male
Just learned today that my wife's mother, who is 87, tested positive. My wife is not taking this well. Thank you edit, my wife's sisters, all but one of them, and her mother have been staunch Trump supporters and were convinced this was not serious from the beginning and now it is going through their families It is a bit surreal here at home where we, my wife and I, are isolating from everyone. We are both close to 60 and this is taking all our mental energy.
male
I am calling an end to this game - the summer has just been too much for me - three family members have now tested positive. I don't want to just keep everyone hanging. And, I have been away from Pathfinder for so long now that I am not sure I can even run the system anymore. You have all been great. Thank you.
male
I just came through two hard weeks. I like to think I'm an old, hard, seasoned guy that doesn't let anything bother me, but our family dog got a bad pressure sore two weeks ago and when I took her to the vet, the good doctor told us she wasn't going to live a whole lot longer. She turned 17 the first week of May. I've been caring for her three or four times a day for the past two weeks. Wednesday she finally stopped eating and drinking, and on Friday we decided it was time to say good bye. I bawled like a little boy all night last night. She was a good dog. So I spent the day cleaning the garage, does anyone know how to get dog blood off concrete? Got rid of her bed and blankets, cleaned the dishes and put them on the shelf. It's time to try to get back to normal now.
male
The gloom sees to distort all time. Ages pass in a flicker, and then the next moment hangs in the air as if it will never pass. There are no enchantments on the stone towers that flank the bridge. No sign of any guards either. If it were not for the light that shines in a window here and there high up on the castle walls, the place would seem to be abandoned. Approaching the bridge you can see it is ancient in construction, and of the best quality. There is little to do now bu decide to turn around, or cross the bridge to what appears to be the outer walls, and outer ward, of the castle itself. Vampires can drink wine and other fine liquors. There are Vampire clubs in Du'Orbna where the micro brewing trade has become all the rage. Nos' Four Oh Two, brew is said to be heady, and dark with oak-y undertones and a burnt cherry finish. There is no way to tell, other than asking the gods, what the lord of this castle drinks, when he entertains Ballar sees the lightning, and counts, One miss is sipping, two miss is sipping, three miss is sipping, but no sound of thunder comes, suggesting the lightning is far away and the rumble of the distant thunder is swallowed by the mountains all around
male
The group continues up and on along the mountain trail. The sky begins to turn grey, as dark clouds gather overhead. There is no wind. The stillness of the air and gathering gloom seem to suggest a storm is brewing. There is a dry feeling, and a crackle of lightning pierces high overhead followed by a low rumbling as if even the thunder is afraid to make a show here. The terrain becomes indistinguishable from one turn in the path to the next. The broken stone cliffs to the left and the right give nothing away and the sounds of your footsteps are swallowed by the dust and dirt on the ground. Suddenly, as the path takes a sweeping turn to the right, the mountainsides that were all around you give way and the way ahead of you opens up to what must be a vast plateau on the side of the mountain facing east. About forty yards ahead of you stand two round stone towers flanking the beginning of a long stone bridge extending to a mighty fortress on the very edge of the plateau itself/ A cleft in the plateau separates the towers from the castle, and the bridge is the only way to reach the huge structure ahead of you. It should be late afternoon, but there is no sun or no moon either. A grey pall fills the sky as far as you can see and lightning flashes on the horizon. There is no sound, not even the rolling thunder you heard earlier can be heard. The castle is enormous, and from where you stand you can see spires striking defiantly upward toward the dark cloudy sky. Two, three, maybe four towers can be counted but it almost seems that the harder you look to identify details of the castle the more its grey and black stonework and slate tiled roof dance among the shadows. There are no lights, but the outline of grate windows can be made out on the surface of the walls. There are no guards at the towers, no peasants huddled in their rags at the entrance of the bridge begging for scraps or a few coins. Nothing moves here. There is no sign of life. All is still, quiet, and calm, but it is the calm before the storm, that you can feel right down to your toes. Except Bud. Bud can’t feel his toes. Bud can’t feel anything. Bud doesn’t remember if he has toes. Bud doesn’t like getting caught in the rain. It is one thing when your cloths get soaked. It’s another when the rain gets on the inside and makes everything slosh around.
male
You are certainly an odd lot. Do you all normally talk at one another without replying? Bah, how would I know if what I can tell you is of use to you, or if my cubs are a match for you. I know this, it is uncommon for any weaklings to test the Vampire Lord's castle, so if that is where you are going, you must consider yourselves strong, or at least resourceful. I tire of this be on your way. Come, cubs, to the sky. We will hunt further down the mountain side. The manticore rambles in his peculiar way, grumbling between each thing he says, before taking to the air. His cubs launch themselves skyward and follow him as he disappears to the east, away from you. You can continue on toward the castle, or stop here for a brief rest
male
As Keryth gives a warning, Bud and Ballar are brought back to the moment and snack time is abruptly cancelled. When Keryth addresses the beasts Bud begins to remember just about everything you would want to know about the strange monsters known as manticores. They are not tremendosly bright, but they can be cunning, vicious, and cruel. They are known to be determined hunters and will devour any prey they think they can take down. These creatures can fly, in a rough fashion, not as agile as a dragon, and can launch a volley of missiles from their tails while in the air. Certainly the party outmatches these beasts, but a waste of resources now is not to anyone’s liking. ”Argraum,” the larger manticore roars. It is a language all of you know, the language of the underdark, and the beasts accent is the only indication that this world is not the world you call home. Argraum means, understood, but in a way that means a challenge is accepted. The beast comes to the edge of the cliff where it is perched and speaks again. spoken in the common underdark language that you all know, translated to standard common You address me in the tongue of the dark walkers. Do you think that impresses me? It does not. I see four travelers on the path to the cursed one’s castle. Not all armed for war, but garbed in the attire of those who practice arts of the magic users. Yes, I see you think you mean to bring me death, and I mean to teach my cubs how to hunt, this you are smart enough to gather so I will offer you a bet. My cubs will attack you with intent to kill, and if you are wounded you will pay me in gold or jewels equal to my displeasure at being denied a meal, but if you are not injured and wound them I will call them off, sparing me the trouble of killing you myself, and for your trouble I will offer information that I have that may be of use to you, and a reward in treasures. Let us say the amount is a thousand pieces of gold payed to the winner, and if you win, I will answer any questions you have that I know something about, and if you are the losers, in addition to the gold, you tell me why the vampire deserves to be angered by your visit?
male
Keryth: You look all around for signs of danger, your senses tuned for anything even the tiniest of out of place rocks or shadows. Up the wall on your right, sixty feet up you see two Manticores, about forty feet apart, while on your left, at eighty feet above you, a larger, older Manticore tries to hide on a narrow ledge between two piles of rocks.
male
The blue clad stranger strides past Bud and Ballar, following the trail that leads toward the castle on the peak in the distance. After a moment, the others decide to follow. A shiver runs up Ballar’s spine. With a simple gesture he calls upon a bit of divine magic and feels his feet become energized, lively, and sure. The path travels west, for a long while, then cuts back on itself and becomes steeper, going east and up at a good grade that puts a bit of stress on the legs. After a while the path curves to the north and enters a narrow gorge. Broken, natural rock walls rise up on each side of you and here the path is only fifteen feet wide, at its widest point. The path curves gradually, left and right, over and over again, as if maybe there was once a strong flowing course of water here that cut its way down the mountainside. The sky is overcast, but you can see well ahead of you, up to where the trail curves, usually no more than fifty to sixty feet at a time, and you can see up to the tops of the rocks on either side of you eighty feet above. It is quiet, and occasionally a few scattered pebbles rain down from above. When you look to try to see what may have caused this disturbance you can get a brief glimpse of a small rock chuck, which seems to be following you, but keeping out of sight. You enter a clearing forty feet wide, bare earth, with lose shale here and there, and eighty feet long. It seems like a good place to pause, and take a good look around. each of you that wants to do so, please make a perception skill check Is the DM just messing with you?: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
male
Someone leaves the room and heads through the large inn looking for a person to help the group get “underway.” A bottle of strong brandy, make that two, one for now and one for the road, is procured, along with lined cloaks, in dark green and grey are delivered to the inn upon request. Before the sun is at its highest point in the sky, the four of them, Ballar, Niversal, Bud, and a stranger who seems to resemble Keryth in many ways, are leaving the village at the lake shore and marching quickly up the road to the north. They have calculated that they will not reach the castle today, but have taken the time to learn that many small inns can be found at very small hamlets along the way. These little inns offer no more than one or two large rooms to rent by the night, and no questions are asked. The travel along the road is not lonely, but it is not as if it is a trade route. Occasionally a small family, keeping quietly to themselves, or a pair of rugged “outdoor” types are met along the way. Conversations are never more than, “Good luck, hope it doesn’t rain.” They have money, a good amount of coins in various denomination, provided by the innkeeper back at the lakeshore. They pay a small man five coins, they look like a gold coin of pure content, for food and lodging for the night. It is cool, here a little ways from the lake and slightly higher in elevation, but not yet cold. The next morning, under another bright blue sky free of clouds, the group sets out again. Now the outline, or form of a few tall towers can be seen, further to the north, and higher up the mountain. You walk for half a day, and make nine miles, which is something, and come, at last, to something that tells you the way you are going is correct. A sign at a fork in the road, one side says “Ilurtuvah- 18 miles” and points to the right, where the road levels a bit and heads almost a bit downward into a long valley, with sparse, but large healthy trees, the other sign, pointing to the left, toward a steep, narrow, path, not more than a goat trail, reads, “Castle Von Zarovich – 4 miles.” The way to the left is clear, for as far as you can see, but as you try to follow the trail, switching back and forth as it climbs up the mountain side, you see that eventually it enters a low hanging dark and mysterious fog, or low hanging cloud. Higher, above this mysterious fog, you see the castle, a large structure of tall buildings with high peaked roofs, and many slender towers stretching up into the sky like dark fingers of black bone. You are confident that if you keep going, you can reach the castle well before sunset. The castle sits on a projection from the mountainside, alone, dark, and quiet.
male
It's hard for me, so I apologize for that. But I just went back through the last few posts and do you all realize that no one, not one of you, declared that they, or the group, was going to actually do anything. You each talked about the importance of "doing things" and said, "we should do things" But no one said "I do the thing" or "I lead the group toward the mountain." so, you know, it's hard for me, and for that I apologize. I am updating the thread to incorporate "stuff" that was suggested, probably could have been done without incident, and will move the group to the castle of the vampire lord.
male
Looking down upon the people of this community you can begin to see that among what you can identify as the “locals” (farmers, merchants, and other town folk) there can be seen unusually dressed people whose garb is similar to, but not exactly like the others. You have a pretty good sense that these others appear to be dressed for colder weather, or are dressed in more expensive attire and travel in small groups hinting at the possibility that they are travelers here, in a more normal sort of way. There are folks dressed in hunting attire, as well as men and women with small pack animals who appear dressed as prospectors, surveyors, or explorers of the land. All in all the variety of attire is just different enough that you are certain you will blend in. When the letter of Keryth’s has been examined, taking note of at least one potential conflict in the area, it is clear that the island, and the temple on it, play some, probably small but important role, in the situation regarding the count and his mountain fortress, but for now it is probably safe to follow Keryth’s lead and play it close to the chest, keep a low profile, and stay focused on getting to the mountain castle and rescuing Jaquelyn. The windows of this room have a spectacular view of the small alpine lake to the west, and by leaning out a little and looking north, across the town where the dwellings get larger and there are fields of ordered crops being grown, you can see the mountains, a long line of them stretching from as far as the eye can see to the west, to the east and probably beyond, though the building you are in blocks your view that direction. Of the mountain range you can identify one particularly tall peak, and what seems to be a road winding up through the valley below the mountains to eventually disappear from view in the shrouded misty mountain side below the peak, which is high above even the scattered clouds to the north. Ballar: Your general knowledge of the vampiric lore of your own world would suggest that the vampire might not have trouble on the lake, but would not willingly cross a fast moving river or stream, but on this world you have no way of knowing this might be the case. One might consider using a divination spell, see if contact with your patron deity is even possible, and seek information through divine magic.
male
When Bud and Ballar open the shuttered windows they are greeted by the bright sunshine coming from the southwestern sky and a cool breeze coming in from the lake that spreads out in front of them. You are high up, on the third or forth floor of a large wooden building. Below the windows a lakeside town spreads out in every direction. Quaint and bustling with activity. The people are dressed for cool temperatures, wearing long pants and light wool coats or vests, and almost everyone wears a hat of one style or another. There are three to five blocks of buildings, it’s hard to tell exactly, between the place you are and the lakeside itself. Buildings are narrow and tall, with bright blue and red roofs of tile. The lake is not large, perhaps only a few square miles in size, roughly round, with a small island (with what looks to be some sort of castle or temple structure) off to the left. There are hills to the left of the lake, and more hills and eventually tall mountains to the right. Straight across from the view of the windows the hills on both sides come together in a long valley and a river, feeding the lake can be seen in that direction as well. The air feels thin, as if you might already be at a high altitude. It is cool, clear, and there is almost no wind. The surface of the lake is like glass, even though you can see many small boats on the surface (nothing seems to be moving at any speed, if the boats are moving at all). The town is busy, but not noisy. People below are moving about with purpose or standing in small groups talking quietly among themselves. Many people carry baskets, filled with produce, breads, or fresh caught fish.
male
Of course, Bud doesn’t smell anything and when Ballar comes near, unable to still his curiosity, he also smells nothing, which is very unusual. Using the fine perception of his ears, Ballar tries to determine what the viscosity might be of the liquid, or any other clues. As bud puts the Jug back down, a clear drop bounces out of the jug and Ballar recoils in horror at the realization that it is merely water. Niversal steps slowly into the long room taking in all around him. He can sense no danger, and can see nothing out of the ordinary, other than the closed shutters, the light of day shinning through the gaps in the frames suggesting the weather outside is not bleak, so why keep the room dark? The three allies exchange looks of simple impatience, and stand there waiting.
male
As Ballar bends down to examine the small blue magical creature, it notices his movement and reacts in a startled trumpet of its trunk and dashes to stand behind Bud, who keeps his eyes up, never acknowledging the event in any way. The Mirror is tuned and the portal opened. The heroes of D’Orbna soon find themselves in a long, dimly lit room. It has all the trappings of a lodge, or dormitory. The walls are made from brick and wood. There are four shuttered windows along the wall on the left, and on the right a single shut door. There are six beds, generous in size, along the wall on the right, below the widows, and on a table beside each bed is a lit oil lantern with a fluted glass to protect the wick from wind. In the center of the room is a long, narrow, table set with plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery, but there is no food. A single large, basketed ceramic jug, and six mugs sit at the far end of the table suggesting at least something to drink is available. The light from the lanterns gives a warm yellow glow to the otherwise empty room. The smell of fresh air comes from the closed, but not sealed, windows. The room seems to have no source of heat, no stove or fireplace, and it is a little chilly.
male
Somewhere else in the Studio, an elderly watchkeeper strolls through the display of Du’Orbna’s greatest fictional heroes, from stage and literature, and as he turns a corner to face the mannequin of “Captain Phantom” he stops in his tracks. The mannequin is bare, missing is the long flowing cape of blue and black, the long dark blue gloves and sequined “night avenger” mask. He gulps, and then says quietly to himself, “Man, I am so fired.”
male
Keryth: You are still in the same building with the others, just a few doors down, so unless you share with them the situation you have uncovered, you will probably have to excuse yourself for a moment, as everyone is getting ready to go, and sneak out of the building to buy the things you need - which can be whatever you imagine the costume would be, spending as much as 20 gold on it if necessary. A magical mask, similar to an opera mask, which produces a "non descript human male appearance" can be acquired for 50 gold pieces, but is only a party type prop, close scrutiny will reveal it is a magical disguise, the DC to notice the magic is 16, but there usually must be some reason to cause an observer to want to look that closely.
male
I'm sorry I disappeared on everyone. Real life issues and I did not want to come in here in the thick of it and start sounding like I was complaining. Right now everything is settled or settling down and I am ready to try to get going again, if everyone hasn't lost patience for the last time. I'll be posting some things this weekend. Thank you
male
Keryth: The figure looks left and then right, trying not to draw attention to them self while saying, "Yes, it is a pinnacle of the genre, I have something I think you need to hear, but it might take a while to tell you, so I wrote it down." The shadow elf holds out an envelope. "I think you should read it before you go."
male
Niversal:
You get a feeling that Keryth is wise to separate from the group, probably following up on a lead that requires a delicate approach, and you decide to let it go without another word. Ballar:
It seems obvious to you that Keryth has discovered something important and feels a need to keep a low profile as he investigates – there is something serious about the fact that he did not even bother to dismiss your comment, even though you know he heard you, and what’s with Niversal? Is he trying to cover up for Keryth’s absence? Are the two of them in on something together they are keeping from the rest of you? Keryth:
You enter the room and see it is not packed with people, but it is a popular display of antique pottery, and dinnerware – some of it is actually quite beautiful, and this means the room is not entirely empty either – the person you are looking for is standing in a far corner, isolated from others, with their back to you, apparently reading a display card near an exhibit of tall narrow blue glazed vases. I will impart some brief information to Keryth in a private message – for the rest of you I hope you are thinking about what you intend to do next. For clarity – It’Dupree’s speech to you will take longer than Keryth’s brief absence, when you decide to leave It’Dupree’s presence, he will be a few steps away from the room he snuck off to, headed toward you – UNLESS, the remainder of the group tries to tie up It’Dupree fro a bit longer – What do you do?
male
Bud, Zaehyra, and Niversal should now all do Sense Motive Checks. Niversal: Your group is not large, but it is a group, and among many groups visiting the Gallery today. As you make your way toward the meeting that is described above, you notice Keryth slip away, mingle with another group, then another, and then casually step into a gallery down the hall before you ascend the stairs.
male
Bud and Zaehyra: Your group is not large, but it is a group, and among many groups visiting the Gallery today. As you make your way toward the meeting that is described above, you notice Keryth slip away, mingle with another group, then another, and then casually step into a gallery down the hall before you ascend the stairs.
male
The halfling who spoke to Bud, comes back into the room just as Keryth is asking for the scroll and says, ”Is your friend alright?” She gestures with her thumb pointed back over her shoulder. ”This little creature,” she moves her hand forward now and points at the little blue, winged elephant on the floor, ”seems to be upsetting him for some reason.” The Elf who had been talking to Ballar turns toward Keryth and says slowly, ”I’m not certain that is a good idea and yet,” he gently places his hand on the scroll, not intending to pick it up, but as some kind of test. ”Peculiar,” he says. “There must have been some specific trigger that caused your dwarven friend here to be subjected to the compulsion he described, while I can detect no magic in this artefact at all. Then again, links to the deities of other dimensions can be difficult to identify with common magic.” He removes his hand and gestures to Keryth that it is alright for him to try and pick up the scroll, then waits to see if anything happens. When nothing happens, he frowns, and says, ”Very strange. Let’s take this information to Olivia, Miss Dupree’s personal assistant and if she determines it is important enough, then you can take the matter to the Lich Baroness herself.” A short walk up another flight of stairs and down a grand hallway leads the party to a gold desk and a middle-aged human woman carefully cataloging notes as she goes through a stack of mail. Ballar, Bud, Niversal, and Zea, please make a perception check. The DC is 10 Keryth:
It is while the party is being escorted by the five curators and the Dungeon Minion, to see It’Dupree that you slip away, seeing the hallway that leads to the gallery that was mentioned The elven curator briefly explains the situation to Olivia, and then the woman stands, and says, ”wait just one moment.” She enters a large door behind her, and returns almost immediately, ”Miss Dupree will see you now, but she asks that you be brief and please do not disturbed the dressers.” You are taken into what is clearly a large dressing room. There are several mirrors arranged in different parts of the room, and a small round raised platform is placed in front of each mirror station. At one of the stations, It’Dupree stands on the platform, surrounded by half a dozen people, humans and halflings, and these people are busy adjusting an enormous gold and green gown that It’Dupree is “trying” to wear. The dressers are adjusting, pinning, and making alterations to the layers of garments It’Dupree wears in a hurried but very profession tempo. ”Tell me about this trance,” It’Dupree says seeing your group in a reflection of a mirror without turning to address you proper. When you explain what happen to Ballar, she listens, only nodding her head slightly while the event is detailed and the message that Ballar delivered is repeated as best you can remember
”I don’t know that I understand everything in the proper context,” the Lich Baroness says. ”I’ll get more people on the research as soon as I return from the gala. Drat, I both hate and love these events. It is a dreadful pain to be sure I am dressed in something that won’t make the papers for all the wrong reasons, but at the same time I get an opportunity to learn first hand what is trending in our fair city.” The dressers lower It’Dupree’s arms and gently turn her around. She is radiant, even for a person who as been dead for a very long time. The dressers begin work on the back of the gown, and as It’Dupree faces you she says, ”There are connections here, clearly, and it is obvious that a powerful being from another dimension is working through the artifact to bring these connections to the forefront. A Vampire lord is gaining power in a country on the continent of another world. That world, by the way, we discovered is called Qtheria, the continent is Alodoa. This being, if it is a goddess, for some reason, is interested in my interference with the vampire lord’s plan. This could be to our advantage, or it could be an unnecessary complication. There is still too much to be uncovered, but this I know. There are elves of this world who are like elves of our world, both the kind that are touched by the fey realm and those touched by the realm of shadows. The power of these elves is not completely know to us, but it seems clear that there is an ongoing struggle that is directly related to this ancient goddess and the shadow elves of Qtherria, and it must be connected to this vampire lord in some way. Many puzzles to unravel, many,” It’Dupree’s voice trails off just as the dressers signal their work is through. Without any obvious signal, a small retinue of well dressed lords and ladies enter the room, and It’Dupree motions for the dressers to leave. ”I have no more time for you at the moment, and I was counting on you getting started as soon as possible in your attempt to rescue my associate, Jacquelyn. I will ensure the proper attention is diverted toward unraveling this mystery you have uncovered, but for now, complete your preparations and get started. I will be late at the gala tonight and will not want to be disturbed tomorrow. I hope the next time we talk you will have information for me on Jacquelyn’s condition, or you will have brought her to me as I requested.” As the well-dressed lords and ladies gather around It’Dupree making faces that seem to suggest there is a matter of pressing engagements to attend to, her voice, for the first time, begins to take on a cold, sinister, and uncompromising tone. ”We can spend countless lifetimes learning who has been wronged, what gods and goddesses believe their plans are being interfered with, but I will not have it. Get to the task I asked you to accept, or like the cowards before you abandon your commitment and never cross my path again. This choice was yours. See to it, or never speak of it again.”
male
The halfling in the room goes to the door, apparently attracted by something “Excuse me, sir,” she says to Bud, “is everything alright? You seem troubled by something. Can I help?” Meanwhile… Back in the room the elf who has trapped the book on the table while still in Ballar’s had listens patiently while he rambles. When Ballar is through he takes a breath and is about to speak when Niversal and Zae add more to the story. The Man lifts his hand from the book, giving Ballar a look that says, “you are welcome to read that, just don’t hurt yourself.” ”You say this scroll ‘took’ you someplace?” he says to Niversal, and then turns to Zae, “Normally I would say that is impossible, as none of us, even the minion, have the authority to interrupt Miss It'Dupree when she has strictly demanded she be left undisturbed, but you might have stumbled into something she will want to know about. Tell me more about how this device ‘took’ you someplace. Was it within the city? Within the building? Was it a triggered spell of some kind?” He then turns back to Ballar, and says quickly, not concerned if the information he is giving is understood at all, “Yes, tall sorts, yes this is an issue where Jaquelyn is being held, no, no one is doing anything about it, as far as we can tell, and no she is not fighting any elves. The origin of this scroll is a mystery on this world and how it came to be here is completely unknown. It was recovered from the temple where it was found because of its off-world properties but has never proven to be anything more than a brief tale of a old goddess and her triumphs against the forces that opposed her.”
male
The minion continues to play with the small blue animal, which makes occasional noises with its trunk toward the open door behind Ballar, while one of the Elves approaches Ballar with a stern look on his face. ”That,” he says as he tries in vain to gently put his own hand on the book Ballar is waving around until his actions begin to border on the farcical, and he surrenders to Ballar’s reluctance to simply hand the book over, ”is a scroll from the temple of Aonyr, from the northern islands of Athorosse. It is harmless, as all these items have undergone a power disenchantment ritual before they were cataloged into the museum here in the Studio. It has been identified as NOTW, not of this world, and probably has its origins on the world of the Qthria. It is an elven heroic mythical tale of a once power protective goddess, but the records we have indicate that she was imprisoned in a rebellion of deities on that world, and her diminished power may have led to a genocide of elven people that occurred, or may still be occurring on that world.” Finally when Ballar lowers the book close to the table, he has an opportunity to trap the book under his hand against the surface. Roll an opposed Dex Check, Ballar. The elf has Kitty Slap: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
male
As Keryth can easily tell that this is not a remarkably rare creature, and as he begins to wonder why there is so much interest in it, the words of the Minion clue him in as to why they are all so taken with the thing. Apparently, it isn’t the creature, itself, which is peculiar, but that it is able to enter the building at all, as keryth pieces together what is being said and comes to suspect that the building has special wards and protections against unauthorized entrants.
male
As Bud barges his way back out into the hall, Ballar approaches the table and as he asks about the creature innocently causes a mild disruption to the stacks of papers and books lying there. As papers are rearranged, one of the elves says as folds his arms across his chest, ”We don’t know, but it has been trying to get in for the past hour.” The other elf reaches to try and help Ballar while saying, ”Rather extraordinary creature, actually, it is not of this world and has a peculiar magical aura, which, for some bizarre reason is not triggering the building’s defense against extraplanar intrusion.” Soon the human woman loses interest in the little blue creature and recognizes the commotion at the table. She rushes to help saying, ”Oh, that’s my fault I was supposed to clear the table a while ago. I’m afraid we let it get pilled up a bit as we worked, and it wasn’t your fault at all.” Ballar:
You catch a glimpse of the scroll roller with the strange bull like creature engraved on the outer rims of the top and body of the cylinder as it comes out from under a heavy parchment. Near it there is a leather-bound book, it looks new, with a title in common, “Elven Deities of the Known Worlds.” When Zae asks about the small blue creature, the Dungeon Minion stands up, and just before she can say anything, Niversal asks if the creature is “safe”?
male
Ballar manages to approach the table without drawing attention to himself. When he speaks, the group around the table all stop what they are doing and look up from their work. The dungeon minion isn’t startled, but her expression is one of curiosity and annoyance. [spoiler=Ballar]You do not see the scroll, immediately, but there are many “layers” of unorganized things on the table.[/b] Zae peers through the door trying not to add too many distractions to the proceedings, while Niversal quietly enters the room and, taking one step to the right, gives the room a careful looking over. He doesn’t see anything that grabs his attention until his gaze falls on the window. His keen perception picks up some animal, a large bird perhaps, silhouetted through the curtain, standing on the window ledge outside. The halfling woman at the table is keen to keep an eye on the members of the group who enter the room, and when she sees Niversal, her face becomes stern, and her eyes latch on to him like a hawk, When she notices he has seen something in the window, she looks over her shoulder, lets out a heavy sigh, and says, “Syna, that thing is back at the window.” The Dungeon minion’s expression changes quickly to one of glee, and whatever answer she was about to give to Ballar is lost in her sudden excitement. “Quick, get the peanuts. I wan’t to see if it will come inside. It’s so cute I am going to die. Have you ever seen anything like it?” The elf on her right moves to a bookshelf and retrieves a brown paper bag, while the halfling hops down from the box and tiptoes over to the window. Drawing the curtain back you, who are in the room or are looking into the room, see a animal about the size of a large house cat. It is blue in color, maybe covered in fur or feathers, and it has wings, a large head, and a trunk. A trunk? The animal appears to be a winged elephant, no larger than a tabby cat. The creature is hunched, as if it has not enough room on the window ledge and looks in through the window longingly. The halfling unlatches the window, swinging it inward, while the elf throws shelled peanuts on the floor below. The creature looks downward, raises its trunk and lets out a trilling bellow, then leaps down, using its wings to slow its descent, and begins eating the peanuts slowly, one at a time. The dungeon minion is giddy with excitement, and claps her hands approvingly, then turns to Ballar and says,
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Ballar heads for the stairs on the left. The party follows, but for a moment Keryth lags behind. He has plenty of time to catch up, as Ballar and the pothers pause at a kiosk where a map of the second floor is proudly displayed. “You are here” the map declares with a shinning silver star, and from this position you can see the wings of the building stretching out to the right, left, and ahead of you ( behind you is open to the foyer below). The map shows there are exhibits in the west and east wings (left and right, while to the north is a twenty-foot-wide hallway, lined with posters and parchment notes, bulletin boards and announcement flags. Along the hall are doors. The map labels the spaces beyond these doors as, “research and study offices.” You quickly identify room G and are on your way. The door to room G is closed, but not locked or latched, and you can simply push your way in. Once the door is opened you see a large room, possibly thirty-foot square in dimensions. The walls are lined with book shelves filled with books of nearly every shape and size. In the center of the room is a large table, eight-foot square. The table is covered in papers, books, objects, scrolls, paper weights, and assorted other bric-a-brac. Around the table are five people, three women, one who is the Dungeon minion, and two men. The me are both elves, the common variety, while the other two women are a human and a halfling standing on a wooden box. Each of the individuals, including the minion, are bent over some object, paper, or book deep in study. The room is otherwise quiet, and there are no chairs. Across from the door, on the far wall, in a break between the bookshelves is a tall narrow window which lets in light. The light would be bright, but a thin gossamer curtain hangs in the window cutting the light down to a comfortable level.
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The walk back to the Great Studio is calm, and the day is pleasant.
“See the latest water colors from Dorvin Gul, third floor Oak Gallery”
At each booth there is a small crowd. People here are quiet, polite, and seem happy. Some folks walk around with pamphlets in their hands as they stare at the art, architecture, or just other people. While you move slowly through the main hall, you begin to wonder exactly what the process is for running down the minion when you need her, when right to your left another, younger, minion arrives. She is dressed in blue, a sharp pants and jacket combination, with black boots, and she is carrying a clip board. She is also wearing horned rimmed glasses (something new that the minions must have taken a liking to) and she address you all simultaneously
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As they leave this part of the city, Keryth looks back over his shoulder, catches Ballar's expression, and then looks past him at the old temples and fields. He knows this place, only in passing, and then shrugs it off as not important at this time, letting his mind focus on the scroll, and if he can remember what it looked like so that it can be identified once they get back.
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Zaehyra is unable to draw any conclusions. This particular part of the city is given over to older buildings, fields, and shrines which are protected more out of a sense of nostalgia than historic or religious importance. The site itself gives no clues about what brought Ballar to this place, but perhaps the scroll or its rollers can shed more light on the event. The group moves back to the Great Studio, this time at a more casual pace, and as they go it seems a good time to go over last minute details and preparations. There is little thought, in anyone's mind, that it would be possible, outside of the Lich Baroness herself, to find anyone who might know something about this vampire on another world. Though there are secret societies within the city that claim to have knowledge and experience in "hoping" between worlds, dimensions, or planes, these mysterious groups do not divulge what they claim to know for anything less than a small fortune.
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Keryth:
It isn’t a thing that is often spoken off, so easily slips from memory. Mulgar is an animated object when it is given sentience, such things are often seen as abominations. Elves, with similar physical and racial characteristics as the Und’ire, called Bharahine are sometimes, though not often, seen in D’Orbna. They are secretive, cautious, and seem troubled and lonely. Word is that they escaped slavery from the world they come from, Ahlar Dhora, and live in fear of being recaptured. Keryth knows the world of Ahlar Dhora only from legends and myths, but as he thinks about the situation at hand, it is not a long stretch from Ahlar Dhora to Alodoa, and possibly the legends and myths are about this other world. As to the spider-god of Ahlar Dhora, even is less is known this deity by any of the Und’ire. When Keryth slaps Ballar across the face, the dwarf is released from the enchantment he was under, if it was an enchantment at all. He stands looking confused, or rather, normal, for a moment before he speaks. |