Day 35: Hanging Around

[Iron Dragoon]

Session Start: Thu Jan 01 11:24:55 2015
Session Ident: #dunes
* Now talking in #dunes
* Topic is 'Lucy(29)>Jetina(27)>Veren>Pepo(25)>Moore(17)>Coffins(10) '
* Set by Kotono on Wed Dec 31 12:15:10
<Kotono> --------
<Kotono> > About twenty minutes of walking through the tombland. These tombs are silent at least, not rising up to smash up. But in due time you come to a massive stone crypt. A tomb, if you will. A path leads up to it, forks to the left and the right, then goes on towards the crypt. Sitting near the road is a calico cat., with brown and black splashed on its white coat.
<Kotono> <Lucy> "Hello there!" Lucy calls out to it, since no normal cat could possibly survive in this terrible place.
<Kotono> * Veren raises an eyebrow.
<Kotono> <Veren> "A girlfriend for Pepo?"
<Kotono> <Pepo> Pepo does the sensible thing and manifests psionic true seeing.
<Kotono> > Pepo can see it is not a cat. It is an amorphous blob in the shape of a woman. Its facial feature are more defined and it looks quite piqued. It's muttering something silently in common - something like 'the cat, really?'. Meanwhile, the others see the cat look up cutely and then meow. The creature before you is adorable, pretty and utterly out of place.
<Kotono> * Veren decides to distrust it completely.
<Kotono> * Lucy immediately casts Shield! As subtly as she can make it.
<Kotono> <Moore> "Hello!" Moore does likewise as Lucy, since... really, this is not a cat.
<Kotono> <Pepo> 'It is some sort of slime creature,' Pepo informs the others before impressing his mental voice on the creature itself. 'Why are you taking the form of a cat here?'
<Kotono> Pepo can see the female creature scowl and mutter something silently - she bows her head enough that her lips aren't visible. The others see the cat stare intently at the party, before turning around and fleeing. Pepo can see the woman doing the exact same thing.
<Pepo> Oh well. Slimes are immune to most mind affecting powers and he doesn't care enough to throw beams at her, so Pepo lets it pass.
<Lucy> "Rejected, the poor thing?"
<Pepo> 'Shall we continue?' he suggests, doing just that.
<Moore> Moore nods. "All righty."
<Veren > "Playing hard to get."
* Veren follows after Pepo.
<Kotono> Ahead is a massive stone crypt, as seen before. There's also paths going to the right and the left, just as Rashemi said there would be.
<Moore> "Left, then?" Moore asks. "I suppose we can always come back some time to look at all the supposed treasure..."
<Lucy> Left it is, since Lucy would like to know if the sentient crystal is tricking them or not.
* Veren heads left!
<Kotono> The party starts to head left. As you do, "This place is so strange," Jetina murmurs, "It feels like a mad wizard's abode in ways, since things seem to happen for the sake of happening."
<Veren > "It could be. The elf, possibly."
<Lucy> "And yet, so little to actually study," Lucy laments.
<Moore> "I wonder how much of this was a result of the accident... and how much happened afterwards." Moore says as he follows the others.
<Kotono> "If it's the result of an accident, I can see why there's not much to study. What can be made from an already broken vase?" Jetina wrinkles her nose, "All you can tell is that it was broken."
<Lucy> "At least we're close to leaving this place!"
<Moore> "Indeed. I wonder how exactly it's going to help us with the pirates, though." Moore says. "I guess it depends on what exactly the gem can do..."
<Veren > "We'll find out shortly."
* Veren continues down the path, watching for ambushes, considering the cat thing ran off.
<Lucy> "Abjuration is not an entirely useless magical discipline. In fact, warding off pirates is something it would do rather well."
<Kotono> On the party walks. The forest reasserts itself ahead, the path quite tightly packed. As you, "Hopefully. Pepo?"
<Pepo> 'I am here,' he responds mentally as he shadows the party through the darkness.
<Kotono> "Would you like me to carry you for a little while?" She offers. As the party goes...OOC: Perception for reference, Veren.
<Veren > roll 1d20+13 Perception
* Hatbot --> "Veren rolls 1d20+13 Perception and gets 15." 12 [1d20=2]
<Lucy> "That would be incredibly pointless," Lucy points out. "In fact, we should, perhaps, walks at a distance from one another as it is."
* Lucy decides to hang back some thirty feet, in fact.
<Pepo> 'It would be better if I remained hidden so as to better surprise any potential enemies,' Pepo says, much as he'd like to be pampered. 'Though the thought is appreciated.'
<Moore> Moore takes the opportunity to become invisible and flies just a few feet higher just in case!
* Lucy fishes out her conduit rod, humming to herself. Surely no one will fireball her out of the blue again, but one simply can't be too careful.
<Kotono> Thus the party fans out as much they can, in the narrow path and the thick woods. As you travel along for about 10 minutes...OOC: Perception, all.
<Veren > roll 1d20+13 Perception
* Hatbot --> "Veren rolls 1d20+13 Perception and gets 23." 12 [1d20=10]
<Moore> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Moore rolls 1d20+13 and gets 24." 12 [1d20=11]
<Pepo> roll 1d20+17
* Hatbot --> "Pepo rolls 1d20+17 and gets 28." 12 [1d20=11]
<Lucy> roll 1d20+21
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+21 and gets 35." 12 [1d20=14]
<Kotono> roll 1d20+11 Jetina
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+11 Jetina and gets 20." 12 [1d20=9]
<Kotono> OOC: Okay. Will saves all. Enchantment, mind-affecting compulsion.
<Pepo> roll 1d20+8+2
* Hatbot --> "Pepo rolls 1d20+8+2 and gets 14." 12 [1d20=4]
<Moore> roll 1d20+10
* Hatbot --> "Moore rolls 1d20+10 and gets 24." 12 [1d20=14]
<Kotono> roll 1d20+11 jetina
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+11 jetina and gets 31." 12 [1d20=20]
<Veren > roll 1d20+8+5 Will/Inspiration
* Hatbot --> "Veren rolls 1d20+8+5 Will/Inspiration and gets 27." 12 [1d20=14]
<Veren > OOC: Is mind-affecting compulsion a Charm effect? If so, I'm immun.
<Lucy> OOC: Does SR come in?
<Kotono> OOC: It's not a charm. Bu tit is mind-affecting and a compulsion.
<Kotono> OOC: No, Lucy.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+5
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+5 and gets 13." 12 [1d20=8]
<Kotono> The party can hear a faraway dirge. It's faint, haunting and sad. It echoes, just heard by all, before fading away.
* Veren turns his head towards the sound.
<Veren > "Should we look for that?"
<Kotono> The sound came from your right,  into the thick forest.
* Lucy climbs the nearest tree, although not very well.
<Kotono> OOC: Climb check.
<Lucy> roll 1d20-1
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20-1 and gets 9." 12 [1d20=10]
<Pepo> Pepo sits still and tries to make rope.
<Pepo> OOC: 10min casting
<Kotono> No good. Lucy tries to scamper up but nothing happens. Meanwhile Jetina stares, 'Lucy, why are you trying to climb that tree?" OOC: Okay Pepo.
<Moore> "Uh... guys?" Moore comes down and casts a detect magic to see if something strange is about!
<Lucy> "It's important," Lucy tells her distractedly. "Could you help?"
<Lucy> roll 1d20-1 again!
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20-1 again! and gets 15." 12 [1d20=16]
* Veren pulls his rope and grappling hook out of his pack and offers them to Lucy confusedly.
<Kotono> Moore can indeed detect magic. OOC: Spellcraft.
<Kotono> "I suppose," Jetina says, "Something up in that tree?"
<Moore> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Moore rolls 1d20+13 and gets 27." 12 [1d20=14]
<Moore> Moore reappears. "No, I think something else is going on... you all did hear that noise, right?"
<Veren > "The music? Yes."
<Kotono> This time Lucy manages to get up the tree and up to a branch.
* Lucy pats the branch, studying it very seriously.
<Moore> "I... er... I have a feeling about something." Moore says.
<Kotono> It looks like a good, solid branch. Meanwhile, Moore can figure out the magic - a compulsion to hang themselves. It's only affecting Pepo and Lucy.
* Veren shrugs and puts his rope and grappling hook back in his pack.
* Lucy nods to herself and starts braiding her hair.
<Veren > "What is wrong with you two?"
<Moore> "Oh no... stop them! They're going to kill themselves! We need to get rid of the magic!" Moore cries out. "Miss Jetina, can you do anything to get rid of magic?"
<Pepo> OOC: I'm still stealthed, you won't have any idea what I'm doing. Which is really just sitting there comfortably.
* Veren climbs after Lucy to try and stop her!
<Veren > roll 1d20+8 Climb
* Hatbot --> "Veren rolls 1d20+8 Climb and gets 21." 12 [1d20=13]
<Lucy> "This is my branch," Lucy chides Veren, looking at him through hooded eyes. "Find one of your own."
* Veren tries to keep her hands away from her hair long enough for the effect to either wear off or the others to do something about it.
<Kotono> Lucy braids her hair. Meanwhile Veren climbs up without difficulty.
<Kotono> OOC: Noted pepo.
<Lucy> "I will kill you with my mind," Lucy tells Veren pleasantly. Someone who had been helpful up till now deserves a proper warning, after all.
* Veren raises an eyebrow, holds up a dagger, but does nothing more than try to keep her hands away from her hair.
<Moore> Moore rubs his face and decides to try the only thing he knows how to do, to dispel the magic that's affecting them, although he has no idea where Pepo actually is in order to do that... He'll just have to try on Lucy! So he points to direct the magic at her! OOC: I will try and use Dispel Magic to get rid of the compulsion.
* Lucy animates her hair with her magic, using it to fight off Veren's advances!
<Kotono> OOC: Okay, lemme pause all of you there a second.
<Kotono> OOC: First of all, trying to dispel what's on Lucy, Moore?
<Moore> OOC: Yes. I thought Jetina might be able to help but I don't think she can.
<Kotono> OOC: Make a dispel check.
<Moore> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Moore rolls 1d20+9 and gets 26." 12 [1d20=17]
<Kotono> Suddenly the magic around Lucy's mind fades. Rationality returns to her once more. OOC: Effect is gone. Act, Lucy.
<Moore> "Did that work? Miss Lucy, are you okay now?" Moore calls out.
<Lucy> "Huh." Lucy very carefully extricates her hair from Veren, has it wrap around the branch and then has it lower her all the way back to the ground before unwrapping itself.
* Veren grunts and drops to the ground as well.
<Moore> "We need to find Mister Pepo. He's under the same influence you were." Moore says, sounding panicked.
<Lucy> "Why would you think so?"
* Veren looks around, searching for the cat.
<Moore> Moore blinks. "Because I detected the magic on the both of you!"
<Kotono> "Right," Jetina says, "Pepo? Are you still here, Pepo?"
<Lucy> "Then wouldn't you know where he is?" Lucy asks very slowly. "That very same way?"
<Moore> Moore makes a face. "Can you stop treating me like I'm an idiot just once, Lucy?!"
<Moore> He shouts, obviously looking upset now, "Just find Pepo and stop questioning everything!"
<Moore> OOC: *everything
<Lucy> "Oh, I suppose. Just this once," Lucy muses, looking around for their feline friend.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+21
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+21 and gets 23." 12 [1d20=2]
<Kotono> OOC: Perception, all. if you're looking.
<Moore> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Moore rolls 1d20+13 and gets 33." 12 [1d20=20]
<Veren > roll 1d20+13 Perception
* Hatbot --> "Veren rolls 1d20+13 Perception and gets 33." 12 [1d20=20]
<Kotono>  OOC: Pepo, had you made a stealth check this session?
<Pepo> OOC: no but end of last session [19:44] * Hatbot --> "Pepo rolls 1d20+34 stealth since it might matter and gets 54." [1d20=20]
<Kotono> OOC: Okay, that'll work then.
<Kotono> No good. Wherever Pepo is, he's exquisitely well hidden.
<Lucy> "Hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm." Casting Detect Magic, Lucy tries to look for the unique signature of Pepo's collar instead.
<Kotono> Lucy can detect Pepo's collar and the magic around it.
* Lucy snaps her fingers.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+9 dispel on the suicide magic
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+9 dispel on the suicide magic and gets 10." 12 [1d20=1]
* Lucy frowns, glances down at her fingers and snaps them again.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+9 and gets 10." 12 [1d20=1]
<Lucy> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+9 and gets 12." 12 [1d20=3]
<Kotono> Jetina now approaches, "Where?" she murmurs quietly.
<Lucy> "Twenty feet ahead-- no, a tiny bit to the right, where the grass is slightly pressed," Lucy elaborates, casting again as she tries not to let her pique show.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+9 and gets 26." 12 [1d20=17]
<Kotono> This time the magic around Pepo's mind vanishes. He is back to normal.
<Lucy> "Oh good. Are you back with us, Mister Pepo?"
<Pepo> Pepo's head abruptly jerks up, ruining his stealth. And also blowing his spell as he stops focusing on it. 'I thought something was odd but I couldn't figure it out. We should kill whatever tried that.'
<Lucy> "That certainly has my vote," Lucy happily agrees.
<Kotono> "Thirded," Jetina says, patting  Lucy's shoulder, "Where was it?"
* Veren nods.
<Moore> Moore lets out a breath. "Thank goodness."
<Lucy> "Where was what?" Lucy asks Jetina, before turning to study Moore. "While I apologize for the sarcastic tone a close encounter with mind control and death brought out of me, you really need to panic less. You are a mage, aren't you?"
<Moore> Moore sighs. "You're right. I should've been able to tell you."
<Moore> Moore points into the forest. "The noise came from over there, didn't it?"
<Kotono> Jetina takes a few steps out into the forest, "I can also cast a spell to surround myself with a magic circle against evil. It will suppress further attempts, but you'll have to stay close to me." At that Jetina holds her holy symbol, a magic circle flashing around her before fading.
* Veren follows along after Jetina.
<Pepo> 'In that case you may carry me,' Pepo allows, walking up to Jetina.
<Moore> "I'm sorry for being so frantic, but I didn't want any of you to die here." Moore says with a bow of his head. He flies over to stay near Jetina as well.
<Kotono> After a beat, "Pepo, would you like to reconsider being held? It'll keep you well within my  magic circle." At Pepo's own words she smiles, picking up the cat. "Just stay close if you want to be protected, all of you. About 10 feet."
<Lucy> "Oh, very well. I will try to look suitably weak so an enemy doesn't focus on me and kill you," Lucy tells Jetina as she aims to stay close enough.
<Kotono> OOC: Okay. Who's leading the search ahead for the dirge's source?
<Lucy> OOC: I'll do it
<Kotono> OOC: Perception check. The rest of you can aid.
<Kotono> roll 1d20+11 Jetina
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d20+11 Jetina and gets 24." 12 [1d20=13]
<Lucy> roll 1d20+21 can I see everything?
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+21 can I see everything? and gets 36." 12 [1d20=15]
<Veren > roll 1d20+13 Perception
* Hatbot --> "Veren rolls 1d20+13 Perception and gets 30." 12 [1d20=17]
<Moore> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Moore rolls 1d20+13 and gets 31." 12 [1d20=18]
<Pepo> roll 1d20+17 aiding
* Hatbot --> "Pepo rolls 1d20+17 aiding and gets 19." 12 [1d20=2]
<Lucy> OOC: 44
<Kotono> roll 1d5
* Hatbot --> "Kotono rolls 1d5 and gets 3." 12 [1d5=3]
<Kotono> You walk along. The forest is thick and hard going - painfully so. As you go...
<Kotono> OOC: Quick perception check, Lucy. Unrelated to the previous.
<Lucy> roll 1d20+21
* Hatbot --> "Lucy rolls 1d20+21 and gets 27." 12 [1d20=6]
<Kotono> Lucy is able to spot a thorn bush, avoiding it. Soon the party reaches a little clearing. It's subtle, but there's a sign something was here not long ago. Lucy can discern a faint trail, that perhaps a trained tracker could follow. It's otherwise silent here, misty and surrounded by trees all over.
<Lucy> "Well, I have good news and I have bad news!"
<Kotono> Jetina pets Pepo, "The bad news is that it isn't here to punish?"
<Lucy> "Not as such, no. The good news is that we are on the right track, and there is a trail right here!" She helpfully points it out. "The bad news, however, are that it would take me far too long to find it again if we go fast, and our enemy would get away if I go too slowly. I'm not really an outdoors type of person, after all."
<Veren > "I have no skill in tracking, either."
<Lucy> "Our choices are to try and track him by scent, or to risk either option already mentioned. Any preferences?"
<Pepo> 'I can track by scent,' Pepo says, extricating himself from Jetina's brief grasp to sniff around for any scent on the trail that'll help them keep it.
<Kotono> OOC: Survival check.
<Moore> "I can cast a spell to detect the presence of something evil which may help us as we go if they're trying to hide." Moore says.
<Pepo> roll 1d20+15 survival
* Hatbot --> "Pepo rolls 1d20+15 survival and gets 28." 12 [1d20=13]
<Pepo> OOC: +4 for scent
<Kotono> Pepo is able to discern a trail. He thinks he can follow it.
<Pepo> 'Follow me,' he instructs, eschewing stealth to openly follow the trail so he can be followed himself.
<Moore> Moore stays close to Jetina but does follow.
Session Close: Thu Jan 01 16:39:00 2015