GM Xavier Kahlvet's Strange Aeons 2e

Game Master KingTreyIII

Shakur browses the file too, his eyes growing more and more inquisitive before ending in complete anger as he throws the file across the room. "Count Lowls! If he has an interest in Zandalus.....I fear this Zandalus will need to die, and by Pharasma you bet I'll be destroying all of his art. It must be cursed, or he must be cursed, or something along those lines. Hells, I wouldn't doubt he's got some kind of psychotic rambling he repeats over and over again like that Praise Zandalus guy."

Once again: Perception is a secret roll.

Arg, apologies again. This PbP muscle memory is dying very hard...

I don't see the point of destroying his art if we find it. If anything, it's information about him, as we figure out more about who he is and why he has these worshippers. Perhaps one of his works will explain the chalk marks they all wear on their heads...

"Fine. We'll destroy his art AFTER we destroy him. Don't want whatever he got in his head deciding it wants to get in ours, and with all the crap we've seen here, I don't think art that transmits psychological horrors is out of the realm of possibility." Shakur shouts with a hrumph. "If he saw things he couldn't have seen, something showed it to him. I have no intention of meeting this something."

With that, Shakur looks around for a moment before conceding. "Sorry, that was a bit overdramatic. I just...don't trust anything in this place, especially creepy art made by some cult leader/demi-god thing."

Boodiddly patiently waits for the tall folk to finish with the paperwork, passing the sword to Urzok. As he reads through the file, he frowns. "But look - his doctor was Losandro. That's the woman in the office with the smoke coming out of her face, right? Maybe he's got a way to undo whatever's been done to her. And maybe there's something special about that standing stone - though we have to get out of here first."

Going through the lockbox, the gnome pauses. "Does anyone know who this Sleepless Detective Agency is? They sound like they'd know some things too."

Recall Knowledge with Bardic Lore?

"Right, we can get to breaking the trappings of his religion after we squash him!" Urzok cheers, clasping Shakur on the shoulder. "Knew we could agree on something eventually, Elf. Just didn't think it'd be this!" he says with a playful smile.

"Think we should lock this place up? Dunno that I'd want those goons milling around here again."

Currently preoccupied; will advance the narrative in a few hours.

To the East Ward

The door to the East Ward is locked and none of the amnesiacs’ keys work on the lock. Boodiddly takes out his lockpicking tools and gets to work opening the door.

The gnome moves his hands deftly and just as he is about to open the door in a dramatic, show-off-y fashion, he turns the knob and the door explodes as a wave of blood and gore gushes forth from the other side of the door!

Boodiddly is sent flying into Urzok and falls facedown in the blood and gore alongside the half-humans. Jevar somehow manages to (relatively) stand his ground as he is sent back, Shakur slides, laying between the wizard’s legs. You can occupy the same space as a prone creature.

Boodiddly Fort: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Boodiddly takes 30 bludgeoning damage and is pushed 30’ (but is stopped because he can’t occupy the same space as Urzok), falls prone, and takes 2 sanity damage. Jevar takes 7 Bludgeoning damage, is pushed 10’, and takes 4 sanity damage. Shakur takes 15 bludgeoning damage, is pushed 20’, falls prone, and takes 1 sanity damage. Urzok takes 15 bludgeoning damage, is pushed 20’, falls prone, and takes 2 sanity damage.

The blood and gore floods the corridor and forcibly shut all of the six open doors—because someone apparently thought it was a good idea to have them all open toward the flooding gore’s source! Somehow, though, the amnesiacs find their packs ever-so-slightly heavier Inventory Updated. Beyond the newly-opened door to the East Ward is a hovering liquid wall of opaque blood and gore that fills the passage beyond from floor to ceiling. Map Updated

Having folks roll Athletics for initiative to represent having to push against the gore to keep upright; Boodiddly is rolling Thievery for initiative since that’s what he was doing just prior to everything hitting the fan.

Heartburst
Round 1
==================
Urzok (-15) {prone}
???
Shakur (-15) {prone}/Jevar (-7)
Boodiddly (-30) {prone}
==================

Jevar Sanity Reroll Hero Point: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Jevar takes 1 sanity damage instead.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Urzok shouts as gore gushes through the hallway. As soon as he face-plants into the bloody pool, he pushes himself back up and on his feet.

"Whoa there Gnome, on your feet," he says as he scoops up Boodiddly and places him back on his feet. Not sure what else he should do, he looks around for... something in the direction the explosion originated.

"Damn, that hurt a lot and I don't even have any wounds... As if this place couldn't get any worse."
________
No reroll on the Will save vs Madness. Could I reroll the Sanity save? Stand, Right Boodiddly, Seek in the direction of the pink square (only if standing Boodiddly up takes a single action).

Yeah, I’ll allow you to reroll the sanity save; rerolls and stuff are weird in PbP.

Urzok Sanity Reroll: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

Urzok takes only 1 sanity damage and wouldn’t have to roll against a madness. Also, gonna say that bringing Boodiddly to his feet is two actions.

Urzok lifts Boodiddly to his feet, and as he does so the blood and gore floating beyond the door to the East Ward ripples and coalesces into a second wave that makes its way right toward Boodiddly!

vs Boodiddly: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23
Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 2) = 3

The gnome feels the wave knocking him, but is knocked into the massive half-orc behind him! Was going to be pushed, but can’t because Urzok’s there.

Heartburst
Round 1/2
==================
Urzok (-15)
???
Shakur (-15) {prone}/Jevar (-7)
Boodiddly (-33)
==================

"I said this place couldn't surprise me any more. Guess I was wrong!" Shakur shouts.

EDIT: Woah. Okay. Missed a few things. Redoing the turn.

Shakur will crawl to the back, stand up, and raise his shield. "Where is all this coming from!? Should we try to attack the source? Should we run? Anybody got a preference?"

”Blergh - oh, thanks Urzok!” Boodiddly’s bright red beard is now soaked in blood, but the gnome mutters to himself and pulls open the door to the storeroom behind him. ”Here, hide from the next wave behind this! And brace yourselves!”

Soothe (2nd lvl): 2d10 + 8 ⇒ (9, 10) + 8 = 27

Cast soothe (2nd lvl) [AA] and interact [A]

Um…you are aware of how water pressure works, right? Granted, that’s a situation of being completely submerged, but the basic principle is still the same: way too much pressure on one side over the other. The blood is about to your guys’ waist (Boodiddly’s shoulders), so while it’s not impossible to open a door given the circumstances, it’s still really difficult. Gonna call it an Athletics check to Force Open.

Boodiddly Athletics w/o crowbar: 1d20 - 1 - 2 ⇒ (8) - 1 - 2 = 5

Yeah, no.

Heartburst
Round 1/2
==================
Urzok (-15)
???
Shakur (-15)
Jevar (-7)
Boodiddly (-6)
==================

I have zero idea what would be effective here...

That looks like solid goo through the East door, and we're trapped here with the blood-sludge forcing these doors shut. Who designed this gods-forsaken passage.

Not knowing what else to do, he sends a bolt of flame at the wall of goo.

Maybe we can burn a breathable passage forward....? I'm grasping at straws here folks...

Spell attack vs ???, Fire damage: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 222d4 + 4 ⇒ (4, 3) + 4 = 11

Jevar chucks a hunk of fire and finds that the "wall of goo" ripples like a pebble dropped into a pond.

Hmm, okay. That doesn't look like it did anything.

The wizard thinks over his spells, looks through is pack.

Alchemist's fire? I don't think so...A persistent torch flame? Do you think that would put a dense in the stuff? I can send a flaming sphere through the muck for several moments. That is perhaps my best bet, though my approach my be entirely wrong.

"Screw it. I'm not dying covered in blood that isn't my own." Shakur says as he trudges forward (towards the blood source) as best he can.

Three action move. I'm not sure if I need to roll anything, so @GM, please roll for me.

"HA! I knew I liked you, Elf, face first into the problem is the best way to solve it!" Urzok cheers as he wades towards the door with Shakur.

"Pop the far door open before it fills up and we die," he suggests to Jevar and Boodiddly with much less excitement than facing his own death.
________
I know that is Shakur's next round action, but it made narrative sense to me. As far as actions, as many as it takes to get to the source and then remaining to try to close that door.

Okay, so as I understand it Urzok is trying to shut the door to the East Ward? Well, it would take two actions to get to the door because of difficult terrain, then one action to make the Athletics check to try and shut the door, because let’s be honest, that is much easier said than done.

Urzok Athletics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29

…Well damn. Didn’t expect that.

Urzok miraculously manages to shut the door in front of him, but just as he is holding the door shut with both hands a sudden force pushes from the other side!

((R)) Urzok Athletics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Urzok tries to keep the door shut, but the force on the other side proves stronger and the door to the East Ward swings open once more, narrowly missing hitting the half-orc in the face!

Next initiative block

Shakur wades through the blood and gore and pushes his way past Urzok as he disappears into the floating wall of blood.

Heartburst
Round 2/3
==================
Urzok (-15)
???
Shakur (-15)
Jevar (-7)
Boodiddly (-6)
==================

Jevar shrugs and trudges along to move up behind Urzok.

[[A]][[A]] move, 10' rough, twice

"Way to go, Urzok!" Boodiddly cheers, even as the door is forced back open. "Shakur, Jevar, any ideas what this might be?"

Recall Knowledge twice, Stride forward one square.

Heartburst
Round 3
==================
Urzok (-15)
???
Shakur (-15)
Jevar (-7)
Boodiddly (-6)
==================

”Shakur! Do you see anything in there? Or sense anything? Like an angry spirit or force?” Boodiddly’s voice quivers slightly, but the gnome puts on a brave face.

"Felt something push back," Urzok calls out, clearly annoyed that the plan worked and didn't at the same time. Bracing himself against the wall, he pushes against the door again with all his might. "Just... WORK!... damn... YOU!"
________
Athletics vs Door: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
Athletics vs Door: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
Athletics vs Door: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
Triple Interact, I suppose!

Um…Urzok…You do realize that you were just about to shut the door when Shakur went through it, right? By the way, all three of those fail. Also, Boodiddly, Shakur can’t answer you because he’s well, holding his breath (well, he can, but then he forfeits any remaining rounds of breath he had left).

A buffeting force in the opaque, vertical “pool” of blood that Shakur finds himself in strikes out against the Pharasmin!

vs Shakur: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24
Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 1) = 6

Shakur is nearly knocked off of his feet by the force of the impact, but is inadvertently stopped by the body of the half-orc failing shut the door behind him. Forced movement but because of Urzok’s position Shakur can’t move any further.

Heartburst
Round 3/4
==================
Urzok (-15)
???
Shakur (-21)
Jevar (-7)
Boodiddly (-6)
==================

Should we keep pushign forward or does Shakur need a breather? Don't let him drown up there, Urzok!

Holding Jevar's actions because I'm not sure he can do anything meaningful until somebody in front of him moves...

After Shakur knocks into him and feeling the strain the force of the blow must have had on his body, Urzok grunts in frustration. "Screw this, let's just get out of here!" he suggests. If the others agree, he starts trying to open the northern door. Otherwise, he delays to assist Shakur in whatever it is he thinks is most wise.
________

There has to be a source of this. Something we can break or kill.

Shakur continues moving forward. Grabbing at Urzok's arm to let the orc know he's continuing to move.

Just stay alive. Stay alive. Don't go drowning in blood today.

Urzok, all of those failed, but it should be noted that Force Open has the attack trait, meaning that it is affected by, and contributes to, your multi-attack penalty.

Shakur moves through the seemingly endless wall of red, hoping and praying. He walks for what seems like an eternity through the liquid until he feels a rush of air on his skin as he realizes that he is no longer submerged. He opens his eyes to find worn old chairs and small tables set with the scattered pieces of simple games lay scattered throughout this room. A serving hatch in the north wall opens into a darkened space beyond. Vast glass windows dominate the eastern walls, beyond which a jaundiced kaleidoscope swirls hypnotically. Map Updated

A coppery smell permeates the room from a thin trail of blood that meanders along the floor curvy red line. The blood seems to flow toward the wall of red the Pharasmin exited. At the other end of the blood trail, though, is a single wheelchair, sitting on which is the body of a severely old Nidalese woman—a bloody wound is open on the woman’s chest, blood spurting out and dripping to the ground under the wheelchair before flowing through the aforementioned trail of blood.

Shakur, you have 15’ left of your current Stride as well as one more action left.

EDIT: Also, I'm giving Shakur a Hero Point for actually being brave (or stupid) enough to power through the pool of blood.

Heartburst
Round 3/4
==================
Urzok (-15)
???
Shakur (-21)
Jevar (-7)
Boodiddly (-6)
==================

I think.... Shakur found something? He doesn't look like he's swimming in it anymore..

Jevar holds his nose and pushes through the blood.

[[AAA]] Tripple stride

Jevar, you only used up 40' of your 75' triple Stride; remember: spaces in the red rectangle are difficult terrain (additional 5' of movement to move into) and those in the pink rectangle are greater difficult terrain (additional 10' of movement to move into).

Right. Somehow I thought the difficult terrain + blood wall slowed me down mpre.

Jevar pops out next to Shakur, quite relieved.

Please tell me there is a warm bath nearby. We're not going to smell that great soon...

He then follows the trail of blood across the room to the body. He blinks in disbelief.

She produced... all of that?!

He gestures towards the wall they just pushed through.

Boodiddly follows after Shakur and Jevar, taking a deep gasp of air and holding his nose shut with his fingers before plunging into the wall of blood.

Stride x3 [AAA]

Botting the remainder of Shakur’s actions:

Shakur moves off of the trail of blood and Raises his Shield (just in case).

The amnesiacs in the east ward find the trail of blood on the ground begins to shift as it impossibly accumulates into a massive wave that moves along the trail into the floating pool of blood then leaving the room looking exactly as it did before. Urzok, meanwhile, sees a ripple in the pool of blood that eventually manifests as that same aforementioned wave of blood—albeit weaker (not that he saw the wave as it initially manifested)—that then crashes right toward him!

Blood vs Urzok: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30
Damage (Doubled from Crit): 2d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10

The half-orc is then pushed back ten feet.

I’ve double-checked the previous combats and that attack puts Urzok at exactly 2 HP.

Heartburst
Round 4/5
==================
Urzok (-37)
???
Shakur (-21)
Jevar (-7)
Boodiddly (-6)
==================

Jevar looks at Shakur and Boodiddly.

I think... we have to destroy the body that's producing the blood.

[[AAA]] Cast (somatic, verbal) Magic Missile at RED (shudder)
Force damage, missile 1: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Force damage, missile 2: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Force damage, missile 3: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

"But is this something like a troubled spirit that needs soothing, or an unholy force to be exorcised?" Boodiddly studies the body carefully. "Oh, I do hope Urzok catches up with us soon!"

Recall Knowledge thrice.

Reeling from the blow, Urzok's vision blurs. Using the wall to guide him, he forces himself onward after the others. Not like this. If they made it through, I obviously can.

Breathing heavily, he points at the obvious source of his latest suffering. "That. Need. A sword?" he asks the others.
________
Triple move, 60' of movement by my count.

Jevar shoots his missiles and manages to knock off both of the woman’s arms at the shoulder.

The amnesiacs wait in anticipation for something to happen, but after several seconds there is no movement or action. Out of Encounter Mode.

What do you do?

Jevar walks over to the body and inspects "her" carefully with rapt fascination.

Clearly my initial approach was wrong.

He closes his eyes and casts his arcane eye on the body.

Detect magic

Meanwhile Oreb traipses through the trail of blood and has fun making a trail of little red birdfeat in various shapes around the room.

Meanwhile Oreb traipses through the trail of blood and has fun making a trail of little red birdfeat in various shapes around the room.

I mean…You said it…

The moment Oreb steps onto the blood trail another massive wave of blood appears and moves right for her!

vs Oreb: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16
Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 6) = 17

The raven narrowly avoids the blood wave by shifting off to one side!

Jevar detects no magic.

What's most important is that I was able to make my arts and crafts, with blood, on the floor. We will cherish this time.

Jevar tries to recall any knowledge about what he's witnessing from the body.

Are any of the following checks relevant? Arcana (Expert) +11, Occultism +9, Religion +6

Oh, spirits. Shakur I think this is your expertise...

He gestures generally towards the body, suddenly very uninterested in it. He'd hoped to find something of a less divine nature at work here. Alas.

”It seems to be a haunt,” Boodiddly adds helpfully as he wipes blood from his face and clothes. ”A malevolent spirit of some kind. I think the most common method of banishment is through healing magics, like any other undead.”

Bonus: the 3-action heal heals living creatures and harms undead ones. Two birds, one stone, as they say. No offense Oreb!

Oh if only I had some heals left

"Well. Uhh. I would offer some healing services or something, but I'm out for the day. Honestly, we need to rest. See if moving away from the blood is enough that it leaves us alone."

Only other thing I can think of is dispel magic, but that probably doesn't undo a possession or, well, whatever this is.

In light of new information

Shakur will quickly approach the woman. "Maybe we can stitch that wound closed? Stop the blood flow? Or should I just do some kind of exorcism? I...don't quite recall how to do them, but I've got a holy symbol and no other ideas."

I assume the medicine check I'd do to stop this would take 10 minutes, right? If so, we're starting with religion.

Religion check: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24