Motteditor's Strange Aeons PBP (Inactive)

Game Master motteditor

Tenebrynn continues to laugh hopelessly, as Heinrich searches for some solution to her travails, rummaging through his pockets for some sobering solution or other such tincture. He'll use the aid another action, giving Tenebrynn a +1 to her Will save

In the room, the fight continues, as Daelene is subjected again to attacks from Al and her husband, two more of her images disappearing.

"Enough," she calls out at Asa attacks her again. "You'll pay for that, you little worm!"

She carefully casts again, finishing with a command to Tristain: "FLEE, YOU FLEA!" DC 18 Will save vs. suggestion.

1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 Will

Tristan takes off, going back to town which seems safe.

Will Save (DC 17): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

”Hahaha! A flea! Hehehehe!!”

Round 5

Kyffin looks angrily at Al, switching targets, ”We need to focus fire, what are you doing?!”

He’ll switch to the woman as well, wondering if this is a bad decision.
Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28 damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
critthreat Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

He knows how good a blow that is, and he knows it'll get absorbed by an image. He glares at Al again as if it were all his fault.

You're not the only one who can turn friend against foe, Tristain! Also, man, now I know how to take Tenebrynn out of a fight...

"Dang it, he's attacking her, don't interrupt that!" Al barks back at Kyffin as he continues the attack against the woman.

HP: 15/39

+1 short sword: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Heinrich draws and downs an extract of shield!

The ranks of the fight continue to thin as Tristain decides to flee, while Tenebrynn continues to cackle madly. Heinrich downs a draught of shielding, leaving Al and Kyffin locked in combat with Asa and Daelene.

Al manages to just hit another illusion, but Kyffin has more luck, his blade finding flesh and spraying blood as the woman lets out a cry of pain.

She sways a little, but still casts -- again calling out "Flee!" -- as her husband lets out a cry of rage of his own and this time turns his blade on the half-orc! He misses, but Kyffin feels a compulsion to follow the woman's order. DC 18 Will save or follow Tristain, per suggestion

Will Save (DC 17): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

Tenebrynn's laughter finally dies down, and she sighs contentedly. "Ahhh, that was really funny." One more tiny laugh squeaks out before she looks up at Heinrich from her spot on the ground. "Why are we outside? You should trim your nose hair."

Tristan becomes bored of regular running away and fleeing, so he adds screaming to the mix. He feels better when he adds jagged and coarse romps of yelling as his breath allows.

I sure hope I’m doing a good job like the lady suggested.

Round 6

Kyffin continues to attack the woman, and her myriad of images.
Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

I think if you miss by less than five, you hit an image... so maybe Kyffin got lucky?

Albert continues attacking Daelene.

HP: 15/39

+1 short sword: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Kyffin Will: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29 Way to make me waste my 20!

Tenebrynn finally manages to stop laughing as Tristain continues to flee back toward town.

Heinrich abandons the pair, heading inside, where he sees Kyffin and Al swing at the woman, Al managing to hit one of the illusions and causing it to disappear. The alchemist, not seeing a closer opening, throws his dagger again, removing another illusion as it returns to his hand.

Hard-pressed, Asa stabs Al, catching the old man right beneath the armor and sending blood spraying. His face seems to take on a gray pallor as he sways under the combined effects of his wounds. I believe you're at 0 hp

Daelene casts again, and Kyffin this time feels mirth start to bubble at his lips. DC 17 Will save, or collapses into gales of manic laughter, falling prone. The subject can take no actions while laughing, but is not considered helpless

"Get her, Tenny, stop her dang magic!" The wounds overwhelming him, Albert strikes at the spell caster a final time before collapsing.

HP: -1/39

+1 short sword: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Heinrich groans, as he'd dearly like to throw a bomb but the room is small and his friends are so flammable. Instead he chucks his dagger at the woman again!

Dagger!: 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 1 + 1 = 9 for 1d4 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 + 1 = 8 damage!

Man, dicebot seems to think you guys are me with all your crappy rolls...

Tristain runs and runs, as suggested. It to be fair, it was a good suggestion for Tristain who had been putting on weight anyway and needs the exercise.

Tenebrynn starts to twist as if to stand when Al’s desperate cry reaches her ears followed immediately by the sound of his body collapsing to the floor. The wind around the little gnome suddenly spikes violently, lifting her from the ground and holding her upright and aloft by a few inches. Her face is slack and emotionless as flashes of lightning blink around her. With hair fading back and forth between bleached gray and vibrant red, she states flatly, ”You shouldn’t have hurt my friends.”

Her feet then touch the ground and the lightning vanishes even as all the color returns to her face. She reiterates, this time hot with emotion, ”You shouldn’t have hurt my friends!” She then sends a tumbling blast of wind toward the woman.
Air Blast: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19for: 3d6 + 10 ⇒ (6, 4, 1) + 10 = 21

Round 7

Will: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28 vs DC 17

Kyffin continues to attack the woman, and her myriad of images.
Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27 damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
crit threat Scimitar: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16 damage: 1d8 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 7 + 2 = 17 (2hp is fire)

Al cuts through one of the images, leaving just two remaining for Tenebrynn to blast -- her blow hits dead center and the woman explodes in a momentary coruscating spray of light, leaving just one sorceress remaining, presumably the real one. Kyffin, with no more distractions or fakes, strikes and she lets out a cry and falls, bleeding badly next to Al's prone form.

As Asa lets out a cry of his own and thrusts his sword into Kyffin's side 15 hp.

On the ground, Al's pallor seems to deepen, his face going from pale even more to gray. His features seem to melt, nose sort of shrinking into his lengthening head while his limbs looks like they're almost distorting, stretching somehow like taffy.

Nature: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23 Heinrich's face changes from horror to curiosity as he stares at Al. He draws a Cure extract from his pocket and administers it to the downed... man? Cure!: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9 healing!

Tristain continues to run away screaming...with some additional screaming about something he doesn’t even see, but feels is wrong to the core of his soul.

AL!?!!? WTF!?

Man, I've been waiting for that to happen.

HP:8/39

Al returns to consciousness with his large, solid white eyes focusing on Heinrich. "Thanks, son, now protect Tenny." With a quick twist the not-doctor springs to his feet. The dropped blade lies unclaimed on the floor and his hands now end in vicious claws. "Boy", he growls at Asa, "You're gonna reckon for that." His claws start glowing with a holy light as Albert tilts back his head and howls in an alien voice.

move action to stand, standard action to put Divine Bond on his claws, 2 years action to reveal the not-doctor

Round 8

Kyffin should be happy the woman is down, but he freaks out at Al’s transformation and tries to lean away from him as he switches targets to do battle with the duelist.

”Al, what the hell!”

Scimitar (magic): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 damage: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

In his general panic, he manages to swing at the empty air somewhere between his target and Al.

Tenebrynn's eyes widen as Al turns into a not-doctor and the looks she then turns on Asa is almost enough to make him melt as well. "What did you do to Al?" She doesn't wait for an answer, sending another rush of battering wind into the room to sweep over the rapier-wielding man.

Air Blast: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12for: 3d6 + 10 ⇒ (1, 4, 4) + 10 = 19

Tenebrynn and Kyffin try to keep their focus on the duelist, but fail miserably as they see the horror that Al has become, the swordsman easily avoiding their attacks and returning one of his own against Kyffin. The half-orc's distraction helps his defense as much as it did his offense and he takes another stab wound to the chest, his vision starting to darken. 15 hp; Kyffin, please make sure to update your status -- the previous round's damage doesn't look like it's listed.

Has it really been two years? I guess that makes sense.

Tristain seems to have extra speed as he runs away, now very tired from his efforts.

Round 9

Modtteditor - sorry ‘bout that. I completely missed that I was hanging by a thread! :)

Kyffin, worried that he’s the last ally standing as Al seems, well, more like them then his old self, considers backing off to heal. In the end, he caves, takes a 5' step back, and heals himself - boosted with the blessings of Sarenrae!

Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 (+50% = 12 total healing)

"You don't need to die here with your wife. Surrender now, and we'll see what can be done to save you." he offers the duelist, though perhaps without conviction. He will honor the surrender, but he doesn't know what can be done with no local ruler to see that justice is done correctly.

Just as Kyffin finishes making his offer, Tenebrynn’s next powerful blast of air washes over Asa.

Air Blast: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25for: 4d6 + 10 ⇒ (6, 5, 3, 1) + 10 = 25

Not-Albert doesn't offer the swordsman the same courtesy. After Tenny's blast, Al springs forward and tears into him with vicious claws.

Claw: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Claw: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Heinrich watches the slaughter with interest. "Gracious, we do need to have a discussion, don't we." He studies Al with casual interest and a clinical air. While he waits for the slaughter to be done, he begins to mix an extract. Starting on a CLW extract for after the battle/

"Ha!" the man laughs at Kyffin's offer. "The King in Yellow will --"

Whatever other words he may have been going to say are cut off as Tenebrynn's blast catches him and then the monster that was Al nearly decapitates him. Still, he manages to keep his feet long enough to close with Kyffin and catch the half-orc nearly through the throat before the fight comes to a close with another wind blast. 11 hp to Kyffin

And let's call that combat over, and now we can finally see what happens with Al.

Kyffin takes another hit to the chest before the man finally falls. He takes a step back from Al, and heals himself, using his last spell and blessing.
Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6 (+50% = 9 total healing)

But he doesn’t lower his blade. As calmly as he can muster, he asks, ”Al, what are you?”

Tristain continues to scream and run back to town, unmindful of the horror and disaster that is Al.

”Al, what are you?”

"I'm what I've always been", Al barks back in the same voice you've come to expect from the man, then he adds with a sad tone, "more or less, that is."

The gray creature starts to stretch and twist again, but this time the limbs bunch up, the head squeezes back into a rounder shape, and the old color comes back as Albert's face seems to bloom while the gray skin appears to run down his head and transform into the gray beard that's usually catching crumbs.

"I know it ain't right, it was that danged manual I was working on, it warped me something strange, but it couldn't break my mind. Eventually I learned to control what it had done to my body, even use that to my advantage, and it did wonders for my arthritis." The old man claims his fallen blade and shield and readjusts his gear after the body transformation.

"Now don't be doubting me, I'm still the same good souled man of the fields that I've always been. You all have seen me standing at your sides fighting the evil upon this land. As much as anyone I want to find the source of this madness and drive it's hideousness from our world. I might be a not-doctor, but I'm also Albert Hazred, a family man that's loyal to his companions and devoted to Erastil."

"By the way, if you ever do run across a manual written by Al Hazred don't read that thing, it might turn you into a not-doctor too."

"Now where has that boy gone?" Al looks around for Tristain, "I hope he ain't run all the way back to town."

Heinrich nods. "The manual did this? How extraordinary. I would very much like to examine this manual in a controlled environment."

Kyffin is incredulous. "I dunno. How do we know you're not, you know, changed? What I mean is, how do we know you're you and not someone pretending to be you? Hells, I don't even know who I am, so I'm guessing it doesn't matter."

He shrugs, "As you say, it's what you do now that matters. So, can you take any shape?" his curiosity finally wills out and he wonders just what Al can become. How strange it must be.

"Look, let's corral Tristain and rest. That spell she cast is gonna last a while, and I think it's clear we're at the end of our rope. Let's search this place and go find Tristain."

He'll use the wand on himself a few times before sharing it around. (As usual, heal yourself 1d8+1 at a charge and I'll track the wands.)

CLW Wand: 4d8 + 4 ⇒ (1, 3, 7, 7) + 4 = 22

He'll then search the bodies, and the rooms of the house before preparing to leave.

The two bodies have a fair amount of equipment, in addition to the bottles of wine in the room.

The woman has a fine dagger, as well as an amulet and ring that radiate magic, pearly earrings worth 200 gp and a big iron key. They're an amulet of natural armor +1 and a ring of protection +1.

The man has a potion of cure moderate wounds, a potion of invisibility; a mithral shirt, a +1 dagger, thieves’ tools, and a matching gold necklace and bracelet worth 350 gp together.

The small landing atop the stairs in the guesthouse -- as far as Kyffin got before fighting broke out below his first time -- has two doors to the building’s other rooms.

In the first, large windows span two of the walls of the whitewashed room, allowing in warm sunlight. In the second, a lavish bedroom contains a plush, four-poster bed draped with lacy netting. A fire burns in a ceramic stove in the western corner of the room, providing warmth from the rainy murk and gloom outside. A large, padlocked trunk sits in the southern corner near a long writing desk.

Heinrich moves to the padlocked trunk and works on the lock, taking 20 for a 30 if possible. He tries the big iron key first, however.

With his energy running down, Tristain still keeps moving to town. He runs in ragged jags, wondering what he should do when he gets to town.

Kyffin gathers the loot and waits for Heinrich to open the chest. Once that material is also collected, he heads off to find Tristain, wherever he may be.

Albert heals and stands guard while the party searches the room and the chest.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

HP: 34/39

As Heinrich works, he speaks over his shoulder to Al. "Al, for what it's worth, I turn into a monster when I drink my potion. I have no room to judge you for your transformation. I would, however, very much like to document and study your condition. I am certain I could yield some vital results from such a study. And if you die, may I dissect your corpse? For science, of course."

Lol.

Unfortunately, Heinrich's comments about corpses seem almost prescient as the chest explodes in a wave of force when he opens it, catching both him and Kyffin. 21 hp, DC 14 Reflex for half

The contents seem to survive, however: It's filled with fine women's clothes, jewelry, and plenty of drink -- a small fortune of finery.
The trunk holds 24 nobles’ outfits (worth 75 gp each), 12 bottles of wine (worth 150 gp total), and a jewelry box made of palm wood (worth 50 gp) containing 1,800 gp worth of rings, bracelets, brooches, necklaces, plus wand.

6d6 ⇒ (2, 1, 4, 5, 4, 5) = 21

Finally, licking your wounds, you retreat back to town, where you mercifully seem to make it back to the inn with no further trouble.

Reflex, Oops: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 Henirch manages to avoid the worst of the blast, but still coughs. "Never mix professional foci. Never."

Tristain can be found in his room, looking for his luggage when the party arrives. He seems very confused about that happened and why he fled.

”I’m sorry. I just got so scared! I couldn’t stay, you know?” Tristain is full of regret.

(Four charges, check.)

Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14 vs DC 14

”Damnit man, be careful with that! I dunno, maybe look for a trap before you do that, or warn me so I can stand further away.”

He breaks out the wand again for himself and Heinrich if he wishes it.

CLW: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (8, 1) + 2 = 11

Two more charges for me, Heinrich, any for you?

He pats Tristain on the shoulder, "Yeah, she was quite the manipulator. Did you see how she had Tenebrynn laughing there? I mean sure, some of that was natural, but not all of it." He shows him the wand, "Can you ID this for us?" he asks.

He gathers the loot and suggests, "We go straight back in the morning and see what's in the other outbuildings and then the basement..."

Two for me, please. CLW: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (2, 7) + 2 = 11

Tenebrynn is quieter than usual as the group trudges back to town, and while she frequently takes a breath as if to speak, she seems to think better of it each time and gently sighs instead.

When they at last begin to settle in their room, she looks up thoughtfully and asks softly, ”Do you think any of the not-doctors or other people back at the asylum kept their minds after being changed?” Her tone is thick with regret, knowing what she now knows of Al and also knowing how many of them they immediately cut down.