"Who knows. Maybe each of those traps could have destroyed a powerful creature utterly, and Yingzen was just that good? Plus, it took a pretty complex code to get in in the first place."
Precisely, Marcus.... Angels and demons are not exempt from my--er, these traps....
Derrik simply nods, however mentally noting how the traps were mundanely handled.
Radsworth watches the quick dispatch of the werewolves. Like Derrik, he was tiring of the foul order that had overrun his planet. He mouths the words to a spell, tapping his large reserves of mythic power to do so. He opens up a telepathic channel with Derrik.
"Depressing, isn't it? The worst part is that I don't think it will end, even when you raise Excalibur and rend the Old Ones asunder. Our experiences have opened my eyes to the vast make up of all things. I fear that our work will never end. It's depressing. And even if every trace of every cult is wiped from Earth.. there are other places.. worlds and dimensions.. where the minions of the Dark Gods rule.. and travel in the open with impunity...other alien worlds seething with malice aimed at our little blue speck in the universe...I hope you have shaped your mythic talents accordingly Ser Stonesmith.. you might be using them until time grows old and dies."
Radsworth opens a portal, now understanding truly how Merlin saw fit to merely escort and guide the heroes of his age. Because you can act, does not always mean you should. Sometimes it is better to simply observe.
Where does the portal lead to?
Allison had remained quite for most of the trip. She felt horrible for the survivors in the ruined city. Forced to remain prey for beasts like the werewolves. But how could she defend an entire population of humans from such hunters?
She contemplated the wish granted her. If only she knew what it would make it most useful...
But the time for such doubts and questions was not now. Their next jump could lead them someplace much more fearsome, and she needed to be ready.
Home.
The FOs return to base, enriched with new artifacts....
"Well, both of those were surprisingly easy to acquire. Makes you wonder exactly how BAD the next that goes wrong will be."
Well, Fierce Ones? What now? Hong Kong?
Acquiring the Holy Grail and the Philosopher's Stone, as easy as it seemed, each count as completing a mythic trial.... One more trial to complete for tier 7....
As the Fierce Ones are sitting at a council table in a chamber within the Castle, a soft golden radiance falls through a high arched window onto a spot on the center of the floor....
The golden radiance takes the shape of a robed woman, who takes solid form.... She is apparently Chinese, and very beautiful, with eyes that convey unconditional compassion for every living thing....
In English (mostly): Ni hao, renowned Fierce Ones....
She folds her left hand over her right fist at chest level in traditional Chinese salute.
Your glorious deeds are celebrated in Heaven, as they are on Earth.... I come to tell Sieg Aelfbrecht where to find a mighty artifact like in power to those wielded by his companions.... The Pearl of Tun Mi Lung, the Typhoon Dragon! It is a perfect pearl from the ancient dragon's brain that acts as an ioun stone of great worth to a warrior monk such as he! It lies in a secret compartment at the apex of a golden and scarlet pagoda in the ruins of Hong Kong.... But Hong Kong is no longer upon the face of the Earth, but now lies on the banks of Lake Hali on a distant world in the Hyades.... A dark, alien world that figure-eights around two suns, inhabited by horrors unimagined by humankind....
Her beautiful face conveys sadness....
Alas, many survivors are now trapped on this alien world, preyed upon nightly by the terrors that come in darkness.... But heroes such as you could save them, if granted the power to traverse the great gulfs of space that separate Earth from the dark planet in the Hyades from whence Dim Carcosa came....
She opens her hand, palm facing up, and produces a cube of jade with ancient Chinese pictoglyphs (prehistoric) graven in each side.... She floats over to Radsworth and offers it to him....
The Jade Cube of Stellar Transport allows any arcane spell caster capable of teleportation to jump to other worlds within the Prime Material Plane.... With this cube, sage Professor Radsworth, you can teleport your companions to Hong Kong on the distant alien world, and rescue as many survivors as yet live.... And there you will find the Pearl of Tun Mi Lung....
Mikey Jay humbly drops to one knee and returns the traditional Chinese salute to Kwan Yin, adding a bowed head....
Daisy also drops to her knees and bows, clearly in awe and feeling great reverence toward the gentle goddess....
Jade Cube of Stellar Transport
Slot: none; must be held to activate
Whenever the possessor of the Jade Cube of Stellar Transport teleports, there is no limit to the distance he can teleport, and he can even teleport to other planets within the same plane.
At will--dimension door
3/day--greater teleport
1/day--plane shift
Caster level 20th
Allison bowed briefly and humbly to the divine apparition.
Vell then, Herr Professor Doktor, it vould seem dat our path is laid out for us, ja?
When Rad makes contact with Derrik's mind he notices the connection, while successful, odd. Upon his last sentence, as he opens up the portal home he gets a response. Not from Derrik, but from something else, much more foreboding and strong. Not only does the professor hear this being's words, he feels them and even worse an image appears of him.
A larger humanoid in opulent, pearlescent white armor that covered his entire body. An azure and gold trim throughout its make. Thought to be a cape of intricate design upon further inspection wings, 4 or more, folded to give that appearance. The helmeted figure seems to stare into Rad's soul before removing it. Revealing a silver-skinned individual with monstrous scarring. His hair much like a Horses mane, white to contrast the darker silver, piercing gold eyes against black sclera, razored teeth into a smile that could curdle milk.
" Oh? It seems the book-worm has finally gained more power? Enough to speak with the mind. He believes that this evil will spread? You have caught me in quite the good mood, wizard. I shall tell you this, the one you know as Derrik, has been chosen by me. He has been gifted with the ability to smite any evil.. and unbeknownst to him.. Immortality of sorts. Do not worry of evils' taint spreading any further than it shall.. for this one shall accomplish that which I have sought for.. eons. Now please.. Do not try to sow any doubt in this vessel, I have plans. "
The image shattering like glass, Derrik does not seem to have noticed a thing.
Derrik seems ready as always, pondering over many a thing before nodding and placing his helmet back on, weirdly enough portions of his hair showing white highlights. Weapons and armor secured he looks over to Radsworth with a sign of acceptance. " Though it pains me to see our current world beset by so many evils.. I am not sure our current selves could fight the King in Yellow nor the great Kaiju. The people of Hong Kong need us however, so let us be off. "
Sieg kneels and bows his head before the goddess.
"We must help the people of Hong Kong. I will strive to prove myself worthy of the Pearl in the process."
Marcus claps his hands together and bows, straight backed.
"We'll do what we can to help them, ma'am."
"Right, Rad? You're the one with your hands on the steering wheel."
Grimm gives the proper acknowledgement to the goddess and follows the others. Let us go then!
I need a good sake!
"Hong Kong then.
Radsworth considers the strange encounter he had within Derriks mind. Something there was either very wrong or very right. He was unsure which.
Flash of Omniscience (Ex): Your ability to recall information is astounding. When you take 10 on any Intelligence-based skill check, add your tier to the result. (Other stuff)
History Check: 28 + 10 + 6 = 44
Opening a portal, Radsworth is ready.
"Let's go!"
"I am ready."
Koran nods in assent.
Radsworth teleports the Fierce Ones across vast gulfs of space to the strange world on which Hong Kong now resides, on the shore of Lake Hali....
The sky is a shade of lavender, with two red suns....
The soil here is a yellowish color, with red and purple weeds that grow to monstrous heights....
The FOs have arrived at the outskirts of Hong Kong....
The FOs assume marching order and begin a systematic exploration of the ruins of Hong Kong, beginning with the harbor facing Lake Hali....
The waters of Lake Hali are an unwholesome green, and disturbingly turbulent, suggesting a teeming aquatic realm filled with an abundance of alien aquatic life.... Scaly, serpentine forms occasionally break the surface, as do strangely shaped and colored dorsal fins and spiny sails, some of alarming size....
Many vessels are still docked in the harbor, mostly Chinese fishing junks or small motorboats, but also several yachts and houseboats.... The docks themselves are quiet and seemingly abandoned, though the same might not hold true for the many dockside shacks and warehouses, all seeming ramshackle and weathered....
Fell croaks, hisses, howls, hoots, and roars echo in the distant streets and alleys further inland, and winged beasts circle high over the ruins, no doubt aerial predators hunting on the wing, scanning the maze of ruins below for prey....
Good.... There's a breathable atmosphere here.... I was kinda sweatin' that a little.... That is, unless it's slowly poisoning us to death....
We should check out all the houseboats first.... As dangerous as the lake looks, it's probably still safer to live in a house you can motor away from shore....
After about half an hour of cautious exploring, the FOs have explored two empty dockside shacks and two fishing junks tied to rickety looking docks.
As they are crossing the second rickety dock back to the sea wall, the water of Lake Hali behind them begins to churn wildly, as if huge bodies were hurrying or leaping out of the water!
Four monstrous frog like beasts leap overhead and land with wet plops and thunderous croaks on the sea wall, the nearest only 15 feet away from the FOs' front line! They are identical to the froghemoth from the Hall of Trials....
"I wasn't worried.", Marcus says, secure in the fact that he doesn't need to breathe any more.
"I wonder where all the people are hiding?" Sieg says.
"I hope we are no too-" he manages, before the four froghemoths leap from the water.
"We now have a place to begin our work, it seems."
Initiative x4
GRRRRRIIIIBBBIIIITTTT!!!
Initiative
Initiative
Oh, good! These things' legs are delish....
Derrik spots the creatures like everyone else and seems to grip his axe particularly tight, remembering similar sounds from back when Kinyama was around and the Hall of Trials.
" It seems filth has appeared in this land as well, or perhaps it is just easily corrupt.."
"Someday we'll get a real fight." He nods at Derrik with a Toothy smile.
Radsworth considers the foes, then returns to his task of searching. Capable of endless overland flight at this point, the wizard watches the sky for credible threats. He's certain that Koran and Derrik will make short work of the two below.
Derrik nods to Koran raises his axe to the air smashing his forearm against Koran's in a brotherly show of manliness.
" I'll take the ones on the Left, you on the right? "
Before launching in the air, the winds of Ithaqua rocketing him high into the sky, his body twisting into a spiral as chains wrap around one Froghemoth and draws it into the path of Dawnbringer. Then swinging another heavy blow into it as he lands near two.
" Wrath's Judgement! "
= 136 Foe Bitten
= 82 Foe Bitten
Koran snarls as his fury once more takes control and he leaps across the distance between him and his foe, coming down on the beast in a flash of lightning.
+60 feet = 70 feet
238 damage to the first one.
to this one.
I used long jump distances, oops.
Grimm prepares and launches 3 bombs as the stone hums in orbit around his mind.
Grimm!
Derrik!
Koran!
Sieg!
Daisy!
Mikey!
Radsworth!
Froghemoths (4)!
Marcus!
TBD: Dr Jones! Al'Torac! Yingzen!
Eeeeeek! Eeeeeek!
Grimm hurls three bombs at one of the four froghemoths, badly burning it, but not quite killing it....