"I am sorry, but we have not seen eight. Will you be at the location very long? Perhaps there is a place we can send eight to meet you if we find him." Cedric pulls on his beard, [/b] Wait isn't mechanus the clockwork plane? Weren't they having some troubles out there?"[/b]
Current location: Ubiquitous Wayfarer. Checkout: current day plus 4. Frequency of stays: frequent. Loyalty level: platinum.
Status of Mechanus: flawless. Days since last accident: 34029. Age of report: ... <access denied>
The face of the Modron seems to contort again as it gets its 'access denied' errors...
"We don't know where this Garmundi feller dissapeared to after his preachin'. But at least we know what Beardy looks like and which portal he took. We don't know where this Origax is neither, but at least we have a motive..." Bart scratches his head, and swears. "My head hurts. I remember a time when do-gooding meant saddling up and riding down some orc chief or banishing some fiend. I don't hold with this private investigating." he grumbles.
"I says we poke around this temple now that the heat's died down. Once we get our hands on a gate key o'course, but our wizard's given us the clue we need."
"But first, I ain't slept in a feather bed since that incident with the Barbazu and the brothel." he says, rising to his feet. "Best be abed soon. We've a big day ahead. Hope you find yer mate, Modron."
"Agreed Bart, let's mke the key and then explore the portal near the Temple. Shall we convince the Modron to come with us? Perhaps he can assist us and we can assist him".
Fortunately, the night passes without incident, and the group is ready for another trudge through the smoke-filled, sticky city of Sigil.
Sixteen is still in the same spot as several hours ago, and looks like he could be convinced to come along.
Fell's den isn't particularly far, a simple shack near the Lower Ward near the Foundry. Speaking with the Dabus - or any Dabus - is a strange sight. Rather than utter sounds, a Dabus communicates by forming symbols in the air. Pictograms that convey messages, like complicated hieroglyphs, that fade into the air. Fell talks this way as well, forming symbols with his thoughts, spelling them out in the air. When the party asks for Aoskar, he replies with a symbol - the same one that the dwarf Garmundi wore on his forehead. Rather than let it fade into the air, Fell picks it up from his speech cloud and hands it to the group.
Lun Tsu nods to the Dabus, "Given physical form with such ease? Truly remarkable, will it continue to retain its form away from you? If so, what in exchange for this will you need from us?"
Cedric looks on, truly impressed with Fell's ability. "Yes, what do we owe you for your services. I'm sure we will be requiring them again in the future."
"To the shattered temple, then?" he says, a little unnerved by the silent creature's gaze.
The dabus nods, then forms more symbols in the air. I will ask they spell out, as an answer to Lun and Cedric's question.
Be careful he adds the symbol is a forbidden mark in Sigil. The consequences may be dire.
The shattered temple isn't far from the foundry, and the tall pillar on which Garmundi was standing, preaching in front of the crowd, is easily identified, as is the deep chasm into which the preacher fell. Jumping down is going to be painful if the key turns out to be wrong.
"I guess this is what is meant by the term, "leap of faith". We should do so with hands joined and the symbol boldly presented I suppose. I am ready if you all are my friends. You too 16".
Cedric takes a moment to make sure his boots of the cat are buckled tightly. "Leap of faith or not, it doesn't hurt to be prepared."
The drop is deep, and the stones loom up ever closer, as a blue, glowing portal opens up and engulfs the party, landing them in an underground pit, illuminated only by the blue glow of the portal behind them. That is, until the blue glow fades and leaves the area in total, utter darkness. Wisps and buffets of wind come from all sides, and the whole caverns seems to be alive with tremors and rumblings.
"Give me a moment" Cedric says as he works in the dark to summon his eidolon companion.
Lun Tsu looks around, "Mimir, any idea where we are?"
Knowledge Planes
"Well bugger me to Baator. Who turned out the lights?"
Once Cedric is able to see he will pick up a rock or something similar from the ground and cast light on it.
The mimir sounds bewildered in this cave, the strange setting getting to it I failed... it mutters, the wisdom of the multiverse is lost to me... it says as it continues to be useless.
A magical light throws long shadows into the cave, and something seems to be stirring at the far end...
...it looks skeletal
---
Cedric
Lun
--
What?
Sixteen
---
Bart
---
Lun Tsu is somewhat disturbed by the Mimir's reaction, Lun activates his Mage Armor and awaits the arrival of whatever that thing is.
Back inside the protection of his eidolon Cedric also casts mage armor.
Five skeletal figures, each holding a small sword, advance as their shadows on the cave wall make them look much larger than they are. They have come... they're coming... coming for me... the mimir says, losing his marbles.
The skeletons advance as Sixteen opens a lid on his topsize, seizing forward a bit a he says Threat detected, engaging active discouragement strategy, as something glowing red launches from the cache beneath towards the middle skeleton, and lands beyond it with a flash and a loud explosion, filling the cavern with a sulphurous reek.
---
Bart
Cedric
Lun
--
Skeleton
Skeleton
Skeleton
Skeleton
Skeleton
Sixteen
---
"Looks like they are hostile. Better make sort work of them." Cedric says before charging the closest creature and attempting to crush it with his jaws.
Bart mutters to himself almost indistinguishably. Far from the mad ramblings of an old man, his words are in fact holy writ. Holy writ laced with profanity as the Modron nearly brings the cave down onto their heads. "Never die easy; strive always sonofabaatzu ... STRIVE ALWAYS FER A VALOROUS END. HAVE AT YER, YE DUSTY OL' BONEBAGS! I'LL PUT YER BACK IN THE DIRT!"
Bart lunges forward, clutching the nearest skeleton in his mailed fist and letting loose a blast of holy light. He motions to the leftmost skeleton. "Lun! Cut 'im off!"
The hulking form surrounding Cedric charges the nearest skeleton, but rips only at the air between bones. Bart shows the power of profanity, augmented by positive energy. Although he is used to brighter glow, the magic works as usual in this desolate place, and reduce his opponent to a pile of ashes.
---
Bart
Cedric
Lun
--
Skeleton
Skeleton
Skeleton
Skeleton
Sixteen
---
Lun leaps into action following Old Bart's lead and striking the left most skeleton.
Flurry of Blows
Only one of which appears to land.
Fist Damage
Lun lands a fist on the thorax of the skeleton, and while the blow seems harmless for a split-second, a loud sonic boom throws the skeleton backwards and shatters it into pieces.
Sixteen fires a round stone projectile from an opening in his side, but misses the skeleton. This time, the projectile doesn't explode.
The skeletons close in on Bart and Cedric. The short sword move with amazing speed, and one manages to cross the defenses of Cedric, drawing a cut.
---
Bart
Cedric
Lun
--
Skeleton
Skeleton
Skeleton
Sixteen
---
The thick skin of his Eidolon protects Cedric from the skeleton's blade. Cedric then unleashes a flurry of teeth and claws.
Lun continues to hold the left flank
Flurry of Blows
as an obstacle only as both of his fists miss the intended target.
"Yer gonna need more than that!" he barks, breaking through to Cedric's side and ploughing into the skeleton with his shield.
Lun forms an effective barrier of air punches, while Cedric and Bart deal with the skeletons than oppose then. Cedric hear the bones snap as he bites them, while Bart's shield turns a skeleton into a heap of broken bones.
Sixteen fires another stone, but doesn't hit the skeleton, upon which the short sword of the skeleton swings towards Lun
---
Bart
Cedric
Lun
--
Skeleton
Sixteen
---
Bart will delay, confident Lun Tsu has his skeleton in hand. He peers cautiously in the gloom for more trouble.
The sound of rushing air from his punches as his battle cry, Lun flurries at the Skeleton once more.
Flurry of Blows
Fist Damage
Cedric moves to aid Lun Tsu by taking a bite out of the remaining skeleton.
Bart delays, but neither Lun, nor Cedric manage to hit the skeleton.
---
Bart
Cedric
Lun
--
Skeleton
Sixteen
---
Nor Bart it would seem.
Despite his misses, Lun remains calm and continues to press the horror.
Flurry of Blows
Fist Damage
Bart does not muster the force to shatter the skeleton. Sixteen hurls another stone at the skeleton, but only manages to continue the streak of misses.
FInally Lun manages to shatter the skeleton with fists of loud fury.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish."
Lun nods to Bart. He then turns to the Mimir, "Mimir, what is wrong?"
The mimir seems to be in a state of panic, as if the dark cave is somehow affecting its mind. Maybe its longing back to its time in the pillar of sages.
The darkness suddenly explodes as a shower of light cascades down the chamber's far wall. As light splashes into the crack and rocky corners, you see a tall, robed figure standing on the left wall. A shadowy hood and long, flowing sleeves hide the figure so thoroughly that you can't see any details of his face or form. Nevertheless it shouts a compelling order into the recess of your being.
SAVE THE DWARF the figure wails, and the tattooed face of Garmundi appear in the cascade of light. A thing from the deepest pits in the Abyss has captured him, and the fate that awaits him is terrible to contemplate! Save the dwarf!
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the light vanishes again, darkness once again filling the chamber.
The darkness of the cave - now that you've spent some time here, it feels like the tremoring walls are closing in.
"Hwa?... What in ther..."
Will save
"That was odd... What shall we do about the Mimir? Carry it with us and continue on?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
Bart and Lun are fine, but Cedric is increasingly feeling at unease in the tremoring cavern. He looks unnerved, as if he is stretched mentally, and about to break.
[ooc]Being in the cavern has an unsettling effect on you. I'll let you decide how the madness manifests - Frustration, Despair, Resignation or Hysteria. At this point, the condition is mild, and you can still function somewhat normally.
---
There's another cavern on the side. Entering the cavern, it seems a warm, comforting place. Each of you see it as familiar, reminding you of home. There's light everywhere, soft and radiant, and many, many hourglasses all over the place. You hear the sound of voices, drifting toward you, coming from these hourglasses. The song wraps you in good feelings, even though you can't quite understand the words. The song fills you with the comfort of an endless cycle, a cycle as natural as the falling grains of sand all around you.
The mimir seems to have calmed down a bit, and Cedric looks somewhat better as well.
I think I know where we are, the mimir says. The place has all the properties of Pandemonium, the howling caves of madness. It's relatively quiet here, only tremors and whispers, but the effects are just as dangerous on the mind.
"Perhaps we can bring some of these hourglasses with us to aid in reducing the strangeness of this place...
"I'd hoped we might find a clue to our dwarf. Just smoke an' mirrors, this is."
The next cave is so black that even light does not seem to reflect off the walls. The whole place gives the impression of a vast, despair-inducing nothingness.
At the far end of the cave, there is a small hint of light, and the sound of cracking knuckles can be heard.
"Er... Garmundi? That you?" Bart ventures, perhaps a little optimistically.
"I'm starting to understand why the mirmir does not like this place. Shall we head toward the light or do you think it's a trick?"
"We have few other options... The dwarf we came here to apprehend we wil now be forced to rescue. That seems to be how things are progressing for us lately".