Thoroughly confused, Tanith stares in disbelief at his double and then the two Carinas.
The other undine dodges the vial. The bomb lands square between the other Carina and Eben, its cold searing the flesh of them and the other Farrukh.
Farrukh and Eben are unable to dodge and take the full brunt. They both shoot "old Carina" annoyed glares. "New Carina" is also injured. She gives a sharp, surprised cry, then glares fiercely. "Wow, you really didn't do your homework, did you? I'm resistant to cold, not immune to it, you idiot. My friends were seriously fooled by you?"
The godfather grits his teeth. "Uh, listen, I hate to be the one to say this, but is it really a good idea to just let everyone attack each other? If there is a double, it gives them a pretty good excuse to just kill the real one before we can get to them. Maybe we better think about this."
Gattel spares a glance backward. "Wait, who are you again? We've tested you for doppelgangliness, right?"
"Spiny, stay," Cuetzpalli instructs as he realizes what is going on. He charges towards his own double, trying to impale it on the prongs of his trident.
Cuetzpalli charges at his helpless double, skewering the gagged Olman in the leg. The other Cuetzpalli screams helplessly into his gag.
"Okay, uh, geez," the godfather says, "I guess we're just going f%@%ing nuts, then? Is that how this works?"
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"Both of you have a point. I've had my suspicions about him since we realize the doppelgangers could extract memories. But killing each other so quickly may turn out ugly. Let's think about this logically."
"Who was with who at any given time? I find it hard to believe Carina was snatched under Tanith's watch, or that Tanith was held captive for any length of time. Look at those ropes. Guy could flex a bit and bust out."
"Me and Cuetz and Astraden were together the whole time, so unless you guys believe all three of us got snatched, and Spiny somehow got out of it unscathed, we're out."
"So for now, let's assume me, Cuetz, Tanith, and Carina are legit."
"That leaves the newcomers: Who was alone? That leaves Gattel, and um...Astraden's godfather. We don't even know the guy's name."
"Of the two, both have used their magic...but Gattel's magic can be stolen since he passes them around like potions."
"So, Gattel, you're the only one I'm very suspicious of, sorry to say."
You kinda left out Eben... Carina thinks.
"And what about Zalamandra?" She asks, pointedly ignoring her double and looking at the bound & gagged sorceress.
"Hell if I know."
Spiny is getting more and more stressed. His master's friend is dead and strung up on his back, and though he hasn't had a satisfying meal all day, he knows he's not supposed to eat her. And now there are two masters, and his master is trying to kill his master, and they're too far for Spiny to tell their scents apart—
For the first time in years, Spiny spooks.
The dinosaur starts roaring at the two, scratching at the stone floor and kicking up blankets. He keeps roaring.
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As Eben walks through the door, he shows a mixture of shock and horror at seeing his- and everyone else's- double. A trace of admiration creeps into his voice, though, as he speaks. "Wow. So different than looking at a mirror. I am really good looking."
As events proceed, he looks around, trying to stay calm. "No! Guys, godfather is right. We need to be smart here. Yeah, obviously some of these guys are lying, but.. what if some of them aren't? If I were a doppelganger, I'd think it was hilarious if I could get people to kill their friends. Or just get them to stand back while their friend's doubles do the killing." He listens to Farrukh's speech, then adds. "Yeah, but that's not even really complete. Farrukh, you were off shopping by yourself yesterday. I was off shopping by myself. Astraden was with Cuetz, but she can't vouch for them never separating once. And even Tanith and Carina... as clingy and codependent as their relationship might look, I really doubt they're using the privy together yet. I'm not willing to count out anyone, yet..."
"So what does that mean for us?" the godfather asks. "Which of them is real? And which of you—us, I guess—is the fake?"
"Well, the smartest thing to do..." Eben begins, but is cut off by a dinosaur having a panic attack. "Oh. Actually. Nevermind, this might be the best opportunity we're going to get." With that he grips the hilt of his sword with both hands and plunges it into Gattel Wattam's side. Twice.
The sword leaves a fierce burning sensation as it cuts.
"Yeah, good point," the godfather says. "Okay, solidbods, it's been fun. Not really. Cuetzpalli, RUN ALONG!"
Cuetzpalli feels the magic pressing in, compelling him.
"Eben"—or what wears his face—gives a very wide smile. Then he vanishes from sight.
Gattel and Farrukh feel "Eben" dancing past them, laughing.
The godfather, meanwhile, raises his hand towards Tanith. "O, Olidammara, smite down this—haha, I'm just f!!#ing with you, Elaxan's pale orb, m#!%!!~~@@~&!"
A white orb forms in his hand and shoots out, straight at Tanith's back.
"Oh, thank Norebo. That was an exhausting role." Fakearina begins swinging at Cuetzpalli, as Fakeuetzpalli suddenly bursts out of his bonds and aims a single well-aimed punch.
Fakerukh, Fanith, and Not-Real Zalamandra also break free. Zalamandra advances, readying to strike Cuetzpalli as he moves.
Doppeltanith strikes at Gattel, aiming right for his face. Gattel, though disoriented, is saved by his armor.
Cuetzpalli is first to act, fleeing as Commanded. Unfortunately, this forces him to take quite a few attacks.
"Ooh!" the doppelgodfather calls gleefully. "Those sounded painful! By the way, I forgot to mention, but that healing 'spell' I did has, like, twelve seconds left. Say hi to Lumhaare for me!"
Eben, bound, gagged, and covered in melting icicles, bounces back and forth in his chair as much as he can, now that he's finally in a situation where breaking free won't mean another beating.
Around his gag, he screams in a muffled voice. "Mmmm! Mmm mm mmmmm! M mmm mmmm!"
Carina springs into action, wincing as Cuetzpalli gets sent off to get beat up.
She turns and fixes Doppelfather with a cold glare. "You can say hi to her yourself." She draws two bomb vials and throws them.
She steps over to Spiny. "Spiny, calm down and listen to me. Your master needs help--he's the one who ran into the room. Go!"
The bomb strikes Doppelfather in the leg, and he/it gives a hoarse scream. "Hey! Clingy girl! Watch where you throw those things!"
"The bard-" Gattel chokes, stumbling. Then he stands up straight and grins at thin air. "Come on, I drink poison with my tea!"
The tax collector runs through the melee, drawing his syringe as he does so, and stabs Cuetzpalli in the back. In a good way.
He drops the syringe, then, and fishes out his short sword, still clutching his bow in one hand.
As Gattel runs by, the false Eben reappears and slashes at him from behind.
Knew I should have hit "Eben" while I had the chance. I just couldn't be sure...
Farrukh drops his bow and draws his sword with lightning speed.
He then steps in and beats on TaNOTh.
"You may be good at pretending to be Tanith, but can you take a beating like him?"
Farrukh slashes and bashes (technically, slashes some more), badly injuring the doppelganith with three deep cuts. It growls in annoyance as blood gushes from its forehead. "Maybe I just have more brain cells to lose than your friend."
It launches one more kick, then backs away, allowing another of its group to move in. Now Farrukh is fighting himself.
"I have to say," Not-Farrukh says, "you were a real easy person to imitate."
He lashes out with two rapid strikes, focusing on accuracy now.
The false Eben steps into view, tossing down a feather as he sheathes his longsword. "Bind the undine!"
The feather curls and grows, turning into a large whip. It lashes straight past Farrukh, aiming for Carina, but she manages to dodge it.
Three other doppelgangers advance on Gattel and Cuetzpalli, the latter now recovered from the enchantment that had affected him.
Gattel is hit in the head very hard, and a crack is heard. He crumples to the ground.
However, as the third doppelganger runs by, he accidentally knocks over Eben's chair. Even falls on his back, narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the wall. He feels the chair, brittle from the frost bomb, give a few cracks of its own.
The doppelfather smirks as it starts laying down protective spells on himself. "Guess I should have done this sooner. Sorry to keep you waiting, but you'll be out for a while, won't you?"
His form begins to shimmer, then detach, moving two inches to the left.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I expect an answer if you're still conscious in a moment."
"Though actually if I'm being honest with myself, you ARE doing a good imitation of me being beat up by everything."
"It means you're a simplet"
"More effective, actually. I've gotten pretty good with it recently." Farrukh says, and grins nastily at his double.
Eben struggles some more against his bonds.
"Mm, mmmmmmmmm mmmm! M mmm mmmm mmmmm!"
As Farrukh slices into himself, the doppelganger's incredibly accurate mimicry unsettles him slightly.
Eben struggles some more against his bonds.
[dice=Escape Artist]1d20+10
"Mm, mmmmmmmmm mmmm! M mmm mmmm mmmmm!"
"Mm, mmmmmmmmm mmmm! M mmm mmmm mmmmm!"
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Having dropping his poleaxe when he was blasted by the dopplefather's overpowering spell, Tanith and turns his attention on the duplicitous spellcaster.
"You're gunna pay for that..." the hulking kordite growls.
The doppelganger rolls its eyes as the first swing misses. "Really, why do you even—oof!"
Cuetzpalli stabs at the fake him furiously, trying not to die.
Carina whirls on the false Ketite, throwing a bomb at him.
Eben rears himself up just enoguh to smash himself back to the ground, the back of the chair he's bound to hitting the stone floor first. Finally, it splinters to bits, and with a bit of wriggling, his hands slip from the wooden backing they were bound behind. With what is clearly a familiar move, the street performer jacknifes his lower body and slips his manacled hands underneath his feet and around to the front of his body. They still remain bound in front of him, but he has at least a bit more physical mobility now. He manages to bring his hands to his mouth and pull the gag out from between his teeth.
"How the hell could you guys think that's me? He's carrying a sword. I suck with swords. And that's not even my sword, it's way fancier!"
Cuetzpalli stabs at the fake him furiously, trying not to die.
"Hey, wanna see my impression of you in a few sec" The other Cuetzpalli is impaled through the chest and collapses in a bloody heap. His body melts back into the grey-skinned form.
"God, Tirka," Fake Carina mutters, "why do you have to be so weird? Or, why did you, I guess."
Carina's bomb strikes Fakerukh right in the chest, burning an ugly hole in his torso. He stumbles back, then collapses. Farrukh feels his brief unease fade as the dead doppelganger returns to its normal form.
"Is that the face I'll make when I die? It's so...undignified." Farrukh says, seeming a bit disappointed with himself n
"Hey, Eben, got any problem with me using up your expensive shock arrows? Okay, I'm just hearing a lot of 'mmm's, I'll take that as a no."
Fake Eben steps over and fires three shots at Farrukh, each arrow crackling with electric power.
"Hey, Zaross, finish off Loincloth already and get over here."
Fake Zalamandra hears his command and delivers a single nasty punch, but Cuetzpalli dodges it. In response, Fake Carina lets loose another barrage, getting increasingly annoyed and her strikes getting increasingly vicious as Cuetzpalli keeps avoiding.
Zalamandra then turns and runs up to intercept Farrukh.
"Elaxan!" fake Eben shouts. "Quit playing around with the Kordite and help us out!"
The godfather sticks out its tongue out at Tanith. "Sorry, Ixiaxian's being a pest again. Another time, Penrith."
It leaps back and reaches down, as a shadowy trapdoor appears beneath it. The doppelfather opens it and vanishes into its depths.
A moment later, Farrukh sees a trapdoor open out of thin air, and the godfather tumbles out into the Hall of Deception. Fake Tanith rushes over, eager to receive healing.
"Bind the shield master," Fake Eben/"Ixiaxian" commands.
"Damn!" Tanith curses as his prey magics himself away.