
The World's Most Interesting GM |

Zora opens the door to the Blakros Archives.
This chamber contains several tall wooden bookshelves reaching to the ceiling, almost bursting with the weight of books and scrolls filling the shelves. The shelves and their contents are encrusted with thick growths of brightly colored fungus and glistening mold. Many tomes have fallen from the shelves, their open pages forming a base for more fungi and large mushrooms, which carpet the floor. The air here is damp and close, and several of the fungal growths pulse with an eerie purple light that dimly lights the room.
Overhead, two large iron candelabra, full of unlit candles, hang from the vaulted ceiling.
The air in here makes you cough.

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"*cough* Well this definately shouldn't be here, it is like we have stepped through to another world..." he looks amazed, and doubles back to check that the door is not the portal.
Nature: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22
Anything on those plant/spores?

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Anything on those plant/spores?
The door is just a door but it might as well be a gate to some distant plane. The organisms inside appear utterly alien to Yabatha and Grog. They might have analogues only in the extreme fringes of what is commonly called "the natural world", places like the Darklands, or the bottom of the sea.
At about the same time the party is looking at what remains of the Blakros' archive, they all feel a sharp pain--like an ultra high-pitched buzzing on the edge of perceivable sound. It lasts only a moment--a pin-point migraine-inducing frequency. It's not a sound though. It's more a feeling. And with that feeling comes a sense of paranoia. As if someone was trying to open the filing cabinets where the companions store their memories with the intent of looking through them....
What do folks do?
Will (Zora): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Will (Radagast): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Will (Grog): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Will (PC name): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

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Stormy also looks, trying to understand the nature of the growths, but is even less sure than the others.
Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
Something in there is either attacking us or is at least curious about us. She says. Are we ready to go in?

The World's Most Interesting GM |

"Yeah I'm ready Stormy!"
He shouts from one room over. ;)
Radagast nods in agreement.
And I don't think anyone can see you over there except for Grog.
One of the bits of fungus moves flailing long ropy vines high above its central mass. What is even more unsettling is the haze of faces and images that seem to encircle it like distorted ghosts. Vie, Nigel, Venture-Captain Hestram, the murderous gargoyle statures from the first storeroom, an Osirian noblewoman whom Stormy recognizes as Tahonikepsu the Diamond Sage standing in a dry sandy cave full of crystals, or is it Starhall's mezzanine lounge, or the depths of the Emerald Spire where even now an enormous skeleton speaks to the party from an equally enormous and forbidding throne. all of it figures into the kaleidoscopic fever dream displayed before the group.
Everyone in the Archive Will saves DC 14.
"Why?" It's not a voice, but more of a feeling in the back of the skull. Somehow it is coming from this new, alien stranger.
Once your PC sees the "stranger" they can make a Knowledge (nature) check to attempt to identify it. Open all the spoilers that apply.

Strange Alien Creature |

"Why? Why is a mouse when it spins?" thinks the thing into the party's heads using what feels like an ice pick.

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Will Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Know nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Zora moves forward and takes a peak. Assaulted by the messages in her head, she says "Nice plant!... Big!"
"Must be alien... not from this world."

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Grog tries to ward off the effect.
Will: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
He tries to remember about this creatures.
Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

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Will: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16.
There is an additional +2 if that is an enchantment spell or effect, and an additional +2 if it is a charm or compulsion effect.
Radagast paws the ground in agitation, not sure what is going on...

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"Why? Why is a mouse when it spins?" thinks the thing into the party's heads using what feels like an ice pick.
"Don't you mean where? You're questions doesn't make much sense. What are you?"

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Have we been attacked? Are we in initiative?
Define 'attacked'? But sure if you like, we are now in rounds. ;)
Round 1! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zora
__ Radagast
__ Stormy
__ Yabatha
__ Grog
__ The Strange Fungus
Init Zora: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Init (Radagast): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
Init (Grog): 1d20 ⇒ 10
Init (PC name): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Strange Alien Creature |

The party withstands the onslaught of what seems to be scenes in-part taken from Zora and Stormy's memories. They are just images--illusions.
Strange Alien Creature wrote:"Why? Why is a mouse when it spins?" thinks the thing into the party's heads using what feels like an ice pick."Don't you mean where?"
The party feels a chalkboard screech in their heads. The thing's huge dorsal mouth opens and closes rhythmically showing off bony, hooked protuberances that perhaps serve the fungus as teeth.
"'Where?' Why is a where when it spins? Do synthetic humanoids dream of electric even-toed ungulates?"
"You're questions doesn't make much sense. What are you?"
"'You.' A pronoun. Any member of a small class of words found in many languages that are used as replacements or substitutes for nouns and noun phrases, and that have very general reference, as I, you, he, this, who, what. What?"
"'You', the pronoun of the second person singular or plural, used of the person or persons being addressed, in the nominative or objective case; one; anyone; people in general; occasionally used in apposition with the subject of a sentence, sometimes repeated for emphasis following the subject; Informal. (used in place of the pronoun your before a gerund); a female sheep, especially when fully mature; used to express disgust at something distasteful or repellent (such as a bad odor).""'Sheep', even-toed ungulates. Why are ewe dreamed of? Do synthetic humanoids dream? Do they express disgust?" The thing flails its long tentacle strands and chirps, while the party's eyes begin to water.
26,000th POST!

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Zora is confused enough that she starts to wonder if her mind is being assaulted in some way. She tries to leave the room to make sure she still can.

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Nothing particularly changes. Zora still has a headache. Grog's face looks like her grandmother looking down at her from the driver's seat of their old wagon, and the grey stone walls look salty, and smell like a campfire over the fungal pollen that floats into the room like so many big snowflakes.

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Enough. This thing might not specifically mean us harm but its dangerous and in our way. She strides forward and strikes at the creature.
Melee shillelagh: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 10 + 2 = 132d6 + 10 + 6 ⇒ (3, 3) + 10 + 6 = 22 Impressive, no?

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Yabatha scratches her head, "I dont know what a synthetic humanoid is, but ah, where did you come from?"
She steps back to the group, not sure whether to raise her quaterstaff or not. "Wait Stormy! It doesn't look aggressive. What do we want to do?"

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Radagast?

Strange Alien Creature |

Enough. This thing might not specifically mean us harm but its dangerous and in our way. She strides forward and strikes at the creature.
When fanned by Stormy's club the thing gives a sudden, surprised telepathic wail!
Everyone (except Grog who is in the next room over), Will save DC 15.

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Will, vs wail: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
"I told you not...to...aaagghh!" She picks her ears up off the ground, them falling off from the spell.

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Radagast Fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
1d4 ⇒ 3
Zora literally looses her lunch because of the noise.
Round 2! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zora nauseated rd 1
__ Radagast
__ Stormy
__ Yabatha
__ Grog
__ The Strange Fungus

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Stormy feels bad that she must put an end to this strange creature but it seems too alien to be allowed to roam around her city. She wonders where it came from. She power attacks.
Melee shillelagh: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 10 + 2 = 292d6 + 10 + 6 ⇒ (3, 1) + 10 + 6 = 20

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Do I need to save again? It looks like I'm in the room with the fungus?
No saves at present for Grog (he was out of range), but the big cat still needs to make a save.
The creature makes a noise like a squeeze toy as Stormy brings her huge club to bear against it. The fungus seemingly stunned for a moment it lashes out with one long tentacle at Stormy, while snapping ineffectually at her with its dorsal maw.
pink tentacle v Stormy (touch): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19 damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 miss
pink tentacle v Stormy (touch): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 miss
pink bite v Stormy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6 damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7 miss
As people and things move around they disturb a 4-foot-tall knotty mushroom down one aisle of fungus-encrusted ledgers. It is unremarkable among all the other fungi except that the knots on the thing's round cap begin to pulse, swelling and deflating, and in doing so making a blaring racket! It is so loud that Vie, and Nigel can probably hear it outside! Heck! Venture-Captain Hestram can hear it back at the lodge!
New Condition it is now impossible to hear anything with in a 50' radius of the shrieking (orange border) mushroom due to all the noise.
Everyone Fort save (v sonic) DC 11. Or take sonic damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2
The commotion draws two other creatures similar to the one Stormy engaged. They appear from behind one of the book shelves. And lash out with their own 15-foot-long fleshy tendrils at Stormy.
green tentacle v Stormy (touch): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 hit, Will save (v plant) DC 14, or be dazed.
orange tentacle v Stormy (touch, flank): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 2 = 25 penalty to Int, Wis, Cha: 1d6 ⇒ 4
THREAT!
confirm? (touch): 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 3 + 2 = 12 penalty to Int, Wis, Cha: 1d6 ⇒ 1 Hit and confirm, ouch.
g: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
o: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Lots of saving throws.
Zora still feels ill. All the noise does not help.
Condition it is now impossible to hear anything with in a 50' radius of the shrieking (red border) mushroom due to all the noise.
Round 3! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zora nauseated rd 2 (Fort save v sonic DC 11)
__ Radagast (Fort save v sonic DC 11)
__ Stormy -5 penalty to Int, Wis, Cha, (Will save v plant DC 14, Fort save v sonic DC 11)
__ Shade (Will save v (psi-wail) DC 15, Fort save v sonic DC 11)
__ Yabatha (Fort save v sonic DC 11)
__ Grog (Will save v DC 15, Fort save v sonic DC 11)
__ The Strange Fungi pink -20 hp; green; orange
__ SCREAMING FUNGI! red

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"...this thing is annoying..." the halfling cringes and moves in forward to bash the creature.
Fort: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Quaterstaff: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 61d8 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

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Is this penalty to mental stats damage? Drain?
Will Save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Stormy 5' steps out of the flank and attacks purple again.
Melee shillelagh: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 10 + 2 = 322d6 + 10 + 6 ⇒ (4, 2) + 10 + 6 = 22
Confirm?: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 10 + 2 = 222d6 + 10 + 6 ⇒ (2, 4) + 10 + 6 = 22

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Fort: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31
Grog shouts but no one can hear.
"Shut your trap mushroom!"
power attack and if hits Cleave into other
he swings.
+2 evil outsiders-bane cold iron greataxe: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
damage: 1d12 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22
cleave
+2 evil outsiders-bane cold iron greataxe: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
damage: 1d12 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24

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Zora looks to be very indisposed.
Fort Save: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20 Do I get a new for save each round?
"We have... to stop... that.... BLEH!"
If possible, Zora will pull out both a wand of cure light wounds and a potion of bull's strength, drinking the latter if action economy allows.

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Is this penalty to mental stats damage? Drain?
It is a flat penalty to mental ability stats period. Pretend like Stormy has an Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 3. This means that she has has a -3 penalty on all Int checks, 0 bonus on wisdom saves, can't cast druid spells higher than 1st level, etc.... Were she to walk into an anti-magic field the penalties would be suspended until she left. The effect is not damage and can't kill her, just her dice rolls. There is a duration to the effect... and it is a duration alright.
Stormy brings her club to bear once more, glad to be gifted with the genius to use such a clever tool as this big tree-thing in such a novel way. She flattens the creature with one energetic blow that requires both of her feet leave the floor.
Zora looks to be very indisposed.
Do I get a new for save each round?
Only against the new things Zora might have to save against.She's just flat out sick to her stomach or mind for a flat number of rounds. While nauseated, Zora only gets a single move action per round.
Stormy Fort save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Shade Fort save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
"...this thing is annoying..." the halfling cringes and moves in forward to bash the creature.
pink tentacle v Yabatha (AoO): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
The mobile mushroom smacks Yabatha with a flailing tentacle as she draws closer.Grog cleaves through the trunk of the noisy mushroom and into one of the newly arrived psychedelic fungi, wounding it.
Grog Will save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
And that just leaves Radagast.

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Everyone's ears are still ringing.
Condition it is now impossible to hear anything with in a 50' radius of the shrieking (red border) mushroom due to all the noise.
Round 3! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zora nauseated rd 2
__ Radagast (Fort save v sonic DC 11)
__ Stormy -5 penalty to Int, Wis, Cha
__ Shade
__ Yabatha -5 hp
__ Grog
__ The Strange Fungi pink down; green -24 hp; orange

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Actually, Radagast just takes 2 hp of damage from the shrieking fungus, totally different from the wailing psionic fungi. But if you want to vomit (team player!) that's fine, though with that long snout and those tiny arms and hands I'm not seeing how exactly.
The two amblatory fungi fall back with the undamaged one guarding the retreat of its companion.
Zora still feels nauseated.
Condition it is now impossible to hear anything with in a 50' radius of the shrieking (red border) mushroom due to all the noise.
Round 4! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zora nauseated rd 3
__ Radagast -2 hp
__ Stormy -5 penalty to Int, Wis, Cha scores
__ Shade
__ Yabatha -5 hp
__ Grog
__ The Strange Fungi pink down; green -22 hp; orange readied

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"I swear, i am never going back to the Blackross museum after this is all done..." she thinks to her self, before following the creatures.
Swing: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 61d8 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

The World's Most Interesting GM |

orange tentacle v Yabatha (AoO): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 hit
orange tentacle v Yabatha (readied action): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 hit
The fungus batters Yabatha as she closes. *SMACK! SMACK!*

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"GUYS-WHATS THE..." she tries to yell at the top of her lungs but then realizing that non one can probably hear her from the loud shrieking.

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Zora continues to puke, and completes her planned action from last round (now wand and potion in hand).

The World's Most Interesting GM |

Round 4! (Theme ♬)
The Bold May Act!
_________________
__ Zora[/b] nauseated rd 3
__ Radagast[/b] -2 hp
__ Stormy -5 penalty to Int, Wis, Cha scores
__ Shade
__ Yabatha -13 hp
__ Grog
__ The Strange Fungi pink down; green -22 hp; orange readied