The Slimecat and the Trio 04

[Corwin]

18:59 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, just as a refresher for all of us, what's your current plan?
19:00 <•Skaya> OOC: So we're continuing on our path to the slime pond to see what's there. And Sanda is with us!
19:00 <•Skaya> OOC: Marken and Regis are at base camp, iirc
19:01 <•Anastasia> OOC: Gotcha.
19:04 <•Anastasia> The treck back to the slime pool is...
19:04 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
19:04 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=2 ]{2}
19:04 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
19:04 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=31 ]{31}
19:05 → Iddy joined (uid408070@lunarnet-1BB5E9E.uxbridge.irccloud.com)
19:09 <•Anastasia> Pleasantly quiet. When you arrive at the slime pool, you find that the slimes from before are gone save for one. It lingers by the pool. However, a larger slime is here, about the size of two or three of you together. A great gelatinous mass, black as the night sky. Oddly, a cat's tail can be glimpsed poking out of its side.
19:11 <•Skaya> "I'll go and pick some of the gear left here," Skaya tells her companions quietly. "Let me know if I get spotted or if an elemental pops out? In the end, exploring this place and getting something to reward our earlier efforts is the important thing, not pest control."
19:12 <•Anastasia> "Are you sure you won't be attacked?" Anne asks, "That slime's not right. I'm not the only one seeing that, right?"
19:12 <•Skaya> "I'm not sure of anything. But if it's a slimecat, maybe it'll be playful instead?"
19:13 <•Anastasia> "The cat's tail? You aren't," Sanda peers ahead, "Does that mean it wants to be petted?"
19:13 <•Anastasia> "Of course not!" Rina retorts immeditaely, "And you'd melt your hand trying."
19:13 <•Skaya> "I think it rather means no one is safe from the mad chimera wizard."
19:14 <•Anastasia> "Well, see if it's aggressive first," Anne suggests, "Fall back if it is, and we'll rain down rocks and spells on them."
19:15 — •Skaya decides to sneak around the slimecat for now! Maybe she'll get lucky.
19:16 <•Anastasia> OOC: How exactly are you doing it since it's a fairly open cavern?
19:16 <•Skaya> OOC: Is there a box?
19:17 <•Skaya> OOC: Since the slime is by the pool and the abandoned gear was previously dropped all over, I could just stay away from it? I have no idea of the distance slimes perceive anything.
19:21 <•Anastasia> OOC: You could try, sure. But no boxes, unfortunately. Give me a stealth check for reference and hope the slimes aren't too perceptive or can't see too far.
19:21 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+9+4
19:21 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+9+4 --> [ 1d20=12 ]{25}
19:26 <•Anastasia> As you begin to creep as quietly as you can, it's to no avail. The black slime begins to slither in your direction almost right away. As it does, you notice something. Human feet deep within it, helping it to scurry along the ground.
19:27 <•Skaya> "Oh wow, feet as well?" Skaya says in disbelief. "Yes, let's just shoot it unless it understands speech." She turns towards the black slime and tells it, "Stop, or we'll attack."
19:28 <•Anastasia> The creature stops moving.
19:28 <•Anastasia> Anne stares while Rina shakes her head. Sanda looks on in open interest, eyes narrow.
19:29 <•Skaya> "Amazing! Can you move your tail at will? If you understand and can do it, could you go back a few steps?"
19:31 <•Anastasia> The creature slithers backwards. "An intelligent slime? How? There's no brain or place for a brain," Sanda muses aloud, "Unless it's somehow storied in the feet or the tail, or some other organ."
19:32 <•Anastasia> Anne side eyes Sanda before, "I'm understanding where wizards like that come from, now."
19:32 <•Anastasia> Rina glances at Devar, "I've not heard of anything like this. Have you?"
19:32 <•Skaya> "Wouldn't it be fine if a soul is present? For some value of fine."
19:33 <•Anastasia> "Nothing about this is fine," Anne murmurs a little too loudly.
19:33 <•Skaya> To the slimecat, she says, "Can I pick up the stuff dropped all over here? If you don't agree, come forward a few steps, please."
19:33 <•Anastasia> It immediately steps forward.
19:35 <•Skaya> "That's fine. I'm not some thief. If you can think for yourself, that stuff is yours. Say, do you know where you were born? Could you lead us there?"
19:37 <•Devar> "You said you encountered another chimera too, right?" Devar asks. "I wonder if they're performing some sort of magic that's creating this intelligence?"
19:41 — •Skaya has no idea and can only shrug in response to Devar.
19:42 <•Anastasia> "Perhaps," Sanda muses, "I'm so interested now! This is so unique! An intelligent slime!"
19:42 <•Anastasia> The creature wibble-wobbles and begins to ooze towards the party.
19:43 <•Anastasia> "What's interesting is that it's not predatory, at least to that level," Sanda goes on, "It's nice that you're civilized, Mr. Slime."
19:43 <•Skaya> "We'll move way to the side and let you lead us," Skaya tells the slimecat, heading back and gesturing for the others to follow. "I promise that as long as you stay civil with us, we'll return the favor to you."
19:43 <•Anastasia> Anne steps well aside as it approaches, and after a moment Rina follows her example. "There must be someone behind this," she adds.
19:44 <•Devar> "Hopefully we'll get some answers soon." Devar says, following the rest of the party to the side.
19:53 <•Anastasia> The slime begins to lead you on. As it does...
19:53 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
19:53 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=85 ]{85}
19:54 <•Anastasia> It leads you back the way you came, but not far. It stops in fron tof an unremarkable wall and wobbles in the direction of it.
19:55 <•Skaya> "This is where a door in the wall was made?" Skaya guesses. "If you know how to open it, can you wobble again?"
19:57 <•Anastasia> It wobbles.
19:57 <•Anastasia> "This might be our breakthrough," Rina speaks up, "If it can get us in or knows a password or whatever it is?"
19:58 <•Skaya> "Yes! I will try to guess the method, and can you wobble when I get it right?" She'll pause in between her guesses, to ensure the slime has time to respond. "Is it a verbal password? Is it a magical signature? Is it a carried items? Do we tap the wall in some sequence? Does it open only for a certain person?"
20:03 <•Anastasia> The first is what gets the wobble.
20:03 <•Anastasia> "So it is a password," Anne says, "At least we know that now."
20:03 <•Skaya> "Is it in Common, the language we're speaking?"
20:04 <•Anastasia> No wobble. Instead a weird, side to side shake.
20:04 <•Skaya> "Is it Terran? Sanda, please demonstrate a few phrases."
20:05 <•Anastasia> Sanda does so. No wobble.
20:05 <•Skaya> "Draconic?" She provides a few samples as well.
20:05 <•Anastasia> That gets a wobble.
20:06 <•Anastasia> "Dragons!" Sanda perks up, "Of course it's dragons."
20:06 <•Anastasia> Anne sighs quietly, reaching up to rub her face, "The most dangerous option there was, of course."
20:06 <•Skaya> "Nice!" Skaya decides to read the sentences from the two plaques they've run into to see if the password is part of them.
20:06 <•Anastasia> OOC: Paste them for me?
20:07 <•Skaya> OOC:  To here might is staked, to below might is born. The roar of the earth is the roar of the world.
20:08 <•Skaya> OOC: I don't have the other offhand, sorry
20:14 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, was a moment for life anyway.
20:14 <•Anastasia> Neither phrase has anything happen.
20:16 <•Skaya> "Maybe we rushed too fast. Is it one word? Two words? Three words?" Skaya keeps on checking to see if the slime could help them narrow it down further.
20:17 <•Anastasia> Two words is what gets the wobble.
20:17 <•Skaya> "Nice! Ah, do you speak Draconic, by chance?"
20:17 <•Anastasia> "Two words," Anne murmurs, "Difficult. Likely a phrase or something with meaning."
20:17 <•Anastasia> A wobble.
20:18 <•Anastasia> "Logically it would be, or even something with meaning to them," Sanda agrees, "Like an oath or a society's secret motto. Oh, like logic over all or statistics prove the world."
20:19 <•Devar> "I wonder if it could write it somehow?" Devar asks. "I'm not sure how it'd manage to do that, though..."
20:19 <•Skaya> "Amazing! Truly amazing! I'm going to start going down the Draconic alphabet while seeking out the first letter of the first word. Once we have it, I'll start going for the next one and so on. If there is no response during all the letters, I'll assume it to be the end of the word and move on to the second one. I know it's a bit of a pain, but I'll be sure to make a warning for any adventurers not to bother you at your cavern.
20:19 <•Skaya> Does that work?"
20:21 <•Anastasia> A wobble.
20:21 <•Skaya> "Thanks! So I'm starting now...."
20:21 <•Anastasia> "Smart of you," Sanda pipes up, "That's close enough to writing it and it should work. But how does it know so many languages? Is there a slime school? Statistically speaking, there can't be any demand for that."
20:21 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
20:21 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=2 ]{2}
20:21 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
20:21 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=28 ]{28}
20:22 <•Anastasia> It takes some time, but the first word (translated) is: Combined. Fortunately nothing comes your way, at least.
20:22 <•Devar> "It might be part of the knowledge of the person who was... er..." Devar gestures towards the slime.
20:23 <•Skaya> "Combined," Skaya muses. "We've reached an a word that makes sense as part of a pair. Now, the second word, please...."
20:23 <•Anastasia> "Er," Anne agrees, "That's a disturbing thought."
20:23 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
20:24 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=73 ]{73}
20:24 <•Anastasia> It takes more time, but the second word is: Essences. Tranlsated, of course.
20:24 — •Skaya laughs. "Combined Essences? How on the nose."
20:24 <•Devar> "That certainly does make sense, given what we've seen." Devar says.
20:25 <•Skaya> "So." Skaya gives the slimecat her attention once more. "Are you happy with your life at that pond? Do you want to change anything in it?"
20:27 <•Anastasia> A wobble at the last.
20:29 <•Skaya> "I'm going to be firing all over here to try and get this right, so I'm sorry in advance if I upset you. Do you want revenge on this wizard? Do you want people to stop coming over? Do you want more loot? Do you want to relocate to a larger pond?"
20:29 <•Anastasia> A strong wobble at all of it.
20:29 <•Skaya> "Can the wizard control you if you meet again?"
20:35 <•Anastasia> No wobble.
20:37 <•Skaya> "I have a fresh proposal for you. We came across a much larger body of water before, and it's not in use by anyone sapient. If it has anything hostile again after we already cleared it, we can help you do it. And if you want to come with us to fight this wizard, you'll get a share like all of us. Finally, I can't promise this, but if the wizard's notes allow us to find a better method of communication, we'll share it with you.
20:37 <•Skaya> What do you think?"
20:39 <•Anastasia> A wobble is your answer.
20:39 <•Anastasia> "Well, that's a yes, right?" Rina offers, "I think?"
20:39 — •Skaya nods to herself. "I believe it is agreement, but you could ask in your own words. In any case, it seems only fair to me."
20:40 <•Anastasia> Another wobble at your own words.
20:40 <•Anastasia> "If it works, it works?" Rina offers back.
20:41 <•Skaya> "Do we want to bring Regis and Marken back for this?" Skaya asks the others. "And since we already know another hidden magical door, do you want to go in as two teams?"
20:49 <•Devar> "Who knows what we're up against." Devar offers.
20:50 <•Skaya> "Well yes, so is that a vote to bring them over? Or to avoid conflict altogether?"
20:52 <•Devar> "I think it's pretty clear that whatever is going on is against the will of the things being... combined." Devar says. "And I really doubt this wizard is going to stop doing that if we ask nicely."
20:53 <•Devar> "So we probably ought to get as much help as possible." He adds.
20:53 <•Skaya> "For a two-pronged assault?"
20:53 <•Anastasia> "Probably, but it is all our eggs in one basket," Anne remarks, "If this goes wrong, we'll have no backup. There's something to be said of a reserve to rally a rescue if we're captured."
20:54 <•Anastasia> "Statistically speaking, our odds are best with massed force, however," Sanda points out.
20:55 <•Devar> "So maybe get some folks down here to stay back just in case the force is overwhelming?" Devar offers.
20:55 — •Skaya is just listening to the various opinions for now.
20:58 <•Anastasia> Rina's quiet, "We could always do the opposite and try a sneak force to see if we can infiltrate and get information," she offers.
20:59 <•Anastasia> "Some reserve is smart," Anne agrees with Devar, "Of course, the question is who and how?"
20:59 <•Skaya> "Okay. Let's send word to the guys with everything we've learned, and then try to go in. We'll see what's there and act accordingly."
21:08 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, sum up the plan then?
21:08 <•Skaya> OOC: We send the information to Regis and Marken, then wait for our messenger to return and go Open Sesame with the slimecat.
21:11 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, who is the messenger?
21:11 <•Skaya> OOC: Devar and Rina can do it, we'll wait!
21:14 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, that works assuming Devar has no objections? I'll start the rolling in the meantime while waiting on confirmation.
21:14 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
21:14 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=42 ]{42}
21:14 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
21:14 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=35 ]{35}
21:14 <•Devar> OOC: All good here
21:15 <•Anastasia> The trip back is simple enough. Devar and Rina find Regis and Marken awaiting. "There you are - wait, where's everyone?" Regis immediately asks as you take in the fresh air outside.
21:15 <•Anastasia> "They're fine, we come bearing news," Rina annoucnes, "We found the password!"
21:18 <•Devar> "We found another chimera - this one appears to be a cat, a slime and... unfortunately a person." Devar says. "But it wasn't hostile and Skaya found a way to... well, communicate is the best way to put it."
21:26 <•Anastasia> Marken grimaces.
21:26 <•Anastasia> "So it got you the password?" Regis asks, "What's behind that, then?"
21:27 <•Anastasia> "Dont' know yet, we wanted to give word in case things went wrong," Rina explains, "So our backup knows what to do."
21:29 <•Devar> Devar nods. "I think the plan was to have two groups, just in case." He says. "Our next step is to go through and find out what's going on."
21:30 <•Anastasia> "So how long do you want us to wait before we do something?" Marken asks, pressing on.
21:30 <•Anastasia> "In case it goes wrong?" Rina hums, "Good question."
21:33 <•Devar> "I'd say give us an hour?" Devar offers. "If we're not back by then, come down."
21:34 <•Anastasia> "Alright then," Regis says, "We'll give you an hour."
21:36 <•Devar> Devar nods and will head back!
21:36 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
21:36 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=83 ]{83}
21:36 <•Anastasia> It's a peaeful trip back as well, fortunately. The group awaits you and the news you bring. OOC: Go ahead.
21:37 <•Skaya> "Alright, then! Combined Essences!" The password is spoken in Draconic.
21:48 <•Anastasia> The password is spoken and the wall shifts, a passage opening up in it just like that.
21:48 — •Skaya looks for any traps, unlikely though it may be.
21:48 <•Skaya> OOC: Perception 10 for 16
21:49 <•Anastasia> Skaya doesnt' see any traps or the like.
21:49 — •Skaya bravely steps inside!
21:52 <•Anastasia> Skaya steps inside, and what lies ahead is revealed...next time! OOC: We're just about at pausing time and I have family over, so this is about good. OOC room to talk about possible bonus session.

[Corwin]

19:04 <•Anastasia> Ahead lies a passageway sloping down. Fairly straight forward, simply a passage leading further in at a fairly steep slope. No signs of obvious defenses or problems, at least.
19:05 — •Skaya spends some time examining their surroundings. Is there illumination in the corridor? That's important for those with her, at least. Does the passageway start from the opening in the rock? Or did the opening create a door into a corridor leading both ways?
19:10 <•Anastasia> There's no light, so your light sources will be helpful there. It opens up slightly and then goes down, there's no passage in the other direction.
19:10 <•Skaya> "Let's first get in and see if it closes on its own," Skaya decides. "We'll also be on the lookout for other doors outside, since we know there's at least one more."
19:14 → Kobot joined (~dunefar@lunarnet-82C188CE.hr.hr.cox.net)
19:15 <•Anastasia> The others follow, Anne commenting, "You think there could be? Well, it does make sense."
19:15 <•Anastasia> Sanda hms, "Yes well, we'll make do with that," she says.
19:15 <•Skaya> "There was that one Sanda identified but we couldn't open before," Skaya says with a shrug, before deciding to ask the slimecat, "Does the passage doorway close on its own after a bit?"
19:17 <•Anastasia> A wiggle.
19:17 <•Skaya> "Let's go! Take care of the light, I'll be okay without it." And she leads the way!
19:21 <•Anastasia> OOC: Going to be particularly far ahead of the rest, Skaya?
19:21 <•Skaya> OOC: 30ft
19:24 <•Anastasia> The passage goes on a little bit, not too long. Maybe 120ft at most. At the bottom sits a sturdy wooden door, one that's closed. No lock on it Skaya sees, at least.
19:25 — •Skaya creeps over to the door and listens! And also checks for any traps.
19:25 <•Anastasia> OOC: Give me PErceptionx2.
19:26 <•Skaya> OOC: We will go with taking 10 for 16 x2
19:29 <•Anastasia> No traps, nor do you hear anything.
19:31 — •Skaya holds up three fingers up, then two, then one, and then she opens the door!
19:35 <•Anastasia> The door opens cleanly. It leads into a large open cavern, with the ceiling about 40ft up or so. Huge stalagmites hang from the ceiling, water dripping from them. Several smokeless torches dot the walls, providing light for the entire room. The room's large, and on the far end is another door. High above, about 30ft up, is a small balcony right above that other door, that looks down on the
19:35 <•Anastasia> entire room. AS for the room itself, it's damp and with puddles in several places. However, on the far left side is a large plaque set into the floor, recessed in.
19:36 <•Skaya> Does it look exactly like the other two plaques they'd seen already?
19:36 <•Anastasia> Same general design, just bigger. At least on a glance.
19:36 — •Skaya waves the others inside, while she takes a moment to read the plaque.
19:36 <•Anastasia> Rina trots in, and in alow voice asks, "No sense of interior decoration, is there?"
19:37 <•Anastasia> Sanda comes in slowly, and with a glance at Devar, "Curious, isn't it?"
19:38 <•Skaya> It's a cave under a dried up lake! The stone furniture they'd already seen it probably the height of what's possible without incredible magic.
19:51 <•Devar> "This is all very curious." He murmurs to Sanda.
19:54 <•Anastasia> Anne follows in slowly, "I don't-" she begins as Skaya reads the plaque. It reads in draconic: Offering ground of those that are worthy. "Congratulations on your arrival, you will be an offering towards the Great Creation! Rejoice!" Then, abruptly, the door that lead you into this room slams shut.
19:55 <•Anastasia> "
19:56 <•Skaya> "Congrats, we're an offering!"
19:56 <•Anastasia> "We just walked into a trap, didn't we?" Rina asks, glancing back at the door.
19:56 <•Skaya> "Oh yes."
19:57 <•Anastasia> Anne sighs and stares at the slime. "How terrible of you, to mislead us that way."
19:57 <•Anastasia> The slime wobbles and wiggles.
19:57 <•Skaya> "Yes, what a stunning betrayal!"
19:58 <•Devar> "It's possible it didn't know?" Devar offers. "It isn't like it's attacking us now despite the trap being sprung."
19:58 <•Anastasia> "Well, cats do tend to do things like that," Sanda says, eyeing it as it at least doesn't attack right away. "So..." she goes back to the door and tries it, but it doesn't open.
19:58 — •Skaya goes to try the other door!
19:58 <•Anastasia> "Rejoice!" A high, reedy and thin voice calls from above, from somewhere past that balcony above. "For you have been chosen to contribute to the Great Creation!"
19:59 <•Anastasia> That door does not open, either.
19:59 <•Skaya> "I'll bite. What's the Great Creation?" Skaya asks, heading back to try and get some line of sight on the speaker.
20:00 <•Anastasia> OOC: Perception.
20:00 <•Skaya> OOC: Let's take 10 and also use insight for 20
20:01 <•Devar> roll 1d20+7 for the heck of it
20:01 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+7 for the heck of it --> [ 1d20=12 ]{19}
20:01 <•Anastasia> Unfortunately, the distance and the shdaows outside of the torches provide considerable natural concealment. He calls back, his voice energetic, fast, rapid. "The merger of all creatures into one true whole! But it hardly matters, for your role is to succumb to thirst and hunger, then be harvested once you're harmless."
20:02 <•Skaya> OOC: I do have darkvision 60ft
20:02 <•Anastasia> OOC: It's outside of the range, unfortunately. That's why I mentioned the distance.
20:02 <•Skaya> "I'm a very academic sort and I like learning. Since you're planning on killing me anyway, why not gloat a bit about your master plan?" Skaya entices him with a grin.
20:03 <•Anastasia> Sanda tilts her head, "Statistically speaking, it does make sense to do that," She says in thought, calling up. "Please, tell us more like that, it's very invigorating."
20:03 <•Skaya> "I know it must burn you deep down inside! How they never listened to you, never believed in you and your genius!"
20:04 <•Devar> Devar opens his mouth but decides to let the rest try and goad this individual.
20:04 <•Anastasia> "Oh no, nothing like that. I'll leave you to succumb to your needs and wallow in the despair of long, slow suffering." A beat, "Try not to kill the slime, I'd like to combine some of you with it to see how that turns out." Then long and slow footsteps, fading away into the distance, until even the echo of them is gone.
20:05 <•Skaya> "You all know he's lying, right? Anything else is a statistical impossibility."
20:05 <•Anastasia> "Of course," Sanda agrees right away.
20:06 <•Skaya> "Sanda, darling, can you check the surroundings with magic? While focusing on the locked doors and on that balcony?"
20:06 <•Anastasia> "I'm not sure if he's merely a lunatic or an intelligent lunatic," Anne bites off, "Oh Hopebringer, be with us," she murmurs.
20:09 <•Anastasia> Sanda nods nad gets to that. In the meantime Rina goes to the door you came, eyes it and says, "Devar, you're a big strong man. Could you try and batter this down first?"
20:09 <•Anastasia> OOC: Sanda taking ten as appropriate.
20:09 <•Skaya> "I'm pretty sure I'm stronger than this big strong man. Just saying."
20:10 <•Devar> "...isn't his master plan foiled by anyone who could just... fly? Or create food and water?" Devar asks. He glances over at Rina. "I could certainly give it a go, but even to Skaya's point I imagine they're not so easily broken down."
20:10 <•Anastasia> "Then how about both of you?" Anne interjects, "Escape isn't a competition."
20:10 <•Skaya> "Guys, wizard trap. Check for more wizard traps first. We can always break it down five minutes later."
20:11 <•Anastasia> Meanwhile Anne then eyes the slime, which seems content to watch. "Wait a second. Someone here has acid. I wonder if it's acid could do - no, probably not, the other slimes were selective to flesh and I doubt someone who did this would overlook the obvious."
20:11 <•Anastasia> "From what I can tell, the doors are reinforced similar to an arcane lock," Sanda says, "In addition to being sturdy doors. Wood at least, and there might even be metal reinforcement inside. Logically speaking, it's going to be excessively difficult to impossible to batter them down by direct force."
20:12 <•Anastasia> Meanwhile, Rina chews on that, "Might be why we're only seeing this now. I wonder if he's been watching and thinks we can't fly. So if you can fly, Devar, now's the time to tell us."
20:12 <•Skaya> "That's ridiculous!" Skaya immediately protests. "Sanda, it's a touch spell! There's no way he used it, and there's no way he knows Permanency, either!"
20:13 <•Devar> "Not as of currently." He says. "But... well, I don't know it yet, but it sounds like Knock would work?"
20:13 <•Anastasia> Sanda shakes her head, "Skaya, we're either dealing with a powerful mage, in which case we've already lost, or someone else did it and he's piggybacking on it. You assume that's the only one, or that this isn't something he's merely taking advantage of, or who knows what?"
20:14 <•Skaya> "There was no one behind us when the door slammed shut, right? Anne, I think you were the closest?"
20:15 <•Anastasia> "Not that I saw or heard. You could do that without magic, though." She muses, "I've seen it a time or two. Or they had someone invisible and sneaky, like those fish, and they fooled us."
20:15 <•Skaya> "Okay. So let's talk options, but quietly. He doesn't have more magic here for clairvoyance, right?"
20:16 <•Anastasia> "Probably not, and if he does, we've lost anyway," Sanda reasons. "So we may as well act as if he doesn't."
20:18 <•Skaya> "Fair. So, option one. We break the lock. It's still a fancy lock, even if it's magic. Once Sanda shows me where it is, I can try to work at it. My chances if it's Arcane Lock are...  slim but not zero."
20:18 <•Devar> "Honestly, he could've just lobbed spells at us from us there, right?" Devar asks. "I don't know, maybe he's so confident that he doesn't need to...oh, and worst case the others will come by in an hour."
20:19 <•Skaya> "He wants to make a chimera from us, which is hard if we're already dead or full of holes," Skaya tells Devar quite reasonably.
20:19 <•Skaya> "But yes, waiting for the others is option two. Maybe the door will open for them, maybe they can help us break it down or call for help."
20:20 <•Devar> "I guess if he doesn't have anything that could put us back together... but that still seems odd." He shakes his head. "Hey-" He turns to the slime. "Can you climb walls, by any chance?"
20:20 <•Anastasia> The slime does not wiggle.
20:20 <•Skaya> "I can climb," Skaya says. "And jump! I can do everything. That's option 3."
20:21 — •Skaya shrugs. "Option four is just waiting him out. I don't think he appreciates how much food and drink I brought with me for emergencies such as this."
20:21 <•Anastasia> Meanwhile, Ann closes her eyes. She's quiet a long bit, "No, I think he's not that strong," she finally says, after thinking about it. "He'd do this more directly if he was. The more I think about it, the more I suspect he's a minion or piggybacking on someone else, as was said by another. This is the long and slow method, and while safe if it works for him, gives us ample time to try to escape."
20:22 <•Anastasia> "I like option three first. If someone can climb up and lower a rope, we can escape directly," Sanda speaks up.
20:22 <•Devar> "Maybe there's a lever or something up on that balcony?" Devar says. "Something that opens the other doors? Or maybe they're all password-activated."
20:22 <•Skaya> "I think the fifth option is breaking the wall, honestly. We do have the ability, and it avoids the magical defenses since the walls and floor are magic free."
20:24 <•Anastasia> "There might be," Anne agrees, "Though that would be incredibly fortunate. Breaking the wall would make a great deal of noise. It's possible he's willing to send in an elemental or worse if we get out of hand. He might merely be strained for resources. I dobut we're the only one investigating him right now."
20:24 <•Anastasia> *there might be a lever
20:28 <•Skaya> "Okay, give me a few," Skaya says after listening to the feedback, and takes out her length of rope and grappling hook to secure the two together.
20:31 — •Skaya further makes knots in the rope for easy climb for most of them. It'd lessen the challenge for some of them like Anne, and while the length of the rope would shorten, it'd still be comfortably enough to climb the thirty feet needed! And then she throws the hook towards the balcony!
20:32 <•Anastasia> OOC: Give me an acrobatics check I guess, there's not a skill that neatly covers this so we'll work with that and I'll set an appropriate DC.
20:33 <•Skaya> OOC: Use Rope has it at DC 10 +2 for each 10ft. So DC16. For this, I'd like to take 10 and further use cunning knowledge for a result of 23.
20:36 <•Anastasia> With a loud, metallic CLINK the grappling hook is thrown - and catches, managing to secure a path up.
20:36 — •Skaya scampers up the rope carefully, using the nearby wall for support! She must establish a beachhead! And secure the rope better just in case for the others.
20:36 <•Skaya> OOC: The dc here is like 5, I have +8 to the check
20:38 <•Anastasia> OOC: Perception all.
20:38 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6
20:38 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{13}
20:38 <•Anastasia> OOC: Various NPCs will take 10.
20:40 <•Devar> roll 1d20+7 for the heck of it
20:40 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+7 for the heck of it --> [ 1d20=6 ]{13}
20:42 <•Anastasia> Huh. As Skaya begins to climb, everyone can hear it - solid, heavy footsteps from above, coming towards the balcony.
20:42 — •Skaya can only speed up!
20:43 <•Anastasia> "Oh no," Anne murmurs, looking upward.
20:43 <•Skaya> OOC: Accelerated climbing give me half speed rather than quarter, and I can eat the -5 penalty
20:43 <•Anastasia> OOC: What's that put your speed at then?
20:43 <•Skaya> OOC: 15ft, and since I'm double moving I should get there in a round
20:44 <•Anastasia> Skaya hurries as fast as she can. Which helps but there's one problem. Just as she peeks her head up and is ready to heft herself up? A man sized earth elemental is there, within arm's reach with one last stride. Suffice to say, Skaya has a problem. OOC: Goa head and react, I may call for init depending on what your action is.
20:48 <•Skaya> "Sanda, it's an earth elemental! Ask it what its orders are!" Skaya calls down.
20:49 <•Anastasia> Sanda calls up some words of Terran - but any answer is lost as it lurches forward for you and...OOC: I'll call for init here then, it's not friendly and that wasn't enough to move the needle.
20:49 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6
20:49 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6 --> [ 1d20=1 ]{7}
20:49 <•Anastasia> OOC: Devar, you're welcome to roll if you want to and think it'll help - oh hey natural 1 - though the NPCs won't be and just be reactive instead, since they're out of the main combat.
20:50 <•Skaya> OOC: Ranged attacks!
20:50 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20-1 Elemental
20:50 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20-1 Elemental --> [ 1d20=13 ]{12}
20:50 <•Skaya> OOC: If it can hit me, they can see it
20:50 <•Anastasia> OOC: Fair point. Okay, they'll roll in just a moment.
20:51 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+2 Anne
20:51 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+2 Anne --> [ 1d20=10 ]{12}
20:51 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5 Rina
20:51 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 Rina --> [ 1d20=6 ]{11}
20:51 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20 Sanda
20:51 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20 Sanda --> [ 1d20=6 ]{6}
20:51 <•Skaya> OOC: Can I use Cunning Defense?
20:51 <•Skaya> OOC: It's a free action
20:53 <•Anastasia> OOC: Doesn't say a nything about not using it flatfooted, so you're fine on that count. Waiting on Devar to respond.
20:53 <•Devar> OOC: I can try, though I don't think I have anything to do either
20:53 <•Devar> roll 1d20+2
20:53 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{13}
20:54 <•Anastasia> Init is Devar (13) > Earth Elemental = Anne (12) > Rina (11) > Skaya (7) > Sanda (6)
20:54 <•Anastasia> OOC: Open or just hold if you have anything you want to do here, Devar.
20:55 <•Devar> OOC: The best I've got is a sling which isn't going to do a lot so I'll hold in case I can catch anyone who gets knocked off or something
20:55 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, Anne's in the same position so she's basically the on demand healing. Elemental.
20:56 <•Anastasia> The elemental does one thing - it grabs for the grappling hook and tries to toss it aside before Skaya can get up.
20:56 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+8 we'll call this an attack roll
20:56 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+8 we'll call this an attack roll --> [ 1d20=12 ]{20}
20:57 <•Anastasia> Before Skaya can try to climb up or react further, the grappling hook is knocked free and tossed aside, sending Skaya tumbling down. OOC: Anything to do on your end to fall mitigate, Skaya? Otherwise back to Devar with fall prevention attempts sinc ehe held to do that.
20:59 <•Skaya> There's nothing Skaya can do to prevent it. At least the drop is short.
20:59 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay Devar, you're holding to help catch someone as you said. Go for it. Just going to try and catch Skaya directly?
21:21 <•Devar> OOC: Yeah

[Corwin]

19:01 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, should be easy enough, but give me a dex check just for reference, +2 bonus.
19:02 <Devar> roll 1d20+4
19:02 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+4 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{7}
19:02 <•Anastasia> roll 1d4 both of you but nothing else
19:02 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d4 both of you but nothing else --> [ 1d4=1 ]{1}
19:02 •Devar was opped (+o) by •Anastasia
19:03 •Devar set the topic: Skaya: 22/23 Devar 25/26
19:04 <•Anastasia> Ow. It's a bit of a hard impact - it jarrs both of you a little bit, but Devar smoothly catches Skaya. That could've been much worse, even as the grappling hook hits the ground off to the side. Anne approaches and checks both of you over, while meanwhile Rina tries flinging a dart up.
19:04 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+3 (-2 range increment)
19:04 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+3 (-2 range increment) --> [ 1d20=7 ]{10}
19:05 <•Devar> "You all right?" Devar asks. "Sorry, that could've been more smooth."
19:05 <•Anastasia> Which doesn't even quite reach, a bad throw all in all. OOC: Skaya, go.
19:06 <•Skaya> "Thanks for the catch, I'm fine," Skaya says, hopping back to her feet. Then, she looks at the rope she's still holding onto. Huh. She gives it a good twirl and then tosses it up again! But this time, the goal is to have the grappling hook catch on the elemental! Let's see if they can all pull it down!
19:07 <•Skaya> OOC: I figure it'd be a regular ranged attack roll? Since I'd pass acrobatics on a take 10.
19:08 <•Anastasia> OOC: Go for it. I'm going to rule -2 since I figure it's worth at least one range increment on a grappling hook.
19:09 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+5+4-2 cunning insight times
19:09 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+5+4-2 cunning insight times --> [ 1d20=17 ]{24}
19:19 <•Anastasia> Sure enough, you throw it and the grappling hook catches on the elemental's shoulder. Got it! For as long as it lasts, anyway. Sanda peers up, then glances at Skaya questioningly before grabbing part of the rope. Anne does as well, not having done much before as all the party grabs on, trying to pull the elemental down. OOC: We'll call this group strength checks against the elemental.
19:20 — •Skaya pulls with a grin once everyone's got a good grip! She put knots into the rope, it's very easy to hold!
19:21 <•Skaya> OOC: So should I roll my str and you'll add modifiers for the group?
19:24 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+3+4 brains over brawn
19:24 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+3+4 brains over brawn --> [ 1d20=11 ]{18}
19:25 <•Anastasia> OOC: That works. Devar, roll too.
19:25 <•Devar> It's a bit unorthodox, but Devar tries to help and pull it down!
19:25 <•Devar> roll 1d20+2
19:25 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{19}
19:26 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+12 (+1 earth mastery should apply, +4 leverage, +2 weight)
19:26 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+12 (+1 earth mastery should apply, +4 leverage, +2 weight) --> [ 1d20=4 ]{16}
19:27 <•Anastasia> With everyone pulling and great tugs. The elemental takes a step forward, then another, another and another. Then - with a huge groan it tumbles over, falling down hard and...
19:27 <•Anastasia> roll 3d6 fall damage
19:27 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 3d6 fall damage --> [ 3d6=6 ]{6}
19:28 <•Anastasia> It lands in front of everyone with a massive CRUNCH, the echo of it loud in the cavern as the rock beneath it cracks. It's down hard, the party having a chance - it's momentarily disabled! OOC: Free round for everyone on it, go.
19:28 <•Skaya> "Get him!" Skaya hurriedly commands, striking from point blank!
19:29 <•Skaya> roll 2#1d20+4+4 cunning insight x2
19:29 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2#1d20+4+4 cunning insight x2 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{17}, [ 1d20=3 ]{11}
19:29 <•Skaya> OOC: Any chance for flanking to actually hit?
19:29 <•Devar> Devar moves over to swing at it!
19:29 <•Devar> roll 1d20+5
19:29 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+5 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{16}
19:30 <•Anastasia> OOC: Flanking will give you both +2, which is enough for one hit each.
19:30 <•Skaya> OOC: Thanks! So kind.
19:30 <•Devar> roll 2d4+2
19:30 <Kobot> Devar rolled 2d4+2 --> [ 2d4=4 ]{6}
19:30 <•Skaya> roll 1d6+3+4 cunning insight
19:30 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d6+3+4 cunning insight --> [ 1d6=2 ]{9}
19:33 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5 Sanda will flank with Anne for +2
19:33 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 Sanda will flank with Anne for +2 --> [ 1d20=12 ]{17}
19:35 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+6
19:35 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+6 --> [ 1d20=1 ]{7}
19:35 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5 Rina will stay back and dart
19:35 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 Rina will stay back and dart --> [ 1d20=3 ]{8}
19:36 <•Anastasia> A bevy of blows. The elemental is battered and beaten about, cracked and crushed. It's not down though, slowly starting to react as...OOC: Init anew, all. Didn't put it down so we go back into it.
19:36 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20-1 Elemental
19:36 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20-1 Elemental --> [ 1d20=2 ]{1}
19:36 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6
19:36 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6 --> [ 1d20=15 ]{21}
19:36 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+2 Anne
19:36 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+2 Anne --> [ 1d20=12 ]{14}
19:36 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5 Rina
19:36 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 Rina --> [ 1d20=15 ]{20}
19:36 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20 Sanda
19:36 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20 Sanda --> [ 1d20=12 ]{12}
19:36 <•Devar> roll 1d20+2
19:36 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{13}
19:36 <•Anastasia> Init is Skaya (21) > Rina (20) > Elemental (1)
19:36 <•Anastasia> OOC: Gah.
19:36 <•Anastasia> Init is Skaya (21) > Rina (20) > Anne (14) > Devar (13) > Sanda (12) > Elemental (1)
19:36 <•Anastasia> OOC: SKaya.
19:36 <•Skaya> What can they do but hit on the elemental until it drops? If a time to go all out existed, it clearly is now!
19:37 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6+4+2 flanking, last cunning insight
19:37 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+4+2 flanking, last cunning insight --> [ 1d20=1 ]{13}
19:37 <•Anastasia> It's a heavy blow but one that doesn't land solid, too much  to the side and a miss instead. Then another dart comes, Rina staying well out of that overcrowded beat down.
19:37 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5
19:37 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{22}
19:39 <•Anastasia> roll 1d4+1
19:39 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d4+1 --> [ 1d4=1 ]{2}
19:39 <•Anastasia> A dart clinks into a crack and sinks in, perhaps doing a little more as Anne continues her grim assault, "For hope and for the orphans!"
19:39 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+6
19:39 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+6 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{23}
19:40 <•Anastasia> roll 1d8+2
19:40 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d8+2 --> [ 1d8=5 ]{7}
19:41 <•Anastasia> Blow after blow rains down. At last it's Anne's mace that cracks its head into rubble, the rest of its body at last giving up the fight. Underneath your blows it's finished, the elemental defeated. Relief for the moment, if nothing else one further opponent slain.  OOC: Free act.
19:42 <•Skaya> Without even a cheer, Skaya grabs her rope and sends the grappling hook towards the balcony again! And then she climbs fast!
19:44 <•Devar> Devar lets out a breath. They'll have to figure out why the elementals are working with this crazed individual eventually.
20:02 <•Anastasia> OOC: Everyone going up?
20:03 <•Skaya> OOC: Except for the slime, I think
20:03 <•Anastasia> As the party goes up, Skaya is first. She sees that the balcony is fairly empty, but a passage leads deeper in. No one's immediately in sight.
20:04 — •Skaya stays at the top, ready to assist the next climber. Then, she'll move a few feet further to serve as an early warning system.
20:05 <•Devar> "Um... I guess just stay here for now since I don't think you can get up there." Devar says to the slime. "If anyone else comes in just do your best to stay away."
20:08 <•Anastasia> The slime slithers to the rope. It rocks onto its side and the feet you saw before reach out. Crudely they grasp the rope, twisting more like hands than feet, an oddly slimy flexibility to them. With that it begins to slither-lift itself up the rope. Sanda peers from above once she gets up at it and says simply, "Interesting qualities its picked up there."
20:09 <•Devar> "That's certainly ingenuity, all right." He says. "I'll go up last just in case."
20:12 <•Anastasia> The slime makes it up uneventfully, though Devar notices the rope is all slimy and slick now. Meanwhile it blobs right along, coming to a rest near Skaya as she keeps watch.
20:12 <•Anastasia> Anne eyes the rope, "I have another if you need to switch ropes."
20:13 <•Skaya> "Say, can you control your acidity?" Skaya asks the slimecat curiously. "Can you make it so my hand doesn't melt off if I touch you?"
20:15 <•Anastasia> No wobbles there.
20:16 <•Skaya> "That's pretty sad. But maybe you can train yourself later?"
20:16 <•Devar> "I'll probably just get a bit of goop on me." He says, tentatively reaching out to grab the rope - if it was acidic it'd eat through the rope though, wouldn't it? Except there were those corpses and their equipment that was fine... huh. Well, no harm in trying to touch it, at least. Assuming it doesn't burn him he'll go to climb up after the others, though likely a little more slowly with the
20:16 <•Devar> goopiness.
20:18 <•Anastasia> It feels odd on his hands, but not immediately corrosive.
20:19 <•Devar> Huh. Magical? They'll have time to investigate that later. Up he goes!
20:20 <•Anastasia> Up Devar goes. It's trickier but still doable with a simple climb. Now everyone's up so...now what?
20:28 <•Devar> "Huh, well nothing much up here and only one way to go I guess." He remarks.
20:28 — •Skaya leads the way once everyone is up! She has darkvision and isn't afraid to use it!
20:36 <•Anastasia> Onward. Down this passage is a short, narrow passage that leads to as ingle door going further in. This door, you notice, is quite sturdy and made of heavy, hard wood. It also has a lock with a keyhole visible.
20:39 <•Devar> "Surprisingly standard faire so far." Devar says. "Anyone good with locks?"
20:40 <•Skaya> Of course it's Skaya! She also checks it for traps, and to see if it's actually locked.
20:40 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6
20:40 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{22}
20:42 <•Anastasia> It is indeed locked and it's also trapped. If opened by someone that isn't able to cast second level arcane spells or higher, it will emit a cloud that weakens the body.
20:47 — •Skaya considers this a bit. Would the trap still go off if someone without second level arcane spells merely unlocks it? And then, a proper mage opens it?
20:48 <•Anastasia> Skaya isn't honestly sure.
20:49 <•Skaya> OOC: Use Magic Device can allow you to emulate a class feature at DC 20. Can it be used for this?
20:50 <•Anastasia> OOC: Yes.
20:50 <•Anastasia> OOC: Yocu ould try, yes
20:50 <•Anastasia> .
20:51 — •Skaya ruffles Sanda's hair for luck and then sends the others thirty five feet away just in case. Then, she tries to open the door by thinking really hard she can cast better spells than she knows. If she fakes it enough, eventually it will become true!
20:52 <•Skaya> OOC: UMD 10 with Cunning Knowledge for 20, Disable Device 10 with Cunning Knowledge for 21.
20:57 <•Anastasia> OOC: UMD says you can't take 10 with it, so you have to roll it, unless you have something that says otherwise.
20:58 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+10 let's roll the dice!
20:58 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+10 let's roll the dice! --> [ 1d20=10 ]{20}
21:03 <•Anastasia> With a good effort Skaya is able to finesse it just so, undoing the lock without a toxic cloud of gas.
21:04 — •Skaya waves Sanda over so that their wizard could open the door. It's better, too, since Skaya could immediately charge into the room if it is occupied!
21:07 <•Anastasia> The door is opened. Inside is a stairway going down, carved out of the stone here. More of the torches from before provide light here as well.
21:08 — •Skaya stares in dismay, before proceeding while continuing to look for hidden dangers or passageways.
21:08 <•Skaya> OOC: I'll take 10 for Perception 16
21:10 <•Devar> roll 1d20+7 Perception from the back just in case it matters
21:10 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+7 Perception from the back just in case it matters --> [ 1d20=15 ]{22}
21:13 <•Anastasia> No traps either of you see. As you slowly go down the stairs, "Did you expect something else?" Sanda asks, "Logically, they'd be further down so I'm not sure why you look dismayed."
21:14 <•Skaya> "It's a secret wizard home, so I expected a floating disk to take us all the way below."
21:17 <•Anastasia> "Oh. Stairs are cheaper and slow down intruders more," Sanda answers, "Statistically speaking, any intelligent wizard would want stairs, plus they're good to stay in shapea fter long hours of reading."
21:18 <•Anastasia> Anne takes a long breath, "Focus, rather than linger on trivialities."
21:18 <•Skaya> "Allow me to disagree," Skaya responds to Sanda, ignoring Anne's objections. "A wizard should be properly prepared and value efficiency and convenience over all. A muscle wizard can just practice properly to get fit like you're doing with me."
21:20 <•Devar> "I think that is evidence we're not dealing with the original owner." Devar says. "This all does seem like something... I don't know what the right word is, like we're dealing with someone just trying to follow some steps?"
21:25 <•Anastasia> "I have to agree," Anne speaks over Sanda, who turns and gives Anne a nasty look. "This doesn't feel like something a wizard who would resort to only minor elementals and starving us out would construct. Though it's not impossible if his control over elementals is that exceptional."
21:26 <•Skaya> "Plus, now that I think about it. Cheaper? There's absolutely no way he brought some laborers from town to make the steps. It'd probably be a huge pain for a wizard with Knock-level arcane spells to make this."
21:27 <•Anastasia> "If not impossible for all practical measures," Anne concurs. "It would be a known thing."
21:27 — •Skaya glances over at the slimecat, and asks it, "Was this wizard always alone?"
21:27 <•Anastasia> "Which does fit this being someone who found something and is using it," Rina says, "And it would explain those plaques being moved, someone trying to change the game board to better suit him, like a cheater in Tempus's games."
21:28 <•Anastasia> No wobble as it follows the party along.
21:28 <•Devar> "I've been thinking about that too. I wonder if there's something here that's influenced the elementals in some way." Devar says. "If this guy had some control over the elementals and could send them out for some reason... you'd think there'd be more threat.with them, like... a coordinated assault of elementals is difficult, but that's not what we've seen, just... one or two of them that seem
21:28 <•Devar> hostile."
21:29 <•Skaya> "Was there one person with him? Two people? Three? More?" Skaya decides to guess.
21:31 <•Anastasia> "It does raise questions," Anne agrees as meanwhile the slime wobbles at three.
21:32 <•Skaya> "Were they cooperating with him willingly? Were they equals? Servants? Was one of them his superior?"
21:32 <•Anastasia> "Logically," Sanda goes on, overpowering any further response from Anne, who gives her a dirty look right back, "I'm guessing something influences the elementals but doesn't control them. A charm rather than a full compulsion."
21:32 <•Anastasia> Wobbles at the second.
21:33 <•Skaya> "Huh. Do you mean they weren't fully willing? Were they coerced? Blackmailed? Or we misunderstood each other, and it was a willing cooperation between equals?"
21:36 <•Anastasia> The last is what gets the wobble.
21:37 <•Skaya> "Okay. Just a bit more information, okay? Were they all human? Humanoid? Earth elementals? A mix of earth elementals and humanoids? Something else?"
21:37 <•Devar> "Huh, so there are three people here?" Devar murmurs to himself.
21:38 <•Skaya> "Would it be four, with the wizard and three more?"
21:42 <•Anastasia> A wobble at the first, and then a wobble at Devar.
21:43 <•Devar> "That... sounds like there were four, and now three?" Devar asks. "Maybe it is exactly what we've thought, where the original person in charge died and these are their followers?"
21:44 <•Skaya> "Well, if there were four and now there are three, is it because you are one of them?" Skaya asks the slimecat curiously.
21:49 <•Anastasia> No wobbles at all.
21:50 <•Skaya> "Last question for now, since it came up. Including the wizard we saw, are there three of them? Or four of them?"
21:52 <•Anastasia> The first is what gets you the wobbling.
21:52 <•Skaya> "Okay! Thanks." And she leads the way again.
21:56 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, it's about time for us and I'm fading pretty hard, supe rsleepy since I went into the water today.  We'll resume Saturday.

[Corwin]

Saturday, February 17th, 2024

19:56 <•Anastasia> A dart buries itself in Gilman's side, as he cries out as Anne cries, "Be silent and suffer your punishment!" she cries, as a burst of loud sound erupts around all three of them.
19:56 <•Anastasia> roll 1d8 just in range for her spell, lucky her
19:56 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d8 just in range for her spell, lucky her --> [ 1d8=3 ]{3}
19:56 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5 Gilman fort vs stun1  round
19:56 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 Gilman fort vs stun1 round --> [ 1d20=13 ]{18}
19:56 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+3 ???1 vs stun 1 round
19:56 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+3 ???1 vs stun 1 round --> [ 1d20=15 ]{18}
19:57 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+4 ???2 vs stun 1 round
19:57 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+4 ???2 vs stun 1 round --> [ 1d20=18 ]{22}
19:57 <•Anastasia> The burst of sound visibly rocks all three, as Sanda stands tall, two magical missiles flying form her fingers, slamming into the badly injured Gilman.
19:57 <•Anastasia> roll 2d4+2
19:57 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d4+2 --> [ 2d4=7 ]{9}
19:58 <•Anastasia> With that Gilman collapses with a scream of agony, as the other two cry, "How?! You should be starving down there!" OOC: Init.
19:58 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+2 Anne
19:58 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+2 Anne --> [ 1d20=7 ]{9}
19:58 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20 Sanda
19:58 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20 Sanda --> [ 1d20=7 ]{7}
19:59 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5 Rina
19:59 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 Rina --> [ 1d20=7 ]{12}
19:59 <•Skaya> "It's been less than an hour, how can people starve that quickly!"
19:59 <Devar> roll 1d20+2
19:59 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=1 ]{3}
19:59 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6
19:59 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6 --> [ 1d20=6 ]{12}
19:59 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+7 someone invested in improved init ???1
19:59 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+7 someone invested in improved init ???1 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{24}
19:59 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+3 ????2
19:59 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+3 ????2 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{20}
19:59 <Devar> "...Did you seriously never expect anyone to be able to just climb out of there?" Devar asks, looking honestly shocked at that question.
20:00 <•Anastasia> Init is ???1 (24) > ???2 (20) > Rina = Skaya (12) > Anne (9)  Sanda (7) > Devar (3)
20:06 <•Anastasia> The first one turns and points, and in words of draconic, intones, "Rumbling storm, rip!" A burst of electricity erupts all throughout the party, seizing through all of you.
20:06 <•Anastasia> roll 1d8 all and fort saves
20:06 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d8 all and fort saves --> [ 1d8=4 ]{4}
20:07 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+5+4 cunning insight
20:07 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+5+4 cunning insight --> [ 1d20=17 ]{26}
20:07 <Devar> roll 1d20+10 fort
20:07 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+10 fort --> [ 1d20=18 ]{28}
20:07 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+6 Anne
20:07 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+6 Anne --> [ 1d20=6 ]{12}
20:07 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5 Rina
20:07 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 Rina --> [ 1d20=8 ]{13}
20:09 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+3 Sanda
20:09 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+3 Sanda --> [ 1d20=2 ]{5}
20:10 <•Anastasia> The pain isn't the worst, but it hurts. However Skaya shakes it off as does Devar, but the other three? All seem visibly shocked and out of it, momentarily stunned by the zap. A moment later the other one fumbles with a scroll, pulling it out and starting to read it carefully. OOC: Rina, Anne and Sanda are stunned 1 round. The joy of low level options being fairly similar, as Anne is quite
20:10 <•Anastasia> irritated at the moment. Skaya, go.
20:10 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 18/23 Devar 21/26
20:11 <•Anastasia> OOC: Damage was full, so 4 damage for both of you, update H-oh there you go.
20:12 <•Skaya> "Head down!" Skaya says, pushing Rina and Sanda out of immediate line of sight. To the slimecat, she adds, "The deal was you get an equal share if you fight them with us. Up to you if you want to." And then she dashes for the stairs!
20:12 <•Skaya> OOC: I want to use my standard action to get those two out of immediate range while they're vulnerable
20:13 <•Anastasia> OOC: Sure, that's reasonable. More.
20:13 <•Anastasia> Init is ???1 (24) > ???2 (20) > Rina = Skaya (12) > Anne (9)  Sanda (7) > Devar (3) > Slimecat (1)
20:13 <•Anastasia> Rina and Sanda are pulled back, out of the immediate line of sight as meanwhile Devar...OOC: Go.
20:18 <Devar> Devar runs down the stairs to hopefully put himself and Skaya far enough apart for any further spells. OOC: Double move action to follow after her and then get slightly ahead so hopefully we're more than 20ft apart.
20:19 <•Anastasia> Skaya makes it just a bit down the stairs, while Devar is more than halfway with his fast movement, ahead of Skaya. Meanwhile the slimecat pushes Anne back, pulling her out of the way as well with one foot-like tendril of slime. "Urgh!" The first calls, and as Devar races down. He points and two magical missiles fly, slamming right into him.
20:20 <•Anastasia> roll 2d4+2 magic missles owwies
20:20 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d4+2 magic missles owwies --> [ 2d4=5 ]{7}
20:20 <•Anastasia> "How dare you get in the way!" he cries as the spell goes, "You're supposed to starve! The elemental's impossible for trash like you to get past!"
20:20 <•Skaya> "You're the trash!" Skaya curses him back. "Your whole family is trash!"
20:21 <•Anastasia> The two magic missiles pepper Devar, rocking his body as they hit in his side and forearm. Pain, bright and clear, as...OOC: Update HP, then I'll have the second one go.
20:21 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 18/23 Devar 14/26
20:21 •Devar was opped (+o) by •Skaya
20:21 <•Devar> "All three of you are deranged, sacrificing people for your awful experiments!" Devar shouts. "Today's the day you're punished for it!"
20:22 <•Anastasia> "Then derange this!" With a cry as he reads carefully, "Eat fire!"
20:22 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+3 caster level check needed for him
20:22 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+3 caster level check needed for him --> [ 1d20=12 ]{15}
20:23 <•Anastasia> Devar's choice of distance was wise, for a streak of fire comes at him, which explodes in a sphere around him - only saving Skaya barely and by distance, as...
20:23 <•Anastasia> roll 5d6 fire Devar ref for half
20:23 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 5d6 fire Devar ref for half --> [ 5d6=13 ]{13}
20:23 <•Devar> roll 1d20+7 evasion
20:23 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+7 evasion --> [ 1d20=13 ]{20}
20:23 <•Anastasia> OOC: Evaded then.
20:24 <•Anastasia> Yet Devar rolls ahead, the sphere a bit behind him as it explodes, leaving him still running and untouched, safe for the moment. OOC: Rina and Skaya. Go Skaya.
20:24 — •Skaya dashes all the way through before launching herself to kick the nearest mage's face in!
20:25 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6+2+4 charge, cunning insight
20:25 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+2+4 charge, cunning insight --> [ 1d20=12 ]{24}
20:25 <•Skaya> roll 1d6+3+4 cunning insight
20:25 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d6+3+4 cunning insight --> [ 1d6=3 ]{10}
20:26 <•Anastasia> The fireball mage gets a first right in the face. He's knocked back as blood sprays, up but screaming in pain as meanwhile Rina hurls a dart down from above, right for his broken open face.
20:26 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+3
20:26 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+3 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{17}
20:26 <•Anastasia> roll 1d4+2
20:26 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d4+2 --> [ 1d4=3 ]{5}
20:26 <•Anastasia> Which hits right in his forehead and he collapses, down and out. OOC: More.
20:27 <•Anastasia> Init is ???1 (24) > Rina = Skaya (12) > Anne (9)  Sanda (7) > Devar (3) > Slimecat (1)
20:28 <•Anastasia> Anne meanwhile runs down without a second thought, moving down a good chunk of the stairs as meanwhile Sanda braces and points, another set of magic missiles flying, this one for the last spellcaster.
20:28 <•Anastasia> roll 2d4+2
20:28 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d4+2 --> [ 2d4=6 ]{8}
20:28 <•Anastasia> Which pepper him all over, two blows hitting him hard, and then....OOC: Devar.
20:29 <•Devar> "You brought this upon yourselves." Devar says as he makes his way over, drawing his sword. "I hope whatever god you serve takes pity on you."
20:29 <•Anastasia> *foot right in the face
20:29 <•Devar> roll 1d20+5+4 smite evil
20:29 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+5+4 smite evil --> [ 1d20=13 ]{22}
20:29 <•Anastasia> OOC: That's a hit and a smite.
20:29 <•Devar> roll 2d4+2+4 go away you awful thing
20:29 <Kobot> Devar rolled 2d4+2+4 go away you awful thing --> [ 2d4=2 ]{8}
20:30 <•Devar> OOC: sorry, that should be 7 damage
20:30 <•Anastasia> OOC: Sure.
20:30 <•Anastasia> OOC: Isn't big here either way.
20:31 <•Anastasia> A stab right into the mage's chest gets him to stiffen on the blade and gasp, before going limp on it. Is it over? The slimecat looks down as - "ELEMENTAL!" Sanda screams, just in time that...OOC: Didn't evne survive until the reinforcements. However it's here so it's joining init as the last mage leaves it.
20:31 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20-1
20:31 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20-1 --> [ 1d20=10 ]{9}
20:31 <•Anastasia> Init is Rina = Skaya (12) > Anne = Elemental (9)  Sanda (7) > Devar (3) > Slimecat (1)
20:31 <•Anastasia> OOC: Rina.
20:32 <•Skaya> OOC: Is it the huge elemental?
20:32 <•Anastasia> Rina whirls, "Elemental up here," she cries, something with an angle you can't see from down there, unfortunately. But Rina fades back towards the stairs and hurls a dart at something nonetheless.
20:32 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5
20:32 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{8}
20:32 <•Anastasia> Which if it does anything you sure can't see it from here. OOC: Skaya.
20:34 <•Skaya> Skaya clucks her tongue in annoyance, but that doesn't stop her from running back up. "Hey, Sanda, can we negotiate?" she calls out to the mage. "Tell it that these losers failed repeatedly and only a fool tries the same thing ten times and expects a different result. Why not try something new and work with us instead?"
20:35 <•Anastasia> "I'll try!" Sanda calls as you see another person sized elemental. However, this one carries a heavy club of stone and metal, unlike the others you've seen. OOC: Sanda can try on her turn. Anne.
20:35 <•Anastasia> Anne whirls and runs back up, going to shield Sanda. Just in time, for the elemental comes forward and swings away, going right for Sanda, intercepted by Anne.
20:36 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+10
20:36 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+10 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{19}
20:36 <•Anastasia> roll 2d6+8 Anne ow
20:36 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d6+8 Anne ow --> [ 2d6=5 ]{13}
20:37 <•Anastasia> Anne it hit dead on by the club, a blow to her chest and stomach that has her cough up air, blood and even vomit. She doubles over after, holding her stomach in agony as Sanda speaks words of Terran - but whatever is with this elemental, it's unfortunately not listening now. OOC: Devar, go.
20:39 <•Devar> Devar looks at the three former mages and wonders if they had anything on them that subdued these things - but now's not the time, so he rushes back up! OOC: Double move to head back up.
20:41 <•Anastasia> Devar sprints most of the way back up as the slimecat reaches out, tendrils of feet-slime going for the elemental's club.
20:41 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+7
20:41 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+7 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{27}
20:41 <•Anastasia> They nab the elemental's club and yank it away, now 'held' by the slimecat as the elemental stares a moment at it, before...OOC: Rina and Skaya.
20:43 <•Skaya> OOC: How far from the elemental am I? Is it next to Anne, or was she thrown back?
20:43 <•Anastasia> OOC: It's next to Anne. You're 15ft away.
20:43 <•Skaya> "Rina, pull Anne back and let her heal herself. I'll cover you," Skaya says, and leads the way with magic missiles!
20:44 <•Skaya> roll 2d4+2
20:44 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2 --> [ 2d4=4 ]{6}
20:44 <•Skaya> OOC: Since I'm acting with Rina, I'll step into melee once she pulls Anne back and fight defensively for +2 AC
20:53 <•Anastasia> Rina comes forward and pulls the bleeding, vomiting Anne back, just in time for Anne to gaspingly call on her patron, "Help....please..." and...
20:53 <•Anastasia> roll 1d8+3
20:53 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d8+3 --> [ 1d8=6 ]{9}
20:53 <•Anastasia> Healing comes to her, a restoration that mends some of the pain in her. At the same time the elemental takes its shot - right at Skaya, slamming a fist into her.
20:53 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+9
20:53 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{27}
20:53 <•Anastasia> OOC: AC?
20:54 <•Skaya> OOC: That hit
20:54 <•Anastasia> roll 1d8+8 owwies
20:54 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d8+8 owwies --> [ 1d8=7 ]{15}
20:54 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 3/23 Devar 14/26
20:55 <•Anastasia> A fist right to the lower leg. A snap and agony, a leg bone giving way as Skaya holds on, all for Sanda to hold a moment and...OOC: Sanda will hold under the circumstances. Devar, go.
20:55 <•Skaya> "Retreat to the stairs," Skaya orders, face drained of blood. "Go down in a fighting retreat. Devar, can you hold it off a bit?"
20:57 <•Devar> Devar will make his way back up. "I'll do my best." He says - he figures someone is going to try and heal the rest of them, so he moves in with Skaya and takes a swing at the elemental! "We're not your enemy!" He shouts, likely uselessly.
20:57 <•Devar> roll 1d20+5
20:57 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+5 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{8}
20:57 <•Devar> OOC: I am just not very offensively blessed today
20:59 <•Anastasia> Devar now has the elemental's attention, even magic missile injured as it is. The blade is blocked with one stony arm, not able to cut in. Meanwhile as Anne gasps for air, coughing up much less blood now, Rina calls, "Just fall back, get distance!" she agrees, as the slimecat's new club is swung with surprising ability, right for the elemental's head.
20:59 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+4
20:59 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+4 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{22}
21:00 <•Anastasia> roll 2d6+1
21:00 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d6+1 --> [ 2d6=9 ]{10}
21:00 <•Anastasia> Which makes a large dent of the elemental's head, the blow sending shards of rock flying about freely. OOC: Rina and Skaya.
21:01 <•Skaya> "Sanda, call the big elemental boss!" Skaya decides to try. "Tell him the human mages are all dead! There's no point in further conflict, and we can negotiate to help his goals instead since we're more qualified!"
21:01 <•Skaya> OOC: She held, so might as well do it as we retreat downstairs
21:02 <•Skaya> For her part, she'd like to fight till the last drop of blood, but what point is there? The chimera-making mages are all dead, presumably, and she doesn't think the elementals can or will keep on making them. Thus she disengages and leaves below, leaning on Sanda for support.
21:02 <•Skaya> OOC: Withdrawal action
21:03 <•Anastasia> OOC: Gimme a fort save, +2 bonus.
21:03 <•Skaya> OOC: Also, didn't it actually go to deal with us? So let's go up instead.
21:04 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+5+2
21:04 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+5+2 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{18}
21:04 <•Anastasia> It's still painful but Skaya's able to do it on a bad leg, as meanwhile Rina hurls one more dart before fleeing back down much farther.
21:04 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20+5
21:04 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20+5 --> [ 1d20=19 ]{24}
21:04 <•Anastasia> roll 1d4+2
21:04 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d4+2 --> [ 1d4=2 ]{4}
21:05 <•Anastasia> A dart burrows into that broken face, the elemental hit again. It's not quite down as Anne stumbles amid all of you and calls, "Moore, help and heal us all! Lady Jetina, bring your mercy!"
21:05 <•Anastasia> roll 2d6 healing all but Anne
21:05 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d6 healing all but Anne --> [ 2d6=10 ]{10}
21:05 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 13/23 Devar 24/26
21:06 <•Anastasia> Skaya's leg still hurts terribly - it's broken but much less so. She can feel a bone slide back into place at least, the pain much less now. Devar is likewise refreshed, as Anne's healing does its work. At the same time, the elemental sinks into the ground, a fleeing withdraw and careful escape. For the moment at least, you have no more visible enemies. OOC: Free act. Tough fight.
21:07 <•Skaya> "Devar, can you heal Anne some more?" Skaya asks, face still pale. "Since things changed again, let's head down and break that central platform."
21:07 <•Devar> Devar nods and puts a hand on Anne. OOC: 10 points of healing
21:08 <•Devar> "They might have something on them that would help with the elementals too." Devar says.
21:08 <•Anastasia> Anne is healed and with a smile of thanks, she does the same for everyone else again.
21:08 <•Anastasia> roll 2d6 all but Anne
21:08 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d6 all but Anne --> [ 2d6=11 ]{11}
21:08 <•Skaya> "Alright, you'll check their bodies," Skaya agrees, before telling the slimecat, "Good job!"
21:08 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 23/23 Devar 26/26
21:10 <•Devar> Devar nods. "Hopefully if the big one comes back we can reason with it."
21:22 <•Anastasia> OOC: So some of youa re going to check the bodies. WE'll handle that momentarily. In the meantime, were you going to do something with what's down here? Sounds like you were.
21:22 <•Skaya> OOC: Yes. We're going to check out the central platform and see how it works (and how to break it)
21:24 <•Anastasia> OOC: We'll cover that first and probably do loot later in the loot thread. For the moment...OOC: More.
21:25 <•Anastasia> The central platform is covered in incredibly dense writing. Draconic, Skaya can tell. It looks to be describing the ideal of transformation in many different ways. Otherwise it's a smooth stone circle, sturdy looking to the casual eye.
21:25 — •Skaya gets down to copy the insights, while asking Sanda to see for magic.
21:26 <•Devar> "I wonder what this wss originally intended for," Devar asks as he reads some of the writing for himself. "Maybe some sort of draconic apotheosis?"
21:28 <•Anastasia> Sanda peers down at it, "Magic I can't begin to fathom," she admits, "It's old and powerful, I'd lay money on it by the odds. Maybe so, Devar."
21:28 <•Anastasia> She hums, "
21:28 <•Anastasia> She hums, "I wonder if..." she eyes the central platform in thought.
21:29 — •Skaya abandons what she was going to say as she looks at Sanda in concern. "If you try to do something with this magic before telling me about it in detail first, I will knock you out."
21:29 <•Devar> OOC: Would a K:Arcana or Religion check give me any insight as to what this might've originally been for?
21:31 <•Anastasia> OOC: You can try K:A if you want.
21:31 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+7 I'll do it too~
21:31 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+7 I'll do it too~ --> [ 1d20=20 ]{27}
21:32 <•Devar> OOC: Take 10 for 20 but I have a feeling Skaya wins
21:37 <•Anastasia> OOC: Skay'as rolling well today.
21:38 <•Anastasia> Skaya dimly recalls draconic transformations are a thing. It's rare and complex, a deep art that may have something to do with dragons making lots of half dragons. It seems legitimate, for what it's worth, but this doesn't seem entirely right. Odd. Different?
21:38 <•Skaya> "It's a bastardization of ancient dragon sex magic," Skaya exclaims, slapping her forehead.
21:39 <•Devar> "You think someone just copied this from somewhere else and got some of the finer points incorrect?" Devar asks to clarify.
21:39 <•Skaya> "You hear that and it's the first thing you ask? How about why? I want to ask why!"
21:40 <•Devar> "Well, i can't speak to the dead, so we'll have to hope these three left some notes or something." He admits.
21:40 — •Skaya tries to spot the divergences from the magic she recalls.
21:42 <•Anastasia> Anne stares at Skaya, "Surely you're mistaken."
21:42 <•Anastasia> Rina shakes her head tiredly.
21:43 <•Skaya> "No, see, if a dragon and an elf like each other very much, they can only resort to magic! Because otherwise the elf dies messily."
21:43 <•Anastasia> Unfortunately, Skaya's memories are not good enough to provide that level of insight.
21:43 <•Devar> Devar meanwhile will ruffle through the things the three dead mages are wearing, with an eye for anything magical. OOC: Detect magic, take 10 spellcraft for 20
21:44 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay. We'll handle that in thread since I'm about to pause, Devar. So make a post in loot reminding me you'll be checking for magical things for when I post loot.

[Corwin]

19:02 <•Devar> "It'll take a bit of time to identify these." Devar says. "I can do it now if we're not going anywhere, but I realize we're still in potentially hostile territory."
19:02 <•Skaya> OOC: Are there any other exits? Either in this room or before?
19:03 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, willing to spend some time in possibly hostile areas to ID now, Devar? It takes 3 rounds per item to try and the DC is 15 + caster level of the item.
19:03 <•Anastasia> OOC: In this room there is not, ti is a dead end. There wwere stairs going further down you branched off from.
19:06 <•Devar> OOC: Only if we're still examining the runes and stuff, I'll wait and see what Skaya wants to do.
19:06 <•Skaya> "I need a vote, here," Skaya tells the others. "Stay here to try and break this device, keep going in search of an exit, or try to seek out the large elemental boss to negotiate."
19:07 <•Anastasia> Anne frowns to herself as she takes a moment to recover, before, "We break this device. If this is behind it all, then it's worth risking our lives over, so that people don't have to live in fear and can live in hope instead."
19:08 <•Anastasia> Rina shakes her head, "We get out and regroup. That was too close and another hard fight could be the end of us."
19:08 <•Anastasia> For her part, Sanda inspects the entire thing before, "Hm? Oh, we stay here and study this a little bit first."
19:10 <•Skaya> "Devar?"
19:11 <•Devar> "It isn't really the device's fault people used it like this." Devar says. "I do think we need to deal with that larger elemental somehow, I don't know if this is the best place to do it in, but it's probably better than trying to deal with it in the caves?"
19:11 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100 meanwhile
19:11 <•Anastasia> OOC: One second, I need bot.
19:12 → Kobot joined (~dunefar@lunarnet-82C188CE.hr.hr.cox.net)
19:12 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100 meanwhile
19:12 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 meanwhile --> [ 1d100=18 ]{18}
19:13 <•Anastasia> "I don't think anywhere underground is to our advantage to deal with it," Sanda points out, "But logically speaking, it's the only place we can."
19:15 <•Skaya> "Alright, let's wait here. Anne, Rina, try to find the best way to break it. Devar and Sanda, look into the gear of the mages. If they have a wand of Knock, we'll rush out with it." To the slimecat, she says, "We'll keep watch for now. Unless you know how to operate this device? Or how to get out of here?"
19:16 <•Anastasia> The slimecat just wobbles at the last.
19:17 <•Skaya> "We could all get out? It's a new way that doesn't go back to that trapped room?" Skaya confirms.
19:17 <•Anastasia> Another set of wobbles.
19:18 <•Skaya> "Okay then! Since it's a certainty, we'll go with Rina's suggestion. Grab their gear and follow our friend!"
19:18 <•Devar> Devar nods and throws all of the gear into his Haversack.
19:20 <•Anastasia> With that you all follow the slime. It leads you to a side wall and it stops there for several seconds. Then, that section of the wall breaks into a thousand little stones, which fly up and aside to reveal a passage ahead. Anne gasps at that while Sanda's eyes shine, "Oh, that's some skillful magic! No way those three cast anything like this, I want to know more."
19:21 <•Skaya> "Very nice!" Skaya agrees, letting it lead.
19:24 <•Anastasia> It leads into a small room. Here a single platform, big enough for a dozen, sits. Besides it is a stone pillar that rises to chest level. Atop that pillar is a dial with eleven settings. Each one is identified by a rune that....OOC: Refresh me on languages you both speak/read real quick.
19:25 <•Skaya> OOC: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Celestial, Draconic
19:25 <•Devar> OOC: Actually the same ones
19:29 <•Anastasia> The runes are in draconic. The dial is set on one that reads 'Null'. The other ten are 'Home' 'Ocean' 'Cavern' 'Sky' 'Food' 'Wisdom' 'Growth' 'Desire' 'Sword' and finally 'Dreams'.
19:30 <•Skaya> "Oh wow. Let's go for Wisdom? There's no dial for going outside."
19:31 <•Devar> "I don't think we have any way to reasonably guess as to where these go." Devar agrees. "So we have to pick one - Wisdom's as good an option as any of them. It might send us somewhere far off though."
19:31 — •Skaya sets the dial for Wisdom once everyone's gotten on!
19:32 <•Anastasia> Anne follows without an argument, "Who am I to argue against seeking wisdom?"
19:32 <•Anastasia> Rina doesn't either, though Sanda hesitates, "Well..." she says, "No matter, we have a choice to make and it's as good as any."
19:36 <•Anastasia> The dial is set. For several long moments nothing happens, and then a green-blue rip in space appears around you. There's a terrible moment of shifting and then - !!!! You're somewhere with sunshine, greenery and ruin, but you're falling suddenly. No time but to react, can any of you do anything to mitigate a plunge? OOC: Chance if any of you have relevant abilities, otherwise fall damage
19:36 <•Anastasia> incoming.
19:41 <•Devar> OOC: An unfortunate time to be caught without Feather Fall, but I don't have that.
19:41 <•Anastasia> OOC: Fair enough. Waiting on Skaya to unBRB then.
19:43 <•Skaya> OOC: Can I grab someone or push someone? Otherwise, no relevant abilities since too low-level monk.
19:43 <•Anastasia> OOC: You could try and grab someone if that matters at all, sure.
19:44 — •Skaya grabs Rina and Sanda and the squishier of them all to protect them!
19:45 <•Anastasia> OOC: That's fine, but you'll take a bit of extra damage from the weight of them on you if you shield them. Okay with that?
19:46 <•Skaya> OOC: Yes
19:46 <•Devar> Devar will try and grab Anne to do the same! "Hold on!"
19:46 <•Anastasia> OOC: Same question to you, but I assume the answer is yes if you're doing it now.
19:46 <•Devar> OOC: yep
19:46 <•Anastasia> roll 3d6+1d6 Skaya and Devar first
19:46 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 3d6+1d6 Skaya and Devar first --> [ 3d6=4 1d6=2 ]{6}
19:46 <•Anastasia> OOC: Lucky.
19:47 <•Anastasia> roll 2d6 the NPCs
19:47 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d6 the NPCs --> [ 2d6=9 ]{9}
19:48 <•Anastasia> OOC: Update topic HP.
19:49 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 17/23 Devar 20/26
19:50 <•Anastasia> Pain. Skaya grabs two and Devar one, taking the worst of it. It's a heavy impact that breaks both of your grips on your allies, sending them rolling and bouncing aside. Sunshine. Birdsong. You lie on a pile of rubble and rotted books, a broken place as you slowly begin to get your berings. Sanda groans while Rina hisses in pain, "My ARM," she cries, profanities following. Fortunately, both
19:50 <•Anastasia> Sanda and Devar aren't seriously hurt. Badly bruised and pained, but nothing feels broken, somehow.
19:51 <•Anastasia> "A-ah, hold on," Anne calls back, "I'll...ugh...give me a moment."
19:52 — •Skaya forces herself to her feet and then goes to help Anne back up.
19:53 <•Devar> "Well, at least it wasn't Sky, I guess." Devar says as he slowly moves to get up himself, being careful not to hurt himself further. "Did our slimy companion make it?"
19:57 <•Anastasia> Rina' cradling her arm to her chest, bone poking through her flesh. Her face is screwed up in pain, until, "Lady Jetina, aid us all!"
19:57 <•Anastasia> roll 2d6 healing to all but Anne
19:57 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d6 healing to all but Anne --> [ 2d6=11 ]{11}
19:57 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 23/23 Devar 26/26
19:57 <•Skaya> "Can you heal yourself or do you need external help?" Skaya asks Anne as her wounds heal.
19:58 <•Anastasia> Meanwhile, all of you get a look around. You lie atop a great mountain of rubble. Ruin. The ceiling is long gone and far above, sunshine flowing down. It's hot here, hot and sticky like the air is full of moisture. Like the worst of summer days. A multistory ruin in collapse, greenery from moss to vines tn plants growing everywhere in it. Remnants are about, bookshelves still intact with rotted
19:58 <•Anastasia> books, a few sections intact with doors you can glimpse. Besides the song of the birds, it's peacefully quiet here.
19:59 <•Anastasia> "I...could use help," Anne says slowly, struggling to stand and sinking back down.
19:59 <•Skaya> "Devar, please help."
19:59 <•Anastasia> For its part, the slime looks unbothered after the healing and oozes about slowly, taking it all in.
20:00 <•Devar> "I don't have much, but it's better than nothing." He says and gives Anne a hand! OOC: 2 points.
20:01 <•Anastasia> That's enough for Anne to rise. She has a limp but moves, "I fear we could all use rest," she says.
20:02 <•Anastasia> Rina checks herself, "Here, it's for emergencies," she says, pulling out a vial. "Thanks for the save, Skaya. Saved the potion for sure."
20:02 <•Anastasia> Anne takes it with a murmured word of thanks and drinks up.
20:02 <•Anastasia> roll 1d8+1
20:02 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d8+1 --> [ 1d8=5 ]{6}
20:02 <•Anastasia> Anne's posture straightens and she lets out a sigh of relief, "Better."
20:03 <•Devar> OOC: would a K:Local or History tell us where we are and how far we are away from where we were?
20:03 <•Skaya> "Hope so," Skaya responds, nodding to herself as she looks around. "In any case, if the elementals are capable of chasing us here, we should do better in an open place like this." Turning to the slimecat, she asks, "Have you ever seen the elementals use this device?"
20:05 <•Anastasia> OOC: History might help if you have ranks.
20:05 <•Skaya> OOC: I'll take 10 for 20
20:06 <•Anastasia> No wobble. Meanwhile Anne looks around, "I feel this isn't local. How far have we been thrown?"
20:06 <•Devar> roll 1d20+10 might as well see if I can get any higher for anything
20:06 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+10 might as well see if I can get any higher for anything --> [ 1d20=19 ]{29}
20:06 <•Skaya> "Ancient dragons, so we might not even be on the same plane."
20:06 <•Anastasia> "We've had a few days like this in Mellanics," Rina comments, wiping her brow, "But it's a miserable, humid mess of a day."
20:06 <•Anastasia> "We may not be," Sanda agrees, sniffing the air, "This...this is a graveyard! A graveyard for books! This is horrible!"
20:07 <•Skaya> OOC: Incidentally, I also have K: Geography, and if I can I'd take 10 for 20
20:08 <•Anastasia> Skaya can't quite put a pin in it. Devar remembers something. Ancient lore and history. Something about an empire across that sea a thousand or more years ago, based around a great library that was torn down, the lands salted and the populace put to the sword, one and all. The whys of it escape Devar, unfortunately. Ancient history often is more story than facts.
20:10 <•Devar> "We're... probably pretty far, at least across the ocean." He says. "I remember hearing about some place that was basically razed - I'm honestly surprised anything even is intact at all, we're talking like thouands of years ago if this is the place."
20:10 <•Devar> "Why in the world that device would send us here though is beyond me." He adds. "What wisdom is there here?"
20:10 <•Skaya> "It's clear a library?"
20:11 <•Anastasia> "There was wisdom here, once. It shows us how old this all must be, including the device," Sanda says thoughtfully, "After all, dragons live a very long time."
20:11 <•Anastasia> Anne bows her head, murmuring to herself.
20:11 — •Skaya sighs. "I did imagine it'd be a library, though I haven't expected the device would be broken. Or that the books would be ruined. First of all, let's look around for anything that isn't crumbling. Magical artifacts can survive a lot!"
20:12 <•Anastasia> "Or even a way back. There must be one," Rina says, "If we can't make it back, Regis will mourn for too long, thinking us all lost."
20:12 <•Devar> "Oh, I see what you mean, - I wonder if where we ended up used to be part of the library - like a receiving point for that device." He says. "That would make sense."
20:12 <•Skaya> "Good point there. Rina, what do you think Regis will do once we don't return?"
20:13 <•Anastasia> "Look for us," Rina says, "And either accept we perished in some way and return, search and l-lose his life instead or perhaps somehow find the same device, if the way is still open. But if not, I can't imagine he'll ever find it."
20:14 <•Skaya> "The doors were locked and I can't imagine someone will unlock them. So he might reach that door and find it locked. Will he return to report, then?"
20:16 <•Anastasia> "Most likely, and we'll be presumed lost, captured or dead. Most likely dead." Rina answers back.
20:17 <•Skaya> "We're not dead, though, so it's all good if he returns and reports. And elementals won't pursue him, while we took care of the mages. So long as he does that, we'll meet again before long," Skaya tells her. "And this is a library, so if some scrolls remained, we might be able to get in contact sooner. Let's look a bit."
20:18 <•Devar> "Especially if the dragons that made it had something hidden, like they did with that other place." Devar says.
20:27 <•Anastasia> The group looks around. There's a few passages out - one down the rubble a bit, intact but half covered by vines. Another is a large crack in the wall, leading into another room. Finally, the last is near the bottom, an intact archway leading further along.
20:28 <•Skaya> OOC: No books that haven't fallen apart?
20:28 <•Skaya> "Also, we might as well take a few moments to see what the mages had in case we run into opposition."
20:29 <•Devar> "Oh, sure." Debar says. OOC: I'll take 10 on Spellcraft to identify them if that works.
20:31 <•Anastasia> None here, they're all badly exposed to the elements on a glance. If you wanna spend some time looking through them, feel free.
20:31 <•Anastasia> Meanwhile Devar checks the items and...OOC: Paste the magical items in here?
20:31 — •Skaya spends some time looking with the others while Devar examines their spoils.
20:32 <•Anastasia> OOC: Oh wait, strike that, had a complete stupid.
20:32 <•Anastasia> OOC: I'll go to loot real quick.
20:36 <•Anastasia> OOC: Loot edited.
20:37 <•Anastasia> As Devar gets information, Skaya looks around. IT's all rubble and ruin. At least here, there's no sign of books meaningfully intact.
20:38 — •Skaya leads the way to the crack in the wall to see what's in the other room!
20:38 <•Devar> "Nothing extremely useful." Devar calls out. "A wand of light, healing potion and some scrolls. None of them are immediately helpful for our situation, but we can use them if we run into trouble."
20:41 <•Anastasia> "Keep the healing potion," Anne suggests, "We may need it yet."
20:43 <•Devar> "I can hold onto everything for now." He says. "If we're looking for something to get us back, it's probably underneath all of this, or so I'd think." He says. "It'd get us out of this heat too if we could find something."
20:44 <•Skaya> "I'd expect the transporter here to be broken, given we hadn't appeared on the platform here," Skaya muses. "And we can go back normally, too. Let's first see if there's anything good to pick up here and what the situation is around. The actual building might be defended, so...."
20:44 <•Anastasia> Ahead is a room. It was once perhaps a sitting room to read - broken furniture litters the room, and bookshelves torn down and the remnants of books are here. Also half a dozen skeletons lie, including one with a smashed skull. A rusted, ruined sword is glimpsed by another.  A door on the opposite wall leads further in.
20:45 <•Skaya> "Huh. Didn't you say something about a thousand years? Would a skeleton remain that long?"
20:47 <•Anastasia> "
20:47 <•Anastasia> "I have no idea," Anne admits, "How long do skeletons last?"
20:47 <•Anastasia> Rina shakes her head, "No idea, either."
20:48 <•Skaya> "I do! It's usually a couple decades. Less in this sort of climate, and assuming no animals eat the bones. Ah, and also assuming they're not undead skeletons, or skeletons within a living person, because the skeletons are truly inside all of us."
20:50 <•Devar> "Yes, give or take." Devar says. "But who knows what's happened since - or if the story is even truly accurate, but... the amount of time I think is generally right. I'm no skeleton expert so I don't think I could tell you how long these have been here."
20:51 <•Skaya> "It's mostly that I'm wondering if these are tomb raiders that got killed here, which means there's plenty of danger."
20:51 — •Skaya decides to head over and take a look!
20:51 <•Skaya> OOC: Heal will probably do it?
20:52 <•Anastasia> OOC: Go for it.
20:53 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+5+4
20:53 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+5+4 --> [ 1d20=10 ]{19}
20:53 <•Devar> roll 1d20+7 aiding
20:53 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+7 aiding --> [ 1d20=7 ]{14}
20:56 <•Anastasia> These bones don't look that old at all. Old, but not old-old. You're pretty sure they haven't been here for more than a few years or so? Enough for the flesh to go and the element sto start on them, but not enough to be gone in any way.
20:57 — •Skaya looks at the gear next to appraise it. Does it look like it was left to rot and rust alongside the corpses, or was it taken?
20:57 <•Anastasia> The sword is long rusted and gone. If you had to guess, it's much older than the bones.
20:58 <•Skaya> "Since they don't have any weapons of their own here, and I assume it's not right next to a modern city for easy access, I presume someone robbed them. So it'd be humanoids, or possibly golems operating on the orders of humanoids. Would you agree with me?"
20:59 <•Anastasia> "No," Sanda says in thought, "We don't have enough information yet. There's too many unknown variables for my taste."
21:00 <•Anastasia> Anne shakes her head, "I have to agree, unfortunately."
21:00 <•Devar> "There are a lot of possibilities." Devar says. "But regardless, it just means we prepare that there might be hostile entities around and don't go exploring by ourselves, right?"
21:01 <•Skaya> "Let's stay as a group and first explore what's on top before considering heading below," Skaya voices, before going to the door in this room.
21:04 <•Anastasia> It opens up into a hallway. A gentle gush of cooler air refreshes you as you see ahead. It leads to a turn, but there's windows here. Windows that let you see the night sky through gaps in a thick, dark forest of some kind. Rina visibly shivers at this, "Gah! It's cool again," she says, "Why?"
21:05 <•Anastasia> "More importantly, why is it night outside? It was just sunshine a moment ago," Anne says, "We saw sunshine where we started, the sky wasn't anywhere close to night."
21:05 <•Skaya> "Oh wow! Can this old library complex exist simultaneously across several locations?"
21:06 <•Devar> Devar frowns. "I wonder if that's intentional or if something is broken."
21:07 <•Skaya> "No way to know! But! We have winter clothing, and this way we don't need to strip and drink a lot of water while suffering in a jungle climate. Let's explore here first!"
21:08 <•Devar> "We should definitely see where this goes." Devar agrees.
21:11 <•Anastasia> You go ahead and turn the corner. More windows showing night, and an archway further ahead. Past the archway is a stairway going up, but the way is blocked. The archway has a shimmering purple field covering all of it, which ripples softly with its own radiance.
21:12 <•Skaya> OOC: Spellcraft 10 for 20, is it a barrier, disintegration, teleportation?
21:13 <•Anastasia> Unfortunately, the spell is beyond Skaya's ability to understand.
21:13 <•Devar> roll 1d20+10 might as well try
21:13 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+10 might as well try --> [ 1d20=10 ]{20}
21:14 <•Devar> OOC: lol
21:14 <•Skaya> "What a weird place. But if there's magic still operating here, there will be nice things too!" she decides. "Alright, looks like we have to turn back? Unless someone has a way to deal with this obstacle?"
21:14 <•Skaya> OOC: There were no other doors so far, right?
21:16 <•Anastasia> OOC: None other down this path, at least.
21:16 <•Anastasia> "Pretty but not worth trying," Rina agrees, "Best to leave magical workings be when possible. You live longer."
21:18 — •Skaya leads the way back and takes the intact archway next.
21:19 <•Anastasia> You go back, and the humid heat returns once you do. It's daytime again where you started, as if nighttime's coolness was just a memory. Anne stares up at the sky while Sanda nods, "Fascinating, isn't it?"
21:20 — •Skaya stares up as well to estimate the distance, and to see if there are decent footholds.
21:20 <•Skaya> OOC: Also, was the corridor in the cold area completely closed, or also without a roof?
21:23 <•Anastasia> OOC: The roof there was low and intact.
21:24 <•Anastasia> It's at least a hundred feet up and there are some footholds, but it would clearly be a difficult,d angerous climb up.
21:24 <•Skaya> "Right, I can climb out if all else fails," Skaya muses, before deciding on the archway. They'll leave the vine-covered passageway for last.
21:24 <•Devar> "Do we want to try and go out one of the windows?" Devar asks. "Or maybe see if we can get one open to look out of it to see how high up it is?"
21:25 <•Skaya> "Let's look a bit more first!"
21:25 <•Devar> "Sure," A nod after that.
21:34 <•Anastasia> The party proceeds to the archway. You pass through uneventfully and into a smaller, secondary library. Half of it is collapsed in and the other half old and ruined, but a path to a crack in the wall can be seen. It's vine covered but leads deeper in.
21:34 — •Skaya leads them further in!
21:41 <•Anastasia> Further in it is. You open a door and - a hallway barely intact. One side of the walls gone, opening up into a snowy field. Cold, bitterly cold air blasts out as you see a snow covered forest in nighttime, several inches of standing snow. If you follow the hallway, you see it leads to another door, half rotted and gone, glimpses of another room past it.
21:42 <•Anastasia> Anne shivers miserably and steps back, "So cold!"
21:42 <•Anastasia> Sanda perks up, "Oh, an even bigger statistical variance. So interesting."
21:42 <•Anastasia> Rina rubs her arms before, "Everything's so broken here, isn't it? Like a delicate glass globe dropped onto the ground."
21:43 <•Devar> "It's possible this same thing might happen if those discs get destroyed." Devar says.
21:43 — •Skaya puts on a heavy coat and then continues onwards! They all have warm clothes for just this situation! "Not everything," she reminds Rina. "At least one section was both intact and protected by strong magic."
21:49 <•Anastasia> Onward you go. The door ahead won't open - for the handle comes off when you pull on it, the door cracking even further.
21:50 — •Skaya pushes the door in and then hops back in case things start collapsing.
21:53 <•Anastasia> The door gives way just like that. Warmer air ahead - not unpleasant, but a strange contrast to the cold here - as you see a room with a great many desks and tables. At each desk sits a broken skeleton, each only a few remnants of bone and skull each. Pinned to the walls are several skeletons, nails driven through their heads that somehow suffice to keep the entire intact skeleton pinned to
21:53 <•Anastasia> the wall. A few ancient scraps of paper are here. There's three doors here, one in each direction except the way you came.
21:53 <•Anastasia> "What horror happened here?" Anne wonders aloud at the pinned skeletons.
21:54 <•Skaya> "Torture or anatomical studies? What's your bet?" Skaya muses, deciding to look through the ancient scraps. "Ah, it could also be demonic sacrifice and summoning, I suppose."
21:55 <•Devar> Devar blinks and looks around, asking quietly, "Did any of you hear that?"
21:55 <•Skaya> "Well yeah, none of them survived," Skaya muses. "Nasty business."
21:56 <•Anastasia> "I heard something," Anne says, "Something about none of them surviving."
21:56 <•Anastasia> "Not me," Rina shakes her head.
21:57 <•Anastasia> "I didn't," Sanda says, "But obviously none of them survived."
21:58 <•Skaya> "Magic that targets just some of those present? Always fun."
21:58 <•Devar> "Yeah, me too." He gestures at Anne. "I can't tell if it was a whisper of the past or someone talking recently."
22:02 <•Anastasia> "I have no idea," Anne admits, looking around, mace ready. "Who can say in a place like this?"
22:02 <•Devar> "We honestly can't even be sure these different places are in the same time." Devar says. "But that's far beyond my knowledge."
22:03 <•Skaya> "If there's someone still around, let's communicate. I'm listening," Skaya volunteers, even as she looks at the scraps.
22:05 <•Anastasia> Slowly, you see one of the pinned skeletons begin to glow with a dim light.
22:05 <•Skaya> "Wait, the skeletons are reviving?" Skaya asks in surprise, taking a quick tally.
22:07 <•Devar> "It could be anything. You never know with... weird magic."
22:09 <•Anastasia> Anne readies her mace, "Shall I?" she asks, stepping forward.
22:09 <•Skaya> OOC: I was hoping to get a number on them
22:10 <•Anastasia> Rina readies her own weapons as well, "The dead rising is never good," she seconds, as you count. Five pinned skeletons and several more remnants all about.
22:10 <•Skaya> "Yeah, let's break the limbs on the hanging skeletons," Skaya agrees. "Everyone pick one and break them properly." Choosing the nearest pinned skeleton, she tries to do just that!
22:12 <•Anastasia> OOC: Going to do so as well, Devar?
22:13 <•Devar> OOC: Yar
22:17 <•Anastasia> The moment weapons or fists touch the skeletons, both of you get a sudden, intense vision. Agony ripples through all of you as the skeletons crumble into dust, a distant clatter ofs omething metallic hitting the ground.  Still, the pain is sharp and...
22:17 <•Anastasia> roll 1d12 backlash damage to all of you
22:17 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d12 backlash damage to all of you --> [ 1d12=9 ]{9}
22:18 — •Skaya coughs blood as she takes a few steps back in disarray.
22:18 <•Anastasia> Sanda collapses bonelessly, groaning. Anne slumps and promptly vomits, or tries to, but is empty. Rina screams and holds her head, thrashing about on the ground. OOC: Update topic HP.
22:19 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 14/23 Devar 17/26
22:19 — •Skaya forces herself to try and take it all in. Wasn't there a metallic noise?
22:20 <•Anastasia> As her head throbs and body hurts, Skaya turns. There. Against the far wall. A gold ring with a large red gemstone, worthy of a noble, lies on the ground. If that's a ruby, that's likely worth a large amount of money.
22:21 <•Skaya> Oh good, it's just a cursed ring, not an enemy. She takes deep breaths to calm herself, and observes the others to see if they start to recover on their own. She'll try to help whoever can't manage.
22:22 <•Anastasia> "I think...I can do it again," Anne whispers, "Help me, please," she whispers, holding her holy symbol tight, and relief comes one more time, to all but Anne.
22:22 <•Anastasia> roll 2d6
22:22 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d6 --> [ 2d6=4 ]{4}
22:22 <•Anastasia> Not a smuch this time, but it blunts the edge of the pain and restores some of the damage.
22:23 <•Anastasia> Rina whimpers on the ground before she manages to sit up, grimacing, but up.
22:23 <•Skaya> "Can you try again?" Skaya asks, offering her a cure potion.
22:23 <•Skaya> OOC: CLW
22:23 <•Anastasia> Sanda slowly sits up as well, "At least there's a treasure," she says, eyes on the ring.
22:23 <•Anastasia> The potion is taken without comment and gulped down.
22:23 <•Anastasia> roll 1d8+1
22:23 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d8+1 --> [ 1d8=8 ]{9}
22:24 <•Anastasia> Anne visibly relaxes afterwards, scooting to sit against the wall. "I can try, but I've pushed myself hard," she admits.
22:24 <•Anastasia> "Just...a minute first," Anne says, weary.
22:25 <•Anastasia> "You alright, Devar?" Rina meanwhile asks, looking his way. "Been one rough day, hasn't it?"
22:25 <•Devar> Devar, for his part, is quieter than the others, still recovering and standing back up from being knocked to his knees. "...Well, someone doesn't want people to forget what happened here..." He murmurs quietly.
22:25 <•Skaya> "Sure. We'll rest a bit here, anyway," Skaya says, heading to pick the cursed ring with a napkin.
22:25 <•Anastasia> The ring is picked up. Nothing horrible happens from picking it up.
22:25 — •Skaya decides to focus on identifying it.
22:26 <•Anastasia> OOC: Check total?
22:26 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+10+4 spellcraft
22:26 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+10+4 spellcraft --> [ 1d20=8 ]{22}
22:27 <•Anastasia> The ring is not cursed, but it is magical. It's some sort of magical key, yo uthink.
22:28 <•Skaya> "Right, it's some kind of key," Skaya says, putting it on. "This time it's totally not cursed, I'm sure of it."
22:28 <•Anastasia> Skaya's body gains a faint, all over red glow. "Pretty," Sanda murmurs.
22:28 <•Skaya> "Thanks."
22:29 <•Anastasia> "One more try. Please, Lord Moore. Please everyone, bring me hope when we need it most," Anne puts all into it and...
22:29 <•Anastasia> roll 2d6 she did have one more in the tank
22:29 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 2d6 she did have one more in the tank --> [ 2d6=6 ]{6}
22:29 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 23/23 Devar 26/26
22:30 <•Anastasia> That soothes all your wounds, the party recovering from that terrible experience. Anne smiles gratefully and rests back, closing her eyes. "Give me a few minutes," she requests.
22:30 <•Skaya> Agreeing, Skaya decides to leisurely walk around the room to see if the key opens anything. "Poor scribes," she mutters. "Hope they have some peace, now."
22:32 <•Anastasia> Rina rests as well while Sanda joins Skaya. No signs of the key opening anything or causing a reaction, at least in here.
22:33 <•Skaya> "Hey, Sanda, do you think the key opens a magical barrier? And if so, does it need to be a red magical barrier, or would it work on a purple one too?"
22:34 <•Anastasia> "I'd suspect it's color coded, but that's just a guess," Sanda admits, "Statistically speaking that makes the most sense."
22:34 <•Skaya> "Then the question is, do I need to find a purple ring or a blue ring?"
22:36 <•Anastasia> A good question, but a question for...next time! OOC: We're well over so it's about pausing time. Remember next session is Monday.
22:37 <•Devar> "I have a feeling it's not that complicated, it's probably just red for red, even if blue and red do make purple." Devar says. "But... were those fields put up before... or after all this happened?"

[Corwin]

19:03 <•Anastasia> "If we find a second one, we can find out, but I'd guess a blue ring," Sanda says, "Considering how your'e glowing."
19:03 <•Anastasia> "That's also a good question," Rina says in thought, "Are they innate defenses, or something the victors constructed?"
19:03 <•Skaya> "Maybe it's of divine origin?" Skaya muses.
19:06 <•Anastasia> MEanwhile Anne rests, eyes closed. "Mmm...a curse of sorts?" she offers, only reluctantly opening her eyes again.
19:07 <•Skaya> "I like all these guesses," Skaya says cheerfully. "So now, let's spend a few moments to discuss our next step."
19:08 <•Anastasia> "We're cut off from retreat or resupply," Rina begins, "We have limited food and water, only what we have on us. We're not at full strength and our healing is mostly spent. Also, we may bea continent away or even on another plane. So...what exactly do we do?"
19:09 <•Anastasia> The slime wiggles and wobbles at that.
19:09 <•Anastasia> Sanda looks over at it, "On the plus side, at least we have an ally of sorts. That adjusts the odds in our favor."
19:10 <•Skaya> "This would be true... except I have plenty of food and water with me," Skaya responds, patting her haversack. "Seriously, there was absolutely no way for us to starve in that trap before. But planning for the future and securing supplies is a good point. We could try to get out from the winter-facing corridor. Snow, at least, is easy enough to melt to drinkable water. Or I could try to slowly climb in the chamber we emerged."
19:13 <Devar> "Maybe we take some time to rest, then go back to that barrier and just see if the ring opens it?" Devar offers. "We don't know it necessarily only opens a door that's the same color. But we also might come across a red barrier somewhere if we just look around some more."
19:15 <•Anastasia> "If we can find a safe place, a night's rest would be prudent," Anne says, "For no other reason than I'm exhausted my ability to channel healing energies."
19:15 <•Anastasia> Then with a soft sigh, "We have to be cautious. I have a great many orphans waiting on my return. They have so few others they can rely on."
19:16 <•Skaya> "So that's all votes to wait until tomorrow?"
19:20 <Devar> "I think that's the best idea." Devar agrees.
19:22 <•Anastasia> "So rest here or?" Rina asks.
19:23 <•Skaya> "Let's go to the colder corridor. We'll only need to defend one path, then."
19:28 <•Anastasia> "You mean the one with snow? That's a terrible idea," Rina counters.
19:28 <•Skaya> "No one will attack us! And snow is nice!"
19:29 <•Anastasia> "It's a terrible idea," Anne echos, "Why expose ourselves to hostilew eather?"
19:30 <Devar> "Wouldn't the best place be the hallway with the barrier?" Dever asks. "It's nighttime, and if for some reason we did have to escape we can use the windows. But I really don't think anything's going to bother us."
19:31 <•Skaya> "Our other options seem to be this skeleton room, the room with at least three exits or a shady passage filled with vines." At Devar's words, she nods. "Exactly. That place is a bit cold but it's protected by the barrier so it should be safer. And if it's cold you could dress up!"
19:33 <•Anastasia> Rina sighs but shakes her head, "Fine. It's not worth an argument, and after everything I'm too tired to argue."
19:33 <•Anastasia> "Then I'll vote infavor of it as well, so we can move on," Sanda speaks up, "We all need rest, so let's head back."
19:34 <•Skaya> "Sure, sure! I'll keep watch, I'm not even tired!"
19:37 <•Anastasia> Anne groans but gets up, "Lady Sylvie grant them intelligence," she murmurs, as...
19:37 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100+5
19:37 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100+5 --> [ 1d100=42 ]{47}
19:37 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
19:37 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=30 ]{30}
19:37 <•Anastasia> The trip back to the red barrier is without incident. Any sort of watch going to be kept as you all rest?
19:38 <•Skaya> OOC: Skaya will watch for four hours, then Devar and Rina for two hours each.
19:44 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay. More.
19:44 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
19:44 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=54 ]{54}
19:44 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
19:44 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=46 ]{46}
19:45 <•Anastasia> Rest comes. Very little happens in this strange place, only a night's rest that rejuvenates and restores the party. Perhaps a mercy, all told.
19:46 <•Skaya> "Let's continue exploring, then?"
19:50 <•Anastasia> "Let's," Sanda agrees as one question: Now where are you going?
19:50 <Devar> "Agreed. Let's try and make a map of this place within regular walking distance before we try exploring outside of it." Devar says. "That might give us more information about what's going on."
19:54 <•Skaya> Today, Skaya wants to try the vine-covered passage.
20:04 <•Anastasia> OOC: You mean what lead to the room where you all got the red ring, right?
20:05 <•Skaya> OOC: I mean in the original arrival chamber, there was a path covered in vines we didn't explore
20:06 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay.
20:06 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
20:06 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=12 ]{12}
20:08 <•Anastasia> You return to the entrance. You go to that vine covered passage, finding it leads - outside. To a pitch black night, thick jungle all ahead and chokingly humid. As you stand there and see it, you see the air all ahead ripples every few moments, different points causing ripples to go through the air like a pond's surface.
20:09 <•Skaya> "Huh. So the exit was here all along. But let's not go out just yet? I'm not sure we'll be able to return, given the distortion."
20:10 <Devar> "I wonder if this particular spot was the point where all the magic went wrong." Devar suggests. "Wonder if those ripples are from it."
20:11 <•Anastasia> "Hmmmm...." Sanda steps forward and peers at it, "I'm going to study it, hold on."
20:11 <•Anastasia> "Careful," Anne warns, "It's an unknown anomaly."
20:11 <•Skaya> "Eh, sure, might as well. I'll help by reciting obscure magical knowledge~"
20:11 <•Anastasia> "I'll be fine, since statistically speaking," Sanda begins, getting to work.
20:14 <•Anastasia> It doesn't take long for Sanda to take a step or two closer to the ripples. You all see her move in slow motion as she does, getting slower and slower as she gets closer and closer.
20:15 <•Skaya> "Sanda, stop!" Skaya calls out to her. It could be Sanda being weird, or it could be some time-affecting magic.
20:16 <•Anastasia> Sanda sloooooowly turns back, and says, "Wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt?" Each letter is dragged out in slow motion, a barely comprehensible blur of noise.
20:16 <•Anastasia> Anne gasps, a hand to her mouth.
20:16 <•Skaya> "Return at once! It's a trap!"
20:17 — •Skaya holds her hands in the universal X pattern of aborting one's foolish actions.
20:17 <Devar> "I don't know if we'll get stuck in the same problem if we try and pull her out, but I can try if it doesn't seem like she can move out of it on her own." He says, ready to move forward.
20:17 <•Anastasia> Sanda turns and...
20:17 <•Anastasia> roll 1d20
20:17 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d20 --> [ 1d20=12 ]{12}
20:18 <•Anastasia> Slowly manages to return, getting faster by the moment. "Ah!" she cries, stumbling out. "All of you got so fast."
20:18 <•Skaya> "Everyone, back into the building," Skaya orders, heading inside as well first.
20:20 <Devar> "Were you actually able to study it at all?" Devar asks. "You got slower and slower as you moved towards it, so I'm not sure whether you even had a chance to."
20:21 <•Skaya> "Time itself is messed up over at the boundary, looks like," Skaya tells Sanda. "For all we know, a ripple could could and you'd grow old in a flash without being able to get back. Or freeze in an eternal attempt to cross the final meter to the event."
20:22 <•Anastasia> "It's not broken dimensions, it's broken time," Rina says hollowly, "If we try and escape, we might end up in an entirely different time. If we escape at the wrong time, we might be in the future or the past, or we might even end up being our own ancestors."
20:23 <•Anastasia> Anne visibly shudders, "Broken time. I never imagined I'd see such a thing. Oh, mercy on us!"
20:23 <Devar> "It could be both." Devar says. "Unfortunately this is a bit out of our wheelhouse either way, so we just have to hope we can find answers in, er... well, somewhere inside this mess."
20:23 <•Anastasia> Sanda follows along placidly. "It wasn't able to be studied, but it was an interesting effect nonetheless."
20:23 <•Skaya> "Isn't it supposed to be forbidden by divine decree?" Skaya asks, frowning. "This place is so weird."
20:24 <•Anastasia> "Is it? I wouldn't know," Anne shakes her head, "But it may be so. Maybe that's why this place was torn down."
20:24 <•Skaya> "On the plus side! If we manage to crack this thing, we could return a second after we left!"
20:24 <Devar> "Well, if it is someone should come fix it." Devar says. "But we won't figure it out until we explore some more anyway."
20:25 <•Skaya> "Ah, and one more thing. In the future, let's tie the person investigating weird phenomena so we can at least try to pull them back."
20:32 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, what are y'all gonna go do now?
20:34 <•Skaya> OOC: I believe there's only one unexplored path remaining, which leads past the scribe room. Let's go there.
20:35 <•Anastasia> OOC: If you mean the room with the skeletons and the ring, there's three doors there.
20:35 <•Anastasia> OOC: But regardless.
20:35 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
20:35 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=37 ]{37}
20:36 <•Anastasia> The trip back to that room is without incident. You find all the remaining bones and bone remnants are gone now, and all that's left is ancient, crumbling bits of paper to decorate the floor, tables and desks.
20:38 — •Skaya picks one door at random and examines it for any traps before trying to open it.
20:38 <•Anastasia> OOC: Give me a check.
20:39 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+9
20:39 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{13}
20:40 <•Anastasia> Skaya heads to the leftside door and checks it. No signs of traps.
20:40 — •Skaya opens it!
20:47 <•Anastasia> The door is opened. Beyond this is another scribe's room, but it's empty save for desks and tables. There's windows in this one that show the jungle ablaze, burning in the distance. Sitting on one table and watching the flames is a woman. 30 or so, hair brown and complexion olive. She wears a green and gray dress and her gaze is locked on the fires outside. Otherwise she is plainly adorned, no
20:47 <•Anastasia> jewelry or the like. Pretty, in a simple sort of human way.
20:48 <•Skaya> "Oh wow. Hello there! Sorry for the disturbance!" Skaya calls out to her.
20:48 <•Anastasia> No reaction. Anne peers at her carefully while Sanda hums, "Hello there?" she tries, to also no reaction.
20:49 <Devar> "I wonder if she's stuck in time?" Devar asks.
20:49 — •Skaya steps into the room and approaches the woman after tying her rope around herself and leaving the other end with Devar.
20:50 <Devar> Devar dutifully stands over the threshold since these boundaries seem to be room-based, with the rope!
20:54 <•Anastasia> The rope is taken as SKaya approaches the woman. No sign of reaction or slow down, and Skaya reaches the woman without difficulty or obvious danger.
20:54 — •Skaya circles around the woman, hoping that when she steps into her line of sight there might be some reaction.
20:55 <Devar> roll 1d20+8
20:55 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{24}
20:59 <•Anastasia> No reaction at all.
21:00 <•Skaya> "Right, Sanda, could you check to see if there's any magic and what kind?" Skaya asks, removing the binding for now.
21:00 <Devar> "...Skaya, get back here!" Devar says all of a sudden.
21:00 <•Skaya> --and she stops mid-sentences and dashes back without question!
21:02 <Devar> "...I don't know what's going on." He says, holding up part of the rope to her. "The rope - see how it's fraying a bit? It just started doing that after you were in there for a bit." He says. "Like it was slowly unwinding itself - I don't know if that means time is actually passing faster or if it's just... some particular thing that's going on here."
21:02 <•Anastasia> Just in time. By the time Skaya makes it back, the rope is visibly frayed.
21:02 <Devar> "...Yeah, I don't..." He reiterates. "Do *you* feel fine?"
21:02 <•Anastasia> Anne looks at the rope slowly and shakes her head, "Perhaps best to see if Skaya needs help first. Do you need healing?"
21:03 — •Skaya closes the door for now, before checking her skin for wrinkles.
21:03 <•Anastasia> OOC: Perception Skaya.
21:03 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+9
21:03 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=2 ]{11}
21:03 <•Anastasia> You think you may be a little wrinklier. Maybe? Yes, you think so. Possibly.
21:04 <•Skaya> "I need some skincare," she complains, offering her hand to Anne to see. "Don't you think so?"
21:06 <•Anastasia> Anne takes Skaya's hand and peers at it, Rina coming in along with Sanda. "Hmmm," Anne says, "I think you're alright."
21:06 <•Anastasia> Sanda says, "Still, better safe than sorry once we get back."
21:06 <•Anastasia> "If you're older now, not like it'll help," Rina points out, "But then again, maybe it's just wear and tear."
21:06 <•Skaya> "Are you sure? I didn't pack any decent skincare lotions," Skaya complains. "Maybe just heal me before rest tonight?"
21:07 <Devar> Devar looks around for anything that seems still at least semi-intact, even something like a small rock.
21:07 — •Skaya decides to study the effect on the rope, then, asking Devar, "Could you look into another door for now? I'm taking a bit of rest."
21:08 <Devar> "I have an idea." He says. "I wonder if it affects things differently... like, maybe the rope was affected somehow but people aren't?" He asks. "Like, that lady ought to be a pile of dust if the room wears at you, right?"
21:08 <•Anastasia> There's a few bits of debris like that around, Devar can see.
21:08 <•Skaya> "I was ninety percent certain she was undead when I went in."
21:09 <Devar> In the meantime he grabs a piece of wood and lightly tosses it into the room. "Keep an eye on that, will you please?" He asks, grabbing another one as he goes to check and open the second door.
21:09 <•Anastasia> OOC: What exactly are you studying, Skaya, and how?
21:09 <•Anastasia> The wood is tossed. It looks fine until it hits the ground, at which point it breaks into several, visibly weathered fragments.
21:10 <•Skaya> OOC: I closed it but let's say you opened it again? And I'm trying to see if the rope is still eroding, what's left or it, if it seems burnt/cut/old/etc
21:10 <•Anastasia> The rope isn't getting any worse, at least visibly. It just seems frayed and old now.
21:11 — •Skaya estimates how long it would take for a rope left out in the open to get that worn.
21:14 <Devar> "...Well, not going back in there, I guess." He says as he moves to the second door to see what weirdness awaits behind it.
21:15 <•Anastasia> Several months to years, Skaya thinks.
21:16 <•Anastasia> "We're not going back in there," Rina agrees, following Devar as he goes to the door opposite the entrance to this room. Surprisingly, it doesn't open. Seems to be jammed stuck.
21:18 <Devar> "Hm." He puts his shoulder up to it once or twice to see if a nudge will help. "We can have Skaya or me punch it open, but do you guys want to try another door for now?"
21:18 <•Skaya> "Other door, please! I'm trying to figure out my new birthday!"
21:19 <Devar> "Other door it is." He says as he goes to the third one to try and open it.
21:21 <•Anastasia> The other door it is. This door opens up into another scribe's room. This one is empty of everything except several stacks of intact books in the back. There's a door ahead here, as well as a door by the stacked books in the back.
21:23 <Devar> Devar grabs another piece of wood and throws it into this room.
21:23 <•Skaya> "Getting used to littering, are we?" Skaya muses, approaching.
21:24 <Devar> "Who knew it'd be so useful."
21:25 <•Anastasia> The wood is thrown. Nothing happens besides a clatter of wood this time. "Success?" Rina offers.
21:25 <•Anastasia> "Better than it crumbling apart," Anne comments in thought.
21:25 <•Skaya> "I'm not going to use a rope, since even I don't have that many of them," Skaya muses. "I'll go in first, call me if it seems bad!"
21:26 — •Skaya then heads in.
21:26 — Devar nods and tries to keep a close watch on the room!
21:26 <•Anastasia> OOC: Perception, Devar.
21:26 <Devar> roll 1d20+7 Perception
21:26 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+7 Perception --> [ 1d20=4 ]{11}
21:32 <•Anastasia> Nothing unusual as Skaya heads into the room. What's she doing in here, at least no signs of getting older or rotting away this tme.
21:32 — •Skaya makes a beeline to the intact books! The covers might hold a clue through the language used and topics listed.
21:33 <Devar> "I don't see anything amiss this time." Devar calls out.
21:33 <•Skaya> "Still alive, here!"
21:34 <Devar> "You're talking normally too." Devar says. "So maybe this room is... unaffected by the rest of this weirdness."
21:35 — •Skaya laughs gleefully. "Of course it's messed up somehow! Please save me when whatever it is triggers!"
21:37 <Devar> "You got it." He agrees.
21:38 <•Anastasia> The books are inspected. They are written in...OOC: Languages?
21:40 <•Skaya> OOC: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Celestial, Draconic
21:42 <•Anastasia> The writing is, with the exception of one book in elven and another in common, not in languages you know.
21:43 <•Skaya> "Hey, Sanda, let's have you look for magic here, and then examine the locked door and the third room? We might as well take our time."
21:51 <•Anastasia> "I will," Sanda agrees and comes over, "If we're safe here, no reason to hurry, is there?" OOC: Perception, Skaya and Devar, +2 bonus.
21:51 <Devar> roll 1d20+9 Perception
21:51 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9 Perception --> [ 1d20=17 ]{26}
21:51 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+9+2
21:51 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+9+2 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{18}
21:53 <•Anastasia> OOC: We'll see the results of that and your actions...next time! For serious I'm super drained from pool time today and lagging pretty hard here.

[Corwin]

19:30 <•Anastasia> ---
19:30 <•Anastasia> >
Nothing unusual as Skaya heads into the room. What's she doing in here, at least no signs of getting older or rotting away this tme.
19:30 <•Anastasia> * Skaya makes a beeline to the intact books! The covers might hold a clue through the language used and topics listed.
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Devar> "I don't see anything amiss this time." Devar calls out.
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Skaya> "Still alive, here!"
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Devar> "You're talking normally too." Devar says. "So maybe this room is... unaffected by the rest of this weirdness."
19:30 <•Anastasia> * Skaya laughs gleefully. "Of course it's messed up somehow! Please save me when whatever it is triggers!"
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Devar> "You got it." He agrees.
19:30 <•Anastasia> >
The books are inspected. They are written in...OOC: Languages?
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Skaya> OOC: Common, Elven, Dwarven, Celestial, Draconic
19:30 <•Anastasia> >
The writing is, with the exception of one book in elven and another in common, not in languages you know.
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Skaya> "Hey, Sanda, let's have you look for magic here, and then examine the locked door and the third room? We might as well take our time."
19:30 <•Anastasia> >
"I will," Sanda agrees and comes over, "If we're safe here, no reason to hurry, is there?" OOC: Perception, Skaya and Devar, +2 bonus.
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Devar> roll 1d20+9 Perception
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9 Perception --> [ 1d20=17 ]{26}
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Skaya> roll 1d20+9+2
19:30 <•Anastasia> <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+9+2 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{18}
19:30 <•Anastasia> >
OOC: We'll see the results of that and your actions...next time! For serious I'm super drained from pool time today and lagging pretty hard here.
19:31 <•Anastasia> OOC: Just to refresh since long break, but you two were checking the door, I believe?
19:31 <Skaya> OOC: Yes
19:32 <•Anastasia> No traps on the third door, nor any signs of anything unusual.
19:33 — Skaya opens the door.
19:35 <•Anastasia> This opens to a (flicker) (stutter) (shake). The door is closed, and both Skaya and Devar have a dull headache.
19:36 <Skaya> OOC: I asked Sanda to check for magic and she agreed. She didn't see any magic?
19:38 <•Anastasia> Sanda rubs her temples, "I don't see any magic," she says, "But I have a headache now."
19:39 <Devar> Devar nods to Sanda. "We all remember the door opening, right?" He asks.
19:39 <Skaya> "Yeeeeah. So did someone fuck with time again and rewind us, or did we lose our memories?"
19:42 <Devar> "I think it's just the door?" Devar theorizes.
19:43 <•Anastasia> "I remember opening it," Sanda agrees, eyeing it warily. "Maybe it's just the door?"
19:43 <Skaya> "I'm tired already. Can someone else volunteer to open the next door?"
19:44 <•Anastasia> Anne doesn't say a word. Rina eyes all of you and silently shakes her head, then mouths, 'Nope'. Sanda sniffs, "Statistically speaking, I have the best odds to discern anything anyway," she says, reaching out for the door again. "Perhaps second time is the charm."
19:44 <Devar> Devar tries shutting his eyes!
19:46 <Skaya> That sounds like a spectacularly bad idea. At least it would be spectacular!
19:48 <•Anastasia> The door opens. This time it reveals a stairway going down, an entrance to the stairs. Lying opposite the door is the body of a large cat - a panther or similar. It's bloody and dead, though still fresh and with a pool of red blood around it. Next to it lies a broken sword, blade cracked badly and shards of it lying around it.
19:50 <Skaya> "Why."
19:51 <•Anastasia> "Well, if a great cat was in here, it's going to make trouble so isn't that obvious?" Sanda asks, "Especially if it's a maneater."
19:51 <•Anastasia> Rina eyes it all before she shakes her head, "Not the point. Just more proof we need to get out of here as fast as we can.:
19:51 <•Anastasia> Rina eyes it all before she shakes her head, "Not the point. Just more proof we need to get out of here as fast as we can."
19:53 <Skaya> "This is the only door we have left to look into, right?" Skaya asks with a shrug. "Let's go, then."
19:53 <Devar> "It's possible the thing that was broken got fixed?" Devar asks. "I wonder if that weird border barrier thing is still there. We can check after this."
19:59 → Devqr joined  ⇐ Devar quit 
20:00 <•Anastasia> Down the stairs you go. It's a short walk to the bottom, where a single door awaits you on one side and a second door on the other. From one door you allc an clearly, but distantly, hear a strange ticking sound.
20:02 <Skaya> Skaya's left eye twitches at the sound. "I'm not opening this door either," she declares.
20:03 <Devqr> "Want to try the other door first then?"
20:04 — Skaya checks both doors for traps!
20:04 <Skaya> roll 1d20+9 perception
20:04 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+9 perception --> [ 1d20=11 ]{20}
20:07 <•Anastasia> NEither door seemsto have traps.
20:07 — Skaya opens the door without the strange sounds.
20:09 <•Anastasia> In this room is a (flicker) (stutter) (shake). The door is closed once more, but Skaya feels her fist curled around something she holds in her hand. Her head hurts as well. OOC: 1 point of wisdom damage.
20:10 <Devqr> "...Well, there goes that idea." Devar says with a frown.
20:10 <Skaya> "Why!" she sobs in dejection.
20:11 <•Anastasia> Anne approaches Skaya, "It's somewhere broken. I doubt any fault lies with you at all."
20:11 — Skaya stares down at her hand.
20:12 <•Anastasia> In Skaya's hand are two things. The first is a blue gemstone ring, like the red gemstone ring from before. The second is a scrap of paper with writing on it. IT reads, "I'm sorry. This is the best I could do. I won't forget you."
20:13 — Skaya shudders.
20:13 <Devqr> "When we tried to open the door a second time it seemed to be okay - do you want me to try it?" He asks.
20:14 <Skaya> "Sure, it's just brain damage," Skaya says in a defeated tone of voice. She steps back, and takes off her red ring before putting on the blue one.
20:14 <•Anastasia> Skaya now has a blue aura, just like the red tint, but blue.
20:15 — Skaya puts the red ring back on! Will the aura turn purple? Or will she explode?
20:15 <•Anastasia> The aura turns purple.
20:16 <Skaya> "That's the purple key, then. Probably," she says, letting the others open the rest of the doors for now.
20:17 <Devqr> Devar reaches out to open the same door Skaya opened.
20:19 <•Anastasia> The door opens. It looks to be a tower top room. A small one, with space for a bed, a small desk and a chair by a slit window. It shows a glimpse of a jungle below. On the chair sits an ancient skeleton, gaze out the window even in death. On the desk sits a quill and paper, ancient and mostly rotted away.
20:19 — Skaya approaches to take a look at the paper.
20:21 <•Anastasia> It's ancient paper, but there's a bit of written in Commons till intact enough to read. Fragments, really. "...ed ring toge..." "...y days that matt..." "...oolishness that drew the Keepers of the Te..." "...d to have m..."
20:22 <•Anastasia> Sanda follows in, "Does that mean anything to do you?"
20:22 <•Anastasia> Rina stays back, glancing over her shoulder at the other door. "That constant sound's bothering me," she murmurs, "Like a constant slithering in my head."
20:23 <Devqr> "It might be the source of the problems." Devar says. "We'll check it out soon."
20:26 — Skaya gathers the paper into her haversack carefully. It should be stored properly inside. And there should be spells to restore paper so maybe one day she'll know more here. "Right, let's open the other door. Sanda, if you will?"
20:29 <•Anastasia> Sanda nods and goes to open it. Ahead is an open field before the jungle. Sunrise. Standing just outside of the door is a man-thing of gears, mental and red robes. It stands utterly impassively, a face of golden gears that turns in an instant to regard the party. "An anomaly." It states in a calm voic e, the ticking noise coming from it, louder from within it when it speaks. The gears in its
20:29 <•Anastasia> body turn and click against each other, the creature tall enough to tower over all of you, over seven feet tall.
20:29 <Skaya> "I knew it!"
20:30 <Devqr> "I'm sorry, do you mean us or... whatever is going on here?" Devar asks. OOC: K:P for this thing?
20:30 <•Anastasia> OOC: Sure.
20:30 <Devqr> OOC: I'll be boring and take 10 for 20
20:33 <•Anastasia> The creature is an Inevitable, a servant of the forces of law. As to which you cannot say, but you are certain it is no common one. Indeed, as Devar watches, gold and steel armor expands out from nowhere to cover it, robes replaced. It carries no weapon, but around its hands, stars and comets swirl in miniature. "Explain yourselves."
20:33 <•Anastasia> Rina takes a careful step back, while Sanda peers, "Oh, one of those," she murmurs to herself, "It's only logical, something's gone terribly wrong here."
20:35 <Devqr> "Never thought I'd run into an Inevitable, but if we were going to, yeah, it'd be here where everything is... broken." Devar says.
20:35 → Iddy joined (uid408070@lunarnet-1BB5E9E.uxbridge.irccloud.com)
20:42 <•Anastasia> "Explain yourselves," The creature repeats, "Why are you here?"
20:43 <Devqr> Devar glances over at Skaya since he doesn't want to steal her thunder.
20:44 — Skaya sighs but doesn't shirk responsibility. She steps forward and tells the Inevitable, "An ancient dragon teleportation platform sent us here, and we haven't been able to leave. Can you help us escape?"
20:47 <•Anastasia> "You have spoken the truth," The Inevitable states, "I will do so and ensure this does not happen again. This is not a place meant for those who do not oversee time." A (flicker) (stutter) (shake). Pain and a headache. All of you stand back on the teleportation platform that lead you to this place, back underground once more.
20:48 <Devqr> "...Well now I'm a little disappointed we didn't see what was behind the purple barrier."
20:49 <Skaya> "I clearly asked to escape, how is sending us back into danger that?"
20:50 <•Anastasia> Anne takes a long breath, "Then at least we're free of that misery," she declares, stepping off the platform.
20:50 <Skaya> "You know, there were like nine more options...."
20:50 <•Anastasia> Rina steps off the platform and draws a long breath. "Skaya?"
20:51 <•Anastasia> Sanda goes to look at it, "Oh, that's an excellent point!"
20:51 <Skaya> "Maybe he fixed all the broken ones!"
20:52 <•Anastasia> The runes are in draconic. The dial is set on one that reads 'Null'. The other ten are 'Home' 'Ocean' 'Cavern' 'Sky' 'Food' 'Growth' 'Desire' 'Sword' and finally 'Dreams'. Where the rune for 'Wisdom' once was is worn smooth by the endless passage of the ages, no sign of that rune left.
20:53 <Skaya> "See? He removed Wisdom! Let's try Growth? Desire, Sword and Dreams also sound really nice!"
20:54 <•Anastasia> "Skaya, it can't be that bad to try to escape the way we came now," Rina points out, "Safer if nothing else."
20:54 <•Anastasia> Sanda's studying the runes, "I like Dreams and Growth, too," Sanda offers.
20:55 <Skaya> "I realize the risks," Skaya says, stepping off the platform dejectedly. "I'm sorry, but I honestly don't have full confidence in bringing you all out alive. Are you sure?"
20:55 <•Anastasia> Anne takes a long breath, "Help me," she murmurs, before, "It's too much of a risk. If we meet our end in this life from elementals or strange creatures, then we meet our fate with our heads held high. What can we expect if we gamble on another of those?"
20:56 <•Anastasia> "Discoveries and useful things, we already have two lovely rings out of it," Sanda retorts.
20:56 <Skaya> "Riches, power and glory? Someone can get a nice sword."
20:56 <Devqr> "We could step off and one person could go to Dreams?" Devar asks. "Assuming things work the way that we've thought, there should be a similar platform on the other end of this." He adds. "Assuming it is, then the person could just get back. Basically, I'm suggesting we chance it with one person and wait a few moments and see if they come back. There's obviously still risk, especially if the
20:56 <Devqr> person doesn't come back... but at least that way it'd be minimizing it."
20:58 <Skaya> "I don't mind taking a risk. I suppose... try to return if I'm not back in five minutes?"
20:58 <•Anastasia> "Alright," Anne agrees, or at least no desire to argue about it.
20:59 — Skaya waits for everyone to vacate the platform, before picking Dreams. Devar and Sanda like it too, so maybe it'll be lucky?
20:59 <•Anastasia> "It's dangerous if you go alone," Sanda says, "I can go with you as well."
20:59 <Skaya> OOC: It's fine if she wants to come
20:59 <•Anastasia> Sanda hops on and the dial is hit, and the two vanish. OOC: More, you two into #evil.
21:00 <•Anastasia> Once they're gone, "Why didn't you argue with them?" Rina asks openly.
21:00 <•Anastasia> With a tired sigh and shake of her head, "Skaya's adventuresomely stubborn, I've met her type before, and Sanda is Sanda."
21:01 <Devqr> "You have to take risks sometimes." Devar says. "We just have to hope that there's a way back for them. We also don't know that we can safely get out of these caverns yet."
21:03 <•Anastasia> Anne merely nods to that and sinks down to sit against the wall. "I enjoy an adventure and know it can do good, but this most recent misadventure is a little much. If I hadn't made it back, who would have looked over all of the orphans?"
21:05 <•Anastasia> Rina goes to lean against the wall and rest a little herself, "We were in over our head," she admits, "We have been for most of this one, and whatever all of that was? It was like going from a wading pond to the deep ocean."
21:06 <Devqr> "I'll admit I'm surprised we remember it." Devar says. "I kind of just... assumed that stuff was the sort of thing you're made to forget ever happened."
21:07 <•Anastasia> Further discussion is stopped as with a ripple and woosh of air, Skaya and Sanda return.
21:07 <Skaya> "Good news, it works! Let's explore Dreams together!"
21:07 <Devqr> "Oh, welcome back."
21:12 <•Anastasia> Anne rises, "How was it?"
21:12 <•Anastasia> Rina rights herself, "So no horrors this time as well as an escape route?"
21:12 <Skaya> "Misty. I figured we should return as promised first."
21:16 <•Anastasia> "At least it's safe," Rina decides at last, getting on.
21:17 — Skaya waits for everyone to get on before choosing Dreams again.
21:19 <•Anastasia> With a ripple, the party returns. It's indeed misty and cold, just like it was before. Thick mist, which complicates seeing and figuring out where exactly you are.
21:19 <Skaya> "What do you think? Rope?"
21:22 <Devqr> "Probably the easiest." Devar says.
21:22 <•Anastasia> "A rope line with all of us?" Anne asks, "That would be sensible."
21:22 — Skaya takes out her spare rope and ties herself to Anne, before asking her to keep the line going. It should give them plenty of room to work, too!
21:23 <Skaya> "Actually, I'm curious. I'm glowing purple, right? Do you see me better in the mist, or same as everyone else?"
21:26 <•Anastasia> Devar can see it doesn't seem to make a huge difference, but it helps a little bit. Anne is third, Sanda fourth and Rina brings up the rear. "Yeah, a little," Rina answers.
21:26 <•Anastasia> "It doesn't hurt," Sanda concurs, "Which will also make you a bit of a target if anything comes on us that's hostile."
21:27 <Skaya> "I'm used to it!" Skaya responds with a helpless look no one can actually make out. "We went out to a hidden ancient dragon library and all I got is some brain damage, but this time will be better. Let's go!"
21:30 <•Anastasia> The party begins to explore. You soon find the far wall and a massive arch going further ahead. The mist is even thicker here - you can barely see a few inches in front of your face. You'll be going ahead nearly blind if you go further.
21:32 — Skaya leads the way past the arch, keeping close to the right wall of the arch.
21:34 <•Anastasia> A few more steps and...huh. Skaya's not standing on anything, but also not falling. She's floating there like it's the most natural thing in the world, and gravity wasn't anything but a polite suggestion. A single step that in any other situation would've lead to disaster, but here it seems less so.
21:35 — Skaya closes her eyes and tries to relax. Maybe it's some meditation chamber?
21:36 <•Anastasia> Nothing happens, but from ahead, Anne calls, "Everything alright, Skaya?"
21:37 <Skaya> "There is no ground, but I can fly," her voice drifts back.
21:38 — Skaya frowns, then. What if it's like Limbo? She eagerly tries to form a platform to stand upon with her will!
21:41 <•Anastasia> "Your'e flying?" Rina calls back, as Skaya finds nothing happens at all.
21:41 <•Anastasia> "You're flying," Sanda echos, "Oh, that must narrow it down quite a lot!"
21:42 <Skaya> "The correct term would be failing to fall, if we must be pedantic about it," Skaya responds, trying to take a step back.
21:42 <Devqr> "I wonder how far out the... gravity thing goes." Devar asks.
21:43 <•Anastasia> Skaya's able to float back to the ground ands tand on it, like nothing's wrong.
21:43 <•Anastasia> "No idea," Anne muses, then..."Ah!" She pulls the ropes upward, "I'm floating! You have to think about it and act like it's going to happen, and it happens."
21:45 <Skaya> "I'm going to try and fly as high up as I can to see what happens," Skaya informs the others, doing just that.
21:57 <•Anastasia> OOC: Going to stay in the ropes or...?
21:57 <Skaya> OOC: Yes
22:00 <•Anastasia> Skaya flies up. She doesn't get far before she notices the mist begins to thin. Going up a little more, she sees that she's right next to a wall. In the other direction is empty air and thinner mist. A wall of worn stone, pockmarked and crumbling from the humid, misty air.
22:01 <Skaya> Since she's next to a wall, she must fly higher to look over it!
22:04 <•Anastasia> IT doesn't go up much farther - and it shows what looks to be a castlescape, as if you're peering over the outermost wall. It's hard to tell details in the fog, but this castle seemingly floats, mired in a deeper mist in the lower parts.
22:05 <Skaya> "Yep, it's a floating castle."
22:10 <Devqr> "...Huh. Dragons sure are amazing." Devar says unhelpfully.
22:11 <•Anastasia> "A floating castle?!" Anne calls, "Another place beyond all reason!"
22:11 <•Anastasia> "Hopefully with a dragon's treasure, too!" Sanda calls back.
22:12 <Skaya> "Let's float down, now," Skaya suggests, trying to do that.
22:15 <•Anastasia> Thus, the party goes to do that...next time! OOC: We've ran over and it's about time for me, so we'll pick up next time. Good run today.

[Corwin]

18:54 <•Anastasia> Skaya floats down. It's a thick fog, so dense she can barely see a few inches in front of her. There's no signs of it lessening as she sinks further down into it.
18:55 <Skaya> The ropes are pretty long, so it's fine to test things out. At least she's not melting here!
19:05 <•Anastasia> Down further and further, but still nothing but fog, not until the rope's limit.
19:08 <Skaya> She might not be able to see much, but can she still see the wall she's been descending next to? Does it look eroded, same as before?
19:09 <Devqr> "I can feel you tugging on it down there." Devar calls out through the fog. "I'd ask if you see anything, but... you know."
19:10 <•Anastasia> It still looks and feels eroded.
19:11 <Skaya> "Let's head down some more?"
19:12 <Devqr> "Do you want to tie anything up here in case we can't get back up for some reason?" Devar calls out. "I'm not sure how much rope we have to be able to do that."
19:13 <Skaya> "Let's just have the last one in line hold position. That should give us plenty of rope."
19:14 <•Anastasia> "I'll handle it," Rina volunteers at that, "And if all that rope isn't enough, then see from there."
19:15 <Skaya> "Works for me! Then I'll lead the way!"
19:15 — Skaya continues her descent.
19:15 <Devqr> Devar will follow Skaya's direction via the rope down - though he does try to see if he thinks about being able to see through the fog if that has any impact.
19:16 <•Anastasia> Thus the party begins to carefully descend. But not long into it and from somewhere above? A roar. A roar far louder than anything you've ever heard before distant and still enough to shake the air itself. It's like a mountain bellowing out to let all know it rules over the land it surveys.
19:18 <•Anastasia> Rina yelps softly afterwards, while Sanda looks up, "Ah! T-that has to be one thing!"
19:18 <Skaya> OOC: Can I identify it?
19:18 <•Anastasia> "A dragon's roar?" Anne speculates, "We may be trespassing somewhere we're not meant to be." OOC: You can try K:A if you want.
19:19 <Skaya> OOC: I'll take 10 for 20 to see if it's dragons
19:19 <•Anastasia> OOC: IT fits the profile, sure. Other things do too, but it would fit a dragon.
19:20 <Skaya> "Let's reverse course and fly up out of this mist?" Skaya proposes. "No other way to tell if there's a surviving dragon here."
19:22 <•Anastasia> "That or we leave and try another one?" Rina suggests, "Do you really want to risk fighting a dragon?"
19:22 <Skaya> "Dragons are really smart so we don't need to fight them!"
19:23 <Devqr> "We don't even know what it is yet - to Skaya's point it would be prudent to at least figure that out before we do anything." Devar agrees. "We know how to get out of here quickly if it's a dragon of the sort we don't want to deal with."
19:24 <•Anastasia> "Unless if it's an evil dragon or a territorial dragon, or otherwise aggressive," Sanda points out, "Statistically speaking though, I would like our escape route to be well planned out because the odds of deaths in a dragon battle are quite high."
19:24 <Skaya> "It didn't take me long to get out of this soup, so Rina should keep by the arch and I alone will go up," Skaya responds, following this plan.
19:32 <•Anastasia> Skaya goes up as the others talk. She flies back into the thinner mist and can see it. It's flying towards the castle, a massive wyrm. A body the same pale white as the mists here, larger than a dozen horses. A massive beast who flies on wings, with sharp claws and a long tail.
19:36 — Skaya flies out of the mists, body glowing purple. Would the rings actually help? There's really no way to know, and at least she'd be fabulous as she dies if things go south.
19:36 <Skaya> "Greetings," she addresses the wyrm in Draconic. "Mighty dragon, has my presence here disturbed you?"
19:39 <•Anastasia> The dragon flies towards you and roars back in Draconic, loud enough to carry, "TRESSPASSER! YOU WHO DEFILE THIS SACRED GROUND INVITE ETERNAL PUNISHMENT!" It's voice is loud enough to shake the air, to be heard by everyone and not just Skaya.
19:42 <Devqr> Devar frowns at that - not a good start to be sure.
19:42 <Skaya> "Please calm your anger!" Skaya calls back. "We would not be here were it not for immoral mages and earth elementals coming together to defile the legacy left underneath our land. We've dealt with the mages, but the elementals are too powerful for us to handle! They seek to use the inheritance to make insane chimera and awaken a great power sleeping beneath, so we could only try to use the ancient platform and seek help!"
19:44 <•Anastasia> OOC: Diplo check, -2 penalty.
19:45 <Skaya> OOC: I'll take 10 and use inspiration, so that's 21
19:52 <•Anastasia> Below Anne is tense, Rina ready to bolt. Sanda listens in carefully as the wyrm replies, "AND YOU DEFILE SUCH THINGS FURTHER BY USING THEM!" It roars back, starting to get closer to Skaya fast - only about 200ft away now.
19:54 <Skaya> How unreasonable! Time to flee, then. Skaya does her best to sink like a rock while heading for the exit. She'll take off the rings as well as she goes, to stop being such a beacon.
19:55 <•Anastasia> Seeing Skaya flee, Rina pulls on the ropes, "Time to go!" she cries, Anne following. Sanda shakes her head and murmurs, "Such poor manners! Dragons should be more understanding! Statistically speaking, it gets you a better return on your investment than hostility!"
19:56 <Devqr> "Maybe we'll meet a friendlier one somewhere else!" Devar says quickly, as he moves to get to the others.
19:57 <Skaya> At this point, would that dragon chase them only to have an epic battle with the building-sized elemental?
20:00 <•Anastasia> A fair question, but despite another roar, the group quickly reaches the teleportation pad. Sanda goes to the device, "Get on," she cries, as the other two don't waste anytime doing exactly that.
20:01 — Skaya gets on, ready to activate it!
20:02 <•Anastasia> The party gets on and moments later, they are returned safely to their original problem, back deep underground once more.
20:03 <Skaya> "Let's try to get out the normal way," Skaya says, sounding defeated. She starts to untie the ropes holding them together. "We'll have to return one day if we survive."
20:04 <Devqr> "We know where it is, so there's always time to investigate it later." Devar agrees.
20:05 <Skaya> "Let's try to see if the original path got opened, first," Skaya proposes. "I'll lead the way, and hopefully they won't spot me."
20:06 <•Anastasia> "We were gone a day," Anne points out, "It may be the way opened itself up while we were gone, or our threats went elsewhere."
20:07 <•Anastasia> "Maybe," Rina says, "At least there won't be a dragon here."
20:07 <Skaya> "Assuming we weren't returned earlier in relative time," Skaya agrees. "So, no better ideas?"
20:08 <•Anastasia> "Not a one," Anne takes a long breath, "Not anything I can think of."
20:09 <Devqr> OOC: Are the mages still dead here? Or at least are the bodies still there?
20:09 Devqr → Devar
20:12 <•Anastasia> OOC: The bodies are still out there. They're smelling rather unpleasant.
20:12 — Skaya leads the way up the stairs. Sneakily!
20:13 <Devar> Devar follows along!
20:14 <•Anastasia> You return to the stairs. No sign of barriers or problems, the stairwell silent.
20:15 <Skaya> Let's see. It was go up past the balcony, then head for that trap room.
20:19 <•Anastasia> You return to the room you were trapped in. It's quiet as well, nothing stopping you from returning further if you like.
20:19 <•Anastasia> "Nothing?" Anne murmurs, "Fortune turns our way."
20:19 <•Anastasia> "Or trouble. This feels ominous in its silence," Rina disagrees, a tight frown.
20:20 — Skaya secures a rope at the top and climbs down. If she's able to make her way out, she'll try to use the pole in her traveling kit to keep the door open!
20:22 <•Anastasia> Climbing down is without incident. The door is open once more, nothing to stop you from leaving. Sanda lets out a quiet sigh of relief, "But still so quiet," Anne murmurs, weapon at the ready.
20:23 <Skaya> Once everyone is past the door, Skaya leads the way to the end of the tunnel. They'll need to open it and then things should go smoother.
20:24 <•Anastasia> This goes quietly as well. "Almost there," Rina says, "Come on, let's go see the sun again."
20:25 <Skaya> "Right. Keep focused until we're out all the way," Skaya agrees, staying in the lead.
20:25 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100-10
20:25 <•Anastasia> OOC: One sec.
20:25 → Kobot joined (~dunefar@lunarnet-82C188CE.hr.hr.cox.net)
20:26 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100-10
20:26 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100-10 --> [ 1d100=73 ]{63}
20:26 <•Anastasia> The trip back out is quiet. You emerge into rain. Summer rains and the broken remnants of your camp, trampled and broken. "Regis? Marken?" Rina calls, looking around.
20:28 — Skaya looks for any clues in the ruins of the camp. Blood might have washed out, but there might still be signs. Also, are there signs of their carriage and the pair of horses?
20:28 <•Anastasia> Anne looks up, letting the rain hit her face before with a long breath, "A battle, something must've come out this way."
20:28 <•Anastasia> No sign of carriage or horses. As for the rest...OOC: Perception, -4 penalty due to rain.
20:28 <Skaya> roll 1d20+9 inspiration to eliminate penalty
20:28 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+9 inspiration to eliminate penalty --> [ 1d20=6 ]{15}
20:29 <Devar> roll 1d20+3 will try too
20:29 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+3 will try too --> [ 1d20=18 ]{21}
20:38 <•Anastasia> Skaya can tell a battle happened here, and a few muddy prints suggest a retreat away, perhaps. Devar gathers the same and also notes a few little, half hidden spots have blood splatters.
20:39 <Skaya> "Let's try to follow the tracks leading away," Skaya proposes. "If we don't find anything, we'll check the town."
20:40 <Devar> "Hey, over here." He says, indicating a spot nearby. "There's some blood here, for whatever it's worth."
20:41 — Skaya gives Devar an incredulous look.
20:43 <Devar> "Just pointing it out!"
20:43 <Skaya> "Come on, let's check the tracks," Skaya tells Rina, trying to use her own meager talents to follow them. At least it doesn't seem like too many people passed here.
20:45 <•Anastasia> For what it's worth, the tracks are going towards the town, so it's not an either/or choice.
20:46 <Skaya> "Yep, it's the town." She leads the way.
20:49 <•Anastasia> The party returns back. Yo ufind the docks are smashed. The old docks are mostly rubble now, and there's several broken bodies of stone, ranging form man sized to much larger than. Several light siege engines are not too far away, some broken and some intact. Soldiers are on guard, watching as the group approaches.
20:50 <Skaya> "Hey!" Skaya calls out to them. Gesturing at the elemental corpses, she asks, "What the hell happened here?"
20:53 <•Anastasia> You see archers ready arrows, but raised hands from officers stop them. One approaches, a sallow faced man with a limp. "You're Skaya, with the Heroic Guild of Mellanics?" he calls, "Men of stone rose from beneath the lake and attacked the town, but warning from your allies let us stop them.
20:53 <•Anastasia> "
20:53 <•Anastasia> Anne looks it all over before, "Are you in need of more healers?"
20:54 <Skaya> "That's me!" she agrees. "We were trapped in the ruins, so good thing our backup plan worked. Are Regis and Marken here?"
20:55 <•Anastasia> "Yes, they are." An answer before, "Not enough to enlist you for it, ma'am," Is then the answer to Anne. "Our own healers from Tempus and Marken's aid was enough."
20:56 — Skaya looks at the slimecat. "Want to come travel with us?" she decides to ask. "Or stick to the original agreement? I can show you to that nice underground lake in a couple of days."
21:01 <•Anastasia> A wobble at that, seemingly content to follow. Then again, it is a slime.
21:02 <Skaya> "Works for me," Skaya voices, and then advances slowly towards the soldiers.
21:02 <•Anastasia> "Still, we made it. They're safe," Rina exhales heavily, "I think things went alrighta fter all."
21:02 <Skaya> "You know, if we tried to get out right away? We probably would've died."
21:02 <•Anastasia> "Let's get back and get some rest, and see what happened," Is the agreement from Anne.
21:06 <•Anastasia> Sanda smiles at that, "Isn't it interesting how that worked out, Skaya?"
21:07 <Skaya> "I just hope Apple and Cherry are alright," Skaya tells Sanda. "All this walking thing quickly lost its appeal."
21:10 <•Anastasia> You quickly return from there. To the inn, where you find Regis and Marken. "Rina!" Regis calls, hurrying over. Marken approaches the rest of you as the siblings share a moment, "You're alive. With what came out, I thought for certain you'd..."
21:11 <•Anastasia> "You-" Regis blows out a breath, "Glad to see we were worrying over nothing."
21:11 <•Anastasia> "Sorry," Rina smiles despite that, "We're still going."
21:12 <Skaya> "You would not believe the shit we went through," Skaya says with a relieved sigh. "Glad to see you did well, even with the crazy elemental invasion."
21:13 <Devar> "Did that big one show up?" Devar asks.
21:16 <•Anastasia> Marken smiles tightly, "Yes. The siege engines were enough, if barely. For the lesser ones, arrows and spearlines did the work."
21:17 <•Anastasia> "We're still going," Regis banters back, "We're probably done here after this, at least for now, but we're all alive. What happened to all of you?"
21:18 <Skaya> "I wonder if we should just return at this point," Skaya muses, before glancing at Regis. "Well, there were three wizards. We killed them and fought off several elementals, but things looked bad so we used the ancient dragon teleportation platform and it broke mid-transit."
21:23 <•Anastasia> "..." Nothing form Regis, while Marken says, "And when the military gets word of that, and the nobles, they'll want even more to meddle in it."
21:23 <Skaya> "A shame it was broken so there's nothing to look into."
21:23 <•Anastasia> "A shame," Marken agrees, "But old things break so easily."
21:24 <Skaya> "We did try to use it despite it being past its due date. And the the entire cave collapsed."
21:26 <•Anastasia> "Even more tragic," Marken says, "But still, I think this means mission accomplished."
21:27 <Skaya> "It surely does," Skaya agrees. "We can always try to look into other ancient legacies later, but let's just return right now."
21:29 <•Anastasia> OOC: Planning to return to Mellanics then?
21:30 <Skaya> OOC: Yes. Marken and Regis will be told our adventure up to the time the Inevitable returned us. Where I will wink and say everything was broken and the tunnel was collapsed with no way to get back. So all of us have our stories straight.
21:35 <•Anastasia> OOC: Okay, we'll pick up there with final cleanup and then a new adventure next time, and we'll cover loot during the week.
21:35 <Skaya> OOC: Did the horses survive?!
21:36 <•Anastasia> OOC: No such luck, sadly.

[Corwin]

18:00 <•Anastasia> ------
18:00 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
18:00 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=78 ]{78}
18:00 <•Anastasia> roll 1d100
18:00 <Kobot> Anastasia rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=39 ]{39}
18:02 <•Anastasia> The trip back to Mellanics is hot, humid and ultimately quiet. No bandits or trouble this time at least, and soon enough you've returned. As you enter into the city, it's well made streets and busy-ness a contrast to where you were, "Back home," Regis says, "So time to go report this one done."
18:02 <•Anastasia> Rina fans herself with a little paper hand fan and grimaces, "Then a long, cool bath. Maybe a swim instead."
18:03 <•Anastasia> Anne smiles at that, "Do you need me for this part? I have a great many smiling faces that will be happy to see me."
18:03 <Skaya> "Not to mention to get your reward!" Skaya cheers, before giving Devar an apologetic look. "Sorry, I only secured the funds for the original party in advance. But we can ask the Guild Master now!"
18:04 <Devar> "Oh, don't worry about it. I was just helping out anyway. It was a good experience either way, so don't sweat it too much either way." He says with a smile. "I'm just glad everything worked out."
18:05 <Skaya> "Except the horses. Guys, why didn't you just ride the horses to run away?" Skaya asks in a pitiful tone of voice. "We could've lost the carriage but not them!"
18:06 <•Anastasia> "It was hectic," Marken says stoically, not touching that one.
18:06 <•Anastasia> "Things happened," Regis shrugs.
18:07 <Skaya> "I really liked traveling in style and drawing rich bandits to us on our way over."
18:07 <•Anastasia> Sanda merely smiles a bit, "Still, we came back with a decent amount of treasure and a job completed. That wasn't a bad summer vacation at all. Statisticall speaking, it was much more rewarding than going to a lake to swim for aweek."
18:10 <Skaya> "I had lots of fun during the times I wasn't risking my life, yes!"
18:12 <•Anastasia> "Which was..." Anne shakes her head, "Well, nevermind. I'll drop by later to deal with money and other things, but I really must be going. I'll be at the orphanage if I'm needed."
18:13 <•Anastasia> "The rest of us can finish this," Regis waves her off, "Come on, let's go clear this up with the old man. Figure he'll want to hear it himself."
18:14 <Skaya> "I'll definitely stop by to catch up!"
18:20 <•Anastasia> With that the party returns to the guild at last. IT's bustling and busy, people coming and going. The receptionists work hard as jobs are claimed or turned in, a constant buzz of conversation filling the room. As you approach the desk Skaya sees a familiar face: Aliee, one of her fellow receptionists. She looks at Skaya and stops, "You made it back? Picke's waiting for you, he wants to talk
18:20 <•Anastasia> to all of you once you get in."
18:21 <Skaya> "Yes, I survived!" Skaya responds with true cheer. "I'll report and then come back to fill you in~"
18:25 <•Anastasia> Regis smiles back at her and starts to talk, but Rina grabs him and pulls him along. Sanda follows as well, "Hopefully we're compensated further, that was quite the adventure."
18:26 <Skaya> "The original compensation was a thousand gold upon completion, which means all of you except Devar and I would get two hundred," Skaya muses. "But we did run into more than we expected...."
18:28 <Devar> "I can definitely vouch for the 'more than expected' part of it." Devar says with a grin.
18:29 <•Anastasia> "We all can," Rina's smiling as you go back as well. Pick is a big, tall, solid sort of man. Strong and sitting at his desk, waving you in. "I heard quite a lot already," he greets all of you, "And you picked up Devar midway, too."
18:30 <Skaya> "Didn't you send him over, Guild Master?"
18:38 <•Anastasia> "The point is that I'm glad you managed to find each other with how much of a mess it became," Picke chuckles, "You've stirred up all sorts of noise for the political side of things, of course, though you don't need to worry about that if you don't want to."
18:40 <Skaya> "How so?" Skaya asks, blinking her eyes cluelessly. "Was this a foreign plot?"
18:43 <•Anastasia> "No, no signs of that, but word of what was coming out got attention." Picke breathes out, "Our nation's not in the best shape after the civil war, and old grudges by our neighbors linger. A potential military edge is wanted for that, as well as by the church of Tempus to bolster it's loss of influence. So people are wondering about these creatures now and wanting to poke their noses in, hoping
18:43 <•Anastasia> to get lucky."
18:45 <Skaya> "I'm sure they're lining up to volunteer for the experiments, at that," she scoffs.
18:47 <•Anastasia> You get a little grin back, tight. "Regardless, at least the threat's stopped. I'll have you do a full report in writing later, but for now there's a matter of money." Bags are taken out, each of you getting one. "Here. 300 gold for each of you. More than we agreed to, but it seems fair."
18:49 <•Anastasia> Sanda deftly takes hers before, "Oh? Good, that's even more money out of this."
18:49 <•Anastasia> Rina takes hers as Regis checks his, "Thanks, sir," he says, "Potions are expensive."
18:49 <Skaya> "Thank you so much!" Skaya says brightly.
18:52 <Devar> "That's very generous." Devar agrees.
18:59 <•Anastasia> "Anne's not with you, but I'll see to it that she gets hers," Picke concludes, "Now, do you feel you all work well together?"
19:01 <Devar> "I don't know that I contribute that much to them just yet, but I have a few ideas on things I can do to help supplement what they've got going, should they want my continued support." Devar says. "Having another source of healing is always helpful."
19:01 <Skaya> "It's been pretty great," Skaya says for her part.
19:05 <•Anastasia> "I thought we worked well together," Rina offers, "Even with a few growing pains."
19:05 <•Anastasia> "No objections here," Marken says, "Though I'll not likely be in the area for a time after this, and I'm usually on the move."
19:06 <•Anastasia> "Hmmmm." Picke rubs his chin, "I think I may call on all of yo uagain in the future, or at least some of you. There's some potential here, and you all solved a seriously nasty problem. But for now, go enjoy your money and get some rest."
19:08 <Skaya> "Sure thing, Boss! Unless there's some exciting mystery needing to be solved?"
19:13 <•Anastasia> "Not today, at least," Picke waves you off, as...

[Corwin]

LEVEL UP 3=>4