Corum stands over the others as they sit and catch their breath, he watches the surrounding foliage with suspicion but smiles grimly. "Who'd have thought gardening could be so much fun?" We'll need to keep moving though. There may be more of those damned plants around here."
Lucrezzia takes the pause to make sure everyone is feeling ok.
Beyond the jungle is a large wooden building. From the outside it looks like a huge garden shed. It is either very tall or has two levels up there doesn't appear to be any windows to verify.
A single door stands in it's wall facing you.
Gingerly standing upright and stretching, Sapphire flexes her arms.
Right then, no rest for the wicked and all that...
She waits till Corum signals his readiness, then they both move forwards to check around the door, ducking under the lintel and in to the darkened room if all seems clear.
Grayston takes back his flask and takes one more large gulp before standing up on shaky legs and moves on with the group. "On to the next thing that wants to kill us." Places the flask back in his chest pocket and rubbing his eye's.
The door opens into a dark and musty corridor that is especially featureless save for a pair of doors. One leads north the other leads south
Sapphire looks between them both and shrugs, before moving to the north door and opening it, sword in hand.
Grayston follows close behind the warrior woman.
The door opens into a large room filled with dusty piles of old furniture, mounds of moldering herbs, bales of cloth, barrels of fertilizer, clay pots, and trays of dried seeds.
There is also a large stone fireplace that doesn't appear to have been lit in a long time. Strangely, there appears to be a series of iron rungs set in the wall of the chimney leading up into the soot-covered passage.
A humanoid dressed in red robes is poking about in the assortment of gardening items but turns when he hears the door open.
Hello! it greets you. We haven't had visitors to the garden in a long time, wonderful isn't it?
The creature is like none you have ever seen. It is rapier-thin and taller than most of you, in fact if it stood up straight it may well brush 7 feet. It is bald and pale and has virtually no nose to speak of. In fact, it looks somewhat like a tailors doll.
The smile it gives you is unnerving, but you sense it is probably meant to have the opposite effect to that.
Lucrezzia returns the smile, trying to hide her worry about this garden and it's probable caretaker. "Oh, this garden it be a breathtaking walk. You be da custodian?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Oh not I. My master is though, in the room yonder. He asked me to fetch some more fencing, some of the Moonflowers broke out of the pens on the other side of the garden. By the looks of you, you ran into them, they didn't hurt you too badly I hope. Oh dear, he will be aghast at the thought that his garden has become so unruly. the tall slenderman wrings his hands before him as he worries about what has happened.
Greyston eye's up the tall man, unsure of what to make of him but happy to not get instantly attacked. "I think we would like to meet your master."
Sapphire raises an eyebrow
"Fetch some more fencing"...
she muses
...anyone got any gardening questions we can ask our new friend here, prove he is indeed a custodian's assistant? Perhaps you can tell us who this garden belongs to, and why you were placed here?
She frowns at the humanoid.
This is Baba Yaga's garden and we are her humble gardeners. Well, truth be known my master is the one with green fingers, I simply do his bidding. But he directs me and I obey. Come, I shall take you to meet him. the thin humanoid replies casually.
He begins to walk toward the door, politely pressing past you if you let him and heading for the door in the south wall.
Grayston steps aside attempting to get out of the way of the large man. Not sure what he's doing. "I really don't know much about gardening but I really want to ask its master about this place."
Corum watches the conversation, his brooding silence adding to his menacing presence. He stands poised to strike at the first sign of danger.
He grips his spear tightly as his eyes scan their surroundings, constantly looking for signs of danger. At the mention of a master he tenses slightly Probably another damned witch.
He waits to see where the stranger will take them.
The tall humanoid eases through you and then out into the hall. It moves to the next door and gives a series of rapid knocks on the wood.
Master...? There are visitors here... it says with a sly look over it's shoulder.
The room beyond is also full of boxes and gardening equipment but none of that is important as the 'master' is revealed. This creature has a pale, froglike appearance with clawed hands, no eyes, a wide mouth, and a snout ending in pink tentacles.
The tall humanoid grins in a weird alien way and dashes into the room to stand beside the thing and says;
Master I brought them to you, perhaps we should keep one alive in case they know where we are!
19
16
Corum watches the tall stranger carefully as they walk through to the next room. He waits while the man knocks on the door and something about his manner sets Corum on edge. Something is wrong here. he thinks even as he feels the first stirring of his anger, like the fires of a forge being stoked.
As a result when the stranger reveals the master and declares their intent Corum is ready. Without hesitation his fury bursts in an explosion of hate. He flies through the door before anyone can react. Letting loose a blood curdling scream of pure venom he smashes into the pair like a terrible wave breaking on a shore. He drives his spear forward with all his might, aiming to skewer the master.
Pa rage charge
Dam
Anxious to see what this thing is, Lucrezzia moves next to Sapphire and then realizes the party is being led into a trap! "We won't be so easy a' prey as you like!" She gives the horrific beast the evil eye, hoping to protect Corum from whatever that thing might try to do!
Elleross tries to shake off the uneasy feeling he has about this strange creature, perhaps it is because he has no idea what it is and that makes him instantly wary.
Then his fears are confirmed as it rushes to its masters side and Corum hurls himself forward into battle.
augendae, celeritate ,tempora unleashing a wave of power he hastes the party and Moves to stand opposite the doorway, now that he can see into the room he shudders as he sees the "master"
Moon-beasts have no voice or eyes, yet they "see" more than most and can project their thoughts into the very minds of those they wish to communicate with. These monstrosities hail not from any physical moon, but rather from the shared satellite of all slumbering minds in the Dimension of Dream beyond the wall of sleep. Here, the moon-beasts raise stone cities on the oily shores of night-black seas found upon the dark side of the dreaming moon, from which they launch long, dark galleys crewed by not-quite-human slaves that sail through the void of space down to the seas of the Dimension of Dream to seek new slaves and stranger, more sinister wares.
Moon-beasts are slavers, first and foremost. They use their spell-like abilities to curb rebellion or to quickly gain minions, but much prefer using physical and mental regimens of torment and reconditioning to break the spirit of their captives. They often work with the denizens of Leng, a metaphysically nearby dimension of nightmare and madness, although as often as not these planar neighbors serve the moon-beasts merely as slaves.
Worshipers of ageless entities from beyond the stars, moon-beasts are often compelled to travel to the Material Plane for strange and frightening causes, not the least of which is gathering suitable sacrifices for their mysterious and demanding lords.
It is immune to poison, cold and highly resistant to electricity. It has a variety of offensive spell-like abilities, can dominate and control the weaker wills of others and it's mere touch can drain someone's wisdom.
Success
"F!$~ that..." He shouts out as he steps around spotting the massive creature. He fumbles for a glass vial but bolstered by Ellerosses magic he flings the bomb at the large thing.
AC - 23 HP - 73 Saves 11/14/7
Fail
Fail
Standing before the large staircase that sits directly opposite the main entrance he wills himself forward and like a streak of lightning he races through his mind, sweeping through room after room of strange objects until he finds himself before a tall cupboard crafted of bleached wood that looked like bone.
across the double doors are several words are carved in the common tongue, each letter I laid with a dark red that looked like dried blood.
The words say "Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves"
Taken out of context it seemed a quote that went against Elleross life as a judge but Themis quote was not about justice or punishment but rather it was a reference to slavery and the man who coined it fought all his life to abolish slavery.
Reaching for the handles he flings the doors open and stares at the various manacles and shackles and chains that hang within.
Reaching out he grasps a strange collar made of an unknown dark alloy and his mind suddenly recalls the disturbing origins of this so called "master"
this thing is not from our world, it is a slave master from one of the planes! Moon - beasts they are called and they are highly resistant to cold and electricity.
It has offensive spells at its disposal, the ability to dominate the will of others and it's very touch will drain you! he spits out a warning as he relays what he knows
Success
Success
Fail
Fail
Fail
Fail
Success
The two weird creatures unleash their otherwordly powers on the group. First, a wave of pulsating energy flows out of the frog-like creature. It is as cold as the void of space and Sapphire and Greyston seem overwhelmed by it. Shell-shocked, they suddenly find themselves unable to properly tell friend from foe.
Then, the smooth-skinned humanoid releases a burst of light that dances above Elleros' head and the wizard is powerless to do anything but watching the motes of light twinkle like stars above him.
Acts normally
Babbles incoherently
Sapphire stares at her sword as it sings at her, drawing her attention enough to keep her wandering mind on the present, on her need to act now!
Her flaming blade dances along the moon-beast's body.
4th (1)- greater invisibility
3rd (4)-
2nd (5)- bladed dash, bladed dash,
1st (6)— burning hands, shield, shield, shocking grasp, shocking grasp, shocking grasp
Miss, due to misfortune
Elleross had spent many years in prison honing his mental defenses, He vowed to himself that he would never be controlled in such a way again and had done everything in his power to prevent it.
As the alien energy washed over him he resisted it with ease, the second attack however was almost too much for him the hypnotic pattern surrounding him began to burrow into his mind attempting to overwhelm him.
With a grimace he resisted the pattern with every ounce of his will, and as if a steel shutter had suddenly slammed within his mind he closed off his memory palace and denied the pattern.
I won't waste the skill on Corum, but the blade-mage can use the help! Lucrezzia calls out to Sapphire, "Come, you can do better than that! You have to!"[/i] Once done with that, she chants an odd ditty, [b]"If it weren't for real bad luck, you wouldn't have no luck at all!"
Hearing the inane babbling from behind him he spins around to see Greyston , eyes slightly glazed and he knows he is being confused by the creature.
Drawing upon his own powers he attempts to disrupt the spell and clear his friends mind
Lost in his rage, Corum is oblivious to everything except his continued assault on the Moon beast. He again roars his defiance and strikes with all of his might. Hate and anger fuel his attack, adrenaline surges and his muscles bunch and leap as he drives his spear twice into the fiend with incredible power.
Pa rage
Dam
Attack 2
Dam
Corum plunges his broad-bladed spear into the bulbous mass of the frog-like creature. It almost bursts like an over-filled waterskin, spilling disgusting green goo all over the floor of the storage shed.
The smooth-skinned humanoid shrieks in horror.
Hit
Miss
Hit
Miss
The Denizen of Leng flails out at Sapphire but blinded by tears and utterly grief-stricken, it's attacks are completely ineffectual.
Act normally
Sapphire's eyes flash and her blade flickers across the Denizen.
Snapping out of whatever the large creature did to him, his sense returning to him he quickly acts wanting to put an end to the fight he unleashes everything he can throwing bomb after bomb.
Sapphire hacks the Denizen to ribbons before two of Greyston's bombs erupt on his chest, tearing away great portions of the thing's smooth-skinned head until it collapses in a heap of blood and red robes.
Sapphire , Greyston ! You are both under the influence of the moon beast. You are confused, while the spell is still in effect you could attack any one of us or hurt yourselves. I have no way of countering it at the moment, I suggest you get rid of your weapons
Elleross says the rest of you should move away from them, they will attack whoever is closest to them, if you both move closer to me. One of you on each side, that way if you are compelled to attack then You can attack me . I can put up a barrier that will protect me from harm.
Sapphire glances around suspiciously at these other people, what were they doing here? Where was here? The last she remembered she was walking next to a caravan... or was it plunging through the thin ice of a frozen river?... No... Dodging the freezing breath of an animated dragon statue...
She stares at the floor,
Must not let them know I can't remember, they could be enemies...
She brings her blade up warily, and it twinkles and writhes in her grasp.
What is this voice in my mind? Who are these people?...
She glances around suspiciously...