DMDM's Strange Aeons

Game Master Douglas Muir 406

Yordan shudders in agreement, briefly fingering the piece of pruning shears in his belt pouch.

"Let us finish searching here, and then we will go back with our load of skinwalker bodies."

I think there are three here: the one we found dead, the old woman and Not-Rocksauce. Do we need to go back down into that pit as well for the fourth doppleganger, Dr. Not-Fritz?

Yordan continues looking through the desk papers and anything else that looks interesting, careful to keep one hand on his glaive.

Yes finish searching both rooms as we have started pages ago!! Please. Post a guard, the others can Aid Vitæ and Yordan.

It will give Mrakala time to recover.

We have 3 Doppelgänger bodies right here! And whatever Rocksauce is.

With a nasty glare at Offspring, the wizard sneers. An expression that's heightened by the slight..melting.."Predictable, hm? Who was the one who left the damn mirror alone. I said we should leave it be.."

He covers his mouth and heaves, leaving a heaping mess of liquid on the floor, hacking and coughing. "The sooner we get out of here the better."

You will need a minute to convalesce Saruman, it will give us time to search. And maybe some Knowldge rolls, what was that thing.

Kyleen shakes her head, slowly coming to her senses.
I do not know what happened. But, I think that some of the doctor's spirit is now within me. I think he was the leader of the place.

She then looks at Rocksauce and then to her companions.
I agree that we should take the bodies of the creatures back so that we can rest. All of us are a little beaten up.

"Contiue our search of the rooms, help us and this will go quickly. Yordan and I have been long at this."

Fritz and I can keep an eye on things while you search. But make it quick, we don't know what else is wunderin' around out here.

"Quick, right," Yordan sighs, looking through the piles of spilled paperwork, and concentrating on the stuff that looks like it came from the desk. Wincing, he bends over and looks at what might still be legible, but keeping one eye on Rocksauce.

She might play another trick...

A few minutes of searching turns up only a few items of potential value or interest.

-- a wooden holy symbol of Pharasma
-- a pair of gaudy red leather boots with cat skin lining
-- a masterwork silver dagger, found in a locker full of what looks like grass-stained hunter’s clothes. It's engraved with complex designs (doesn't radiate magic, perhaps they're just art) but looks perfectly usable.
-- the mammoth paperweight, which is carved out of some semi-precious stone.

"Sure, loot the place, that's sure to work out well." Rocksauce rolls her eyes. "You people."

You never know what you might need little one.

1d6 ⇒ 5

Mm hm.

DM no notes, records or ledgers?

DM no notes, records or ledgers?

Yes, but nothing obviously useful. This office oversaw stuff like purchases, accounts receivable, and construction -- the nuts and bolts. Careful review of the papers might turn up something of interest, but it would take hours or days of study. (And, of course, a lot of the files and records have been spoiled.)

Yordan takes the masterwork silver dagger, unless somebody else has a better chance to use it, and the paperweight.

"OK, I think we're ready to go."

"I already looked," says Rocksauce. "Patient records would be in Wing D. If you're recent -- you're recent, right? -- might still be in Intake."

Rocksauce glances at Yordan. "Yeah, it's a paperweight. It's made of Irrisen malachite. It's not magic and it doesn't do anything, but you could probably sell it to a dealer for, I dunno, twenty crowns? Nice workmanship, and the Irrisen don't have a lot of stonecarvers. Most of their stuff is bone or stone." She shrugs. "I guess the Deputy Director won't be using it any more."

If you don't mind I was going to take it. I don't have a second weapon for TWF right now, I am borrowing Mrkala's dagger so I could give his back to him.

Let's see if we can't find our records before we go back.

"I already looked," says Rocksauce. "Patient records would be in Wing D. If you're recent -- you're recent, right? -- might still be in Intake."

"Uh... I just said." Rocksauce looks sidelong through her hair at Fritz. "I guess a few tiles fell out of the ceiling there... anyway. You going to Winter's place, or what?"

DM did you count our search attempts for both the Deputy Director's room the room we had combat in?

-- a masterwork silver dagger, found in a locker full of what looks like grass-stained hunter’s clothes. It's engraved with complex designs (doesn't radiate magic, perhaps they're just art)

Kyleen, Mrakala, when your brains are less oatmeal, can you please check if this is significant.

I am not going to Wing D. Not to- ... today? Tonight? Whatever. Let's get to safety. To the chapel. Winter's. Wing D, or wherever, will be there after we sleep. Nameless looks around to the group. And if it is not, then we likely won't be alive to worry about finding our records.

I havetr' agree...we need rest and infermation....let's go. He will throw a body over his shoulder...

Yordan tosses the silver dagger to Ghelik, and puts the paperweight in his belt pouch.

A reminder that sometimes I need someone else to save my soul. Or my friends'. Are they friends? Were they friends? Did we even know each other? How did we get here??!

"Let's go back to Winter's."

"Uh... I just said." Rocksauce looks sidelong through her hair at Fritz. "I guess a few tiles fell out of the ceiling there... anyway. You going to Winter's place, or what?"

Apparently Rocksauce is eager/wants to come back with us now?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Waiting for DM to answer if the search was for the earlier combat room as well, and for Mrakala or Kyleen to make Knowledge rolls, then yes head back to the chapel.

Due to whatever is affecting her, Kyleen is not really paying attention. However, when she sees the strange dagger, she does examine the runes, delving into her piecemeal memories to see if they trigger any cognitive responses.

Knowledge(everything): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24 <-- -4 for history or nobility

I agree, we need to get to where we can rest. However, with all the insanity of this place, even beyond the barrier, I believe we will have to be very careful and watchful.

"Rocksauce," Yordan says after a minute, "would you mind telling me something only you know -- doesn't have to be important, but something someone pretending to be you might not be able to come up with on short notice. Just in case we run into someone looking like you, who isn't?"

Apparently Rocksauce is eager/wants to come back with us now?

[dice=Sense Motive] d20 +4

She seems nice.

Waiting for DM to answer if the search was for the earlier combat room as well, and for Mrakala or Kyleen to make Knowledge rolls, then yes head back to the chapel.

That was for both rooms.

Fritz waits for the party to be ready. Several times he starts to speak, but he just cannot find words. He is flummoxed

When the wizard responds, he responds tiredly. "I agree with Nameless and Yordan...let's go elsewhere." he gives a look at Offspring. You know the look. The look that you give to the kids, regardless of how polite they are, a shortcut through your backyard. The look you give Little Jimmy for being just a little too smart.

In essence, Mrakala really doesn't like that girl.

"Rocksauce," Yordan says after a minute, "would you mind telling me something only you know -- doesn't have to be important, but something someone pretending to be you might not be able to come up with on short notice. Just in case we run into someone looking like you, who isn't?"

Have Rocksauce tell us something here only she would know that the sentries would be able to verify, let's ask now, if she was reading their minds she would not be able to from here. Good plan.

DM how far is it to the chapel from here? We have to bring those 3 bodies.

"Yordan, Ghelik, with your skills, could you prop something behind each door to these rooms? So that if something comes in or out of them, we would know about it is we pass through this area again."

Vitæ eyes the torn roof with concern, and remembers the flying Things outside.

"Rocksauce," Yordan says after a minute, "would you mind telling me something only you know -- doesn't have to be important, but something someone pretending to be you might not be able to come up with on short notice. Just in case we run into someone looking like you, who isn't?"

Rocksauce rolls her eyes, hard.

"I told you dopes, it doesn't work that way! Surface thoughts, they pick right up. You need personality stuff, or muscle memory. Or --"

She suddenly barks out several sentences in a strange, harsh language. It's staccato, full of hard vowels and fricatives punctuated by sudden tongue-clicks.

"That's A*ut KhiiZ! A-Teruk, the True Twisted Speech created at the Fall. A copycat might understand it, but wouldn't speak it. It's a b+#!% to learn if you don't grow up with it. You meet something that looks like me, I'm not there to help you, ask it to recite a few lines of the Pandects, in the original." Rocksauce spreads her hands. "Anything else? Need help with your bootlaces, or crossing the street, or cutting your breakfast toast into nice pieces?"

When the wizard responds, he responds tiredly. "I agree with Nameless and Yordan...let's go elsewhere." he gives a look at Offspring. You know the look. The look that you give to the kids, regardless of how polite they are, a shortcut through your backyard. The look you give Little Jimmy for being just a little too smart.

In essence, Mrakala really doesn't like that girl.

This gets the closest thing to a smile you've yet seen from her.

"You did catch that there never was an Old Carl, right?". She flips her hair. "Wizards. So smart they're stupid."

Okay, so you collect the three bodies. That done, it's a straightforward walk back down the hall back to the makeshift barricade. Nothing bothers you on the way, though you do hear a faint rumble of thunder from outside.

The guard leader's eyes widen. "You actually... uh, wait here while I get Winter." He does a double take. "Wait, is that Rocksauce? I mean..."

"Duh." This gets the trifecta: hair flip, eye roll, and sneer. "I told you I'd be fine."

The guard leader's eyes widen. "You actually... uh, wait here while I get Winter." He does a double take. "Wait, is that Rocksauce? I mean..."

With a sigh, Mrakala nods. "It is, I'm sorry. We weren't able to get rid of her."

DM anything on the Knowldge rolls from the writing on the dagger? And we picked up the bankets on the way back.

Rocksauce gave me the creeps, now I want to play her.

"Where the Acts of Identity issue in the Pandects and the Code," Yordan quotes, then freezes. "Wait... who wrote that?"

He is silent the rest of the way back to Winter's, and moves shambling and slow, pain catching up with him, mental more than physical.

Hearing the structured monotone tongue that is the language of the infernal, Kyleen pops out of her temporary confusion.

Not expecting a response from the girl, but at the same time knowing that she may well speak the language of the Abyss, Kyleen looks to the others.

When we get back to a safe place, I have some figuring out to do. Need to figure out exactly what the good Doctor wants with me. Might be best not to mention it to the guards, who knows what other superstitions they have decided might come true with all the strange things going on here.

DM anything on the Knowldge rolls from the writing on the dagger? And we picked up the bankets on the way back.

It's Varisian. The decorations are traditional. Sczarni use these daggers, but not only Sczarni.

Rocksauce gave me the creeps, now I want to play her.

She's here for a reason, mind.

Hearing the structured monotone tongue that is the language of the infernal, Kyleen pops out of her temporary confusion.

She ignores you. But then, any attempted interaction with Rocksauce seems to go something like d6: 1 - Ignore you; 2-4 - Eyeroll, hair flip, sneer or shrug; 5-6 Actual answer. So, hard to say.

The guards part as a woman steps forward. There's a long pause as she surveys your group. Then,

"Good... day. I am Winter Klaczka, Auditor-Aspirant of the Temple of Pharasma. By default, I am in authority here." She nods at the corpses you're dragging. "I told Captain York you should have an opportunity to prove you're not shapeshifters. I see that you've done so. Thank you. However, I will need to know your names and what brought you here."

Winter is a very pale woman -- almost ghostly or albino pale -- but with jet-black hair and eyes. She's wearing leather armor and carrying a rapier. She seems rather young to be asserting authority, but her voice is firm.

She turns aside from you to glance at Rocksauce. "Hello, Offspring Rocksauce. I am pleased to see you return. Do you require medical attention for your arm?"

I noted in Rocksauce's initial description that she had an injured arm. Everyone ignored it. To be fair, in-game Rocksauce has been ignoring it too -- never mentioned it or asked for help.

Rocksauce curls her lip at Winter's words, but does not otherwise respond.

Knowledge(local): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Nearing the request for names and what brought her here, Kyleen gets a concerned. In her head, she hears another voice . . . K . . . k . . . k . . . k . . . Not having any idea what this means, but also knowing that the guards are going to need an answer, Kyleen hopes that this will be an acceptable answer.

Kyleen then steps forward:
I am Kay. I was suffering memory issues.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Sensing the phantom's dislike of twisting the truth. Kyleen attempts to not lie, and instead to provide an answer that is truthful, she thinks, even if it is not the whole truth.

Bluff: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

1-2-2 -->Unfortunately, the dicebot hates Kyleen and wants her left in a puddle in the rain being killed by strange monsters while still unaware of who, or what, she was.

"My name is Yordan Patar, and once I worked as a bounty hunter in western Ustalav. The next thing I remember, I was down in the basement with someone trying to rip me apart with pruning shears. I don't know why I'm here or how I got here. I think several of us need help from a healer."

Yordan tries to face Winter with stiff spine and looking her in the eye. A lot is hidden from him, but as far as he knows he has nothing he wants to hide from her. After all, she is a fellow follower of the Lady of Graves... right?

Sense Motive on Winter: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

"Good... day. I am Winter Klaczka, Auditor-Aspirant of the Temple of Pharasma. By default, I am in authority here." She nods at the corpses you're dragging. "I told Captain York you should have an opportunity to prove you're not shapeshifters. I see that you've done so. Thank you. However, I will need to know your names and what brought you here."

Awkwardly trying to decide whether to curtsy, bow, both, or neither -- Nameless mumbles. Auditor-aspirant? Doctor Lomar mentioned you ... I can't really remember our names. Glancing around surreptitiously, she corrects herself. I - I can't remember my name or anything since before the quake. Just the ... Involuntary swallow. We woke up, you see. Downstairs. In the cells with a doctor cutting open ... just the lake, and the mists in The City. The oracle seems to shake herself and refocus her eyes, as if thinking on The City was dragging her back into the nightmare.

I've been going by -" The VERY creative moniker:" - Nameless.

"Smooth. Real smooth."

Aside: Shutup. To Winter: We thank you for allowing us behind the barricade. The rest of the area is ... inhospitable.

"Pleased to meet you, Winter. We've had a trying time...as I'm sure you have. None of us have memory of what brought us to this place. We knew nothing but have gathered from ...the child...and some other oddities that this is a mental facility. We do not know if we were brought here for treatment for for something else, nor if we were brought together or separate."

The wizard leans against the wall with a sigh, shaking his head, looking haggard and won. "I am Mrakala, and my last memory is from a decade ago on another continent. I have lost my youth, have seen flesh shaped into horrors, have had some mirror...creature..try to steal my very being and have had to put up with this annoying spriggan." He gestures with a growl to Offspring.

"Is there any chance you have some food and somewhere safe on the floor to rest?"

Mrakala gives Kayleen a sidelong glance. "We'll be talking about...certain things, later, young lady. You put us all in quite a perilous situation earlier."

Like thu' rest, most of me recent memory is gone...don't know why I am really ere'. I think we wer' hopin' that one of yuse could tell us.
The names Ghelik...

The corpses r' ex-skinjob 1,2, n 3...wer' hopin' to add more to the collection... and give Yordan a nod.

The new posts alert for the discussion and game threads are not showing on my page, how do I get them back?

Winter is a very pale woman -- almost ghostly or albino pale -- but with jet-black hair and eyes. She's wearing leather armor and carrying a rapier. She seems rather young to be asserting authority, but her voice is firm.

DM you pretty much described Vitæ's twin, right down to the Rapier he wished he knew to wield. At the start of the game I described Vitæ as perhaps a grain of sand that fell out of The Sandman's pouch of sand (one of Dream's three artifacts and symbols of office) as Vitæ is an Aasimar. With Winter being a servitor of Pharasma (Death, Dream's older sister) should I run with this?

Vitæ stands transfixed, wordless, face blank, staring at the female mirror replica of himself.

The others in the group see the resemblance instantly.

Twin sister link