DM Bigrin's Second Darkness (Inactive)

Game Master bigrin42

Bruendor surfaces to listen to Kelendra, nods, and dives again, taking a deep breath of water. He then gets out of the pool and begins searching the doors for traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

Bruendor felt heavy and bloated, with his lungs full of water and his clothes sopping wet. Out of the water, he could see the jelly-like appearance of his right arm, from wrist to shoulder. It was unnerving, to say the least.

The door was neither locked nor trapped, and Bruendor managed to indicate that to the others while being unable to talk.

Bruendor held both of his thumbs up to his friends, then returned to the pool where he could breathe safely. Gods, this feels unnatural. And the water tastes like squid slime. Ugh, I've got squid slime in my lungs!

Stepping back, Calla pivots and nocks another arrow, this one aimed directly at Lefrik's chest.

"Are you quite through?" she asks coldly.

The fetal positioned Lefrik slowly unwound as he recovered himself, "I... that horrible thing was in my head, what did I..." He glances over at Calla, and a terrible look of guilt overcomes him as he eyes the wound he delivered, "Calla. I am so sorry. It was like I couldn't think about anything but killing you...it made me..." The ulfen looks positively ill, "I'm sorry. I don't know how I can make this up to you, but I will try."

Calla pauses for a few moments and then lets the tension off her bow.

"Don't worry about it, Blondie. It was just like being back home. Hells, I didn't even suffer as bad an injury as I did at Father's."

Like the time the bookshelf just happened to fall as I walked past. Yes, Father, I'm sure that was just a nearly tragic accident. Nearly, if only because I survived.

She pulls out a wand and heals herself as Bruendor works on the door.

1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Stealth 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32. Perception 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

As soon as the door is open, even if only a small crack, the Duchess slips through and starts scouting. She uses her powers of inconspicuousness as best she can and keeps her senses peeled, all while relaying telepathic information to Anklebiter.

Calla pauses for a few moments and then lets the tension off her bow.

"Don't worry about it, Blondie. It was just like being back home. Hells, I didn't even suffer as bad an injury as I did at Father's."

Like the time the bookshelf just happened to fall as I walked past. Yes, Father, I'm sure that was just a nearly tragic accident. Nearly, if only because I survived.

She pulls out a wand and heals herself as Bruendor works on the door.

1d8+1
1d8+1

"Forgetting this is one thing I'm not sure I can do," He says looking with worry at Bruendor, "Do we know how long that will last?"

"I think he said it could take hours," Anklebiter says, shrugging helplessly - and his body starts to jiggle like jell-o, obliging the Goblin to hug himself and bring the process to a stop.

"Note to self," the Goblin says, grimacing, "less body language until we can find a way to fix this."

Kel tends to the translucent flesh on Anklebiter as she tries her best to understand what healing art will cure the condition.

Heal check: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16

"Maybe salt will help draw out the moisture?" Kel offers helpfully, having never dealt with slugs in the garden.

Anklebiter carefully pulls his arm out of Kelendra's hands.

"I need my moisture in, not out," he says, sternly. "So does Bruendor. That is what makes this condition a problem."

"Having killed nearly one companion, I am reluctant to desert another." Lefrik said firmly, "What say the rest of you?"

"I don't like it either, but the Elves may not have the time we need," Anklebiter says, glumly. "Magic might fix the problems. If we had the right kind."

"Then here is what we do. If we must leave him here, then we leave him with a potion of healing and other gear to increase his chances. We go to rescue the elves. Anklebitter, my friend, you try to figure out whether this is a curse or what, and if you figure out what it is, we might be able to learn who among the elves could help, be it one of their priests or own wizards. We rescue the elves, they restore Bruendor, and later we all get drinks to try to forget we ever had to face that miserable abomination. What say you all?" He looks to Bruendor, not wanting to desert him ,but definitely wanting him to nod or shake his head for the vote.

Figuring out potential cures: Knowledge (arcana) 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24, Knowledge (religion) 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

"Hmm. There is... This is just a stupid idea, but... If we have a helmet and can stop up the bottom once Bruendor has it on, we can pour water in through the eye-holes. Kelendra could keep making fresh water and Bruendor just has to tip over if the water gets stale. Then he could come with us. But do we have a full-face helmet?"

"Really?" Calla asks acerbically. "Perhaps we can set up a catapult too, while we're at it, and just knock down all the walls and not have to explore at all. He's not in pain, and should be as safe here as anywhere. Maybe you can leave your little pet with him just in case, when she comes back."

I think that plan's more trouble than it's worth, unfortunately. Let's just hope there's not a lot left to do here and we can get back quickly once Duchess reports.

I agree with Calla. We don't have the luxury of waiting for the aboleth's slime ability to wear off. This is a military exercise, and the mission continues without me. I'll be fine, but Shalelu and her crew might not be if we wait on me.

So, are you opening the doors beyond this room? Or doubling back to the southern dome?

can Duchess scout back in the dome while we were figuring out what to do about the conditions, then she'll scout the path ahead through the double doors once we known nothing is behind us

If DM Bigrin will allow the retcon, I'm fine with doing just that. *salutes*

She cannot get through the closed door to the south dome. Unless, of course, she wants to exit the Academy and fly in through the hole in the roof.

How much more time would that take, given the urgency of the mission?

Assuming you ran into no difficulties, it wouldn't take more than 5 minutes to fly back out the way you came in, zip over to the hole in the southern dome's roof, and fly back.

I'll stand by my previous Perception and Stealth rolls when needed. Is the party content to follow this course of action?

Fine by me.

Thumbs up from me as well.

Duchess flutters off, stealthily makes her way outside while keeping an eye out for danger, and finds the gap in the dome.

Perception 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22. Stealth 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

Duchess flew off, making for the entrance, and from there to the hole in the roof of the southern dome. She squinted into the bright sky, the light searing her sensitive eyes after so long in the darkened interior of the academy. Quickly regaining her bearings, the construct flew to the southern dome, looking for the opening that she had been told of.

Zooming to the opening, she looked in to see a long chamber with raised seating on opposite sides of a pool of water. The seats are populated by dozens of elven corpses in various states of decay, and the stench is quite strong. Some look to have been dead for weeks, while others less than a day. Many show signs of being wet, and some appear to have been crushed by a great force.

*********

Back in the aboleth's room, Bruendor was resubmerged, his dwarven eyes stinging, not used to being in the water. With an internal groan he realized what this constant submersion might be doing to all of the equipment in his packs and pouches.

As Anklebiter and Kelendra discussed the jellylike consistency of his and Bruendor's flesh, they determine that it might possible be a type of quick-acting disease. Remove Disease, or a similar spell should counter the effects...maybe.

"Duchess reports," Anklebiter says, describing everything the homunculus sees to the others. "I think those corpses may be raw materials for zombification, me. Might also be something else that lives in water - or else there's a connecting tunnel for the ugly fish we killed. Maybe Bruendor could look?"

Duchess stays close to the ceiling as she scouts the room, looking for a way to continue onward.

Ah, that'd be nice. Sadly, we have no access to that, I don't think.

Calla waits impatiently...

Duchess saw only one exit from the room, the door likely leading to the hallway where the dead elves had been shackled to the wall.

Given his predicament, Bruendor searches the bottom of the pool, spending the remaining hours going over the entirety of his temporary home.

Taking 20 on Perception, since I've nothing better to do. That nets me a 31.

I'll need swim checks on that, but here's what you can tell right off

Sometime between when Bruendor first jumped into the pool and now - likely when the aboleth died - the floor of the pool disappeared. It was replaced with a cavernous tunnel that turned to run beneath the walls.

Anklebiter dutifully reports what Duchess has seen, then bids her return.

"We can only go forward, I guess."

"I will take lead if you like," Lefrik said, "Though they'll hear me coming no doubt," A darkly humored chuckle. I have come to rely too much on Brue's shadow work and skills, I've come to rely on all of them. Yet I would not trade it. Still, I nearly killed one, and that horrofies me, "Anklebitter, assuming we live through this, are their items of power that can be found or made to protect a warrior's mind from outside control?"

Taking 10 on the Swim checks nets me an 17, which should be fine for still water. The only thing that fails on is stormy water, which I doubt I'm in. Also, if there's a cavern, then that changes my availability slightly! How deep is the tunnel? Does it go beyond the limit of my 60' darkvision?

"I am sure there must be, giant friend Lefrik Olegson. Give me some time to look into it; I have a long list of things to make for us all! Demon-killing weapons, belts of dexterity for you and Calla and Bruendor, an intellect-enhancer for me, a boyfriend for Calla, pearls of power, a cloak of charisma for Kelendra..."

The tunnel stretches beyond Bruendor's line of sight, bending outward to form a horizontal, more or less, tunnel about twenty feet in diameter. As he swims lower, Bruendor can feel a current moving outwards, trying to gently but firmly drag him down the tunnel.

-5 penalty to your swim check to fight the current, making it rough water

Bruendor frowns as he notes the undertoe, and begins to swim back up. No idea where that goes, he thinks to himself. Could go all the way to the Darklands for all I know.

Kel listens in horror as Anklebiter describes the chamber of dead elves. "How awful! Maybe they were using the aboleth to explore their minds and learn what secret they could of the elven plans against them, these ruins, or about the armageddon echo?"

"Keep your mind focused on the task at hand, Goblin," Calla replies sharply. "You may have created yourself a little companion, but I'll have none of that. Now, let's move. We do nothing but make sure more elves are fodder for the drow's sick plans by standing around here."

She casts one backward glance at Bruendor as she moves toward the door.

"Be careful, beardless. Remember, you can likely use the water to protect you should any but us enter this room."

Bruendor nods from beneath the pool's surface. I'll drag in anyone gets too close, he thinks to himself. I'm going to make this curse work for me as long as I have it.

"I'll fly back and forth so we can all keep in touch," Duchess promises.

Anklebiter smiles briefly at having gotten Calla's goat, then waves sadly at Bruendor, mutters a cantrip and shuffles along behind the others.

Stealth 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17. Renewing Detect Magic. Spellcraft 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32

Lefrik still seems somewhat demoralized from his mind having been taken earlier
Stealth: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Like the doors to the summoning room, as the first door opens, a hidden mechanism moved the other. With a soft rumbling sound, the large double doors swing open to reveal a towering archway made of shimmering black stone. The archway's keystone seems strangely out of place. Unlike the surrounding black stone, the keystone is a pale gray, and bears fragments of a spiky set of Thassilonian runes.

Inside the archway is a world of shadows in which a strangely beautiful elven city can be seen. Smears of blood along the floor seem to lead straight up to and through the archway into the flickering world beyond.

Here's the map

"That must be the Echo. And of course it looks they dragged the elves in there..."

I'm feeling a little bit of a dilemma now. I suspect if we go in and explore, we could be in there for a while -- which seems unfair to Bruendor. I wonder if we should explore the rest of this area out here first and see if we can find some cure for him?

"Wait. Let me read the runes and check the magic first," Anklebiter cautions.

Spellcraft 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31 and trying to interpret the runes... Linguistics 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

Anklebiter can't make head or tail of the runes as script, because they were arcane runes, rather than language runes. Also, they were severely fragmented, so even interpreting them individually was difficult. Still, he had the sense that he had seen something like it before.

"Just a moment, Anklebiter, this feels all wrong, let me protect us before we advance on that black gate."

cast Protection from Evil, Communal and include Bruendor, 10 minutes each

With the party under the protection of Desna, Kel turns her attention back to the gate. "I don't know if I've read anything about entire elven cities trapped behind a planar gate?"

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11