It is at this moment that each of you feels a psychic assault.
Please make a Wisdom Saving Throw, DC15. Failure means you are Charmed
GET OUT OF MY MIND!" Venn draws his greatsword and prepares to excise this world from this abominable monstrosity!
Condition: None
- - -
vs DC 15
”What the hell?! I thought we were friends there Broderick. You and your friends had best back down right now, or you’re done, and this place crashes into the ground!”
He too takes out his warhammer.
Clearly Baghotir isn't being heard over the cacophony.
"This escalated..."
Caelius:
Caelius, Belwick and Alisanne are all Charmed and regard the Brains as their most trusted friends!
Baghotir and Venn both fight off the psychic assault.
The brains all say that they are in extreme danger and you need help them. You can best help them by continuing to feed ore into the engines, BUT they also need to leave this place. They need bodies!
Venn looks at the trio, now acting out of sorts. He decides that as an aristocrat, Belwick is predisposed to sugary words and is likely the toughest to help. Caelius is likely easier, but Alisanne is the one most likely able to help.
The Pathfinder grabs her by the shoulders, "SNAP OUT OF IT WOMAN! It's in your mind. You've got to fight! It wants to usurp your body as well as your mind!"
Venn has zero problem slapping her if he thinks it'll help.
Condition: None
- - -
Baghotir tries reason one more time before he starts smashing brains. To that end, can he identify which one is Broderick? He wants to avoid smashing that one…
(if investigation is more fitting, just +0, so net 10)
”Cut that s+*$ out right now. For one, there aren’t enough of us to keep you in the air. Your only hope is landing and staying on our good side. What you’re doing is the opposite of that.”
”Please, release my friends! Let's work as a team.”
"Of course! I'm not really suited for feeding ore to the engines, but my friends here probably could. That said, I think I can get the lot of you into a body. I've actually done so recently, so I know how to make the process work. Should I go get a body now? Perhaps Caelius can help me with carrying it?"
Baghotir identifies which brain houses the BRODERICK portion of the hive-mind.
Viscount, the brains are ecstatic and want this NOWNOWNOW
Unless stopped, Belwick will depart with the East Wind to retrieve the body they've already fought twice now.
Belwick leaves with The East Wind to retrieve the Bone Devil Body
Condition: None
- - -
Baghotir tries reason one last time as per this post (link).
If you want a fresh roll…
Back at it... Current Events.
Alisanne is Charmed. Venn's slap didn't do anything to break the spell.
Belwick is Charmed
Baghotir has convinced the ALTON part of the hive-mind to help him.
ALTON: Sorry, Pal! I really would love to land this place but I don't have any say over that. All I can really do is help you with the dormitories. You'll have to talk to the others and get them on board! - Helpful
BRODERICK:I'm sorry. But you have no authorization credentials and no authority here. Access denied.- Neutral
CORLISS:Suck a pile of donkey pizzles you horse sniffing muffin rancher! Hostile
DUNSTAN:Do *YOU* know anything about magic? I do so love magic. Where is your friend? Helpful
EDITHA:UGH. Death is preferable to this drudgery! I'm sooooooo Bored! Neutral
Condition: None
- - -
Baghotir has had enough. No charming his allies! He moves up to the Corliss brain (if he doesn’t know which one that is, he hits a random one, but not Broderick), and swings upon the glass!
"Now cut that s$#@ out! Release my friends!"
"Finally, a sensible course of action!"
Apparently, he's been daydreaming about it so much he missed hte window when it really happened.
Baghotir lands a solid blow that cracks--but not breaks--the transparent dome protecting Corliss's brain.
Venn scores a miss
And we enter Initiative just as Charmed Belwick and The East Wind drag the corpse of a Bone Devil back into the control room.
Party goes, then brains.
ROUND 1
1. Belwick (Charmed) GO
2. Caelius GO
3. Venn GO
4. Alisanne (Charmed) GO
5. Baghotir GO
6. Brains In Jars
Condition: None
- - -
”OK then.” He swings again, being out of spells, and uses his clerical power to swing a second time!
Sadly, lady luck turns her face from Baghotir's efforts and he fails, probably, to even hit a brain in a jar.
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Baghotir scores a single hit.
AC is 11.
"Aberration!" Venn let's his grip relax to swing as hard as he can, using his hips to increase his swing:
for
for
Belwick is aghast to see his friends fighting his friends. "What are you doing?! Stop! Stop this at once! We're supposed to be helping them! We've brought a vessel for this situation!"
He's clearly torn, not wanting to enact violence on either but lacking a concrete way to stop the fight from happening.
Venn steps aside Baghotir and shifts to the side enough to allow him enough room to bring his greatsword to bear. With two vicious blows, bolstered by force of will, The brain that calls itself Corliss is slain as the glass shatters. Viscous goo leaks out along with pieces of grey matter. The lights in the control room flicker and then go out, with dimmer, emergency red lighting comes on. As the Corliss part of the consciousness dies you all hear in your mind, 'CROTCHSNIFFERS!' as Corliss's last words. So to speak.
The other brains *PANIC* Except for Alton.
ALTON: Excuse me, Friend, but please don't do that again! It will definitely affect our ability to help you and take care of you! We've now lost control over the local power and defense systems. Keep that up, and we won't be good to anyone.
BRODERICK: Uh... *ahem*... Ah... Access Granted?
CORLISS: --- Off Line ---
DUNSTAN:No! Doooooon't! There are so many secrets of the Universe left for me to learn! I need to learn more magic! Maybe I can become a lich...OH BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW! Do any of you know how to become a lich? Can we talk about it?
EDITHA:I WAS JOKING BEFORE! NOBODY IS THAT BORED! OH GODS DO I SEE A LIGHT! I THINK I SEE A LIGHT!
Caelius steps in, holding his hnds up. "I think they get the point now." He motions a hand to the goop leaking from the broken glass contaner. "The brains can't hurt us and know we can end their 'lives' at any moment. I am sure they will all help now." He turns to the brains. Right?"
Baghotir stops swinging at Caelius' suggestion.
"Great. Now let's land this thing before we fall out of the sky shall we?" he suggests. "And release your partial control of our allies. We really will help you know. After all, we didn't need to tell you of the trouble you're in. We could have left, and let you fall to your doom when the power runs out."
The remaining 4 living parts of the hive mind stand down.
ALTON: Hey, GREAT MANAGEMENT SKILLS BUDDY! That's the way to do it! Now, what can we do for you?
BRODERICK: Access temporarily upgraded to... Ah... GUEST... CONSULTANT. Orders?
CORLISS: --- Off Line ---
DUNSTAN: Sadly, we can't end the magic charm--it is really quite fascinating, but they'll be less... Pliable... In about an hour. In the meantime, we can all help each other!
EDITHA: *harumph*
The Charm Person spells
"OK then, let's work together for our mutual benefit shall we? Let's land this thing in the valley, nice and slow."
"How do we do that?"
The Alton Personality speaks up. In your mind you hear his telepathic words. He is chipper without a shred of insincerity:
"Hey, Buddies. So happy be working together on this. Broderick can slowly decrease the power to the engines and lower us, slowly, to the valley floor. But we have a *slight* complication if we do that. The Ferryman's contract is *very* specific. It will continue to ferry folk back and forth between the docks, but only... AHEM... '... As long as the Monastery flies...' This means the climb out of the valley will be near impossible, and we'll have no way to leave. Also, I should probably tell you that The Ferryman isn't exactly... A... Ah... Satisfied partner. His contract may have been drawn up under less than friendly conditions. We're not sure how he will react if released. We are open to suggestions."
Venn would rather listen to Devilspeach than this mercantile nicety. He stands in horror at what would to befall a world where this disease spread...
"Well, there's no way that we're keeping this thing afloat. This thing is going down, one way or another. We'd prefer if it was done in a manner to cause us as little harm as possible. The Ferryman will be free of it's contract no matter what. Maybe we can talk to it and let it know that the original signer of the contract is deceased and we're responsible for its freedom, putting us into its good graces. Then, hopefully, the Ferryman will help us all out of the valley. If not, we have other options to help us in that regard."
"Agreed. Let's go talk to the Ferryman and hope they can be reasoned with. It's been a long day already, it'd be nice if he didn't jump us." Baghotir grins and moves off to talk to the Ferryman when the others are ready.
It takes several moments for Belwick to recover from the brief, wanton violence. "So... unnecessary."
He recovers though, and is quick to agree with Alisanne. "We can treat with the ferryman. I am certain that, if it was bound under duress, it should be relieved to be free of that now. But if you know the details of the contract, or can point us to where it might be written, we can go into that conversation better prepared."
The party makes their way to the dock and finds the ferryman, having moved all of the fleeing monks out of the monastery, just waiting there.
The Ferryman is a grim figure, literally. Black robes, ragged, hide most of the skull visage of the strange being.
"Do you wish to cross?"
Baghotir approaches with the group, though his weapons are sheathed. He looks to the Baron Viscount to open negotiations.
vs DC 13
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"Greeting, sir! We do not need to cross just yet. We do need to inform you that the author of your conscription has been removed from these realms by our efforts. We defeated them in noble combat and have taken ownership, of a sorts, of the island. As such, we believe the contract that binds you here is no longer valid. We will be landing the island soon and wish to inform you that your services are no longer necessary."
"Of course it would be some grim, undead cult-looking ferryman." Caelius keeps an eye on Venn to make sure he doesn't enact grim vengeance and prejudice against the ferryman if talks don't go as planned.
”Though maybe we would,” Baghotir adds, ”like it very much if you’d agree to ferry people from the floor of this canyon to the surface. For just a little while longer. We’re off on a little jaunt, but we’ll be back, and will have trouble getting out. We’ll pay of course, for your services. Now that you’re free. Thanks to us.”
Belwick nods in agreement with Alisanne. "It's as my friend says. If you were bound here, no more. You may return now to your home plane."
At the mention of paying, Belwick gives Baghotir a look. "I don't know that we're actually looking to make another deal. I'm certain that you'd rather not be bound to service once more either."
At the mention of paying, Belwick gives Baghotir a look. "I don't know that we're actually looking to make another deal. I'm certain that you'd rather not be bound to service once more either."
”I dunno Viscount. We’re going to need a way to get out of the valley when all this is over. I can’t fly.” he grunts.
He peers all around from their current vantage point. Does he see a pass or path out of the valley?
If you're on the island when it reaches the ground, you'll need to find a way out of the chasm.
If you're on the island when it reaches the ground, you'll need to find a way out of the chasm.
"Finding a way out of a chasm is simple compared to the issue of a floating island plummeting to the ground. I've no doubt that between Alisanne and I we can work something out."
"Besides, we've an interesting portal to navigate too. Mayhap the exit is different from the entrance?"
He stops and looks at Alisanne. "What do you think? Got a way to get us all out of here? Planning to animate another carpet into flight?
"I withdraw my request Ferryman. You are simply free to go as Alisanne said earlier. Isn't that nice?" Baghotir stands down, pleased that the magics of his companions can overcome such obstacles.
Caelius is sweating bullets as the floating fortress has not stabilized yet. He trusts in Alisanne's magics but is still quite nervous. "Can we just get to the ground soon? Or maybe do it near the portal just in case things look grim." His eyes dart back to the ferryman. "I don't feel comfortable this close to death near him." He smiles. "No offense."