225.4 Scrying and Preparation

[Corwin]

[20:24] <Koaway> --------
[20:25] <Koaway> Okay, you guys are going to scry? Go ahead and set up how you wanna do it and we'll roll from there?
03[20:25] * Koaway is now known as Kotono
06[20:25] * Seira will store an empowered lesser orb of sound in the lesser matrix and, after castings of Mage Armor and False Life, will try to scry~
01[20:26] <Seira> This is a pattern that would get repeated
[20:26] <Kotono> Okay. Where, when and with who? Will Alicia and Deme be there as well?
01[20:28] <Seira> It will be boring but they'll have to endure. If Alicia can teleport us for this, she can pick two others?
06[20:28] * Alicia will be present with her familiar, sure. Won't bother buffing till Seira successfully scries.
[20:28] <Alicia> It's just one gelugon, we hardly need reinforcements.
01[20:28] <Seira> It might be with friends
01[20:28] <Seira> But sure
[20:29] <Demedais> Demedais will be there, will stall on buffing until we are about to teleport in.
[20:29] <Kotono> Okay. Do you guys want anyone else there then? Also, at what time of day? Morning? Day? Night? Bingo time?
[20:30] <Alicia> Do it before midday in case we need to plane-shift so my ring can recharge promptly.
01[20:30] <Seira> I have no objections to this plan
[20:30] <Kotono> Okay then. Which devil are you scrying on?
[20:31] <Alicia> One of the random gelugons that was guarding Esthy?
01[20:31] <Seira> Yes
[20:31] <Demedais> Works.
[20:31] <Kotono> Okay.
[20:31] <Kotono> ----
[20:32] <Kotono> Seira gathers Alicia and Demedais, then polishes her magical mirror and casts scrying on one of the gelugons seen! An hour passes as she casts the ritual magic to give sight beyond sight!
[20:32] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
06[20:32] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 38." [1d20=19]
[20:32] <Kotono> Alas, the scrying fizzles and fails. No dice, the magic weaving around it all for naught.
01[20:33] <Seira> Another day, then!
[20:34] <Kotono> A day passes without incident. The group gathers again, Seira once again scrying the random ice devil!
[20:34] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
06[20:34] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 36." [1d20=17]
[20:34] <Kotono> OOC - DC, not that it matters with that roll?
01[20:35] <Seira> OOC: Yes, it doesn't
[20:35] <Kotono> Another day, another fizzled scrying. This ice devil seems disturbingly resistant to Seira's magic!
01[20:35] <Seira> OOC: DC is 23, we might have to do this for a while?
[20:35] <Alicia> OOC: if a week yields no results we give up and go to the secret forest.
[20:36] <Kotono> OOC: Declare IC if you're skipping ahead another day.
01[20:36] <Seira> And another day, nothing could possibly go wrong with this plan
[20:37] <Kotono> Day three of the scrying bugaloo! Will Seira's mighty magic master malicious minions?
[20:37] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
06[20:37] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 36." [1d20=17]
[20:37] <Kotono> Alas, a third day is a third failure for SEira. Her magic isn't getting anywhere.
01[20:37] <Seira> No one said it would be easy, but if no devils attack them in retaliation their plan of trying this for a week proceeds.
[20:38] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
06[20:38] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 36." [1d20=17]
[20:38] <Kotono> Day four is another rousing hour of scrying and a blank mirror as a result.
06[20:38] * Demedais takes up crochet.
[20:41] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
06[20:41] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 27." [1d20=8]
[20:41] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
[20:41] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
06[20:41] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 33." [1d20=14]
06[20:41] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 36." [1d20=17]
[20:41] <Kotono> OOC: Deme, were you going to make any attempts as well while Seira tries and doesn't hit gold?
01[20:41] <Seira> "Maybe he went away. It would be harder to scry on other planes," Seira mutters after the last attempt.
[20:41] <Demedais> OOC: Yeah, I guess I can try as well those three days.
[20:42] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
[20:42] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
[20:42] <Kotono> roll 1d20+19
06[20:42] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 22." [1d20=3]
06[20:42] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 36." [1d20=17]
06[20:42] * Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+19 and gets 31." [1d20=12]
[20:42] <Kotono> ---
[20:42] <Kotono> Okay, that didn't work out. You guys are going to go to the forest now, yes?
[20:42] <Alicia> Sure.
[20:43] <Kotono> Who all is going?
[20:43] <Kotono> Just you three or more?
06[20:43] * Seira invites Amaryl~
[20:44] <Alicia> I'll just bring my familiar.
[20:44] <Kotono> While you guys figure anything out, gimme a few moments to check some stuff.
[20:45] <Demedais> How many can be taken along?
01[20:45] <Seira> As many as we would like
[20:45] <Alicia> I can take 5 passengers (not counting familiar)
01[20:45] <Seira> We're not going in the same day, so it's cool to waste teleports
[20:46] <Demedais> Right. ...Eh, for this trip I'll keep the others back home unless you two really want second archer/paladin buff.
01[20:46] <Seira> Sure, let's have two archers?
[20:46] <Alicia> If I wanted extra meat I'd bring Anty.
06[20:47] * Demedais nods. Pollyanna can come, sure.
[20:48] <Kotono> Okay, so Alicia(Marie), Seira, Deme, Amaryl, Pollyanna. Okay. I'll finish my prep stuff in a moment.
[20:49] <Kotono> I'm going to paste the info dump you guys got so everyone's refreshed on what you know about this place.
[20:50] <Kotono> > "I'll review the salient information. The defenses of the Fourth Resort were created to be strong and with all the magic of millenia ago. To even enter, you'll need these rods," Taking out a small box of six inch rods and placing them on a nearby table, "Otherwise you'll never get past the forcefields and barriers around the entrance." He speaks in Common well enough.
[20:50] <Kotono> <Seira> "We need to hold onto these just to get past the barriers, or to avoid being ejected?" Seira asks in an attempt to clarify this.
[20:50] <Kotono> * Demedais nods a bit to this, leaning over to the rods and looking them over more carefully.
[20:50] <Kotono> > "Once you enter, you'll find yourselves in a sea of trees with a great tower and city of tree glimpsed far ahead." A pause here for Seira, "Entrance. Once you're inside, you don't strictly need them. However, there's more that's related there, so listen. This area is both natural and sublimely unnatural at once. It is full of the power of the old elves and the fey, yet mighty magic redefines matters while you are in there. For one thing, no s
[20:50] <Kotono> > For one thing, no sort of extra dimensional or teleportation magic works inside. No teleporation, dimensional doors, summonings or the like." (More)
[20:50] <Kotono> * Alicia is glad she already decided to leave Antenora and Marie with Jessica, since this means her sister won't be able to summon her if she gets into trouble.
[20:50] <Kotono> * Demedais nods a bit at hearing this. "Caution will definitely be needed, then."
[20:50] <Kotono> > "Secondly, this is a place of the fey. Magic flows differently - most isn't affected. However, magic that manipulates nature works extremely well. Plant growth spells, druidic magic and the like all shine. Secondly, time doesn't seem to flow entirely correctly inside. Magic that relates to speed and time, like haste or slow, are both more potent, doubly so when combined with the relevant effects."
[20:50] <Kotono> <Alicia> "None of my spells fall within those fields, so it seems the effect is moot for better or worse in my case," Alicia observes. "Though I suspect there are guardians who will take full advantage of these traits?" she asks the two old elves.
[20:50] <Kotono> > "Thirdly," Celebrimbor takes over here, "There are fey. Many of them. We sighted some of the lowly, but according to Juai, they only have one reason to be here - to prevent you from reaching the Fourth REsort. No matter what you do or see, you must remember this."
[20:50] <Kotono> <Alicia> "Even if they act friendly it's merely a ruse?" Alicia clarifies, making sure that there's definitely nothing in there that they could consider on their side.
[20:50] <Kotono> > Juai nods to Alicia, "Naturally. The exacts weren't left to me, in marvelous cynicism. They may not hurt or harm you, they may even be friendly, but they're only there to stop you from reaching the Resort. REmember that. They'd even give you an eternity of happiness to ensure it's not disturbed."
[20:50] <Kotono> <Seira> "I could work something with Slow and Haste," Seira muses. "And extended spells might carry more of a kick." On the subject of fey, however, she feels she must ask, "What happens to the fey inside if we reach the Resort?"
[20:50] <Kotono> <Alicia> "How insidious," Alicia marvels.
[20:50] <Kotono> > "I don't know," Juai says honestly. "They were bound for eternity, so..." He wavers his hand back and forth. "They may be freed, they  may continue to defend a worthless task, they may die."
[20:50] <Kotono> <Alicia> "I'd suggest asking them, but given their objective and nature they'd surely lie to suit their purposes," Alicia admits, drumming her fingers on her thigh.
[20:50] <Kotono> <Seira> "If they die anyway, I don't see a need to hold back during the journey," Seira says bluntly. "If they're freed, the opposite is true. Is there any way to determine the truth?"
[20:50] <Kotono> > "Obviously, you need to be prepared to deal with fey. Bring ways to deal with being charmed and confused. Have your will be at it's strongest. The worst dangers may not be ones you have to fight," Celebrimbor warns.
[20:51] <Kotono> > "From here, no. Perhaps you can find the truth deeper within the ruin," Juai Desjardin says.
[20:51] <Kotono> <Seira> "Perhaps," Seira agrees. "Are there actually lethal traps? The description suggested that the defenses were geared towards turning people away or dissuading them from reaching the Resort, rather than eliminating them outright."
[20:51] <Kotono> > "It's possible there may be, yes," Juai agrees. "I don't doubt that they'd have incorporated lethal force to stops omeone from reaching the Resort."
[20:51] <Kotono> > "Right," Celebrimbor nods, then, "Any more questions? If not, when are you prepared to go?"
[20:51] <Kotono> <Seira> "In the morning sounds about right," Seira responds. "Gives us time to prepare more adequately."
[20:51] <Kotono> <Alicia> "Do you have a map of the interior, or an idea of where exactly the Resort is located?" Alicia asks.
[20:51] <Kotono> > "Not deeply in, no. It's entirely possible you may be attacked or engaged by the first line of defenders. I've seen elven women, beautiful and alluring me. I've also seen pixies, only visible with magic and attacking with endless rains of arrows...and then the same pixies retreat and approach, attempting to make our friendships. The fey are not always consistent as long as it serves the goal of stopping the intruders from reaching the Resort.
[20:51] <Kotono> > from reaching the Resort."
[20:51] <Kotono> <Alicia> "Just have to find it on our own, then," Alicia nods. "Alright, I think I know all I need to for the moment. We can prepare today and be ready in the morning, as Seira said."
[20:51] <Kotono> You also know that Haste works better in there, Deme tried it with his boots and got stronger than usual results. Do you remember the bonuses it gave, Deme?
[20:51] <Demedais> No.
01[20:51] <Seira> I used it too
01[20:51] <Seira> 3 instead of 2
01[20:52] <Seira> Extended duration
06[20:52] * Kotono nods.
01[20:52] <Seira> I meant 2 instead of 1
01[20:52] <Seira> Unless I'm remembering wrong
[20:52] <Kotono> Bonuses increase to +2, extended duration, yes.
[20:53] <Kotono> Ready to begin?
[20:53] <Alicia> Sure.
01[20:54] <Seira> Editing my spells, will be done in a flash
01[20:54] <Seira> done
[20:54] <Kotono> Okay. Your spells in order, Deme?
[20:55] <Demedais> hold on a moment.
[20:55] <Kotono> Sure.
[20:59] <Demedais> Ready.
[21:00] <Kotono> Okay.