[dice=Will Save]1d20+4
You realize that it's all a dream, and you wake up. In a cell, with the good doctor.
Alive, you just need to awaken.
Bobbi thought she was bound for an after life, though she didn't know if it would be a good one or a bad one. Judging by the cell she woke up in, it wasn't going to be great. But wait...she had both hands. Had it been a dream? But where was she? Groaning, she sat up, taking a look around.
You all wake up in a gritty dungeon that you don't recognize. Doctor Gareau has his stomach. Laere Milav still has her head. And Bobbi still has her hand. And Nawra still has her neck intact. You all hear:
"Wake up, damn it!” the man on the table screams, his panic cutting through the claustrophobic near dark.
Laere wakes up with the mother of all headaches. She shakes her head, tapping with her hands, and for a moment even remembers what passed before. It was a dream, but a collective dream..., she thinks, looking around and seeing the others which were with her moments ago.
After some moments she finally stands up. She ignores the man initially; some sort of instinct kicks on her that drives her to assess the situation, analyze everything carefully before acting. Finally, however, she turns to him and speaks with a voice that is almost commanding.
Who are you, and where are we? - she pauses, by reflex trying to rest her hand on her waist but finding no scabbard there. What am I doing? There's no sheath here. Am I... Am I used to have one? are her last thoughts, as she forces herself to keep her demeanor towards the man by the table.
Gabrie wakes up, blinking his eyes as he finds himself in a cell with the good doctor whom he saw in his dream earlier. He is unsure of what is happening, and he finds out that he cannot remember much about his past except his own name and the fact that he serves Erastil as his paladin.
Sighing, Gabrie sits up. For now, he needs to ascertain his situation first. He doesn't have his equipment with him right now, and all he can rely on is his own wit.
Okay, just waiting on Bobbi, Doctor Gareau, and Nawra.
”Where am I? That dream… it was way too vivid.”. Gareau looks around and sees another man, one he does not recognize… except from that dream!
”Who are you? Have we met before? “
Relieved to find her hand still attached, Bobbi found not much else to her liking. A cell? Why? And who was yelling? She stood and moved to the bars, looking for the screamer.
Nawra opens her eyes and tries to move her neck. Seems all is fine. She looks around the dark room, seeing others from the nightmare she just experienced.
Flabbergasted, she considers the options of a dream including people in her immediate area, but people she was not familiar with.
"What is this trickery? Who the hell are you, people?", she shouts into the darkness, her voice both angered, and confused.
"Shut up," says the woman in doctor's clothes.
Anger in Nawra's eyes flares into the darkness of the room. The woman has her immediate attention. At one point, it's almost as if the unkempt strands of her hair were reaching out to the woman that is attempting to silence the half-orc.
"Make me, you hack!", she barks back.
The woman takes on Nawra's appearance. "Shut up, or you're next!" she says.
None of the PCs recognize the man screaming on the table, a former orderly named Campre Linweigh. As they further gain their bearings, each PC realizes that he also doesn’t recognize anyone in the room, including the other PCs. Even if characters have interwoven backgrounds or intimate connections, they have no memory of those experiences or relationships.
The smaller table next to the one upon which Campre is bound displays an array of sharp instruments, none designed for use on living flesh: a gardening trowel, forks, several long pieces of broken glass or metal, and the other blade of the tormentor’s shears. Most of these can be employed as improvised weapons capable of dealing 1d2 points of damage. Additionally, heavily loaded sacks lie near the door. (That has your stuff).
Regardless of the disturbing circumstances and their unmoored mental states, the PCs still likely seek to escape, if for no other reason than to avoid sharing the fate of the man on the table. Unfortunately, the bars through which they glimpse their fellow prisoners form a sturdy barrier, each with a swinging section held closed by a heavy lock.
(Sorry, this AP should have written more: PCS NEED TO KNOW THIS -- info in info bars.)
The man bound to the table is Campre Linweigh, a particularly stubborn orderly. He has been abused by his captors and currently has 1 hit point. He can call out to the PCs, but can do little else to help them. While he can withstand a few slaps and superficial cuts from his torturer, any real damage will render him unconscious.
The “doctor” is the major threat here. This doppelganger used to be Ilesi Scaen, one of the first inmates to be transformed by the Tatterman (see page 56). She’s been left here to indulge her obsession with blood and further convince herself that her new form is superior to human flesh in every conceivable way.
Gareau stands up, and tubs his head. I don't know wny of these people. I don't know why I am here. But I do know that 'here' is not a great place to be.
Um, doctor? Where are we? Those are not sanitary instruments... if you like, I can assist you. Just tell me what we are doing?"
I doubt she'll buy it, but maybe she is not really a doctor here...and if it gets me out of this cell...
"You shut up too," says Ilesi as she takes on Doctor Gareau's appearance.
* Gabrie's perception -
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Nawra and Bobbi will have to roll for their perception.
Doctor Gareau, you know that Doctor Ilesi has the keys to your cells. You might have the opportunity to snatch them up soon.
Here's a map showing where everyone is.
Bobbi stares in horrified fascination at the feral-looking person in the cell with her. She doesn't seem afraid at all, and is shouting back at the terrifying doctor who is operating on the awake man outside their cell.
In contrast, Bobbi felt like a child. Though she had strongly been asserting her maturity to her parents only last week...last week? Has it only been a week? How did I get here? How long has it been?...she has to admit that at only 13 years old, she is woefully unprepared for whatever this situation is.
You can use your magic.
The half-orc seems set aback when the figure beyond the bars changes appearance at a whim. Even more set aback when said appearance matches her own.
She stops thrashing the bars for a short moment, as her face somehow loses even more colour. "No...", she whispers to nobody in particular.
Her brow frowns again, and she pulls herself closer to the bars. "You stole my mind? And now you want my face as well? Why?!", she shouts at the figure. She barely notices the child from her dream in the same cell.
She turns around after a brief glance, and takes a few steps back, now sure what to make of the situation. She eyes the girl with caution. Somewhere in the cell, a bat is flying in circles around the half-orc.
0 - At will - Detect magic, Purify Food and Drink, Stabilise
1 - Bless, Cure Light Wounds
"because I can," she says nonchalantly.
Not receiving an answer herself, Laere just holds to her own and observes the exchange. Some sort of experimentation is going on, apparently; she can't understand a lot more than that, but there are other people locked there with her - and this suggested they may be allies. At least they just shared a dream together as well!
We need to get out of here... - she states the obvious, trying to use a whispering tone towards the group - Maybe we can attract her closer to the bars and attack her? Not even sure if she has the means to release us, but it feels as our best bet.
Bobbi's curiosity rouses itself when the shouty doctor transforms into her cell mate. Her brain latching onto the mystery, she slowly rises to her feet and inched towards the bars. How did she do that? Illusion? True transformation? Some sort of creature? She mentally goes through all the spells, creatures, gods, demons and whatnot that could possibly take on another's form so easily.
Brows furrowed, she tried to puzzle it out. She looks back and forth between her cellmate and her now-double. The woman looks orcish, but different. Her eyes are very creepy and pale. She almost looks blind, except for her pupils. But she was in Bobbi's dream, and the shouty doctor seems really mean, so Bobbi says softly, "What's your name? I'm Roberta, but you can call me Bobbi. I don't remember coming here."
The orcish woman seems on defense when Bobbi inches closer towards her. She looks at the girl, Then at the shape shifting creature in the hallway. She considers something briefly, then positions herself between the child and the shape changer. "Don't look, girl. It's not an appealing thing to see."
She briefly looks at the hallway again, then just smirks, presses her back agains the bars, and slides down smiling. The smile changes to a giggle, and to a hearty laugh. Eventuallly, the half orc woman is so loud, it fills the entire room.
"Haaaaa-haha-ah! You're all just in my head! Just like the yellow fog... I am still dreaming."
The half orc seems to have calmed down, and looks at the girl again. Nawra, girl. Nawra. Not like it matters here.", she smiles again. "Just need to wake up somehow."
Bobbi startles when the pale orcish woman moves, but then realizes she's attempting to shield her from the unpleasantness happening outside the cell. That had never happened to her before...her parents would have wanted her to study and learn from what she was seeing, even if meant nightmares later. Oh! She's being nice!
Then she started to laugh. No, not laugh. Become hysterical. Could she be right? Could this be a dream? The cell didn't have the same feeling that the yellow-fog dream had. "Nawra? I don't think it's a dream. I mean, maybe? But just in case it isn't, we should probably try to escape. Or something?"
She looked out to the other cells across the room. Two men were in one of them, and a pretty, very pale lady in the last one. She had whispered something, but Bobbi couldn't hear her over the shouts coming from the table between them. She wonders if the other three are nice too.
The half orc woman's face changes into a more serious one after the teen in their joint cell suggests some sort of action.
She looks at the girl with a hint of determination and compassion, contemplating on the honesty of children. Arguably, this 'Bobby' character her mind invented for her dream was there for a reason. Maybe a guiding spirit offering advice.
Nawra nods. "Fair enough, Bobbi. Let's see what can be done. Can you help me find something that will help us with the bars or the door?”
She decides to ignore the shaoechanger for now, and tries to focus on her immediate surroundings. After slowly getting uo on her feet, Nawra looks around the cell and the bars.
Well, given the age of the Asylum, there could be imperfections that you can take advantage of. Like the mortar used to build these cells could make some of the bars come loose. With a little work, you can have success. You can loosen a bar with a simple strength check. DC 17.\
Nawra focuses her sight on one section of the bars. She takes a few steps back and moves Bobbi aside with her hand. "Make some space for a moment. Get ready for anything.", she whispers, takes a breath, and - putting her weight into it - charges the bars with her shoulder.
"Rrrrah!", she shouts as she impacts the barricade.
Gareau watches, listens, and waits close to the bars. Interesting the ease with which this creature can change her appearance. It almost seems like she barely has to concentrate on it.
The doctor waits. Then he says, "How exactly do you change like that?"
Nawra focuses her sight on one section of the bars. She takes a few steps back and moves Bobbi aside with her hand. "Make some space for a moment. Get ready for anything.", she whispers, takes a breath, and - putting her weight into it - charges the bars with her shoulder.
"Rrrrah!", she shouts as she impacts the barricade.
Strength: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Ouch, you managed to dislodge some of the bars.
Gareau watches, listens, and waits close to the bars. Interesting the ease with which this creature can change her appearance. It almost seems like she barely has to concentrate on it.
The doctor waits. Then he says, "How exactly do you change like that?"
"Isn't it obvious?" she says. Then she saw Nawra burst against the bars. She puts down the scapel and looks like she is about to flee. "I'm a doppelganger."
Once Nawra loosens some of the bars, she attempts to pry one out and use it as a lever to pry open any other bars nearby. Or open the door directly, if possible. She huffs and puffs as she flexes her meager musculature.
Laere looks baffled as the half-orc seems to dislodge some of the bars - and how the other creature pulls down a scalpel! And it is a doppelganger? Worried with the happenings, Laere tries to push herself against the bars as well, specifically trying to tilt the ones closer to the lock.
Given the chance, Gareau tries to grab the keys from the doppleganger as it walks by.
You did grab the keys. They are made of metal, an alloy of copper and zinc, yes they are brass.
Laere looks baffled as the half-orc seems to dislodge some of the bars - and how the other creature pulls down a scalpel! And it is a doppelganger? Worried with the happenings, Laere tries to push herself against the bars as well, specifically trying to tilt the ones closer to the lock.
Strength: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
The bars were more resilient. And it's frustrating that you are behind bars.
Gabrie is watching everything unfolding before his eyes, seeing that his cellmate, the good doctor, is doing something. He curiously watches him as the doctor grabbed the keys. For now, Gabrie does nothing else but wait until the opportunity to get out of this cell shows up.
Motioning to Gabrie to come closer, Doctor Gareau unlocks the door.
If noticed, as soon as he has it unlocked, he throws the keys into cell with the Dhampir.
Bobbi jumped when Nawra threw herself against the cage bars. Clearly the orcish woman wanted out, though at the moment, Bobbi was happy to have bars between her and the shouty doctorganger. But then the prisoners on the other side stole the keys and started to unlock their cages. I guess this is happening.
Bobbi looked at the table full of tools, and noticed a long, broken metal bar. That might help Nawra get one of these bars out. If only I could reach.
Something twinged in her mind. She could reach, couldn't she? She knew....a spell? Pointing her finger at the bar, she twirled her finger slowly and murmured, "Ego exciperent."
The metal bar rose tremulously from the table, delighted, Bobbi nearly spoiled the whole thing by clapping her hands, but remembered to concentrate on the spell. Moving her finger carefully, she guided the bar to Nawra. "Here!" she said, "this might help."
The Calistrian isn't able to bend her bars, but is quick to notice the other prisoners unlocking their cages. She immediately starts signing, and is happy when a well mannered man throws her the keys too. She catches, giving him back a thankful smile, and proceeds to try to unlock herself.
Assuming she's able to do so, she will scan the room quickly with her eyes and then try to throw the keys to help another of the prisoners. The dhampir feels familiarity when another human starts casting a spell - and while she can't really pinpoint anything at this point, it's almost as if she knows she's able to bend the rules of nature as well, spontaneously.
In fact, she has faith she's able to do so - and such faith starts driving her actions.
The half-orc stops prying the doors open as she sees a metal rod moving towards their cell. She tries to scan for the teen in her cell to move between the potentially dangerous object and the kid, but raises an eyebrow when she notices the girl concentrating on the very thing she assumes is a threat.
She looks back at the rod, and snatches it from the air once it's close enough. Throwing an approving nod towards Bobbi, she smiles. "Neat trick. This should do nicely."
She puts the bar between the bars with the hinges and tries to break one set.
Several creaks later, Nawra seems at the end of her strength, but the metal loses the fight against Nawra's unyielding will.
Once a single set of hinges is out of commission, Nawra simply topples the door with barely any force applied.
She grips the metal rod firmly in her hand, and looks at the shapechanger.
"Stay behind me.", she barely turns her head to the girl without losing eye contact with the shapechanger. Her intent is clear - subdue the probable captor.
Okay, all those joining combat will need to roll initiative. I think I can do it for you. The bar defaults to a staff, and does the same damage as a staff.
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The doppelganger picks up a scalpel and prepares to slash Nawra.
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Initiative turns:
* doppleganger
* Laere
* Doctor Gareau
* Bobbi
* Nawra
* Gabrie Ionescu
Seeing the creature attack Nawra with the scalpel, Laere advances and instinctively tries to bite at it.
The dhampir doesn't even understand how, but her fangs are naturally longer, resembling those of a vampire - and she seems to be equally dangerous with them.
Bobbi nodded as Nawra told her to stay back, and she crept out of the cell, staying several paces behind. Then the shouty doctor slashes a knife at Nawra, and the other lady BITES the shouty doctor!!
Aghast, Bobbi reacts with instinct, pulling a bit of fuzz from her ratty clothes, then using her thumb to drag it across her palm towards the doctorganger. She cries out, "Obstupescere!"
The doppelganger holds her head. She's dazed by the spell.
Nawra grunts as the creature slices her with the blade. To return the favour, she swings her metal rod at the shapeshifter, clenching her teeth.
hit! The shapeshifter takes 11 damage.