Cosmic Hunters (IC)

[Metastachydium]

Keep quiet, you two. the nixie hisses in a low voice. There's talking down the hall.

[Geeksthenewsexy]

Nodding at Delja's warning, the resident sneak-thief creeps into the passage, making a slow circuit as she hunts for traps, all the while keeping one ear pointed towards the far-end, attempting to hear what Delja had heard.

Spoiler: Statblock

Show

Myriad
Female C/G Changeling Rogue 3 / Silver Key 10 / Invisible Blade 5 / Warlock 2, Level 20, Init 8, HP 222/222, Speed 30' Land
AC 34, Touch 24, Flat-footed 28, Fort 22, Ref 24, Will 22, Base Attack Bonus +16/+11/+6
+4 Steel Deadly Precision Vampiric Dagger of Parrying +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d4+10 (+1d6 vs Living), 18-20/x2)
Eldritch Blast (vs Touch AC) +20 (3d6, x2)
Sneak Attack Denied Dex or Flanked (+8d6, -1d6 to cause Bleed)
+5 Easy Travel Glamered Mithril Breastplate of Nimbleness (+10 Armor, +6 Dex, +2 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 26, Wis 18, Cha 26
Condition Awake, Alert, Unencumbered, Healthy, Disguised (Dwarven Locksmith/Explorer named Drucilla Kundarak)
Active Invocations & Effects Beguiling Influence, See The Unseen, Detect Magic
Other Defenses SR 25, Mettle

Spoiler: Automatic Search Check

Show

If Myriad gets within 5' of a mechanical trap, she automatically makes a Search Check. I will simply include this roll in every post so as not to slow down the game pacing. As she has 'detect magic' active at all times, this can also be used if she detects anything that looks remotely like a magical trap as well.
Search For Traps: (1d20+37)[53]

Move Silently: (1d20+33)[38]

[Metastachydium]

As Myriad flits close to danger like she always does, Delja shifts into the passage herself, ready to dart forward and get between the changeling and, well, anything that would fancy jumping her. One can never know, after all. Worst case scenario, she gets to stab something from the front row.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Delja Moves Silently into the corridor: (1d20+15)[22]; and
readies an action to move past Myriad if anything appears from behind the bend.

[chaincomplex]

Myriad moves into passage. Shadows dance over her face as she passes the wall lamps. Silently, the "dwarf" checks the doors and sweeps for traps. The doors are identical to those elsewhere on this demiplane—elegant, dense wood with good locks and silent hinges—and similarly there are no traps. The doors are unmarked.

Delja notes that whatever is whispering is all the way down the hall, past the southward turn and behind some door or wall. She thinks she recognizes the language as Abyssal, some primeval dialect. It is a Knowledge (the planes) or a Decipher Script check to assess what is being said, and she will have to move closer to actually make out explicit words.

[Metastachydium]

Abyssal? That can't be good news. With a mildly annoyed grimace taking shape on her face Delja shifts forward, placing her raised index finger on her lips as she passes by Myriad and stopping just short of the bend. No risk, no risk, no gain after all.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Sadly, Delja doesn't have either of those skills. She is, in fact, fluent in Abyssal, on the other hand (one of these days picking up Orc and Demodand (yes, I keep doing that) will likewise pay off, I'm just sure of it).

[remetagross]

Being utterly devoid of any stealth abilities, Ux Utanar remains motionless so as not to parasite his friends' attempts to hear the waiting foes. His eyes dart back and forth between Delja and Myriad. Calm but concentrated, he waits for any of them to give him the signal to move forward, when the clanking of his steps will not matter anymore.

[chaincomplex]

Peeking down the hall, the nixie sees it terminates in more doors identical to the last: two flanking and one right at the end, none marked, and likewise clear of traps. All the doors in the hall are unlocked.

She is certain now the whispering comes beyond the southernmost door. It is Abyssal, she recognizes its cadence, but the dialect is too obscure. It is certainly not the same Abyssal lingua franca of the Blood War tanar'ri, the most commonly spoken variant, the kind one encounters in the City of Doors or learned by the diabolists of Faerûn. This variant she is hearing is ancient, like Auld Common to Common, a curious thing as Abyssal has remained unchanged for a very long time.

[Geeksthenewsexy]

Giving a hand signal to indicate no seen traps, Myriad continues creeping down the hall, even as her off-hand raises and her Warder's Keys bob over to both the northern and southern doors. Fingers twitching as she controls them from afar, they proceed to lock both doors as she continues on. As her tools slip themselves back into her haversack, she nods to herself.

Spoiler: Statblock

Show

Myriad
Female C/G Changeling Rogue 3 / Silver Key 10 / Invisible Blade 5 / Warlock 2, Level 20, Init 8, HP 222/222, Speed 30' Land
AC 34, Touch 24, Flat-footed 28, Fort 22, Ref 24, Will 22, Base Attack Bonus +16/+11/+6
+4 Steel Deadly Precision Vampiric Dagger of Parrying +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d4+10 (+1d6 vs Living), 18-20/x2)
Eldritch Blast (vs Touch AC) +20 (3d6, x2)
Sneak Attack Denied Dex or Flanked (+8d6, -1d6 to cause Bleed)
+5 Easy Travel Glamered Mithril Breastplate of Nimbleness (+10 Armor, +6 Dex, +2 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 26, Wis 18, Cha 26
Condition Awake, Alert, Unencumbered, Healthy, Disguised (Dwarven Locksmith/Explorer named Drucilla Kundarak)
Active Invocations & Effects Beguiling Influence, See The Unseen, Detect Magic
Other Defenses SR 25, Mettle

Spoiler: Automatic Search Check

Show

If Myriad gets within 5' of a mechanical trap, she automatically makes a Search Check. I will simply include this roll in every post so as not to slow down the game pacing. As she has 'detect magic' active at all times, this can also be used if she detects anything that looks remotely like a magical trap as well.
Search For Traps: Already Cleared

Silver Key class feature 'Crafty Hands': The ability to manipulate mechanical devices with your mind, allowing you to make Open Lock and Disable Device checks at a distance of up to 60 feet. Activating this ability is a move action, after which you make the appropriate check as normal. You can move and manipulate objects weighing up to 5 pounds (including your warder's keys), allowing you to use any bonuses that such objects add to your checks.

Open Lock check to lock Northern Door: (1d20+33)[40] (Can/Will Repeat or Take-10/20 as needed. Mod is +33)
Open Lock check to lock Southern Door: (1d20+33)[49] (Can/Will Repeat or Take-10/20 as needed. Mod is +33)

Move Silently: (1d20+33)[42]

[Metastachydium]

Delja, in the meantime ponders their options, to little avail. She's unlikely to figure this out on her own. Given that, she probably shouldn't bother either. That doesn't, on the other hand, mean there's nothing she can do. Tiptoeing past the bend, she catches up with Myriad and lays a light, cautious hand on her shoulder (which would have been tougher business with Ux Utanar; it's a good thing Myriad picked a dwarf's shape from among all the available options). Making sure she caught the changeling's attention, she points at the door at the end of the passage and wiggles her index finger negatively before pointing, in turn, at Myriad, her own mouth and towards where they left the knight.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move Silently onwards: (1d20+15)[30]
Trying to just as silently convey the following message: "leave that one alone for now; the three of us need to talk". Bluff, if neccessary: (1d20+20)[26]

[chaincomplex]

With satisfying snaps, the locks of the two doors O22 and J32 activate. At this moment the whispering abruptly halts, and there is utter silence.

[Geeksthenewsexy]

As Delja silently gets Myriad's attention, the changeling nods with a slight shrug at the hand gestures and starts creeping back down the hallway, throwing one last glance at the last door in the hallway before turning back, thinking to herself, She must want to talk strategy before clearing rooms or something.

Spoiler: Statblock

Show

Myriad
Female C/G Changeling Rogue 3 / Silver Key 10 / Invisible Blade 5 / Warlock 2, Level 20, Init 8, HP 222/222, Speed 30' Land
AC 34, Touch 24, Flat-footed 28, Fort 22, Ref 24, Will 22, Base Attack Bonus +16/+11/+6
+4 Steel Deadly Precision Vampiric Dagger of Parrying +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d4+10 (+1d6 vs Living), 18-20/x2)
Eldritch Blast (vs Touch AC) +20 (3d6, x2)
Sneak Attack Denied Dex or Flanked (+8d6, -1d6 to cause Bleed)
+5 Easy Travel Glamered Mithril Breastplate of Nimbleness (+10 Armor, +6 Dex, +2 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 26, Wis 18, Cha 26
Condition Awake, Alert, Unencumbered, Healthy, Disguised (Dwarven Locksmith/Explorer named Drucilla Kundarak)
Active Invocations & Effects Beguiling Influence, See The Unseen, Detect Magic
Other Defenses SR 25, Mettle

Spoiler: Automatic Search Check

Show

If Myriad gets within 5' of a mechanical trap, she automatically makes a Search Check. I will simply include this roll in every post so as not to slow down the game pacing. As she has 'detect magic' active at all times, this can also be used if she detects anything that looks remotely like a magical trap as well.
Search For Traps: Already Cleared

None

[Metastachydium]

Delja follows suit, swallowing a displeased groan as it becomes obvious that whatever's past the door has been, at some level, alerted to their presence. Once Myriad's been herded all the way back to their clankier companion, the nixie pulls both of them closer. Huddle time, people. she whispers. There's good news, bad news and more bad news. Good news is, I recognized the language spoken back there. Bad news is, it's Abyssal. Of the archaic sort. Pre-tanar'ri archaic, I'd say. Does that ring a bell? she throws a glance in Myriad's direction. Also, they've heard the damn locks, Druce. she adds with a grimace.

[Geeksthenewsexy]

Pausing to consider her companion's words, the changeling shrugs. "I mean...they were about to see us when we went in, so hearing the locks shouldn't make that much of a difference? If it speaks demon, we're just gonna murder it anyway on general principles." Glancing between her two companions, and even giving the mule a glance before continuing, "Aren't we?" She gestures at the gory chunks of abomination scattered about to the north. Obviously not seeing any issue with her preferred 'stab it til it dies and the problem goes away' approach to hostile diplomacy. "We'll just take care of that room first before going back to clear the others, since it already heard us." She flashes a confident grin at having an easy-to-follow plan of action. If 'stab all the things' can be considered a plan.

[remetagross]

Ux Utanar nods at Myriad's remark.
"Indeed, they must have some sort of supernatural senses that don't care for doors anyway. Moreover, if I understand correctly, only the door far at the south was emitting any noise, right? So if you lock the two other doors near that one, "Druce", then we're good to explore the noisy door. How does that sound?"

And turning to Delja, he adds:
"But archaic Abyssal means nothing to me, I'm afraid. Though this means whatever's behind that door is probably a different creature than what we faced when arriving here, since the two monstrosities were speaking in Common."

[Metastachydium]

No kidding. Delja replies to the dragonborn's last comment, rubbing her temple absent-mindedly. And yes, we're killing stuff and whatever. she half-turns towards Myriad. What's even going on here, she wonders. The changeling used to understand this thing about the element of surprise. Once you've told us what in the Abyss you think might speak like that.

[chaincomplex]

Ux searches his memory for common knowledge about Abyssal, but there is nothing. Not even in the tanar'ri haunts of the Lower Ward in the City of Doors would the linguistic history of Abyssal be common knowledge.

[remetagross]

"Sorry mates, nothing comes to mind about that language you've heard, Delja", he whispers in return. But he turns to Myriad.
"Anything you might recall?"

[chaincomplex]

Myriad knows that tanar'ri are not the first inhabitants of the Abyss. On any mortal timescale they have ruled for approximately eternity, but there was a time, perhaps a time before time, when dead gods walked and and primeval forces shaped the cosmos. It was in this time that the aberrant obyriths ruled the Abyss, or what passed for the Abyss in that dark era. Later nearly wiped out in a war of mutual hate with what are now tanar'ri, the obyriths were the first to speak the runes of Abyssal, though in their distinct, tilted style a contemporary speaker would find challenging to follow.

[Geeksthenewsexy]

Tapping her chin in thought with one hand as the other idly flips her dagger between the fingers of the other, Myriad shares what she recalls about the subject (See above post). With a shrug, she suggests, "Maybe the guy we're looking for is dredging up or recreating the obyriths? Maybe they are the tentacle things. Come to think of it, this demiplane doesn't feel right. Like..." Pausing to concentrate on the odd feeling, she hesitantly continues, "I think this plane is protected from outside sight. Like it's a place outside the view of powerful forces. Maybe the same forces that conmspired to hunt down these particular abominations? Good bet that if these things escape, some very violent-minded beings way above our paygrade will come calling if whatever he's hiding in here gets out. Better make a note to wash all the gore off us before we leave, just in case. Don't want to walk out wearing the blood of some demigod's ancient enemy and get caught in any crossfire..."

Shuddering at the thought, the dwarf-shaped changeling smirks. "We might not have the full element of surprise, but as long as we can control the flow of what we have to deal with, I think we can handle it. Slow and careful beats fast and dead every time!"

[Metastachydium]

Huh. Delja says simply, a corner of her mouth visibly twitching. Huh. Alright. Why don't we do this fast, careful and now, then? she asks, her question mainly rhetorical. Turning already to move back into the passage, she flashes a glance back at the knight over her shoulder. So, you wanna lead the way or shall I do that?

[remetagross]

Now that the debate is settled, Ux Utanar answers Delja.
"Well, we already know there are no traps before us, and that our presence is detected. I might as well go first. The role of a Knight is to block out all possible way for harm to reach his comrades - I''m going to do just that in that narrow hall."
Bading a farewell sign to Ereshki - which is still guarding the room for them - Ux Utanar moves past the nixie and the changeling, unsheathes his sword, and proceeds down the lobby.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Ux Utanar moves all the way to the southernmost door, provided his comrades follow closely behind him and that nothing happens in the meantime.

[Metastachydium]

Delja rolls her eyes (albeit almost affectionately). I'll be right behind you. she says simply, following suit. Let's do this.

[Geeksthenewsexy]

Beaming at the plan being put into action, the portal-obsessed pseudomagical rogue flips her dagger into the air and snatches it into a backwards grip, and follows her companions, obviously ready for action. Her eyes begin to glow a faint purple as she turns on her ability to Detect Magic and tosses a thumbs-up to Magical Mule #2 behind them as they move into the hallway, who obviously just continues to stand there eyeing Ereshki warily.

Spoiler: Statblock

Show

Myriad
Female C/G Changeling Rogue 3 / Silver Key 10 / Invisible Blade 5 / Warlock 2, Level 20, Init 8, HP 222/222, Speed 30' Land
AC 34, Touch 24, Flat-footed 28, Fort 22, Ref 24, Will 22, Base Attack Bonus +16/+11/+6
+4 Steel Deadly Precision Vampiric Dagger of Parrying +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d4+10 (+1d6 vs Living), 18-20/x2)
Eldritch Blast (vs Touch AC) +20 (3d6, x2)
Sneak Attack Denied Dex or Flanked (+8d6, -1d6 to cause Bleed)
+5 Easy Travel Glamered Mithril Breastplate of Nimbleness (+10 Armor, +6 Dex, +2 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 26, Wis 18, Cha 26
Condition Awake, Alert, Unencumbered, Healthy, Disguised (Dwarven Locksmith/Explorer named Drucilla Kundarak)
Active Invocations & Effects Beguiling Influence, See The Unseen, Detect Magic
Other Defenses SR 25, Mettle

Spoiler: Automatic Search Check

Show

If Myriad gets within 5' of a mechanical trap, she automatically makes a Search Check. I will simply include this roll in every post so as not to slow down the game pacing. As she has 'detect magic' active at all times, this can also be used if she detects anything that looks remotely like a magical trap as well.
Search For Traps: Already Cleared

None

[chaincomplex]

The party moves through the silent corridor, hearing only their footsteps on the wooden floor. They stop just before the southern door. Torch sconces on the paneled walls look down on them, flickering. The doors sits invitingly.

[remetagross]

Ux Utanar moves his hand forward, the other still gripping his sword, his shield still floating behind him. He raises his eyebrows to his comrades as if asking whether they have any reason to stop him in his movement.

In case he gets the A-Ok from Delja and Myriad, the dragonborn works the door open.

[Geeksthenewsexy]

Holding up a hand, Myriad slowly and carefully squeezes past her companions to give the door a quick and silent check for traps and lock before falling back to the rear position.

Spoiler: Statblock

Show

Myriad
Female C/G Changeling Rogue 3 / Silver Key 10 / Invisible Blade 5 / Warlock 2, Level 20, Init 8, HP 222/222, Speed 30' Land
AC 34, Touch 24, Flat-footed 28, Fort 22, Ref 24, Will 22, Base Attack Bonus +16/+11/+6
+4 Steel Deadly Precision Vampiric Dagger of Parrying +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d4+10 (+1d6 vs Living), 18-20/x2)
Eldritch Blast (vs Touch AC) +20 (3d6, x2)
Sneak Attack Denied Dex or Flanked (+8d6, -1d6 to cause Bleed)
+5 Easy Travel Glamered Mithril Breastplate of Nimbleness (+10 Armor, +6 Dex, +2 Deflect, +6 Misc)
Abilities Str 22, Dex 22, Con 22, Int 26, Wis 18, Cha 26
Condition Awake, Alert, Unencumbered, Healthy, Disguised (Dwarven Locksmith/Explorer named Drucilla Kundarak)
Active Invocations & Effects Beguiling Influence, See The Unseen, Detect Magic
Other Defenses SR 25, Mettle

Spoiler: Automatic Search Check

Show

If Myriad gets within 5' of a mechanical trap, she automatically makes a Search Check. I will simply include this roll in every post so as not to slow down the game pacing. As she has 'detect magic' active at all times, this can also be used if she detects anything that looks remotely like a magical trap as well.
Search For Traps: (1d20+37)[43]

For expediency, if there is a trap - She"ll quietly gesture to have everyone back up down the hallway before using Disable Device (1d20+33)[43] and/or Open Lock (1d20+33)[51]
If no trap/lock, she simply gives a thumbs-up to rush the door.

[Metastachydium]

With a curt nod, Delja drops into her defensive stance. They may as well get over with this. Hells, it might even prove educational in some way. She's never fought obyriths before.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Delja goes into Total Defense, raising her AC to 73 (T 64, FF not really a thing).

[chaincomplex]

The heavy door swings open smoothly and noiselessly, exposing a comfortable room beyond. The room is carpeted and wood paneled, with two dim crystal chandeliers hanging high overhead keeping the room lit but shadowed. Strange control panels flank the room, mirrored exactly (E34–E36 and O34–O36). A row of luxurious couches sit facing the far wall, which appears to be cleanly carved from a totally opaque, ocean-blue crystal.

The room is empty—there is neither space to hide, nor any invisible creature Myriad can see.

The crystal wall pulses a moderate aura of abjuration. The aura extends to a pair of symmetric elegant levers on the control panels, marked by plaques as Theater View in Draconic. The other pairs of levers, similarly marked in Draconic, read respectively Observation Lights, Ritual Information, Plane Information, Summon Servants, Theater Channel, Conference Channel, Emergency Channel, and Emergency Quarantine; together these levers pulse with strong auras of abjuration, conjuration, divination, evocation, and illusion.

[remetagross]

Ux Utanar makes a wary step forward, his sword still in his hand. Though no visible ennemies are present, there might be hazards he can't detect.

[Metastachydium]

Peeking out from behind the dragonborn's legs, Delja narrows her eyes and sniffs the air, mostly out of instinct as she tries to pick up the noise (any noise) the whispering obyrith-adjacent entities might make. Keeping her ears honed, she then briefly turns her head around to look at Myriad and moton towards the apparently empty hall with her eyeballs, the wrinkles forming on her forehead asking a silent question: now what?

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Listen: (1d20+24)[36]