Tiff stacks The Unified Manuel of Understanding, The Codex of Three Prescriptions, and the Manual of Silence symmetrically on a desk. She takes out a quill and some paper and starts making notes. She peers at the contents of the Manual of Silence, "Oooo Necril. I've always wanted to learn it."
Tiff grins at the challenge confounding her progress. She had clearly made some false assumption about the base semantics. She needed to start over.
Ann takes the book she has been reading to Violet, "I found something about the ' Viscount's signet ring', but why it is in a book about Spiders and Sin I am unaware. It references two other books as well, the Spirals of Time and Theological Agreements of the Kingdom."
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Ann reads the Spiders of Sin and Sky, and thinks there probably are a lot of things she doesn't understand in her altered state..being a ghost and all. She garners that there is a huge party in the city of Celephias, somewhere in the Dreamlands where everyone is invited. And most of the invitees are not human. Medusas, Manticores, Prismatic Dragons and Trolls are often invited to the party.
Violet reads Voyage of the Rainbow Servant.
“Rainbows are pretty,” she reasons.
Rose reads Emotions of the Past, and tells Violet, “This book might help me become reacquainted with feelings long forgotten ever since the with tied me to the sacrificial stone and you…”
Taking a break from reading Tiff tries to divine the nature of some mysterious magical items.
Tiff identified the clamshell amulet as an amulet of might fists (+1) and the robe as a mnemonic vestment.
Violet realizes that in the Voyage of the Rainbow Servant, there are references to the Captain's Tricone, one of which is in the book Rose is holding, Emotions of the past, and the other, the Shadow's ship.
Violet realizes that the tricorne belongs not to a human pirate, but to a denizen of Leng named Captain Vadrack. Vadrack’s longship, the Bloodwind, is a slave ship—although the slaves Vadrack acquires are usually never seen again.
Rose, reading the Emotions of the Past, falls into a daydream where she sees ship with skulls and crossbones on the sails that is tugged over the waters by two 10-headed hydras.
When Violet learns Tiff is foiled by the language barrier, she happily volunteers her services.
“I love to read, Tiff! Yes, the written word is like a window into the author’s heart, mind and soul. No language can confound me!”
Violet will get back to her research after helping Tiff.
Ann reads her days away, chatting with the other readers, but is unfortunately little help. Her attention to detail is fuzzy still.
Piotr spends his with Winter, as long as she'll let him.
Tiff becomes absorbed in the research on the captain's tricorn, she references all three books Violet indicated while handing over The Unified Manuel of Understanding, The Codex of Three Prescriptions, and the Manual of Silence. She spends the better part of a week and each day taking notes, cycling between saying, "Aaaah!", "Hmmm..." and "Ooooh!" She forgets to eat dinner on the third day.
Arcana +15
Dungeoneering +15
Religion +15
Local +13
Nature +13
1d8+5 kp knowledges
Planes +12
Engineering +10
Geography +10
History +10
Nobility +9
For the next 3 days you keep having the urge to take a bath in the river but manage to resist it.
The first day of Tiff swopping books with Violet yields the following:
A tattered registry indicates that the Bloodwind most often sails the rivers and seas of the Dreamlands, but it can cross into other planes. Captain Vadrack is relentless in pursuit of his victims, chasing them across the planes if necessary.
On the second day of Tiff's research the party hears a loud cry from outside the cabin."We've got 2 enormous flies heading our way!"
Piotr rushes out immediately. Is it his sense of duty, to protect those that need protecting, or... does he need something to do other than watch people read? No one will ever know.
Ann comes with him because she has to.
Garrosh follows suit, bow at the ready.
Tiff cries as she goes up deck, "Boooo. Tabaninae giganticus, dangerous pests. Do you require assistance?"
Rose casts Greater Magic Fang on herself and her hands morph to become claws of two different kinds. Thorns tear through her hat!
Violet flies out to look!
…but her mind can’t seem to bounce from reading books to reading the enemy!
The party rushes out to the deck to find 2 giant flies headed for the ship. Tiff recognizes that they are vermin and their bite spreads disease as well as being immune to disease themselves. Winter casts guidance on Garrosh.
Tiff lets out a series of clicks unable to vocalize after her transformation. She flaps her enormous wing and tries to come around to the side of the fly.
Tiff suddenly questions her course of action as she goes to bite the giant fly.
If she takes out a chunk of the fly's flesh she's careful to spit it out, almost retching and wonders why bats eat insects. Other than the obvious, for the protein.
Piotr reaches for his sling, but then after a solid grumble instead pulls out the shortbow. Pulling back the string, he hesistates a moment then releases.
Ann leans forward to see if it hits, while waiting with her spectral daggers to attack any big fly that comes within reach.
Tiff flies up to the fly and bites it, and it tastes like excrement. She quickly spits the fly flesh out, disgusted. Piotr tries to shoot at the fly but misses as he is trying not to hit the giant bat Tiff.
Rose casts Spider Clinb and runs out, moving onto the mast! She may be able to cast Longarm to reach the fly…
One of the giant flies flies in to bite Piotr.
The other flutters around the dire bat, trying to bite her.
Winter casts guidance on Piotr.
[Ooc]Party up[/dice]
Tiff backs up towards the boat slightly, growing a wicked set of horns while she does so. She gores the fly and then bites, resigning herself to the fact that she'll have to clean out her mouth later.
Piotr drops his bow and pulls his sword, before taking a swing at the fly.
Ann steps to the side, hoping to work with her brother next round to hack this thing apart, though the rage at seeing him attacked makes her daggers sing into its flesh.
Rose steps off of the mast, falls and strikes!
Tiff stabs the giant fly and it goes limp on her horns.
Piotr clumsily swings at the fly, missing by several inches, while Ann neatly finishes the fly off with her twin daggers.
"Wow, I feel a lot safer after seeing you guys dispatch those bugs!"Skywind praises the party.
Garrosh goes closer to poke at one of the dead flies - "I have never seen such a big insect"
"Are they common on this route?" Piotr asks as he sheathed his sword.
"Fairly common yes, but one of the lesser threats. There are pirates and I've heard of frost wights and nagas on the Sellen River." Captain Skywind answers.
Ann's interest peaks at the notion of pirates, but she still knows better than trying to talk to the sailors. Superstitions are bad enough at the best of times. Piotr starts helping to clean up the Fly mess.
The other sailors help clean up the fly mess in a matter of fact manner, like this kind of thing happens all the time.
The party gets back to the books and Tiff manages, after 2 days more, to find out the following:
Captain Vadrack’s longship is made of dark wood with distinctive red-colored sails.
Tiff learns the proper phrase that allows them to use the Dreamlands excursion occult ritual to arrive near the Bloodwind.
As usual you feel like taking a bath in the river, feeling unusually dirty, but you manage to resist it.
Tiff presents her findings about the Captain’s Tricorne, ”In short Count Lowls absconded with a Denizen of Leng’s Tricorne, Captain Vadrack. This particular Denizen of Leng, probably like all of their kind, lacks moral turpitude. He sails a ship called the Bloodwind, which I might add can cross planar boundaries. He’s a slaver by trade but no one seems to know what happens to the slaves after Vadrack takes them. I believe we can modify the Dreamlands ritual to alter our arrival point near to where the Bloodwind sails, wherever it may be. Considering Vadrack’s trade I doubt we would be successful with simply buying it, and I don’t know if I could stomach dealing with such a person in any case. The question is, do raid the Bloodwind now or see if there’s a more appealing target?”
Spiders of Sin and Sky
Elements through the Spirals of Time
Theological Agreements of the Kingdom
Failed check yields: Huge party in the city of Celephias in the Dreamlands, everyone is invited. Attendees include but are not limited to: humans, medusas, manticores, prismatic dragons, and trolls.
Feline tail(blue and purple mottled fur)
Skull of ghoul royalty
Unified Manual of Understanding
The Codex of Three Prescriptions
Manual of Silence
Green stone idol of a water lizard
Nighthag ambassador's heartstone
Captain's tricone
Voyage of the Rainbow Servant
Emotions of the Past
The Shadow’s Ship
Results: The tricorn in question does not belong to a human pirate but instead a denizen of Leng named Captain Vadrack. Vadrack’s longship, the Bloodwind, is a slave ship, although the slaves captured by Vadrack are never seen again.
The Bloodwind usually sails the waterways of the Dreamlands but can cross planar boundaries. Vadrack is relentless in his pursuit of his chosen victim.
Vadrack’s longship is made of dark wood with distinctive red-colored sails. Can modify the Dreamlands Ritual to arrive near the Bloodwind.
Red webbed foot
Books yet to be categorized
Monuments of the Forest
Tigers and Flies
The Wise Harmony
Atop the Valley’s Soul
The Falling Silk
In Admiration of Keeping Pacts
Festival of the Snake
The Forgotten Servants
The Illusion of the Weeping Ones
Curses of the Black Lake
Men and Vultures: Denizens of the Darkened Depths and Dead Skies
Shards of Sight
1st: Enlarge Person,
2nd: Bull’s Strength, Cat’s Grace, Mirror Image, Glitterdust, Blood Transcription
3rd: Monstrous Physique I, Dispel Magic, Spiked Pit, Haste
4th: Beast Shape II, Summon Monster IV, Summon Monster IV
The day passes uneventfully and during the night, Violet attempts the Ritual again.
As Violet touches the staircase, it shrinks in her hands. Violet begins the ritual...
"We, The Seekers, are bound by a common purpose - the thirst for knowledge." Tiff chants.
She then passes the miniature ivory and horn staircase to Winter, and the staircase suddenly grows bigger and Winter runs her fingers down the 70 steps.
"We have gathered this very night in order to open the gate to the Dreamlands."
Winter passes the miniature ivory and horn staircase to Garrosh,who grabs the staircase in his palm.
"For beyond lies the knowledge we seek."
Garrosh passes the ivory and horn staircase which briefly glows yellow to Rose, who takes the staircase.
"Let the portal open between this world and the Dreamlands."
Rose drops the stairs case in the center of the ring made by the party, the staircase emits a flash of yellow energy arcing and striking Tiff before it lands flat on the deck.
The party finds themselves seated in the cabin,ringed around the staircase, except in their pajamas.
Rose could morph her nightgown into something else, but she likes her little rose-colored nightie—especially when she sees Violet is clad in a tiny matching outfit that is violet-colored.
“Ma petite amie! There must be a way for us to sleep without triggering your transformation.”
Violet loves her outfit—so soft and silky, back bare to accommodate her wings! It even comes with an undergarment in fairy size!
“The dream has changed then? I guess there’s only one way to find out.” She flutters over the the cabin’s door handle… aaaaand sits on the huge thing. “Umm… if one of you will do the honors?”
It is rather odd to see Piotr in anything but his armor, and certainly not just in shorts. He is definitely not a six-pack type of strong. More like a brick.
"What happened?" the guardsman reaches for his sword, his fist tightening around nothing, making him look even more lost.
Ann appears next to him. Green glow and dressed... ???
Tiff sharpens her senses after standing up rubbing her temples and feels the subtle planar vibrations in the air.
She explains whether or not the ritual worked.
She gets Violet to tap her splitting headache with a wand.
Tiff complains, "But I don't own pajamas!"
Bull’s Strength: Piotr (16 minutes)
Cat’s Grace: Garrosh (8 minutes)
Enlarge Person: Rose (8 minutes)
Shield: Rose, Garrosh (1 minute, re-upped between encounters)
Prot vs evil via scroll, self (1 minute)
Long Arm, self via scroll (1 minute)
Monstrous Physique I to Kappa, self (8 minutes)
Shield via wand, self (1 minute, reupped between encounters)
Barkskin, self via scroll Blossum or Rose (30 minutes)
Heightened Awareness, self already cast (10 minutes)
Mage Armor, already cast (hours)
Ant Haul, already cast (hours)
Once she was ready she answered Violet, "Of course my dear." She opened the door.
1st:
2nd:
3rd:
4th: Beast Shape II, Summon Monster IV, Summon Monster IV
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Tiff thinks they're still on the Sellen Starling. Going out of the cabin, the party finds Skywin acting erratically, gazing off to the horizon or tilting her head as though listening for a sound that no one else can hear. The party also finds a large sea chest at the aft of the ship and Tiff notices a herd of elephant-like creatures with short trunks and small ears swimming in the water. Tiff has never heard of these creatures in the Inner Sea region.
Garrosh does not own any pajamas so... He is garbed in only tattered underpants, and in spite of being very fit he seems to feel quite awkward. You are now able to see most of his body is covered in tattoos.
"Why is this different than the other times?" - he asks Tiff, following her out of the cabin.
Tiff points at the not-an-elephant in the not-a-room, "We're not on the Sellen river or any of its tributaries. I've never seen or read about creatures like those. It is circumstantial evidence but I believe the ritual worked and we have arrived on a river in a boat much like the Sellen Starling. The Bloodwind should be on this same river and nearby. If you have armor or other such physical gear please don them as soon as possible. They are likely where you typically store such thing while you sleep."
As it seems she has a moment she tries to locate the dream scimitar they found at the caravanserai and determine its magical effects. She mutters at it, "What are you?"
Ann is dressed in a black cotton nightgown that is way too short in both directions. Piotr attempts to stand in front of her, which Ann will have none of since this is the first change of clothes she has had since waking up in her brother's head.
So he quickly looks around for this armor. "Let's try the chest." he goes over and looks for traps a tad too quickly...
The chest is unlocked and the party finds all their gear stashed inside.
Piotr smiles wide, pulling out clothes, armor, weapons, Everything, and handing it out to his companions (Winter firest). As he is getting dressed he realizes something and looks at Ann, who is rather innocently standing with her hands behind her and picking at nothing with her bare toe... still in her nightie.
She sees her brother's narrowed eyes of suspicion, as he realizes there are NO ghostly girl gear in the chest because she doesn't have 'gear'. Ann gives him a slightly guilty look before she sighed. Her nightie shifts with ease to her normal dress. "Didn't want to be left out." she grouses at him darkly.
... the party finds Skywin acting erratically, gazing off to the horizon or tilting her head as though listening for a sound that no one else can hear...
Tiff points at the oddly behaving Skywin, "Did you fall in by mistake or are you alseep and dreaming? Is this your dream self? Oneiromancy is weird." Tiff goes to pinch the halfling.
"I liked the nightie" - Garrosh commented absently about Ann's phantasmal clothing, as he dressed himself.
... the party finds Skywin acting erratically, gazing off to the horizon or tilting her head as though listening for a sound that no one else can hear...Tiff points at the oddly behaving Skywin, "Did you fall in by mistake or are you alseep and dreaming? Is this your dream self? Oneiromancy is weird." Tiff goes to pinch the halfling.
"Are we sure that is even Skywin?"