DMDM's Strange Aeons

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

Vitæ listens to myriad of chatter Offspring is throwing at them and attempts to take mental notes as best he can.

"Offspring, have you had a meal recently? Would you like some food? And, mm did you say something about ghouls?"

DM Vitæ has Detect Magic still working I believe, and rolled 22 for Diplomacy.

Suggestion, Kyleen, Oracle and gents, let's post a guard and search both rooms thoroughly but not tarry more than we need to. We have been 'lucky' but let's not push it. Search as best we can then return to the chapel.

DMDM, which room is bigger and is there a systemic way to best look through both rooms.

Sometimes, it's not only us who asks the questions. Myself - I can't even remember before the quake. And, as for ... 'crazy' ... The oracle non-threateningly steps closer to Rocksauce, glancing around at her companions. Looking back to the girl, leaning in with eyes wide, she whispers to her, as if to confide: Can you hear them, too?

1d20 ⇒ 18

Rocksauce actually makes eye contact with you, although it's sidelong.

"Yeah, no. I don't hear them." She glances away, then back again. "But... if you wait a while, like maybe tomorrow, I can try talking to them maybe then."

"Offspring, have you had a meal recently? Would you like some food? And, mm did you say something about ghouls?"[/ooc]

Offspring Rocksauce stares you up and down for a long time before replying. A long, awkward time. Finally she says, "Not hungry."

There's another long pause. Then, "Pretty sure it was ghouls that got Dori."

Pulling out a food ration, Vitæ offers the food anyway.

'It's not much, but please take it. The deer jerky is not too salty. You can eat in private if you choose.'

Does Detect Magic spot anything in this room?

'What's special about the Mirror?'

Pulling out a food ration, Vitæ offers the food anyway.

'It's not much, but please take it. The deer jerky is not too salty. You can eat in private if you choose.'

She takes the deer jerky and looks at it. Then she looks at you.

"Not." She drops it to the floor. "Hungry." She turns away.

She probably is going for the aspiring model Prestige Class.

Vitæ begins a search of the room, maintaining Detect Magic.

I assume that's the deputy director's office?

Yordan helps Vitae search. He carefully avoids touching the mammoth stone or the mirror, but throughly examines the desk.

Take 20 on Perception for a 27 there.

I agree, we should search these two rooms, then take the doppleganer corpses back and try to get into the guarded area so we can rest and recover.

"Don't look straight at the mirror." He cautions Yordan as he moves into the room.

"Who has that small mirror we found earlier? May I borrow it? I'd like to look at the mirror through it."

Mrakala also, carefully, avoids direct eye contact with the mirror.

We can start in that room.

Assist Yordan: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Moving in behind the others, Kyleen looks about the office. As the others begin to search, she casts a quick spell attempting to discern any unknown magical auras that might be about, focusing particularly on the mammoth and the mirror.

Cast Detect Magic

No Spellcraft

Interesting, I wonder why the statuette is untouched.

Perception(mammoth): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Yordan hands Mrakala the mirror and continues searching.

Mrakala peeks at the mirror through the steel mirror. "Rocksauce, why did you warn us away from the mammoth? What sort of trap does it trigger? Also..where is Carl?"

1d20 ⇒ 8

Kyleen, nothing in this room shows as magic except the mirror. The mirror is radiating faint conjuration magic. Obviously, you have to look at the mirror in order to see this, which means...

...nothing. Nothing happens when you look in the mirror. 1d20 ⇒ 17 Well, nothing except that there's a large book and a wand sitting on the desk in the mirror. They aren't on the actual desk in the room.

Vitæ continues to help the Ranger with his investigation of the room.

DM I think our Perception is at 29.

Next to Yordan, Vitæ looks over to the Wizard.

'This may interest you, there appears to be a reflection of a tome and wand within the Mirror. They sit upon that desk. There is an aura of Conjuration coming from the Mirror. What would you surmise from all that?'

The Wizard sure gets a lot of Stuff. We get stabbed and rat food critics.

Arcane: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

"I think..."

Kyleen looks at the mirror and then the desk and then back at the mirror.
I do not have the magic ability to really analyze this, but if I had to guess, there is a trigger somewhere to operate the mirror. Probably you say something and/or perform some action. This is probably what the doppleganger girl was looking for when we found her.

"What, you can't just reach into the mirror--" Yordan breaks off. "Never mind me."

Quiet for a moment after Rocksauce's reply, Nameless nods. Tomorrow. Or a while. Okay, that would be great. Appreciated, even. She offers a quick smile and almost reaches out to squeeze the younger girl's arm but restrains the impulse. Instead she just whispers, Thank you.

"Interesting turn of events. Wouldn't you all say?"

"..."

The oracle peeks into the office where the rest of her comrades are fussing over the mirror.

"WeLl NoW, tHaT's An ObScUrE mEtHoD i HaVeN't SeEn SiNcE ..."

Fugue Recall (Spellcraft/low): 1d100 ⇒ 10
Fugue Recall (Knowledge (Planes)/low): 1d100 ⇒ 5

Huzzah! Interested in using Spellcraft (+5) and/or Knowledge (Planes) (+5) to see if they yield anything about the mirror and/or mammoth. @DMDM - I didn't directly roll as I'm not sure when to do so and when to just inform you.

Aloud, Nameless inquires: The mirror? The mammoth? What ... what's obscure about it?

Not a music fan then. The long and short of it Ms. Sauce is that we do not remember most of the details of how we got where we are. Perhaps you would be interested in serving as a guide of sorts for us?

did I miss a reply to this?

Ghelik stands at the inside corner to the entrance to the rooms, lying in wait for anything to come through the doors. The others seemed to have the searching in hand.

"Don't look straight at the mirror." He cautions Yordan as he moves into the room.

"Who has that small mirror we found earlier? May I borrow it? I'd like to look at the mirror through it."

Mrakala also, carefully, avoids direct eye contact with the mirror.

Clever-clever. Of course, Kyleen has already looked into the mirror. (She seems fine.)

Mrakala peeks at the mirror through the steel mirror. "Rocksauce, why did you warn us away from the mammoth? What sort of trap does it trigger? Also..where is Carl?"

That gets you one of those sidelong glances, but no response.

Yordan is still going through all the stuff scattered around the office. (Taking 20 and all that. We're now up to a 29 on the Perception check: anyone else want to assist?)

I am particularly looking for anything that might mention us, or the Red Ward, or people named Winter or Rocksauce.

[dice=Arcane]1d20+9

"I think..."

Conjuration would be either calling/summoning something, or moving something -- teleportation, a gateway. Mirrors have certainly been used for all those things.

Fritz Fritzman wrote:

Not a music fan then. The long and short of it Ms. Sauce is that we do not remember most of the details of how we got where we are. Perhaps you would be interested in serving as a guide of sorts for us?

did I miss a reply to this?

Sidelong glance with added lip curl.

Yordan is still going through all the stuff scattered around the office. (Taking 20 and all that. We're now up to a 29 on the Perception check: anyone else want to assist?)

I am particularly looking for anything that might mention us, or the Red Ward, or people named Winter or Rocksauce.

There are a LOT of papers scattered around. First, the bad news: this was the logistics hub. So there are lots of records of purchases of supplies, maintenance, repairs, and like that. But no patient records. If this place has those, they weren't kept here.

On the plus side, careful examination of the records could tell you some things. For starters, right away you get the name of this place!

BRIARSTONE MENTAL ASYLUM

Might there be a map of Briarstone anywhere around here? The maintenance guys would certainly want blueprints...

Mrakala picks up a piece of detritus such as a small piece of wood or something and chucks it at the mirror. He doesn't want to break it, just see something small bounce off or go through.

Might there be a map of Briarstone anywhere around here? The maintenance guys would certainly want blueprints...

No maps. It wasn't that big, and everyone knew where everything was.

Mrakala picks up a piece of detritus such as a small piece of wood or something and chucks it at the mirror. He doesn't want to break it, just see something small bounce off or go through.

It bounces off.

However, a moment later a man walks into view around the edge of the mirror.

Man in the Mirror cover

"Um. Hello?"

He's a shortish human male in late middle age, balding, with a neatly trimmed goatee. His clothes are good, but ragged; he looks like he's been in a struggle. He has little round glasses.

Also, he's translucent -- you can see the opposite wall right through him -- and he's glowing a faint blue-grey color. And he's floating a few inches off the ground.

(He's strictly in the mirror; you don't see him here in the room with you.)

'Er Offspring, are you by chance familiar with this ... gentleman?'

'Er Offspring, are you by chance familiar with this ... gentleman?'

Sidelong glance. Then, "You're seeing the Deputy Director, right?" Rocksauce reaches over to the desk and picks up the mammoth paperweight. "Little dude with glasses and one of those pointy beards?"

The man in the mirror stares at you for several moments. Then he rushes forward and puts his hands against the glass. "Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?" His voice is faint, as if coming from another room, but you can hear him.

Suddenly seeing the man, Kyleen steps forward to the mirror:
Yes. Who are you. Why are you in the mirror? How do you get out?

'You did say not to pick up the mammoth paperweight ....'

Does she look like she's about to hurl that thing at the Mirror, because we may want to stop her.

Yordan is still searching through the papers for anything useful, but he takes a brief pause to look at whatever's going on around the desk and mirror.

Suddenly seeing the man, Kyleen steps forward to the mirror:

Yes. Who are you. Why are you in the mirror? How do you get out?

"Lady of Graves. What happened to your... and what is that..." This last is said staring at Vitae, with a horrified look. Then, he seems to steady himself. He glances over his shoulder, then leans towards the glass.

"Excuse me. Many things appear... different. Tell me... you are in Briarstone? What is happening over there? What day is it? Where is Director Losandro?" He sounds nervous, almost frantic.

It's just Kyleen and Vitae, yes? Nobody else seems to want to interact here, right?

Nameless walks over to stand behind the trio speaking to the mirror, and stares without a word - aloud or internal - watching the scene unfold.

As soon as the man appears and starts talking Fritz moves up and watches. Hello good sir, perhaps you can tell us what is going on here?

Yordan's ears perk up at the mention of the Lady of Graves, but he remains well away from the desk. Reflections in mirrors aren't something he knows how to hunt. He does keep an eye on Rocksauce in case she starts reacting to all of this.

Mrakala approaches the mirror with a frown, mumbling under his breath as he casts Identify on the mirror.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (10) + 19 = 29

"Let's see what this does.."

Kyleen reaches out and touches the mirror, placing her hand against the apparition's hand and against the glass.
I believe we are in Briarstone. We have not yet found, or met, Director Losandro. As far as what has happened here, we truly do not know. We were prisoners and most of our memories were erased. It appears that the prison was attacked by dopplegangers, we are seeking to ferret them out, and kill them, now.

Ghelik hears a strange voice and rushes to the edge of the room...when he sees his allies conversing with a mirror he shakes his head, madness.... He turns around and goes back to guarding the entrance, hidden as best he can around the corner.

With a rough sigh, Mrakala shakes his head. "Can we please desist from informing every stranger we encounter of every weakness and piece of knowledge we know? Did not just one, but two of the creature's just fool us and attack us?"

Mrakala approaches the mirror with a frown, mumbling under his breath as he casts Identify on the mirror.

[dice=Spellcraft]1d20+19

"Let's see what this does.."

Wine stirred with an owl feather: someone (you?) considerately left several small vials of wine in the desk in the puzzle box.

Okay: the mirror is not itself a magic item! There's some sort of spell or SLA cast on it. It's not one you're familiar with... but it makes you uneasy. Something could be drawn into that mirror, or come out of it.

As soon as the man appears and starts talking Fritz moves up and watches. Hello good sir, perhaps you can tell us what is going on here?

"Madness." He laughs, hollowly. Very hollowly. "We are in the mouth of madness... and, ugh." He recoils a little. "You seem... normal enough. But your companions... do they really look like that?"

Kyleen reaches out and touches the mirror, placing her hand against the apparition's hand and against the glass.

I believe we are in Briarstone. We have not yet found, or met, Director Losandro. As far as what has happened here, we truly do not know. We were prisoners and most of our memories were erased. It appears that the prison was attacked by dopplegangers, we are seeking to ferret them out, and kill them, now.

"Doppelgangers... things that change? Yes. Yes." Again he looks over his shoulder. "There may not be much time. Can you let me out?"

"I do not believe we should let him out. I do not know why the Director is in that mirror or how he got in there. As I stated earlier, I suspect this entire facility's fate is tied to the actions of those in charge, not to some outside invasion"

Mrakala steps away from the mirror, folding his arms. "This is not a magic item, there is..some sort of spell cast on it, but I do not know what. I suspect I have an idea of how to work it..but I do not think using it is a good idea."

Is the wine stirred with an owl feather a way to use the mirror?