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Well, it's not a great surprise, the way things had slowed down. And to be honest, I'm looking to cut back on some of my PbP commitments, so it's not all bad to have it ending. That said - it was fun and interesting and I enjoyed playing with you all.
My posting will be sporadic at best for the next week or so. I'm being deployed to respond to a 250,000-gallon molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor, and it may take a bit to sort it out.
"No indeed, Khol, no objections. Set to work with your stick opening the certainly cursed sarcophagus."
Ajkanir stirs as well, glad to see the spellcasters have gotten some rest. "Yes," he replies to Zahur, "let's take a look and see what horrible magics we can unleash. At least we'll be a step closer to figuring this place out, I hope." Just in case, he loosens his scimitar in its sheath, and moves toward the sarcophagus with Zahur.
Ajkanir settles down to rest, agreeing with Zahur as he does so, "Yeah, let's wait on that. Wake me in a few hours and I'll take watch."
"That sounds prudent, and as safe as anything is likely to be in this place. I'll take middle watch, so Zahur and Natasha can get some uninterrupted sleep."
"Well, shall we take a look around to see if this is a suitable place for Natasha to get some beauty sleep? Khol, care to join me?"
Before Zahur can react, Ajkanir grabs the servant of Gozreh by the shoulder of his robe and pulls him forward into the tunnel, moving them both as quickly as he can.
Ajkanir clings to Khol as they fly across the field of bones. As soon as he is set down, he takes a few steps into the hallway before them, saying "Oh good, we get to go deeper into this place. Wonder what other excitement awaits us below?"
Turning to Natasha and Zahur, he says, "If you both need to rest, we should do so. Perhaps we can even do so in this hallway, as long as the dragon doesn't feel a need to patrol beyond his chamber."
Ajkanir considers what he has observed, and what Khol noticed about the creature. "If it is blind, it may not be so difficult to defeat. And running across the those bones seems like an invitation to be eaten." Addressing the strange, talking canopic jar, Ajkanir asks, "Is the pharaoh's pet blind? What can you tell us about it? If you help us defeat it, we can get you out of this place."
Wanted to let everyone know that on Monday I start a 2-week road trip with the family. I'll be able to post off and on, I expect, but will slow down somewhat.
Ajkanir nods at Natasha's response and says "Well, I'm usually a bit quicker on my feet than that as well. I guess dragon mummy wrappings make good fuel - I'm sure you've colleagues who will be interested in that little tidbit." As he says this, he pulls a potion from his belt pouch and drinks it down.
Ajkanir hisses in pain and snuffs out a small ember on his scorched sleeve, then gives Natasha a withering look. "Dammit, be careful with that stuff!" Looking around, he continues, "It looked like you got the dragon too, at least. But it doesn't seem to be dead. Or any more dead than when we first met it." Taking a deep breath and looking down at his smoking clothes and a bad burn on his arm, he asks, "Any chance of a bit of healing before we continue this fight?"
Ajkanir drops into his bird-like fighting stance and strikes out at the animated dragon-corpse.
Sometimes you gotta run away - but does that solve the puzzle we came into the pyramid for in the first place?
Ajkanir looks out over the sea of bones, scanning in all directions to try to find whatever crashed into the pillar. "Any idea what that is? I'm no sailor, but when a shark strikes a school of fish, I believe they scatter. Let's spread out on this pillar like smart little fish, to make a less convenient target. I don't believe taking the fight to him is the way to go." He steps away from his companions, and keeps a bit of distance away from the edge of the pillar as well, while racking his brain for anything he can recall about such a creature.
"And if we release you from your unflattering jar, to seek out a more suitable vessel," asks Ajkanir, "will you do us any harm in the process, or will you leave this place?"
Ajkanir pauses to recall anything he might know about the burial traditions on display here, then responds to Natasha’s comment, ”Little about this place has struck me as normal, for a burial place or anything else. I fear what looks like a haphazard arrangement may be yet another strange trap for us. What do you think? Pick a jar and open it? Have Khol knock over all the shelves?”
Hey gang - I'll be camping Sunday-Wednesday, back for a day, and then I leave Friday for PaizoCon with my son. I may have a chance to post when I'm home on the 4th of July, but I may be otherwise engaged then. Bot me as needed to keep things moving.
It is too bad about Razan - he was quality entertainment, and quite useful in a fight. But he's also disappeared from a Skull & Shackles game I'm in with him, and hasn't posted in the games he DM's in a month or so, so I expected we'd lose him here too.
"Hmm, well now we can see a whole bunch of canopic jars. Likely with the organs of ancient Osirions inside them. When we step onto bones, will we get to fight a bunch of undead hearts, livers and brains? It seems we still need to get across to the platform, as no other option presents itself - but I don't imagine it ending well."
"Thank you, 'Tasha. Let's see what we see, or find out that this darkness is as stubborn as the stuff we ran into earlier." Ajkanir tosses the pebble towards the center of the room, aiming to land it on the platform.
"I agree, Zahur, it's time to investigate that platform. Can one of you provide a little lighting out there? And does anyone have suggestions for getting to the platform, other than walking across the sea of bones?"
Ajkanir ponders the horrific sea of bones surrounding the platform, then muses aloud, "The first parts of the riddle - the dark and the light - attacked us. The second set, the elements, gave us temporary powers, and robbed us of some of our own abilities at the same time. Neither of those options sounds very attractive, if it has anything to do with these bones. We may get to fight them, we may get to become them - any preferences or predictions?" Shrugging his shoulders, Ajkanir follows Khol out onto the stone walkway.
Hello all - just wanted to let you know that I will be away Sunday through Wednesday, and in all likelihood without computer access the entire time. So I'll be jumping back in Thursday of next week - feel free to bot me as needed.
"I almost wish you couldn't read it, 'Tasha - I agree that we seem to have hit everything on that list except the 'lord of death.' Have to say, I'm not so eager to cross that one off, especially if we're just being used as tools to unlock something terrible." Ajkanir goes silent for a moment, before speculating aloud about what the 'lord of death' could be, seeing if he can't jog Zahur's memory a bit.
Ajkanir turns to the academically-inclined wizard and asks "Well, Natasha, what does this one say? Will we all be turned into boggards and have to do battle with an invisible basilisk?" Seeing the tiefling striding ahead, he continues, "Whatever it is, it looks like it'll happen to Khol first."
Ajkanir feels Zahur's divine blessing course through him, and he lands two devastating blows on the genie.
Ajkanir flies over the summoned stone wall and swoops down, attacking the Janni with two blows of his powerful arms.
Ajkanir's airy form whips and whirls its way over to the janni, and a whirlwind-like limb takes shape, sweeping towards the creature's feet and trying to knock them out from under him.
Sounds reasonable, and certainly less complicated. Though Elemental Body grants you bonuses to Dex and other abilities, as well as natural armor bonuses, so it seems they should play out in some way by affecting your existing abilities. But the spell doesn't really explain how, and it does polymorph you, so those rules should apply. Not trying to argue against your approach, just noting some odd aspects to the rules - I think your interpretation makes sense. In any case, I'll wait until after the Janni acts.
@GM - how should we handle attacks in our elemental forms? I assume I'm without my sword, since the polymorph rules say all my equipment would have melded into my body. So if I use the Large Air Elemental attacks from the Bestiary, should I just use its attack and damage bonuses? Or figure out what mine would be with the modified ability scores? And can I use Dervish Dance to add Dex to damage, since I'll be whirling around in Dervish fashion? And do my Crane Style feats still work? Yikes - lots of questions, sorry. It's a little tricky trying to combine a Dex-based monster and a Dex-based PC.
As the others question the Janni about why he has been bound into the lamp, Ajkanir pursues Razan's idea, about there being four braziers and four elements. He flies to the nearest brazier and examines it closely, before moving on to the others.
Ajkanir hears the watery wizard woman speaking to the creature of the lamp, and says in his windy voice, "I feel I can almost understand what you're saying, like it's a language I've known but forgotten. What's he saying, Natasha? And what are you saying to him?"
Ajkanir whooshes to the center of the room and floats above the dais, speaking to his companions, his voice seeming to be borne around the room on a strong wind that does not belong indoors, "Shall I rub the lamp and see what comes out?"
Following Razan's example, Ajkanir steps onto the tile depicting the full sail. If he is similarly transformed into a being of air, he will whirl around the room a few time, and then approach the door and touch the topaz, hooting with excitement as he flies.
Just wanted to let everyone know that this weekend I will be leaving to go here for work. I will be gone 2-3 weeks, and my internet connection will be very spotty indeed, and I’ll be on a very different time zone as well. I will post when I’m able, but if I’m holding things up, feel free to bot me as needed.
Ajkanir studies the symbols on the ground, and the gemstones in the door, then speaks up "Well, it seems like there must be some correlation between the symbols and the gems. The ruby must be fire, and the emerald is likely to be earth, the sapphire perhaps sea, and the topaz air? If that's correct, I'm not sure it indicates what our course of action should be. Hmmm, let's take a closer look at everything." Stepping around the symbols on the floor, he approaches the door and looks closely at the gems, looking to see if it seems possible to push, pull or twist them in any way.
Ajkanir walks along by Razan, blade drawn, enjoying the change in the air.
After Razan and Ajkanir brush past him and through the doorway, Ajkanir says "Well, perhaps you're right, that there is no need for protective magics..." He steps through the door after them.
"That may be true, Natasha, but if we stand here wondering about it, we know exactly where we'll end up. I'll go through the door. Is there any protective magic any of you feel would be appropriate to apply before I step through?" Standing immediately in front of the door, sword drawn, Ajkanir says "Ready when you all are."
"I'm glad to hear of this restraint of yours, Natasha. I look forward to seeing it some day as well." To the tiefling, he says, "Thank you, Khol, much appreciated. Shall we see what lies beyond the door?"
As he's about to step through the door, Ajkanir looks over his shoulder at Khol's remark, and sees the shapeshifter healing himself. "Another good idea from you," he says. "Mind giving me a touch with your wand?" Realizing what he has said, Ajkanir looks to Razan and Natasha and says, "Not a word out of either of you, okay?"
Ajkanir shakes his head and sighs, saying ”Khol, you’ve ruined things again. You puzzled out the candle mystery before we had time to hear the story of dewy-eyed Razan’s courtship – on a white horse no less! Ah well, guess it’s through this door to see what lies beyond.” He steps up to the door, looking to Natasha to see the results of her spellcasting. He then looks through to see what Natasha’s lights have illuminated, and steps through, his blade leading the way.
This looks like a lot of fun, with some cool character concepts thrown out already. However, I am resisting mightily and hoping I make that Will save, as I'm a bit overloaded in the PbP department at the moment. I'm only posting to say that I'm in another of Corvus' PbPs and he's a great DM - reliable, lets you know when he won't be around for a bit, very good at characterization and description, and inventive with situations and scenarios. And fun. Did I mention fun? [/heapsofpraise]
"Elreem, another job well done. You've defeated our foe, who had so bedeviled us, so that Razan and Natasha can get back to keeping us amused with bickering and innuendo." Seeing Khol move to snuff out the candle, Ajkanir drops into Crane Style and says, "A fine notion, getting back to solving this cursed puzzle. Let's hope we don't bring out another lurker."
Hearing Zahur's comment, Ajkanir darts to the candle nearest him, where he saw the shimmering light headed. He snuffs it out, using the extinguisher that rests beside it, and comes to halt in his defensive stance.
Presumably not being sentenced to the one-way-street hell of Boston again, then? Hope it's a good trip. |
