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Post by dragonforgotten on May 6, 2019 14:05:46 GMT -5
"You can run but you cant hide little pests! Come and meet your makers!" Ctuth roars shake the very caverns themselves. Ive bearly returned to consciousness as Grahz slams the secret door behind us. Not a moment to soon but theres no time. Run! Run! RUN! We burst through the other end of the secret passage to see another long hallway with a door at the end, a dead end and another tunnel leading to certain death. "Let go forward! That door must be a way out!" Karsi pants as we scramble out of desperation. "No it isn't. It takes you to the cliffs back to the main chambers. It's a big bloody circle back to him." "Over here! Quick! " It's Ulrich, he's cast a rope trick of his own right in the spot of the dead end. Perfect. I love that spell. We all shimmy up the rope and proceed in the familiar fashion of tucking our legs in and sit around the little square window looking down into reality. The chamber bellow vibrates as the dragon stomped through the room only to turn around unaware. Finial, i can breath now. I let my head fall between my knees, light headed from exghustion as i sipping a potion waiting for my strength to return. I hand three to Karsi. The three Aria gave me before destiny called her away to parts unknown. I feel like these dragon fights take years off my life and i already am living off borrowed time as is. My eyes start to droop as my hair shrouds my face, just a quick nap. I nod off, caught between half aware and half asleep, everything is blissfully quiet, contrasting the chaos we will face. ........ Suddenly a flash of clarity strikes me as i watch from third person as Morrigan creeps to Ulrich then to my side and i see her and feel her trying to worm her fingers into my chest holsters near my underarms containing not only my seal skin purse but my gems as well. Possessed by an otherworldly rage i grasp her hard by the hand, yanking her arm forward roughly till she inches from my face staring into my now steeled slitted eyes. There is no forgiveness in stealing my hoard. "You little theif." I speak with level clarity and focused rage, clenching harder as she whimpers. "You steal from my purse. I will snap the bones in your delicate fingers. One. By. One. Are we clear." the demonic anger suddenly drain right out from me and i'm back to my sense as i release her hand. No one tired to save her from my wrath, they were all thinking the same but i was out of line. I breath out through my nose. "if you needed money. All you had to do was ask." suddenly i notice Karsi is missing and below through the window is her, getting beaten up by cultists. Oh hell no. "well talk about this later." and a begin the decent swing and landing behind Karsi summoning six magic missiles. I can already see karsi has taken a page out of the white dragons book.The ones throwing the orbs seem the most dangerous. Then i see her, the unarmored female elf. 'I got you Karsi." I unleash the missiles as they all strike true weakening the strongest among them. Ulrich and every joins into the fray. Runar grabs Karsi in a.. well. Questionable position. I have my face in my hand. This is why no one takes us seriously, so indecent. At least she looks better. Ulrich shoats over the chaos. "Are you Galen's wife?" "No. I'm taken, sorry Galen." She says snarkily. I cant help but chuckle. Ulrich shoots her twice, and then throws a shot. The woman smirks. "My turn!" She summons a bow, and then shoots Ulrich with some kind of energy arrow. It hits, but the second shot does not. What the hell was that? i recognize that energy, Karsi throws it at people all the time but never have Ive seen it take on such a focus shape. Is she also a warlock? It's hard to say. I didn't even consider Tiamat would even gift powers to humanoids. "Where is the wyrmspeaker?!" i yell to her. "Fools, I am the wyrmspeaker!" She laughs. Ah, perfect. might as well satisfy my curiosity. "How do you ride the dragon? I've never seen anyone do it!" I lay it on thick waiting for her to take the bait and she falls for it in her arrogance. "Any of you want to ride a dragon, slay one of your party members and swear fealty to Tiamat, and you can too!" So, it is tiamats pact that allows them to ride dragons. I laugh, humored. Does she actually think I will buy into her C****, let alone anyone here. "Been there done that." I pull down the collar of the sweater to reveal the tattoo. Doesn't get a response. She's doesn't recognize me, does this mean she knows nothing of Green, one of my missing friends back in my cult days. "BAHAMUT!!!!" Grahz yells in rage, charging the wyrmspeaker. S**** i'm running out of time. I need to get a name before Grahz bisects her. "What is your name?" "I am Neronvain!" The elf responds with arrogant pride. her pride is quickly cut short by Grahz and the fear in her eyes is apparent. It feel great. She begins to retreat but unfortunately she is able to escape our sights as she enters the room with the dragon. We'll met again, Neronvain. Immediately i start handing potion after potion to Karsi. Thank Sarvas Aria gave me her potions after departing on her gods mysterious mission. It's decided that the pincher attack will be an effective move against the dragon, so range on high, fighters bellow. Karsi Joined me on the ridge with Morrigan and Ulrich as she sent her ghost to investigate the water. As we past the statue i stopped, thinking about the elven mage. I kneel down the the shrine and place a golden coin in its pool staring into its tear stained face. Karsi joins me unsure. As a believer in Savras and former fanatic of Tiamat i understand her hesitation. I fear Tiamat's retribution. "I need your help. Even though i am human. I wish to avenge your unfortunate children for becoming Tiamats puppets." I feel something wash over me that i cant quite place, similar to the effects of my water breathing spell. I look at Karsi to see her eyes go wide. "I can breath water" This is a surprise. I didn't think my call for aid would even work. When chad doesn't seem to bring the dragon to the surface of the water Karsi sends her in and knowing how often this happens to Dusty, she's not coming back. We part as Karsi joins group A as group B prepares for blasting. Charley ever brave and impatient does a bold move. He approaches the water and starts kicking and stirring the murky water. I cast Haste on him, it's been awhile since I've hasted. he immidantly feels the effects. "What did you do?" He yells out to me. "I casted haste! You should be feeling a lot stronger now! Don't question it and fight my Champion!" The dragon erupts from the water as escaped right in front of Charley. "Prepare to meet your Doooom-!" Suddenly the dragon tips back ward, cracking his head onto the island behind him and then slumps and sinks back in the water, vanishing from sight. Here were all are staring at that amazing show. Did that dragon just slip and die? Maybe i should pray more often. Not believing a little bump on the head would kill the dragon we prepare again for his entrance. I wont blame him for taking his time. He can take all the time he needs. That must have been a mortal blow to his ego. If the fall didn't kill him his pride is definitely assassinated. You prepare that evil dramatic entrance, waiting for someone to show up, only to f**** it up. oh wait here he comes. Once agin bursting out of the water and roars with rage but we were ready. Everyone takes a cut out of the dragon. the dragon breaths poison and some in the group but they manage to shake it off thanks to Morihan. Haven been magically enhanced, Charley cuts a swath on the dragon and from way up here it looks painful as he shrieks tries to lash at him with his tail. Charley with his super powered reflexes to slide right under it. He laughing like a mad man enjoying the rush. "Yesss! how to do like that b****! how about another!" He lands three devastating magically divinated blows all the while hamming it up. The dragon is so scared of this riod raged paladin he continues to swing and swipe with his tail but all miss till one lands. The force was so powerful it nocks his helmet off and leave a deep cut into his perfect sculptured face. "Fool! You've only made me more attractive!" I throw a fireball at the dragon and it stumbles back and for a split second i feel like am my old self again. "I feel so aliveeee!" he yells between slashes. I forgot why i don't haste so much, it always goes straight to their heads. "Thats great! Just remember you'r going to crash in about." I check my internal clock. "30 seconds." "WHat! What does that mean! Why didn't you tell me this before casting it?" "Well no one wants to here about the side effects now do they!" With one last attack the dragon turn tails and dives back in the water. karsi as determined as she is jumps in after it, then so does Charley and i can only ask dusty to hover over the water to make sure there alright. I start making my way back to group A. By the time i got there the Karsi is climb onto the shore with Charley. She tells us the dragon is gone, there was an underwater passageway. Everyone is little peeved about Ctuths escape but my biggest concern is still out there. We must find Neronvain. Morrigan, still up on the ledge, shouts to the dragon about Tiamat being the illegitimate child of a kobold, trying to draw it out. Suddenly the claw marks on my chest burn uncomfortable. I stiffens letting out a hissing. I feel the pain of that insult and a spike of anger not my own, straight in my soul and my throat tightens. "That cuts deep! I don't even follow her anymore, but I'm a little offended." Suddenly Charley drops to the ground looking frail and helpless groaning as the effect leaves him. "Just shake it off, you'll be fine in like (checks internal clock) 1 minute." i call out to him only to receive a groan. "Tiamat is my new friend, we're tight!" Karsi says joking. "What?!" Our good cleric snaps. "I talked to her! She was nice." "She contacted another plane and Tiamat hijacked the call. Wasn't her intention." I explains to Mohrryn as delicately as i can then give her a scowl. "Its not funny, Karsi." she wink at us and walks away. That girl has a death wish if she thinks strutting around Tiamat doesn't has a steep cost. I guess i'll have to get uncomfortable close to her just so she doesn't get pulled in like i did. I wonder where are they right now. Are you and everyone even still alive especially you, Red.
Omen the Farighted
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Post by Chris on May 8, 2019 12:36:05 GMT -5
End Nightal 21 8:01:5 am, 1489 DR; Year of the Warrior Princess. Selune is waxing crescent. The Rise of Tiamat Chuth and Neronvain escape Chuth's lair pillaged Galen confronted A Father's lament Metallic Dragons, Arise! Third Council of Waterdeep Xonthal's Tower The Cult Strikes Back MVP = Dave Bussiere as Grahz Our plays on RPGGeek.com rpggeek.com/plays/thing/162998?userid=1168080
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Post by Aileen on May 8, 2019 17:15:12 GMT -5
As we stand in the cavern debating where we are going to go, the dragon erupts once more from the pool. Neronvain is on his back this time. Chuth roars, Neronvain flips us the middle finger, and they fly away towards the waterfall exit. Grahz pursues, throwing a javelin at the elf, but they move too quick. As we join him around the corner, they are already gone.
I lean on the cavern wall, dizziness and nausea hitting me. These dragon fights are no joke! Omen comes to my side.
"Do you have more healing potions?"
I shake my head.
"No. Next time we're in town, remind me I have a thing called money and I can buy potions with it."
"I can do a cleric spell!" Omen says.
"You have cleric spells?!" This girl surprises me more and more every day.
She gently smacks me in the face, and I feel a little better. I laugh.
"You just heal slapped me!"
It is very clear that all of the enemies in the lair are dead or fled. We stand by the pool as Omen ritual casts water breathing so we can check out the underwater tunnel. I don't have that kind of patience. Before anyone can stop me I make a running leap into the water, splashing a bit more than necessary before diving down to the tunnel.
I swim up into a room and emerge from the pool. There is not much treasure, just a big pile of coins and bars. I lay in the big copper pile, examining one of the gold bars. It has the stamp of Baldur's Gate. The rest is silver, platinum and gold. Ten minutes later the rest of the party joins me, and I roll off of the coin pile.
We carefully search the room as Runar counts the money and puts it in the bag of holding. A small secret passageway, too small for a dragon, is found. In it is a shrine with an image of white eyes in the wall, and a small basin. This is a shrine to Fenmarel Mestarine, God of outcasts, scapegoats and solitude. The ranger takes a liking to it. There is a journal, and Grahz hands it to me.
"It's in your tongue, read it!"
I read from it out loud and it is clear that it is Neronvain's personal diary.
"... my poor father, King Melandrach. She's a princess!"
I read further.
"Well, my information was correct. She doesn't have the green dragon mask because it is already at the well of dragons. It says the mask is under the protection of Severin, and ready to be assembled into the Mask of the Dragon Queen."
I hand the journal to Ulrich, who wants it for some reason, after checking to see if she wrote anything raunchy in it. Nothing good.
"I'm going to check out her bedroom!" I call, leaving through the door.
We find the lavishly decorated chamber easily. There are lush, rich carpets, a mirror, tapestries of woodland scenes, a chest, and most importantly a really comfortable looking bed. I dash in the room, meaning to jump on it, and immediately get hit with acid. It just grazes me as I pass, but it hits everyone else. Runar is pissed, as he and Ulrich took a full blast. I fling myself on the bed, and it is clear from the disapproving glare Runar is giving me that there will be hell to pay later.
The ranger goes to the chest and tries to pick it. Runar and Omen have the most skill in this type of thing, but they hang back and watch. That's what happens when you don't get to know your party as many of us have. He opens it, but hisses in pain as something pierces his hand. It doesn't seem to bother him further, though, and he starts going through the stuff. It's mostly decorative elvish make stuff that seems to have been stolen from the village. We decide to bring it back to Altand to return it.
In the storeroom we come to on the way out we find a lot of alcohol and food, as though they were preparing to keep a large force here. There are eight bottles of Evermead, the prized liquor only made in Evermeet. I am tempted to take a sip but my stomach recoils at the thought of it. Too much poison for one day. It's going to fetch us quite a bit of money, so I put my bottles in with the rest in the bag of holding.
We pass the bodies of the ettins, and the belt one was wearing as a sash stands out. Omen straps it on, and goes to try to lift one of the Ettin bodies. She lifts, groans in pain and drops it.
"That won't do," she says, taking it off and rubbing her back.
Runar takes the belt and identifies it. He is getting snippy and salty that we keep doing things without any regard for safety or asking him to check things. I thought he knew me better than that, I always leap without looking.
"This is a belt of hill giant strength." Runar announces.
Grahz and Charlie both want it. Grahz is our rage machine, so we vote to give it to him.
"That's alright. I have God on my side." Says Charlie.
I go to the poolside, calling for my friend.
"Chad! Chad, come out!"
I never saw the shade die. She just flew into the pool.
"Karsi, Chad is gone," Omen tells me "You will get another, don't worry."
"This one was so brave!"
Why am I crying? Over a specter? Omen sighs and claps me on the shoulder, pulling me towards the exit. Shes been there done that with Dusty so many times, and he always comes back.
We go outside and Zoltan comes happily back to me from the woods. He must have seen the dragon and wyrmspeaker fly away, but we are not equipped to chase them even if he could point the way they went. We venture back to Altand with no issue, no sign of more spiders or even the druid. The citizens of Altand are happy to have their belongings returned from the lair, and even happier when our paladin gives them a generous donation. We go to visit Galen.
Omen tells Galen the dragon got away, and he pales. He is not surprised when we tell him that the wyrmspeaker is Neronvain, King Melandrach's daughter. And then he breaks down. His wife did die in front of him (we don't tell him about what we thought in the lair and the ranger's disguise), and he had found himself face to face with Chuth. He made a deal to sell out the surrounding villages if they would leave Altand alone. He is beside himself with guilt.
"You did what you had to do to save your people. You had to make a deal to survive, that does not make you a bad person."
I have to hide my face as I am once again brought to tears. I've never heard a better thing come out of the Paladin's mouth. Sometimes you have to make deals to survive, or for the greater good. I busy myself visiting the raven, and let Zoltan check out his friend. I think I may be losing it, I never cry this much. Maybe the dragon fight knocked my head a little too hard.
Charlie confirms that Galen is telling the truth and that he is no longer communicating with the dragon. I manage to get some dried corn from him for my own raven, so Z is a happy boy now. We decide to spend the night in Altand and port to Waterdeep the next morning, courtesy of Omen.
"I have to tell you all something," Omen says when we are all getting ready to rest in the building provided to us. "The Well of Dragons, I remember it. Personally. I was there once. That is where Tiamat is going to be risen from the nine hells."
I had already been half way to falling asleep before Omen shook me to tell us this. I sit up, groggily.
"I know, that was in the book I read in the castle."
"What?"
"Yah, the one about the ritual to raise her. A mass sacrifice and the Well of Dragons. I may have forgotten to tell you all that part."
"Yes, I believe you did."
"You've been there?" I ask.
Omen nods sullenly. I'm not sure she wants to divulge more information on the subject, but I know her history. Some of it, at least, of what I can piece together. Sometimes she scares me, and I remember someone from long ago... the memories are always fleeting, though.
"Red took me there once." She says.
The next morning we stand in a magic chalk circle drawn by Omen, and I annoy her by telling her it's more of an oval. Before she can slap me, we appear in Waterdeep, at the council chambers. They happen to be in session, and are glad to see us.
"We found the Wyrmspeaker, your grace," I tell King Melandrach. "She is your daughter, Neronvain. I am sorry to tell you this."
Ulrich gives Neronvain's journal over to the king, and we see him break before our eyes. He looks to age many years in one moment. The council is glad we drove off Chuth, but a few are angry we didn't kill him. We would have if we could.
They have a new mission for us. A new visitor has come to the council, a beautiful silver haired woman named Elia, true name Otaaryliakkarnos. Apparently she is a silver dragon disguised as a person. The men are all staring at her. Even Runar. I feel my blood boiling. But dammit if she isn't the hottest dragon woman I've ever seen.
We are told there is a metallic dragon council and we have been chosen to meet with them due to having no strong alliances with one particular faction. Their Ancient Draconic Rite of Council has been invoked by Protanther the gold dragon. They are in the Nether Mountains which is over 600 miles from Waterdeep, so Elia tells us she can carry us on her back but we have to go right now. It takes me a moment to realize she means when she turns into a dragon, and clearly Charlie is confused too as he sizes her up.
We agree to go, and go outside to the street where Elia transforms into a majestic silver dragon. Omen had been trying to hide behind me the whole time we talked to Elia, even though shes taller than I am, and now shes really nervous about riding the dragon. I am too. The only dragon ride I've been on was in the claws of a massive red one, and the fall that happened after. We get on her back, and she takes off.
The ride was shockingly smooth, and she flew low enough so we wouldn't freeze. As we flew quickly over the lands of Faerun, we could see the devastation of the war against the cult. Below us battles raged on, but we could not aid them as we were needed in higher places. I felt intense guilt seeing the armies... I was there only years ago. I had lost my old life on one of those battlefields. Much has changed since then.
The Council of Dragons sits on tall thrones of stone, and we are brought before them, dwarfed in comparison to their magnificence. Protanther, the great gold dragon, is wary of us human and elf types. He speaks of humans and elves having far too much power for their size, and about blighted creatures gaining power from making deals with dark forces. I feel his eyes bore into me and Morrigan in turn. I seem to be everything he dislikes about humanoids- an elf and human mutt and a pact with the goddess of death. I decide it's best to keep quiet.
Despite not liking humans or elves, Protanther is willing to make a concession if one who speaks for elven kind will write an apology. I briefly consider writing "sorry" on a piece of parchment, apologize on behalf of both humans and elves, but then I think of the perfect person
"What about King Melandrach?" I suggest.
"Do you have contact with King Melandrach?"
"Yes. We just met him."
"I will consider it. You do not speak for elven kind."
Yes, I know that. I've lived with being part of two worlds all my life. Not quite human, not quite elf. The other dragons make their cases, and we try to plea with all of them to prove humans are worth fighting with. They all have something they want, and we make promises to try to turn them to our cause. King Melandrach we are certain we can get to come talk to them. There is also a dwarf on the Council of Waterdeep who has armor made of dragon scales stolen from a hoard. They want the armor back and an apology from him.
Nymmurh the bronze Male dragon likes humans and elves, and believes good and evil is everyones choice. He also knows Dala Silmerhelve's family and likes the Order of the Guantlet and the Harpers. I'm in the Order, somehow, and Runar is a Harper so at least we have that pull. And I made friends with Dala Silmerhelve so even better!
The copper female, Tazmikella, had her lair robbed by swindlers. She fears the factions turning against them, and wants to make immediate strikes against the chromatic dragons as all interactions with humans have been disastrous. She turns to Grahz, and tells him that the bracers he is wearing belonged to her. She took them from a black dragon that had stolen them.
Grahz hands them over, and I feel my heart drop. Those had been Kovatch's. That and Zoltan were all we had left of him. Even the dragon is surprised that he handed them over. Grahz holds up his medallion.
"Everything I do is for Bahamut."
Ghraz launches into a speech about how we have all been betrayed and the enemy is targeting humanoids as well as being made up of them. We have to all work together, and it's not just what we or they want, but what Bahamut wants.
Apparently he was a dragon, a golden dragon... but he failed Bahamut, and got sent back as Grahz the half orc barbarian. That's why he is so obsessed in doing things in Bahamut's name. I never really understood until now.
Protanther mentions that in destroying the Cult, we could gain considerable wealth. He asks what we would do with such incredible wealth.
"I would not lie to you," Omen speaks up. "I would use it to become more powerful."
All of their eyes turn to her, and I fear the worst. She talks of her plan to make a school and rehabilitate cult members.
"I am flawed. I have done terrible things. I am trying to make up for what I have done."
"If I were to gain such wealth, I would give half of it to dragonkind," Runar says. The other half I would put towards rebuilding our own world."
Tazmikella thinks Runar's offer is good, but the other dragons want more. After deliberation, they make it clear they will not settle for half. They want a third. Runar agrees, it seems a fair deal. The council ends, and they have sided with us with the promise of them getting treasure and us sending the elf king and the dwarf to make amends. Tazmikella hands the bracers back to Grahz.
"Perhaps you have heard of the generosity of dragons?"
We all nod yes. I honestly don't know very much about dragons other than they are always trying to kill me. The announce they wish to give us some boons. Three arrows of dragon slaying... odd that a dragon would carry such things.
Omen makes the mistake of mentioning looking for people with tattoos of Tiamat. Like hers. The dragons ask if she has such a mark and are displeased, and she admits she does, but that's not her anymore. She shows them, and I fear we will lose their alliance.
"Do any of you have tattoos of Tiamat?" Asks Protanther.
We all shake our heads.
"I have an old drunk mistake tattoo of a raven," I say, and then expect to be engulfed in dragon fire.
"Who doesn't, dear?" Laughs Elia.
"I charge the rest of you to watch this one!" Booms Protanther, gesturing at Omen. "If she turns, destroy her."
"Yes, sir." I say with a salute.
Protanther turns to Charlie and presents him with a shiny suit of plate mail. He gives him a lowdown about being a just and good person blah, blah, Chad stuff. It's armor of lightening resistance.
"I would be honored if you would wear it."
"I would be honored to wear it. Thank you."
The council finally dismisses us, and Elia will come back with us and remain on the council of Waterdeep. Grahz even gets to join the Metallic Dragons as their representative. Elia whisks us back to Waterdeep, and we arrive as they are still in council to report our findings. They are pleased at the results, for the most part. Least pleased are King Melandrach and Brawnanvil the dwarf, as they have to go make concessions with the council of dragons.
While we were gone, the council of Waterdeep received a letter from a defecting cultist named Iskander pleading for rescue. He claims to have the blue dragon mask and will turn it over if we go rescue him from Xonthol's Tower. The council let's us know it is pretty far away, but they can teleport us close by. Also, the only way to the tower is through a hedge maze. Sounds like fun. Not really.
We are given a night off in Waterdeep before we set out, and I run off with Omen to do some errands. I give her a fancy gem I've been carrying around, and she seems taken aback by it. I'm sure its worthless, but she apparently can get spells with it. I buy a couple healing potions while we are out to add to the collection. Runar is making some but I tend to drink a lot of them. I see Ulrich going to buy arrows and stop him.
"Don't buy anything! I'll be right back!"
I run into Julio, my guard friend, at the guard barracks. Everyone is excited to hear my stories, but I really just want to finish my errands and go... um, help Runar with brewing potions.
"Julio, can you spare any arrows?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" He sends off one of the initiates. "Anything for you, you're a big damn hero!"
"Can you say that a bit louder?"
"Can I have your sword when you die?" Julio says with a sly grin. "My daughter wants it."
I leave the barracks with 20 arrows, and present them to Ulrich. He is pleased to have saved some coin. I meet back up with Omen and we walk to our lodgings together, going separate ways so she can study her books and I can study Runar.
The next morning we teleport just outside the village. It's quaint and quiet, and we can see the hedge maze. What we don't see is a tower. Interesting. We walk into the village, and people are friendly. Ulrich starts shaking his hand out, a concerned look on his face.
"I can't feel my hand, it's just gone numb." He says.
"The one you pricked on the chest?" I ask. He nods. "What you have to do is cut it open, and the poison will bleed out. I was trained in battlefield medicine, I could do it for you!"
"That's not how it works, Karsi." Says Omen.
We go to talk to some townsfolk and ask about the maze.
"Folks go in the maze, but they don't come out. There's nothing in the maze."
"If there is nothing in the maze, then why don't they come out?"
The man shrugs.
"They're pursuing legends."
"We are legends." I add.
Omen asks me if we can go to an inn, and I am all for it but the party seems to just want to meander around and ask questions. Then there is the problem of our ranger.
"Is there a doctor in town?" Ulrich asks someone in a store. He holds up his hand. Which is transparent. The storekeep looks freaked out.
Runar reluctantly offers to try a spell on him. Suddenly screams erupt from outside in the plaza. We turn to look out the windows, and can see villagers running about in a panic.
"DRAGON!!!"
Here we go again. We rush outside and into the plaza. The villagers still being out here and not knowing how to get out of the way is a problem. I look up and theres a huge black dragon eighty feet up. It looks like the one that came to visit Morrigan back at the ice castle. I hex it, then pummel it with two agonizing blasts.
"EVERYBODY GET OUT OF THE PLAZA!" I order at the top of my lungs. Some smarter folk scramble inside, but there's still too many villagers out here.
Omen tries to cast hypnotic pattern, one of our standby lifesavers, but the dragon deflects it. Ulrich shoots at it with regular arrows, and I'm hoping he remembers he has those arrows or dragon slaying, considering that this is in fact a dragon. The dragon swoops in, its mouth gaping, and breathes a line of acid. I watch in horror as innocent civilians melt in the street, screams cut short. Grahz and Charlie are hit by it, but still standing. I can see flesh sizzling on Grahz's arms and face. The dragon flies back up, and some creature appears out of thin air beside Grahz.
I continue to blast the dragon as Grahz rages against the Nycaloth, a fiend. Omen moves towards Grahz after telling me she is going to do some wall of force spell.
"Just don't block me from that dragon!" I order.
"TO ME!" she shouts to the party, pushing through the crowd. "Now! Pronto!"
I stay where I am, having a perfect line of sight to blast the dragon. I should group with my friends, but I'm dead set on killing this thing. I hear the ranger yell in surprise and then he collapses in pain. His hand is back, but it looks like the poison is deciding to hit him now. He lays helpless on the ground, stunned. Runar sends Reggie to give Grahz a kiss. The dragon swoops down, and I see Reggie immediately fly away in fear as it lands. Zoltan, perched on my shoulder, caws aggressively at the dragon and puffs out his chest. Brave bird.
The dragon now on the ground, I find myself at a disadvantage. I hold onto my blast attack, waiting for anything to get in my view. Poor Grahz takes a couple bite and claw attacks as the Nycaloth keeps attacking. Soon it is joined by three more. The dragon beats its wings, and I consider myself lucky for not having run into the group as they are nearly knocked over. Then Omen gets her spell off. I watch as the dragon is consumed by a sphere of force, taking nine innocent civilians out in the process. There is blood everywhere. I feel my pulse rise, vision tunneling. I think I am going to be sick, but swallow back the acrid taste in my mouth. The dragon is visibly smiling in the sphere. I can't believe Omen just did that, what did I tell her?
The Nycaloth moves to Omen, slashing her across the shoulder. It's a deep wound, and an alarming amount of blood spurts out. She is clawed again, and more blood hemorrhages from her wound. I'm mad at her, but she is still my best friend, and I need to get them off her. I slash at one of the creatures, and it falls with little resistence. The next one disappears at the end of my blade as well.
"Thank you!" Omen gasps. She misty steps away, and I see her reappear and drink a health potion. The bleeding fortunately stops. Finally only one Nycaloth remains, and it keeps moving closer to Omen even with everyone attacking it. The dragon is running inside the sphere, and I want to go blast it but Omen's spell took that option from me.
"DROP THE WALL!" I scream. "OMEN, DROP THE WALL!!!"
I see the Nycaloth appear next to Omen, and I blast. Omen screams as the agonizing blast hits her. Who was I aiming for? I meant to hit the Nycaloth, but tunnel vision and the burning rage in my chest may have skewed that. Somehow it doesn't matter to me, I'm just mad the wall is still up. She misty steps away again. Ulrich shoots the Nycaloth, and it explodes and fades. Finally the civilians clear out. I rejoin the group, breathing hard.
"I can't believe you would hit me with that, Karsi!" Omen snaps at me.
"I was aiming for that thing!" I growl. I've never felt this angry. My hands are shaking. I need to kill that dragon.
"Didn't look like it! I know that look. I can see it in your eyes. I've seen it before."
"You should have let me get at it! It can't hurt me, not anymore."
"Your ego will get you killed, Karsi." She gives me that look only an angry mother would. Shes younger than I am, but sometimes I swear she's older. "I would know. I had one."
The dragon is contained for now, and Omen gives me a lecture about why she did it and how I am the one being ridiculous right now. I'm shaking with rage, and I wonder if this is how Grahz feels when he fights. I don't think I like it. I'm not myself, something is different.
This dragon is going down if it's the last thing I do. I am untouchable.
~ Karsi
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Post by dragonforgotten on May 13, 2019 15:51:10 GMT -5
I once heard a saying that invoking the name of a creature compells them to you. Everyone is discussion what we should do. I throw in my two copper pieces into the group chat. "Ok, the dragon is a dragon. Our first order of business should be finding the wyrm-." As soon as i utter the word the dragon bursts out of the water, completely drenching me. I whip around to find none other than Neronvain on his back. She flips us off before the buffering of Ctuths wings sends the dragon speeding towards the waterfall exit. "speaker..." Everyone scrambles, leaving me with standing there stunned by the waters edge soaking wet. Did that just happen? Im not going to bother running, she's going too fast, i can see that but thats not stopping our gutsy barbarian. He hurls his spear and with amazing accuracy hits her but they still manage to get away. This is bad. With her and her dragon lover free theres no telling what they will report back to them. For once i would like things to go as planned. I leisurely join Karis who's panting against the wall exghusted. She doesn't look like she will be chasing dragons in this state. "Do you have more healing potions?" I ask, noting the blood and discolored purple and green bruises as i wring my hair dry. I shouldn't have stood in the splash zone. she shake her head. "No. Next time we're in town, remind me I have a thing called money and I can buy potions with it." "Only if you remind me." I then remember a small detail. "I can do a cleric spell!" I remind her. "You have cleric spells?!" I thought this would be old news at this point. Guess the heat of battle makes you forget. I gently smacks her in the face, a small distraction as my neck heats up, my nails dig into her free arm and i pour life vitally into her body if only a little bit feeling a little weak myself. She laugh. "You just heal slapped me!" "In a sense." "how you do that anyway?" "A little keep sake i manage to save while i reversed engineered divine power. It was a lot of work and experimentation on myself. Its not exactly a cake walk.." I go over it in my head. karis looking at me with high expectation. "When i was still a fanatic i had access to a well of powers. Could be Im simply stealing a bit away and making it my own strength. Anyway enough about me! we should see whats in that underwater passage way. Just give me-." karis jumps in the water before i can stop her, getting me wet again. I push the wet heavy hair back out of my face. No patiences with her. I start the ritual as everyone else waits for me to finish. We all dive in and when we enter the dragons hoard we spy Karis making a money angle out of copper pieces. Runar shovels the goods in that magic bag of his. I love that bag. I need one. A small secret passageway, too small for a dragon, is found. In it is a shrine with an image of white eyes in the wall, and a small basin. This is a shrine to Fenmarel Mestarine, God of outcasts, scapegoats and solitude. The ranger takes a liking to it. There is a journal, and Grahz hands it to karis. "It's in your tongue, read it!" She read from it out loud and it is clear that it is Neronvain's personal diary. "... my poor father, King Melandrach. She's a princess!" Thats a shocker but not a complete surprise given the cult pattern of seeking and controlling the weak. Same story, different coat of paint. She read further. "Well, my information was correct. She doesn't have the green dragon mask because it is already at the well of dragons. It says the mask is under the protection of Severin, and ready to be assembled into the Mask of the Dragon Queen." Sh******t... I was afraid of this. theres a sinking feeling in my gut. The Well of Dragons... Suddenly i get a vision, i'm standing there, i can see it. The well of dragons... I snap out of it just as Karis hands the journal to Ulrich, who wants it for some reason. Most be good reading "I'm going to check out her bedroom!" Karis call, leaving through the door. We find the lavishly decorated chamber. There are lush, rich carpets, a mirror, tapestries of woodland scenes, a chest, the works and a posh bed. Karis dashed in the room, and immediately get we all get hit with acid. It burns like a mother f***** but i'll live as it also hits everyone else. Runar is pissed, he and Ulrich took a full blast. Doesn't stop Karis from fling herself on the bed, she should be thankful i wasn't an illusion. I know i'm desperate for a feathered bed too but i can wait. Ulrich tries to disable a trap. techniguely Runar or I are more experienced in these matters but thats fine. I can let him have his moment. he gets pricked by a needle set in the lock but he doesn't seem to be suffering from ill effects. We sack the place as usual, find stuff to return to the elves and then load up on booze and cheeses before leaving. We pass the bodies of the ettins, and the belt one was wearing as a sash stands out. I think back to a page i read on magic articats and this looks like a close comparison. I detect magic off it and Im feeling bold, ensured in the fact I know what this is. I straps it on "What are you doing?" asks Runar, confused. "Testing a theory." and I goes to try to lift one of the Ettin bodies. I lift! I think i'm doing it! Oh C**** no i'm not! Abort! Abort! I drop it, stumble to Runar, take belt off and lay on the ground. He then begins to identify it. "Belt of giant strength, reguires attunment." Aaaahhhhh. Thats what i was missing. At least i wasn't wrong. Karis walks over to me on the ground. "You ok?" "Fine, let me wollow in my shame for a moment." i finally get up when the two meat head figure out who gets the belt. It goes to grahz and without a second thought he takes a ring off his finger. "Take this." he then throws it at me, i catch it and slide it on my finger. I feel a rush of energy and i nows its the protection from ice. karis is moping, look for chad. I had to break the news to her and i tell her she can always get another as i walk her through the exit. ---------
We return to the village with out a problem and return their items. They welcome the return which lightens their hearts during their time of struggle. We then see Galen and learn that he made a devils bargain. He sacrificed other villages to keep this one intact. I don't have anything to say to this. I don't like this, he sacrificed more people just so this village would survive... I try to keep my mouth shut for once. I have nothing to say to this man, I'll only make it worst. the paladin gave a very heartfelt speech but that doesn't bring peace to the souls sacrificed. We leave preparing for the long walk when i stop everyone. "Lets stay for a day. I can teleport us back tomorrow and avoid getting ambushed on the road." I don't get any complaints. I set up a hut and we all try to get some needed rest. ----
I step through a sea of incense and candle light, my foot steps creating ripples in the thin surface of water. I stand before the shilloette of a man. "You've done. You did not run from yourself but have meet it. refusing to advert your gaze to the monster you created.." A shadow ghostly version of myself materializes next to the man staring at me with many draconic eyes all over its body. "we'll met stepping away from the shadow of Tiamat. You've begun to untangle the strings of fate, the future is slowly turning course. Your future through, is still. unclear. will you continue the path of the metallic or return to the chromatic whether through free will or not" The man the walks before me and before and reaches a hand to my face as i spy the blue eyes in his hand. "See with eyes unclouded. Expand your perception." He then places his hand over my eyes and they start to burn! **** Suddenly i'm standing at the edge of the well of dragons watching the sacrifices being thrown into the abyss screaming for mercy and help. Someone wraps me in an embrace from behind and I lean against his back into the crook of his neck. "Soon, it will all come together." oh Red. --------
I wake up to an uncomfortable burning in my eyes. I wipe at them with my sleeves but the burning doesn't stop. At least for a change i actually slept through the entire night. I nudge everyone awake. "Rise and shine. It's a lovey time for spacial jumping across the world." Theres grumbles and shuffling as i try to draw the circle. "Thats a oval." "I know that karis, it's too early for a circle and i don't need your sass." i turn back to look at her and she gives me a look. "whats wrong with your-?" We wrap. To my surprise it drops us right in the middle of Alliances meeting. theres a new faces among them. Karis gives the unfortunate news to King Melandrach and once Ulrich returns her dairy he breaks down in tears. It's not easy when a family member joins a cult. They have a new mission for us. A new visitor has come to the council, a beautiful silver haired woman named Elia, true name Otaaryliakkarnos. Apparently she is a silver dragon disguised as a person. The men are all staring at her, Karis glaring at Runar. The moment i hear she's a dragon my old insticts start to kick in. I have to fight the urge to kneel while also battling the paralyzing fear. I unintentionally i started to hide behind karis.
We are told there is a metallic dragon council and we have been chosen to meet with them due to having no strong alliances with one particular faction. I didnt know they even had a council. Their Ancient Draconic Rite of Council has been invoked by Protanther the gold dragon. They are in the Nether Mountains which is over 600 miles from Waterdeep, so Elia tells us she can carry us on her back but we have to go right now. I don't hesitate and shout out "YES!" completely forgetting the bad timing. We agree to go, and go outside to the street where Elia transforms into a majestic silver dragon. I honestly almost fainted and Grahz had to pick me up when i fell into the bow I've been suppressing. When i climb on her back i'm nervous. As soon as she starts taking off Im laughing into her back while also digging my nails into her hide. IM riding a f***ing dragon! Everyone would be so jelouse! The joy stops when i catch glimpse of the battles and I'm reminded I'm not on this dragon for fun. ------
The Council of Dragons sits on tall thrones of stone, and we are brought before them, dwarfed in comparison to their magnificence. I almost crumbled before their majesty! Protanther, the great gold dragon, is wary of us humans and elf types. He speaks of humans and elves having far too much power for their size, and about blighted creatures gaining power from making deals with dark forces. I feel his eyes bore into Me, Karis and Morrigan in turn. Im everything he hates. I decide it's best to keep quiet.
Despite not liking humans or elves, Protanther is willing to make a concession if one who speaks for elven kind will write an apology. Karis brings up the king and we forge an agreement to have a written apology from him since he has the power and influence. The other dragons make their cases, and we try to plea with all of them to prove humans are worth fighting with. They all have something they want, and we make promises to try to turn them to our cause. King Melandrach we are certain we can get to come talk to them. There is also a dwarf on the Council of Waterdeep who has armor made of dragon scales stolen from a hoard. They want the armor back and an apology from him. Nymmurh the bronze Male dragon likes humans and elves, and believes good and evil is everyones choice. I like him. He also knows Dala Silmerhelve's family and favors the Order of the Guantlet and the Harpers. Karis's in the Order, somehow, and Runar is a Harper so at least we have that pull. We made friends with Dala Silmerhelve. The copper female, Tazmikella, had her lair robbed by swindlers. She fears the factions turning against them, and wants to make immediate strikes against the chromatic dragons as all interactions with humans have been disastrous. She turns to Grahz, and tells him that the bracers he is wearing belonged to her. She took them from a black dragon that had stolen them. Grahz hands them over, and I feel my heart drop. Those had been Kovatch's. It pains me because it is all we have of his. That and Zoltan. Even the dragon is surprised that he handed them over so. Grahz holds up his medallion. "Everything I do is for Bahamut." Ghraz launches into a speech about how we have all been betrayed and the enemy is targeting humanoids as well as being made up of them. We have to all work together, and it's not just what we or they want, but what Bahamut wants. From the way he speechs in dawns on us. he was a dragon, a golden dragon... but he failed Bahamut, and got sent back as Grahz the half orc barbarian. That's why he is so obsessed in doing things in Bahamut's name. I-.I don't know what to think of this. I cant help see the small stab of betrayal. All this time.. Protanther mentions that in destroying the Cult, we could gain considerable wealth. He asks what we would do with such incredible wealth. he locks us with us and with his stare on me Im Compelled not to lie. I can not lie to our lords and masters. I shouldnt say anything but i cant! To say nothing is an insult to our lords. "I would not lie to you," I speaks up. "I would use it to become more powerful." All of their eyes turn to me. I swallow hard and uncontrolled i tell them of my dream to make a school and rehabilitate cult members. I know this is no good, dragons don't care about humanoids. "I am flawed. I have done terrible things. I am trying to make up for what I have done." I just manage to skate around the prophecy but its so hard NOT to tell them "If I were to gain such wealth, I would give half of it to dragonkind," Runar says. The other half I would put towards rebuilding our own world." Tazmikella thinks Runar's offer is good, but the other dragons want more. After deliberation, they make it clear they will not settle for half. They want a third. Runar agrees, it seems a fair deal. The council ends, and they have sided with us with the promise of them getting treasure and us sending the elf king and the dwarf to make amends. Tazmikella hands the bracers back to Grahz. "Perhaps you have heard of the generosity of dragons?" We all nod yes. The announce they wish to give us some boons. Three arrows of dragon slaying. Their still watching and my throat is burning in just staying silent. If I'm being pushed to speak I might as well ask if they have seen them. "Have any of you seen humans, with the mark of Tiamat tattooed in there flesh on them?" This is a huge mistake.The dragons ask if i have such a mark and are displeased. I struggle, fighting everything in my power to stop the inevitable! But I cant, disobey them! I reach up to my collar and reveal it. "Its not me anymore." I fear I just sank our hard won alliance. Karis! Help! "Do any of you have tattoos of Tiamat?" Asks Protanther. We all shake our heads. "I have an old drunk mistake tattoo of a raven," karis says, yess! distraction! Good plan! "Who doesn't, dear?" Laughs Elia. the bronze dragon rubs his chin. "To mark your scales with a symbol of Tiamat is a serious statement. You do realize what it means?" "I do, i struggle with it everyday." "I charge the rest of you to watch this one!" Booms Protanther, gesturing at me. "If she turns, destroy her." I place a hand on my heart and bow. I feel a little sick, the heat dying down in my throat. I lost the fight today. I really did wanted them to like me. "I expect no less from them my lord."
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WE had just one day to prepare for our next mission. save a defecting cultist from a wizards initiates tower surrounded by a head maze. They just keep amping up the level of entry now don't they. I wonder if they had to fight a vampire spawn as well. I have doubts about how real this child is but if he truly is trying to leave then who am i to not help him as a defector myself. I took karis to my favorite magic store and with her help we buy back my old crystal ball. I though i lost this but apparently the cult just sold off my old stuff. I certainly cost an arm and leg to get it back. I cant wrap my head around the fact that Grahz is a dragon. He's just been Grahz to me but has it just been a lie to get us to fight for bahumat? I couldn't bare it if it was. If he thinks of us like Protanther does. I push this in the back. We travel to the maze but don't see a castle, hidden away my magic possibly. Just as we start asking questions Ulrichs poison starts to take effect. His hand starts to vanish and we scramble for a doctor, there is none that knows whats going one. Just as we discuss what to do the screams of people shout outside. We charge into the crowd to see a black dragon! NOW?! I starts to swoop and am i'm buffered by the crowd i start to formulate a plan. I just perfected wall of force in our travles. I could make a wall just as it swoops. No! that wont work, what if I'm too slow, it would be wasted. Too many people! I know! We gather together, bubble us and the dragon! "Everyone too me!" I start shuffling to Grahz who got separated when he charged. Before i can reach him the dragon unleashes a jet of acid! It hits 20 by standards along with Grahz and Charley! I watch as the bystandards melt into skeletons. Grahz and Charley are still standing but very burnt. The dragon lands as people scramble and suddenly a hideous demon flies into the plaza and also attacks Grahz! I gain an instances of clarity in what they are doing. They are trying to kill Grahz. They know when he falls we will follow soon after. he is afterall, our greatest strength and our weakness. I refuse to allow this to happen. I care for Grahz too much. I see the dragon and nine people trying to scramble away from it. I sigh, with a heavy heart. "Wall of Force, Sphere..." the dragon is capsuled catching nine people with it. Im sorry.. The dragon smirks and the demon turns in my direction. Ya thats right. Im right here. "Come after me b****! If you can!" I misty step far behind Grahz as talll and ugly. Grahz gets a free strike but ugly is faster then i thought. he gets me good with his claws and i am bleeding out fast! The wound sputters blood and i spit some out. I almost falter in keeping the barrier up. No matter what it must stay up! Once again I misty step, chugging down a healing poition. "Is that all you got B******! Barely tickled!" I throw the empty bottle to the ground smashing it into a thousand peices. Suddenly hes right next to me! Oh f****! by some mircale he misses but i catch karis eyes glinting with insanity and bloodlust! I recognize that face. It was my face years ago. "DROP THE WALL!" "NO!" "DROP THE WALL!" "Do you realize what will happen if the wall goes down!" "I NEED TO KILL THE DRAGON!" She doesn't hear me. theres no reasoning with someone when they get like this. Suddenly I'm hit by a blast and it scorches and burn throughout my body! Keep it together! Hold out! "Grazh! Someone! HElp!" the demon closes in and just when i think i'm going to get another beating the creature falls over dead with an arrow in its back and i cant help but sigh as it disintegrates. the bunnies start hopping and i confront karis, barrier still up. "I can't believe you would hit me with that, Karsi!" I snaps. "I was aiming for that thing!" she growl. her hands are shaking eyeing the dragon. "Didn't look like it! I know that look. I can see it in your eyes. I've seen it before." "You should have let me get at it! It can't hurt me, not anymore." "Your ego will get you killed, Karsi. This fight is not about you getting the glory shot! If you continue to let bloodlust cloud your judgement your going to hurt someone!" I feel like I'm scolding her like a child but she needs to get this. This isn't a game or a competition. I don't know what compelled her to shoot me! "I would know. I had one." The dragon is contained for now, What was wrong with her? She wasn't acting like her self. She's reckless but she has faith in me. It's not like her.
Omen the Farsighted
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Post by donaldado on May 14, 2019 0:01:49 GMT -5
"I feel naked." was all I could say to Grhaz and Morin after surrendering the mask to the dragon council. At first I felt cheated. I've met pixies less stingy. I mean sure, supposedly Tiamat would be bad for this world. I certainly don't need the competition. But maybe this supremely selfless act empowered me in this latest battle. Power coursed through my veins as I smote that foul Black dragon into a pile of ash. So much power. The gods were so pleased with my victory that they grew my power. Now, the life force of those who oppose me become mine. Now the darkness itself becomes a blade for me to cut through those who'd dare approach me. As it should be. Where did that thought come from? For the good of the group. That is what I meant. Yes, for the good of others, what is best in life.
This maze is a nice change of pace. Who knew Karsi could be such a trickster! She could make enough money to buy herself a castle if she had her own booth. I wonder if Rey Faye would take her on. Course, that'd involve Karsi giving old how'd my hand get there Fay a private viewing. Such a wierdo, that one. What was up with the cowbells? Hopefully our group is traveling in the right direction. I can't decipher those, whatcha call'em? Letters. Reading never did anyone no good. That's how dad conjured mom. Look at what it's doing to Omen! She doesn't even trust me around her things. Paranoia is just the beginning whisperings of madness.That's what reading will do to you. Best to stick to all natural solutions, like grandpa's gift or karsi's patron.
Charlie makes a much better ape than an octopus.
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Post by Chris on May 14, 2019 14:22:17 GMT -5
End Nightal 21 10:08:3 am, 1489 DR; Year of the Warrior Princess. Selune is waxing crescent. The Rise of Tiamat A Black dragon defeated Xonthal's Tower The Maze Rescue Mission The Sundial Chuul Pool Cyclopes' Pasture Carnivorous Garden MVP = Aileeen Russell as Karsi Our plays on RPGGeek.com rpggeek.com/plays/thing/162998?userid=1168080
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Post by Aileen on May 15, 2019 11:19:00 GMT -5
The dragon went down fairly easily. I'm a little disappointed I never got another shot at it. Angry, even. But it's dead, thanks to a flying paladin (my sole contribution), a raging Grahz, and an amazing show of magic from the lovely Miss Morrigan.
"Hey Karsi, think you can make me a new dragon mask out of that?" Morrigan jokes. It's odd seeing her natural face now that she's turned the black dragon mask over to the council.
As we pick apart the corpse of the fallen black dragon, townsfolk whose relatives were killed in the fight come out to take the bodies away. What's left of them, at least. I fly over to Omen, not wasting a moment of the spell I cast on myself, and hug her. Traditions must always stand, even when I'm pissed at her.
"I'm sorry I shot you again." I say. "I know you're mad at me, I deserve it."
She sighs, returning the embrace.
"Just don't do it again. I don't know what came over you, but you're not like yourself."
"I won't. Well, I'll try not to. I just got caught up in the heat of battle."
While the boys are trying to cut horns off to making drinking horns and getting nasty dragon blood all over themselves, an old man approaches us.
"I saw what you did. Saw you kill the dragon." He says. Who didn't see us kill it? Hard show to miss.
He has something to give us in thanks. He points toward the hedge maze, and the sky wavers for a moment. Suddenly we see it.
"That is Xonthol's Tower."
He confirms the information we have already received- the only way to the tower is through the maze.
"The only path to it is the main one."
Got it. There is no cheating our way to the tower, no going around the maze and no going over it. I just hope I can get my mind around whatever puzzles we may face inside, they are not my strong suit. The old man leaves us, and we prepare to head to the maze.
"Karsi, I'm staying back to help heal some of these townsfolk," Runar says. "I'll be behind you as soon as I can."
I really do not want to part ways with Runar, but his skills are pretty needed here for now. The ranger, still dealing with the after effects of poison and also able to heal, stays with him.
"Take Zoltan. He's probably cross with me, I thought this was a corn maze."
Runar let's Zoltan perch on his shoulder, and gives me a quick kiss.
"We won't be long. Stay safe in there."
The rest of us head to the path into the maze. It's a gently curving path, and we have to climb over a low fence to get to the entrance. As soon as we make to step into the garden path, we all catch movement in the tower. A man in a black robe stands on a balcony, waving something over his head. It looks like the blue dragon mask!
"Heroes! They saw you in the village! I've taken the key to teleport!"
He is waving another item, a white glimmering hourglass. He says to meet him under the tower, and that others may get to the key before we do. As he yells to us, another figure dashes out to him. A quick fight results in our guy pitching the other one over the railing. Omen berates him for yelling for everyone to hear. The guy flees back inside.
We enter the maze, knowing time is pressing, and find ourselves in an eight path intersection. There us a sundial in the middle, with the shadow pointing north. Omen lets Dusty loose, and I'm a bit surprised when the little owl perches on Zoltan's usual spot on my shoulder. I reach up to pat him, and he snaps at my fingers.
"He likes when you scratch the side of his neck, don't go right at his face!" Omen warns me. She starts casting the arcane eye
I try again, and this time the owl doesn't try removing any fingers but still hisses at me.
"Should we follow the shadow?" I suggest.
"The man did say the only path is the main path, so I think a straight shot is our best bet." Replies Mohryn.
"The main path to the maze is what he meant." I say.
Regardless, we decide to head north down path A. Omens arcane eye takes the conjoining path, and as we walk into the next place it comes right back at her. She looks flustered.
"The maze is magic, I don't think that will do you much good." I tell her.
We are in another sundial courtyard, much the same, but the shadows now point north and east. A and C. We keep going straight down the same path. This next area is an 80ft square courtyard with a 60ft pool in the middle, filled with murky water and containing a garnet gem suspended a foot above the middle of the pool.
"Let's go around it!" Mohryn suggests.
We go around the pool, leaving the room. We come into an 80ft room with a 60ft pool and a garnet floating over it.
"Its the same room!" I groan.
"We will test it," Omen says. "I'll leave the eye here, let's leave again."
We leave the room. When we enter the same room, the eye confirms it is in fact the same. So we have to complete every room we come to or just keep repeating. Lovely.
"Dusty, please... and I'm sorry to ask... please can you go grab that gem?" Omen pleads with the owl, still angrily sulking on my shoulder. I've never related more to a creature than this little guy. Well maybe Zoltan, but I'm not obsessed with corn.
Dusty screeches into my ear as he takes flight, flitting over the pool. He makes it to the gem, but a great crab-looking claw snatches out of the water and kills Dusty. There is no trace of the owl. Omen groans. Her poor familiar can never catch a break. She sends the eye into the pool but reports that it's too murky to see anything, so instead she sends it up. I aimlessly poke the water with my sword, but no crabs appear.
"Maybe there's a way to the tower in the bottom of the pool!" Grahz suggests.
"Well going around or over is not happening. We have to face the maze regardless." Omen confirms.
"I'm not swimming in that," I say. "The way is through the maze, not in the pool."
Mohryn orders Omen to cast water breathing on us. I really hope I don't have to go in the water to save these foolish men when they realize their plan is wrong, but it's fun to see them try. You can't trick a magic maze. Grahz ties rope to the cleric, and Mohryn dives in. Grahz tugs the rope when it gets to the end, and Mohryn comes back up having seen nothing. It's just too murky.
"I'm going back in to fully check it out for secret doors." Mohryn says.
"You have twenty minutes. If you're not back by then..."
"Got it." The cleric dives back in, sans rope.
Omen and I busy ourselves by messing with her cards. I've seen her do a fortune for Morrigan before, but never had it done for me. I pick three cards, and she lays them facedown in front of me. The first one she draws is my past, The Hermit. Isolation, solitude... one in the light, two in the darkness. A blade of black feathers forged of shadow... I can't help but remember my pact, my time in prison. I shake off the chill that runs through me, and she flips the next card.
My present, the reverse Page of Cups. Omen raises an eyebrow and gives me a strange look. She says something about lovers, decievers... Talis? She loved me, then deceived me. Runar would not deceive me, would he?
"You grasp for a hand yet become the blackened claw that scars and bleeds. opened the heart of darkness, cover your ears and look away. Inside lays a fluttering heart tangled in fate's strings. Turning the tides."
"That's really creepy, Omen." My heart is fluttering right now, is that what it means?
"I'm just telling you what the cards tell me, take it as you will."
My last card, the future. Two of wands. A dark horse, a canary of platinum sings... paths unravel by atonement of blood and bones of dragon soul.
"I'm so confused."
"You always are, Karsi. Don't think too much into it."
"I'm really hungry, do you think Mohryn is getting us some crab legs in there?"
"I'm a bit worried, its taking him a really long time." Omen packs up the cards and stands up. I join her at the edge of the pool.
"Grahz, give me the rope." Charlie demands.
The barbarian tosses the paladin the rope, and Charlie ties it around his own waist. Charlie swims out to the middle, and I can see things surrounding him in the water. I ready to blast the first thing that comes out of the water.
Charlie gets attacked, but nothing emerges... he's getting torn up by the creatures but they're too cowardly to come out and play with the rest of us.
"I need to polymorph him!" Omen says, and casts. Suddenly the paladin is now one of the giant octopi like we were attacked by in the sea of ice.
Octopaladin takes a few more hits and then turns back into Charlie. He does not look like he's feeling too good.
"Giant ape!" Morrigan shouts, and Charlie transforms once again.
I wonder where Morrigan has actually seen such a creature, I certainly had not until that time in the ice castle. And where has Omen seen a dinosaur? Weirdest thing I've seen is, you know, a dragon.
Ape Charlie grabs the crystal and swims to the edge, exiting the pool. He hands the crystal to Omen, and then waves the end of the untied rope at me, making grunting sounds.
"You want me to have the rope?" I grab it, and he points at his middle. "Tie it around you?"
The ape makes excited grunting noises so I assume I'm right. I tie the rope with some difficulty, and Grahz adds on another one. Paladin Ape jumps in the water and emerges some moments later with the body of our cleric, stripped of everything but his armor. He places Mohryn down and stands over him, unable to use his magic. Omen goes to his side and does what she did to me back in the green dragon lair. Morrigan is surprised that Omen can do clerical magic much as I had been.
Mohryn tells us he found potential magic items at the bottom of the pool, and also his pack is down there. For some reason the crab things didn't want him, they wanted his magic items. Perhaps like my bird Zoltan, who always is picking up shiney objects, they can be distracted by magic objects!
As the quickest on my feet with Grahz not feeling well, I volunteer to lure the creatures with a glowing rock on a rope provided by the cleric. Omen hands me a healing potion as backup. Mohryn and Charlie dive in, and I toss the rope in like a fishing lure. Seconds later I feel a bite, and they start dragging the rope down. I try my hardest to hold on, but the rope burns my hands and I have to let go.
"S***!" I toss the potion bottle in, and hope I bought the boys enough time.
They make it out, and they got everything from the bottom! We make a pile of the items found so Omen can detect magic on them. The potions, wand, daggers, globe and sapphire are magic but the garnet is not. We take a rest, of which I am very grateful for as people keep pestering me to use spells when I am tapped... they keep forgetting I'm not a wizard. We all focus on one item while resting so we know what they are. The globe casts light or daylight, the wand causes fear (Morrigan is pleased to have it), the daggers are slightly better than normal ones, and the gem can summon an air elemental. Only drawback is if the 'master' of it loses concentration, it turns on them. This is immediately given to Omen.
"Let's try these, shall we?" Omen hands me half the potions, and we start doing taste shots.
Six of then are healing potions, one is fire breath and one for growth. I know this immediately when six foot something Omen briefly gets even taller before returning to normal.
We move along, leaving this room behind. Too our utmost delight, we come back to the intersection. Although the shadows are different this time, we still keep on the same path. The next place is not what I was expecting... it is massive, a picturesque cottage and pasture with sheep grazing and boulders strewn about. Two cyclopes are frozen in time just like the sheep. I move forward, and suddenly they come to life. The cyclopes are chatting, then look at us, do rock-parchment-shears, and approach. One of them lifts a boulder, points at us, and lobs it effortlessly about a hundred feet.
"Karsi, I think they want you to throw it. He pointed at you." Grahz says.
"Grahz, do I look like I can lift one of those? I'm tiny."
Back when I was in the guard, maybe I could have rolled one of these boulders. Gods I was strong then! Grahz goes over to pick up a boulder while I go check out the sheep. One let's me pat it, and I relish in the soft wooly fur. I've never seen such an adorable potentially magic animal.
"Morrigan, look it's so cute!"
Morrigan seems to be eyeing it for another reason... I know she used to sell meat on a stick or something. Why would anyone want to eat such a beautiful creature? Suddenly I feel very protective of this little white puffball.
Grahz is struggling to lift a boulder, even with his hill giant strength belt. I watch Omen touch one of the boulders.
"Ghraz, you should throw this one." She says.
"No!" He refuses.
What's so special about that boulder? Is it lighter? I go over to Omen's boulder, and try to lift it. To my utmost amazement, it moves! Omen winks at me. I lift it up, effortlessly pull back, and let it fly. It sails across the pasture, flying until it lands way past the Cyclops' boulder. Their faces are amazed as they watch its trajectory. I hear my party cheering behind me. The boulder breaks open, and I can see something glinting fall out of it. I flex my arms, posing, trying to showboat. My armor covers my lack of actual muscles, but at least I look the part. The Cyclops that threw the initial boulder either blinks or winks at me, then signals that the gem is mine to take.
I fetch the gem and run back to the group, panting. It went further than I expected! The Cyclopes are babbling in their language, making gestures at me. I can tell they are impressed but have no idea what they are trying to say. Omen stands behind me laughing her a** off.
"I think they want to marry you!" Mohryn laughs.
"No, no, I'm taken!" Oh, Runar will not be pleased.
Grahz takes a potion and then lifts another boulder, and throws it with a bit more effort than I took. It doesn't go nearly as far as mine. The cyclopes flex their arms at me and point to Ghraz, making lifting motions.
"You want me to lift him?"
They don't understand me either. Alright then. I go up to Grahz, who makes me look like a child in comparison to his build, and wrap my arms around him.
"I cast fly on you." I whisper. He raises an eyebrow, and I lift him up. Well, he flies while I hold onto him.
Grahz puts on a show, acting like I am hurting him with my brute strength. The Cyclopes make motions at me to put him down and look genuinely worried. I let go to drop Grahz, but he is still suspended in the air.
"Grahz, drop!"
They don't notice we cheated as the barbarian quickly goes to his feet. Grahz then runs, leaps across the pasture, and poses victoriously. Everyone claps for him, and the Cyclopes once again are impressed at our athletic prowess. Our new friends start heading back to their cottage, waving at us, and we take that as our cue to leave. I tackle Omen in a hug as we move out through the pasture.
"That was amazing!"
"Animate object! I've been wanting to use that for so long!"
We come to the sundial again. This time there are four shadows, in an X. As we try to figure out where to go, they start moving, and then spinning fast. Then the shadows disappear entirely! Mohryn starts toward path A, so we follow. We come into a courtyard with a bubbling fountain, and beautiful shimmering flowers. The air smells delightfully fresh. As we get closer, I can see that each flower has a pearl in it. Mohryn, ever impatient much like I am, goes to pick a pearl out of the first flower he comes to. Suddenly the flowers spring to life, and attack us! I sneeze, reaching for my sword. Alright, violence in the garden it is.
- Karsi
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Post by dragonforgotten on May 20, 2019 15:46:15 GMT -5
Thanks to the sphere of force the dragon was contained and dispatched by our great holy Paladin. I ripped two of its teeth and some scales for study, an extra tooth for our ranger who's not feeling well but saved my life with his lucky arrow. Ive wonder to the remains of the people i sacrificed while everyone claims trophy. I need to see what I've done. The dragons claws have destroyed them, the acid melting some of the flesh from bones, there faces frozen in horror. They were trying to claw there way out but i heartlessly trapped them. I was right in what i did. It was logical. But i still feel sick. I didn't hesitate in doing it. I hesitated while the dragon was still in the air. I hesitated when it started to spit acid on the crowd hitting 20 people. 29 bystandards are dead because i didn't react till Grahz was in trouble. Till I was positive i-. Don't make excuses! There was too many! There wasn't a choice! I saved more people! Theres always a choice! You just weren't smart enough to see it! You only saved the people you cared about and damned the rest! Have i really changed or is this just the same monster with a different face fighting for a different cause. Is this what i do! AM I just a monster that thinks of normal people as expendiable? IS Protynther right in thinking i should be destroyed? Would i easily do this if it for Grahz or anyone in the group. I did worst for my old friends. AM i just repeating my same sins?. I killed those people. It's my fault they are dead!! Its my fault! I look at my hands and they are covered in blood! Masked robed bodies around me.
Im jolted back into reality when someone slams into me and starts hugging me in a vice grip. "I'm sorry I shot you again." Karis say. "I know you're mad at me, I deserve it." I sigh, relieved that for once Karis had perfect timing to interrupt my thoughts. I was losing myself for a moment. It's hard being both people. I returned the embrace. "Just don't do it again. I don't know what came over you, but you're not like yourself." "I won't. Well, I'll try not to. I just got caught up in the heat of battle." While the boys are trying to cut horns off to making drinking horns and stained dragon blood, an old man approaches us. "I saw what you did. Saw you kill the dragon." He says. Who didnt see it? He has something to give us in thanks. He points toward the hedge maze, and the sky wavers for a moment. Suddenly we see it. My first instinct is to attack the mage but i pull myself back. Im getting better at it. "That is Xonthol's Tower." Aaaa mage towers, such nostalgic memories. Such "fun" times. I already went through school twice at this point, why not intitation too. Agh. He confirms the information we have already received- the only way to the tower is through the maze. "The only path to it is the main one." A outcry of belly aching goes out among the group and i give them 'the stare'. "Hey, a wizard puts a lot of effort making there towers magic and cool. the least you can do is humor them." as much as I wanted to take a breather to scry the defector it seems fate is pushing us forward. the cult waits for no one afterall. ----------
As soon as we make to step into the garden path, we all catch movement in the tower. A man in a black robe stands on a balcony, waving something over his head. It looks like the blue dragon mask! What the f**** does he think he's doing with that in the blood open!! My blood runs hot and my nerves begin to fray! Of all the stupidest contacts i've had this is the most INSULTING! "Heroes! They saw you in the village! I've taken the key to teleport!" The f***ing idiot! He's going to get caught with not just one prized item BUT TWO! "You fool!" I scream at him, horrified! "You've compromised your position AND OURS! GEt the hell out of there!!" He is waving another item, a white glimmering hourglass. He says to meet him under the tower, and that others may get to the key before we do. As he yells to us, another figure dashes out to him. A quick fight results in our guy pitching the other one over the railing. Its too late for everyone, i'm off on a rant before i can stop myself... "That boy is going to live a short life! Of all the stupidest way to defect! My followers, let along my agents wouldn't do gos se like this! We did things under the table, subtle! THATS how you plan a coo! Turn all its advantages against them while staying undercover. THAts how you take down an organization!... WAit what the hell am i talking about?
As were walking dusty surprises me and actually leave me to go sit on Karis shoulder. What is he planning? Karsi tries to pet him but he starts clicking and hissing in his subtle way of "touch me and i bit". "Fool! You dare touch me with your dirty handsss! I am the greatest of fiends! The most powerful familiar known in the abyss! To touch me like a common pet is a Fools journey! Fool" I know he's full of s***, he wouldn't have flown over if he wasn't seeking attention. He's trying to one up Zoltan. Zoltans cute while Dusty is just Dusty. He's in a whole different category. "Try petting his neck! he likes it!" It works, he's still hissing quietly but he's calming down.. It's nice he's finally getting along with someone. -----------
We keep going straight hoping it will get us somewhere with mix success. I don't feel we are making progress. I cast the arcane eye, hoping to double our search. As we continue walking I split my vision. One eye is with my body and the group, the other is down a different path. This may not have been a good idea. This maze is too big and is cheat proof. the worst kind of maze. Suddenly as we enter another ajoining cross road the eye rejoins us and its the most trippy and nauseating experience i have when it happens. It's a good thing i've trained years to master my perception otherwise this would cause a splitting headache. Eventually we step into a new place. A giant pool with a floating agate. That looks trapped. So we continue forward only to walk right back in. Oh great, its enchanted. How cute. Moryinn and everyone asks me to send Dusty to grab the obviously floating gem. Damn. I look at Dusty and he's giving a look that says "Are you serious". "Dusty... Cant you get that." He's giving me the stare. "I know ...but.." I look a little crazy having a conversation no one can hear. I don't want to go there with my own familar. I remember the last time i pulled the "Your my familar and I'm your master so listen to me." speech. I still have a small part of my ear missing. We have a complicated relationship. A normal wizard would have dismissed him along time ago but we love each other despite his violent nature. He also knows the most s*** about me ... A scary amount of private and embarrassing secrets about me. He knows more about me than i do myself. I went food shopping once and he stopped me from picking up apricots. Said i despise them. I bit one just to spite him... He was right... Broke out in hives. Another moment was when he first was summoned. When i took him back home after he insulted my bedroom he asked if i still slept with a candle.. I did. BUT NOT ANYMORE! He likes to keep my secrets to himself and refuses to tell me. I apparently told him not to in the past. He also tells me he use to be in a scary owl form. I think he gets a sense of pride having some sort of power over me. Thank Savras eyes he cant speak. "Dusty, please... and I'm sorry to ask... please can you go grab that gem?" He's reduced me to begging that prick. He literally sags and huff on Karis shoulder. Im shocked when he does his tiny owl kiss on Karsis cheek. "keep your shoulder warm for me cutie pie. I'll be back." If any owl could wink he would. Gods Damn it Dusty. not a second that he touches it does a massive claw grab him and drags him under! "NO! You killed Dusty! You B*******! Ill f***ing kill you!!" I scream at no one, Charley gabbing me by my arm pits as i start thrashing about in rage. The water is still again and i'm feeling devastated. No more putting my friend in this type of business no matter what they say. In the end Morynn decides he's going to jump into the obvious watery death trap after bossing me into ritualling water breathing. I guess i'm just chopped liver then. I want to stop him but i don't have a clue on how to break out without finding out whats bellow. Like hell i'm jumping in there. Where all sitting up here bored out of my mind so i sit next to Karsi and pull out my tarot cards. "Want to know what Savras has in store?" It's been a long time since I've done it. Ive really wanted to but theres been no time with dragons and the end of the known world at risk. She seems ecstatic. Let's see what Savras will reveal to me. She pick three cards, and I lays them facedown between us. "Ok, let's get started" I crack my neck and begin the process.
The past- The Hermit, Powerful symbol. I close my eyes and when i open them again they are milky white. I see the symbols come together, the words just come to me. I make my voice echo and rasp for presentation. It's all about the presentation. "Born alone you walk the path pulled by fate, twisted by evil of mortal intent. Of one with many eyes. You stepped one in light than two in darkness. Trapped in your thoughts you stand isolated from body but free of mind. In a sea of reflection, in the shadow of regret in the castle of memories, Pull a blade of black feathers forged of shadows but still you wait for the finial command."
I reveal her present, the reverse Page of Cups. I cant help but raises an eyebrow, somewhat distroying the cool effect i was going for. I don't quite know how this one works now or how it comes together. A water symbol. A symbol of children. Maybe because karis acts like a child. regardless the words come to me. "You wait but still but there is none to move the sword. From lover, to deceiver, you swing the sword blind, waiting for one to put the blade to use. You grasp for a hand yet become the blacken claw that scars and bleeds. Opened the heart of darkness, cover your ears and look away. Inside lays a fluttering heart tangled in fates strings. Turning the tides."
"That's really creepy, Omen." She looks nervous, as if i just stumbled upon something personal. Weird. Savras playing his games again? "I get that a lot. I'm just telling you what the cards tell me, take it as you will."
Her last card, the future. Two of wands- a fire symbol huh. Ironic considering were dealing with dragons. "The eyes of many stare upon the dark horse, all feed upon its flesh. The charger consumes The evil eye has transmute. Rises and dies. The carary of platinum sings. The eye becomes a star. Paths unravel by atonement of blood and bones of dragon soul. Quick to rise, the light is dwindling, to be consumed by evil colors. Cut down the dark sun, the sands run dry. Least you suffer the woes of fate."
"I'm so confused." "You always are, Karsi. Don't think too much into it." I lean over to charley. "You want in on this?" "No we must focus on whats going on now." "Just take one card. Its not like its going to bit." He takes one. Ace of wands. I tell him his past without the mysticism and pomp i did for Karis. "Oh eagle born of gold you burn as the sun. In radiance others flock but your fate is twisted by evil intent. You struggle against the chains, you continue to play to your song and dance. in your talons you want to catch a dove only to become a snake." He gets up and walks away in the middle of it. Some people just don't get it. "I'm really hungry, do you think Mohryn is getting us some crab legs in there?" "I'm a bit worried, it's taking him too long." I packs up the cards and stands up. standing at the edge of the pool edge of the pool. Charley then jumps in to my shock and suprise and he starts swimming only to be assulted by many claws. S****! I turn him into a gaint Octopus giving him time to grab the agate but only for the crabs to rip through his new form and return him to his human form. S***! Moriggan then goes to my side and out dues me when she turns our pally into a Giant ape. Wast expecting that. She looks very proud of it. The ape makes it very beaten up before jumping back in and swimming to the bottom.. Not five minutes later he returns with our cleric stripped of everything accept his armor. hes unconiouse and theres bickering. "I got this." and i pump him with some life energy. He confused, looking at me as if i just done the impossible. This healing is apparently news now? I guess no one noticed. We come up with a plan. Theres magic items down there and we want it so Moryan and ape are going back in while karis hold the rope with a light spell at the end as a lurrer. I hand her a potion to be safe and start ritual casting detect magic. The dive was a success and we start getting comfortable to see what they found. A air elemental gem was found and then gifted to me. If anyone should be holding the unstable air element its me apparently. next are the potions so i take one and give one to karis. No Runar so no identify. Time to do things the old fashion way. "Let's try these, shall we?" I hands off half the potions. "Cheers." and we start doing taste shots. We got a good haul from this dead end and it seems that we've escaped the room back into the maze. It appears that for each direction we take there will be a challenge for us. -----
We continue the path and stumble upon a pasture filled with massive boulders. Theres two Cyclops here and there giving us a weird look. Im a little on edge but they don't appear to be of the violent sort considering theres sheep grazing in this field. They seem to be trying to see which one will speak to us. In the end they figure it out. One approaches up picks up a boulder, i start to sweat, and hurls it across the fields. Oh, he wants us to throw some rocks. Let's impress them, shall we. I slide subtly next a boulder as Grahz struggles to lift dispit the belt. "Hey Grahz! You'll have better luck with this one! "NO! I got this!" ugh men. thinking with there muscles instead of there head. Just like green the giants look expectly at Karsi as Grahz tries as hard as he can to throws his back out. I wave her over, patting my boulder. "Try this one." I wink, an evil smirk on my face. Karsi bends trying to lift it and then tell the newly sentient boulder to rise. It does shocking the giants and Karis. I almost lose my composure but i reel myself in as Karis prepares to throw boulder. Fly, i tell it and it zips through the air as her hands leave it. It goes father, farther, and farther, then past the giantsstone. Now act like a rock i tell it before realizing my mistake as it suddenly drops out of the sky and lands with a deafening thud. The boulder then trembles and cracks in half, revealing a cluster of topazes. I didn't think rocks were such self destructive beings. Karis looks so damn proud of her self. the giants look like they have a new crush now and its too much. I excuse myself behind a boulder cackling like a witch. I come back out from behind it just as Karsi casts fly on Grahz. As she picks him up he starts with a class A act. He starts crying out, bawling as if her mighty strength is hurting him. the giants are worried and try to tell her to put our orc down. I have to excuse myself back to the boulder to once again regain control of my breathing because my ribs hurt. Our new friends start heading back to their cottage, waving at us, and we take that as our cue to leave. Karis tackles me in a hug as we move out through the pasture. "That was amazing!" "Animate object! I've been wanting to use that for so long!" That was a lot of fun. Im glad about the change of pace for once. We continue on and stumble upon the same sundail.
-Omen the Farsighted
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Post by donaldado on May 20, 2019 23:12:42 GMT -5
Finally. Fire. My first love. I was able to bath in the dancing radiance once again. It was so beautiful. The way the flames purified those evil nasty plants! I miss the mask. The light still hurts. When will my face stop being pruney? It was rather impressive watching Omen cage those impudent plant beasts. Charlie. We must be a test of his faith. Was there a shadow skulking along with us? Maybe a drow or wraith? Maybe I will keep the blue mask...
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Post by Aileen on May 21, 2019 14:14:51 GMT -5
"I HATE FLOWERS!!!"
I'm pinned in the grasp of one of the carnivorous flower's tendrils, dizzy and nauseated. It only took a few seconds for them to lash out at me as I walked in, biting and striking with their tentacles. I was feeling wonderful up until now, the slightest breeze could do me in. Omen is in a similar state, both of us bloodied and pinned. Her normally pale face is even paler, and I'm sure she is feeling the effects of this evil pollen or whatever their teeth injected into us, too.
"Hang in there Karsi, I've got this!"
I can't help but cry out in pain and defeat. How does she got this if she's wrapped up like I am? My vision is going black, I'm ready for the sweet embrace of death at the hands of these photosynthasizing motherflowers... woah! Suddenly I am dropped, the flower's grip failing. A wall stands in front of us, blocking off the evil daisies who are still viciously attacking the barrier.
"Omen..." I gasp. "I love you, y'know that?!"
I violently vomit next to the wall before stumbling to the fountain where Omen and Charlie stand. Charlie throws the original pearl into the fountain, and nothing happens. So much for that idea. I look in the pool, seeing only my extremely bloodied and sickly reflection, still hot, and the bubbling fountain. I plop my topaz in, and nothing happens.
"Can someone get that?" I'm so dizzy. I was feeling so powerful mere minutes ago and now I can barely summon the energy to reach in and get my gem.
Runar comes up and grabs me, soliciting a groan of embarrassment from Omen. If we weren't together his healing would be highly inappropriate. I feel a little better but still sick.
"They diseased us," Omen states. "Healing isn't going to do much for the poison."
"Then let's get out of here, I can take care of that." Runar leads me out.
"Wait, my topaz!" I nearly fall in the water as I reach for it, but Runar keeps me upright. Gem secured, I go with them.
We go back the way we came in, go around a bend, and come out back at the entrance of the room, wall still up and plants attacking it. Runar does his magic healer stuff, and I can feel the illness leave my body. I still am hurt but no longer sick, which was the worst of it. Once again Runar gets grabby with me and Omen expresses her annoyance. The half-orc has to hide his laughter in the crook of my shoulder.
We start plan bravo. Grahz, still giant, stayed at the fountain and now has Charlie on his shoulders. Omen drops the wall of force, and Morrigan replaces the left side with a wall of fire. The drow ranger that stumbled upon us after following Runar and Ulrich levitates above, shooting from the air while Ulrich shoots from below. Runar, Omen and I are stuck in the back with too much hedge to get through, so Runar sends Reggie up to divebomb the flowers with acidic spittle while he himself acid splashes. I cast armor of agathys on myself, then cast shatter in the middle of the flowers. Morrigan casts multiple fireballs. I notice Omen hasn't done much, and turn around to find her hanging out behind Runar, sipping on... a cocktail?
"Where did you get that?!" I am so jealous!
"Uh, I had it all along?" she looks puzzled. "I can't see anything or get through, my work is already done!"
"Give me some!" I reach for the cocktail but she pulls it away. Then I realize its only a waterskin... am i tripping out?
"Karsi, keep your head in the fight! Runar, you can let me through any time."
Oh, so she wants us to get out of her way? Very well. Sending Zoltan back to Omen for birdsitting, I push past Morrigan and the rangers, and go back in the garden. Three flowers still remain by the door, and they seem pleased to have half-elf blood now in their reach. Watch out, my petaled ones- this blood is icy hot!
I hack at the one by the door that has alluded shots due to its placement. My sword does a lot of damage, but these suckers are hard to kill. I smile as one of them fails to bite me, jaws snapping inches from my face. A tentacle misses me, and then another hits. I can see ice go from my armor and immediately frost the tentacle, but it still wraps itself around me, restraining me.
"Feels good, doesn't it?" I gasp.
Ulrich shoots the one that has me, and then Charlie comes to my rescue, his holy weave blowing in the non-existent wind. I hack at it twice more, and yet it still has me. Suddenly I am lifted in the air, and it slams me down into the ground face first before bringing me back. I spit out a mouthful of blood, feeling for my teeth with my tongue. All there, thank goodness.
"Karsi, you feeling okay?" Omen shouts. "Do you have a concussion."
"I'm great!" I yell. "Just hanging out!"
Then I am let go as an arrow sails into the face of the flower. I hack at the last one on this side, and notice a pearl pops out of it as it dies. Morrigan lets down the wall of fire and our path is clear. Those of us with distance spells move up and blast the remaining flowers until none now stand. Then we collect the pearls, kind of worthless looking, and move on. We are back at the sundial, one shadow pointing to route A one to route C.
"I think I have it figured out, hear me out!" Says Charlie. "We have been following the path of the shadow and getting it wrong. Let's try going in between the shadows this time."
"Charlie, you're brilliant!" I am so bad at puzzles, but it makes total sense! This paladin has more tricks up his sleeves than I expected.
We take path B, and come out into a sundial. The shadows point A, D and F.
"Back the way we came?" Grahz says.
We go back through path E, the bottom of the sort of triangle the shadows made. We come out into a sundial, the shadows making an X. As we look, they start moving again in a rapid circle, and then suck back into the gnomon.
"No shadow... maybe we have to be the shadow?" I suggest.
I go to the gnomon, and climb up onto it in hopes the true path will appear. One second I see my friends, the next I am in a sundial with shadows pointing at every path, and nobody else with me. I jump down off the gnomon, looking around. Where did they go?
Before I really panic, my friends begin appearing from the gnomon. So it was a portal!
"I thought you died!" Omen exclaims. I can't help but laugh.
"I think we have it figured out... but now I'm just confused."
We all start searching, me doing a circumference with my topaz held out in hopes it will reveal something. I see Runar trying to pry a stick out of the headgear wall. Between the shadows... between the shadows... the shadows point to all the paths. The only thing between the shadows is hedge.
Hedge...
Hedge maze...
"There might be a secret door!"
I go to one side of the hedge, looking for the outline of a door. Nothing. So I press on it, maybe I'll feel one?
One moment I'm at the edge, the next I'm at the foot of a tower! Everyone comes out behind me.
"You did it!" Omen claps me on the shoulder.
"Charlie figured it out!" I nod thanks to the paladin.
In front of us lies the body of a cultist, presumably the one that our defector threw off the balcony up above us. Omen goes up to him and strips off his robes as we look on in slight disgust and questioning her motives. She slips the robes on, looking very much the part. Why does she look so familiar? Well, she is my friend and I see her every day... but something else is tickling the deepest depths of my memory. No time to wonder now, we need to get inside.
There is no door at the tower, but there is a teleportation circle. Ulrich wants to go explore around the tower, but I see someone jump in out of the corner of my eye and disappear. Guess that's our entrance. We all jump in the circle one by one. This brings us into a round room with narrow windows and glowing lamps, feathers and snakes and eagles decorate the walls.
Another cultist, this one a woman, lies dead in a pool of blood. The ranger examines the body and discovers she died from a stab wound from a dragon tooth dagger.
"Omen, it was you!" I gasp in mock horror. "Case solved, everyone. We can go home now."
"Yes, it was me all along." She says sardonically, pulling out her bloodless dragontooth dagger. "I stabbed her while you guys were fighting the plants."
There's a panel on the wall and another teleportation circle by it. Runar goes up and touches the hourglass. Nothing.
"Let's search this room, look for an hourglass! He said he was leaving it behind." I say, getting to work.
"Why don't you rest," Omen suggests. "You need to recover your spells. I'll take your place."
"Oh. Thank you!"
Truth be told I am exhausted, but I also want to find our way in further. I take a seat far from the body of the dead cultist and watch the others. Omen stops at the body of the woman and thinks for a moment, before stripping off the robes from the guy outside. She then takes the women's robes instead. I dry heave thinking about how bloody and disgusting they probably are. I close my eyes, wishing away my headache. It's been a long morning...
"Where am i?"
"You're in Castle Waterdeep, kid. I'm Commander Stormwyk. Do you remember what happened to you?"
I sit up but the big man pushes me back gently. A wave of nausea nearly makes me get sick, and I cry. My head hurts, everything hurts!
"The scary woman... eyes. Something bit me!"
"You've been muttering about eyes, we were hoping that you may remember more."
"I don't know nothing! Let me go!" Hot tears burn my cheeks. I want to get back to my friends.
"We will find your parents and have them come get you, but first you need to tell us anything you remember. Let's start with your name."
"Karsi," I sniffle. "Karsilene, but I like Karsi."
"Thank you, Karsi. I know you're scared, but we need information to go after the people that hurt you."
I can't stop crying. The creature... the eyes...
"Dragon eyes." I sob. "They had masks!"
The scary woman... black hair, pale skin... she looked sick. Her friends were mean too! Her eyes... so many eyes! I can't breathe through the tears, I just want to forget!
"That's enough for now, little one. Can you tell me your parents' names. Where do you live?"
"I don't live nowhere. I have no parents."
A door opens in the room, light flooding in as another guard enters.
"Commander, there is no trace of them. They're gone."
"Very well. I have more information to work with thanks to our little friend."
I snap awake, looking up at Runar standing in front of me. The images fade away... my dad. It's been a long time since I dreamt about him. I've almost forgotten his face. Speaking of faces... I look past my handsome half-orc boyfriend, and see Omen in full cult regalia. The scary lady... she has a similar face, same coloring as I remember. But far too young. Was that her mother that I met all those years ago? She never tells me about her real family, just the Porters. Maybe her mom was a cultist? I better not bring it up.
"We found nothing," Runar tells me, helping me to my feet. "Teleportation circle is the key, but we can't figure it out."
Ulrich goes to the panel, reaches out and touches the star. He disappears!
"Looks like Ulrich figured it out!"
We gather around the panel, ready to follow the ranger.
~ Karsi
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Post by Chris on May 21, 2019 16:14:20 GMT -5
End Nightal 21 11:40:01am, 1489 DR; Year of the Warrior Princess. Selune is waxing crescent. The Rise of Tiamat Xonthal's Tower Carnivorous Garden The Sundial The Tower Audience Chamber Observatory (Ulrich is ambushed) MVP = Alexis Byrnes as Omen Our plays on RPGGeek.com rpggeek.com/plays/thing/162998?userid=1168080
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Post by dragonforgotten on May 27, 2019 12:18:23 GMT -5
F***! S****! F****! I will forever renounce my love for flowers at his point! I feel a rib start to crack as the wines strange tighter. Everyones panicking. We're being attacked by demonic daisys from all sides and it just keeps going and going the father it goes. Me and Karsi have been beaten to near death. Karsi cries out as the vines bit into her shoulder. "IVE got this! Everything's going to be fine! I Got this!" I shout as i wiggle my arms through the vines, coughing blood as i scowl in determination. One bits me in the leg and it stings like nothing else. "Were done for! What are you even going to do!? You'r half dead and you'r tied up!" She's panicking, Thats a mistake. i can already see that she's giving up hope. i for one am not ready to go quietly. I grit my teeth and force a hand free through the vines. Only one but one is all i need. "WALL OF FORCE: PANELES!" as predicted the invisible walls drops between us and the flowers as the raw magical energy of the barrier severes all the vines straining us as they twist about like snakes. They continue to attack but bounce off the indestructible wall. Karis on the ground gasping with eyes wide in shock as i start picking myself off the ground. Thats the last time i let someone touch an obviously dangerous trap. "Omen..." she gasp. "I love you, y'know that?!" "Ya i know... I save you guys all the time. oh wait." I then start feeling violently ill but i choke it down out of dignity. Karis not so much and i'm starting to think i should have just let myself get sick so it wouldn't burn up my throat. I ask Charley to test my theory but sadly it didn't appear to work. We are still stuck in this room but at least we are back to full health thank to Ulrich and his magic rabbit spirits. Bunnies make everything better. We bicker and squabble for a ridiculous amount of time that we barley acknowledge the strange Drow among us. They keep on trying to get around my wall to attack while we are trying to heal and plan and Im not keen on allowing an outsider getting themselves killed. "Fine! We do things the old fashion way." I hand the wall of fire scroll to Morrigan. "We kill and burn them all till it stops moving or it lets us out. Just like we always do." I can see the gleam in Morrigan eye and it looks like we just made her day. Glade someones happy. I'll be happy when we reach that tower and i'm out of this mind numbing maze. ---------
Were back to the sundial after finally escaping the room with bags of over 25 semi-good pearls. Im done now. Someone else can figure this s*** out. Charley raises an Idea "What if we don't follow the shadows this time." Seems like a good plan. We start going and the shadows start to spread and i honestly get nervous that we are going the wrong way. We then reach a path were every option has a shadow which then retreats back to the sun dail. Great. I got nothing. Karis then climbs on it and my heart stops when she suddenly disappears. "Karsi!" We all then follow her lead till we finally find her again standing in front of the tower! AT LAST! I claps her on the shoulder. "You did it!" "Charlie figured it out!" She nod thanks to the paladin. the paladin may have started us on the right path but you were the one to actually think outside of the box. I honestly got so caught up in my thinking that i couldn't see there was more then one way out. It appear i was short sighted.... Why does this keep happening!? In front of us lies the body of a cultist, presumably the one that our defector threw off the balcony up above us. I goes up to him contemplating for a second before stripping the body and dawning the robes. "Why are you wear that! Theres still blood on them!" "Disguise." i tell them nonchalant which is true but if i was being completely honest... the uniform makes me nostalgic. The memories are in here somewhere. If i can remember then maybe i can find the well of dragons. Ive been there. Ive seen it. The old me knew. I know what they are doing but its all locked away. Maybe i can be a full person instead half of one. I just have to follow the trail, then one day maybe. I can find my name. Next to the body is a teleportation circle so i being to study it, writing it in my book for safe keeping but not a second do i finish does it vanish into thin air. "Theres something weird about this portal." I tell everyone curious. Theres mentions by Ulrich to search at the foot of the castle till suddenly the dark nameless stranger steps into the teleportation circle and vanishes and i cant help but groan as we now follow.
The circle brings us into a round room with narrow windows and glowing lamps, feathers and snakes and eagles decorate the walls. Another cultist, this one a woman, lies dead in a pool of blood. The ranger examines the body and discovers she died from a stab wound from a dragon tooth dagger. Hmmm. Im deep in thought. By the design of her robes, she was higher ranked than the pervious owner of the robes i just donned. It appears she's a victim of a fall out, probably from our defector. I feel the claws of fear try to grab me like it did back in Darius tomb after Karis returned the dragontooth dagger to me. A sick sense of familiarity tries to overwhelm my senses but i'm stronger then i was back then and i can ignore its call.. "Omen, it was you!" Karsi gasps in mock horror. "Case solved, everyone. We can go home now." I turn to here chuckling. "Yes, it was me all along." I speak sardonically, pulling out my bloodless dragontooth dagger. "I stabbed her while you guys were fighting the plants. It was My evil plan all along." There's a panel on the wall and another teleportation circle by it. Runar goes up and touches the hourglass. Nothing. "Let's search this room, look for an hourglass! He said he was leaving it behind." Karis says, getting to work but i stop her. "Why don't you rest, you need to recover your spells. I'll take your place." "Oh. Thank you!" Kari then takes her spot next to Runar as i help search the room. As i passed the body i feel pulled the same way i was putting on these robes except this compulsion is stronger. What i'm wearing should be good enough, but it doesn't feel it to me. I then take the other robes and change into them. From the corner of my eye i can feel Karis eyes staring into me like shed seen a ghost. Don't know what bothered her, unless theres something weird on my back. I hope there isn't. I look away just in time for Ulrich to touch the star symbol on the teleportation circle and vanish! OH F****! We all jump to our feet prepared to run in and save our archer. Im getting tired of archers stumbling into things before we are ready.
-Omen the Farsighted
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Post by Stephen on May 27, 2019 14:22:15 GMT -5
After staying back to help the town folk after the dragon attack, Runar finally caught up to the rest of the party. Just in time too, for weird plants attacked them from both sides of the path. These plants were no joke, slapping at us, biting us and wrapping us up with their vines. Omen casts a wall of force spell freeing us the plants. We heal up a bit and I use my alchemy and herb kits to concoct potions of lesser restoration, ridding the party of the plants poison.
As usual they argue about how to proceed. As I do not have much in the way to attack the plants or contain them I hang back and watch as the rest of them attempt to come up with a plan on how to proceed. It’s frustrating watching the best of the best squabble. Even more so when no one has the stones to step up and make a decision. Maybe I will next time.
Eventually we clear the way to the fountain and beyond with carefully placed spells and ranged attacks. Karsi and Charlie figure out the shadow puzzle and before I have a chance to inappropriately heal Karsi we are standing before the tower.
The ranger wants to explore the outside first but we find a teleportation circle and are poofed into the tower. After touching some runes I back off and let the smart ones figure this room out. The ranger apparently touched a rune and disappeared. Wonder where? Should we all follow?
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Post by Chris on May 27, 2019 23:40:57 GMT -5
End Nightal 21 1:04 pm, 1489 DR; Year of the Warrior Princess. Selune is waxing crescent. The Rise of Tiamat Xonthal's Tower Observatory (Ulrich is ambushed) A key is found Dungeon Elemental Vortex MVP = Dave Bussiere as Grahz Grahz & Karsi earn a level Our plays on RPGGeek.com rpggeek.com/plays/thing/162998?userid=1168080
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Post by Aileen on May 28, 2019 12:55:30 GMT -5
After Ulrich disappears, I wait for everyone else to go through the teleportation circle. Finally I'm the last one left, and step in. I momentarily panic as I forget what they pressed to go in. Was it just the star? Hourglass star? Why was I not paying attention?!
"Chair?" I touch the panel. "Star!"
I breathe a sigh of relief as I come into a new room. There's a big telescope that looks like the one Omen and I looked through back in the swamp castle. That feels like another lifetime...
I can hear Omen ranting about being disrespected and how nobody recognizes her rank... what on earth is she talking about?
"Party's here!" I exclaim, walking in. "Nice telescope!"
"Oh, thank you. It's a special order." A man in robes says. I then realize there's a total of eight of them, cultist in robes. S***.
"They're wizards, Karsi! Stay back!" Omen warns me. Yeah, I can see that.
I can see Ulrich walking out to the ledge outside, the robed men encouraging him. Is he going to jump? One of the higher rank looking wizards looks a bit annoyed.
"Fine, we'll do it this way."
I watch as my entire party on the other side of the room is walloped with a cone of cold. I'm out of the blast zone. Another wizard casts, and I remember to counterspell. The counterspell is then counter spelled. Damn wizards!
"So that's how we're playing, is it?" I grin, casting something I've never done before. I may not be the most studious person, but my best friend is a wizard after all. She tells me about cool spells and I ask the Raven Queen if I can please have them... she never answers, but i get the spells! I point my shadowy blade towards the group of wizards on my side.
Three of their faces twist in confused agony, eyes rolling into their skulls and foaming at the mouth as they seize. They drop dead. The higher ranked wizard looks confused, staggering for a moment. I need to use this one again!
A shadowy specter rises from one of the bodies, and I cheer. Chad, my loyal friend! The two head wizards fall dead with arrows sprouting out of them. Guess my spell made Ulrich snap out of whatever trance he was in! Theres two guys left. One is knocked out, and the other tries casting a spell on Charlie. He laughs nervously, and runs, earning hits from the paladin and Grahz. He keeps running, and Omen jumps out and daggers him. Finally Chad grabs him around the throat and sucks the rest of his life away.
"Good boy, Chad!" I try to pat my spectre on the back, but my hand goes through his shadowy form, instantly going numb. I quickly withdraw it.
Morrigan is lying on the ground bleeding, so I run to her side. I'm no healer, but I know enough about combat medicine to help her. I put pressure on the pulsating neck wound, stopping the life from leaving her. Runar and Charlie take over, and I step back to survey the scene.
"I'm so proud of you!" Omen throws her arms around me. Her robes are still a bit icy from the cone of cold. "That was amazing!"
"I blew their minds! And I got Chad back!"
Everyone stands around drinking healing potions, but I feel pretty good. I really want to check out the telescope. I go to the big contraption, and it seems to be a normal telescope, not a scrying one like the one back at the swamp castle. I look through it, pointing it up at the giant crystal in the ceiling.
"What do you see?" Omen asks me.
"Its just a big, shiny orb! It's really bright."
"That's the sun, stop looking at it, you'll go blind!"
I laugh, backing away. I blink away the greenish spots that cloud my vision. Omen snorts with laughter.
"You've got something around your eye." She says.
I wipe my hand across my eyelid, a black tarnish coming off onto my skin.
"Better?"
"No, worse!" She uses the sleeve of the cultist robes to wipe my face. "Ok, you're good."
"I found the hourglass!" Ulrich exclaims.
"That's the key!" I say.
Charlie and Grahz start throwing bodies off the balcony. As Ulrich finishes searching them. Finally all the bodies are gone.
"One of them was only knocked out!" Runar snaps.
"Oh... well, he's dead now." Grahz shrugs.
We decide to rest up here for a bit before moving on. Omen ritual casts tiny hut, but it is clear that neither Grahz nor Chad can go inside. I elect to sit outside the hut with both of them. I tell Chad to guard the teleportation circle in case anyone else comes in.
After an uneventful hour, we move along. All of us step in the teleportation circle, and Omen holds the hourglass to the hourglass symbol. We appear in a small dungeonesque room. There are three dead cultists and a blood trail. Omen and Ulrich stop to examine the blood while Runar rolls his eyes. Apparently they're trying to figure out if its human but don't know that much based on appearance. I put some on my finger and then lick it.
"It's sangria. You should try it." I tell the ranger. Runar audibly gags. I laugh.
The ranger scouts ahead, ordering me to stay back so my light doesn't interrupt his sneaking.
"Buy me new armour, then!" I snap as he walks into the darkness.
Morrigan follows after Ulrich, going down the corridor. Not a moment later do we hear three bow twangs, the grinding of stone, crackling flames, and then running feet. Ulrich and Morrigan reappear, panting.
"Stone golems... fire elementals!" Ulrich gasps.
"Get them, Chad!" I order my specter. He flies off down the corridor. More flame sounds and stone.
The elementals come into our room. I have the sinking feeling that Chad is gone. A streak of flame goes through the air, and springs up around Omen. Her robes light on fire. I cast chill touch on the fire elemental next to me, and watch as Omen misty steps away. She reappears close by me on the opposite side, and drops and rolls to extinguish the flames. One of fire elementals attacks me, and I ignite. Just as I pat out the flames, Omen casts wall of force. The fire elementals disappear.
"Thank you, Omen!"
Grahz stands in the corridor fighting the stone elementals while the rest of us pile up behind him, unable to get through. I can't exactly blast them without hitting my friends, and Runar is right in front of me. I point at the stone elemental, banishing it. There is an audible pop as it disappears.
"What did you just do?" Charlie asks, surprised.
"Banished it back where it belongs!"
"Wow... Well. You have one job now. Keep it there!"
I continue to concentrate on keeping it banished while the others in front make attacks. Grahz kills the other stone golem, and the fire elementals come and attack one by one. It's slow going, but they all get picked off. Finally we can move into the room.
Theres lots of tables and clutter of papers and books. We find old papers that crumble as we touch them, thanks to the fire wearing them away. Runar opens up a chest, and finds scrolls with unintelligible writing. Even I can't read what they say. We take a quick break while Runar studies one of them, and I check in with Omen. We can clearly see the blood stains going down some stairs.
"I'm worried about our boy," Omen tells me. "That's a lot of blood. We need to get to him fast."
"I know an arterial bleed when I see one. I agree, he doesn't have much time before he bleeds out if that's him."
Ten minutes later, Runar starts laughing.
"Its a scroll of protection," he says. "Against fire elementals!"
Well ain't that just a slap in the face.
~ Karsi
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