Lunk screams—and he flees, paying little heed to which way! Opposite direction of the scary guy works!
Rinika steps in front of where she's pretty sure Baraxx is, leans in to him and outs a hand on his shoulder, saying "Carry me through the portal, please!"
Then she casts a spell...
Lunk feels his fear being replaced by something, but he has no idea what...
Rinika's body goes limp against Baraxx as her consciousness shoves Lunk's out of the way and hops into the driver's seat. Lunk stumbles a bit and skids to a halt.
How in the hells does this thing run without a tail? Sorry Lunk, it's Rinika, let's get you through the portal and I'll give you back.
If they have the movement for it, they'll hop through the portal.
"I heard the scream!" Nik explains as he comes running into the alleyway.
Right before Nik gets through the portal, he notices the glowing eyes.
He adds a second, probably unnecessary, scream and hops through to safety.
Not recognizing the sound of Lunk's scream, Jek assumes the plan has worked! He dashes into the portal.
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Pandemonium in common parlance means uproar and commotion. The first thing you notice are the strong howling winds, threatening to tip you over. The second is the intensity of the sound from the wind, deafening, howling like a banshee. But it's more than just sound, the sound reaches into your mind and starts to erode it away.
The second thing you notice is the complete darkness of the plane, but the ground feels like uneven stone.
Nik tries to shout over the wind and the utters a curse no one can hear.
He begins to cast Tiny Hut...
and fails. He slumps in defeat before deciding to just try and follow Jek around.
before this post
Items with limited uses per day
. 3/3 Lesser Rod of Metamagic, Extend
Supernatural Abilities
. (1 at a time) Corpse Companion
. 10/10 rounds Life Sight (10' range blindsight (to detect and differentiate between living and undead creatures only))
. 9/9 Power Over Undead (30' burst; DC 19 will)
Spell-like Abilities
. 9/9 Bolster (Undead) (+3 profane on attacks and saves; 1 temp hp/HD; +2 turn resistance; 5 round duration)
. 1/1 Pyrotechnics (DC 14)
Spells Prepared:
. 5th (3+1/day) Possession (S), Undead Anatomy II, Shadow Evocation, Wall of Force
. 4th (4+1/day) Enervation (S), Black Tentacles, Dimension Door, Flaming Sphere, Greater (DC 21; +1 CL), Summon Monster 4
. 3rd (4+1/day) Vampiric Touch (S), Fireball (DC 19), Fly, Haste, Tiny Hut
. 2nd (6+1/day) Command Undead (DC 18) (S), Blur, Flaming Sphere (DC 19; +1 CL), Glitterdust (DC 18), Levitate, Mirror Image, Resist Energy (+1 CL)
. 1st (6+1/day) Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 17) (S), Feather Fall, Grease (DC 17), Infernal Healing, Infernal Healing, Infernal Healing, Warp Sense (+1 CL)
. cantrips (at will) Detect Magic (+1 CL), Ghost Sound (DC 15), Mending (+1 CL), Prestidigitation
Baraxx grunts in surprise before catching the slumping invisible cat falling into his arms () and, not having any better ideas, trundles through the portal with a ”Well, bye then.” over his shoulders at the glowing eye thing that was talking to him.
Baraxx stands against the winds and looks around, ignoring some of the buffeting but still uncomfortable with the noise.
"Nice tunnel." he yells against the howling winds.
Savi notices feelings in Lunk that are as disturbing as they are sudden. First, there is fear. It’s intense. She flies to him (still invisible) to calm him, but suddenly there is another oddity. Confusion. A thrill??? And… a dawning remorse.
She sits on his shoulder. “I’m with you Lunk! Why are you—EEEEK!”
Lunk is no longer freaked out, and finally, he has a bit of control over his mind. But not my body. Why?
As Baraxx is stepping through the portal, a creepy voice that isn't quite Rinika's croaks, "No funny business with the girl.
Once through the portal, Lunk-Rinika is assaulted by the wind.
Fortunately, it doesn't get to her yet. As she awkwardly fumbles around, she sees Baraxx cradling..well, nothing, but obviously her own invisible body. Weird. And then she notices that Lunk isn't screaming in her head anymore.
But not my body, why?
The signs form in her head, Lunk's head, and the realization hits her like a tarrasque. She's keeping Lunk helpless and stuck! That's even worse than what happened to her! The thought sickens her. As quickly as possible, she thinks at Lunk, "This is Rinika, Lunk, and I AM I just had to make sure you didn't get left behind, and I won't do this again unless unless it's dire."
She reverts back to her own body with a gasp, stirring in Baraxx's arms and hopping down to her feet. She looks around the cave to try to discern any notable features, entrances, and exits.
Lunk sees Baraxx cradling nothing when forced to look that way. He figures out what’s happening as Rinika enters words into his mind.
Lunk signs to Rinika—or where he thinks she is—
Thank you.>
Lunk casts Message on all who he can see, and he signs to Savi.
Baraxx shrugs as the invisible cat girl in his arms animated and jumps away, grumbling invisibly as confusing things still happen around him with this group, even more so with these thrice cursed loud winds.
Jek looks around the cave and sees Nik casting. After seeing him get flustered he tries to ask a question, but it gets lost in the noise.
The message whispered to the others is drown out by the incessant maddening winds.
Rinika takes in her surroundings, what at first appears to be a straightforward tunnel turns out to be a honeycombed labyrinth of side passages both big and small.
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Savi sings! “HONEYCOMB’S BIG! YEAH YEAH YEAH! IT’S NOT SMALL! NO NO NO!” A ghost sound chorus joins in, if anyone happens to hear melodic moaning over the howling hurricane.
She leads the way if no one else is sure where to go. She isn’t either! She lights the way with dancing lights and dances through the air to singing nobody can hear over the damn wind!
Nik mutters things no one else can hear about the wind getting to Savi way too fast.
Lacking better options, he follows the glowing lights regardless.
Rinika shrugs, grimaces, and follows along.
Savi leads the way and the rest follow, the plane giving them little choice but to trust her instincts. The wind shifts seemingly randomly, sometimes at your back, sometimes at you front, and often suddenly shifting nearly knocking you over. While your journey through the endless branching tunnels is starkly lonely, you can't help but feel as though you're being watched.
The cacophony of the plane drowns you out most of the time, but infrequently the noise quiets to a level that you can converse for a few minutes. You walk for what seems like hours and fatigue creeps in your bones and brain-box.
Savi yawns. “Playing follow-the-leader is easier when I’m the follower ‘cause someone can carry me.” She gives Lunk sad puppy eyes. “Carry me.”
Lunk gently helps Savi into her bottle. He casts Mage Armor on her for safety’s sake, and will cast in on her again on his watch.
I think baraxx can take the last watch and hang out with Nik for the middle two? XD
Rinika will sleep as much as she can.
Jek keeps watch for a bit with Nik before falling asleep.
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In the early hours of the "night" a lone woman in a pristine and vibrant green dress approaches from a off shoot of a nearby tunnel, above you. She waves at the group while standing on ceiling of the cavern before walking down the walls to align yourselves properly. In Nik and Jek's minds they hear an earthy voice say, "Hey cutters. It's fortuitous I found you."
Jek smiles and waves while nudging Rinika with a hind leg.
"-" Nik replies, before cursing under his breath, trying to sigh loudly (but not being sure if he did), and waving.
The invading voice in your head instructs, "Just think with intent for me to hear. What are some top-shelf bashers like yourselves doing in a plane like this? You're not Bleakers. I truly hope you haven't been hipped."
"Lookin' for a sparkle stick." Nik shrugs.
"And a place out of this Dawnflower-damned wind, if there is one." He adds thoughtfully.
"I'm Nik, by the way."
Rinika kicks Jek back and glares at him, only then noticing the visitor. She sits up and says something completely unintelligible into the wind.
Baraxx just watches the newcomer with slitted eyes, gathering his shield surreptiously.
The woman in green thinks to the group while also conveying Nik's words, "I'm sorry Nik but I can't help you find a sparkle stick or escape from the winds. She looks Rinika right in the eye, Is that what you want?
Hi, I'm Jek. Can you hear this? Is this working? This is neat. Do you know of any towns here? Even just a tavern would do...
She looks Rinika right in the eye, Is that what you want?
Rinika is a little taken aback. Does she recognize this woman at all?
She thinks back. "We're on the third layer now, right? How do we get to other layers?"
You don't recognize her.
She helpfully informs Jek and Rinika, There are a few burgs here, on Pandemos, the 1st layer. The Madhouse is the best known, the Bleakers like it here. If you have need of a guide, there's probably someone closer, if that's your wish.
Rinika looks at the lady, gulps, and then smiles her most disarming smile. She thinks really hard, "My, what big claws you have madam! Thank you so much for the offer to help but I think we're good, we're getting along okay."
The lady's face twists in anger at being discovered, All the better to scratch you with! The form of the lady disappears and in her place is a huge monstrosity with a canine inspired head, two sets of arms, the first which end in powerful pincers, and the second smaller set ending in clawed hands.
I should have known... Nik thinks, slapping himself on the forehead.
Duplicate illusory copies of the hulking tanar’ri spring into existence.
Rinika attempts to cast a spell, trying to keep her actions guarded from the massive monster...
..but the combination of the howling winds, the constant distraction of her possessed spot, and the precise rituals used bring forth the shadows throws her spell off.