Hasnett goes white and looks from the bodies to Alkanis in horror.
"Did you do this? Because if you did, you have made me a traitor. I promised they would be safe and don't even start to tell me that death is safe. That's just word mangling."
Shaking and horrified, she turns away from the baby god.
Elohir looks very confused, unsure how to react. He reaches out a hand to Hasnett, but a moment later he looks at the hand with surprise, his mouth slightly open.
Irawaru narrows his eyes.
Alkanis grows again. "Melora's daughter, face me. This disturbs you. Very well."
The four begin to stir, as if waking from a deep sleep.
Hasnet spins back to glare at the god.
"Disturbs me,"
she screams,
"that doesn't even begin to describe it. You don't play with people, killing them and then waking them up again because that's the easy thing to do. I have no words for what you've done or what you're doing."
Shaking so hard she can hardly speak, the half-elf pulls herself together long enough to see if Ryne and the dwarves are going to wake as themselves, or if Alkanis has any other tricks up his sleeve.
Kneeling beside Ryne and the dwarves, Hasnett forces a smile for their benefit.
"Glad you slept well. I think you need to go back to the beach and wait there. We'll join you when we can, but don't wait for us."
"Ah, good, everything's better now," says Elohir with a grin, putting his hand down. "No dead people. Now we can continue."
"No. We can't. At least, I can't."
Hasnett gathers her thoughts. So much is wrong in this scenario that she can't really find words.
"Alkanis, why did you kill them? Was it to please us? Because I asked for them to be safe and this was the best way you could make them safe? Life and death are both your gifts, but wouldn't it have been simpler just to let them go to the beach in the first place?"
Elohir furrows his brow in confusion, but he tries to reassure Hasnett in the best way he can.
"It is okay Hasnett. He made everything better. It is up to each god to determine how they choose to rule their world and this is how he runs his. I know you are dedicated to Melora, but I bet even she would understand this. We cannot expect gods and immortals to conform to the misinterpreted morality of mortals. Now come, all is well and you must finish this journey with me. It has already been determined."
Aden's eyes grow cold, "To play twist fate and treat death like a play toy... I'm sure a goddess like Melora can see what's wrong with that."
Elohir waves Aden away.
"Toy with death, you say. Gods and mortal alike toy with death quite often, Master Aden. Do we not have rituals and spells meant to overcome death? Do the gods not lend their divinity to mortals who wield it to kill others? Are some mortals not raised up to divinity while others simply die? We live in a world where death and life are very much toys. We have taken a few lives ourselves since we arrived here, and those that escaped would have shared a similar fate if they had acted differently. Is that any different? Fate cannot be twisted to any major degree. Trust me, I would know."
Elohir pauses to catch his breathe and study his companions. Suddenly he looks very tired and his eyes grow remorseful.
"I grow weary of this," he says, and leans up against the cave entrance.
"I don't presume to know, but I do need to ask. Elohir, our journey matters, you know that and I will complete it. But I'm having a spiritual crisis here and I need to talk to Melora if she happens to be listening."
Hasnett keeps her tone calm, but there's no doubting she's distraught.
"Give me a moment alone please."
Without looking back, she heads into the trees.
DM
"Lady Melora, I need your guidance. This is a situation I cannot deal with. I'm placing myself in your hands."
"Rituals and spells used by the weak and scared, mortals and gods alike, to stave off the invitable. Death is natural and my mistress takes great care in dealing with those that would avoid fate."
"Some are lifted to divinity, but even gods die. The death of Nerull and the rise of the Raven Queen is proof.
Irawaru wanders off as the others argue.
"Storm comin'" he mutters to himself. "Storm's here."
"Rituals and spells used by the weak and scared, mortals and gods alike, to stave off the invitable. Death is natural and my mistress takes great care in dealing with those that would avoid fate."
"Some are lifted to divinity, but even gods die. The death of Nerull and the rise of the Raven Queen is proof.
Elohir sighs.
"Only more proof that none of this bickering really matters," he says with a faraway look.
He glances at the tome at his side with contempt for a moment, but just shakes his head rather than continue.
DM
Somehow, Hasnett feels that Melora may be expecting her to make up her own mind ...
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"Alkanis, why did you kill them? Was it to please us? Because I asked for them to be safe and this was the best way you could make them safe? Life and death are both your gifts, but wouldn't it have been simpler just to let them go to the beach in the first place?"
"They were dead when you asked, Melora's daughter. It was not for them to enter the cave and behold me. Now I have restored them." Alkanis still seems oblivious to Hasnett's struggles.
Hasnett steps away into the jungle.
DM
Hasnett bows her head in acceptance of the wise words.
Hasnett emerges from the jungle.
"Theology may have to wait. Shall we go on and find out what we're supposed to do?"
She looks reassuringly at Elohir. "It's fine. Still going to help."
Elohir lets out a breath of relief and smiles again.
"Very good, very good. Let us be off!" says Elohir excitedly, now showing signs of energy once more. "We have great mysteries to solve."
Hasnett squelches onwards.
Elohir is unexcited by the prospect, and just waits to follow Alkanis' lead.
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The mud is ankle-deep when Alkanis abruptly says, "Something is amiss. You must find Master Xan and deal with him. Take my blessing."
An instant later, all goes black, silent, and numb.
After an indeterminate amount of time with no sensations except dizziness, the five of you find yourselves in a cluttered office, with mud on your feet and facing a very surprised-looking Yon-Sin.
You all feel faintly nauseated.
Power (Encounter): No Action. When you hit a bloodied target with an attack which does damage, you may add 4 to the total damage done. You must decide to use this power before the results of the attack are resolved. This only affects one target of the attack.
Power (Daily): No Action. When dying, you may reroll a death save. You must accept the result of the second roll.
"Nooo!" screams Elohir at the top of his lungs. "No, I was there! I was so close!"
Elohir's eyes begin to blacken as his hysterics continue to rise.
"You!" he says, looking at Yon-Sin. "What did you have to do with this?! I was the on the verge of finding the answers I need to finish this accursed book!" continues the raving Elohir, waving the tome violently about. "Now what am I supposed to do?!"
Really like the boon, Pat. I'm guessing this is a DMG2 inspired power? I've been saving to get hands on a copy of my own for the last couple weeks. I like what I've seen from it so far.
I do have a few suggestions on how to tweak the powers though. For the encounter power, 4E seems to be steering away from having to declare certain powers before an outcome is reached. There were a lot of powers in 3E that did that but were ultimately useless because they rarely paid off. I have yet to see anything like that in 4E, but then again I don't have ALL the books. I don't think letting us choose when to use it would be too off-balancing. Maybe add that WE need to be bloodied to use it as well?
Also, the daily seems kinda weak for a level 8 item. I would consider making it similar to the cleric's "Return From Death's Door" utility power. If it was like that, then the trigger would be failing the death save, and we'd be allowed to also spend a surge. This sounds a bit more appropriate and heroic to me.
"No screaming. We talk."
Hasnett fights to stop the nausea, wins and holds out a calming hand to Elohir.
"After we talk, maybe we can scream. OK?"
Irawaru looks around and grunts before putting a huge hand on Elohir's chest and saying "Shut up."
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You each permanently have the level-8 Boon of Alkanis.
Power (Encounter): No Action. When you hit a bloodied target with an attack which does damage, you may add 4 to the total damage done. You must decide to use this power before the effects of the attack are announced. This only affects one target of the attack.
Power (Daily): No Action. When dying, you may use this power to automatically stabilize.
Comments? The encounter power was meant to apply after you know you've hit, but before you know if the target went down.
"Do not touch me!" Elohir shouts as he pushes away from Irawaru.
He moves into the corner of the office and glares dangerously at Yon-Sin. Elohir is breathing heavily and trying to calm himself.
"Found the most valuable thing on the island, hey? He didn't wants to come with us."
"He did want us to speak to Master Xan though."
Hasnett looks grim.
"May have my own problems with Wheat-Head, but atleast he's good arranging travel", Aden remarks to himself.
"Big spirit-fella." Irawaru says simply.
"Master Xan. Now."
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The ruffled Yon-Sin tries to gather himself, "Master Xan does not --," then sees Hasnett's glaring at him. "Very well, I will attempt to arrange it. For all of you. Where are the rest?"
Insight DC14 (he's clearly shaken to give things away so easily):
"The rest are on the beach, waiting for Captain Alice. We had alternative travel arrangements made for us. We had no choice. Believe me, nor does Master Xan."
Even her brief acquaintance with Alkanis has shown Hasnett that if the god wants Xan to be there, then he will be.
Elohir calms visibly and stands straighter, his eyes clear. He pushes some loose hair away from his angular face and looks fiercely at Yon-Sin.
"Take us to Xan."
Elohir follows closely, looking terribly unhappy with this turn of events.
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Yon-Sin follows you out to an outer office, occupied by a rather startled-looking human clerk. Yon-Sin signals him to stay put and you exit into the night. Looking around, you see that you are in the warehouse district, and you appear to have exited from the offices of a shipping and receiving company.
Elohir or Nature DC10:
Nature DC15:
Yon-Sin then leads you on a lengthy walk up to a wealthier part of town. On arriving at a gate in a high, long wall, the tall man asks you to stand out of earshot while he negotiates passage with the guard. "Passwords and such -- the wealthy tend to be overcautious, especially at this hour."
Irawaru mutters to Hasnett, "We ain't been no time at all. 3 or 4 days."
"That's what comes of tampering with the gods. Master Xan has a lot to answer for."