C'mon, the gods help those who help themselves... ;-)
C'mon, the gods help those who help themselves... ;-)
I'll memorize the spell when I wake up ...
Mikka will try to get back to sleep, resting for the last watch and preparing her spells at dawn. As she sleeps she dreams of being comforted in the warm embrace of Freya, but she also dreams of Boube, the god od Wrath and Volcanoes. As Freya strengthens and comforts her spirit, Boube speaks to he rage, giving her the tools to stike at her enemies, gifting her with divine Fire.
Rasina will come over to the spot where Montague vanished and look around for him, or any traces of his passage. She will not touch the cloth.
Assuming she does not find any trace of him, she will tell the rest of the group what she saw, and then take the last of her rest for the night. She trusts Cam to wake her if there is any urgent need.
Rasina, without touching the cloth, all you can tell is that it's crumpled on the ground.
Alia, you have a dream...
Covered in dirt and mud, aching and spitting blood,
Cursing, you stir to rise and groan.
Muffled in yet-to-come mutters a battle drum
Wolves don't usually walk alone.
Think on the battle-cost; this time the wolf has lost
Beaten and broken and blind.
Better beware, my lass; better prepare, my lass;
We were the least of our kind.
Prying your arrows cold out of our haunches' hold,
Pause to take stock, reflect, and rue.
Look on the damage here, done by a single pair;
What do you think a full pack will do?
Better beware, my lass; better prepare, my lass;
We were the least of our kind.
Careless we came by chance, joining in battle's dance
Slain in a fight we could not win.
Far-off a wolf pack hears; heads turn, with pricking ears.
Thought you, o archer, that we had no kin?
Better beware, my lass; better prepare, my lass;
We were the least of our kind.
Mikka, you have a dream...
The sun rises, and with it the favor of fire. You hear a crack of thunder, and directly beneath the sun rests an orchard, with an enormous oak tree. You can tell this is the same oak as you saw in the previous dream, sentient and ravenous. You can see its roots, soaked with blood. Windrazor appears and alights on one of its branches, oblivious to the danger...
The rest of the night passes without incident.
Rasina awakes from her sleep in a foul mood, and it wasn't even her moon cycle yet. Damn that Montague! Why did he have to be so stupid? Playing around with that accursed cloak, and now he was vanished, gods only know where! If she found him she would give him a piece of her mind. And then Alia...after she had called for the aranea's capture...
She gets up and meditates for a moment, refreshing her spells for the day. She knew she would have difficulty controlling her temper this day.
She approaches Richard, once he has finished his morning prayers, and says quietly to him, "I fear this day will not end well, if for no other reason, I am going to..."She clenches her fists in anger, and tries to make an effort to relax. "Our companions are rash, I fear, and they may cost us our lives here. Please tell me I am wrong, dear friend."
So, (a) are any spellcasters other than Richard choosing different spells to prepare today? (b) what, if anything, are folks doing about Morntegue?, (c) and what's the plan?
So, (a) are any spellcasters other than Richard choosing different spells to prepare today? (b) what, if anything, are folks doing about Morntegue?, (c) and what's the plan?
I guess if we were cautious of the cloth, couldn't we lift it up with a stick to examine it? (though it was held by aranea and montague as he picked it up before activating when 'worn') Maybe he just turned into a spider or frog, hidden in the folds of the cloth? (or the Gaseous Form theory)
I will get to specifying Durnast's spells soon. Were we waiting until level up until changing his opposed schools? We must be close to that by now, I'd think, given that demon swarm and monster were above CR as well...?
Durnast can also prepare IDENTIFY which gives a +10 bonus to ID items, which should help ID both the cloth Montague used and the "not-really-Divination" necklace...?
plus our characters don't know the CR, we just know that for once planning worked.
And we lost Montague, and killed a potentially valuable source of information. Not exactly brilliant strategy there IMO.
Yeah, but the PLAN worked out - can't blame if Monty got too curious after we finished off the situation. Obviously we can see how Grappling and Pinning the Aranea could have led to a captive situation rather than corpse situation - and Monty also didn't take advantage of making every attack non-lethal, which he could have. But killing a monster like this doesn't seem inappropriate to me, and we didn't even need any healing afterwards, so I think it's a job well done.
I guess if we were cautious of the cloth, couldn't we lift it up with a stick to examine it? (though it was held by aranea and montague as he picked it up before activating when 'worn') Maybe he just turned into a spider or frog, hidden in the folds of the cloth?
I will get to specifying Durnast's spells soon. Were we waiting until level up until changing his opposed schools? We must be close to that by now, I'd think, given that demon swarm and monster were above CR as well...?
Yeah, but the PLAN worked out - can't blame if Monty got too curious after we finished off the situation. Obviously we can see how Grappling and Pinning the Aranea could have led to a captive situation rather than corpse situation - and Monty also didn't take advantage of making every attack non-lethal, which he could have. But killing a monster like this doesn't seem inappropriate to me, and we didn't even need any healing afterwards, so I think it's a job well done.plus our characters don't know the CR, we just know that for once planning worked.
And we lost Montague, and killed a potentially valuable source of information. Not exactly brilliant strategy there IMO.
DM
Alia wakes up from this strange dreams at dawn and spends a little time contemplating the rising sun, trying desperately to find a link to the nature in this forsaken time.
"I had a strange dream. The spirits of the wolves we killed yesterday were warning me. They were telling they were but a small part of a bigger pack with more powerful ones at their head. And that we should prepare. I don't like that at all. But where is Montague ? and what are you all doing round this cloak ?"
When she is explained what happened, she turns thoughtful.
"This cloak is magical, and stays here after use. I think it can be a way to escape to a safe place. Which may be inside the tomb. Has anybody tried to call inside?
With that statement, she climbs on the tomb to the fissure and first listen inside the calls for Montague.
Yeah, but the PLAN worked out - can't blame if Monty got too curious after we finished off the situation. Obviously we can see how Grappling and Pinning the Aranea could have led to a captive situation rather than corpse situation - and Monty also didn't take advantage of making every attack non-lethal, which he could have. But killing a monster like this doesn't seem inappropriate to me, and we didn't even need any healing afterwards, so I think it's a job well done.
Montague,
I haven't asked you to build a new character yet, which is something, but I can't provide you with any more clues about Montegue's location until the party ... does something. It's plausible that you might appear in the deep ethereal plane, or your next impression may be on the mesa-top, a hundred years in the future. Or maybe you'll show up five minutes from now. I don't know yet; it depends on what they do.
If something like a weird plane or large time jump does happen, though, I'll have to stat up a new character.
--+--+--
Quandary,
You are not all that close to going up in level. (Medium advancement in Pathfinder requires an additional 16,000 xp to rise from 7th to 8th level.) I'd place you folks about halfway there.
If you want to change Durnast's opposed schools, go ahead.
--+--+--
Alia,
You don't hear anything from inside.
--+--+--
Everybody else,
Just a hypothetical, out-of-character question: how were you planning on keeping a powerful, shape-shifting, sorcerer under wraps, once he were to wake up?
"Damn, nothing from here." says Alia from the top of the tomb.
"Richard, you planned to ask question to the corpse. Then ask him what the cloak or brooch does. Then how to undo that."
"Well, I guess the next step would be to try entering the tomb, like we were going to before, maybe Montague is in there, trapped somewhere. If Richard cannot get the answers from its skull, Durnast, do you think you can identify the cloak?"
Richard, are you, in addition to the restorative spells, praying for speak with dead?
Durnast, are you preparing identify?
And Llaelian:
Listening to Alia describe her dream, Mikka nods puzzled znd a bit disturbed.
"This place is alive, all part of a festering living thing that feeds on every good thing that dies here. It is hungry, it is vast and it is old. A twisted corruption of nature. I have seen it in my dreams as well sister. We must be ready, we have the desolation's attention now and it will throw everything it can muster at us."
Just a hypothetical, out-of-character question: how were you planning on keeping a powerful, shape-shifting, sorcerer under wraps, once he were to wake up?
I don't know, kill it? ;-)
(seriously, if we wanted to do something like that, we would want to tie them up them first (does that use the CMD of the tie-er now + some bonus?), then have one (or more) people stand guard readying an action if they try to cast a spell or do anything (for swift/stilled spells they could use while tied up). but killing them is simpler)1st: 6+ 2x Identify, 2x Mage Armor, Shield, Grease, Detect Undead(+)
2nd: 4+ Rope Trick, 2x Scorching Ray, Invisibility, Detect Thoughts(+), Pearl of Power 2
3rd: 3+ Fly, Fireball, [open slot], Arcane Sight(+), Pearl of Power 3
4th: 2+ Dimension Door, Rainbow Pattern, Detect Scrying(+)
The Scrolls I also have available:
0th: 2x Light
1st: Alarm, 2x Grease, 2xMagic Aura, Detect Secret Doors, Detect Undead, Disguise Self, 2x Endure Elements, 1/2 Protect/Evil
2nd: 2x Resist Energy, Invisibility, 1/2 Glitterdust, Minor Image, 2x Darkvision, Mirror Image, Protect/Arrows
3rd: Fly, 2x Prot/Energy, Water Breathing, Gaseous Form
4th: Greater Invisibility
I'm leaving an open 3rd level slot, because it seemed we might try to go inside the crypt with Gaseous Form, which I have on scroll but I figure until we KNOW we don't need a 2nd person to use it (to rescue, etc), it's best to keep that option open. If we don't need a 2nd Gaseous Form, I will probably memorize Invisibility Sphere.
Durnast will cast Identify on both the necklace and the shawl before Richard prays:
If I get a good idea, Richard need not prepare Augury... So make that 4th level slot worth it! :-)
(I don't know, maybe there's another good use of Augury?)
In the morning light, Durnast asks some of the newer companions what exactly they ran into in their crypt they had found earlier, and what they expect to be happening in the Desolation from that experience.
Listening to Alia describe her dream, Mikka nods puzzled znd a bit disturbed.
"This place is alive, all part of a festering living thing that feeds on every good thing that dies here. It is hungry, it is vast and it is old. A twisted corruption of nature. I have seen it in my dreams as well sister. We must be ready, we have the desolation's attention now and it will throw everything it can muster at us."
"In that case I think it is imperative to find access tot he tomb, as it may have resisted the encroaching evil, somehow."
In the morning light, Durnast asks some of the newer companions what exactly they ran into in their crypt they had found earlier, and what they expect to be happening in the Desolation from that experience
"Rasina, I think we we're meant to ally with these people, rash as they may be."
"For I do not think we will have survived crossing the Desolation with just the three of us."
"Let's see how far we can go, if all goes completely out of line ... we can still decide to split up."
Richard then goes about casting his lesser restoration and prepares his speak with the dead spell.
Durnast will cast Identify on both the necklace and the shawl before Richard prays:
Each of the gems --now pale yellow and growing slowly deeper orange-- is set to trigger when impacted forcefully, like thrown on hard ground (probably not effective in the silt of the Ashen Waste). It produces an evocation-based protective field, but the dwoemer looks messy enough to cause force damage to anybody standing nearby. (So, they're beads of force, whose aura the PF SRD had listed as "divination" for some reason; it looks to be corrected now.)
When you lift the scarf, you can feel something inside. Upon examination, it's a small cloth doll, about as big as your hand, sewn to look like Montegue. Examining the aura of the item, this appears to be its purpose, to cast the analogue to shrink item onto any Medium or smaller individual wrapped in the shawl. The dwoemer seems entirely placed on the cloth; removing the Montegue doll from it ought to restore the monk to his normal form.
Rasina turns to Nadeq,"So , do you want to arn wrestle for the amulet Mikka is willing to give to one of us?"
When you lift the scarf, you can feel something inside. Upon examination, it's a small cloth doll, about as big as your hand, sewn to look like Montegue. Examining the aura of the item, this appears to be its purpose, to cast the analogue to shrink item onto any Medium or smaller individual wrapped in the shawl. The dwoemer seems entirely placed on the cloth; removing the Montegue doll from it ought to restore the monk to his normal form.
"Let's do it and free Montague. Then I suggest we go forward to the north. We are supposed to find the caravan from Bard's gate. The one sent by Montague's employer. This tomb will not move and wait for us."
"Let's do it and free Montague. Then I suggest we go forward to the north. We are supposed to find the caravan from Bard's gate. The one sent by Montague's employer. This tomb will not move and wait for us."
Rasina, feeling somewhat guilty for her thoughts on Alia earlier, replies, "Very well, If you think that is wise, I will follow your lead on this. Hopefully this tomb does not have any additional suprises in it when we return."
"Let's do it and free Montague. Then I suggest we go forward to the north. We are supposed to find the caravan from Bard's gate. The one sent by Montague's employer. This tomb will not move and wait for us."Rasina, feeling somewhat guilty for her thoughts on Alia earlier, replies, "Very well, If you think that is wise, I will follow your lead on this. Hopefully this tomb does not have any additional suprises in it when we return."
"No one ever told me I was wise. But I will do what's necessary to reclaim that land one step after the other. For now let's follow Gurg to the ambush site."
"Agreed. The pyramid will wait."
Mikka looks out onto the terrain and takes a deep brath, halted by a crackling cough. She closses her eyes for a moment then briefly encants a spell in the ancient langage of the druids.
Richard casts speak with dead on the aranea's head?
If Richard declines to do so, don't read the following:
As he realize they are not going to enter what he can only assume is a tomb filled with treasure his jaw drop ”But we just agreed..” he starts, but quickly accept the futility of trying to convince these fierce independent women he is surrounded by.
If they decide to continue he will sulk for the next couple of hours.
Rasina smiles at Nadeq, "Don't worry , we shall return here later, I too am burning with curiosity about this tomb."
"Let's do it and free Montague. Then I suggest we go forward to the north. We are supposed to find the caravan from Bard's gate. The one sent by Montague's employer. This tomb will not move and wait for us."
Alia takes an arrow so as not to touch the cloak with her hands and separates the doll of Montague from the cloak.
Hey, Montague! It's about an hour-and-a-half past daybreak suddenly, and everybody standing around in a different configuration. No ethereal plane; no missing years.
Regarding the caravan, has anybody thought to ask Gurg about his quest, now that he's no longer suffering quite so badly from the effects of the parasites?
Rasina smiles at Nadeq, "Don't worry , we shall return here later, I too am burning with curiosity about this tomb."
Rasina sighs, Sometimes, it is a curse to be beautiful. I really don't want to talk to that giant. Putting on her most winning smile like a mask she is accustomed to slipping into, she approaches Gurg, "So, Gurg, is there anything you want to share with us about your quest?"
Gurg looks at Rasina carefully, and his voice is like the long roll of distant thunder. "There is a song the giants sing, "Pokkello bobb ka-karello." It means something like "Going to claim my brothers." (It has a story to it, but that is a star-story, not to be told during the day.)
Most of the Pounders are ogres, smaller and punier than giants. But they were my chosen kinsmen, my 'comrades', the same way you are with these humans. And the day before yesterday, me and the last Pounders --Kalak, Beliad, Neezal, and Beralak-- was hired to be the guards of a bunch of humans who wanted to cross the desert, and it was our job to kill anything that attacked us. We walked into an ambush. We --
"I think the Pounders died. I remember walking back to Camp, 'cause I think it was the motherless orcs who set us up. But now, I'm back out here, pokkello bobb ka-karello.
"The monk over there, the humans in the wagon worked for his boss. It makes sense that the Pounders and them are together. So, maybe we go to the same place."
Alia looks over Montague trying to see if he's still himself.
" This cloak turned you into a small doll version of yourself. How do you feel ? Can you remember anything ?"
Is Richard indeed speaking with the corpse of the spider-dwarf? If so, what would people like to ask?
Rasina, is there anything else you'd like to ask Gurg?
After a night's rest, where is everybody, in terms of hit points?
Alia, Montegue is still getting his bearings as you ask, but it seems he was utterly senseless during his time as a doll.
We should ask the spider dwarf what he has found in the building and where is that lich in the Death fields.
Rasina, is there anything else you'd like to ask Gurg?
"Gurg, do you remenber anything about what ambushed you? What creatures were behind the ambush? Also did they use sorcery or other fell magic against you?"
Alia, that's a good set of questions. Let's see if Richard does, in fact, cast the spell.
--+--
Gurg shakes his head, impatient at Rasina. "No, I was riding my opprocor, my 'rage', as you call it, and I sometimes don't remember much about those rides after they pass.
"I do remember there was a big gang of them, and I think they had wings like a bat."
Artimus, polishing his helm nearby, volunteers, "We setled Gurg down once he made it back into camp, and tended his injuries. Aside from the effects of exposure and exhaustion, he had taken several attacks from large talons, each of which had been augmented by severe acid burns."
Gurg smiles wickedly, "I do remember we had just left the white sands, and had seen the first of the lava springs. We were all on alert, because the craters belch big black clouds, which made it easy to stage ambushes. And the wagons made a ton of noise, so we weren't going to sneak through."
So, let us assume that Richard does take the ten minutes and cast speak with dead:
Head: "Where am I? Who disturbs Kolscillisk?"
Richard: "You are called back, O Kolscillisk, to answer for your transgressions, before you may meet your final reward. Answer true, and you may earn some greater ease in the afterlife. Tell us, what did you find in the tomb?"
Will save, DC 18: [redacted]
Head: "I found the central room to be a relatively safe lair in the midst of the Desolation and I lived there in seclusion, leaving only when I wanted to hunt or to explore the surrounding area. There's a double door on the north wall, but there's some sort of enchantment on it and I never tried to open them. There's some sarcophagi in there, but I've never seen anything ever come out of one except for those unliving creatures, and I had no interest in ever dealing with those. I was content to leave well enough alone and used only the chamber as a secure safe room against the dangers of the surrounding area. There's also a mess of shattered glass and wood in the center, still radiating some magic."
Richard: "Where is the lich in the Dead Fields?"
Head: "King Kroma? He roams here and there, always at the behest of his masters in Tsar. Lately, the filthy little creature has been leading his warband beyond the carrion bird nests, in the foothills of the mountains."
Knowledge: history or nobility, DC 20:
Two more questions.
Alia looks over Montague trying to see if he's still himself.
" This cloak turned you into a small doll version of yourself. How do you feel ? Can you remember anything ?"
Montague blinks rapidly at the loss of time in doll shape. He looks at Alia and nods hat he is OK. He then looks at the cloak, and scratches his head. Looking back at Alia, and the rest of the group, he shrugs and says.
"That was a hell of a thing". then begins stretching, cracking his joints, and looking about, with a sidelong glance every now and then at the cloak.
Rasina murmers to Richard, "Ask the spirit about Kroma's masters, and also whether he has ever been to Tsar. Knowing exactly where it is located, would be helpful as well"
She turns to the rest of the group, "Somehow I do not find it a coincidence this Kroma creature starts to stir, and the caravan is attacked soon afterwards."