| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Moira takes a seat in front of the book and tries to follow along as Hattie outlines what small meaning she has managed to glean from its pages. Moira's focus fades as she finds her mind drifting back to the First World. She takes a sip of coffee and closes her eyes, focusing on sensations to bring her back and anchor her to the present. The acrid and lightly burnt aroma, bitter taste and heady warmth of the coffee. The smooth texture and musty scent of the Codex mingling with the electric potential of eldritch power that set her hairs on end. The overstuffed plush of the antique chair below her and its subtle creaks as her weight shifted and Hattie pressed on it from behind. Hattie...her soft floral scent, the slick touch of her robe and warm press of her side as she leaned over the chair to flip through the book. The spark of her fingers unintentionally brushing over Moira's on the vellum...Moira's eyes snap open in faint surprise as she's suddenly very aware of how cramped the study is. This certainly isn't the first time she's been attracted to a person even since coming to Ovium, but in the wake of First World aftershocks she finds it hitting hard. Indulging in casual attraction was tempting, but she had learned over the years that it was all-too-often a road to heartbreak and pain. Better to keep her distance, for her own sake but even more for Hattie's. "Hattie, this is a fascinating tome, but I'm finding it a bit beyond my ken at the moment." She slips out of the chair and starts to pace the small office. "Perhaps I'm finding myself as distracted by the book as you... Much as she wants to keep her distance, she can't resist indulging in a bit of wordplay. "But all the symbols end up jumbled in my head rather than following me around. Perhaps we should take a walk and get some fresh air..."
She is about to leave the room when she glances at the book and something finally clicks. She feels a tingling at her temples and gets a flash of insight as she reflexively reaches up to touch the spots on the side of her head that she paints every morning as part of her worship of Magdh. unfortunately, this results in her dropping the coffee, which gets everywhere. "Oh! Oh no, my deepest apologies, I am so sorry. Let me get that." She scrambles to start cleaning up. As she's scrubbing, she relays her revelation. "I think I may have gained a bit of understanding in the text. It's not...it's not about the symbols. They aren't written to be understood, they're written to be read. They aren't the destination, they're the path. Every morning. I pray to the Queen of Fate, dedicating myself anew. When I do so, I try to read the thread of fate. Sometimes I cast stones. Sometimes I read tea leaves. This book is like that. But so much...MORE than anything I've come across!" She stares at Hattie in amazement.
Lyra locks herself away in her rooms for a number of days working on a project. Then when done she sends a note to Paritosh to come to see her.
Paritosh rushes off to see Lyra.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
When he arrives she users him into her rooms, there can be seen a hive of activity with mechanical parts and tools aplenty. In the center, her room is a A mad contraption.
"Paritosh, come in, come in, I have something for you."
She goes over to the device and turning a wheel on the side powers it up.
A screen comes on a shows text. She types in a command on its large key set.
Serch list Dragons
a list of entries comes up, she clicks one and the screen shows a page of a book, there shown is a dragon and test.
She grins are him.
"See this is a camera"
She pulls out a box-like thing with a lens fixed to a concertina like excitation on the side.
"It's all made from salvaged parts from the palace and some parts I made. This was a tourist camera, now if a take a book."
She picks up one that must have been a test book.
"And take and image of a page"
There is a flash and then the page comes up on the screen.
"It's entered into the memory of the device. Once there the search tool can look it over list its contents and add it to the rest of the stored library. Given the capacity of the memory, I salvaged it could easily store about every page of written and printed work on the planet at the moment. It would just take a long time to input it all. So the idea is you can scan every book or scroll you can get your hands on then search as you see fit. What do you think, any use to you?"
She seems quite excited.
Anzarra researches the ship the Pirates were on. Inquiring on the docks, she discovers they were down-on-their-luck raiders with a poor reputation who'd been waiting for work for a couple of weeks, their ship barely seaworthy. Still, four days before the party's trip, a unknown man, appeared and seemed offer them an assignment. The contact described the contact as strange, pale, ferret faced, having a disturbing odor.
From the log, Anzarra knows also the drop-out location the small ship went to after Ovium, just a ways South. She visits it sees a sign of a struggle but can't determine more. The trail seems to end there.
Paritosh makes good progress with the first thirty lines of the hundred and three lines of verse (or metaphor? Code?). The first fifteen or lines boil down to "the cosmic masters will send a new egg in a plane-hopping hotel. Once it is hatched, it must be sent to the tower of Egon. It aid us in transform our candidate into our great influencer and we can begin our spread of corruption..." The Tower Of Egon is supposedly a fortress that one of the immortals hid in during the First Era. It is reputed to somewhere near Ovium but it's location was lost long ago.
Delores thanks Arlo for his effort, though she was clearly seeking at least a bit of gossip. She expresses hope that Arlo and his comrades will find her sister and takes her leave.
As Moira and Hattie, Hattie breaks down in tears and says:"Now I understand why I was drawn to this and drawn to sell this book. It is fate that you should have the book. All I ask is some reasonable price, as I am a widow and near the end of my savings. Also you must go ... boating with me. . 10,000 currency would be a reasonable and one the organization can front you. Hattie wouldn't mind seeing the book occasionally but she knows, from the book, that Moira needs it more than her. And Hattie takes Moira on a few small adventures on the water as well.
Now, Lady Lyra has immersed in her studies and left Mateo Brummel waiting at her official for two consecutive days. If he hadn't been to tell the story of his sinister neighbor, he would certainly have given up. As it is, Mateo, Arlo, Anzarra, Moira and Paritosh, wind-up also waiting for the busy Lyra Anna and Mateo begins describing his pale, ferret faced neighbor who keeps a beast in his house. Suddenly, Anzarra realizes this man may be the pirates contact while Paritosh realizes this beast fits the description of the beast he's been hunting - at which point, Lady Lyra calls in Paritosh to describe her invention in breathless terms, not giving him a moment to interject. Then is finally time to speak.
Anzarra explains to the group that she has reason to believe that this ferret-faced man was involved in making the Zombies that chased them to the disappearing hotel-island.
Arlo sighs, "If it's not one damned thing, it's another. If we find evidence this 'neighbor' is the one making zombies, do we get the authorities involved, or we 'do-it-ourselves'?"
"Well", Mateo says, "the town guard generally doesn't deal with problems outside the walls of the city. In fact, generally they must be paid to deal with any problems, unless one is high in the Council. Within the walls of Ovium, one needs permission from the courts or a magistrate to seek one's own justice. Outside the walls, the law is vague and the population spotty. I make my own house a quarter mile from the wall and I have only a dozen neighbors. None have had monsters in their house - until now. I think this one fellow might not be aware the close tabs we keep on our little area. "
Mateo draws a map of the neighbor's house, not showing his own (It's not hard to guess Mateo is himself a smuggler or similar sort. As legitimate trade has grown, so has illegitimate trade).
"Thankfully the house is using the hill as cover, not defensively", Arlo says as he examines the crude map. "We have ample blind spots as to address the house."
And Hattie takes Moira on a few small adventures on the water as well.
Moira informs the group that she's brokered the organization's purchase of a tome that allows the reader to glimpse moments from possible futures. The former owner has negotiated for access rights, but she's really quite a lovely woman and that shouldn't be an issue. Moira's morning routine shifts slightly to include an examination of the book, rather than more unrefined fortune-telling techniques.
By the time the team leaves for the cabin, Moira's mood has improved somewhat. I don't suppose we're going to have too much trouble with a big beastie, but we ought to determine if it's being controlled before we up and end it."
Lyra comes down cleaning her hands with a rag, The others talking about going to some house, She listens in. While she worked she seemed to have missed a lot of what had been going on.
Then as they get ready to the house, she helps ship the machine device to Paritosh book shop, before getting her things an joining the others
Anzarra wonders if Mateo could be a good contact for her own smuggling endeavors, or if he traffics in things that she wouldn't touch. In any case, this outing sounded like it would be interesting.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
(A bit of investigation shows that, for a smuggler, Mateo is relatively solid. After all, he likes to keep his area free of truly dubious stuff).
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Paritosh tells the others, "hey, listen to what I have found out, with Lyra's help. The first fifteen or so lines boil down to "the cosmic masters will send a new egg in a plane-hopping hotel. Once it is hatched, it must be sent to the tower of Egon. It aid us in transform our candidate into our great influencer and we can begin our spread of corruption..."" He looks for understanding in the faces of his companions. "The Tower Of Egon is supposedly a fortress that one of the immortals hid in during the First Era. It is reputed to somewhere near Ovium but it's location was lost long ago."
Moira raises an eyebrow. "Good work." She chuckles. "Ah, if only I'd taken my trip a week later, we could have asked the immortals themselves. We might still be able to actually...let's talk to Shadow about that once we get back. Otherwise, this is a fine riddle."
Arlo grumbles. "Sounds like some Old Gods bullsh|t to me!"
Lyra nods at Arlo's word,
"Your right, That there is some long term planning across a number of planes, finding and seeding the information, locating a hotel, making the egg device, transport and sending. Really there are some guiding minds behind this that think big. And another thing, we found a hatched egg already, dose that means we have a big bad villain out here already?."
Thinking they might find the beast alone, the party sets out towards the house at noon. It's an overcast fall day with a hint of rain as you walk over the gravel-strewn landscape, aiming for the hill and then keeping it between the house and you. Arlo's observation of the house's layout proves fruitful. Paritosh, scouting ahead, moves to the top of the hill with utmost stealth, and is able to get to a secret vantage point from which to observe the small, gabbled house, careful to stay further than 65 feet away (avoiding life sense). Moreover, it seems you are in luck - a fairly loud conversation/argument is happening between the beast and the "neighbor" at the doorway of the building.
Beast - speaks with a whiny, screechy, cruel voice, like angry, self-indulgent nails on a chalkboard. Mixes in Aklo in with it's common.
The neighbor - speak with a deeper, resonant tone, with an undertone of something like lust.
Beast: "My precious egg, it is lost. I'd skin you alive, feast on your liver and vomit it back into you - if I hadn't already done that to create you. Those pirates you used were clearly inferior, couldn't figure out clear instructions for disabling the machinery and transporting the egg. "
Neighbor: "They were the best to be found under the circumstances. Besides, I think some force interfered with them. You told me some 'interdimensional alliance' opposes us. "
Beast: "Hrrg, unlikely. A smattering of wizardlings occasionally try their hand but this is my tenth assignment and I've seen no alliance but many other things have gone wrong. It take a bit to figure out how to unravel a world. True, that wizard Ghent has defied us but he going to be producing many of the "crystal movie" players anyway. This is only a detour.
I say, it was your crew that failed - it was your first time building the deathless, after all. I just built you myself and I did an average job"
Neighbor: "So what next? "
Beast: "Gather more herbs and bodies, slave, we leave for the tower in three days time and the creation of the influencer. I have sketched what you need. I will be preparing what you gathered already this week. "
Note: The neighbor/necromancer , one can vaguely notice a death like pallor, yet he appears mostly human. The beast indeed seems as first like a giant possum but as it moves, Paritosh can notice it's "hair is some kind gilia, it's show teeth-within-teeth, it's eyes are light-green motes of light, it's skeletons is vaguely visible beneath translucent flesh and it generally appears something aberrantly between insect and mammal. Definitely an evil outsider.
Lady Laya pulls out two of her Stick Grenades and looks to Arlo.
"Shall we, On the count of 3?"
She says undoing the bottoms and pulling out the strings needed to set the thing off.
Seeing that Lyra was planning to attack, Anzarra points at the beast and its undead neighbor, aiming and timing a fireball spell to hit both of them at the same time as the grenades.
"Shall we, On the count of 3?"
"One..Two..THREE!"
Lady Lyra and Arlo throw their stick grenades at the same time.
Moira martial flexes into Kraken Style and moves closer to the dark traders while the others provide artillery support.
On three she throws hers. Then puts ger fingers in her ears.
Stick Grenade (fragmentation) DMG [4d6] Area effect [15 ft] [Crit x2] (B,P,&S)
*Grenade, Fragmentation: Standard grenades can be fitted with an optional fragmentation sleeve. This sleeve converts the normal concussive blasts into a cloud of deadly shrapnel at the expense of a decreased damage radius. The device is armed and detonated in the same manner as a regular grenade, though the explosion radius is reduced to a 15-foot radius and the grenade instead deals 4d6 bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage (Reflex DC 15 for half).
Paritosh plans to charge whichever of these is still standing after the barrage from his companions is resolved.
The fire ball singes both necromacer and beast, definitely distracting them from their argument. The necromancer seems a bit beat-up
The beast-things screams like a rabid dog: "enemies - I was wrong, I hate being wrong...more walking corpses ... your souls will soon be screaming. You know not what you face!", bit of bile spray from the thing's mouth. The necromancer is silent.
The beast shoots two clumps of it's "fur", one clump at Anzarra and one at Lady Lyra, each hits and buries itself in the flesh, 7 point of damage to Anzarra and 5 to Lady Lyra [poison, fortitude save 14 or 1 con damage each, ]. The "hair" is like long, sharp strands of sea anemones tendril. The beast leaps at Arlo, it's internal jaws leaping out of it's mouth, attempting to grapple but merely tearing at the flesh for 9 points of damage (it has 10 ft reach btw). The necromancer runs half up the hill and then unleashes a wave of negative energy on all those coming forward (Lady lyra, Moira and Arlo at least - Paritosh and Anzarra might be out of range - your call). 16 points of damage, fortitude save 16 for 1/2.
Lady Lyra takes the hit but does not stop dart hits it seems to have a hard time dealing with the Androids body. Her ninites push it out with little effect and the wound heals at once
She moves fast bringing up her revolve and shooting the single shotgun round into the undead things face.
Then as a wave of evil comes she rolls away from it,
--------
The monster sinks his fangs into Arlo's shoulder, the dwarf letting out a cry of pain. Then a wave of evil energy overtakes the paladin, taking precious life energy away.
Arlo quickly recovers, and with his death stare marks the evil anemone creature for his smite evil.
Anzarra is hit and poisoned, so she backs up even more and just throws another fireball, making sure that she places it far enough back that it only harms the bad guys and not her friends.
Moira moves up to the Necromancer after the second fireball goes off and attempts to grab him.
Paritosh plans to charge whichever of these is still standing after the barrage from his companions is resolved.
Paritosh's Charge against the necromancer (who looks more damaged than the beast)
(Destroying the necromancer)
Is there a map?
Beast:
In common, "More slaves arise, slay these rude intruders.". Two more juju zombies appear at door of the house. (the party should probably knowledge/sense-motive/perceive at these). The beast's voice is a screaming weasel or an engine about seize-up.
Runs and leaps at Lady Lyra missing, giving Arlo an an attack of Opportunity.
Also shoot two more strands of "hair", hitting Arlo and Moira, 9 points of damage + poison. (poison, fortitude save 14 or 1 con damage each, one save cures, 1/rd six rounds ), Anzarra needs to save again this round.
As the Beast jumps toward Lady Lyra, Arlo's waraxe cuts a long groove into the monstrosity's shoulder and side
--------
Arlo gets hit with another barb, "Ah! Fu<king Hell!"
The dwarf feels the poison rush through his veins, and gets angry.
"Now..", Arlo spits up bile. "You've fu<king down it!!" The tortured paladin now cries out to the heavens,
Arlo's waraxe shines very brightly as he calls down his Divine Bond on his weapon.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
It was trying to scare her, but she long ago lost such feelings.
Now it was her turn. She looked the best in the eye with a look of utterly cold detachment. The look of an unfeeling uncaring cold stone killer.
In a flat even tone, carrying no emotion at all, she stated as a fact the truth of their positions. It was doomed.
"You have no idea what your facing"
She moved back fast with an unnatural grace.
Now out of its reach, Her seeming human flesh changes, plating forms as her nanites transforming her into what she was, and Andriod. A mechanical form, her Revolver in her hand.
Azarra takes more damage from the poison already in her.
Out of fireballs, she moves to within 80 feet of the beast and then shoots at him.
Moira responds in Aklo as she moves over to the beast.
As she gets up to him, she hops up and grabs at him.
Paritosh and Moonbeam charge the beast, skimming just above it...
Paritosh:
Moonbeam:
Crit Confirm
...and continue on 30' beyond it, and wheel about, ready to charge again.
Moira struggles with the bulk of the creature yet the beast also able to deftly dodging Paritosh's (while Moombeam's bite and Anzarra's arrow seem to do rather minimal damage). Still, it pretty beat-up and recoils glancing at Lyra's form, now muttering to itself in Aklo.
It shoots two further clumps of hair/sharp-tentacles, missing Paritosh and hitting Arlo (8 pts + extra poison increase save by two, save 16 now), also biting at Arlo, who is close behind it, missing and runs twenty feet further to the door of the house (attack of opportunity Arlo and Moira) and shouts in common "Stay in front of me and kill these mortals you scrubs" as the two zombies advance forward 10', pick up rocks and throw them at the party. Moira knocks one rock out of the air and another harmlessly bounces off Arlo's armor.
She had it now, it was the subject of her Studied Combat, Her left hand moved fast. As a gunslinger of the old west, it moved over the hammer of her revolver twice. Shooting from the hip, her shots sort the mass bulk of the beast.
More pain, more poison rock Arlo's body.
A determined Arlo closes the gap between it and The Beast. But instead of attacking, the dwarf pulls a cure moderate wounds potion from his bandolier.
She sees her rounds do not have the impact she expected, the thing hard hard skin.
"The thing has a hardened hide, but heat seemed to harm it, if you can burn the thing."
Hearing Lyra's suggestion, Anzarra casts Flame arrow on all of her ammunition, hoping that the additional damage added will be worth the time taken for casting the spell.
She also starts singing.
muttering to itself in Aklo.
Paritosh and Moonbeam again skim across the battlefield striking at the creature, and ignoring the zombies.
Paritosh:
Moonbeam:
After Arlo strikes the beast, it moves with noticeable sway, barely able to stand and only haltingly reaching the door, then as Paritosh skewers the thing through the "spine" and it collapses into writhing pseudopods. The Zombies can be slain easily.
Arlo is not searching the house. He is killing anything moving or writhing on The Beast's body until it's DEAD dead.