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You calm down the wizard long enough to complete your ritual.
Just as you finish, sparks begin to fly from the veins of blue energy. Ralzeros calls out, “You’re not supposed to be here. Hurry and finish your work before it finds you!”
A door to another room flies open, but the are beyond is shrouded in the same blue mists. With nowhere else to go you enter the room beyond.
Arcane binding circles, containment fields for strange materials, glowing orbs pulsing with magical energy, orreries, telescopes, and furniture are scattered haphazardly through this abandoned laboratory. Blue mist flickers in and out of existence, creating superficial barriers that organize the space into disjointed suggestions of rooms.
You hear the sound of humming and excited talking echoing from somewhere in the distance.
Mr.Henry stays next to Ma'Lha and tries also to listen to the noises.
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As Ingrge closes, he can see the silhouette of a small humanoid, probably a halfling, kneeling down. It is manipulating something in each hand, but it is impossible to make out clearly with the intervening mist.
The rest of the group follows at a distance to where they can keep an eye on Ingrge though they are unable to see what he sees.
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The young woman gives a lopsided grin, speaking eagerly in a breathy voice. “You must be the ones I saw through the Library walls! Looking through my Master’s mind, you were. Reading all his silly studies. I’m Daosvaria! Are you here to play with me? I’ve never met anyone from the big world—the outside, past the gate. I want to go there someday, see every corner of it, but I can’t, not without my Master, and I’m so lonely in here!” She slumps down, pouting, then just as quickly regains her energy
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Trophie has little patience for moping around--and even less for strange inter-dimensional children who pout.
"Come now--no feeling sorry for yourself! If your master isn't here, you should take charge of the situation." Trophie frowns, deeply. "I don't like this talk of masters, at any rate. What hold does the wizard have on you?"
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Don't be so cold Euthrophia! This child have seen some unfathomable things here.
Don't worry child, you are in good hands with us. I'm sure your Master will be please to see you grow and adventure in another world.
Mr.Henry here, is from another world too and now, thanks to me, he's able to travel through the plans. You will see wonders and even other people like you that will want to play with you.
Mr. Henry comes closer to the child and starts playing with him.
How fun is that! Tell me more Daosvaria about your master. It seems like a great man
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"Would you like to meet him," Daosvaria asks with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes, but then that joy melts away into despair.
“But I can’t enter his prison, not with Corners of Spheres in control. Corner’s children will try to stop you, and they look different all the time based on what Corners and Ralzeros are thinking, so I can’t tell you if they’ll have pincers or eyes or claws or poison today. Please, go find
out what happened! Here, I’ll create a path for you.”
She runs over and gives Mr. Henry a hug and when she pulls away, the reddish, many-armed doll she way playing with is left in his hands. It clearly radiates some power.
Sweeping her scattered dolls aside, Daosvaria presses her hands against the floor, which melts away to reveal a cramped stairwell that spirals down into greenish mist.
Thank you Daosvaria.
Says Mr. Henry who turns toward his master Master, please, let me open the way for you.
Then, once Ma'Lha gives her a go, he starts taking the cramped stairwell, ready for anything.
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As you agree to go the way Daosvaria opened up to you, she smiles again and then begins to change, her human form melting into liquid and revealing the dragon within. Daosvaria’s true form reveals her attunement to the Geometries; her scales melt and flow like liquid, her limbs twist at odd angles, and portions of her form occasionally vanish and reappear.
Reching the bottom of the stairs, fungal, aberrant, and alien creatures swarm through a vast sea of green mist. Several stony islands emerge from the sea, their forms wavering fluidly. Bridges made from floating collections of stony fragments tie the islands together.
As you arrive, the air suddenly ripples and roils. Empty eyes and twitching tendrils manifest from the distortions, and an alien voice echoes through the mist. “Almost time, beacons lit and copper melted. We are Corners of Spheres, we are one who are many. Will your unenlightenment leave your cage-world unharvested? We thirst for its thoughts, a million thousandfold minds woven one through our warping way. The time is now. Inspiration’s harvest is at hand. Let your thoughts be woven into the void.”
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Why such a powerful creature is there? Is she really helpful or does it try to get us in a trap?
Once in the strange new place, she answers to the voice.
We are here, because we want to stops you and free Ralzeros. Stop trying to invade our mind and get us Ralzeros or it will be the end for you and your minions.
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As you cross the first bridge, creatures appear to coalesce from the very mist itself!
Two creatures appear to be made of blobs of pink and green protoplasm that seems to writhe and gurgle without rhyme or reason. They appear to have thick legs and long tendrils.
The thrid appears to be a mass of spines and claws that twist every which way as their form seems to defy logic.
Ingrge
Trophie
Bjorn
Colin
Noke
Ma'Lha
Mr. Henry
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Ingrge's volley of arrows causes the nearest blob to sublimate back into the mist.
Trophie quickly tosses a dart, hitting the spiny creature twice.
The blob that is still standing let's out an ear-piercing screech.
Bjorn, Noke, and Ma'Lha are sickened.
Mr. Henry is unsettled and gains a -2 to attack rolls.
Ingrge
Trophie
Bjorn (Sickened 2)
Colin
Noke (Sickened 2)
Ma'Lha (Sickened 2)
Mr. Henry (-2 attack)
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Colin recognizes the block as cerebric fungi, an otherworldly plant with magical abilities
Colin is pretty sure the other creature is a Spawn of Spheres, an aberration created wholly from the minds of Corner of Spheres and Ralzeros the Overwatched. Given the unique nature of these creatures it is difficult to say what abilities they have.
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Colin's spell gets most of the party moving.
Bjorn tears into the spawn but those spiky bits do hurt.
It then tears into the barbarian.
It delivers a nasty bite, rakes with its claw and then tries to squeeze the life out of him with the pincer.
Noke (Sickened 2)
Ma'Lha (Sickened 2)
Mr. Henry (-2 attack)
Ingrge
Trophie
Bjorn (Sickened 2, 50 damage, grappled)
Colin
Mr.Henry moves and tries to bite the creature grappling the barbarian.
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As you wander across the islands in the mist, you see several more of the mindshards of Ralzeros the Overwatched engaged in heated arguments with one another. It seems this broken realm has taken its toll on what is left of its mind, sending the wizards thoughts in irrational directions.
Only as you approach the long bridge to the very last island, you see, a stone pillar, the runes upon it aligned and glowing fiercely. A mutated humanoid with reddish hide leans against the pillar, his hands melted onto his face.
"It is Ralzeros! Quickly, please help him." pleads Daosavaria from within the mists.
But before you can get very close she exclaims, "oh no! Corner of Spheres is here!"
Two creatures phase in from the mists. On is a large creature made up of a mass of writhing tentacles. Where one tentacle ends another begins jutting at odd angles. It's form lacks any clear definition.
The second creature is a three-foot long black ovoid floating in the air, several long tendrils trail behind it.
Ma'Lha
Ingrge
Colin
Trophie
Noke
Bjorn
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Noke is still cackling and regards the creatures!
FORTUNE is still in effect as long as you stay within 30 ft of Noke.