Hamar pauses as the weird little skull speaks up, he grunts in response frustrated with the situation as breaking things usually works for him.
Memnon floats towards the small building, the flashing purple lightning illuminating him in an eerie nimbus
“Wish me luck”
Memnon floats towards the small building, the flashing purple lightning illuminating him in an eerie nimbus
“Wish me luck”
"Um, 'LUCK'? Mem, I really appreciate the effort, but you may need something a little closer to a 'miracle'. Hey, wait a sec!"
Justin reaches out a hand, and snags one of the many Ioun stones that he keeps circling his head. He holds his hand next to the Mimir, and releases it again. It immediately begins to circle the crystal skull like a tiny moon.
"We picked these up in Ranais, when we found you. It's not a miracle, but it'll help with the necromatic energy."
“Thanks boss!”
The skull zips in, a pair of translucent magikal hands appearing as he enters the flickering doorway
The party hears a few loud ZZZZZZZAAAAPPP!! sounds. The purple flashes strobe brighter and then fade. Memnon comes wobbling out of the building, his skull smoking
“Whoo! Did anyone see which way that terrasque went?”
Hamar raises an eyebrow, "Does that smoke mean that the device worked or not?"
Justin wets his thumb and forefinger on his tongue, and then uses his dampened fingers to extinguish the smoking top pommel of the Mimir's Orange hat.
"Um,... Are you OK Mem? And what, exactly, just happened?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hamar raises an eyebrow, "Does that smoke mean that the device worked or not?"
Justin tilts his head towards Hamar and replies, Sotto Voice,...
"The devices usually work best when the magic smoke stays on the INside."
'Depends on what the device does I'd think," Karrin muses, "A fireplace sometimes has a little smoke if it's working, a door? Probably shouldn't have any smoke. I'm thinking magical skulls are in the later rather than the former category."
Hamar contemplates Karrin's explanation brows furrowed in deep thought....
Justin wets his thumb and forefinger on his tongue, and then uses his dampened fingers to extinguish the smoking top pommel of the Mimir's Orange hat.
"Um,... Are you OK Mem? And what, exactly, just happened?"
The purple skull coughs. A neat trick, considering he doesn’t own lungs
“Well, I tried to hook up to that spinal cord doohickey. I thought maybe I could get into the machine directly using my skull as an interface. I thought wrong”
"YEeeeeeaaaah, That'll leave a mark." Justin nods solemnly.
"OK, when we get back, you are going to have to give me a tutorial on 'Chaositech'. And THEN we can take turns deriding each other for 'Bad ideas that sounded good at first'. Until then, were you able to find out anything from your attempt?"
“Well, I found out that I need another set of hands if I’m going to try that trick. I can’t get it straight without an assist. Can someone brave the necro lightning and help me attach the spinal cord of doom?”
Hamar turns to Alessia, "I think the pervert skull means you when he says someone as the lightning only helps and does not harm you".
“Pervert?”
Memnon huffs
“Don’t strain yourself with multi-syllabic words, my unibrowed friend “
Hamar arches his eyebrow at the skull, "Multi syllabic? I spoke only in one language. Were you not most recently staring down the front of Karrin Kinds armor? Is pervert the wrong word for this?"
He pauses, "Karrin Kind is most attractive perhaps the right word is .... hmmmm. I'm not sure, Wizard, what is a word for one who stares overlong at beautiful things?"
"The word you're looking for is 'Toast', or 'Dead'."
Justin says without hesitation.
"At least if you're talking about unwelcome, overly-long staring at any of The Rose's ladies." He adds thoughtfully. And oddly calmly.
<*Cough*>
The wizard turns to the undead warrioress.
"Alessia, would you mind terribly assisting the Per,.. Erm, Memnon in the chamber? I think he's onto something. And you are the only one the Necro energy can't hurt. I think you just need to hold the spinal cord steady for him. Is that right Mem?"
Justin is obviously dying to ask Memnon more detailed questions, but he seems distracted. He keeps glancing at the chamber, and the sky, and the surrounding area.
Now that the shocks of diving into the evil statue portal, fighting a flying cancerous polyp, and watching his party members trash an exotic magical artifact have faded somewhat- Justin takes a second to take stock of his surroundings and figure out just where the Hades they are, actually.
The location is definitely a demiplane - no doubt in his mind. Justin has studied the creation of these unique bubbles of spacetime extensively, and he recognizes the configuration. This one is fairly large - possibly with a 100 mile radius. But, the horizon gently rises in the distance to wrap up above their heads - forming a sandy brown and ochre dome miles above them.
From what Justin has read, demiplanes are fairly closed systems, like massive terrariums. Their creators often make control stations to regulate pesky things like air and water through directed elemental portal openings. The biome also helps, with plants and animals helping to form a balance like on natural worlds. There usually has to be an energy source for plants as well - obviously the eye/sun filled that role here.
Demiplanes are created to be stable on a geologic scale. In fact, they are hard to destroy once created. However, it is relatively easy to make them uninhabitable for life by ruining the support structures.
Now, there are created and natural demiplanes. It is often hard to discern the difference, though the big eye/sun argues that this one was a custom job. Natural ones often have natural biome conditions- like sourceless sunshine similar to what the Outlands experiences. The knothole world the Khaasta had occupied on Yggdrasil had fallen in this category. Created ones also have more of a ‘planned’ feel. Justin can see that the terrain features above his head are fairly regular and spaced in a somewhat regimented manner. .
Justin turns around in a circle, slowly. His eyes widening.
"Of course,... the terrain, the eyeball, the pyramid,... this isn't a natural pocket dimension. It's a custom job. 'Create Demiplane', a HIGH level one. And a lot of them. This mummy's magic power is no joke."
The wizard breaks into a grin of child-like wonder.
"Oh, I have GOTTA me one of THESE!"
Justin starts pacing back and forth, hands waving as he mutters,
"OK, okokok, High level Created Demiplanes can be made permanent with the correct spells. But you can also use magical structures and devices to help stabilize them. Otherwise you spend all your time re-casting the demiplane spells. Frustrating, even for a nigh-eternal undead lich or mummy."
"GOOD news, the demiplanes themselves are pretty hard to destroy. BAD news, break the apparatus controlling it, and the pocket dimension quickly becomes uninhabitable."
Justin gestures dramatically to the Chamber, now arcing in purple-hued necro energy.
"GOOD news! High-level created demiplanes come standard with a two-way portal on them! We just have to find it. BAD news, unless our 'Mummy Lord' was egotistical enough to make the structure his Phylactery, we're back to square one with the original 'make sure he doesn't re-form' plan."
Justin's muttering continues another few moments, but too low to hear.
"Is there no spell that can just find this phycansitranth".
Merle rolls her eyes a bit at Justins excitement over a silly demi-plane.
"Well if we cant find his phylactery couldent we just break the two way portal on the way out and just strand them here?"
Justin blinks, and snaps back to 'reality'.
Or at least awareness of his comrades.
The wizard's head swivels between Hamar and Merle.
"Only if I knew approximately what it looked like. And only if it was close."
"I wish. But anyone who can create a demiplane of their own can just close their eyes and click their heels together three times to enter or leave it at will. The doorway is a convenience for visitors."
<*Cough*>
The wizard turns to the undead warrioress."Alessia, would you mind terribly assisting the Per,.. Erm, Memnon in the chamber? I think he's onto something. And you are the only one the Necro energy can't hurt. I think you just need to hold the spinal cord steady for him. Is that right Mem?"
Justin is obviously dying to ask Memnon more detailed questions, but he seems distracted. He keeps glancing at the chamber, and the sky, and the surrounding area.
Alessia turns back around slowly, a few stray tendrils of negative energy creeping across the plates of her armor. One gets the sense that, were she alive, she would be breathing heavily, shaking with exhaustion and rage, but for now, she might as well be a statue. After a few moments of staring at the wizard, she finally replies.
"What..."
<Gulp>
Justin gives his best 'Wizardly Smile of Assurance #2'. (Patent Pending)
"If you could just, sort of, hold the metallic spinal-cord looking thing steady for Memnon? I hope, er, I mean, I think that smashing the helmet was a good thing. Great even! I definitely sensed a fading aura when I tried it on. Buuuuuut, we still need access to the Chaositech Necromatic magical equipment to get us out of here. And the Necro energy can't hurt you. So, um, please? Ifyoudon'tmindofcourse!"
"Wait . . . WHO WAS LOOKING DOWN MY ARMOR?!!"
Whistles tunelessly
Alessia stomps back into the small room with the purple skull bobbing meekly after, orange hat bobbing on his smooth pate. Manhayth returns from his arrow retrieval mission and grimaces
“And I thought lycan hunting was a risky profession”
"Well, There are 'risks', and then there are 'RISKS'." Justin replies sagely.
"The 'risks' are to be expected when you're in an adventuring crew. But 'RISKS'? I think I'd rather try placing my head in a Red Dragon's maw, and place a bet on him NOT sampling the or'derve, than risk annoying another member of the Rose crew. Especially the women. The Dragon would be safer. Just sayin'."
;P
The party hears Memnon talking loudly - instructing Alessia as to what he needs
“OK. Now grasp that spine looking thingy. Yes! Gently…I SAID GENTLY! DO YOU WANT TO SEND US TO TARTERUS!??!! Now rotate the second vertebrae from the break until the broken piece comes off. Yes, that’s good. Now , I’m going to slowly back towards it, and I want you to gently attach it to where a normal spine would be on this skull. Got it? Ok. One two .. OH SWEET MOTHER OF MERGATROYD! I SAID GENTLY! THIS ISNT ONE OF YOUR SWORDS TO JAM INTO A FOE, SISTER!!! OWWW!!”
After a bit more bickering and a few suspicious crashes, they both come out. Memnon griping loudly, Alessia silent, but radiating a certain homicidal intensity
“Well, I found the door. We can kill two goblins with one sling stone. The exit is in Ranerius’ reincarnation room. Which is in the town, in the Black Tower”
"Good work you two."
Justin seems pensive as he looks between Alessia and Memnon.
Either he's very confused by what just happened, ...
,...or he is trying to hold back laughter.
"Um, We have a destination. And apparently a time table. Hamar, if you would lead the way?"
"Town, Black Tower...
Do we know who or what lives in this town?"
He looks at the sole road away from the ziggurat and starts heading in that direction, slowly enough for everyone to keep up.
The party notices that the sun has steadied in its output. Looking up, it is no longer a giant eyeball. Now instead a large flaming skull wearing a hat with a Pom Pom twirls lazily in the sky, looking somewhat smug, despite being fashioned of plasma
The Barbarian raises an eyebrow at the Mimir but says nothing further.
The party descends off the ziggurat and enters the surrounding jungle. The road leading away is fashioned of black stones, well fitted together. It seems well tended- the forest is cut back from the edge with a ruler-like precision.
Memnon Sun beats down on them as they walk on, but the jungle canopy affords them some shelter. They occasionally pass a statue by the road, all in a typical desert culture style. Humanoid bodies and beast heads seem to be the most popular motif.
After about an hour’s walk, the jungle gives way to tilled fields. A large placid river fills the distance, its surface speckled with boats of various sizes sailing along. Figures till the earth, but it is difficult to discern exactly what kind of folk these are
The party notices that the sun has steadied in its output. Looking up, it is no longer a giant eyeball. Now instead a large flaming skull wearing a hat with a Pom Pom twirls lazily in the sky, looking somewhat smug, despite being fashioned of plasma
Justin Looks at Memnon, and opens his mouth,...
Then closes it abruptly.Seems the wordy-wizard can learn self-control. Slowly. Sometimes.
Still following Hamar & Manhaynth, Justin peers towards the farming figures,...
Justin notes that the figures seem to be defined by their very lack of definition. Some are quite tall. Others are short. Some look broad as dwarves, some as spindly as certain elvish races. The exposed skins seem to run in a rainbow of colors, including some piebald combinations
Hamar moves forward, wary of the folk but knowing there is little to do until they threaten, if they threaten, the Silver Rose.
"Anyother place that might seem a little strange" Merle mumbles more to herself as the group walks along
Alessia also makes her way to the front of the group as they follow the road, her eyes fixed on the horizon.
"Tower..."
"Any other place that might seem a little strange" Merle mumbles more to herself as the group walks along
"Just another day for the Silver Rose."
Justin murmurs in agreement.
A group of what they take to be farmers approach them. They are driving a cart with two oxen, piled with sheaves of tall wheat. There a five of them, one old, two middle aged, two young teen - all male. They are dressed in simple white linen tunics with conical straw hats to shade from the sun. They carry scythes- the long-handled types.
They gawp at the party as they pass, and they doff their hats, bowing respectfully. To the party’s surprise they resemble nothing so much as Hivers from Sigil. They have the look of that ward - the mixture of generations of different ancestries living and loving together until it is impossible to tell where one’s ancestors came from. The oldest one makes and odd gesture with his hand and gabbles in an archaic dialect of Common
“Blessings of the Reborn Lord upon you, O strangers! May this unworthy one aid you?”
Hamar cocks his head but responds in kind, "Uh... blessings to you as well.
We seek a place called the Black Tower. I do not see it on the horizon and I would have expected to, can you point us in the correct direction?"
The old man blanches and covers his eyes with his hands. The others in his party follow suit. After a few moments he removes them and addresses Hamar, trembling slightly
“Truly, you are most powerful and wise to seek the abode of the Reborn Lord, Master of the Sphere of Eternal Glory. The Black Tower lies in his capital, yonder”
He points with a shaking hand to a collection of buildings just visible on the horizon by the rivers edge
Justin blinks.
The wizard looks at the others, then back to the farmers.
"Wise enough to seek council with the Reborn Lord on,... important matters. Your assistance is appreciated. We can mention your helpfulness when we meet with the Reborn Lord. If you wish."
Justin nods to Hamar and Maynhayth. Signaling they should go.
"Go in peace, with our thanks." He adds to the farmers.
Justin suddenly realizes something,...
and hopes that the farmers don't see Memnon floating behind him. Or notice the striking resemblance the Mimir bears to their new 'sun'.
"Maybe the tower goes down instead of up?" Karrin wonders.
Hamar grimaces, "Have we any magic to speed the pace of this trip?" Even the magic hesitant Barbarian is eager to get on with this it seems!