223.5 Croger

[Corwin]

[22:01] <Kotono> Alicia's morning is a normal one. The bathing in Evergold is becoming a pleasant memory now.  This morning is like any other when there is a knock on the door. Antenora's off back practicing and Jessica's gone, so Alicia's the only one there to get it.
06[22:02] * Alicia is attired in her habitual black tunic and leggings when she answers the door, albeit no sign of her armour. "Ah, hello, Demedias... father Ceiar," she nods to each in turn before stepping back from the door. "Come on inside?"
[22:04] <Demedais> "I'm afraid I'm not here for pleasantries." Demedais shakes his head.
[22:04] <Kotono> "Good day," Father Ceiar says shortly. "Demedais speaks all the truth, for a blight has come to our temple."
[22:04] <Alicia> "Trouble?" Alicia asks with a barely perceptible tensing of her posture, before looking at the older priest, "A blight, you say?"
[22:06] <Demedais> "An illness incurable by my best efforts and resistant to any magic. I would ask your assistance; we need to reach Arcadia, and hope someone there has the resources to heal it."
[22:07] <Alicia> roll 1d20+17 planes, do I know of anything/anyone on Arcadia specifically noted as being opposed to disease? (great healers or holy cure-all sites, basically)
06[22:07] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+17 planes, do I know of anything/anyone on Arcadia specifically noted as being opposed to disease? (great healers or holy cure-all sites, basically) and gets 26." [1d20=9]
[22:10] <Alicia> "One of Ilmater's favoured may be able to help," Alicia agrees. "I met one myself when dealing with demonic servants of Jubilex - do you have any leads yourselves for a person to look for?"
06[22:12] * Demedais shakes his head. "I intended to arrive there and then perform an augury for guidance from Helm."
[22:14] <Alicia> "Well, I have a ring I recently commissioned that allows planar travel - I would warn the two of you that visiting the realm of one's god is ill-advised, for you may find it difficult to leave. We shouldn't tarry over-long in that case," Alicia explains. "Let me get my things and tell Marie where I'm going, first?"
[22:16] <Demedais> "Lovely." Demedais grimaces, before nodding. "Very well."
[22:18] <Alicia> After a few moments, Alicia returns with her breastplate worn and sword readied. Marie is briefly seen waving from the hallway before Alicia closes the door behind her and heads out with the two Helmites. "So, how many have been infected? I can take up to eight passengers."
[22:19] <Demedais> "One." Demedais shakes his head. "But I would not like to see this have the potential of traveling further - and given who has placed it upon him, late manifestations of contagion would not surprise me."
[22:20] <Demedais> At this, he looks to Alicia. "And if you can't figure out who started this illness from that, it was our 'devil friend'."
06[22:21] * Alicia scowls darkly. "I would have thought he'd have left your chuch alone, considering his 'arrangement' with the Watcher," she glowers. "Very well, in that case perhaps you should perform your augery first before we depart, lest it turn out the cure is not to be found on Arcadia?"
06[22:22] * Demedais nods. "Probably wise. Shall we go to the temple so it may be performed there?"
[22:22] <Alicia> "Lead on," Alicia agrees.
[22:23] <Demedais> "And I suspect this was meant to taunt me." Demedais replies. "Since he came to talk to me last night, possessing Croger's body."
06[22:23] * Demedais thus leads on.
[22:26] <Kotono> OOC: Returning to the temple and Croger?
[22:26] <Demedais> OOC: Yes.
[22:27] <Kotono> The three return to the Temple of Mystra without incident. Croger is half asleep, coughing and shivering under his blankets.
[22:28] <Alicia> *Helm
[22:28] <Kotono> *Helm, yes. Dur.
06[22:28] * Demedais grimaces at seeing this. "How likely is it that we will wind up in water or air, not on dry ground?" he asks of Alicia.
[22:29] <Alicia> "Impossible," Alicia replies. "Conjuration spells don't work that way - we can only land on a surface that supports us. It's why you don't see wizards summoning oxen directly above people they don't like."
[22:32] <Demedais> "I always wondered why that never happened." Demedais muses, before settling in to perform the divination! "Will Arcadia be capable of providing a cure for Croger, and if not, where?"
[22:33] <Demedais> OOC: Caster level 8.
[22:39] <Kotono> Praying for guidance, Demedais receives the following! "The true path lies ahead."
[22:40] <Demedais> "I think we're on the right path in planning to head to Arcadia, though the response was obscure enough to provide ambiguity. 'The true path lies ahead.'" Demedais says, before looking to Alicia and Father Ceiar. "Alicia, you know the planes better; should we make any further preparations?"
[22:44] <Alicia> "To be honest I'm unsure whether randomly looking around Arcadia will serve us any better than randomly looking around the Prime," Alicia admits. "But if we focus on Ilmater's realm it will almost certainly offer succur of some degree from this man's suffering. Bringing him with us is probably better than leaving him here."
06[22:45] * Demedais nods. "That was my intent; thus why I asked about where we would land."
[22:46] <Demedais> "And... if we cannot cure him, I am not confident there is much here that can. It is possible, but we know such power sources exist in Arcadia."
[22:47] <Alicia> "Alright," Alicia takes a moment to put her ring of plane shift on, "Can he be woken?"
[22:49] <Demedais> "The spell can be resisted?" Demedais asks, before nudging Croger awake.
[22:49] <Kotono> Croger stirs with a few coughs, wet, hacking coughs. "Mmm...Sir Demedais? Ugh..."
[22:50] <Alicia> "It can be, yes," Alicia agrees, "We have to all join hands as well... although if he's too unwell to walk we should bring a stretcher, shouldn't we?"
[22:51] <Demedais> "We are going to head somewhere that has more talented healers." Demedais says, before nodding to Alicia. "This is Alicia, a fellow paladin, though she serves Mystra. She will take us where we need to go." At Alicia's words, he pauses, then nods. "That is probably wise, yes."
06[22:51] * Alicia smiles at the man. "You'll feel better where we're going," she reassures him.
06[22:52] * Demedais thus heads out to get a stretcher and bring it back in, shifting Croger to it.
[22:52] <Kotono> This goes without incident, the sick man loaded up onto it.
06[22:53] * Alicia then has everyone join hands before she plane shifts them to Ilmater's domain in the House of the Triad! Hopefully.
[22:53] <Alicia> roll 5d100
06[22:53] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 5d100 and gets 213." [5d100=62, 34, 48, 55, 14]

[Corwin]

[19:00] <Kotono> The four appear under an infinite, brilliant blue sky. It's like the sky of the highest summer days, like the surface of a vast gemstone. You are surrounded by steep mountain, seeing people here and there about. Despite the steepness, none have problems walking up it's trials. You stand on a stone platform carved with symbols in Celestial, symbols of martyrdom, love, healing and suffering. Your worldly pains slip away here. Croger start
[19:00] <Kotono> Your worldly pains slip away here. Croger starts to shiver, but those stop.
06[19:01] * Alicia swaps her freedom of movement ring back on and looks up the mountain to see if she can see any structures.
[19:02] <Kotono> "I feel better," Croger says, sitting up on the stretcher. "I'm not shivering anymore."
[19:02] <Kotono> The mountain stretches higher than Alicia can see. Dotted on it are many a structure.
[19:04] <Alicia> "Thank Ilmater's mercy for that," Alicia tells him. "But you're not cured, yet..." she then turns to Demedais and Ceiar, "Shall we head up and ask the petitioners to point us to a great healer?"
06[19:05] * Demedais nods slightly to Croger. "That was the hope." After that he also nods to Alicia. "Sounds like the best plan we have. ...will strain here cause weariness back home, though? If so, it's probably best if we keep you on the stretcher."
[19:06] <Alicia> roll 1d20+17 planes, will it?
06[19:06] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d20+17 planes, will it? and gets 25." [1d20=8]
[19:11] <Alicia> "That shouldn't be the case, it's not like the astral plane," Alicia shakes her head. "If you feel well enough to walk then there shouldn't be harm in it."
06[19:11] * Demedais nods. "Up for it, Croger?"
[19:12] <Kotono> Croger gets up, stretching his back. "This is wonderful. I feel better than I have in years!"
06[19:13] * Demedais looks in the direction of the pulling to try and determine its source.
06[19:16] * Demedais grimaces. "There's... mrf. Gut says we're going in the right direction... Let's keep moving."
[19:17] <Alicia> "Lead on, then," Alicia invites, folding up the stretcher and carrying it.
06[19:18] * Demedais nods and heads toward the nearest mountain, trying to follow the pull and looking around for anyone they can ask for advice.
[19:21] <Kotono> The party finds walking up the steep mountain is easy. Despite the sheer steepness, it's no harder than walking on even ground.  As you walk, you pass by a man going down. He wears nothing but a loincloth, bandages over his body. He is a small, thin, frail elderly man, walking with a gnarled wooden staff. "Peace be with you, mercy of the eternal martyr on you." he says as he passes.
[19:22] <Demedais> "Ah, sir." Demedais asks, pausing. "Would you happen to know where a talented healer could be found here?"
[19:26] <Kotono> "
[19:27] <Kotono> "Continue walking. As you climb Martyrdom and approach the great open air temple of Ilmater, you will find many who dedicate eternity to stamping out disease," He says.
[19:28] <Demedais> "Thank you." Demedais nods. "May Ilmater and Helm protect and guide you."
[19:28] <Alicia> "Thank you," Alicia echoes with a smile at the man. "Walk in peace."
[19:34] <Kotono> Father Ceiar continues to look about, occasionally looking long to the horizon.
[19:35] <Kotono> Croger smiles easily now, "Thanks. Ah, this place is perfect! My body feels like I'm 20 years old again!"
06[19:36] * Demedais nods to Father Ceiar. "I know how you're feeling. But we must accomplish our duty, Father." Then to Croger. "Good. But we still must find a place to heal you and return home; this is not our natural home, as much as it may feel like such."
[19:44] <Kotono> "Natural or not I love it," Croger continues to walk upwards. "Where exactly is this again?"
[19:45] <Demedais> "This is Arcadia, in the realm of Ilmater."
[19:45] <Alicia> "Are you a religious man, Croger?" Alicia asks curiously as they ascend.
[19:51] <Kotono> "...oh." he says, "Wait, I don't think I died, did I?" To Alicia now, as he furrows his brow, "Not all that much. I've thought well of Helm most of my life, and I hear clerics can do amazing things."
[19:52] <Demedais> "You didn't, no. We brought you here because our world lacks a cure for you." Demedais shakes his head.
[19:52] <Alicia> "You're not dead, no, but this is where the faithful of Ilmater go when they die," Alicia replies. "Other gods - including Helm, also reside on this particular plane, but this area specifically is Ilmater's."
[19:54] <Kotono> "We'll find succor for you here. But for now, we have to keep going," Father Ceiar says, after another longing look at the horizon.
06[19:54] * Demedais nods, gently guiding Father Ceiar and Croger along as they move forward.
[19:54] <Kotono> "Ilmater, eh?" Looking about now, with great thought, "If this is his realm, I like it. He seems to be onto something. That man was talking about martyrs...he's the god of them, as well as healing?"
06[19:55] * Demedais nods to Croger's comments. "Indeed."
[19:57] <Alicia> "He and his followers gladly bear the suffering of others in their stead. It is a most admirable calling," Alicia agrees respectfully.
[20:01] <Kotono> "I really like it." Croger admits as you continue to walk up.
06[20:02] * Demedais nods. "Cherish your time here, but remember also why we are here."
[20:06] <Kotono> The party continues to ascend up. Hours pass as you continue to climb. No tiredness or hunger comes, your bodies as sharp and able as they were at the first step. You begin to see it above - the walls of a great, roofless temple, taking up the horizon like the sky. It stretches farther than can be seen.
[20:07] <Alicia> "That must be the temple spoken of earlier," Alicia observes. "Surely one able to counter this vile disease will reside within."
[20:08] <Demedais> "There's the destination, yes." Demedais murmurs, picking up his pace slightly.
[20:20] <Kotono> Thus the party ascends upward! Dozens of gates welcome one into this temple, statues of Ilmater dotted about. Here carvings of men in suffering abound, oftne surrounded by golden halos and serene visages.
06[20:22] * Alicia heads towards the nearest gate, having mixed feelings about the carvings. The suffering is unpleasant to look upon, but the underlying message about bearing it with grace is one that speaks to her.
[20:26] <Kotono> Entering in, the party finds an endless, gigantic open air temple. Here countless petitioners and celestials are about in rest. The maimed smile here, pained no longer. The sick are as vital as any other. There is an amazing sense of wellbeing, as if the burdens of life slide away into weightlessness.
06[20:27] * Demedais looks around for someone who looks like a capable healer.
[20:34] <Kotono> As you walk, one woman stands out. She is an old dwarven woman. A man kneels before her, his arm touched. What was formerly a stump instead of a hand grows back, bones and flesh knitting within moments.
06[20:35] * Demedais guides Croger, Alicia and Father Ceiar over to the woman, waiting patiently for her to finish with the patients at hand.
[20:40] <Kotono> The man sighs in long relief, "Thank you, healer," he bows to her, taking her hands and kissing each one on the knuckles. He sees Alicia, Demedias and company approach, standing aside for them.
[20:41] <Demedais> "Thank you." Demedais nods, before looking to the dwarven healer and bowing. "Milady, this man here... has an illness I could not purge from his system after days of trying. It is a devilish infection... Is there any chance you could assist us?"
[20:43] <Kotono> "I can try," she says, beckoning Croger over. As he sits in front of her, "A diabolic source? What can you tell me about it?"
[20:44] <Alicia> "A fiend named Esthan was the one to infect him, although there's no telling where he might have found to contagion originally," Alicia explains as much as she knows.
[20:44] <Demedais> "That it would be lethal in nine days if not cured. Caused shivers, coughing, and frailness. As it progressed it resisted my attempts to remove it as well as to restore symptoms with lesser restorations."
[20:45] <Demedais> A pause, here. "I feel as if one of my final attempts should have worked - symptoms went away for a few seconds, but then returned."
[20:47] <Kotono> roll 1d20+25
06[20:47] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+25 and gets 27." [1d20=2]
[20:48] <Kotono> "This is an ill omen," The dwarven woman runs her gnarled hands over Croger's face and shoulders, "This Esthan, what can you tell me of him? Is he tied to disease in some manner? Does he possess his own venom or poison?"
[20:49] <Demedais> "I am not aware of either being the case, other than that he is a powerful mage from all accounts."
[20:49] <Alicia> "We suspect he's a pit fiend but have never seen him in his true form," Alicia adds.
[20:55] <Kotono> "The disease sounds like devil chills. A pit fiend's bite can cause that," The woman continues to rub Croger's shoulders, the old man's posture slackening as he relaxes. "The recurring element deeply disturbs me. Diseases that can resist magic like that are not natural in the least. A powerful mage and possibly a pit fiend..hmph. Let me try my magic and see."
06[20:57] * Demedais nods. "Thank you."
[20:58] <Kotono> "Now...Ilmater, remove the disease plauging this man!"
[20:59] <Kotono> roll 1d20+25 (+7 planar bonus)
06[20:59] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+25 (+7 planar bonus) and gets 28." [1d20=3]
[20:59] <Kotono> A few moments later, the woman murmurs a few other arcane words. "...the disease does remain," she says. "There is a root of it within you, one that merely removing the disease cannot cure."
[21:00] <Demedais> "Thus why I felt it return..." Demedais murmurs. "And that Esthan is capable of bringing this sort of thing into being? Sickening."
[21:01] <Alicia> "For him to eclipse even Jubilex in disease-crafting..." Alicia stares, momentarily appalled. Just what kind of devil is he? "Can nothing be done?"
[21:03] <Kotono> "It's not unheard of, but it's rare. He must be ancient and powerful beyond reckoning, or has a master who is," Considering this long, "Yet that is not to say that more powerful measures will fail."
06[21:04] * Demedais nods. "What can be done?"
[21:06] <Kotono> After a moment, "Now if more powerful magic fails...then one should be worried." Turning to Demedais now, "I will take him to our greater healers for mending. Should this not succeed, we will investigate ways to cure it, evne petition the Merciful One. In this realm, no disease can withstand our scrunity for long. As long as it takes, he can stay safely in this realm with no fear of the disease progressing."
06[21:07] * Demedais nods slightly, before pausing. "Will there be an easy way to return him home, as well?"
[21:09] <Kotono> "It can be done," the dwarf agrees. "We give succor to all that come here."
06[21:11] * Demedais nods. "Thank you. ...Oh, I've failed to introduce myself. I am Demedais of Helm.":
[21:12] <Kotono> "Ceiar of Helm," Father Ceiar adds secondly, his attention snapping bakc.
[21:12] <Alicia> "Alicia Reynes," Alicia provides with a nod.
[21:16] <Kotono> "I am Granta Ould." Completing this, "Can you tell me anything else relevant at all to this?"
[21:18] <Alicia> Sadly healing was never Alicia's strong point, and she doesn't really know much about this situation, so she shakes her head.
[21:25] <Demedais> ... "There is one other thing, and I cannot believe it slipped my mind. The night before, Esthan spoke through him, possessing his body. This would bear weight with the seed you mentioned, but I did not correlate the two before - being able to talk through someone at a distance away is the sort of thing Esthan would delight in pulling."
[21:27] <Demedais> "As such I thought it was a magical trick of Esthan's, nothing more. But... if it's something within him that's triggering it, that'd be how Esthan managed the feat."
[21:30] <Kotono> "I have an idea now..." Going to Croger again, "Thank you for that, Demedais."
06[21:31] * Demedais nods. "No, thank you. It wouldn't have occurred to me to mention it had you not prodded me for it."
[21:56] <Kotono> "I will send you word when we succeed," she says, "Will you stay in this realm or depart it in the meantime?"
[21:58] <Demedais> "..." Demedais pauses for a moment. "I think we will need to consult on that, first. We will notify you when we know our plans."
[21:58] <Alicia> "As pleasant a respite as it offers, I would prefer to return to the Prime," Alicia speaks up.
[21:58] <Kotono> "AS you wish." Granta takes Croger's hand.
[21:59] <Kotono> "It...would be best..." AFter a long consideration, "I feel drawn to somewhere. So strongly, but I know from my studies that this is not the time yet."
06[22:00] * Demedais looks to Alicia and Father Ceiar. "Very well, then; I will not object to this." he says after a moment.
[22:01] <Alicia> "Good luck to you, Granta. And to you, Croger," Alicia nods to each before putting on her now recharged ring of plane shift and offering her hands to Ceiar and Demedais. "Shall we?"
[22:02] <Demedais> "Thank you, Granta. We will see you soon, Croger." Demedais nods, before grasping the hand of both Father Ceiar and Alicia. "Alright."
[22:02] <Kotono> Father Ceiar takes Alicia's hand as well.
[22:02] <Alicia> And so, back to Balmuria! Or within a few hundred miles of it...
[22:02] <Alicia> roll 5d100
06[22:02] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 5d100 and gets 311." [5d100=90, 93, 68, 39, 21]
[22:05] <Kotono> roll 1d9
06[22:05] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d9 and gets 1." [1d9=1]
[22:08] <Kotono> Splash! The three land in ankle deep water. Rocks are beneath you, the shore ofw hat looks to be a small little island. It's only twenty feet wide, a few hardy grasses growing. Amid them is only one thing of note - a skeleton, lyingin repose, staring endlessly up at the sky.
06[22:10] * Demedais blinks at the skeleton, looking it over for magic as he slowly approaches. "Wonder what happened to him..."
[22:10] <Alicia> "I always seem to end up out in the sea when returning to Balmuria this way..." Alicia muses before her eyes catch on the skeleton. "Marooned... it's a terrible way to go." Slowly she approaches the ossified cadaver, "Whoever this was, I'd say he deserves a proper burial."
[22:11] <Demedais> "I agree." Demedais nods slightly. "Would you mind doing the rites, Father?"
[22:12] <Kotono> The skeleton has no sign of clothes or possessions. The skeleton is bleached white. "I will do so," he says. It takes a little time to dig up enough of the soft island soil to bury the skeleton, a simple funeral calling on the Watcher to protect this soul's trip to beyond.
[22:14] <Demedais> "Thank you, Father." Demedais says once this is done, before looking to the fresh grave. "Helm guide you onward..." A slight pause. "Are we ready to go back home?"
[22:15] <Alicia> "Thank you, both," Alicia smiles after likewise blessing the departed in Mystra's name. "Now, I'll take us to your temple..." she takes their hands and calls upon Mystra to speed them back on their way home.
[22:15] <Alicia> roll 1d100 seen casually
06[22:15] * Hatbot --> "Alicia rolls 1d100 seen casually and gets 51." [1d100=51]
[22:15] <Kotono> OOC: REturn home goes without incident. Are you guys going to do anything else immediately?
[22:15] <Alicia> OOC: nothing immediately
[22:18] <Demedais> OOC: Not immediately, no.