Olek floats towards Aengus to assist. When reaching the edge of the ribbon he vanishes in a puff of vapor and appears on the other side.
He lays his hands on the stone and begins to shove.
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Olek positions himself between Aengus and Thravum mainly for the sake of symmetry. Plenty of spells start with tracing a shape but none were performed well without proper symmetry. Olek stares down the creature; it still sizzling from it's recent introduction to the flame. The wizard points upward, to a space between him and Jorlitharr and his eyes flash. He speaks in celestial, "If you thought that stung you should see what he can do!" Olek casts phantasmal force. If the dragon fails a DC 15 int check it sees a hulking half-orc warlock floating above and between Olek and Jorlitharr. In one hand it wields a staff of skulls which appears to be devouring the very essence of the existance around it. His other is bare but it burns with fire.
Olek instinctively turns and wraps himself in his robes. He lifts his head surprised to not be effected by the impact.
Olek sees the dragon brush off Karl's spell with ease and swears under his breath. "Azuth's beard. Maybe we need to think bigger..." He floats his way toward the ribbon attempting to position himself between it and the dragon. He raises his arms and a fireball erupts above his head and hurtles toward the beast.
save: DC 15 dex save for half damage
Olek was slightly overwhelmed with all that happened in the past few minutes, but after Sighanna's assistance and Karl's spell he seems to have regained a bit of his confidence. He tries to explain what he understands in rapid fire speech. "I'm not sure how you all got here but no matter, you are all needed. That ribbon there is the same evil that's been manifesting itself on our plane. It needs to be severed. Jorlitharr, I believe those floating masses are the ancients from which your magic derives. If we could awaken them or drive them into the ribbon we may have a chance. Our friends are dealing with the same evil back home still. I'm not sure how to help them from here but we both must succeed. There are others who reside here and they may not take kindly to our presence. Be vigilant." He begins to make his way closer to the ribbon. At first using his staff traditionally like a walking stick, but something feels different. He grips it like a club, grins slightly, and rests it on his shoulder. As he walks he tries to feel Myra's presence. Fly to Haven's Cross. Find Bill...
“This place is also the graveyard of great cosmic beings. The Forces that created the planes through their sheer will, they live through the fair and devotion of sentient beings. When this devotion wanes, insufficient to feed these entities die, separating from their realms leaving a dry and rocky crag that floats through the Astral Plane for all of eternity. These husks have impossible weight. They’re a great cosmic opposite of these mists. Of thought. I think we may be able to force one of these drifting hulks into the ribbon, severing it’s connection and blocking the beyond from leaking through to the Material plane.” "There is a dwarf who has a connection with the earth like no other I have met. He could pull magic from it like it were a book. I've seen nothing like it. If he were here..." He pauses in his thought, could it work? "If he were here, perhaps we wouldn't need to force them into the ribbon, perhaps we could awaken them! Jorlitharr Deepflagon. He is probably still in Blasingdell."
"I'm worried about the others. I feel they may be outmatched. I know of many who could help but they are spread far and wide. The warrior dwarf Thravum, the bard Olias, even now my body is under watch by the notable heroes Sighanna Gemcutter and Aengus Deepflagon. Can we use our position here to create a tunnel from one part of the world to another. Without destroying all of reality that is?"
“We need to destroy the tablet here. And there. At the same time.” Oleksandr is filled with so many questions about where Karl has been and how he got involved in any of this but he pushes them aside. The thoughts serve his emotions and his emotions will not stop Dagon. The reunion is concatenated to a quick nod of acknowledgement and then straight to business, as if this were all normal. "How do we destroy it? Bill sealed it away on the material plane. It may be hard to retrieve."
Olek begins tracing the tip of his staff across the floor. He begins with a large circle around karl then another of the same size connected by an intricate braid. Onlookers only see a man scratching at the floor with a piece of wood but every movement seems incredibly deliberate. "I'm afraid to break his connection from here. He's been away too long..." He continues scratching at the walls and ceiling with his staff; ignoring any questions directed at him. "I'm going to find him and guide him back." He finishes his invisible drawing and reaches into his robes for a musty pouch. He pulls out a loose wad of strange looking roots and grasses and begins chewing on them. He looks to Thravum and Sighanna, "Toss a bucket of cold water on me if I'm not back in 10 minutes. I may be confused. It'll be longer for me." He then lays down in the second circle he drew next to karl. He syncs his breath and begins a slow chant. The walls and floor briefly begin to glow in a deep purple where his staff had just traced, revealing an intricate map of symbols and wards. It then fades and the chant ends. His eyes close.
Olek waves to Samuel and Sighanna. "It's been quiet." "That's good--where the devil is that bird going..." Olek, fixated on the owl turns to the bird on his shoulder. "Myra, fly." The raven launches from his shoulder and follows the owl.
Olek hands the books on working with mitrhil to Jorlitharr "I selfishly wanted to be first to read this information, but you'll need it sooner than I can make copies. I know you will keep it safe. Perhaps you can get a copy to the Haven's Cross library in due time?"
"I do wish to be departing soon. Immediately if possible. I've been searching for answers to Karl's disappearance for a long time and this owl's sudden arrival...the astral plane...I need to know what happened and I think the answer is back in Haven's Cross."
Olek opens his mouth to argue about the semantics of the word 'parse' but is interrupted before he can speak. "I'm IN the library...astral..safe for now..deep speech.." He is clearly taken aback. A look of surprised puzzlement crosses his face. "Mordecai?" He looks to his companions. "I think I know this owl. I need to return to Haven's Cross immediately."
"I agree with you. The knowledge in these books will surely improve these peoples lives. This mayor won't be able to make heads or tails of it though. It will take quite some study to parse and find the most important information. Let me takes these works to Haven's Cross where I have an a proper library. I will be able to consume them faster than the 10 wisest men in Blasingdell working together. I will have Myra deliver scrolls with where to begin and eventually have the entire work copied properly."
"I am Olekdandr Blackwind from Solnevo; across the great sea. I came to rid this mountain of an orc nuisance threatening the town of Blasingdell. I returned when I learned of the dragon making a lair here. By my account these evils have been vanquished. We entered this room to ensure no other malevolent forces are to follow us as ultimately we are seeking safe quarter on our return to our people."
Olek looks to Jorlitharr and ponders his patience for a moment.
Olek stands beside Jorlitharr, lights two torches with his mind, and tosses them into the chasm.
"Now what could that possibly be?"
"Oleksandr and Olias, can you finish identifying the necklace and the bracelet?" Olek picks up the bracelet and hands the necklace to Olias. He tries to discern if there are any dwarven runes engraved in it that may help in identifying its true purpose.
"We still have that room behind the large doors that we unlocked with the gems to investigate. I'm curious what it may hold considering how much effort went in to protecting it."
"Do it."
"Tell you what, I'll give you 3,000 gold for your share of the egg." "What are you planning on doing with it? If you are too destroy it then I do not want your gold. I can assist in buying out the others shares though." Olek gazes upon the treasures in the room with a concerned look. "This is all ours by right, but I do agree that blasingdell could use some support. We should evaluate the town's leadership though. I'd hate to see our gifts squandered by incompetence. Perhaps we could arrange for someone from the guild to help evaluate the needs and then arrange and oversee the contracts?" Then of course is the matter of getting this all out of here. News of this much wealth could start a riot." He's quiet for a moment. "I want to see what's in the other room."
"Has anyone spotted anyway in or out of here besides through the water? This may be the safest space in this mountain. I think we should rest for a bit."
Olek climbs out of the water and as he walks toward the others. His robes dry and clean themselves a little bit more each step until they are immaculate. His long beard (newly long, kind of dwarfy, has he always had that?) is cleanly combed and shaped into a slight point. He pauses for a bit and Myra pops out of the hood of his robe and perches on his shoulder. He offers to assist Jorlitharr in the removal of the claws. "I think if we dissolve some of the connecting tissue with some acid we may be able to more easily maintain the entirety of the claw."
Olek jumps back into the water and tries to swim into the dragon's line of sight. "You're not getting out this way devil snake!"
Olek raises both hands above his head and begins yelling in a strange language. A shimmering ball of blue energy begins to form between his palms. He hurls it at the dragon and it does not turn into rainbows at any point during the journey or after it disappears.
Olek lays his staff on the ground and reaches into his robes. He points two strangely shaped wands with eyes at the tips towards the dragon. DC 13 dex and Wis save: Fear: Targeted creature must succeed on a DC13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. Target can repeat saving throw at end of each turn; if succeed, end effect.
Slow:Targeted creature must succeed on a DC13 Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, speed is halved for 1 minute and can’t take reactions, can take either action or bonus action on turn (not both).
Olek pulls himself out of the water and continues north along the western wall. He hurls an icy chromatic orb towards the top of the dragon's roost.
Olek slinks carefully into the water and begins swimming towards the others. He will remain under water for at least another 6 seconds.
"What do you think, Olly? Should we join them?" "I wish we had a way of knowing what was going on." His eyes light up "Wait! I have a scroll I found in the manor which should help!" He unfurls a scroll and reads through it quickly and it bursts into a plume of purple smoke. He then whispers something into the palm of his hand. He shoves his fist into the water and points towards the tunnel.
message spell:
You point your finger toward a creature within range and whisper a message. The target (and only the target) hears the message and can reply in a whisper that only you can hear.
You can cast this spell through solid Objects if you are familiar with the target and know it is beyond the barrier. Magical Silence, 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood blocks the spell. The spell doesn't have to follow a straight line and can travel freely around corners or through openings. What Jorlitharr hears: Tug hard twice if you want us to come after you. Or tell me now. You can whisper one thought to me. Make it count.
Olek is crouched by the water, slightly nervous, gaze shifting between the rope, the water, and Olias.
Olek picks up the gem Jorlithar put down. He waits by the corner of the water with an eye on the rope.
"I'll need to be able to see the dragon to cast my spell. Take this rope. We can secure an end here around the cell gates. If you use it to pull yourself back you should be able to move faster than just swimming. When I see it start to get pulled on I'll know to be ready."
"Provided Jorlitharr can get the beast to chase him, and he can get back through in time, I could make the dragon think the exit of the tunnel is much longer than it is. And when she enters it starts collapsing on her."
Olek seems slightly obsessed with this puzzle of a room and continues to examine the gems while talking to Jorlitharr over his shoulder. "I like the idea of leading her back into a trap. Do you think you can out swim a dragon? Maybe we have some rope and Thravum could assist in pulling you back?"
"Hmm, this is curious but we probably shouldn't give that dragon time to rest. Perhaps we should return to pursuit. How deep of a breath will we need to get through that tunnel?" As he speaks he pries at the blue gem inquisitively, trying to see if it can be removed.
Olek tries to open the door.
"Oh..."
"God speed friends and be careful. I'm going to see if there's an alternate path to the lair. I'll take your way if it is a dead end." Olek is a little distressed with the group this separated. He sends Myra to keep an eye on Olias in case he gets into a jam (and so Myra can let Olias know in case Olek does). He fits the gems into the holes on the door. Topaz, diamond, sapphire, ruby.
*Splash* "What?" *Splash* "Merlin's beard..." Olek sprints across the bridge and turns the corner. He continues to make his way closer to the dragon and his two wet dwarf friends. Mid run after one of his steps he vanishes in a plume of fog and reappears on the corner of the floor closest to the dragon.
He pulls a goblet out of a pouch worn on his belt. He reads an incantation engraved on the side in a strange script. He looks inside of it, hesitates, and begins chugging down the contents as fast as he can. A red liquid drips down the sides of his beard. He chokes and gags a few times then wipes his mouth with the back of his robe and points at the dragon. He speaks in a hoarse voice, "I don't think you want to swim that way..." The mud mephits begin to crumple then distinigrate into thin air. Phantasmal Killer:
You tap into the nightmares of a creature you can see within range and create an illusory manifestation of its deepest fears, visible only to that creature. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes frightened for the duration. At the end of each of the target's turns before the spell ends, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d10 psychic damage. On a successful save, the spell ends.
The mud mephits take to the air and (dashing) hover by the wall on either side of the green aura.
Oleksandr curses under his breath as his first chromatic orb misses the dragon. He tries again, with a bigger, better, badder chromatic orb.
The eight mud mephits on the edge of the water begin slapping and biting at the dragon. They chatter and giggle like gremlins at an amusement park. mephit to hit:
mephit damage:
Olek runs across the bridge and hurls an icy looking orb at the dragon.
Olek finds the largest rock he can handle. Maybe the size of a small watermelon if available. He looks to the group. "Here we go..." He plops the rock into the water about a dwarf's leap away. When he releases the stone he says a word and his staff returns to his hand. When the stone hits the water he spreads his arms wide and above his head. The sound of the splash echoes a bit louder. As if the stone were significantly bigger.
Olek looks at his small army of mud men. "Olias, I think you'll need to create the illusion. You know the spell. I need to concentrate on keeping our new friends on this plane. I'll create the splash. Let me know when you are all ready."
Olek looks to Jorlithar.
He waves a hand over the hook. It feels sweaty and smells like dwarf now. "I'm going to create an illusion in the water making it look like Thravum is approaching with a spear. He may have been spotted earlier so this could be more believable and probably irritatingly invasive. Someone can throw in a few big rocks so it sounds like he just jumped in along with the hook. I'll create the illusion around the hook hopefully disguising it. Try to anchor it somehow so we don't get pulled in."
Oleksandr stares at the bubbling water with a nervous curiosity. He is preparing to cast mirror image if the dragon emerges. |