Motteditor's Strange Aeons PBP (Inactive)

Game Master motteditor

"No, not undead!" the man says with horror. "We have enough of that in Ustalav, and that's not what we're interested in. Death has ... an effect, though. He may act ... differently. He may feel weaker..."

He's describing raise dead, which offers a negative level.

Sure, I figured, just having some fun.

"Oh. Oh! I see. Yes, well, that's all right now isn't it. Yes, yes, that would be very generous. I'm sure we'd all agree. By all means, let's see what we can do for the man."

When it's made clear to him that no undead will be raised, he's all for it, and insists they do so as soon as possible.

Tenebrynn frowns thoughtfully at the offer, "Well, a little weak is better than dead, I guess." She pauses for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip, before looking up at Kyffin and then the man making the offer. She nods, her hair bobbing with the motion, "I think Heinrich would have agreed to it if it were me."

Tristain doesn't have a conscious opinion on the reviving Heinrich matter, but in the morning, he might think it was a good idea.

* * *

In the morning, Tristain will come down to breakfast and look to the others.

"What do we do now? Sell what we've gotten and get out of here? Or are we going back?" Tristain asks, thinking both are valid options with all the death and weirdness around here.

Ok, sounds like Kyffin's going to revive Heinrich as soon as possible. Is anyone going with him? Tristain was upstairs during that whole conversation.

Kyffin and the two Sleepless Agents and any other PC who wants to go find Heinrich's body right where the half-orc left it and head back to the Sleepless Building as the day goes from gloom to dismal night, the clouds preventing even much starlight from lighting the way. Fitful lamps cast little circles of light, breaking up the darkness.

Inside, Cesadia and Lady Winter greet you somberly, their eyes growing wide at the burden. You fill in what happened after Winter left.

"So he didn't even have a chance?" she asks. "I wonder if I could have saved him if I'd been there."

Cesadia shakes her head.

"We can still save him now. We don't have any more resources of this, but I think you've all done enough to help us, and I hope you'll continue," she says.

She hands over a green glass, a liquid sloshing inside.

"If you annoint him with this oil, it should bring him back."

It's an oil of raise dead.

Kyffin will go wake Tristain, assuming he'd want to see this - or at least give him the option of joining. He'll need someone to help him carry Heinrich all over town at least.

Later, with the Sleepless Agents, Kyffin is no beggar when it comes to appreciation, and he shows it. "Many thanks, and I'm sure Heinrich will say the same when he's back. I don't suppose you have any Restoration lying about? We can pay for it. It's just he's going to be awful weak, and I'd help him if I could."

Regardless of their response, he thanks them again, and carry's Heinrich back to the church to do the anointing. He lights a few candles to push back the darkness and waits to see if it works.

"I'm afraid we don't," she says with a shake of her head.

Tenebrynn offers cheerily, "Maybe Heinrich knows how to make some? He made that potion that let Winter climb up the walls after all." The little gnome then follows Kyffin to the site where he means to anoint their fallen friend with the oil. She looks up nervously and confides softly, "I really hope this works."

Kyffin will go wake Tristain, assuming he'd want to see this -

Tristain stops his post-breakfast bonking to answer Kyffin.

"Yes, of course, I'd like to see that. And help if I can. This is important," Tristain replies and gathers his stuff for the short trip. Being in town was better than being in the asylum and being in the undead and unreal monster fort, he had decided.

If given the opportunity, Tris will inspect the oil of raise dead, something so powerful and interesting that he's never seen or held before.

1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19 Spellcraft

Tristain will help Kyffin help Heinrich as best he can, whether it's by being underfoot, or always standing in the exact wrong spot, or getting in the way accidentally, Tristain is helping.

When the oil is applied, Tristain will be bonking the back of his head into a wall as he waits and watches.

My impression was this was still the previous evening. Kyffin wanted to go immediately.

Assuming Tristain goes at night:
He can't make out much about the oil, and has to assume it will do what the Sleepless agents say.

edit: yep, that night

Albert puts his glass back on the bar and goes with Kyffin to help carry the body to the detective agency. "I hope he ain't too weak, we need to get back to that fort and save the others from them evil doers, if we're not too late."

Yes, it was that night, Kyffin would not have waited. To be clear, when he gets to the church with the body and the oil, he anoints away, stripping the poor man to his skivvies to make sure the oil gets worked in... well... almost everywhere.

'Dagnabbit! That was the line for Pharasma's bathroom, not the judging of souls line! Accursed signs! Never point in the proper place!' The soul of Heinrich grouses from the line for the soul judging in the Boneyard...

Albert stands to the side with a cup of fresh water for Heinrich when and if he sputters back to life. "That boy was fearless when he went into battle, I hope he returns with that same fire."

Tenebrynn looks up worriedly as Heinrich doesn't immediately sit up after the oil is applied. "Do- do you think he'll come back? Will he be... different? This isn't like that cemetery in Geb is it? Where people bury their pets but they come back feral and violent?" She nervously bounces the tips of her index fingers together as her eyes bounce from Kyffin to Albert to Tristain and his bonking. "I sure hope he's the same."

Tristain sleeps on, missing all this.

However, if Kyffin came and knocked, or insisted on Tristain's attendance, he would have broken down and cried, then attended.

Kyffin would have knocked, but not insisted - but he would have invited. And, er, stood uncomfortably while Tristain wept...

Sorry, not sure if you're waiting on me.

After a few moments, the oil seems to start working, and Heinrich starts stirring, moaning fitfully.

"No, mother, I don't want to go to battle school. I want to eat pineapples with Harry..." Heinrich's eyes suddenly open and he looks around wildly at the people staring at him.

"Great Beyond! I was... HE was here and then I was... somewhere else, in a mass of souls, a river and then I was... here." He gingerly sits up, looking drawn and haunted. "What happened to me?"

Tenebrynn is worried for the briefest of moments that Heinrich will wake and only be able to bark like a rabid dog. When the man sits up and speaks though, relief washes over the gnome's face and she leaps forward to wrap Heinrich in a big hug, not answering his question.

"Good man, move slowly there. You've been mostly dead all day, you're bound to be a little woozy."

Kyffin helps him to sit up at least. A big grin covers his face as he sees the man rise from the dead. "Now you should be more careful. No charging in to a wall of attacks like that. It's dangerous." he grins.

He'll help Heinrich to his feet eventually and back to the inn. He won't stay up much later, just long enough to see Heinrich well cared for and then he's off to bed.

Heinrich gasps for breath as the gnome hugs him into submission. He blurts out, "I ran into danger?!? No, HE ran into danger! That one is insane! Dangerous! He craves such foolishness. I, myself, am quite averse to risk, thank you!"

Tristain continues to sleep, wondering what wonders will come upon him in the morning.

While the party hugs and chatters, Albert check the mortal wounds to see how far healed they are and how much more healing their friend still needs. "Let's get you healed up all the way, those wounds still look bad."

the rules on Raise Dead are tough for a low level PC!

Ahhh, yes, he’s still injured. Kyffin has one spell remaining, which he uses now, juiced with his gods blessings for extra power.
Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 (+50% = 9 total healing)

Albert will do what he can, then use the cure light potions to get you up close to max. Sleep will get you another four, but we need to be as healthy as possible going back in the morning.

Kyffin heads off to bed after healing his ally. "See you all in the morning! It's past time for bed I think, considering where we're headed at first light."

Sadly, it might not be quite that easy.

As you're walking back to the Silver Wagon, you hear a woman's scream coming from a nearby alley.

I have a post waiting for morning. Will stay out of things until its morning.

Tristain sleeps on.

Kyffin draws his scimitar and creates a light on his buckler. Then he advances into the alley. "Ho there, what the hell is going on here?"

Tenebrynn springs toward the sound of the shout, positioning herself between the source of the scream and her friends. She calls out down the alley after Kyffin, "Yeah, is someone in trouble?"

As you rush around the corner of the alley, you see a figure curled in a ball against the wall, head averted and covered by its arms as a spectral woman stands menacingly above her.

The woman -- who would look like an older human clad in a black mourning dress if it weren't for the rubbery tentacles and growths coming from her flesh -- turns and hisses at you.

Ah, you guys are screwed.

Tristain turns over in his bed, nightmares of children torn from the arms of their parents and tossed into cages running through his mind. He face scrunches up at the unjustness of it. He does not sleep well.

Kyffin is less sure of reality these days, but one thing he is sure of. rubbery tentacles are not good.

He advances on the woman, naked blade raised to strike!

Assuming we're in initiative, but just in case I get a surprise swing...

Scimitar: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 damage: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Tenebrynn barks out a sharp curse in surprise as the tentacular woman's shape looms into view. Skidding to a stop as Kyffin keeps rushing onward, the slight gnome with the wildly dancing hair shouts, "Hey! You get away from her!"

"What foul tentacley nonsense is this?!?" Heinrich swears loudly. He grabs a bomb and begins to mix.

Albert rushes at the monster as he draws his blade.

if we can get a surprise round attack...

red destiny: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

[ spoiler=Initiative]
Albert: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Heinrich: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Kyffin: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Tenebrynn: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Antagonist: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
[/spoiler]

You rush to the woman's defense, Kyffin and Tenebrynn reacting before anyone else can. Unfortunately for the half-orc, his blade simply cuts through the spectral woman, leaving her shocked but unharmed. Al rushes up too, his blade seeming to find some purchase in the woman's form, though even then it mostly passes through her.

Kyffin and Tenebrynn are up for a full round 1. Kyffin and Al are in melee.

NL: 2

Round 1, Initiative: 18

Kyffin swears, ”Damn, it seems immune to non-magical blades! Someone quick! Grab the girl and run, I’’ll be right behind you!”

Kyffin swiftly blesses his weapon with Sacred Power, granting it magic for the round. He tries to get between the creature and her prey to buy the party time to escape.
Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 1 = 15 (sacred) damage: 1d6 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 1 = 11 (sacred)

”Now back off you! I don’t want to destroy you, but I will!”

I am swamped with work. If you need to NPC me to move things along, please do. I'll try to update ASAP.

Tenebrynn snaps off a blast of wind at the strange, ghostly woman as she threatens, "Hey! Get away from them!" She then moves forward, toward the huddling form on the ground.

Air Blast: 1d20 + 9 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 9 - 4 = 8for: 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (4, 6) + 9 = 19 Halved = 9

Near as I can tell, simple blasts for kineticists count as magical (each has a caster level after all), but since I took a physical blast the damage would still be halved against incorporeal things.

Albert presses the attack as he tries to shield the injured woman and clear a path for his companions to rescue her.

red destiny: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10
damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Kyffin begins trying to edge around the woman creature, slashing ineffectively at it, Al's sword also simply passing through the spectral form. Just as it seems hopeless, Tenebrynn's blast seems to rock the thing and she turns and snarls at the gnome I concur with your thoughts, T.

Heinrich blanches, but rushes forward at Kyffin's suggestion.

"Come, madam, this is no fit place for us," he calls, dragging the frightened woman to her feet.

As he does, the woman reaches out and thrusts her hand through Kyffin's chest, and the half-orc feels the world seem to get a little duller, his mind clouding. 2 points of Cha damage

Kyffin hesitates to make sure Heinrich drags the victim away before falling back himself. All his magic spent, he's no match for this ghostly figure and hopes she'll stay to the shadows as he retreats. (withdraw)

Heinrich helps to drag the victim away, then looks at Kyffin. "What is that thing?!?" Knowledge Arcana or Nature: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

The figure -- which is something Heinrich can't identify -- cackles wildly as Heinrich and Kyffin retreat with her first victim.

"Run, run, run, before the spirit of Thrushmoor gets you!" she calls, and then disappears, as if she'd never been there.

Tristain turns over in his bed, nightmares of something something chasing something about something. He starts to twist and turn and then remembers he's in a warm bed and not being chased by a jerky monster.

It's a while before Kyffin slows, but when he does he turns to their victim. "Are you OK? Were you touched by that thing?"

He shakes his head to Heinrich as well, "I have no idea. But I didn't like it."

"Neither did I. This strangeness... It wears upon my soul. I wish nothing more than to get to some peace, and quiet. Perhaps a bath?" Heinrich shakes his head, wearied and worried.

Albert grumbles and curses as they take the victim back to the tavern and he tends to her wounds. "Ain't nothing right about this town."

Heal check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

The woman whimpers a little, and nods dully.

"Yes, it touched me," she cries, voice cracking. "The apparition ... we all thought it was gone, but it's back! Am I going to die?"

Al feels certain that she will in fact die, as almost all things do, but has no idea if that death will be hastened. He can't tell what, if anything, is wrong with her.

Tristain flips his pillow over to get to the cool side, then sleeps more. He's tired and all cried out.