On Abadar's Secret Service (Inactive)

Game Master James Martin

A game of colonization and exploration in a new land with new dangers and threats.


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Male Tiefling Void Elementalist 5

Leralt gives the man a bored look.

"I seem to have forgotten, logical thought without ego is only common among the collective. It is no longer my concern. I will keep my own council, do as you wish without me."

He washed his hands of the whole thing, his budding anger cut short by his will. Let the fates claim their price, it seemed enough lives had not been lost. He thought about returning to the collective. What a twisted joke, he had more of a home among star creatures then those of his own world.


Female Gnome Bard (Detective)/ 5

Leralt and Catila may not have forgotten their animosity, but Catila's Player did! lol seems like that was a while ago now. Thanks for the reminder ; )

Raising her own eyebrow, Catila snaps back "Well good thing I wasn't asking your permission!" Then, taking a deep breath, she calms herself and tries again "Honestly Leralt! What is your problem?? It's not as if you can study all the books at the same time! While I may not possess your skill at linguistics, I am no slouch myself. And I do possess other skills that you do not. I had no intention of keeping the books from you, I merely wished to peruse them myself as well. You really are an impossible man to get along with!"

Because his player plays that 8 Chr so well ; )

She then turns to Gellius "Thank you Dr. I am sure with all of us putting our minds to the task, we shall uncover and solve whatever mysteries are to be found here in short order." while shooting another quick glare the moody wizard's way.


Male Tiefling Void Elementalist 5

Leralt does not react to yet another outburst. Speaking normally.

"My problem is I feel no need to explain my every action like a child. I was and still am a researcher, their is a method to decoding which requires as much source information as can be acquired. The less source the more difficult the task. So yes having all the books is beneficial. While I could go into details of the complexities of such work, I do not feel the need to waste that sort of time. By your own admission you are aware that my skills in translation exceed your own. Does it not make sense that I should be the one to do that work. Is it not sensible, rather then costing me double the work to check your translations. Otherwise information could be misinterpreted and corrupted."

He shakes his head.

"You do not trust my judgment or me in any sense. That is a problem on your part and a dangerous one at that. As it has already cost us."

He picks up the bag he placed all the arcane tomes in.

"No doubt that outburst has alerted Rykks'vykk and anything else in these caves. I am not going to tempt the dragonkin, I will wait outside the mouth of the cave."

He is careful to keep alert and on guard in case Rykks'vykk was faster then the first time they met as he leaves.

Hey I do not play it that hard, he is just given motives he does not have from others. Ah to know ones self is far easier then to know another. xP


Bonekeep Slides

As the party muses amongst itself on the dynamics of interpersonal relations, Catila spots something embedded in one of the fungal piles. It appears to be a soap bubble at first glance, but as she retreives it, she discovers a small palm sized quartz ball, filled with bubbles, cracks and imperfections. As she stares into it, the light seems to play through the cracks and bubbles and almost seems to become images. She can almost fancy she hears voices as well...


Female Gnome Bard (Detective)/ 5

Not sure where you got the idea she was yelling or otherwise louder than anyone else had been?

Opening her mouth to reply to the caustic and myopic wizard, the Detective instead closes her mouth and just shakes her head sadly. Turning away from the un-winnable argument she continues her search. Upon finding the quartz ball she leans closer, peering in deeper and listening more intently.

Rolls?


Male Tiefling Void Elementalist 5

When I see the ! I think high volume. Have not seen it used for anything else, more so in anger. But I am not an expert on grammar really. x3


Female Half-Elf Rogue 1/ Inquisitor 4. Init: +5, hp: 30/30 F: +4, R: +4, W: +7, AC: 18

Lena remains silent during the others' bickering slowly getting more irate and her frown deepening to match.

"Will you lot keep it down? We've a job to do here and an angry Dracolisk we don't want to piss off. Just grab what you can and we can sort it out later"

Lena helps collect and books or other clues deemed interesting.

"Catila what have you got there?"


Bonekeep Slides

Catila's Vision:

Catila feels a sudden drop in the pit of her stomach as she seems to fall into the vision, until it surrounds her. She seems to be in the vision, but unable to affect it, a spectator.

She sees a Pale Guardian, a young one by the look of it, holding the crystal. It seems to concentrate on the item and Catila senses that it's trying to study it or extract some information from it. Suddenly the fungus man tenses, as Catila can feel a suddenly change in the air of the cave, as if strange smells were sent on the wind. The fungus twitches, as if scenting the air, then drops the crystal into a pouch made of plant materials and leaves the room. Catila is drawn along with the fungus, as if tethered to the crystal.

The fungus passes several comb-like rooms that Catila recognizes, where others of its kind seem to have gotten the same message. Catila can see a room where scrolls and books are being studied by the fungus, where a forge is set and great chunks of iron ore are being melted down, where several humanoid bodies are laid on the floor. This intrigues her, for one of the bodies is pulsing and as she passes, she sees it rip violently open from inside, and three small fungal people, about the size of toddlers, burst forth. They immediately begin to turn and consume the corpse as she is drawn along.

The crystal draws her down, to the large cavern where the dracolisk now lairs. Only now it is an amphitheater where rows of fungal benches sit in staggered layers facing a large stage. On the stage is a hooded, masked man, wearing the same robes and mask as the men with Uriah before you were frozen in time. The man is kneeling, his hands bound and guarded by the Pale Guardians. Still, you sense a strange anticipation in the man's demeanor, even through the mask.

As the room fills with the Pale Guardians, one of the stage steps to the edge and suddenly the air changes again, as more scents are released. A few moments pass, with sudden changes in the air back and forth, as if a debate were taking place. Finally the leader Guardian turns to the two guarding the man. It makes a motion and the Guard on the man's right raises a sharp looking axe. The man lets out a rasping laugh beneath the mask. "Yes! YES! I die for the Master, so that He Who is Imprisoned will be released once more!" SNICK! The axe falls and the man's head rolls away. But something odd happens, too.

As the head is separated, he bleeds not blood, but a green fluid. It spreads, even as the Pale Guardians pull back from the corpse. The liquid begins to bubble and hiss and as the bubbles pop, a pale green dust explodes into the air. As soon as it hits the guards, their spongy fungus flesh begins to sprout with the blossoms you saw below. The flowers grow at an amazing speed, rotting the fungal men as you watch, turning them into piles of flowering goop.

In the crowd, panic ensues. The vision becomes bumpy as the crystal bearing fungus races out of the amphitheater and up the ramps, heading back to the room you found it in. But it's too late. Even as it goes, the flowers burst from its flesh and begin to decompose it rapidly. But before it stops completely, you can hear the distant sounds of liquifying fungus and something else, a voice, booming and commanding and familiar. Uriah Parker.

"Search the rooms. Find the seals. There will be seven total. Bring them to me!"

For a long time nothing happens, then a hooded, masked man enters the room. He kicks through the fungal remains in the room, but finds nothing.

A few moments pass. Suddenly you hear Parker's voice raised in anger. "What do you mean they only had six?!? Curse them! They must have given the last to someone else for safekeeping! Those damnable talking beasts! Curse them!" There is the sound of arcane syllables, then a ZAP of electricity and a scream that cuts off abruptly.

Then nothing happens. All is silent. And the crystalline vision ends.


Female Gnome Bard (Detective)/ 5

Turing to Lena, her eyes wide with wonder and fascination, Catila says quietly "I...I think I know what happened here..." amd she then continues to detail her vision as exactly she experienced it. Read the spoiler ; )


Female Half-Elf Rogue 1/ Inquisitor 4. Init: +5, hp: 30/30 F: +4, R: +4, W: +7, AC: 18

"So Parker came here and killed the Pale Guardians. That much we already knew"

Lena states arms folded

remind me, do we have the final seal?


Bonekeep Slides

Everyone, I have a local con this weekend that I help organize, so updates from me will be slow to non-existent until Monday. I'm not dead, just dreaming...

As soon as Catila's vision ends, the crystal shatters and dissolves into soap bubbles, which float away and pop in the moist air.

Grand Lodge

Male Catfolk Bard (Archaeologist) 4; HP 24/24; AC 19/14/15; F+2/R+8/W+3; Init +5; Per +10

Since everyone else seems particularly interested in studying the texts, Songan spends most of his time exploring the other chambers, particularly the ones containing the weapons, bubble jars, and gems. The first order of business is to cast Detect Magic to immediately pick the valuables from the mundane.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Shortly hearing Catila's raised voice, however, Songan releases a sigh and pockets as many pocketables as he can in a few seconds (like...two rounds maybe) before makes his way through the tunnels toward the voice, only to see Catila in some sort of trance. Fighting down the initial panic, since the others don't see to be concerned, he simply waits to see what happens, hoping that the halfling will emerge from her daze soon.

When she does emerge several minutes later to tell the tale of what happened to the Pale Guardians, Songan frowns. What exactly had happened, then? Was it some curse or disease intended specifically for the Pale Guardians? He racks his brain, trying to think of something that might help explain with a little more detail the unfortunate thing that happened to the sentients inhabiting the cave.

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25
Knowledge (History): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

Woo! Good rolls! Also, I'm sorry that it's been so long since I last posted, everyone.


Bonekeep Slides

Songan's brain wracking reveals a tale he read in an old tome, of a mushroom farmer whose entire livelihood was wiped out by a disease. It started as a cough in one of his workers, but when the worker spat to relieve the build up of phlegm, the phlegm landed among the fungi and caused them all to dissolve. The man was ruined by what seemed to be no worse for the worker than a common cold. This green fluid may be some sort of virulent strain of the same disease, but if so, it certainly means that Uriah Parker has some mastery of diseases.

A deep bellowing from the former amphitheater reminds you that an angry dracolisk now claims this area, so last searches are made and objects grabbed as you race from the caves out into the light. With a backward glance and little conversation, you make it back to the settlement as dusk falls, in time to join the evening meal.

The talk around the meal is of the day's work and of the harvests to come. The People speak of a strange noise that began around noon that day, and continued for some time. They relay that it sounded like the buzzing of many wings.


Bonekeep Slides

The next day dawns early and bright, but with a very strange twist: Standing politely outside the gates are two... creatures. One is shaped and sized as a man, but made of metal and wearing a brilliant blue cloak. The other is much larger and seems to be made of stone. From the waist up, he resembles a man, but with six arms. Below the waist, however, is a spinning and whirring collection of metal hoops that spin to form a sphere.

You are called as soon as the guard sees them. The guardsman, a nervous looking fellow named Tolphet, tells you, "They just appeared, with the first light of day. The smaller feller, he said he was here to speak to the leaders, that the day of Awakening had arrived and they needed to speak to the 'interested parties.' I dunno what that means!"

As soon as you assemble at the gate or on the wall, the smaller of the two figures calls out.

"Greetings! We are here to oversee the re-Awakening and to determine the outcome of the binding. Please state your names and positions for the record."


Male Tiefling Void Elementalist 5

Leralt looks at the beings, casting a minor spell to detect magic.

Knowledge (Planes): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23
Knowledge (Planes): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28


Bonekeep Slides

Leralt:
These two are Inevitables, guardians of law and order in the universe. The smaller of the two is a kolyarut, an enforcer of bargains and the larger is a lhaksharut, tasked with maintaining the separation of planes. You're not sure why they're both here.

In the distance, a faint buzzing can be heard, as well as a dark cloud on the horizon.


Male Human (Chelaxian) Alchemist (vivisectonist) 5 (Init +2; AC 17, t12, ff15; hp 18/41; F+6/R+6/W+1)

Doctor Krupt looks the two beings over with an appraising eye and arches a brow. "This little island is getting more and more crowded with every passing day. Did no one bother to raise the flag of Absalom and declare ownership when we arrived?" he asks, to no one in particular.

He steps forward and gives the two beings a short bow.

"Gellius Krupt, doctor of alchemy and town councilor."


Male Tiefling Void Elementalist 5

Leralt eyes the dark cloud. He tells Tulos to check it out from a distance, the clockwork dragon takes flight. He stepped forward if just barely. Letting the others know what they were before doing so. Open spoiler

"I think a better question is who are you and why are you here. After all a pair of Inevitables is not a common sight. Much less powerful ones like you two."

He had no illusions about their power and that his did not compare. Frankly if all these powerful beings were walking around why did they not just have at each other and leave him alone.

Got ninja'ed but no need to edit I think. xP


Bonekeep Slides

At Dr Krupt's words the smaller one nods and smiles pleasantly. When Leralt poses his question, the big one rumbles in a voice so low it nearly vibrates your bones.

"Many aeons ago a battle was held here. A great Power was Bound. He has been Unbound through the machinations of a man. We are here to ensure that the fallout does not harm the planes." The great one grumbles.

"And of course to ensure that the old Bargains are kept! Such things have power, you know. It's not everyday a lost Power is recovered and such events have repercussions. Of course, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know, eh?" The small one speaks in an effeminate voice, winking conspiratorially.


Male Tiefling Void Elementalist 5

Leralt eyed the two. If the beast was unbound they would all be dead.

"I am Leralt, I claim no position."

With the introduction done he continues.

"What old bargains? As far as I know there are none. At least not involving me."


Female Half-Elf Rogue 1/ Inquisitor 4. Init: +5, hp: 30/30 F: +4, R: +4, W: +7, AC: 18

,
Knowledge (Planes): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

"Inevitables. A welcome relief from all the daemons and monsters,as long as their dogmatic views don't cloud their judgement"

Lena catches sight of the cloud and watches with a worried expression as Leralt's clockwork creature buzzes off. She returns her gaze to the larger clockwork creatures before her.

"I am Lena Relani, servant of our Lord Abadar and defender of this holy colony"

"Who or what is this 'Power' of which you speak?"

Grand Lodge

Male Catfolk Bard (Archaeologist) 4; HP 24/24; AC 19/14/15; F+2/R+8/W+3; Init +5; Per +10

"Hmph. While I am not certain law is the answer to the troubles of this plane, It is certainly a welcome relief to have beings who could be in the service of our progenitor rather than actively working against him."

"I am called Songan, a Catfolk in the service of Shelyn, brought to Abadaria to help discover the fate of the original colonists sent here...now seeking to stop Uriah from achieving his goal of unleashing whatever ancient horror he seeks to sick upon the universe. Might this ancient bargain have something to do with the seals mentioned by Uriah in Catila's vision?"


Bonekeep Slides

The smaller of the two inevitables makes a clicking sound that sounds somewhat regretful. "Ah, you know much less than was expected. The Power is, of course, the missing Horseman of Pestilence, Yrsinius. Brought low upon this place nigh 10,000 years ago, and Bound by the angels to stay locked away until the seals were broken or the Ravager escaped his prison. With the seals being broken and the True Key in your posession, we expected you to be amongst the Interested Parties in the Grand Bargain the angels struck with Asmodeus and the Successor Horseman Apollyon to seal away his predecessor. Oh dear, if you are not Interested Parties, it would be best for you to flee now in terror. The other Horseman will be here shortly to witness the proceedings. I daresay this place will be quite a fright for mortals. Alas, collateral damage is to be expected when the Powers mingle. It is regretful... Very well, farewell. Since you are not Interested Parties we will leave you to your deaths. We will be retrieving the True Key at the appointed hour." The inevitables turn as if to leave.


Female Half-Elf Rogue 1/ Inquisitor 4. Init: +5, hp: 30/30 F: +4, R: +4, W: +7, AC: 18

"Wait.. we didn't say we weren't the Interested Parties"

Lena speaks before she truly appreciates the meaning of her words. Her heart races as she desperately tries to think of some way to get out of this situation, while glancing at her companions in the hopes of a bright idea presenting itself.

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