Council of spiders-Caverns of Thracia-Rappan Athuk IC

[Smilex]

Putrefax says
Are you sure you don't want to become a ghoul? I could really eat something. It's been so many years... I need to find something to eat...

The ghoul is twitchy and obviously not in a perferct state of mind, having been crushed by a chandelier for a millenium or few.

Grastic then says
How would that work? If you turned... like... me... into a ghoul?

Putrefax answers...
It's easy, I need to take a bite off of you and then you need to bleed a little to get weak. That way your body becomes receptive to the gift. The gift take you right to the edge of death but then it takes you a different path. You start getting strength again, but your body starts changing at the same time. In a few weeks you're a ghoul.

Grastic continues
Is it safe?

Putrefax answers
It's guaranteed to end all your problems. Safety is no concern at all.

Grastic says
What would you bite?

Putrefax says
You'd probably not want it to be something you'd need in your eternal life. A lot of people ask for it to be the genitals. You don't need them as a ghoul. Maybe some bellyfat. Big guy like you, there's a lot you wouldn't mind missing I'm sure.

Putrefax pokes Grastic in the gut.

Oren asks
What's going on there, Rik?

[Zhentarim]

Spoiler: OOC

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This is a tempting offer, but Hades understands none of this language.

[Ninja Dragon]

Rik is translating everything the ghoul says.

Also he adds "Ok this is getting unconfortable. None of us want to be ghouls. And you are not biting anyone on my watch, either."

He shows his spear.

[Smilex]

Grastic more or less shuts up at the point of Rik waving a spear.

The ghoul looks around at the whole group and nods.
Of course. Do you mind if I climb up then? Just leave you be...

[Smilex]

Spoiler: ooc

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Ok, I know there's something going on, but I need to push the story forward.

Grastic suggests in aklo
Maybe you could show us around this level? I'm heading out after that and you could come with? No reason to make this violent. I'm sure we'll find food later.

Putrefax looks warily at Rik and nods.
It's not a large area. We should be done quite quickly, particularly since you destroyed the guard-statue.

Once you move back into the hallway, Putrefax points at the room opposite
That's the robing room. Nothing much there.

He then points right, at the long corridor
That way will take you down.
Then he points into the darkness
And that's the main temple, or sanctuary.

Spoiler: OOC

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Which way would you like to go?

[Bobthewizard]

Polari Human Sorcerer 4 / Warlock 1 AC: 15 (MA) | HP: 33/33 | HD: 4/4d6 1/1d8
PP: 13 PInv: 13 PIns: 13 Spell Slots, 1st: 5/5 2nd: 3/3
Sorcery Points: 6/6 Restore Balance: 2/2 Healing Light: 2/2 Conditions: none

Polari waits to see if anyone wants to be turned into a ghoul. It sounds awful to him, but there is no judgement. Once it appears that everyone has given up that idea, he turns to Puterfax.

"Take us to find the minotaur first and help us kill both it and Coco. Then we'll let you go free."

Spoiler: OOC

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Possible Reactions:
1. If Polari is hit and the roll is 19 or less, he will cast shield with his reaction.
2. If he is hit by 10 or more elemental damage, he will cast absorb elements.
3. If one of the players is attacked with advantage or has to attack at disadvantage, I can use a reaction to make it a normal roll.

Spoiler: Caverns Map

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Spoiler: Notes

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Geronimo, goblin bard
Professor Melange, Mentaujit
Pelonia, Abracio fleet - Rik and Oren
Sister Spinozo, Longwands - Polari and Geronimo
Heir Ermans, Sister Spinoza's boss
Rincip 'Cottonpads' - Allisog and Sakuya
Hopalloz, lost 150 years ago
Chexxa, Hopalloz outpost for arcane research
Captain Gomyabber, scouts found tunnels to Chexxa
Soulcrystal and ritual book, for collecting energy from Chexxa's forge - Polari gave them up
Nodovico, gnoll guide RIP
Namera and Pandinho, rescued Mraow (stayed behind)
Remilia, betrayed others with gnolls (all dead now)
Nyokawamtoto, dragon-thing stuck in the forge
Danifae, oracle and spear wielder
The Nip, or Disciples of Danifae have SS in a building in the territory of Affios 'Pinnails'
Doctor Coccyx and Bellatrice
Affios, stole dragon money from Pozernoa, runs Nips
Jaere'e, from Pozernoa, lives in Substratum, leader of the scions of shadow dragons.
Lola (candle) and Lalo (bell)
Orderly Principality - Aven and bard Coco, looking for Polari.

Spoiler: wizard

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Suddenly Polari remembers a magical fight. A wizard cast an ice storm that pummeled five young sorcerers in front of Polari. He was about to then cast phantasmal killer on Polari when he was stopped by a friend of Polari's. Someone else then came and dragged Polari away. You remember the wizard with his ritual dagger that was a meat-carving knife. His bones shone through his face at spots where he had eaten a part of his own face.

Spoiler: Polari's Cloud in Temple

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You move within the cloud and it seems the cloud is quite deep.

Lola starts speaking in her normal whispery monotonous voice
Haems is the name of the mountain behind the temple. This a temple of Fate, the final state of every machine, the value of the function, the inevitable end result of everything.

A huge pendulum swings by you in the cloud.

This temple is quite powerful. It can actually transport us to the the center of the inevitable machine. This is Mechanus as much as this is the temple at Haems

A series of balls rolls by you at intervals that seem like a combination of regular and irregular. You seem to remember that there's a code in them.

The pole of a meromorphic complex function is a point on the complex plane on which the function is undefined or approaches infinity. Your existence in Mechanus was about research. Research requires growth. Mechanus is complex enough to allow growth but growth can only exist in areas that are not normally covered. Your inability to adapt is what sheltered you when many other pieces were destroyed by Orcus. Orcus killed most of you. That was fate... but not the end. You're still here, you and your infinite potential.

A series of lightning bolts flashes by you.

You're not the only one with infinite potential to grow and define Mechanus. Other pieces of you are looking for you. By the end there can be only one. All uncertainty will be removed.

You keep walking and the cloud seems to go on and on.

None of the others are here. It's just you. The others are somewhere else.

You move further inside the cloud.

Lola keeps talking
Your memory is strange partially because Orcus severed you from the rest of your memories... partially because you wanted to experiment with your own antithesis, chaos. It's one of the reasons that Orcus couldn't find you and why I too had trouble finding you. ... It won't save you from you though.

At this point you notice that the cloud is not just some kind of watermist. The particles in the cloud are modrons, particularly monodrones. So many monodrones...

Lola continues
You notice them, yes. They are your servants and creations. They love you as I do. This is your world. You are the Prince of this land. Orcus took a part of your power and divinity but he had no interest in Mechanus itself. The realm is hurt but unspoiled...

For a moment, all the monodrones turn to you and bow. Then they continue their curious dance in the emptiness.

The mortals call this part of Mechanus the cloud calculator. This is what you used to solve the fates of people and things. You tried to make sure that all mortals are a part of the cloud but the Chaosfox foiled you again...

Lola's sound starts to crackle a bit.

Oh... The monodrones' reaction to you will be noticed. Other versions of you might notice and find you quicker now. Coco and the Flesheater are not the only ones still alive. Many others would like to gain the power inside of you by killing you. The same is true the other way around. If you destroy the other vestiges of you, you will get more of your memories back. You might become lawful again.

Spoiler: Sphinx

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You were hired to cause problems for the ghoul-king Tereus. You've seen the most powerful thing in this temple, the entrance to the Cloud of Fate. That is what Tereus wants to control. That is what the aven are looking for though they haven't found it. That is what the dwarves are seeking to find as well.

You could seize control of Mechanus and remove the Cloud's entrance from here.

You could collapse the dungeon so none can get to the Cloud.

Tereus' real interest on the cloud is related to his dwarven allies' interest. If the dwarves could reach a connection with the Cloud without Tereus being involved, that would remove the basis of their alliance.

But is the mission really your mission? In your heart there's good. Yet you serve a master who is not good. While I see reason in your desire to harm the ghoul-king, maybe you'd like to see forces of virtue rule this dungeon. Seek the minotaur-chief. Completion is just another word for an end. When you stop doing what another tells you, your mission is over.