041.4 Two Blondes and a Redhead walk into a bar

[Ebiris]

[18:54] <@Xorned> With a pair of blondes in tow, Janson heads find Blythe. He meets you in the Old City, a boarded up two story stone building before you. It's tall and severe, the walls well eroded. He's rumpled and messy, leaning against a wall and whistling. "Hey," he calls as the three approach, "Oh good, Josa sent you all along."
[18:56] <@Janson> "Yeah, heard you needed help sorting out an old mage's lab?" Janson asks, strolling over. "Inheritance or something like that?"
[18:58] <@Xorned> "Yeah. Old mage I trained under awhile dropped over last week." Shaking his head, "Damn shame. Apparently he left me this since I live in Balmuria." Rapping his knuckles against the wall, "An old laboratory. I'm not expecting it to be terribly dangerous, but keep your eyes open anyway."
[18:59] <@Xorned> "It could be interesting," Sylvie says, "I've been brushing up on my magic lately and just been going through all the magical texts I can find."
[18:59] <@Janson> "So basically we're here to check it over for traps, cursed items, bound guardians, that sort of thing, then help you catalog all what's in it?" Janson summarises what he presumes to be their remit here.
[19:00] <@Xorned> "Bingo," Blythe grins, "Start by checking the door over? It doesn't have any magical signature, but it doesn't meant here couldn't be a mundane trap. I doubt there is, just..." With a shrug, "You never know with old wizards."
[19:01] <@Xorned> Yuria comes over, murmuring a few words! Abruptly Blythe's clothing becomes clean, his messiness reversed! "Better," she nods, "Like, you should totally take better care of yourself!"
[19:02] <@Xorned> This gets the mage to stop and groan, "Aaeru has a groupie now?"
[19:02] <@Janson> "Yeah, you'd expect magic traps from a wizard but sometimes they like to lull you in with that assumption. Wouldn't it be illegal to put a dangerous trap right on the street-front, though?" Janson asks as he goes to take a look over the door in detail for any hidden surprises, detecting magic himself even if he's been told there's none on the door - he'll want the ability once inside anyway.
[19:03] <@Janson> roll 1d20+12 search
[19:03] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+12 search and gets 24." [1d20=12]
[19:03] <@Xorned> "Sure, but it hasn't stopped wizards before. Hell, the entire Inferno down there was hugely illegal." Kicking at the ground, Blythe watches as Janson checks the door over. No traps! Meanwhile Yuria frowns, "We just happen to totally agree that cleanliness is important!"
[19:04] <@Janson> "Girls like a clean man," Janson chuckles at Blythe's discomfort over Yuria's handiwork. "Anyway, can't see anything. Got a key or need me to take care of that, too?"
[19:05] <@Xorned> "Please," Blythe gestures, "Open her up."
[19:06] * @Janson proceeds to take out his lockpicks and spend a moment jimmying the lock open.
[19:06] <@Janson> roll 1d20+14
[19:06] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+14 and gets 32." [1d20=18]
[19:09] <@Xorned> It's easy. A few moves and the lock is open!
[19:09] <@Janson> "There we go," Janson straightens up, pocketing his tools and pushing the door open to reveal what it obscures!
[19:10] <@Xorned> Behind door number one is....a  huge, cluttered laboratory! It's vast, a stairway in the middle of the room leading up. Great heaps, rows and stacks of things aer all about! The entire mess is covered with a huge pile of dust! OOC: Do you have DM up, Janson?
[19:11] <@Janson> OOC: yes
[19:11] <@Xorned> OOC: Make spellcraftin'.
[19:12] <@Janson> roll 1d20+14 +16 for scrolls
[19:12] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+14 +16 for scrolls and gets 25." [1d20=11]
[19:17] <@Xorned> The magic is multifaceted and rampant here. Most of the stuff downtairs isn't any great shakes, but it's stronger upstairs. Something potent rests above!
[19:19] <@Janson> "There's a lot of magic stuff around here, but none of it seems too huge. Something big upstairs, though." Janson takes the lead in, slowly checking for mundane traps as he clears a path towards the stairs.
[19:19] <@Janson> roll 1d20+12 searching for traps
[19:19] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+12 searching for traps and gets 26." [1d20=14]
[19:20] <@Xorned> No traps as you reach the stairs. Blythe nods, "Go on upstairs and check it out," he instructs, "I'm going to start making an inventory down here.'
[19:22] <@Janson> "Okay, shout if you need anything," Janson starts picking his way up the stairs, stepping carefully to avoid kicking up dust as much as triggering traps. At least Yuria seems handy for cleaning.
[19:25] <@Xorned> As the blondes follow, "Magic, magic everywhere," Sylvie murmurs. As you head up, you find the upper level is dusty as the last. Against the back wall is a ten foot tall glass pod, full of swirling bright yellow and white liquid. It churns of it's own volition, radiating potent magic! OOC: Feel free to make spellcraft on it.
[19:26] <@Janson> roll 1d20+14
[19:26] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+14 and gets 25." [1d20=11]
[19:28] <@Janson> roll 1d20+14 for the lesser aura if new check needed
[19:28] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+14 for the lesser aura if new check needed and gets 24." [1d20=10]
[19:30] <@Janson> "Oooooh..." Janson breathes. "Okay, nobody touch that pod," he warns. "I don't know what it does, but it summons something if it gets messed with." Hoping both girls take heed of his warning, he takes a look to see what else is on this floor.
[19:33] <@Xorned> Sylvie nods as Yuria's is transfixed, "So pretty...!" The back wall has a few working tables - you can see vials, beakers, strange serrated tongs, a book, a pile of cloth threads, what looks to be the stuffed head of a juvenile red dragon, a broken flail, a pile of rose petals and other such things.
[19:36] <@Janson> "I dunno if you two are good enough with spellcraft to see if you can figure out just what the glowy pod is for?" Janson asks the blondes hopefully before going to report to Blythe, taking a moment to search for any hidden doors or panels or that sort of thing.
[19:36] <@Janson> roll 1d20+12 search s'more
[19:36] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+12 search s'more and gets 14." [1d20=2]
[19:37] <@Xorned> Sylvie intones a spell, making arcane gestures before focusing on the pod!
[19:37] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+25 (+6 inspiration, +2 improv luck)
[19:37] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+25 (+6 inspiration, +2 improv luck) and gets 45." [1d20=20]
[19:39] <@Xorned> No luck on hidden panels or anything...but Sylvie seems transfixed! She stares just as her fellow blonde does, "Janson..." she drawls, "C'mere."
[19:41] <@Janson> "Yeah?" Janson straightens up and trots over alongside the blonde. Not the other blonde, the one that he sleeps with.
[19:43] <@Xorned> "You know what's in there?" she asks, a rhetorical pause before she continues, "Pure magical energy, like raw life-stuff. I don't know what it's distilled from, but if you expose yourself to it..." With a shudder, "It'll enhance you for certain. It's like pouring alchemist's fire onto a blaze."
[19:44] <@Xorned> "I, like, don't know about that, but it's pretty," Yuria adds.
[19:45] <@Janson> "Yikes. Wonder why Blythe's old wizard friend never used it? Guess it's lucky for him," Janson opines, peering at the pod for a moment longer. "Lets go tell him what he's won, then?"
[19:46] <@Xorned> Sylvie hesitates, "Y'know..."
[19:48] <@Janson> "He hired us to help him out, so that's what we're gonna do," Janson interjects before Sylvie can continue down that dangerous line of thought.
[19:48] <@Xorned> "But..." Sylvie trails off at that, looking into Janson's eyes.
[19:51] * @Janson shakes his head, speaking softly in case Blythe has unexpectedly good hearing. "Don't think about it, Sylvie. You wouldn't steal a bag of gold that was lying unattended in a customer's house. This isn't any different."
[19:59] <@Xorned> "Right," Yuria turns, "Stealing is wrong and against the law! Sure, it's probably incredibly, like, powerful, but it's still wrong!"
[20:00] <@Xorned> Sighing, "Alright," she says, shaking her head back and forth.
[20:02] <@Janson> "And it would destroy any chances of future business," Janson adds, giving Sylvie a hug. "Come on, lets go see how Blythe is doing downstairs and we can tell him about what's up here?" he suggests, letting go and starting back down.
[20:03] <@Xorned> Blythe is indeed downstairs. He's neck deep in old junk, pawing through it and whistling. "Well, well, well. A tub of bat guano!" A low whistle, "This'll power a good two dozen fireball spells!"
[20:05] <@Janson> "There's something upstairs that'll power a whole lot more than that," Janson hooks his thumb up behind him. "We found a container of pure magical energy, but it's got a ward to summon something powerful if it's messed with."
[20:07] <@Xorned> "Hello!" Blythe looks up, going right on upstairs, still carrying a clay tub of guano! Once upstairs he gives the tub a look, whistling low.
[20:09] <@Janson> "We figure if you break it open it'll magically enhance you somehow, but then you'll have whatever gets summoned show up and I don't know if it'll be friendly," Janson offers helpfully.
[20:10] <@Xorned> "Mmm-hmm," Blythe says, "Then the answer is to break it open and have all of you dispatch the summon. Assuming you're able."
[20:12] <@Janson> "Well we can give it a shot. Hopefully you can help as well if you get empowered though, I mean," Janson looks over at the two ladies to see if they feel confident enough.
[20:13] <@Xorned> Sylvie cracks her knuckles, "We can be all spelled up and prepared," she says, "Shouldn't be hard."
[20:13] <@Xorned> Yuria nods, "I can be invisible and ready to, like, cut it up!"
[20:15] <@Janson> "That's a good idea, Yuria," Janson agrees. "I don't have any spells I can do to prepare, but if it's hostile I can shoot it," he promises, going to stand on guard close to Blythe before the pod and motioning for Sylvie to do the same. Hey, if the energy just gushes out it's not like they need to feel guilty if any lands on them instead of Blythe, it'd just go to waste otherwise, right?
[20:17] <@Xorned> Sylvie follows! A shield of force appears in front of her, her body grows hardier and several Sylvie's pop into being! Meanwhile Yuria hangs back, popping out of view entirely! OOC: Invisibility on Yuria, Shield/MI/Bear's Endurance on Sylvie.
[20:19] <@Janson> OOC: roll for Sylvie's images and I'll update the topic?
[20:19] <@Xorned> OOC: Actually, check that.
[20:19] <@Xorned> Sylvie pauses a moment on the second spell instead reaching out to touch Janson. "I should be fine with these wards. This one'll make you tougher in case." OOC: Bear's Endurance on Janson instead.
[20:19] <@Xorned> roll 1d4+1
[20:19] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d4+1 and gets 5." [1d4=4]
[20:21] <@Janson> "Oh, I do feel better with that," Janson perks up and grins at Sylvie.
[20:22] <@Xorned> With that, Blythe touches the pod and murmurs magic! Cracks spread along it, the fluid starting to churn faster! As it does, magic explodes out around you! On the ground before you it appears - like a cat but with orange and black spots, the size of a bear or bigger! It's features are downright fiendish, horns rising up from it's head! With a loud roar, it pounces at the party! OOC: roll
[20:22] <@Xorned> init. K:N for more info.
[20:23] <@Janson> roll 1d20+14
[20:23] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+14 and gets 31." [1d20=17]
[20:24] <@Xorned> OOC: K:N, I presume?
[20:24] <@Janson> OOC: yes
[20:24] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+8 init Sylvie
[20:24] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+8 init Sylvie and gets 18." [1d20=10]
[20:25] <@Janson> roll 1d20+4 init
[20:25] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+4 init and gets 21." [1d20=17]
[20:25] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+9 Yuria
[20:25] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+9 Yuria and gets 29." [1d20=20]
[20:25] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+2 tiger
[20:25] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+2 tiger and gets 15." [1d20=13]
[20:25] * Xorned changes topic to 'Yuria(29)>Janson(21)>Sylvie(18)>Tiger(15)'
[20:26] <@Xorned> Unseen to any but Janson's magicked eye, Yuria steps forward to the flank of the beast and cuts in, unseen to it!
[20:26] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+10
[20:26] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+10 and gets 30." [1d20=20]
[20:27] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+10 crit?
[20:27] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+10 crit? and gets 26." [1d20=16]
[20:27] <@Xorned> roll 8d4+8+3d6
[20:27] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 8d4+8+3d6 and gets 32." [8d4=1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2][3d6=3, 4, 3]
[20:28] <@Xorned> With a vicious strike much of the flank of the tiger is torn open! Blood flows swiftly, before it can even react! OOC: Janson.
[20:28] <@Janson> "Fiendish dire tiger!" Janson blurts, "Stick close so it can't pounce on you!" Although there's probably insufficient room for it to do so in here anyway with all the clutter. He also puts lie to his own suggestion by scrambling away and up the wall onto the ceiling before launching an eldritch blast down at the striped beast!
[20:28] <@Janson> roll 1d20+4 attack
[20:28] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+4 attack and gets 16." [1d20=12]
[20:28] <@Janson> roll 1d20+7 SR
[20:28] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+7 SR and gets 23." [1d20=16]
[20:29] <@Janson> roll 4d6+2+4d6
[20:29] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 4d6+2+4d6 and gets 31." [4d6=6, 6, 2, 3][4d6=6, 4, 1, 1]
[20:30] <@Xorned> Janson's blast is like a perfectly aimed javelin, piercing through the back and going out the stomach of the tiger! It roars in stunned pain at the asssault, as six Syvlies neatly sidestep in to plummel it!
[20:31] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+12 (+2 flanking with Yuria, 1 inspiration spent on 1d6 SA)
[20:31] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+12 (+2 flanking with Yuria, 1 inspiration spent on 1d6 SA) and gets 15." [1d20=3]
[20:31] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+12 (+2 flanking with Yuria, 1 inspiration spent on 1d6 SA)
[20:31] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+12 (+2 flanking with Yuria, 1 inspiration spent on 1d6 SA) and gets 21." [1d20=9]
[20:31] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+7
[20:31] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+7 and gets 27." [1d20=20]
[20:31] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+7 crit?
[20:31] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+7 crit? and gets 16." [1d20=9]
[20:32] <@Xorned> roll 4d8+44+3d6 forgot stunning fist arghfuckle, on the other hand it's flatfooted so owwies.
[20:32] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 4d8+44+3d6 forgot stunning fist arghfuckle, on the other hand it's flatfooted so owwies. and gets 62." [4d8=3, 1, 1, 6][3d6=1, 2, 4]
[20:32] <@Xorned> Under withering assault as Sylvie's fists pound it's ribs into powder, the dire tiger falls down hard! A moment later it's gone, as if it never was! OOC: Free act.
[20:34] <@Janson> "Hah!" Janson flips off the ceiling and lands adroitly next to Sylvie. "Looks like we've still got it - and you fit in well, too, Yuria!"
[20:35] <@Xorned> "That was way easy," Yuria says, cleaning off her scythe with a cloth before putting it back! Meanwhile, white light begins to shed brighter, the glass pod breaking! "Oh shi-" Blythe manages before white light engulfs all! OOC: Fortitude saves, all.
[20:35] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+10 fort Sylvie
[20:35] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+10 fort Sylvie and gets 28." [1d20=18]
[20:35] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+6
[20:35] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+6 and gets 9." [1d20=3]
[20:35] <@Xorned> roll 1d20+7 Blythe
[20:35] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d20+7 Blythe and gets 22." [1d20=15]
[20:36] <@Janson> roll 1d20+5
[20:36] * Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+5 and gets 13." [1d20=8]
[20:36] <@Xorned> roll 1d100
[20:36] * Hatbot --> "Xorned rolls 1d100 and gets 26." [1d100=26]
[20:41] <@Xorned> Unawareness comes to Janson like a thick blanket, knocking him out hard! Throught he soup of unawareness...images. Horrible images. Nightmarish things...frozen. All frozen. Endless blizzards. Winter without end. They fly through the nightmarish cold...beautiful and yet faraway. From that yous ee her face - hazy but warming to you. Her face? You aren't sure....urgh. It fades away to you as
[20:41] <@Xorned> you awaken. Sylvie's over you, pushing something to your lips. Something warm and wet. You drink down on instinct - broth?
[20:43] <@Janson> "Mwawrghff..." Janson murmurs, blinking himself awake and swallowing whatever is presented to his lips. "What's... what happened?"
[20:44] <@Xorned> "Got knocked out," Sylvie says, "You're fine." You can see...the laboratory? You think. Hazy. Your vision is a haze still, slowly clearing. "You took a shot of pure magical life energy to the chest."
[20:45] <@Janson> "With a name like that," Janson begins in his best aggrieved tone, "You'd think it would feel better."
[20:46] <@Xorned> "Blythe got most of it since he was closest. Yuria and I avoided the worst of it, though Yuria's been dazed since it. A blast of it kareemed out and got you."
[20:47] <@Janson> "How's Blythe, then?" Janson tries to sit up and look around, one hand going to rub his eyes to try and refocus his hazy vision.
[20:48] <@Xorned> That's enough to do it. You feel better now as you move, "He's upstairs reading the journal logs of the experiment." she says, "It's been about an hour."
[20:49] <@Janson> "I guess a whole blast of life energy feels better than a single shot?" Janson hauls himself up to his feet. "Nice broth, though," he perks up with a smile, "Where'd you get it?"
[20:51] <@Xorned> "An inn a few blocks down," Sylvie says, "Yuria's helping Blythe up there. You up to joining them?"
[20:52] * Whurric is now known as Merc
[20:52] <@Janson> "Yeah, sure," Janson takes the broth so he can drink more as he goes. "Feeling fine now that I'm up and about," he elaborates, starting upstairs. "Kind of embarrassing to happen right after we tore that fiendish cat to bits, though."
[20:56] <@Xorned> As you go your vision flashes! Abruptly you feel dizzy for a moment, then it passes. Warmth floods your body, tingling in your fingertips!
[20:57] <@Janson> "Woah!" Janson stumbles, his hand going out to support himself on the bannister, the other being careful to keep his soup held securely! "Oh... feel tingly..." he reaches out with his free hand now to poke Sylvie with said tingly fingertips.
[20:58] <@Xorned> A flash of white light echos out, sending Sylvie back! It arches out and fades, as the feeling explodes in Janson before it fades. After he feels more together, dazed if recovered.
[20:59] <@Janson> "Oh Jannath!" Janson drops the soup and hurries over to help Sylvie up! "Sorry, I had no idea that would happen!"
[21:00] <@Xorned> "I'm okay," Sylvie says, slowly helped up, "Just a bit dizzy."
[21:01] <@Janson> "I think it's that energy, some must still be in me. Really sorry!" Janson continues to apologise effusively, making sure Sylvie's okay before continuing upstairs.

[Ebiris]

[18:41] <@Kotono> Sylvie looks okay as you head upstairs. Blythe is kicked back over a chair, reading a book. "Hey, you alright," he looks up, "You took it right on the chin-er, chest."
[18:43] <@Janson> "Yeah. You'd think concentrated life energy would feel a lot better - although I can't actually remember, if it knocked me out it can't be good," Janson nods. "Feel okay now, although I just gave Sylvie a nasty shock. Think that was the last of it escaping out or something. How about you?"
[18:45] <@Kotono> "I'm okay," Blythe shakes his head, thwapping the side of his head. "Ears are stopped up, but nothing important. See, I'm reading his experiment logs here. Okay, quick and dirty. Stronger, more magical creatures have stronger lifeforces than John Peasant who tills the fields. The stronger you are, the stronger your lifeforce is. His theory is about harvesting off excess life energy from
[18:45] <@Kotono> powerful entities. Sort of like how we vent steam up from the Inferno for public use?"
[18:46] <@Janson> "Huh. So like the steam it's just a byproduct that would go to waste anyway, right? Not like... I dunno, sucking blood or eating souls?" Janson clarifies.
[18:48] <@Kotono> "In theory. Most creatures, even strong ones, don't produce enough to make it remotely worthwhile." Tapping the page he's on with his finger, "You need strong things. A cornugon, marilith, a legendary hero, an old kraken. You know, legendary stuff. Of course there's a drawback. Namely, this energy can also be used against them. Are you familiar with scrying? If you have the blood or body
[18:48] <@Kotono> part of a creature, it's a snap to scry on them. Blood calls to blood...which means most creatures who know anything aren't going to be interested."
[18:50] <@Kotono> "So that life energy is also a weakness that can be used against them? The same idea as a lock of hair making scrying much more effective?" Sylvie half repeats, "No wonder it's not mainstream theory."
[18:50] <@Janson> "Well I dunno. What's to stop you beating the crap out of one and just forcing it into the farm? Or hitting it with some enchantments so it likes the idea?" Janson asks, considering how to make it workable.
[18:53] <@Kotono> "Oh sure, you could do that. This is getting afarfield, though," Waving a hand, "Anyway, the point is that he decided to it more stealthily. He gathered up bits and tokens from powerful creatures in Balmuria during his time, keeping a low profile. Several celestials, some heroes, a couple of powerful oddities. That was a stew of them. He set it in there to ferment for about..." a pause as
[18:53] <@Kotono> he flips back and checks "30 years. Anyway," Closing the book, "I'm fairly sure it's harmless to you now that you've processed it."
[18:54] <@Janson> "And you seem okay, too. That's good, no harm done," Janson smiles. "Find anything else worthwhile in all this mess?"
[18:56] <@Kotono> "Lots of salvage and I'm set for components for the next ten years or so," With a laugh, "Almost everything is harmless or safe is used properly. I don't really need full blown troubleshooters for the rest," Fishing out a bag and tossing it to Sylvie, "Payment's inside and a little extra." He pauses a moment, "Simmer told me 'bout your work. Thanks for all you did and making her happy. Sweet
[18:56] <@Kotono> girl." A pause as he rises, putting the book aside, offering a hand out, "Say hello to the others for me."
[18:57] <@Janson> "The sweetest," Janson agrees with a wistful smile, clasping Blythe's hands. "Call on us anytime you need something."
[18:57] <@Janson> hand*
[18:57] <@Kotono> Sylvie goes to shake it after, "Thank you." Yuria just smiles and nods, "Thanks, we'll spend it good!"