Mara gazed at the fluttering pieces of parchment with rapt attention.
Theophilus watches as Mara's progress has halted. Absently rubbing his forehead with his only handkerchief, the gentleman suggests,
Perhaps, we drag her back, regroup at the Chapel, and I study the Unseen Servant spell to clear them out?
"No," growls Dervak, "we cannot waste more time. The madness will only grow. Let us destroy these monstrosities from a safe distance. Javelins, arrows, even rocks."
He sets the longspear aside, reels Mara back in, and tries to wake her.
Rowan assists Dervak with the rope.
”I’m growing weary of this place, but we should rest to let our magically inclined regain their strength. That will help us defeat Zandalus once and for all.”
Mara is roused from her stupor easily. While she was intently watching the drawings she did notice writing in magical notation on the backside, but it would take considerable time to gather the pages, even if it weren't for the facination effect.
Mara came out of her stupor as Dervak shook her."Huh? Oh, sorry! There was writing on the back of the floating bits of parchment, but I couldn't seem to make it out.
"We can't lose any more time. The man tied to the table has advanced ghoul fever; tomorrow might be too late!"
She prayed for guidance again and had another try at closing the mouth of one of the oneirogens.
Theophilus straightens his hat.
The whole wide world is always in a hurry! It's the younger generation what with their video gaming and texting machines!
The gentleman winks at the camera...
Averting her eyes Mara is able to make it into the room and avoid the reach of the fascinating charcoal drawings.
The chanting to the west continues unabated. If Mara moves to bind the oneirogens as she did before no enemies stop her.
Sara breaks out of her short tantrum asking, "What's a texting machine?"
Mara manages to bind one of the oneirogens without difficulty. The room however appears no less full of the citrine fog.
Julius enters the mist laden room avoiding pages and helps Mara bind the oneirogens without fear of falling asleep. All of them are bound such that nothing can escape their respiratory systems, which should kill most creatures. Despite this the room does not clear of the extraplanar atmosphere nor do any of the former humans expire.
Sara breaks out of her short tantrum asking, "What's a texting machine?"
Dervak is happy to help. "You know, a machine is like a water-wheel or the things that gnomes make. And texts are books. Or scrolls, sometimes. So he means a mill that makes books. Maybe they have them in Alkenstar or someplace like that."
He watches as Mara and Julius work.
"The fog is still here. If the Shred-man is with Zandalus... I don't want to fight him in the fog. I think he can see through it. We need to throw these creatures out into the courtyard, and if that doesn't make the fog go away, we destroy them."
Is there a window or door onto the courtyard from this level? If not, Dervak will suggest just hacking the oneirogens apart where they stand. The risks of carrying them through the cultist camp are too great.
There are holes in the west wall you could shove them through. Dervak can't see where they would land but he would guess they would end up in the unexplored courtyard or in the cultist camp itself.
Dervak goes to shove one out the hole in the west wall.
Theophilus cast Guidance on himself before entering to help.
Dervak tosses the body down and there is a soft thud as it lands on the ground below. A voice cuts through the fog, "Aaaah! Willum I could deal with it raining blood before but not men!"
The fog in the area lessens noticeably with the removal of one of the oneirogens but it is still thick here.
Rowan notices that Sara stumbles a little bit and holds her hand to her head like she has a headache.
Theo finds the swirling papers to be absolutely fascinating.
Mara moved over to Sara and asked, "What's wrong, honey?"
After talking to Sara, Mara noticed that Theo was mesmerized, so she went over and nudged him.
"RAAAGH!"
Dervak pitches another creepy fog-monster out the window. He takes no notice of the strange ghost-girl's reaction.
Rowan stares at Sara, and with no tact whatsoever, says, ”Are you connected to the oneirogens, the gas, or Zandelous?”
Mara sees nothing wrong with Sara physically and has no relevant prior knowledge that applies. Sara says, "My head went all floaty." She looks at Rowan, "I dunno."
The second oneirogen falls to its death below with a meaty thud. The mist in the area clears even more, just one more in this area.
Sara grimaces but tries to put on a strong face.
Mara hugged Sara in anticipation of the disposal of the remaining oneirogen. "You're so brave, Sara!"
Dervak throws the last oneirogen out the window, happy that he seems to be solving the problem.
Anyone else seeing these marvelous colors?
The White Rabbit giggles.
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Dervak shakes his head as reality seems to flicker in and out.
How long have I been standing here? Did I dream that rat-man?
Dervak tosses the final oneirogen, which he can now see bursts open like an over ripe squash as it hits the courtyard below. Two ghouls are eating the remains of the prior two while several people wearing bits and scraps of yellow cautiously bring weapons to bear against the undead creatures. At the same time Sara cries out in pain slumping over unconscious, her shadow once moving in impossible directions calms, no longer active.
Theo, nudged out of fascination by Mara, guesses that Sara is feeding off the extra planar energy, as the portals are destroyed her energy is cut off. With the last of the oneirogens gone the fog in the area clears up greatly but mist still permeates the area.
"Sara!", Mara cried out. She frantically tried to help the little girl, to no avail. "What have I done? I promised to protect you!", she wailed, and slumped to the floor, and wept.
Theo places a comforting hand on the shoulder of Mara. The gentleman holds a a new handkerchief.
We are almost there, my dear. Perhaps, our end goal shall free poor Sara from her torments.
"Mara," says Dervak quietly, "Theophilus is right. Sara was beyond your power to heal."
Dervak begins collecting the charcoal drawings and stuffing them in the Handy Haversack.
"We can figure out the writing on the back later."
He'll take some time searching the room for anything else of interest.
The fact that the pages move on their own and the fascination effect persists makes it an incredibly long process to gather them.
Neither Dervak nor do any other party members find anything else useful in the room.
Theo straightens his coat; brushing off imaginary lint and dirt.
Well, we're off to see the Wizard! We should follow the yellow brick road!
Casting Guidance Theo prepares to continue...
After slinging her greataxe on her back, Mara picked up Sara's limp form and prepared to follow the others.
Dervak takes the longspear in hand and prepares to move on.
The party moves to the mouth of the hallway and sees the room beyond.
Comprising multiple toppled cells, this chamber looks as though it could collapse at any moment. Thousands of parchment scraps cover the walls, as if in a pitiful attempt to plaster the countless cracks. The flickering of dozens of candles illuminates the artwork’s subject matter: innumerable forlorn, surreal landscapes stretching into bleak infinities. The multitude of visions transforms the room into a threshold of nightmares.
Three apostles in orpiment guard the hallway nervously dressed in scraps of yellow clothing and holding improvised weapons. Behind them an elderly woman stares, eyes disturbingly wide. She is dressed in a patients gown and a battered yellow overcoat. The apostles glance back at the woman obviously scared of her.
In the center of the room lies four stained mattresses and numerous pillows, heaped together to form a pallet-throne. Before the throne in a ritual circle sits a man bound at the hands and ankles. His mouth is sewn shut with a leather lace.
On the throne chanting is a gaunt man with a ponytail of long and exceptionally straight white hair. He wears multiple patients' gowns that have been shredded and stitched to create a layered robe. His arms and much of his chest are exposed, revealing lines of charcoal and yellow chalk that streak his flesh, the most prominent of which appears to be a yellow flame on his forehead. Mara remembers seeing this man when she was wandering the mist filled dream city.
The ritual reaches its climax as the party enters the hall. A viscous yellow substance mixed with Ellery's blood is forcibly expelled through his mouth and nose.
Upon spotting the party, the white haired man's eyes go wide and his mouth falls open. A voice like a tempest wind hissing over broken glass sheers from his split motionless lips, "You're supposed to be dead. I already killed you. Why aren't you dead?!"
The ropes loosen and Ellery gets on his feet.
Julius draws his rapier and advances as far as the cluttered hallway allows ready to attack any opponent that comes near.
Zandalus concentrates intently on Julius, and says “You’ll just have to die in this world then!”
Julius’ starts to bleed through his nose and ears profusely.
Behind Mara a sickening slurping sound can be heard. Anyone who peers behind them sees Shuck has been transformed, the upper torso of the dog remains but its hindquarter has been replaced with something that looks like a large veiny earthworm. Looking at the creature fills you with dread.
Theo will Misfortune any fighting Dervak.
Theo does not see the monster that has been traveling with them enough to be afraid of it yet.
The old lady advances on Julius but he was ready for her, and stabs her in the shoulder. The old lady barely notices and yells, “Keep it down!”
She moves to wrap her hands around Julius’ throat but he’s far too quick for the old woman.
Rowan tries to punch an old lady but chokes at the last minute.
One of the cultist moves up to face Rowan while the other two pick up rocks off the ground.
The cultists' attack just cannot beat the dexterous duo.
Mara turned to see Shuck transform into a bizarre monster. "The dog is not a dog!", she cried in horror, stepping back and placing Sara on the ground behind her. "Daddy, guide Dervak!", she implored, casting a spell on the half-orc.
Mara knows that it is an esipil sahkil an outsider that would normally be found in the ethereal plane. They are psychopomps that have rebelled against their duties of ferrying souls to their final judgement. This particular creature usually disguises itself as a loyal pet only to strike their master when they don't expect it. They are vulnerable to good aligned weapons.
Dervak glances back at the thing.
Well that's strange. Why did we let it follow us?
He can't get to it at the moment, so goes after the crazy old lady, stabbing the longspear over Julius's shoulder.
Theo turns his attention to the old lady as Dervak confronts her.
Ellery finally on his feet surveys the situation wondering how things have gone this far...
...also looking for a weapon to defend himself.
Ellery sees that Zandalus is carrying a light mace, each of the cultists have saps, and Aggra has any weapons Ellery formerly had stowed. Around the room are bits of wall and ceiling that could be used as improvised weapons. He then remembers the holdout dagger he hid on himself days ago, that Aggra did not discover.
The steel haired psychopath is unaffected by the mad hatter's curse.
Zandalus begins concentrating on Dervak and says in the same hissing voice, "Two minds in one body? How novel." Two magic missiles fly from his fingertips one into Rowan, the other Dervak.
Each of the missiles leaves a wound that bleeds profusely,
Shuck moves into Mara's square menacing her,
Julius continues to bleed from his nose and ears,
Julius sees an opening in Aggra's defenses but stumbles on a piece of wall nearly dropping his weapon.
Aggra adopts a defensive stance.
She also trips on a piece of plaster foiling her attack.
Julius tries to strike at her arms through the opening, but the attack is diverted by some magical force shielding the woman.
Mara cried, "Dervak, I need some help over here with this psycho puppy! I'm going to have trouble damaging it!"