"Flippin' 'eck!"
Jon puts the book on mentalism in his backpack and goes to find some more books.
While Jon flips through some books written in strange and beautiful pictographs, the rest of you wonder what to do with Ryor while everyone rests for the night.
So, who's taking the first watch?
A drop of Ryor's saliva slowly lowers itself to the ground on a narrow strand of mucous.
A pool of urine spreads out below Ryor - absorbed quickly in the porous tile of the library floor.
"You lot get some kip. I'll see ter keepin' an eye open fer a while. I'll wake you up, Smiler, when 's yer turn fer watch."
He looks at Ryor, "Poor ol' Baldy..."
Thank you Sid, hopefully he is OK. Perhaps de demon has fled from us but I doubt it. Be wary.
Jon looks for more books.
Jon:
Aref finds 3 more books radiating magical auras, in languages he can't read.
Book list again:
# All manner of texts on summoning. One with spell lists and a magic aura.
# Politics of the Hells.
# Ancient Kingdoms of Varisia.
# A collection of sketches of Numerian artifacts discoverd since the rain of stars.
# An Explication of Channeling.
# A Dwarven text on metallurgy.
# The Spellcraft of Tian Xia.
# The Encyclopaedia of Magical Ingredients.
# Navigation in the Maelstrom.
# Doctrinal commentaries on the church of Aroden spanning 100s of volumes.
# A collection of Linnorm oral tradition.
# A Complete History of Brevoy.
# A study of Halfling music and culture.
# 100s of volumes of plays in more languages than you can read.
# Parallel Histories of Katapesh, Thuvia, Taldor, Andoran, Osirion, Qadira, Kortos, and Cheliax.
# A Study of Nature Worship.
# A Study of Mentalism.
# The diaries of a whole catalogue of famous historical persons: pirates, adventurers, politicians, warriors, writers, and a good many ancient bards.
# Herbal Recipes and Remedies.
# Collections of writing in geography, mathematics, alchemy, planetology, cosmology, engineering, and botany. Most interesting of these is a book that at first appears to be about abominations, but as you browse through it you begin to feel like you are reading about another world.
# And lets not forget the famous Book of Abominations.
# A book on physical training for Paladins of Aroden.
# A book of Elven poetry.
# A book on Tian nautical engineering. It includes sketches of a ship that looks like it would hold 1000s of troops.
Aref finds 3 more books radiating magical auras, in languages he can't read.
Jon takes the books on Tian ship and the poetry. He looks at the Linnorm books, too.
The Deceiver takes the following books:
# A fine looking tome with a spine made of strips of bone, and bound with a soft light colored leather. Probably human. It looks like a necromantic spellbook.
# All manner of texts on summoning. One with spell lists and a magic aura.
# Politics of the Hells.
# A Study of Mentalism.
# And lets not forget the famous Book of Abominations.
Any of these should come in handy again Vass should he rear his ugly head again.
Rackham takes only two volumes: An Explication of Channeling, and To Serve the Lord; a book on physical training for Paladins of Aroden.
All the while, he keeps a wary eye open for Vass.
The Deceiver takes the following books:
# All manner of texts on summoning. One with spell lists and a magic aura.
You might want to fight Aref for that....
Nah... I'll let him carry it for now.
Jon goes to the hallway for some water. He reads one of his books.
Dis book is for de conjuring of things. I would like to carry it. Here are three other books which display magical auras dat we should take. I vill carry one and I suggest that you, mage, carry the other two. Perhaps ve can decipher them later.
"Check out your books and let's get out of here!" The Deceiver draws his rapier and motions to the door.
"'oo knew yoo lot were book worms?" Syd says with a chuckle.
Outside, Jon starts running south.
Just as Cordoba waves his rapier at the door, everyone hears Jon's armor clattering into the distance.
"Check out your books and let's get out of here!" The Deceiver draws his rapier and motions to the door.
"Card please"
"Righto, les get the ol' feet workin'"
"OUT!"
"Come on, you lot! Do as the man says!" Syd says cheerfully.
He heads out, "Where to, Smiler?"
Something's up with Jon. He doesn't usually run unless he's about to kill something. Does anyone want to give chase?
Something's up with Jon. He doesn't usually run unless he's about to kill something. Does anyone want to give chase?
"Something's wrong. Follow, quickly!"
Everyone charges out through the library door. Jon is moving south, about to take the turn where the hallway doglegs to the east. It looks like he is moving toward the Primarch's room, where Vass's prison was. He has a book clutched in his hand. He is giggling.
Everyone charges out through the library door. Jon is moving south, about to take the turn where the hallway doglegs to the east. It looks like he is moving toward the Primarch's room, where Vass's prison was. He has a book clutched in his hand. He is giggling.
Rackham is as furious as anyone has ever seen him, a hard, predatory gleam in his eyes. For a moment, as during the battle with Calebra, the old wizard seems to regain a small piece of his former glory.
"DESTROY THE FIEND!"
He gives chase, but slows after a few paces. He pauses, coughing up a copious quantity of blood, his aspect diminished somewhat.
"A friend of mine once said, 'When in doubt, go towards the smoke.' We must stop Vass before he claims another one of us. Go, I will catch up."
"Come on, you lot! Do as the man says!" Syd says cheerfully.
He heads out, "Where to, Smiler?"
"Anywhere but here! Let's go!"
Jon, running at a considerable pace for someone in plate armor, leads everyone back to the Primarch's room.
As Syd, Cordoba and Aref arrive and almost go down in a pile up, Jon turns to them.
"Fools. It's done."
The smell of burning paper. Behind him in the prison room pages of a book are being cut and burnt by the beams of light as the flutter to the ground.
"Fools. Capering clowns with a few moments on the stage and you think you could stop me? Go in. Get the book, Cordoba."
"Do you want to know what it's called?"
"The Soul Riders."
"HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA!"
Jon-Vass turns around and begins to move toward the prism room.
"Cordoba! Find the book! Aref and I will handle Vass! GO!"
Rackham brandishes his staff at the possessed fighter, unwilling to go down without a fight.
From the looks of the burning paper and smell of smoke, it seems that Vass has thrown a book into the prison room and the lasers are cutting it to pieces.
Even worse, it looks like Jon, under Vass's control, is about to walk into the lasers himself.
... Go in. Get the book, Cordoba."
"Do you want to know what it's called?"
"The Soul Riders."
Sorry that wasn't clear. He means the book he cast into the lens room. The one that is burning to a crisp.
"Yer a piece of work, ain't yer?" Syd says quietly.
Aref casts grease on the area of floor that Jon is standing in, hoping to prevent him from entering the room and to make him fall.
Grease-
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1 Components: V, S, M Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target or Area: One object or a 10-ft. square
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: No
A grease spell covers a solid surface with a layer of slippery grease. Any creature in the area when the spell is cast must make a successful Reflex save or fall. This save is repeated on your turn each round that the creature remains within the area. A creature can walk within or through the area of grease at half normal speed with a DC 10 Balance check. Failure means it can’t move that round (and must then make a Reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Balance skill for details).
The spell can also be used to create a greasy coating on an item. Material objects not in use are always affected by this spell, while an object wielded or employed by a creature receives a Reflex saving throw to avoid the effect. If the initial saving throw fails, the creature immediately drops the item. A saving throw must be made in each round that the creature attempts to pick up or use the greased item. A creature wearing greased armor or clothing gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist checks and on grapple checks made to resist or escape a grapple or to escape a pin.
A slick sheen of grease spreads out around Jon:
Jon falls like a boneless chicken.
Get him!!
Sorry that wasn't clear. He means the book he cast into the lens room. The one that is burning to a crisp.... Go in. Get the book, Cordoba."
"Do you want to know what it's called?"
"The Soul Riders."
"Cripes!"
The Deceiver pulls out his waterskin and douses the flames with the water.
The Deceiver pulls out his waterskin and douses the flames with the water.
Sooooo.. you want to walk across the grease, past Vass in Jon's body, and go into the lens room?
Vass tries to get up but seems to be struggling to control his own legs.
"Damn oaf!"
"Nah we got yer. Ya ain't got a leg to stand on. Arf arf."
"f** out of my body" Jon smashes his head on the floor. It's bleeding.
Sooooo.. you want to walk across the grease, past Vass in Jon's body, and go into the lens room?
The Deceiver pulls out his waterskin and douses the flames with the water.