DM Delmoth's Planescape

Game Master Delmoth

Healing magic of any kind, Rinika is healed in any case.

Rinika and Nanci manage to take apart the lock. Nanci begins to sort and clean the tumblers, bolt and latch, etc. When Rinika opens the chest she sees under the lid a large unmistakable rune, which promptly explodes in a bone shattering wave of force.

Nik Reflex vs Explosive Runes, DC 17: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Nanci Reflex vs Explosive Runes, DC 17: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Force: 6d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 3, 3, 4, 2) = 21 Half -> 10, I believe this puts Rinika at -10 and bleeding, the good news is she automatically fails her will save for healing.

The area is littered with coins, gems, and jewelry.

A white rose petal entombed in quartz (150 gp)
A hair comb crafted from a red dragon's scale (150 gp)
A gold amulet engraved with the symbol of Tiamat, each of her heads is a shaped gem, diamond, ruby, emerald, onyx, sapphire (3153 gp)

The loose gems: bloodston (55), chysoprase (55), citrine (45), deep blue spinel (110), 2x hematite (8), jade (90), jasper (45), lapis lazuli (11), malachite (13), obsidian (11), 2x opal (500), peridot (60), rock quartz (45), sard (65), smoky quartz (45), zircon (65)

You are able to gather and find the following coins: 61pp, 96gp, 48sp, 23 cp

Sorry, looks like I never updated my header when I leveled up. She's got 31 max hp now, so -22 from the fall, +5 from healing, and -21 from the explosive runes should leave her at -7 I think, unless I'm missing something else? Not a huge difference, she's still down.

The young druid laughs hysterically as he traces a Rune for Stablize for Rinika.

He then takes out the Wand of Cure Light Wounds. He heals himself and any who need it.

clwx3: 3d8 + 3 ⇒ (2, 7, 1) + 3 = 13

"oh, S$&&!!" Conor curses as the chest explodes in a cloud of shiny treasure.

Once he helps see if Rinika is still alive, or whatever approximation she goes by, he assists in gathering the scattered treasure, even resisting the urge to pocket a bunch on the sly..

At the druids question, the warrior shakes off the offer for healing, "I'm OK"

He then starts a series of curses and rude gestures, culminating in a slap to his own face. Feeling better, he returns to gathering treasure.

Cast CLW

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

@Rinika: Zombington is the one who took 22 damage xD
so, maybe -3 hp?

Nik yelps incoherently when his inquiry about others in need of healing is answered by an explosion.

As he dusts himself off, he sees that Akrynn has just stabilized Rinika. He decides that he can take his time deciding what to do.

"Ugh. It's time to break out both healing wands, I suppose."
Before taking out the other wand, however, Nik remembers the feedback he had to overcome when he mended Rinika just moments ago.
He casts
Infernal Healing on Rinika, and when she doesn't wake up immediately (and he notices a lack of feedback), he quickly follows it with Repair Undead.

Convert Enlarge Person to Repair Undead: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11 -3 -> 18 if you include both heal spells and my math is right...

When the shambler fixing spell wakes her up, he taps himself with the wand and asks "Uh, hows your spider thing?"
20->30 hp again
23->22 charges on the IH wand

The nearby forest is full of dark, elegant trees, compact shrubs, and thick underbrush. Thickets of tough vegetation seem likely to impede your progress. No flowers bloom and no birds sing, yet the area has a stark beauty, the magnificence of severity and intensity.

Nik knows religion: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

Nik realizes where they are, near where Yggdrasil's roots touch the Outlands, the realm of the Norns. These three powers of fate water the World Ash from the Well of Urd and its said they can read the fates of both men and powers from its reflection.

Nanci hobbles around frantically trying to organize the sudden chaos post-explosion. Only one of it's leg is mangled and some of it's gems are cracked and tarnished.

"So... why did our host and his tower disappear?"

Jek stares at the nearby foliage searching for anything recognizable.

Akrynn looks around.
You know, Jek, I am beginning to think that we are being manipulated by forces beyond us!

"When strange wizards in the Outlands approach with giant walking houses approach, don't trust them. Check. I feel like that should have been more obvious, but we did get some shiny treasure so all's not lost."

Conor grumbles as he looks around the forest and at the group.

"Onward then?"

"Maybe Yggdrasil keeps certain wizards out and it's not his fault?" Nik suggests with curiosity in his voice.

"It's not like the gems disappeared, is it?"

Wait a minute...

Nik turns to Jek.
"Hey big guy, you have any family near Ysgard or Yggdrasil that you know of? We're on the border with Yggdrasil..."

Jek's from Ysgard, but I think this is just where Yggdrasil passes through the Outands. Can we have a marker on the Outlands map?

"Yep. Ysgard's home. I'll let you know if I see anything familiar. I don't think you'll like it though."

Put a you are here arrow, if that's what you mean.

Kinda. I was thinking the same thing but on page 4

Try slide 5

Rinika wakes up groggily and immediately starts looking for the spider, screaming "NANSI!" once she locates him. She picks him up and starts mucking with the broken bits, trying to fix him. She tries to cast mending on him as well, but finds she doesn't have the spellcasting acumen yet to do so.

Resignedly, she finally turns her attention to the treasures scattered about. She grabs the dragonscale hairpin and sticks it in her frizzy, moppy mane.

With that sorted, she takes stock of her injuries and she turns her attention to Nik. "You healed me up? I probably shouldn't be saying this, but...thanks. Doominess and self-preservation are a difficult pair to juggle. That should probably teach me not to be so curious, but it probably won't."

"Curiosity killed the cat, but you're only like half cat, right? Maybe just a quarter." Nik says in a way he thinks sounds encouraging, based on his expression.

Hm, probably shouldn't mention prodding again...
"Also, I still want to know the secret of that patch of yours, if you don't mind sharing someday..." Nik trails off hopefully.

"Do we have time to burry Zombington? I'm not sure how long it will take with the Any-Tool. That or we cremate it and use this lead box as an urn."

Jek opens, twists, and rotates various parts of the Any-Tool until it resembles a shovel.

The Great Rinika Explosion has now been entered into the loot sheet. I assumed the amulet and gems are party loot but carried by Rinika and Nik respectively.

What's the plan? You're going to have to try to find the trail again if you want to specifically follow it.

Nik looks from the destroyed pile of rotten meat to Jek, wincing at the sight of each.
"Er, let's get you fixed up ASAP, big guy." Nik replies, averting his gaze towards a suddenly incredibly interesting blade of grass.

"It's too late to help Zombington the Second (I mentioned that I can't raise things twice, right?), but you got a... a problem that we can fix. Let's not wait for them to sell all the bottles, yeah? Anyone think we can see the wagon trail from above the treetops?"

Good question on plans. Anyone want Levitate? Might be a good view of the trail from up high...

"You know Nik, I'd like to know that secret too."

"Ugh. Whatever we do, can we try to avoid danger for the next day or so?"

Doubtful! I am willing to go up and take a look ahead.

So current plan as I see it is to levitate Arkynn and have him look around you.

Akrynn traces a Guidance Rune, prior to going up.

Conor nods, draws his blade and waits while the druid floats and scouts, but not before cursing and saying.

"Gah, I'm useless in the jungle. Hope you lot can find our way. Just point me at the bad things once we find them."

So current plan as I see it is to levitate Arkynn and have him look around you.

How did I not know about this video?

Arkynn Survival, guidance: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 1 = 24

Not too far away Arkynn sees a glint shining off the ground. After he's lowered he stalks towards the source. A broken bottle lies on the ground, just inches away from an indentation of exposed soil about five inches across. A few feet away is a dark pool of dried blood. The trail left by the Khaasta Arkynn presumes. It leads directly into the nearby forest's undergrowth, but Arkynn nor anyone else sees how they managed to pass the dense foliage as it looks untouched.

The druid traces a Detect Magic Rune. He scans the area for magical signatures.

lol, I forgot to post in discussion saying to just narrate Nik levitating someone. Looks like no harm done xD
Hm. Only 4 minutes of floaty-goodness...

Nik wrinkles his nose at the seemingly magical disappearance.
"Jek, pass me one of those dead Khaasta. Removing errant greenery is shambler work."

I wonder if there's some portal or secret door...

note to self:
try searching and then stomping on the dirt, the bottle, and the blood. Followed by cutting myself over the dirt, and then the blood if nothing turns up...

Didn't we leave the barrel with three dead Khaasta next to the road?

Arkynn detects no magic.

You were the one carrying them, so if you left them somewhere you would know best. I generally assume dropped equipment is picked back up unless there was no time to do so, i.e. you fled from combat.

The druid stares at the blocking foliage. He searches for a way through the stuff.

It looks like Jek's been carrying that barrel strapped to his backpack the entire time. Strangely, with Jek's strength, that detail wouldn't have affected anything.

After a brief pause, Jek remembers.

"Oh yes! I've got corpses around here somewhere..."

Jek sets the barrel gently down and opens the lid. As the uncomfortable stench of ale and dead flesh pours out he blinks a few times. He tries to pull one out and the other two corpses slide along with it.

"Well... I packed them in real tight, but they did that thing... you know... that thing where they freeze in place? How do we get these apart anyway?"

Jek lifts the barrel upside-down so that the Khaasta corpses slide out as one grotesque piece. The contorted forms are interlocked like some sort of horrific block puzzle.

Arkynn stares at the brambles blocking their path. Maybe it was a trick of the light but he swears he saw the undergrowth move.

Akrynn stands up straight. The druid declares in an demonstrative--but irritated--voice,

Whomever the asshat hiding in the foliage, I prohibit you from hiding there!

Prohibition: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

While Akrynn investigates the foliage, Nik inspects the linked-ring-puzzle from hell.
"Er- well... um... I'm not going to animate all three." Nik says, finally.

"Maybe a skeleton can escape without breaking the others?"

Nik pulls out his second largest onyx before animating the nearest of the three. Whats left of its flesh sloughs off the bones and as its eyes melt and the sockets fill with a terrible red light.

"I will call him Skellington the fourth." Nik says, nodding to himself.

I'm totally fine with it needing to break the other two corpses that are suffering from rigor mortis to break free xD
The odds of me getting around to raising those two in particular isn't high anyway...

Jek shakes the sloughed off flesh off the other two linked corpses and puts them back in the barrel.

"You know, it would smell a lot better if we only kept the bones. A lot more would fit in here, too." He gives the barrel a loving pat and then straps it up to the backpack again.

Conor watches the horrible process of retrieving stinking corpses and turning them into the undead without a reaction or comment. As a Paladin his horror of this whole scene would have been monumental, and attacking the necromancer and his minions a true possibility.

But his hard life of a mercenary since his fall, and especially since his accidental arrival in Sigil, had exposed him to worse and weirder. He learned to just let the little things pass and move on.

Hearing the druid prohibit something from hiding in the bushes, Conor ignores the summoning and refocuses his attention on the mysterious foliage, fully expecting some new horror to jump out at any minute.

Resting his great blade lightly on his shoulder pads, he waits for the newly arisen skeleton to do its thing.

"Okay. You, shambler, you'll respond to Skellington and Skellington the fourth. Follow me around and defend us when you don't have other orders. For now, go pull up some of that foliage." Nik orders, pointing to the foliage Akrynn appears to be admonishing.

Nik sniffs and turns to Jek, leaving the anti-undergrowth defense task force to Conor.

"Good point, Jek. Maybe we can keep a spare barrel around to keep these guys so that no one starts asking where all my shamblers come from. Also, got any of the weapons those croc-faced guys dropped the other day? I bet he still knows how to use 'em."

protip: we have a bec-de-corbin and a couple of longbows. Also arrows, muhahaha. Since it doesn't have fast healing, maybe it should be an archer...

No one jumps out of the foliage, neither Conor nor Arkynn hear so much as a bird call nearby. The newest Skelling begins the arduous task of pulling up thorny brambles and snagging burs. Skellington is mostly resistant to the plant's assaults but every now and then a splinter of bone is sheared off or a thorn plunges deeply into a bone. While Skellington makes progress inwards new undergrowth springs up behind it and Skellington is soon completely obscured.

The druid begins kicking dirt!

"Well, crap." looking around at the group, "Do we know that those lizards actually went this way? I'm no tracker."

Arkynn is certain they went that way but also notices something else, there's no evidence that they harmed the foliage like Skellington is. He reasons there is a way through the undergrowth without harming it.

This is a hard puzzle cause the solution is against the party's general nature.

The druid begins searching for any cannabis.

Rinika cranes her neck towards the underbrush from her supine position on the ground, casting Enhanced Diplomacy and then clearing her throat. "Monsieurs Brambles, we are following some lizardfolk who may have something of ours. Would you kindly allow us to pass, that we may find them?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 10 + 2 = 15

lol, does Skellington take damage, then? D:
When Skellington IV is obscured from view, a frustrated Nik calls "Come back, Skellington."
ugh, no dice on the easy way through...

"These plants don't seem to like being cleared. Are these those smart plants like I've seen in the market that I'm not supposed to nibble or I'll get kicked out again?"

Jek reaches his hand out generally near the foliage to see if it lashes out.

As Skellington tromps back through the vegetation carelessly the briars tear at it more and more until the magic holding him together collapses entirely with a clatter of splintered and broken bones just inside the boundaries of the Norn's realm.

When Jek reaches out gently to the foliage it doesn't react, in fact he sees a way he can stick his hand in farther without fear.

Akrynn tales a puff.
It's a Trap!

Nik frowns.
"Huh. Skellington the fourth was the shortest lived of his name." Nik comments before investigating Jek's new pathfinding abilities.

"Well, that was a short lived skeleton."

Conor quips as he watches the foliage, seeing Jek gently reach into the bushes.

"Maybe if we go slowly and calmly?"

He wonders aloud as he attempts to duplicate Jeks calm explorations, reaching his own hand out towards the foliage.