"It is ugly, though our troupes actions might scare it away. I could chase after it but it would be a long engagement, it is large and likely much faster in the water than I am." The skeletal figures gemstone eyes giving no indication of mood but still the idea of slight irritation leaking through. Given your... disadvantages I doubt you would be able to seek the creature under the waves so I believe this will just be a case of either dragging it onto land or killing it before it realizes the danger it is in."
The flint skeleton moves closer backing up the clicking horror.
"Click, did this creature eat Ckkxxchtki? If you desire I can give you means to swim like a fish as to bring the fight to it."
"I do not know, the goblin was dead when I arrived, the body is in my bag." she says keeping ehr eyes trained on the aboleth in case the creature makes any sort of move to attack. "This thing tried to invade my mind, wanted me in the water. Fighting it there would be bad but if you can make me like a fish I will tear it apart." she says quite interested in how Sanriel intends to provide her with such power, magic was something that often eluded her, extracting information of spells and such from dead spell casters was impressively difficulty.
Both Rizzen and Xizor can discern a small black lump on the back of the Aboleth. It should remind them of the strange lump on the back of the goblin when they had first made his acquaintance.
Depending on what they relay is whether or not Sanriel and Clikk take the fight into the underground river or not.
Rizzens actions depend on the aboleths next move. He can drop down and attempt a death strike if he wants.
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** spoiler omitted **
The creature sinks rapidly to the bottom of the river, and tries to force the mind of the creature to speak its words.
Ckkxxchtki's body is capable of producing both pain and pleasure impulses, every time the creature does not relay his words, he unleashes pain on the mind of the Aboleth, Every time it does relay his words, he releases pleasure.
** spoiler omitted **
The creature sinks rapidly to the bottom of the river, and tries to force the mind of the creature to speak its words.
Ckkxxchtki's body is capable of producing both pain and pleasure impulses, every time the creature does not relay his words, he unleashes pain on the mind of the Aboleth, Every time it does relay his words, he releases pleasure.** spoiler omitted **
In my notes about the creature I had written down it is essentially suffering from Dementia / Senility so you being in control means that I will let you take over total control of the body.
The Dominate power it had required communication and looking at the write up they can speak several languages. So no reason why you cannot control it well enough to speak what you want it to.
From the orifices of the Aboleth comes strange words
"The creature did not eat me... I am Ckkxxchtki, I ate the Creature."
The druid stops the motions he had been making, hands going stock still as the summoned power he held dissipating. He turns his opal eyes on the Aboleth now revealed as Ckkxxchtki. A body hopper, not a threat to me then.
"Well that does save me some trouble" the skeletal caster states, a ghost of disappointment on his breath.
"Regardless I questioned a local and found that the item we seek is to the south, rather than go after it without everyone it was decided to regroup. Click is over there, you are in this new shell of yours, Viktor, Xizor and Rizzen came with me though the last two moved ahead and are likely in here somewhere.
It looks as the one called Zorryn did not listen.
Now that I have informed you I am headed to the south tunnel, and our objective, now." the druid states looking at the body hoppers new shell with a critical eye "I do hope you have a means to get your new body through the caverns, as I doubt the river in which you now swim will be easily navigated when you have not lived in it."
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Xizor stills mid-air as the creature speaks. In-ter-est-ing, it drawls in its mind, before beginning to float to shore. It replaces its over-gloves, hiding the blue flesh before it returns to the sight of its companions, and lands quietly a short distance upstream, behind a conveniently placed outcropping of rock which looked like it had fallen from the ceiling some ages before.
Positioning itself such that it would be concealed behind the rock if visible, it then fades back into view, then emerges. "A powerful form, but I question its utility." it says as it approaches. "Unless it possesses the means to transform itself into a smaller configuration, with such useful appendages as hands, I fear you may not be in control of it for long." The cloaked figure looks down at its own hands as it says this, and holds one out as if for inspection.
Rizzen dismisses his orb of darkness and drops down from the ceiling using feather fall, landing amids his companions.
"Peculiar creature is it not. I don't recall Aboleths to be able to fly so how do you plan to take it with you?
Anyway let's go back into the other tunnel, the drow experiment is probably getting himself into trouble. Inpatient youngsters."
Xizor stills mid-air as the creature speaks. In-ter-est-ing, it drawls in its mind, before beginning to float to shore. It replaces its over-gloves, hiding the blue flesh before it returns to the sight of its companions, and lands quietly a short distance upstream, behind a conveniently placed outcropping of rock which looked like it had fallen from the ceiling some ages before.
Positioning itself such that it would be concealed behind the rock if visible, it then fades back into view, then emerges. "A powerful form, but I question its utility." it says as it approaches. "Unless it possesses the means to transform itself into a smaller configuration, with such useful appendages as hands, I fear you may not be in control of it for long." The cloaked figure looks down at its own hands as it says this, and holds one out as if for inspection.
Rizzen dismisses his orb of darkness and drops down from the ceiling using feather fall, landing amids his companions.
"Peculiar creature is it not. I don't recall Aboleths to be able to fly so how do you plan to take it with you?Anyway let's go back into the other tunnel, the drow experiment is probably getting himself into trouble. Inpatient youngsters."
The spluttering voice of the Aboleth emerges from its flank orifaces once more, "The Body is but a tool for my mind to mold"
The body visibly begins to shrink and the lengthy body of the fish creature erupts from the water, taking to the air like a freight train. its body seems to swim through the air as if it were water.
Will you guide me to the place where the stone rests? I do not know the way the burbling voice continues
[OCC] sorry if I missed this. It does state 5 pts per round of full exposure. I will rule that amount was not equal to a full round and so will skip over damage on the second round, as it was perhaps a 5 ft move in and out at the most to accomplish taking out the second rod on the far side of the room.
The druid makes no motions when Xizor reveals himself, though that's hardly a surprise as Sanriel has a tendency to only move when required.
Looking to the flying oddity the skeleton nods.
"And the Aboleth flies now, a useful ability Ckkxxchtki." the druid states as the dripping wet aboleth emerges. "Yes let us head south and see what fortunes the last of our cadre has brought on himself."
Clikks expression shifts from anger to confusion and then to slight annoyance as Ckkxx reveals to them that it has managed to take hold of the Aboleths body meaning that there would almost certainly be no killing of the Aboleth and even less likely would it be that she would get to eat it. "You control it now? Can it break free? A goblin is one thing but this creature already had power enough to manipulate thoughts. Will it STAY under your command?" she says finally backing down from her aggressive stance as she watches the aboleths form lift out of the water and begin to shrink allowing Ckkxx a greater range of ability to maneuver
"Is it supposed to do that?" she questions her voice changing half way through her question as her form returned to that of the drow child.
"A small flying aboleth. It would almost be cute if not for the slime it secretes. Can it life out of the water for long enough?" Rizzen observes while they walk back to the main cave.
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"The way that I see it Ckkxxchtki needs no warning on the fact that if he cannot control his toy that we will then break it." The druid says picking lint off a few of his trinkets.
If the creature is unable to live without I can always call water for it to breathe. It would be an unwelcome delay in our plans, having to wait for the bodyhopper to find another usable flesh puppet.
Better one with some complications than none at all and I can only imagine a more convenient option will be found sooner or later." The druid states blandly head scanning the room as he begins walking south.
"With that accomplished the path is this way." the druid motions mostly for the now Flying aboleth/ former Not-goblin's benefit.
"Well let's find out what our drow failed experiment has been up to shall we." Rizzen says as the group goes in the other tunnel.
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The stone boned skeleton of Sanriel nods once. "Hopefully it is either useful or entertaining."
The slimy bulk of the diminished aboleth moves silently behind the party, fleshy psudopods dangling underneath it...
Passing back through the main cavern it seems the Giant Spider has wandered away from where it was at. There is no trace of the giant arachnid to be seen at all. The little monkey skeleton looks towards the ceiling as the party passes through that main area. Down the other section is another tunnel.
Looks a lot like the ones that had headed north. It is pretty narrow in this part, would be a very tight fit for something of large size.
The Aboleth will have a slightly tight squeeze here but its mucus can help the passage.
After only 50 feet or so it widens a bit into a narrow passageway, suitable for about 2 average sized beings to walk side by side. It is in a carved, polished, finished state. There is a very slight downward slope he could determine as he need to angle just a touch, 1 to 2 degrees, downward to follow along.
After about 10 to 15 minutes of what would be a normal walking pace the passageway dead ends in a solid iron door. Reinforced with steel bands and with a simple door handle. To each side, just a few feet back, there are two alcoves to either side of it, one per side of the passageway.
The door is open, ajar, and there is a source of light in the room, about half of what bright sunshine would be.
Everyone here can pressure, an emanation, from the other side of the door. Not a pleasant feeling to the undead.
Sanriel walks over to one of the alcoves, cautiously places his skeletal shoulder companion onto the floor of the cavern nodding to it "I will be right back small one" the rock druid then pops his head through the door cautiously peering in to the area.
Rizzen approaches the doorway and peeks inside to see if he can find their lost companion.
Map of the inside, crudely hand drawn
Just inside the door there is a sense of illumination in there. There is a small cloud of fog in there.
You can hear two voices in the fog, Zorryn's and another one, male and inhuman seeming from inside the fog cloud.
Of the four light rods the two along the back wall, closest to the door are smashed, while the other two are still lit providing about 1/2 normal sunlight level of illumination.
If either of you are susceptible to sunlight then you would be subjected to that. There is a very bright glow from off to the left, coming from the raised portion
You can both feel a wave of what would be overwhelming fear filled with images in your minds prompting what would have caused you terror, when you were both alive. However your undead state prevents these feelings and images from impacting on your psyche.
From within that little fog cloud comes a loud exclamation
If you had told me what was going on we might have avoided this situation! in Zorryn's Voice.
At the same time from the outer alcoves comes a series of small shadows streaming out of them. A dozen or so of them, all about 1.5 to 2 foot tall, roughly humanoid in shape.
Rizzen shakes his head at Zorryn's actions.
Bloody idiot, what has he getting himself and us into running off alone. And now he is either speaking to himself or someone else is up here.
He looks over to Sanriel to see if he grasps the significance of what is happening inside, signalling one or two persons inside.
Observing the small shadows appear he gets ready for action.
Sanriel looks to the fog cloud, nods to Rizzen with a skeletal hand he indicates two presences, pointing to their general locations. Then he points to the light fixtures with a hand before clenching it into a fist and dragging it downwards.
Sanriels monkey companion reacts to the shadows streaming from the alcove it was hidden in badly, leaping onto the druids robes and clinging to his antlered head.
Sanriel makes no noise as he slides into the earthen floor like one might drop into an ocean.
[dice=will]1d20+9
Rizzen shakes his head at Zorryn's actions.
Bloody idiot, what has he getting himself and us into running off alone. And now he is either speaking to himself or someone else is up here.
He looks over to Sanriel to see if he grasps the significance of what is happening inside, signalling one or two persons inside.Observing the small shadows appear he gets ready for action.
There are a pair of alcoves just outside the door
There are four alcoves inside the room along the wall just as someone enters the spaceSorry about the Undead overall statement. Lost track of it all in the interim.
The shadows are just piling up around the doorway. They seem reluctant to enter the space. They have not attacked, nor is there a physical presence to them. They seem more like animated shadows of people rather than undead shades that drain life or heat or energy (those might arrive in a later mission or might not).
Sanriel looks to the fog cloud, nods to Rizzen with a skeletal hand he indicates two presences, pointing to their general locations. Then he points to the light fixtures with a hand before clenching it into a fist and dragging it downwards.
Sanriels monkey companion reacts to the shadows streaming from the alcove it was hidden in badly, leaping onto the druids robes and clinging to his antlered head.
Sanriel makes no noise as he slides into the earthen floor like one might drop into an ocean.
Yes he can detect there are two people in the middle of the fog cloud. By gliding through the stone he will be able to reach either of the two glow rods (for lack of a better term) in the front part of the room. I am presuming he went for the nearer of the two.
To Rizzen as Sanriel grabs and pulls one of the two rods down you note the illumination in the room dropping down to about 1/4th of what a sunny day would be. So it is getting pretty dark in there. When that happens the piles of shadows at the door seem a little more eager to enter the space. However you do note a rising in light coming from the front of the space. Like the overall intensity long term has decreased but that something is shining brighter. At the end of a round there is a virtual explosion of light in there then it drops way down to almost twilight levels. Then it starts to build up again. Standing outside the door you can see it better than Sanriel gliding through the earth. But it is like something is on a strobe like timer at about a round in pacing. Glows lightly, increasing, until at the end of a round it bursts, then drops back down and repeats.
With a nod back to the others Rizzen pops invisible and sneaks inside.
Inside Rizzen will scan the room for whatever is in there and slowly rise to the ceiling using his levitation ability. Taking extra notice of the stranger in the room and studying him in case he needs to make a deadly attack against him later.
Sanriel keeps hold of the "glowrod" and moves to the next one, repeating the process.
For Rizzen:
This is the middle of a Fog Cloud spell that is still active.
This cloud takes up about a 30 foot diameter circle.
This is a link to the crude map I had drawn
Map Link
The fog cloud is in the right hand side of the map as you look at it.
There are 4 statues in each of the four alcoves all the way to the right.
On the raised dias area is an irregular shaped stone that is emanating the bright light that is pulsing and increasing the illumination on the round duration cycle.
The fog cloud obscures all sight outside of 5 foot so he would have to get inside the cloud to see the two beings in there. He does, and so does Sanriel, recognize Zorryn's voice and another male voice, very smooth and sophisticated with more than a hint of malice to it. It has a fey or potentially elvish styled voice.
Once Rizzen enters the room he will also feel the palatable emanations of fear and images of terrifying images. He will need to make a DC 25 Will save once he enters within that room.
With that superb roll a shame to deny any data so he can tell the two are standing in the center of the fog cloud, and rough shapes put it a good humanoid medium in size.
For Sanriel: he is able to grab each of the rods with no problem. They are a little bit heavier than a staff of that size would be. They are made of crystal and glow with about 1/4th sunlight in illumination for each. So the two of them would be like half illumination.
Both can tell that there were two crystal rods in the back half of the room that have been smashed.
In each of the four alcoves there are statues, one per alcove. They are each in a pale stone, almost alabaster marble like, faceless with no real features. There are blunt like hands and each of them has a forward curving blade in matching stone carved as if held in a hand.
To Both:
At about the same moment as Sanriel pulls the second one down into the floor and Rizzen is in the middle of the room in the air they both hear a strange voice, definitely male, speak up.
I can feel my children have arrived and if you want I can have them go and take the stone so you do not have to worry about it any more.
Then Zorryn replies.
I don't know if you can be trusted but I have no other ideas.
GM Note: I am presuming that Xizor, Victor, Clikk, and Ckkxxchtki are right behind the first two, as none have said anything. It will be a tight fit for even a smaller Aboleth Body to fit in the narrow section of the tunnel part. Any input from you other four?
Do you enter the room, etc. Any comments?
Ckkxxchtki rises upward immediately after entering the chamber, heading straight for the roof. He enjoys having a good vantage point.
Ckkxxchtki rises upward immediately after entering the chamber, heading straight for the roof. He enjoys having a good vantage point.
I would state 10 minutes at the most presuming the travel time to get to here from the other location
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GM Note: I am presuming that Xizor, Victor, Clikk, and Ckkxxchtki are right behind the first two, as none have said anything. It will be a tight fit for even a smaller Aboleth Body to fit in the narrow section of the tunnel part. Any input from you other four?
Do you enter the room, etc. Any comments?
Xizor steps into the room and to the side of the doorway to survey the area. The light is bright, but it has no fear of the sun. The statues are as faceless as the head it wears beneath its hood, which is intriguing.
As the two voices speak from the fog, Xizor turns to examine the glowing stone. In its echoing voice, Xizor responds. "Or I can just go cover it."
for Xizor: Yes you would be immune. So the shifting images would not actually cause Fear nor need a check. The light from the rods is just like natural sunlight so that does not bother you. It sounds like you and Rizzen are at this time the only ones in the room at the end of a round when the light flares and pulses the most.
Rizzen and Xizor will feel a pulse of energy that does not actually damage either one of them. It is more positive in nature. For Zorryn in the fog and Sanriel in his Earthglide mode they are shielded from the effects. Neither Rizzen nor Xizor are affected by the pulse though. It does get rather bright for one second then it dims right back down and cycles back up again.
Your call if you wish to cover it or not?
From inside the Fog Cloud the strange male fey like voice sounds out.
Ohh you have friends, little sneak you are, you will not have the drop of old Mr Bone Drone, here take that you treacherous cur
The sudden snik of blades of some sort being drawn or unfolded, not a normal sort of sound for adventures to hear.
None of them hit Zorryn though.
When the snik sound happens the shadows in the hall area all rush in. They all pale to thin wisps in the light of the glowing stone though, as they rush towards the stone. They will be half way there at this time.
New Initiative Roll for everyone please?
[dice=init]1d20+6
Call it two rounds
Sanriel rises behind the figure he assumes to be the outsider, seeing him fighting his ally the druid raises the light rods he had retrieved and points them at the man, wary of the creatures weapons.
"I know not who or what you are creature of shadow, but I can say it was foolish to attack my allies." the druid says as he waits patiently crazed shadows cast on the fog due to the light sticks proximity.
[occ] Most likely he could not hear while Earth Gliding, but I will rule with the tremorsense and proximity that he will have an inklinking of what was going on and rose up just in time to hear what was said
[/occ]He will have to rise in the middle of the fog cloud and within 5 foot of the two to see what is going on. easy enough for him and his tremorsense and the movement and size of the room.
With Zorryn you see a humanoid creature. His size is Medium, standing about 6.25 feet tall, slender like a rail. Looks somewhat elvish or fey in the bone sharp facial features. Long straight black hair, skin white like a bloated corpse floating in a river, dressed in strange clothing (think top hat, trousers, vest and cream colored shirt, the other clothing is all a dark grey shade). He has a pair of straight razors in his hands, they look as if they have dried blood on the surgical grade (MW) steel. [occ] Very Sweeney Todd [/occ]
Current Initiatives are
Clikk = 17
Clikk also has to do a DC 25 Will Save vs Fear Effects Let me know if you fail it.
Sanriel = 16
Mr Bone Drone = 13
Rizzen = 12
Ckkxxchtki = ???
Viktor is the only one that enters into the room and is not in the fog cloud or is not immune and when the first light burst strikes he feels the positive energy force from the stone lash out and strike him with the energies of the Positive Energy Plane.
Zorryn and Sanriel have avoided the full brunt due to the Fog Cloud as well as Earth Gliding
He then will retreat from the room to avoid more damage. That will end his turn this round.
Zorryn holds his action to see what happens next.
The little shadows all rush towards the stone but they evaporate before they make it to the raised dias. The light seems too much for them.
Sanriel rises behind the figure he assumes to be the outsider, seeing him fighting his ally the druid raises the light rods he had retrieved and points them at the man, wary of the creatures weapons.
"I know not who or what you are creature of shadow, but I can say it was foolish to attack my allies." the druid says as he waits patiently crazed shadows cast on the fog due to the light sticks proximity.
The Fey Creature, Mr Bone Drone sees Sanriel and with the threat the Skeletal Druid poses he makes a flourish with his cape and then disappears. There may be a faint flutter in the fog cloud in the direction of the door but that is all. [occ] Invisibility Special Ability [/occ]
Rizzen has been observing and is still holding his action.
The non-undead take no damage. However if one of them had it in their hands and looked right at it at a burst then there could be a danger of blindness at essentially arms length.
Rizzen dismisses his levitation powers and drops to the floor with feather fall. During his drop he activates his lycanthropic heritage.
"Going after him." He whispers to Sanriel.
He sniffs the air and moves towards the door, trying to follow and pinpoint the fleeing opponent.
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Rizzen dismisses his levitation powers and drops to the floor with feather fall. During his drop he activates his lycanthropic heritage.
"Going after him." He whispers to Sanriel.He sniffs the air and moves towards the door, trying to follow and pinpoint the fleeing opponent.
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Rizzen is not entirely sure where he went once he exited the room.
Make a Visual Perception Roll vice Scent one just outside the door though
[dice=Will Save]1d20 + 4
Clikk is assaulted with visuals of all the things she fears the most, monsters, images, ideas, failed dreams, likely old age images and not being able to hunt, failing to evolve further, etc. She is Shaken at this moment
[ooc] Sorry yeah Invisibility does not negate smells and posted that pre-coffee[/occ]
With great skill and panache Rizzen Tal'Ashar is able to follow and track the malevolent being into the alcove just outside the door. Slipping just past Clikk and Ckkhhchtki who are just inside and outside, with Viktor not in sight, he can tell the being went into the Right Side Alcove if you are looking into the room.
The little Monkey Skeleton is in the opposite one watching what is happening.
The shadows in the alcove the Fey Male went into are deeper, more light night than shadows.
Rizzen follows in the alcove, telling the others to follow him in here. He is tracking the opponent.
Once on the other side Rizzen again sniffs the air to pinpoint the man.
And throws a quickened fireball in his direction.