+4 vs hidden stuff
[dice=Perception]1d20+12
There's a light coming from somewhere in the high, dark vault of the ceiling that was't there a moment ago...
[dice = perception]1d20+26 +4 vs hidden stuff
There is a supernatural light coming from the high, dark vault of the ceiling that was absent only a moment prior -- it is emitted from above a hole in the ceiling, the apex of the extended, pyramid-like shape of the chamber's roof. There appears to be another room above this one, connected to the lower space via a hole in the roof. Based on the small amount of visible area from the light source, there appears to be a cave above this room connected by a portal to the lower chamber.
[dice=Per]1d20+22
There is a supernatural light coming from the high, dark vault of the ceiling that was absent only a moment prior -- it is emitted from above a hole in the ceiling, the apex of the extended, pyramid-like shape of the chamber's roof. There appears to be another room above this one, connected to the lower space via a hole in the roof. Based on the small amount of visible area from the light source, there appears to be a cave above this room connected by a portal to the lower chamber.
There is some kind of webbing that clings to the hole that might provide a means of ascending to the cavernous chamber.
There's a light coming from somewhere in the high, dark vault of the ceiling that was't there a moment ago...
It appears as if there is a jagged hole in the high roof of the room that leads to another space high above the present chamber.
There's a light coming from somewhere in the high, dark vault of the ceiling that was't there a moment ago...
It appears as if there is a jagged hole in the high roof of the room that leads to another space high above the present chamber.
...
A mysterious, haunting voice suddenly disrupts Tyren's thinking. It sounds like a child,
"Ooooo, she took all my skin, and now I don't have any. They didn't take your skin, though. Can I live with you now?"
The eerie voice then assumes a plaintive tone,
"Please let me live with you -- it's sooo cold here without any skin."
Spotting the sudden light coming from the top of the ceiling, Hamza steps into the shadows and disappears, only to reappear on the other side of the hole.
Upon arriving on the other side of the hole, Hamza looks around, while blending into the shadows.
Spotting the sudden light coming from the top of the ceiling, Hamza steps into the shadows and disappears, only to reappear on the other side of the hole.
Upon arriving on the other side of the hole, Hamza looks around, while blending into the shadows.
Hamza finds himself in a large cavern which is lit by the strange illumination, as well as the duller light provided by luminescent green and purple lichen which cling to the walls in elaborate webs.
There are four exits, two of which are stacked one on top of the other. They provide modes of egress in the four cardinal directions.
There are two humanoids in the cavern. One is a half-elf, who is currently stumbling around the confines of the space, and has apparently created the magical illumination that Hamza detected below.
There is another half-elf splayed on the floor, as if in a stupor.
...
Interesting. So it appears these were magically preserved gardens. That's fascinating, because magic requires life-force to begin with--One would need to be naturally cultivating more life-force outside than they're magically cultivating inside for this sort of thing to be sustainable. Then, he supposed that's why Athas looked as it did--Because they didn't.
Regardless, this signified that he was, indeed, within an ancient ruin. He was quite at home in such places, but right about now he was wishing for a different venue. Focusing the fey power he'd managed to siphon from a spirit within the Grey, Tyren brought lights floating into this world before peering into the topmost opening.
Once he was satisfied he wouldn't be accosted upon entering the room, Tyren unfasten his backpack, rummaging through with the two wooden, skeletal-looking limbs attached to it. To the casual observer, they were as if someone had carved a rendition of a human's arm-bones out of wood. A closer observer may have noted what appeared to be clear, glassteel piping going from one small stone reservoir to another. They interlaced the creation and, in addition, there could be sensed small psionic pathways, though they seemed inert other than their mere existence.
Finally, the two hands grabbed what they were looking for--A lute, made of wood and bone though cleverly crafted to appear as though it were constructed of millions of cogs. It was Tyren's masterpiece, and his most precious treasure. He strummed a few notes on it experimentally, tuned it a bit, then strummed a few chords to cover his casting of Rapid Response. Though it was likely no-one was watching, Tyren had no intent of risking that. Nor was he about to go wandering blindly into the unknown without some insurance.
However...He shook his head. He wasn't the only person in this cave, and the other hadn't yet stirred. He looked toward the yet-unmoving figure and walked back toward him, giving him a quick checkup to make sure he was still okay.
1 use of Dancing Lights as an SLA. 4 floating lanterns, 5 feet away from Tyren diagonally in each direction.
Perception Check: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26 - Checking for traps, checking for other living things.
Perform Check: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (4) + 22 = 26 The check to beat to tell he's casting a spell.
Heal check: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26 To make sure he's okay.
Perception Check: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26 - Checking for traps, checking for other living things.
There does not appear to be anything else living in the room except for the half-elf splayed on the floor near Tyren, as well as the mysterious, disembodied child's voice speaking to him.
Perform Check: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (4) + 22 = 26 The check to beat to tell he's casting a spell.
Heal check: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26 To make sure he's okay.
He appears to be fine.
More texts about Ymeri. I think they mixed some fungii here.
What?
Amunet-Ra looks up and as Hamza vanishes in the shadow, she leaps up into the air, her robes rustling softly, only to vanish in midair to the normal eye, her motion carrying her upward through the pyramid chimney.
More texts about Ymeri. I think they mixed some fungii here.
What?
Amunet-Ra looks up and as Hamza vanishes in the shadow, she leaps up into the air, her robes rustling softly, only to vanish in midair to the normal eye, her motion carrying her upward through the pyramid chimney.
[dice=Jump]1d20+59
[dice=Stealth, going invisible]1d20+23+20
Amunet finds herself in a large cavern which is lit by the strange illumination, as well as the duller light provided by luminescent green and purple lichen which cling to the walls in elaborate webs.
There are four exits, two of which are stacked one on top of the other. They provide modes of egress in the four cardinal directions.
There are two humanoids in the cavern. One is a half-elf, who is currently stumbling around the confines of the space, and has apparently created the magical illumination that the Serpent Singer elf detected below. The half elf is surrounded by four magical lights.
There is another half-elf splayed on the floor, as if in a stupor.
Hamza sticks to the darkened corners, observing the two occupants of the room. Unsure if they are a threat, he watches them warily.
Jimbli comes out of his moment of meditation when he hears Amunet-Ra react to Hamza's disappearance.
"What? What's happening?"
More disturbingly, however, was the voice he was hearing. It sounded mildly horrifying. While he didn't mind accompanying the dead, what it sounded like to him was more akin to possession. He looked up and around, searching for the source of the voice.
"Child, I'm not certain what you mean by living with me. Are your parents not here with you? This is a particularly dangerous place to be alone in."
to spot what I suspect to be the ghost
to try and convince the ghost that he's friendly.
Knowledge(Religion) = 42(Usual result +5) to identify an intelligent undead missing its' skin that assumes the identity of a child.
Devapala leans on her Trishul as the others make their way into the chamber, following along swiftly. Still silent for a time, eventually she explains. [B]"As to why I am here... I search for a way to crush a Sorcerer-king, and heard of the.. potentials here from a contact. I did not expect to run into others, and yet Slavathas found me, directed me towards you."[B]
Ri'Kli'Klek is still standing perfectly still, head turned upwards where the others went, when Devapala answers. He turns to her in a quick motion.
"What is a Sorcerer-king? I had not heard of such before I slept."
** spoiler omitted **
perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16 to spot what I suspect to be the ghost
Tyren is unable to see anything
Persuade(Perform): 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (19) + 22 = 41 to try and convince the ghost that he's friendly.
The voice assumes a friendly tone,
"Oh master, you are so nice -- I know you will let me live with you since I don't have any skin and you do, since she took all mine."
Knowledge(Religion) = 42(Usual result +5) to identify an intelligent undead missing its' skin that assumes the identity of a child.
The entity is the disembodied soul of a creature whose skin has been removed in a sinister ceremony. This ritual is associated with a cult which has been growing in many cities of the Tablelands known as the Children of the Deepest Gray or the Children of the Boundless Grays, or similar titles.
The cult teaches that the body is a cage for the soul, particularly the skin, and that it's shedding released the true essence of a person to be free and happy. It is said that they conduct many of their rituals within the Gray itself, where many of its members adopt at least a part time residence.
The plaintive requests of the voice suggest that the doctrine of the cult does not represent the true fate of those who undergo its most sacred rites.
[dice=Perception]1d20+12
Rokan sees Amunet and Hamza disappear into a hole in the high vault of the ceiling. It appears that the chamber has a portal in its pyramidal roof that leads to a cavern or another room.
Devapala leans on her Trishul as the others make their way into the chamber, following along swiftly. Still silent for a time, eventually she explains. [B]"As to why I am here... I search for a way to crush a Sorcerer-king, and heard of the.. potentials here from a contact. I did not expect to run into others, and yet Slavathas found me, directed me towards you."[B]
There's a light coming from somewhere in the high, dark vault of the ceiling that was't there a moment ago...
[dice=perception]1d20+16
Jimbli comes out of his moment of meditation when he hears Amunet-Ra react to Hamza's disappearance.
"What? What's happening?"
There's a light coming from somewhere in the high, dark vault of the ceiling that wasn't there a moment ago...
Devapala leans on her Trishul as the others make their way into the chamber, following along swiftly. Still silent for a time, eventually she explains. "As to why I am here... I search for a way to crush a Sorcerer-king, and heard of the.. potentials here from a contact. I did not expect to run into others, and yet Slavathas found me, directed me towards you."
The little druid shakes his head in wonderment,
"Crush the sorcerer-queen Abalach-Re? And by what means do you intend to accomplish this wish? I assure you lady, none in our number are equal to the task of dispensing with Raam's millennia-long ruler and her legions of battle-hardened horse archers and unparalleled assassins. I find it hard to believe that a native of my fair city could be so hopeful about overthrowing the sorcerer-queen."
Devapala leans on her Trishul as the others make their way into the chamber, following along swiftly. Still silent for a time, eventually she explains. "As to why I am here... I search for a way to crush a Sorcerer-king, and heard of the.. potentials here from a contact. I did not expect to run into others, and yet Slavathas found me, directed me towards you."[B]
[b]"That wasn't a very clever answer, was it friend? You'll have to really twist to scurry out of this one!"
Ri'Kli'Klek is still standing perfectly still, head turned upwards where the others went, when Devapala answers. He turns to her in a quick motion.
"What is a Sorcerer-king? I had not heard of such before I slept."
The halfling druid turns to the kreen,
"The sorcerer-kings and queens were the Champions of Rajaat, the greatest of the servants of your former master Dargulin's greatest ally in the Cleansing Wars. Just as the Red God possessed his own great servants who are here entombed, the ancestors of the zik-chil, the priests of change who rule the great Kreen Empire to the east, so the deranged pyreen had his human ambassadors and generals. Whereas the servants of dargulin were naturebenders, the twisted branch of life-shaping taught by the extraterrestrial intelligences known as the Stoneburners, the emissaries of Rajaat were defilers and psions of great power. When they uncovered the insanity of the Warbringer's plans to return the world to the Blue Age, the Champions of Rajaat turned on their former teacher and master and imprisoned him in the heart of the Black known as the Hollow. They began to journey on the path of the dragon metamorphosis spell to give them the strength to maintain their master's tomb in the city of Ur-Draxa in the Sea of the Silt."
"The sorcerer-queen Abalach-Re was one of these Champions. She conquered the great city of Raam during the Cleansing Wars with a legion of horse archers known as the Temüjin. She dispossessed the previous rulers of the city, which included the rākṣasas, who rumor has it survive in a new city in the Black which they founded upon fleeing the devastation of Raam."
"The city-state of Raam has grown feeble, the fields lie fallow and the mines have run short of wealth. The people starve and their monarch secludes herself in a great palace on the edge of the metropolis, distant from the sight of their misery and the plaintive sounds of their pleas. Yet, her minions hold the populace firmly under their grip. Revolution will not come easily to the city..."
But, while he certainly was fearful of the potential repercussions of such an action, he couldn't help but offer it some solace. Truly, how could he, a victim of the machinations of a cult himself, deny this child some respite from the terrors they inflicted upon the world? "Well, child, I am not unused to the company of spirits, but I must ask before I agree--Are you okay with merely residing with me? I can come up with a way to let you express yourself once we've left this place, but I need full control of my faculties."
** spoiler omitted **
"I just want to be warm again, it's so cold out here without my skin in the great, wild, empty waste with the dead and the sleeping."
EDIT: I should take the time to mention, in theory Tyren knows how to create intelligent undead using a mix of technology and supernatural science--It's one of the things he learned to do from being a Mad Scientist Technician--So it might be a future pursuit for him to want to, say, find a way to give the child their own body.
Tyren nodded in understanding. The Grey was, indeed, a cold place. Working among the catacombs as he did, he knew something of its' chill. "very well, child. Come with me, you may share my warmth."
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
"Ooooooooooo, it's so warm in your skin, not cold and chill like the great grey waste where she took my skin."
As an unseen presence enters Tyren, the spelunker suddenly experiences an unexpected flashback:
An endless, cold, grey waste stretches to the horizon in every direction. Around a group of monoliths are gathered several reptilian creatures, who lead several humanoids to a large slab in the middle of the standing stones. One by one, the creatures flay the captives on the great stone slab. When the process is complete the reptilian beasts... put on on the skins, as if they were merely clothing.
He stares at each of the beasts, committing their faces to memory, as well as the faces of those they donned...
Best I could come up with, in case you wanted me to roll for committing their faces to memory.
"Child, if ever you recognize the ones who did this to you, be sure to tell me. I assure you, they shan't live to see another day. Similarly, if you recognize the faces of any of those who had their skins taken...Tell me."
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
The plaintive voice speaks again,
"They took our skin and they said we'd be free, but we were only... lost."
"Indeed. Anyone with a conscience would never have performed such a rite, child--For those who are knowledgeable in the afterlife know that only suffering awaits in the grey."
While he wouldn't normally opt to contemplate such things whilst in the middle of an obviously magical ruin, he was struck by the conundrum that the fellow who'd arrived here with him was as of yet unconscious. So, for the time being, he opted to sit down, wait, and play his lute until the fellow either woke up, or his companions arrived. Meanwhile, he could mull over all he'd witnessed just now.
Taking 20 for int check, total result of 30.
For just idly playing the lute.
We'll go with another set of Knowledges. For convenience's sake, I'll just use:
Knowledge(Religion): 37
Knowledge(Arcana): 37
Knowledge(Planes): 34
And see if anything in that flashback stood out to Tyren's academically trained mind.
Hamza sticks to the darkened corners, observing the two occupants of the room. Unsure if they are a threat, he watches them warily.
The strange half-elf beings playing a lute.
More texts about Ymeri. I think they mixed some fungii here.
What?
Amunet-Ra looks up and as Hamza vanishes in the shadow, she leaps up into the air, her robes rustling softly, only to vanish in midair to the normal eye, her motion carrying her upward through the pyramid chimney.
[dice=Jump]1d20+59
[dice=Stealth, going invisible]1d20+23+20
The strange half-elf beings playing a lute.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
"Indeed. Anyone with a conscience would never have performed such a rite, child--For those who are knowledgeable in the afterlife know that only suffering awaits in the grey."While he wouldn't normally opt to contemplate such things whilst in the middle of an obviously magical ruin, he was struck by the conundrum that the fellow who'd arrived here with him was as of yet unconscious. So, for the time being, he opted to sit down, wait, and play his lute until the fellow either woke up, or his companions arrived. Meanwhile, he could mull over all he'd witnessed just now.
Taking 20 for int check, total result of 30.
Perform: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (1) + 22 = 23 For just idly playing the lute.
We'll go with another set of Knowledges. For convenience's sake, I'll just use:
Knowledge(Religion): 37
Knowledge(Arcana): 37
Knowledge(Planes): 34
And see if anything in that flashback stood out to Tyren's academically trained mind.
Tyren memorizes the faces of three flayed skins -- somehow he knows three of them.
One is Kareth Hammon, a greedy agent of House Vordon of Tyr involved in the black market of the Undercity.
Another is Hannah haHanniel'ath-ba'alathelyoniel, a mistress of the former High Templar, now King Tithian of Asticles.
The last is Dalath Dindaniel, a successful cut-purse from whom Tyren has sometimes procured artifacts
The Cult of the Endless Gray teaches that the body, especially the skin, is a contemptible prison, but that, by means of sacred rites available only to its most loyal adherents, the soul may be freed from its corporeal confines to live happy and free in the endless space and eternal peace of the Gray, never more to know sorrow or want. This sinister society has recently begun to crop up in several of the Seven Cities, and a number of Tyren's confederates among the Gravewardens have succumbed to the siren call of its evangelists.
The ritual which Tyren witnessed in the dream was some awful means to achieve a virtually impenetrable disguise. Now, the reptilian creatures where the skins of their victims as a cloak that shields their movements from prying eyes.
The place where this awful ritual occurred was the Deep Gray, a cursed realm that borders the Black.
*Stuff about Athas's history that happened while he slept*
"I know Rajaat," Ri'Kli'Klek responds, in the tone of voice one might use to discuss the presence of a particularly large and unpleasant rat in the room. "His servants also turned against him? So it is that madness always turns on itself in the end. But these servants still wake? Do they still drain the land of its life to feed their ambitions? From thy words this Abalach-Re hardly deserves a title of leadership."
Rokan manifests a telekinetic mobility and flies upward through the portal he sees, following after Amunet.
Hamza sticks to the darkened corners, observing the two occupants of the room. Unsure if they are a threat, he watches them warily.
Hamza hears the strange lute-playing half-elf mutter the following words:
"Child, I'm not certain what you mean by living with me. Are your parents not here with you? This is a particularly dangerous place to be alone in."
"Oh, child, what magics have they wrought upon your poor body?"
"Well, child, I am not unused to the company of spirits, but I must ask before I agree--Are you okay with merely residing with me? I can come up with a way to let you express yourself once we've left this place, but I need full control of my faculties."
"Very well, child. Come with me, you may share my warmth."
"Child, if ever you recognize the ones who did this to you, be sure to tell me. I assure you, they shan't live to see another day. Similarly, if you recognize the faces of any of those who had their skins taken...Tell me."
"Indeed. Anyone with a conscience would never have performed such a rite, child--For those who are knowledgeable in the afterlife know that only suffering awaits in the grey."
[dice=Perception]1d20+16
The halfling hears the following whispered part of a conversation, seemingly the voice of one participant in a dialogue, in the cavernous room above:
"Child, I'm not certain what you mean by living with me. Are your parents not here with you? This is a particularly dangerous place to be alone in."
"Oh, child, what magics have they wrought upon your poor body?"
"Well, child, I am not unused to the company of spirits, but I must ask before I agree--Are you okay with merely residing with me? I can come up with a way to let you express yourself once we've left this place, but I need full control of my faculties."
"Very well, child. Come with me, you may share my warmth."
"Child, if ever you recognize the ones who did this to you, be sure to tell me. I assure you, they shan't live to see another day. Similarly, if you recognize the faces of any of those who had their skins taken...Tell me."
"Indeed. Anyone with a conscience would never have performed such a rite, child--For those who are knowledgeable in the afterlife know that only suffering awaits in the grey."
[dice=Perception]1d20+12
Rokan manifests a telekinetic mobility and flies upward through the portal he sees, following after Amunet.
Rokan can see a strange half-elf, playing a lute, and whispering to himself softly in the confines of a large cave onto which the hole in the ceiling offers access. The half-elf is surrounded by what appear to be four supernatural lights.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
A bald man levitates through the hole in the floor, and quickly finds his footing within the cave.