Paritosh circles the city from on-high, considering the strategic possiblities. The majority of people move in a listless, dreaming fashion, daily barely maintaining their routine. There are cannons and Greek fire engines here and there but assembling them into an appropriate configuration would be the labor of a day or more ... if the guardsmen were willing and able (and then there's how to harm the spirit with the cannons?). But, what else could be of use? Hmm, large grain silos are spread about the area, each several stories in height, very sturdily built and open at the top, because ... flour can explode massively in this world (as on earth) these structures pipe that explosive power upward. OK. You have a location where massive do substantial damage to an enemy right off the bat. Now to figure out how to light the stuff without dying - and how to enchant the silo to actually harm the spirit.
In fact, Lord Plutack himself knowns an appropriate spell.
Paritosh returns with at least one plan.
As they get ready Lody Lyra calls them to her extreme place on the ship,
in front of them sits some Boxes.
"I have had communication, we are needed back at Sigil code Scarlet, the highest need. So we are to expedite things here as fast as we can.
There is no suttle now, we clean this place out and then head to the jump back. Whatever is going down they want us on it"
She turns to the boxes, and very carefully she prizes one open.
Inside sit 6 small perfume bottle with class pipet stoppers holding a clear liquid inside. She puts on some large gloves and very geniality life's a stopper out of one. Then walking to the deck outside she stops, she shakes the stooper and a single drop of liquid falls to the floor. She moves back and When it hits there is a loud crack like bang and a smell of burning. You can see a hole in the deck.
"My fast Solution to the tower is simple, with this and it's like back below, we can blast to the nine hells. The hard part going to be is getting this stuff to the tower without blowing ourselves up while doing it and getting away before we get court in the blast."
She took it back below before coming back.
"But as for the dream thing infesting the town. I have no ideas, so what ya got for taking it down."
Paritosh relays what he thought, and his plan to the others upon his return.
I do like the Silo idea. Even if, the blast only harms it slightly; it is a good secure place to confront it without innocent bystanders.
He looks at Lady Lyra.
I do know a spell that may be of interest to you.
He explains Named Bullet.
We could use access to Force affects.
Arlo listens, wishing he could contribute more to this battle plan of etheral dangers.
She lessons as the others lay down the plan.
"I second the idea of the Silo. we should keep the fight away from the civilians. So we should get started at once, I few traps may help as well."
She is very interested by the spell
"How long does it last?"
Seeing Arlo being quiet she goes back down to her work space and comes back with something wrapped in a large rag.
"This is for you Arlo"
She hands it to him. If he unwraps it he finds a bucket like a thing with a handel.
"I had this made for you when you told me about them, never got a chance to test. Slow to load but you will not only hit a barn door with this you can hit the hole barn. will fire anything you can shovel it. Maybe a bit temperamental on firing."
she hands a powderhorn and a small wooden box of cigars.
Which seems to be the way you light the fuse on the thing.
Arlo's eyes brighten when presented with another of lady Lyra's amazing gifts; this time a dwarven blunderbuss. The dwarf is constantly amazed by the level of craftsmanship that can come from non-dwarven hands, especially Lady Lyra.
Nodding with approval, Arlo smiles. "She's a beauty, nearly matching yours."
The spell will last for 80 minutes; or when used. I could cast it for both of you when the time is near.
The dhampir then grins.
It will be focused solely on devouring me, by the way. I would appreciate some interference.
The dhampir then grins.
It will be focused solely on devouring me, by the way. I would appreciate some interference.
"Interfering's my specialty", Arlo sneered, brandishing his new blunderbuss, aiming away from others.
The Silo is about three blocks, 1,400 feet away, from where the spell will be dismissed, see map. It's fairly easy to bluff the workers into leaving the area given their already dazed and confused condition.
Rollo believes the nightmare monster will likely attempt to approach him as quickly as possible - maybe by flying, maybe by dimension door. Even with dimension door, it will likely take 3 rounds for the demon to arrive; on the first round it appears in or above the silo and the fire and other traps go off. The second round it flies toward the tower, probably too disorient to use it's dimension hopping. The third and later rounds it dimension door. So it will arrive on round 4 but might arrive round 3 or arrive later flying.
So some characters may wish to position themselves where the thing will arrive, allowing an attack before it gets to Rollo. Other characters will want to guard Rollo (if all standard near Rollo, that is fine too).
Rollo could stand on the roof of the tower for best magical effect and it would give Paritosh a clear line to charge. (The nightmare monster would not be able to knock Rollo off the tower, since it's incorporeal).
You can start towards evening, when most passersby are off the street.
Begin with Rollo rolling spell craft to end the enchanment and 20D6 fire damage from the exploding silo (a fumble on spellcraft could mean any number of things).
Each character state where you position yourself and roll appropriate attacks. If a character starts near silo, assume you can attack the first round. Otherwise, I'll describe how far the creature gets. For attacks with Named Bullet, roll to overcome spell resistance 17 (D20 + 8, Rollo's level). Creature; AC 20, Touch AC 20, incorporeal...
If you start near the silo, you can attack immediately. If you start near Rollo, on the tower above the council building, you must wait till the thing approaches at least in range. If you've set any other traps or explosives, around the silo, roll for them also.
Lord Plutack will be casting magic weapon on any non-magical weapons you might use.
Rollo discusses the plan with the group.
With just a bit of well timed offense; you may obliterate it almost immediately.
Prior to beginning the ritual, Rollo will cast spells on the group.
Lady Lyra will get her rounds blessed and a bag of shot for the blunderbuss. Then she will fine a sniping position from which to shoot from.
”Im going to go to height to give you cover.”
She points at the spot she has picked.
[occ]she takes the spell named bullet [/occ]
Paritosh and Moonbeam were flying a slow, lazy route above the rest providing coverage. When the enemy arrives, Paritosh charges...
... and continues on a little past, but still in range to wheel about and hit it next round.
She lay next to the equipment she had brought to the clocktower, it had taken some time and the crude batteries would not last long but while they did. So when Silo went up she reached over pulled a leaver, there was a high pitched screech, then with some tuning, the music started to blast out.
My Pick
A grin on her face she stelled in on the sandbags to aim and blast the living hells out of this dream best.
Her foot tapping as she takes aim.
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Standing on the top of the tower; the sleepy town unaware that their spellbound confusion and submission will soon be at an end, the Sage's earthen robes billow out slightly from the soft caress of the wind. Blue eyes stare out at the location of the Dream's appearance. Rollo does a bit of calculation.
It shall close the distance in about 18 seconds once it is pulled here. Stand ready.
Beginning the ritual, the Sorcerer chants, while drawing arcane patterns in the air around himself. The magical energies begin to gather, coalescing into a blue colored netting. The netting then begins to expand until the entire area seems to be caught inside it. After a few minutes, Rollo's voice begins to become more strained....
....more hoarse. Beads of perspiration begin to drip down the dhampir's bronze face. The sounds of crackling energies begin to announce the sudden appearance of the Dream!
The blue matrix for second expands over the entire city, glowing an eerie and sinister turquoise and then snaps back, letting go it hold on the city, and arriving at the destination Rollo had calculated, the Mendsol Grande Silo, just in time for the dry grain to be ignited by Lady Lyra's devices. A gigantic tower of flame hits the remaining blue matrix full on... partially disrupting it and sending black smoke into the dusky sky.
At this point Lady Lyra's other devices are activated, the music continues, virtually everyone in Mendsol heads into the narrow streets with looks of wonder and bewilderment on their faces. And yet the remaining blue ectoplasm continues, now appearing in a terrifying formless form, maybe human, maybe monster, maybe storm, roiling and changing, a terrifying baleful bluish shape. And screaming - not louder than the music but somehow heard above it, a soul shaking scream. The Animate Dream full moves to towards Rollo, closing 120' of the 1400' this round. At this point Paritosh. maneuvers by, whickedly swiping the spirit and ending up hovering between it and the clock tower. At this point the Animate Dream has visibly taken significant damage.
Where she lay she placed it into her scope, studying its moments. She had chambered a round and was now holding still waiting to shoot when the right moment came.
Arlo steadies his blunderbuss to coincide with Lady Lyra attack, even offering his shoulder as leverage.
The entity moves 40 feet forward, giving Paritosh an attack of opportunity, then appears much close to the clock tower, 360 feet.
Paritosh takes his AOO...
Paritosh will then charge the creature again...
... again going beyond the creature turning off of the creature's expected path after he attacks.
She thanks him for offering his shoulder as leverage but she says laying down is best, and she wants to be well clear when he opens up with his hand canon.
"Get your Boomstick ready Arlo, it's a coming our way."
As it pops out of DD she fires.
The dwarf nods and rushes forward to get in range and fires his shot at the unimaginable thing.
Lady Lyra's first shot barely touches the creature while Arlo's cone and Lyra' second short go wide. Chipping away at the thing...
I assume Paritosh is flying to get to the clock tower but it will take a couple of rounds. The creature is a swirl abomination, clawing at space itself, reflecting the multiple colors of the sunset but still mostly turquoise blue.
Guard down below the party in the tower and outside fire muskets and even cannons but without magic, these shots pass harmlessly through the thing...
She stands and puts her rifle away.
"Useless against that thing, we need something with a bit more bang. Here hold your blunderbuss up."
She loads it with powder, then rips clothing to make some wodding.
Then she takes about a grenade, placing it in the funles so it will not fall, She takes the fuse and places it next to the one that fires the buss.
"Right, place it on the ground and I will hold it, you work out the angle and fire, the grenade has to go up then down on top of that thing just has it goes off."
She kneels and holds it.
But before she does, she picks the music track to This best
"Lets blow this thing a new A&&-hole"
Rollo watches the show from his Executive Suite top the Tower. The Sage does a quit calculation; as he watches the Dream dimension door closer. It will be right on top on me, assuming it has more jumps left. My luck, says, yes; yes, it most certainly does!
Rollo sees that Paritosh has gotten a bit far behind it. The others seem to be scrambling for ideas.
Certainly, not too reassuring...
Rollo looks to Moria and Arlo.
So, that will be here in 6 seconds. Whatcha got?
Right, Paritosh and Moonbeam will start quadruple timing it to catch back up.
And suddenly, only announced by a slight pause in it's wailing... The living nightmare arrives, pops in suddenly, five feet in front of Rollo, on the top of the clock where the group has situated itself. Churning, clawing at the fabric of space and minds... but still, a bit disoriented by it's dimensional hop...
Lord Plutack's guards fire their muskets futilely...
And As Lady Lyra prepares her improvised mortar, City Councilor Plutack, watches the events unfold with ... concern and casts his last remaining magic weapon on the contraption. He then removes something from his robes.
Rollo has a feeling, an intuition, that among his spells is one that could damage the thing. There's still spell resistance but otherwise... Most of the things' protoplasm has been swept away, just a little more left to do...
Arlo assist lady Lyra in steadying and aiming the improvised mortar.
She smiles and pulls the trigger.
A loud boom and the granade does up and then down again.
The grenade hits the thing full on, taking something like half of it's remaining protoplasm, which is to say the thing is still there in it's twisting glory or horror.
Rollo watches in studious fascination, as the Dream suddenly vanishes and reappears next to his position on top the Tower.
I believe that you are trespassing on already begotten soil--sort to speak.
The Sorcerer does the only real sensible thing in his circumstance: He cast Magic Missile at it!
He then moves as far from the Dream as possible....
Arlo sees Rollo getting in some good shots and grumbles. "Hold this, darling", the dwarf asks the android as hands over the spent blunderbuss then arms himself again with his shield and waraxe and rushes the otherworldly horror.
Paritosh and Moonbeam are intent on getting back into the fight.
The magic missiles rip through much of remaining Animate Dream, the thing is now more like a crackling and very hungry incorporeal framework, a dying dream reaching out to engulf the dreamer ... and reach out it does... flying to Rollos position 20' on the other end of the tower and momentarily engulfing him ... a brutal incorporeal touch for 28 points of damage plus will save 21 against nightmare curse (Rollo may use points in the shield Imchek gave him against this effect, one point adds one to the will save after the roll).
The thing looks like just one more hit might put it down - if the strength of it's lights is a guide.
Paritosh will arrive after the thing's next attack, if it gets one.
The music blares, the crowd is confused, some happy to be free of the spell, some enjoying the music, some worried by the battle.
Arlo likely managed to get close enough to the thing to full attack. It radiated evil and cries for a smite evil.
Sensing it's alignment, Arlo spends a swift action to make the animated nightmare the target of his smite ability. With the monstrosity essentially running right to him, the tortured paladin unleashes a full-attack on the cosmic horror.
Hefts the blunderbuss onto her shoulder and watches Arlo go. She worried for old crumpy dwarf deeply, they had known each other for so many years.
And the bond between them went beyond words. He had saved her life more than once and she, his. They had spent months confined in caves and weeks walking dry endless deserts. She had seen him a drink and entire inn under the table just to win a bet. Once when she had been captured to a slave market he had come in and bid such a massive sum for her a fight started and they had got away by the skin of their teeth.
In all the time she had known him he did so loved good hand to hand fight. Right now he was in his element. She knew it would be over soon.
She looked down at the townspeople, well then, they were now walking up.
Time to move on with the show. She placed the buss on the floor next to a large box, she lifted the lid off it to reveal rows of tubes. She looked over her shoulder to see if the fight was done. Then taking out a lighter she waited for Arlo to finish his wet work.
Arlo's weapon glows with the inner ferocity of his resolve and the first blow of his axe obliterates the whirling fragments of the Animate Dream. The entire town lets out a collective sigh, the nightmare is now fully over.
The relieved include City Councilor Plutack and his guard, who've been trying run backup for the best as well as they could. Lord Plutack shout now to Lyra, "Is there a way to use your device to address the crowd? They should know how they were saved and a few other things."
Paritosh arrives soon and sees things are well in hand.
She nods and picking up a wand-like device, linked by wires to the boxes of her sound device. She licks a switch.
"Greetings Mendsol, We just wanted to say what a great audience you have been tonight, no really your amazing."
She points to a few members of the population gathering below randomly.
"So I better you're wondering what in the 9 hells is going on. I'm I right, yes I'm right."
She nods to them
"Well the fact is, a very large and very nastic Dream Demon! Yes, that's right a Dream Demon was feeding on your town. Felt sluggish of late, humm, having bad dreams, feeling like your under a large wet cloud. Well, that's its work, sucking all the joy and happiness out of your will. Until you feel like your sleepwalking throw life. And trust me the thing would have let you until the day you died. BUT! and this is a very big BUT, Lord Plutack, your savor, the MAN WITH A PLAN, he called us in. Sent for help to strike down this demon of darkness and despair! Yes, he did, and he is standing right there."
She points at Lord Plutack
"With his planning, we set up a trap for this demon, most holy and just, and tonight, good townspeople of Mendsol We executed that plan and in doing so we executed the DEMON!!"
She raises her hands.
"Right now your witts will be coming back, your minds clearing, your will returning. Tonight when your sleep there will be no more nightmares. So good towns good townspeople of Mendsol, let there be music, let there be fireworks and let there be hope once more."
She lights the fuse on the box of fireworks and flicks the music back on.
She walks over to Arlo and puts her arm on his shoulder. Looking up at the fireworks as they go off.
"To much do you think, was getting a bit cheese there"
Arlo looks up at Lady Lyra. "You know how I feel about politicking. But considering what just happened, it was alright." The dwarf looked over the courtyard, watching people shakes themselves out of their long nightmare.
She looked up at the fireworks happy this all seemed to have worked out.
"We did good Arlo, we did good"
And she smiled, it did not often happen but tonight, a little bit of her lost humanity came out.
Paritosh finally arrives, and brings Moonbeam in for a landing. "So that went well."
Rollo definitely keeps his blue eyes open; studying the Dream internally, as it expresses its displeasure with the Sage.
After Arlo's divinely inspired onslaught, Rollo lets out a breath.
Job well done! But we need to hurry along to the Tower. That announced us quite thoroughly.
She lets go of Arlo and moves back to her boxes, from one she pulls out a number of rucksacks.
"Each of these is padded with straw, in which are 3 padded cloth bags, In each is a single perfume bottle of the exploding liquid. One for each of us. Some simple rules, don't jar or shake them too much, don't let them overheat, and most of all, do not drop them. Also, it would be a good idea to keep some distance between us. I think we could take down the tower with 2 to 3 rucksacks so we have spears."
She hands them out very carefully, slipping on her own one last if all.
Paritosh looks at the offered items with concern, "just, what are you saying here? Moonbeam and I don't want to just disappear here. What exactly are the risks of this stuff?"