GM Kiora's Wrath of the Righteous

Game Master Kiora Atua

Chosen heroes have arrived in Kenabres at the dawn of the Fifth Crusade. Will they be the ones to end a century long war?

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WRONG ALIAS

"If you can carry others, we should arrange to visit with the Crusader-Queen to report our victory and deliver Nurah into their custody. We can then return with supplies. But the first task is to secure the menhir."


Grippli Arcane Trickster | hp 104 / 104 (healthy), AC 23, touch 19, ff 16, CMD 23 | Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +12 (+2 vs. confusion, insanity) | Init +9, Perc +15, darkvision 60ft, (mythic power 9/9)

Xanderghul nods. He's game to go now. Anything to keep him from having to complete chores. "We should bring Jorsal as well. We still need to fully clear his name."


Female Tiefling (Pitborn) Bard (Weapon Champion) 9/Champion/Trickster 3 | HP: 97/114 | AC: 25, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 19 | CMD: 26 | Fort: +10, Reflex +13, Will: +10 | Init: +6 | Perception: +16, Darkvision 60 ft. | Performance: 18/24, Shatter: 1/1, Lore Master: 1/1, Mythic Power: 6/9

"A quick trip back should be alright if it's possible, but we shouldn't leave things too long."


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Jorsal nods. "Then we should be off, then?"

Anevia hands Sana off to Irabeth to join Ary at her side. "I'll be back, sweetpea, I need to go help Ary make sure we have plenty of food for everyone, alright?"

Sana nods, waving as the heroes leave. "Okay! Bye-bye. Be back soon, okay?"

You have 24 hours to determine any pre-travel arrangements. I'm assuming all 6 of you are going. If you want to stay behind you'll need to say so within the same timeframe.

While the crusader army stays behind the defend the fortress, the heroes head north to investigate the menhir. Ehren leads the way, supernaturally sensing where the ley rises to reach the surface. It takes a little under an hour for them to come within sight of the area, and by then the skies are turning purple, the sun hanging heavy in the sky. It had cooled down from the blazing heat earlier in the day, though it feels far warmer than it ought to be so far north in the winter. They don't encounter any other living creatures along the way, the plateau here a desolate wasteland of dead foliage and trees as far as the eye can see.

About a thousand feet away stands a sloping hill, and atop it is an immense circle of standing stones. Its apparent that they are oriented in a ring shape, despite a few of them having long since toppled to into the hard-packed dirt supporting them. At its center is a singularly tall menhir, tall, and oblong, set apart and leaning at an odd angle. A number of smaller rocks and boulders form outer rings in the sickly grass and exposed ground surrounding the hill.

There doesn't appear to be anything else on the hill.

Ehren:

As you get closer, you're able to determine that this place is an intersection of two separate ley lines. Neither line is particularly strong, but where they intersect nonetheless creates a font of power your people can draw on. Tapping into your ancestral memories, you can recall that long ago, this hill was a sacred place. It was considered good luck to wed here, and children were brought here for their name-days. The trees and bushes here were once rich with fruit and berries, and could sustain a small traveling tribe for a few days of rest and respite before they moved on.

It is of course a shadow of its former self. But something feels wrong. The ley feels.... polluted somehow. But there isn't anything in sight?

Hinagiku:

The closer you approach, the worse you feel. Nausea settles in the bottom of your stomach, and the fur on the back of your neck stands on end. Something doesn't feel right.

Succeed at a DC 17 fort save or you are sickened.

Please assume you're at full HP.


Buffs | Char. Sheet |

As they walk through the dead forest, makes her way to Ehren's side. The druid had seemed quite unsure about the use of the menhir and magic to travel back to Nerosyan. And Hinagiku viewed this has cause "for concern.

"Mr. Ehren, I noticed your hesitation earlier. Is what you are preparing to do dangerous?" she asks softly.

Onc the menhirs come into view, Hinagiku's hand slowly reach for her stomach and her ears lose their perkiness.
"There is something wrong here, really wrong. I... I don't know how to describe it better, but I think this place might have been corrupted." she calls to the others.

"Maybe I should take a look." she adds as she starts surveying the surroundings.

fort(m.hero): 1d20 + 14 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 14 + 4 = 29
perception(m.hero): 1d20 + 18 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 18 + 4 = 42


Grippli Arcane Trickster | hp 104 / 104 (healthy), AC 23, touch 19, ff 16, CMD 23 | Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +12 (+2 vs. confusion, insanity) | Init +9, Perc +15, darkvision 60ft, (mythic power 9/9)

Before they leave, Xanderghul ensures that his quiver is totally full of fresh cold iron bolts, and he spends some time making sure that Jorsal is grime-free. Whatever grime Xander himself has is minor, and he does not mind it. Plus, his new (pilfered) shirt cleans itself.

While he is not enthused by the idea of purposefully being in danger without any magic left, he kind of wants to watch Ehren disintegrate himself.

Can we ask Lymirin to come?

When they arrive at the site, Cancer squirts at the pile of rocks. "Ah, good. The rocks! We're saved." At Hinagiku's mention of wrongness, he frowns. What did that mean, wrong? Wasn't this whole country corrupted? Wasn't that the whole point? It must be something they didn't anticipate, but he didn't know what that be beyond 'his allies had forgotten to anticipate basic realities'. Perhaps he might have assumed that the previous month, but not any longer.


Grippli Arcane Trickster | hp 104 / 104 (healthy), AC 23, touch 19, ff 16, CMD 23 | Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +12 (+2 vs. confusion, insanity) | Init +9, Perc +15, darkvision 60ft, (mythic power 9/9)

Correction: I meant to say "Xander squints at the rocks" in my previous post, but autocorrect has done me a dirty.


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Audit: M.Heroism will be gone by now as it has been several hours. Only buffs with a duration of hour/CL should still be active.

Lymirin won't leave Drezen vulnerable like that, you'd be taking literally all of its most powerful defenders away for over an hour.

Hinagiku heads up to the hill, slowly scrutinizing the surroundings. There isn't much here except a bunch of boulders, rocks, and standing stones, though some of the boulders are spikier than others.

Each stone is carved with intricate patterns that remind you of the markings that Giles Ferron drew on the ground when they reincarnated the group after the battle of Nerosyan.

Ehren:

You can only see the following information if you approach the hill with Hinagiku.

Up close, you can see that the standing stones here possess markings that help them serve as a seasonal calendar. When arranged correctly, the stones are placed to track the movement of the sun, which casts shadows on the rock, by following the shadow of the setting sun, which is cast by the taller central menhir onto the smaller stones beside it. This would allow your ancestors to track the time til the next seasonal solstice. The various solstices had significance both in Sarkorian culture and druidic lore. As for what other secrets the menhir might hold, you cannot know unless you touch it...

A diagram showing how these worked in real life :)

Are you moving as a group or are you gonna let Hinagiku scout?


Male Oread (Kellid) Legendary Druid 11/Hierophant 4 | HP 97/137 | AC 24, T 23, FF 19 | Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +18 | CMD 27 | Resist Acid 10 | SR 13 (evil outsiders), 17 (demons) | Init +2 | Perception +22 | MP 1/11 | LP 2/2 | PM 8/11 | SP 10/10

Ehren leads the way with a confident stride, despite harboring a few misgivings about his idea. Even on the off chance that it does not work, he would not walk away empty-handed. After all, he does have a fairly transparent ulterior motive for visiting the menhir. It is hard for him not to feel excited by the prospect of acquiring more of his people's lost knowledge and wisdom, from a stone so far north, no less. This time around, there is one piece of information in particular that he hopes to find - he still has a promise to keep, after all.

"Dangerous?" he replies to Hinagiku thoughtfully, shaken from his reverie. He contemplates the possibilities, supposing that if a ley line were somehow destroyed during the exact instant they were traveling through it, everyone within would probably be utterly annihilated. But what were the chances of that? Smiling reassuringly, Ehren shakes his head. "Not particularly. At worst, I will feel a little foolish if this does not work out."

Unfortunately, the archdruid's mood sours when they reach the site of the menhir. The miserable state of the otherwise marvelous construction was to be expected, but there is something else, something inherently wrong. Ehren has drawn power from the ley within the confines of the Worldwound many times, but never has it felt so impure... excepting what he felt near the Corruption Forge. He follows Hinagiku closely, eager to get to the bottom of this.

Ehren's eyes shimmer with white light as he opens his spirit sense and scans the immediate area, in search of whatever it could be that is responsible for this disturbance. He approaches the central menhir, but does not touch it quite yet.


Living Steel DR 4/Evil Female InE 1 / SYF 1 / SP 1 / SCB 1 Valiant Keeper Half-Elven Ran 8/War 2/Fig 10 (VMC) HP (153/153)
Stats:
AC/Touch/Flat/CMD 32/15/25/30 | Fort/Ref/Will +13/12/12 | Init +05
MP 06/11 LP 3/3 AM 3/3 SP 12/12 CS 12/12 M 0/6
Skills:
+21: Acrobatics +22: K(Pl) +18: Athletics +17: Perception +15: P(Soldier); +14: K(Du, Na, Re), A(Poetry), Survival; +12: Diplo +8: Stealth; +7: Spellcraft, Ride; +6: Heal; +5: L(Drezen); +3 Ling; +2: K(No, Lo, Ar)

Perception (Aiding Daisy): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
Survival (Tracks): 1d20 + 13 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 13 + 3 = 26

When Ehren announces that they will be going on a trip to pick up food, Ary nods, beginning to empty out her bag. It was strange that the druid would only just now theorize of the power to do so, after their hand had just been forced to press forward at an inopportune time... but late gift horses were still gift horses. Having an entirely empty bag with which to return filled with food would be significantly better than leaving it filled. Now, barely burdened at all, Ary was ready to travel.

Once they arrived, Ary paused. She hadn't seen a completely unmodified Menhir, previously. "Do they all normally look like this? Like rings of rocks with a bigger one in the middle? Or does it vary?" she asks, as Ehren begins forward again. She doesn't respond to Hinagiku's misgivings, simply sticking close to the pair as they stride forward, keeping her eyes on their surroundings, the horizon and the nearby ground... looking for any signs of passage.


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Ary:

The earth is disturbed in some places, like some burrowing creature (for instance a giant mole) passed by.

Ehren Spirit Sense:

You sense an overwhelming presence around the menhir. It appears to be an outsider.

As Ehren and Hinagiku approach the menhir, one of the boulders suddenly surges upright, revealing a squat, humanoid shaped creature apparently made out of living rocks. The earth elemental roars in anger at the intrusion, screaming out in its native tongue:

"አጥፊዎች! ጭራቆች! እርኩሳን ፍጥረታት, ቤቴን አርክሰዋል, ምድሪቱን ታረክሳላችሁ ... ድንጋዮቹን ጎድተውታል እና Grumtarr ጎድቶዎታል !!!"

Ehren or Terran:

"Defilers! Monsters! Evil creatures, you defile my home, you defile the earth... you hurt the stones and now Grumtarr hurt you!!!"

Grumtarr Initiative: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3

Perception > Stealth so he doesn't get a surprise round. Beat a 3 in initiative if you want to take an action before Grumtarr ;)

Identification Checks

DC 18 K. Planes or Nature (native outsider):

It appears to be a specific kind of earth elemental known as a durdalis. Sturdy creatures similar to earth elementals in every way except they have enhanced magical capabilities. They are typically 5 feet tall and weigh around 800 lbs.

DC 23 K. Planes or Nature (native outsider):

Durdalis can sense creatures through the earth (tremorsense) and are immune to acid and electricity. They are resistant to fire, but they are vulnerable to sonic. It is difficult to bull rush, drag, reposition, or trip a durdalis as they stand low to the ground and have a low center of gravity, making it difficult to move them against their will. Durdalis can simply tuck in their arms and legs and curl up on themselves to be mistaken for a boulder, or sit up against natural stone and close its eyes and mouth to appear as a rocky outcrop.

Durdalis can swim through the earth as if it were water, moving at a rate of 60' per round. Though slow to anger, a durdalis will attack any intruder using their enormous fists. They also have fast healing when surrounded by rough, natural stone, or in their native home of the Elemental Plane of Earth.

DC 28 K. Planes or Nature (native outsider):

Durdalis can cast magic - they know the spells create pit, spike stones, wall of stone, move earth, stone shape, transmute rock to mud.

Durdalis are adept at bull rushing.

Durdalis are born in the Plane of Earth but they occasionally migrate to the material plane when opportunity permits, especially to locales rich in mineral resources, natural ores or in some cases areas with abundant ley lines, fey magic, or inner plane elemental vertices. Despite their appearance, durdalis do not subsist on actual rock, but rather on ley energy, particularly from the Plane of Earth. Occasionally durdalis like to take up residence near menhirs or other places sacred to druidic worship, though not out of a sense of piety. Rather, they draw from the rich backwash of ambient mystical energies between the planes. Druids rarely discourage this practice as they fall quite easily into the role of guardians and caretakers of such sights.

Naturally peaceful, durdalis rarely trouble other races. Some druids have likened them to treants, except they are even more reticent. They dislike stone buildings and dungeons, since they feel no connection to quarried or worked stone.

DC 33 K. Planes or Nature (native outsider):

Druidic naturalists speculate that while the Elemental Plane of Earth provides for a durdalis' diet, the mixture of foreign ley and Earth ley creates a richer more satisfying habitat, hence their propensity to migrate through the planes. After taking up enough ley in a foreign plane, they become native outsiders of that plane as their very bodies change to match the area where they have laired. Until then they have the extraplanar subtype.

Durdalis communities are rare and small, and typically come to an accord to dwarves, where each community offers the other respect by not coming to harm either territory. The creatures are so peaceful that they rarely concern themselves over small amounts of precious metals and gemstones removed from their lairs, though they will react with great anger if unscrupulous miners come to their lairs to mine their territories dry and are unwilling to negotiate.


Male Oread (Kellid) Legendary Druid 11/Hierophant 4 | HP 97/137 | AC 24, T 23, FF 19 | Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +18 | CMD 27 | Resist Acid 10 | SR 13 (evil outsiders), 17 (demons) | Init +2 | Perception +22 | MP 1/11 | LP 2/2 | PM 8/11 | SP 10/10

By the time Ehren realizes that they are not alone, the durdalis has already emerged. The young druid looks at it with almost childish wonder, having only heard of its kind in stories told by his father. He never imagined that one would be so close to Drezen. Fortunately, by not attacking them immediately, the possibility of negotiation left open. Assuming of course, that he could quell the creature's rage. Reining back his excitement, he steps forward to address it.

"Bí ag síocháin, Grumtarr, ciallóidh muid nach bhfuil aon dochar agat. Is iad na nithe a bhaineann le do theach ár n-namhaid. Táimid tar éis a leithéid de chineál a mharú ar an lá inniu," Ehren says to the elemental calmly, with as respectful of a tone as he can muster. He did not have the time to convey his intentions to the others, but they would hopefully pick up on them. "Tá mé Ehren de chlan Ferron, faireoir de na clocha agus an chara don Gwyrdd. Le fada d'iarr mé an deis teacht ar dhuine cosúil leatsa. Tagann mé cairdeas agus gealltanas cosanta.

Druidic:
"Be at peace, Grumtarr, we mean you no harm. The defilers of your home are our enemy. We have slain many of their kind on this day."

"I am Ehren of clan Ferron, watcher of the stones and friend to the Green. Long have I awaited a chance to meet one such as you. I come offering friendship and a promise of protection."

Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31
Initiative: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Diplomacy (Charisma Drain): 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 6 - 1 = 25 I will surge this if it fails to change his disposition.


Buffs | Char. Sheet |

Hinagiku steps forward, one hand extended to her side to stop Ehren. But it is one second too late, the druid is surprisingly quick and already out of the reach of her protection. So, instead, she rests a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"I am right here." she whispers.

init: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

The growling earth elemental stays its mighty fist when it gets a better look at the young archdruid.

"ቫርረሪክ? ያ እርስዎ ነው? ረጅም ጊዜ ነበር, ጓደኛ ..." he says, raising a hand over his eyes to block out the low-hanging sun, and squinting at him.

Terran or Ehren:

"Vorrrrrian? Is that you? It has been a long time, friend..."

"ኤች አርም ቪርያን አይደለም." he says at last with a heavy sigh. He speaks very slowly and deliberately.

Terran or Ehren:

"Hrmmmmmmm. Not Vorian."

"አርክዱድድ ... መልካም ነው. አንድ ጋኔን እዚህ አለ, አንድ ጋኔን Grumtarr ሊያየው አልቻለም. ግሬምር ጋኔን ቢመታለት ይመታል. ነገር ግን እኔ ይሰማኛል. እዚህ ያለው የተፈጥሮ ሃይል ትክክለኛ አይቀምስም. ለምድር ኃይል የሆነ አንድ ነገር እየሰራ ነው! ነገር ግን ጋኔኑ በዚህ ኣለም የለም ... ከፋስቲክ እና ከአስማሜዬ በላይ. ግራም በትር ምን ማድረግ እንዳለበት አያውቅም. ቪርያን ምን ማድረግ እንዳለበት ማወቅ አለበት." He plops down on the ground against one of the stones, looking defeated and forlorn

Terran or Ehren:

"Archdruid... it is good you are here. There is a demon here, a demon Grumtarr cannot see. Grumtarr would smash demon if he could. But Grumtarr can feel him. The earth force here doesn't taste right. It is doing something bad to the earth force! But the demon is not in this world... beyond the reach of my fists and my magic. Grumtarr know not what to do. Vorian would know what to do..."

DC 22 Spellcraft:

Similar to the problem you had with the night hag, your surmise that this creature may be watching from the Ethereal Plane.

Grumtarr points at one of the stones. "ማየት? ያ ቪርያን. እንደ ቫይየን ሲቆጠር ብዙ የምድር ኃይልን ሊያመጣ ይችላል." On it, a figure is carved into the rock. It depicts a figure wearing the archdruid's crown. He faces the setting sun's rays as it sets over the tall menhir stone at the center, his arms outstretched.

Terran or Ehren:

"See? That's Vorian. Vorian could conjure lots of earth power when he stood there, just like that."


Living Steel DR 4/Evil Female InE 1 / SYF 1 / SP 1 / SCB 1 Valiant Keeper Half-Elven Ran 8/War 2/Fig 10 (VMC) HP (153/153)
Stats:
AC/Touch/Flat/CMD 32/15/25/30 | Fort/Ref/Will +13/12/12 | Init +05
MP 06/11 LP 3/3 AM 3/3 SP 12/12 CS 12/12 M 0/6
Skills:
+21: Acrobatics +22: K(Pl) +18: Athletics +17: Perception +15: P(Soldier); +14: K(Du, Na, Re), A(Poetry), Survival; +12: Diplo +8: Stealth; +7: Spellcraft, Ride; +6: Heal; +5: L(Drezen); +3 Ling; +2: K(No, Lo, Ar)

K(Nature) (NO) Aiding: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 12 + 2 = 34
Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19
Spellcraft Aiding: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 I have no idea what I'm spellcrafting at. But take a +8 when I help you make it make sense, if you need it. :P

Ary raises her shield as the creature comes out and starts screaming at them. "He's... like an elemental, but native." Ary says, sharing a bit of what she knows with the others, but pauses, "I have no idea what they're saying... but hostilities seem to have ended..?" she says, looking over to Isilme, clearly lost in the interaction.


Female Tiefling (Pitborn) Bard (Weapon Champion) 9/Champion/Trickster 3 | HP: 97/114 | AC: 25, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 19 | CMD: 26 | Fort: +10, Reflex +13, Will: +10 | Init: +6 | Perception: +16, Darkvision 60 ft. | Performance: 18/24, Shatter: 1/1, Lore Master: 1/1, Mythic Power: 6/9

Val makes sure to check in with Irabeth and Aron to make sure they don't need anything before the group heads out north of the ruined city. "I have no idea what's going on here, but he's not trying to kill us immediately. Ehren's probably managed to convince him that he's a super important druid and all that. I wonder if I should learn Terran if Ehren's going to have earth elementals around."


Male Oread (Kellid) Legendary Druid 11/Hierophant 4 | HP 97/137 | AC 24, T 23, FF 19 | Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +18 | CMD 27 | Resist Acid 10 | SR 13 (evil outsiders), 17 (demons) | Init +2 | Perception +22 | MP 1/11 | LP 2/2 | PM 8/11 | SP 10/10

Ehren briefly places a hand over Hinagiku's own and smiles at her in gratitude, before listening to the weary elemental's woes. The mention of his predecessor comes as a surprise - too convenient to be mere coincidence - but for now he focuses on the matter at hand. He looks to the carving of an archdruid with interest, wondering what kind of power Vorian must have invoked here.

"Cabhróidh mé leat, Grumtarr," he tells the durdalis earnestly, before gesturing at his friends. "Is iad seo mo chairde. Is féidir leo cabhrú freisin."

Druidic:
"I will help you, Grumtarr."

"These are my friends. They can help too."

Realizing that none of his friends speak the durdalis's native tongue, Ehren turns and sheepishly gives them a breakdown of the situation as he understands it.

"Everyone, this is Grumtarr. He has lived here for many generations, protecting the menhir and feeding off the ley's energies. He senses that there is a demon present here, tainting the ley somehow, but that it must be lurking on another plane of existence." Looking to Valaria in particular, he grimaces. "Sound familiar?"

Spellcraft (Aided): 1d20 + 11 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 11 + 8 = 36

Ehren will translate if anyone wishes to communicate with Grumtarr. That is, unless they want to use their own means. ;P


Female Tiefling (Pitborn) Bard (Weapon Champion) 9/Champion/Trickster 3 | HP: 97/114 | AC: 25, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 19 | CMD: 26 | Fort: +10, Reflex +13, Will: +10 | Init: +6 | Perception: +16, Darkvision 60 ft. | Performance: 18/24, Shatter: 1/1, Lore Master: 1/1, Mythic Power: 6/9

Val scowls and grumbles a little bit. "Oh, fantastic," she sighs. "We don't exactly have a lot that can deal with things lurking around like that. And we're still pretty tapped out. Any ideas?"


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Ayavah blinks, looking between Ehren and Valaria. "Hm?" she says, feeling out of the loop. "Ohhh. You mean your babysitter? He's just invisible, right? Err.. was."

Ehren or DC 20 Spellcraft:

Based on what Grumtarr said, and from what you can tell from the drawings carved into the stone, it seems that this standing stone circle must stand on top of an intersection of the ley from the material plane and ley from the elemental plane of Earth. (this would also explain how Grumtarr was able to live for so long without becoming corrupted due to the Abyssal influence, as he was able to feed directly on a line from his home plane).

The drawings seem to depict an archdruid channeling both ley lines at the time of the sunset. Enough power channeled through the circle may be enough to force the demon into the material plane, if only for a moment. However, the standing stones have been disrupted with age. They would need to be righted and moved to their original locations.

Sunset will be in about an hour based on the location of the sun...

Above check + DC 25 K.Planes:

In the Worldwound here, the sun sets in east... not in the west. You would need to tilt the stones to compensate for that, as a mirror image of what the images depict.

Anevia jogs up the hill to catch up. "Oh, hullo, Mr. Grumtarr," she says pleasantly, giving him a little bow. The giant rock elemental gives her a small wave before settling against one of the stones. When he closes his eyes, he looks just like another boulder in the circle. Anevia groans as she finally comes in sight of the menhir. "Oh, crap, that's gross," she says, obviously repulsed. "What are those things?" She shivers.


Grippli Arcane Trickster | hp 104 / 104 (healthy), AC 23, touch 19, ff 16, CMD 23 | Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +12 (+2 vs. confusion, insanity) | Init +9, Perc +15, darkvision 60ft, (mythic power 9/9)

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18
K. Planes: 10 + 19 = 29

Xanderghul hums. He was familiar with durdalis, but not with whatever it might be that was haunting the menhir. And he certainly didn't have any ability to take care of creatures residing on another plane of existence, not even if they rested. He thinks. The only way he could think of would be to make the creature decide on its own to leave the Ethereal Plane behind. Then, he could use dimensional anchor to prevent it from leaving again.

He casts message, linking up his allies to ensure that no listening creature would have an easy time eavesdropping. Then, he whispers into the link, "I think that we need to appear vulnerable to whatever it is that's preying on the menhir here. I don't have any ability to attack ethereal creatures, but if we can make it attack us of its own accord, we can kill it."


WRONG ALIAS

Isilme studies the stones and the description relayed by Ehren from Grumtarr. It seemed that this location was something quite special to the Archdruids. "If these carvings are right, channeling the ley here at the right time might create enough of a disruption in the area to knock whatever it is back to the material plane. But I am not sure we have much time to do so," she says. Obviously this was not her area of expertise, but it seemed a likely enough hypothesis.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 15 + 4 = 25
Bardic Knowledge(Planes): 1d20 + 10 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 10 + 4 = 16

When Anevia begins complaining about seeing something gross, Isilme realizes that she must be able to see invisible things. With an ethereal creature now clearly in play at the menhir, Isilme digs out her scroll of see invisibility in order to help determine what it might be. She recites the scroll, completing the magic of the spell that had been scribed upon it by Xanderghul and reaches up to touch her closed eyes. When she opens them, she looks around the area to figure out what it is they're dealing with.

Perception: 1d20 + 26 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 26 + 4 = 40


Grippli Arcane Trickster | hp 104 / 104 (healthy), AC 23, touch 19, ff 16, CMD 23 | Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +12 (+2 vs. confusion, insanity) | Init +9, Perc +15, darkvision 60ft, (mythic power 9/9)

Sorry, my above checks were for identifying the durdalis and for knowing that it's an ethereal creature. I'll roll again, since you posted while I was posting.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 16 = 23
K. Planes: 10 + 19 = 29

Xanderghul nods. "You're right, and we should hurry... but we'll need to adjust the stones to account for the Worldwound's influence. That means we have to mirror the position of the stones. Can you ask the durdalis to help us?"

"I have one spell remaining to me - dimensional anchor."


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Isilme:

As you open your eyes, you see that the menhir, and all of the standing stones, are covered in horrible insects. The creatures are about 6" long, and resemble fat, green maggots with transparent wings and several legs. At the end of their eyeless faces is a large circular mouth, filled with teeth. They look semi translucent to your eyes, indicating that they are out of phase with reality.

Anevia K.Planes aid another: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

"F%#$, they kind of look like, uh, whatsitcalled... gibbers? But they're not y'know. Gibbering," Anevia says. "But I guess that's a good thing."

ID checks:

The below checks are available to everyone since Anevia gave them a name to go by.

DC 15 K.Planes (non-demon):

Here is a picture of them.

"Gibbers" are a crusader slang term for vescavors. They are vermin that are far too common in the Worldwound. They form large swarms, and prefer to hive underground. Gibbers constantly yammer the endless chorus of the Abyss. Anyone within 15' of a vescavor swarm can suffer from confusion as a result of the horrific, constant, gibbering.

DC 20 K. Planes (non-demon):

Vescavor come from the abyss, so they come with demon-like resistances to fire and electricity, as well as general resistance to most spells.

Vescavors can devour nearly anything. If the swarm attacks an object or structure, the vescavors ignore its hardness if it is made of any substance other than adamantine. Additionally, every round that a creature is in the same space as the swarm, the vescavors begin devouring one object on the creature. Once the vescavors choose an item in this way, they continue to devour that same item until it is destroyed. The object takes half its maximum hit points in damage and gains the broken condition. If the vescavors attack an object with the broken condition, it is destroyed. An attended or magic object can make a Reflex save to negate this effect.

Finally, enduring the presence of a vescavor swarm is akin to being trapped in the Abyss itself. Any creature that spends more than 3 consecutive rounds inside a vescavor swarm must succeed at a DC 13 Will save or gain a type of madness.

DC 25 K. Planes (non-demon):

Although they look like insects, vescavor are actually intelligent, and therefore don't benefit from usual vermin immunities.

DC 30 K. Planes (non-demon):

Once found only in the lightless crevices and shrieking half-live jungles of the Abyss, the yammering, gluttonous vermin of the Abyss called vescavors crawl through portals into the Material Plane to feed and spawn. Ruled by enormous, hideous queens who direct their swarms in finding food and destroying foes with the help of pheromones and mental commands, vescavor swarms devour objects, creatures, and structures alike. Their hunger is insatiable and carries with it the terrors of the Abyss itself, warping the minds of even those creatures who escape the vescavors’ maws. Only adamantine can endure their gnashing teeth, and a swarm of vescavors that descends upon a settlement devours everything and leaves nothing behind.

This is sufficient to know the entire vescavor swarm statblock (though not of vescavor queens)

"HOLY SHIT," exclaims Anevia, drawing her bow and aiming it at something in the air... but when the heroes look up, there is nothing there. "Oh, f&~+, a locust demon!"

Anevia K.Planes aid another: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

ID checks:

DC 20 K.Planes (demon):

This creature appears to be a "locust demon". Great flights of these creatures plague the skies above the Worldwound. These creatures’ leering humanoid visages are armored with chitinous plates, and their front feet end in small claws that look strangely like human hands. A locust demon can use these hands to manipulate objects or wield items, but generally eschews using weapons or shields entirely.

DC 25 K.Planes (demon):

"Locust demons" are referred to as "derakni" amongst planar scholars. Often derakni are found amongst vescavors. Indeed, vescavor swarms eagerly serve deraknis as minions, and, save for truly unusual circumstances, a derakni never needs to worry about taking damage from or being distracted by a vescavor swarm that shares its space. Together with these hideous gibbering swarms, Deraknis typically aid in the devastation of large regions, often in preparation for the advance of larger demonic armies, and particularly powerful derakni are seen with an aura of the creatures at all times, functioning as one hive mind. Similar to the vescavor, the sound of a derakni in flight is a mesmerizing, unsettling drone that causes confusion in all non-demons that hear the sound.

Locust demons can only be harmed by good-aligned weapons, and possess standard demonic immunities and resistances to the elements and poison. Their bites and sting are poisonous.

Locust demons understand Abyssal, Celestial and Draconic, though they typically don't speak Common or other mortal languages.

DC 30 K.Planes (demon):

You know that derakni typically can't pass into the ethereal plane at will, which means this creature must be even more powerful than normal derakni.

Generally, derakni can cast contagion, gust of wind and greater teleport at will. They can cast quickened summon swarm, as well as enervation and insect plague. They can also summon vescavor swarms from the Abyss. They are also adept at flying, and will typically harangue an enemy from range.

DC 35 K.Planes (demon):

Derakni are fairly rare in the Abyss, as they are formed from the souls of those who, in life, purposefully engineered disasters or aided in their development—particularly souls whose disasters resulted in mass famines or droughts. However, they are much more common in the Worldwound, as Deskari himself can lay hundreds of eggs that upon maturation form enormous swarms of locust demons. These locust demons pass into the Worldwound through the Rasping Rift, and are even more powerful than those spawned of human souls, and possess varied amazing abilities....

This check is sufficient to know the entire derakni statblock

"Uh... boss? Should I shoot it. I wanna shoot it," Anevia whispers into message.


WRONG ALIAS

Bardic Knowledge(Planes): 1d20 + 10 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 10 + 4 + 2 = 28
Bardic Knowledge(Planes): 1d20 + 10 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 10 + 4 + 2 = 20

Isilme frowns as she sees the menhir crawling with abyssal vermin. There were so many that it wouldn't be possible to kill them off one at a time. Furthermore, the situation was complicated by the locust demon above, which likely was there to protect them while they accomplished whatever it was their goal was.

"Anevia is right, there is a Locust Demon here, along with multitudes of Vescavors. They are covering nearly everything here. We might be better off attacking the locust demon now while it is ethereal. Anevia should be able to harm it, which might convince it to enter the material plane," she says. "The swarm of Vescavors, however, I suspect we will need to deal with by having Ehren draw them out all at once."


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Ehren:

The demons described likely don't have the expertise to actually manipulate the ley (thankfully), but you can feel these horrible bug creatures are likely writhing down in the ground in the ley, trying to figure out a way to consume it, or at the very least, taint it. Unfortunately their presence inside of the ley line will make it impossible to utilize the ley line node here until handled. If ignored, you assume that the demons would probably give up on their useless gambit...eventually. But in the meantime, Grumtarr could possibly starve to death, cut off from his food supply.

A DC 25 strength check is required to move the stones into place. Aids are allowed.


Female Tiefling (Pitborn) Bard (Weapon Champion) 9/Champion/Trickster 3 | HP: 97/114 | AC: 25, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 19 | CMD: 26 | Fort: +10, Reflex +13, Will: +10 | Init: +6 | Perception: +16, Darkvision 60 ft. | Performance: 18/24, Shatter: 1/1, Lore Master: 1/1, Mythic Power: 6/9

"Not quite what I was thinking," Val says. "You weren't with us when it happened, but I had a night hag haunting me for a little while. She was... not fun to deal with. Thankfully we managed to get rid of her."

The tiefling waits as Isilme and Anevia manage to identify the source of the problem with the ley lines. "That... doesn't sound fun. Anything that we need to know about them?"

Aid Knowledge Planes (Heroism): 1d20 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 4 = 15


Grippli Arcane Trickster | hp 104 / 104 (healthy), AC 23, touch 19, ff 16, CMD 23 | Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +12 (+2 vs. confusion, insanity) | Init +9, Perc +15, darkvision 60ft, (mythic power 9/9)

K. Planes vs. Locust Demon: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (11) + 19 = 30 Ary's aid gets me this one, if she can't get it herself.

"Well, I've got good news and bad news if you can see a locust demon - the good news is that they don't usually speak mortal tongues. The bad news is that they usually cannot enter the Ethereal Plane, which tells us... it's some kind of freak." grumbles Xanderghul. He thought they were finished slaying demons for the day. Ugh. "They're intelligent insectoid demons with a range of plague and insect-related spells. They basically just hang around to tell vescavors to eat everything."


Male Oread (Kellid) Legendary Druid 11/Hierophant 4 | HP 97/137 | AC 24, T 23, FF 19 | Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +18 | CMD 27 | Resist Acid 10 | SR 13 (evil outsiders), 17 (demons) | Init +2 | Perception +22 | MP 1/11 | LP 2/2 | PM 8/11 | SP 10/10

"We would have an hour at most," Ehren says in agreement with Isilme's hypothesis. The revelation that there is indeed a demon defiling the site fills the druid with disgust. Even if it could not properly tap into the ley's power like he and Grumtarr can, its very existence is anathema. What's more, his whole reason for bringing everyone here would not exactly work with the demon's presence.

Nodding to Xanderghul, Ehren approaches the durdalis where he rests.

"Is féidir linn an daonlathas a chur i bhfolach, ach ní mór na clocha a cheartú ar dtús, ionas gur féidir liom an chumhacht domhain a chasadh anseo ag luí na gréine," he explains, gesturing at the overturned stones. He then points to east, where the Worldwound's sun sets. "Leagann an ghrian go nádúrtha san áit seo, agus mar sin bheadh ar gach rud a leagan síos siar. An dtabharfaidh tú do neart duit, Grumtarr? Níl mórán ama againn."

Druidic:
"We can force the demon out of hiding, but the stones must be righted first, so that I can channel the earth power here at sunset."

"The sun sets unnaturally in this place, so everything would have to be set backwards. Will you lend us your strength, Grumtarr? We do not have much time."


Living Steel DR 4/Evil Female InE 1 / SYF 1 / SP 1 / SCB 1 Valiant Keeper Half-Elven Ran 8/War 2/Fig 10 (VMC) HP (153/153)
Stats:
AC/Touch/Flat/CMD 32/15/25/30 | Fort/Ref/Will +13/12/12 | Init +05
MP 06/11 LP 3/3 AM 3/3 SP 12/12 CS 12/12 M 0/6
Skills:
+21: Acrobatics +22: K(Pl) +18: Athletics +17: Perception +15: P(Soldier); +14: K(Du, Na, Re), A(Poetry), Survival; +12: Diplo +8: Stealth; +7: Spellcraft, Ride; +6: Heal; +5: L(Drezen); +3 Ling; +2: K(No, Lo, Ar)

Ary aids Isilme with the Vescavores and Xanderghul with the Locust Demon. +8 to both. HUZZAH! Behold the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP!

"Don't stay inside of the Vescavor swarm if they do materialize. They'll eat your gear and possibly drive you mad. Even short term, being near them can drive you to hallucinate, and long term... it isn't pretty. Even if we weren't going to do this for the right reasons, a swarm so close to the base is very bad. So when, not if, you shoot them, Anevia... place some distance between yourself and them. As for the Derakni, they're immune to vescavors, and usually direct them... as was already said. But they're also mostly immune to weapons that aren't good aligned, and they drive people mad, just like their maggoty brethren. Their poison is exceedingly deadly and if it takes hold... you're very, very likely to do, and they have several powerful spells within their repertoire. All things considered, they're every bit as deadly as Hezrou." Ary says, chewing on her lip. "Even ordinary ones are capable of extreme devastation, but those in the Worldwound tend to be Deskari's chosen and have alternate capabilities that vary as much as I suspect the Shadow Bishop's abilities do."

She pauses for a moment longer. "I really want you to shoot it, but I'm not sure that we can deal with the fallout of it being on the same plane as us if it's able. Not without rest. But... the troops are in a bad place if we don't."


Female Tiefling (Pitborn) Bard (Weapon Champion) 9/Champion/Trickster 3 | HP: 97/114 | AC: 25, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 19 | CMD: 26 | Fort: +10, Reflex +13, Will: +10 | Init: +6 | Perception: +16, Darkvision 60 ft. | Performance: 18/24, Shatter: 1/1, Lore Master: 1/1, Mythic Power: 6/9

"I'm still equipped to fight swarms. If I get in and out quick, I can probably manage to get inside and attack, but I'll try to be careful until we're out of options. At the very least I should have enough knives left to throw a couple in to cut the swarm down to size a little bit."


Male Oread (Kellid) Legendary Druid 11/Hierophant 4 | HP 97/137 | AC 24, T 23, FF 19 | Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +18 | CMD 27 | Resist Acid 10 | SR 13 (evil outsiders), 17 (demons) | Init +2 | Perception +22 | MP 1/11 | LP 2/2 | PM 8/11 | SP 10/10

Ehren looks to the setting sun with a deep frown, his conflicting emotions as plain as day. His pride - as a druid, as a Kellid, as a Ferron - demands that he sees to the destruction of the demonic interlopers immediately. And yet, he is perfectly aware of the toll that the day has taken on everyone. Bumbling into an encounter with a powerful demon unprepared was a sure way to get someone killed. So soon after their triumph in the citadel, no less.

"I can't abide by a demon defiling a menhir like this, especially if it truly is a favored servant of Deskari," he starts, looking to Ary. Valaria seemed ready to fight, but if the others could not say the same, then there is little point to pushing the issue. It is not his decision alone to make. "But if you're not confident that we can handle them as we are now, then there is always tomorrow. We can still message the Queen through sending, and there might be enough supplies for the army to last at least a day longer."

Edit: To be clear, Ehren is more than willing to fight today, but would rather have a consensus.


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Isilme:

The derakni hovers for a moment watching you, then seems to get bored. It flies upwards, moving in a slow circle, surveying the area below.

Jorsal scratches his chin. "If the demon poses no immediate threat, then I think resting before dealing with it is wise. Especially since tonight we will have Saint Lymirin watching over us when we sleep, and I don't believe any invisible creatures would be able to escape her gaze and infiltrate. When we met her, she struck down that invisible demon in the citadel, remember?"

Anevia continues staring up and around uneasily, looking paranoid. "I can see them...so, I can hide somewhere near and keep an eye on them? Maybe? Y'know, make sure they're not up to no good. I'm good at hidin' and watchin'. That is my job y'know.'

Grumtarr stands up quickly. He doesn't understand Common, so he has no idea what is going on. "Grumtarr ይረዳዎታል. Grumtarr ጋኔን ማባረር ይፈልጋል."

Terran or Ehren:
"Grumtarr will help. Grumtarr want to smash demon."

So thats 2 in favor of resting first, 1 against...other votes for doing the ritual now and fighting vs waiting until tomorrow sunset


WRONG ALIAS

"Ehren, will Grumtarr be endangered if we head out to rest and return first thing in the morning?" The truth was they'd been fighting for quite a while, and it was risky to engage the creature directly without spells available. On the other hand, the fact that the elemental was here and possibly endangered by the demons was troubling, especially since Ehren seemed to be able to reason with it just fine.


Male Oread (Kellid) Legendary Druid 11/Hierophant 4 | HP 97/137 | AC 24, T 23, FF 19 | Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +18 | CMD 27 | Resist Acid 10 | SR 13 (evil outsiders), 17 (demons) | Init +2 | Perception +22 | MP 1/11 | LP 2/2 | PM 8/11 | SP 10/10

"Grumtarr cannot feed from the ley as it is now. He will starve to death, eventually," Ehren explains, before adding with a frown, "That said, I do not believe he is in immediate danger, though his patience may wear thin. We would not able to perform the ritual again until next sunset, however."

With the decision partially hinging on the elemental's safety, Ehren addresses Grumtarr.

"Grumtarr cara, an féidir leat an diaon a fhulaingt ach lá níos faide? Tá mo chompánaigh agus mé ag fulaingt ó chath. B'fhéidir gur mhaith linn ár gcuid neart a chaitheamh ar dtús."

Druidic:
"Grumtarr friend, can you suffer the demon just a day longer? My companions and I are weary from battle. We may wish to rest and gather our strength first."


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Grumtarr sighs and plops back down onto the ground, this time on his back. His belly makes him look like a jagged protrusion of rock jutting out from the earth.

"Grumtarr ጥሩ ይሆናል. Grumtarr ጠንካራ. ከጋኔን የበለጠ ኃይለኛ!" he exclaims.

Terran or Ehren:

"Grumtarr will be good. Grumtarr strong. Stronger than demon!"

Ehren:

The durdalis must feed directly on the ley, so outside of the Plane of Earth he must find ley nodes like this one to feed upon. However, utilizing your place magic power, you could possibly generate enough ley to feed him anywhere. If you befriended him, he'd be a possible loyal cohort, though it would likely take time to generate enough trust to ask him to leave his home. Doing so would require you feed him regularly (at least 1 expenditure of Place Magic per day unless you are able to provide a normal ley node for sustenance). He is CR 8


Buffs | Char. Sheet |

Hinagiku briefly returns Ehren's smile, a simple gesture, followed by a complex conversation about things she does not see nor knows anything about.

"If we are sure that these... these creatures cannot destroy the stone over the night, then resting would be wiser... though, it might be better to bring Grumtarr with us... no, Mr. Ehren?"

If we can kill this now and move on, that would be best. But I think we might need our spells to do so, no?


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

I think Hinagiku is voting to fight now so that makes it 2 v 2. Need input from Xanderghul and Isilme.


Male Oread (Kellid) Legendary Druid 11/Hierophant 4 | HP 97/137 | AC 24, T 23, FF 19 | Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +18 | CMD 27 | Resist Acid 10 | SR 13 (evil outsiders), 17 (demons) | Init +2 | Perception +22 | MP 1/11 | LP 2/2 | PM 8/11 | SP 10/10

Ehren rubs his itching chin absentmindedly as he studies the menhir yet again, eyeing the carvings. It would be useful to know exactly what the ritual's purpose is, beyond his vague understanding that it would force the demon to manifest on their plane. He eyes the central stone with a frown; ironically, it likely contains the information he is looking for.

"It is possible. If I can convince him to leave, I could sustain him by diverting energy from another nearby ley line," Ehren answers as he moves from stone to stone. He pauses for a moment and frowns, remembering how Annabelle relies on Markus for her sustenance. Not the same thing by any stretch of the imagination, but having the creature depend on him just feels wrong somehow. "But... that should only be a last resort. This place is his home."

Lore (menhir): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12 |:P


Female Tiefling (Pitborn) Bard (Weapon Champion) 9/Champion/Trickster 3 | HP: 97/114 | AC: 25, Touch 18, Flat-Footed 19 | CMD: 26 | Fort: +10, Reflex +13, Will: +10 | Init: +6 | Perception: +16, Darkvision 60 ft. | Performance: 18/24, Shatter: 1/1, Lore Master: 1/1, Mythic Power: 6/9

"I can still fight relatively well, but everyone is exhausted after fighting through the citadel and most of us are on their last legs. I don't think fighting something as dangerous as a hezrou when we're at anything other than our best is a good idea."


WRONG ALIAS

"If we take advantage of Anevia's ability to see the creature and attack it directly, and we use our holy weapon balms, we might be able to defeat the creature now," Isilme says. It is unlikely to expect us to be able to attack him. He saw me observing him and very quickly grew bored with that. With those of us with ranged weapons prepared, we might be able to deal him grievous wounds the moment he exited the plane."

I am not yet explicitly voting to stay and fight.


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Alright, need Xanderghul's opinion, unless anyone wants to switch their vote. He's got 12 hours to respond, otherwise we're going to Ary's tiebreaker..


Grippli Arcane Trickster | hp 104 / 104 (healthy), AC 23, touch 19, ff 16, CMD 23 | Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +12 (+2 vs. confusion, insanity) | Init +9, Perc +15, darkvision 60ft, (mythic power 9/9)

Xanderghul takes a few steps back. "If you guys fight this thing, I would prefer to just stand over there," he says, pointing at a nearby hill. "I've got nothing left, and I was not expecting a fight this late in the day. I would prefer not to get eaten by conjured swarms when I have nothing to do about it."

Xanderghul abstains and will not participate in the combat.

Even as he speaks, he feels a strange pull within him. Like a coin rattling around inside of a bottle, he feels a desperate need to 'get out' now that the main, immediate role that he has to fulfill is over. He purses his lips and considers his options.


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Well if Xanderghul is abstaining, the last vote is Isilme. If 11 hours have passed and the tie isn't broken, Ary will break the tie.


WRONG ALIAS

Isilme thinks some more on the subject before speaking again. Both Xanderghul and Val raised important points, and most of the magic they'd used to fight had worn off on the journey here. "Upon reflection, I believe we should convince Grumtarr to travel with us to Drezen and then return here first thing in the morning with him. It seems the safest course of action."

Just to be extra clear, I wish to return here directly after 8 hours rest, not after 24 hours. I do not believe we need the ritual to successfully clear the demons, although we can certainly try the ritual that evening to see what it does


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Well that puts you 3 v 2 in favor of resting first.

I think the only person who can talk to Grumtarr is Ehren so I will give him a chance to talk to him if he wants before I move the scene forwards.


Male Oread (Kellid) Legendary Druid 11/Hierophant 4 | HP 97/137 | AC 24, T 23, FF 19 | Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +18 | CMD 27 | Resist Acid 10 | SR 13 (evil outsiders), 17 (demons) | Init +2 | Perception +22 | MP 1/11 | LP 2/2 | PM 8/11 | SP 10/10

Ehren is not entirely happy with the outcome, but everyone had perfectly valid points. He is loathe to ask the durdalis to leave his home, even temporarily, but it is safer than leaving him alone.

"Grumtarr, an bhfágfaidh tú an áit seo agus go dtiocfaidh tú linn? Go dtí go dtiocfaidh an ghrian ardaithe. Ansin, is féidir linn an demon seo a fhilleadh agus a scriosadh."

Druidic:
"Grumtarr, would you leave this place and come with us? Only until the sun rises. Then we can return and destroy this demon."

Diplomacy (Charisma Drain): 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (19) + 6 - 1 = 24


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

Grumtarr opens his eyes blearily. He seems fairly tired, but he staggers to his feet. "እምም. ለአንድ ምሽት ብቻ ይህንን ማድረግ እችላለሁ."

Terran or Ehren:

"Hrmm Hrmm. I can do this, if only for one night."

He lumbers over next to Ehren, which puts him close to Hinagiku. His eyes widen and he stares at her quizzically. "እምምግሜምሜም. በጣም ቆንጆ ሴት ጥሩ መዓዛ አለው.." He leans in close and starts sniffing at her clothing with a blissful expression. " እምም ኤም ኤም. የጸደይ ዝናብ ካለቀ በኋላ እንደ አዲስ ካይላይትስ አረንጓዴ ያዳምጣል. እምምም ሄም. እወዳለሁ."

Terran or Ehren:

"Hrmm... Hrhmmm.... Hrhmmm.... Pretty lady smell good. Hrhmm hrhmm. Smells like fresh kaolinite after a springtime rain. Hrhmm.... I like."

And with that the heroes head back to Drezen, the elemental in tow. They have to move slowly, as the elemental seems contented to only stomp slowly behind them at his own pace. Eventually they manage to arrive back at the citadel, having only paused once along the way to kill off a random group of schir they bumped into, having been scared out of their hidey hole. By the time they get back to the main hall, where the Sword of Valor stands, it is night time.

Irabeth sits in the corner, holding Sana against her neck. The little girl is fast asleep. She raises a finger to shush the heroes so that they don't wake her.

"Oh, back already?" she says in a low voice. "And a new friend, I see?' she asks, nodding at Grumtarr.

Grumtarr scowls at the worked stone around him, disapproving of the architecture. "ሮክ እዚህ ውስጥ በርካታ መስመሮች አሉት. Grumtarr ከውጭ ይተኛል."

Ehren or Terran:

"Rock here have too many straight lines, hrrmmmhrrrm. Grumtarr gonna sleep outside."

Anything you wanna do? Or just wanna go to sleep?


WRONG ALIAS

"We should take some time to search the barracks and officers' quarters in the citadel before we retire for the night. Anyone interested in aiding me in that endeavor?" At the very least it would be worthwhile to open the chest in the room Joran had been sleeping in, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to check in on him either.


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Buffs | Char. Sheet |

Hinagiku slowly cocks her head to the side in puzzlement as the durdalis smells her. Gently lifting one hand palm facing out, she reaches to the rocky figure and pats it gently on the shoulder, forcing some distance between them without giving an impression of discomfort.

"What is it saying Mr. Ehren? Oh... well... that's interesting." assuming Ehren answers

Now
Hinagiku softly smiles at Irabeth's question and gives a simple nod of agreement.
"We found it next to the menhir outside the city, but it seemed dangerous to leave it there..." she begins, before glancing sideways at Ary. The commander would definitely be a better person to explain what was going on there.

"I would like to come. I have been wondering where Mr. Vhane was, and hope that I can find him." Hinagiku then answers to Isilme. She hadn't heard about the other's discovery yet.


WotR Global Buffs/Debuffs: ----

The durdalis accepts Hinagiku's wordless request for space, though he pointedly lumbers behind her on the way to the citadel, occasionally tilting his head back and sniffing the air with a dopey grin on his face.

Now, Hinagiku and Isilme and anyone else who volunteers decide to go explore the citadel. It was easy to loop through the two barracks on the eastern side of the citadel, especially since they are already cleared out of enemies. They pass by a few crusader work teams, slowly dragging the dead bodies away to a large pile outside of the citadel for removal. Keeping them in one place for too long would attract vermin, and in the Worldwound, attracting vermin is the last thing anyone wanted.

They search through those two barracks, Isilme with her word caller ability, though they don't find anything of interest. The armor and weapons kept here are of standard cultist fare - so, hodge-podge, and mostly scavenged from the crusader stores. Afterwards they head to the Lord Commander's chambers. The first room leading into it is an officer's court, which is partially obscured by a large amount of debris to the southeast. Large columns support the ceiling. This room leads into a planning room, where maps depicting the Worldwound and its border nations adorn the walls of this large chamber.

Isilme:
There are WORDS on the MAPS. You sense they are maps of Mendev, the Worldwound, Numeria, and Ustalav.

The planning room leads into a large chamber that constitutes the Lord Commander's quarters. Rich appointments of fine furniture and plush carpet decroate this chamber. A mahogany desk with several bookshelves occupies the southeast corner, while expansive liquor cabinets follow the curving northern wall. Three doors lead south and west.

Isilme:
There are WORDS in the BOOKS on the BOOKSHELVES. Also on the kegs! The kegs describe types of alcohol. The books seem to be on demons, military strategy, geography, and history.

The three doors lead to three bedrooms. Two are smaller and were likely for officers of the crusades. The largest one was meant for the Lord-Commander. This largest one is spacious and immaculate, save for the large soot stain on the bed, where Joran is still fast asleep despite it having been several hours since the Sword of Valor had been reclaimed. There is a well-used sparring dummy in the corner. An inkwell, blotter and a black quill sit atop an otherwise bare desk, with a three-legged stool pushed out of the way underneath. A single large padlocked chest sits at the foot of the bed.

Isilme:
There are words inside the chest! Some of the words are magical. Some of the words were meant to be private. Some of the words are an insult.

Meanwhile, in the main hall...

"Commander Bishop! Commander Bishop!" chirps Lieutenant Indisy, sprinting into the hallway. Her big riding dog bounds behind her. Irabeth shoots her a glare, and she widens her eyes and covers her mouth with both of her tiny hands. "Oops, sorry." she says, lowering her voice.

"Commander Bishop," she says again this time in a whisper, though she's bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "We found some food. And it's fresh, and mostly untainted! We think it was for Vhane's personal use...dunno... I don't read dwarven...but it's mostly dried meats and mushrooms."

There are two large barrels already strapped to her dog, and she opens one to show her.

Quartermaster Artis overhears her from the other side of the room. "Provisions?!?" he exclaims, ignoring Irabeth's glare and sprinting over to them as fast as his short halfling legs would allow. He steps in a pool of demonic ichor on accident and he groans, shaking his bare foot in disgust before heading back over to her. "You must show me!"

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