In the Light of Black Stars (Strange Aeons)

Game Master Thackery Baxter J Thorington

The old man looks at the ghoul, then at Kalas, then at Dvarin. "Alright then." he says, hesitantly.

"If you think that's best..." Amber nods, also looking a bit reluctant. She cautiously approaches Zandalus and attempts to help him to his feet. "Come on, we'll take care of you," she says gently.

Hearda stares at the helpless patient and feels his savage nature come to the fore.

You would let this abomination live??

It still may be useful and it is controlled by Dvarin. We should wait...I fear Zandalus will slow us down.

He clenches his fists briefly before turning his attention to the south door and what lay beyond...

The patient stumbles forward, nearly taking Amber down with his clumsiness. Praise! Praise! He clings to her for life, shaking his head now and pulling on her arm away from the door.

The warrior opens the door with the tip of his blade, eyes wide and searching for threats, and reveals a scene from a nightmare. The horrors the dreamers have faced thus far are slim preparation for the tableau before them. This was a recreation room in what seems to be times long past. Three baths, just large enough for soaking in heated water sit in small alcoves in the western wall, now emptied of water and put to other purposes. One is filled heaps of corpses, the reek of their rotting flesh fills the room with a potent stench. Another stands empty, but scrabbling and soft moaning can be heard from within. A third stands behind a large curtain made of stain sheets stretched across the width of the room, illuminated by a lantern beyond.

Gaming tables festoon the area, but an all-too different sport has taken place. Each table hosts one of Doctor Oathsday's experiments. Human and Doppleganger corpses alike lay splayed out upon the surfaces in various states of dissection. Some have been opened with remarkable care and precision, the work of a clear and well-trained mind. Others have been mutilated beyond butchery, barely recognizable as anything remotely humanoid. One body is fresh, barely touched save for a large bruise on the side of her face.

Behind the sheet, a shadow moves. Spindle legs and clawed hands, haunched, warped body. Doctor Oathsday!

Rolled initiative just in case. Amber, Dvarin, Hearda, Kalas, and Nathaniel go first. Then Oathsday. Then Feliks and the Oldest One

"There is something... off about this room," Nathaniel speaks up after calling upon his magic to shield him for the coming fight. "It appears... staged for lack of a better word. I could be wrong or it could be just my nerves, but not all is as it seems."

Hearda feels the savage part of him threatening to take over his human side yet Nathaniel's words manage to break through the haze of emotions.

What...a stage? For what purpose?? The Doctor's amusement or something else...

Deciding to take a defensive stand here, knowledge flows into his mind of a spell, designed to protect him from harm from afar. Almost without thinking the eldritch words flow from his lips and a glowing field of multicolored hues surrounds his body.

"Staged? Staged how?" Amber gasps as her eyes take in the horrific scene in front of them. For a moment she closes her eyes, desperately hoping that Nathaniel is right, that it's all some sort of trick...

Her eyes flutter open and she whispers words of power, that she somehow knows will reveal lingering magicks to her sight.

Was gonna update, but should probably wait for Kalas and Dvarin

"Argrade. Follow us. You may soon have a new corpse to feast upon," says Dvarin, as he draws his crossbow and readies it to fire at Doctor Oathsday.

Kalas believes his own two eyes over Nathaniel's words, "What I see is a tragedy perpetrated by evil and insanity that we can stop from happening again!" He stomps into the room and awaits the figure of Doctor Oathsday, blade at the ready.

"Argrade. Follow us. You may soon have a new corpse to feast upon," says Dvarin, as he draws his crossbow and readies it to fire at Doctor Oathsday. The mystic leash he uses to command his rotting minion to follow him is tight as ever, and the living corpse heels him as a dog its master. For a brief moment, though, rebellion flares in its putrid eyes, but the eldritch chains of necromancy pull at its mind, and it obeys the necromancer, following him into the gymnasium.

"Staged? Staged how?" Amber gasps as her eyes take in the horrific scene in front of them. For a moment she closes her eyes, desperately hoping that Nathaniel is right, that it's all some sort of trick. Her voice echoes throughout the room

Her eyes flutter open and she whispers words of power, that she somehow knows will reveal lingering magicks to her sight. The blue light of sorcery fills the room behind the curtain. Whatever is beyond that veil has been magicked in some way...

Despite his fellows' trepidation, Kalas believes his own two eyes over Nathaniel's words, "What I see is a tragedy perpetrated by evil and insanity that we can stop from happening again!" He stomps into the room and awaits the figure of Doctor Oathsday, blade at the ready.

Back in the makeshift.. larder.. Hearda feels the savage part of him threatening to take over his human side yet Nathaniel's words manage to break through the haze of emotions.

What...a stage? For what purpose?? The Doctor's amusement or something else...

Deciding to take a defensive stand here, knowledge flows into his mind of a spell, designed to protect him from harm from afar. Almost without thinking the eldritch words flow from his lips and a glowing field of multicolored hues surrounds his body.

As the dreamers make their presence known, the shape behind the curtain begins to gesutre as though casting a hushed spell.

Feliks and Oldest One UP

Feliks? Oldest One? Updating tomorrow regardless

When will the horrors stop? Feliks thought as he lined himself up for a clean shot and loaded his crossbow.

The old man propped his stick hurriedly against a wall, then set to ransacking his pouches. His stick slid down the wall and clattered onto the floor as he stood ready, a vial of acid in his left hand, and a vial of fire in his right.

The dreamers ready themselves to end the threat of Doctor Oathsday. Felix draws his bow and the Oldest One draws two vials from his bag. As they finish, glittering sand fills the air covering the dreamers' eyes. Sleep pulls at their eyelids.

Sleep pulls at the dreamer's eyes, but only Dvarin succumbs! The necromancer collapses to the floor. The ghoul straightens and then grins wickedly.

Round 2

Dvarin,Amber,Nathaniel, and Kalas up.

"Wha...?" Amber gapes as Dvarin suddenly collapses to the ground. She raises her shortbow and aims it at their accompanying ghoul friend, clearly alarmed. "D-don't move! Zandalus, get back!"

guys? Updating tomorrow night

"This is not good," Nathaniel notes, hardly a difficult observation to make. Wasting no time he moves towards the slumbering form of Dvarin, kneeling down and slapping the man in an attempt to wake him up.

"I do apologize."

Amber trains her bow on the ghoul, waiting for it to strike. And, strike it does! It swings at its former master, but it misses as Dvarin's jolted awake by Nathaniel's slap. Amber's arrow looses, and plants itself next to the ghoul's hand, inches from where Dvarin's head lay.

Kalas feels eyes follow him, from all sides as he stalks towards the creature behind the curtain. The corpse on the table moans pitifully.. it's NOT a corpse! She's alive! He forgets all about the eyes, and, instead, focuses his attention on helping the poor unfortunate woman.

Hearda, Dvarin (swift or immediate only), Oldest One, and Feliks UP gonna let Kalas' player decide what he does to help the poor unfortunate soul.. er woman (sorry listening to Disney OSTs is my Happy Place

Hearda is about to step into the macabre scene to join his fellow dreamer but a sense of danger overwhelms his mind here...his savage nature screaming...

AMBUSH!...

He reacts on instinct here, swinging his mace in a wide arc against the foul smelling ghoul. Caught off balance here his blow is wide of the mark. Even as he faces the dreaded foe, he barks urgently "GET BACK HERE!"

"Wait, Argade!" the old man gestures with his flasks "Why risk destruction? There is a literal pile of rotting dead back from whence we came! Help us here and I will show you!"

"Argrade. Attack the doppleganger and no one else," says Dvarin, looking at the ghoul.

Feliks stalked forward, fixing his gaze on the distant horror and firing his crossbow.

The corpse pauses as Hearda's blow lands beside its head and the Oldest One tries to reason with it. Yet, a cold grin plays across its rotting face, its eyes coming to light with a brutal fire. He snarls, but pulls back as Dvarin wakes.

"Argrade. Attack the doppleganger and no one else," says Dvarin, looking at the ghoul.

The ghouls snarls and charges into the room, past Kalas and the moaning woman. As Felix's arrow flies wide of its mark.

Back up top now with Dvarin, Amber, Kalas, Nathaniel, and Hearda

sorry this post is short. Migraines suck.

Hearda heart constricts in terror as the ghoul lunges towards him...then past him towards the doppleganger. Moving cautiously into the room he is engulfed by the macabre scene.

Fighting the urge to follow the ghoul Argrade into the thick of the fray, he instead takes in the scene analytically.

Where is the true enemy here...?

He sends tendrils of force around one of the discarded gaming balls but only gently...awaiting what other players in this stage to show themselves.

Though Amber breathes a sigh of relief as Dvarin is returned to consciousness, her expression is deeply troubled as the ghoul races ahead into the room beyond.

This isn't right, having that sort of power is too dangerous!

But now wasn't the time for arguments. She raises her shortbow in trembling hands and moves forward into the next room, as best as she can manage with their insane friend clinging to her.

gonna give till wed for post. didn't push it because holidzae

Allowing the once again controlled ghoul to rush into the room and perhaps take the brunt of whatever attack may soon be coming, Nathaniel casts a simple enough spell, one that allows him to see the magic in people and things and places. Perhaps this in combination with Argrade's charge will help clear things out, if only a little.

Dvarin fires his crossbow at Dr. Oathsday.

Several things happen all at once.

Nathaniel once more summons dark powers to him. Swirling energies cascade about his hands ghostly otherworldly winds swirl around his body in an eldtritch shield of force. The scene is unsettling, it is unnatural for mortals to so easily bend the fabric of reality to their will! But, the effects are useful all the same: that magicked force bound to his form is proof against weapons of all sorts.

Meanwhile, Dvarin and Amber fire their weapons into the room. Bolt and arrow narrowly miss the ghoul's head, prompting Argade to turn and hiss at its master. The bolt uselessly binds in the curtain at the far side of the room, but Amber's bolt strikes home! The monster doubles over in pain!

Hearda, battles with his inner demons beside the others. The call of battle and blood lust of his save nature rails and fights against his logical, civilized side. The battle rages within him and the psychic conflict manifests in a raised piece of furniture. The shattered table leg spins violently in the air, gaining momentum and in perfect line with the monster. Should it attack, it shall not be met with only words!

The woman on the slab moans again and grabs Kalas' arm. Help me! Please! It's going to feed me to.. that... thing.. She points to one of the lidded tubs. PLEASE!

Yet, despite the chaos of battle, none of this makes sense to Nathaniel. The dopplegangers they've faced before used trickery and guile to lure their unsuspecting prey. Why would Dr Oathsday be so obvious? Then.. he hears it! the clatter of would on stone. Amber's arrow! He is struck by the horrible realization the doppleganger in the room isn't real!

Feliks, the Oldest One UP!

Can Nathaniel speak up out of turn? Or do I wait for when it is his turn again to tell the others?

The old man hesitates, reluctant to throw either vial into a room filled with allies and innocents. "That dust!" he asks the room "Where did it come from?"

YOu can talk all you want so long as it doesn't really take an action (no heals, intimidates, etc) Knowledges are OK, since it'd be dumb to say "i google for a round" no one would ever do it.

"We are being fooled. The doppelganger is not real," Nathaniel calls out. "Amber, your arrow, while apparently striking true, only hit stone."

"Wait, what? No...I could've sworn it struck flesh!" Amber calls out, looking thoroughly befuddled.

Nathaniel's words strike like a bolt of lightning onto his mind.

There is but one who could be the true foe here and that is...

"Kalas! Do not let it touch you!" Hearda barks out.

The old man stiffened as the import of Nathaniel's information struck him. Horrified he looked to the 'captive', whose hands were so close to Kalas.

And now they were seeing things. Or being shown things. Did it matter? Feliks could feel his mind slipping. Is any of this real? Did that matter? If it was real, Feliks and the others were in danger. If not, he would have to deal with that later.

"Enough of this," he said, loading his crossbow and fixing his gaze. "It's the thing on the table we need to kill."

OK, end of round.. back at the top with Dvarin, AMber, Kalas, Nathaniel, and Hearda

Now thoroughly confused, Amber looks from the ominous shape behind the curtain to the woman on the table and then back again. Was she really the true threat? How could the others be so certain?

Though she readies another arrow, her hands shake as she grips her bow. She stares hard at the entire scene laid out in front of her and blinks slowly as if trying to clear something from her eyes.

Hearda nods in satisfaction as Feliks reveals the true threat. Without hesitation he whips the table leg around violently, changing the angle so it strikes the woman on the table!

Dvarin does nothing, confident the ghoul will eventually find what needs to be attacked

nathaniel and Kalas? will update tomorrow

Although more or less certain that it is indeed the woman on the slab that is the real enemy, still he hesitates. This place and the tricks it is playing on their senses all the time have allowed doubt to creep into his mind. Instead of taking action he stays his hand, waiting to see Hearda's attack and the effect it has.

Dvarin stands confidently as he watches the eldritch corpse obey his commands. The dead crave life, ghouls most of all. Their mad hunger for the flesh of man will drive it to find the "real" Dr Oathsday. It casts about the room, searching. The creature's nose lifts into the air and it sniffs then.. yes.. it turns to look at the woman on the table. With a feral, roar it moves to pounce on the prone woman.

She shrieks in fear and pulls back, slipping off the table in terror. Her fright giving her surprising strength and speed, despite her injuries. Do not be afraid. None shall harm you while I stand! Kalas' blade slashes out and barring the ghoul from stepping further. Its point is mere inches from the creature's eyes.

Amber's eldritch sight still burns bright in her eyes. And, yes!! She sees the tell-tale auras of arcane might. Beyond the curtain, illusions and falsehoods hang in the air creating sight and sound where should be naught but shadows! The whole of the room is but smoke and mirrors to lure the dreamers into a spider-web of doom. The woman's movements are too quick, too sure. Even fear-borne power has its limits. And Kalas, the poor paladin has been bewitched! Thick tendrils of magicked mist float in the air about the holy knight's head, filling his ears and eyes. With each breath the woman takes, the mist gathers about his head. He is enspelled to his doom!

Hearda, however, is unswayed by the false woman's please. With a but a thought, the table leg hurtles through the air and crashes into the "woman's" head. Blood trickles from her temple and a mad light enters her eye.

Pity. I could have learned so much from you! No matter! I have many other patients to study. Oathsday sneers.

Feliks and Oldest One up Now. Nathaniel, your readied action can go off now, too. Kalas, post and i'll de-bot

The old man's hands shake as he chooses between the acid and the fire. Standing so close to the deceptive doppelganger, there seems little doubt he'd hit Kalas. Either attack could leave a good man scarred for life. As he prevaricated he called out "Kalas! Stand aside!"

Feliks? Updating tonight

"Kalas, snap out of it," Nathaniel calls out to the half-elf as he closes with the "woman" and tries a straightforward stabbing strike. "We are not the enemy here, nor is the ghoul. He is on our side. The true enemy is posing as the female victim."

Sorry.

Feliks looked down at his crossbow, drew a bead on the thing from the table, and fired.

I'll resolve Nathaniel's action in the next batch.

The old man's hands shake as he chooses between the acid and the fire. Standing so close to the deceptive doppelganger, there seems little doubt he'd hit Kalas. Either attack could leave a good man scarred for life. As he prevaricated he called out "Kalas! Stand aside!" The table leg - stained with Oathday's blood - bounced unnaturally from the floor and once again spun up to strike the woman's head. Once more, blood trickled from the woman's head. Almost immediately after, a a bolt from Feliks' crossbow slams in to the creature's leg.

The creature hisses and Feliks can feel the creature's pain burning through his leg. He looks down and blood runs freely down his thigh!

Next Round. Hearda, Amber, Nathaniel, Dvarin, and Kalas are up. Nathaniel, you can try to snap Kalas out of it with your stated action. Kalas, you can try and save versus mind-whammy (Wil save) to snap out of it. you get a +1 bonus for every person trying to talk you out of it.