Bastarache, Welcome to the Nightmare

Game Master Rysky

And thus Seranna invented the Maglite.

At the bottom of the stairs the couple find themselves in a small room with a cool stone floor, to the right is a shelf with numerous glass and metal lanterns while to the left numerous sets of apparently landscaping tools are arrayed, from smaller scrapers and rock hammers to shovels and pickaxes and even sledgehammers.

Across from you is a door, slightly ajar.

Hm. Servants tools. Man she missed having servants. She wouldn't know what to do with 80% of the items displayed before her. She considered taking one of the lanterns with her, but tampering with anything was probably a bad idea. Besides she already had her magelite, patent-pending, and it was way better. Could you clobber someone with a lantern without lighting yourself on fire and still use it? She thought not!

Against all better judgement approached the door and slowly pushed it open with her glowing clobber block.

Already open partly the door, though heavy, moves with much less noise than the one at the top of the stairs, revealing the much larger basement just beyond. The stone floor continues throughout into the darkness and you are just able to make out a large hole in the floor ahead of you in the near center of room most likely, with bits of broken stone surrounding its perimeter and dust and dirt covering the floor.

There is a rope tied off leading down into the hole.

"Well we tried. Let's go back and tell the boy what we've found." Seranna said as she turned to rush back up the stairs, only to be lifted by a slimy tendril that planted her back in front of the hole. She gave a pout. It seemed Zogith was determined to play this out.

"Dare we try the same trick a second time?" Zogith asked.

"Either that or chance the rope. Personally I trust you more." Seranna confessed. Fairly certain they would find Yelenn and friends below, the former noble hopped into the arms of the outsider and together they attempted to descend down into the hole.

26 climb again!

Carrying her beloved Zogith is easily scale down the rough hole in the basement floor, till it stops being a hole. At the botttom of the hole the below opens into a massive room, larger probably than the mansion itself. Zogith also notes that the roof of said room is dangerously smooth, like marble.

Wall crawling was one thing, but moving around on the ceiling was an entirely different matter. On a good day it was quite a challenge, and with this ceiling being so smooth, the way forward looked perilous. Dropping down or attempting to move across the ceiling would put both parties at risk. Ultimately the Ediolon decided to use the rope. It was made for use by human hands rather than his tentacles but after carefully coiling his limbs around the fibrous object, gripping it tightly with his suction cups he moved slowly down its length until at long last they came down to the floor, breathing a sigh of relief as he brought Seranna back to her own two feet. Both parties then scanned the area in an attempt to figure out where the others may have gone.

The room is long, like a hallway made for Giants. Where the rope ends are broken bits of floor from the basement above as well as a skeleton and a broken pick. Small empty bottles glint in light of Seranna’s spell

Seranna
Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12

Zogith
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Seranna stared down at the skeleton for a time. She felt a twinge of sadness as she pieced together his fate. No doubt they were digging when they breached the floor, leaving him to fall to certain death. If he was lucky it was instant, if not...they would have laid here for who knows how long. She shuddered even thinking about it.

Instead she turned her attention toward the tracks. Both of Summoner and Ediolon spot the trail of foot prints. Together they began to follow the trail, certain they were bound to run into the others at any moment.

Moving on from the pitiful scene the couple follow the direction of the trail for as long as it lasts, heading across the large expanse of the room they find themselves in. Nearing the end they are met by a blank wall, save when the magical light given off by Seranna’s self defense light reaches a section it discolors, seemingly shifting from dark whorled marble to a foggy glass like material.

That was strange. Seranna tilted her head. Not sure exactly what that was supposed to mean she reached out and poked foggy glass section of the wall with her magelight, patient-pending.

While the new (re-)arrivals are making their way through the cellars, Yasmin reaches out, hesitates, then gingerly attempts to pick up the strange magical ball.

Though there is a sharp coolness to the orb, being a solid object in a fountain of mist and icy cold water, it does not cause any pain or numbing in Yasmin’s hand as she picks it up. Calming, if anything.

Yelenn watches with bated breath as Yasmin picks up the orb, watching closely as she takes hold of such a primally magical object.

Yasmin's breath comes in sharply, then she says, "Oh. Oh my."

She closes her eyes and pauses, then says slowly, "I feel like... I can feel everything going on. Like... the orb is telling me about every danger, every possible moment that could be a problem... just expanding my attention to details."

Her brow furrows and she says, "But that's odd, that would be divination magic, and the orb was enchantment, wasn't it?"

Moving up once the obscured bit of wall is in arm’s reach of Seranna the glassy material composing it begins to seamlessly dissolve in relation to her presence, revealing a hallway beyond that ends at another wall of discolored marble at the very end. Spreading, the glass is completely gone within a matter of seconds, stopping at the actual marble of the wall before the couple.

The moment the doorway begins to dissolve the silence of the abyssal chamber is shattered by a prolonged roar already reaching its apex playing over a stream of moans coming from somewhere on the other side of the quickly dissolving door.

The new hallway revealed is much more traditional, in that it’s sized for the likes of humans instead of giants, save that there appears to be water flowing down the sides of the walls, and even the ceiling. The floor appears to dry however.

Near the end of the water hallway lies what looks to be a giant snake coiled around a monstrous creature that combines draconian features in a feral humanoid frame. Scarf like fins sprout from its back and it seems to be wearing a smattering of ceremonial bits of armor that fail in any capacity to serve as armor, rather they seem to only serve to accentuate the creature’s nom-human form.

What looks to be full on steam escapes its jaws as it looks up as the door opens, as it were, revealing that there appears to be a woman stuck inbetween it and the giant snake coiled about both of them. ”Friends of friends?” it croaks out as it turns its attention to the new couple, solid breath escaping with every word uttered

Seranna
Perception:: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Zogith
Perception:: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

While Zogith might have been more interested in the strange magic that kept the water in place, Seranna's eyes were trained at the creature before them. She didn't recognize it, or the long serpentine body wrapped around it, however the sounds that she heard on the approach were definitely hard to misconstrue.

"No, please, don't stop on my account. If um...one of you could just point me in the direction of Yelenn, I'll just head that way and let you two get back to it." Seranna said, certainly not expecting to see this when she got up this morning, but who was she to judge?

Mylyna looked around Xeros' at the newcomer and said, "They went that way," she gestured towards where Yelenn had gone, "They should be back shortly," the coils began to move and unwind from the gargoyle and the woman's body leaned in to kiss his neck as she said, "You were wonderful Xeros." The woman's body slid from beneath the creature and rose, the coils following, until she was back a few feet and could be easily seen. From the waist up she was a gorgeous redheaded woman devoid of clothing and from around her hips down was covered in red scales. She smiled at the newcomer and said, "You can wait with us if you like, they'll be back soon, they're trying to find a means for Xeros here to leave this place."

As the woman thanked him the creature, Xeros, gave out a short string of happy sounding squeaks or growls (it was hard to tell) like a large bird would.

Stepping to the side to let the snake woman uncoil and then right herself to great the newcomers the creature gives them a bow as she greats them with pleasantries. ”Friends, Yelenn, Mylyna, and Yasmin. Mylyna good friend.”

Seranna looked like she belonged at a masquerade ball held by some well to do noble more than in the depths of a dungeon searching for buried secrets so it was no surprise that there was a twinge of relief that crossed her features when the woman offered that she was welcome to stay here for the time being. Her half-mask covered only the area around her eyes from her forehead down to her nose, but it served its purpose.

She listened carefully as Xeros spoke. He might not have been particularly articulate but his words were still quite useful to her. He listed names. Yelenn she recognized, then he spoke of Yasmin and Mylyna. He seemed to imply that the serpent woman was Mylyna, which meant whoever Yelenn came back with would have been Yasmin.

"I thank you, perhaps we will wait here with you." She said warmly, "But forgive me, where are my manners? I am Lady Seranna Vaelong of-" She caught herself. A life time of traditions meant nothing now, "Please just call me Seranna, and this is Zogith Vaelong."

She performed a curtsy before the duo only to slowly step to one side and motion with both hands to the figure that followed behind her. The dark blue creature resembled an octopus, with eight tendrils, each six feet in length and lined with suction cups. However unlike an octopus the beast had no need for water and sported a single large, glowing eye with a rectangular iris, thin like a coin slot.

Xeros listened aptly as Seranna introduced herself, even trying to mirror her curtsy with a crouching bow of his own. When she stepped to one side to slow Zogith his introduction his whole body arched as he focused himself on the many appendaged one. Tilting his head side to side he seems to think of something as he resumes his crouch, his body at ease. ”Vaelong and Vaelong. Zogith friend to Seranna, good friend.” he thinks aloud, his voice gravelly though clear.

"Yes, it radiated pure enchantment when I looked at it." Yelenn replies, puzzled. Shifting her vision again she studies her companion and the orb she holds.

~ Fondling the orb

"I hope it's not tricking me into thinking that I can sense things," says Yasmin. "Let's keep it and see what else we can find."

Seranna smirked at Xeros's observation. He quickly demonstrated than he was far more intelligent than his vocabulary might initially alluded to. If he was already thinking about the fact that the two of them shared a last name then no doubt others would have more questions. It was a rarity in her life that she felt that honesty was the best policy but this was one such situation.

"I am afraid you've caught us sir. The fact of the matter is that Zogith is my husband. We are married or mates, depending on your perspective, but I don't suppose terminology matters much here."

"Agreed. Who's to say that magic follows all the normal rules here anyway." Yelenn says as she considers. "Let's see where else this goes."

@Yelenn and Yasmin

With nothing else in the fountain room the women squeeze back into the larger ice filled room and are met with a low crackling noise, too weak and indistinct to be actual electricity or thunder. Shortly thereafter a form coalesces from the light in the center of the room, or rather, it tries to. Vaguely humanoid, no exact features are able to be made out as bits of its illusory body constantly distort and discombobulate, trying to maintain a shape. The crackling increases and varies in it's pitch, in tune with the figure's lips when they are cognizant and shown.

After the brief display of phantasmagoria the figures simply disappears in a blink, taking all of the light in the room with it as well, leaving the spelunkers in total darkness save for Yelenn's Witchlights.

Looking around the woman do not notice any other paths than the way they came, unless they are completely covered with ice and snow. Serendipity perhaps, that they took the path to the key first.

@Seraana and Mylyna

Looking back and forth between the couple Xeros nods. "Husband? Married? Mates. Mates good friends."

Slithering forward on her serpentine length Mylyna leaned in to Seranna's cheeks in greeting and then the same to Zogith ending in her kissing the top of his head instead. "I'm Mylyna and I'm glad to meet you." She looked at Zogith in curiosity when it was revealed he was her husband and didn't seem to bat an eye as she said, "Huh, I bet you're fun in bed, all those long tentacles to use...." It seemed her mind was running down rather naughty directions now as she examined the octoman.

At Mylyna's comment Xeros tilts his head up and to the side, obviously lost in thought. "Oh." he finally lets out before nodding.

Worried that Xeros might misunderstand from his comment Mylyna slithered back to him and wrapped her coils around him while pressing her naked torso to his chest and nuzzling his neck with her lips before saying, "Don't worry Xeros, you're still my Friend," she put the same emphasis on the word he seemed to, "but so are other people like Yellen." She looked at Xeros in concern then as she asked in a quiet, worried, voice, "You understand that I don't mate with just one person don't you?"

Xeros let out a happy hiss as the Lamae begin to wrap around him again. Listening to her intently he nods and then pushes his head forward to nuzzle at her neck. "Xeros is happy to be good friends with Mylyna, Xeros is happy Mylyna has many good friends. Friends are nice. Good friends are better." he says in a joyful tone.

Stopping he pulls his head back to look at Mylyna. "Do you think Yelenn would want to be good friends with Xeros?"

Mylyna considered the question and then said, "Maybe? You'd have to ask her, but she couldn't handle you like I can, you would probably hurt her badly even though you wouldn't mean too. She's not like me, I was bred to handle anyone creature who might buy me, she was bred only for her own kind."

Xeros nods knowingly. "Yelenn small friend, brave friend, but small."

Initially Seranna missed the connotation of what exactly Xeros meant by good friend, but as he spoke on it became pretty clear that good friends were the sort one could knock boots with. By that definition yes, her and Zogith were good friends, and obviously Xeros and Mylyna were good friends.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mylyna." Seranna said in response to her introduction.

Zogith blinked, disarmed by the woman's charm. She did not bat an eye at the concept of him and Seranna being married nor did balk at the idea of all that it implied. In fact her words brought lewd images to mind, this level of "friendliness" was a little jarring and for once he was at a loss for words, despite that he found some way to respond in surprisingly fluent common,"Oh, oh, um thank you? I confess I've had no complaints thus far."

"I'll say~" Seranna smirked.

"The magic completely infuses you now. Just so you know. I guess we'll see if the awareness is an illusion the next time you're exposed to danger." Yelenn surmises. shifting her vision back to normal. "I guess we should head back."

Mylyna looked at the husband and wife pair, as oddly matched as they were, and said, "Sometime we should all three become good friends together." She swayed excitedly causing her unclothed body to move in interesting ways, "It would be fun to make more Good Friends." She slithered back to Xeros and draped herself on him as she said, "You're still my Good Friend too Xeros."

"Yeah..." says Yasmin to Yelenn. "Maybe Mylyna and her new friend are ready to help us with some more exploration. Safety in numbers, I hope!"

"That definitely seems to be the best way to survive this place." Yelenn replies. "Seems like things have quieted down." she says with a smirk.

@Mylyna and Seranna

Xeros happily watched as Mylyna propositioned the couple, then resumed the characteristic hum or purr he let out when she draped herself back onto him. ”Xeros is happy to hear that, Mylyna.”

@Yasmin and Yelenn (I’m taking that as you’re heading toward the door, apologies if not)

Even with their other senses attuning being in the darkness the two ladies could no longer hear the muffled cries of passion coming from the hallway as the door began to dissolve at their approach. Whatever lewd post scene they may have been expecting was thwarted and replaced by the presence of four individuals seemingly engaged in conversation. Mylyna and Xeros were immediately obvious, and behind them was a red headed woman in a noble’s attire that looked familiar to Yelenn and what appeared to be a rather large Octopus with just one eye.

Turning his head Xeros shows off his teeth in a smile at the ladies’s return. ”Did Friends get key?”

Seranna felt a smirk pull at the corner of her lips when the other woman suggested that they all become good friends sometime in the future. Seranna already had a strong suspicion of exactly what she meant by good friends and if there was any confusion she managed to clear that up as she wriggled before them creating a visual that her eyes lingered upon for just a little too long. If she had to guess, she would say that her newfound friend was the sort that would fit right in among the guests at one of her parties back in the old days. That life felt so long ago, but it was nice to reflect fondly upon the glory days.

“I think that would be a new experience for all of us.” Seranna teased. She was about to speak on the matter further, but it was then that Yelenn and Yasmin entered the room. Seranna was wearing the same dress she had last seen her in right down to the arm length gloves, however what had changed was the masquerade mask she wore upon her face. It did a poor job of concealing her identity, as her attire and demeanor was unmistakable as she grinned at seeing a familiar face at long last. Even if their acquaintance ship had been brief, hard times made for fast friends.

“Yelenn! Thank Karezza am I glad to see you.” She paused, taking in the other woman’s current condition, “How…how have you faired?”

"I don't know if this is the 'key' but it has some kind of magic in it," says Yasmin, holding up the magical orb.

"Uh... hello?" she says to the masked arrival. "Another person you've met before Yelenn?"

Mylyna jiggled again at Seranna's words, she always like making new Good Friends. It was also about then her hair shifted enough for the light to reflect of the only garment she still wore, a decorative collar of some kind of metal around her neck. It had a ring at her throat that looked designed for some kind of chain to be attached to it. "Oh goodie! I can't wait."

"Seranna! I'm so glad to see you survived the crash. When I say your room empty and these....horrible creatures on deck I assumed the worse." Yelenn replies, striding across the distance to give the other woman a hug.

"Yes, Yasmin, this is Seranna and...." She trails off raising an eyebrow as she looks at Zogith.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

A student of magic just might know what a summoner is.

With that roll, yep, you’re pretty sure that Seranna is a Summoner of a sort.

As Yasmin holds up the orb Xeros smiles and begins half-jumping with his hands. ”Key! Xeros was told that was key! Very important. Made from a pure soul.”

Turning to Yelenn when she talks he points at the couple. ”Zogith. Friend, not food.”

Yelenn's eyes widen as she looks first at Xeros, then turns to share a look with Yasmin at the fact that she was wielding an item forged from an actual soul. "Uhm...yes Zogrith is definitely not food. Thank you Xeros. Pleased to meet you Zogrith." she says looking at the eidolon.

Xeros smiles as the Magus thanks him.

Seranna gave pause when she noticed the item around Mylyna’s throat. There was no mistaking what the item was or what its purpose might have been. It was a collar. Most likely Mylyna was a former slave, now whether she lacked the means of removing the device or kept it for some other reason the dishonored noble simply could not say. She felt a twinge of sadness in that moment, knowing that she could not fathom the kind of life the other woman must have lived, perhaps finding this group marked a stark improvement in her quality of life, while Seranna’s arrival here proved to her that it was all downhill from here.

These sad thoughts were quickly dispelled when Yelenn closed the distance between them. Seranna threw her arms around the magus as they embraced. She delighted in the contact, it marked a much-needed reunion with the only real familiar face on the island. Seranna explained, “We fended off those…things to the best of our ability, but when the ship went down, well, I feared the worst. I never thought I’d see you or any of the others again.”

Then attention slowly shifted to Zogith, as it always did. The woman suddenly felt a twinge of fear, Mylyna had received his presence well enough, but she had no way of knowing how the others would take it. She had hidden his existence away from the world for as long as she could, but on this island, she wouldn’t last without his constant assistance. She just prayed the others would not be as quick to judge as those in the past had been.

“Yes, this is Zogith Vaelong, he is an outsider from Karreza’s realm and, well…my husband.” She held up her left hand, showing her wedding ring, before reaching up and taking her mask off. Upon her forehead a glowing symbol in the shape of a third eye could be found, the eye had an iris that was long and narrow, like a coin sloth, much resembling Zogith’s eye. “I serve as a bridge between his world and ours. It has been considered a curse by some, but I assure you, I would not have survived without him.”

Zogith bowed his head ever so slightly as the group entered. He allowed the conversation to playout without interruption, at least until it turned toward him. As Seranna finished speaking he nodded toward her before he scanned Yasmin as well, “It is an honor to meet you both. I hope in time we may come to know one another as friends.”

"An honor to meet you as well Zogith." Yelenn says returning the inclination of her head. "The opportunity to meet someone from another plane is a rare one....at least under "normal" circumstances." she says with a chuckle, flashing Yasmin a grin to help put her at ease. Given her upbringing, adapting to supernatural strangeness was something Yelenn did exceptionally well.

"Now the mask makes sense." she says to Seranna.

"Oh! You have an extraplanar companion, too!" says Yasmin. She whistles and a tiny orb of water with the vague impression of a face peeks out from her pack.

Xeros tilts his head as Yasmin reveals her aqueous companion, but aside from staring doesn’t otherwise comment on it.

Yelenn grins at Yasmin as if to say, "See, there's no reason to assume extraplanar means evil."