Strange Aeons, with GM Pendrak

Game Master karlprosek

Yeah, up to Des and John whether they want Des's good Intimidate check to affect them into being herded. Looks like John is headed toward the Doc and Broom isn't- that's fine.

Elbourne grabbed Des's forearms and tried to pry them from his coat. "What monster? Why did you bring it here!? Dozens of people will die!"

Reine's arrow flew true and thunked solidly in the Tatterman's back, for as much good as it did. The monster didn't even turn to look at its attacker, simply carrying on toward whatever unfortunate target it had trapped in the kitchen. She noted that whatever else it was, the Tatterman was definitely not in a hurry. A cat playing with a cornered mouse had no reason to rush.

Reine, having closed and backed away from the kitchen door, managed to overhear a bit of Elbourne's words.

"Didn't exactly have a choice, Doc," she said, "He's here, for real. Not a dream this time. He did something to John and Broom, made them panic and run. This is the best we could do. If you can help John - heal him up, and maybe help him and Broom with the panic problem, we might be able to do something about this. Otherwise, we all need to get running. For all the good that'll do."

Well, poop. I'm gonna interpret that to mean damage reduction is a thing, as well as the ability to make any of us (other than Reine) go running for minutes at a time at will. We're probably screwed, unless this thing has a weakness we haven't figured out yet.

Can Des use her Zandalus K:planes roll on the Tatterman, or should she roll again? Same for the shadow's Dark Tapestry Lore roll, once it regains enough wherewithal to think...

Let's say that once the Apostles started panicking the camp became difficult terrain, so Broom is only moving half speed toward the south door. Just trying to keep her within a spell effect range.

Reine, having closed and backed away from the kitchen door, managed to overhear a bit of Elbourne's words.

"Didn't exactly have a choice, Doc," she said, "He's here, for real. Not a dream this time. He did something to John and Broom, made them panic and run. This is the best we could do. If you can help John - heal him up, and maybe help him and Broom with the panic problem, we might be able to do something about this. Otherwise, we all need to get running. For all the good that'll do."

Elbourne looked at Reine like she was crazy. "Him? You mean the Shredman?" The doctor hunched over and whispered the name like he was worried the Tatterman would overhear. He shook his head. "I can... I can help your friends."

The doctor gulped and looked at John, taking a few steps forward to put his steps on John's shoulders. "Um. Desna, mistress of the moon, the stars, the dark and bright sky, we see your beauty in exhalted dreams. But we know dreams can become nightmares. So we roll the dice, we toss the coin or draw a new hand, knowing nature like the moon can be a bright destiny or dark fate. Listen to my call, shadow maker, shadow breaker. The moon is the great lamp of your grace, whose majesty rivals thy stars. We seek to change. Blessed be bright Lady above, whose eclipse in the sky's silvery embrace teaches us our truest fate. You are the Song of the Spheres, The Great Dreamer, The Starsong, The Tender of Dreams. In mind, body and soul I commit these people to your purpose."

John and Broom could feel the magic wash over them immediately. The fear drained away and they both felt more resolute and sure of themselves.

John and Des both have +4 to save vs fear effects for 10 minutes. Additionally, the Frightful Presence effect is suppressed for the same duration and now they're immune to the Tatterman's FP for 24 hours.

Des, I'll take your Planes and Dark Tapestry rolls for Knowledge checks on the Tatterman. 28 and 25 vs DC 20, so Des and shadow both get 1 piece of mechanical information. I'll give you fluff that seeps into Des's head from somewhere.

If anybody has Kn:Local, there's some local history relevant to this, too.

Broom was knocked around by the sudden rush of people. She could barely keep her feet let alone try to run anywhere when suddenly there was a voice amidst the panic speaking some kind of prayer and in an instant, her fear subsided. At least, the complete terror she had just been suffering. Even bolstered as she was, the thought of the Tatterman being here now was still a scary prospect.

She considered continuing to run back to the chapel where it might be safer, but the mad rush of apostles around here changed her mind. "We can't let the Tatterman just kill all these people, We have to do something, but what?"

She cast part of her mind out into the void to see if she could find anything about the terrifying monstrosity. At the same time she cast about for the rest of the group, trying to find her friends.

Kn(everything) planes: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Kn(everything) local: 1d20 ⇒ 13

Trying to find out anything on the Tatterman in the current situation turned out to be a horrible mistake as her own thoughts were drowned out by the sudden assaulted of panicked minds and images from all around.

It was an unusual sensation though, the first time she could ever definitively connect the minds she was touching to those in her immediate vicinity.

Spying Des and Reine over by the door, she pushed her way through the crowd and with only a bruise or two from the flying elbows and careening bodies.

"What are we going to do to stop the Tatterman?" she asked a little breathlessly considering the distance she had just sprinted.

Is the shadow still fleeing?

"Thank you, Doctor," Des acknowledged, releasing the man's lapels as she saw John and Broom calm down. Even as they did, however, knowledge came flooding into her mind from... memory? The dark? She didn't know, and at the moment, she didn't care.

She motioned for them to come speak with her, making sure to catch Reine's mismatched eyes as well. She spoke rapidly, but without the bridled fear behind her expression that she had hidden before.

"It has some kind of anchor here - someone's mind. Maybe the fellow we left in the chapel. It's the servant of... of an ancient and unfathomable terror, the name of which I won't speak here. He'll take his time with his prey, it's their terror he wants. If we remove him from so rich a feeding ground, we might be able to banish him. We can try dropping the bookcases in the library on him - and if that fails, I suggest we head to the chapel and dispatch the dreamer. I can't imagine what other anchor it might have, but if you can, please, do speak up now."

Edit: Ahahah, ninjaed!

"Wasn't that Zandalus? He was the one trying to warn us. He had the visions of Tatterman's city long before whatever happened here. He also seemed like he was posessed by the Tatterman. The Tatterman didn't show up until he died. We shouldn't have killed him." Broom fretted.

"Agreed, but what's done is done." Des noted that whatever darkness might live in Broom, it hadn't infected her mind. Interesting. File for later. "What we need to know now is how to break the Tatterman's anchor to this world."

John punches a couple of idiots who get in his way and follows Des.

After the doctor's magic ends the fear, he punches another idiot who gets too close because he's mad at himself about panicking.

I'm assuming John dropped Red Destiny when he panicked, so he draws his longsword.

I believe Karl let Reine pick up RD when they fled, but I could be wrong.

Reine picked up Red Destiny when y'all started running, way back when. Let's call it a round to talk to the Doc and a round for him to pray and calm down Broom and John, so Frightful Presence effect is done now. Shadow was still fleeing but it can come back now.

It was hard to keep from being buffeted by the milling, panicked Apostles, much less hear or strategize. The group noticed that the guards had kept their heads- or at least, they had started knocking down people who tried to bowl them over and had now reached the group and Doctor Elbourne.

"What's this crap about a monster?" The man in front of the group of guards- a big man who looked like he probably enjoyed using his orderly's truncheon a bit too much- jabbed it in John's direction. "You got the whole camp panicked! If that door south hadn't gotten cleared out people'd be getting trampled!"

"That damned scarecrow from our dreams has come to life and a stalking around killing people. Worry about that!"

Broom looked around at all the frightened people. She knew that without the strange prayer, she would still be among them.

"We can't just let all these people die, we have to do something.

We have to at least try, don't we? Broom implored as she moved tentatively towards the door to the kitchen, watching to see if anyone else followed her.

Desdemona turned to answer her, to acknowledge that perhaps Zandalus had been the only anchor the Tatterman had simply used as a portal to this world, but then muffled a scream as she realized her shadow was attached to her once more.

Purity, the darkness told her smugly, all-encompassing and pervasive. Do not dream.

She knew exactly what it meant, gods help them all.

"That which hunts us can only be truly harmed by great purity," she stammered, trying to organize her thoughts with the terror of the dark back in her mind. What would it do to her if she disobeyed it? She daren't imagine; the Tatterman seemed answer enough. She slowly forced her hands away from her mouth.

"Items blessed by the grace of the gods, or made of the noblest of metals," she continued, sweating, her eyes darting about in vain for an escape. Her hands spasmed into fists and open again, over and over. "The truly good, or... or silver. And... he can force you to enter a dreamworld with him, one he controls. I don't know if this is that dreamworld, or if yet another lies within it - I don't know! All I know is that you must not sleep at his command, you must resist!"

"What!? You can't mean what I think. The dream killer? The yellow man?" The big bully guard looked left and right like the Tatterman was going to materialize out of nowhere. "Where!? Oh gods."

Doctor Elbourne also looked stunned, if somewhat less panicked. He glanced at Desdemona, somewhat confused. "Alright. So what do we do?"

Let's do initiative. I've been envisioning you next to the hospital tent door, but it looks like you're arrayed closer to the door to the kitchens. Reine closed the door the kitchens, I believe, so there's no line of sight to the last known location of T.

T init: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

John pulls out a vial of Silversheen and coats his longsword.

Desdemona turned to him, the nervous, brittle smile still plastered on her face - but her eyes were solid black.

"Weee fiiiight," the sibilant voice of the shadow erupted from her lips.

Then she hid her glowing dagger in her dress and began what looked like spellcasting gestures, sharp and jagged, speaking in a language not of this world. Her mail shirt clinked and slithered like metallic scales with every move.

In the dimmer light, her shadow stretched out behind her, longer and larger than ever it had been - the spined serpent with arms, a young woman no longer. It opened its crocodile maw in a silent laugh as it loomed above her.

Des casts Enlarge Person on the shadow. Unless Broom isn't able to cast it again on John?

init Des: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
init Shadow: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Broom was heartened as her friends began to prepare, but it was marred by a rising concern for Desdemona. Whereas Des had been oddly calm a few moments ago, and then back to her normal nervous self, now her eyes were all black she was talking in a strange voice and seemed oddly aggressive all of a sudden.

Putting it out of her mind for a moment, she brought forth the memories of deep, dark places far beneath the water where unimaginably huge creature slowly glided through the depths. Just experiencing their size evoked the spell in her mind which translated into slow, ponderous words and gestures as she cast the spell upon John.

Just as before, his form grew to twice his normal size.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16

"Right," Reine said, "I'm surely not pure as snow, and I've no silver weapons to speak of. But that bastard isn't the only one who can dish out fear. If we've got ways to protect ourselves from his mental tricks, let's use them. Maybe we should send someone with a message for Winter, as well?"

Init: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Sorry, I didn't see the other posts after Des' "you must resist" post.

Also, John, did you want to silver up your Longsword, or use Red Destiny? Reine rescued it just before she ran.

Assuming that we ran for 15 rounds, and then spent a few rounds talking to Doc and prepping for the fight, she should have 10 rounds of OP left by the time we're ready to go, yeah?

When everyone seemed ready to fight, and Des and Broom started enlarging their allies, Reine tapped into the power within herself. Reine seemed to fade from view for a split second, then reappear as if nothing happened, with a Harrow card in her hand. She flipped the card over her shoulder, and it disappeared just before touching the ground.

Manifest Defensive Precognition (1pp). AC is 22 for 30 rounds.

Powers in Effect: OP: 10/30 rounds remaining, DP: 30/30 rounds remaining

The conversation was interrupted by a scream from the south. As the crowd rapidly dispersed, with Apostles pushing through the double doors even harder and some running up the stairs or past the group, the explorers could see that the Tatterman had somehow already gotten into the room. One of the guards who had been manning the palisade laid dead at his feet while the other two screamed and recoiled from the all too familiar monster. It looked like the Tatterman had managed to sneak up on the guards from behind, though how that was possible was anyone's guess.

Guards initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Elbourne initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

John, is the silversheen on Red Destiny or your longsword?

Initiative: John and Reine are up

John
Reine
Tatterman
Broom
Shadow
Elbourne
Guards
Des

Assuming that we ran for 15 rounds, and then spent a few rounds talking to Doc and prepping for the fight, she should have 10 rounds of OP left by the time we're ready to go, yeah?

That count sounds right to me.

Longsword.

Not seeing that Reine had rescued his shortsword, John hefts his longsword in two hands and advances on the nightmare from his dreams, aiming a slash at its neck.

"I am really tired of this place and I want to go away!" he exclaims in a shout as his sword connects.

Longsword: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 7 - 1 = 26 (two handed, power attack)

damage: 1d8 + 6 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 3 - 1 = 13

confirm crit: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 7 - 1 = 26

crit damage: 1d8 + 6 + 3 - 1 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 3 - 1 = 9

(I don't know if the Silversheen takes 1 damage away from each roll or 1 damage off of the crit total)

Reine darted in right behind John. As she moved, Reine’s eyes seemed to absorb light for a moment, making it appear darker around her. She used the big man's body to hide her for that moment, then ducked around him, and into the Tatterman's reach - which also brought him into her reach, and he was - for the moment - caught between her and one of the guards. She reached out to lay her hand on the Tatterman's shoulder.

DT vs. Touch with flank: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 5 + 2 = 16
DT Damage + OS: 1d6 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 7 + 1 = 9 Gotta love minimum damage! Grrr!

Swift Action to Manifest Lingering Touch, Move to get to where she is on the map, Standard DT vs. Touch. IF that hits, he'll take another 1d6+7+1 auto-damage (Psionic/Untyped) next round.

Powers in Effect: OP: 9/30 rounds remaining, DP: 29/30 rounds remaining (AC is 22)

"I am really tired of this place and I want to go away!" he exclaims in a shout as his sword connects.

John chopped his gleaming sword into the Tatterman's back, nearly cutting the monster's right arm off as he cleaved through the dream killer's back almost all the way to its spine.

The Tatterman screamed- an ear piercing screech more like the cry of a raptor than anything that should issue from a human throat- and spun to face the huge John.

Reine darted in right behind John. As she moved, Reine’s eyes seemed to absorb light for a moment, making it appear darker around her. She used the big man's body to hide her for that moment, then ducked around him, and into the Tatterman's reach - which also brought him into her reach, and he was - for the moment - caught between her and one of the guards. She reached out to lay her hand on the Tatterman's shoulder.

The Tatterman didn't even turn his head but still managed to lean out of the way of Reine's hand. Apparently even this monster had its limits, though. Surrounded by enemies and hurt badly by John's silvered blade, the Tatterman muttered something in a language neither Reine nor John could understand and promptly disappeared.

Initiative: All PCs are up since we wrap back around to the beginning of next round, Broom and Des first.

John- acted
Reine- acted
Tatterman- acted, moderate damage
Broom
Shadow
Elbourne
Guards
Des

enlarged damage: 2d6 + 10 - 1 ⇒ (1, 4) + 10 - 1 = 14

enlarged crit damage: 2d6 + 10 - 1 ⇒ (3, 2) + 10 - 1 = 14

Do we get an AOO, if he cast a spell? I'm inclined to have the shadow attempt a grapple if he's invisible, just to show us where he is, but I'm not sure if you can grapple someone who's invisible, so I'll have to do some checking. Also, he may have straight up vanished into his dream realm to recuperate. :P

Broom looked around in confusion "Was that it? Did we win? Did we beat him?"

A 16 missed vs. TOUCH AC? That ain't good...

He Cast Defensively, so no AoO. And yeah, he's got better than 16 Touch AC. :D

In my defense, John did a hell of a lot of damage to him. Dude may be rethinking this frontal assault thing now.

"He disappeared after I hit him. I think he cast a spell." John calls over his shoulder.

That sucks. Our best option was to take him down in one quick shot. Now all he has to do is wait for our buffs to wear off, heal himself up, and then come at us from an oblique angle. *sigh*

The shadow and Des will try to perceive where he is, if he's just invisible. Aid anothers, anyone? ;)

Des Perception AA: 1d20 ⇒ 19
Shadow Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Desdemona stood where she was, unnaturally dark eyes scanning every corner, every wall... every shadow.

Her shadow slid along the dark places, questing, seeking its prey, not entirely in realms visible to the eye.

ETA: oooh! Can Des use Spellcraft to guess what spell he might have used?

Spellcraft Des just in case: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

What, are you a coward? I knew it!" Reine called out to the air, her beautiful voice full of hate and rage - sounding just this side of unhinged.

"You can't face reality, Tatterman! Just an impotent ghostling, hiding in dreams, are you? Come out and face us - face me! You impotent, useless bastard!"

While her voice and words may have sounded close to unhinged, Reine's eyes were clear, calm, and very, very focused as she scanned the room, looking for any sign of her enemy. The focus might have been more frightening than the outburst.

Perception AA: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

Elbourne moved a little closer to the fighters. "If we all just work together, we can do this. John already showed us the monster isn't untouchable! If it can bleed, it can die!"

The Tatterman didn't respond to Reine's taunt and no one could spot hide nor hair of the disappeared creature. The guards looked at Reine and John, taking their cues from them. "Did it run away?"

Everyone who can hear Elbourne gets a +2 competence bonus to attack and damage rolls and a +2 morale bonus to saves against charm and fear effects. Unfortunately the morale bonus doesn't stack, so John and Broom still just have +4.

Everyone make a DC 15 Will save, please.

Initiative: We looped back up to the top and Reine's action was Perception-ing.

John
Reine- acted
Tatterman- acted, moderate damage
Broom
Shadow
Elbourne
Guards
Des

Will Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 +2 if it's against charm (Elbourne) or disease (race). She's... holy crap! I just realized that she's not, in fact, immune to fear yet. My apologies! So, yeah, +2 if it's Fear. Also +1 if Tatters is an Aberration.

"He ran," Reine answered the guard, "but not far. Keep alert. He's around here, somewhere." She would not allow for any other possibility.

Powers Active - OP: 7/30 rounds remaining, DP: 27/30 rounds remaining (AC is 22)

Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

John readies an attack to swing at the Tatterman if it appears within reach.

Longsword: 1d20 + 7 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 7 - 1 + 2 = 23 (two handed, power attack)

enlarged damage: 2d6 + 10 - 1 + 2 ⇒ (6, 5) + 10 - 1 + 2 = 22

"Cloooose the doooors," Des demanded in that overly-sibilant voice. "Hhhe issss heeeeere. Hhhe willl return ttttto viewwww momennnntarillllly."

Des and the shadow drifting toward the most likely(?) source of escape for the Tatterman until he reappears, assuming that's soon...? D:

Des Will DC15: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 *+2 to saves vs spells/effects with the fear/emotion descriptors, +2 vs fear/charm

Shadow Will DC15: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11 *+4 morale bonus to saving throws vs. enchantment (compulsion) spells and effects or those which transport the eidolon away from the paracosmist (such as dismissal or banishment), +2 vs fear/charm

...Uh oh.

"You heard her," Reine snapped at the guards, "get the doors closed!"

Broom Will save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

John, Des, and Broom all felt drowsy. It was suddenly hard to concentrate. A nap sounded like a really nice idea.

John, Des, and Broom take a -2 penalty to saves vs sleep effects and -5 on Perception checks. You can otherwise still act normally, you're just really tired.

Toward the double doors, a guard screamed in terror as the Tatterman appeared out of thin air right next to him. Luckily for him, the deadly apparition was focused on other things at the moment. As soon as it finished what it had been doing, the Tatterman moved toward the large crowd of people at the double doors.

Initiative:

John
Reine
Tatterman- acted, moderate damage
Broom
Shadow
Elbourne
Guards
Des

How close did Des and the shadow get to the doors? Is the shadow within attack/OOC range? (should be 15'/10' for slam/bite while it's Large) Is it dark enough in the crannies that the shadow can move/climb 40'? (requires Dim lighting)

shadow full attack 1 just in case: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
dmg 1 (50% assuming the Tatterman isn't incorporeal somehow): 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (4, 4) + 3 = 11

shadow full attack 2 just in case: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
dmg 2 (50% assuming the Tatterman isn't incorporeal somehow): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3) + 3 = 7

WTF, dicebot. 9_9 I'll wait for Des to react after the guards and Elbourne, and I'll write up the shadow attack after you confirm where it is, DM.

Well, this is likely to be a stupid move, but...

"No you don't!" Reine began running towards the double doors, weaving her way between the tents and dodging and shoving people as she went. Now that they had the Tatterman in their sights, she was not going to let him get away. Not today.

Fighting and shoving, ducking and weaving, Reine finally found a clear bit of space as she drew close enough to engage with the creature literally from nightmares.

"What's the problem, Tatters? Too afraid to face us directly?"

If she Double Moves and can go between tents, a Double Move puts her where I've located her on the map - 10' directly North of Tatters. That's assuming there's still enough of a crowd to make every square Difficult Terrain. If that's not the case, and she can get there with a single move, then she'll have an action to take, which might depend on John's actions.

John stomps through the maze of tents and inmates, holding his gigantic silvered longsword up high as he closes in on the enemy.

Broom found it odd that she suddenly felt sleepy. She fought to keep her drooping eyelids from shutting completely as she stiffled a yawn and pushed her way though the crowds towards the newly appeared Tattermen. She considered throwing a blob of acid at him, but there were too many people in the way and she didn't want to hurt anyone as she tried to get closer.

I double move through difficult terrain to get to the position I'm in.

Default asylum lighting is dim but they've lit up the camp with torches so I'm going to have to call it normal light level around camp. In between tents it's probably dim with shadows. If shadow has been double moving (10 ftx2 per turn) then it's probably next to Broom's current location, I think?

Let's say it's only difficult terrain within 20 feet of the double doors now, so Reine could have gotten to her current location with a move action.

The Tatterman looked over its shoulder at giant John and gestured, murmuring in that brain-hurting language again.

John, DC 16 Will save with a -2 penalty or fall asleep. Tatterman's direction of movement depends on whether John saves or fails.

Initiative:

John- acted
Reine- moved
Tatterman- has a move action left, moderate damage
Broom
Shadow- acted
Elbourne
Guards
Des

Is it possible for the shadow to have moved 40' in the dim light between the tents, then 10' into the (presumed) light around the Tatterman? Des and the shadow used last turn to approach the doors.

Will: 1d20 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 5 - 2 = 17

John shakes his head as he resists the Tatterman's enchantment.

"Go ahead," Reine called to the dream hunter, "go out that door. Run from us! You'll just die tired."

She waved her hand at the double doors, as if inviting the Tatterman to exit. But even as she did, the sound of men settling into position outside rose through the doors.

"Remember to use your silver-tipped spears! Silver will hurt the monster!" The voice wasn't yelling, but it nevertheless rose clearly over the din, and the man kept repeating himself - almost as if by doing so, he could convince himself it was true.

Reine looked chagrined that her trap had been given away.

Use her Standard Action to Manifest Create Sound. She can equal up to 12 people, so trying for 8-10 people setting up a hurried ambush outside the double doors, with one leader giving the directions. If the double doors are open and she thinks Tatters can see into the next room, she'll aim to make the sound come from beyond the next set of double doors. Basically, she's trying get Tatters thinking there's a bunch of sharp silver waiting for him outside of the room. Create Sound doesn't require Bluff checks, but...

Bluff, if necessary: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 Hopefully, it isn't.

Powers Active - OP: 6/30 rounds remaining, DP: 26/30 rounds remaining (AC is 22)