Gift form shifted to that of an illithid.
"I will be an eater of minds, an illithid who will pay anything for delectable memories to consume"
Arlo looked up at the transformed GIFT with a smirk.
"Well, no one will want to get too close to you. So I'm all for this disguise!"
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Etiquette for a tiny dragon is a bit different than for humanoids... but Terexaltherin, of course, has plenty of practice with it.
I will *never* be bored by visiting a giant library, he protests at Ari's words.
He's thoughtful, however, when she proposes their next mission. We do need to be attacking them, not just reacting... let's see... maybe I could be some sort of shapeshifting assassin for hire? Between my skills and the circlet I've been using I could pull it off pretty well, though it might be even better if we expanded what the circlet can do... maybe make it invisible, too. Spread around some stories about me sneaking past entire legions of guards and advanced security systems and wards to assassinate some major planar government leaders or something. That could work.
Gift form shifted to that of an illithid.
"I will be an eater of minds, an illithid who will pay anything for delectable memories to consume"
Ari gives a small smile, caressing the slippery flesh with two manicured fingers, "Fabulous, they have been rare enough these past few eons, yes, it will do ..." one of her fingers becomes a small tentacle encircling Gift's and returns to normal and she squints. "Still, not just an illithid, a particular, infamous illithid, one who perhaps went against their empire as it fell, perhaps stole pieces of their now-lost technology, now that would be a temptation for any villain..." She seems pleased with herself. Then subsidies "Forgive me if I'm stepping on your process. I forget how much you've grown in this span... still, perhaps a white leather jacket or a human-skin wedding dress. For our plan, a name. Something like 'Xaxor the Hungry' (but not that) will be necessary for each of you. This is so we can plant your reputation, even plant memories of you and have reports coming back. A fearless and fear-inducing band of super villains eager to cut loose at a no holds barred resort, eager for treats you can get nowhere else..."
Ari's ability to go back and forth between the precious elven noble and the no nonsense project leader is on full display here as she gives a similarly affectionate speech about a name to Arlo and Terex...
I will *never* be bored by visiting a giant library, he protests at Ari's words.
Making a sincerely apologetic gesture, Ari "Forgive me, I am perhaps so excited by my current plan that I falsely imagine you are already thinking like me... book learning is crucial and our organization would not be what it is without it, even I can enjoy in the right frame of mind...
As she touched his tentacles so Gift's mind fayer grew two more arms.
one holding the hand a moment before letting it go. Gifts mind flayer looked wrong, it it had been corrupted.
"I will be a HE, Male"
The intellect devours voice being deep and vibrato.
"For clothing, I want it made of Demon skin. For I will be a renegade who has taken a liking to making psi-Nural-tech with Demon forms. Because I love the every-shifting flavors of demons' minds, most exquisite. Something my fellow devours find repulsive. For a name and back story, I will have the name of. Zerbedekt the corrupted with my fellows, to Demon kind I am known as Zerbedekt the Predator, to those I meet I call myself Zerbedekt the corrupter."
"In the dark places of the Abys I want Demons to say my name in hushed words, fear in their minds. Because I do not just play with my food, I like to take it apart and retask it into slave items. Imagine being a powerful Demon reforged into an Automatic door. made to do the most mundane and soul-destroying repetitive acts. Your will and mind are broken, while I feed off your rage your anger your suffering, the despoilers, despoiled by endless restive simplicity."
"O and we should arrive my Psi-Noral-Demonioc-Tech shell-ship, I will have a talk with mother and get her to help me make it, it can be out home form home and transport while there. "
Ari glides around Zerbedekt, clearly taking pleasure in his alien bulk... "Yes, nearly there, nearly getting the right image, ready to terrify the right people (loosely speaking)..."
And then she turns to Azzim, all business. "Your plan is excellent, it will knit together all the stories and give you good to sell. Perhaps the anti-magic mechanism you sketch is illithid technology, perhaps something. Leaving people guessing is useful. Your brilliant mind is an asset to the organization and, yes, I'm sure you weren't bored last assignment either."
Then cocking her head slightly. "But you still need a name and an image" Back to the business look "It is only practical" and turning finally turning to Terex "And even if a creature is know as a faceless assassin, it helps to have some image to pin that idea on - like scarecrow or something (but that's taken too, I know)"
Arnaud still says little but one can notice a sardonic smile on his face.
[ooc]Post #6660![/oov]
"I will have Terexaltherin, as my Spy come pet, your psionics
Terexaltherin will sell it. Just need an Evil name for you and some black and perpetual gear. As for Dad, a Thurall may work. Or Dark Paladin. Gone to the Dark side he has. Could have it Im funding
Azzim work on the Anti Magic bomb. Muhahahah"
Gift seems to be having a great time roll playing a baddy
Azzim considers Ari's point about an identity before suggesting, "I'm tempted to go for something that ought be shocking. Lets say I'm a renegade Githyanki prince who sold out his household to the Ilithids in exchange for forbidden knowledge, money and power. Needs a name, how about Nasjak? Yes Prince Nasjak the Malevolent, that has a certain ring to it!"
"Grend. Grend Stalagmitecrown. Sounds bastardy enough."
"Tell me what kind of evil you want to be and I can disguise your soul."
Arlo looks into the face of his now-ithillid daughter.
"Wait. You can make my alignment look like somethng else. You could make me appear of evil alignment?"
"Yes Dad, I can bake it onto you and anyone looking will see Evil Grumpy Dwarf. So no real change there then"
She joked with her dad.
Arlo leveled his eyes up at his disguised daughter. GIFT KNOWS this look well.
she sunk behind the table under his stern look, from under the table she says
"See what I mean, pour eeeevvvviiilll..."
Then a giggle.
Then cocking her head slightly. "But you still need a name and an image" Back to the business look "It is only practical" and turning finally turning to Terex "And even if a creature is know as a faceless assassin, it helps to have some image to pin that idea on - like scarecrow or something (but that's taken too, I know)"
I know, I was getting to it. I was thinking something like... the Bellis Cat. You know, that children's story with the creepy grinning cat who could teleport around? I thought a creepier version of that would be a good kind of, uh, 'ironic' persona for a shapeshifting assassin. Kind of a cross of 'I'm so good it seems like I can just appear whereever I want to' and 'I'm so crazy I'm turning a children's story into murder'.
"I will have Terexaltherin, as my Spy come pet, your psionics
Terexaltherin will sell it. Just need an Evil name for you and some black and perpetual gear. As for Dad, a Thurall may work. Or Dark Paladin. Gone to the Dark side he has. Could have it Im funding
Azzim work on the Anti Magic bomb. Muhahahah"Gift seems to be having a great time roll playing a baddy
I'm thinking I'll be more of an independant contractor that you've just hired. It'll sell the mercenary assassin image and could also leave an 'opening' for people who want to get to you to try to hire me, which we could turn around on them.
A thumps up comes from below the table
Watching the discussion, Ari seems amused yet focused. "Fabulous ideas, I can see you are off and running. Still, it's important to remember we won't abandoning our ethics and our love of the light of the multiverse in this mission. You may present yourselves as amoral, dangerous, as having an appetite for the devouring of souls ... but do not stray into the actual evil or devouring... it can be a difficult act sometimes..."
She eyes group more appraisingly, ears twitching slightly. "The Organization likely could find a situation - or several - where you would be able to establish a fearsome reputation without actually engaging in horrifically heinous acts. An idea that occurs to me is you hijack a shipment of kidnapped mortals headed to Gehenna, Hade or Carceri, showing the daemons involved your ruthless and apparent hunger for souls. Naturally you would want them alive for your play - so you could free the unfortunates once their captors had fled. What do you think? If you have other scenario ideas, we can search multiverse for them with our planar machinery" Her eyes are again sparkling with mischief...
"I see. So we make out we want their souls and those of plenty more for some high powered ritual. Yeah I'd be onboard for that kind of subterfuge. What do the rest of you think?" replied Azzim as he glanced around at the others.
Something along those lines would be good! I'll want to look into getting a few other wands before we go, though... Terexaltherin shares thoughtfully. I need options other than fire for sending multiple attacks at something. Things that conjure attacks so they won't be blocked by magical resistances would be good...
Ari smiles as the discussion continues, "Also, once you agree and have your concept, we will have your group use the Planar Machinery to find a match in the multiverse for your idea. As you know, our Machine is the crown jewel of The Organization and all first class operatives should have mastery of it..."
Right, well, do we all agree on looking for some shipment of kidnapped people to 'steal'? Terexaltherin asks. I can wrok the machinery if so.
So, after suitable preparations, Bethia starts Terex working at the dimensional machinery. Among it's orbs, filaments and conduits, The Device does have a few gears, wheels, text-terminals and other technological markers but as a creation of high magic, it is far different from any mechanical or electronic device. The wielder interacts with multicolored strands of raw dimensional flux, molding and moving reality itself directly (if successful!). Of course, making charges or simply seeking true visions requires skill, intuition and a powerful will. Moreover, the machine consumes a significant amount of orichalcum in it's operations...
Successfully bending the lower dimensional flows, Terex brings up the image of vast tan and purple badlands, aid by 30 black-troll guards, 6 fiery Pyrado Daemon herd a group of maybe seven hundred humans, elves and orc. Each of the daemon is quite powerful (next below the Purrodaemon in the rough hierarchy of Abaddon). The machinery reveals they are a weeks from the Abaddon and outer planes proper and are taking a rout with no known dimensional entrance points (taking this rout likely to avoid other potential interlopers).
Looking at the scene, Ari comments, "With this marvelous device, we can bridge to areas no normally accessible. We can place over the hill and then you make your terrifying entrance (puffs of smoke or suitable flourishes, etc), as if you could teleport to all points in the multiverse. Intimidate as you will and likely destroy a few but make sure to let some go as well. The plan is an enhanced repupation. Also, act quickly, we can hold off any summons from Abaddon for at most ten minutes. What say you to the plan?"
"I will take over the mind of someone on the inside and make them sabotage whatever defenses they have. Then we attack"
Azzim considers what he knows of Pyrado Daemons.
Azzim replied, "So we enter with an alpha strike, aiming take out a few of the Pyrado Daemons, and then we intimidate the rest into abandoning the mortals. We'll make a big fuss of taking their souls for nefarious purposes, however in fact we're sending them somewhere safe."
We definitely want this to look more like a *slaughter* than a battle. We have to dominate them in the fight, to cement our reputations, Terexaltherin points out. So yeah, mind control ahead of time would definitely help that... if I can get in position unnoticed and start picking them off from behind that would help...
He considers what's best for killing Pyrado Daemons.
Some quick research aided by substantial resources, in Sigil libraries and The Organization's data crypts, yields both a description of the Pyrado Daemon and an obscure but potent ritual.
Pyrado Daemons are focus on branding - fire, pain and enslavement. They are immune to fear, fire, pain and resist more other effects as lower-planes creatures usually do (including mind-control). They move victims across the near-outer-plane areas and seldom appear on material plane proper...
The ritual is secretly kept in various angelic realms but available to The Organization. It involve brewing a powerful tincture of liquid Mytherian that allows those individuals who drink it to ignore all the resistances and extra senses of Pyrado (is kept secret because the demonic "hole" could be filled with just a small tweak to the vats producing these creatures).
Maybe target one of the trolls for mind control, Gift, Terexaltherin suggests. We'll want some illusory effects to make it seem like our weapons are enchanted to pierce their defenses, and I'll *definitely* need some better ways to attack... if I'm going for shapeshifting assassin, hmm... any way to take Protean forms?
So, the party gathers the needed supplies (include some powerful shape-shifting devices) and Terex starts the dimensional, ready to transport you into a lookout point within a nameless mesa in a grim and nameless purples and tan desert on a winding dimensional backway to Abaddon. Through cleaver temporal flux manipulation, you have can choose the exact features of the terrain and gain insight into the commanders attitude (hurrying and worried about the trolls sampling the merchandise)
Terexaltherin looks over the situation. Okay, Gift, once you've picked out who to control, let me know so I don't assassinate them. I'll sneak into the middle of the group and attack once your target starts causing confusion and the rest of you are attacking. We should focus fire on two or three of the daemons first, I think--if we can obliterate them quickly it goes a long way to cementing our reputation.
Azzim explains his research about liquid Mytherian and asks Ari for access, saying "Given where they are, they're feeling safe and they're definitely not expecting a Mytherian powered attack. I can cast illusions to disguise the true nature of our attacks to make it look like, well more or less whatever we want. We can set the narrative, and allow several to flee without time for them to verify what really happened."
Turning to Terex, Azzim said "I can cast a veil over you granting a Protean form, perhaps a Keketar... Would be quite challenging to get that right, they're thirty foot long serpentine humanoids that appearing to simply phase between points rather than actually walking. They have scales that slowly shift in color and pattern, iridescent on a glossy black surface. The only constant features they have are their smoldering violet eyes and a crown-like cloud of symbols that swirls about their heads. But I think I can manage."
Well, the trick is to make me seem like a shapeshifter. Keketar is a bit too unbelievable for a shapeshifter, maybe go for an imentesh? Terexaltherin suggests. Maybe we can add in some explosives to our attack? That's sure to boost the level of confusion.
Azzim explains his research about liquid Mytherian and asks Ari for access..."
Ari frowns slightly and says "Yes, we could get that, I think. Maybe enough to annihilate three of the daemons. No more. Of course, the same amount could be used for lesser effects on more targets..."
and she nods to Terex, "Impersonating a shape-shifter requires just the proper theater, yes. If you could impersonate a creature of the lower planes powerful enough they would parlay with it - maybe an imentesh but perhaps something more powerful. Then assume you 'original' form as the others appear and state their demands. Make the shift fit the plan..."
She sent her mind out to find a suitable subject.
From the hidden space with the purple mesa, Gift seizes the mind of Bzymbooey, the leader of the Pyrado group (like most Pyrado daemons he resembel a 15' humanoid louse with ichor dripping and fire escaping from his various orifices...). He is in peak shape for a daemon and expects a promotion when he returns to Abaddon. He knows the use of trolls, material dwellers, is distasteful for his fellow Pyrados but they have allowed his to transport more souls for a lower cost, as has this detour and that is all that will matter to his supervisors (he expects...).
Meanwhile, Terex has a perfect disguise as imentesh battalion leader ready, a form that Pyrados would likely parlay with (and certain will with their leader mindcontrolled) and is ready to approach (or just teleport in).
Azzim is ready with six minums of liquid Mytherian, suitable for (indeed) destroying Pyrados (but allowing other effects if used more frugally).
Meanwhile, Arlo preps his disguise..
Azzim thanked Ari before handing Gift, Terex and Arlo a vial of liquid Mytherian each.
Azzim suggested, "Let's identify one target each, which we'll take out or dominate in our entrance. I suggest we go for something a little melodramatic, using illusions perhaps we can each seem to appear out of planar rifts that have just ripped apart a Pyrados. That'll raise some eyebrows I'm sure, at the same time as concealing what really happened. Then one of can give a little megalomaniac speech as we make various demands of the leader. Gift can ensure they comply."
All right, sounds like a plan. I'll take... that one. Terexaltherin sends a mental image indicating which one he's talking about. Give me a second to get into position!
In his transformed and disguised state, he sneaks closer to the daemons...
She slips over to its mind and looks around, scouting what is there.
Terex find a rock hollowed-out by acid weathering to hide in and Bzymbooey's convoy as it halts for five terces (about seven minutes) to regroup and reposition. Bzymbooey threats a troll who looked at an elf too hungrily... (only two mortals have been lost in this midway journey, a testament to Bzymbooey's discipline).
Gift enters more deeply Bzymbooey's awareness. It observes the desolate hellscape and it's normal dangers, it estimates of the greed of it's underlings, it makes careful calculations of the value of it's "cargo". It's looking forward to a leisurely torturing of several underlings once the journey ends profitably...
The other Pyrados move stoically, knowing they will receive a small fractal of this haul...
She moves to take over its mind full to control it.
Heading to see the state of the slaves
While Gift was subborning the leader's mind, Azzim briefly discussed his battle plan with the others, "I'm planning to enter the battlefield flying, under cover of improved invisibility and various other warding spells. I'm going to try a Mytherian powered Destruction spell to hopefully annihilate one of the Pyrados, but I want to cover this with a programmed illusion to make it appear like a totally different custom effect that ripped the Pyrados apart."
To Arlo he added, "Laurana will cast a blessing of fervor effect on you, the moment you portal in."
Arlo nods as he puts on his magical glasses.
The dwarf's whole appearance morphs for all to see. The dwarven armor turns dark grey to pitch black. The glasses on Arlo's face turn to dark goggles, as his skin becomes gray, with several facial scars erupting over his face. The dwarf's hair turns from platinum blonde to a stark white, his hairline roaming further up and behind his head.
"The name's Grend Stalagmitecrown!" The druegar snarled in a deeper tone. "And I'm going to ruin someone's day."
Terexaltherin makes sure the others know where he's prepared his ambush point. When they're close, I'll slip in and strike. I don't think we need the distraction of me trying to 'negotiate' before we attack.
The air is still in the purple desert with columns heat rise in the distance while clouds of orange acid and pink alkali drift high in the lavender sky... The prisoners trudge dejectedly onwards... A troll aims her whip at a straggler...
Surprise Round
Grend jumps out and attack the nearest opponent.
Azzim was ready, he'd casted a variety of protective magics before the planar machinery sent him in.
Soaring above what would soon be a battlefield, Azzim selected his mark and ensured there was no overlap with the others. He then cast a programmed illusion that would mask the true nature of each targeted Pyrados's demise. To those around it would look like a tidal wave of unholy energy had detonated inside the Pyrados followed with the opening of a planar rift out from which party members would appear.
When everyone was ready, he pointed at his target as he whispered the words to the destruction spell.
Terexaltherin waits until all attention is on his companions, then suddenly lashes out from his hiding place, attacking and then vanishing again.