Ah, Fierce Ones! You return in glory once again! I hope your struggles against the Great Old Ones were not too taxing on your psyches?
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Professor Dirge considers carefully and long before accepting the nomination.... I will endeavor to serve in this capacity, if it is the will of the people....
I believe you will not be disappointed, Mr. Cox, once you see what the elves can offer to your efforts....
Cthulhu will not give us a week, Mr. Cox, I assure you.... I also assure you of this: with the magic and craft of the elves of Alfheim at your disposal, your progress will far surpass your expectations.... Imagine your "war-mechas" crafted of mithral or adamantine instead of Earth steel.... With circuitry of fabulous complexity, far beyond the art of human craftsmen.... Augmented by elven magic.... Dirge suppresses a grin as he sees Andy's thoughtful change of expression....
At Pandora's Box in the Canyon, in a great cavern in the side of a vast cliff, where various junked military and civilian vehicles in various stages of deconstruction are stored: I'm very sorry, Mr. Cox.... But I'm afraid you will have to abandon your work here and start over at our new location.... If you bring your plans, I'm certain you will find the mineral resources of our new home, and the crafting skills of our new allies, will make a new start well worthwhile....
Dirge looks at Yingzen for a moment, clearly impressed with the usually-silent tengu's eloquence. Well done, Yingzen.... I can facilitate transport for you and a few others to the Black Forest.... Or Merlin can.... He might be a better co-emissary to accompany you to visit the elves....
Dirge favors the brave young Navajo woman with a rare smile.... Thank you, Daisy. You are a hero among your people.... Your voice will be listened to and not merely heard.... He extends a hand to Daisy, which she takes, and with an uttered incantation, teleports away with the young cleric to try to convince the Navajo tribes to abandon their ancestral land and seek with Pandora's Box a new home elsewhere....
*sigh*.... It won't be easy, I've a feeling.... But my next stop is to speak with the chieftains of the Navajo peoples dwelling here, and try to convince them that their people are no longer safe here.... Dirge looks with weary, sympathetic eyes at Daisy as she weeps all over Radsworth's shirt.... I fear it would be best for your people to let go their old home and join us in seeking out a new, safer home, Daisy....
Before Derrik/Arthur has much of a chance to catch Koran up, Professor Dirge teleports in, looking more haggard than usual, and showing charred spots on his garments indicative of fire or lightning.... He surveys the scene, sees that the FOs are all alive and more or less well....
As Levinson is getting reacquainted with her adventuring ka-tet, Professor Dirge dimension doors in with Derrik in tow.... Ah, good, you found it, Levinson. I'm posting Derrik here with you as well, as my most recent divinations suggest that this spot will see heavy action from the enemy.... May your gods protect you....
Dirge appears via dimension door at the post where Derrik, Radsworth, Jewels, et al are, and speaks quietly to Derrik.... Derrik, I performed another divination this morning to try to glean a more accurate idea of where the attack will come.... Based on the result, which was by no means definitive, I'd like to repost you at another sight, if you don't mind.... I feel your prowess with Excalibur and your leadership will be needed more there.... Dirge extends a hand to Derrik. If you are agreeable, take my hand and I will transport us there with a dimension door....
We are glad for your safe return, and assistance in defending our home, Professor Levinson. I can see that your time under the Archduke's protection did not leave you untransformed.... I hope that your soul was not too....troubled....by the transformation.... Dirge seems somewhat concerned with Levinson's alignment and loyalties, naturally.... I wouldn't pry into your personal beliefs or devotions, and assume that whatever pact you were forced to make with the Archduke does not pit you against us in our fight against the Chaos of The Great Old Ones, whose dogma is surely just as deplorable to the Lawful Lords of The Nine Hells as it is to mankind....
Professor Dirge, Dr Hoffmann, Captain Kermit, Sgt Gore Illa, Prue and Sister Maria are posted at yet another likely approach....
Joins the dance, a rare smile on his face....
I fear we were only able to acquire the photos of the tower's exterior.... If there was still such a thing as the Internet, we would likely be able to find blueprints, but as things are.... I'm afraid you will be exploring the interior blindly. Most office buildings are more or less similar in design, however.... You can expect a lobby, with elevators that most likely are no longer functioning.... Access to upper levels will be by an emergency stairwell or two, most likely.... The top floor appears to be a single large penthouse room, for the most part....
Back at Pandora's Box in the Canyon on Teusday, April 23rd, Professor Solomon Dirge briefs The FOs in a conference cave, lit by gas lamps. He has a map of downtown Sarasota tacked to a cork board on a stand, as well as an envelope containing several photographs of The Silver Tower.... Street map of One Sarasota Tower vicinity.... The Silver Tower, formerly One Sarasota Tower, stands at the intersection of Tamiami Trail and Gulfstream Drive.... Dirge points out the tower's location on the map.... Some images of The Silver Tower.... Dirge passes the photos around.... It is a 12-story office building that has been converted into a fortress-temple dedicated to worship of Dread Cthulhu.... The Daemon-Lord of the Silver Tower is believed to be a piscodaemon, and is rumored to have been spawned by the Great Old One himself.... It is known to have dreadfully powerful and unspeakably evil advisors in its service.... We are quite certain that a chimera--a monster once thought to exist only in ancient myths--serves as door guardian....
Professor Dirge produces a case filled with aluminum scroll tubes from a shelf in the new Pandora's Box in the Canyon library. I took the liberty of selecting some spell scrolls for you, Professor Radsworth, and for you, Professor Mephos.... Sister Maria has selected some scrolls from the chapel vaults for Kate to use.... Dirge hands the following scrolls to Radsworth and Mephos to distribute between themselves: 3rd level--haste, fly (8), fireball (2), lightning bolt (2), summon monster III (2), stinking cloud, dispel magic; 2nd level--darkvision (8), knock (4), false life (2), invisibility (4), see invisibility (4), summon monster II (4), acid arrow (2); 1st level--magic weapon (4), enlarge person (2), shocking grasp, magic missile (8), summon monster I (6), grease, protection from evil. Sister Maria De La Rosa gives the following scrolls to Kate and Eagle-Feather to distribute among themselves: 3rd level--water walk (4), water breathing (4), summon monster III (2), searing light, dispel magic, cure serious wounds (4); 2nd level--summon monster II (2), lesser restoration (2), cure moderate wounds (6), align weapon (4), aid (2); 1st level--summon monster I (3), protection from evil (4), cure light wounds (8), bless (2).
Back at the base, Professor Dirge informs Merlin and The FOs that a small scouting party sent to Tombstone to investigate rumors of evil outsiders and cult activity there have fallen into enemy hands and must be rescued! Only one member of the quartet escaped--a beautiful young Navajo woman named Eagle-Feather--and she reported that the other three members fell under the spells of a demoness and a lamia after engaging and destroying a pair of magically automated scarecrows, and are now being held captive inside The Oriental Saloon in Tombstone.... We can supply you with scrolls.... I'm sure your spell power is quite depleted after the adventures you've already had this morning.... But time is of the essence.... I'm afraid we can't afford to let you rest even a single night, for tomorrow may be too late for Bear-Strong, Professor Levinson, and Yingzen.... Will you go, Fierce Ones, and try to rescue them? You are their only hope....
What brings you here to us at this dark hour, Master? Have you come to save us from Cthulhu and the great evil that has corrupted our world? Dirge's eyes are wet with tears of near-ecstasy as he gazes upon the Master of All Wizards....
Professor Dirge stares with wide-eyed amaze at the old man in the Armani suit. Merlin.... Merlin the.... Magician.... Who advised King Arthur?
Of course.... I'm not thinking clearly right now.... The adrenaline, mixed with the poison.... Dirge casts detect magic and scans each and every person at Pandora's Box, soon determining that Koran and Dwayne Lee are both enthralled by a powerful enchantment. Bringing both subjects to the library, Dirge retrieves several cached scrolls of break enchantment and begins using them in an attempt to free Koran and DL from the aboleth's domination.... Caster level check with scroll of break enchantment (CL 12th) versus DC 27, cast on Koran........fails to break the enchantment! Caster level check with scroll of break enchantment (CL 10th) versus DC 27, cast on Koran........fails to break the enchantment! Caster level check with scroll of break enchantment (CL 9th) versus DC 27, cast on Koran........fails to break the enchantment! Damn it! The enchantment is too powerful! None of these scrolls has worked....
You're right, Derrik. We can't stay here, but we can't keep hiding, either. If we strike back against our enemy now, perhaps we can catch them unprepared.... The first order of business is cutting off the enemy's means of spying on us. How did they track you back to Pandora's Box?
Fortitude saves versus giant wasp venom with +5 bonus from antitoxin ....
Ugh.... I'm not sure that was enough....antitoxin.... Sister Maria.... I think I will be needing your assistance.... I was struck by a few of these "ninja stars", and am quite certain that they were....coated with some kind of powerful paralytic.... I can feel my proprioceptors and equilibrium....are off....
Our enemies have finally found us.... The site is compromised.... We'll.... We'll have to pack it all up.... AAAH, damned venom.... I need....antitoxin.... Dirge hustles over to Hoffmann.
(After Grimm) Snarling the incantation through the pain of the poisoned shuriken, Professor Dirge points at The Great Shark and a bright bolt of lightning arcs from his hand to the master assassin, wrapping him in electricity! Empowered lightning bolt
Fortitude save versus DC 17 Large scorpion venom........ Strength damage.... Fortitude save versus DC 17 Large scorpion venom........ Strength damage.... Fortitude save versus DC 17 Large scorpion venom........resists....
Professor Dirge rises from the leather-bound easy chair in the library and incants the ancient words that teleport him to the recreation hall, near the open door, where he sees the four assassins standing over Kermit's prone body, engaged in combat with Grimm, Kate, and Hoffmann behind the bar....
Sitting in the library studying an illuminated manuscript copy of The Book of Eibon, Professor Dirge is startled by the sudden alarm raised by Kermit's air-horn in the recreation hall a few hundred feet away.... Initiative
I'd advise keeping your wits clean for this expedition, Dr Grimm.
"You think you're ready, but you're not." He glances at Radsworth with a weary look. "You might have to kill children, Rads. Can you do that? If a child that was just gnawing on his mom's leg looks up at you with hunger in his eyes .... Can you put the bullet in his head?"
You can expect to encounter hostile cannibal humans, who are likely to try to trick you with a show of friendship into putting down your weapons so they can more easily club you silly and toss you in the cooking pot. You might also encounter cultists, who will treat you much the same as the cannibals. If you have accumulated a lot of karma in previous debauched lives, you might even come face to face with occult entities. Do not attempt to parley with either. |