The Seer's Journey - DM Downrightamazed

Game Master downrightamazed

"I don't suppose one of you would care to explain why I found this poor soul getting his legs gnawed off in that room?"

"Escape attempt. Five minutes in the bulette room is typical punishment for a first offense. Sometimes they get lucky and the land sharks don't come. Sometimes."

"I see," Kelne said with deceptive mildness, "And where might I find those people who haven't tried to escape?" Rescuing said people from their situation had definitely become a priority.

@Kelne: The guard who is not currently being accosted by Jorzan points to the room where the rest of your companions are arrayed. "Through there. There's a hidden door that only the higher-ups can open. It leads to the mine proper, and the cells and everything else that's down there."

Justahl turned to the others in the room. He wanted to stay, to help the... brain creature, but he didn't comprehend what it was or how he could help. Then Cassandra mentioned "Shining Man's horse" and the issue was decided.
"The way is open now. We have to move out. Is everyone ready to go?" He scans the room. "Where is Kelne?"

Actually Kelne, Hurin, and Jorzan are all outside the room right now.

'Da#n it!' the Shadowdancer thinks, knowing that there's too much to do, and not enough time to do it. Deciding quickly, he pokes his head back in the room with the others, saying with urgency "Justahl, the Ice Lich is coming, so get Cassandra down the hallway, like she wants. Protecting her is our top priority."

Then to the mind-witch "Nasmarra, I say we either free the Mothermind, or kill it, for the last thing we want is to leave it here to be continued to be a weapon against us our enemies can use. Either way, I think you're the best one to make that choice."/[b]

Finally to Kelne and Hurin [b]"Please keep the others safe, I'll catch up, but there's something I want to check first."

Decision made, but having no idea if it's a good one or not, without a further word Jorzan walks up the wall again, peers carefully into the ice room and, if seeing nothing immediately dangerous, drops down into the room. Zan dutifully follows his master.

"Right. Some advice," Kelne told the guards, "I don't think staying here and pleading ignorance is going to work out well for you. If nothing else, there's a very real chance my friends and I will be overthrowing the established order. And I very much doubt the prisoners will be happy with your part in all this. So. My advice is that you quietly slip away and find yourselves alternative employment."

With that, he turned his back on them and joined the others, ready for the descent into the mines. A few quick questions saw him reasonably up to speed on what they'd discovered.

With mixed feelings, Justahl nods.
"Right then, I'm heading down the tunnel. Might I suggest that everyone wrap whatever it is you're going to do right quick and join us? As impressive as I am, we were selected to do this together."
With that, he pats Cassandra's leg reassuringly, makes sure she doesn't bang her head on the lintel, and steps into the secret passage.

"I can't believe we are going to do this without the cleric. He sure picked a grand time to choose to stay behind. Is Astar ready to move out yet?!"

Knowledge: History (re: Mothermind) 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (20) + 19 = 39

Nasmarra's voice is colder than the ice that threatens to envelop the room they are in. "Kill it. The Metallum Aeternum is as much of a danger to this world as anything else that threatens it. It feeds on worlds, consuming everything and leaving empty husks behind. The gods themselves have banded together to try to slow the march across the planes of the Metallum and drive them from the Land. The danger of its existence aside, the dead flesh of once-living metal is incredibly useful. We must kill it, for the good of our entire world."

Hopefully that amazing knowledge check will give her some insight as to how to kill it. Do we have a weapon capable of that?

:: NOOOOOOO! :: the mothermind begins writhing furiously, but it is held fast and unable to either get free or grab purchase on anything. You feel its anguished cries in your minds. :: do not NOT kill we will do ANYthing (thing) we only came HERE to find to find out PLEASE please NO ::

Feel free to proceed as if Astar is in agreement and going along with you. Hopefully he'll be able to get back into things soon. I would imagine a scholar of his caliber would be quite distracted by the presence of a living Metallum hivemind in the room, so his silence is understandable. :-)

@Kelne: One guard looks at the other and says quietly; "Told you." The other makes a sour face and reaches into her belt pouch, pulls out a gold coin, and flicks it over to the first guard. The two then retreat back into the room from whence they came, and you hear them hurriedly gathering their things. As Jorzan is stealthily climbing up the wall towards the window leading to the "ice room", the two head quickly out the main entrance. They say nothing to the guardians as the go.

@Jorzan: Give me a Perception check and a Reflex save, please.

I Knew you were gonna ask me something like that ;) Shouda given it before to save time. Sorry

Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (17) + 20 = 37
Reflex Save: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23 +Evasion

@Jorzan: Just before you climb through the narrow window leading into the "ice room", your sharp eyes catch the faintest of glimmers across the opening. Pausing to look closer you see three trap triggers, all of them magical, all of them on this window, which as far as you can tell is the only opening -- there doesn't appear to be a door. Your quick reflexes allow you to pull your hand back just in the nick of time, and without slipping or making any noise, though your slippers undoubtedly aid you in this, as well. As you consider your options, you notice other trap triggers covering the walls, floor, and ceiling. These are also all magical. Whatever or whoever is in here, they want no one else to enter.

Jorzan is outside the Mothermind's telepathy range, so he wouldn't have heard its last outburst.

I had been assuming with that rool that wit wouldn't be necessary, but maybe I should have added in Zan's Perception Aid Another??: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

That roll doesn't change anything.

Swearing in frustration, Jorzan briefly considers several other possibilities, eventually deciding none of them are viable, he jumps down off the wall and hurries back in the other room. Zan trailing along behind.

DRA, is there any way Jorzan could fit the cage of the Mothermind into his Haversack? If so, he does that. For now. And follows the others.

"Well I had hoped for an honorable death against a worthy foe. But, alas all fate has sought to provide me with is a stinking mine occupied by THE Threehirsemen of the apocalypse, THE Ice Lich, a huge fire giant smith, Dark Dwarf Mercinaries, a half demon overseer, a horrible thing with a mouth for a face, and The Red Queen an'her army. Heh Heh Heh. Alright sweet lass you say we need to go so, I guess here we go, but first Kelne why don't ye ask your stumpy friend there what lies below. I am thinking a little information is better than just going down there blind."

"He's a bit out of it, I'm afraid, Hurin, so he's not going to be much help. Hopefully there'll be somebody amongst the prisoners we can get to look after him, since I doubt hauling him along into fights would work out well."

"As to you lot," he went on, turning his attention briefly to the guards, "I'll tell you the same thing I told your friends. I doubt staying here and pleading ignorance will work out well for you if we manage to overthrow the people in charge. Not sure the higher-ups will be happy with you if they do come out on top, for that matter. I suggest you quietly slip away and find something else to do with your lives."

With that, he was ready to descend into the mines.

"I suggest you follow the big mans advice and if I ever get word that any of you told anyone else about us . . . I'll find you and turn you into a bloody pulp like him there on the floor got it? And next time be a little more picky about your employer. Scram!"

As it turned out, there was one final issue to address before proceeding. Namely, what to do with the apparently intelligent creature in the cage. A couple of quick queries gave Kelne at least some of the background on the Metallum Aeturnum. Enough to know that he didn't particularly like the options on the table.

"Alright. We either kill it or free something insanely dangerous. Neither option exactly fills me with joy. So, let's have a little chat, you and I, Mothermind. It seems you've managed to make enemies of the entirety of the planet's population and of the Gods themselves. Not something likely to work out well for you, I would think. How do you think you might go about changing the situation?"

Having been caught up on the latest, Jorzan adds his questions to Kelne's
"Yes, for if what our companion says is true, you are a danger to our whole world and all life on it. How can we possibly trust you? What could you possibly do to aid us or convince us otherwise? I would help you if I could, but how can I when so much is at stake??"

I'm assuming one couldn't not approach close enough to the cage to touch it without also being in range of the MM's tentacles. Is this correct?

Correct. And I should clarify; it's not in a cage. It's in what looks like a very large metal flowerpot, open on the top. This container is 10' in diameter and 7' high. The Mothermind's tendrils only have 5' of reach, but they are growing before your very eyes, at the rate of an inch every minute or so. The "flowerpot" alone probably weighs in excess of two tons. You cannot even guess what the whole weighs if you include its occupant.

There is a strange weight in your minds that you assume to be the telepathic equivalent of a thoughtful pause. After several long seconds, the Mothermind speaks. :: we WE understand what has come to PASS pass here we SHALL we WE shall leave this PLANE leave this LAND and TELL others tell ALL of the OTHERS of US the OTHER MOTHERMINDS there is NOTHING of interest HERE tell THEM of the ENEMIES made :: The strange creature quivers violently, and one of its tendrils crumples at the base and falls to the stone floor with a deafening *K-KLANNNNNGGGGGG!* You note that the tendril is so dense and heavy, it does not bounce. :: this THIS is part of A PART OF US we give it FREELY to you as AS GIFT of SUPPLICANT in hopes you WILL FREE us US in hopes FREE we will NEVER come back IF you set us FREE this place THIS PLACE is a HELL our flesh you CAN you YOU can place IN YOUR metals METALS in METALS ::

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31

Shaking his head slightly, still not quite used to this means of communication, Jorzan considers on what he has heard, on whether this Mothermind can be trusted, or believed. Looking down at the tentacle, he pushes it with his toe. If nothing untoward seems to happen, he bends down and attempts to pick it up. If he can, he stands with it to examine it closer (What rolls are needed?), allowing any of the others who wish to see or hold it do so.

Finally, he turns to his companions "It seems to me, that 'she' just gave us the means to kill 'her', should that be what we choose. But, I think we have a much better oppourtunity here. Nasmarra, you know more of this creature and it's history in our Land than any of us, but have you ever heard of anyone communicating with a Mothermind before? We could kill it now, yes, if we even can kill it, yet from what I understand, she is but one of her kind. So, while killing this one may prevent her being used as a weapon by our enemies, we will very likely make greater enemies of her..um, 'sisters'. Yet, if what she says is true, if she swears to leave this plane forever, and convince the others of her kind to do the same, we may have the chance to do something that apparently not even the Gods were able to do; cleanse the Land of Metallum forever!"

While his companions consider his words, Jorzan once again turns to the Mothermind saying aloud "Should we decide to free you, how would we do so? And what assurances can you give that you will keep your word and do as you say?"

Then, suddenly remembering something, he reaches into his haversack and pulls out a small bag and two strange rings, all found some time ago on the tengu assassins. He compares them to the tentacle and then, holding them forth towards the mothermind he asks "Is this...is this you??"

"I appreciate the show of trust," Kelne said seriously, "I do think you ought to understand why this conflict exists though. Otherwise, you'll be doomed to repeat it in other times and places. Put simply, there's a clash over resources. While we don't eat metals directly, they are very useful to us for making tools which we can use to help grow our own food, and for a multitude of other uses which improve our lives. Your actions directly impact upon our wellbeing, particularly as time goes by and you consume ever-greater amounts. As a result, people will try to cut short your expansion at the earliest possible stage, before you have a chance to do major damage."

"My suggestion would be that, collectively, you take a step back. Reconsider this path of expansion which is leading you into conflict with other races. Perhaps you might be more choosy about which worlds you expand to, or curtail your expansion. You might even be able to come to some mutually beneficial arrangement with other races through negotiation. That is the kind of message I would have you take back to the others, rather than simply having them avoid this one world."

"Eh, Nasmarra says the gods themselves banded together to rid our planes of existence of these things. I am not sure how much better we think we can do than the gods. We should move before we loose our suprise, it is better to press an attack with small numbers, than be forced on the defensive. Look we can come back up here, but Justahl has his horse down there and something is attacking our little misse's mind. We know what we need to do. Let go to it and come back to this "

"I'm not a fan of walking away from important matters with the intention of coming back to them later," Kelne noted, "That supposes we won't be distracted, cut off or otherwise prevented from returning." Indeed, they'd already been through one such experience.

"I'm leaning towards setting the Mothermind free, myself," he went on, "There are risks, yes, but sending a message back to the others of its kind represents a chance to alter the prevailing status quo of war with the Metallum Aeternum. Not an opportunity to be lightly cast aside, I would think."

Jorzan nods along with Kelne's speech, for once agreeing with almost everything the Northern warrior says. With the majority in favour of releasing the Mothermind, Jorzan speaks decisively "Well then it's decided, we free her. Hurin, Justahl, help us, we could use your muscle. Unless one of you has a better idea, let's tip it over."

Assuming the others lend their aid, Jorzan adds what strength he can to tipping over the 'flowerpot' containing the Metallum Hive Mind.

"You are a fool," Nasmarra hisses at Jorzan. She steps between him and the cage of the hive mind, preventing him from trying to tip it over. "You think this thing knows anything of honor or of keeping its word? It begs for its life out of desperation. Its mind is so alien that it cannot comprehend peace. Its hunger has consumed entire worlds, rendered barren entire planes of existence. Hunger cannot be reasoned with, or intimidated, or kept at bay with sweet words and pale hopes. The Metallum must die, or it will inevitably leave this world a husk with nothing left. If you free this one, it can and will multiply. Its heralds will delve deeply into the crust of the world, looking for minerals to consume, as soon as it is free. Your soft hearts will doom us all. Drive its 'offering' into the heart-bulb at its core, and be done with it." Her voice gets even colder as she speaks. "This is the only choice that does not risk ruin to this world. Change your mind willingly." She leaves the threat unspoken that she has her own ways of changing the minds of others.

'We don't have times for this...' Jorzan thinks, frustration and anger beginning to boil in him.

His eyes then narrow as he looks upon the strange mind mage before him. Who was this woman? What were her true motivations here? What did she hide behind her cool, superior gaze? They knew almost nothing about her. In all her time with the group thus far, not even once had she made a gesture of friendship, taken down the wall of ice she constantly seemed to surround herself with. Cassandra had spoken for her, said she was necessary, but could the child have been wrong? No. No, he would not take himself down that road, for everything depended on the Seer and her gift.

Still..."Yes, I suppose you would know what it is to have a mind so alien from all others." Jorzan states flatly, voice as hard as steel. "And you have made your position clear; you wish the creature dead, this we know. I also know, now, of the danger her kind has posed to our world, of the many futile struggles against the Metallum Alternum, yet has it ever occurred to you that perhaps the failure to drive them away was because no one had ever tried to speak to them before? We very well may just be the first to ever have such an oppourtunity. Should we just throw it away? She is but one Mothermind, killing her will do little to halt their incursion into our world. Yet to release her, to have her convince her 'sisters' to leave our world forever? I am willing to take the risk of freeing her for the chance at such a prize. However, I am willing to go with the decision of the group, here. Are you?"

He turns to look at the Paladine "Justahl, do you sense evil in this creature? Can you at all tell if she speaks the truth?"

Shadows begining to gather around him, he then takes one step closer to Nasmarra, as Zan floats in to flank her from behind. In a voice tight with fury and withheld violence, he growls "One more thing, witch, threaten me again at your peril. This is the last such warning you will get."
Intimidate + Hero Point: 1d20 + 12 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 12 + 8 + 2 = 32
Zan Aid Another Intimidate: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

"Is it evil for you to eat bacon? I bet you would say no, but the pig on the other hand might have different thoughts. If Justahl detected evil on you at breakfast I doubt he would get a reading. If you were on a deserted island inhabited only by chickens, you could promise you would not eat them, but as you got hungry you would eventually consume them all despite your good word out of the primal need to eat, right?"

"I think we need to defer to Nassmara on this, she obviously knows what it is and what it can do. If the gods banded together against these things, how can we pretend to think that we can control the outcome of its release? We have enough problems down that passageway without releasing something that most of us don't understand but feel bad for because it is in a cage. If it was a Pit Fiend inside this thing would we just tip it over? I say we would not because we understand the danger it represents. Let us focus on the task at hand."

"Kelne, I know your good heart guides you, but Justahl has put aside his desires to go straight for his horse when we walked in here, right? We already have responsibility now for a legless victim. Rescuing him was a good act, but now at what cost. We can't save everyone along the way. We are here to save her."

"We are all here for Cassandra right?! Can we stop threatening one another? We are supposed to be on the same team right? We have enemies enough without turning on one another. If you can't get along you may as well be slitting that little girls throat. She is what's important here. Not egos, not that thing in the cage, at least not right now."

"Er, its also hard to threaten someone who has already died a dozen times and will just come back you know. Eh, where is Grey and Astar when we need some added logic and wisdom."

Is that little devil-guy still with us?

Justahl carefully paced twenty feet down the tunnel when he realized that no one was following!
Quickly retracing his steps, he discovered them still arguing over the mothermind!
Suddenly enraged at the whole situation, he shouted "ENOUGH!!"

In the silence that followed he made eye contact with everyone, the chill in his gaze palpable.
"Might I humbly suggest that we table this decision for later? It's not going anywhere right now.
"I feel that making a deal, however desirable, will take more time than we have, and killing it will be difficult, bloody, resource absorbing AND take more time than we have.
"Now; Cassandra says we have to go North down the tunnel. There will be opposition. Everybody get yourselves together and let us move out. Right. Now."

"Agreed," Kelne said, plainly not happy at the prospect of turning his back on the situation, but unable, or perhaps unwilling, to argue against Justahl's reasoning. Pushing the issue towards an immediate resolution plainly bore a distinct risk of somebody doing something stupid. Which, considering the hostile territory they were in, would end badly for them all. Nor did a swift resolution of their differences on the subject seem likely.

"If somebody wouldn't mind stowing away that chunk of metal though? Just in case it turns out we need it," he said, indicating the piece of itself the Mothermind had shed. It would be dreadfully embarrassing to return to find somebody had made off with it while their backs were turned.

With that, he fell in with Justahl, signalling his own support for pressing onwards.

"Good thing we brought a Paladin and good thing he brought his brass pair. Time to go then. An for those of you that are angry and whatnot there is sure to be something down here for you to vent on."

"Here we go lass, now what do you see happens next?"

Hurin walks down into the passage clearly at home in the confined space and stands next to Justahl facing down the passage into the unknown.

Retaining his glare with Nasmarra for a few beats longer, Jorzan then turns his head towards the Paladine and, jaw still clenched in anger, nods his assent.

With a last glance and silent thought sent to the Mothermind, he carefully puts the piece of Metallum, and the other chunks and rings he had taken out, into his haversack. Finished with the matter for now as far as he was concerned, Jorzan then moves through the shattered secret door and begins to scout down the hallway. Moving ahead of the party's light, his eyes instantly adapt to the darkness. His living shadow, as always, trails behind.

Same rolls from before, if that's alright:
Stealth: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (16) + 24 = 40
Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (16) + 20 = 36

"Here he comes...the face-mouth man...oh, they're mad at him...they're going to put him in the cold, where he will die...oh no..."

As you enter the corridor, you become aware of footsteps approaching. Jorzan has vanished into the shadows again, but the rest of you are quite exposed. There are two doors just a few feet ahead, one on your left and one on your right. The voices and footsteps are coming from just around the corner a little over 50' away. A quick check reveals that both doors are unlocked, untrapped, and seem to have no sounds coming from behind them.

You all have one round to get in position/draw weapons/etc. before the guards come around the corner. Remember that it is a non-provoking move equivalent to open or close a door. Consult the map linked above to see what the new corridor looks like and where you are.

@Gul: They have put The Helm on you again. Blind, deaf, unable to use magic and barely able to walk, you accompany your captors. You know that your most recent attempt to free all the Vanarans and destroy the stockpile of dragon dust was your last chance, and now you are being cast out into the snow, where they expect you will die. You know they have snow creatures kept nearby, in duress, for just such a situation. They will set them upon you as soon as you are cast out. You know you can hold them off, but they will come in such numbers that you do not stand a chance.

The helm chafes. Deprived of your senses, you feel almost as if you are floating. If not for the sensation of your hooves on the hard stone, you could convince yourself you were in a low-gravity plane of some sort. But you know this is not true.

Jorzan glances quizzically at Casandra as she sings her strange little song, then, seconds later as they hear the sounds of footsteps approaching "Get Cassandra to safety!" he whispers as he draws his blades and moves in position to ambush whoever approaches. On the other side of the corridor, Zan echos his master's positioning.

Jorzan to F7
Zan to I7 Stealth: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28

hsssssssssss!!!

Quickly, Justahl moves to the rightside door, opens it and enters. He shifts out of sight of the corridor and listens...

Kelne ducked into the same room as Justahl, finding a spot to put the vanaran down before they became embroiled in a fight.

As you all dart for cover, with Jorzan and Hurin splitting to the left and Justahl and Kelne splitting right, Nasmarra, curiously, stays behind in the room with the mothermind. Peering out your respective doors, you see two guards escorting a cloaked humanoid who is wearing a strange evil-looking helm and walking with a strange gait, as if he had goat legs or something. You cannot see his face. Displayed prominently on his/her/its cloak is a noble-looking pin, or brooch, that seems to depict a holy coat of arms.

"You hear something?" whispers one guard.
The other listens for a moment. "Nah. Nothing. You're being paranoid. Escorting this fool will do that to you. Come on, let's get this over with." Their prisoner does not react to any of this.

Map is updated.The guards still aren't aware you're there, so if you succeed at a DC17 Stealth check(Jorzan already made it), you will have a surprise round if you want to use it.

@Nasmarra: As the others rush off, the Mothermind's remaining tendrils sway gently in front of you. :: we...we know you, do we not?:: it asks tremulously. :: what would you YOU with us, denizen of the everywhen? WHEN WHEN WHEN we cannot see SEE your minds ::

Stealth: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (4) + 20 = 24

It was, perhaps, the perfect setup line, and Kelne decided to take advantage of it, strolling casually out into the corridor, hand on his sword hilt, "Today, at least, we really are out to get you," he informed the guards, giving them a decidedly worrying smile, "Fancy surrendering?"

HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!