Ckkxxchtki looks down from the ceiling and hisses, growing the Aboleth back to its form, and sends a glistening shard of black crystal propelled at high speed toward the skeleton
After spitting the psychic attack, he comes flying down like a aberration of death...
** spoiler omitted **
From the GM: Not a problem at all. Yes normally an alcove is a small recessed area. Which this normally is in the underground space except that the creature has created a portal of some sort in here that it has used to escape. So far your English is more than sufficient to be understandable. I did not realize it was not your native tongue. Always feel free to ask for clarifications or examples.
Also part of the issue is this is really my first PbP with people actually contributing. My prior ones all died within a few posts so I am a little rusty but I hope to make it better as it all goes along.
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Rizzen is easily able to follow along and disappears into the back of the carved stone.
Would you mind describing your Were Form. We have not had the chance to see it as of yet.
It is all dark grey, twilight like, some lighter shades of grey, darker almost to black. There are dead tree trunks and dried tattered grass underfoot. In the sky is a reverse sun, it is black sending out dark light instead of being bright and light.
Just in front of him, perhaps 30 feet or so is the same being that Sanriel had seen in the fog.
Just as you arrive you hear the sound of a heavy door closing behind you.
In front of you is the Male Fey being. He is just putting away in his jacket the two straight razors and now has a long cane in his hands.
He looks back and smiles and his mouth is filled with sharp pointed fangs. More like a cat's fangs than those of a dog. Or perhaps a Shark would be a good analogy. It seems he had dropped his invisibility once through the portal and is now visible.
The fireball has caught him off guard. It impacts and obviously causes damage and pain. It is the brightest thing in this place that Rizzen can tell.
IT most definitely takes damage and seems to be more than a little annoyed at the fireball. He looks a bit singed and takes a heartbeat or two to swat at the smoke coming from his outfit.
That was a mistake you know. Coming along with me. Welcome to the Land of the Boogeyman. I so hope you do not enjoy your stay.
----------------------------------------
To Ckkxxchtki: So were you in the room or still in the hallway? Either way you will also have to make a Will DC25 Save vs Fear as did Clikk. If pass then no real effect, if fail then you are Shaken.
So you see Rizzen in Wereform heading into an alcove.
The only skeleton here is the little Monkey that is accompaning Sanriel (from when it asked Shivered if it could go and she said yes then pulled a new skeleton out of a living Monkey back before coming here). I presume you are not firing at it.
You did not see what he was chasing after (I cannot find anything that suggests you can see Invisible Creatures). So do you follow along into the shadows or stay back in the main area?
I was in the main room.
The split minds of the aboleth and Ckkxxchtki are even more damaged by the presence of the creation.
I was in the main room. 1d20
The split minds of the aboleth and Ckkxxchtki are even more damaged by the presence of the creation.
With entering into the room the dual mind is now Shaken with the images of fear and terror that seemed to come from no where.
So what did the Aboleth fling the attack at?
so did Ckkxxchtki follow Rizzen into the alcove or not?
The psychic attack did not seem to impact with anything that it can tell. It and Clikk are about the only ones that reasonably can follow him so let me know if you do or do not?
Rizzen laughs at the boogeyman.
"Oh please, I have been to hell and back, I can survive a little darkness."
Seeing that it had some good effect, he throws another fireball at the creature and then runs straight in after it.
Rizzen flies over the explosion and comes crashing down on the Fey with fangs and claws cutting away at it.
Dang....
The Fireball hits and does damage.
He closes in and just barely misses with the bite.
His Initiative is
His strikes back with his two straight razors
4 Attacks
Each hit is wounding (bleed damage 1 pt per round)
So a total of 3 hits if I read that correctly for a total of 33 pts of damage and also 3 pts bleeding damage each round.
His white fur is cut three times, but the wounds are shallow and close almost instantly. He starts laughing at the fey creature.
"Oooh stop that, that tickles ha ha ha.
Now stop dodging and die."
He breathes another quickened fireball at the boogeyman.
And lets the flames wash over him, his fire resistance keeping him safe from the flames that lick his fur.
CMD is 32 so the dirty trick fails (so close so close)
AoO
What a plucky one you are, I must ask my brothers to come and see how tough you are on the inside. Maybe with a few of us to hold you down we can pluck off that lovely shadow you have and turn it to our benefit.
The Razors disappear into his coat and he instead activates an ability and with that he turns Gaseous and starts to drift away from Rizzen.
Rizzen taunts the fey into fighting. He is sure he can get him eventually.
"Why I didn't know you were chicken? Your brothers would surely think you are weak and kill you for it. Why don't you stay here and we battle this out man to man? Prove it to them you aren't a weak little pussycat."
Rizzens uses his drow magics to enhance his taunt with a suggestion spell (dc 17) at the fey in order to stop it from running away.
Roll vs his Spell Resistance please
Rizzen sighs as he hears reinforcement coming. Killing them won't advance his goals anyway and he doesn't want to spend eternity in this plane or whatever it is.
"I guess we will meet again, little pussy. Let's hope you prove some more of a challenge next time." Rizzen calls after the fleeing ghost cloud.
He takes the idol out of his pocket while reverting to his normal drow form and breaks it, teleporting back to the hall filled with skeletal monkeys.
[dice=spell caster check]1d20+6
** spoiler omitted **
As you arrive in the main hall space there are three some Monkey Skeletons doing housekeeping like tasks, dusting, etc. One of them notices you, goes and gets a pitcher of water and a crystal goblet and tilts it's head like either Can I Get You Something or Why are you here and no one else is?
"Bring me some wine while I wait for the others to return. I'm sure they shouldn't be long." Rizzen says as he sits on his comfortable chair again.
"Bring me some wine while I wait for the others to return. I'm sure they shouldn't be long." Rizzen says as he sits on his comfortable chair again.
Two Monkeys show up in a few minutes with 2 different bottles, a white and red. Along with a separate wine glass.
Sanriel looks to Rizzen as he chases the shadow creature to its den. Though his attentions are hard to detect in the fog for those without supernatural senses.
"Next would be dealing with the stone." the earthen caster mutters as he looks to the miniature star sitting on the pedestal. "Ckkxxchtki ,Clikk, Xizor, Would one of you please retrieve the stone? Clikk, I believe you had said you had a very deep bag. If there is room please place the stone there. So as to allow those in our party that are severely allergic to sunlight to breath more easily. I would find it useful as well, my current form would likely be damaged by its powers."
the druid states as he stands ready to drop back into the safety of the cavern floor.
with that Sanriel will choose to examine the statues in the alcoves which held the glow rods previously, seeing if they are hollow, what they might be made of or what purpose they might have served beyond decoration.
Ckkxxchtki moves to the stone and begins to engulf it in tendrils,
the watery voice burbles forth "Break the charms and return us to the sanctum..."
"Once there find the stone she is sending you all to retrieve. Once it is secured think of her, all of you, picture her in your minds and thoughts and she will send the transportation that will take you to where this stone needs to be delivered to. Once that is done, then use the talismans I have provided to have you brought immediately back to here. I suspect this will be very easy to accomplish."
"Shivered the necromancer stated we were to think of her master once we had retrieved the stone in order to be given transport for where the stone is to be taken. Destroying the talismans is to be done after that is done." Sanriel says as he beckons his monkey who swiftly takes residence on the flinty druids shoulder. He then stays still, and attempts to avoid feeling foolish when he attempts to 'think' loudly. "Lady of linens, my current employer, hear me and know that the task you have appointed to us is complete. We have the Orb of sunlight and life. Show us the path you would have us travel.
Sanriel looks to Rizzen as he chases the shadow creature to its den. Though his attentions are hard to detect in the fog for those without supernatural senses.
"Next would be dealing with the stone." the earthen caster mutters as he looks to the miniature star sitting on the pedestal. "Ckkxxchtki ,Clikk, Xizor, Would one of you please retrieve the stone? Clikk, I believe you had said you had a very deep bag. If there is room please place the stone there. So as to allow those in our party that are severely allergic to sunlight to breath more easily. I would find it useful as well, my current form would likely be damaged by its powers."** spoiler omitted **
with that Sanriel will choose to examine the statues in the alcoves which held the glow rods previously, seeing if they are hollow, what they might be made of or what purpose they might have served beyond decoration.
They are blunt crude humanoid statues. Average in height. Faceless, featureless with what seems to be blunt, crude spade like hands holding crude stone swords. There is one per alcove that you can discern. I presume this observation was after the stone was in the bag. No treasure in there, nothing.
As you are looking at them a round disk appears in the center of the room. It is a sphere. A few heartbeats later an eye lid, of sorts, rises and a pupil that gors all around it is revealed. The a kaleidoscope of colors comes out of it. Then they stop after a few seconds nd the lid closes and it fades away.
Do any of those three take the stone?
So once the stone is engulfed and Sanriel completes the call an unearthly shriek is heard from all around you all. Long hooked claws appear from thin air on each character ripping you all from that location and instantly somewhere else. Now you all are high in the sky, each one held in bony claws held aloft by what might be described as skeletal and leather winged harpies. The harpies have you all high over an ocean stretching as far as can be. Looking down is a lot like looking into the night sky. It looks like stars swimming down there in that ocean of stars. There are shapes moving down there as well. You are a good two miles in the sky. There is no sun above. Looking down a new shape just below is rearing out of the water. A massive sea serpent is rising straiht up. The jaws are at least a mile wide fully opened. It is getting closer when the skeletal harpies all start shrieking [b] Drop it[/] Over and over. The jaws are getting closer.
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Xizor was on its way to the stone, but Ckkxxchtki got there first and the hooded figure made no effort to contest for it, nor protest over the aboleth's taking possession of it. Its hood does turn to keep the strange creature directly in sight, however. Given its angle, that means it spots the disk-eye-thing as it appears. Xizor begins raising an arm to point it out to anyone who missed it, when the world changes.
Now dangling mid-air, Xizor looks down towards the serpent, up towards the bony creature holding it, and then over to Ckkxxchtki. "I think you should drop your prize now." Its voice is as calmly steady as normal, despite the new situation (and as echoey as normal, despite the lack of walls).
nodding to Ckkxxchtki voice slightly tighter than when he was on ground Sanreil speaks slowly
"Yes, let us be done with this and away to a less dangerous place."
Sanreil's shoulder companion hangs on the mans skull shivering slightly. The wind blows through the skeletal man.
"It would be unfortunate if were were to fall here."
The wind blows mightily and Sanriel bones blow a whistling dirge as he waits for his allies decision to drop the rock.
"Betrayer of the cursed earth, that which would sacrifice part of itself in order to grasp the bloodied throne of power. You who are unwelcomed in the halls of the wind king, your protections are undone, your subtrefuge uncovered. In the name of the howling north, Fall and Shatter on the rocks below to be blown on our fury for a thousand years until your soul is worn to fragments and your life forever snuffed."
A growing chant comes calling as Sanriel turns his head and hears war cries on the wind. Fall and Shatter.
One cannot outrun the judgement of the wind, only delay it. A necessary sacrifice, but one with its own consequences the priest of stone considers ruefully.
Ckkxxchtki thinks for a moment, debating on the nature of the stone, and expecting a trick.... But when his... Not-prey says to drop it.... His hisses in annoyance, and hurls the stone into the gaping maw
As the stone goes spinning downward towards the gaping maw the leviathan reaches up just a bit farther before the stone disappears into the leagues long beast. As it enters into the monstrosity it locks gazes with Ckkxxchtki for just a moment. A glimmer of vast intelligence shines out from the incredible serpent before it starts to fall back towards the ocean below them all. It slides into the water as gracefully as something that large could. Still the splash goes up close to a half mile or more with the spray.
With the stone thrown, the leather and bone harpy like creatures start to climb into the sky. Their grips still on the characters, they start to ascend without any effort it seems. The weight of the Aboleth form is as nothing to them. The other smaller characters do not seem to impede their ascent.
Cries of Home, Home in raspy skeletal voices come from each of the creatures as the sky is thinning and turning darker with height.
Rizzen takes the red and lounges in the chair with his feet on the table.
"It's sure taking them a while to get back here. I wonder what happened..."
Ckkxxchtki looks back at the massive creature's wake thoughtfully.... its intelligent eyes glimmering with greed and horrific plans
For those still being held by the Skeletal Harpies it takes them a couple of hours to break free of the gravity field and then they are able to accelerate to their interworld traveling speed. You are unsure how long they will be in flight but it seems that they are all arrowing towards a particular point of light ahead of them.
Snariel looks to his companions "I believe now is the time to use the talisman's the necromancer provided us before these creatures take us into the chill of the void. Some of us might survive but there is no telling how long they will fly, to be lost in this place for centuries would be problematic to any of us." Then realizing that they can't hear him he removes the token from his body, moves his arm to get attention then snaps the token, Hopefully the intent is clear
Once in the Black there is air to breath, of sorts, to start with. It can be felt that they are accelerating to incredible velocities and the ocean below stretches out as far as can be seen. This high up it can be seen that there are distant flaming balls far down below, immense things flying or swimming down below. You can tell that some of them are large enough to be seen eclipsing the massive flaming balls, large serpentine like figures.
It is cold up here and getting colder.
About the time that they are close to entering The Dark, Vivtor, Zorryn, and Rizxen all use the devices and arrive in the maim hall as well.
When Viktor arrives he stands still for a few moments and then walks over to the nearest monkey, whispering something in it's ear. It scampers off immediately running right through the stone wall towards the back of the main hall.
A few minutes later Shivered comes out, looks over at those that have arrived by now, and nods to Viktor. She head nods and he approaches and the two of them talk in a corner for a few moments. She kinda shrugs and walks back through the wall and comes out again in a few heartbeats with several things in her hands.
She gives him two different spheres that anyone can see and he nods in appreciation, smashes one on the floor and disappears in an azure flash (camera flash bulb light) burst of light.
Just as that is done Zorryn also approaches her and a similar conversation takes place. She talks to him as well and she motions over a couple of the monkeys who dart off and return with a small wooden chest, about the size of a shoebox. He also seems to appreciate it and takes a different colored small globe and disappears as well into a flashbulb light burst of light.
About half way up into the deep darkness, the aboleth starts to thrash and writhe and make strange gurgling sounds. It starts to flail around, striking at it's own flesh like someone digging at an itch, or like an allergic reaction.
It suddenly seems to break free of the flying skeletal harpy's grip and starts the miles long fall back to the potentially infinite ocean below.
Tentacles flailing the whole way down.
We can just assume you meant me. "Quite an unusual adventure." is the hooded being's comment upon its return to their employer's hall. Spotting Rizzen at the table, it asks "How did your portion of it resolve? You clearly needed less time for your hunt than we did to deliver the stone."
With an annoyed look on his face, Rizzen anwers "I ended up in some wierd place, the land of the boogeyman he called it. While we were at an impasse at first I was gaining ground. He was hard to hit, while his attacks did nothing to me. If I had turned myself invisible to suprise him I could have killed him quick enough. But realizing his weakness he ran for reinforcement in mist form. Unfortunately I didn't have any good methods available to deal with it. As the other reinforcements would do the same, it seemed senseless to stay and I grew bored waiting so I returned here."
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About half way up into the deep darkness, the aboleth starts to thrash and writhe and make strange gurgling sounds. It starts to flail around, striking at it's own flesh like someone digging at an itch, or like an allergic reaction.
It suddenly seems to break free of the flying skeletal harpy's grip and starts the miles long fall back to the potentially infinite ocean below.
Tentacles flailing the whole way down.
Clinging to the Harpy's leg is some form of great black insect... its membranous wings wrapping around it and covering most of it from view
"Hmm... unfortunate that he escaped, I would make my guess that he was the one who corrupted the spider we encountered. Another victim of creatures encroaching on places they should not, perhaps the loss will aggravate him enough to hunt you he would be easy prey for us then." the skeletal one wistfully states, head scanning toward Rizzen.
"After you chased off the outsider Ckkxxchtki collected the orb and I summoned our employers attentions. I believe we were either teleported or plane shifted into the grasps of great harpies made from bone. They flew over an ocean, the stone became a leviathan's meal." The Druid puts a steadying hand on his monkey companion as she climbs down from her perch, gleefully moving to her family and gesturing animatedly.
Sanriel glides over and waits for Shivered's attentions.
"Greetings, the mission was a success far as I am to understand it." the druid says in a warm tone completely at odds with his grinning skull.
" Though I do question why your master didn't send the harpies to pick up the stone if they had the ability to pluck us from a solid stone cavern." the druid sits on one of the more solid chairs, keep his monkey in sight out of the corner of his eye "It would be interesting to know what it was we just retrieved if you are able to share such knowledge."
Certainly I can shed some light on the reasons She smiles at the Monkey on the shoulder before she continues
The Lady works on the principle of favors and reciprocity. She has power over doors and where they can lead to. However her main focus is on what some might call, The Deal. She primarily brokers deals and favors from one to another. So in this case, based on what you just told me, must be Jörmungandr in the primal sea connecting all of creation. So you did a favor for it and the harpies must have been doing a favor for someone else in transporting you all from one location to another, with other favors in play to take you from where you were to where you ended up at. Really it is as simple as interlocking reciprocity is all she mostly works with. Along with the acquisition of knowledge and the use of it as a means of currency.
Shivered takes a crystal goblet from a Monkey that brings it to her.
I had received a communique from her for the next tasks for her. It is to retrieve a large trunk being transported from one Drow Matriarch to another. I suspect some of you will not mind the chance to take on a small Drow caravan. There will be other treasures in the chest that will be for the taking of those that participate.
She walked over to the table and waits for all to turn their attention to her.
Seems two of your small group have other pressing concerns and tasks to tend to. They have been compensated for their time and have departed. As far as I know no one else will be added to your upcoming tasks. This of course may change, but as of now I am certain that you will all be more than adequate for what lies ahead. The target leaves the safety of their caverns in a few hours and when the time is right you will be transported a mile or so ahead of them so as to ambush. Should any desire to rest or meditate my small friends will escort you to small chambers suitable. Otherwise feel free to relax and it will be perhaps four turns of the hourglass before it will be time. I have things to attend to and if necessary can field questions, otherwise I will be in my own space
Just as she is walking through the door she turns back
It might be the Harpies were only beholden to carry others instead of an orb or what ever it was you had picked up.
"Oh I am looking forward to this one. Drow usually levitate in case of combat so we need a tactic against that. They will also use poisons and darkness to their aid. A daylight spell works wonders if we can use it." Rizzen says with a grin.
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Sanriel nods to the necromancer "I had guessed that being the basic nature of her business. I suppose the Joümungander had its reasons to desire the stone. Favors are powerful things but such business is usually quite dangerous for the purveyor as the value of a favor can change quite significantly over the years of it being given."
And a fairly tactful dodge as to the actual reasons behind why the ocean serpent desired the rock. the druid considers as he rustles his belongings a bit retrieving the broken glow rods. "I considered it reasonable to remove these, and with our ventures taking us to a city of drow it would be interesting to discover how much work it would require to repair them. Perhaps improve them even, were there something in the area we are leaving for that you would personally feel valuable enough to be worth the work."
Leaving that to lie for a moment Sanriel moves on to the next topic
" As it is I'd prefer to have a general idea as to what we will be dealing with. Would you be able to dispense such information as the city in question, the matriarchs in particular or the identifying marks on the container we are to obtain?" Sanriel asks as he looks at the room and his allies in particular Xizor ought to be able to obtain much information on the city if the Necromancer is unable to. The Not-goblin, the horror, Rizzen and Xizor all have abilities toward stealth. We could very easily infiltrate the drow city and have our way with it. That could be... enjoyable. the druid considers as he recalls the volatile fungi that existed in such areas. A few he even had samples of, such things could be very useful for causing distractions.
"As to the drow, I doubt we will find any but the best guarding the caravan. I can likely obtain something to make the warriors regret using such tactics. Though I doubt our party will have much trouble dealing with the trick of levitation when we will be in a stone cavern."
The druid pulls a frayed edge from the ancient orisani shroud he wears and chuckles lightly. "For poison, darkness or any other tricks they might use I doubt we shall have trouble dealing with such things. We will find methods once we have learned the extent of the defenses we must deal with."
Now returned to the form of the tiny drow girl a wicked smile spread across the childs face as Shivvered mentioned that there next task would involve the killingh of Drow, she'd found herself rather bored with the descriptions of how the 'Lady' did her buisness but the fact that the next mission was one that guaranteed conflict with an enemy she knew well Clikk found herself quite excited. Her town had grown painfully dull during her hunts and the only interesting Drow that she had eaten in recent months had been those who ventured to the town from afar. Simply GOING to the far off Drow was bound to be a rife with chance to sate her hunger.
"Drow are fun prey" the little girl said with a hint of excitement in her voice "I have hunted Drow for as long as I have lived, this will be fun. Ambush is a good idea, we could perhaps attempt to use some of my tactics to pick off some of there warriors, find a means of halting the caravan and drawing them away from the caravan and into a forest or really any location with suitable places to hide. When i hunt and I do this I throw my voice all around them and try to draw them as deep as I can once they are too far to run to safety I strike and I eat."
Turning to Shivvered she tilts her head "Do we have an idea how large the caravan is? Many Drow or few?"
Sanriel nods to the necromancer "I had guessed that being the basic nature of her business. I suppose the Joümungander had its reasons to desire the stone. Favors are powerful things but such business is usually quite dangerous for the purveyor as the value of a favor can change quite significantly over the years of it being given."...
Shivered replies: I have no idea why the Father of all Serpents would desire such a bauble. I have no interest in those sorts of things. I am more interested in what will further my own aims rather than those of others. With that said I know The Lady's power grows with each new connection she is involved in. The more that she works with, the greater her powers and abilities grow. The larger the network she has to draw from, the larger her influence grows.
As far as details on the Drow city, my information told me your group would intercept the transportation outside of the Matriarch's influence. I will send out feelers for information on the city. The transportation back after your main task is done are the orbs I have to share with everyone. So once you are all done, then returning will be simple for each of you. It may take a few hours to get something for you all but I will send the information if you depart before it arrives.
The Necromancer smiles at the assembled group and points towards the main table in the hallway while suddenly the monkeys all arrive laden with plates of different foods, meats, fruits, breads, along with wine and pitchers of water. Crystal goblets come along with the trenchers and platters.
Shivered says Eat or sleep or meditate, it will be a few hours before the caravan is in position. I will see what can be divined about the area as well as the city it is coming from, and the one where it is heading to as well.