As Terex detects them, the "family" don't seem to have more than the standard protective magic that a noble family would carry into a place like this (contingency to transport them away if attack, for example). But he gets a general feeling some sort of nondetect type spell is masking something else.
Well, they're definitely hiding something, but I don't think I can figure out what without causing the kind of scene we want to avoid right now, Terexaltherin explains to the others, with the added undercurrent to his thoughts that they should all keep an eye on them for when whatever they were waiting for happened.
Arlo, Azzim, anything you need some help with? I can spy on someone if you've spotted anyone else suspicious, or just help you win some more tokens.
Over the hive mind Azzim responded, ::Both that family and Loges seem suspicious Terex, probably worth keeping tabs on them. As for what to do next, I wonder should I continue to gamble? There might be consequences... Also should we put the tokens I've won in a bag of holding? I assume an extra dimensional space is safer than having them on my person if things get really out of whack here...::
Rollo just winks at his mentor.
Just checking. Tell me truly though, are you trying to make the House fall or just an Opportunist?
The Arcanist then sighs.
We need to re-stablize the region while apprehending the culprits responsible for it. Where do you stand in those two regards?
Rollo glances at the Nobles of Terex.
Yeah, I'll take some assistance in winning tokens. Arlo sent through the hivemind.
The dwarven paladin was feeling anxious all night, especially after takes of people from the past appearing. The vast amount of people Arlo knew are dead by horrific deaths, or titanic otherworldly horrors. Arlo secretly prayed to Moradin that he would not meet someone.
Loges looks again at Rollo. "You remember our pranks against the Thetas, right..." He shrugs, "No matter, let us forget the past. As it stands, I have some goods that I think very much interest two different buyers. This is usually an excellent situation but now I see both groups may be so eager that I take risks if I say no." He does his best to keep looking meaningfully and searchingly at Rollo... "So - my contact brings out the product, the planar material I believe you seek, at 10. If I live 'till then, I will let you make an offer and be away from this place - with a promise of protection from the 'nobles' outside as well as from your own organization. Does this offer seem logical? Something you can live with?..."
Rollo finally recalls that the alleged branch of Bandevarian nobility, The Therashin, died out centuries ago and has in fact been by the Dark Traders as a cover before. They are likely in the side-room given the powers of the main room blocks undead (as well as teleportation and other things).
And at 9:00 pm Gift wins the box ... it is strange and complex (it will take days to unravel - days not currently available).
Gift looks at the BOX and slips it into one of her N-Space belt pouches.
"Nice playing with you, better luck next time"
And she walks away.
Rollo conveys the deal from Loges to the group. He approves....
Azzim or rather Madame Xi'xickixidill resumes gambling, although her play is rather more conservative than before since she's people watching. There was a good possibility somebody at the table might be up to something. Azzim didn't know if it was possible to cheat but somebody might try.
Terexaltherin sneaks around and searches for angles he can report information about, say, people's hands of cards that would help Arlo win some more tokens.
Playing carefully, By 9:30 Madame Xi'xickixidill wins another four time tokens and with Terex' assistance, Arlo wins three.
Meanwhile, Loges whispers to carefully to Rollo. "Well, in that case, I ask 15 tokens. My contacts will here at 10, I will direct them to you and then you will leave the area with the material, you agree to this. Be careful of the nobles in the side room... You leave first and I will leave sometime later..."
I don't trust it, but it may be our best option, Terexaltherin 'says' when Rollo passes Loges's offer on. So we need to win a few more tokens, make sure things don't get any crazier, and then keep an eye out for when those 'nobles' make their move. Think they'll try to follow us and ambush us outside if we take the material?
Azzim sent the mental version of a frown across the link, ::Fifteen tokens! I do hope he's not some sort of con artist. Still I suppose it's our best lead for now... Oh and Terex I think it's a near certainty we'll get unwanted attention."
In his guise as Madame Xi'xickixidill, Azzim knuckled down in earnest, betting aggressively.
So, the betting continues from 9:30 onwards, the mood is only slightly less frantic, a hissing roar filled the large and a multitude of strange beings shuffle and bet, hands and tentacle twitch...
Madame Xi'xickixidill finds a strange and possibly profitable angle betting on various obscure historical events on mud-plane of Zarreen that Azzim happens to know the output of... Eight tokens hang in the balance at 9:45.
With a tip from Terex, Arlo wins a single token on a ship's treasure bet. Jocinth also wins a single tokens after much more work and manyt flourishes...
As this happens Loges, Rollo as well as the noble family bide their time. But then, also at 9:45, suddenly the hartwig Jajuloon appears again in the main gambling hall and seems to heading straight to the stiff "noble family".
The Casino seems to have partly stabilized
And at the same time, The Curator sends a message to the group, ::I am in touch with casino manager, finally, after much wheeling wheedling. They request our aid in stabilizing the casino and may be willing to offer a reward..."
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The mud plane of Zarreen was one the more unpleasant places Captain Ahmed had dragged Azzim through while being chased by the gem encrusted golems. They spent rather longer than they would have liked there and survived only by befriending some of the natives. As a result of this association, Azzim knew all sorts of obscure bits of Zarreen lore and history. This was something he'd never had a use for subsequently until now.
The betting involved a duel between chieftains, one of whom's grandson he'd met. Sensing blood, in his Madame Xi'xickixidill guise Azzim tried to sucker the other players in to foolhardy bets he knew they'd loose.
Quick, someone should intercept that hartwig! Terexaltherin warns his friends. I don't want to break my cover just yet, but if none of the rest of you can catch him I can sneak in and listen. Otherwise, Rollo, maybe you and I should take up the casino's offer? Between the two of us I'm sure we can be even more effective at stabalizing things.
If he's available to do so, the disguised dragon helps Rollo to further stabalize the casino.
Madame Xi'xickixidill uses her stratagem to win the bets but in the chaos only gets four of the eight tokens.
Through the mind meld, Jocinth sends "I can attempt hold this character though perhaps Azzim could weaken his defenses first with a hex. If that doesn't work, Terex may want to take action as a last resort..."
Over the hive mind.
"I have got this"
And gifts mind reaches out. She does not mess around she will use brake personal Barira if there is one and then full-on Mind control. [ooc]14pp spent, DC27 Will save.
Azzim suddenly looks to see if he can spot the Hartwig. If he does, he makes a curious gesture, twisting strands of fate around the Hartwig.
It's 9:50, gambling action continues, things relatively stable . The Jajuloon freezes, affected by Azzim's hex and Gift's mind control. At that point, one of the "nobles", a young woman begins walking toward where Jajuloon is stopped, right at the entrance to the large, main gambling room.
As Loges sits at the main tables sipping Adranian whiskey with Rollo, he seems to nervously eye the approaching young woman. "My other customer may wish to bargain as well. I may have to let you and them settle the question before I can hand over the goods. But let's see how things develop"
Meanwhile, The Curator sends through the hive mind ::The head of security here will hopefully be out on the floor to speak to you in a couple minutes if all goes well. I think we can bargain
Gift puppets Jajuloon to her side and get them drinks. She makes small talk with Jajuloon about the games and art work in the room.
Mothing threatening just to keep Jajuloon there.
Over the mind link.
"Thanks Azzim, Jajuloon is under control and with me gang. Let me know what you need next"
Terexaltherin winces when he realizes what Gift's done. He'd been hoping for something more subtle, but he supposed he hadn't suggested it. He hoped that didn't destroy any chances of Jajuloon reforming...
For now, he follows stealthily behind the 'noble', ready in case something happens. He does respond to The Curator, I'm ready to support stabalizing things.
The young woman stays just outside the arched entrance to main room, expressionless.
Rollo decides to Slow things down a bit.
Rollo's spells affects the "young woman" and five of the other seven nobles while also slowing the overall action on the gambling floor ... a lot.
Despite this, the entire noble now move to lurking at the entrance of the casino and place now takes on an almost eerie calm and players instinctively make space around the entrance. Loges turn to Rollo and with the softest whisper, says, "I may be exiting and leaving you as my representative, my guy is red-orange if you want to bargain ... we should catch-up... some other time" You can see he's risen, ready to bolt...
Meanwhile, The Curator sends "Which one of you can speak to Mr. Crusenodo, the security chief. He's a blue-brown bipedal monitor lizard type, heading out now...
Rollo winks at his mentor.
Great to see you, Loges. Take care and stay in touch once this is finished.
The Sage then peers about the gambling hall, sees that his spell has taken hold and glances over at Azim.
Want to take care of Mr. Crusenodo? I will continue to Slow things down in here.
The Arcanist murmurs a spell.
Mirror Image
Surrounding the smiling dhampir are a plethora of exact Images of the Sage!
Azzim, I can support you, I just want to keep a low profile a little longer so you'll need to do the talking, Terexaltherin offers. Though I'm worried about these 'nobles'...
Straightening his ornate starry blue and gold cloak, Loges gets up very casually from the area of the main table that he and Rollo have sitting at. Wandering to a fairy selling treats near the entrance, he turn slowly and then suddenly springs past the main entrance moving at remarkable speed past the "nobles" and out the front door of the casino - several of the nobles seem cast sinister black rays of energy at him but he is apparently alive as he vanishes out the door...
Meanwhile, a tall, beefy, blue and brown lizardman in a finely cut tuxedo approaches Rollo, "I've let your work get through the anti-magic field 'cause it seems you're just want we need. Can we talk?"
Terexaltherin darts quietly to the door and looks out to make certain Loges didn't keel over dead just beyond the threshhold.
Rollo looks up at the tall, beefy, blue and brown lizardman in a finely cut tuxedo approaching his casually seated position.
Let? My good Lizardfolk, I am Rollo Qantas. But of course you let me.
The dhampir winks.
Of course. How may I assist you?
Mr. Crusenod is larger up close. As the Lizardman cracks his knuckles like a B-movie villain, Rollo guesses his weight as at least 500 pounds. Leaning close to Rollo, he continues whispering ... "I should thank you for your stabilization work but I'm not sure what to say about your association with the fellow we suspect of starting all this - maybe a coincidence huh? And what you tell about the dozen or so liches and deathknights outside our door? We have defenses for these things too as you might notice - they're not getting through - but please explain why all this is happening, the customers are getting nervous..."
Terex checks about the front and can't see any sign of Loges ... probably teleported once he got past the dimensional guards but a disintegrate could have gotten him.
Seeing there could be a problem Gift walks over and stands just behind Rollo, Her Throl pet follows with a slight vacant look on his face.
She does nothing but stand there, nothing outwardly saying danger, just a dark figure with two blue glowing eyes in the gloom.
Gift has the gift to see into the minds of others, it's like a light stroke on the mind when she focuses on you. Nothing to put a finger on, other than a nagging feeling that behind that light touch is a very very big hammer waiting to come down and crack one's physic open like a fresh quale egg. At this moment in time, Gift was behind Rollo with an imaginary hammer waiting to see if something needed smashing.
If one knew her father Arlo Brighthammer, world destroyer, one would know just where she got this air of imminent breakage form.
I'm not sure what to say about your association with the fellow we suspect of starting all this - maybe a coincidence huh?"
Madame Xi'xickixidill drifted over and her many tentacles writhes as she pointed out, "Time isn't functioning the way it normally does. There are several individuals in the gambling hall who I witnessed dying in permanent ways, coincidences are common place."
"But please explain why all this is happening, the customers are getting nervous..."
Madame Xi'xickixidill batted away several lower tentacles which rose up before replying, "The reasons why are like an onion, there are many layers and cutting through them can lead to tears. Ultimately the events today are due to the machinations of The Dark Traders, I assume you have heard of them?"
Terexaltherin cautiously comes back towards the group. He 'speaks' to Mr. Crusenod as he nears. You may have to check those defences--these 'nobles' that just attacked one of your fleeing customers are likely actually more undead. We have reason to suspect they were hoping to take advantage of the chaos to rob you.
Mr. Crusenod is taken a back a bit by Gift's yet recovers remarkably quickly...
He is now communicating telepathically with Rollo, Gift, Azzim and Terex... "The main defenses start at the entrance to this room, which you notice they haven't breached. I was hoping you fine folks, could sweep this nuisance off my door - or at least tell me what they're after and why... and yeah, I know things are out of whack, we're workin' on it...
Things are calmer now and Azzim can't most of the figure he was noticing before - though he thinks he see a few to the far back...
Azzim/Madame Xi'xickixidill replied over the link, ::I think we come to an arrangement here. We can as you say, sweep the nuisance off your door and in return we'd like to use planar material from your vaults to effect repairs to the arches of time. That structure is highly resilient but too much has been taken and we risk a cascading failure, which would be apocalyptic.::
"Dad can you sort the trouble at the door?"
"On it" Arlo states to the hivemind, making a bee-line for the entrance, radiating his intimidating presence.
It's likely that these undead are after the planar material, anyway. If you use it to pay us, they shouldn't trouble you again, Terexaltherin adds. We've faced their like before.
Arlo heads to the elegant arched main room entry way of the mainroom, stopping just before the rough boundary line, holly aura blazing. The "nobles" drop a semblance of humanity, revealing themselves as horrifying, desiccated walking corpses (liches, grave nights or related..) and step back almost ten feet, stunned but then shooting a couple dark rays looking like fingers of death back at dwarf but with those rays stopping just at the line of the entry way, inches from Arlo.
The well dressed interdimensional gamblers move cautiously away from the arch but seem calm and blase about the attack.
Arlo feels the spell Death Ward settle on him as Jocinth reads a scroll.
Meanwhile, "What materials? says Mr. Crusenod with quiet menace.
Omdor draws The Arlosword forth before him, letting the undead perceive it. "You can leave under your own power, or be destroyed. You're call."
Terexaltherin is too distracted to analyze the spells.
The stolen planar infrastructure materials we've tracked to here, he replies to Mr. Crusenod. He sends images of the ravaged infrastructure, with mental annotations of where material had been stolen from. If you're not aware of them, you'd best have a look at the supposed employees of the casino. I spotted at least one earlier that seemed very suspicious. He sends an image of the green lizard he'd spotted the first time they'd been around.
We've learned these undead planned to get the materials by some means tonight. Whatever they're planning, I doubt they would have dropped their disguises if it weren't about to happen. The disruption and chaos was no doubt part of it, but it wouldn't have been enough on its own...
Following that line of thought, Terexaltherin looks around for any sign of a second phase of their plan.
The female under in the lead of the Dark Trader group screams as Arlo draws his and as she waves her hands, the entry-area of the casino decays into dust with all of the visitors of the area are reduced to walking corpses... a vision of hell. One of the croupiers calls out in an almost bored voice "Just an illusion folks, any more bets on red..." and a close look reveals it as that as betting continues.
Mr. Crusenod replies to Terex, "Hmm, yes, if what you say is correct, then I suppose we could give this up to your group ... for about ten tokens, which I know is less than what you've won tonight ... under suspect circumstances. So I'll send a hatchling and see what we can do...
Meanwhile, Rollo notices a small lizard matching the description of Loges' confederate carefully moving to where Loges had been seating ten minutes ago...
Rollo Loges smiles at the Representative.
Decide quickly. We speak the truth and literally all of Time is at stake.
Rollo Loges turns his attention to the running small lizard.
Pardon me.
The Arcanist attempts to Grapple it to halt its progress.
"Fine", Omdor (Arlo) states as the remants of the failed fingers of death as dusted off his armor.
The dwarf inquisitor (paladin) steps forward to wade through the invaders. Omdor attacks the undead in the way of the lead female first.
Azzim decided that the usefulness of his disguise had likely come to an end. So still wearing his form, he moved to a side room and being careful to avoid being noticed he dropped the spell and walked calmly outside to help deal with the undead.
Once outside he nodded to Arlo, "It seems somebody has been using shadow magic, I wonder how substantial these undead are..."
To test this he invoked his bond with the spirits and flooded the area with positive energy.
He studied the interaction of the undead and the positive energy closely, it was difficult to maintain a realistic illusion under such circumstances, so if they were an illusion he felt it should be obvious.
Omdor steps forward and gives the lead lich-woman a series of swipes, connecting twice and making two nasty gashes in her hardened, corpse-hide while Azzim's channel energy hits the entire group (who scream the indescribable screams of the already dead...).
Following this, four of the creatures rush towards the dwaven paladin attempting to grapple him (but failing) while two of the creature channel energy to harm living . Finally, a corpse-thing in back shoots a gray ray directly at Arlo but somehow hit the lead lich-woman instead as she stumbles, reducing her to dust.
Meanwhile, Rollo sweeps up Loges confederate and displays him squirming to Mr. Crusenod who say "OK, f***k it, take your stuff and go, now. NOW!. I'll you provide what cover fire I can... but get out of my casino and never return!" and pulls out a weapon like dark-green glowing 45' magnum and takes some shots at the creatures attempting to grapple Omdor (damaging some but not destroying them). Crusenod then directs key croupiers to the begin firing on the undead creatures. Jocinth casts haste on the party...
Omdor uses his Retribution (Su) ability to strike back immediately at the two undead how used haerm living channel.
The dwarven inquisitor pivots to then retaliate against the undead attempting to grapple him.
The dwarf rampages between this undead assailants. The Arlosword flashes with power in the light.