Round 5
Vai - attempts to strike the creature, but once more, the creature's hide deflects her dire blow!
Beylinda - suffers the same fate as her sister in battle, with her falchion simply bouncing off the creatures hide.
Farrin - Durzak glows in unearthly light as it brilliantly slices into the creatures vegetative flesh! The creature roars as it takes 8 damage.
Mal - does some sorcery and conjures up a blob of acid that she subsequently lobs at the creature, scoring a direct hit against its fleshy face and dealing 2 damage!
Marrant - narrows his eyes, realizing the creature must be almost finished, and lunges forth with his greatsword, driving the blade deep into the creature, dealing it 13 damage!
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The creature roars up in terror, plant matter and plant blood dripping and oozing out of its body! It let's out a terrible scream and looks like it is going to make one last attack! But, at the last moment, flames and fire suddenly erupt from the creatures mouth!
It would seem Zee, in a last ditch effort at vengeance, fired off some more flower power fire as he fell into the creature's stomach, blowing it up from the inside!
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The creature smokes and bleeds and slowly falls off the edge of the fortress, slowly fading into the ether.
There are three bright flashes of brilliant color, *waaaaaaaah, waaaaaah, waaaaah*, and then at the center of the platform is a shining golden star with two black eyes, about the size of a bowling ball, floating in the air. It appears to be made out of some sort of gem.
isn't that one of the gems we were told to look for? she says grabbing it with a hand
It feels great in your hand. Just like it was one of the gems that the dark gnome told you about. He would be the first to remind you, no one told you to look for them, simply told you about them. You all wanted to go looking for stuff.
So! Star gem in hand, monster slain, what do you guys wanna do now?
Keep exploring this "painting" and if there nothing else "here" head "out"
There's all sorts of "space" that you can see, and it would appear there could be exploring to do here if it was so desired. But you get the feeling that you probably won't find anything cooler than the gem.
There does seem to be more drain pipes, and strange fluffy clouds, and things like that.
So what do you all want to do head out or keep exploring?
Malbrighka examines the star in Beylinda’s hands, looking for clues to its origin, purpose, or utility.
”I think exploring more is a good idea. There might be more treasure here,” the half-orc sorceress says.
"Normally I'd say we've found what we came for, let's get going however under my current circumstance I don't really have anywhere better to be. If you want to stick around and explore this alternate reality it's fine with me. "
Vai sags, the expenditure of power, the fight and loss of Zee taking it's toll on her spirits.
"I care not, as long as we rest now."
We are still early in the morning.
she ponders for a second Alright, Onward then
Vai stares at Beylinda, then intones something, perhaps a stanza from some ancient codex
"If the storm has broken upon the field, it matters not the time of day. "
She explains:
"I am near spent. My force is diminished. We, that is I, will fare better if we rest."
Vai will smear a bit of the ash on her forehead and the back of her hands.
Beylinda looks at vai and give her a hard long look So i take it that because you can't seem to manage your resources we are to stop and rest after every combat? Cause that won't work when we are exploring a structure, a dungeon and so on. You want to rest? ok but i am not resting here in the middle of enemy territory. We will have to go back all the way up.
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Farrin kneels down and reverently picks up a handful of the Zee ash to rub onto his forehead and into his beard. Bowing his head for a few moments while thinking fondly of the first rat that he ever met that could talk. He was a valiant little one. Its a pity that he could not be saved. I will remember Zee.
looking at the others, a tear in his eye as the real cost of traveling these paintings has become apparent. Farrin says[b] "I see we have two choices. Either we should jump into that pipe, go back through the painting, sleep in the relative comfort of the library. Then come back with our tricks and spells and abilities refreshed after some rest. Or can continue onwards trusting in only our innate skills. This was my first real fight, I expanded almost every trick I know upon that plant creature and the owl-bear thing. Except for a couple of a giants, ive never even fought anything before in my life.[/I]
Vai endures Bey's withering glance with suitable aplomb.
"Not every battle Bey. I count two. And as far as I'm concerned, this entire demi-plane is enemy territory, and yet we seem to be in no particular danger. In fact, it's entirely possible that we could leave now without any further trouble.
If, as you wish, we continue exploring, it makes a certain kind of sense, that, while untroubled, we rest and be as ready for untoward occurrences.
Still, I will abide by a group decision. As I have endeavored to do since we came together."
Exactly why i day that if you wanted to rest i am fine with that but i rather we go back up to a safer place to rest.
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"One of us can stand watch here at the pipe, while we rest. I for one need feel as though my smithin' hammer is calling to so me. I need some time to mediate with it, to see why this hammer ive carried around since I was freed over thirty years ago, it and my grandfathers axe were the only things I took with me when darter freed me."
You all rest for the night in relative peace. Whoever stands watch for the night seems slightly put off looking at the night sky, though you can't quite put your finger on it, something just seems completely off. In the morning, the sun doesn't so much rise as it seems someone simply flipped a switch and turned on the strange twilight of dusk.
So which way now? she says finishing to ready herself
There appears to be a haze encircling the forest several miles out. You could hazard a guess that is the extent of this 'painting'. Besides the pipe you came through to get up here, There is one more pipe located down at the bottom of the fort. You can also see what appears to be a large cave mouth located about a mile away in the side of the hill, and a nearby lake. Besides that, you can see the clearing you came from, and dense and ancient forest everywhere else.
"The remaining pipe, or a trek to the cave and lake. So, a rugged exploration of a designed dungeonesque demesne dispensing with despicable denizens or the picturesque lakeside cave, replete with encounters en route and refreshment and entertainment provided by forest fey."
Vai mulls over the opportunities the demi-plane provides.
"Much as I might prefer some forest travel or the allure of a good old fashioned cavern, not examining the other pipe offends my project completion fetish."
She pauses for effect.
"Plus it's what Zee would have wanted! ;)"
sure it works for me. she says smiling
The half-orc wakes with excited from last night’s Dreams. It was a symphony of bursting light and chanting words, culminating in a profound awareness and insight into the realm of arcana.
As she eats breakfast, she knows at any moment she could create a burst of light to dazzle one person.
”The other pipe it is then,” she says. ”Did Zee leave any next of kin information?”
As you all awake, you notice some of your belongings have sort of been scattered. Nothing is missing, just looking like something shuffled them around. Also, Zee's scimitar is sticking up out of the ground.
Heh. No particular magic or aura detecting abilities (apart from Kn. Arcana +3 and Spellcraft +7), but a damn nice roll. Did I unlock the Omniscient sphere of all knowing…ness?
You have stumbled into the perimeter of wisdom. And someone touched you with the babysitter flag.
You notice a barely describable shimmer in the air... as if an invisible force is disturbing light... trying to touch it your hand goes right through it, though it is noticeably colder. If you had some sort of electro magnetic device, this would probably mess with it.
Vai smiles and waves her hand through the emanation. She looks at her companions puzzled expressions, then explains.
"We are not alone here. There is definitely a presence stirring, though I cannot touch it."
Vai attempts to communicate with the presence. In Common. ;P
"Zee - is that you? If not, who are you? Be at peace, we may be strangers, but we are none of us evil."
The apparition shimmers and takes upon... a ratlike shape. a hollow voice echoes out of the ether.
"EEeevvVVeerYYybbBBBooOOddDDYyy.... IIiiiIIII.... BBBbbLLlleeeww..... IiiiiII BbBbLeeeeEEw........ . ... ..... uuuuUUp...... RrrrAaaD"
Are you a ghost ?
The shimmer blinks in and out and in again.
"OoOOoO.... ooOOooOOOOoOoO... OOoffFFf CoourrSSseeE"
Marrant startles back as the ghostly shape manafests and detects evil.
Vai sees a split-second alternate-reality glimmer ghost of a dread warrioress, lithe and confident with twin blades - perhaps herself in another dimension, but it passes. She shakes her head clear of the vision.
I…am not evil. I can hold myself proud. Yet.
Who are you and what do you need Ghost in order to find eternal rest ?
Malbrighka takes a step back at the sight of the ghost. Seeing it’s transparent body, she feels almost like a dream has bled through one realm and into another.
”Greetings,” she says with a bow. ”As Beylinda asked, what can we do for you? Are you here needing our aid or here to warn us?”
It does not detect as evil.
(just imagine everything is all elongated and spooky, it gets old typing that out ;p)
"There is nothing I need, I just felt I... should watch you guys. I didn't mean to be seen. I still don't understand... my situation."