Sebecloki presents Dreamscarred Press' From the Deep Psionic AP

Game Master Sebecloki

"Duergar are hard to find on the surface," Transient announced from behind the talking humans. "Everyone keeps thinking we're going to do something odd, and tends to be wary. If I was looking for a duergar I'd probably look around for strange happenings, as we're a strange folk."

"A Duergar! Nice to meet you! I'm Ellais. Thanks for coming along to help!" Ellais waves at Transient congenially.

On the walk

"Interesting," Yuumka nods. "While we walk, I can meld our psyches together in the flow, unless anyone objects?"

"Fun! Can we talk in each other's heads too? No? Oh well."

"As there is a fellow citizen of the Protectorate that is almost certainly mixed up in all of this, it might be wise to find out more in the Citizen's Quarter as an extra precaution."

"Oh! Oh! I know what you should do in places like this. See, we go to the seediest bar or tavern in the district. Flash a bit of gold around, maybe buy a few drinks. People don't like strangers so if these three we're looking for are weird AND strangers, the grumps around here will not-like them double."

If no one objects and people watch her back for her, she absolutely goes to the roughest looking place and starts buying people drinks/bribing them while asking about the trio.

Gather Info: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23

Ellais has no compunctions whatsoever about this plan. Her lack of social graces inverts and becomes somewhat endearing. She'll spend 10 gold on this venture.

"Always interesting to meet others of my kind," Transient replied cheerfully.

Transient wrote:

"Duergar are hard to find on the surface," Transient announced from behind the talking humans. "Everyone keeps thinking we're going to do something odd, and tends to be wary. If I was looking for a duergar I'd probably look around for strange happenings, as we're a strange folk."

"A Duergar! Nice to meet you! I'm Ellais. Thanks for coming along to help!" Ellais waves at Transient congenially.

Yuumka Flint-Eye wrote:

On the walk

"Interesting," Yuumka nods. "While we walk, I can meld our psyches together in the flow, unless anyone objects?"

"Fun! Can we talk in each other's heads too? No? Oh well."

Xonti wrote:

"As there is a fellow citizen of the Protectorate that is almost certainly mixed up in all of this, it might be wise to find out more in the Citizen's Quarter as an extra precaution."

"Oh! Oh! I know what you should do in places like this. See, we go to the seediest bar or tavern in the district. Flash a bit of gold around, maybe buy a few drinks. People don't like strangers so if these three we're looking for are weird AND strangers, the grumps around here will not-like them double."

If no one objects and people watch her back for her, she absolutely goes to the roughest looking place and starts buying people drinks/bribing them while asking about the trio.

[dice=Gather Info]1d20+12

Ellais has no compunctions whatsoever about this plan. Her lack of social graces inverts and becomes somewhat endearing. She'll spend 10 gold on this venture.

Ellais' inquires suggest that the group might be well-served by visiting the Psionic Academy within the Citizen's District. Here, there are scholars who study aberrations such as the puppeteers, and their enigmatic offworld masters -- the Phrenic Hegemony.

My bad, Sebecloki; let's see to investigating those Puppeteers and the Earthquake then. :)

Ellais Brione wrote:

"It's a shame we don't have the equipment to look down the Well. I bet there's all sorts of ancient relics and treasure down there. Maybe once the city has the site secured and the rubble excavated, a real dive can be attempted." Ellais rocks back on her heels.

"So what are we doing next? What's the deal with these Puppeteers?"

"From what little we've gathered thus far, only an immature Puppeteer was found. That the said immature Puppeteer intentionally targeted Tai Leng before all this unfortunate disaster has even occurred, it is obvious that this would indicate that the Flow considers him to be an important figure in all of this... a fulcrum within the patterns, if you will."

Yuumka Flint-Eye wrote:

"Interesting," Yuumka nods. "While we walk, I can meld our psyches together in the flow, unless anyone objects?"Adding everyone to my Collective. The only mechanical benefit at L1 is that at times I'll grant you a +1 morale bonus to hit/damage.

Tai Pao Leng wrote:

Tai Leng nods, giving his consent.

"I'd urge everyone to do the same. We worked with collectives a lot in the army to help with unit cohesion. It's nothing but upside."

Xonti will be fine with being added on by a fellow Flow adherent- especially when recommended to by a Fulcrum within the Flow. ;)

"I concur. It is a most sensible course of action."

Transient. wrote:

"Duergar are hard to find on the surface," Transient announced from behind the talking humans. "Everyone keeps thinking we're going to do something odd, and tends to be wary. If I was looking for a duergar I'd probably look around for strange happenings, as we're a strange folk."

Turning to regard the mysterious individual Duergar that has miraculously turned up to offer some sound advice to the entire group,...

Xonti's attempts similarly come up empty-handed

"Well boo. To school then! I bet I know a few of the teachers and students who can help!" Ellais points triumphantly in the general direction of the academy.

Everyone agreed they're going to go consult the scholars at the psionic academy?

Sounds good.

+1

The Psionic Academy isn't a location you can just waltz into. Does anyone have Knowledge (Local) or something similar to establish the custom for obtaining admission?

Knowledge (Local - Gleam): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

No K. Local, but happy to try to Diplomacize our way in there, once someone tells her The Custom.

[dice=Knowledge (Local - Gleam)]1d20+4

That's not high enough.

Ellais is a student to a private tutor as a Student Surge Wilder. Can she finangle her way in based on that?

Ellais is a student to a private tutor as a Student Surge Wilder. Can she finangle her way in based on that?

Possibly, but she has to either go talk to this individual to figure out the method, or make a knowledge check that identifies what she needs.

Ellais takes the group to her tutor's home and bangs on the door knocker before she just starts yelling at it.

"Teacherrrr! I need to go to the academy! I'm doing some work for the city!"

Ellais takes the group to her tutor's home and bangs on the door knocker before she just starts yelling at it.

"Teacherrrr! I need to go to the academy! I'm doing some work for the city!"

Ellais' mentor lives in a marble dwelling which resembles most of the other structures in the Citizen's District -- ornamented with various garish grotesques. The door, like most such structures in the city, is a solid panel of marble that slides -- in this case upwards. Her wrap on the door makes a loud noise as Ellais' fist impacts the solid surface.

After a moment, the panel begins to ascend with a resonant creek. Babajide Cadmael, the ophiduan sage of the caste of Xecotcovach, stands before his pupil. He possesses slightly unusual blue scales, but the expected long robe of glistening white, ornamented with many gold tracings that designate his attainment in the arts of the mind.

"What is it, little one?"

Ellais quickly gives a formal curtsy and hastily adopts a more formal way of speaking.

"This one is pleased to see you again in good health! This one's friends and herself are trying to help the city uncover a mysterious threat known as Puppeteers. Most Illustrious Great One! We have a desire to seek the knowledge of the scholars of the Psionic Academy. Perchance your beneficence might knowst how one can enter?" She speaks keeping her head down, but finishes by looking up and gives her best 'pretty please help me expression?'

A lot of these areas were areas that she did not wander into. After all, there was not much of a reason to travel into districts like these. Most of the work that Desi had done was internal or from reference notes and journals. Not to mention that the individuals that she could find were not really the regimented type. Much like her, in fact.

Still, she did observe the barest of courtesies when her mentor showed. For the non(or barely, the difference was negligible)-mental types like her, that consisted of staying back and showing the proper deference to someone who could undoubtedly do a fair amount of harm to you with their mind.

Honestly, that was just prudent.

It was novel to see the "energetic" Ellais dim themselves to something more constrained, though.

Ellais quickly gives a formal curtsy and hastily adopts a more formal way of speaking.

"This one is pleased to see you again in good health! This one's friends and herself are trying to help the city uncover a mysterious threat known as Puppeteers. Most Illustrious Great One! We have a desire to seek the knowledge of the scholars of the Psionic Academy. Perchance your beneficence might knowst how one can enter?" She speaks keeping her head down, but finishes by looking up and gives her best 'pretty please help me expression?'

The psychic master looks on with a gruff expression,

"A secret of the loathsome parasites known as puppeteers -- how, perchance, pupil, did you find yourself embroiled in such a matter, as opposed to your studies?"

I'm going to go with the possibility for Xonti having had his psionic learnings done over at Lirasse, hence explaining his unfamiliarity about the local Psionic Academy here in Arbil- that's all assuming that there's a sister academy or similar for Lirasse, of course. ;)

Deciding that it might help to expedite matters most urgent, Xonti opts to help give weight to Lady Ellais' request to her esteemed Tutor by adding in with, "Please forgive this one, formerly from the City-State of Lirasse, for speaking so out of turn, Honored Sage of the Psionic Academy,", whilst offering an emphatically deep and apologetic bows [in return] to Sage Cadmael and Lady Brione. "We have all been entrusted, in the name of the Ah-Kuhlel known as Ashtab, into finding the whereabouts for any signs of activity of a suspected Puppeteer Hive within the Marketplace; an immature Puppeteer was discovered there holding control over a Dromite youngling. This unsettling discovery had occurred shortly before all of the disasters that has befallen the Marketplace since then."

Diplomacy, if it'll be required: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11. -2 if neither Neutral Good or an Adherent of the Flow. ;)

I'm going to go with the possibility for Xonti having had his psionic learnings done over at Lirasse, hence explaining his unfamiliarity about the local Psionic Academy here in Arbil- that's all assuming that there's a sister academy or similar for Lirasse, of course. ;)

Deciding that it might help to expedite matters most urgent, Xonti opts to help give weight to Lady Ellais' request to her esteemed Tutor by adding in with, "Please forgive this one, formerly from the City-State of Lirasse, for speaking so out of turn, Honored Sage of the Psionic Academy,", whilst offering an emphatically deep and apologetic bows [in return] to Sage Cadmael and Lady Brione. "We have all been entrusted, in the name of the Ah-Kuhlel known as Ashtab, into finding the whereabouts for any signs of activity of a suspected Puppeteer Hive within the Marketplace; an immature Puppeteer was discovered there holding control over a Dromite youngling. This unsettling discovery had occurred shortly before all of the disasters that has befallen the Marketplace since then."

[dice=Diplomacy, if it'll be required]1d20+1. -2 if neither Neutral Good or an Adherent of the Flow. ;)

The psionic teacher Babajide Cadmael initially regards Xonti with an inquisitive expression, before appearing to acquiesce to the proposition made by his student and this unexpected newcomer,

"A native of Lirasse? Mother-city of Arbil?" here Babajide Cadmael chuckles knowingly with a reptilian guffaw, a reaction that reflects the well-known origin-story of Mosephi, Overseer of Arbil, who challenged the Overseer of Lirasse to a psionic duel, was defeated, and in the wake of his humiliation led the expedition that reignited the development of the small monastery of Flow-adherents and God-mind adepts who had settled the region around the Spire that formed the core of the current shape of the metropolis, "Well, that certainly is a novelty. A little word of advice, Xonti Ensk -- I would not emphasize that particular affiliation to the psionic scholars of the Academy -- many of them are partisans of the rift that led to our Overseer Mosephi founding, or re-founding, depending on your perception, this great city."

Babajide Cadmael turns back to his student Ellais,

"Nevertheless, that sounds like a serious business. Admission into the walls of the academy proper, what is more properly known as the Great Cabrakan, requires the seal of one, such as myself, who has attained at least the status of 'pure' or tzultacaj. I will be happy to offer you the imprimatur of my jade seal to permit your entry within the confines of the Great Cabrakan, so that you may pursue this inquiry. You will want to seek out the scholar known as Ix Balam, who is a specialist in aberrations such as the phrenic scourges and their minions, as well as a student of the ancient world before the time of the Impact, the event which brought these abominations to the lands of Ksaren. You will find him within the halls of the college known as the Chichuaton."

Babajide Cadmael returns shortly with a yuca leaf scroll impressed with the sign made by the scholar's jade seal of office,

"Now, off with you, and tell me if you uncover anything of significance."

Ellais takes the scroll and gingerly places it in her bag. She bows profusely as she backs away.

"Of course Master Cadmael. Thank you for your generosity and great wisdom!"

To the Academy!

Ellais takes the scroll and gingerly places it in her bag. She bows profusely as she backs away.

"Of course Master Cadmael. Thank you for your generosity and great wisdom!"

To the Academy!

The note from Ellais' tutor provides entry to the forbidding gates of the Great Cabrakan, but the way to the Chichuaton College, where apparently aberrations such as the puppeteers are studied, is far from clear. The institute is a massive complex surrounded by a high wall, on which are stationed psionic warriors armed with crystal weapons and armor. Hordes of students mill about, and the psionic chatter is almost a storm of voices. Dozens of large step pyramids and similar monolithic structures occupy the space within the fortifications.

Offering his own respectful bows of obeisance to both Sage Cadmael [for his kindly given advice] and to Lady Brione [as the Sage's chosen representative] before the group makes their way over towards the Great Cabrakan, Xonti glances around the unfamiliar surroundings of this hallowed institution- ever mindful of the elder Sage's advice about keeping quiet of his Lirasse origins. Thankfully, as an adherent of the Flow, perhaps I could potentially fit in better here than over at Lirasse... if the Flow sees it fit to reveal another hidden pattern here to us.

Know:Psionics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18. If there's anything relevant to be learned.

Autohypnosis: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10. Used to help memorize directions.

Keeping to a step behind the Young red-haired Wilder, Xonti asks, "Milady Brione, should we ask around for directions to Sage Balam?". Glancing about at the various people in attendance here, Xonti amended his question to add in with, "Come to think of it, whom should we ask?"

Know:Religion: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20. the Flow be with you, always.

Offering his own respectful bows of obeisance to both Sage Cadmael [for his kindly given advice] and to Lady Brione [as the Sage's chosen representative] before the group makes their way over towards the Great Cabrakan, Xonti glances around the unfamiliar surroundings of this hallowed institution- ever mindful of the elder Sage's advice about keeping quiet of his Lirasse origins. Thankfully, as an adherent of the Flow, perhaps I could potentially fit in better here than over at Lirasse... if the Flow sees it fit to reveal another hidden pattern here to us.

[dice=Know:Psionics]1d20+9. If there's anything relevant to be learned.

[dice=Autohypnosis]1d20+6. Used to help memorize directions.

Keeping to a step behind the Young red-haired Wilder, Xonti asks, "Milady Brione, should we ask around for directions to Sage Balam?". Glancing about at the various people in attendance here, Xonti amended his question to add in with, "Come to think of it, whom should we ask?"

[dice=Know:Religion]1d20+9. the Flow be with you, always.

Could you explain a bit more what you're using each of these knowledge checks for, I'm not 100% sure how to respond.

Ellais takes in the sights with wide-eyed interest. Her distracted gazing is interrupted by Xonti's question and she snaps back to somewhat attention.

"Hm? Oh yeah. If we don't know where to go, we should probably ask for directions." She says with a laugh.

"Father always said to ask a guard for help if I don't know where I am or where I need to go. Come on! Isn't this place amazing? I wonder why Father had me learn from Master Cadmael rather than come here." Ellais will pull Xonti by the arm with her to one of the guards whilst waving at the guard with her free hand.

"Hello! I'm looking for a Sage Balam! Do you know where I could find him?"

"Hm? Oh yeah. If we don't know where to go, we should probably ask for directions." She says with a laugh.

"Father always said to ask a guard for help if I don't know where I am or where I need to go. Come on! Isn't this place amazing? I wonder why Father had me learn from Master Cadmael rather than come here." Ellais will pull Xonti by the arm with her to one of the guards whilst waving at the guard with her free hand.

"Hello! I'm looking for a Sage Balam! Do you know where I could find him?"

Perhaps her Lordly Progenitor had intended for the elder Sage to provide her with his recommendations once her tutoring was finally completed? I know very little of the procedures done at this academy though.

Following along with Lady Brione's non-verbal, physical prompting, Xonti allows himself to be pulled along as she flags down a nearby guard. In response to Ellais' query, Xonti adds in with, "Lady Brione will require Sage Balam's utmost assistance with the subject that he is most knowledgeable of.", in as respectful a tone of voice that could be mustered in such a spontaneous manner.

If Xonti needs to give an Aid Another check to Ellais, he shall attempt to do so.

Base roll to Aid Another without any modifiers added: 1d20 ⇒ 10.

Could you explain a bit more what you're using each of these knowledge checks for, I'm not 100% sure how to respond.

I was kinda vague on what I was using those three skills for; I'll try to explain my mindset for each of them.

For the Know: Psionics, Xonti was trying to learn of any psionic based occurrences that is currently being discussed about by the student body in general. For the Autohypnosis, Xonti was attempting to Memorize [at a DC15] the directions to Sage Balam. As for the Know: Religion, it was an attempt to find any Academy student adherents of the Flow, if any were around. It could also serve as an Aid Another check if Yuumka wishes to do the same to find any Flow worshipers here.

Desidera [possibly Tai as well?] could be closely nearby as another assitant/s that Lady Brione could refer to as an entourage. Transient could keep an eye out for any friendly fellow Duergar students? ;)

She knew this drill. Stay quiet in the back, look reasonably attentive and bored as a situational staff member, and only really pay any distinct attention when called. Not too difficult to do, and it played the expectation of the individuals that they met. Perhaps they were on the right track going this way, but she was far out of her depth here at the College.

If Xonti needs to give an Aid Another check to Ellais, he shall attempt to do so.

In addition, I've kept to the base Aid Another roll since I've no idea which skill will end up being used to help convince the guard to help aid us in finding Sage Balam; Please disregard the roll if Xonti lacks the appropriate skill to aid with. ;)

She knew this drill. Stay quiet in the back, look reasonably attentive and bored as a situational staff member, and only really pay any distinct attention when called. Not too difficult to do, and it played the expectation of the individuals that they met. Perhaps they were on the right track going this way, but she was far out of her depth here at the College.

Turning to where the others are situated at, Xonti adds in as he points towards the direction of each additional member of the group, "The ones known as Yuumka of the Sommarans, Transient of the Duergar, and Tai of Arbil- all serve to guard the Lady Brione, as do I, the one humbly known as Xonti. The Healer, Desidera of Arbil, is also among our numbers. We come to this hallowed institution of the Psionic Arts upon the behalf of the Ah-Kuhlel in addition to the support of the Lady of House Brione.", for the benefit of the guard/s to indicate that the whole group is together at the behest of the Ah-Kuhlel and Lady Brione.

Heh, a very merry, 'Hail Mary' attempt to get us all to see Sage Balam. ;p

Transient looked moderately surprised. "I do? Certainly." Why not?

Transient looked moderately surprised. "I do? Certainly." Why not?

Giving an emphatic nod over to Transient at his rhetorical query and statement, Xonti then looks back to Lady Brione before glancing towards the guard/s and playing along with an utterance of, "Nothing but the best for the Lady Brione- as befitting to one of her apparent station, most naturally; All under the ever-shifting patterns revealed within the mysteries of the Flow, I might add.", followed by a deferential nod over towards the direction of the Lady Ellais Brione followed with another, more briefer nod towards Yuumka Flint-Eye's direction.

Tai Leng crosses his arms and taps his foot impatiently at the repeated delays.

Tai Leng crosses his arms and taps his foot impatiently at the repeated delays.

As Tai's foot is noticeably tapping upon the floor of the hallowed Psionic Institution, Xonti gives Tai a brief nod back before the Ophiduan Cryptic returns his attention back towards the guard/s and adds in further with, "Our Lady's request for assistance and consultation shouldn't take overly much of Sage Balam's time and expertise; especially given the recent events occurring within the Marketplace- but it shall be for the Sage's discretion only."