Adventure 5: For the Hoard!

[Ebiris]

Loot

For Keylin only
Amulet of Willpower +2 - 1,000gp
Grants a +2 resistance bonus to will saves.
19gp

For Everyone

524gp worth of gold and baubles found in the cupboard under the stairs.

46,290gp from Dragon's Hoard

Magic Items -100gp for identifying

Gloves of Arrow Snaring - 4,000gp

Restorative Pixie Potion (15 doses) - This bubbly green liquid, when imbibed, will convert Charisma drain into Charisma damage, and negate the unique effect caused by a Grey Jester when it reduces someone to 0 Charisma with its Empathic Feeding special attack.

Broom of Flying - 17,000gp

Marjorie the Holy Lance (traded in for Lance of Radiance)
Int: 13, Wis: 11, Cha: 22
Communication: Speech (Common, Sylvan)
Capabilities: One lesser (1/day Major Image)
Senses: 120ft Darkvision and Hearing
Alignment: Neutral Good
Weapon Traits: +2, Holy, Ghost Touch
Ego: 13

Scrolls and other spell related stuff

Mystra's Magic Manual
Contains following spells: (110/1000 pages used)
Level 0: Resistance, Acid Splash, Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Daze, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Mending, Message, Open/Close, Arcane Mark, Prestidigitation
Level 1: Alarm, Shield, Mage Armour, Unseen Servant, Identify, Charm Person, Sleep, Silent Image, Ventriloquism, Feather Fall, Reduce Person
Level 2: Resist Energy, Glitterdust, See Invisibility, Daze Monster, Touch of Idiocy, Invisibility, Minor Image, Mirror Image, Alter Self, Knock
Level 3: Dispel Magic, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Tongues, Hold Person, Suggestion, Major Image, Flame Arrow, Fly, Haste
Level 4: Stoneskin, Charm Monster, Crushing Despair, Greater Invisibility, Phantasmal Killer
Level 5: Dominate Person, Mind Fog, Shadow Evocation, Overland Flight

Experience

Taking Part! - 100 XP
Catching Pickpocket - 50XP
----------
1 Advanced (11hd) Green Hag - 400XP
1 Advanced (9hd) Dark Jester - 300XP
Returning 7 children to the village - 350XP
----------
4 Winter Wolves - 1120XP
----------
Taking Part - 100XP
----------
Curing the children - 1000XP
----------
4 Medium Monstrous Centipedes - 20XP
1 Large Monstrous Centipede - 20XP
2 Chokers - 160XP
----------
Surviving the Githyanki attack - 200XP
----------
Keeping dominated Gourash under control with no fatalities - 500XP
----------
1 Githyanki Wizard 10 - 1,750XP
----------
Amonet
610XP bonus for being a level behind the party

[Ebiris]

[15:27] <Ebiris> The trip back to Silverymoon is a difficult one, now lacking in horses as well as one of the party thanks to the predations of a now thankfully rotting dragon. All told it takes about three times longer to get back to Silverymoon as it did to reach the Solar Forge to begin with. But eventually the group is greeted by the welcome sight of Silverymoon's gleaming marble spires and lush foliage. (more)
[15:27] <Ebiris> First stop is Rhyster's Matins, the temple of Lathander. Hahn makes quite a scene as you all interrupt the evening services, but after setting his new staff upon the altar, the booming voice of Lathander leaves no doubt as to who the new Mornmaster of the temple is. Making use of the temple's resources, he casts the spell to ressurect Amonet himself, offering the party sincere thanks and an offer to make use of the temple's facilities whenever in need. (more)
[15:27] <Ebiris> Keylin also receives her hard earned payment from Dawngreeter Cedric, and the party retire to their lodgings at Meilekki's Arrow, intending to rest and recuperate after a hard fought adventure, and plot their next move. Sadly Varul has already decided on his next move, deciding to go home to Waterdeep after realising the adventuring life wasn't for him. But what will the rest do...?
[15:27] <Ebiris> whenever in need. (more)
[15:29] <Alveria> "Well, I don't know about you guys. But I've got an appointment with a Githzerai. I hope. If that woman came through..." mutters Alveria, glancing at Gourash and Amonet. "Since it seems we're still sticking together, and it concerns those freak Githyanki, do you want to come along?"
[15:30] <Amonet> "I would be honored to, Friend!" Amonet says happily.
[15:31] <Alveria> Alveria nods, and then twists her head back (so it's almost 180 degrees) and stares at Keylin.
[15:34] * Keylin shrugs. "Why not, I guess? I don't have anything better to do."
[15:36] <Alveria> Alveria's neck goes through contortions as it realigns back to it's normal position. "Huh, really? Unlucky! Why, if it wasn't for the sheer expense of arcane research, and the whole extraplanar-jerks-after-me, I could buy a house with the money we just made.." Alveria continues rambling along this vein as she leads the group back towards the magical college.
[15:37] <Dracos> Gourash shrugs and goes along quietly, keeping his thoughts to himself.
[15:39] * Keylin starts to speak to the half orc, but thinking better of it, goes talk to the recently ressurected girl. "Is her neck doing that normal?" Keylin whispers to the younger girl.
[15:40] <Amonet> "Oh yes!" Amonet is all too happy to educate her. "Our friend Alveria is very special that way!"
[15:41] <Ebiris> And so the group makes their way through Silverymoon's well lit and safe streets. They're fairly quiet at this late hour, a few taverns here and there showing increased traffic but not as much general bustle as the city sees during daylight hours. The Vault of Sages looms ahead, an enormous and boxy U shaped building amid the more graceful spires and arches of its surroundings...
[15:41] <Ebiris> It seems to be somewhat quiet itself, although the doors are open and light is visible from its windows.
[15:43] <Alveria> Alveria walks straight inside, heedless of anything said about her behind her back! "Is Cassandra Ward avaliable?" she asks the first clerk with the misfortune to pass her way.
[15:43] * Gourash gives a light smirk at Alveria's standard crazy antics.
[15:46] <Ebiris> Joyousness, it's the same blonde half-elf girl who helped you the first time you visited. She's currently struggling under the weight of a dozen thick leather-bound books she's carrying, but still manages a perky smile for Alveria. "Hi, I remember you!" she chirps, carefully setting her burden onto the nearby counter.
[15:46] <Ebiris> "Miss Ward came back from her trip the day before yesterday and said you'd probably come looking for her! She's not in today, but said we could direct you to her house if you showed up!"
[15:47] <Alveria> "I've showed up! Direct me!"
[15:48] <Amonet> "Yes, please do," Amonet adds with a sunny smile.
[15:51] * Keylin shakes her head wondering what the hell these people ate for breakfast to be so cheerful. She supposed that Amonet girl had reason enough to be cheerful having been ressurected at least, but weren't elves supposed to be...formal or something?
[15:52] <Ebiris> "Of course!" she grins happily, proceeding to give an insanely complicated series of directions. "First you head back out here the way you came, then you take the second left past the fountain with the naked angels. Then you head down that street all the way to Willard's Cloaks and Hats - it's got a big sign so you can't miss it. Turn right there and then keep going past Hilda's Salon - I get my hair done there, isn't it nice?" she preens briefly,
[15:52] <Ebiris> "Until you get to the church of Gond. Then you want to go left and then right and then left again at the first streets in those directions, then keep going till you reach Sune's Park. Miss Ward lives at the big house off the South exit of the park." She smiles after concluding, not seeming at all out of breath.
[15:52] <Ebiris> briefly,
[15:53] <Alveria> "Or I could just go down that street over there," replies Alveria, pointing down the road. "That'll work too, right?"
[15:55] <Ebiris> "Um..." the girl looks briefly flummoxed, chewing on her bottom lip a moment before suddenly brightening. "Yes! You just have to go down that way, then turn right at the third street, then keep going past the intersection, then go left and then right again, and go all the way around past the Lady's College, and then if you go down that street until the fifth turn left you'll come out right by Sune's Park!"
[15:56] <Alveria> "I get it! Thanks!" replies Alveria, starting to head out the school. "It's simple, we just walk down the main street until we get there," she confides to her friends, starting along the simplified route.
[15:56] <Gourash> "Are all mages that ...?" Gourash suggested.
[15:56] <Alveria> "Am *I* like that?"
[15:57] <Gourash> "Yes.  In a different fashion," Gourash said without missing a beat.
[15:57] <Alveria> "Becuase I'm a mage, you know! Granted, I've been keeping it a secret for a while, nobody is supposed to know," she continues, apparently perfectly serious. "They don't like it on Evermeet when mages run around on the mainland without permission, but I got away, haha, and, well, don't tell anyone, ok?"
[15:57] <Amonet> "Your secret is safe with us, surely!" Amonet exclaims.
[16:01] <Ebiris> Following Alveria's directions, the party make their way down the main street. Most of the shops they pass are now closed for the night, though there remain plenty of busy taverns and inns. Alas, though, a decision is soon forced upon the straightforward route! Eventually the street reaches a T junction with the Star Court directly ahead and roads going around it in either direction.
[16:02] <Alveria> Alveria has some kind of insight that only she can see, because she turns right with total confidence.
[16:04] * Gourash doesn't pay attention any insights or anything, merely assuming that the mage has a worked out set of directions.
[16:05] * Amonet is as wary as usual of evil lurking about, but otherwise is all too content to follow Alveria.
[16:05] <Ebiris> Continuing onwards at the mad whims of Alveria, the party pass by a tavern that's just emptying out a few patrons, one of which drunkenly stumbles into Keylin! "Sch'cuse me, ma'am," he hiccoughs, staggering away without a backwards glance.
[16:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[16:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 19." [1d20=19]
[16:05] <Ebiris> OOC: spot check, Keylin
[16:06] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12
[16:06] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 and gets 27." [1d20=15]
[16:07] -> *Keylin* You notice that as he stumbled into you, his hand darted towards your coin purse, lifting some of its contents!
[16:10] <Keylin> Keylin's hand snaps out as she notices what just happens, moving to wrap her hand around the 'drunken' man's arm. "I can't say you're excused just yet," she states in an annoyed tone.
[16:10] <Ebiris> OOC: grapple check, so make a melee touch attack. He has no weapon so no AoO for him
[16:11] * Gourash glances over at the altercation, grinning toothily in slight hope of escalation.
[16:12] <Keylin> roll 1d20+7
[16:12] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+7 and gets 9." [1d20=2]
[16:12] <Ebiris> Sadly he slips away too fast from Keylin, looking like he's now about to run for it!
[16:12] <Ebiris> OOC: init, lol
[16:12] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+3 pickpocket
[16:12] <Keylin> roll 1d20+4
[16:12] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+4 and gets 14." [1d20=10]
[16:12] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+3 pickpocket and gets 22." [1d20=19]
[16:13] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5 oh god why
[16:13] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 oh god why and gets 17." [1d20=12]
[16:13] <Gourash> roll 1d20+1
[16:13] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+1 and gets 7." [1d20=6]
[16:14] <Ebiris> roll 1d20 Amonet
[16:14] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 Amonet and gets 1." [1d20=1]
[16:15] <Ebiris> Realising the game is up, your robber suddenly bursts into a run, bolting down the street and down an alleyway about 40 feet away, disappearing out of sight between the buildings!
[16:17] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[16:17] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 20." [1d20=20]
[16:19] <Alveria> Alveria doesn't even turn around as she casts Haste upon the rest of the party, before yawning a little and sitting on a nearby barstool. "Ale," she requests.
[16:19] <Ebiris> One of the barmaids is happy to attend to Alveria, going away to take her order which will arrive in a round or two.
[16:20] * Keylin gives a small growl of annoyance as she dashes after the thief. Don't people have the dignity to steal from people that actually deserve to be stolen from? Like corrupt nobles and the like? Nevermind that he didn't steal -that- much probably. It was the principle of the matter!
[16:21] <Ebiris> Already fleet of foot to begin with, Alveria's magic ensures that Keylin catches up with the thief before he even realises what's up, finding him only about 20 feet down the alley! (That's only a single move action for you so you have a standard action to play with)
[16:24] * Amonet looks around for the representatives of Silverymoon's honored law enforcement!
[16:25] * Gourash casually watches, seeing the speed at which Keylin burst off running.
[16:25] <Alveria> "And so I said, "That's what you call a Waukeenar's deposit," chortles Alveria. To herself.
[16:26] * Keylin pulls off the hammer strapped to her back as she shouts to the thief, "Give me my money back if you don't want to get squashed like the bug you are! It'll hurt more if you make me keep chasing you!" Her eyes glint, showing she wouldn't mind terribly if he makes her chase and cause him more pain.
[16:28] <Ebiris> Seeing the hammer and looking noticably worried by the speed of Keylin's interception, the pale-faced thief fumbles a moment before tossing a small bag at Keylin's feet, several shiny gold coins spilling out. "I don't need it, just take it back and leave me alone!" he cries before hurrying further down the alley in hopes that this'll be the end of it.
[16:30] * Keylin snorts and straps the hammer back on her back as she goes grab the small bag, checking its contents.
[16:30] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+20
[16:30] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+20 and gets 39." [1d20=19]
[16:31] <Ebiris> Keylin finds coins in various denominations totalling up to 39gp. Feels a bit heavier than what she lost, to be honest... The thief uses this time to vanish completely out of sight, gone into the night.
[16:32] * Keylin shrugs and heads back to where the others were.
[16:32] <Gourash> "Catch your thief?" Gourash queried.
[16:34] <Keylin> "Scared the crap out of him and got my money back," Keylin replies honestly as she sits next to the elf wizard. "Well, you guys already seem to have gotten first round of drinks, so I'll just say second round is on me," she adds cheerfully. "That was a nice bit of exercise."
[16:35] <Gourash> Gourash shrugged, "Weren't we going somewhere?"
[16:35] <Alveria> "Oh, you're done? Great! There's no time for dessert, I want to speak with Miss Ward tonight," pronounes Alveria, standing up and starting off again.
[16:36] * Keylin shrugs. "Ah well, I figured we were taking a break. Next time we stop at a bar then," the scout comments, not really minding either way.
[16:36] <Alveria> "Maybe dinner will be on her, too," adds Alveria, smiling wick-cheerfully.
[16:38] * Gourash laughs as they continue on.
[16:38] * Keylin snorts. "Maybe another day, my dear wizard. Maybe another day."
[16:39] <Ebiris> Leaving their drinks behind, the party resume their journey in search of Cassandra Ward's abode, guided by Alveria's mysterious urges. Said urges truly are mysterious, as you could swear you pass by several landmarks at least twice along the way, but after 9pm with the moon hanging brightly in the sky, they finally reach Sune's Park, and the wizard's mansion just to the South of it. (more)
[16:39] <Ebiris> Clearly Cassandra earns a good living doing whatever it is she does when not fetching extraplanar beings for exorbitant fees. Or maybe that's enough... Regardless, it's one of the bigger houses around, and has a large and well maintained garden. The front door bears an Elvish welcome mat, and a sign in Common stating "Knock and wait. The occupier takes no responsibility for any injuries resulting from doing otherwise.
[16:41] <Alveria> Alveria follows the signs instructions, despite her intense curiosity.
[16:44] <Ebiris> After a brief rap at the door it takes less than a minute for it to swing open, revealing a creamy-skinned Moon Elf with her silver hair pulled back into a rather severe bun, exaggerating her pointed ears further than normal. "Hello-" she begins, before smiling coldly at Alveria, "Ah, Miss Calhadre! I was wondering when you would return - please, do come in," she steps aside, gesturing for everyone to enter.
[16:45] <Alveria> "Thankyou! Please don't mind my friends, they're responsible for my continued presence on this plane and not on the Astral," notes Alveria, stepping neatly inside.
[16:46] * Amonet sketches a bow for the moon elf, and heads inside as well.
[16:48] <Ebiris> "Charming," Cassandra replies dryly as you enter. The hall is rather warmly furnished, a few comfy looking chairs and tapestries giving it the air of a waiting room. The hulking clay golem looks a bit out of place, but it seems quiet enough. "You'll be pleased to know I was able to procure a most lovely Githzerai who is more than happy to assist in finding out what has his racial cousins so up in arms regarding you."
[16:49] <Keylin> "I can't say I'm not the least bit curious as to that myself," Keylin mutters under her breath.
[16:49] <Alveria> "I would be most happy to meet him! And to give you this," replies Alveria, handing over a rather large sack of gold that she's been carrying all this time.
[16:52] <Ebiris> "So glad I didn't have to remind you," Cassandra positively beams - in her own somewhat prim and stern manner - as she accepts the sack. "Come along and I'll introduce you," she starts up the stairs, which bear several paintings alongside them depicting scenes ranging from a landscape of Mount Celestia to clashing battle amid the cubes of Acheron.
[16:52] <Alveria> One day, Alveria will be the one with a pretentious foyer!
[16:52] <Alveria> Until that day... she ponders, bowing her head for a moment in determination before following up the stairs.
[16:55] <Ebiris> Pausing at the top of the stairs, Cassandra leans over a large potted plant and taps one of its broad leaves, making a few odd clucking noises. That done she proceeds towards the nearest door and knocks. "Puk'lor? That interesting woman I told you about is here - may we come in?"
[16:57] <Ebiris> "Enter," a gravelly male voice returns, before Cassandra opens the door and steps inside, revealing a somewhat spartan bedroom. The figure sitting cross-legged on the floor slowly rises, looking more or less indistinguishable from the Githyanki that have plagued you recently. "I bid you welcome," he steeples his hands and bows, "Miss Ward has explained of your troubles with the hated Githyanki."
[16:59] <Alveria> Alveria returns the bow, adopting a more serious demeanour. "Yes. We ran into another of their packs just recently," she responds. "They brought a dragon... and I'm naturally curious as to what warrants such effort."
[17:02] <Ebiris> Unlike the baroque armour favoured by the Githyanki, however, this man wears a set of loose silk robes patterned in gold and purple. "Miss Ward explained her theory," he begins, blotched yellow skin stretched taut over his facial features as he speaks,
[17:02] <Ebiris> "The Karach blade is a symbol of the Githzerai people - any held by the children of Gith are jealously hoarded as evidence of their victories," his voice goes lower, some simmering anger evident at the thought.
[17:03] <Alveria> "If Ward's theory is correct... I would happily return it to you, if that's possible," hazards Alveria, tentatively.
[17:05] <Ebiris> "Let us test this," Puk'lor states with finality, reaching behind his waist before he withdraws a long thin blade in a smooth movement. "When two Karachs meet, they react to the will of their wielders, showing who is the master and who is the student."
[17:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[17:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 15." [1d20=15]
[17:06] <Ebiris> OOC: will save, Alvie
[17:06] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[17:06] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 15." [1d20=10]
[17:08] <Ebiris> Holding his blade horizontally in front of Alveria's eyes, she can see its substance seeming to mist over slightly, the edge of the blade peeling back further to reveal an impossibly sharp edge. So sharp it defies comprehension, yet it draws in all of her focus for what seems like hours but could hardly have been more than an instant before... Ow! A severe stabbing pain is felt in Alveria's head, disorienting her terribly!
[17:10] <Alveria> Alveria clutches her head in an instant, resisting the sudden urge to scream! "It hurts, alright?" she snaps, instead.
[17:11] <Ebiris> In an instant the blade is gone, and Alveria can think again. "My aplogies," Puk'lor replies, not sounding that sincere or sympathetic. "But for you to react at all must mean there is indeed a connection. Your spirit has become suffused with the karach."
[17:12] <Alveria> "That's awesome," mutters Alveria. "So. Uh. Is there a way to un-suffuse it? Nobody back home could do it... I don't know if they even tried."
[17:15] <Ebiris> "I would like to know more of how it occured," Puk'lor states dimly, "As to removing it, I am unsure myself. But I am a mere neophyte compared to others of my people - in the great Monastery of Shrak'tkor, we may find one who can help, either among the highest ranks of the Zerth, or the honoured Shapers who craft our blades."
[17:15] <Ebiris> "A Wish or a Miracle would surely do it," Cassandra pipes up helpfully, before looking faintly abashed, "Alas I can't cast either of those. Yet."
[17:17] <Amonet> "Excuse me," Amonet asks Puk'lor hesitantly. "This blade is an important treasure to you, is it not?"
[17:18] <Ebiris> "That is correct," the Githzerai replies gravely. "Returning it to the hands of the people would be a great event."
[17:19] <Alveria> "Great, let's go," replies Alveria. "Can you plane-shift us to this monastery?"
[17:19] <Alveria> "It'd be easiest if I was there to be inspected or to speak to them in person, right?"
[17:20] <Amonet> "And there might be someone who could try the Wish!"
[17:20] <Alveria> "There are people like that in Silverymoon. They're just far too busy to help some nobody mage like me," replies Alveria, darkly.
[17:20] <Gourash> "Could we even afford that if they decided to charge us?" Gourash looked a little put-off by the leap to other planes talk.
[17:21] <Ebiris> "I am capable of taking you all to Limbo," Puk'lor nods, "And will do so gladly if you wish. However, I cannot assure arriving at the monastery itself - I would suggest you are prepared for a possibly hazardous journey. The perils of Limbo are not for the unwary."
[17:21] <Amonet> "The return of the sword itself is reward enough, as our friend had said!"
[17:22] <Alveria> "Well, what do we need to deal with?" replies Alveria, shrugging. "We're pretty competent... though if we need to get better equipment or spells, well, I think I know of a horde without a dragon..."
[17:23] <Gourash> "We should go do that first anyway...  Money left sitting is money gone when we come back," Gourash grunted.
[17:23] <Alveria> "I'm a little more concerned about my, you know, soul. It's kind of more important than money to me," replies Alveria. "Still, I guess if I need to spend gold to save it..."
[17:26] <Amonet> "As the one whose very soul is in peril, you should be the one to decide our path," Amonet agrees, nodding soberly.
[17:26] * Gourash shrugs. taking it as one of the weirdnesses of the adventurer life.
[17:26] <Ebiris> "The Slaadi are always looking to pray on the unwary," Puk'lor recites, "But the gravest danger on Limbo comes not from its inhabitants, but from the plane itself - nothing on the Prime can prepare you for the ever changing madness of Limbo, and a disciplined mind is essential to safe travel there."
[17:28] * Alveria takes stock of their party. The noble paladin, dedicated to law and order? Check. The rough-hewn scout, armed with a military mindset and keen eyes? Check.
[17:28] <Alveria> The psychotic barbarian? Nope. The insane wizard? Nope.
[17:29] <Alveria> "So, uh, Miss Ward, how do you do it?" she asks, weakly. "Are there any special items we can use to cheat our way past, or something like that?"
[17:32] <Ebiris> "Me?" Cassandra blinks, pointing briefly at herself, "I prefer to use portals, honestly. I usually just use Plane Shift if I'm in a hurry or it's an emergency - no telling where you'll wind up, after all. Sadly I don't know any portals that go to Shrak'tkor, or even all that close to it, to be honest. I suppose a Gate spell would be perfect, but alas," she shrugs, "Not one I can cast. Yet."
[17:35] <Alveria> "We need a spelljammer!" states Alveria, punching her open palm.
[17:35] <Alveria> "I mean... wait, what was I talking about?"
[17:35] <Keylin> "If you don't know, how are we supposed to know?" Keylin asks with a raised eyebrow.
[17:36] <Alveria> "Look, um, anyway, I want to go to this place. But I've no idea how to be sure if we're ready to go there," she continues. "Is there any way we can tell? Maybe a brief visit, or something like that?"
[17:36] <Gourash> "What is a Spelljammer?" Gourash asks with a straight face, having no idea as this mage gooblededook.
[17:37] <Ebiris> "Well, maybe you could take the portal to the Githzerai city of Bin'saptor? I know the way to that one," Cassandra offers after some thought, "Bound to be someone there that could teleport you to Shrak'tkor."
[17:38] <Alveria> "Works for me," replies Alveria, shrugging. "Where's the portal?"
[17:44] <Ebiris> "First you have to take this portal up in the mountains - I can show you on a map," Cassandra begins, "That actually takes you to the Outlands. Should arrive in some caves a few miles from Xaos - should be easy to find a portal to Limbo there, since there's at least a dozen. The one to Bin'saptor is actually in the sewers below the Hydra's Head tavern. If it's still standing, anyway..."
[17:46] * Gourash eyes the Giz to see his reaction to all this.
[17:46] <Alveria> "A rollicking adventure through the planes it is, then," pronounces Alveria, glancing at her companions. "Remember, when someone yells 'Bloody prime!' they're talking about us."
[17:47] <Ebiris> Puk'lor looks rather placid at the discussion, wearing an odd hangdog expression. Though at Gourash's scrutiny he speaks up, "Some of my people reside in the border town, but it is a place for those who lack discipline and are a danger to others and themselves within Limbo."
[17:48] <Alveria> "I'm a danger to others on this plane, too," counters Alveria. "At least if I'm on Limbo, I'm one step closer to not being a trouble magnet. Anyway, I think things are clear. First, we should go claim the horde of that dragon- I'll do some research tomorrow and hopefully figure where it is."
[17:48] <Gourash> "So...  dragon loot, then...  dangerous journey to chaos?"
[17:49] <Alveria> "With that cash, we'll be able to outfit ourselves properly- there are a few spells that could come in handy in this sort of trip... and then, we'll set off on.. yes, a dangerous journey to chaos!"
[17:50] <Ebiris> "I will be here when you are ready," Puk'lor clasps his hands and bows. "With my hostess' permission, of course?" he glances at Cassandra who inclines her head in a bare nod. "Until then," the Githzerai monk concludes.

[Ebiris]

[22:56] <Corthala> roll 1d20+1 Gather Information
[22:56] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+1 gi and gets 8." [1d20=7]
[22:56] <Corthala> roll 1d20+15 Knowledge Arcana
[22:56] * Hatbot --> "Corthala rolls 1d20+15 arcana hatbot tsk and gets 33." [1d20=18]

Researching the dread dragon Resniax is no easy task for Alveria, the young red not having made much of a name for himself in the North to work from.

Still, after lengthy research in the Vault of Sages, Alveria does manage to piece some useful information together. Twenty years ago, a pair of adult Red Dragons were sighted frequently east of Everlund, terrorising several villages in the area - a male and a female. They caused some degree of mayhem, and the female of the pair wasn't seen at all for a period of close to two years before returning to the fray. It was shortly after then that the forces of the Silver Marches were able to slay both dragons in defence of the village of Dunford, about twenty miles east of Everlund on the North side of the Rauvin river.

Alveria happens to know that the total gestation plus incubation period for a Red Dragon egg is a little bit over two years. Given Resniax's apparent age, the timing also fits in that regard.

There are no other mentions of Red Dragons within one hundred miles of Silverymoon within the past fifty or so years that Alveria can find.

[Ebiris]

[10:32] <Ebiris> OOC: start off with your will save
[10:32] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5 it makes me sad, too
[10:32] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 it makes me sad, too and gets 15." [1d20=10]
[10:34] <Ebiris> As Alveria has her evening meal in the privacy of her room at Mielliki's Arrow, pondering over her research into local red dragons, she becomes aware of a very strong sensation that she is being watched. Perhaps it's the strange insight that gripped her ever since the accident back home, but she feels a certain knowledge rise up unbidden - she's being scryed upon.
[10:34] <Ebiris> OOC: caster level check
[10:35] <Alveria> OOC: wouldn't that be silverymoon's caster level check?
[10:35] <Alveria> roll 1d20+7
[10:35] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+7 and gets 12." [1d20=5]
[10:35] <Ebiris> OOC: You might be right. Lemme check the book.
[10:38] <Ebiris> OOC: doesn't say, but that does make sense - by the same token though, that means that Silverymoon would be the one to get the image of the scrier. I'll say both you and silverymoon get to make a check, for all that Silverymoon's is pretty moot.
[10:39] <Alveria> OOC: i'd imagine the mythal is keyed to someone who gets the warning
[10:39] <Alveria> OOC: Well, that was my check, unless you give me a freebie
[10:39] <Alveria> OOC: Still, it seems a bit harsh to use *my* CL; the mythal is presumably at it's own
[10:39] <Alveria> OOC: What about those poor, non-mages out there? >_>
[10:41] <Ebiris> OOC: it makes sense for their to be someone keyed to the mythal who can warn citizens if they're being spied on. I'll go with that. But your check does stand, on the off chance it beats the scrier.
[10:41] <Alveria> OOC: I await the verdict~
[10:42] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+22 epic cast mythal
[10:42] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+22 epic cast mythal and gets 27." [1d20=5]
[10:42] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+14 nasty gith seer
[10:42] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+14 nasty gith seer and gets 32." [1d20=18]
[10:42] <Alveria> OOC: geezus fuck
[10:42] <Ebiris> OOC: Well now.
[10:43] <Ebiris> OOC: You know you're being scried upon at least. Want to do anything of note while they're peeping?
[10:44] <Alveria> Alveria continues to go through her dragon-related books, randomly picking out some other dragon that is far, far away from the one they happen to be hunting, and going through notes on that.
[10:44] <Alveria> Well, not *too* far.
[10:44] <Alveria> Perhaps one that lairs in an island off the coast...
[10:45] <Ebiris> The coast is several hundred miles away.
[10:46] <Alveria> OOC: What IS nearby, then? Shall I make a check?
[10:48] <Ebiris> Cra'nignius, the Great Red Wyrm of the North! Lairing in the Spine of the World North of Silverymoon, this dread beast strikes terror into the hearts of man and beast across the land whenever he takes to the wing! Surely finding such a beast would be an epic adventure all in itself, to say nothing of the encounter that would follow!
[10:49] <Ebiris> OOC: we're basically done, now. Want to see about that scrying mirror?
[10:49] <Alveria> OOC: Yeah
[10:49] <Alveria> OOC: IS Silverymoon warded against teleportation, btw?
[10:49] <Ebiris> OOC: Yes, unless you have a special token
[10:50] <Alveria> OOC: Cool
[10:50] <Alveria> Alveria stomps downstairs after this is done, looking supremely bitter as she makes off for Ward's house.
[10:51] <Ebiris> Thankfully reaching Cassandra's home without getting lost this time, Alveria finds the older elf opening the door promptly enough. "Ah, Miss Calhadre," she smiles in that ever so cold and artifical way she does, "Back so soon? Puk'lor will be delighted, I am sure."
[10:53] <Alveria> "Perhaps, but not for the reason he expects," replies Alveria. "Do you have a scrying mirror I might use?"
[10:54] <Ebiris> The Moon Elf blinks as she steps back into the foyer. "Yes... although I am not a charity, Miss Calhadre. Such mirrors are expensive, and I can't let just anyone use it."
[10:56] <Alveria> "I never presumed such, and came prepared," deadpans Alveria. "How much?"
[11:02] <Ebiris> "One hundred gold pieces is a nice figure to deter time-wasters," Cassandra replies, leading you inside. "Follow me," she leads you through the hall and downstairs to what looks like a magical lab - alchemist's apparatus and other such accessories dominate, an ornate glowing staff currently set upon a long table towards the far end of the room.
[11:02] <Ebiris> Cassandra leads you towards a full length mirror set against the nearby wall, "Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?" the silver-haired elf mutters lightly, tracing a hand briefly over the reflective surface. "This should be sufficient for you," she adds, returning to her stern demeanour.
[11:05] <Alveria> "Uh-huh," replies Alveria, digging out ten platinum pieces and dancing them on the table. "Well, then, let's see what's happening," she mutters, starting her way through the all-too-arduous task of casting her spell... beginning with that cowardly gith ranger!
[11:05] <Alveria> OOC: Will DC 18
[11:05] <Alveria> OOC: er, 19
[11:06] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+3
[11:06] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+3 and gets 19." [1d20=16]
[11:07] <Alveria> OOC: That's so lame! I'll do it again.
[11:07] <Ebiris> Sadly, Alveria gets nothing. Luckily Cassandra is away puttering around on the other side of the lab and doesn't seem to notice your failure.
[11:07] <Ebiris> OOC: tomorrow, then?
[11:07] <Alveria> OOC: oh, right, there's a delay
[11:07] <Alveria> OOC: Nah, I'll do it to that loser bearded devil
[11:08] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+5
[11:08] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+5 and gets 11." [1d20=6]
[11:08] <Alveria> roll 1d6+4 for minutes I get to be a voyeur
[11:08] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+4 for minutes I get to be a voyeur and gets 6." [1d6=2]
[11:18] <Ebiris> A film of mist obscures the mirror's surface before giving way as Alveria sees her target! The Barbazu is seen loitering in what looks to be a shop - shelves and display cases are seen all about bearing all manner of unusual looking artifacts and weapons. The Devil looks rather bored, simply standing there and keeping to himself... until a quasit flutters into view.
[11:18] <Ebiris> "Hey, ugly!" the Quasit squeaks, "The Mistress wants you to make yourself useful and go clean the shop front!"
[11:18] <Ebiris> The Barbazu grumbles openly, but goes to collect a mop and bucket from a side room before he leaves the shop... Seems to be underground - a sewer? There's slimy brickwork in a large recess that opens up onto what looks like a sewer tunnel.
[11:18] <Ebiris> A sign over the door read's "Vrischika's Shop of Many Things" and an Iron Golem stands guard over the doorway as the Barbazu grumbles to himself and scrubs slime out of the brickwork until the spell ends.
[11:19] <Alveria> "Ms. Ward, have you ever heard of a Vrischika?" queries Alveria, detachedly stepping away from the mirror.
[11:22] <Ebiris> "Vrischika?" Cassandra turns away from her work, "Why yes, actually," she admits. "I've never met her, but I hear she's a dealer in cursed artifacts - they say she can find a buyer for anything. Supposedly she has a shop in the city but it's well hidden - I don't know what she is, but prevailing opinion seems to be that she's not the sort of... being, that would be tolerated on the streets."
[11:22] <Alveria> "In Silverymoon itself?" blinks Alveria.
[11:24] <Ebiris> "So the rumours say," Cassandra nods. "Sadly I have no idea where - and the wards of the city prevent the functioning of portals and other such conveniences that would normally be used to reach such a hidden locale in any other city. Why do you ask?" she cocks her head curiously at you.
[11:25] <Alveria> "I was scrying on one of those crazy devils who swear revenge after you try to kill them, as if they didn't deserve it," explains Alveria. "Seems he was scrubbing the walls outside such a shop, somewhere in the sewers. I wonder, are they protected by the mythal, too?"
[11:27] <Ebiris> Cassandra smiles coldly, steepling her fingers. "A cursed shop amid the filth and refuse of our fair city? How amusing," she notes idly. "The mythal happens to extend underground, that much is certain. But not nearly as deep underground as high in the sky - it would not surprise me if there were areas of the sewers, particularly in the newer parts of the city, that are not covered."
[11:34] <Alveria> "The price of progress," murmurs Alveria. "Well, then, another wonderful day of business with you," she offers, starting to leave the house.
[11:34] <Ebiris> "Good day to you as well," Cassandra returns, showing Alveria to the door.

[Ebiris]

[13:17] <Ebiris> The temple of Silver Stars lies before Alveria, a great crescent shaped building of curving white marble and crystalline windows. A number of worshippers of Selune are seen coming and going from the temple, along with a few heavily armed men and women that have the look of adventurers about them...
[13:18] <Alveria> Alveria doesn't have time for the small fry! She heads inside the temple, looking for a friendly receptionist-priest to help her on her path to knowledge.
[13:20] <Ebiris> Inside Alveria sees several priests, all of whom look very friendly! Most appear otherwise engaged, but that thirtysomething human woman with a streak of silver in her long brown hair doesn't look too busy as she slowly walks past the entrance, going right by Alveria and in easy reach to stop if she so chooses.
[13:21] <Alveria> Not quite physically grabing the woman, Alveria manages to approach in a civil manner; "Excuse me! I'm hoping to get a divination done, could you help me with that?"
[13:23] <Ebiris> The priestess of the moon stops and smiles at Alveria. "Blessed be, seeker," she greets the elf in a warm voice, idly brushing back a lock of hair after bowing. "We can offer a variety of services for those in search of wisdom - perhaps if you can explain the nature of what you seek I can direct you further?"
[13:23] <Alveria> "
[13:24] <Alveria> "I literally want the spell, Divination, to be cast for me," replies Alveria, blinking. "You know how it is, looking for a clue before the next big adventure, and all that."
[13:27] <Ebiris> "Ah, my apologies," the woman replies, still smiling, "I had thought you were speaking in more general terms when you spoke of divination. It is a spell I am able to cast for you - though I have not prepared it at the moment. If it is not urgent, you could return after dusk and I will be able to help?" she offers. "The tithe required will be three hundred and five gold pieces."
[13:28] <Alveria> "Uh-huh, ok, I'll come back," replies the mage, nodding. "Can I get your name, so I know who to ask for?"
[13:30] <Ebiris> "Of course. I am Celeste Lunborn," the priestess replies. "If you return to the temple an hour after sundown, I will be ready to seek Selune's wisdom on your behalf."
[13:30] <Alveria> Alveria nods, dropping off her own name before departing! And then coming back.
[13:30] <Alveria> After sundown, naturally.
[13:32] <Ebiris> The Temple of Silver Stars is even more busy at night, but Alveria is able to locate Celeste without much trouble, and is taken into a small sideroom off the main temple where services are currently in progress. "Now, then," the cleric begins after taking your money, "What question do you require the answer to?"
[13:34] <Alveria> "What kind of trials and problems shall we face in claiming the horde of Resniax?"
[13:35] <Ebiris> Celeste nods, proceeding to light some incense and sit down cross-legged as she begins to chant in Celestial - lots of praise for Selune put amongst your question, if you happen to understand the language...
[13:35] <Ebiris> roll 1d100
[13:35] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d100 and gets 6." [1d100=6]
[13:43] <Ebiris> After ten minutes of this, Celeste finally opens her eyes again at about the same time as the last of the incense burns off. "Hear now the wisdom of Selune," she utters sollemnly, before reciting; "Seek the lost children to find your path, prepare for deceit and you may have the last laugh."
[13:46] <Alveria> "How interesting! Thank you, Lady Lunborn. It seems this will be fun after all," muses Alveria, starting to head out.
[13:47] <Ebiris> "I hope it serves you well, seeker," the priestess returns gently as you leave...

[Ebiris]

[15:15] <Ebiris> Departing Silverymoon on the sole lead Alveria has on red dragons in the Silver Marches, the party ride South, passing by Everlund without stopping and heading through the hills and glens to the small village of Dunford. It's not long past midmorning when they finally reach their destination, the weather crisp and cool as they spy the village at the bottom of the next valley, surrounded by a few fields and thick woodland.
[15:17] <Alveria> "Now, remember, we've only got two clues," reminds Alveria, for the thousandth time. "If there are any children missing, that'll take us to where we need to be! And someone's going to try to trick us at some point.. well, we'll be ready. Right."
[15:19] <Amonet> "I shall be on guard against this foul trickery!" Amonet vows, holding her lance tightly.
[15:20] <Alveria> "Uh-huh," responds Alveria, starting to head towards the village proper, hugging her heavy robes around her.
[15:23] <Ebiris> There's a servicable trail down through the woods towards the village. Animals are occassionally heard from the undergrowth, yet nothing dangerous happens to reveal itself to the party as they meander down towards the village proper.
[15:23] <Ebiris> With woods thinning out behind them, they see a collection of cottages and a few larger buildings ahead, a granary and several barns on the other side of the village by the fields being the biggest structures. A few villagers are seen here and there, turning to look at the new arrivals.
[15:25] * Amonet approaches them, smiling brightly. "Hello, friends!" she greets the villagers.
[15:27] <Ebiris> A wary looking woman in a threadbare shawl happens to be the person closest for Amonet to greet. "Good morrow, milady," she replies, seeming to become more at ease as she takes in the celestial-blooded girl before her. "What brings such as ye to a place like this?"
[15:29] <Amonet> "A divine message," Amonet tells her, dismounting. "We were told by Selune that children were going missing in these parts, and set off from Silverymoon to investigate this injustice."
[15:31] <Ebiris> The woman gasps, falling to her knees. "Praise be!" she cries, wide-eyed. "The Gods have heard our prayers!" A few other villagers approach quickly at this ruckus, chiming in with their own babble, "They'll find our missing children?" "Just look, that one looks like an angel!" "I'm not sure about him, though - he looks like the type to eat children himself!"
[15:32] * Gourash grins, "Only the tasty ones."
[15:32] <Ebiris> The villagers do not appear comforted.
[15:32] <Alveria> "Do shut up," grouses Alveria, stifling a chuckle.
[15:33] <Amonet> "Please, friends!" Amonet tells them. "You must inform us of everything you know, so we could begin as soon as possible!" She throws the half-orc a dark glance, before smiling tentatively at the villagers. "Do not be frightened. His diet does not consist of anything too objectionable."
[15:36] <Ebiris> "My baby girl, she went missing over a month ago," the woman Amonet first greeted chokes out, staggering to her feet. "She wasn't the first... it's been nearly three months, and there are so few children even left, now..."
[15:36] <Ebiris> "We have to watch them at all times, since they just seem to vanish without a trace!" One man puts in from the crowd.
[15:37] <Amonet> "Does this happen in any particular area of the village, or outside it?" Amonet asks.
[15:39] <Ebiris> "We don't know," a teenage girl about Amonet's age chimes in, "They just disappear. My little brother vanished two days ago - I've looked everywhere, but can't find him, and none of his friends -" she chokes back a sob, "The ones still here, anyway, know where he went."
[15:41] <Alveria> "What is the surrounding region like? Does anything else live around here?" queries Alveria, steepling her fingers.
[15:42] <Keylin> "What days have the children vanished on? Can you write us a list, maybe?" Keylin asks, hoping maybe between their group they can find some sort of pattern to the disappearances, maybe something the villagers might have missed if they already tried looking for a pattern.
[15:43] <Ebiris> "It's all forest," the same girl goes on, "It's always been safe, though - I used to play in the woods all the time when I was younger."
[15:43] <Ebiris> "I'll go speak to the sherrif!" one man says, before dashing off, "He has all the details!"
[15:47] <Alveria> While that man runs off to do that, Alveria surrepitously stencils a third eye onto her forehead with a nail, casting a spell that lets her read minds- sort of.
[15:47] * Amonet waits the sheriff's arrival expectantly.
[15:48] * Gourash eyes Alveria and shrugs, never one to negociate with villagers outside of squishings.
[15:48] <Ebiris> Alveria detects thoughts from all the people around her! They all seem to be of more or less average intelligence.
[15:48] <Ebiris> roll 1d20 collective commoner's will save
[15:48] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 collective commoner's will save and gets 15." [1d20=15]
[15:49] <Alveria> OOC: A village of uniform blandness? DC 17
[15:49] <Ebiris> OOC: I am so not rolling every single will save
[15:50] <Gourash> OOC: We appreciate that, Eb.
[15:52] <Ebiris> They all seem to be worrying about the missing children and hoping the party can help them. Except... one little boy towards the back of the crowd. He's guiltily thinking about a friend of his named Jared, and how he promised not to tell anyone where Jared went. He's scared and worried, however.
[15:53] <Ebiris> Shortly, the man who ran off returns with a middle-aged half-elf man in tow, this person wearing leather armour and carrying himself with a hint of weary officiousness. "These strangers say they were sent by the Gods to help?" he asks, eyeing the party.
[15:53] <Alveria> "Let's never mind the details and focus on what we're here to do," interjects Alveria, coughing.
[15:54] <Amonet> "Yes!" Amonet responds just as brightly as previously. "Please tell us everything you know!"
[15:56] <Ebiris> "Wish I could tell more," the half-elf sighs tiredly. "You asked for a list, which I've been keeping anyway," he hands over a piece of parchment to Keylin. "So far it's been fifteen children that have vanished, all aged between five and ten. When the first one left we thought it was just a runaway - crying for attention. But after the third vanished we knew there was more to it."
[15:58] * Keylin nods as she gives a cursory glance at the list.
[15:59] <Ebiris> OOC: int check, Keylin
[16:00] <Keylin> roll 1d20+2
[16:00] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+2 and gets 11." [1d20=9]
[16:02] <Ebiris> Keylin can't discern any telling pattern. A couple of days have two children going missing, but typically it seems to be one at a time, at least one a week but on seemingly random days.
[16:03] <Alveria> "I wonder if they're being spirited away by something, or if they're leaving on their own," muses Alveria, chewing on a strand of hair and giving the Sherrif's thoughts a brief glance.
[16:03] * Keylin shakes her head. "Hmm...was hoping to find some sort of pattern to the dissappearances, but no such luck," the scout mutters as she finishes looking through the list.
[16:04] <Alveria> Alveria takes the list and studies it briefly herself, likewise interested.
[16:04] <Ebiris> The sherrif feels frustrated and helpless, rather bitter as far as Alveria can tell. He thinks someone in the village has to know more, but hasn't been able to get anyone to talk.
[16:04] <Ebiris> OOC: int check, mage-elf
[16:04] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5 that's MISS mage-elf to you
[16:04] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 that's MISS mage-elf to you and gets 21." [1d20=16]
[16:06] <Ebiris> Alveria does notice that the disappearances do seem to be slowing down a bit - seemed to be more in the first month than the second, and then less in this one. Not a huge change though. She also sees that a boy named Jared went missing two days ago.
[16:08] <Alveria> "Well, we'll probably stay here for a little while and look for clues," she pronounces, glancing around the village entire. "If anyone has any idea, or any clues as to where they might've gone, please let us know. I promise, we'll listen to anything you have to say, and you certainly won't get into trouble." She smiles, briefly, before handing the list back to the sherrif, and dismounting.
[16:09] <Ebiris> The sherrif takes the list back and nods appreciatively. "If you can help at all, we'll be forever in your debt. I'm ashamed to say I've had no luck finding hide nor hair of them," he bows his head sadly.
[16:10] <Alveria> Alveria sidles up to Amonet. "Actually, one of the kids has an idea," she murmurs in her ear. "The one back there, with the brown hair. But, ah, I'm useless with children, they, um, irritate me, among other things... it seems he knows where one of his friends went, but won't say for some reason."
[16:12] <Amonet> Amonet's eyes widen slightly, but she nods at Alveria and makes her way towards the boy Alveria indicated, crouching when she reaches him. "Hello," she says. "My name is Amonet. What is yours?"
[16:14] <Ebiris> "Sammy..." the little boy replies, clinging onto his mother's skirt. He looks rather scrawny, with chubby cheeks and big watery blue eyes.
[16:14] <Ebiris> "It's okay, dearie," his mother smiles bravely, patting him, "This nice young lady's going to help find all your friends."
[16:19] <Amonet> "Sammy," Amonet continues, smiling at him encouragingly. "We did come here to find everyone's friends, but we can't do it on our own. We need brave young boys like you to help us. It is only when everyone works together that great things can be accomplished!" She tilts her head, before asking the boy, "Do you think you could help us, Sammy?"
[16:20] <Ebiris> OOC: Diplomacy check
[16:20] <Amonet> roll 1d20+7
[16:20] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+7 and gets 19." [1d20=12]
[16:21] <Ebiris> "I didn't see nothing!" Sammy shakes his head quickly almost as soon as Amonet finishes talking. "I don't know where everyone else went!"
[16:23] * Amonet nods. "What about just one of your friends?" she asks him in a pleasant tone. "We don't have to talk about any of the other children if you don't want to."
[16:23] <Alveria> "If we don't find out soon, then there won't be anyone left to play with," cautions Alveria.
[16:23] <Ebiris> "I just told you I don't know anything!" Sammy squeals, his eyes starting to water a bit. His mother looks on worriedly, seeming to be considering whether to step in.
[16:25] <Amonet> "Alright," she allows, patting the boy on the shoulder. "It's alright! You don't have to worry, from now on! Selune helped us get here, and now that we are at your village, we'll definitely protect everyone!"
[16:25] <Alveria> roll 1d20+12
[16:25] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+12 and gets 30." [1d20=18]
[16:27] <Ebiris> Within Sammy's thoughts, Alveria can see! He was playing with Jared when Piotr, (Alveria recognises him from the list), came out of the woods near the old game trail and asked them to come with him to a wonderful place all the other children had found. Sammy was scared though, but Jared made him pinky swear not to tell anyone after he went with Piotr.
[16:28] <Alveria> "Hey, is there an old game trail around here?" asks Alveria, of the sherrif. "Near or in the woods?"
[16:30] <Ebiris> Sammy flinches noticably, before looking worriedly at Alveria. The sherrif scratches his head a moment before nodding, "Aye, used to use it to go hunting up North myself, when I was younger. Been overgrown for years, though... why?"
[16:32] <Alveria> "Just a hunch," she replies, coughing. "Call it divine inspiration, I guess. We'll be heading off there, then."
[16:33] * Gourash shrugs, about used to Alveria's random divinings of where to go. And as they haven't gotten him killed yet...
[16:33] <Ebiris> "I can show you the way, then, but it won't be easy to travel down - path is choked with weeds, nowadays," the sherrif nods, starting to direct the party through the village.
[16:33] * Amonet stands up, giving Sammy one last smile. "We should go there as soon as possible, yes," she agrees with Alveria.
[16:34] <Alveria> "Please," responds Alveria, starting to follow the sherrif.
[16:35] <Alveria> "Oh!"
[16:35] <Alveria> "Are there any trackers or rangers or the like in town?" she adds.
[16:37] <Ebiris> "'Fraid not," the sherrif replies, "Did a bit of hunting in my youth, but the rest of the townsfolk are farmers, and I was always more of a trapper than a tracker."
[16:37] <Ebiris> In short order the party are led out of the village and along the edge of the forest to the North until you reach the barely noticable beginnings of a dirt path into the woods - yet it appears to be overgrown almost as badly as the dense woods themselves, with all manner of weeds and bushes choking the ground between trees.
[16:41] <Alveria> "I guess we go down this way," muses Alveria. "Hey, do you mind waiting for us here? We'll try and get out any kids we find as soon as we can."
[16:41] <Ebiris> "You're sure they're down there?" the sherrif asks dubiously, eyeing the overgrown path.
[16:41] <Amonet> "You believe this to be the place where the children disappeared, Friend Alveria?" Amonet asks.
[16:43] <Alveria> "I believe so, and it's as good a place to start looking as any," notes Alveria.
[16:43] * Amonet nods, and dutifully begins searching for any human footprints too small to belong to adults.
[16:43] <Ebiris> "Well, good luck to ye," the sherrif nods. "I'll wait here till dusk."
[16:44] <Ebiris> OOC: spot check
[16:44] <Alveria> "Keylin? Want to scout down this trail and see if you can find anything?" asks Alveria, glancing at the forest line itself. How much would the trees obscure vision from above?
[16:44] <Amonet> roll 1d20+5
[16:44] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+5 and gets 20." [1d20=15]
[16:44] <Ebiris> The forest appears to be very dense, at least around here. You probably couldn't see anything on the ground from above the canopy.
[16:45] <Ebiris> No sign of any human-like footprints are in evidence. The dirt is rather hard and dry, however, so it's unlikely they would take well, here.
[16:46] * Keylin nods. "Sure," is the simple answer the girl gives as she starts to move ahead, keeping her eyes and ears open for both signs to help them in their search and for trouble.
[16:46] <Ebiris> OOC: survival check, Keylin
[16:46] <Keylin> roll 1d20+3
[16:46] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+3 and gets 5." [1d20=2]
[16:46] * Amonet shifts her attention to any items that might belong to children, such as ripped pieces of cloth caught up in the bushes, or anything a child might have dropped and doesn't belong out here in nature.
[16:47] <Ebiris> Keylin struggles mightily through the thick undergrowth, with tangled branches and roots seeming to stall and trip her at every turn. However, after an especially arduous half hour of forging through uncooperative woodland, Keylin finally finds the path to widen out and become clear after about half a mile.
[16:48] <Ebiris> Amonet does see a piece of brown cloth hanging off a thorned bush. It's just a scrap, and no way to tell if it belonged to a child or adult, however.
[16:49] * Gourash follows Keylin on a whim, meandering through the woods behind her.
[16:49] <Gourash> roll 1d20+11
[16:49] <Ebiris> Keylin breezes through the woods as if on a summer stroll, finding the path after about ten minutes!
[16:49] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+11 and gets 15." [1d20=4]
[16:50] <Alveria> Alveria trails after Gourash and Keylin, muttering about uncooperative plants, and how the parks were NEVER like this on EVERMEET.
[16:50] * Amonet is the last to follow, seeing no better alternatives.
[16:50] <Ebiris> Gourash does struggle a bit, but forges bravely onwards nonetheless, reaching Keylin just as she's starting to come back to the party after finding the wider path. The other party members likewise struggle through the woods as best they can.
[16:52] <Gourash> "That's because the parks on evermeet were timid," Gourash replies to her ramblings.
[16:53] <Ebiris> At least now the party seem to be past the worst of it, able to proceed with minimal fuss along the now mostly clear trail North. A gap above between the trees allows the pale Northern sun to shine down, although it scarcely warms the group any as they march along, eating up the miles...
[16:53] <Ebiris> OOC: listen checks
[16:54] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12 listen before I brb
[16:54] <Alveria> roll 1d20+3
[16:54] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 listen before I brb and gets 17." [1d20=5]
[16:54] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+3 and gets 11." [1d20=8]
[16:55] <Gourash> roll 1d20+11
[16:55] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+11 and gets 25." [1d20=14]
[16:56] <Amonet> roll 1d20+5
[16:56] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+5 and gets 19." [1d20=14]
[16:56] <Ebiris> As you walk, naught but the sounds of animals are heard - birds singing or cawing as is their want, the rustle of leaves as deer prance through the woods, and the occassional wolf-like howl in the distance...
[16:57] -> *Keylin* And yet... as you walk, you can almost hear the placid sounds of nature change... It's a subtle thing at first, but soon becomes unmistakable to your ears. From a chirping birdsong, sound changes into the terrified whimpers of children. A wolf's howl becomes an anguished cry of fear...
[16:57] <Alveria> "Alright, maybe I was wrong," relents Alveria. "I was just going off that kid's brain."
[16:58] <Gourash> "No, we're close, I can hear them," Gourash responded, looking around displeased.
[16:58] <Amonet> "Maybe not," Amonet says quietly, placing a hand on Alveria's arm to stop her. "I am hearing children crying in the distance."
[16:58] <Alveria> "Oh... er, I can't," mumbles Alveria, sounding embarrased.
[16:59] <Amonet> "We should attempt to discern the direction of those sounds," Amonet suggests to Gourash.
[16:59] <Keylin> "I hear them also," Keylin confirms with a frown. "The children sound...terrified."
[16:59] <Gourash> "Let's go further a bit and see if we hear them getting louder," Gourash suggested, continuing his stride.
[17:00] <Ebiris> The sounds appear to come from all around you, as if being carried by the unseen animals themselves. Yet after a few moments, they die off, replaced by the more natural sounds you heard before...
[17:00] <Alveria> "Stupid ears. I knew they were decorative," mutters Alveria, tugging at her audio-in sockets. Before she continues, she presses her palms together, and her skin adopts a rather stony cast, as well as spontaneously growing great, rocky wings..
[17:01] <Alveria> OOC: Alter Self into Gargoyle~
[17:01] <Amonet> "Could they be hidden from our sight?" Amonet wonders worriedly.
[17:01] <Ebiris> OOC: Gargoyle's are not humanoids.
[17:01] <Alveria> OOC: Oh, man, they changed it!
[17:01] <Alveria> OOC: Avariel, then
[17:02] <Ebiris> Feathered wings burst from Alveria's back! But otherwise she looks the same.
[17:02] <Alveria> OOC: This path is wider, right?
[17:03] <Ebiris> OOC: Yes
[17:03] <Alveria> OOC: Are the trees still equally dense?
[17:03] <Ebiris> OOC: to the sides, yes
[17:04] <Ebiris> The party continues onwards, and again the etherial cries of terrified children pick up, loud and strident enough even for Alveria to hear, reaching a wailing crescendo of blubbering horror before again dying off... yet this time the sounds of nature do not resume, eerie silence instead settling in.
[17:05] <Ebiris> Ahead about a quarter of a mile you can see the end of the path, and a lake beyond.
[17:05] <Gourash> "Whoevers resonsible certainly isn't quick about such things," Gourash noted.
[17:05] <Ebiris> With her magical detect evil power, Amonet can sense a vague sense of evil all around her.
[17:06] <Alveria> "Keylin, I can turn you invisible," offers Alveria. "You've got the sharpest senses, so how about you scout the lake ahead?"
[17:06] <Amonet> "This place reeks of evil," Amonet says in distaste, looking around warily.
[17:07] * Keylin nods. "Alright, I'll try to be back as soon as I find something," Keylin comments as she waits for Alveria to cast her spell so she can move off.
[17:07] <Alveria> Alveria taps Keylin on the shoulder with her ever-useful invisibility wand, causing her to pop out of sight!
[17:09] * Keylin starts moving further ahead, keeping her pace just slow enough to continue moving silently.
[17:09] * Gourash leans against a tree, waiting.
[17:10] <Ebiris> Forging down the path, Keylin finds herself near the edge of the lake, the rhymymic gentle lapping of waves against the shore providing at least some background noise as she looks around. It smells faintly of brine, making her nose wrinkle... And about halfway around the lake to the West is a ramshackle two storey shack, with a thin trail of greasy smoke billowing out the chimmney.
[17:11] <Ebiris> The shack is made of wood.
[17:13] * Keylin heads towards the shack, looking for windows to peek in through first before she decides if she should sneak in.
[17:14] <Ebiris> There is a window visible as Keylin approaches, although she thinks the invisibility spell will wear off pretty soon. She'd probably have enough time to get close and peek in the window, but any more than that would really be pushing it.
[17:16] * Keylin takes the peek.
[17:16] <Ebiris> OOC: move silently
[17:16] <Keylin> roll 1d20+13
[17:16] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+13 and gets 17." [1d20=4]
[17:17] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[17:17] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 11." [1d20=11]
[17:18] <Ebiris> Peeking in through the open window, Keylin is greeted with a horrific sight! An old woman sits the head of a refectory table, upon which lies a dirty, naked child of about 10 years old. She is clearly alive but stares upward emotionlessly. Several other children with equally dead eyes are gathered about the table.
[17:18] <Ebiris> As Keylin watches, the children carve small pieces off the girl with tiny knives and feed the quivering, bloody chunks to the old woman! Blood drips freely off the sides of the table, draining out between the slats in the floor as the old woman devours the human flesh with clear delight
[17:18] <Ebiris> Standing behind it all, seeming to be directing the children's actions like a conductor directing an orchestra, is a figure clad in dark jester's motley.
[17:20] * Keylin stiffles a gasp of disgust and horror, instead ducking away from the window and heading back towards her companions to relay the horrible situation.
[17:21] <Ebiris> Keylin is able to leave without being observed, her invisibility spell dissipating when she's almost back to the path.
[17:21] <Alveria> "So what, our kids in there?" queries Alveria, fingers twitching.
[17:22] <Keylin> "Yes," the scout answers with disgust in her voice. "It's horrible what's happening there..." With that, she begins to relay all that she saw.
[17:24] <Amonet> "We cannot wait any longer!" Amonet exclaims, shaking in anger. Her body glows with a holy light, and even before it's dissipated, she rushes off towards the shack!
[17:24] <Alveria> Alveria glowers in fury. "-wait, Amonet!" she starts, before giving in anyway and rushing after Amonet, turning herself invisible as she runs!
[17:25] <Gourash> "...Somehow I suspect that we'll be noticed."  Gourash grunts and keeps pace to at least keep Amonet  out of trouble.
[17:25] <Keylin> "No kidding," Keylin mutters, as she dashes forward, trying to catch up to Amonet.
[17:26] <Ebiris> The party rushes down the trail and onto the shores of the lake, the wooden house seen ahead with a closed door and open window...
[17:27] <Alveria> She also splits into a pile of images, and as the party nears it's goal, she ensorcels it with a powerful spell of haste!
[17:27] <Alveria> roll 1d6+4 extended haste, preferably just before we reach the house
[17:27] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+4 extended haste, preferably just before we reach the house and gets 9." [1d6=5]
[17:27] <Alveria> roll 1d6+4 extended MI, laf
[17:27] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+4 extended MI, laf and gets 5." [1d6=1]
[17:27] <Alveria> roll 1d4+1 tsk
[17:27] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d4+1 tsk and gets 5." [1d4=4]
[17:28] <Ebiris> OOC: initiative
[17:28] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+1 granny
[17:28] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+1 granny and gets 14." [1d20=13]
[17:28] <Amonet> roll 1d20
[17:28] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20 and gets 3." [1d20=3]
[17:28] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+10 jester
[17:28] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+10 jester and gets 17." [1d20=7]
[17:28] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 Group Kids
[17:28] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 Group Kids and gets 21." [1d20=19]
[17:29] <Gourash> roll 1d20+1 Jester-Slayer
[17:29] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+1 Jester-Slayer and gets 16." [1d20=15]
[17:29] <Keylin> roll 1d20+4
[17:29] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+4 and gets 24." [1d20=20]
[17:29] <Alveria> roll 1d20+10 nerveskittere'd
[17:29] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+10 nerveskittere'd and gets 21." [1d20=11]
[17:34] <Ebiris> Landing before the window, Alveria sees the scene much as Keylin described, the hideous old woman being fed chunks of flesh by the children as they carve up the naked girl as if she were a sunday roast!
[17:36] * Keylin dashes towards the door at full speed, moving to open it for the others.
[17:36] <Alveria> Swooping ahead of the rest of the party and landing in front of the window, Alveria looks utterly revolted by the proceeds right in front of her. Choking with rage, a veritable storm of fire blasts out from her fingertips towarsd the cannabilistic woman!
[17:37] <Alveria> OOC: Gonna cast scorching ray, and the channel pyrblast in the surprise round~
[17:37] <Alveria> roll 1d6+5 scorching ray CL
[17:37] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+5 scorching ray CL and gets 9." [1d6=4]
[17:37] <Alveria> roll 1d20+6 ray1
[17:37] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+6 ray1 and gets 11." [1d20=5]
[17:37] <Alveria> roll 1d20+6 ray2
[17:37] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+6 ray2 and gets 18." [1d20=12]
[17:37] <Ebiris> OOC: Both hit. Make 2 caster level checks
[17:38] <Alveria> roll 1d20+9
[17:38] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+9 and gets 27." [1d20=18]
[17:38] <Alveria> roll 1d20+9
[17:38] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+9 and gets 13." [1d20=4]
[17:38] <Ebiris> OOC: 1 hits
[17:38] <Alveria> OOC: I actually only make one, 'cos it's one spell
[17:38] <Alveria> OOC: Er, anyway
[17:38] <Alveria> roll 4d6
[17:38] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 4d6 and gets 22." [4d6=6, 6, 6, 4]
[17:39] <Alveria> OOC: It's the same with stuff like manyjaws- if they resist the first time, they resist each time, but if they flub it the first time they don't get a second chance
[17:39] <Alveria> OOC: afaik, anyway
[17:40] <Ebiris> OOC: Okay. That said, I neglected the cover bonus to AC, so only one hit anyway. I'll take the max damage one for 12.
[17:40] <Alveria> OOC: I didn't factor haste in either, so the rolls are actually 12 and 19
[17:40] <Alveria> OOC: Still anyway!
[17:41] <Alveria> Another rocketing blast of flame shoots from Alveria's fingertips, a hasty spell, but she's trying to do the most damage in the shortest time!
[17:41] <Ebiris> The furious winged elf appears before the window into the shack, blasting forth a ray of fire which slams into the old woman just as she wipes her wrinkled chin of blood, causing her to recoil back and shriek indignantly.
[17:41] <Alveria> roll 1d6+5 CL check
[17:41] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+5 CL check and gets 6." [1d6=1]
[17:41] <Alveria> roll 1d20+6 laf
[17:41] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+6 laf and gets 17." [1d20=11]
[17:41] <Alveria> roll 6d4 reflex save 21 half
[17:41] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 6d4 reflex save 21 half and gets 23." [6d4=3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4]
[17:42] <Ebiris> The next firebolt however only vanishes a mere instant before hitting the old crone, not harming her at all!
[17:42] <Ebiris> OOC: surprise round over, go Keylin - you're close enough to open the door but nothing after that
[17:43] * Keylin opens the door for Gourash and Amonet.
[17:44] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Alveria (and kiddies, but you go first)
[17:44] <Alveria> Alveria continues a mindless onslaught of fury, a volley of missiles and another blast of fire all directed at the hideous crone beyond!
[17:44] <Alveria> roll 1d6+4 MM
[17:44] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+4 MM and gets 8." [1d6=4]
[17:45] <Alveria> roll 1d20+8 CL
[17:45] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+8 CL and gets 28." [1d20=20]
[17:45] <Alveria> roll 4d4+4
[17:45] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 4d4+4  and gets 14." [4d4=3, 2, 3, 2]
[17:45] <Alveria> roll 1d6+5 channeled pyroblast again
[17:45] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+5 channeled pyroblast again and gets 8." [1d6=3]
[17:45] <Alveria> roll 1d20+8 SR again
[17:45] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+8 SR again and gets 11." [1d20=3]
[17:45] <Alveria> OOC: So sad!
[17:45] <Alveria> After she's done with this onslaught, she sidesteps away from the window- but leaves one of her mirror images there instead!
[17:47] <Ebiris> The missiles strike unerringly against the old woman's brow, but again the fire blast vanishes before reaching her! "Get them, my children! Protect your grandmother!" she shrieks as the pallid and glassy-eyed children begin to shamble towards Keylin, a few of them holding knives while others throw stones!
[17:48] <Ebiris> The first one out the door walks past Keylin to hit her from the side and leave room for the others to follow! (AoO if you want it, Keylin)
[17:50] <Keylin> "You're a pretty lousy grandmother with what you're doing to these kids!" Keylin shouts at the witch as she strikes at the kid with her hammer, angling her blow to not do any lethal damage.
[17:50] <Keylin> roll 1d20+4
[17:50] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+4 and gets 19." [1d20=15]
[17:51] <Ebiris> OOC: hit
[17:51] <Keylin> roll 1d10+3
[17:51] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d10+3 and gets 9." [1d10=6]
[17:52] <Ebiris> With a mighty swing of her hammer, Keylin gives this child a brutal concussion, sending him sprawling to the floor! But two more follow after, heedlessly flinging themselves at her!
[17:52] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2
[17:52] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 and gets 3." [1d20=1]
[17:52] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 critfail laf
[17:52] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 critfail laf and gets 11." [1d20=9]
[17:52] <Ebiris> roll 1d100
[17:52] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d100 and gets 84." [1d100=84]
[17:53] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2
[17:53] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 and gets 12." [1d20=10]
[17:53] <Ebiris> But both miss, one happening to spin right around and dizzy himself in the effort!
[17:53] <Ebiris> The three children remaining inside all hurl stones at Alveria's image!
[17:54] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2
[17:54] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 and gets 11." [1d20=9]
[17:54] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2
[17:54] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 and gets 9." [1d20=7]
[17:54] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2
[17:54] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 and gets 3." [1d20=1]
[17:54] <Ebiris> Which is hit and winks out into nothingness!
[17:54] <Alveria> Only 4 left!
[17:56] <Ebiris> The Jester flees out the back door!
[17:56] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash
[17:56] <Gourash> OOC: Yarr
[17:59] * Gourash moves with fast strides towards... the back of the place, getting ready to slam through the wall there based on Keylin's tale of what was going on and the childish shrieks from near the door.
[18:02] <Ebiris> OOC: make an attack roll and damage roll
[18:03] <Gourash> OOC: me?
[18:04] <Ebiris> OOC: Yes, you.
[18:05] <Gourash> roll 1d20+13
[18:05] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+13 and gets 19." [1d20=6]
[18:05] <Gourash> roll 1d12+8
[18:05] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+8 and gets 10." [1d12=2]
[18:06] * Gourash smashes against wall.
[18:06] <Ebiris> Gourash hacks down a strip of the wooden wall with his axe, but fails to make an opening wide enough to get through just yet!
[18:06] <Ebiris> The granny does... something. Since no one is currently looking inside to see.
[18:06] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Amonet
[18:07] <Amonet> "Please, children," Amonet implores, holding up a glowing scroll. "We are here to help you! Sent by Selune, we only want what's best for you! We should not fight!" She sniffs sadly, approaching the bewitched children. "Don't you want to see your parents again? Your friends? They wait for you, back home at your village! Just wait a little bit longer," she pleads with the children, "and we'll take you there, I promise!"
[18:07] <Ebiris> OOC: make your cha check
[18:07] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+3
[18:08] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+3 and gets 4." [1d20=1]
[18:08] <Amonet> roll 1d20+5
[18:08] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+5 and gets 9." [1d20=4]
[18:08] <Ebiris> roll 1d20 collective will save
[18:08] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 collective will save and gets 2." [1d20=2]
[18:09] <Ebiris> The children lethargically turn to stare at Amonet. They don't seem especially fired up by her speech, but she seems to have their attention...
[18:09] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Keylin
[18:12] * Keylin chases after the jester once she sees him flee, feeling bad about hurting that one kid, and not wanting to deal with more of the possessed children.
[18:13] <Ebiris> Keylin rushes through the house, past the spellbound children (no sign of the crone, she notices) and out the back door! But no sign of the Jester is seen in the immediate vicinity...
[18:13] * Keylin looks for footprints or any clues directing her in the jester's direction.
[18:14] <Ebiris> OOC: Spot check, taking the time to look also uses up the rest of your turn
[18:15] <Ebiris> Outside Keylin can see a small unfenced garden, with various unsavoury looking vegetables growing. Looks like it's been dug up a lot.
[18:15] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12 Spot
[18:15] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 Spot and gets 16." [1d20=4]
[18:16] <Ebiris> Fresh footprints head to the left!
[18:16] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Alvie. Kids are effectively out of things.
[18:16] <Alveria> OOC: Update me, Keylin!
[18:18] <Keylin> "The jester guy is fleeing towards the left! I'm going to chase after him!" Keylin shouts to her companions.
[18:19] <Alveria> Alveria takes off at an insane speed, gaining slight altitude as she flies around the side of the house! She glances after the footsteps that Keylin follows, looking for where they're forming to throw a glitterdust over it!
[18:20] <Alveria> roll 1d6+4 for CL, I guess get this out the way
[18:20] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+4 for CL, I guess get this out the way and gets 10." [1d6=6]
[18:20] <Alveria> roll 1d20+10 sr if it's there
[18:20] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+10 sr if it's there and gets 22." [1d20=12]
[18:21] <Alveria> OOC: will DC 17 to not be blinded...
[18:22] <Ebiris> Glitterdust covers the back of the house, just missing Keylin! But it doesn't seem to reveal any hidden things...
[18:22] <Ebiris> roll 1d100
[18:22] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d100 and gets 53." [1d100=53]
[18:22] <Ebiris> The little boy Keylin brained starts bleeding from his ears and mouth at the front of the house.
[18:23] <Alveria> OOC: The idea is that I was able to follow the trail of footsteps to where it stopped/was being created, not like right in front of Keylin.
[18:23] <Ebiris> OOC: yeah, that's a bit much. She saw a few footsteps heading left - following them requires tracking.
[18:24] <Amonet> roll 1d20+8
[18:24] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+8 and gets 14." [1d20=6]
[18:25] <Ebiris> The little boy probably has a minute at most, unless he miraculously stabilises. Meanwhile, the young paladin sees the sinister jester figure prance out from the far side of the house, coming towards her!
[18:25] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash
[18:28] <Gourash> Gourash growls and slashes hard through the wall.
[18:28] <Gourash> roll 1d20+13-3
[18:28] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+13-3 and gets 17." [1d20=7]
[18:28] <Gourash> roll 1d12+8+6
[18:28] <Ebiris> OOC: damage
[18:28] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+8+6 and gets 18." [1d12=4]
[18:29] <Ebiris> This time Gourash widens his earlier gash, creating a big gap in the wall he can move through!
[18:30] <Ebiris> As Amonet speaks her impassioned plea to the children, however, she's suddenly surprised by the old woman appearing out of thin air and tapping her shoulder!
[18:30] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+18
[18:30] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+18 and gets 22." [1d20=4]
[18:30] * Gourash enters, looking for villians.
[18:30] <Ebiris> OOC: fort save, evil
[18:30] <Amonet> roll 1d20+16
[18:30] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+16 and gets 34." [1d20=18]
[18:30] <Ebiris> Gourash only sees spellbound children!
[18:31] <Ebiris> Yet despite feeling a surge of vile energy, Amonet shrugs the effect off without harm!
[18:31] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Amonet
[18:33] * Amonet recoils in shock, her spell abandoned. She shakes in rage, her lance glowing in response to her anger, and gestures at the witch with it. "How dare you treat innocent, pure beings so?!" Amonet exclaims. "To the Abyss with you, fell thing!"
[18:34] <Amonet> roll 1d20+16 Smite
[18:34] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+16 Smite and gets 27." [1d20=11]
[18:34] <Amonet> roll 1d20+11
[18:34] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+11 and gets 14." [1d20=3]
[18:34] <Ebiris> OOC: smite hits
[18:34] <Amonet> roll 1d8+2d6+12
[18:34] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d8+2d6+12 and gets 23." [1d8=3][2d6=2, 6]
[18:35] <Ebiris> "Eeeek!" the woman shrieks, her form seeming to waver before melting away, revealing an even more grotesque elderly female figure beneath! "It burns!" the green-skinned crone wails, her skin seeming to bubble and melt at the touch of Amonet's holy lance!
[18:35] <Ebiris> roll 1d3 for kiddies
[18:35] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d3 for kiddies and gets 1." [1d3=1]
[18:35] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Alvie
[18:36] <Alveria> OOC: Not Keylin?
[18:36] <Ebiris> OOC: Sorry. Keylin.
[18:36] <Alveria> OOC: Can you update the map again? I'm confused to where the jester is
[18:36] <Ebiris> OOC: Same place he was on the last map!
[18:36] <Alveria> OOC: Oh, I didn't see that update, k
[18:37] <Alveria> "The bitches are on the other side, ganging up on Amonet!" snarls Alveria, ready to instigate in some seriously justified violence.
[18:39] * Keylin was about to follow after the jester, but with one of her companions in danger, Keylin instead heads out to assist Amonet.
[18:41] <Keylin> roll 1d20+8
[18:41] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+8 and gets 15." [1d20=7]
[18:41] <Keylin> ooc: forgot haste, though I doubt it'd help.
[18:41] <Ebiris> Keylin rushes back to help her friend, but alas her hammer only bounces off the hag's callused skin, naught but a glancing blow!
[18:41] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Alvie
[18:42] <Alveria> OOC: You surely have flanking
[18:42] <Alveria> OOC: ANyway
[18:43] <Alveria> Glowering stonily at the so-called 'jester', Alveria flies overhead and flings down a billowing cloud of smoky fog, which, indeed, has a real physical presence!
[18:43] <Alveria> OOC: Solid fog, centered on the jester
[18:44] <Alveria> OOC: It should pretty much get the entire front of the house and stop the kids doing anything, too
[18:44] <Ebiris> The jester finds himself caught and obscured within ALveria's fog! Along with some of the children, including the one bleeding to death.
[18:44] <Ebiris> roll 1d100
[18:44] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d100 and gets 74." [1d100=74]
[18:45] <Ebiris> The Jester assumedly does something but no one can see within the fog.
[18:45] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash
[18:45] <Gourash> OOC: Yay
[18:45] <Alveria> OOC: Get over there and smite that evil bitch!
[18:46] <Gourash> Gourash, hearing Alveria's passioned shouts, steps back out of the house and turns, glancing at where he saw Amonet last.  Seeing the old ghoul harrassing her, he charges straight at her, axe at the ready!
[18:47] <Gourash> roll 1d20+13+1+2-3 (-3 PA, CHARGING)
[18:47] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+13+1+2-3 (-3 PA, CHARGING) and gets 30." [1d20=17]
[18:47] <Ebiris> OOC: hit
[18:47] <Gourash> roll 1d12+8+6
[18:47] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+8+6 and gets 22." [1d12=8]
[18:48] <Ebiris> With a single mighty stroke of his axe, Gourash lops the hideous crone's head clean off!
[18:48] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Amonet
[18:49] <Alveria> "Surround the fog!" calls Alveria.
[18:50] <Amonet> The one controlling the children gone, presumbaly, Amonet rushes over to the fallen boy using the best route she can take with the fog in the way, calling out to the others, "A child lies wounded within!"
[18:50] <Ebiris> The child is at the very edge of the fog - Amonet could reach him immediately.
[18:50] * Amonet drops to her knees next to him, laying her crossed hands over his chest.
[18:51] <Ebiris> With Amonet's rejuvenative powers flowing through him, the boy stirs... though he still wears that expressionless glassy eyed stare as the rest of them do.
[18:52] <Ebiris> Keylin runs around to the far side of the fog as Alveria instructs!
[18:52] * Amonet looks at him sadly.
[18:52] <Ebiris> With Alveria holding, the child Amonet just healed rises to his feet and picks up the knife he dropped...
[18:52] <Ebiris> The Jester presumably does something.
[18:53] <Alveria> Waiting a few moments until she's sure the timing is right, Alveria lets the fog drop!
[18:54] <Ebiris> The fog vanishes, and the Jester is seen, moving closer to Keylin!
[18:56] <Alveria> Targeting the sky, Alveria flings a fireball just above the Jester's head, aiming to strike it and only it!
[18:56] <Alveria> roll 1d6+5 CL
[18:56] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+5 CL and gets 10." [1d6=5]
[18:56] <Ebiris> OOC: caster level check
[18:56] <Alveria> roll 1d20+10 SR check if need be
[18:56] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+10 SR check if need be and gets 14." [1d20=4]
[18:56] <Alveria> roll 10d6 dc 20~
[18:56] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 10d6 dc 20~ and gets 39." [10d6=6, 4, 5, 4, 3, 6, 1, 5, 4, 1]
[18:56] <Ebiris> Alveria's fireball explodes in the air, blasting off the second floor of the house for the most part, but seeming to wash harmlessly over the jester!
[18:56] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash
[18:58] * Gourash turns, hearing the explosion and charges the jester, closing with axe-fang bearing down on his jesterish foe.
[18:58] <Gourash> roll 1d20+13+1+2-3 (-3 PA, CHARGING)
[18:58] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+13+1+2-3 (-3 PA, CHARGING) and gets 17." [1d20=4]
[18:58] <Gourash> roll 1d12+8+6
[18:58] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+8+6 and gets 18." [1d12=4]
[18:59] <Ebiris> But the dark figure adroitly sidesteps, chortling wickedly at Gourash!
[18:59] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Amonet
[19:00] * Amonet charges the evil creature as well, seeing it as the best way of freeing the children from their thrall!
[19:00] <Ebiris> The boy she just healed takes an attack of opportunity at the brave paladin as she passes!
[19:00] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2
[19:00] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 and gets 22." [1d20=20]
[19:00] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2
[19:00] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 and gets 18." [1d20=16]
[19:01] <Ebiris> roll 1d3-2
[19:01] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d3-2 and gets 1." [1d3=3]
[19:01] <Amonet> roll 1d20+13
[19:01] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+13 and gets 18." [1d20=5]
[19:01] <Ebiris> It's just a nick, but somehow he finds a chink in her armour!
[19:01] <Ebiris> OOC: hit on the jester
[19:01] <Ebiris> OOC: evil as if you didn't know
[19:01] <Amonet> roll 1d8+2d6+8
[19:01] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d8+2d6+8 and gets 23." [1d8=7][2d6=3, 5]
[19:01] <Amonet> "There will be no escape!" she vows to the creature.
[19:02] <Ebiris> The creature emits a shrill cry, its flesh likewise melting and burning at the touch of Amonet's holy lance! "Insufferable do gooders!" it curses!
[19:02] <Ebiris> Keylin runs up and hits it!
[19:02] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+11
[19:03] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+11 and gets 19." [1d20=8]
[19:03] <Ebiris> roll 1d10+3
[19:03] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d10+3 and gets 7." [1d10=4]
[19:04] <Ebiris> While it's a solid blow, her hammer just seems to sink into the creature's flesh for a moment before bouncing off, not doing any harm at all!
[19:04] <Ebiris> roll 1d6
[19:04] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d6 and gets 1." [1d6=1]
[19:05] <Ebiris> Yes, it really doesn't harm the jester one little bit!
[19:05] <Ebiris> Two of the children rush Amonet to stab her, while the others hurl stones at Gourash from the window!
[19:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 A
[19:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 A and gets 17." [1d20=15]
[19:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 A
[19:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 A and gets 14." [1d20=12]
[19:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 G
[19:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 G and gets 22." [1d20=20]
[19:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 G threat
[19:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 G threat and gets 10." [1d20=8]
[19:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 G
[19:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 G and gets 9." [1d20=7]
[19:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 G
[19:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 G and gets 12." [1d20=10]
[19:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d2
[19:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d2 and gets 1." [1d2=1]
[19:06] <Ebiris> One of the rocks beans Gourash on the side of the head, but he doesn't even feel it!
[19:06] <Ebiris> The Jester, meanwhile, reaches out to tap Gourash with his scepter!
[19:06] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+11
[19:06] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+11 and gets 20." [1d20=9]
[19:06] <Ebiris> OOC: will save
[19:07] <Gourash> roll 1d20+3 Go strong willed Gourash!
[19:07] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+3 Go strong willed Gourash! and gets 6." [1d20=3]
[19:07] <Ebiris> Gourash suddenly finds the whole situation utterly hilarious!
[19:07] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Alvie
[19:08] <Alveria> A repeat of the previous situation begins itself, with the fireball once again encompassing the entirety of the jester's head, without touching anyone else!
[19:08] <Alveria> roll 1d6+5 laf
[19:08] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+5 laf and gets 9." [1d6=4]
[19:08] <Alveria> roll 1d20+9 CL
[19:08] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+9 CL and gets 28." [1d20=19]
[19:08] <Alveria> roll 9d6 some relief ensues
[19:08] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 9d6 some relief ensues and gets 27." [9d6=1, 2, 3, 1, 6, 2, 6, 2, 4]
[19:08] <Alveria> OOC: DC 20
[19:08] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+13
[19:08] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+13 and gets 27." [1d20=14]
[19:09] <Ebiris> The Jester ducks, but not before taking a nasty singing on the head!
[19:09] <Ebiris> OOC: Amonet can go while Gourash laughs
[19:09] * Gourash roars in laughter at the utterly absurd jester.
[19:09] <Amonet> "Release the children from your thrall!" Amonet demands, pressing on with the attack. "Choose a quick death over a painful one!"
[19:09] <Amonet> roll 1d20+11
[19:09] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+11 and gets 27." [1d20=16]
[19:09] <Amonet> roll 1d20+11
[19:09] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+11 and gets 14." [1d20=3]
[19:10] <Ebiris> OOC: 1 hit
[19:10] <Amonet> roll 1d8+2d6+8
[19:10] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d8+2d6+8 and gets 17." [1d8=2][2d6=6, 1]
[19:11] <Ebiris> Again his flesh burns and bubbles at the touch of Amonet's holy weapon, cringing backwards! "Neither option sounds good - can't you people take a joke?" it whines.
[19:11] <Ebiris> Keylin doesn't see the funny side, and tries to brain it again.
[19:11] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+11
[19:11] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+11 and gets 28." [1d20=17]
[19:11] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+11
[19:11] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+11 and gets 12." [1d20=1]
[19:11] <Ebiris> roll 1d10+3
[19:11] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d10+3 and gets 10." [1d10=7]
[19:11] <Ebiris> But her hammer only bounces off without doing any noticable damage!
[19:12] <Ebiris> The children continue their futile assault!
[19:12] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 A
[19:12] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 A and gets 7." [1d20=5]
[19:12] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 A
[19:12] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 A and gets 16." [1d20=14]
[19:12] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 G
[19:12] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 G and gets 3." [1d20=1]
[19:12] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 G
[19:12] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 G and gets 17." [1d20=15]
[19:12] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2 G
[19:12] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 G and gets 14." [1d20=12]
[19:12] <Ebiris> But all miss!
[19:13] <Ebiris> Meanwhile, the Jester tries to bonk Amonet with his scepter, stepping past the laughing Gourash to do it!
[19:13] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+11
[19:13] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+11 and gets 18." [1d20=7]
[19:13] <Ebiris> OOC: will save
[19:13] <Amonet> roll 1d20+16
[19:13] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+16 and gets 17." [1d20=1]
[19:13] <Ebiris> Amonet is not amused.
[19:13] <Ebiris> OOC: wait, that's a 1!
[19:14] <Ebiris> Amonet actually finds this to be hilarious! She's never found anything so funny in her life!
[19:14] <Ebiris> Alveria blasts it with magic missiles, hopefully killing it.
[19:14] <Ebiris> roll 1d6+5
[19:14] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d6+5 and gets 7." [1d6=2]
[19:15] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+8 (i think)
[19:15] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+8 (i think) and gets 13." [1d20=5]
[19:15] <Ebiris> Sadly they vanish without striking...
[19:16] <Ebiris> OOC: Gourash and Amonet laugh. Keylin's go.
[19:16] * Keylin smacks the jester with her maul.
[19:16] <Keylin> roll 1d20+8
[19:16] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+8 and gets 16." [1d20=8]
[19:17] <Ebiris> But misses oh so sadly.
[19:18] <Ebiris> The children seem to have run out of rocks, but the two with knives continue stabbing Amonet.
[19:18] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2
[19:18] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 and gets 4." [1d20=2]
[19:18] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+2
[19:18] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+2 and gets 6." [1d20=4]
[19:18] <Ebiris> But they bounce off her armour.
[19:18] <Ebiris> The Jester tries to run away, with two of his attackers occupied!
[19:18] <Ebiris> OOC: AoO, Keylin
[19:18] * Keylin attempts to hit the jester successfully as it tries to flee.
[19:18] <Keylin> roll 1d20+8
[19:18] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+8 and gets 14." [1d20=6]
[19:19] <Ebiris> Alveria then fires another magic missile, the hopes and dreams of thousands resting upon her.
[19:19] <Ebiris> roll 1d6+5
[19:19] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d6+5 and gets 7." [1d6=2]
[19:19] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+8
[19:19] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+8 and gets 10." [1d20=2]
[19:19] <Ebiris> But they miss.
[19:19] <Ebiris> Luckily Gourash then shakes off his laughter!
[19:20] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash
[19:20] * Gourash goes from laughing to full out rage at the deceptively funny Jester amazingly fast. Not quite as fast as his axe goes.
[19:20] <Gourash> OOC: rage
[19:21] <Gourash> roll 1d20+13+1+2-3 (-3 PA) Attack 1
[19:21] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+13+1+2-3 (-3 PA) Attack 1 and gets 30." [1d20=17]
[19:21] <Gourash> roll 1d20+13+1+2-3 (-3 PA) Attack 2
[19:21] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+13+1+2-3 (-3 PA) Attack 2 and gets 22." [1d20=9]
[19:21] <Gourash> roll 1d20+8+1+2-3 (-3 PA) Attack 3
[19:21] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+8+1+2-3 (-3 PA) Attack 3 and gets 28." [1d20=20]
[19:21] <Ebiris> OOC: only one attack since it ran off, actually.
[19:21] <Ebiris> OOC: you have to catch up
[19:21] <Ebiris> OOC: but it hits, so damage
[19:21] <Gourash> OOC: ;_;
[19:21] <Ebiris> OOC: please kill it
[19:22] <Gourash> roll 1d12+8+6+3 one attack
[19:22] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+8+6+3 one attack and gets 26." [1d12=9]
[19:22] <Ebiris> Hacking into the Jester's back, Gourash cuts him down in mid-run, the figure emitting a strangled cry as he falls over, hopefully dead.
[19:24] * Amonet rushes inside the shack as soon as the spell's hold on her ends, seeking to heal the poor child laying on the table.
[19:24] <Ebiris> The mostly carved up girl shows no reaction even as Amonet's magic heals her horrible wounds, returning her to physical health, if nothing else...

[Ebiris]

After the jester is slain, the children seem to lose interest in attacking the party.

However, they show a telling lack of interest in anything at all. Simple orders get an obedient response, but other than that they seem content to stare off into space, doing nothing at all. Nor do they utter so much as a word no matter how much you press them.

Inside the shack you find a cupboard under the stairs containing 584gp worth of coins and other miscellaneous valuables, as well as a magical pair of gloves.

On a less useful note, various decorations and 'art' made of children's bones are found strewen through the house.

There are also digging tools found on the back porch.

[Dracos]

At the incessent pestering of a certain paladin, a much put upon orc goes a head and digs up most the back yard with the digging tools.

Dracos

[Ebiris]

Digging up the back yard, Gourash does indeed make the grisly discovery of numerous child-sized remains. Sadly the corpses are in a horrible state, many having been picked almost entirely clean of flesh and others missing significant numbers of bones, so really getting an accurate count or ID is an impossible task.

[Ebiris]

[15:33] <Ebiris> And so after an hour's work, the party has stripped the vile house of horror by the lake down in search of valuables, and dug up the remains found in shallow graves throughout the nasty looking garden. Throughout this all the children seem content to stand or sit more or less insensate, showing no reaction at all to their surroundings...
[15:33] <Alveria> "Oh, right," mutters Alveria, briefly checking to see if they are... magicked!
[15:34] <Ebiris> The children are not radiating any magic whatsoever.
[15:34] <Alveria> "Bah. Maybe they were drugged, or conditioned or something," she mutters, darkly. "Well, I don't know what to do. Best thing I can think of is to take them home and hope they get better."
[15:37] * Amonet eyes the strange vegetation in the garden. "Could these have been the cause of the children's state?" she ventures.
[15:38] * Keylin goes look at the garden, trying to see if she recognizes anything from there.
[15:38] <Ebiris> OOC: knowledge nature check
[15:39] <Keylin> roll 1d20+5
[15:39] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+5 and gets 9." [1d20=4]
[15:39] <Gourash> Gourash hangs out towards the side of the cabin, keeping vague watch and a half ear towards the discussion, but not adding anything to the brainstorming, kids that stare brainlessly at things being mostly out of his depth.
[15:41] <Ebiris> The garden seems to have your common or garden variety of vegetables. There's tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, and a few weeds as well. None of the vegetables happen to look especially healthy, mind you... most of the flora looks vaguely deformed and sports dark splotches that look like frost damage. Not the best kept garden in the world, really.
[15:42] <Keylin> "I don't think this is at fault, there doesn't seem to be anything that could do something like that, I don't think," Keylin comments.
[15:43] * Amonet frowns. "I suppose," she drawls out.
[15:46] <Alveria> "I doubt we'll find a cure here," mutters Alveria, glancing at the hut. "We already went through that. Bah, where's Hahn when you need him?"
[15:47] <Amonet> "We could always return to consult with him," Amonet musess unhappily.
[15:50] <Alveria> "That seems to be out fate," she grouses. "They're not doing anything. Do we need to prod them or something?"
[15:52] <Amonet> "Children," Amonet addresses them, "would you like to go on a little trip with us?"
[15:52] <Ebiris> The children all regard Amonet blankly, showing no enthusiasm at all to her words. But she has their attention, if nothing else.
[15:53] <Amonet> Since they are listening to her, she directs the children to follow her.
[15:54] <Ebiris> The children wordlessly shuffle along behind Amonet, their gait somewhat slow and awkward. For all that they've been healed, they do look rather malnourished and overall sickly.
[15:56] <Amonet> As she observes them, Amonet considers any other possible explanation for the symptoms the children show.
[15:56] <Amonet> roll 1d20+9
[15:56] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+9 and gets 24." [1d20=15]
[15:59] -> *Amonet* Feeblemind, maybe? No... they're not drooling or acting up. They just seem to be lacking any sort of drive or sense of self... But something has definitely done a number on their cognitive faculties. But it's different than ability drain, otherwise they'd surely be completely unconscious.
[16:01] * Amonet frowns. "Friend Alveria," she asks, turning to face the elf. "The jester had a rod of sorts. What has been done with it?"
[16:02] <Alveria> "I've got it! I was going to burn it," she replies, dismissively. "You want it? It's basically trashy junk, not magical in the slightest."
[16:03] <Amonet> "He was able to affect myself with it, so perhaps, he used it on the children as well somehow?" she ventures. "We could try destroying it and seeing whether that would help."
[16:03] <Ebiris> Said rod is a two foot long stick of grey and white stripes with a likeness of the jester's head on the top, a sickly grinning visage with a too large mouth and jagged teeth, with a bell adorned cloth hat forming an almost star-like shape around it.
[16:04] <Alveria> "By that same token, it could be the key to releasing them," replies Alveria, poking one of the kids on the head with it. "Or maybe we can take it apart."
[16:04] <Ebiris> The bells jingle a bit, but the child shows no reaction to being poked.
[16:05] <Alveria> Alveria tosses it at Amonet. "I suspect anything the Jester did, though, came from the some built-in power he had. I guess it could be some freaky psyc- naaaaaaaah, that's stupid."
[16:06] <Amonet> "What?" Amonet asks her. "We cannot discard anything, even if it may seem unlikely at first."
[16:07] <Alveria> "Of course we can," replies Alveria, firmly.
[16:07] <Gourash> "We could let the village handle it," Gourash shrugged, giving a pragmatic if not benevolent solution.
[16:08] * Keylin nods. "Probably a decent idea. It might be something as simple as just seeing their parents that will snap them out of their blank state."
[16:08] <Alveria> "If not, we'll send someone out from Silverymoon who knows what she's doing," replies Alveria, yawning. "We did the HARD bit."
[16:08] <Amonet> "There is no harm in having the children meet their parents," Amonet concurs.
[16:12] <Ebiris> An hour or so later, the party returns to the village of Dunford, having been met by the sherrif partway there. A multitude of villagers come out to meet the group, some rushing forward upon recognising their children while others hang back in slowly dawning horror when they realise their own children are not amongst the group... (more)
[16:12] <Ebiris> Yet even amidst the initially joyful reunion for some, a note of discontent soon rises. "Jared, what's wrong? Why won't you speak to me?" "Alice, can't you talk?" Soon the villagers are looking to the party for yet more answers. "What happened to them?"
[16:14] * Alveria blanches, and looks away.
[16:15] <Amonet> "They seem to be in shock over their abduction," Amonet tells the villagers sadly. "We shall ask the temple of Lathander in Silverymoon for an answer. Please, believe in the divine power and mercy of the Sun God!"
[16:16] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[16:16] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 13." [1d20=13]
[16:16] <Ebiris> "Wait, didn't you say Selune sent you, earlier?" one of the villagers asks suspiciously, while another rushes forward from the crowd. "What about the others? There were more that went missing - where are they?!"
[16:19] <Gourash> "Dead," Gourash shrugged.  "Monster got them."
[16:19] <Ebiris> A few heartbroken wails and sobs come from the crowd at that announcement. "What kind of monster?" one woman demands brokenly.
[16:22] * Gourash eyed Alveria for the technical boring definition.
[16:22] <Alveria> "Green hag, and something I've never seen," replies Alveria, frowning. "We took this from them, and it may hold some clue as to what happened," she adds, glancing at the Jester's rod. "If you give us some time, we might be able to figure something out."
[16:23] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[16:23] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 14." [1d20=14]
[16:23] <Ebiris> "That looks like a jester's rod," the sherrif notes helpfully. "What kind of monster would carry one of those around?"
[16:24] <Alveria> "One that looks like a jester," replies Alveria, flatly. "I've never seen a monster like it. Perhaps it was a human- you never know."
[16:25] * Amonet nods sadly. "It had the ability to cloud minds," she adds.
[16:25] <Keylin> roll 1d20+5 jester check
[16:25] <Ebiris> "Did you at least kill them?" one young man from the crowd asks, a strong trace of vicious bitterness in his voice.
[16:25] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+5 jester check and gets 15." [1d20=10]
[16:26] -> *Keylin* Keylin remembers! It wasn't human, it was a Fey creature! She's not quite sure what it was, but she's definitely sure of that.
[16:26] <Amonet> "They would not hurt a soul again!" Amonet vows.
[16:26] <Alveria> "Do you have a room, sherrif?" queries Alveria. "I want to inspect this rod. It might be dangerous, so..."
[16:27] <Keylin> "I don't think it was a human, Alveria," Keylin chips in. "I think it was some kind of Fey creature."
[16:27] <Keylin> "I'm pretty sure of it, actually."
[16:28] <Ebiris> "Yes, you can use my office..." the sherrif replies dazedly, leading Alveria to a nearby dwelling which contains a desk and a few cabinets, and two iron barred cells. Both of which are empty.
[16:29] <Alveria> Somehow able to snap back from all the recent horror (perhaps it's actually nothing special to her), Alveria starts going over the rod more closely than before, trying to unscrew the top, check for hidden catches- anything.
[16:29] <Ebiris> OOC: Search check
[16:29] <Alveria> OOC: take 20 lol
[16:30] <Alveria> OOC: Result of 26
[16:30] <Ebiris> OOC: so lame, fine
[16:30] <Alveria> OOC: Sorry, 27
[16:30] <Ebiris> It looks to be nothing more than lacquered wood with a cloth embroidered head ornament on the top. A bit of tugging easily removes the head, but there's really nothing more to it.
[16:31] <Ebiris> It takes Alveria about 10 minutes to do all this.
[16:36] * Gourash waits outside, shrugging and being taciturn as ever.
[16:37] * Amonet prays to Horus-Re for an answer as she waits for Alveria to return.
[16:38] <Alveria> Emerging briefly from the room, Alveria locates the Sherrif.. again. "Are there any wise in the ways of nature in or around the nearby villages?" she queries.
[16:41] <Ebiris> "Hmm..." the sherrif thinks briefly. "There's old Thaeos, he lives out in Meardale, about two villages east of here. Used to be quite the woodsman. Failing that, there's the Circle of the High Forest - you might be able to find one of those druids across the river."
[16:43] <Alveria> "It'll be hard to find a druid, we're probably better off consulting this ranger first," mutters Alveria. "How long on horse?"
[16:44] <Gourash> Gourash listened, keeping his council to himself for the moment.
[16:44] <Ebiris> "If you set off now and rode through the night, you'd probably reach Meardale by midmorning," the continually unnamed Sherrif states. It's late afternoon right now.
[16:46] <Alveria> "May as well get started, then," replies Alveria, sighing.
[16:49] * Amonet is disappointed Horus-Re does not answer her prayers, but heads towards Alveria with renewed determination. "Yes, we should depart post-haste so we could find a way to help these children," she declares.
[16:51] <Ebiris> And so the party departs, riding bravely through the woods to the East! Stopping for the night to rest, the party is able to resume their journey on the morn, just as it begins to snow... It's not a detriment to movement yet, at least, although it does hamper vision somewhat as the party ride through the flurry of snowflakes ever onwards...
[16:54] <Ebiris> OOC: spot check for Keylin while I map us up for the random encounter
[16:55] * Gourash grumbles slightly about his volunteer oriented companions.
[16:58] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12 spot
[16:58] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 spot and gets 29." [1d20=17]
[16:58] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+7
[16:58] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+7 and gets 11." [1d20=4]
[17:00] <Ebiris> As she rides along through the snow, Keylin happens to note some shapes visible in the woods off the path. Almost ghost-like against the fluttering snowflakes, five wolf-like shapes of pure white are seen, seeming to be stalking her.
[17:02] <Keylin> "Careful, we have some beastly visitors," Keylin mutters at her companions as she points towards the shapes she's spotted.
[17:04] <Alveria> "Can't you go anywhere in this world without suffering from 'visitors?'" mutters Alveria, parking her horse and adopting her newly-favoured winged form.
[17:04] * Amonet draws her lance, eyeing the shady shades in turn.
[17:05] <Ebiris> OOC: roll init
[17:05] <Amonet> roll 1d20
[17:05] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20 and gets 10." [1d20=10]
[17:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+5
[17:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+5 and gets 23." [1d20=18]
[17:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+5
[17:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+5 and gets 20." [1d20=15]
[17:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+5
[17:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+5 and gets 23." [1d20=18]
[17:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+5
[17:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+5 and gets 15." [1d20=10]
[17:05] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+6
[17:05] <Alveria> roll 1d20+10
[17:05] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+6 and gets 19." [1d20=13]
[17:05] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+10 and gets 12." [1d20=2]
[17:05] <Keylin> roll 1d20+4
[17:05] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+4 and gets 17." [1d20=13]
[17:06] <Gourash> roll 1d20+1
[17:06] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+1 and gets 3." [1d20=2]
[17:08] <Ebiris> No sooner have the party noticed their stalkers than they begin to move towards the trail, silent as ghosts as they approach through the snow and undergrowth!
[17:09] <Ebiris> Three of them move to surround Keylin, but only two are able to reach her quick enough through the difficult terrain, one lunging to bring her horse down while the other hurls itself at the rider!
[17:09] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+9
[17:09] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+9 and gets 11." [1d20=2]
[17:09] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+9
[17:09] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+9 and gets 18." [1d20=9]
[17:09] <Ebiris> OOC: AC, Keylin?
[17:11] <Keylin> ooc: 22
[17:11] <Ebiris> However, her horse is able to rear up and fend off the wolves, negating harm to either of them!
[17:12] <Ebiris> Meanwhile, another wolf emerges from the tree cover by the rest of the party, stopping just in range of Amonet's lance before it howls and unleashes a wide blast of freezing cold blue energy over her and Alveria!
[17:12] <Ebiris> roll 4d6
[17:12] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 4d6 and gets 14." [4d6=4, 4, 4, 2]
[17:12] <Ebiris> OOC: reflex saves
[17:13] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[17:13] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 13." [1d20=8]
[17:14] <Amonet> roll 1d20+10
[17:14] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+10 and gets 19." [1d20=9]
[17:15] <Ebiris> Whileroll 1d20+4 Alvie's horse
[17:15] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+4 Alvie's horse
[17:15] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+4 Alvie's horse and gets 24." [1d20=20]
[17:15] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+4 Amonet's horse
[17:15] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+4 Amonet's horse and gets 23." [1d20=19]
[17:16] <Ebiris> While Amonet and the horses twist themselves to avoid the brunt of it, Alveria suffers the full effects of the biting cold, chilling her to the bone!
[17:16] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Keylin
[17:17] * Keylin motions the horse to move so she's not in the way of any spells Alveria might decide to launch at the wolves, before drawing her bow to fire at the closest wolf.
[17:18] <Ebiris> The wolves both try and attack the horse as it opens itself up by fleeing!
[17:18] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+9
[17:18] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+9 and gets 15." [1d20=6]
[17:18] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+9
[17:18] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+9 and gets 18." [1d20=9]
[17:23] <Ebiris> roll 1d8+6+1d6
[17:23] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d8+6+1d6 and gets 11." [1d8=3][1d6=2]
[17:23] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+8 trip check
[17:23] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+8 trip check and gets 26." [1d20=18]
[17:24] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+6 horse resists
[17:24] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+6 horse resists and gets 17." [1d20=11]
[17:24] <Ebiris> OOC: make a ride check, Keylin
[17:24] <Keylin> roll 1d20+4
[17:24] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+4 and gets 6." [1d20=2]
[17:25] <Ebiris> roll 1d6
[17:25] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d6 and gets 6." [1d6=6]
[17:25] <Ebiris> But before the horse can get away, one of the wolves is able to sink its teeth in and drag it down, rudely depositing Keylin off her mount with a painful thud as she lands!
[17:29] * Keylin grimaces at the painful dismount, but continues to do what she could not get the horse to do, as she moves as far as she can to the right, drawing her bow as she runs, before spinning and firing an arrow at the wolf straight behind her.
[17:30] <Keylin> roll 1d20+9
[17:30] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+9 and gets 28." [1d20=19]
[17:30] <Ebiris> OOC: hit
[17:30] <Keylin> roll 3d6+2
[17:30] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 3d6+2 and gets 10." [3d6=2, 3, 3]
[17:31] <Ebiris> The arrow embeds itself deeply in the wolf's haunches, staining its pristine white fur red with blood! Meanwhile another wolf emerges from the North, bounding towards the rest of the party and howling as it unleashes another blast of frigid air onto Alveria and Amonet!
[17:31] <Ebiris> roll 4d6
[17:31] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 4d6 and gets 15." [4d6=2, 5, 4, 4]
[17:31] <Ebiris> OOC: reflex saves
[17:31] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[17:31] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 7." [1d20=2]
[17:32] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+4 Alvhorse
[17:32] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+4 Alvhorse and gets 18." [1d20=14]
[17:32] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+4 Amhorse
[17:32] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+4 Amhorse and gets 16." [1d20=12]
[17:32] <Amonet> roll 1d20+10
[17:32] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+10 and gets 18." [1d20=8]
[17:32] <Ebiris> Again Amonet and the horses duck under the worst of it while Alveria catches a faceful of freezing air, causing little icicles to form over her clothes and hair!
[17:33] <Ebiris> OOC: go Alvie
[17:36] <Alveria> Alveria takes flight into the air, and flings a fireball into the middle of the trees! The icicles about her evaporate instantly as the blast of flame lurches out (though she still looks distinctly blue).
[17:36] <Alveria> roll 1d6+5
[17:36] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+5 and gets 11." [1d6=6]
[17:36] <Alveria> roll 10d6 (reflex 20)
[17:36] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 10d6 (reflex 20) and gets 31." [10d6=5, 4, 2, 1, 1, 4, 4, 1, 4, 5]
[17:37] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+6
[17:37] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+6 and gets 9." [1d20=3]
[17:37] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+6
[17:37] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+6 and gets 7." [1d20=1]
[17:37] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+8
[17:37] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+8 and gets 27." [1d20=19]
[17:38] <Ebiris> The fireball ignites the forest in an instant, snow abruptly turning to steam from the intense heat! The wolf that Keylin shot is charred beyond all recognition, while the one near Amonet looks barely able to keep itself up! The one that just blasted you seems more lively, however...
[17:38] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Amonet
[17:40] <Amonet> The Lance of Justice shines with divine fury as it seeks to cut the foul being next to her into pieces!
[17:40] <Amonet> roll 1d20+12
[17:40] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+12 and gets 21." [1d20=9]
[17:40] <Ebiris> OOC: hit
[17:40] <Amonet> roll 1d8+8+2d6
[17:40] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d8+8+2d6 and gets 24." [1d8=6][2d6=4, 6]
[17:41] <Ebiris> Skewering the wolf upon her mighty lance, Amonet turns it into a dog-kabob, the creature's pelt now a blackened and bloody mess as it howls in agony, its flesh seeming to melt at the touch of her holy infused lance before it expires!
[17:41] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash
[17:42] <Amonet> Now that the way had been cleared and Alveria had taken to the skies, Amonet urges her horse to come next to Keylin, intent on shielding the archer.
[17:44] <Ebiris> OOC: sorry, I thought you were hitting the one to your right. Lemme redo that.
[17:44] <Ebiris> Amonet skewers the wolf, wounding it horribly, but it stays up, growling viciously as her enchanted lance leaves a trail of wracked and ruined flesh in its wake!
[17:47] * Gourash seeing the vastly uncomfortable Alveria, Gourash moves his horse into the light underbrush between the wolf and her, striking it down from high with his axe.
[17:47] <Gourash> OOC: Remove =p
[17:48] * Gourash rockets down the path, axe at the ready as he bears down on the wolf in his way, swinging hard at it.
[17:48] <Gourash> roll 1d20+14-2 (-2 PA)
[17:48] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+14-2 (-2 PA) and gets 22." [1d20=10]
[17:49] <Ebiris> OOC: clarify, hitting the one on the path or the one by the trees?
[17:51] <Ebiris> OOC: hit regardless, so roll damage, but I want to know which you hit
[17:52] <Gourash> roll 1d12+12
[17:52] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+12 and gets 18." [1d12=6]
[17:52] <Ebiris> OOC: oh, ride check as well, by the by, since that's a two handed weapon
[17:54] <Gourash> roll 1d20+5 (No ride skill, strength check)
[17:54] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+5 (No ride skill, strength check) and gets 7." [1d20=2]
[17:54] <Ebiris> OOC: DC was only 5, so shouldn've have bothered having you roll
[17:55] <Ebiris> With a mighty underhanded swing, Gourash splits the wolf's chest cavity wide open, shattering its body to ruins in a single gory instant as he reaches it!
[17:56] <Ebiris> OOC: strike that
[17:57] <Ebiris> Approaching the wolf, Gourash finds he just can't quite guide his horse and hold his axe properly at the same time, alas missing his attack after all!
[17:58] <Ebiris> Meanwhile, two of the wolves by Keylin's horse ignore the down animal in favour of chasing down the Scout herself!
[17:58] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+9
[17:58] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+9 and gets 13." [1d20=4]
[17:58] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+9
[17:58] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+9 and gets 25." [1d20=16]
[17:59] <Ebiris> OOC: AC?
[17:59] <Keylin> ooc: 25
[17:59] <Ebiris> roll 1d8+6+1d6
[17:59] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d8+6+1d6 and gets 13." [1d8=4][1d6=3]
[18:01] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+8
[18:01] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+8 and gets 14." [1d20=6]
[18:01] <Ebiris> OOC: strength check, Keylin
[18:01] <Keylin> roll 1d20+2
[18:01] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+2 and gets 17." [1d20=15]
[18:02] <Ebiris> While one misses, the other wolf is able to lunge at Keylin with a vicious frosty bite, almost managing to bowl her right over! Fortunately she's able to resist, shoving it off and keeping her feet!
[18:02] <Ebiris> Meanwhile the badly wounded wolf by Alveria's horse vanishes into the woods, fleeing the battle!
[18:02] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Keylin
[18:06] * Keylin winces at the pain and begins to run towards the others so she has some back-up, running around the wolves, pulling a potion once she's put some distance between them, and drinking it as she runs. "Goddamn beasts," she swears.
[18:08] <Keylin> roll 1d8+3
[18:08] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d8+3 and gets 5." [1d8=2]
[18:08] <Ebiris> As Keylin recovers her injuries, the wolf near Gourash attempts to bring his mount down, and barbarian along with it!
[18:08] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+10
[18:08] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+10 and gets 14." [1d20=4]
[18:08] <Ebiris> roll 1d8+7+1d6
[18:08] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d8+7+1d6 and gets 13." [1d8=1][1d6=5]
[18:09] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+8
[18:09] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+8 and gets 23." [1d20=15]
[18:09] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+8
[18:09] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+8 and gets 19." [1d20=11]
[18:09] <Ebiris> OOC: ride check, Gourash
[18:09] <Gourash> roll 1d20=1
[18:09] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20=1 and gets Error: Numeric values only." [1d20=7]
[18:09] <Gourash> OOC: 8
[18:10] <Ebiris> roll 1d6
[18:10] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d6 and gets 1." [1d6=1]
[18:10] <Ebiris> Gourash falls off his tumbling horse, but despite the heavy landing he doesn't even feel it!
[18:10] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Alvie
[18:11] <Alveria> Alveria's blueness isn't quite going away, no matter how much she wishes it would. But that doesn't stop her from flinging out her second fireball at the two wolves who took a bite out of Keylin!
[18:11] <Alveria> roll 1d6+5
[18:11] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+5 and gets 7." [1d6=2]
[18:11] <Alveria> roll 7d6 again~
[18:11] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 7d6 again~ and gets 23." [7d6=1, 2, 6, 5, 3, 4, 2]
[18:11] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+6
[18:11] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+6 and gets 25." [1d20=19]
[18:11] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+6
[18:11] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+6 and gets 20." [1d20=14]
[18:12] <Ebiris> The fireball washes over both wolves, charring their soft white pelts into black ash as they yelp in pained fury, yet somehow still stay up despite it all!
[18:13] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Amonet
[18:14] * Amonet charges the wolves, Raging Heart seeking to provide some needed relief to her new friend Keylin!
[18:14] <Amonet> roll 1d20+14
[18:14] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+14 and gets 15." [1d20=1]
[18:14] <Ebiris> OOC: critfail check
[18:14] <Amonet> roll 1d20+14
[18:15] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+14 and gets 21." [1d20=7]
[18:15] <Ebiris> Alas Amonet misaims her attack, only whiffing over the head of one of the wounded lupines!
[18:15] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash, you're adjacent to the wolf who hit your horse
[18:15] * Gourash strikes at his furry adversary!
[18:15] <Gourash> roll 1d20+14-2 (-2 PA)
[18:15] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+14-2 (-2 PA) and gets 15." [1d20=3]
[18:16] <Gourash> (14, forgot I'm not mounted)
[18:16] <Gourash> roll 1d12+12
[18:16] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+12 and gets 18." [1d12=6]
[18:16] <Ebiris> OOC: miss, but you can full attack
[18:18] <Gourash> roll 1d20+8-2 (-2 PA)
[18:18] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+8-2 (-2 PA) and gets 13." [1d20=7]
[18:18] <Ebiris> Gourash's fury is spent without fruit, sadly, as it hunches down low and weaves inbetween his strikes!
[18:18] <Ebiris> Meanwhile, one of the other two wolves lunges at Amonet, while the other charges Keylin!
[18:18] <Ebiris> OOC: you can AoO the charging one
[18:19] <Amonet> roll 1d20+12 whee~
[18:19] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+12 whee~ and gets 17." [1d20=5]
[18:19] <Ebiris> OOC: hit
[18:19] <Amonet> roll 1d8+8+2d6
[18:19] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d8+8+2d6 and gets 17." [1d8=5][2d6=2, 2]
[18:19] * Amonet is intent on stopping all pursuit of Keylin!
[18:20] <Ebiris> Amonet's lance strikes true, scoring a path of ruined and bubbling flesh down the beast's flank as it takes off towards Keylin, but she soon finds several hundred pounds of canine fury leaping right at her!
[18:20] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+9 Amone
[18:20] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+9 Amone and gets 14." [1d20=5]
[18:20] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+9 Keylin
[18:20] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+9 Keylin and gets 16." [1d20=7]
[18:21] <Ebiris> But it only bounces harmlessly off her armour, while Keylin dodges her own attacker!
[18:21] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Keylin
[18:25] * Keylin continues moving, not wanting to stay too close to a wolf's reach. Moving further from the wolf, she fires at its body once she's moved some distance, before continuing to run, putting some distance between them.
[18:25] <Keylin> roll 1d20+9
[18:25] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+9 and gets 26." [1d20=17]
[18:25] <Ebiris> OOC: hit
[18:25] <Keylin> roll 3d6+2
[18:25] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 3d6+2 and gets 9." [3d6=4, 1, 2]
[18:26] <Ebiris> An arrow embeds itself in the wolf's ruined flesh, yet somehow it still stays upright, hanging onto life just a bit longer!
[18:26] <Ebiris> Meanwhile the one near Gourash hurls itself at the barbarian once more, trying to take a bite out of his delicious green flesh!
[18:26] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+10
[18:26] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+10 and gets 15." [1d20=5]
[18:26] <Ebiris> But is easily fended away by Gourash's axe, not getting close to threatening him!
[18:26] <Ebiris> OOC: Go roboalvie
[18:27] <Amonet> OOC: She waits on Amonet~
[18:27] <Ebiris> OOC: go amonet, then
[18:28] <Amonet> There is a wolf still between she and Keylin, and that wolf must go!
[18:28] <Amonet> roll 1d20+12
[18:28] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+12 and gets 26." [1d20=14]
[18:28] <Ebiris> OOC: hit
[18:28] <Amonet> roll 1d8+8+2d6
[18:28] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d8+8+2d6 and gets 14." [1d8=1][2d6=1, 4]
[18:29] <Ebiris> It's a glancing blow that rakes down the wolf's side, searing its flesh with divine power as it carves its bloody path! Yet the beast still growls hatefully, seeming to have plenty of life left in it!
[18:29] <Ebiris> OOC: Roboalvie?
[18:29] <Amonet> Alveria flings several arcane missiles into the wolf assaulting Keylin.
[18:29] <Amonet> roll 1d6+5
[18:29] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d6+5 and gets 11." [1d6=6]
[18:29] <Amonet> roll 5d4+5
[18:29] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 5d4+5 and gets 19." [5d4=3, 3, 1, 4, 3]
[18:30] <Ebiris> The magical bolts slam unerringly into the wolf's hide, causing it to yelp and collapse bonelessly in a heap! It's already dead before the last two even impact its corpse.
[18:30] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash
[18:30] * Gourash strikes again, his axe simply cleaving at the irritant.
[18:30] <Gourash> roll 1d20+13
[18:30] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+13 and gets 16." [1d20=3]
[18:30] <Ebiris> OOC: hit
[18:30] <Gourash> roll 1d20+7
[18:30] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+7 and gets 19." [1d20=12]
[18:31] <Ebiris> OOC: hit x2
[18:31] <Gourash> roll 1d12+8
[18:31] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+8 and gets 20." [1d12=12]
[18:31] <Gourash> roll 1d12+8
[18:31] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+8 and gets 12." [1d12=4]
[18:31] <Ebiris> This time Gourash finds his aim true, neatly bisecting the creature lengthwise, before hacking it apart down the middle before its components even seperate!
[18:31] <Ebiris> The last remaining wolf by Amonet decides its had enough, and turns to flee into the forest!
[18:31] <Ebiris> OOC: AoO
[18:32] <Amonet> roll 1d20+17 smite~
[18:32] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+17 smite~ and gets 22." [1d20=5]
[18:32] <Ebiris> OOC: hit
[18:32] <Amonet> roll 1d8+12+2d6 die
[18:32] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d8+12+2d6 die and gets 26." [1d8=4][2d6=4, 6]
[18:33] <Ebiris> Before it can get more than a few steps away, the poor canine has its backside horrendously violated by the glowing mithril lance of justice, perhaps even giving it a taste of what happens to those evildoers who survive long enough to go to prison?
[18:34] <Amonet> "Justice prevails!" Amonet declares, holding up her glorious lance, innocence her shield from innuendo.

[Ebiris]

[15:13] <Ebiris> The fierce battle over, the party licks their wounds and continues onwards through the steadily escalating blizzard. The weather puts up some resistance, and your horses show a telling lack of enthusiasm to continue in the face of their own injuries and the cold, but nonetheless the party presses onwards, determined to find a solution to the weird malady that has afflicted Dunford's children.
[15:13] <Ebiris> Indeed, dusk is already settling over the now white-blanketed landscape by the time the party finds the village of meardale ahead, yet another small farming village not dissimilar from Dunford...
[15:16] <Amonet> "Shall we stay the night in that village?" Amonet suggests, pointing ahead.
[15:17] <Alveria> "This is our destination, so I hope so," replies Alveria. "Let's go and ask around for this Thaeos guy."
[15:18] * Amonet nods, and rides ahead, seeking out any of the village's inhabitants.
[15:20] <Ebiris> Descending down the hill and into the village proper, the party can't see anyone out and about. Not surprising considering the hour and the thickly falling snow, however - every window appears to be shuttered, although flickering light is visible from within most dwellings. A larger building on the trail into the town holds up a sign identifying it as the Meardale Arms, Inn and Tavern.
[15:20] <Ebiris> From the light and noise visible from within, it appears to be quite busy, tonight, many villagers no doubt seeking a stiff drink by the fire to ward off the cold.
[15:21] <Amonet> "This establishment seems like the perfect place to ask around," Amonet says, dismounting after riding towards it.
[15:21] <Alveria> "And to drink!"
[15:22] <Ebiris> There's plenty of hitching posts, and what looks to be a stable round the side. Sadly no one rushes out into the cold to take care of your horses.
[15:22] <Amonet> The post would do for now, until they decide whether they would be staying or proceeding onwards, Amonet muses, and steps inside.
[15:24] * Keylin follows after Amonet and Alveria.
[15:24] * Alveria follows after Keylin! Paradox!
[15:25] <Ebiris> Opening the door Amonet is promptly greeted by a blast of warm air that rapidly melts the snowflakes off her hair and armour. Of course, the patrons don't seem to thrilled at the corresponding wind rushing inside, several by the door openly grumbling at her to hurry up and shut it.
[15:25] <Ebiris> The place looks fairly busy, with perhaps two dozen people spread around the main floor, drinking and talking. A fresh-faced minstrel stands by the fireplace, plucking his lute and singing a ballad to the assembled tavern-goers. Something about a forbidden love between two noble scions or something.
[15:27] <Amonet> Romance is not why she is here, so Amonet ignores the minstrel, approaching the counter and seeking out someone to help her.
[15:28] <Ebiris> The barkeep is a stout looking bald human, perhaps in his late forties. "Adventurers, aye?" he notes, looking Amonet's armoured form up and down as he cleans a mug. "I hope ye be looking to drink and not just ask the latest rumours."
[15:30] <Amonet> "I am not here for the drinking and the boozing, Sir," she tells the bartender, "but to ask directions to a man called Thaeos. Could you please help me find him? It is very important! Lives depend on it!"
[15:32] <Alveria> Alveria is easily distracted, and finds herself listening to the minstrel rather than standing alongside her companions!
[15:33] <Ebiris> The bartender rolls his eyes, before promptly slamming his mug on the bar next to a snoozing man currently leaning on it. "Oi, Thaeos!" he yells, causing the sleeping man to jolt up, wide-eyed and panicked. "This girl 'ere's lookin' for ye," the bartender explains laconically, before moving down to serve someone else while the newly identified Thaeos runs a hand through his thinning hair, blinking owlishly at Amonet.
[15:33] <Ebiris> "I don't know you..." he mutters, sounding a bit put out. "I was having the most wonderful dream, too..." He doesn't look like much of a woodsman, dressed in ill fitting winter clothes and looking rather scrawny.
[15:34] * Amonet blinks. "Are you the legendary ranger we have heard about, Thaeos?" she asks him hesitantly.
[15:35] <Ebiris> "I wouldn't say legendary..." Thaeos furrows his brow. "But I guess that is the trade I held in my youth... why?" he asks, blinking in a still confused manner. "I'm too old for adventures, now."
[15:37] <Amonet> "We need your help!" Amonet announces to him. "Children were bewitched by means most foul, and we cannot break them out of their state!" She clenches her right fist as her face contorts in righteous indignation. "Oh, if only we knew more about nature... perhaps we could help them...."
[15:39] <Ebiris> Thaeos nods understandingly. "I was bewitched by a Nymph once," he commiserates. "It was horrible. Day and night, hours at a time... I didn't think I could possibly endure it, but somehow she just kept me going and going..." His eyes adopt a far off look that doesn't really look all that haunted at all. "Horrible..." he repeats, licking his lips as a small trace of drool emerges.
[15:40] * Keylin raises an eyebrow at Thaeos' bewitchment. It doesn't look like he found it all that horrible...
[15:42] <Amonet> "How dreadful!" Amonet declares. "Don't you worry! While I am near, no nymph would dare approach you! I will protect your chastity most valiantly!"
[15:45] <Ebiris> "You're too kind, little girl," Thaeos nods, sniffling, "But it's alright... she sent me away anyway, and I can't remember where I found her. Oh, if only I could find that deceitful forest spirit and... avenge my honour!" he cries passionately, banging his fist on the bar as he chokes back surely righteous sobs.
[15:45] * Keylin shakes her head at that. "Bartender, a drink for me," Keylin requests, pulling out a few coins to pay for the drink.
[15:45] <Ebiris> "What'll you have," the bartender asks, completely ignoring Thaeos and Amonet.
[15:46] <Keylin> "Make it the strongest drink you've got," Keylin replies after Thaeos breaks out into sobs.
[15:46] <Ebiris> He nods understandingly before setting a small cup of amber liquid before the Scout. "This'll warm you up," he promises, taking her money.
[15:47] * Keylin thanks the bartender and goes join Alveria in watching the minstrel's act, drink in hand.
[15:48] <Ebiris> The minstrel isn't half bad. It's a rather dark and tragic tale of teenage romance entwined with a vicious family feud. Probably the same tale you've heard in a half dozen taverns before, but he tells it well, and isn't half bad with his lute.
[15:49] <Alveria> "Well, it wasn't a NYMPH. It was much worse than that!" she pronounces, materalizing behind Thaeos and staring over his shoulder. "It was a crazy, evil, fae-jester!"
[15:49] <Amonet> Amonet describes the symptoms of the children, as well as the hag and the jester and their garden, before looking up at Thaeos with large, innocent eyes. "Can you please help us?" she asks him again. "Can you tell us what we have missed?"
[15:49] <Alveria> "Imagine the horror of listening to the same jokes, oever and over and over again!"
[15:51] <Ebiris> Thaeos looks briefly startled at Alveria's interruption, but soon adopts a thoughtful look as Amonet begins her tale of woe. "Something about that story, little girl... it does sound familiar..." he admits at length.
[15:52] <Amonet> "It does?" she asks eagerly.
[15:53] <Ebiris> "Yes, I'm sure of it. Just... gah, blast it, my mind isn't what it used to be!" he complains, putting his head in his hands. "I should know this, but it's just on the tip of my tongue! If only I had something to jog my memory!" He begins to massage his temples, repeating over and over, "Jester, jester, jester..."
[15:55] <Alveria> "MORE BEER."
[15:55] <Amonet> "Did you bring his stick, Friend Alveria?" Amonet asks of the elf.
[15:55] <Ebiris> The bartender promptly deposits a frothy mug of ale in front of Alveria.
[15:56] <Alveria> "..oh, yeah," she adds, lamely, handing it over.
[15:58] <Ebiris> "What the Silvanus?!" Thaeos promptly blurts out as the grinning grey jester's head is presented to him in all its plush toothy glory, causing him to nearly stumble out of his chair. "Now I remember! That's one of those Gray Jester things! Oh, I hope you gave it a good being killed - those things are right out of nightmares!"
[15:59] <Amonet> "It's really, really dead," Amonet assures him. "But how can we help the affected children?"
[16:01] <Ebiris> "Urgh..." Thaeos drags his fingers down his face, before grabbing Alveria's beer and taking a stiff drink. "Well, little girl, that's going to be your problem. What they do, they suck the joy right out of a body. Turn their victims into empty-headed thralls - what's the point of living if you can't feel joy, after all?"
[16:03] <Gourash> Gourash, being not for crazy old humans, joins Keylin at the bar in drinking.
[16:04] <Amonet> "Umm." Amonet seems confused. "So we need to make the children happy again?"
[16:06] <Ebiris> "You're not listening, little girl," Thaeos shakes his head sadly. "They *can't* feel happy again - any capacity for feeling's been sucked right out of them." He makes a grasping then throwing motion, "Poof, gone with the wind."
[16:06] <Ebiris> Shaking his head, "No, there's only two ways you can fix up those little tykes. Either with magic - and I'm talking big magic that archmages grand exalted high priests throw around, not yer run of the mill cure spells. Or, if you can convince a pixie to help you, I hear tell that they can make a potion that restores joy to such people."
[16:07] * Amonet blinks again, her mind rebelling against the idea of failure before grasping at the man's latter words. "Can you help us find a pixie?" she asks Thaeos.
[16:09] <Ebiris> He takes a deep breath, draining away the last of Alveria's beer. "Maybe..." he admits reluctantly. "There's an old stone circle in the forest a few miles from here - in years gone by I'd sometimes see them capering and dancing around there at night. But they're less active in Winter, and I don't even know if they still go there at all."
[16:11] <Alveria> "Any lead is better than nothing," affirms Alveria. "Can you take us there tonight?"
[16:13] <Ebiris> "In this weather?" Thaeos snorts. "I'm not going traipsing into the wilderness in a blizzard, thanks. I'll give ye directions if ye feel like chancin' it, yerselves, but my roaming days are behind me."
[16:13] <Alveria> "That'll have to do."
[16:14] <Ebiris> Thaeos proceeds to give detailed directions, with the caution that you'd all be likely to get lost in the blizzard if you went tonight, since landmarks are pretty hard to see in these conditions.
[16:15] <Alveria> "I guess we'll go sleep for the night, then," mutters Alveria, glancing briefly at her compatriots. "They only come out at night, you said?"
[16:16] <Ebiris> "Never saw them when the sun was up," the old ranger affirms.
[16:17] <Gourash> "So we're waiting a while here...  Might as well make ourselves comfortable," Gourash surmizes.
[16:18] <Alveria> "Uh-huh," murmurs Alveria. "Hey, I'll be right back. I need to go do something." Pulling her cloak around her, she briefly ventures somewhere out-of-the-way (most likely the stables), casts Detect Thoughts, and then returns, intent on looking at the grizzled rangers present frame of mind! (At least he's not thinking about the nymph anymore. She hopes.)
[16:18] <Alveria> (will dc 17~)
[16:19] <Amonet> "Do we need to make an offering to the pixies?" Amonet asks him, mulling things over.
[16:19] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+6
[16:19] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+6 and gets 10." [1d20=4]
[16:21] <Keylin> "Looks like," the scout agrees with the half-orc as she continues listening to the minstrel's tale and waiting for it to end.
[16:23] <Ebiris> As Alveria returns she finds Thaeos is currently feeling very depressed about not being more helpful. "They like sweet things," he tells Amonet, "But they'd probably help you anyway once you tell them what's what. Lovely little blighters, those pixies..." he wipes away a tear.
[16:23] <Ebiris> The minstrel doesn't appear to be anywhere near finished - if this tale is like the usual version of the star crossed lovers thing, there's a good dozen or so acts to go.
[16:26] * Gourash grumbles at the ministrel's long romanantic piece, but stays at his drink.
[16:26] <Ebiris> It's not just romantic - it's filled with violence and hate filled oaths and vendettas and all that cool stuff!
[16:26] <Amonet> "Excuse me," Amonet asks the barkeep with a smile, after waving him over, "but would you have something sweet? Like candy? For, err, the pixies?"
[16:28] <Ebiris> The bartender shakes his head, to his credit not showing any reaction to the intended recipient of said candy. "Try the bakery when it opens, tomorrow?" he suggests.
[16:28] * Amonet nods. "I will, Sir!"
[16:30] <Ebiris> ------
[16:31] <Ebiris> The following day the party finds itself well rested and ready to depart. The blizzard at least looks to have stopped, but it's left a six inches of snow on the ground, blanketing the area white as far as the eye can see. The clear blue sky above at least hints no more snow will be coming in the near future, as the group makes their preperations to leave...
[16:31] * Amonet takes care to buy sweets in the bakery, before deeming herself ready to proceed.
[16:32] <Alveria> "Well, the circle isn't too far. But it'll take us forever to get there in this cold," states Alveria, frowning. "Let's check it out- before it's night, we'll leave, so that if and when the pixies arrive, they won't get scared off by a camp of armed humanoids."
[16:33] <Gourash> "Isn't it a bit early?" Gourash mentioned, looking up at the clear blue sky.  "Getting there before nightfall would be a waste, it seems."
[16:33] <Alveria> "
[16:33] <Alveria> "Can't hurt to look around!"
[16:34] * Amonet nods in agreement.
[16:34] <Ebiris> And so the party set off!
[16:34] <Ebiris> OOC: Make a survival check for fun, Keylin
[16:35] <Keylin> roll 1d20+3 oh dear
[16:35] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+3 oh dear and gets 7." [1d20=4]
[16:35] <Alveria> OOC: Isn't gourash, in fact, better at this than Keylin
[16:35] <Keylin> ooc: yes. he probably is.
[16:35] <Ebiris> OOC: I just assumed the Scout would... Er, go roll, Gourash.
[16:37] <Gourash> OOC: Forgetting to open char sheet=bad.  Okay.
[16:37] <Gourash> roll 1d20+11
[16:37] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+11 and gets 20." [1d20=9]
[16:37] <Gourash> OOC: Gourash  mountain man.
[16:40] <Ebiris> With Gourash bravely forging a trail for the less wilderness inclined members of the group, the party makes good time despite the thickly lying snow and untracked wilderness they must traverse. Still, it's no mere walk in the park, and the party finally reach their goal by early afternoon.
[16:40] <Ebiris> It's a decently sized clearing of perhaps forty feet, the surrounding trees all layered with thick snow and icicles, and in the centre is a barely noticable circle of light grey stone plinths, each no more than a foot and a half tall, just seen poking above the snow.
[16:42] <Alveria> "The snow has probably covered them up somewhat," notes Alveria. "Maybe it'll be worth clearing it.."
[16:43] * Amonet leans her lance of justice against a nearby tree, and proceeds to try and clear the stone circle.
[16:44] <Gourash> :Mmm, maybe...  though perhaps they might not come if we  leave obvious signs and camp out here."
[16:44] <Ebiris> The snow is easily brushed off from the rough hewn stones, Amonet's gauntlets protecting her hands from the chill while her lance creates an interesting light show as its radiance is refracted through the myriad icicles dotting the area.
[16:44] <Amonet> "I'll leave candy as a sign of friendship!" Amonet declares, before doing just that with half of her bought sweets.
[16:45] <Alveria> "I guess. They might not come at all," says Alveria, wearily. "I'm kinda hoping for good luck."
[16:45] * Gourash grunts.
[16:45] * Amonet arranges it in the shape of a smiling face, and moves back to admire her handiwork.
[16:46] <Ebiris> It looks very cheerful when viewed from the right angle.
[16:47] * Amonet clasps her hands, silently praying to Horus-Re that the pixies would heed her call.
[16:47] <Ebiris> OOC: roll 1d1000 for fun
[16:47] <Amonet> roll 1d1000
[16:47] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d1000 and gets 659." [1d1000=659]
[16:48] <Ebiris> Amonet's spirit feels soothed by the communion with her God. Though whether her prayers will be answered, only time will tell...
[16:52] <Ebiris> After this, most of the party retires to the surrounding forest, keeping well back from the edge of the clearing. Keylin still lingers closer, however, keeping an eye out for the arrival of any sprites...
[16:52] <Ebiris> OOC: hide check, Keylin
[16:52] <Keylin> roll 1d20+9
[16:52] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+9 and gets 26." [1d20=17]
[16:55] <Ebiris> The hours pass, the sun sinking lower towards the horizon as the party waits by their camp and Keylin huddles amidst the snow, watching and waiting... It's just as the very last rays of twilight vanish when the Scout sees it - not a fairy, but instead a shimmering from amidst the stone circle, which soon widens to form a perfect circle in the air, through which she can see another forest - one not coated in snow.
[16:57] * Keylin looks on interestedly, waiting briefly to see if any fairies appear.
[16:57] <Ebiris> OOC: spot check
[16:58] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12
[16:58] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 and gets 30." [1d20=18]
[16:58] <Ebiris> The seconds tick by, Keylin not seeing any diminuitive nature spirits appearing either from the portal or the surrounding forest she currently inhabits herself.
[16:59] * Keylin decides to sneak back to the camp and let the others know about the portal since no fairies seem to be showing up yet.
[17:00] <Ebiris> OOC: move silently~
[17:00] <Keylin> roll 1d20+13
[17:00] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+13 and gets 19." [1d20=6]
[17:00] <Ebiris> Keylin reaches her companions without incident, the others all waiting for the news...
[17:02] <Keylin> "No fairies yet, but there seems to be some kind of portal. It opened just a bit ago, as soon as the sun finished going down," Keylin explains to the others.
[17:02] <Amonet> "Where does the portal lead, Friend Keylin?" Amonet asks her.
[17:02] <Gourash> "Perhaps putting out the sweets now might work?" Gourash shrugged.
[17:03] <Alveria> "Let's go through it and find them!"
[17:04] <Keylin> "I didn't go in there, but wherever it goes, it's not snowed there, Amonet," the scout answers the younger girl.
[17:04] <Amonet> "I agree!" Amonet says brightly, before nodding at Keylin. "Yes, it must be their realm. We should try to ask them directly, if they do not come to us."
[17:06] <Alveria> "Heading there seems like a better and better idea," pronounes Alveria, not wasting more time with words and starting on her way to the portal!
[17:06] * Amonet follows!
[17:08] <Ebiris> Heading back to the clearing without delay, the party finds it exactly as Keylin described - it appears to be a sphere floating above the stone circle, for it looks a perfect circle no matter what angle it is seen from.
[17:08] <Ebiris> Through it can be seen a forest just as dark as this one - Alveria can see better, identifying it as a temperate forest, rather than the pines which litter this part of Faerun. Amonet finds her darkvision does not penetrate the portal, however.
[17:09] <Ebiris> The light of her glowing lance likewise does not shine through to the other side.
[17:10] * Amonet removes her gauntlet and takes out a pair of sweets, before offering them towards the circle above.
[17:11] <Ebiris> The portal does not react, nor is anyone seen on the other side of it.
[17:11] * Gourash blinks.
[17:11] <Gourash> "is it really a good idea to go through there?"
[17:11] * Gourash doesn't seem like e he thinks so.
[17:12] <Alveria> "What's the worst that could happen?"
[17:12] * Amonet glances at Gourash. "I would risk it, if it would help us save those children."
[17:13] <Keylin> "Well, it could be a portal to the mouth of some hungry monster with just a projection of a nice looking place as a destination," Keylin muses. "That's about the worst I can think could happen anyway."
[17:14] <Alveria> "Yes, well, the sky may fall on our heads tomorrow, and all that," replies Alveria, stepping through the portal herself.
[17:14] * Amonet follows, keeping in step with Alveria.
[17:15] <Ebiris> Alveria vanishes! And is then seen on the other side of the portal by everyone else. Amonet does the same, with the same result! The pair find themselves in a similar clearing, albeit a bit warmer and lacking in snow, the broadleaf trees also seem to be far bigger around here than the pines back at their origin point. The starry sky is only barely visible above past the canopy.
[17:15] * Gourash frowns.
[17:16] <Gourash> "When did hopping into random portals become good theory," Gourash watched for a second from the portal.
[17:16] <Ebiris> Another stone circle is also seen by Amonet and Alveria's feet, the stones here a bit whiter than the ones they left.
[17:16] <Alveria> "This thing probably opens nightly," comments Alveria, looking at the stones. "Oh, please, it's not random! It's probably a portal to whereever the pixies came from- that's why they'd come here to play every night."
[17:17] <Ebiris> Sound does not travel through the portal.
[17:17] * Amonet leaves the candy on the white stones, replacing her gauntlet.
[17:18] <Keylin> "Well, they seem to be fine, and we do have a good idea the pixies come from there," Keylin says to the half-orc, before jumping through the portal and following after the other two.
[17:18] <Ebiris> Keylin arrives on the other side without incident!
[17:18] * Gourash grumbles and heads through after a bit, muttering about helldemons and party members that leap through portals.
[17:19] <Ebiris> And so the party regroup, now finding themselves in an unfamiliar and dark forest... Sounds of nature are heard, from the occassional hoot of an owl to the whirring of cicadas. But no fairies...
[17:20] <Amonet> "Friends!" Amonet calls out into the forest. "We have traveled a long way to meet with you! We need your help to save a group of children, their very joy stolen away from them by a being most foul! Please, you are our hope to their salvation!" she pleads. "Could you not reveal yourselves to us?"
[17:20] <Ebiris> OOC: diplomacy check
[17:20] <Amonet> roll 1d20+7
[17:20] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+7 and gets 12." [1d20=5]
[17:21] <Ebiris> OOC: will save, Amonet
[17:23] <Amonet> Thinking back to the children and her goal, Amonet decides to risk it and open her heart towards whomever is trying to communicate with her.
[17:26] <Ebiris> Amonet's declaration rings out into the forest, a few birds seen taking flight and cawing as they rustle the leaves.
[17:26] <Ebiris> After that, silence hangs in the air for a long moment before a small figure with butterfly-wings appears hovering in the air before her. "You're telling the truth..." he marvels in a squeaky yet somehow not annoying voice. "I apologise for being so distrustful, fair maiden," he bows in midair towards the paladin, "But I've had to be, to survive, lately."
[17:28] * Gourash blinks, somewhat surprised that Amonet's entreatment worked.
[17:29] <Amonet> "Thank you for believing to me!" Amonet says, her eyes bright, her hands clasped in front of her chest. "We come with a story most grave, of children bewitched and abducted, their very happiness sucked out by a jester of fae. It is said that you could make a potion to cure their tragic ailment. Please, would you lend us your help?"
[17:31] <Ebiris> "Oh, fair maiden, it pains my heart to reply to your entreaties with such churlishness," the little pixie laments, hanging his head, "For I would dearly love to assist you in any way, but you see, I am but one pixie, and the potion you speak of cannot be made without the assistance of others of my kind."
[17:32] <Amonet> "Is there no hope?" she asks, her voice quivering. "Are you truly the last one left in this place?"
[17:34] <Ebiris> "There may be hope, if you can find it in your heart to show mercy," he looks up hopefully, "It is an ironic tale, but my friends, they have all been enchanted by a spell most seductive. I cannot dare to rescue them, for I would only suffer the same fate as they, but if you could perhaps see to release them from their mental chains..."
[17:35] <Gourash> Gourash wondered what happened to the easy profitting,, but supposed these long term adventurers knew what they were doing.
[17:36] <Amonet> "Where are your friends being kept hostage?" she asks, her eyes shining with eagerness.
[17:39] <Keylin> "What's the chance that we might fall prey to that spell your friends did, also? Not that I don't want to help, but it is important to know that we won't find ourselves in the same situation," the scout asks, piping into the conversation between Amonet and the pixie.
[17:39] <Alveria> "And, uh, can you be more precise as to what this spell would be?"
[17:41] <Ebiris> "There is an old house in this forest, where a family of humans once dwelled," the little fairy explains, weaving around slightly in the air. "I do not know when or how they left, but now only the daughter remains, and she has bewitched all of my friends and bound them to her!"
[17:41] <Ebiris> He wrings his hamds, floating over to Alveria, "I am sorry, sweet Elf, but I know not what the spell is, only that it clouds the minds of my kind as surely as we are often believed to do to humans."
[17:42] <Alveria> "Well, um, what're the obvious effects?"
[17:42] <Alveria> "By the powers of logic and deduction- not to mention my *incredible brains*, I might be able to figure it out!"
[17:43] <Ebiris> "They become slavishly devoted to her, obeying her every whim without question!" the pixies exclaims.
[17:43] <Alveria> "Oh, right, so it's some charm spell... bloody enchanters. That's such a dirty school of magic!"
[17:43] <Alveria> "Er, no offence."
[17:44] <Ebiris> "Oh, I quite agree!" the little fairy nods emphatically. "To see my friends reduced to living like... like pets! It's unbearable!"
[17:45] <Amonet> "We'll stop her reign of evil!" Amonet vows.

[Ebiris]

[15:24] <Ebiris> With the light shed by Amonet's glowing lance of justice to provide illumination, the party of brave adventurers confer with their new pixie friend in this mysterious forest grove, far from the snowy alpine hills they just left. Speaking of them, the portal which the party just came through begins to shrink and then vanish as they talk...
[15:27] * Alveria casts Detect Thoughts on the pixie as she trundles along... and, just for kicks, on her companions, too.
[15:28] <Alveria> OOC: Will DC 17~
[15:29] * Amonet mentally goes over the many graces of Horus-Re and his divine greatness as she walks.
[15:29] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+4
[15:29] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+4 and gets 20." [1d20=16]
[15:30] <Ebiris> The pixie's thoughts are opaque to the nosy elf!
[15:30] <Alveria> OOC: Hey, what's his int?
[15:30] <Alveria> OOC: I get that for free!
[15:31] <Ebiris> OOC: 16
[15:31] <Alveria> OOC: He's too smart! That fiend!
[15:32] * Alveria peers closely at everyone for a moment, before patting herself on the back and nodding. "It's a wonderful day to be me~" she chirrups. "How far is it to this place?"
[15:34] <Ebiris> "It's about a mile and a half from here, dear elf," the pixie replies, before shaking his head suddenly, "Oh, how rude of me, I haven't even introduced myself - My name is Gregory," he bows with a flourish to the assembled party of adventurers.
[15:35] <Alveria> "I see. And where are we, anyway?"
[15:38] <Ebiris> "This is the High Forest," Gregory replies. "If you came by that portal, you must have come from the Nether Mountains, yes?"
[15:39] <Alveria> "Oh, man, I came out from here!" mutters Alveria. "Hey, uh, if you see any elves, I'm not here, alright? I went.. south. Yep. Alvie headed down to Ca-lim-shan~, she wouldn't go north where it's cold, no-sir-"
[15:40] <Ebiris> "I'll... try to remember that, Miss Alvie," Gregory nods, plainly confused.
[15:40] * Gourash blinks eying the elf who seems to be acting stranger than usual.
[15:40] * Amonet eyes Alveria curiously, but says nothing.
[15:43] <Ebiris> "I can take you near to where my friends are, but I daren't get too close, lest I fall victim to the same enchantment," the little pixie laments, fluttering along as he leads the party deeper into the forest. With the thick tree canopy obscuring both stars and moonlight, it'd probably be pitch black if not for Amonet's glowing lance.
[15:45] <Alveria> "Can you cast that stupid dancing thing?"
[15:46] <Ebiris> "No," Gregory shakes his head. "Not many of us can, actually. It's a rare gift."
[15:47] <Alveria> "Oh. Then you should watch! Don't worry, we'll deal with this horrible old witch. Is she some kind of hag?"
[15:49] <Ebiris> Gregory shakes his head. "She's a youthful human girl of the most fair and innocent appearance I have ever seen. But you mustn't be deceived by her looks, friends!"
[15:51] <Amonet> "We could try to reason with her!" Amonet declares, waving her lance of justice around.
[15:52] <Alveria> "
[15:52] <Alveria> "Not if you're waving that thing around when we're talking," mumbles Alveria. "Uh, Keylin, I'll turn you invisible, and you can go look at her house. Hopefully there'll be some light. If not, well, talking'll do."
[15:53] <Ebiris> "A word of caution, friends," Gregory pipes up, "My kind can turn ourselves invisible at will, but it has availed us little against this human."
[15:54] <Alveria> "Did she know you were there beforehand or what?"
[15:54] * Keylin frowns. "That might be a problem then."
[15:56] <Alveria> "And how did this work anyway, did she cast a spell on you or did your friends just *suddenly fall in love with her*?"
[15:57] <Ebiris> "I do not know," Gregory shakes his head, "But she seems to have little trouble finding us no matter how well we hide. And it must be magic that makes my friends so bewitched - their behaviour is not natural!" he asserts, shaking his little fist indignantly.
[15:59] <Alveria> "You'll stay with me, pixie," decides Alveria. "Amonet, how do you feel about heading over to talk to her, then? If nothing else, you can get her away from the other pixies, so maybe we can beat her up."
[16:00] <Gourash> "Mage field  of find pixie?" Gourash wondered.
[16:00] <Alveria> "It'll all depend on what she has to say! And if we see anything bad. You can see evil, right? That's so awesome, I wish I could do that, it'd make life so much easier. Actually, wait, then I'd be a paladin or a cleric, and life wouldn't be easy at all..." Alveria's face contorts, grappling with this bizzare quandary.
[16:01] <Ebiris> "You could be a pixie, too!" Gregory pipes up cheerily.
[16:01] <Amonet> "I will try to teach her the error of her ways!" Amonet vows, nodding. "With Horus-Re's guidance, this could be resolved peacefully!"
[16:01] <Alveria> "That's silly, if I was a pixie, I wouldn't be able to reach the cutlery when it's time to eat."
[16:01] * Keylin rubs her forehead. This entire conversation is giving her a headache. It's too...hyper.
[16:02] <Alveria> "We'll hang around the outskirts, and run in to save you if bad things happen!"
[16:03] * Amonet blinks. "Thank you for your concern," she says, slightly more subdued, but nevertheless goes towards this enchantress.
[16:03] <Ebiris> "We use cutlery that's sized to fit us, you know..." Gregory mutters, the forest starting to thin out a bit as you walk along in the night. "It's just a little bit farther ahead. They'll probably all be sleeping, since she keeps them up during the day."
[16:03] <Alveria> "Is it in a clearing?"
[16:04] <Gourash> "Miniture forks?" Gourash wondered at Gregory.
[16:05] <Ebiris> "Yes, there's a house where the human family used to live," Gregory tells Alveria, before nodding to Gourash. Indeed, Alveria can barely see it ahead, a rather nice looking cottage with a straw roof and timbers framing white plastered walls, a well and some garden furniture assembled just outside.
[16:07] * Alveria casts message upon herself and her companions! "Ok, then, here we are."
[16:08] <Ebiris> "I'd better not get too close in case she makes me turn on you," Gregory mutters sadly. "Good luck, brave friends!"
[16:08] * Amonet approaches the house!
[16:09] <Alveria> "But you can't do anything, right?" whispers Gregory. "Without the stupid dancing thing, what can you do? Just hang back where I can see you from here."
[16:09] <Alveria> *Alveria, blah
[16:10] <Ebiris> Amonet can sense no evil, while Gregory looks affronted. "I can do lots of things!"
[16:12] * Amonet gets to the house's door, and knocks on it several times politely.
[16:12] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[16:12] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 6." [1d20=6]
[16:13] <Ebiris> Despite Amonet's knocking, no one sees fit to answer.
[16:13] * Amonet knocks harder, calling out, "Excuse me, is anyone there?"
[16:14] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[16:14] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 12." [1d20=12]
[16:14] <Keylin> "Think she'll break the door down?" Keylin whispers to Gourash.
[16:15] * Amonet stops knocking and listens to whatever goes on in the house!
[16:15] <Ebiris> No reply comes to Amonet's knocking, nor her call.
[16:15] <Ebiris> OOC: will save, Amonet
[16:15] <Gourash> "Doors are for breaking," Gourash nodded back to Keylin.
[16:16] <Amonet> roll 1d20+14
[16:16] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+14 and gets 16." [1d20=2]
[16:16] <Ebiris> OOC: carry on
[16:17] * Amonet frowns, and moves on to take a look inside through any windows the house may have, using her lance and heritage to peer inside.
[16:19] <Ebiris> Peering inside through the slats of one of the shuttered windows, Amonet can make out a small kitchen by the looks of things. It's very clean and neat, but nothing special.
[16:20] * Amonet frowns, and circles the house, examining the other windows.
[16:21] <Ebiris> Looking in the next window along, the voyeuristic paladin can see a bedroom, a single fluffy bed adorned with several china dolls from the looks of things. No one seems to be sleeping in the bed, however. There's a few shelves, some empty and some bearing what look like doll - or pixie - sized beds with tiny figures resting atop them.
[16:22] * Amonet returns to the others, relaying this information to them.
[16:24] <Gourash> "So pixies found, witch not?  Wouldn't she sleep here?"
[16:25] <Keylin> "Maybe she went Gregory hunting," Keylin comments.
[16:25] <Ebiris> "Don't even joke about that!" Gregory protests, wincing.
[16:25] <Alveria> "You'd think. Maybe she's turned invisible and is hunting us, even as we speak! Spooky! But since we've found the pixies, we may as well go over there and get them," states Alveria, turning invisible, switching on detect magic, and... looking at Gregory!
[16:25] <Keylin> "Well, you are the only missing one in her collection, right?" Keylin continues on bluntly. "It's hardly hard to believe."
[16:27] <Ebiris> Gregory looks normal to Alveria's sight.
[16:27] * Alveria walks over to the house!
[16:27] * Alveria walks to the window with the pixies, and looks at them!
[16:28] <Ebiris> As Alveria approaches the house, she can detect magic even before she gets to the window!
[16:28] * Keylin follows after Alveria, sticking by her, with a bow at hand.
[16:31] * Gourash brings up the rear, uncomfortable with all this magic.
[16:32] * Alveria looks at the magic! "Spread out, for crying out loud," she mutters.
[16:34] <Ebiris> OOC: spellcraft~
[16:34] * Amonet approaches the door once more!
[16:34] <Alveria> roll 1d20+19(21evocation)
[16:34] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+19(21evocation) and gets Error: Numeric values only." [1d20=11]
[16:34] <Alveria> OOC: 30, 32
[16:35] <Ebiris> To Alveria's sight, the entire house reeks of illusion. It's moderately powerful.
[16:35] <Alveria> OOC: What's it doing?
[16:35] <Alveria> OOC: And can I make a disbelief check?
[16:36] <Ebiris> OOC: will save to disbelieve, yes. The aura basically covers the whole house.
[16:37] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[16:37] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 7." [1d20=2]
[16:37] <Alveria> OOC: Can I keep making them until I pass? I have all day~
[16:38] <Alveria> "It's an illusion, but I'm not sma- er, clear-headed enough to break through it. Amonet, you try," offers Alveria.
[16:38] <Gourash> roll 1d20+3 gourash not understand.
[16:38] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+3 gourash not understand. and gets 19." [1d20=16]
[16:38] * Amonet places her hand against the door, closing her eyes and concentrating, before staring straight through the illusion! Hopefully!
[16:38] <Amonet> roll 1d20+14
[16:38] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+14 and gets 29." [1d20=15]
[16:39] * Keylin tries to see through whatever the illuson Alveria claims to be there.
[16:39] <Keylin> roll 1d20+6
[16:39] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+6 and gets 12." [1d20=6]
[16:39] * Gourash peers at the strange house.
[16:39] <Alveria> OOC: And what is it doing? Spellcraft does actually tell me exactly what spells are active if I roll that high >.>
[16:39] <Alveria> OOC: Unless the house counts as an item, in which case I need identify. Bleh.
[16:41] <Ebiris> With Alveria's warning, Amonet and Gourash are both able to look upon the pleasantly rustic dwelling with new eyes, seeing it as it truly is... (PM'd)
[16:41] -> *Gourash* Before you, the pristine and nice looking house suddenly shifts and changes, revealing itself to be a rotted shell of a building, looking barely able to keep itself upright.
[16:41] -> *Amonet* Before you, the pristine and nice looking house suddenly shifts and changes, revealing itself to be a rotted shell of a building, looking barely able to keep itself upright.
[16:42] <Ebiris> Alveria recognises the magic involved as being similar to a Major Image spell.
[16:42] * Amonet steps back in shock. "An illusion, indeed!" she exclaims. "Everything... so rotted...."
[16:42] <Alveria> "Are the pixies there for real?"
[16:42] * Amonet rushes to check!
[16:42] <Gourash> "This is a trap," Gourash nods with certainty.
[16:43] <Gourash> "and of course Amonet runs into it..."
[16:43] * Alveria looks back at Gregory.
[16:45] <Ebiris> Gregory is barely seen back at the edge of the trees. When Amonet looks inside, she sees things somewhat as she remembered - the bed now is little more than a rotten mattress, and the dolls look chipped and worn. The pixies still look the same as before, slumbering on little toy beds on creaky looking shelves, however.
[16:46] <Amonet> "They are still inside," Amonet reports, and her hand tightens around her lance. "Even if a trap, we must still save them," she says.
[16:46] <Alveria> "The mage's apperance was probably an illusion, too," murmurs Alveria. "I bet she's another hag, and she's probably invisible." She approaches closer to the house, trying to see it properly, and checks for further magic, especially on the pixies!
[16:46] <Gourash> "Well then... some keep watch, some hold building, and some go inside," Gourash nods.
[16:47] <Ebiris> OOC: spellcraft~
[16:47] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[16:47] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 11." [1d20=11]
[16:47] <Amonet> As Alveria approaches her vantage point, Amonet shifts so that she is able to protect the elven mage better.
[16:47] * Gourash waits and when someone enters the building moves to a corner to be able to try and hold it in place in case it collapses. But doesn't do that until then.
[16:47] <Alveria> roll 1d20+19 /22
[16:47] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+19 /22 and gets 37." [1d20=18]
[16:49] <Ebiris> The pixies are radiating strong enchantment. It's alike to Charm Monster, though not quite the same as far as she can tell.
[16:50] <Alveria> OOC: What level?
[16:50] <Alveria> OOC: Oh wait DM doesn't do that, nm
[16:52] * Alveria withdraws her wand, and casts dispel magic upon all the pixies at once!
[16:52] <Alveria> But not herself, because that would be stupid.
[16:52] <Alveria> OOC: And it should hit the image too.
[16:52] <Alveria> OOC: How many level checks must I make?!
[16:53] <Ebiris> OOC: 5
[16:53] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[16:53] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 14." [1d20=9]
[16:53] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[16:53] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[16:53] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[16:53] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[16:53] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 17." [1d20=12]
[16:53] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 15." [1d20=10]
[16:53] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 19." [1d20=14]
[16:53] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 24." [1d20=19]
[16:53] <Alveria> OOC: Did I win?
[16:55] <Ebiris> OOC: make 2 more checks
[16:55] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[16:55] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 24." [1d20=19]
[16:55] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[16:55] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 17." [1d20=12]
[16:56] <Ebiris> Alveria doesn't see any lapse in the enchantment, although two more pixies suddenly appear on a previously empty shelf, these ones cuddled up against each other and apparently sleeping as well.
[16:57] <Ebiris> OOC: another check
[16:57] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[16:57] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 22." [1d20=17]
[16:58] <Ebiris> The illusion on the house is dispelled for those who hadn't disbelieved it before, now seeing the cottage in all its decrepit glory.
[17:00] <Amonet> "Anything?" Amonet asks Alveria quietly.
[17:02] <Alveria> "Doesn't work on pixies the enchantment is too strong," replies Alveria, curtly. "Let's tear apart this place and see if there's anything to find."
[17:03] <Amonet> "Certainly, we must get them out first or the building would collapse and crush them!"
[17:04] <Alveria> "It hasn't yet!"
[17:05] * Alveria starts searching the decrept place, casting a light spell to help her!
[17:05] <Amonet> "If this is a trap, it awaits us searching it to do just that," Amonet counters.
[17:05] * Gourash shrugs. "We only need one happy pixie. Save Gregories friends so we make sure we have one. Then worry about magic."
[17:05] <Ebiris> OOC: are you going inside, Alvie?
[17:05] <Gourash> "Gourash hold house roof up,"
[17:06] <Alveria> OOC: Sadly, yes.
[17:06] <Alveria> OOC: Someone should come with me!
[17:06] <Alveria> OOC: We can be crushed together!
[17:06] * Amonet stays near Alveria in an attempt to protect her!
[17:07] <Ebiris> Alveria finds the door is unlocked and opens easily for her. Inside, the house appears oddly clean, despite the horrible state of disrepair it's in. Furniture is all arrayed out neatly, despite being weathered and threadbare in the front room she steps into. There's also a broom leaning against the side of the fireplace that radiates magic.
[17:07] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[17:07] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 19." [1d20=19]
[17:08] * Gourash moves in with the intent of holding the rickty shack up for a bit if it falls.
[17:09] -> *Keylin* As the the others explore inside, you see one of the pixies in the bedroom rouse itself and look towards the door in alarm, before setting to quickly waking up her fellow fairies.
[17:12] <Keylin> "Alveria, the pixies are waking up," Keylin passes worriedly on the information to Alveria via the spell cast earleir.
[17:14] <Alveria> "Oh. Let's run away and see if they come after us!"
[17:15] <Alveria> "Wait, no, that's a bad idea, they can turn invisible..." mumbles Alveria, hmming and hewing and looking at other people for guidance.
[17:15] <Ebiris> Indeed, just as Alveria says that, Keylin can see all the now awake pixies promptly vanish from sight.
[17:15] <Amonet> "Could we stop their movement without hurting them?" Amonet asks.
[17:15] <Keylin> "You called it. They're all gone invisible. Hang on, I'm coming to you guys," Keylin passes on as she starts moving.
[17:17] <Alveria> "Wait, no, don't do that! Stay outside for now. It's not good to be so close together right now."
[17:17] <Ebiris> As the party gathers in the front room, they see their surroundings shimmer for a moment before the neat and well kept cottage of before appears, laying a veneer of illusion atop the haggard reality of the place.
[17:20] * Alveria slings a cloud of solid fog into the pixie's bedroom, and wanders over to close the bedroom door! "Keylin, keep an eye on the window and see if they get through it or something," states Alveria. "For now, let's keep searching the house."
[17:20] <Alveria> "..geez, this is weird," she mutters.
[17:20] <Ebiris> OOC: will save, Alvie
[17:20] <Alveria> OOC: enchantment or what
[17:20] <Ebiris> OOC: not that
[17:21] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5 I should so bounce this, but I'm not! Aren't I kind?
[17:21] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 I should so bounce this, but I'm not! Aren't I kind? and gets 9." [1d20=4]
[17:21] * Keylin shrugs, and stands watch over the window, ready to slam it shut if needed.
[17:23] <Ebiris> The fog fills the bedroom, sealed in by the door Alveria just slammed shut to trap the poor innocent pixies! Aside from the living room, the only other room is the kitchen opposite the bedroom.
[17:23] * Alveria goes and has a look in there.
[17:23] * Amonet keeps on with her guard duties.
[17:24] <Ebiris> The kitchen is much as Amonet saw it the first time, pristine and neat, with a small stove and several closed cabinets, and a little table as well.
[17:24] <Ebiris> OOC: Alvie, do your wild mage caster level thing for the solid fog
[17:25] <Alveria> roll 1d6+4
[17:25] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+4 and gets 6." [1d6=2]
[17:25] <Alveria> OOC: whyyyyy
[17:25] * Amonet disbelieves this foul illusion!
[17:25] <Amonet> roll 1d20+14
[17:25] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+14 and gets 24." [1d20=10]
[17:25] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+8
[17:25] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+8 and gets 21." [1d20=13]
[17:25] <Ebiris> OOC: what was your CL for the fog, Alvie?
[17:26] <Alveria> OOC: 6!
[17:26] <Alveria> OOC: The result of the roll!
[17:26] -> *Keylin* Looking inside, you can see the fog suddenly vanish from the bedroom!
[17:27] <Alveria> "Go make sure no pixies get through that door, Gourash," adds Alveria, as an afterthought. "We'll keep them there until we know what's what."
[17:27] <Ebiris> Disbelieving the illusion is easy enough for those that care to do so. The overall form of the kitchen remains the same, just it suddenly looks a lot less well kept, with cracks in the woodwork and the stove now looking a bit charred and broken.
[17:28] <Keylin> "That fog is vanishing!" the scout shouts out to the others.
[17:29] <Alveria> "Just keep the window shut!" replies Alveria. "One hand on it will surely do, keep a glove on it so they can't dispel it! And, uh, try talking to them!"
[17:29] <Gourash> Gourash blinked at the  sudden order. "Keep it closed or whatnot?"  He moved from the front door to shutting the door to the bedroom.
[17:30] <Alveria> "Yeah, they might try to open it."
[17:30] * Keylin blocks the window and waits for something to happen.
[17:30] <Ebiris> OOC: will save, Keylin
[17:30] <Keylin> roll 1d20+6
[17:30] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+6 and gets 24." [1d20=18]
[17:31] <Keylin> ooc: take that you evil things trying to subvert my will!
[17:33] <Ebiris> As Keylin keeps the window held closed, she suddenly hears a growling from behind her!
[17:33] * Keylin turns around and looks at what's growling!
[17:34] <Ebiris> It's like a wolf, except twice as big, with thick bony protrusions over its neck and back, coarse spindly brown fur covering its whole body, and extremely large teeth which are currently drooling as it bares said fangs at Keylin, looking extremely vicious and hungry!
[17:36] <Ebiris> OOC: init works here, I guess
[17:37] <Keylin> roll 1d20+4
[17:37] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+4  and gets 5." [1d20=1]
[17:37] <Keylin> ooc: joy
[17:37] <Alveria> OOC: For alllll of us?
[17:37] <Ebiris> OOC: if you plan on involving yourself in the fight. You can be a bystander if you want.
[17:37] <Gourash> OOC: Yell for orc!
[17:37] <Amonet> roll 1d20
[17:37] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20 and gets 13." [1d20=13]
[17:38] <Alveria> OOC: I plan on casting hold portal, and then moseying on out to see Gourash's handiwork
[17:38] <Ebiris> roll 1d20+4
[17:38] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20+4 and gets 16." [1d20=12]
[17:38] <Alveria> roll 1d20+5
[17:38] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+5 and gets 14." [1d20=9]
[17:38] <Keylin> "...What the fuck are YOU?" Keylin swears as she places the arrow she'd been holding in her bow and begins to move away from the wolf thing, even if it means moving away from the window. "A little help here, guys?" she shouts to the others.
[17:39] <Gourash> roll 1d20+1
[17:39] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+1 and gets 18." [1d20=17]
[17:39] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash, you can move out and attack it, but no charge
[17:40] * Gourash swiftly moves from his place at the door at the sound of Keylin's yells, moving out and, upon spotting the Dire wolf, rushing it with his axe!
[17:40] <Gourash> roll 1d20+13
[17:40] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+13 and gets 20." [1d20=7]
[17:41] <Ebiris> OOC: damage
[17:42] <Gourash> roll 1d12+8 The axe hurts!
[17:42] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d12+8 The axe hurts! and gets 13." [1d12=5]
[17:44] <Ebiris> Gourash's axe hacks mightily into the wolf, which barks in pain as falls away from the blow, leaving little resistance as the orcish warrior cleaves through flesh like air! With a pained whimper, the wolf backs off before emitting a hauntingly sad sounding howl...
[17:44] <Ebiris> OOC: will save, Gourash
[17:46] <Gourash> roll 1d20+3 WILL!  (+2 if it's undead0
[17:46] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+3 WILL! (+2 if it's undead0 and gets 13." [1d20=10]
[17:46] <Ebiris> roll 1d100
[17:46] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d100 and gets 73." [1d100=73]
[17:47] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Alvie
[17:47] * Alveria casts hold portal on the door, and goes to open one of the window-slats in this room to look outside!
[17:48] <Ebiris> Alveria looks out from the living room and sees what appears to be Gourash and Keylin facing off against a dire wolf!
[17:48] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Amonet
[17:48] -> *Gourash* You've been hit with a confusion effect and must attack whoever is closest to you on your turn. Right now that's Keylin.
[17:48] <Amonet> "Friend Alveria, does Friend Keylin still require my assistance?" Amonet asks, unwilling to leave the elf alone without a good reason.
[17:49] <Alveria> "They're fighting some big wolf, I don't think it'll be too hard to take down," affirms Alveria. "I'll help them from here!"
[17:49] * Amonet approaches Alveria, feeling Horus-Re's divine essence invigorate her.
[17:49] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Keylin
[17:51] * Keylin moves further away from the wolf and then trying to circle around it, firing an arrow at the wolf once she's finished moving.
[17:52] * Keylin just moves to circle around the wolf, satisfied with the distance between herself and the wolf, before firing her arrow.
[17:52] <Keylin> roll 1d20+9
[17:52] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+9 and gets 12." [1d20=3]
[17:54] <Ebiris> Keylin's arrow flies right through the wolf, which promptly disappears - and at the same time, the window she was previously guarding flies open!
[17:54] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash
[17:54] <Gourash> OOC: Everyone's done already? okay. =)
[17:55] * Gourash turns, and strikes at the... wolf?
[17:55] <Gourash> roll 1d20+13
[17:55] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d20+13 and gets 17." [1d20=4]
[17:55] <Gourash> roll 1d100 vs cover  I think.  I forget.
[17:55] * Hatbot --> "Gourash rolls 1d100 vs cover I think. I forget. and gets 77." [1d100=77]
[17:57] <Ebiris> Gourash snaps out of his confusion just after burying his axe into the windowsill mere inches from Alveria!
[17:57] * Gourash blinks, wondering where the wolf went.
[17:57] <Alveria> "You fool! You've chipped my windowbench!"
[17:57] <Keylin> "...another illusion?" Keylin mutters.
[18:00] <Gourash> "Windowbench...fast wolf," Gourash complained.
[18:00] <Alveria> "Probably designed to get you away from the window so that you'd open it and thus let the invisible pixies out."
[18:01] <Alveria> "So that we can't find/rescue them anymore because they're, well, invisible, and can fly away. They'll be invisible for another few moments! You guys should totally not hang around because they can and will cast confusion on you if they don't like you. Me, I'm staying in here until their invisibility wears off, which'll be in about 20 seconds."
[18:01] <Gourash> "Gourash does not think wolf was an illusion."
[18:01] * Alveria shuts the window!
[18:01] <Keylin> "Well it worked, then," Keylin grumbles.

[Ebiris]

[15:38] <Amonet> Alveria suggests everyone retreats from the house for the time being!
[15:43] <Gourash> Gourash, not liking spell magic on him and thinking the real beast is outside anyway, agrees, heading outside with a grunt.
[15:44] <Ebiris> OOC: Gourash, you just went. And you're already outside.
[15:44] <Gourash> OOC: Oh.  Sorry.  *stabs memory* okay ignore :)
[15:44] <Amonet> Alveria waits on Amonet so that they could withdraw together!
[15:45] <Amonet> Not willing to hurt the mind-controlled pixies nor having anything in her arsenal to stop them peacefully, Amonet agrees to retreat and does so, trying to cover the mage all the while.
[15:46] <Ebiris> So Alveria and Amonet flee back into the forest from whence they came, covering as much ground as Amomet's platemail will allow as they race to freedom!
[15:46] <Ebiris> OOC: go Keylin
[15:49] * Keylin follows after the other two girls of the group.
[15:50] <Ebiris> Keylin flees, easily catching up to her friends while the invisible pixies surely do something, but sadly no one can see what.
[15:50] <Ebiris> OOC: Go Gourash
[15:52] <Gourash> Gourash pulls up the rear, keeping an eye out for wolves of large size.
[15:53] <Ebiris> And so the party flees back into the dark forest, Amonet's lance lighting the way! The pixies seem satisfied, for no pursuit or attacks are evident as the group hurries back under the tree cover to regroup!
[16:00] <Gourash> "Well...what now?  Do we have any way to find the wolf or witch?"
[16:02] <Amonet> "I do not believe there was a real wolf to begin with," Amonet says, frowning. Alveria helpfully adds that she can't really see invisible things.
[16:07] <Keylin> "Still, Gourash has a point. So what do we do? If we're going to be falling for illusions and having to search for invisible pixies, well we're ill equipped."
[16:07] <Amonet> "Yes," Amonet agrees sadly.
[16:08] <Gourash> "I hit something.   If not a wolf...something was there," Gourash argued.  "Alveria?"
[16:09] <Amonet> Alveria says something about hitting the windowstill next to her face and a few choice words.
[16:10] <Ebiris> As the party discuss things, Gregory suddenly appears in their midst! The little fairy dressed in his leaf patterned pants to differentiate him from the human styled pajamas the other pixies were wearing. "Thank you for not hurting my friends, kind souls," he begins, "But maybe this is too dangerous for you - I shouldn't have gotten you involved," he laments sadly.
[16:11] <Amonet> "It's not the danger," Amonet tells him in frustration. "We just don't know how to summon the enchantress, or even how to see your friends to make sure we don't hit them by accident!"
[16:14] <Ebiris> "I don't think any of us have ever seen that human girl at night," Gregory admits thoughtfully. "I've no doubt you'll see her if you linger in these woods for long, though - but unless you have defences against illusion and enchantment, it may be too risky to face her."
[16:14] <Amonet> "Then wait we shall!" Amonet proclaims.
[16:18] <Amonet> Alveria mutters about the witch's magical broom and depriving the enemy of anything useful before facing her.
[16:18] <Keylin> "We still have the problem of the illusions and enchantments. We can't just face them head on like that," Keylin points out. "You already pointed out the problem of not hitting the invisible pixies too."
[16:19] * Gourash eyes alveria, frowning. "So, what do we have? Or is this a lost fight?"
[16:19] <Amonet> "I have the spell to guard from that, if only we had the time to prepare!" Amonet declares happily.
[16:19] * Gourash snorts. "We already retreated. What's with delaying and regrouping?"
[16:20] <Ebiris> "I can take you to a grove where you can rest and not have to worry about predators or anything like that," Gregory volunteers.
[16:24] * Gourash shrugs and nods. "So lets go there and Alveria can make spells to actually fight this," Gourash commented.
[16:34] * Gourash follows gregory?
[16:35] * Keylin follows Gourash!
[16:36] <Ebiris> And so the party are soon led to a small grove in the forest by a crystal clear pond, the air here somehow smelling even more sweet and fresh than the rest of the forest. "You can rest here without fear," Gregory promises.
[16:49] <Gourash> And lo do they rest, Gourash taking watch.
[16:53] <Ebiris> The following dawn the party is greeted by a chorus of birdsong as rays of warm sunshine filter through the trees above, today promising to be glorious at least in terms of the weather.
[16:55] <Gourash> "Ready, Alveria," Gourash grunts, displeased by the chirping cute birdsong stuff.
[16:55] <Amonet> Alveria is ready!
[16:58] <Ebiris> Gregory leads the party about halfway, but begs off about halfway to the house you visited last night, not wanting to try his luck against being enchanted himself.
[16:58] <Keylin> "Well, let's try our luck at saving the pixies again, shall we?" Keylin comments.
[16:58] <Amonet> "Yes!"
[17:00] * Gourash nods and leads off on a slow scout towards the hut. "We should stick together and circle inward from the perimeter."
[17:01] <Amonet> "My spells won't last long," Amonet tells the others, "so once we reach the hut, we should act swiftly."
[17:03] <Ebiris> Heading through the forest, the party sees trees thinning out before they can see their goal ahead. The illusion is firmly back in place over the decrepit cottage, revealing a scene of rustic serenity. And outside the cottage can be seen a young blonde haired girl, no older than 14 from appearances, sitting at a table and seemingly enjoying a tea party with the several pixies seen fluttering about her.
[17:03] <Gourash> "We want the witch, not the pixies.  In fact...we should make noise in our approach so the witch comes to us," Gourash suggested.
[17:06] <Amonet> Silver light covers Amonet head to toe, and then she blinks it off, and looks at the others. "Would you like to receive Horus-Re's protection now, Friends?"
[17:06] <Keylin> "How do we know the pixies won't come with her?" Keylin points out before nodding to Amonet.
[17:06] <Gourash> "Why not wait in hiding.  We know she leaves and they go to sleep at some point."
[17:07] <Amonet> "I shall try to speak to her," Amonet declares. "Perhaps she will see the error of her villainous ways!"
[17:08] <Ebiris> OOC: anyone paying particular attention to the girl and pixies, btw?
[17:08] * Gourash blinks. "And we'll swarm out attacking when she doesn't. Works."
[17:08] <Amonet> OOC: Yes
[17:08] <Keylin> "We need to make sure she's really there, and not another illusion. It could just be a trap set after our actions last night," Keylin warns, tossing a bit of paranoid caution into the thoughts of what to do.
[17:08] <Ebiris> OOC; spot check if you are
[17:08] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12 spot the trap!
[17:08] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 spot the trap! and gets 14." [1d20=2]
[17:08] <Amonet> roll 1d20+1 Alvie
[17:08] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+1 Alvie and gets 9." [1d20=8]
[17:09] <Amonet> roll 1d20+5
[17:09] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+5 and gets 21." [1d20=16]
[17:10] <Amonet> Spotting a pixie detail their arrival to the girl, Amonet steps out into the clearing and attempts to approach her.
[17:13] * Keylin sighs. "Well, it looks like she's ignoring the thought it might be a trap," Keylin mutters as Amonet steps out.
[17:14] * Amonet makes no effort to conceal her presence, intent on waving at the girl once she sees her or calling out to her if she reaches normal speaking range otherwise.
[17:16] * Gourash frowns, keeping an eye on her and the pixies now.
[17:16] <Ebiris> The girl sets her teacup aside and stands up while the pixies all hover protectively around her - except from two which immediately vanish from sight. Stepping away from the table, you get a better idea of her height - definitely not past her early teens, from what you can tell. She's dressed in a somewhat frilly blue dress with a red and white sash around her waist and a red headband through her short blonde hair.
[17:16] <Ebiris> She regards Amonet somewhat cooly, while the pixies around her look far less pleased.
[17:17] <Amonet> "Hello," Amonet says, her gaze somewhat cool as well for a change. "I am glad we are finally getting a chance to talk."
[17:19] <Ebiris> "Sylvelle told me about you," the girl replies in a soft childish voice, glancing at one of the fairies - this one seeming to be attired in far more martial attire than the others, which seem to be favouring frilly dresses and the like. "You came here last night and bothered my friends!" she accuses, pouting.
[17:21] <Amonet> "We tried to talk to you last night, but could not find you," Amonet responds. "It was very important for us to speak with you as soon as possible, so we had to intrude. If it turns out we were in the wrong, I will of course apologize and offer whatever restitution I can."
[17:21] * Gourash eyes Keylin with the 'is she crazy' glance.
[17:23] <Ebiris> "They're not bad people, Marjorie" one of the pixies speaks up, this one wearing what looks to be a maid costume, black dress and white apron worn. Though she also carries a bow.
[17:23] <Ebiris> "What was so important you had to come barging into my house in the middle of the night and bothering everyone with, then?" Marjorie asks, cradling a thick leather bound tome to her chest with one arm as she speaks.
[17:24] <Keylin> A 'Very' glance is Gourash's response, as Keylin's hands get twitchy and wanting to grasp her bow or hammer and have them ready for when something bad invariably happens.
[17:26] <Amonet> "We had to find out why your friends had all been Enchanted, of course," Amonet tells the girl. "Friends are very important, but unless they decide to stay that way on their own, it's nothing more than pretending, isn't it?"
[17:31] <Ebiris> "What are you trying to say?" the maid-dressed pixie frowns, bunching up her little fists cutely.
[17:31] <Ebiris> Marjorie looks somewhat distraught herself, "We're not pretending - we really are all friends! You're just being mean!"
[17:33] <Amonet> "I don't really want to be mean." Amonet frowns. "Maybe we could sit and talk a bit? I would like to hear how you all became such good friends."
[17:35] <Ebiris> The pixies don't look too convinced, but Marjorie herself seems somewhat mollified. "Maybe... what about your friends, though?" she gestures to the woods where Keylin, Gourash, and Alveria lurk.
[17:35] <Amonet> "Do you want to meet them?" Amonet asks.
[17:37] <Ebiris> Marjorie crosses her other arm under the one holding her book, looking thoughtful for a second. "It doesn't matter. I'll know if they try anything sneaky," she decides.
[17:38] * Amonet waves at the others, offering them a chance to come over.
[17:38] <Amonet> "If I wanted to be sneaky, would I come to talk to you like this?" she asks Marjorie.
[17:40] <Ebiris> "You could be trying to distract me," the young girl replies, before putting on a somewhat forced smile and gesturing to the table. "Do you want to join us for tea, then?"
[17:40] * Gourash sighs and heads over.
[17:41] <Ebiris> Marjorie *does* look a bit intimidated at the sight of the large greataxe-wielding half-orc, but tries to play it off with a smile. The remaining pixies all look rather suspicious, however, watching over the party.
[17:41] <Amonet> "Yes, thank you," Amonet responds. "Though I would really like to hear your story."
[17:44] <Ebiris> Marjorie sits down and pours a cup of sweet smelling tea into a delicate porcelain cup, sliding it across to Amonet. "Why are you so curious?" she asks, taking a sip of her own drink. She still holds that book against her chest with the other hand, however.
[17:46] <Amonet> "Because friends are very important," she responds thoughtfully. "You told me that we were wrong to assume what we did, but not why. If I could just see it as you do, I think I could understand you better."
[17:52] <Ebiris> "We're just friends - what's so hard to understand about that?" Marjorie protests. "I used to be all alone, but now I'm not, and I won't let anyone pull us apart!"
[17:52] <Ebiris> roll 1d20
[17:52] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d20 and gets 9." [1d20=9]
[17:55] <Amonet> "I could be your friend," Amonet offers. "If you want, you could come with me, and you would never have to be alone."
[17:55] <Ebiris> OOC: diplomacy check
[17:56] <Amonet> roll 1d20+7
[17:56] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+7 and gets 16." [1d20=9]
[17:58] <Ebiris> That actually catches Marjorie off guard, the young girl's mouth working for a moment in surprise before she rallies herself enough to muster any sort of reply. "Wh-what?" she stammers out, eyes widening. "But, I... that's just so sudden..." she blushes, clearly out of sorts.

[Ebiris]

[15:07] * Keylin raises an eyebrow. 'Weird girl,' she thinks as she continues to wait to see what else Amonet can manage with the girl.
[15:08] <Ebiris> "Who are you people, anyway?" the armoured pixie speaks up, fluttering by Marjorie's shoulder. "Not many people come this far into the forest without good reason."
[15:10] <Amonet> "We came here because a terrible monster sucked the very happiness out of children, and only pixies could help us make a potion to save them!" Amonet responds, eyes sparkling. "Is that not a very good reason?"
[15:12] <Ebiris> "Th-that's horrible!" Marjorie gasps, appalled. She whips around to look at the nearby pixies. "Can you do anything to help them?"
[15:12] <Ebiris> "What monster did this?" a male pixie in a ruffled shirt and pants asks, landing on the table, which jostles slightly unsteadily.
[15:12] <Amonet> "An evil jester!" Amonet tells them, describing the monster in detail.
[15:15] <Ebiris> The pixies all look rather disgusted, but the armoured one previously identified as Sylvelle nods resolutely. "We know just what you're talking about - those creatures are truly vile!"
[15:15] <Ebiris> "So you guys can make that potion to help those children, right?" Marjorie asks, shooting to her feet and slamming her palm down on the table. It doesn't wobble at all, despite her dramatic gesture, however, though she doesn't seem to notice.
[15:22] <Amonet> "Will you help us?" Amonet pleads. "Something must be done about the poor children!"
[15:24] <Ebiris> "We can!" the maid attired pixies nods decisively. "We just need to find some ingredients - just give us an hour or so. They're easy to find here in the forest!"
[15:24] <Ebiris> Marjorie nods quickly, almost shooing the pixies away, "Yes, hurry - that thing sounds so horrible, we have to help the poor children!" she insists as the tiny butterfly winged humanoids zoom off into the woods.
[15:26] <Amonet> "Well, you know what we do, now, I suppose," Amonet tells the girl. "What about you? Do you just play with the pixies all day long?"
[15:29] <Ebiris> "Yes..." Marjorie smiles a bit, though she still looks pretty rattled as she sits back down, shakily reaching for her teacup. "Ever since... well," she shakes her head slowly, "We're friends and we look out for each other. The forest isn't all fun and games, so I protect them, too. I won't let anything happen like before," she explains after a long sip of her drink.
[15:29] * Alveria gets bored of standing around and casts detect magic, ambling towards the conversing trio.
[15:30] <Amonet> "Like before?" Amonet asks her curiously.
[15:31] -> *Alveria* Like before you see illusion, over the house and the nearby furniture, not to mention the tea-set on the table. Marjorie herself isn't radiating any magic, but her book is. (No check to recognise the illusion since you did it last night)
[15:32] <Ebiris> Marjorie frowns a moment, briefly looking back to her little cottage. "There are bad things in the forest," she states simply.
[15:34] <Amonet> "We do fight evil whenever we chance upon it," Amonet says slowly. "Maybe we could help, if you told us more about it?"
[15:34] <Alveria> roll 1d20+19 (+21 vs. evocation)
[15:34] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+19 (+21 vs. evocation) and gets 39." [1d20=20]
[15:36] <Alveria> "S'right! High Forest is filled with natsy stuff," states Alveria, slapping Amonet firmly on the back. "S'ry about before, I'm Alveria, by the way, magical mistress of marvellous mayhem. What should I call you, sorry?"
[15:36] <Amonet> "This is Marjorie," Amonet introduces the girl. "She and the fairies agreed to help us with the potion."
[15:37] * Gourash quirks his head, standing quietly back.
[15:38] * Keylin joins the others since Alveria seems to have decided it's okay as well.
[15:38] <Ebiris> Marjorie nods, smiling a bit at Amonet's introduction. "There are monsters and things here," she agrees, staring a moment at Alveria's ears. "And..." she shudders a moment, setting her teacup down. "Dark elves, too."
[15:38] <Alveria> "WE MUST DESTROY THEM."
[15:39] * Keylin jumps, a bit startled at Alveria's proclamation. "What the hell?"
[15:39] * Amonet starts at Alveria's outburst.
[15:39] <Ebiris> Marjorie shrinks back at Alveria's proclamation, looking a bit unnerved. "They're really scary, though," she squeaks out.
[15:40] <Amonet> "Did they hurt anyone?" Amonet asks in concern.
[15:40] <Alveria> "Yes!"
[15:41] <Alveria> "They killed the king of Evermeet!"
[15:41] * Gourash eyes alveria. "Antsy... Well...I won't complain." Gourash actually looks pleased at the sound of something he can stick his axe into.
[15:42] <Alveria> "So, uh, where are they?" she finishes, losing a little of her fire as she glances at Marjorie, the reason they came in the first place *totally forgotten*.
[15:45] <Ebiris> "They..." Marjorie shudders, speaking in a tiny voice, almost inaudible. "Yes, they... they hurt..." she trails off, mouthing something but no words escape as she looks down. Taking a moment to compose herself, she looks up at Alveria's question, "I don't know. They came in the night and I... I was quiet, like I was told. I hid under the bed a-and didn't make a s-sound!"
[15:46] <Alveria> "Bah! Do the pixies get out much? Maybe they'll have a clue," mutters Alveria, pacing back and forth. "What did they do? What did they want? Revenge, I must have it! On behalf of all true elves!"
[15:47] * Amonet moves closer to Marjorie and pats her on the shoulder to try and comfort her.
[15:48] * Gourash grunts, shrugging off the ranting Alveria.
[15:48] <Ebiris> roll 1d100
[15:48] * Hatbot --> "Ebiris rolls 1d100 and gets 87." [1d100=87]
[15:50] <Ebiris> Marjorie feels cold to Amonet's touch, something that vaguely makes the paladin's skin crawl. For her own part, the girl shrinks away, scooting out of her chair and standing up. "I..." she sniffles, "I saw them... I... I don't want to talk about this..."
[15:50] <Alveria> "Did they drop anything? Did they leave anything behind?" continues Alveria, fuming.
[15:53] <Ebiris> "Only... only the bo..." Marjorie begins before trailing off, putting a hand over her mouth and looking pained. "I don't want to talk about it!" she insists a bit more vehemently. "You sh-shouldn't look for them anyway. N-not if you want to be s-safe."
[15:54] <Amonet> "It's more important to have you safe," Amonet insists. "You and everyone else innocent in these woods, as prey to those evil creatures!"
[15:54] <Alveria> "The book? That weird book you've got that's steaming with enchantment magic? You shouldn't keep things dark elves leave behind, they're untrustworthy murderers... bah!" Alveria storms away back to the edge of the clearing, distraught.
[15:57] <Ebiris> "This book belonged to my mother!" Marjorie howls back, equally distraught. "Just... just leave me alone!" she stamps her foot, before storming inside her little cottage and slamming the door behind her. Well... closing it slowly and quietly, actually, but she looks like she'd enjoy slamming it.
[15:59] * Amonet looks concerned, and throws a glance at Gourash before trying to follow Marjorie into her cottage.
[16:02] <Ebiris> The door is unlocked as Amonet enters (you can disbelieve the illusion without a save if you want), finding Marjorie not more than a few steps inside already. "Just leave me alone!" she pouts petulantly at her uninvited guest.
[16:04] <Amonet> "Do you really want to stay here, with all these reminders of the past and bad memories?" Amonet asks her instead. "I was sincere about offering you to come with us. You could be around other people again, and if you ever get tired of it, nothing would stop you from returning here if you wished."
[16:07] <Ebiris> "This is my home..." Marjorie mutters, running a hand along the top of the fireplace. "It's all I have left to remind me of... of how things used to be." She sighs, looking down. "I don't normally dwell on it this much - I have my friends to keep me company. But you people just brought it all back..."
[16:10] <Amonet> "People can't keep on living in the past," Amonet tells her. "They move on to the future. You just need courage to make the first step. I can be there for you," she offers, extending a hand towards Marjorie.
[16:13] <Ebiris> OOC: diplomacy check, I think
[16:14] <Amonet> roll 1d20+7
[16:14] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+7 and gets 13." [1d20=6]
[16:17] <Ebiris> The hand is not taken, Marjorie gazing at it with a melancholy expression. "I'm not a brave person," she admits quietly. "Even when I say I'm protecting my friends, they do more to look after me. But this is all I have left..." she gestures vaguely around. "This and memories. I can't give up what little I have left."
[16:19] <Amonet> "I see," Amonet says in disappointment, before her eyes fall on the book. "It was left to you by your mother, right?" she asks, changing the topic. "What is the book about?"
[16:22] <Ebiris> "Fairy tales," Marjorie smiles half-heartedly. "She used to read them to me. She said she kept her spells in it as well, but they're hidden with magic. I don't know how to find them."
[16:23] <Amonet> "Do you think you can show us?" Amonet asks the girl thoughtfully. "Friend Alveria might be able to know how to find them."
[16:24] <Ebiris> OOC: another diplomacy check
[16:24] <Amonet> roll 1d20+7
[16:24] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+7 and gets 25." [1d20=18]
[16:25] <Ebiris> "I..." the young girl hesitates a moment, before nodding. "Okay. I don't know if I could even make sense of them, but... it'd be something else to remember her by."
[16:25] * Amonet nods, and opens the door for the girl, coaching her outside.
[16:27] <Ebiris> The duo of teenage girls step outside to rejoin the rest of the party!
[16:28] * Amonet quickly explains the situation to Alveria and asks for her insight!
[16:28] <Alveria> "'sprobably some weird DROW TR- oh, mother, right," mutters Alveria. "Gimme."
[16:30] <Ebiris> Marjorie hesitates, but obediently hands over the tome to Alveria. It's quite a thick book, bound in quality leather with embossed pictures of various fantastical beasts adorning the cover.
[16:30] * Alveria opens and reads it!
[16:30] <Alveria> "You know, it's strongly enchanted, so I start acting weird, it's the books fault," she says, firmly.
[16:31] <Gourash> "Gourash will help then," Gourash promised.
[16:31] <Amonet> "I can also help you!" Amonet proclaims, and chants a few words before placing a gauntleted hand on Alveria's shoulder.
[16:32] <Keylin> "I'll help if I can, I suppose," Keylin shrugs, adding her own lukewarm encouragement.
[16:33] <Ebiris> Alveria is greeted by a table of contents as she opens the book! It seems to have more than a hundred different fairy tales and parables and such - some are quite familiar from her own childhood so long ago on far off Evermeet, others are unfamiliar to her, but recognisable to those with a more human upbringing, and still more are unknown. Quite a collection of literature in one place.
[16:37] <Alveria> "Pfft, it didn't happen like that, he ate the blue mushroom. I totally saw him," she mutters- "Er, sorry. Anyway, I can't see an illusion on the book. I *guess* it could've been warded against detection, though.. hmm. Maybe if I read it sideways, or something- I don't have read magic prepared at the moment, and I dunno how much good that'd do anyway. Oh! I could just cast identify on it, that'd do the trick."
[16:37] <Alveria> "I think I've still got a pearl lying around somewhere..."
[16:40] <Alveria> OOC: I can't use my AMAZING MAGICAL EXPERTISE to figure out how you might hide spells in a book like this or anything, right?
[16:40] <Ebiris> OOC: knowledge arcana
[16:41] <Alveria> roll 1d20+15
[16:41] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+15 and gets 17." [1d20=2]
[16:42] <Alveria> OOC: Actually, now is an excellent time to abuse my use magic device score and attempt to blindly activate it.
[16:43] <Alveria> OOC: I will do that in a moment!
[16:44] <Alveria> OOC: After, er, the K: A check.
[16:46] * Alveria furrows her brow and glances at Majorie. "Your mother didn't have any favourite sayings or quotes or anything, did she? No other books or diaries or anything lying around?"
[16:48] <Ebiris> "Um..." the young blonde looks thoughtful for a moment. "She used to always tell me that the early bird catches the worm. And waste not want not. Er... A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?" she scratches her head briefly. "She used lots of sayings like that all the time."
[16:49] <Alveria> "In that case, there's nothing for it but to try and make it do.. uh.. SOMETHING," proclaims Alveria, rapidly speaking off about fourty different common command words used in her line of work.
[16:51] <Alveria> roll 1d20+15
[16:51] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+15 and gets 31." [1d20=16]
[16:53] <Ebiris> Just as Alveria starts to run out of breath from her spiel, the text on the page seems to swim before her eyes, letters rearranging themselves and new patterns emerging! What was once the table of contents changes into what looks like a spell - probably a cantrip judging by the complexity. "Hey, what did you do?!" Marjorie cries, leaning over to see.
[16:54] <Alveria> "I, uh, tried like every command word in the book. Well, not this book, but every command word I have," mumbles Alveria, peering at the table of contents, and flipping through the next few pages to see if anything's changed.
[16:56] <Alveria> "By the way, are you a mage yourself?" she queries.
[16:57] <Ebiris> The next few pages likewise seem to bear simple spells upon them - the format used isn't one immediately familiar to Alveria and it would requir study. "Ahh... not really," Marjorie demurs, shrinking back. "I can do stuff, but it's not really the same thing..."
[16:58] <Amonet> "Really?" Amonet perks up. "What can you do?"
[17:00] <Ebiris> "Well, my magic comes from here," she rests a hand over her heart, "Not from books."
[17:01] <Alveria> "Well, that's a pity, because it'll be hard to make use of this book otherwise," reflects Alveria. "I mean..." She flips the pages to the end of the book, trying to get a grasp of the relative potency of the spells within.
[17:03] <Ebiris> The book is far from full, but the last few spells seen by Alveria seem to be about five pages in length, filled with tight scribbles and arcane diagrams that make the head swim.
[17:04] <Ebiris> "Even if I can't read the spells, it's still an important keepsake," Marjorie shakes her head, looking down.
[17:05] <Alveria> "I mean, uh, wow, your mother wasn't bad at this," mumbles Alveria. "Annnnnnyway as far as I can see, it's just an enchanted spellbook. Still, secret page is a transmutation, last I checked, and the book itself is enchantment. It's probably got some function that isn't evident to me yet."
[17:07] <Ebiris> "Um, well... that's okay, this is fine anyway," Marjorie looks a bit uncomfortable, reaching to take the book back. "So what was that thing you said to make the writing change?"
[17:09] <Amonet> "Did you use any of your own magic on the book?" Amonet asks Marjorie.
[17:09] <Alveria> "I don't know. I used, uh, secret techniques to make it do something, but it's difficult to replicate," replies Alveria, uncomfortably. "I could probably do it again, or get rid of the binding enchantment, given enough time..."
[17:11] <Ebiris> "No, I just... well, nevermind that," Marjorie replies, seeming uneasy with Amonet's question. "Can you make it show the stories again, Miss Alveria? If I can't change between them myself, the stories are at least something I can read."
[17:13] <Alveria> "I.. well, yes," replies Alveria, focusing on the book for a bit and twisting the letters back to normal. "I'd still like to have a chance to cast identify on the book itself, though," she adds.
[17:14] <Ebiris> OOC: make your use magic device check, +2 bonus
[17:14] <Alveria> roll 1d20+17
[17:14] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+17 and gets 34." [1d20=17]
[17:15] <Alveria> OOC: I can't try and activate the enchantment portion of the book as seperate from the pages, can I?
[17:15] <Ebiris> OOC: You can. That'd be a seperate check, since both times you did seem focused on the text.
[17:15] <Alveria> OOC: 'k, I'll try that
[17:15] <Alveria> roll 1d20+15
[17:15] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+15 and gets 23." [1d20=8]
[17:15] <Ebiris> The arcane scrawl shifts again, now resolving back into legible text.
[17:15] <Alveria> OOC: And I can keep trying until it works or blows up >.>
[17:15] <Alveria> OOC: natural 1 would be baaaad
[17:16] <Alveria> OOC: But I await resolution~
[17:16] <Ebiris> But no further effects happen, as Marjorie reaches to take her book back. "That's okay, the spells don't really matter, after all."
[17:17] <Alveria> "Don't matter? Well, I guessssss," mumbles Alveria, muttering a few unspeakable syllables as she closes the cover.
[17:17] <Alveria> roll 1d20+15 check #2!
[17:17] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+15 check #2! and gets 17." [1d20=2]
[17:17] <Alveria> OOC: So close! o-o
[17:17] <Alveria> OOC: But I guess I need to give it back now.
[17:17] <Alveria> "Well, it's not the spells, but the book itself. It can be kinda dangerous to have an unidentified magic item lying around, y'know."
[17:18] <Amonet> "Won't you let Alveria help you?" Amonet asks Marjorie, concerned at her words.
[17:21] <Ebiris> "It's alright," she shakes her head, cradling the book against her chest. "I haven't had any trouble with it before - mother wouldn't make anything that could hurt me."
[17:22] <Ebiris> As you talk, some of the pixies are visible returning, carrying various berries and flowers. "Don't mind us, we'll be in the kitchen!" one cheerily announces as the fly into the cottage.
[17:27] <Alveria> "Hmm.. ah, is that so? Alright, then," replies Alveria, shrugging. "Well, do you mind if we stay here a while longer? We've got to go back to a portal, and I think we're going to be past time when it opens today, anyway."
[17:27] * Amonet nods at the request. "It would be appreciated, yes."
[17:29] <Ebiris> "I don't mind," Marjorie shakes her head, going back inside after the pixies. About an hour later, two of them fly back out carrying a flask between them. "Here you go!" the duo announce brightly. "One sip of this will cure the children - they won't feel good at first, but it'll let them recover naturally."
[17:29] <Amonet> "Will it be enough for all of them?"
[17:29] <Alveria> "If it's just a sip per child, it'll probably be enough. We might even get to keep some in case something like this happens again."
[17:30] <Ebiris> The pair exchange glances, looking a bit uncertain. "How many are there? It only takes a sip, so this should do for say a dozen?"
[17:30] <Keylin> "If possible, we might want to get a spare while we're still here, just in case," Keylin comments. "If we get attacked on the road again and the flask cracks or something?"
[17:33] <Ebiris> "We can probably make some more..." both pixies look a bit uncertain. "It'll be a bit longer, since we thought this would be enough." With that, they fly back inside. It's still only about lunchtime, the sun high in the air and the air refreshingly warm compared to what you're used to further North.
[17:34] * Alveria wanders after the pixies into the kitchen. "For that matter, when DOES that portal back to the North open?"
[17:35] <Ebiris> "The one by the white stones?" Sylvelle asks, putting a few berries and leaves into a pot after being told by the others you need more. "It opens for a few minutes at Dawn and Dusk every day. We sometimes go through it when the weather's nice in the Summer."
[17:37] <Alveria> "Ah, alright, twice each day," nods Alveria. "And.. this might seem odd, but do you know anyone named Gregory?"
[17:38] <Ebiris> "You've seen Gregory!" she starts, dropping the sppon she'd been using to stir the pot. "Where is he? We haven't seen him in ages!" she cries, the other pixies also looking quite curious.
[17:39] <Alveria> "Well, I'm not quite sure where he is now," replies Alveria, suddenly breaking out into a coughing fit. "But he was rather, um, worried about you, too."
[17:41] <Ebiris> "Mmm," Sylvelle nods sadly. "I suppose... none of us really trusted Marjorie at first - our kind prefers to avoid humans. But she's really nice once we learned to give her a chance! If only Gregory could see that, too..."
[17:44] <Alveria> "Well," replies Alveria, uneasily. "I think he's worried about spells and enchantments and whatnot. But you know, you pixies can cast dispel magic, right? If you got together and did that en-masse to prove nothing weird was going on, I'm sure he'd find his fears allieved!"
[17:45] <Ebiris> OOC: Diplomacy check
[17:46] <Alveria> roll 1d20+ONE
[17:46] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+ONE and gets Error: Numeric values only." [1d20=2]
[17:46] <Alveria> OOC: roflno'd
[17:48] <Ebiris> "Bah, we're fine," Sylvelle insists, going back to stirring the pot which begins to fizz, the liquid within turning lime green to match what was in the flask provided earlier. "Gregory will come to his sense, sooner or later."
[17:51] <Ebiris> The party is soon provided with another flask of pixie laughing juice, or whatever it is, and lingers around as the sun begins to head back down again. "You'd better go if you want to catch that portal," Sylvelle notes, glancing up at the sky. "It's about bedtime for us, anyway."
[17:52] <Keylin> "Thank you for your help," Keylin offers.
[17:53] <Ebiris> "So, um... aren't you leaving now?" another pixie asks after a moment of inaction. "Those children aren't getting any happier, right?"
[17:54] <Amonet> "We were planning on resting before making the trip back, were we not?" Amonet asks, looking at Alveria for assistance.
[17:55] <Alveria> "Either we leave through the dusk portal, sleep, and start travelling, or we sleep, leave through the dawn portal, and travel," replies Alveria. "It'll take the same time to get back to Dunbar either way..."
[17:55] <Amonet> "Except its cold and snowy there...."
[17:56] * Gourash eyes the two oddly, remembering the rotten visage of last night. "Sooner we go, sooner we get to that other thing."
[17:58] <Amonet> "Like Friend Alveria said, we will have to rest for the night anyway," Amonet responds with a light shrug.
[17:58] <Ebiris> "Oh, okay... well, er... goodnight?" one of the pixies hazards, before they all flutter inside, Marjorie herself coming out a moment later. "Good luck helping those children," she smiles weakly. "I'd invite you in, but we don't have that much room. You have your own camp anyway, since you were here last night?"
[18:01] * Amonet returns the girl's smile. "Yes. It's a shame I couldn't get you to come with us."
[18:02] * Gourash frowns, not really wanting to camp out near the strange house.

[Ebiris]

[18:03] <Ebiris> Marjorie looks a bit torn at Amonet's words. "Are you really serious about that?" she asks hesitantly.
[18:05] <Amonet> "Of course I am," Amonet tells her. "I would never lie about such things."
[18:06] <Ebiris> "Um..." the young blonde girl bites her lip, glancing back at her house and then over the party. "Can you come with me, then? I want to show you something, first..."
[18:07] <Amonet> "Of course," Amonet agrees, letting herself be lead to whatever place Marjorie feels safe at.
[18:11] <Ebiris> Marjorie leads Amonet behind her house and then to the far edge of the clearing, opposite the direction the party came from. The ground here looks like it's been dug up, though not recently, and three simple wooden markers are set into the earth. "No one's ever offered something like that before..." she murmurs, sounding a bit sad.
[18:11] <Ebiris> "You're right, I did force my friends into liking me. But they avoided me even before, and if they knew what I was now..."
[18:13] <Amonet> "And what are you?" Amonet asks her gently.
[18:16] <Ebiris> Marjorie looks sadly down at the wooden markers beside her, before she lifts slightly off the ground, floating just an inch in the air, while her form seems to fade away - the outline is still the same, a cute girl in her young teens wearing a somewhat frilly dress, but she glows a faint blue, and the trees are seen behind her, through her transparent form. Only the book she holds remains solid.
[18:16] <Ebiris> "I hid and didn't make a sound, but still they found me..." she gets out, sounding like she's fighting back tears.
[18:20] * Amonet gasps, bringing a hand to her mouth. "You poor thing," she tells Marjorie sadly.
[18:24] <Ebiris> "I don't know why I came back like this..." she sniffs. "But I'm stuck here... I got so lonely, though. So that's why I put a part of myself into mother's spellbook," she holds up the tome, "With it I was able to make the pixies stop avoiding me - I just wanted to not be alone anymore!" she cries, sounding defensive and not meeting Amonet's eyes.
[18:27] <Amonet> "I don't need to tell you it was wrong to do that," Amonet tells the girl quietly. "You know that better than me. But I don't think you're a bad person! And you shouldn't be left to fend for yourself, either!" She smiles at Marjorie. "When I look at you, all I see is a lonely, young girl. You can stay with me as long as you want, until you can find your peace."
[18:29] <Ebiris> "You're too nice..." Marjorie mutters disconsolately. "But I'm stuck here... I tried at first, just to explore, but I can't go more than a mile or so from here. It's like there's this invisible wall that stops me."
[18:32] * Amonet seems frustrated at those words. "I'm not nearly as scholarly as Friend Alveria in the ways of magic. I'm not sure how to help you get past that wall...."
[18:35] <Ebiris> "There is one way, but I'm not sure if you'd like it... you remember how I said I put part of myself in the book?" Marjorie asks, holding up the tome. "If I bonded myself with a powerful magic item, all of me, not just a part, then I'd be tied to that instead of here. I wouldn't be able to float around like this," she sweeps her arm downwards to indicate her semi-airborne state, "But I'd be with you."
[18:35] <Amonet> "This wouldn't harm you?" Amonet asks worriedly.
[18:38] <Ebiris> "Only inasmuch that I won't be able to use all of my powers," Marjorie replies, before pouting. "Not that I used most of them anyway. Mother was an enchantress, so with her spell book I was able to put a powerful enchantment over the pixies. As I bond with an item, my powers would grow around it - but I'd still think and feel the same as normal. Well, as normal as this gets..."
[18:41] <Amonet> "This holy lance was entrusted to me, so I could help others with it," Amonet says slowly, holding it out towards Marjorie. Keeping it parallel to the ground, she gives her a reassuring smile. "It is most powerful. I'm sure that if we could ask it, the lance would say it is glad to be of service."
[18:43] <Ebiris> "I like the way it glows," Marjorie smiles a bit, drifting closer as she casts a spell and then spends a moment examining the artifact. "Yes... I daren't have hoped, but its magic is very strong." She reaches towards it before wincing slightly, "It may not agree with me completely, but I think... I think this could work, if you'll have me."
[18:44] <Amonet> "What are you talking about?" Amonet asks her curiously. "We're friends, aren't we?"
[18:46] <Ebiris> "It seems like the lance was made to hurt... things like me," Marjorie explains, averting her eyes. "I can still use it, but I don't think it'll keep that ability afterwards."
[18:50] <Amonet> "You're not a thing," Amonet tells Marjorie firmly, "and I think the only ones the lance truly wants to be dangerous to are those whose hearts are blackened with evil. It wouldn't mind."
[18:52] <Ebiris> "I think I'll enjoy travelling with you, Amonet," the young-looking ghost smiles shyly, floating back a bit as the lance lifts itself into the air from Amonet's hands, pointing upwards as it floats in front of the spectre. "I think I can do this by instinct..." she murmurs, putting her arms around the weapon.
[18:53] * Amonet doesn't interfere with the process, content to observe.
[18:56] <Ebiris> Marjorie's form becomes dimmer and more transluscent, seeming to vanish around the weapon. For its own part, the lance's everpresent golden glow slowly dims out as well... for a moment it hangs there inert, before a ghostly blue glow begins to form around it, brightening over the course of a minute or so before the shade returns to the familiar gold of the sun.
[18:56] <Ebiris> "It's done," Marjorie's disembodied voice announces, lance and book both floating there for Amonet to take. "You can give mother's spellbook to Miss Alveria - at least she can use it, after all. There's a flying broom in the house as well that you can take."
[19:01] * Amonet takes both book and lance, nodding. "Thank you, Marjorie," she says simply, and with a final glance at the wooden markers, Amonet begins her walk back to her friends.
[19:02] <Ebiris> "Sylvelle and the others should go back to normal in a day or two when the spell wears off them... it's probably best I don't say goodbye," Marjorie concludes softly as you leave the blank markers behind.
[19:04] <Amonet> "Maybe you'll get a chance to apologize some day," Amonet tells her honestly. "Pixies are good at heart."
------
[15:17] <Ebiris> As dusk approaches, Marjorie asks Amonet if they can speak privately, and the pair retreat behind the house for a little while before Amonet returns alone, stopping into the house and grabbing the magic broom before announcing that she's ready to go and they can probably catch the portal back to the Silver Marches if they hurry.
[15:18] <Alveria> "Hurry, hurry, I don't want to hurry... maybe the gith will get lost and show up here or something.." mutters Alveria, starting to, despite her words, hurry.
[15:28] <Ebiris> In short order the party returns to the portal, no sign of Gregory en route. At the white stones, a shimmering sphere appears just as the last rays of sun vanish, revealing a snowy scene of the pine forest far to the North...
[15:32] <Alveria> "What a strange woman she was," reflects Alveria, stepping through the portal. "I wonder if she really was what I thought.."
[15:32] <Keylin> "Home sweet home," Keylin sighs. "Let's get going back to that village, and hopefully a nice warm bed before we go save the kiddies."
[15:33] <Amonet> "What did you think, Friend Alveria?" Amonet asks curiously.
[15:34] <Alveria> "I think she's some kind of weird undead thing," replies Alveria, yawning. "Well, I'm not one to judge by race, so it doesn't really bother me."
[15:34] <Ebiris> "I'm not a thing!" a familiar and indignant disembodied voice pipes up.
[15:34] <Ebiris> "Well... I suppose I am, now..." it admits after a moment. "But I still have feelings!"
[15:35] <Alveria> "Person, then, whatever. What're they called, nercopolitians..." mumbles Alveria, passing the voice off as just another friend in the head.
[15:35] * Amonet nods solemnly.
[15:38] <Alveria> "We're still no closer to finding the horde, though," mutters the elf. "I guess we'll ask around, what was it, Dunbar? When we get back? At least we've done our good deed for the week."
[15:40] <Amonet> "The children would be able to grow and experience joy!" Amonet agrees happily. "That is its own reward!"
[15:41] <Ebiris> The following day the party is able to stumble into Meardale and catch some rest, before riding back to Dunford where they're greeted by the town sherrif. "Have you had any luck?" the half-elf asks hopefully as he meets the group at the edge of the village, casting a glance behind him. "Seeing those children like this... it's heartbreaking for everyone."
[15:41] <Alveria> "Oh, yeah, sure, give them all a drop of this and they'll be fine in a couple weeks," states Alveria, handing over the pixie flask.
[15:41] <Alveria> "Speaking of which, give a bit to anyone you know who is a really, really miserable person! It might help them out a bit."
[15:42] <Ebiris> "Amazing!" he marvels, reverently taking the flask in his hands. "I'll see to its distribution at once... we're not a rich village, but what you've done for us is beyond compare. If you ever need anything here, you can rest assured that we'll do our very best to help!"
[15:43] <Alveria> "Do you have an old tower or something that nobody is using?" queries Alveria, hopefully.
[15:44] <Ebiris> "Nope, but we could deed you the land to build one!" the sherrif replies agreeably, starting to head back into the village.
[15:45] <Alveria> "I'm liking the sound of that.." muses Alveria, stepping after the sherrif. "Oh, yes, one other thing; we've heard that a dragon used to lair around these parts. Would you happen to know anything about that?"
[15:46] <Ebiris> The half-elf stops, turning back. "Yes... you heard wrong, though. It was two," he scowls. "I was here twenty years ago... the village was damn near razed before the Confederation sent forces to destroy the foul beasts."
[15:47] <Alveria> "They had a child," replies Alveria, shaking her head. "It laired around here, but spent it's time elsewhere. We know, because we slew it..."
[15:50] <Ebiris> "Ah..." he nods slowly. "Well, there's only one place a red dragon would lair in these parts." He steps alongside Alveria and points up towards one of the peaks in the Nether Mountains, this one almost indistinguishable from its snow-capped brethren besides having its treeline end nearer to the base and the visible rock being a shade greyer.
[15:50] <Ebiris> "Mount Elbrost - it's the only active volcano this side of Sundabar. I saw the dragons fly out of that direction often enough back then, too."
[15:51] <Alveria> "It's still active?" blinks Alveria, eyeing the area. "Well, then... we'll be off to have a look, then."
[15:53] <Ebiris> "Hasn't erupted recently, but you sometimes see smoke from it," the sherrif nods. "Whole peak is riddled with caves, like a rotten tooth. I'd wager it's the perfect home for a red dragon or any other beast of fire in this part of the world."
[15:55] <Alveria> "Probably... maybe I could build my tower there. Lava is such a versatile component! I'd need an adamantine well or something to properly get at it, though," drawls Alveria.
[15:58] <Ebiris> ---------
[15:58] <Ebiris> And so the brave party leave behind the grateful villagers of Dunford and begin their perilous trek into the mountains...
[15:58] <Ebiris> OOC: Gourash can make a survival check to see how well travel goes
[15:59] <Keylin> roll 1d20+11 Gourash SURVIVES
[15:59] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+11 Gourash SURVIVES and gets 22." [1d20=11]
[16:00] <Ebiris> OOC: everyone make fort saves, +2 bonus. Unless you cast Endure Elements while travelling, then you don't have to roll.
[16:01] <Alveria> OOC: Ah, the travelling was dangerous, too?
[16:01] <Ebiris> OOC: up the mountainside is very cold before you get to the hot hot lava
[16:02] <Alveria> OOC: 'k, I humbly beg the longer-lasting endure elements off Amonet, as I don't actually know the thing
[16:08] <Ebiris> As the party ascends up the foothills, the weather takes a turn for the worse, a chill to freeze the bone creeping in. Luckily Amonet's spells allow the party to travel in comfort, while she herself is scantly bothered by anything short of powerful supernatural cold.
[16:08] <Ebiris> Unlike last time, the party finds no animals willing to chance attacking them as they make their way through the pine forest, Gourash finding a narrow pass that winds its way up towards the volcano. However, he does note said pass would be a perfect spot for an ambush, or even a natural rockslide/avalanche to occur.
[16:10] * Amonet exchanges her horse for the flying broom to provide them with more options.
[16:11] <Ebiris> Amonet is able to slip the surly bonds of Earth and touch the sky, if she so wishes.
[16:12] * Amonet decides to make a pass over the area, and check it for any formations of rock that might drop on her friends' heads in a rockslide.
[16:13] <Ebiris> OOC: spot or survival, whichever is better
[16:13] <Amonet> roll 1d20+5 spot
[16:13] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+5 spot and gets 7." [1d20=2]
[16:15] <Ebiris> Flying high into the sky, Amonet finds herself buffeted a bit by strong winds blowing up towards the volcano, but is mostly able to maintain control over her flight. A quick reconniteer over the area shows the pass winding onwards for several hundred feet before it opens onto a ridge that winds more steeply upwards. None of the rocks she can see underneath the thick layer of snow look especially precarious, however.
[16:17] * Amonet returns, reporting her findings, before she offers, "We could use the broom to get us there, if you wish."
[16:17] <Alveria> "Can it fly itself?" asks Alveria, curiously.
[16:18] <Amonet> "Yes, why?"
[16:18] <Ebiris> "You can call it," Marjorie's disembodied voice offers, "But not from that far, since it has to hear you."
[16:19] <Alveria> "Oh, I was just curious. You know, that's pretty cool, I- aww, crud. Well, it seems like the easiest way. I had a spell to get up the mountain, but if I can save it for later, all the better."
[16:28] <Keylin> "I'll go scout up ahead," Keylin says as she starts moving up along the path, leaving the broom with the others. "I'll be back in a few minutes if I don't find anything."
[16:28] <Alveria> "Righto~"
[16:30] <Ebiris> So Keylin begins to make her way up the path, her steps crunching through the knee-deep snow and finding reassuringly solid rock beneath her feet as she goes. The pass is perhaps only twenty feet wide at its widest, both sides angling steeply up nearly sixty feet above her, the grey shale rock of the cliff faces not obscured by snow.
[16:30] <Ebiris> OOC: spot check
[16:30] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12
[16:30] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 and gets 21." [1d20=9]
[16:32] <Ebiris> Looking all around her as she scouts ahead, Keylin thinks she caught a glimpse of something shadowing her on the right side of the pass, high above. It was hard to get a good look, only a flash of pale blue against the snow, but she's almost certain there was something moving up there, before it retreated back and out of sight from her current vantage.
[16:34] * Keylin continues upwards, though at a more cautious pace, trying to move silently so that if something is trying to keep track of her, they'll need to see her to do so and making it easier for her to spot them in return.
[16:34] <Keylin> roll 1d20+13 move silently
[16:34] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+13 move silently and gets 22." [1d20=9]
[16:36] <Ebiris> The snow makes moving silently a nigh impossible task, but Keylin does her best. Continuing onwards, she catches another glimpse, this time knowing what to look for. It appears humanoid, no bigger than a man, with mottled blue skin visible as it peeks over a rock outcropping at her before retreating from sight again. Hard to say what it is with only a glimpse, but it's certainly not human.
[16:41] * Keylin stops moving and focuses her sight on whatever is spying on her, now that she has an idea of where it's at. Sooner or later, it'll probably peek again, and the scout wants to know if the creature looks like it might be dangerous if she continues onward.
[16:44] <Ebiris> Keylin gets another look after half a minute or so when it peeks out again. For an instant their eyes meet, the scout seeing a blue face surrounded by ragged white hair, and sporting a large warty nose. The creature seems aware of her scrutiny this time, and bares its teeth (though it's too far away for her to speculate on its dental hygiene) before retreating.
[16:46] * Keylin ponders on the expression and appearance of the beast as she decides to head back and tell the others of what she spotted. Maybe between all of them they'll figure out what the creature is. Already as she heads downward she racks her memory to see if she can remember anything about such a creature from tales told between soldiers back when she was in the armed forces.
[16:47] <Ebiris> OOC: knowledge nature
[16:47] <Keylin> roll 1d20+5
[16:47] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+5 and gets 11." [1d20=6]
[16:47] <Ebiris> Whatever it is, it's too far out of the realm of expertise from Cormyr's armed forces, more used to a sunnier and temperate environment than the frozen mountains of the North.
[16:48] <Alveria> "Long, warty nose? Trolls have them! I bet it's an ice troll," muses Alveria. "Prime bait for being set on fire. I need to, uh, meditate for a bit."
[16:49] <Amonet> "Take the time you need!"
[16:52] * Alveria does just that! "It might be malicious, and try and cause an avalanache as we walk up or something," she notes. "The flying up idea is looking pretty good- Are there places along the ridge where it'd be unlikely for anything like that to hit us?"
[16:53] <Amonet> "If I take friend Keylin up there with me, I'm certain we could find one!"
[16:54] * Keylin ponders on what she saw while she was moving up, thinking of what places could be used in such a manner, while nodding with Amonet's statement.
[16:55] * Amonet waits until Keylin is comfortable, before taking to the sky once more!
[16:55] <Ebiris> Keylin did see plenty of rock piles and outcroppings above the pass - the creature that followed her tended to hide behind them a lot. How easy they'd be to dislodge and send crashing down, she isn't sure.
[16:58] * Keylin wraps her arms around the younger girl, not wanting to fall off, while focusing her sight on the path up the mountain for all the spots they need to worry about and the ones they can use to stay safe from attacks. Well, at least all the spots she can spot.
[16:58] <Ebiris> The wind up in the air causes an unpleasant buffeting to their flight, but Amonet is able to control the broom well enough while Keylin casts her eyes over the terrain below...
[16:58] <Ebiris> OOC: spot check
[16:59] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12
[16:59] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 and gets 17." [1d20=5]
[17:01] <Ebiris> From above, Keylin can see a bit better. There looks to be evidence of a previous landslide about a quarter the way up the pass, judging by the scattered boulders and the gouge torn out of the clifface down on the lefthand side. Up on the two plateaus she can see several other rocky outcroppings that could be used to crush anything below, or perhaps even block off the pass if enough rock were dislodged.
[17:01] <Ebiris> She can't see any sign of the creature she saw earlier, although there does appear to be a cave into the mountainside further up the righthand plateau.
[17:02] * Keylin tightens her hold with one hand around Amonet's stomach, while using the other arm to point to the cave she's spotted. "There's a cave over there, Amonet. That may be where we want to head to."
[17:04] <Amonet> "Was that not where you saw the creature?" she asks. "Perhaps that is where it and others like it live."
[17:05] <Keylin> "It's not where I saw it, but it could be where it lives, definitely," the scout agrees.
[17:06] <Amonet> "We are barely past the foothills," she muses. "Why should we disturb the indigenous creatures, if we can simply bypass them with this broom?"
[17:07] <Keylin> "If you think we can bypass them, by all means, lets," Keylin agrees after a bit of thought.
[17:08] <Amonet> "Would you like to wait at the plateu by the left while I bring the others over, or should we scout further ahead?"
[17:08] <Keylin> "Lets get the others up here. It might be better to have the others closer by if needed," Keylin replies.
[17:09] * Amonet nods, and descends enough for Keylin to dismount, before aiming to do just that, intending to keep the horses secured at the base of the mountain.
[17:10] * Keylin waits at the plateau, her bow in hand, just in case.
[17:11] <Ebiris> Keylin is shortly dropped off on the left side of the plateau, the terrain here mostly flat and easy enough to see around in. Luckily too, since the snow here is piled thicker, coming nearly up to her waist to prevent much movement. At least Amonet's spell ensures she doesn't feel much chill from it.
[17:15] <Ebiris> OOC: Keylin, make a spot check for reference
[17:15] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12
[17:15] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 and gets 20." [1d20=8]
[17:18] <Ebiris> Continuing their back and forth flying tactics, the party swiftly hops up the mountain far faster than anyone could climb it, not sticking around in any one spot long enough for anything nasty that may live in the mountain to do much about the intrusion.
[17:18] <Ebiris> It's on the third such hop that the party finds a decently large cave entrance above a narrow crevasse cut deeply into the mountain. It's warmer here, a distinct lack of snow visible around the immediate area.
[17:18] <Ebiris> The summit is still a fair ways higher up if they want to resume their ascent, however.
[17:19] <Keylin> "Think we've found what we're looking for then?" Keylin asks the others.
[17:19] <Amonet> "It would not hurt to check, would it?" Amonet muses.
[17:20] <Alveria> "Mmm. If it leads to the shaft of the volcano, that's good enough for us," responds Alveria. "Judging by the heat..."
[17:23] <Ebiris> Thanks to Amonet's lance, light is not a problem. The immediate passage from the cave entrance descends downwards at a shallow angle, easily wide enough for large creature to navigate in comfort.
[17:28] * Keylin stays close by Amonet's side, while the silent Gourash takes point, his ability to see in the dark being the most important in case of traps.
[17:31] <Ebiris> The party advances, Gourash able to see just a bit further than the leading edge of Amonet's light - although with the way the path soon twists that's perhaps moot. The cavern walls are composed of a dark and cracked rock, no stalactites or stalagmites in evidence as the group advances.
[17:31] <Ebiris> The temperature does start to become noticably warm once you're no longer in sight of the exposed cave entrance, and you reach a junction after several twists and turns - one path seems to angle downwards and maintains the same width. The other curves upwards, requiring a little bit of light climbing to reach a narrower passage.
[17:32] * Amonet briefly checks which path feels warmer.
[17:33] <Ebiris> Hard to say. Temperature is more or less constant in the immediate area - you'd probably have to go on a bit after the paths diverge to notice any difference to compare with.
[17:33] <Amonet> "Let's try and go down this path for now?" she suggests.
[17:34] * Keylin nods, not having any reason to disagree. Gourash the ever silent likewise nods.
[17:34] <Ebiris> OOC: of you have either Survival, Knowledge Geography, or Knowledge Dungeoneering, make a check on whichever is the better one
[17:35] <Keylin> roll 1d20+5 dungeoneering for Keylin.
[17:35] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+5 dungeoneering for Keylin. and gets 23." [1d20=18]
[17:36] <Keylin> roll 1d20+11 survival for Gourash the Ever Silent
[17:36] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+11 survival for Gourash the Ever Silent and gets 18." [1d20=7]
[17:38] <Ebiris> Advancing down the lower passageway, the party begins to notice it contracting - it's traversable, but requires them to bunch up closer together. It also does become noticably hotter, even a bit humid as they march along the cracked and darkened stone.
[17:38] -> *Keylin* Keylin does happen to note a bit of visible steam here and there, recognising that this must be close to both a water source and a heat source. Occassionally violent buildups of scalding hot steam can burst out of wider cracks like the ones all around them.
[17:39] -> *Keylin* It's normally preempted by a faint high pitched whine, that could give a few seconds warning.
[17:41] <Keylin> "Be careful for any faint pitched sounds. It seems like there's some steam bursting from walls around the area. The sound should give you a bit of warning where the steam might come out from though," the Cormyrian scout warns her companions.
[17:43] <Alveria> Alveria quietly wards herself against fire with Resist Elements, before nodding. "Alright, let's go on.
[17:43] <Alveria> roll 1d6+4 extended lol
[17:43] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d6+4 extended lol and gets 10." [1d6=6]
[17:43] <Alveria> OOC: 100 minute duration, -20 fire damage per fire hit >.>
[17:43] <Amonet> The glow around Amonet intensifies briefly, and she nods likewise.
[17:44] <Ebiris> The party continues to advance for another minute or so, the path now really starting to narrow - it forces the group to travel single file at this point.
[17:45] <Ebiris> OOC: listen checks
[17:45] <Amonet> roll 1d20+5
[17:45] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+5 and gets 24." [1d20=19]
[17:45] <Alveria> roll 1d20+3 epicness
[17:45] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+3 epicness and gets 16." [1d20=13]
[17:45] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12 Keylin
[17:45] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 Keylin and gets 17." [1d20=5]
[17:45] <Keylin> roll 1d20+11 Gourry
[17:45] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+11 Gourry and gets 22." [1d20=11]
[17:46] -> *Keylin* A faint hissing whine begins to tickle Gourash's ears as the group walks, seeming to come from directly below...
[17:46] <Amonet> "Below us!" Amonet calls out, and moves forward with haste.
[17:47] <Keylin> "Move!" Gourash shouts, also hearing the sound. Keylin also picks up speed at that.
[17:47] <Ebiris> OOC: reflex saves all, +5 bonus
[17:47] <Keylin> roll 1d20+15 Keylin
[17:47] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+15 Keylin and gets 17." [1d20=2]
[17:47] <Amonet> roll 1d20+13
[17:47] <Alveria> roll 1d20+10 +14 if it's fire-related
[17:47] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+13 and gets 24." [1d20=11]
[17:47] * Hatbot --> "Alveria rolls 1d20+10 +14 if it's fire-related and gets 21." [1d20=11]
[17:47] <Keylin> roll 1d20+8 Gourash
[17:47] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+8 Gourash and gets 18." [1d20=10]
[17:49] <Ebiris> The party scrambles forward madly as the hissing sound builds in intensity, loud enough for all to hear! Thankfully with the warning given by Amonet and Gourash, the group makes sufficient distance that when a sulphurous blast of vapour erupts from the ground, it's well behind them! Things are now far more hot and unpleasant, but no harm done, and their protective spells allow them to maintain comfort.
[17:50] <Alveria> "It's like a sauna! I wonder how many dwarves it'd take to build a suitable demense..."
[17:50] <Amonet> "Are you already planning your wizard's tower of adamantium?" Amonet asks her curiously.
[17:52] <Alveria> "The adamantium is just the bucket I'd use to get the lava with," replies Alveria, shaking her head. "But yes, it is ever-present in my mind! Hmm.. I wonder how devastating an eruption would actually be to the surrounds..."
[17:54] <Alveria> "Onwards! I will need to carefully map out this mountain!"
[17:55] <Ebiris> Continuing onwards as the cavern winds its way downwards, the party finds a new problem as the lefthand wall ends abruptly, leaving them exposed before a precipitous drop far past the extent of Amonet's light and Gourash's darkvision. Neither are needed, however, to see the lake of bubbling magma glowing far beneath them. The passage does continue onwards, but it's dangerously narrow, and one misstep could spell doom...
[17:55] <Ebiris> The temperature here would likely be unbearable without protective magic.
[17:56] <Amonet> "We could use the broom again?" Amonet proposes.
[17:57] <Alveria> "Sure thing!"
[17:58] * Amonet offers Keylin a hand!
[17:59] <Ebiris> Loading up herself and Keylin onto the broom, Amonet takes to the air above the lava, leaving Alveria and Gourash behind as they fly ahead to where the passage will hopefully direct itself back into the mountain and away from perilous drops into the lava...
[17:59] <Ebiris> OOC: spot checks
[17:59] <Keylin> roll 1d20+12 SPOT FOR THE SPOTTABLE STUFF!
[17:59] * Hatbot --> "Keylin rolls 1d20+12 SPOT FOR THE SPOTTABLE STUFF! and gets 13." [1d20=1]
[18:00] <Keylin> OOC: JOY
[18:00] <Amonet> roll 1d20+5
[18:00] * Hatbot --> "Amonet rolls 1d20+5 and gets 8." [1d20=3]