...Well, Ms Nightsong, those gems are rare indeed. I shall help you identify the particular minerals when we have time.
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X...Xulthos? Did you say the name "Xulthos"? Ahhh, so this is how a Templar of the Five Winds has been moved to evil acts, such as dominating me with that crown: The demon trapped in the crypt by the Pactmasters! Listen to me. If the Daemon Xulthos has dominated the genie here you will all need to be extremely careful. It is true you must vanquish the demon before Kardswaan will be released from bondage. But trust me: the demon will not allow you into his chamber without you first passing through his minions, of which Kardswaan is now one! A true dilemma for true heros... The great rock man bends down over the earth. He waves his hand over the ground and a mineral spike grows up three feet high. The tip of this spike shapes itself into a crystalline key. He plucks it off and holds it out in the palm of his hand for the taking. There is no door on this plane made of earth or stone which this key will not open one time. Please, take it. With it I have no doubt you will be able to enter whatever chamber the demon has been trapped in.
Eosphorite is moved by your diplomacy attempts: Listen to me, all of you. These jackle-headed beasts have found a leader in the genie, Kardswaan. He is no easy foe. But you are right that he will send his whole army here. Water is precious and he will not forgive my treachery. Consider this proposal: I am willing to stay here a while longer. With the good Nixie's help we can distract the gnoll army when it arrives. While we do this, your party could sneak back down into the valley, and assault Kelmarane proper. It will almost certainly be empty as the army will be here at the pond. If you do this you are sure to find Kardswaan in the large stone building, the Battle Market, with but a few defenders. Though they are bound to be powerful, robbed of his gnoll army you may be able to overcome him?
Answering Hajar and Avenka: My intentions? Pah! Now i intend to return home. If I ever set foot on the material plane again it shall be too early. As the smallish fey lady steps into the cavern through the waterfall, Eosphorite looks over your shoulders at her, and lowers his head. A thousand apologies, mistress. I could never make up for the pain i've caused you. He looks around at you all: pain I've caused all of you.
Dhavyn senses an strong aura of compulsion enchantment, though he cannot identify the spells involved. He senses no subtrefuge. For goodness sake, sir, do not touch that thing! When the genie gave it to me I had no idea what it would do. I thought it was a gift!!
Hajar senses no ulterior motive. I am Eosphorite. I have been here for 15 years. I was wished here from my home deep in earth-plane, and crowned with that abomination! he points to the crown. Eosphorite waves a hand and the crystals subside into the cave. Outside you can hear the voice of the Nixie shouting for joy at having been released.
As the crown is removed the creature's facial expression changes. The spiked teeth and claws retract and the rock being takes a step back away from you. He holds his hands up. Easy, easy friends! I wish for no more trouble! He looks at Avenka, he does not struggle against her as she grapples him. You may release me now. I am no longer a threat to you since you have freed me!
AoO Vs Hajar for HIT. Map HP updated Will save VS sonic dazing As Bartan's spell sends it's screaching through the cavern the crystals shake. A few shatter here and there. The monster becomes dazed and stands very still.
-------------------- Monsters;dazed. can take no actions ----------------------
-------------------- Monsters -49; -1 str ----------------------
Vs Hajar for miss
Minerals of Mine! seal my enemies in time! The crystals shift, imprisoning Anjali...
-------------------- Monsters -26; -1 str ----------------------
-------------------- Monsters -26; -1 str damage ----------------------
VS Avenka for HIT
Come forth Rocks of the earth! Sheild me from my enemies! The crystals move...
-------------------- Monsters -9 ----------------------
monster howls at the magic missle pain.
The spirit of Vardishal anwers in your mind It's an outsider, earten, extra-planar. I have not seen one in a thousand years. They are noble creatures. These evil acts are very much out of character for such a being. Anjali moves to a place where she can channel healing on her allies if needed.
-------------------- Monsters -9 --------------------
-------------------- Monsters --------------------
Water cascades off the creatures stone body in shiny rivulets. It rises slowly from it's chair. Monster: It's fingers extend, becoming sharp spears of crystalline rock and it's mouth gapes open, it's teeth extending into jagged points. The crystaline structures in the room begin to shift and move here and there, melting into the earth here and thrusting up in new places! I will remove the nickle, copper and bronze from your very bodies. I will eat the very minerals of your lives!
init:
Monster CMD 20 (22 vs. trip)
The monster does not respond to Yazi. Obviously unaware of what she is saying.
Anajli can't decern much more than normal intuition would allow. And although visibly shaken by Avenka's shouts, the rock monster remains on his throne. He apparently truly believes he is the god-being Torag. He bellows: Do not dare to threaten me in my own domain! I am older than the oldest of things...where were you when I called forth the minerals I now command from the hot soup of creation?! As it speaks new stalactite spikes rise up all around you, not fast enough to harm you, but swift enough to be alarming, and the cave shakes in a slight earthquake.
Bartan can not tell if the being's crown is cursed in some way. At least not from this distance.
The creature does not register as evil. However, the gold crown on his head gives faint aura of evil. In my mercy I have seen fit to cooperate with the Genie Kardswaan, and provide life giving water to all the creatures and beasts in Kelmarane. Water this Nixie has denied sharing for too long. I, Torag, am merciful in this way...
Oh, she is well hidden my friend says the being to Khayal. You need not fear for her being lost.She may leave any time so long as she does not stay here in this pond. To Hajar: Kardwswaan the genie lord? Indeed. Did you know that most Janni cannot actually grant wishes? I was surprised when he wished me into this cavern. The being looks around at the crystals of the cave. It is a beautiful cavern, no? To Dhavyn: Me? Why, I am Torag. Do you not recognize me, the mighty master of rock and earth? As this being moves it's feet around on the rock floor they seem to melt into the stone. He, whatever it is, must be made of the stuff, and able to move through it as a fish moves through water.
MAP UPDATED. FLAVOR IMAGES UPDATED. As you step further into the room you see stalactite crystals growing all around. And up ahead you see a medium sized humanoid, appartently made of such crystals. He sits atop a crystal thrown and grins with crystal teeth under a golden crown. If you've come looking for the Nixie you won't find her in here, friends the old creature says.
Maltheus awakes from the amazing dream. All kinds of problems concern mankind, but he has been given a window into what the gods themselves are presently concerned with: none of them have seen Desna, and at least Erastin is worried for her... Maltheus feels his arms, his weapons, his inner spirit. Something has changed. And he knows nothing will ever be the same.
a god answers maltheus: The lord of the wild smiles. Then in his lowing quiet elk-voice, he answers your question. When you make a decision, o man, you become two men. ONE of you follows the destiny...the other deviates from it. That one is then upon the path of a NEW destiny. The reason you are confused about this quesiton is that you can never tell which one you are: the one who chose destiny, or the one who deviated from it. Neither of you can thenceforth ever see the other. The universe is thus splintered again and again, and as such is far greater, far wider than your small mind has ever dared to imagine. Now dare to imagine with me then, o man...how many of you are there since your birth? How many decisions have you made? And of decisions, which are only either/or? If you are listening to my answer, you may begin to percieve that creation extends farther than it is possible for you to understand. And now you come to the very question that we the gods ourselves have been struggling to answer for eons: who could make such a thing??? He smiles again, knowing the millennia he himself has searched for the answer to this, the great question. Take heart, Maltheus...let us make a pact together: if I find out before you, I will tell you who made everything. And if you find out before me, then you tell me! [b]Two questions left, Maltheus...Ask, that Old Dead Eye might enlighten you!
Spoiler: I have peered as far into the future as I can but all I see is darkness. Without the butterfly princess in our midst, all hope for the simple happy life may be lost to human kind. Maltheus, I have not taken a human being as my proxy for thousands of years. But the council of the gods has decided. Non of us so-called 'gods' are to intervene. There is a man among your companions who can help you. It is he who was marked by my Desna at birth. The two of you will not see eye to eye. Many times you will dissagree and I tell you, before the end you will both attempt to kill one another. Yet it will take both of you to unlock the final door. What that door is, I cannot yet see.
The elk creature looks up toward the stars. It's animal nature appears to take over, although this is not a struggle...simply a dicotomey to profoud for human words. He lowes at the night sky, and his breath fills the air with a gentle fog, which precipitates into a soft snow. Slowly his sentiant half regains control and he looks at you again, with compassion. I know you must have many questions. I shall grant you the answering of three right now...Ask! What is it you wish that Erastil, lord of the wilderness, would make clear to you?
maltheus: The creature's elk-face bends in what could be a smile. It turns away to survey the forest, pausing now and then as if it can hear the trees, rocks and wind speaking. A great evil is rising in this land, Maltheus. I was there, you know--10,000 years ago, I stood in the council of the gods and cast my vote: to send the star hurling from the sky and destroy the festering cities of Thassilon. Lady Desna and I blessed the farms and hamlets that grew up in it's wake. The land once again yeilds its fruits to the children of men. But this old threat now returns. An I have not seen Lady Desna in many moons. No one, not even us gods, knows where she is...
maltheus: The creature leans forward and breaths on you. The foggy vapor from the elk-head nostrils enfolds your face. Then in a voice low, humble, simple: Do you know who I am, Maltheus? It lowers it's chopping axe and puts it's hand on your shoulder. I have a destiny to give you, if you will accept it...
maltheus: As the man turns to face you you are astonished to see that he has the head of a mighty elk! What a moment before you had taken to be some kind of tribal head-dress turns out to be honest to goodness ivory rack of antlers. The elk-man regards you for a moment, then motions to a woodpile. If you deliver the wood as instructed, the elk man motions for you to sit down on the chopping block...the very block he has been cutting wood on! |