Lucien does his best to assist the others in searching the area.
Terex can't help but catch a bit of <Shimmer>'s enthusiasm. Ha, won't they be so surprised when we break in! Though ideally they'll be to busy to notice the two of us until we've been in and out. Though... we may need some backup, they probably have guardians of some kind... he muses to the sentient piece of planar material.
Refocusing his attention on the rest of the group, he says, I think I have a way in. But I'm worried that we're missing something. There's no way the Dark Traders would be planning on destroying their own phylactery, so they must have had some plan to get it off-world beforehand, and I'm not confident the agents we destroyed were it.
So... as Rollo, Blue, Terex, Armaund and Minna combine their investigation, taking some intuitions from Rhea, ideas start to combine.
Jovan seemed to change "some time ago". A phylactery allows a lich to manifest nearby if the lich destroyed else but for a powerful lich such as Marcinalious, the phylactery may have other manifesting powers even if the lich is physically in existence... Whatever Dark Trader force set the plane for destruction indeed wouldn't want the phylactery destroyed and would be behind the manifesting of Draxus ... so you assume the phylactery is intended to vanish at the point that Draxus appears. But why not sooner, why is it even keep it? One assumes it's influence on Jovan is needed...
So destroying the artifact seems to be the key to a number of problem.
Further, investigation shows the area where the phylactery was stored was considered eerie by the family and sealed-off with various guardians around it. In a hall between the secret passage and the crypt there's a bandersnatch and the crypt itself is filled entirely with mercury (liquid) as well as having other (unspecified) traps.
Armaund suggests that the group seek protection from mind-effecting magic which likely will exist in abundance here. He also mentions the Time Stop scroll which Ari gave the party (unfortunately, that would be hard for Terex to use). Against the Bandersnatch's gaze attack and whatever power the phylactery might have.
The information the servants give is similar to but slightly different from what Rhea said. The world is full things that don't quite reconcile.
Arlo takes some time to sit down with some inkpens and parchment to gather his thoughts about his life and put them into a presentable format.
Once completed, the dwarf takes the report to the dhampir.
"Okay, Rollo. Here's the story of my life. I figure I'll present onstage. Should we start or end with my presentation?"
A bandersnatch could be an issue... not to mention the whole being filled with mercury thing. I'll have to think about this for a bit...
Rollo suggest to Terex he get a Necklace of Adaptation.
The dhampir reads, studies, memorizes the Tale of Arlo Brighthammer.
I can only do structures, landscapes and terrain. But, I think that you narrating the entire thing hidden amongst the illusions; only teasing the audience now and again with visual manifestations; glimpses only until the most opportune moment: the appearance of Draxus to step on their moment.
Arlo takes back his notes. "Alright. More sweeping narratives. Got it." The dwarf returns to his desk to rework some details.
The party, sitting and brainstorming in your quarters within the Sports complex...
Minna tries to put together the notes you have on the origins of Žemėia, along with whatever myths and poems have revealed, into an opening presentation of the world and it's origins. It might miss some things but it's got her enthusiastic energy. "You should look over this. We need a first card, right? The second card would reveal the influence of the Dark Traders, so we should discover as much as we can. That fellow Boreneas seemed to know about that. Then Arlo will be the third and last card, I think. "
Armaund says to Terex: "I could go with you and distract the Bandersnatch while you dealt with the Phylactery. It's a 'legendary beast', no? I wonder how it would do against an anti-tank shell? The thing must be pretty cramped in that hallway and I would be too in full form. This take careful thinking ... and violence. GIFT, our talented crafter, do you think you could help obtain some modern artillery, like a mortal or a howitzer? Something I can hold with these human hands, weight isn't a problem but I guess it would have to be somewhat low key. We should go as soon you can siphon power from the magic theater, the first card, if possible. Be done and back to face Draxus if necessary."
Rhea says at one point, out of the blue, "Thea will be at the event. My sister will be there. I just got premonition, if you're willing, your tasks can work with my mission" and she tries not to look too happy or excited. "I can't predict where she'll be but my guess with the family hold her hostage."
Gift smiles as Armaund talks of anti-tank shells.
Ye, I know a guy. For just plane damage, then it has to be single-use rockets, fire and forget, short rang but with HE, AP or Frag nice big booms. If you want unseen and silent, then it's a big X-ray laser reapter cannon Or big and real messy with range, that's your rail gun. Go throw walls and all. I'll ask my guy what he has, O and he may have that C4 I aksing him about, should get something extra boom to go?."
This small teen girl super happy talking about blowing things up.
Good idea! Though that leaves the problem of how I can find my way around in the middle of a room full of mercury... Terex replies to Rollo's suggestion.
To Armaund's suggestion the little dragon replies, Yes, your help would be invaluable. Hopefully if there are other guardians that kind of noise would draw their attention away from me, too. You'll probably want a good melee weapon too, though--those guns aren't very useful when something's on top of you.
Armaund: "Several shots and obvious, if not loud. Remember what kind of creature we're dealing with. Artillery rounds would be to get it's attention. If it gets close enough, perhaps I can throttle it. And while we're doing this, the cards should be impressive. We should look like servants so our presence isn't missed.
"Right, few shots with, some boom, a grande launcher then. Mum likes them, Ill see if I can get one"
She seems happy to have something to do.
"You know you can solidify the mercury with copper? Then just shift throw it, while old Brandy-butt is encased."
Couldn't Shimmer perform as a Necklace of Adaptation?
"Gift, if you need an extra hand to rig up the explosives, let me know. I'm familiar with that sort of tech."
One before the event, the party's plans are partly together. Minna pulls in the contacts she's been developing and finds two scrolls of air bubble, a scroll of delay poison and an alchemically treated blanket that can ward-off the mercury if fastened snugly. <Shimmer> may be able to navigate through the mercury though that's bit uncertain.
Armaund and Blue will be follow Terex into the tunnel - assuming you can use the Theater's power successful to open the passage and you can pass through unobserved.
Rollo will present the first of Rospail's "cards" - that's a picture of the history and beauty of Žemėia. Arlo will present the last card - his story and the struggle with Draxus. The second card, the Dark Trader's plot to destroy Žemėia by strengthening and releasing Draxus, isn't claimed. Minna looks at GIFT...
Also,
"Gift, if you need an extra hand to rig up the explosives, let me know. I'm familiar with that sort of tech."
"Great! let's do this, you up to come with me to the black-market site with me? I would feel safer with you along. And you may spot something they have we need. Its kind of take what they have on the day, sort of thing."
The day before, Gift and Lucien run around the more hidden disreputable shops of Syranix and finally get Armaund his howitzer...
So then, on The Day Of Steel, Garamond appears yet at the party's quarters in the athletic complex, looking more official or trying to, he begins, "Sirs, I am intrusted to bring you to the Great Gongalfos Ritual Of Planar Disolution. I must first pronounce you official members of the Gondalfo family for just today, an honor even have not had. I offer you these bracelets of signification. You may inspect them for their magical portent." (they're are primarily "magical identy bracelet" but give certain detection abilities).
You then walk back through the Inner Level, seeing working spirits, the working humanoids, the idle spirits and the idle humanoids, with the bracelets giving the area a certain sadness you had not noticed even before, the fixed stars visible even during the daytime.
The Magic Theater is half full when you arrive, though it only holds 500 people. The various representative of the different obscure families are filing in slowly and carefully, the entire area having a building tension to it (it is not hard to guess that all these old families have ongoing feuds between each other but also within a single group.
It turns out it is about an hour and a half before until the event begins and Rospail will take this time to about your "cards" and make suggestions for their play. So you talk long and quietly in the booth, Rospail using magic to avoid any evesdropping.
Twenty minutes before the event begins, a group from house Mnuriam appear, all clumped together and Rhea says "Thea is there, in that group, I won't try to free her until your task is done but then, I must do it. Your help would be appreciated."
And only ten minutes before the event's start, Jovan, who you've never seen in person before, appears. He's seems stiff, wooden but determined. Behind him, various servants and the reborn heros of Žemėia, looking at bit dazed.
Finally, the Ghost-Judge, the spirit-patriarch of the family, appears suddenly in the central tower and calls the event to order. "Greatings, we shall begin this Ritual Of Disolution shortly. The Ritual stands as a reminder to all families especially ours, that the great wealth and power of the city of Syranix stands on profits from the great flow of the multiverse towards dissolution. It is our to duty to appreciate the sadness and the beauty of flow, to death and undeath - let us begin."
"Ye well I was down the air dock, you know getting spider refitted when I spots this old air raft. Must have been some rich guy's home, until he lost it at the tables. Gets sold off for parts. Most of the good stuff had been stripped out, but I think, why to fix up spider when I can just integrate its systems unto the junker and have something habitable. With room for us all. Yer some of the windows are still broken. It can just about move at a fast running pace. But it does hover and seems stable. Have to get the turrets refitted and well most of the power rewired but she works. Even has a drinks cab... hold on what that!."
She had been looking over racks of old weapons, most broken when she spotted the mini cannon.
"O come to mumma!"
She hefts the things out and shows them to Blue.
"Good we have him a boomstick now lets see what we can find for us."
Popping it onto their basket, She keeps looking and finds a small handheld device, with a booklet tied to it.
The image on the cover of the institutions
She reads it fast, smiles then pops that too into the basket.
Then she spots something,
"Blue hand me your arc pistols a moment, just spotted these."
She holds up two small blue crystals.
If he hands her his pistols she clicks one onto each.
"Crystal Sights, press the stud there and they show a little blue dot shows where you will hit. Helps in not hitting others"
These small, cylindrical devices can be attached to the barrel of any firearm. When activated, it emits a low-power laser beam that paints a small red dot on the target. This effect grants the user a +1 circumstance bonus on all attack rolls made with that weapon. Further, a laser sight reduces the penalty for firing into melee by 2.
She flies spider-home over the site of the Magic Theater, and sends down a few drones to watch the area. She had opened an old lander platform for Blue and ported the others up. Given each a room of thire own. The craft is old and near-derelict as Air-rafts go. Some of the windows are broken, and there is the odd pile of wiring and junk. But it can hover with ease and maneuver at 90' a around. Her bots scurry around trying to keep the place clear, chase off birds they try and nest and service the lose to broken-down systems.
When asked about how bad it is she just grins and says its a 'doer-up-er' But in all intense, it's an old floating house that needs some real TLC.
When they get ready to go, she hands Armaund his howitzer and 6 rounds.
"Load point and fire. I know the gun looks basic but the rounds are smart, once they leave the barrel, rockets, and targeting systems in each shell will do the rest."
"Spider, I'm leaving you up here. keep an eye on the area and tell me if you spot anything."
Then she slings her blaster over her back and teleports down to be with the others.
"BLUE! Ill see you down there"
And she is gone.
At the 10 minutes til show time; Rollo will begin casting a few spells on himself and the group.
The dhampir then winks at his companions, as each group departs for their respective positions.
Break a leg!
First Card Act about to begin, the Sage prepares to create a visual masterpiece drawn from Arlo himself!
The Fun is about to begin folks!
Rollo winks at Jovan!
When Jovan is introduced, Arlo stares at him with eyes of hatred and loathing, secretly wanting nothing more than to see the Gondalfo family head on a pike.
Arlo does his best to reenact the Myth of Draxus to Rollo's magics.
She ports down close to her dad and as the game starts she keeps close to him. Then when it's his time to walk out and talk she just nods.
Once he is out she places the odd-looking silver and black box on the floor beside her.
The fear was always to show how Arlo survived the cataclysm.
She had a solution was simply she would show it in expressive dance and let them interpret what it meant.
She waited her turn until she got to that point, then when it came she used Rollo's magic, her music tool, and do this.
That shows her deep feelings of love for her father.
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"Better just let me see those, Gift." Once she hands him the crystals, he looks a them for a minute, then pulls out some tools. Over the next few minutes, he disassembles part of his cybernetic hand and installs the crystal in his right index finger. Testing it out, he nods to himself, then smiles at Gift. "That'll help. Thanks for the gift, Gift!" he chuckles at his own pun.
"You're arms so cool."
She says watching Blue work on his arm, she chuckles at her own pun.
Gift seems to have taken a liking to blue, as the only party member remotely like her. She held out her hand and a small holographic pixy came into being. Her AI Psicystal Hexqin,
"I have the music you want for the dance"
The little pixy made of light said.
"Good work Hex, now let's look for a boom-box to play it on"
And off they went.
Before the start: You notice Jovan is a handsome, slightly heavy-set man - well, of what race prevails in house Gondalfos - reminescent of half-elves but possibly not that. His face is round, clean-shaven yet has a dull, lifeless quality to it - except his eye seem sharp and determined. His servants are mix, some have a similar dead look, some seem afraid, . The twelve heroes of Žemėia are sort of corralled in a corner by the servants.
Starting: Ghost-judge: Rospail, you or your representatives may begin... Rollo's portrait of the origins of Žemėia, informed by Arlo's knowledge, is powerful, evocative and bittersweet. In the first minute or two, Rollo feels the power of the Magic Theater and in the next five minutes or so, he plays the power of the mighty device, unleashed a flood of magical power through the Theater's damaged pylon.
Armaund and Blue have come dressed most unobtrusively, fading among the mass of Rospail's servants, with Terex hiding between. Once the magic flood is unleashed, Terex is able to direct it to force open the sealed secret doorway they have focused on and the three adventurers quickly and stealthily slide in, with Armaund first, Terex behind and Blue in the rear.
In the passage. Once in the doorway seals again, the three can make out a shadowy shape leaning on opposite wall but with long neck and more than four limbs. Armaund, leaning his thick "walking stick" forward, say conversationally "Mmm, kind of small and not very fumious" and the time it take for him to say that, the thing crosses the 40' separating you, snaps furiously at him and gibbers a stream of nonsense sounding like old phone book addresses. The thing connects with a bite that could take a man's neck off but which leaves merely a small gash on Armaund - at which point the bluff trader shoves his howitzer into the thing's mouth and fires, blasting a hole through the things' head ... but apparently only slightly slowing it (as the hole closes quickly). Armaund grumbles "looks like I may need to change and I have room, mind yourselves".
...
Back at the Magic Theater: As Rollo is doing his best to draw out the performance, showing the awe-inspiring vistas of Mount Thalum and keeping the audience enthralled and even the ghost-judge interested, Jovan gives a loud whisper to the judge "This has gone on too long, let us cut to the chase... and the judge looks to Rollo, as if to say "How long?"
She gets ready to do her dance, slipping off her coat, and limbering up.
As she does her eyes glow and she Buffs up bigtime.
[spiller=Buffs]
metamorphosis
+2 enhancement bonus to Strength
+2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity
+2 enhancement bonus to Constitution
Fast Healing 2.
Defy Gravity
Adapt Body
[/spoiler]
Rollo has already taken a seat among his peers; the dhampir watching the show and enjoying some hors d'oeuvres and drinking some Reds.
The Sage barely glances at either the Judge; nor their rival.
One cannot rush art, my good sirs.
Terex slips into the theater as quietly as he can, hiding in a backpack until the time comes to break through the barrier. Ready, <Shimmer>? he asks the planar... thing as the performance starts.
He mentally links with Rollo and <Shimmer> as the flood of magic begins, channeling it towards the entrance that is their target. His long experience with breaking into places he shouldn't be serves him well as he instinctually picks out the weakest points to direct the energies. Even so it's a nervous moment before the secret doorway opens--the safeguards upon it were tough!
The little dragon vanishes from sight as the Bandersnatch comes into view. As silently as he can he flies up to the ceiling and over the creature as it attacks Armaund.
I'll be as quick as I can! he mentally tells the transformed dragon, unspoken gratitude woven into his telepathic voice.
Outside: The ghost judge looks at Jovan and Rollo: "ten minutes more, it's quite a remarkable world to be removed without a trace." Turning to everyone, "This is an instructive and uplifting story, ending in tragedy, let us drink deeply of this. Jovan's eyes glow ever so slightly even his face remains expressionless. The presentation continues...
Beyond the stage proper, several individuals from the various families join Gift in dance, some formal, some frenetic and emotional.
Inside: Left uncertain... the presentation goes on several more minutes at least...
You gentleman have roughly 10 minutes to get the job done. Good luck and let us know if a quick exit is needed.
The dhampir bows to the Judge in gratitude. He returns to his seat, lifting a glass to the performance.
So ... inside
Blue fires where he is standing, 30 feet from the creature, unleashing a hellish barrage of lighting on the thing, leaving it reeling.
At the point the thing furiously attacks Armaund but it's terrifyign jaws and claws deflected by the stern trader. With huge reach, however, it swipes its tail, hitting Terex , then lashes out again,
At this point, Armaund turns his howitzer around and wielding it like a giant baseball bat, knocks the thing's brains out and it's body flops in the corridor. Walking to where Terex is, he attempts to extract any quills and says "Excellent, Fast work, and all without unleashing the beast. But Rollo's right, we probably have something like ten minutes or less before our enemies come to collect this thing. Let me know if I can do something to help. Liquid metal would be treat but I couldn't consume a roomful in the time we have"
Outside: The game continues, the atmosphere is strangely festive. More of the Inner Family members join GIFT in her dance. Rhea staring constantly, looking for her sister. Jovan is motionless. Minna smiles but you tell she is nervous, she's prepared a couple gadgets.
Ow. I guess it was pretty dedicated to the whole guard thing, bothering to attack me when you were the obvious threat, Terex comments as Armaund pulls the quill out. Nice work with the lightning, too, Blue.
He pulls a potion out of his little pack and drinks it.
The little dragon then flies up to the door and starts to work on it.
Perched more or less on top of the lock, Terex is almost staring into it as he works. This is a tough one, though that's not surprising, he notes.
Almost had it that time! Say, Blue, could you hold the tension wrench for me? The lock's pretty stiff.
Got it! Now let's see... okay, it's the room full of mercury option. <Shimmer> can take me in, but Armaund, if you want to start working on it, a leak would actually help--I can orient myself by the flow in the mercury. Just don't get poisoned if he does that, Blue.
Then he gets out one scroll of air bubble and reads it, following that up with the delay poison and getting the treated blanket out. Make sure to wrap me up tightly! He asks of the others. Once he's fully protected, he gives <Shimmer> the go-ahead to take him in.
Lucien aids Terex so that he succeeds on the second DD check.
He nods his thanks at the compliment and gives a thumbs up, but looks concerned and moves backward when Terex mentions the room full of mercury.
In the corridor: The doors open, Terex consults with the Gem known as <Sparkle> and it seems to pull-apart the dimensions in the darkened, dusty corridor and suck the small dragon into ... somewhere else. Armaund steps back and transforms in a long, sinuous dragon, covered with rusty steel scales, lighting the area only slightly with his internal flame. He then proceeds slingshot himself against the shinny surface with determination, whipping up showers of metal-on-metal sparks in dusty hallway - but apparently futilely, at least for the first couple minutes (he leaves an opening for blue to attack the wall of force also).
Outside: As the history unfolds with dramatic turns and beautiful interludes, a tall man dress in luxurious furs approaches the central area where Rospail, Rollo, Arlo, Minna, Garamond and other servants are standing and Rollo is directing the show. Rospail bows formally and politely to him, "Hello, Moradim. Is your master ready to concede the match?" The man, Moradim, stops and smiles, "Your opening is going quite well. So well my master instructed me to double the payoff he offered for you conceding. Considering we hold all the heroes of Žemėia ... and the two continue, trading friendly barbs (it's obvious Rospail isn't conceding anything). As this is happening, Moradim manages to softly (probably magically) whisper in Rollo's ear, "Name your price for throwing the match, name it..."
An impromptu band has formed around Gift, with a variety Inner Level family types playing eerie instruments and dancing with crazed abandon.
Sucked through dimensions into a heavy, heavy liquid. It takes you two rounds to merely orient yourself, realize you can breath (barely). Then you realize you've floated to the ceiling and you're stuck there until you can laboriously push yourself across the surface (with the liquid super-dense, you're floating like cork in it unless you do something). Then you can pull yourself down to the ground. Then you have to pull yourself around ground, the tying ropes to various objects to eventually have lattice to hold yourself down and can begin the search in earnest.
(feel free to substitute a different plan if you think of one).
How long does this take:
A. Roll strength test, take 1 minute for every 5 points less than 20.
B. Roll Reflex check, take 1 minute for every 5 point less 30
C. Roll perception, take 1 minute for every 5 point less 30.
But at eight minutes, Armaund breaks through the wall of force.
You find a plain candle holder in a cauldron in the center of the room. It has subtle runic indentations that make you nearly sure this is phylactery. If you find it early, you port back to the corridor with <shimmer>
Terex clamps down on his fear as <Shimmer> plops him in the mercury. He'd known getting into this that it would be claustrophobic, he shouldn't be suprised now. The problem, of course, was that he was a small, light dragon in a heavy liquid, when what he sought was probably closer to the ground. Thinking through his arsenal of magical tools, he thought of one unusual possibility.
As he sets to work he asks <Shimmer>, Do you sense anything strange in here?
With two web spells, Terex is able to painstakingly climb down to the ground and search the room, finding the candle-holder in two minutes/20 rounds. <Shimmer> doesn't sense anything, the thing doesn't detect as magic but the subtle markings and its location are the main clue. It would normally not detect as magic or be otherwise.
Rollo orders more hors d'oeuvres, wine carafes, and bushels of grapes.
Have a seat, my dear Moradim! Enjoy this amazing artful portrayal of those lost lands, architecture, and terrain!
The dhampir plucks a large red grape from the recently brought bushel. He places it on Moradim lips with a teasing smile.
Try some; it tastes delightful.
Once Terex has the possible phylactery, he asks <Shimmer> to shift him back to Armaund and Blue.
I think I found it! Let me just try some of that stuff to see if it'll destroy it, the little dragon says as soon as he's out. He reaches in his pack and gets the salve that was supposed to destroy the phylactery and starts rubbing a little on his find.
Terex, back in the dusty corridor, spreads a small amount of salve on the candle and it reacts, bending slightly, almost flinching. Then he spreads more on the thing and it begins twisting like a snake or worm and all three of the character present have to grab it while Terex finishes drenching it with the milky salve.
So it begins twisting and maybe slightly darkening ... it seems the destruction process may take some time. Meanwhile, Armaund says, I here a group approaching, some ways away now but arriving in a minute or two. So now, time to leave. However, that will require once again opening the passage to the Magic Theater. Holding the twisting thing is difficult so Armaund offers to do so.
In the Magic Theater, Moradim, apparently Jovan's ambassador, diplomatically accepts Rollo's grape and smiles. Looking at the group, he says, ingratiatingly, "Tell me where Rospail found such excellent players." Rospail smiles, seemingly relax but actually on her guard. The event has celebratory feel.
The first card ends now in seven minutes.
Arlo just sideway-glances at all these proceedings.
Wouldn't you like to know, you evil b|tch! The dwarf paladin thinks to himself.
Well that's quite the reaction... Terex comments, watching the phylactery twist about, almost mesmerized by the sight.
He shakes himself slightly when Armaund warns of a group approaching. Right. Probably we set off some alarms somewhere or something. We need to get back out through the defenses here. Armaund, it would be helpful if you'd hold this thing, yes. Blue, can you help me break through here?
The little dragon does his best to reach out to Rollo and let him know they need to break back out, then sets to work breaching the wards again.
Rollo thinks back to Terex.
Heroism is in you!