KC's Age of Worms

Game Master Kobold Catgirl

"So what about you? You gonna guard a tomb after the valuables have already been looted from it?" Astraden asks.

". . . Snow weird? Didn't Eben have a . . . negative . . . reaction to that?"

[dice=Knowledge (planes) (good hope)]1d20+6+2

Astraden checks out the scimitar before Farrukh picks it up, then (seeing no pyrotechnics) takes the time to cast some orisons before she more leisurely examines the rest of the items.

[dice=Scimitar Spellcraft]1d20+11+2
Take 10 on Appraise for a 23 with good hope and guidance.
Then ring, rod, short sword. 23 Appraise on all three.
[dice=Spellcraft (good hope, guidance)]1d20+11+2+1
[dice=Spellcraft (good hope, guidance)]1d20+11+2+1
[dice=Spellcraft (good hope, guidance)]1d20+11+2+1

"After this we should bring Robin up. Let him know we're all right."

Farrukh Al-Khatel wrote:

Farrukh hefts the sword appreciatively.

"It's perfect."

"Well, did you see what you were hoping to?" he asks the Inevitable.

"As an emotionless automaton devoid of personal agency, no. However, with Icosiol's blessing, I have no particular obligation to destroy you." It gives something almost like a shrug. "And with Sionsiar's, I have no particular inclination to."

The invisible inevitable bows. "It appears that whatever is happening in this world at present, those items will be needed to help stop it. You have been found worthy of wielding them. I will honor the intent of the contract."

"Good to hear. You know, you're not so bad when you're not trying to kill us all."

"Sorry for tossing you down that pit."

"So what about you? You gonna guard a tomb after the valuables have already been looted from it?" Astraden asks.

The construct's voice rings out in the small chamber. "Assuming I am eventually able to reach the surface—an inevitability, considering my self-repair—" It pauses.

"—I will likely be left to roam for some time. My contract with this place is expired as of. Thirty-three-point-two-eight-one-one-three...two seconds. Perhaps I will enforce some minor mortal contracts for a change. I have been away from Mechanus for quite a long time, and while I will doubtless 'soon' be called back to have my circuitry repaired and memories removed and stored...I currently have no wish to go back there."

"Sorry for tossing you down that pit."

"It was a rational and intelligent method against a self-repairing adversary. Apologies are appreciated, but not expected or necessary. I will be back up soon enough."

"Want to travel with us and help stop the Age of Worms and all that?"

The kolyarut's gears seem to click for a moment.

"General contract: If you and your group will assist me in evacuating this hole, I will journey with you to your next destination and offer assistance as I can. From there, we might be capable of designing a more long-term agreement. Currently, I wish to reach some sort of town or city where I can simply learn what has transpired since my original assignment here. Revisions during the evacuation and journey are permitted. This contract is flexible, and functions based on shared intent rather than precise wording, in lieu of more elaborate and time-consuming arrangements. Is this agreement acceptable to you?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Answer interpreted as 'affirmative'. Good."

During all this, Eben continues to twitch in the corner, his eyes not leaving the demon's corpse for a second. "they're still staring at me. staring. and those ones are staring too. make it stop looking..."

Eventually, his sense of panic dies down and he just sits quietly, looking embarrassed.

"Suppose an important question now is: Do you have a name?"

One of the eyes seems to wink at Eben...as Carina stomps on it.

"Suppose an important question now is: Do you have a name?"

As the kolyarut turns visible again, it seems to consider the question. "Sionsiar referred to me as 'قعقعة'. Outside of the elemental tongues, I believe this was an onomatopoetic word for 'clanking'. If I am to accommodate this new world, though, I shall need a new name."

It looks at the partymembers questioningly. "Do you have any suggestions? Terminologies are not important to this unit, but they do make communication easier."

"Well, who am I to go against the wisdom of the mighty Wind Dukes? I think I'll call you 'Clunk'."

Tanith reels for a moment as his mind struggles to accommodate his new expanded awareness. "I think... I think I speak air now guys", he finally offers.

When talks of bringing the inevitable along begin, Tanith isn't enthusiastic but he doesn't object either.

"Clunk sounds about right to me. Say, how long have you been down here guarding Icosiel's tomb ? Were you around the last time this whole Kyuss and worms business started?"

"Sionsiar was a snow weird," Clunk says, but he accepts his new name otherwise without objection.

The kolyarut pauses, considering Tanith's question. "Approximately. Thirteen-point-eight-eight-eight-seven-thousand-Material-solar-rotations. Who and-or what is Kyuss?"

"He (or is it a she?) is some kind of evil worm god that's trying to bring about the end of the world. Icosiel was a big part of defeating him in the past."

You've actually seen no evidence that Icosiol had anything to do with Kyuss, though Eligos speculated the Wind Dukes in general might have had some connection. The big battle where Icosiol died was against demons and stuff, as shown in the reliefs and murals.

You actually don't know a ton about Kyuss, aside from "a god" and "has a worm thing". You might be able to learn more from Eligos's and Allustan's old master, as well as from Carina's daily question.

"He (or is it a she?) is some kind of evil worm god that's trying to bring about the end of the world. Icosiel was a big part of defeating him in the past."

"Interesting. I will have to learn more before I can formulate a cogent appraisal of this threat."

Eben eventually stands, frown-faced, and silently makes his way to the other end of the room (taking the long way around the eyeball demon's corpse, staring at it while he does so as though it's about to come back to life and eye-bolt him again.) to examine the sarcophagus himself. At the prospect of poking over loot, he becomes a little more himself. "So... swords. A ring that will probably melt my 'entropic' finger off if I so much as look at it twice... and this." He hefts the chunk of staff aloft. "What's the point of this? I mean, it's broken."

Whoops, missed that Carina had filled us in. Nevermind that.

He hefts the broken end of the Rod of Seven Parts aloft. "Does it do anything on its own? Or does it need to be connected to the other six parts?"

Incidentally, despite the demon's death, Farrukh and Carina notice that the scrying sensor is still watching intently.

Rodrigo puts his spell component away, since no one took him up on his offer. "Now I really am ready to get out of this s~&# hole. Let's hightail it out of here, guys."

"Hey, Clunk. Who else was watching us?"

"I do not understand the question."

"There's a scrying sensor that's been following us around. It's over there in the corner. I assumed it was either you or the Demon keeping tabs on us, but it's still here."

"This unit lacks scrying capabilities. The most it can manage is basic entity location derivation. It is not me."

"And not the eyeball demon, because it would have stopped working when it died, right? So maybe..." Eben waves his hand around in the air at the sensor (except not, because he can't see it and is waving at the wrong wall.) "Hey, Allustan, that you? If it is, move the sensor up and down, like you're nodding!"

There is a pause.

The sensor nods up and down.

"...Thanks for all your help."

So, back to town?

The sensor winks out.

"Let's get out of here. Maybe Allustan can help us figure out what these things do."

"That...did not sound like Allustan."

"A problem for later I guess. We should probably get this stuff and leave before something else tries to kill us."

Carina groans.

"Well, as long as it isn't Zyrxog again..."

"Maybe it was Sionsiar," Astraden conjectures. "Or Alessia. Or uh, that lava duchess?"

Using gloved hands, she picks up the ring and short sword and carefully stows them in Tanith's pack. She takes the seal from its floating position and air-steps down to the pillar. "Everyone, squeeze on!"

Once the group reaches the bottom, she waits for Rodrigo's teleportation and waves a greeting to Robin. "We're alright!"

Farrukh has fun bouncing on the platforms one last time.

Before the group departs, Eben very, very cautiously approaches the demon's body and kicks its sword away from it. He then retrieves it and boards the platform with the others.

Eben feels increasingly nauseous carrying the blade.

As long as you carry the longsword in your possession, take one negative level.

Well, I was gonna ask Astraden to detect magic on it, but I guess it speaks for itself...

Astraden detects magic on the sword and stows it away for safekeeping.

Spellcraft (good hope, guidance): 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 11 + 2 + 1 = 25
Appraise take 10 is 23.

+2 unholy longsword.

The group rejoins with Robin and journeys back up and back to the Whispering Cairn. To their surprise, Allustan is on the other side of the portal waiting for them.

The "smartest person in Diamond Lake" looks over the members of Spiny's Six, looking...surprisingly old. "You were successful, then?"

"We found the Wind Duke's tomb", Tanith explains while opening his pack to show the treasures recovered. "And this guy", he adds with a gesture at Clunk (or Clunk's direction if he's invisible).

"আর আমার ক্ষুদ্র বৃত্ত একরকম পেয়েছিলাম শক্তিশালী", he says tapping the slender circlet nestled in his dark hair.

1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27

Allustan doesn't seem to understand what Tanith said, but the list of new acquisitions does catch his attention. Particularly Clunk. "Ah! A kolyarut. How fascinating!"

"Yeah, he's pretty neat. Almost killed us once."

Carina greets Allustan with a weary wave and smile. "And you're going to love this--we found a piece of the Rod of Seven Parts."

Allustan's jaw drops. "A piece of—a-are you sure? Do you realize that there are only seven of those in the entire...well, of course, but that is to say...really! Hm. Wow."

"It's nice and all, but it's basically junk without the other six parts isn't it?"

"Just like the talisman," Astraden says. She pulls out a long object wrapped in bloodstained cloth. "But we did find something useful!"

The priestess unwraps the accursed blade and shoves it hilt-ward at Allustan. "Wanna try a few swings?"

"Not necessarily. You underestimate the potency of the Rod of Law in its original form. I believe that...Manzorian will be able to determine more." Allustan gives Robin a sidelong look. "The Rod of Law was a tremendously powerful device—essentially an artifact among artifacts. Even one fragment could bear great magic, even if you never find another."