While Thokk tries with a protection, Markus describes fully to the others what's inside. "Nothing can be seen or heard, and a very sharp cold stuns your limbs to the point of being... injuring. I don't think we're supposed to fight there."
|
Will Save While the cold is easily ignored now, the oppressive darkness and silence does seem to make it difficult to determine direction and speed.
Will Save Once again you feel your joints stiffening as you move.
Will Save Through force of will, you push on for what seems like a long time. By now, its difficult to tell one step from the next, but you trudge on towards destiny.
Will Save Finally, you push through the darkness. While greeted by light, your darkvision is no longer blocked and you hear sound and smell air once more.
Ahead, at the edge of your vision, two large blue eyes glow in the darkness, along with ruins vaguely illuminating a large humanoid shape. It raises its head in your direction, asking in an even, yet somehow challenging, tone "Who approaches?"
Others: Thokk does not reappear within one minute. What do you do?
EDIT: Thokk Map
As Tam listens to the described effects after Thokk's initial venture, he thoroughly examines the darkness with a stare and racks his memory, searching for anything that sounds familiar, and keeping a metaphorical "eye" out for any knowledge planted there by Nethys.
Since it seems that he either made it through, or needs someone to drag him back out, Nils casts resist cold on himself.
Thokk looks at the eyes, and then back to the darkness from which he emerged.
While he answers to it, he gets his Longbow, and fires an arrow towards the "tunnel", hoping it reaches his team at the other side.
With a smile he entertains the idea he will hit one of them.
"Thokk, the Titanbane. Who are you?
Donnen casts resist energy (cold) at himself and pushes forward.
Taya will enter the dark, relying on her cold resistance.
|
|
While it's similar to enhanced deeper darkness and silence effects, as well as something affecting smell and perhaps weight, you think it has more of the properties of a defined micro-dimension, such as that created by a greater create demiplane spell. Based on your observation, it also functions as a gate to what is probably the actual Mindscape dimension. Additionally, it seems to have a significantly enhanced hold monster and wall of ice type effects.
After Nils, Donnen, and Tayanalla enter the darkness, an arrow encased in ice slides across the floor out of the darkness.
Will Save You begin walking forward, feeling a resistance, but the spell protects you against the cold.
Will Save The resistance becomes stronger and each step seems to take forever.
Will Save Somewhere in the darkness, you find yourself no longer able to move.
Let me know if you're using a surge or any other ability that can effect those will saves.
Will Save You begin walking forward, feeling a resistance which seems to make every step slow and stiff. At least the cold doesn't seem so bad with your protective spell. Momentarily, Tayanalla seems to be pushing from behind.
Will Save You push against the restriction, moving forward.
Will Save The resistance continues, but you push on. At some point during your movement, you bump into something. (Let me know if you want to do anything at this point-with/about whatever you're bumping into.
Will Save Pushing through the resistance, you finally emerge from the darkness (I'll let you know when in Thokk's conversation you emerge.)
Will Save You move forward in the darkness, bumping into the back of a slow-moving dinosaur. Yoou feel a resistance, but are able to resist it.
Cold Like the song says, the cold never bothered you anyway.
Will Save The resistance seems stronger, and your limbs a bit rigid, slowing you to the dino's pace.
Cold Well, maybe it is a bit cold.
Will Save Pushing through the resistance, you move for what seems to be several minutes.
Cold C'mon, you've faced worse.
Will Save Finally, you emerge from the darkness behind the dinodruid. I'll let you know at what point in Thokk's conversation you emerge.
Cold Brrr...
Will There is resistance, locking up your limbs, making it difficult to move.
Cold Did you protect yourself against the cold?
Will Somewhere in the darkness, you find yourself unable to move.
Cold
Let me know if you're surging or doing anything else with those saves.
Will
Will
Will
|
|
"I am the waykeeper, guardian of this passage into the Mindscape of the Dreaming Dark. I am here to test your worthiness." The creature intones, taking a few steps forward. "Thokk, the Titanbane. Which god do you represent in this contest? Where are your companions? Did the Depthsgate claim them?"
"Gorum. I represent he who is stronger. My companions should appear at any moment."
He turns to see if they actually show up.
He will spend a surge on his will save when his progress halts.
Hearing Thokk give the cue, Nils pops out of the dark.
"So ye ask, ye shall receive. "
"Brrr...." Taya shivers as she walks out of the dark.
The infinite void and a terrible sensation of emptiness is the only thing that acompanies the cold. Trying to focus on himself, he casts a protective spell, though the endless space makes it very difficult to concentrate.
|
|
Unfortunately, the surge is not enough, and you cannot cast remove paralysis since you can't move or talk.
You take more cold damage:
Finally, you are expelled from the darkness into the hall with the rest (except for Tam, who has not yet entered the darkness, but you are encased in ice and paralyzed.
Will
Cold
The ice surrounding you continues to damage you if no one frees you the first round after you emerge.
Will at the end of the second round, you are able to move, shattering the ice after it does more cold damage to you if no one frees you by then.
The creature is a large being with dark skin covered in glowing blue symbols, with glowing blue eyes and golden armor. His fists are enshrouded in blue electricity which crackles and sparks as he speaks "Usually there are more." he says, voice even and deep.
Almost on cue, Markus emerges from the darkness, sliding across the floor- completely encased in ice and unmoving.
Nils will cast resist energy cold on the comrade in the ice casing since he looks like he needs it.
Markus slowly starts to move, completely wet and trembling. "Th... the c-cold.. it's... n-nu... numbing...".
With a bit of time, he manages to stand up. He then looks around and check they're still not engaged. Slowly and with difficulty, he summons the power of Iomedae to heal him while the rest of his companions or the strange creature there speak.
Tam grits his teeth, and pushes into the darkness. He'd been waiting to see if the others would return, as he hated acting with this little understanding of the consequence, but without another way ahead, he had little choice.
Thokk smiles at Markus.
"You sure took your time, but I am glad you decided to join us. Did Tam tried to cross with you?"
He looks at the tunnel, wondering if Tam is frozen solid in there.
"Who's your big blue friend, Thokk?"
You hear Thokk chuckle behind his helm.
"Where are my manners? My allies, this is the Waykeeper, guardian of the passage into the Mindscape of the Dreaming Dark, or something like that. He is going to test us. I hope it doesn't include our punctuality. Where is Tam?"
"Do we need to go back and fetch him or something? I didn't much care for the stroll into here. "
Donnen looks at the others, then finally stares at the "Waykeeper". Despite being a huge dinosaur at this moment, the druid also kept a very austere look, and it was clear he was analyzing each part of the guardian.
|
|
The first step gives you quite a bit of resistance, slowing your movement to a crawl as ice forms around you.
Cold
pushing forward
more Cold
forward still, ever so slowly
Cold
Will After quite awhile walking, you are too caked with ice and whatever other force is causing stiffness in your limbs to continue.
more Cold AND
Then you are expelled from the darkness, frozen in a block of ice and paralyzed.
Will
You take more cold damage in the round you gather your will and break free.
Watching the darkness, you are perhaps unsurprised when a few moments later, an icy Tam slides out from the darkness in his own block of frozen.
The "Waykeeper" waits the few seconds it takes Tam to free himself before saying "This is it, then? The last member of your team?" It shifts forward a little, as if approaching for a better look (still 40' away or so.) "An adequate performance through the gate, but nothing to impress. Perhaps you will do better with the next challenge. I'll give you a moment to gather your wits."
Thokk looks at the others.
"We need to up our game, people."
Markus takes advantage of the time given to use another of his prayers.
Taya extends her left hand at Markus and a stream of Heavenly Fire pours forth to heal some of his frost damage.
"Sure. Wits. Just tell me when to go. "
"Thank you" reacts Markus to Tayanalla's touch. He still feels cold, but it relieves him and makes it a bit more bearable, if only because someone managed to care.
"Thank you..." Tam says slowly to Thokk, his teeth still chattering. "That combination of magics... is truly something. If that's the beginning, what wonder might be next?"
He eyes the wand graciously, and looks to Thokk wondering if he might activate it himself. "Would you mind?"
"Of course..."
Thokk uses the wand on Tam.
|
|
"Well, shall we begin? There is a chasm ahead, a hole which consumes all, distorting and warping with chaotic energy until the cease to be themselves and become everything else. The Thought Sphere of Order is required to safely transverse the passage." The Waykeeper neither frowns nor smiles, stating these things as disinterested facts.
The Waykeeper seems to be some kind of advanced Marut Inevitable. You can assume it has at least the features of a regular one.
"I have been charged with guarding this way and keeping you from going any farther. To progress, you must defeat me and remove the Thought Sphere from my head." As he says this, his hands begin crackling louder, the blue energy around them forming tiny storms.
Donnen, Waykeeper, everyone else (hopefully that gets rid of a bunch of ones, holy moley.)
The Waykeeper is about 40' away, down a rough corridor which is about 15' in diameter. He is large, taking up nearly all of the hallway where he stands.
Donnen grinds his teeth, advances and attacks, pouncing against the enemy. He uses his amulet to make his attacks against the enemy's touch AC, ignoring his deflection boni as well, if any. The huge allosaurus advances with violence.
Then, if the enemy is still up, he uses his amazing initiative to further his grapple - still going against the enemy touch CMD, ignoring his deflection boni.
|
|
The bite hits . The Waykeeper attempts to block it {block attacks} but fails. It manages to crit (thanks to being a touch attack) him and also you manage to grapple him. The rest of the attacks miss.
The attempt to pin fails.
His hands crackle and thunder as he strikes out at you.
for plus electricity and sonic; requires a DC 26 Fortitude save or be blinded and deafened (permanently) - dazzled and deafened for rounds on a successful save.
for plus electricity and sonic; requires a DC 26 Fortitude save or be blinded and deafened (permanently) - dazzled and deafened for rounds on a successful save.
He has constant air walk and true seeing slas but no other spell effects currently on him.
Markus waits, in case his companions want to cast area spells. Then he walks steadily to join the fray, but instead of charging blindly he maneuvers to get behind the Waykeeper and thus present a more serious threat. He uses his scimitar swiftly, discharging three blows before adopting a defensive stance with his shield.
And will spend a Legendary Item use to surge for an extra
-> 17+18+2+3+1=41 And will spend a Legendary Item use to surge for an extra
No DR
Confirmation (ignore if need be):
for an extra damage.
for an extra damage (not sure if rolling 2d20 applies to the confirmation roll as well).
Note: extra +18 dmg on crits is because Power Attack doubles its bonus on crits, so a +9 would turn into a +18 before doubling.
[ooc]So, if a 46 is not enough to hit, I'm raising my hands and giving up :P
Tayanalla uses a mythic point on amazing initiative for an additional standard action.
She casts Mythic Haste on herself and her companions. (standard action) (everyone gets an extra move action in addition to what you're used to with haste)
A pair of wings burst from her back as she activates her Wings of Heaven ability (standard action)
She rises 10 feet into the air and she draws her longsword.
Donnen focus his mythic core and the guardian absorbs the blow, to enhance his own capabilities.
For the second attack, Donnen can't absorb anymore - so more of the damage comes in.
Despite being affected by the devastating attack of the inevitable, the druid keeps holding it.
Tam feels a familiar electric pulsing sense as Tay casts her spell, and recognizes the effects of Haste, while noticing the particular strength of her power. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he rushes forward, pulling his staff to one hand, and reaching out towards the creature with his other.
Fluidly, Tam snakes his hand back to the shaft of his quarterstaff, and swings it around in a beautifully dangerous series of strikes along their foes front side.