Pax Viginti Team 1 IC [5E]

[Nyan]

Temaias upon hearing the words of Myrddin would beam with exaltation. Saluting to the orb "of course! Thank you!" He says, seemingly unbothered by the fact he has to pay for the matter himself. Getting straight to work in gathering the bodies of the fallen in order to revive them.

Spoiler: Assuming yet again they all accept etc and nothing happens in between.

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Elevation of the heroes.

Assuming his request of reviving the fallen heroes would be accepted and that they in turn would accept being revived. Temaias would approach each one of them in turn.

To the Cleric: "I am glad that you came back to us...Now I must ask you if you still have favor with your god or did the vampires rob you of this with your revival?...If so I would like to extend the offer of serving the Platinum dragon for he sees the need for heroes of faith like yourself in this world. However should you rather want to be cleansed of the sins the vampires forced upon you and seek connection with your deity I as an Exarch of the justicemaker can see your soul to be judged and deemed innocent of what has befallen you." With this he would, should he be willing. Cast cermony to remove the weight of sin from his soul.

To the Warlock: "You are a good friend of Samara. And although your patron gifted to you by the change in to a spawn of evil is a source of darkness. I wish to extend the offer of now seeing a new light, a better path. The god of dragons, Bahamut would accept you should you choose to let him be your patron. And we can form this pact right here so that you along with the others can stand as a force of hope and good to these people you tried to save. Should you accept it I will judge your spirit and remove the weight of your sins." Assuming he would accept. He would just as with the cleric cast cermony on the warlock.

To the Barbarian: "You have fought bravely against the forces of evil. You stood proud in the face of death...And now you are here. The Platinum Dragon would need brave souls like you. Should you be willing you can receive his blessing. And if there is any weight of sin on your soul I will gladly cleanse this from you." Like the others he would cast cermony to change his alignment to what it was .

To Samara: "Samara...I know you might still need to do a lot for you to forgive yourself for what has happened...But should you wish I will gladly remove the weight of sin from your soul. In the eyes of those who rule above and the universe you will be pure." He will then smile warmly. Performing the cermony for her as well.

To all who would accept his invitation to become servants of bahamut. Including samara he would gather them all to perform the ritual of induction in to his faith. Ending with repeating the code they all would follow.

Justice and Good above all.
Honor and Fealty to the King.
Honor and Respect to Righteous Innocence.
Honor and Duty to the Balancer, to Her Mercy, and to the Justicemaker.
Honor and Protection to the Lesser Races.
Honor and Correction to the Enemies of Justice and Good.
Honor and Forbearance for oneself.

[TriciaOso]

You are greeted back at the Adventurer Corps by Maia, a female dragonborn with copper scales, and a well-dressed halfling with a fussy little goatee. He takes possession of Samara and the bodies politely, speaking gently to the traumatized fairy, and takes her away into a conference room. The dragonborn woman, dressed in loose robes and wearing a platinum symbol similar to yours, Temaias, winks at you before following him.

Jeevok, when you show Maia the book and sword you found in the mansion, she looks alarmed. She peers at them through a loupe, which only affirms her assumptions. "Oh my! These are very, very cursed. Uh... I can take them to the quartermaster for you, if you want." It's clear from her face she would very much not like to do this.

"Other than that, there's nothing you need to do right away--you have a few days until your next mission, and we'll want to schedule some debriefings, but it's not urgent."

[Ninja Dragon]

"If you think you can do it safely, I would be thankful. Otherwise, I could do it myself." - Jeevok replies, not wanting to make the elf do something they don't want to".

"Well I think I'll like to get to know this city a little better, we have only been able to be in this building so far. Other than that, I also want to read more of those training books we have at our quarters."

Jeevok wanted to know what the most powerful people in the multiverse did. What they concerned themselves with, how they passed their time, what kind of resources and knowledge they had access to. It was useful, but he also felt a childlike curiosity about the whole thing.

And how their politics worked. Jeevok didn't really want to involve himself in politics, it wasn't his thing, but he felt like it was important to have a stake in whatever this multiversal superpower was planning. For his own people's sake.

[TriciaOso]

Over the course of the next several days, you explore the City of Lights and make connections to people in and out of the City. You are connected with a new teammate, who replaces Raven (gone to an anti-undead task force, still holding his laser focus on Vecna).

You are also given a new, seemingly easy mission--to deliver a message to Zazzlebrax the Enchanter, an ostensibly friendly if antisocial wizard. Like many antisocial wizards, Zazzlebrax lives in a dungeon of his own design, in this case on a demiplane also of his own design. Fortunately, Myrddin has the dimensional coordinates.

"Good fortune to you," says the ancient sorcerer. "Remember, Zazzlebrax may have some additional errand for you; it is not necessary to take it on, but it may be in your interest. You can use scroll I provided to return here when you're done."

---

The experience of entering Zazzlebrax's dungeon is unusual, even for the high-powered transsphere teleportation you are becoming accustomed to. First the disorienting rush common to a plane shift, as you are clawed out of your planar station and perceive, dimly, the entire planar system laid out before you like a butterfly on a corkboard. Then instead of diving into any visible plane, you are hurled backwards, through wildspace, along tracks long carved and laid by the Pax Viginiti. Spheres and spelljammers and astral creatures flash by with no coherent sense of scale, until you find yourself diving into another sphere, another network of planes. Unusually, this one has no center; just a wheel of outer planes, with no hub. No Prime.

And this time diving, diving into one tiny compared to the massive planes around it, sizzling through a disorienting confusion of arcane locks and wards. If Myrddin's spell failed, you would be obliterated now with no recourse, not even conscious of having a physical body. But the password is exchanged and the shibboleth recognized, and you smash down into Zazzlebrax's Demiplane of Defense.

---

You regain awareness of yourself in a large squarish room, perhaps 120 x 100 feet. It appears to be carved of stone, but an unusual stone, with a slick black glittering surface that throws back light strangely. The light comes from the bright smokeless torches flanking the exits, a very old-school look. Doors stand in all four walls, and a stair rises in the center of the room around a central well, giving you six possible exits.

The nearest door, leading away to what may well be the north, seems to be formed of black ice. It's as if water was pouring over the lip of the doorframe and froze mid-flow. However, there is no ice on the ground around it. There is no handle, either; it only seems to be a door because of its size and shape. Otherwise, 'frozen waterfall' might be a better name.

Jeevok, the well in the middle drops to darkness in the center; however, you can see the light of several other landings below until they blur together with distance. The stair is made of ancient heavy timbers of blond wood and there's no guardrail, but it seems in decent repair on this level and the next. Looking up is much the same, although you can see some waving greenery up there, as if plants are growing there.

As you contemplate the stairwell, you become aware of a red rubbery ball hovering in the air in the center. You're not sure how you missed it! It seems like an absurd thing to find hovering in a dungeon, and you fear it not. You take a d6 inspiration die.

[Thokk_Smash]

Eokos brushes off the sensation of the strange planar jaunt (literally—he brushes off the fur on his legs). “Well, time to check this place out,” he says, moving to the north door. Seeing that it is seemingly made entirely of ice that only creates a door, he 1.) is impressed, and 2.) casts Mage Hand and starts to both inspect it visually and poke and prod at it with the Mage Hand.

He is looking for any sign of a handle, and especially anything that would indicate that it is trapped.

((Passive 27 for Investigation to find traps or any kind of opening mechanism))

[TriciaOso]

You thoroughly explore the door. There is definitely not a handle. The cold radiates viciously off the door, hinting that it might be dangerous to get too close. The ice is frozen hard to the shimmering stone of the wall. Peering close, you see that the water both comes from and descends through a grate you cannot get at through the ice.

Squinting through the ice, you cannot make anything but your own reflection.... and hovering ominously behind you, a sphere of black quartz. Ahh! Was that there the whole time?

You are now Frightened of the hovering orb. It radiates a palpable sense of doom. As you gaze into the depths of the quartz, trying to discern its properties, you see a vision of you and your comrades held beneath dark and turbid waters by muscular tentacles, straining to hold your breath.

[Thokk_Smash]

Eokos nearly jumps out of his skin when he spies the horrendously terrifying black quartz orb. “Gah! Where’d you come from?” he shrieks (in a manly fashion). He looks into it and sees a horrifying vision.

“Uh, guys, I found a spooky weird orb that showed me a vision of us being dragged under the waves by tentacles. It seems to fit with the aesthetic of the door. What do you think the odds are that that’s reverse psychology versus a genuine warning?”

[Ninja Dragon]

After seeing the floating red ball, Jeevok goes back to the group, smiling.

"Hey guys, there's a weird red ball floating there. For some reason it makes me feel great!"

Then he sees Eokos freaking out (in a manly fashion) and his smile disappears as his paranoia kicks in.

"I think the objects in this room are manipulating our emotions somehow. We shouldn't spend too much time interacting with them"

Well, the path above seems safe enough, and the one below can be walked too, although it's dark. Shall we go somewhere?"

[Nyan]

Temaias was always amazed with the sights as he traveled through the planes. However this time was that tad different from previous events and so his shock was quite intense. Especially the backward motion. He did not have the time to marvel at the sights but to simply close his eyes tightly like he was riding down a rolercoaster and prayed for the protection and strenght Bahamut to not expell watever contents of his previous dinner. However closing his eyes was probably the worst decision he could do.

When he finaly arrived at the room he stood stock still, still like an immovable rod with his eyes closes tightly. He stood like this for several minutes giving his companions plenty time to explore what they saw. But only when it took them just enough time to notice and looked to him he would place one hand over his mouth and lean against the closest wall with the other for support. He stood like this for a couple move seconds, and after a swallowing noise, turned around to look at his companions. He tried to keep a straight face. But if they could his white scales would have turned green. "Urk...So!..." He takes a pause and heaves once before straightening again as if nothing happened. "What have you found?..." He first goes up to the center to Jeevok and looks at the red orb. "Hmm..."

Afterwards he went over to where Eokos had gone. The black ice door. Just like he did Temaias squints to take a look at the orb within. But whatever it showed him it would not unerve him the slightest. He had his faith in his god and a powerful Zeal to complete his task. And his blessed armor was a representation of that faith. Shielding him from all fear and doubt. "Hmm..." After contemplating both orbs. He decrees in a painfully blunt and honest manner. "I have no idea what any of these things are." It was sudden and swift. With no attempts to wiggle around the issue.

He then turns to Jeevok as he asks which way to go. "I have no idea! But we know nothing about any of these things so we should just pick a path, and press forward! Our faith will bring us where we need to be!" He grins. Completley undeterred by the complexity of the room.

[Ninja Dragon]

Jeevok pretends he did not see Temaias puking in front of them. The perks of adventuring, he guesses.

His attention moves to the west door. A large, metal door with mechanisms that seem like they could be open. The door also seems burned. Most likely housing a dragon or something similar.


"Well guys, there is probably something strong behind this door, maybe it's worth fighting if it's guarding our target, but we better be prepated for it..

He also examines the south and east door. East seems like an obvious trap. South seems like it will take some special effort to go through.


"Ok I have no idea, all of them seem reasonably dangerous, but I'd avoid the ones that seem too easy."

[Thokk_Smash]

"I would agree that we should avoid those that seem too easy," Eokos says, voice still tremulous as he leaps away on his hoofed feet towards the semiprecious stone curtain. He takes out his Hat of Vermin and places it right in front of the curtain. With a flourish and the spoken word of "Rattus Belligerens! a rat appears out of the hat. Eokos menaces towards it, herding it towards the curtain to try and force it to go through.

[Ninja Dragon]

Jeevok decides to stop beating around the bush and goes to the metal door, using his infiltration tools to bust it open.

[TriciaOso]

The vault door opens outward, into a large marble room that extends into darkness without branching or curving. Your immediate area is lit by the torch behind you.

The room is high and vaulted, and fluted pillars climb into the darkness. In the immediate area there are many statues which almost seem to move in the dancing torchlight. The statues all seem to be of bullywugs.

Spoiler: Eokos

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You are can hear dry, rasping sounds of movement, and see blurs of true movement among the statues. You notice that many of the statues seem to be running or fallen over. Many of them are carrying things, and some of the things they carry gleam like metal, not stone.

[Thokk_Smash]

“Okay, looks like these statues are actually petrified Bullywags; some are in mid-run or fallen over. There’s also movement within, humanoid-sized two-leggers. My money’s on those things causing petrification; get ready for a fight.”

Then, he takes a little bauble from a pouch. He casts Light on it, then chucks it as far as he can towards the place where he saw the closest sign of real movement.

[TriciaOso]

The light bounces into the shadows, missing any of the creatures moving around but illuminating the space. Five serpentine women with snaky tendrils for hair turn to face you and hiss in ragged chorus, eyes glowing.

Spoiler: OOC

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Con saves at disadvantage and initiative.

[Ninja Dragon]

The medusas stare at Jeevok, he can feel their dark magic trying to enter his body. But he clenches his teeth and holds himself together, keeping it from having effect.

He looks to the sides. His friends did not have the same luck. So that is him versus all 5 enemies. "Off to a good start", he thinks.

Jeevok decides to make up for his friends' inability to help. He moves quickly around the statues to get to the nearest medusa, so it can't see him approaching, and attacks even faster, hitting it 5 times with the Sun Blade. They can't attack again if they are dead.

[Thokk_Smash]

Catching one of the medusas full in the eyes, Eokos grunts as he feels his body start to harden and solidify. "Medusas! The statues must be their handiwork. Three on five are not ideal odds--on paper, at least. But it'd take at least thrice that many to take us down, right, Temaias?" Eokos gives a throaty laugh, bolstering Temaias as he also bolsters the rest of them. Then he grunts in concentration and manages to shake off the attempted petrification.

Spoiler: OOC

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Bonus action: Inspiration to Temaias, d10 die

Action: Cast Bless on all three of us, Jeevok is still within range.

Move action: Restrained.

Rolled a 23 Con against the petrification in the Discord.

[TriciaOso]

Three of the medusas gather around Jeevok, slashing at him and trying to wrap him in their coils, but he is too quick for them. The other two fire their bows at the restrained Temaias, hitting him twice with poisoned arrows.

Spoiler: OOC

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11 piercing and 17 poison damage for Temaias.

[Nyan]

Temaias enters the room with the others, but his alertness to the skulking foes backfires as he too late realizes the nature of the creatures. He immediatly feels his body seize up and stiffen as his scales start to turn in to stony grey. Forming like a layer of clay over parts of his body. His attention is pulled away from them however as he instead looks to his side at Eokos hearing his inspiring words. Temaias bellows a laugh back, gripping his sword tightly. "Hah! You're dam right! Never tell me the odds!" As he turns back to his foes his gaze is moved up rather than to the eyes of the monsters. He levels his sword slowly, his body hardening by the second. His sword flares up in light and fire, turning in to a huge spear and Temaias grits his teeth as he musters every ounce of his willpower to move his body, despite the petrification. "No hex or curse will halt us!" His eyes then flare up with holy blue light. "No fiend or demon will escape the fires of justice!" And with a roar he throws the spear, as it does the petrification is removed as his movements crack and shatter away the hardening stone like a brittle cast being shattered and removed. The spear sings as it flies through the air only to reach a point in the sky above the monsters and explodes like an expanding star, lighting up the entire chamber. All within the dome of radiant light scorched by the holy blast, statues and pillars alike shatters and cracks from the shock wave. Temaias then channels the power of the Tear of Bahamut as he harnesses his divine power, hastening his movement, heartbeat, reactions. His whole body starts to vibrate and twitch and suddenly vanishes in a flash of light only to appear right in front of one of the Medusas assaulting his goblin companion. His sword appearing back in his hands in the same moment as he raises it to strike.

[Ninja Dragon]

As the three medusas approach, Jeevok smiles. "That is a bad decision!" - he says, as he cuts the medusa's head off with his sword. He can feel Eokos's magic making his attacks find the creature's neck more easily, as well as reduce the effect of their gaze.

He then hears as the bard makes a strange noise, and one of the creatures tries to flee. He quickly moves the sword and slashes its tail, making it trip.

"Nice work, Eokos!"

[TriciaOso]

Eokos had managed to shake off the creeping stoniness from his legs. Then, he cups both hands before his mouth and orients himself towards the medusa next to both Temaias and Jeevok. Unbeknownst to all but that Medusa, hideous, terrifying sounds begin a susurrus of malice within its ears. Still concentrating on his bolstering spell, he chooses not to retreat so he is still close to the combat. As the medusa stricken with dissonant whispers tries to flee, Jeevok grabs her by the tail and drives his sword into her back, stopping her retreat.

Spoiler: Perception 20

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You notice that the floor of the room is a mosaic of tiles, with a snaky emerald body running down the middle of the room. It continues, widening, ahead into the darkness. The narrowing end intersects with the wall to the south.

Spoiler: Investigation 20

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That seems really strange. Where is the rest of the tail? Why spoil a mosaic like that? Maybe there is a hidden passage beyond that wall.

Temaias's familiar, sent away for its safety, is blocked by the door slamming shut and the tumblers revolving back in place. It veers up, barely escaping the gaze of the sixth medusa who had been behind the door. The sixth medusa darts forward into Eokos's line of sight and attacks, but everything fails--petrification, blade, hair and grapple attacks all repelled by the satyr. It screams a curse.

The two medusae keeping their distance launch another volley of arrow at Temaias; three poisoned arrows thud into him, bringing him down, and the fourth hits Jeevok.

The two remaining medusae in melee close in on Jeevok, attacking with their swords and their writhing, snapping hair. A glancing blow from one blade propels him into a deep wound from the other, and the fangs of the serpents bite deep as well.

Spoiler: OOC

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94 damage to Temaias and 24 to Jeevok. 11 damage to Jeevok from the swords and 13 from the hair; 48 total.

[Ninja Dragon]

"TEMAIAS!" - the goblins screams, when his friend falls. Unfortunately, he cannot go check him if he is fine. Two snakes on melee, another two shooting him, and the bard seems like he found a new enemy too.

That wizard isn't pulling any punches.

Jeevok focuses on the thing he knows how to do the best: slicing the enemy into pieces.

[Thokk_Smash]

"Woah, hey, personal space!" Eokos exclaims, hastily dodging away from the new medusa's attack. Taking some clear powder from a pouch, he sprinkles it and walls of pure force appear to cage them off from the enemy.

"Hang on, Temaias, we'll get you!" Eokos says, even as he stays where he is. There's only so much he can do at a time, man!

[TriciaOso]

The medusa adjacent to Eokos springs at him, smacking into the wall of force. She hisses a curse and slithers away towards the southern wall.

Seeing this, one of the medusae attacking Jeevok realize it can no longer reach him and slithers away; she's near dead already. She hisses to the two archers, who retreat with it into the shadows to the west.

The one trapped in the box with Jeevok, realiing the others have abandoned her, attacks as best she can, but a cutting insult from Eokos sends her attacks awry.

Temaias' familiar squeezes through the gap at the top of the wall and curls up on his unbreathing chest.

Spoiler: Temaias

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You hear a voice; not soft, but subtle, so powerful you hear it in every scale instead of in your ears.

TEMAIAS.

[Ninja Dragon]

Seeing as the bard took control of the situation, Jeevok quickly moves away from the snake and turns to the dragonborn.

He grabs a potion of healing and drops into Temaias's mouth.

"It's not your time yet, big guy" - he says.

[Thokk_Smash]

Eokos stares hard at the remaining medusa in their impromptu abode. "At this point, it's three on one, and we haven't pulled out all our stops. Unless you want to die, stand down, don't try and petrify us, and we won't go after you unless you come after us." He stares at her without breaking eye contact as he walks over to pick Temaias up.

"What do you guys think, use the want to cast the Tiny Hut? I can't use it while concentrating on the wall, but Temaias could use it."

[TriciaOso]

"What are you?" The Medusa asks in undisguised horror and fascination. "You are not bullywugs, not sisters... Are you children of the Three?"

She studies you all from hooded eyes. "Sss... Almost you could be..."

[Thokk_Smash]

"Not quite. Honestly, we're just passing through. Does the name Zazzlebrax mean anything to you?"

The medusa gives him a blank look and he sighs. "Worth a shot. Look, long story short, we don't want to fight, we just want to pass through. We're just trying to find a way through here. If you can help us find what we're looking for, you'll never see us again."

[Ninja Dragon]

Jeevok realizes they and the medusa could have a common "enemy", since they are clearly not working for him.

Kidnapped, perhaps?

"Zazzelbrax is the guy who owns this dungeon. Maybe he was the one who brought you here?"

[Nyan]

Temaias, despite his blessed armor, hardened scales, divine blood and battle experience realized quickly that there was not much he could do as two poisoned arrows lodged themselves in his throat. Blood and foam cascading out through his clenched fangs as he toppled and fell with a resounding clang of metal against stone. Quickly his body seized up from the foul substance immediately getting in to his bloodstream and his vision grew dim only to fade to black before he had time to even utter a sound.

Yes this was a familiar feeling...The doorstep of death. Temaias had been here many times before, yet it was never met with fear. Temaias had his god, his friend, that he knew would greet his soul in the afterlife when he finally would leave the fetters of flesh and blood. However this time his emotions were conflicted...He did not fear his passing yet what he did fear was to fail his friends. He remembers, in his fleeing moments between the state of life, unconsciousness and death a moment in his past. He once fought a corrupted king, named the king in yellow, who had enslaved his people. Temaias had marched his order, his armies to the very gates and the throne room of the mad king. But it had been a brutal battle. Not a single inch of ground gained without loss of life and blood. His armies had been held up, his closest guard as well by the corrupted monsters guarding the king himself. Temaias clashed thus with this king in yellow in single combat. But Temaias had lost much strength on the way here and so when it came to deal the final blow, the king desperately pushing Temaias back as his sword was only inches away from the yellow kings heart. He was losing ground. But thats when he heard it...Even as his own life was ebbing away by the foul magic of the king he heard it.

"Temaias!"

His friends behind him, shouting his name.

"Temaias!"

His armies outside the castle, crying out for their leaders victory.

All the people on his world, their prayers and his god ushering him strength through his faith!

"TEMAIAS!"

He woke up with a gasp, partly choking on the potion not making it all the way down his throat. His grip immediately clasping tightly around his sword as he leaps to his feet out of sheer instinct. "Let us fight His Battles as He fights the Battle at the End of Time! And let us join Him there, for Duty ends not in Death!" He cried out as he got ready to continue the battle he assumed was still ongoing. However before he had time to make any more violent motions he realized his two allies was standing around him rather than attacking the Medusa in front of them.

He then comprehended Eokos suggestion of the hut and the brief exchange between his two allies and the Medusa. Temaias' shoulders slowly relaxed but not the grip on his sword. "...I can use the wand yes..." He pulls it out and starts to perform the necessary motions and incantations. However he does speak out towards the medusa, but does not look in her direction. "...The horned one is right. We do not wish to take lives unnecessarily. I understand this is perhaps your home but what we seek lies far beyond it. Let us simply pass and no further harm will come to you or your sisters." He says hoping his words can back up Eokos in his attempt at persuading this creature. While simultaneously giving brief glances back and forth between his allies as if he needs an explanation of what is happening.