paying attention to the figures and instead looking rather worriedly back at the encroaching vessels.

This was taking a tad longer than he'd like...

[Darvin]

"Why of course, my illustrious mage, I'm sure your keen attention to detail will see the true value of this priceless relic," the lanky man waves his hands with rapid arcane gestures, imbuing a light onto the stone. Though the motions seem deliberate in nature and do produce a magical glow, none of the onlookers recognize those specific motions as any type of spell or incantation from any field of magic they are familiar with. When he finishes, the lanky man lets the stone roll down from his hand and it softly floats towards Sefariel, stopping just shy of an arm's grasp away.

"And yes, I'm aware your stones are not nearly as valuable as my own, but my hand is forced and I must offer you this priceless relic. Surely a learned a studious man such as yourself would not pass up such a golden opportunity?"

Spoiler: Sefariel

Show

The stone shines bright under your arcane sight, and glistens with strong auras of universal magic. As you examine it, it seems to shift and change in properties, as if it were multiple different types of magical item superimposed into one object