| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Rodrigo went gambling with Farrukh, though he lost more than he won anything. When they return to the grove and begin having a complicated reunion with their dead friend, he steps back and keeps his mouth shut. Wonder what she looked like before? I mean..I saw her corpse, but that doesn't really count.
"- Sorry? What?" Astraden pushes Carina away, frowning when she sees the size of her hands. "What happened? Is this some kind of a joke?"
She feels her face, then, pausing on her ears. "So . . . I'm an orc. And I was dead, wasn't I? Was Cuetzpalli dead too?"
Carina looks down, taking several breaths and trying to get herself together. "...yeah..."
She looks up at Astraden, still trying to calm down. "Back in Sodden Hold... you were cornered by invisible stalkers. I tried to help the only way I could--I threw a bomb, and it got you in the blast by mistake and--"
She shuts her eyes and takes several more breaths, her throat tightening. "--well, then one of them killed you."
"On the bright side, you're not a full blooded Orc. It really doesn't look that bad."
His face darkens.
"But yeah, we lost Cuetz too. And that crazy guy, Gattel. Spiny's been half crazed since."
"But the good news is that we can bring them both back. Just like you. And, well, just like Carina." Aside to himself, he says, "Huh, we really have to start working on preventing team mates dying..."
The half-orc looks at Carina in confusion, eyes wide and stark against the mud on her brow. "If that's true, it doesn't matter. You brought me back to life." She steps towards the group, but stumbles, grabbing Carina's arm for support. "Who knew orc blood could make you so weak," she says, grimacing.
"Cuetzpalli won't be coming back. Not now," Astraden says to Farrukh. She furrows her brow. "Who's Gattel? Actually, who's that guy? And that woman?" she says, pointing to the aasimar and sleeping elf.
EBen quickly doffs his surcoat and steps forward to offer it to Astraden. "Here... your old clothes may not fit you too well..." he says, apologetically. "And what do you mean Cuetz won't be coming back? We have his body, right there, and Anlathi- that's 'the woman'- here has agreed to cast the spell, so... what else is neccesary?"
Carina is surprised by Astraden's sudden grabbing of her arm, but she does her best to support her.
"I think that's because you just came back from the other side--"
Then Astraden's words hit her like a catapult stone.
Cuetzpalli won't be coming back.
They leave her speechless, but not enough to make her forget to keep supporting her.
Astraden takes the coat and wraps it awkwardly around her plant-encased midsection. "Thank you, Eben. He's, uh, he's not willing to come back, and you need the soul's permission."
She rubs her neck, dislodging a small shower of gravel and dead leaves, then looks Eben in the eyes. "Life was painful for him. I don't think any of us really realized how bad it was. And now he's happy, so he's staying. When it's all over, I'm going back for him." Her eyes look wet, but she's blinking rapidly. "But we need to make the world better."
"Also, there was a giant named Kolvant, who told us some prophecy about writhing worms, sort of what Nogwier said. More bad news."
"I am not just some 'guy', I am Rodrigo. Rodrigo Dantares, in fact. I have been assigned to help you barbarians as you destroy your way through my fair city," Rodrigo replies to Astraden's question.
Astraden winces when she hears the man's melodious voice. ". . . Another bard? And an aasimar to boot, huh?" She looks at Eben sternly. "How long was I gone?"
"Not that long. A day at most." Carina sighs. "Sure felt longer..."
And there's... something that won't be easy for you to hear, I think...
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"It's probably not even been a full day. I'm not sure, I wasn't there when you... well, died. Oh, by the way, the me that was with you yesterday wasn't me." Eben says, answering her questions distractedly. "Now, let's get back to Cuetz. There has to be a way around that, right? I mean, can't we just say "screw the soul's permission" and drag him back to life? It's great that he's happy in the afterlife and all, but he'll be back there someday, and right now, we need him. And... we never even said goodbye to him." Eben voice catches and he blinks a bit rapidly himself at this last.
"Ehm, I hate to be the voice of compassion here, but dragging a soul kicking and screaming back from the afterlife, and the only time he's ever been happy, just because he kicks 12 sorts of ass doesn't sit right with me."
”There’s no way we’re dragging Cuetzpalli back into all this bullshit”, Tanith says with rapidly rising anger. ”He was strong. He fought and bled until his dying breath. He’s earned his reward and I would never ask him to give that up. If you’ve got any shame you won’t dare ask that of him either. We’ve got to honor his strength and remember his life but keep moving on.”
”Astraden’s back with us – thank the gods for that. I say we sort out the haul from the doppleganger lair and then gear up and kick the shit of out of this mindflayer bastard.”
"Well, I don't remember much of yesterday either," the cleric says. She puts a hand to her forehead and pushes off from Carina, wobbling. "God, why does it hurt so much?" she mutters.
"Tanith and Farrukh are right. Plus, it's impossible. It's not your fault he died, man," she assures the bard. "Guys, I think I need to go lie down before I can sort out any hauls. Just a few hours. In the meantime, is there a chance you guys could get me a pouch of diamond dust? And . . . my old gear?"
"I don't want him back because he kicked ass, I want him back because he was our friend, and he died right in front of me while I was tied up and I couldn't do anything." His voice quivers, but he doesn't back down. "Maybe I am being selfish, but the fact that the last thing he ever heard from me was... I don't even know, some kind of false assurances and then total betrayal by that doppelganger me? That's killing me." He quells his protest at Astraden's urging, though. "Just glad you're back, at least..." he says, downcast. "And at the very least, we should have a restoration already lined up, courtesy of the local thieves guild." He nods sideways towards Rodrigo.
Tanith was slow but he wasn’t a fool and it was clear to him that the bard’s selfish attitude in regard to Cuetzpalli’s eternal reward was born from pain and guilt. He’d felt his own share of that.
”While Astraden gets some rest and used to her new body we can start moving some of this stuff. Rodrigo is it? Can you tell us which pieces of are enchanted? We’ll save those for last.”
”Eben do you think the thieves can be trusted to help us appraise and fence the non-magical loot or are they likely to rob us in the process?”
Bard!? Well...I guess I could be called worse things, Rodrigo thinks, stifling a look of indignation. He has the good graces to keep his mouth shut as the party begins talking about their fallen companion. When Tanith calls on him, he nods. The nobleman asks for the treasure to be laid out where he can see it and casts a simple spell, which causes his eyes to glow softly. He examines the items, stroking his chin with thumb and forefinger.
"Well... I don't think we need to use them to fence anything. I mean, this is all obtained from a gang of criminal monsters. We don't need to keep it secret, just sell it. I suppose they could help us with appraisal if we really needed them to, but it strikes me as being safer not to dangle that big plum in front of their noses..." Eben seems to be calming himself significantly from his emotional outburst of a moment before by focusing on the 'business' end of things.
Carina's been very quiet the whole time, helping Astraden stand when she needs it while the others talk about the moral ramifications of bringing Cuetzpalli back to life against his will.
"That's the way it was for me too, Astraden. The journey across the Eternal Boundary takes a toll on the soul." She whispers, straightening herself up.
When Rodrigo starts examining the magic items they acquired, she walks next to him with a bottle of white fluid. "Sir, when you're done, would you mind if I took a look at them as well?"
"Be my guest," Rodrigo replies.
Bard!? Well...I guess I could be called worse things, Rodrigo thinks, stifling a look of indignation. He has the good graces to keep his mouth shut as the party begins talking about their fallen companion. When Tanith calls on him, he nods. The nobleman asks for the treasure to be laid out where he can see it and casts a simple spell, which causes his eyes to glow softly. He examines the items, stroking his chin with thumb and forefinger.
[dice=Bunch of spellcraft rolls]1d20+4;1d20+4;1d20+4;1d20+4;1d20+4;1d20+4;1d20+4;1d20+4;1d20+4;1d20+4
Astraden staggers back to the Crooked House. "I'm one of the adventurers staying here," she assures the halfling at the counter. "This is actually Mr. MacTeague's coat."
After resting in her old room and refreshing a few of her spells, she heads down to the common room to order supper and go over anything yet unsold and unidentified.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Astraden staggers back to the Crooked House. "I'm one of the adventurers staying here," she assures thehalflingat the counter. "This is actually Mr. MacTeague's coat."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Astraden staggers back to the Crooked House. "I'm one of the adventurers staying here," she assures thehalflingat the counter. "This is actually Mr. MacTeague's coat."
Of the items that detect as magic, Rodrigo is able to identify five:
The ring with the eel designs is a ring of swimming.
Elaxan's masterwork light crossbow is a +1 merciful light crossbow.
Telakin's masterwork greatsword named "Frozen Heart" is a +1 frost greatsword.
And the scrolls are a scroll of see invisibility and a scroll of dominate person, cast by a wizard.
Carina chugs the white potion, causing her eyes to glow white.
She examines the rest of the items...
Action: ...Attempting to ascertain the properties of a magic item takes 3 rounds per item to be identified and you must be able to thoroughly examine the object.
2. Glowing Blue Sapphire
3. Licorice Wand
4. Mwk Rapier w/Olidammara Symbol
5. Birch Bark Wand
6. Dress 1
2. Elaxan's Wand
The longsword marked "Memory" in Draconic is a +1 spell storing longsword (touch of idiocy).
The twisted wand is a wand of cure light wounds with 48 charges.
The birch bark wand is a wand of lesser restoration with 13 charges remaining.
The 'dresses' formerly worn by the false orcs turn out to be +1 glamered chain shirts.
Elaxan's rapier* is a +1 keen aberration bane rapier.
Finally, as Carina examines the sapphire, she realizes that the cracked pearl necklace and other two glowing gems all bear the same enchantment. It takes her a moment to recognize the flowing lines of arcane energy—not from her magical know-how, but from her expertise as a surgeon.
Each gem contains countless little flaws, visible only to the magically-enhanced eye, that come together to resemble a human brain. Each of these gems contains a copy of someone's mind. And they can be accessed with mind reading magics as if they were the real thing. The blue one feels especially familiar to Carina, for some reason—this one was carried by Ixiaxian.
When she looks at the pearl, however, something is wrong. The cracked pearl's 'flaws' are disjointed, twisted, and in some places almost unfinished. It's like someone took a brain...and ripped it in half.
Carina pales when she handles the glowing sapphire and gemstones.
"Um... guys, whatever these things are, they're designed to look like human brains." She holds them up for the others to see. "They each contain a copy of someone's mind, and can be accessed with mind-reading magic as if you were trying it on the person these things came from. The pearl necklace was apparently one in progress, but its construction was either interrupted or outright scrapped..."
She takes a closer look at the blue gemstone. "This one's really familiar to me for some reason..."
"Oh, and here's what else I was able to learn: the 'Memory' sword? An enchanted blade that can store spells (this one containing a touch of idiocy spell); the twisty wand? A wand of cure light wounds with about 48 charges left; the birch wand is a wand of lesser restoration with 13 charges remaining; the dresses are actually chain shirts enchanted to be able to look like anything you want; and Elaxan's rapier is enchanted to be ESPECIALLY deadly against aberrations. It holds a keen edge."
"Egads! What a haul!" Rodrigo says, eyes wide at the sight of so much valuable treasure in one spot. Maybe joining these peasants won't be so bad afterall. This is more than my allowance ever was!
Tanith's brow furrows as Carina tries to explain the brain-gems.
"Are these copies or someone's actual mind?" he asks. "Maybe Gattel's in one of these and that's why he was a nutcase."
"That's a distinct possibility..." Carina bites her lip.
Her fingers trace the contours of the oddly familiar blue gemstone. "I don't think it's a person's actual mind--more like a copy."
"If we brought him back too do you think you could... I don't know... reverse it?"
"Having him alive and sane could help us find out more about this mindflayer."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Eben hands over the 'memory' longsword he's been using in place of his own to be identified. As the rest of the loot is being spread on the ground, though, he notices one of the non-magical masterwork longswords and snatches it up. "This one's mine. You mean you guys found my sword while that fake me was hanging out with you and nobody even recognized it? Sheesh!" He sheathes it, mumbling about lack of recognition.
A short while later, after Carina identifies the rest and explains the 'magic' of the gemstones, Eben curiously takes the blue one and stares at it a long moment before idly tossing it from hand to hand while ruminating.
"It's weird this one is familiar to you,"
toss
"I felt a kind of pull from it too, when we looted it,"
toss
"Off of the corpse of that doppelganger that was pretending to be me. Which was weird,"
toss
"Because I'd never seen the gem before,"
toss
"Or even really seen that doppelganger, whatsisname, Ixiaxian, really,"
toss
"Though I could sometimes feel him rooting through my mind for information..."
toss
"Even though he wasn't anywhere nearby, he was with you guys, pretending to be me..."
"Because I thought that mind readers needed to be nearby the mind of someone they're reading and HOLY F$##ING SHIT MY BRAIN IS IN HERE."
Eben's eyes grow wide with this epiphany and he almost drops the gem in mid-toss, then manages to make a scrambling catch before it hits the ground.
Farrukh attempts to identify the 8 unknown potions.
As he does so, he looks at Eben musingly.
"So, maybe this is a dumb question, but what happens if you read your own mind?"
"Then I'd know what I'm... thinking?" Eben cocks his head, thinks about what he just said, then winces. "This might just give me a headache if I think about it too much." Still holding his brain in his hand, he nods at the other glowing gems. "You might be right about Gattel, though. I mean, think about it... that one that's broken, like it's half a brain? That would explain a LOT, from what you guys said about him." Then, curiously, he turns to the glowing sapphire in his hand and focuses on it, really intently.