[PF1e Megadungeon] An Otherworldly Mountain (IC)

[Yas392]

Elayne tries to resist the effects of the wine.

Spoiler: OOC

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Fort save: (1d20+3)[5]
Will save: (1d20+10)[29]

[purepolarpanzer]

The Hard Place


Elayne can tell immediately that Querk lied earlier- this is far stronger alcohol than the moonshine that she had earlier. It makes her sweat a bit, and immediately dries her mouth. But the worst side effect of the alcohol is a vague warmness in her stomach and a bit of dizziness. Nothing she has not experienced before.

However, the magic effects of Old Brown are even stronger. Elayne starts to FEEL the red earth under her feet. She can hear the stones. She can hear tectonic plates moving. But she quickly raises her minds defenses and halts the effect before things get too weird.

Querk immediately begins going through all the loot you've acquired, and mostly due to Elayne's shrewd negotiating, he offers you an above average price. He begins counting coins into stacks of ten, which may take a while due to the volume of lucre you're selling, even though Querk is VERY quick at counting.

Spoiler: OOC

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Querk will leave the weapons for Fworin, and buy everything else at 60% of regular value.

[Yas392]

Elayne puts a hand to her chest after the first negotiation, her breathing becoming irregular. She takes her waterskin and gulps down water follow up by fanning herself by flapping one hand near her face. She turns to her Alexos and Gashur, cheeks still flushing with red.

"Now this is what I call a drink! I am saving mine for another occasion. I advise you two to not drink it and give your share to me. That stuff is strong. What I meant by giving them to me is that I am going to dump all of the Old Brown we have into a container that I will be buying from our gnome to do as we will with it at our leisure. It is too useful to waste. I will explain why later once we have our sales sorted out. I will be buying the container now and waking sleeping beauty over there.”

The robed samsaran points to the motionless dwarf. She then goes to purchase an appropriate container that can contain the amount of free Old Brown offered and five vials from Querk. She then asks for some water from the gnome. She refills her waterskin while saving some in a separate glass she placed on a table next to the knocked out dwarf. She bends down to the dwarf, hoists his upper body up and kisses him straight in the kisser. If he is still out, she will shake him to wake him up. When Fworin shows any reaction, she points to him.

"We are done with Querk. Now it is your turn."

Spoiler: OOC

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Diplomacy to haggle with Fworin: (1d20+10)[21]

[u-b]

"Now I am totally interested. Not on duty, so..." he gulps his drink in one go "...drag me somewhere warm and safe, if I won't do it myself."

Spoiler

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Fort: (1d20+7)[26]
Will: (1d20+0)[16]
(but Gashur does not try to resist it; rather, he tries to experience it)

[Dimers]

"'Course we will, Bartimaeus. Oh, gosh, it's been a pleasure talking with you, I got so engrossed I practically forgot about our co-adventurers. I'd better go check on them in The Hard Place." Sivi takes a last sip of warm tea and regathers her equipment to leave.

[Eonn]

Alexos eyes the men who had collapsed drinking the Old Brown. "You know, Elayne, I think I'll have something... milder regardless. Do with my serving what you will." He then orders a more mundane whiskey, starting a tab.

[purepolarpanzer]

The Hard Place

Querk, smiling at the tidy pile of items he has acquired, is happy to sell Elayne vials and bottles, something he has a great supply of, for six silver pieces. When Fworin staggers awake, he is holding either side of his head and groaning in either pain or a daze. He makes your deal for the weapons very quick, not bothering to negotiate in his own interests and giving Elayne a fine price. He produces a bag from his side and one by one carefully places the weapons in, defying physics entirely as the bag neither swells or grows heavier. With that done, he murmurs something about "holy stone" before retiring to his room in the back, still looking as though he is swimming through some kind of epic hangover. Querk readily enough opens a tab for Alexos and gets him a glass of whiskey that is all together safer.

Gashur, meanwhile, barely gets himself down in one of the chairs before his eyes flutter and the visions begin.

Spoiler: Gashur's Vision

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The alcohol is strong, strong enough for Gashur to feel an intense burn in his mouth, down his throat, and into his stomach, but that he's felt before when he's dared to drink hard spirits that were near pure alcohol. What he has NOT experienced is his mind falling through his body and sinking down into the earth as though in quicksand. He can feel the texture of the red sand and grit, each time he passes through a stone he gains of vision of it's origin, birthed from the heart of a great volcano, as though he is reading the memory of the stone. There is a hair raising moment when his perception passes through molten lava, telling him that the mountain they are on is sleeping, but not dead. He also sees flashes and snapshots of sections of the dungeon, all too fast to appreciate or investigate- a layer filled with magma, a grand arena filled with creatures cheering and egging on fighters, and a grim layer completely shrouded in darkness, with cells large enough for storm giants and some sort of music playing that sends chills through his soul. But he picks up speed as he descends further and further into the planet of Vouno until he finally comes to rest in it's molten heart. He can feel the whole planet. He IS the whole planet. And in this intense communing, he realizes he can ask a single question of the rock and stone that makes up the prison planet. The answer may be simple, as stones are wise, not intelligent, but it will be truthful. He only need speak it.

At the Archaeologist's Camp

Bartimeus seems sad to see Inga and (to a greater degree) Sivi leave him behind. "Enjoy yourselves! You've certainly earned it! Perhaps I will stop by this evening to join the merriment!"

[Phantom Genius]

At the Archaeologist's Camp

Bartimeus seems sad to see Inga and (to a greater degree) Sivi leave him behind. "Enjoy yourselves! You've certainly earned it! Perhaps I will stop by this evening to join the merriment!"

"Please do. There's so much I want to learn about the history of this place..."
She bows and starts to head out, if Sivi is ready.

[u-b]

Gashur sits mostly motionless, save for occasional movement of the eyebells, which does not seem to correlate with anything present in the Hard Place.

Spoiler

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Gashur is impressed and surprised. He tries to think of a good enough question, simple and practical, but he's not the best of thinkers and he does not risk tpending too much time to think, so what he asks is this: "What is the most powerful being on this planet?"

[purepolarpanzer]

Gashur's Vision

Spoiler: Gashur's Answer

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The stones respond, but with no particular sense of urgency or danger. Apparently whatever is the most dangerous being on the planet is not threat to the red rocks of Vouno itself. "Hidden Horseman, Death Incarnate, Eater of Life. Beware, flesh creature. Beware." The experience of becoming one with the element of earth deep below the surface of the planet doesn't stop, but the psychic communication of the planet seems to end. It is simultaneously rapturous and terrifying.

Spoiler: OOC

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Gashur is going to be inebriated to some degree for the next hour or so, but can wake up and be 1/2 way back to reality, 1/2 way experiencing what it is like to be magma in the planet's core at any point. He also takes 2 Intelligence Damage, as the psychic blunt force is pretty powerful.

[u-b]

Some time passes and then Gashur opens his eyes. Seemingly not quite here yet, he recites in a voice partly like his own: "Hidden Horseman, Death Incarnate, Eater of Life." Then he falls silent. After a short time he continues in his normal voice, if somewhat drunk: "Or so the stones say. Is somewhere here on this planet. Not sure where, but it's quite interesting, don't you think? Shoud ask the eggheads or something, maybe they've read of him." He then falls silent once again, but will disclose the details if asked.

[Yas392]

Elayne looks at Gashur's emptied cup and then to Alexos.

"He drank that, didn't he?"

Her question does not comes out as inquisitive but rhetorical. When the half-orc woke in a trance and reciting in a tone unlike his own, she waves to his face but he is unresponsive until he finished. She tests his wakefulness again by kissing him in the lips.

[u-b]

"You don't do that again." says Gashur sounding somewhat irritated. He takes a glance at the empty glass, which is on the bar. Gashur is not quite sure he remembers putting it there as the effect of the drink was quite swift, but then he assumes that would be the most reasonable explanation. "Drank nothing like that since the day I was born."

[Yas392]

"You are awake. I thought I have to resort to drastic measures but it looks like it is not needed."

Elayne hands Gashur the leftover water she saved in a glass.

"I agree. So the stuff allows you to communicate with nature at the cost of incapacitation. That is nifty both inside and outside of combat."

She turns to the stairs.

"I have everything sorted out while you are in your little nap. So bed?"

[u-b]

Gashur nods, but does not take the water. "Hey, Querk! I need a bunk. How much's that?"

Spoiler

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Gashur is going to rest now. This will take some time.

[Dimers]

"So the stuff allows you to communicate with nature at the cost of incapacitation. That is nifty both inside and outside of combat."

She turns to the stairs.

"I have everything sorted out while you are in your little nap. So bed?"

Sivi and Inga enter the tent just in time to hear this revelation. "Wow. I think we missed something good. Or maybe something really dire, it's hard to tell from the look of our warrior. Either way, must've been pretty intense to lay him out like that."

[Yas392]

Elayne shrugs and consumes it. Slamming the glass down on the counter as mild as she can, she turns to the undine rogue and human cleric who arrived just a moment ago.

"Hey, Sivi, Inga. You two should have arrive earlier. You missed out on great content. I am assuming both of you are ready to hit the sack?"

[Phantom Genius]

Inga rushes to Gashur and checks his pulse, pupils, and breathing. "What happened? How do you feel now? Is that lipstick?"

Spoiler: Heal Check

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(1d20+9)[11]

[purepolarpanzer]

The Hard Place


"A cot is six silver pieces a night. That doesn't include baths, meals, or company." Says Querk as he continues sorting his spoils in an obsessive manner.

Inga finds that Gashur appears to be affected by a drug, a spell, or both, but she can determine little else.

[u-b]

"Good enough. I will pay in the morning." Gashur then turns to address Inga's concerns. He answers semi-coherently. "Got some great news about some local inhabitants. Fantastic. Careful drinking the better stuff here. I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine." Then he trails off to rest.

[Yas392]

Before Gashur departs, Elayne touches him on the shoulder.

"Wait, Gashur! Before you go, can you tell me what I missed before my arrival?"

[u-b]

Gashur seems a bit confused. "Not much, actually. They just started that glare contest about who chooses things first... ah, and the chick in red is now dwarf, if you are interested." Gashur really does not have much to add.

[Yas392]

Gashur's response does not change her neutral expression until he mentions the dwarf chick which causes her eyes to light up.

"I am guessing she was with Fworin. Anything interesting about her in particular? Traits that stood out, expressions, the look she gave you for starters."

[u-b]

"Wasn't particularly interested." Gashur shrugs. "Why won't you turn attention to someone more sober?" And he goes to hit the bunk.

[Yas392]

Elayne shrugs and not obstruct the half-orc further, allowing him move into the tent to hit the sack. She moves to the table with cards to see what kind of cards they are and check the cups.

[Eonn]

Alexos silently sips his drink, having watched their spoils get sold. He was rather tired from the day's ordeals, however, and soon found himself winding down for the night. He added a modest meal to his tab, eating with the rest of the party if they'd like to join him before washing up out of a bucket and claiming a cot for himself. He has to wake early to prepare his spells, after all.

[Phantom Genius]

Inga watches Gashur go. She'll check on him in the morning.

"So, did everyone else make it back ok today, Querk?"

[Dimers]

Sivi joins Eonn for the meal and rest, trusting Querk to deliver the negotiated value honestly. "I'm hitting the hay," she yawns after the meal. "Having my arm nearly bitten off ... makes me appreciate a good rest."

[purepolarpanzer]

The Hard Place

Querk shrugs at Inga's question. "Nobody came back beside you lot, if that's what you mean. The Mutts ran up a sizeable tab then went to their bunks. Rumor is they're heading back down into the prison tomorrow. Or what passes for tomorrow in this godsforsaken place." Querk isn't paying too much attention to the cleric, pulling a jeweler's eye piece out of his suit pocket and looking over the gems that were traded instead. "You need a drink or something? If not I've got work to do."

Elayne finds that the playing cards are well worn standard issue from Mund, jokers included. From the way they are casually strewn across the table it seems they probably belong to Querk, not to the Mutts who left them there. The cups are drained, with only dregs remaining.

Gashur and Alexos find that the back area of the tent is one long "hallway" with tent flaps separating "rooms" from each other. Several of the flap doors have signs that say "Occupied" on them, while several more have "Available" written across them. Further inspection reveals that they are all the same sign, just with "Occupied" on one side and "Available" on the other. It seems you are able to select your own rooms, though you find them to be all identical- a medium sized cot with a light blanket and a pillow, a small footlocker that doubles as storage and a night table, and an eternal candle with a heatless flame to light the room. Spartan accommodations, to be sure.

[Yas392]

Elayne tastes the dregs of each cup. She then turns to Sivi and Inga.

"I am going to hit the sack now. Either one of you want to share room with me to save some pieces?"