The Strangeness Below the City 11

[Corwin]

19:03 <•Kotono> -----
19:07 <•Kotono> Exhaustion and rest. Plague and sickness. Days pass in this and patrolling for the dead. Fortunately, by and large, they're wiped out. There's a few intermittent reports, but none that the party chances on. Slowly, with knowledge and supplies, the plague is beginning to relent. It's then that the party is called to the High Reeve once more. It's a cloudy morning threatening rain once more, but
19:07 <•Kotono> not yet fallen. Summer continues to wind on as he sits, resting in his chair. "Yesterday was the first day without an undead sighting. The threat is likely passed." A moment to let that wash over all of you, "We've also explored that madman's lair and read his writings."
19:08 <Skaya> "He was very opinionated," Skaya agrees.
19:09 <Devar> "I wonder how much of it was his own and how much of it was Brachidos' influence." Devar adds.
19:10 <Skaya> "He seemed plenty crazy on his own."
19:11 <•Kotono> "I've dug up his identity, he wasn't one of our local troublemakers or our missing mages," A deeper frown, "He's from Rockgale, one of our northern ports. His name - his real name at any rate - was Tarbleau. He was encouraged to leave Tarbleau a few years ago and had laid low since then. As to this Brachidos, he doesn't speak of him."
19:12 <•Kotono> "My impression is that he was an unrelated madman," Anne speaks up, "But if you spread sickness and misery, a sick body cannot fend off other sicknesses as well. Vulnerability attracts it."
19:12 <Skaya> OOC: To leave Rockgale?
19:12 <•Kotono> OOC: Yes, random sleepy typo.
19:13 <Skaya> "I thought as much while reading his rantings about a lucky plague providing him with more fodder. I think he was a tool rather than actually working with Brachidos. That said, Brachidos definitely came through here recently, so...."
19:15 <•Kotono> "So." The High Reeve says, but then tightly. "There's more, and we'd like to employ your services in investigating it."
19:16 <Skaya> "Can I trouble you to go into details, Sir?"
19:16 <•Kotono> "We found a bricked over passage in Tarbleau's lair. I believe you saw it?"
19:17 <•Kotono> "Yes, we did," Starre speaks up. "I recall it."
19:17 <•Kotono> "We unbricked it and found deeper passages, ones where things become," A beat, "Strange. Quite frankly, we don't have the manpower to investigate and won't for some time."
19:19 <Skaya> "Strange how?"
19:20 <•Kotono> "It's distorted," Is the answer, "I haven't seenit but the reports are unsettled. Reports of creatures below as well," Is thea nswer, "The city forces have no desire to go deeper."
19:24 <Skaya> "I'm interested," Skaya responds after thinking it over, before glancing at the others to check with them.
19:26 <Devar> "There's no harm in going to investigate." Devar agrees. "We can always come back easily enough."
19:32 <•Kotono> "No objection here," Anne says, shaking her head.
19:32 <•Kotono> "I'm up for it," Rina agrees, "Starre?"
19:33 <•Kotono> Starre smiles, "Well-" she stops, "I had wanted to talk about this once I had more time to accep it, but last night I received a vision while I tranced. A dream, as you humans might say it."
19:33 — Skaya perks up. "If it's such an interesting dream you feel like sharing it here, by all means, please do!"
19:36 <•Kotono> "Once the gates open, I'm to part ways with you, leave my gold and possessions behind, and travel southeast alone. A task awaits me there, some leftover remnant of Brachidos that will rain fire on Welland and Laremy both if left uncontested." Starre says, "I had hoped to travel with you rlonger, and I hope to find you again once this task is done, but my lady was explicit in her instructions."
19:37 <•Kotono> Anne bows her head, "I'd not stop you if it's your task, of course. Are you well of heart? To leave behind your trail of him, even for a time, must wound your heart."
19:38 <•Kotono> "Of course he left more behind," Rina's voice is dark, bitter.
19:38 <Skaya> "Your lady... wants you to travel alone?" Also naked? Perhaps it's an elf thing. "If you need help with this I could just come along?"
19:40 <•Kotono> "Thank you, but no. If I am not alone, my mission will fail." Starre says, "I hardly understand it myself, but she gave me peace of mind. Like if we had not been here, the dead would have stolen so many more lives,e ven if Brachidos made distance from us in the meantime."
19:42 <Skaya> "I see," Skaya says slowly, before looking at Sanda.
19:42 <Devar> Devar listens and nods a bit. "You are always welcome to come back and join us again, I'm sure." He says. "It sounds like what you're to do is important."
19:44 <•Kotono> Sanda, having stayed out of it until now, shakes her head, "I'll help, High Reeve. Logically, our odds get better united." A sidelong look to Starre.
19:45 <•Kotono> "It's not like that, Sanda. It's not about the numbers, the odds or the logic. Faith isn't about any of that," Anne disagrees.
19:45 <Skaya> "As for your task," Skaya tells Starre then, "while we can't help, apparently, we'll leave notice of where we're going. We'll keep on sending word back, so you could find us if you wish."
19:45 <•Kotono> Anne gets a sour look before, "I didn't say she shouldn't go." Sanda retorts.
19:46 <•Kotono> "I'll hold yo uto that promise, "Starre ignores that byplay completely, offering her hand to Skaya and then Devar. "High Reeve, I'd like to donate some money to Dareslan's recovery. Also some to Anne's orphanage, as well as to the party."
19:47 — Skaya shakes Starre's hand with a smile.
19:47 <•Kotono> "I won't say no," The High Reeve agrees immediately.
19:47 <•Kotono> "Nor will I," Anne seconds, as hands are shaken.
19:47 <•Kotono> "How much of each?" Rina asks, "And thank you, Starre."
19:48 <Devar> Devar shakes Starre's hand firmly and gives her a quiet prayer to Eldath and Antenora for protection.
19:50 <•Kotono> OOC: Lootpost.
19:52 <•Kotono> "In the meantime until the gates open, I'd like to patrol the city. More important on this day while the rest of you explore this strangeness below the city," Starre says. "So worry not if any of the dead linger and await."
19:53 <Skaya> "Then we'll head in right away. No need to wait."
19:54 <•Kotono> "Let's go," Anne agrees, as...OIOC: Any prep or anything like that before you go in? Anne will make sure you have supplies, including food and water in case of trouble.
19:55 <Skaya> OOC: No special preparations, we always have enough food/water in haversacks for a week, yeah
19:57 <Devar> OOC: Devar will cast his new and improved mage armor on himself and Skaya for a hefty 10 hours now, so add +4 to AC.
19:58 <Skaya> OOC: Thanks
20:01 <•Kotono> Thus the party heads down. Soldiers are ready,a  slightly larger boat there with soldiers in place to row it for you. You get respectful nods and looks as you're taken along, along and then down. The formerly bricked wall is now open, two soldiers on guard there. It leads to a short passage and stairs going further down, stairs downt o somewhere.
20:02 <Skaya> "Same as before, I'll lead!" Skaya announces, heading down at a slow and steady pace. "Keep in mind I see really well, so if it's too dark you'll need to tell me."
20:06 <•Kotono> Anne stays in center, while Sanda is next to her. Rina takes up the rear, readyto move. The stairs go down and end in a hallway stretching ahead. It's of the same solid stone as before and the hall itself is wide. Plenty of space here, but no light sources. Only your own lights show the way ahead, which stretches on farther than your light reaches.
20:07 <Skaya> "You know," Skaya muses. "After seeing that magic ring boost Anne's healing abilities I finally broke past the mental barrier that prevented me from doing the same. So shouldn't you two learn something like that as well, Rina and Sanda?"
20:10 <•Kotono> Sanda immediately sniffs and says, "I hardly think I need to copy Anne."
20:11 <Skaya> "There's the vampiric line of spells, right? Ah, I actually learned one of them too."
20:12 <•Kotono> "As did I," Sanda says as Anne quietly rolls her eyes and looks to Devar, but doesn't comment. Meanwhile as you walk ahead...OOC: Perception, Devar and Skaya.
20:12 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 42/42  Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Starre 44/44  Rina 52/52
20:12 <Devar> roll 1d20+9
20:12 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{25}
20:13 <Skaya> roll 1d20+16
20:13 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+16 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{32}
20:13 <•Kotono> Both of them can hear it - a wet, squishing sound ahead.
20:14 <Skaya> "And we have our first guest right here," Skaya says, slowly down and drawing her kama.
20:16 <•Kotono> Anne readies her mace, Sanda her quarterstaff. Rina leans forward, ready to dash ahead. It approaches, 30fta way and coming into the light. It's a figure made of mud, a man or perhaps goldem of nothing but wet, gloopy mud. It has no expression, face indistinct enough to ruin any such, but it's coming in your direction.
20:18 <Skaya> They've already encountered pretty weird but sapient creatures, so Skaya calls out to it, "Please stop where you are if you understand me. There is no need to battle."
20:18 <•Kotono> If anything, it speeds up and lunges at Skaya, hastening its approach. OOC: It answered that nicely. Init all.
20:18 <•Kotono> roll 1d20 Sanda
20:18 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20 Sanda --> [ 1d20=4 ]{4}
20:18 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+2 Anne
20:18 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+2 Anne --> [ 1d20=8 ]{10}
20:18 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 Rina
20:18 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 Rina --> [ 1d20=3 ]{13}
20:19 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+4
20:19 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+4 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{21}
20:19 <Devar> roll 1d20+2
20:19 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{20}
20:19 <Skaya> roll 1d20+8
20:19 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{19}
20:19 <•Kotono> Init is Mud Creature (21) > Devar (20) > Skaya (19) > Rina (13) > Anne (10) > Sanda (4)
20:23 <•Kotono> IT's fast enough to reach Skaya swiftly, hands reaching out to slam into her chest.
20:23 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8
20:23 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{17}
20:23 <Skaya> OOC: AC24
20:23 <•Kotono> A smooth dodge from Skaya avoids the attack completely, sidestepping just in time for Devar to...OOC: Go.
20:24 <Skaya> OOC: While Devar goes, any knowledge check to come up with weaknesses/immunities?
20:24 <Devar> Devar decides to start by trying the Treant's Wrath and see if it's effective at all!
20:24 <Devar> roll 1d20+8 bonk
20:24 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8 bonk --> [ 1d20=1 ]{9}
20:27 <•Kotono> A swing and a complete miss, going overhead rather than slamming into a muddy head. Whoops. OOC: Skaya.
20:28 — Skaya sweeps one of her kamas low to trip the creature while kicking it as it responds to that! After maneuvering into an advantageous position with Devar, of course.
20:28 <Skaya> roll 1d20+8+6 trip CMB
20:28 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+8+6 trip CMB --> [ 1d20=4 ]{18}
20:28 <Skaya> roll 1d20+7 attack
20:28 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+7 attack --> [ 1d20=11 ]{18}
20:31 <Skaya> OOC: +2 to both due to flanking, any help? Also, any knowledge?
20:39 <•Kotono> OOC: Hit. K:D.
20:40 <Skaya> roll 1d20+14 K:D
20:40 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+14 K:D --> [ 1d20=1 ]{15}
20:40 <Skaya> roll 1d8+3+5 did the trip fail, then?
20:40 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d8+3+5 did the trip fail, then? --> [ 1d8=6 ]{14}
20:40 <Skaya> OOC: +1 more to damage, so 15
20:44 <•Kotono> OOC: Trip succeeded.
20:45 <•Kotono> A smooth trip and down it goes. A kama strike down plunges deep into it after. With it downa nd injured, Rina smoothly lunges forward, sword flicking out to slice.
20:45 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12
20:45 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{26}
20:46 <•Kotono> roll 1d6+2 no skirmish unfortunately
20:46 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d6+2 no skirmish unfortunately --> [ 1d6=1 ]{3}
20:46 <•Kotono> The blow slices in, but struggles to do anything against a muddy body. Anne merely steps forward as Rina dashes by, bringing her mace down as well.
20:46 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10
20:46 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 --> [ 1d20=6 ]{16}
20:47 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+4
20:47 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+4 --> [ 1d8=6 ]{10}
20:47 <•Kotono> A clung as mace meets flow, going through allt he mud effectively. A splattering burst and the rest of it goes still, a muck around all of you rather than a creature of mud. OOC: Free act.
20:48 <•Kotono> "Fairly feeble," Sanda remarks, "Not as bad as the undead."
20:48 <Skaya> "Quite violent, though. Did you see? It understood me and then decided to attack!"
20:48 <Devar> "I don't... think it's a mud elemental?" Devar says with some confusion. "But maybe we can find out more as we go further - everything looks pretty mundane so far."
20:50 <Skaya> "I guess we'll find out eventually as we keep going," Skaya muses, heading onwards. "Ah, this fight made me think of my combat training. Tripping enemies is really useful, isn't it?"
20:52 <Devar> "Stunning them helps a lot too, I don't know how bad things would've been if you hadn't kept that Tarbleau guy from doing some real damage." Devar says.
20:53 <Skaya> "Ah, that's right," Skaya agrees, rubbing her neck. "I decided to trade my life for his if necessary, so I went all out there."
20:59 <•Kotono> "It can be handy," Anne agrees, "But I'm relieved it didn't come to that."
20:59 <•Kotono> Rina's face darkens, but she doesn't comment. She flicks her sword clean of mud instead and takes her place behind the others.
21:01 <Devar> "Well, let's press on." Devar says.
21:01 — Skaya presses on!
21:05 <•Kotono> This passage goes on for a little bit, before opening up into a small room. A ruined, empty old house room, a bedroom. Dead in the middle of the room, in place of a bed, are stairs going further down. Past that and ahead is a door leading further on instead.
21:06 <Skaya> "I'll check the door first," Skaya announces, examining it for traps before opening it if it's safe.
21:10 <•Kotono> OOC: Perception.
21:11 <Skaya> roll 1d20+16
21:11 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+16 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{36}
21:11 <Devar> roll 1d20+9 might as well pretend I can help
21:11 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9 might as well pretend I can help --> [ 1d20=12 ]{21}
21:11 <•Kotono> No traps. On opening it, you find it opens up to...the exact same room, including the same stairs going down, and another door going forward.
21:11 <•Kotono> Sanda stares ahead, "What?"
21:11 <Skaya> "Ah. That's familiar."
21:12 <•Kotono> "Is this what they meant by distortion," Anne asks.
21:12 <Devar> "...Oh no." Devar murmurs. "Not this again."
21:12 <Skaya> "We must test this," Skaya says, tying a rope around herself and tossing the other end to Devar before stepping through the door.
21:12 <•Kotono> Rina sighs as Skaya steps through. Nothing happens, she reaches the other room without anything awry happening.
21:13 — Skaya opens the next door!
21:13 <•Kotono> This door opens. Ahead is an identical room with an identical set of stairs going down.
21:13 <•Kotono> Also another door ahead.
21:13 — Skaya steps inside, takes out two bronze coins and tosses one into the room and another down the stairs.
21:14 <•Kotono> Both coins are tossed. One hits the floor and another clatters down the stairs.
21:14 — Skaya gets back to the second room, and repeats this but now with two silver coins. Then she returns to the same room as the others and closes the door. After waiting for a few moments, she opens it again to inspect it.
21:15 <•Kotono> The coins are still there.
21:16 — Skaya nods to herself, closes the door again and heads down the stairs. Time to see if there are any coins, and if so how many!
21:17 <•Kotono> OOC: Which set of stairs, just to be clear?
21:17 <Devar> Devar hums while holding the rope. "Curious, but not as immediately so as that other place." He says.
21:17 <Skaya> OOC: The original room
21:18 <•Kotono> Skaya goes down the stairs, at least enought look. No sign of coins on a glance.
21:19 <Skaya> "So iterations of the same space, looks like?" Skaya muses. "Could be a pain if it's like a puzzle and something is hidden behind door 5734. But could also be nice if there's some loot downstairs that got duplicated many times."
21:20 <•Kotono> "More likely something's gone wrong," Anne points out, "Something mislaid or some manner of curse."
21:21 <•Kotono> "There aren't copies of you in those rooms ahead now,a re there?" Sanda asks.
21:21 <Skaya> "I often wish I'd lived during the ancient times when stuff like this was going wrong," Skaya says wistfully, before telling Sanda, "Highly unlikely. Even a coin wasn't duplicated, so living matter...."
21:22 <Devar> "I don't feel the same sort of... exhaustion?" Devar offers a choice of words.
21:26 <•Kotono> "Well, let's review," Anne says, "How is this similar and different to last time?"
21:27 <Skaya> "It doesn't seem harmful and retreat seems possible, so let's just head down and explore properly?"
21:28 <Devar> "Assuming we can." Devar says with a nod.
21:30 <•Kotono> "ASsuming we can," Sanda concurs as you go down the stairs. It opens up into a wide open space ina lld irections. A vast chamber, one with no stairs ahead despite the ones you saw in the rooms in the above floor. It's full of filth and dirt, big enough you can't see the walls in aly direction. The filfth is moving, mud glooping and glopping around.
21:30 <•Kotono> "Oh blast," Sanda murmurs on seeing this.
21:31 <•Kotono> "I'm suddenly interested in - wait a moment," Anne blinks, "There should be stairs thataways," she points ahead into the dark, "But I don't see any. There were stairs going down int hose rooms, right Skaya?"
21:32 <Skaya> "Don't tell me we're fighting the dirt that gathered here over the ages and gained sentience," Skaya mutters, palming her face. "Yeah, yeah, there should be stairs. Space is messed up here."
21:33 <Devar> "Should we see what lies down the stairs in the next room for comparison?" Devar asks.
21:34 <Skaya> "We can do that."
21:38 <•Kotono> "We should do that," Rina starts to retreat, "IO really don't want to fight mud golems the entire day."
21:38 — Skaya brings up the rear on this retreat.
21:38 <•Kotono> "Nor do I," Anne seconds, following.
21:39 <•Kotono> The retreat is orderly and no mud creatures follow. With the way back up secure, now what?
21:39 → Iddy joined (uid408070@lunarnet-423F0355.irccloud.com)
21:39 — Skaya opens the door again, collects her coin and heads down!
21:41 <•Kotono> You head down. You head down and the stairs lead into a small, tight room. Little more than a broom closet, but there's a door leading further in.
21:42 — Skaya opens the door!
21:43 <•Kotono> It opens up into an ancient, forgotten kitchen. The back door is gone, and outside you can glimpse...hm? A few steps forward and you see canals. The canals you've traveled in the city before, starting to run higher as rainwater comes down from above. Yet you went down, not up.
21:43 <Devar> "This really is like that other place." Devar says. "Unfortunately I don't have any particular ability to call on those things from Mechanus to fix this."
21:45 <Skaya> "Does it need to be fixed, though?" Skaya wonders, peering outside at the canals. And at the outside of the house, did she row past it a week ago? "Plus if it's an ongoing effect, we might be able to shut it down from the center or something."
21:46 <•Kotono> No, Skaya doesn't recognize this stretch of it offhand. Meanwhile Ann hms before, "Neither do I," Anne confesses, "But nor is this one sealed off. It's right below a city, so perhaps it isn't so terrible at that one?"
21:47 <Devar> "Maybe." Devar says. "We haven't run into any place that gives us headaches or anything, so perhaps it's just some place that happens to border on another plane or... something like that. Planar magic isn't really my strong suit." He says. "Do we continue this way or try another set of stairs?"
21:47 <Skaya> "Oh hey, refresh my memory. Was it still raining recently? Because there's rainwater here."
21:47 <Skaya> OOC: Also I don't think we can continue here?
21:48 <Devar> "It was cloudy and going to rain, but not raining." Devar says.
21:48 <•Kotono> "It was cloudy and threatening rain," Rina says, "But I didn't think it would u ntil the afternoon."
21:49 <Skaya> "You gotta wonder if the time aligns with the outside."
21:49 <•Kotono> With a slight frown, "That was my own thoughts," Anne agrees with Rina, looking ahead, "...it may be prudent to go back now, or for one of us to. Devar, that ring allows once to breathe and move freely in water, does it not?"
21:52 <Devar> He nods. "It does."
21:53 <•Kotono> "You could go back safely and make sure we haven't lost time. If we have, I dread chancing it again," Anne says, "And if it is, I don't doubt that our knowledge of it to Moore, Eldath and others will invite a response."
21:54 <Devar> "Sure, if you want me to." Devar says. "I'm not sure we can put it to use, but we do also have that ability to swim through the earth. Maybe going up in a room might help if we run out of options."
21:55 <Skaya> OOC: How long has it taken us to get here from the place guarded by the soldiers, roughly?
21:55 <•Kotono> OOC: 10 or so minutes.
21:56 <•Kotono> "It's limited," Rina points out, "I've tried it and the duration is too short for any sort of extended travel."
21:56 <Skaya> "Anne, can you explain why you want Devar to swim rather than spend the ten minutes we should need to go back normally?"
21:57 <•Kotono> "Yes. If we've passed through somewhere that has distorted time or caused us to lose time, I dislike the idea of subjecting ourselves to it again. Let us test it now, rather than blunder through it again, if so." Anne explains.
21:58 <Skaya> "Okay. Devar, want to do it?"
21:59 <Devar> He nods. "It should be fine, no more underwater skeletons, after all." He says as he goes to look closer - or as close as he can get to the canals in order to pick the right direction, though it doesn't really matter which way he goes in the end.
21:59 <•Kotono> The current's moving. You'll at least travel fast as long as you go with it, Devar can tell.
22:01 <Devar> "I'll be back in some form or fashion." He says as he goes to leap in and follow the current!
22:01 <Skaya> "Let's explore the third room at least, for now," Skaya proposes. "If there's a way for us to better understand our situation, we should take it."
22:02 <•Kotono> OOC: Devar in #evil.
22:02 <•Kotono> OOC: Which third room do you mean?
22:03 <Skaya> OOC: The one where I tossed the bronze coins to
22:03 <•Kotono> The party returns to that room without incident.
22:04 <Skaya> Having recovered all her coins by now, Skaya once more leads the way down the stairs.

[Corwin]

22:02 <•Kotono> ----
22:03 <•Kotono> With free movement and water breathing, it's not hard to travel. IT takes several minutes, but you come on towards the exit from the other direction. No soldiers are here however, only an empty platform.
22:05 <Devar> Devar will get out of the water and go to see if he can head back - perhaps to get back to the city to confirm what time it is.
18:50 <Devar> <Kotono> ----
18:50 <Devar> <Kotono> With free movement and water breathing, it's not hard to travel. IT takes several minutes, but you come on towards the exit from the other direction. No soldiers are here however, only an empty platform.
18:50 <Devar> <Devar> Devar will get out of the water and go to see if he can head back - perhaps to get back to the city to confirm what time it is.
18:58 <•Kotono> You head up. As you do, the stench of wet rot and smoke fills your nose.
18:59 <Devar> Devar frowns but presses onwards. What in the world is going on?
19:03 <•Kotono> You emerge. Heavy rainfall and the rumble of thunder. Around you is ruined. About half the buildings are gutted by fire, any flames quenched by the downpour. The streets have the dead here. Soldiers and civlians both, along with broken skeletons and rent apart zombies.
19:06 <Devar> There was never any danger of fires before, right? Devar will just proceed onward to see if he can find anyone alive who might be able to give him some understanding of what's going on, because this is definitely all wrong!
19:07 <•Kotono> Death. Ruin. Burned out buildings. Corpses. Nothing is alive here as you wander and...OOC: More.
19:07 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10-4
19:07 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10-4 --> [ 1d20=8 ]{14}
19:07 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10-4
19:07 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10-4 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{24}
19:08 <•Kotono> OOC: Perception.
19:09 <Devar> roll 1d20+9
19:09 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{23}
19:17 <•Kotono> Hm? The skies are not empty. The patrollers in the sky are still there, and one's circling overyour position, about 100ft up or so.
19:17 <Devar> OOC: Can I see or tell what exactly it is up there?
19:20 <•Kotono> You peer up. It's some sort of small dragon-like creature. A wyvern perhaps or similar. A rider with a long bow can be glimpses. You can tell, because he carefully aims a volley of arrows and fires right at you!
19:20 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions)
19:20 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=19 ]{24}
19:20 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions)
19:20 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=19 ]{24}
19:20 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+1 (-4 conditions)
19:20 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+1 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=14 ]{15}
19:20 <•Kotono> OOC: AC?
19:22 <Devar> OOC: 23, DR 5
19:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) crit threat 1
19:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) crit threat 1 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{14}
19:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) crit threat 1
19:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) crit threat 1 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{10}
19:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+4+1d6 (1d6 is electricity)
19:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+4+1d6 (1d6 is electricity) --> [ 1d8=4 1d6=5 ]{13}
19:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+4+1d6 (1d6 is electricity)
19:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+4+1d6 (1d6 is electricity) --> [ 1d8=3 1d6=5 ]{12}
19:26 <•Kotono> Arrows flya nd two sink in. Electricity torments you and arrows sink into you. It's a great deal of pain but you're still upright, at least for the moment. But you have someone who very much wants you dead. OOC: Init.
19:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8 Archer
19:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 Archer --> [ 1d20=18 ]{26}
19:26 <Devar> roll 1d20+2
19:26 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{18}
19:26 <•Kotono> Init is Wyvern Archer (26) > Devar (18)
19:26 <•Kotono> Before you can act, more arrows come flying down.
19:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions)
19:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=8 ]{13}
19:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions)
19:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=17 ]{22}
19:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+1 (-4 conditions)
19:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+1 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=20 ]{21}
19:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+1 (-4 conditions) crit?
19:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+1 (-4 conditions) crit? --> [ 1d20=14 ]{15}
19:27 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+4+1d6 (1d6 is electricity)
19:27 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+4+1d6 (1d6 is electricity) --> [ 1d8=4 1d6=5 ]{13}
19:28 <•Kotono> Another arrow hits you amdit he barrage, the assault relentless as the rain that falls. OOC: Go.
19:29 <Devar> "I'm not part of the undead attack on the town! I'm looking for the High Reeve! Stop!" Devar shouts - he does look around quickly for some better cover so he can stop being shot at, though!
19:29 <•Kotono> There's a few intact buildings you can dash into if you like.
19:30 <Devar> He doesn't love being cornered potentially, but it's better than being shot some more - so he will run for one of the nearby buildings, healing himself in the meantime. OOC: Lay on hands for 23
19:32 <•Kotono> Devar's wounds heal, arrows falling away as he dashes intoa n intact building. A home, multiple stories and tall, and out of the rain. Bodies lie in here, emanciated. Plague victims, Devar can tell, those that lost the battle tot he Bloody Flux. However, it's at least safe for now. OOC: Free act for the moment.
19:34 <Devar> There's no telling what's going on here, but it certainly isn't safe for him to explore on his own - he'll have to get back the way he came and do his best to avoid any further sightings from the air. OOC: I'm guessing I'll have to go back outside to make it back and there's probably not a lot of cover for me to use, right?
19:34 <•Kotono> OOC: Not really, though the rain at least helps, for as long as it lasts.
19:36 <Devar> Then all he can do is make a break for it, on three... two... and go! OOC: Just going to try and dash my way back to where I came from then. I have the Swimstone ability as a swift action but I'll save that for an emergency.
19:36 <•Kotono> OOC: What's your movement speed?
19:37 <Devar> OOC: 30, 50ft (good) fly if I can get off the ground at all, so I'd probably fly a little off the ground to go faster.
19:38 <•Kotono> You go - and as you run, you get barrages of arrows from above - but you've chosen your course. Run run run run run!
19:38 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions)
19:38 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=15 ]{20}
19:38 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions)
19:38 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=13 ]{18}
19:38 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions)
19:38 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=17 ]{22}
19:38 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 (-4 conditions)
19:38 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=4 ]{9}
19:38 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+1 (-4 conditions)
19:38 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+1 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=4 ]{5}
19:38 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+1 (-4 conditions)
19:38 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+1 (-4 conditions) --> [ 1d20=5 ]{6}
19:38 <Devar> OOC: thank you, mage armor
19:39 <•Kotono> This time your flight plus your magic plus the rain is just enough. You dodge arrow after arrow before you race towards where you came. With a lunge you get in just as three arrows land where you were, back inside and out of firing range.
19:41 <Devar> Safe now, Devar prays to Eldath - something is very wrong here, but so far there's been no signs of divine intervention or anything like what they encountered before. Does that just mean they need to figure this out on their own?
19:42 <•Kotono> You feel a sense of calm wash over you, like clear waters.
19:44 <Devar> So nothing direct, but She seems to be watching. Well, it isn't safe to keep exploring the city like this, so he will head back to the canals to try and find his way back to the others and explain what he found.
19:45 <•Kotono> This trip goes well enough. You return back up the way you came, but your companions seem not to have waited. Wherever they are, they aren't here.
19:45 <Devar> He will just retrace back to the room with all other rooms. Wherever they went, the doors should be open - or closed, depending - so that should clue him in.
19:46 <•Kotono> The door tot he north is open, the one leading to the copies of this room that the party checked before you split up.
19:47 <Devar> He will go north one room - are the other doors closed? If so, then they must've gone down the stairs, so he will do that.
19:48 <•Kotono> You go down and find yourself in an abandoned chapel of Eldath. The same peace comes on you, as in the distance, you can hear the voices of your friends carry.
19:49 <Devar> Devar for his part will go over and touch his Lady's own holy symbol before he heads in the direction of the voices!

[Corwin]

19:01 <•Kotono> The stairs go down. Here lies a larger space, not as large as the previous place. Pews are here, along with an ancient altar. The holy symbol of Eldath can be seen. There is a sense of calmness here, as the tension in your bodies bleeds away. There's doors to the north, south and west here. There's windows to the south, but nothing can be seen out of them, the windows filthy.
19:04 — Skaya tries to open the windows.
19:06 <•Kotono> They're ancient things and do not give way to your efforts. "The door would be simpler,"Anne points out, "Based on the windows, the southern doors should go outside."
19:06 <•Kotono> Rina takes it all in, "Keep seeing symbols of the past with Eldath, don't we?"
19:06 <•Kotono> "Walk in a graveyard and you'll find graves, and what is Welland but a graveyard of Eldath's faith?" Anne retorts.
19:07 <Skaya> "Yeah, it feels so weird," Skaya admits. "I haven't seen them much before but they're suddenly everywhere!" Still, she goes to open the southern door to take a look.
19:15 <•Kotono> It's an old door and it opens up to a dark street. Buildings are seen on the other side, cast in shadows from your light. Definitely some sort of city again.
19:17 <Skaya> "You know," Skaya muses as she takes in the sight. "Usually any city at a prime location is built over the ruins of a previous city that existed there and it goes for generations as time heaps dirt over history. "But this is the first time the previous city was so functional."
19:18 <•Kotono> A sniff as Sanda steps out, "Logically, something is affecting the normal process. This shouldn't be."
19:18 <•Kotono> "I have to agree," Anne takes a breath as she surveys all she can see, "The normal processes have been subverted somehow."
19:19 <•Kotono> "It's intensely creepy," Rina pipes up, "No wonder Tarbleau walled it over."
19:19 <Skaya> "Is this an actual separate world by now? Like if we could tunnel up from this street, would we even get to Dareslan?"
19:22 <•Kotono> "Hmmmmmmmmmm." Sanda closes her eyes and thinks, "I honestly don't know, this isn't how what I know works. Something's wrong here. Really wrong."
19:22 <•Kotono> "Just like it was wrong before," Anne murmurs,
19:22 <Skaya> "Let's see where the other doors lead," Skaya says, opening them all.
19:23 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 42/42  Devar 37/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Starre 44/44  Rina 52/52
19:25 <•Kotono> The northern door does not open. It will require greater force. The western door opens and you see the same room ahead, only with an eastern door to allow access, the one you're using now. "Starting to think walling it up was the right choice, but not far enough," Rina shivers visibly, "This is wrong."
19:26 <Skaya> "Is it, though? If there's something genuinely bad here, one day it will strike when you least expect. Besides, the only way to stop this has to be down here with us."
19:27 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 42/42  Devar 29/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Starre 44/44  Rina 52/52
19:28 <•Kotono> A deep breath out, "Skaya's right." Anne agrees after some thought.
19:28 <•Kotono> "In other words, deeper in," Rina peers ahead, "So now what?"
19:30 <Skaya> I wish we could tell if this is actually infinite reflections," Skaya muses, trying her best to force the northern door. At this point, she's open to breaking it a bit in order to see what's past it.
19:30 <•Kotono> OOC: Strength check, +1 bonus.
19:30 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 42/42  Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Starre 44/44  Rina 52/52
19:31 <Skaya> roll 1d20+3+1+6
19:31 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+3+1+6 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{21}
19:36 <•Kotono> CLANG! A hit just so on the door and it gives way. It opens up into an entrance hall, crumbling and fancy pillars still keeping the ceiling up. Doors to the further north. Lying here is an old skeleton off to the side, nothing left of note around it.
19:36 <•Kotono> Anne readies her mace, face grim, attention fully on it.
19:37 — Skaya checks to see the skeleton's race and how long it's been dead. Not that it'd necessarily mean much with time distortion...
19:37 <•Kotono> OOC: Got ranks in anything relevant, like Heal?
19:38 <Skaya> OOC: The answer is always yes. Heal 10 for 15? Also I have all the knowledges.
19:41 <•Kotono> A human skeleton you think, or possibly a half elf. Mmm, maybe the half elf, or just a short and stunted human. Either way.
19:45 <Skaya> "Just what happened in the past of this world?" Skaya wonders out loud as she tries the door further north next. "Dragon kingdom, some multiracical nation here, both got annihilated by really amazing magical effects. There's probably more waiting to be discovered, too."
19:46 <•Kotono> "Hopefully without dying," Anne comment has the slightest hint of annoyance, as you open the northern door. M ore dark streets.
19:48 <Skaya> "We somehow survived all those dangerous places so far," Skaya says quietly. "Okay, I want to do a circle of these streets and reenter through the southern door. Rina, let's go together? If we can't find the church in fifteen minutes, we'll trace back our steps."
19:50 <•Kotono> As Rina nods at that, Devar approaches from behind and can see his friends ahead, intact.

[Corwin]

19:51 <Devar> "Short version: I have no idea 'when' it was, the city was on fire and ruined, there were undead and soldier corpses everywhere - and some guy on a wyvern shot at me a bunch so I ran back." He explains succinctly.
19:51 <Skaya> "What."
19:52 <•Kotono> "What." Anne matches Skayaa lmost exactly.
19:52 <•Kotono> "That's..." Sanda frowns, "Extraordinarily unlikely, statistically speaking."
19:53 <Devar> "Trust me, it makes as much sense to me as it does you all." He says. "We can explore again if you want, but I don't love being shot at..."
19:55 <Skaya> "This can't be real," Skaya states once the initial shock has passed. "Not because I don't trust you, Devar, but because it honestly can't be. Starre promised to keep the city safe while we went, and she received a weird divine quest right before this. I can only assume that resolving this time and space mismatch magical bullshit is on us as unpaid labor-- fuck, she paid us through Starre! That's so sneaky!"
19:56 <Devar> "No, I understand - this shouldn't be possible, but since no one has just popped in from another plane on top of us whatever is going on seems to be on us to resolve." Devar says with agreement.
19:57 <•Kotono> "Wait, so we already got paid for this?" Rina asks, confused.
19:58 <•Kotono> "None of this makes sense," Sanda again agrees, "Don't you think they could've told us instead of letting us go in blind to this madness?"
19:58 <Skaya> "I'm confident that if we resolve this, when we return to the city it would not be on fire or ruined via undead and wyverns. I'm also confident her patron considers us paid, though as proper mercenaries we will no doubt find plenty of treasure if we just go along with it. So let's go along with it, I like the city we helped save."
20:00 <Devar> "I agree with Skaya." Devar says. "There's likely going to be something within all this madness we can use, it's a bit of a trite sort of story but you hear about these sorts of fantastical places and adventurers finding lost items within."
20:00 <•Kotono> "Wait," Anne interrupts sharply, "Are you implying you think if we go back to Dareslan, it'll be like Devar saw now?"
20:01 — Skaya shakes her hand back and forth. "Fifty-fifty odds of that. I'd rather not risk it."
20:02 <•Kotono> "That greatly complicates our mission if we lack the ability to retreat back to recovery and rest," Anne frowns deeply, "Greatly so."
20:03 <Devar> "Well, I think here is safe." Devar says, gesturing back to the Eldathian church.
20:03 <Skaya> "That's why I used party funds to buy all those healing items? And like Devar said, this is a good place to rest and recover."
20:04 <Devar> "I get the same sense of peace as I do when I pray, so even if it's... er... 'lost,' let's call it." He says, with a nod to Skaya. "Did you all want to try and explore that?" He gestures off towards the streets.
20:06 <Skaya> "Yeah. So, minor change of plans. Devar will join Rina and I as we make a brief circle around this creepy possibly underground town. Anne and Sanda, please keep an eye on both entrances. First, we'll test how safe it is and if there are nasty time-space distortions in the city itself. Second, we'll see if someone tries to force their way into this church if they think there's only two people guarding it. So if we do run into trouble, go
20:06 <Skaya> as loud as you can."
20:18 <•Kotono> "Understood," Anne agrees, "Be careful, I won't be there to heal you."
20:18 <Devar> "Maybe see if Moore is any more talkative to you about what's going on while we're gone." Devar says with a smile.
20:19 <Skaya> "If need be we'll try my healing!"
20:19 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay, heading out then?
20:21 <Skaya> OOC: yes
20:24 <•Kotono> Thus the three of you head out into the streets and...OOC: Perception real quick. -2 unless you have darkvision or similar?
20:25 <Devar> OOC: I think we both have darkvision
20:25 <Devar> roll 1d20+9
20:25 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=2 ]{11}
20:28 <•Kotono> OOC: Skaya?
20:28 <Skaya> OOC: 10 for 26 and I have darkvision
20:29 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+11 Rina
20:29 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+11 Rina --> [ 1d20=12 ]{23}
20:29 <•Kotono> OOC: -2.
20:30 <•Kotono> The party begins to walk about. A city in ruin, intact streets forgotten. Silent in ruin,  stone buildings and the collapsed remnants of wooden ones. You begin to walk along, exploring it. Several buildings are intact enough to explore if you want - ! Skaya notices it out of the corner of her eye. Something human shaped hiding int he darkness, darting behind them.
20:31 <Skaya> "We wish you no harm," Skaya says, turning in the direction of the darting shadow. "If you don't attack, we will likewise prefer to talk things through."
20:33 <Devar> Darn, he didn't even see whatever Skaya's talking to. He stays silent but ready!
20:35 <•Kotono> Rina stays loose, turning along with Skaya.
20:35 — Skaya makes sure to keep her eyes open in case someone else decides to attack from their blind spot, but otherwise waits for an answer for a minute before repeating her offer in Elven.
20:38 <•Kotono> In Common, "Who are you?" A man's voice, rough, stony. It comes from outside the range of your light.
20:39 <Skaya> "We're travelers," Skaya responds, happy that a fight might be averted. "My name's Skaya. How should I refer to you?"
20:41 <•Kotono> "Priden," The voice calls back, cautious.
20:42 <Skaya> "Did some strange magical event take place here?" Skaya asks, deciding to jump right into it. "As we were coming over, there were strange things, like the same room replicated several times."
20:46 <•Kotono> "Things repeat," The voice calls, "That's how it's always been."
20:47 <•Kotono> Rina frowns slightly at that, but keeps quiet.
20:47 <Devar> Devar quietly says to Skaya, "Maybe ask how long he's been here, if he remembers?" He offers.
20:47 <Skaya> "Can you please explain this a bit more? How often do they repeat? If we were to talk for half an hour, is our meeting going to repeat before we finished?"
20:54 <•Kotono> "In different places and different times," Is the answer, "Not that fast. Over periods of many rests."
20:54 <Skaya> "Do you know what caused it? Or how many resets ago that happened?"
20:57 <•Kotono> "I don't know," The voice calls back, "It's how it is, always."
20:57 <Skaya> "Are you living here with your family? Do you want to leave?"
21:04 <•Kotono> "Leave?" A noise back, the voice farther away now, "This is home."
21:05 <Skaya> "Hey, Priden. Just one thing. Is anyone here going to attack us if we just travel for a while?"
21:08 <•Kotono> Farther back, "Draw no weapon and no weapon will be drawn at you."
21:10 <Skaya> "Okay! Thanks!" With that, Skaya decides to continue her tour.
21:13 <•Kotono> As you begin to walk anew, Rina whispers, "Eyes open, huh?"
21:16 <Skaya> "And let's give diplomacy a try. Sure, someone or something here might attack us first, but I'm the one they'll probably target so we'll just risk it."
21:17 <Devar> Devar nods. "I'm all for non-violent solutions first."
21:20 <•Kotono> Rina simply nods ina greement as you wander on and...OOC: Were you going in anywhere or just getting the lay of the land?
21:21 <Skaya> OOC: We were trying to reach the church's southern entrance and see a part of the town along the way

[Corwin]

19:00 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
19:00 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=71 ]{71}
19:02 <•Kotono> You walk the rest of the way. You hear the occasional noise in the darkness, but all you see is shadows of a ruined city - until you come close to your destination. Here, sitting in the dark, is a tower. Electricity crackles around it, a squat four story tower that reaches up to the ceiling. Nothing is close to it and the single door leading within that you can see is solid steel and shut, and
19:02 <•Kotono> chained over from the outside.
19:04 <•Kotono> Rina eyes it, the lightning like tiny bolts of light in the dark. "Do you thinkt hat could be the source of this?"
19:04 <Devar> Devar blinks a few times as he looks up the tower then at the chained over door. "It does certainly stand out." He says.
19:04 <Skaya> OOC: How close are we to our destination?
19:04 <•Kotono> OOC: You'd guesstimate fairly close.
19:05 <Skaya> "You know what, let's regroup first," Skaya decides, heading over to bring Anne and Sanda up to speed.
19:06 <•Kotono> The rest of trip over isn't hard. Anne listens to the story while Sanda says, "Like a mage's tower? A sanctum full of spellbooks and magical items? Stastistically speaking, that's likely what the tower is."
19:06 <Skaya> "Let's go and take a look. And refrain from attacking first as long as we can."
19:08 <•Kotono> "Lightning sounds like you'll need me,"Anne remarks with dry exasperation as you all head back. Tower's stillt here, at least.
19:08 <•Kotono> "Healers never lack for work," Rina comments back, eyeing up the tower.
19:09 — Skaya approaches the chained door and gives it a look!
19:09 <•Kotono> OOC: How close are you getting?
19:10 <Skaya> OOC: Say 5 ft from the crackling lightning if it's there, or up close if the door is not electrocuted
19:12 <•Kotono> When you come within 20ft of the door, the lightning crackles out and two bolts of lightning fly out to fry Skaya where she stands. OOC: Are you wearing metal armor or carrying anything particularly large and metallic?
19:14 <Skaya> OOC: No armor or weapons, nothing larger than bracers of armor
19:14 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+7 touch AC?
19:14 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+7 touch AC? --> [ 1d20=16 ]{23}
19:14 <Skaya> OOC: 21
19:14 <•Kotono> roll 7d6 zapped electricity damage
19:14 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 7d6 zapped electricity damage --> [ 7d6=14 ]{14}
19:15 <•Kotono> Skaya is hit by the lightning, going up her arm and shoulder. A sizzle-flash of pain as she's hit, but it wasn't the worst it could be. She's still able to move, and the door is ahead if she wants to press on or fall back.
19:17 <Devar> "Sanda, can you tell if this is some kind of magic?" Devar asks. "I wonder if it's a defense or something."
19:18 — Skaya decides to retreat for now, nursing her arm.
19:19 — Skaya then offers the wand of healing to Anne with a pained half-shrug.
19:21 <•Kotono> Anne takes it, "I'll take care of that," she says. OOC: What CL is it?
19:21 <•Kotono> Sanda nods and studies it, murmuring words before...
19:21 <Skaya> OOC: CL3
19:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 spellcraft
19:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 spellcraft --> [ 1d20=20 ]{32}
19:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+3 healing
19:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+3 healing --> [ 1d8=5 ]{8}
19:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+3 healing again
19:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+3 healing again --> [ 1d8=1 ]{4}
19:22 <•Kotono> OOC: 12 HP back, 2 charges spent. Update topic HP?
19:22 <Skaya> OOC: I can!
19:22 <Skaya> OOC: But first give the permission for it
19:22 Channel mode set to -t by •Kotono
19:23 mode: •Devar (opped) and •Skaya (opped) 
19:23 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 40/42  Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Starre 44/44  Rina 52/52
19:23 <•Kotono> "It's going to attack anyone who gets close," Sanda finally says, "But I think it stops if you get to the door, or at least it won't attack anyone at the door."
19:23 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 40/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
19:24 <•Skaya> "How about how often it attacks?" Skaya asks, telling Anne 'Thanks!'
19:24 <•Kotono> Skaya's wound heals, the burns almost gone. "That'll do for now. I'd want more healing if we had leisure, but it'll do for the moment."
19:24 <•Kotono> "I wouldn't linger," Sanda warns, "I think it's set to kill, kill and kill some more."
19:24 <•Kotono> "What isn't," Rina sighs.
19:25 <•Kotono> "Lady Jetina's merciful light?" Anne counters back, her eyes on the electrified tower.
19:25 <•Kotono> "The undead say otherwise," Rina side-eye glances over at Anne. "They burned like kindling, then to dust they return."
19:26 <•Kotono> "They don't count," Anne frowns, "It's healing the affliction of being the restless dead."
19:26 <•Skaya> "So if I go and the rest of you follow, will everyone get hit anyway?"
19:26 <•Kotono> "I think so?" Sanda says, "Though logically speaking, if it's like lightning, maybe a big enough lightning rod might work?"
19:27 <•Kotono> "A lightning rod?" Anne asks, "What is that, some manner of mage work?"
19:28 <•Kotono> With a hint of a smug smile in her voice, "Oh Anne, let me educate you," Sanda says, "It's a type of pole atop a building, meant to safely attract lightning strikes rather than let it harm the building. Some castles use enchanted ones to mitigate storm damages."
19:29 <•Skaya> "I think I could make one, actually. But wouldn't that just outright kill me if I brought it with me?"
19:29 <•Kotono> "I didn't say the plan was perfect," Sanda counters, "Unfortunately, I don't have a spell prepared to resist energy. Do any of us?"
19:30 <•Kotono> Anne gives Sanda a rather sour look, but keeps her opinions to herself. Instead, "Unfortunately not."
19:30 <•Devar> "We could probably try to find some big metal rod around here that might suffice, we could just throw it over into the field then run afterwards." Devar offers.
19:33 <•Skaya> "You know what? Let's try it. Let's look for suitable materials for a lightning rod trap."
19:33 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay then. Give me Perception you two first of all.
19:34 <•Skaya> OOC: 10 for 26
19:34 <•Devar> "I can also fly up and throw it down if we want to go that route." He adds.
19:34 <•Devar> Roll 1d20+9
19:34 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{13}
19:39 <•Kotono> roll 1d100 was a moment
19:39 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 was a moment --> [ 1d100=29 ]{29}
19:39 <•Kotono> roll 1d100 was a moment
19:39 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 was a moment --> [ 1d100=49 ]{49}
19:41 <•Kotono> You begin to search the dead city. Most of what's around outside is simple ruin. You see a few things - a cold campfire, ringed with rocks. Burrow-tunnels into buildings, cored through solid stone. Farther away as you search fruitlessly fora  large metal rod outside, a tall statue. About twenty feet tall, of a night with a large sword raised up to the sky. A sword made of rusty metal, far too
19:41 <•Kotono> large to be wielded effectively by a normal human.
19:42 <•Skaya> "Well, that's suitable," Skaya muses, even as she checks whether two people can carry or at least drag it.
19:45 <•Kotono> Skaya would estimate that probably, unless it's heavier than it looks. Rina peers up and says, "Those new wings of yours serve well here, Devar."
19:45 <•Kotono> "Very well," Anne comments, "A rare and powerful blessing, to fly free."
19:46 <•Skaya> "Yeah, let's give it a try."
19:47 <•Devar> "Let's see if it comes out easily." Devar says as he flies up - is the sword molded onto the statue? "Stand back!" He calls out - he will try and break the sword off with his hands - if it's rusted that shouldn't be too hard, but if he has to he'll use his warhammer.
19:51 <•Kotono> It's molded in and rusted. It definitely looks like it'll need some force to knock free.
19:52 <•Devar> Warhammer it is!
19:54 <•Devar> Roll 1d20+8 in case you need an attack roll
19:54 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8 in case you need an attack roll --> [ 1d20=13 ]{21}
19:55 <•Kotono> WHAM! Blow after blow hits it, cracking the hand and loosening the sword. It doesn't fall, but it looks much more grabbable now.
19:57 <•Devar> Devar will grab and try and wrench it out now! And also not drop it!
20:00 <•Kotono> OOC: Strength check.
20:00 <•Devar> Roll 1d20+2
20:00 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{19}
20:04 <•Kotono> It takes some doing, but the sword is now free-oooph! It's heavy enought hat Devar sinks most of the way back to the ground before he catches himself, but he does so.
20:04 <•Kotono> "You alright there?" Anne calls, "Come down if you need help carrying it!"
20:04 — •Skaya is there on the ground to help Devar carry the sword! Better just to do it together.
20:05 <•Devar> Devar will get some help! "It should do the job we're hoping for though."
20:06 <•Kotono> "It should," Sanda agrees as you all head back and...
20:06 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:06 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=62 ]{62}
20:06 <•Kotono> The trip back is quiet, dark and tense. Nothing interrupts your trip at least, and soon enough your'e there. Now what?
20:07 <•Skaya> "So!" Skaya says as they head back towards the tower. "I've been dabbling in learning how to make golems in my spare time. I've realized that I don't know how to animate them at all! But I can actually build an outer shell that looks like a person. I figure we can just do some rough draft of that and then set the sword on the golem statue like a trap for the lightning. Sounds good?"
20:08 <•Devar> "Sure." Devar says. "That dwarf thing g
20:08 <•Kotono> "I guess?" Rina says, "Wills imply putting the sword on the ground work, or does it have to be elevated?
20:08 <•Kotono> "I guess?" Rina says, "Wills imply putting the sword on the ground work, or does it have to be elevated?"
20:09 <•Devar> "That dwarf thing from the mountain got you interested?" Devar asks.
20:10 <•Skaya> "Yes yes," Skaya responds to Devar, while telling Rina, "It might work but I kind of want to relax and build a golem statue. If you volunteer to toss the sword and dash for the building first, though, we can go with your plan."
20:11 <•Devar> "We aren't in any hurry." Devar says.
20:14 <•Kotono> "How longw ill it take?" Rina asks back, but look sto be in no hurry to volunteer.
20:16 <•Skaya> "I'm not going to go for high fidelity, just a general body shape in case the magic targets people that approach it. So probably a couple hours at most?" Skaya muses, before looking for suitable materials. In the end, it'd probably be a replica of that knight statue, except hollow and light.
20:17 <•Kotono> OOC: What sort of materials do you neeD?
20:18 <•Skaya> OOC: Let's use wood as a base and some metal to support it and add to the lightning rod concept, plus some stones to weigh it down if it's too light
20:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d100+20
20:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100+20 --> [ 1d100=46 ]{66}
20:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d100+20
20:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100+20 --> [ 1d100=26 ]{46}
20:22 <•Kotono> roll 1d100+20
20:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100+20 --> [ 1d100=18 ]{38}
20:23 <•Kotono> Against all odds, this bit of impromptu construction goes uneventfully, and soon enough, you have what you desired.
20:24 <•Devar> "Can it hold the sword?" Devar asks. "Or do you want me to just drop it in the ground nearby the lightning?"
20:24 <•Skaya> OOC: Also, for reference, I'll go with mediocrity and take 10+inspiration for Craft/Golems 30 and Craft/Traps 26
20:26 <•Skaya> "It can totally hold the sword. A bit. For the first strike?" Skaya muses. "Let's just gamble on it. We'll attach two ten foot wooden rods to it and you and Anne will push it ever-closer. If it triggers the lightning, that very moment I'll dash for the door and open it. Once it's open, the rest of you all dash after me. Sound like a plan?"
20:27 <•Devar> "I think it has to be metal." Devar says. "Isn't that what one of those lightning rods is?"
20:27 <•Kotono> "I understand," Sanda says, "Use the rods to push ita nd the sword gets the lightning."
20:28 <•Skaya> "The wood is for the handles to protect you. The sword and some of the insides are metal! It'll try to discharge any lightning into the ground!"
20:29 <•Devar> "Oh, I see what you mean." He nods. "I get it. Sure, we can go with that."
20:29 — •Skaya hops a few times and stretches one leg, then the other, before calling out, "I'm ready!"
20:30 <•Devar> He nods, ready to push!
20:33 <•Kotono> Push! The party pushes it ahead, Anne and Devar at work. Iit goes, it goes, it goes..."Now!" Anne cries as lightning flashes out. Devar and Anne get that in positiona s lightning assails the sword, and then...OOC: Go Skaya.
20:33 — •Skaya dashes for the door! Even if the lightning comes for her and she can't dodge it with her evasion, she'll still proceed!
20:37 <•Kotono> A mad dash, a hurry to the door. Fortunately the lightning rod holds and she reaches the chained door even as the sword begins to smoke, strikea fter strike hitting it. The metal's taking it head on, ahd lightning's running through it.
20:38 <•Skaya> No time to waste! Except on checking the door for traps! And then opening it.
20:38 <•Skaya> OOC: Perception 10 for 26
20:42 <•Kotono> The door is checked. Not raps that Skaya can see, only chains and a lock. Meanwhile lightning continues to strike, the sword taking it - for now.
20:42 <•Kotono> Anne keeps her gaze on the sword carefully, keeping back just in case. Rina stays low, ready to dash forward.
20:42 — •Skaya unlocks it.
20:46 <•Kotono> OOC: How?
20:47 <•Skaya> OOC: It's a lock, and I have a set of lock-picking tools. So via Disable Device. Unless my perception suggested that the lock resembled one of the keys I took off the dead crazy wizard with the French name?
20:51 <•Kotono> OOC: You'd think it's possible the  iron key you have fits it.
20:51 — •Skaya tries the iron key before any hacking of locks happen! It should go faster if it works.
20:51 <•Kotono> Click! The lock opens. Now it's only a matter of the chains.
20:52 <•Skaya> Well then. Same as with the door, is there a suitable key from those belongings? It occurs to Skaya that if the wizard walled off this space, it's not impossible he came here and sealed off the tower as well.
20:54 <•Kotono> Nope, the chains are on tight. No lock, just bound and tied tight.
20:55 <•Skaya> It'd probably take impossibly long to find where they were joined, so Skaya calls out to the others, "Come over, let's break these chains!"
20:55 <•Skaya> In the meantime, she doesn't waste time, putting the tip of one of her spare sais within the links and trying to break them. If they're not magic, brute force will win!
20:56 <•Devar> Devar will nod to Anne to go first, waiting for the others before he will run over to the door.
20:57 <•Kotono> Anne sprints over. Teh sword is starting to crack, but it holds. Rina follows as does Sanda, neither wasting time. Meanwhile Skaya starts to work on it as the others get over and..OOC: Strength.
20:58 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+3+6
20:58 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+3+6 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{16}
21:02 <•Kotono> Not enough. Anne races in and joins you as Rina's right behind her and...
21:02 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+3
21:02 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+3 --> [ 1d20=13 ]{16}
21:03 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+1
21:03 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+1 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{4}
21:03 <•Kotono> But it's still not enough, even as Sanda reaches over and throws in her own two hands, trying to pull.
21:03 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+2
21:03 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{5}
21:03 <•Skaya> When at first you don't succeed, you try again! Especially if everyone contributes by focusing on the same spot!
21:03 <•Kotono> Still not enough, as Anne calls, "Devar, are you coming?"
21:04 <•Skaya> "Must I learn how to sunder metal?" Skaya wonders out loud, glaring at the chain.
21:04 <•Devar> Devar will go over and take a swing with his sword - it's magical, so hopefully it will do the job!
21:05 <•Devar> Roll 1d20+8 (-6 if this is just strength)
21:05 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8 (-6 if this is just strength) --> [ 1d20=12 ]{20}
21:06 <•Kotono> Pulling - and Devar's just enough. A swing breaks the strained chains, which has them fall away and the door is revealed fully.
21:07 — •Skaya opens the door and steps inside!
21:08 <•Kotono> Inside is a small mud room, and notably one pair of intact boots sits amid the scraps and ruins of leather. An arched doorway leads further head, a plain wooden door blocking the way.
21:09 <•Skaya> "Magic boots?" Skaya asks, heading over to pick them up.
21:10 <•Devar> "I can't say this is what I expected." Devar says. "But I suppose nothing here makes any sense."
21:10 <•Skaya> "I feel a bit bad heading in just like this. But I'm still not taking off my shoes."
21:11 <•Kotono> "Not a chance," Anne agrees, "Magic or no, I don't trust boots like this."
21:11 <•Kotono> "None of this makes sense," Rina agrees, "A tower here makes even less sense."
21:12 — •Skaya drops the boots into her haversack and then examines the wooden door further ahead. Even if the previous door wasn't trapped doesn't mean the next one won't be!
21:12 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+5+6
21:12 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+5+6 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{14}
21:13 <•Skaya> "Oh hey, I changed my mind," Skaya says brightly and takes off her shoes.
21:13 <•Kotono> "Really?" Sanda asks, sniffing, "Well, they are nice boots."
21:13 <•Skaya> Nodding in agreement, Skaya puts them on.
21:14 <•Kotono> Anne takes a breath and reaches out, grabbing Skaya's wrist. "Skaya, a moment before you do that, please?"
21:14 <•Skaya> "But whyyyyyyyyyyy...."
21:14 <•Devar> "Woah woah, hey, hold on." Devar says in agreement.
21:15 <•Kotono> Leaning in, face solemn, "I'm worried these boots are cursed with how suddenly you wished to wear them."
21:15 <•Skaya> "They're my precious! You can't have them!" Skaya insists, clutching the boots to her chest.
21:15 <•Kotono> Rina blinks, "Cursed?"
21:16 <•Devar> "Didn't you guys tell me something like this happened with a ring before I joined you?" Devar asks.
21:17 <•Skaya> "It was fairly safe to use," Skaya tells Devar. "Come on, what's the worst that can happen? At most it'll be like with the ring, where I feel happy and do nothing for a while and you can always take them off after! Everybody wins!"
21:17 <•Kotono> "Cursed," Anne seconds, "Skaya, cursed items aren't worth it. Besides," Anne glances back, gives a big warning glance to step back, and leans in and whispers something to Skaya.
21:19 — •Skaya looks between Anne and the boots. "I'm sure they're not cursed, but I suppose I can always put them on later? Maybe?"
21:19 <•Devar> "We can identify them later and tell you what they are." Devar says.
21:19 <•Kotono> "We can look at the boots later," Anne agrees, "Just put them down, Skaya," she smiles.
21:20 <•Skaya> "You won't try to take them?" Skaya confirms, before cautiously putting them down.
21:20 <•Kotono> Skaya's head clears, the compulsion to wear the boots gone like gold in front of adventurers.
21:20 <•Kotono> "I won't," Anne agrees, then firmly takes both of Skaya's wrists. "Rina."
21:21 <•Kotono> Rina darts in and kicks the boots away.
21:21 <•Skaya> "I hate everything," Skaya mutters, making a mental note to buy the best boots magic can make that she can afford.
21:22 <•Kotono> Sanda watches, curiously eyeing the boots herself now. "My apologies," Anne murmurs to Skaya. "If that packrat of a wizard left them behind, nothing good would come of them."
21:23 <•Devar> "We can still identify them later." Devar says. "Maybe on our way back. We should know what they do."
21:23 <•Skaya> "Maybe they weren't his size?" Skaya voices, gently freeing herself to put her own shoes back on.
21:24 <•Kotono> Anne lets go and nods, "If we have leisure, certainly. Oh, did any of us buy anything related to such things? Scrolls of identify or similar?"
21:25 <•Devar> "I have something that lets you identify things if you spend time studying them with detect magic." Devar says.
21:25 <•Skaya> "We're honestly just starting out, as far as a properly equipped team is concerned. My main worry was healing, so that's where most of the public funds went thus far."
21:31 <•Kotono> Meanwhile the door is ahead, as Anne says, "We can work on that later then," she says, gesturing towards the door.
21:31 — •Skaya checks the door for traps with a sigh.
21:34 <•Kotono> OOC: Same as before, taking 10 or...? Was as ec again, but back now.
21:34 <•Skaya> OOC: Yeah, for 26
21:35 <•Kotono> No traps or anything.
21:36 — •Skaya opens the door!
21:37 <•Kotono> Ahead is a small mud room, and notably there are no pairs of intact boots here. Ana rched doorway leads further ahead, a plain wooden door blocking the way.
21:37 <•Devar> "Oh, this again."
21:38 <•Skaya> "Oh, this again!"
21:38 <•Kotono> "Again?" Rina asks aloud, "It's repeating itself."
21:38 <•Kotono> "Oh, this again!" Sanda agrees.
21:38 — •Skaya opens the door.
21:38 <•Kotono> The door opens. Ahead is a small mud room, and notably there are no pairs of intact boots here. Ana rched doorway leads further ahead, a plain wooden door blocking the way.
21:38 <•Kotono> Anne sighs.
21:39 — •Skaya opens that one too!
21:39 <•Devar> "Hey, just curious, have we tried opening the door from the other side?"
21:40 <•Kotono> With a shrug, Rina tries opening the door you just came through. It opens and reveals what you expect. Meanwhile Skaya opens up again. Ahead is a small mud room, and notably there are no pairs of intact boots here. Ana rched doorway leads further ahead, a plain wooden door blocking the way. This door is sealed with more chains.
21:41 <•Skaya> "Oho! A change! Devar, if you will?"
21:41 <•Devar> "Sure." He says, taking his sword to the chains!
21:41 <•Devar> Roll 1d20+8
21:41 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=13 ]{21}
21:41 <•Kotono> OOC: Damage.
21:42 <•Devar> Roll 2d6+3
21:42 <Kobot> Devar rolled 2d6+3 --> [ 2d6=11 ]{14}
21:46 <•Kotono> A heavy blow, enough to cut through the chains. Not as strong as the last batch, and they snap loudly.
21:46 — •Skaya pulls the chain out of the way and opens this door!
21:47 <•Devar> "So did our wizard friend find this place and chain it up or did he come from here, I wonder?"
21:47 <•Kotono> The door opens and then - ! OOC: Will saves all, -2 penalty. Good luck.
21:47 <•Skaya> "Door didn't chain itself."
21:48 <•Kotono> OOC: +4 bonus vs gas applies if you have it.
21:48 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+5+6-2 are those my last words?
21:48 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+5+6-2 are those my last words? --> [ 1d20=11 ]{20}
21:48 <•Skaya> OOC: I do have it, so +4
21:48 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+9 Sanda
21:48 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+9 Sanda --> [ 1d20=7 ]{16}
21:48 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 Anne
21:48 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 Anne --> [ 1d20=9 ]{21}
21:48 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+11 Rina
21:48 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+11 Rina --> [ 1d20=1 ]{12}
21:48 <•Devar> Roll 1d20+11 in that case
21:48 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+11 in that case --> [ 1d20=10 ]{21}
21:50 <•Kotono> The faintest odd smell. Rina slumps and falls on her side, Sanda collapses against the wall. Skaya and Devar feel woozy but are able to resist, barely, as is Anne. She struggles to stay up, as ahead? A large open room, with stairs going up in the back. It looks like a stormcloud, crackling and roiling with electricity. A faint black gas emits from it, fading out of sight as it leaves its body
21:50 <•Kotono> .  It's 20ft away and the electricity is picking up.
21:53 <•Skaya> There is only one thing to do. Skaya makes sure not to breathe in as she takes out the party's wand of magic missiles and, armed with the onyx ring of missiles, shoots two missiles at the shadowy body!
21:54 <•Kotono> Lightning flies at the same time as one thing is clear: It's a fight! OOC: In that case, init.
21:54 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+8
21:54 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{25}
21:54 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+2 Anne's still up at least
21:54 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+2 Anne's still up at least --> [ 1d20=20 ]{22}
21:54 <•Devar> Roll 1d20+2
21:54 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=8 ]{10}
21:54 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+4 cloud
21:54 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+4 cloud --> [ 1d20=18 ]{22}
21:55 <•Kotono> Init is Skaya (25) > Anne = Cloud (22) > Devar (10)
21:55 <•Kotono> OOC: Go Skaya.
21:55 <•Skaya> roll 2d4+3+5
21:55 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+3+5 --> [ 2d4=4 ]{12}
21:57 <•Kotono> Missiles fly and pepper the storm. It recoils back,d rifting away even as the lighting comes. It flies right at the party, dancing amid them as you can see the room ahead is carpeted, fancier looking in the frantic moments you have tos ee before... OOC: Storm and Anne, storm's blasting so we'll handle that first. Ref saves all.
21:57 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+6 evasion if eldritch grace applies
21:57 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+6 evasion if eldritch grace applies --> [ 1d20=1 ]{7}
21:58 <•Devar> Roll 1d20+10 evasion
21:58 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+10 evasion --> [ 1d20=11 ]{21}
21:58 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6+6 evasion
21:58 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+6 evasion --> [ 1d20=2 ]{14}
21:58 <•Kotono> roll 4d6 electricity and secondary fort save if you took any damage, Anne full, Devar none, Skaya full
21:58 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 4d6 electricity and secondary fort save if you took any damage, Anne full, Devar none, Skaya full --> [ 4d6=15 ]{15}
21:58 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 40/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 45/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
21:58 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 Anne Fort
21:58 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 Anne Fort --> [ 1d20=5 ]{17}
21:59 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6+6
21:59 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+6 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{32}
21:59 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 25/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 45/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
21:59 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 40/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 45/60 Sanda 24/39 Rina 37/52
21:59 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 25/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 45/60 Sanda 24/39 Rina 37/52
21:59 <•Kotono> OOC: Sanda and Rina can't move right now and thus can't make Ref saves.
21:59 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 25/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 45/60 (paralyzed 1) Sanda 24/39 Rina 37/52
22:00 <•Skaya> OOC: Since Anne goes on the same init she still acts though, right?
22:01 <•Kotono> The electricity fries Skaya - but she holds her ground. Anne is hit and starts to seize up, but not before she steps forward, risks the gas and brandishes her holy symbol, "Discordant noises, strike!" OOC:S he does.
22:01 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+3 fort
22:01 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+3 fort --> [ 1d20=14 ]{17}
22:01 <•Kotono> roll 1d8 at least it gest some damage through but raw damage is not Anne's forte
22:01 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8 at least it gest some damage through but raw damage is not Anne's forte --> [ 1d8=2 ]{2}
22:01 <•Kotono> A burst of noise further stirs the cloud about, even as Anne now keels over, paralyzed. Then...OOC: Devar, go.
22:03 <•Devar> Devar moves in to pull Rina out of the room and back to the other one! "I'll try and get everyone to safety!" He shouts. "Unless you just shut the door I guess!"
22:04 <•Kotono> Unmoving and smoking from where her chest and arm were fried, Rina doesn't resist at all as Devar pulls her away. OOC: Skaya, go.
22:04 — •Skaya has her wand and the missiles! She shoots them!
22:04 <•Skaya> roll 2d4+3+5
22:04 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+3+5 --> [ 2d4=5 ]{13}
22:05 <•Kotono> More missiles hit, and the cloud visibly flickers. Each hit seems to land home, but it's not enough. Instead more lightning comes, engulfing Skaya, Anne and Sanda.  OOC: Ref you three. Devar got himself and Rina out of the zap range.
22:05 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6+6 evasion
22:05 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+6 evasion --> [ 1d20=16 ]{28}
22:06 <•Kotono> OOC: Neither Anne or Sanda can move, so they faila utomatically. Anne is entitled to Fort to resist another round of paralysis and it's moot for Sanda right now.
22:06 <•Kotono> roll 4d6 electricty Anne and Sanda
22:06 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 4d6 electricty Anne and Sanda --> [ 4d6=18 ]{18}
22:06 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 25/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 27/60 (paralyzed 1) Sanda 6/39 Rina 37/52
22:06 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 Anne fort
22:06 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 Anne fort --> [ 1d20=17 ]{29}
22:06 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 25/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 27/60 Sanda 6/39 Rina 37/52
22:07 <•Kotono> Gaspingly, Anne manages to recover, starting to move and cough for air. OOC: Devar, go.
22:07 <•Kotono> As Skaya manages to dive back and avoid the zap, Sanda doesn't. Her hair is starting to catch afire, her entire body convulsing as burns and shocks race all along her body. Anne's not in better shape, getting fried inside of her metal armor, even as she recovers.
22:07 <•Devar> "I'll get Sanda!" He shouts, running in to grab her and pull her to safety!
22:08 <•Kotono> Sanda, in a terrible state again, is pulled to safety. That leaves Skaya, who...OOC: Go.
22:08 <•Skaya> OOC: Anne passed the fort, she's not acting? She could heal!
22:09 <•Kotono> OOC: She lost this round to paralysis.
22:09 <•Kotono> OOC: She got her action first round at the same time and was paralyzed, so she had to pay it off this round.
22:09 <•Kotono> OOC:S he's able to act this coming round.
22:09 <•Skaya> Was this a miscalculation? In the end, Devar is preventing it from becoming one and allowing Skaya to face off against this thing! With magic missiles!
22:09 <•Skaya> roll 2d4+2+5
22:09 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2+5 --> [ 2d4=3 ]{10}
22:10 <•Kotono> More hits - and it's enough. The storm sputters out, but not before one, heavy, large bolt of lightning flies at Skaya in a last, dying attack.  OOC: Ref.
22:10 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6+6 evasion
22:10 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+6 evasion --> [ 1d20=4 ]{16}
22:10 <•Kotono> roll 8d6 and fort full serious ows
22:10 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 8d6 and fort full serious ows --> [ 8d6=37 ]{37}
22:12 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+6+6 out of inspiration for this fight and hopefully Anne goes same init and heals me
22:12 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+6 out of inspiration for this fight and hopefully Anne goes same init and heals me --> [ 1d20=7 ]{19}
22:12 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: -12/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 27/60 Sanda 6/39 Rina 37/52
22:13 <•Kotono> The storm is over. Skaya knows nothing but pain and then darkness, a feeling of being pulled, of cool mists. Devar sees Anne grasp her holy symbol and wheeze out, "Lady Jetina!" before healing comes.  OOC: Free act, Anne is immediately healing for abnndantly obvious reasons.
22:14 <•Kotono> roll 3d6
22:14 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d6 --> [ 3d6=13 ]{13}
22:14 <•Kotono> OOC: 19 total all.
22:14 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 7/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 27/60 Sanda 6/39 Rina 37/52
22:14 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 7/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 27/60 Sanda 25/39 Rina 52/52
22:15 <•Kotono> Healing comes. It mends the words as Skaya lies there, more unconscious than not, but alive. Anne shudders violently, "T-that...that was w-why it was sealed up. Cursed thing!"
22:15 <•Devar> Devar lets out both a shocked gasp and a sigh of relief, practically in the same breath.
22:16 <•Devar> "Let's take a few minutes." Devar says, checking on the other two.
22:16 <•Kotono> "Again," Anne manages, more healing coming to the ill.
22:16 <•Kotono> roll 3d6
22:16 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d6 --> [ 3d6=15 ]{15}
22:16 <•Kotono> OOC: 22 total.
22:16 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 7/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 27/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
22:16 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 29/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 27/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
22:17 <•Kotono> Sanda's wounds vanishe ntirely, as do Rina's. Even Skaya's are greatly mended, the massive burn across her chest and stomach soothed, mended, her nerves no longer destroyed. Her lungs work properly if painfully.
22:18 <•Kotono> Rina and Sanda are still out of it. Anne manages to get to a knee before falling to sit on her rear. "Check Skaya, I feared that may have been lethal."
22:18 <•Devar> Devar jogs over to help Skaya sit up.
22:20 — •Skaya is breathing on her own with some difficulty.
22:21 <•Devar> "I assume the lightning is gone." Devar says with a gesture back the way they came. "But we may as well check what's up ahead... we can always head back to rest if need be."
22:23 <•Kotono> Anne limps over and checks her, "She'll live," A quick pronouncement, "No. Hold a little, Devar." A murmur, a little more healing to Skaya.
22:23 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+5
22:23 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+5 --> [ 1d8=4 ]{9}
22:23 <•Kotono> That's enough to stir Skaya, though her brain still feels sluggish, fried.
22:23 <•Skaya> OOC: +9? Or more?
22:24 <•Kotono> OOC: 9. Just CLW.
22:24 <•Devar> "You with us?" Devar asks her, kneeling in front of her and helping her sit up.
22:24 <•Skaya> "Gosh, I hope I won. And not that I got taken prisoner," Skaya mutters, staring unblinkingly at the ceiling. "Ah, right. I won, then."
22:24 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 38/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 27/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
22:25 <•Kotono> "Barely. Had I been any slower, you would be facing your final reckoning," Anne lets out a soft sight afterwards, "I'll check on the others."
22:25 <•Skaya> "A bare win is still a win."
22:25 <•Kotono> Then with a soft gasp Anne visibly staggers, a hand to her armored chest. "Or...ugh, my own wounds," she murmurs, "Does that wand have much more power within it?"
22:25 <•Devar> "That was certainly daring." Devar says. "I'm glad we made it through."
22:26 <•Skaya> "Seven charges," Skaya says, holding it out. "Use it all up as needed."
22:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+3
22:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+3 --> [ 1d8=3 ]{6}
22:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+3
22:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+3 --> [ 1d8=4 ]{7}
22:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+3
22:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+3 --> [ 1d8=2 ]{5}
22:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+3
22:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+3 --> [ 1d8=8 ]{11}
22:26 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 38/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 56/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
22:27 <•Kotono> Four casts are enough. Anne coughs and rests further, then scoots over to Sanda. A quick check over, "Nothing's wrong with her that I see, it's magic so hopefully time liberates her mind. Her body's not injured." OOC: Taking 10 on heal.
22:29 <•Devar> "It seemed like it was some kind of gas from the creature, I imagine it being gone will speed it up." Devar says.
22:29 <•Skaya> "Step in and check a bit?"
22:30 <•Devar> "Oh, sure." Devar says, slowly heading to the room the storm creature was just in.
22:33 <•Kotono> Devar gets a chance to look around. The room is carpeted in old, scorched blue carpets. Once rich, now nothing but old and damaged ruin. Scattered about are burnt bones of all kinds, including hand-claws that look rather familiar. There's burnt and destroyed art on the walls as well. The stairway going up is intact.
22:33 — •Skaya climbs to her feet and goes to check on Rina and Sanda.
22:35 <•Kotono> They appear to be out cold - eyes open but not home. OOC: Heal check.
22:35 <•Devar> Devar frowns at that - is this where all of them came from? He will go up the stairs to see where they lead to, or at least get a glimpse so he can tell the others.
22:35 <•Skaya> roll 1d20+5
22:35 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+5 --> [ 1d20=13 ]{18}
22:38 <•Kotono> Devar goes up - and the stairs look to be quite long. No sign of a second or third floor, only something at the topmost level.
22:40 <•Kotono> Skaya checks them. Nothing more is revealed, it simply seems to be a stupor of some kind. Then-It's Rina who recovers first. She coughs abruptly and groans, "Ah! AH! AH!" Screams from her as she wildly looks around, fumbling for her sword.
22:40 <•Skaya> "You're safe!" Skaya tells her cheerfully. "I killed that thing in a lovely murder-suicide!"
22:40 <•Kotono> "Rina, calm yourself," Anne is there, grabbing her by the shoulders, "Get Sanda if she's about to stir, Skaya."
22:41 <•Devar> He will come back - he'll grab one of the bones of the claw hands to show the others. "Stairs seem to go to the top, for whatever "top" means in a space like this."
22:41 — •Skaya helpfully moves over to Sanda and grabs her by the shoulders preemptively.
22:41 <•Kotono> "Ah..ah......ah.......ah." Rina pants, eyes wide. "We're alive?" Just in time for Skaya, as Sanda gasps hugely, eyes wide as well. However, Skaya stops her from doing more.
22:42 <•Skaya> "I kind of wanted to slap you and tell you to get a hold of yourself," Skaya tells Sanda with a pout. "Maybe next time?"
22:42 <•Kotono> "You're all alive. The monster unleashed some sort of mind-affecting gas." Anne says in a soft voice, "Calm down, you're safe."
22:43 <•Kotono> Sanda goes limp before, "It's illogical how close we come to dying again anda gain."
22:43 <•Devar> "I found this too." Devar says, throwing the claw on the ground. "This must've been where he did some experiments."
22:43 <•Kotono> "This one is our own faults for the gamble we chose. One of his keys working on it, the chains? We had to explore it for our given task here, but should have known well it would belethal."
22:43 <•Skaya> "It's very logical, actually," Skaya counters. "We've gone to dangerous places even insane wizards left sealed."
22:45 <•Devar> "Agreed, hopefully we can find more information to help us." He voices.
22:46 <•Kotono> "Let's move," Anne helps people up, "I want to see what's atop here, we've invested enough as it is."
22:46 <•Skaya> "I'm fine with going up. Though maybe someone else can volunteer to lead for now?"
22:47 <•Devar> "I got it." Devar says.
22:49 <•Skaya> "I'll be in the center to react wherever I need to. Anne, bring up the rear, please?"
22:51 <•Kotono> The party thus heads on up the stairs. Up and up and up and up. Atop here is a wide open space, the roof of the entire tower above you. Sitting here is a lance set into the ground, stabbed a foot deep into it. Lightning constantly flies out from it, going through the walls of the tower like they're not there. Immediately Anne ducks back down and out of sight, Rina doing exactly the same thing.
22:51 <•Kotono> Sanda peers ahead, "More lightning, but that must be the source of the lightning strikes outside."
22:52 <•Skaya> "I don't suppose someone can tell what the magic is like here?"
22:54 <•Devar> "Let me see what I can sort out." Devar says, castic Detect Magic! OOC: take 10 for 22 on Spellcraft. If I spend 1 minute studying the spear I can identify it
22:55 <•Kotono> Devar casts as Skaya and Sanda stay. Before the spell can be done, however, lightning bolts leap from the lance and towards the party. Only Anne and Rina are safe, having immediately ducked out of the firing line.
22:55 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 touch AC vs Skaya, +4 more if you are wearing metal armor or carrying anything particularly large and metallic, speak up if so
22:55 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 touch AC vs Skaya, +4 more if you are wearing metal armor or carrying anything particularly large and metallic, speak up if so --> [ 1d20=20 ]{30}
22:56 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 touch AC vs Devar, +4 more if you are wearing metal armor or carrying anything particularly large and metallic, speak up if so
22:56 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 touch AC vs Devar, +4 more if you are wearing metal armor or carrying anything particularly large and metallic, speak up if so --> [ 1d20=1 ]{11}
22:56 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 touch AC vs Sanda, +4 more if you are wearing metal armor or carrying anything particularly large and metallic, speak up if so
22:56 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 touch AC vs Sanda, +4 more if you are wearing metal armor or carrying anything particularly large and metallic, speak up if so --> [ 1d20=16 ]{26}
22:56 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 touch AC vs Skaya, +4 more if you are wearing metal armor or carrying anything particularly large and metallic, speak up if so crit?
22:56 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 touch AC vs Skaya, +4 more if you are wearing metal armor or carrying anything particularly large and metallic, speak up if so crit? --> [ 1d20=15 ]{25}
22:56 <•Kotono> roll 14d6 ow Skaya
22:56 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 14d6 ow Skaya --> [ 14d6=45 ]{45}
22:56 <•Kotono> roll 7d6 Sanda
22:56 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 7d6 Sanda --> [ 7d6=25 ]{25}
22:56 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: -7/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 56/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
22:57 <•Devar> Ooc: I would imagine my sword and mace count but it seems I lucked out
22:57 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: -7/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 56/60 Sanda 24/39 Rina 52/52
22:57 <•Kotono> Lightning strikes - somehow Devar is missed, while Sanda gets zapped and pushed back. Her scream matches Skaya's, who falls, only for Anne to catch her down the stairs as she calls, "GET DOWN!"
22:58 <•Kotono> roll 3d6 immediate healing since yeesh
22:58 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d6 immediate healing since yeesh --> [ 3d6=5 ]{5}
22:58 <•Kotono> OOC: 7 healing all.
22:58 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: -7/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 56/60 Sanda 31/39 Rina 52/52
22:58 <•Skaya> Teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, Skaya decides to heal herself before she slips away.
22:58 <•Skaya> OOC: +16hp
22:58 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 16/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 56/60 Sanda 31/39 Rina 52/52
22:59 <•Devar> Devar doesn't bother to try anything else, grabbing Sanda and rushing back down.
22:59 <•Kotono> Sanda thrashes in the aftermath before she lets out several extremely vulgar comments about lightning. Meanwhile Anne and Skaya's own healing is enough, a scare from a direct, center mass hit again. The wand is out, the last three charges spent.
23:00 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+3
23:00 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+3 --> [ 1d8=1 ]{4}
23:00 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+3
23:00 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+3 --> [ 1d8=8 ]{11}
23:00 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+3
23:00 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+3 --> [ 1d8=2 ]{5}
23:01 <•Skaya> OOC: Who is this for?
23:01 <•Kotono> OOC: Skaya.
23:02 •Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 36/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 56/60 Sanda 31/39 Rina 52/52
23:02 <•Devar> "I think we may want to rethink how we approach this and recover." Devar says, "unless we think someone grabbing the spear can control the lightning."
23:02 <•Kotono> More healing comes, Skaya's injuries mending even more. Anne breathes out in relief, "You three, get out of sight first next time. Especially after that Abyss cursed cloud showed us the same danger."
23:02 <•Kotono> Sanda groans and doesn't even argue with Anne.
23:03 <•Skaya> "This time I'll blame Devar. He was leading! I'm still muddled from all the lightning and the dying," Skaya complains. "Screw this, let's return tomorrow after we use lightning resistance or something."
23:03 <•Kotono> Rina exhales, "That could have been bad. Again. I really hope this is worth it."
23:04 <•Kotono> "If it's safe, where we fought that cloud could be a good place to camp down," Anne remarks, "Defensible, too."
23:05 <•Skaya> "Now that I think about it, if we want to leave we'll get smote down. Smitten? There will be smiting with lightning if we leave."
23:05 <•Kotono> "Unless," Sanda begins and Anne closes her eyes tightly, not holding back the sigh that escapes her lips. "Why not swim through the stone floor, grab the lance from below and escape with it that way?"
23:05 <•Skaya> "I can't do that."
23:06 <•Kotono> "Even if I could, I'd rather insult Kaja's swords to his face than do that." Anne agrees immediately.
23:06 <•Kotono> Rina shakes her head quickly, not even saying a word.
23:06 <•Skaya> "I entirely would if I could, of course."
23:06 <•Devar> "I can give it a shot." Devar says. "I should be able to do it long enough to see if it'll work."
23:06 — •Skaya gives Devar a thumbs up.
23:07 <•Kotono> ""I can do it as well, but Devar first," Sanda agrees with that.
23:07 <•Skaya> "Don't worry! I bought potions!"
23:09 <•Devar> Devar nods and will go back up the stairs - not go fully out into the top. OOC: so the idea is activate Swimstone and go through the floor - grab the spear in Round 1. I get four more rounds after so we will see how it reacts from there.
23:10 <•Kotono> Devar swims over to the lance and grabs the spear, which...OOC: What's your alignment, Devar?
23:10 <•Devar> Ooc: it is lawful good
23:11 <•Kotono> OOC: Charisma check.  +2 bonus.
23:11 <•Devar> Roll 1d20+8
23:11 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=19 ]{27}
23:11 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+4
23:11 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+4 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{22}
23:12 <•Kotono> Storms. Devar sees storms, sees lightning, sees hailstorms and lightning and thunder and lightning and - ! Something hot burns itself into Devar's hand and the lance is gone, even as he feels a strange sensation in his hand. Like a muscle, ready to be flexed.
23:13 <•Devar> He will
23:13 <•Devar> He will wait a moment to make sure it's safe before he rises through the floor!
23:14 <•Devar> Assuming it is safe he will experimentally hold his hand up to the sky and see what this new sensation does!
23:16 <•Kotono> The lightning is gone and nothing strikes Devar. When he flexes it, the lance appears in his hand. "Ah. It's been some time." A masculine voice comes from the lance itself, "Devar, is it?"
23:17 <•Devar> "Oh - uh ... hello. Yes, that's right. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"
23:20 <•Kotono> "Call me the Storm's Eye." It answers, "A worthy wielder after all these years, is it?"
23:21 <•Devar> "That's up to you, I think." He says as he will head back down the stairs, since the crisis seems to have been solved!
23:21 <•Kotono> "What is that?" Anne peeks up, "Who are you talking to?"
23:22 <•Devar> "Our culprit, but I don't think it was intentional." Devar says. "Everyone - Storm's Eye."
23:22 <•Devar> He will gesture his free hand at the spear.
23:22 <•Kotono> "Ah, you're that sort of man," The lance rumbles out a laugh.
23:23 <•Kotono> Anne's lips thin into a frown, "Excuse you?"
23:23 <•Devar> "I think you have the wrong idea already..." Devar says with a sigh.
23:23 <•Skaya> "Just confirming real quick. We're all friends again and there will be no sudden murder by lightning?"
23:24 <•Kotono> Rina rolls her eyes at that, "My brother traveled with us, so try again."
23:25 — •Skaya tilts her head. She picked the team, hadn't she? Was it wrong? But there was a decent balance before....
23:25 <•Kotono> "No murder by lightning, girl. I'm exhausted, but no longer being drained to fry everything nearby." Is the answer.
23:25 <•Skaya> "Glad to hear it. Skaya! Call me that instead of girl or I'll feel too young. So what happened here?"
23:25 <•Devar> Yes, actually, what was that about? Maybe you can help us fill in some historical holes."
23:26 <•Kotono> "I'm Sanda, that's Rina and that's Anne," Sanda supplies, coming closer, "You're mistakena bout that, but otherwise how fascinating. An intelligent weapon, I've heard the stories."
23:27 <•Kotono> "I don't remember much. I lost a lot by being used like that," Storm's Eye growls, vibrating in Devar's hand. "But I was created to be wielded by a worthy warrior, then ended up here somehow. I distinctly remember being pulled by magic and not placed here by human hands."
23:28 <•Skaya> "Created here?"
23:29 <•Devar> "What's your definition of "worthy"? I mean, you seem to be part of me now so I'm guessing I pass some sort of pre-requisite..."
23:29 <•Kotono> "No, somewhere...northern. Far away. Past the oceans," Is the answer. "Strong, brave, able. Better a man than a woman, but I can work with a woman. "
23:31 <•Devar> "Whoever created you certainly had an opinion..." Devar says with an apologetic look at the others. "We'll work on that."
23:33 <•Skaya> "Eh, it's all good. If you die horribly, he can still work with me, Devar."
23:34 → Iddy joined (uid408070@lunarnet-423F0355.irccloud.com)
23:36 <•Devar> "I don't love how casually you said that!" Devar says. "But since it seems like we don't have to worry about lightning, should we head back and recover?" He says. "Maybe we can figure out what you do." He says to the spear.

[Corwin]

19:06 <Devar> OOC: Assuming we're not jumped by anything, I will cast Detect Magic and study the boots and the spear with Identify to see if it tells us anything more.
19:11 <Kotono> OOC: Going to head back to the boots then? Requires them being here to study.
19:12 <Devar> OOC: Yes.
19:12 <Kotono> Meanwhile, "Better a man than a woman? Why?" Rina asks.
19:13 <Kotono> "Don't know. Just the way I was made," Is the spear's answer as you all head back, "What about you? You work better with a man, right?"
19:13 <Kotono> Rina's expression turns sour, "Shut up."
19:14 <Skaya> "Hey, is this a sex thing? Have you been talking about this all this time?"
19:14 <Kotono> "Did your designer also forsake basic tact?" Anne says archly, as you go down the stairs and back down to the first floor.
19:14 <Kotono> "Must've been made with that sort of sense of humor, lady," Storm's Eye answers, "Besides, you're the ones asking nosy questions."
19:15 <Devar> "I'd just like to state for the record that it has its own mind." Devar says.
19:16 <Kotono> "Of course. I know that's not you, Devar," Sanda speaks up here, eyeing the lance closely as you return to the boots. "But statistically speaking, I suppose some fraction of intelligent magical items had to be bestowed with less than optimal personalities."
19:16 <Devar> "It has also been stuck here for... do you have any idea how long you've been here, actually?" Devar asks.
19:17 <Kotono> An ear splitting yawn comes from the lance, "Excuse me, I just spent too long as a giant wand of lightning bolt," Storm's Eye agrees, "No idea, it's been far too long. Whatever pulled me here was-" Another yawn, "Geez, all the years must be catching up to me.
19:17 <Kotono> OOC: Gah.
19:18 <Kotono> An ear splitting yawn comes from the lance, "Well excuse me, I just spent too long as a giant wand of lightning bolt," Storm's Eye agrees, "No idea, it's been far too long. Whatever pulled me here was-" Another yawn, "Geez, all the years must be catching up to me. Anyway, whatever pulled me here was strong."
19:19 <Kotono> "Perhaps so," Anne's expression is thin lipped, frowny. "My apologies." OOC: Going to use the identifying, Neph?
19:19 <Skaya> "So if you get tired and want to sleep, does it mean you want to eat too? What is your diet?" Skaya asks curiously.
19:19 <Devar> "We're still trying to figure out what exactly 'here' even is, so if you have any insight or recover anything as we go, please let us know." Devar says. "Anyway, since we're not under a threat to anything right now, let me see if we can learn anything about you or these weird boots." OOC: Yes sir.
19:21 <Kotono> OOC: Run me through how the items works real quick since it's the first time?
19:21 <Devar> OOC: when� ever you successfully use your artificer knowledge class feature (ECS 31) to detect an item's magical aura or you cast detect magic and have at least 5 ranks of Knowl�edge (arcana), you can spend 1 additional minute studying the item. If you do, you can identify the abilities of that item as if you had cast identify upon it.
19:21 <Kotono> "The hot blood of mye nemies, the tears of their women and the shine of taken plunder!" The lance vows, fiercely, little bolts of electricity running along it...before it yawns again and dips downward.
19:21 <Devar> OOC: So I'll study the boots and the spear
19:22 <Kotono> OOC: Okay. Loot post incoming.
19:22 <Devar> "I can always put you away, does that help?" Devar asks. "I seem to be able to summon and send you back... uh... somewhere."
19:26 <Kotono> OOC: Ost.
19:26 <Kotono> OOC: Post.
19:26 <Kotono> "Yeah, should," Is the answer, "Call me when you're in a good fight."
19:27 <Devar> OOC: To be clear, the secondary compulsory effect happens regardless of if you pass the first will save, correct?
19:27 <Kotono> OOC:  Yes. They're cursed. Put them on and it's on you then.
19:28 <Devar> Devar dismisses Storm's Eye before he frowns. "Yeah, don't bother with those boots." He says. "They make you a little faster and have some resistance to electricity, but even if you manage to not fall prey to wanting to put them on, they make you want to basically go run into bolts of lightning."
19:29 <Kotono> "Whomever put THOSE here is a perverse, twisted fiend," Anne scowls.
19:29 <Kotono> Sanda sniffs, "It makes sense if it's a trap."
19:29 <Devar> "Oh, and apparently I can't get anything on what that spear is, which means we may have to wait for itself to figure it out, or just put it to some sort of trial fighting things." He says. "We can ask the Mystrans for some help when we get back."
19:29 <Kotono> "It's not like Skaya needed those to catch lightning," Rina rubs her forehead.
19:30 <Skaya> "So we just need to remove the curse?"
19:30 <Devar> "I'm not especially adept at curses, I imagine if you could they'd probably still function." Devar says.
19:32 <Kotono> "Still," Rina goes on, "That means this wasn't the source of all of this. Useful maybe, but not the source of all of this."
19:33 <Devar> "No, but I wonder if it was still powering something." Devar says. "We don't fully understand this space yet."
19:34 <Skaya> "Say, Devar, could you use your area healing on all of us once?" Skaya voices, changing gears. Getting the boots still sounds like a good idea to her, but probably not right this instant. "Then we could explore for more strange stuff."
19:36 <Kotono> OOC: Just to be clear, are y'all leaving the boots behind or trying to take them with you somehow.
19:36 <Devar> "Sure. There's no harm in us going back and resting in the church either if need be." He says, channeling energy to everyone!
19:36 <Devar> roll 1d6 healing
19:36 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d6 healing --> [ 1d6=6 ]{6}
19:36 Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 36/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 37/39 Rina 52/52
19:36 <Skaya> OOC: We're leaving the boots
19:36 <Kotono> OOC: Okay.
19:36 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 42/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 37/39 Rina 52/52
19:37 <Kotono> With healing and recovery, the party heads back now. The tower is now silent and dark, no lightning around it. Just as well, your impromptu lightning rod looks mostly spent. Now what?
19:38 — Skaya leaves the tower locked. She has the key! Then, she decides to explore in the other direction from the church they left.
19:38 <Kotono> roll 1d100-5
19:38 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100-5 --> [ 1d100=1 ]{-4}
19:38 <Kotono> roll 1d100-5 subtable
19:38 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100-5 subtable --> [ 1d100=1 ]{-4}
19:39 mode: •Kotono (promoted to owner, opped) 
19:40 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
19:40 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=3 ]{3}
19:40 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
19:40 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=7 ]{7}
19:43 <•Kotono> As you head out - ! Ahead of you space twists, turns.Hundreds of identical roads stretch out ahead of you all at once, before with an unearthly bursting noise, reality SLAMS BACK into place. Painfully. It slams all of you, as at the same time a great heap of rubble appears all around you. Amid them a corpse, broken and dead. The remnants of destroyed plate armor are worn, and a bright blue
19:43 <•Kotono> stone hovers around its head, before falling to the ground. At least all the many copies of the road ahead are now gone.
19:43 <•Kotono> roll 1d6 damage all
19:43 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d6 damage all --> [ 1d6=6 ]{6}
19:43 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 42/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 54/60 Sanda 31/39 Rina 46/52
19:44 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 36/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 54/60 Sanda 31/39 Rina 46/52
19:44 <Skaya> "What? Come on!" Skaya cries out, looking around.
19:45 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 36/42 Devar 46/52 Anne 54/60 Sanda 31/39 Rina 46/52
19:46 <•Kotono> Sanda staggers to a knee, off balance. Rina keeps her balance and whips out her short sword, eyes everywhere - but beyond the gloom, it's back to normal here. Or at least what passes for normal. Anne darts ahead and checks the corpse, but shakes her head after a moment, "Dead," she announces simply, "Massive trauma."
19:47 <Devar> "Woah!" Devar catches himself, going to one knee. "Maybe it really was powering something... what's that stone?" He asks, pulling himself to his feet. "Surely that isn't the cause of all of this?"
19:47 <Skaya> "It's probably an ioun stone," Skaya responds, having one herself.
19:48 — Skaya decides to check on the corpse. Is it human? Has it been dead for long?
19:48 <Skaya> OOC: Heal 10 for 15
19:48 <•Kotono> "Probably so," Anne agrees, checking him over - and coming off with a pendant, a small fragment of a gold scale. It's some sort of humanoid, too much trauma to tell off hand. It's been dead for at least a few minutes? Hard to tell with that level of damage.
19:50 <Skaya> "Still have your magic detection spell running?" Skaya asks Devar.
19:51 <Devar> "It doesn't last very long, but I can just cast it again." He offers.
19:52 <Skaya> "Can't hurt to see if there's anything immediately useful."
19:52 <Devar> He nods, doing just that! OOC: Detect magic, if there's anything immediately magical he'll identify it.
19:52 <Devar> OOC: Take 10 on Spellcraft for 22 if it matters
19:52 <•Kotono> Devar gets to work and...
19:53 <•Kotono> OOC: Loot post edited. For the record, that 3 and 7 were rolling those on the medium wondrous item table.
19:55 <Devar> "Pretty strong stuff." Devar says, explaining the identified items for the others benefit.
19:55 <•Kotono> "Remarkably good fortune," Anne rises now, "And far easier than our earlier struggles."
19:57 <Skaya> "Let's put this guy to rest and then explore the other side of this town?"
19:58 <Devar> Devar nods. "Any objections to me wearing the necklace for the time being? We can hash out who keeps it later." He says, rising back to his feet. "Here, let me heal everyone so we don't have to worry about it."
19:58 <Devar> roll 1d6 healing
19:58 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d6 healing --> [ 1d6=4 ]{4}
19:58 <Devar> roll 1d6 healing
19:58 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d6 healing --> [ 1d6=6 ]{6}
19:58 <Devar> OOC: 10 total to everyone, should top everyone back off
19:59 <•Kotono> "Likewise, I'd like the stone," Anne says, "I wanted something akin to this greatly, but couldn't procure one due to the plague."
19:59 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 36/42 Devar 46/52 Anne 54/60 Sanda 31/39 Rina 52/52
19:59 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 42/42 Devar 46/52 Anne 54/60 Sanda 31/39 Rina 52/52
20:00 <Devar> "I don't love pilfering things from corpses, but since no one from the Heavens struck us down yet I think they'll forgive us." He says.
20:00 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 42/42 Devar 46/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
20:00 <•Kotono> "It's pointless to leave these with the dead," Anne shakes her head tiredly, "I mourn the dead we don't know, but what good does it do leaving them here?"
20:00 <Skaya> "That's all fine," Skaya tells Anne, having expected as much. But it feels nicer when other people say what she's thinking!
20:01 <Devar> He nods and will help give the corpse a proper burial afterwards.
20:04 <•Kotono> This takes a little bit, but the body is laid to rest. Anne prays afterwards before, and the dead is given its due.
20:05 <Devar> "Well, let's hope we're not rudely interrupted again." Devar says, dusting his hands off.
20:05 — Skaya leads their group onwards.
20:07 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:07 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=9 ]{9}
20:07 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:07 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=80 ]{80}
20:08 <•Kotono> It's quiet as you go on. It looks to be a broad single loop, but on the opposite side? You see the far side of the city is flooded under, partially sunkend owna s well, as if the land creaked and sank. It's also not hard to see large, dark shapes moving in the water.
20:11 <Skaya> "How horrifying," Skaya mutters. "Let's just do a wide circle around the part of town that's above water?"
20:11 <Devar> "Well, that's... something." Devar murmurs. "Sure, sounds good to me."
20:13 <•Kotono> "Best not, even with your ring," Rina agrees. "Way too dangerous."
20:13 <•Kotono> "No one likes the odds of going underwater," Sanda agrees as the party continues on and...
20:13 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:13 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=83 ]{83}
20:14 <•Kotono> Circle complete. Besides the unseent hings always giving you a wide berth and only heard, nothing else stands out here. Just ruin.
20:15 <Devar> "We haven't seen anything repeat itself yet here, right?" Devar asks. "I wonder if we spent a night in the church, the tower would be shooting lightning again?"
20:15 <Skaya> "What if... this isn't all of the city?" Skaya muses as she leads back to the church. "We can go back up and try to open more doors to see if there are paths to other parts of it. Also, Devar, I doubt the tower will shoot lightning without the lightning-generating artifact."
20:18 <•Kotono> "We have other doors above, or we could explore random ruined buildings, or even try swimming," Anne reasons, "But I doubt treasure will repeat itself, for no other reason than we saw that man appear and what Storm's Eye said. No, it's drawing them here from elsewhere."
20:18 <Devar> "I'm not sure I'd put it past this place to have things that completely defy logic." Devar counters. "But it certainly is possible the other sections lead to other places. It does also seem like there is some sort of limit to these weird spaces."
20:18 <Skaya> "Do you all want to rest? Or shall we explore some more after going up?"
20:20 <•Kotono> "Still explore, we're not out yet," Rina shakes her head.
20:20 <•Kotono> "Keep going, perhaps explore other rooms int hat second cathedral room we saw," Anne suggests.
20:20 <•Kotono> Sanda pauses a moment, "I think the numbers are on the side of keep going."
20:20 <Skaya> "Okay then!" And so Skaya leads the way back to the other rooms.
20:22 <•Kotono> You reach the Eldathian cathedral once more without incident.
20:23 — Skaya looks over their options once more.
20:24 <Skaya> OOC: Is it possible to get a description as a refresher?
20:24 <•Kotono> OOC: Sure, let me scroll up.
20:24 → Iddy joined (uid408070@lunarnet-423F0355.irccloud.com)
20:24 <•Kotono> OOC: The original room first:
20:24 <•Kotono> The stairs go down. Here lies a larger space, not as large as the previous place. Pews are here, along with an ancient altar. The holy symbol of Eldath can be seen. There is a sense of calmness here, as the tension in your bodies bleeds away. There's doors to the north, south and west here. There's windows to the south, but nothing can be seen out of them, the windows filthy.
20:24 <•Kotono> OOC: What you know of the second cathedral:
20:25 <•Kotono> The northern door does not open. It will require greater force. The western door opens and you see the same room ahead, only with an eastern door to allow access, the one you're using now. "Starting to think walling it up was the right choice, but not far enough," Rina shivers visibly, "This is wrong."
20:26 <Skaya> OOC: Since I opened the northern door by force and returned through the southern door, and the western door lead to a room with no other exits, haven't I explored all the rooms there?
20:27 <•Kotono> OOC: Yes, then.
20:29 <Skaya> From the cathedral, Skaya leads the way back up. There were at least three parallel rooms here, so she continues trying to open the door and seeing how far that chain continues.
20:29 <Devar> Devar follows along, curious if the duplication stops after some amount.
20:31 <•Kotono> The next door in that chain opens. It's a fourth similar room, a door ahead as expected. There's a stairway going down here as well.
20:31 — Skaya leads the way down the stairs to explore.
20:31 <•Kotono> "More repetition and another path down," Rina shakes her ehad, "On and on down the madness we go."
20:32 <•Kotono> You all go down the stairs a little, only to find it's flooded. There's mroe stairs going further down, but it would need to breathe water or hold your breath to proceed further.
20:33 <Skaya> "Let's explore what we can above water for now," Skaya proposes, heading back up and trying the next parallel room.
20:34 <•Kotono> "I'm in no hurry to be chilled and damp all day," Sanda agrees as you go ahead once more. Yet another reptition, a stairway going down and a door going ahead. The door here is locked and chained up, however.
20:34 <Skaya> "Awesome. Let's check below first, but the real prize is probably here."
20:34 — Skaya goes down to take a look.
20:35 <•Kotono> "Or near death again," Anne comemnts as all of you head down. This goes down into a cavern. Pots, barrels and other crumbling remnant of civilization litter the ground here, and part of a stone wall is still ahead to the east, with a door on it.
20:36 — Skaya opens that door!
20:41 <•Kotono> The door's stuck - it'll take force or other measures to open.
20:41 <Skaya> roll 1d20+3+6 I'm actually very strong, str check
20:41 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+3+6 I'm actually very strong, str check --> [ 1d20=4 ]{13}
20:42 <•Kotono> WHAM! Skaya gives it a good try right on its weak spot, but nothing. It's stuck good. Anne steps forward, "Let me try."
20:43 <Skaya> "Sure thing."
20:43 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+3
20:43 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+3 --> [ 1d20=13 ]{16}
20:43 <•Kotono> WHAM WHAM WHAM! Anne's answer is slamming it with her mace repeatedly, but it's still not budging. She frowns, "It is stuck," she agrees.
20:43 <•Kotono> Sanda sniffs at that, "Obviously you're doing it right."
20:44 <•Kotono> "Really now?" Anne glances back at Sanda, "By all means, do it better."
20:44 <Skaya> "If we keep at it, we'll force it open eventually. Not like we're under the time pressure of lightning strikes."
20:44 <•Kotono> Sanda simply goes up to it and...
20:44 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+2
20:44 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{16}
20:45 <•Kotono> Huh, staff hits don't do it, either. Sanda glowers at it before Rina sighs, "Devar, you're the big,s trong man here. You try."
20:45 <•Kotono> Anne gives Sanda a look as Sanda dusts herself off, the two sharing a not quite a stare down before, "Hmph!" Sanda turns away, "Please do try, Devar."
20:45 <Devar> "I don't know what ever gave you that impression." He says, but takes out his warhammer and goes to hit the door. Maybe it's like a jar that you just have to loosen.
20:45 <Skaya> "Daily reminder that I'm actually stronger than Devar," Skaya mutters, nevertheless letting everyone try.
20:45 <Devar> roll 1d20+2
20:45 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{7}
20:46 <Devar> "See?" He voices afterwards.
20:46 <•Kotono> WHAM! Warhammer 0, Door 1. It's not giving way.
20:46 <Skaya> OOC: Can we try again? A few times?
20:46 <•Kotono> "Fine, I'll do it," Rina steps forward.
20:46 <•Kotono> OOC: YHes, Rina's just trying to complete the set.
20:46 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+2
20:46 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{20}
20:46 <•Kotono> OOC: +1 so 19.
20:47 <•Kotono> Rina shoulder checks it hard as she can, but it's still stuck and resisting all of your efforts.
20:48 <Skaya> With everyone getting it out of their system, Skaya tries again! A few more tries!
20:48 <Skaya> roll 5#1d20+9
20:48 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 5#1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=17 ]{26}, [ 1d20=3 ]{12}, [ 1d20=20 ]{29}, [ 1d20=17 ]{26}, [ 1d20=5 ]{14}
20:48 <•Kotono> It takes a few more tries, but finally the door cracks open. Barely. The sound of something crashing to the ground ont he other side is heard. Sounds glassy.
20:49 — Skaya makes sure to catch and hold her breath and waves the others to get far back!
20:49 <Devar> "Well, it sounds like we found what's got it stuck." Devar says, taking a few steps backwards.
20:52 <•Kotono> Everyone gets far back,a s requested.
20:52 — Skaya pushes the door open further to try and slip past it.
20:54 <•Kotono> Skaya does just that. It's an ancient storefront with shelves full of glass goods. One shelf has hitt he ground, glass shards everywhere. Unfortunately, you notice the shards are starting to rise in the air of their own volition. Crack. Shatter. Shatter! The intact glass objects int he room begin to shatter as well, shards starting to fly as well. There's a door out and a door deeper in, if
20:54 <•Kotono> you care to ignore what's going on and explore.
20:56 — Skaya does just that, dashing across the room for the other door to open it and slip inside!
20:58 <Devar> "I can't say I love the sound that I'm hearing." Devar says to the others from the safety of beyond the door.
21:00 <•Kotono> OOC: Which door, Skaya?
21:01 <•Kotono> "I really don't like it," Anne readies herself, shield and mace prepared. Rina does thes ame as Sanda sighs, "By the odds of it, Skaya's going to find trouble."
21:01 <Skaya> OOC: Door deeper in, door out is the door I just opened, right?
21:02 <•Kotono> OOC: There'sa  door outside (typo) and a door deeper in, not counting the way you came in.
21:03 <Skaya> OOC: In that case, the door outside which Skaya will keep open so the glass shards can escape there. Skaya has evasion, let's hope it works!
21:10 <•Kotono> Skaya rushes to the outside door and throws it open. Outside is a ruined city - this one burnt and crumbling. The scent of smoke lingers in the air as you see the scorched streets. Not that you have time to investigate, as behind you the glass shards form together into a large beast of glass. Thousands of shards whirl around in th e shape of a four legged beast with ainfernally grinning face,
21:10 <•Kotono> low and ready to pounce.
21:11 <Skaya> "This was a miscalculation!"
21:12 <•Kotono> A big one, as the beast flows in a storm of glass shards, pouncing at Skaya! OOC: Init all, the rest of the party is close enough to roll, even if you're still holding.
21:12 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 glass beast
21:12 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 glass beast --> [ 1d20=7 ]{12}
21:12 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+2 Anne
21:12 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+2 Anne --> [ 1d20=16 ]{18}
21:12 <Skaya> roll 1d20+8
21:12 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{24}
21:12 <•Kotono> roll 1d20 Sanda
21:12 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20 Sanda --> [ 1d20=8 ]{8}
21:12 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 Rina
21:12 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 Rina --> [ 1d20=1 ]{11}
21:14 <Devar> roll 1d20+2
21:14 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{11}
21:18 <•Kotono> Init is Skaya (24) > Anne (18) > Glass Beast (12) > Rina = Devar(11) > Sanda (8)
21:18 <•Kotono> OOC: Open Skaya. Good luck.
21:19 <Skaya> Is it a fatal mistake? Or just a bit of a mistake? Skaya decides to check by ducking past the monster with all her acrobatic skills, getting back into the cavern the others are waiting in and closing the door behind her.
21:19 <Skaya> OOC: Acrobatics 10 for 26
21:20 <•Kotono> OOC: Reflex save.
21:21 <Skaya> roll 1d20+6+6 evasion
21:21 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+6 evasion --> [ 1d20=10 ]{22}
21:22 <•Kotono> With desperate inspiration and a dive, Skaya just barely avoids being shredded into ribbons. Anne slams the door shut behind her, giving you safet-! There's a grinding, drilling sound from the other side of the door. Rina steps back, "What in Tempus's name is in there?!"
21:24 <Skaya> "Glass shards formed an angry golem!" Skaya responds, shooing everyone back up the stairs. "I opened the door to the instance of the city that's on fire but it clearly wanted to kill people instead. Let's see if it's intelligent to follow if there's no sight of us."
21:25 <Devar> "Well, if it comes through here we don't have a lot of options except to deal with it." Devar says, watching the door from a bit away.
21:26 <Skaya> "Go! Go up!"
21:26 <•Kotono> The sound continues, the door starting to shudder and push inwards.
21:26 <•Kotono> "Run then!" Rina doesn't question it, sprinting up the stairs.
21:26 <Devar> Devar does likewise!
21:26 <•Kotono> After a moment Anne follows, not arguing. Sanda follows, the party reaching the room above. Just in time to hear a loud CRACK and slam of stone from below.
21:27 <Skaya> Shaking her head, Skaya brings up the rear. Once they're safely back in the room with the ominous chains, Skaya casts False Life upon herself to ensure better odds of survival.
21:27 <Skaya> roll 1d10+5
21:27 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d10+5 --> [ 1d10=4 ]{9}
21:27 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 9+42/42 Devar 46/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
21:28 <Skaya> "Get ready to swing once it gets here, I guess?"
21:30 <•Kotono> "Get ready!" Anne stays back with Rina, while Sanda is closer to Skaya. OOC: Goa head and position, Devar.
21:31 <Devar> Devar moves to one side of the stairs to hopefully flank the creature with Skaya, ready with Treant's Wrath for the time being!
21:32 <•Kotono> From the stairs it emerges - now  agreat whirling snake of glass, moving and writhing in the air. You have a fight on your hands as it erupts up, before...! OOC: Init anew.
21:32 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 Beast
21:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 Beast --> [ 1d20=10 ]{15}
21:32 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+2 Anne
21:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+2 Anne --> [ 1d20=16 ]{18}
21:32 <•Kotono> roll 1d20 Sanda
21:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20 Sanda --> [ 1d20=18 ]{18}
21:32 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 Rina
21:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 Rina --> [ 1d20=10 ]{20}
21:33 <Devar> roll 1d20+2
21:33 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+2 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{22}
21:33 <Skaya> roll 1d20+8
21:33 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=10 ]{18}
21:33 <•Kotono> Init is Devar (22) > Rina (20) > Anne = Sanda = Skaya (18) > Glass Beast (15)
21:33 <•Kotono> OOC: Open Devar.
21:34 <Devar> Devar immediately hits the creature with his weapon!
21:34 <Devar> roll 1d20+8+2 bonk
21:34 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8+2 bonk --> [ 1d20=5 ]{15}
21:35 <•Kotono> You hit glass shards. You break a few perhaps, but they flow around your weapon, your attack ineffective. OOC: Rina.
21:36 <•Kotono> Rina dashes in and out, giving it a quick swipe as she does - but her attack is likewise ineffective. Even the glas that breaks just rejoins it as smaller shards. "We need something different!" Rina cries. OOC: Anne, Sanda and Skaya.
21:37 <Devar> "We have that scroll of fireball!" Devar calls out.
21:38 <Skaya> "We had to return that stuiff!"
21:38 <•Kotono> OOC: Anne holds, perhaps sensing her talents in healing are needed soon.
21:39 <Skaya> OOC: Any knowledge to figure out a weak spot?
21:39 <•Kotono> OOC: K:A.
21:39 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 Sanda will roll too
21:39 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 Sanda will roll too --> [ 1d20=1 ]{13}
21:39 <Skaya> OOC: Take 10 and inspiration for 30
21:40 <•Kotono> If Skaya had to guess, energy damage. Sonic in particular might be effective.
21:40 <Skaya> "Damn. We need energy here, sonic is best-- but there is a sentient lightning spear!"
21:41 <Skaya> For her part, she just backs away from the rest of them and draws the wand of magic missiles to try that method of attack. And, perhaps, the golem would prefer to murder her instead.
21:41 <Skaya> roll 2d4+2+5
21:41 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2+5 --> [ 2d4=6 ]{13}
21:45 <Skaya> OOC: Incidentally, I'll be using inspiration for Cunning Defense if attacked

[Corwin]

19:01 <•Kotono> Init is Devar (22) > Rina (20) > Anne = Sanda = Skaya (18) > Glass Beast (15)
19:01 <•Kotono> OOC: To refresh, Anne holds.
19:01 <Skaya> OOC: Let's resolve my MM attack and see if Sanda has a useful spell
19:02 <•Kotono> The magic missiles fly and hit the glass beast. The entire beast shudders from the strike, but doesn't stop. At the same time Sanda does exactly the same thing, magic missiles streaking out to slam into center mass of the glassy monster.
19:02 <•Kotono> roll 3d4+3
19:02 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d4+3 --> [ 3d4=11 ]{14}
19:04 <•Kotono> More missles pepper it, before the beast lunges in, biting down at Devar. At the same time, jagged glass shards fly out for it, a trio of attacks - one at Rina, one at Sanda and one at Skaya.
19:04 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 melee vs Devar
19:04 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 melee vs Devar --> [ 1d20=12 ]{22}
19:04 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8 ranged vs Rina
19:04 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 ranged vs Rina --> [ 1d20=19 ]{27}
19:04 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8 ranged vs Rina crit?
19:04 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 ranged vs Rina crit? --> [ 1d20=18 ]{26}
19:04 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8 ranged vs Sanda
19:04 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 ranged vs Sanda --> [ 1d20=15 ]{23}
19:04 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8 ranged vs Skaya
19:04 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 ranged vs Skaya --> [ 1d20=4 ]{12}
19:04 <•Kotono> OOC: ACs?
19:05 <Devar> OOC: 25
19:05 <Skaya> OOC: 32 right now
19:05 <•Kotono> OOC: Rina eats a crit. Devar is missed. Sanda is hit. Skaya is missed.
19:05 <•Kotono> roll 8d6 Rina ouch
19:05 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 8d6 Rina ouch --> [ 8d6=25 ]{25}
19:06 <•Kotono> roll 4d6 Sanda
19:06 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 4d6 Sanda --> [ 4d6=12 ]{12}
19:06 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 9+42/42 Devar 46/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 27/39 (bleed 1) Rina 27/52 (bleed 10)
19:08 <•Kotono> Devar's able to dodge aside, a spark of magical energy as magic armor blocks glass teeth. Skaya ducks smoothly while Sanda's shoulder is slashed open. Her magical armor sparks out from the blow momentarily, a blossom of blood along her right shoulder. It's bleeding freely! What's worse is Rina - she takes one right int he gut and through, blood flowing freely on both sides, gushing out. Neither
19:08 <•Kotono> of you need to be doctors to see a fatal wound - at least not if treated immediately. OOC: Anne will take her held action.
19:08 <•Kotono> Init is Devar (22) > Rina (20) > Sanda = Skaya (18) > Glass Beast (15) > Anne (14)
19:09 <•Kotono> As Rina starts to slacken, eyes wide at the wound? "Lady Jetina, bless us all!" Healing comes, ready and bright, banishing the pain.
19:09 <•Kotono> roll 3d6
19:09 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d6 --> [ 3d6=4 ]{4}
19:09 <•Kotono> OOC: 6 healing total.
19:09 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 9+42/42 Devar 46/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 33/39 Rina 33/52 (bleed 5)
19:10 <•Kotono> OOC: Go ahead and top up your HP as well, Devar.
19:11 <•Kotono> Healing light comes. Sanda's bleeding stops and her wound is partly closed. Rina's bleeding slows - still terrible, but no longer as rapid. She still looks poorly off as...OOC: Devar, go.
19:11 <Skaya> "Rina, can you use a potion?" Skaya calls out, keeping her defenses up.
19:11 <•Kotono> "If I had one on me," Rina calls back, grimacing. OOC: She doesn't have one on her sheet, was one handed out and didn't make it into notes?
19:13 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 9+42/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 33/39 Rina 33/52 (bleed 5)
19:13 <Skaya> OOC: I purchased potions with group funds but didn't distribute them IC, so it's my bad. If we survive this fight, I'll do that.
19:13 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay.
19:14 <Devar> Devar will quickly summon his new spear! "Storm's Eye - I hope you had a good nap! We need either as much lightning as you can manage or enough thunder to shatter glass!" OOC: swift action to summon it, then hopefully it has some idea
19:17 <•Kotono> "Ain't got much left right now, but I'll give it what I got!" Storm's Eye glows bright, before lightning hits the glass from above. OOC: Loot update, I'll handle it this time but in the future it'll be yours to use and roll as you see fit.
19:17 <•Kotono> roll 5d8
19:17 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 5d8 --> [ 5d8=28 ]{28}
19:17 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+7
19:17 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+7 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{10}
19:18 <•Kotono> The zap knocks the already weakened glass beast down entirely, twitching. Already smashed glass is now black and smoking, the entire beast reeling from the strike. With a loud yawn Storm's Eye vanishes again, spent for the moment. OOC: Sanda and Skaya.
19:18 <•Kotono> OOC: Rina, sorry, was looking at the wrong thing.
19:18 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 9+42/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 33/39 Rina 28/52 (bleed 5)
19:20 <•Kotono> Horribly wounded still, Rina staggers back and attempts to tear her tunic, making bandages to try and stop the loss of precious life.
19:20 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+13 Heal
19:20 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+13 Heal --> [ 1d20=12 ]{25}
19:21 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 9+42/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 33/39 Rina 28/52
19:21 <•Kotono> The bleeding's stopped, or at least held at bay for now, as...OOC: Sanda'n'Skaya, go.
19:22 <Skaya> After a glance over at Rina, Skaya brandishes their wand of Magic Missile and takes a step back before utilizing it again!
19:22 <Skaya> roll 2d4+2+5
19:22 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2+5 --> [ 2d4=8 ]{15}
19:22 <•Kotono> Sanda holds her position and chants, "Dots of light, fly free! Magic Missile!"
19:22 <•Kotono> roll 3d4+3
19:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d4+3 --> [ 3d4=10 ]{13}
19:23 <•Kotono> roll 1d2 1 Sanda 2 Skaya
19:23 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d2 1 Sanda 2 Skaya --> [ 1d2=1 ]{1}
19:23 <•Kotono> Twinned castings of magic missile pepper it again. The entire beast shudders before the glass lashes out as most of it falls apart, one final assault at Sanda that...
19:23 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 (+2 final strike)
19:23 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 (+2 final strike) --> [ 1d20=13 ]{25}
19:24 <•Kotono> roll 3d6+8
19:24 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d6+8 --> [ 3d6=13 ]{21}
19:24 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 9+42/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 12/39 (bleed 3) Rina 28/52
19:25 <•Kotono> A dozen glass shards stab into Sanda, who gasps breathlessly and staggers to stay up. The threat is dead however, before Anne again chants, "Merciful healing, come forth!"
19:25 <•Kotono> roll 3d6
19:25 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d6 --> [ 3d6=5 ]{5}
19:25 <•Kotono> OOC: 7 healing, not her day for rolling.
19:26 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 9+42/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 19/39 Rina 35/52
19:26 <•Kotono> OOC: Free act.
19:26 <Skaya> "Hang on, let me take the edge off," Skaya tells Sanda while trying to do much more than that.
19:27 <Skaya> OOC: +16hp from opportunistic piety
19:27 <•Kotono> Sanda staggers and manages to stay up, while at the same time Anne goes over to Rina, helping her stay up. "Here," she murmurs.
19:27 <•Kotono> roll 2d8+5 cure serious wounds
19:27 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 2d8+5 cure serious wounds --> [ 2d8=9 ]{14}
19:27 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 9+42/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 35/39 Rina 49/52
19:28 <•Kotono> OOC: Moderate sorry, serious is the level 3 one.
19:28 <Skaya> With everyone surviving this brush with death, Skaya starts handing out potions.
19:29 <Devar> "We don't have to rush, if we want to head back to heal up and rest we always can." Devar says. "What was even down there that that thing come out at you?" He asks, looking at Skaya. He does summon Storm's Eye to poke at the glass shards - whatever was animating it might get absorbed, maybe?
19:29 <•Kotono> Sanda slumps against Skaya, taking a moment. "Glass," she says it like it's a curse, while Rina leans on Anne. Meanwhile Anne looks to Devar, "We're fortunate we had those magic missiles and Storm's Eye. Otherwise I fear we would have been lost."
19:29 <Skaya> OOC: 1 CLW to everyone, 1 CSW to Sanda and to Rina each, 1 CMW to Anne, Skaya and Devar each.
19:29 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay then, one sec to distribute on sheets.
19:31 <Skaya> "The wand really saved us, boosted by this onyx amulet," Skaya muses. "We really should invest more in consumables in the future. Another wand of cures at the least."
19:32 <•Kotono> Storm's Eye yawns again but nothing happens. "Who animated worthless glass?" Storm's Eye complains.
19:32 <•Kotono> "That could have been worse," Sanda dusts herself off, "But statistically speaking, those consumables will pay off. They're popular for a good reason."
19:33 <Devar> "It was probably guarding... something?" Devar says. "Maybe whatever it was is still there."
19:33 <•Kotono> Recovered, Rina checks the door outside, "Smoky," she comments, "What's behind the other door? Did you get a look, Skaya?"
19:33 <Skaya> "We can take a look in a few minutes."
19:34 <Skaya> Thinking back, Skaya responds with, "There was another storage room, by the looks of it, and an exit to a version of the town that was on fire. Ah, the actual room was filled with glass containers that broke up in a chain reaction and became a golem. Nasty."
19:35 <•Kotono> "There's an element of danger to this that concerns me," Anne remarks, "Why?"
19:35 <Skaya> "Because you're smart? It's really dangerous, after all."
19:37 <•Kotono> ""I mean why is there so much danger? For all the wrongness of this, peril seems to be entwined with it. If it was just distortion and repetition, that would be one matter, but there's so much danger." Anne points out.
19:37 <Devar> "We did meet that inhabitant who didn't try to fight us, so it isn't all danger." Devar says.
19:37 <•Kotono> Storm's Eye begins to snore quietly, even as it stays in Devar's hand. Rina glances its way, "And the lance can sleep. Wonder if it dreams? Wouldn't be as straonge as anything else today."
19:38 <Skaya> "Even chances it's dreaming of you right now."
19:38 <Devar> Devar dismisses Storm's Eye for now with a small cough.
19:39 <•Kotono> Rina gives Skaya a rather exasperated look at t hat, before blushing and looking away.
19:40 <Skaya> "Let's see," Skaya muses, ignoring Rina now. "The crazy mage clearly prepared some traps here. And some things just happened in a way that could plausibly be an accident, like the out of control summoning bringing Storm's Eye and making a trap from it. But this golem? I don't know."
19:40 <Devar> "But do you mean to suggest that this is all designed to be dangerous in some manner?" Devar asks.
19:41 — Skaya shrugs. "It's technically possible this was a defense mechanism, or that the door I opened wasn't there before the dimensional mess."
19:41 <•Kotono> "What sticks in my mind is that Storm's Eye was drawn here. It speaks of something guiding this, not random happenstance. But who can say?" Anne admits, "Maybe it is a mindless anomaly and our fortune is terrible."
19:42 <•Kotono> "Do you believe that?" Sanda asks back.
19:42 <•Kotono> "Not in the slightest," Anne immediately answers, "Statistically speaking, "Oh hey, that's Sanda gripping her staff harder, "The odds of random chance doing this are low."
19:43 <Skaya> "You all do realize that the only way to get answers is to keep exploring?" Skaya voices. "How about we look below at what's been revealed? I don't want to risk opening the chained door here."
19:43 <•Kotono> Cutting in right after that, "Well, if we were nudged here from above, we'll find out if we keep going."
19:44 <•Kotono> "Neither do I," Anne admits freely, "Shall we get up and continue then?"
19:45 <Devar> Devar nods. "We should definitely rest and recover our resources before we do that."
19:46 — Skaya starts leading the way back down!
19:46 <•Kotono> OOC: I feel like that was two separate ideas there. So are y'all resting or going back down and onwards?
19:46 <Devar> OOC: I meant the chained door
19:47 <Skaya> OOC: We're going down. Devar meant we'll rest before we open the chained door on this level.
19:47 <Devar> OOC: I see how it could be confusing though
19:51 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay, I get it.
19:51 <•Kotono> Back down. To the now empty room of former glass, with a door out to a smoky, burnt city and another door opposite it, leading to who knows where, as well as the passage you took into this room. Which direction are you going?
19:52 <Skaya> There is only one door left unexplored here, and Skaya opens it!
19:54 <•Kotono> It opens into a copy of the glass room, all the glass intact. Shelves full of intact glass goods, you come in from the door that would lead from the smoky, burnt city if it were the previous room. There's no door to match the passage from which you descended into this area from, but there's another door opposite this one, leading deeper in.
19:55 <Skaya> "Err. Let's look at the city first," Skaya suggests, gently closing the door again.
19:56 <Devar> "If it's the same place, keep an eye up." Devar says. "It's where I ran into the wyrm rider."
19:57 <•Kotono> "No more glass," Rina agrees quickly, already going in the opposite direction.
19:58 <•Kotono> "No more glass," Sanda agrees almost as quickly, "Of course, eyes wide open."
19:58 — Skaya steps out into the city and tries to estimate where this exit point is compared to the church and the tower.
20:01 <•Kotono> Outside is a ruined city, burnt and crumbling. The scent of smoke is heavy in the air as you see scorched streets. It's dim here, save for the occasional, distant pocket of embers that shred a red-orange light to contrast the dark all around.
20:02 <•Kotono> Considering the dark, the damage and everything else, Skaya isn't honestly sure where. At least not on a glance, moving around and seeing more might help.
20:02 <Skaya> "We'll need to head out a bit," she says, leading the way into the city.
20:04 <•Kotono> Anne stays in the center, while Rina bringsup the rear. Sanda stays close to Skaya or Devar as...OOC: Perception, first of all.
20:04 <•Kotono> roll 1d20-1 Sanda why not
20:04 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20-1 Sanda why not --> [ 1d20=15 ]{14}
20:04 <Skaya> OOC: Take 10 for 26
20:04 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 Anne
20:04 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 Anne --> [ 1d20=16 ]{21}
20:04 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+11 Rina
20:04 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+11 Rina --> [ 1d20=17 ]{28}
20:05 <Devar> roll 1d20+9 may as well pretend I can see as well as the others
20:05 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9 may as well pretend I can see as well as the others --> [ 1d20=11 ]{20}
20:07 <•Kotono> You choose a direction and go. A burnt boulevard, leading to a dead end. A taller building has collapsed, blocking the way on foot. It's not so tall as to prevent going over it, if one had the means. From here, in the distance, you can see a brighter, more intense point of burning orange-red light.
20:08 — Skaya decides to try and go right to circle around the building. That way they might see if the obstructions are natural or formed to protect a center.
20:09 <•Kotono> The party tries to head around. More buildings are collapsed to block the way on foot as well - it forms a not hard to miss defensive circle.
20:10 <Skaya> "Alright, so it's a defensive barrier," Skaya decides. "Let's climb over it! Navigating inside a collapsed burning building is bound to be more dangerous."
20:11 <•Kotono> "Why climb?" Anne points out, "Devar can fly, can't he?"
20:12 <•Kotono> "If he could carry us, makes sense," Rina agrees, "How much can you carry and still get off the ground?"
20:13 — Skaya pouts. "Well if you want to be boring about it."
20:13 <Devar> "I can't say I've really tried, but I managed okay with the giant sword." Devar says. "Carrying someone up shouldn't be too difficult."
20:13 <Skaya> "I volunteer! Get me over the obstacle first?"
20:14 <Devar> "Sure." He says, putting his arms around Skaya to see about carrying her up!
20:16 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:16 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=62 ]{62}
20:17 <•Kotono> It's a flight over ruin, until you reach streets across the collapsed buildings. This goes well enough - there's no monsters waiting for you8 or anything like that.
20:17 <Devar> "Want to continue this way?" Devar asks.
20:22 <Skaya> "Let's ferry everyone over first."
20:23 <Devar> "Okay." Devar agrees, finding a good spot to set Skaya down before he will go back over to pick the others up!
20:25 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:25 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=68 ]{68}
20:25 <•Kotono> Getting everyone over's simple enough. No problems or difficulties there at all.
20:27 — Skaya leads the way onwards!
20:28 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:28 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=8 ]{8}
20:28 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:28 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=49 ]{49}
20:29 <•Kotono> Onward, deeper in. The lingering fires become less, save for the one in the distance. It's higher than ground level, as if from above. You wander the empty city, as - ! It's not hard to hear a crackle-sizz of fire behind you.
20:30 — Skaya whirls around!
20:31 <Devar> Devar does likewise - is it a fire elemental this time??
20:33 <•Kotono> About 60ft back the street has cracked open, fires hissing out from the rift. From that rift something is crawling out. A creature of fire, larger than a man but still in the general shape of one. It glows brightly and banishes the darkness around it. It's pulling itself up and out as Anne readies her shield, while Sanda narrows her eyes, "Is that a fire elemental?" OOC: Taking 10 on K:A for
20:33 <•Kotono> Sanda.
20:33 <Skaya> roll 1d20+14 K:A
20:33 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+14 K:A --> [ 1d20=10 ]{24}
20:34 <•Kotono> It does look like a fire elemental to Skaya's learned eyes, yes.
20:34 <Devar> "I don't think I know their language." Devar says. "Does anyone here? Maybe we can avoid a fight?"
20:35 <Skaya> "I don't speak Ignan either," Skaya agrees, taking a step closer with her hands spread out. "Can you understand me?" she asks in Common.
20:36 <•Kotono> Anne says, "Who learns how to speak to a camp fire?"
20:37 <Devar> "That's surprisingly narrow-minded to come from you." Devar says with a bit of surprise. "They're still senient."
20:37 <•Kotono> Sanda and the fire elemental's gaze both turn on Anne. In slow, halting Common, "You...should...speak....fire..."
20:38 <•Kotono> "There's better uses-" Then Anne stops and tsks, "I see. My apologies."
20:40 <Skaya> "I'm sorry," Skaya apologizes as well. "I promise to dedicate time to it."
20:44 <•Kotono> "Travel...to...the..."A  crackle burn hiss of a noise, but one Sanda nods to. "Travel to the fire," Sanda cuts in, "You have to travel to the fire?"
20:44 <•Kotono> A slow, steady nod from the fire elemental.
20:44 <•Kotono> "You speak it?" Rina asks.
20:44 <•Kotono> "I brushed up on my elemental languages after the earth elemental incident," Sanda says back quietly.
20:45 <Skaya> "Yes, as expected of my Sanda!" Skaya says cheerfully. "Can you please tell us what the glow in the distance is all about?"
20:47 <•Kotono> "It's..." Words that are the hisses of a burning fire.
20:47 <•Kotono> Sanda hms to that, "So you're saying that you need to go there too?"
20:47 <•Kotono> Crackle-hiss-pop-sizzle.
20:47 <Skaya> "Can we come?"
20:48 <Devar> "I wonder if it has something to do with other things being drawn here."
20:48 <•Kotono> Crackle-hiss-pop-sizzle.
20:48 <•Kotono> "That's rather aggressive, isn't it?" Sanda hmphs, "Statistically speaking, isn't it better to go there and THEN get set on fire, rather than get set on fire here?"
20:48 <•Kotono> Crackle-hiss-pop-sizzle.
20:49 <•Kotono> Rina looks sharply to Sanda in the meantime, eyes wide.
20:49 <•Kotono> "Well yes," Sanda hms, "I suppose you do have a point."
20:49 <•Kotono> Crackle-hiss-pop-sizzle.
20:49 <Skaya> "I honestly thought that was a yes. But it was a 'you'll be set on fire'?"
20:49 <•Kotono> "Hold on," Sanda says distractedly, before, "Well, if it is important to you..."
20:49 <•Kotono> Crackle-hiss-pop-sizzle.
20:50 <Skaya> "Sanda, can you ask how long the city has been on fire?"
20:51 <•Kotono> Turning to the others now, "What's ahead is a sacred flame dedicated to fire elementals," Sanda explains, "Apparently the rare and lucky ones are drawn here to go to it and burn within it. It's very important to them."
20:51 <Skaya> "Are people allowed to come and watch without setting themselves on fire?"
20:52 <•Kotono> Crackle-hiss-pop-sizzle. A bunch. It even waves one arm for emphasis.
20:52 <•Kotono> "Really?" Sanda turns back.
20:52 <•Kotono> Crackle-hiss-pop-sizzle.
20:52 <Skaya> "You can understand why I thought it meant yes," Skaya tells Rina and Anne.
20:52 <•Kotono> Anne lightly shrugs at this point, "As much as any of this does, yes."
20:52 <Devar> "There are definitely some nuances to this language..." Devar agrees.
20:53 <Devar> He idly wonders if Storm's Eye can speak it, but doesn't summon it for fear of that going very badly.
20:54 <•Kotono> "We're only supposed to approach if we're on fire. It's very disrespectful otherwise." Sanda explains, as if any of that is normal. "He doesn't seem the aggressive type," Keeping her voice very low now, "AS long as we wait for him to go we should be fine."
20:55 <Skaya> "I see. And how long has the sacred flame been burning? Can we find out?"
20:55 <•Kotono> "Excuse me, but how long as this flame been burning?" Sanda calls over.
20:55 <•Kotono> Crackle-hiss-pop-sizzle.
20:56 <•Kotono> Back to all of you, "Nothing that means anything to me. It roughly translates to: For as long as it has burned. It's an idiom that means for as long as it's lived or burned. It loses a lot translated."
20:57 <Skaya> "Aha." Skaya nods, before calling out to the fire elemental, "Thanks for telling us! Good luck with becoming one with the sacred flame!"\
20:59 <•Kotono> Crackle-hiss-pop-sizzle, then the elemental goes on ahead, towards the fire in the distance.
21:00 <•Kotono> Once it's gone and likely out of earshot, "Do we bother investigating this further then?" Rina asks. "At least this part of it?"
21:00 <Skaya> "So. Devar and I can set ourselves on fire, in moderation," Skaya says once the elemental has left.
21:00 <•Kotono> Eyes turn to the two of you. "Just because you can doesn't mean you should," Anne says.
21:01 <Skaya> "This is true. And yet! If I just set my old clothes on fire a bit, I won't even get scorched and I could approach without getting ganged up on."
21:03 <Devar> "I understand her thinking, I think." Devar says. "This is yet another story of someone or something getting 'pulled' here. Except isn't it weird that the elementals apparently have some sort of knowledge about it? Doesn't that mean that some of them must've gotten out of here and gone back to Fire?"
21:04 <Skaya> "It would be such a shame if there is a sentient weapon really suited for me that releases fire there," Skaya says cheerfully.
21:05 <•Kotono> With a long, deep sigh, "I only have so much healing," Anne finally says, slowly pinching the bridge of her nose.
21:06 <Skaya> "Why do you think this is a stupid plan, as opposed to a risky one?" Skaya asks Anne curiously. "I get the latter."
21:06 <•Kotono> "Stupid question," Rina points out now, "But if all of you put your clothes on fire, won't you end up naked once they burn away?"
21:06 <Skaya> "It's okay, Devar's lance is hidden away," Skaya responds to Rina.
21:06 <•Kotono> "I don't think it's a bad plan, just risky," Sanda points out.
21:07 <Devar> "I have a feeling that isn't what's there, but I do think it's important for us to investigate." Devar says. "But maybe we can get a better idea if we just move closer anyway and won't have to be on fire."
21:07 <•Kotono> "You'd be going in alone, short partied, on fire and who knows what else," Anne points out, "And what if you get put more on fire? I just think the risks are terrible."
21:07 <•Kotono> "Short partied?" Rina asks.
21:07 <•Kotono> "They might be fire resistant, but we aren't," Anne points out.
21:09 <Skaya> "How about a compromise, then?" Skaya suggests, taking out one of her spare sais and wrapping an old scarf around it. "Say I ignite this into a makeshift torch and approach. I'm still on fire in a sense, right? We can come closer that way if everyone does that and see if it provokes anger."
21:15 <Devar> "It's worth trying." Devar says. "We can try and approach and if it doesn't provoke any anger the rest of us can go up - and if it does you and I don't have to worry as much about being lit on fire and can probably get out if need be."
21:27 <•Kotono> "Why not?" Rina agrees, "At least worth going forward."
21:27 <•Kotono> Nods all around at that, no argument against it at least.
21:28 — Skaya hands out her spare sais to everyone before igniting the scarf tied to hers and proceeding.\
21:32 <•Kotono> roll 1d100+10
21:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100+10 --> [ 1d100=10 ]{20}
21:32 <•Kotono> roll 1d100+10
21:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100+10 --> [ 1d100=32 ]{42}
21:33 <•Kotono> You walk onwards. The burnt city is mostly silent, as you see it in the distance now. A small mountain of burnt stone and rubble, atop which a bright fire burns. It's only a few streets away, and you can see a path winds up it. Just a few more streets to go to reach that.
21:35 <Devar> "One place a lightning storm, another a blazing pyre." Devar murmurs.
21:36 <Skaya> Is it actually in the same spot? Skaya tries to judge their surroundings, as much as she can due to all the rubble. And she also pulls up the sleeve holding the burning scarf in case she'll need to put it over her arm directly to show she's on fire.
21:39 <•Kotono> OOC: Perception, Skaya.
21:39 <Skaya> OOC: 10 for 26
21:40 <•Kotono> Skaya can't honestly tell due to all the damage and the dimensional iffiness here. It feels sort of fight. Maybe?
21:40 <Skaya> Nothing to do but keep on going confidently!
21:43 <•Kotono> Around the last corner and you can see the path up the mountain now. It stands there, unguarded saved for one thing. An elemental is here, a fire elemental. Even taller than the one you met before, standing and directly blocking the path up. It simply stands there, like a giant pile of fire and roadblocks.
21:45 <Skaya> "Sanda, let me know right away what he means if he says something?" Skaya requests, before steeling herself and heading for the mountain.
21:50 <•Kotono> Sanda nods as the party approaches. The figure makes no move to block yo uor say anything as you get closer...closer...closer...when you're 10fta way, the head from him palpable? Crackle-sizz-hiss-pop. Sanda holds an arm out to stop Skaya, "That was a warning. Step closer and he'll attack."
21:51 <Skaya> "But this is part of my body," Skaya says, stopping all the same at the prompt. Trained as a monk, she's able to use certain weapons like extensions of her own self, and she demonstrates a kata after turning away from the elemental to not threaten it by accident. "And it is on fire. Can you ask why I can't go on?"
21:53 <•Kotono> Crackle-sizz-hiss-pop. After a moment, "It doesn't understand you." Sanda says, "We got lucky with the last one."
21:53 <Skaya> "Can you translate for me?"
21:58 <•Kotono> "It warned us again," Sanda says, "It seems insistent."
21:58 — Skaya retreats a good distance. "How about now?"
21:59 <•Kotono> Nothing's said. Sanda shrugs, "AT least it's not warning us now?"
21:59 <•Kotono> "At least," Anne adds dryly.
22:01 <Skaya> "I'm not all that married to the idea of an awesome sentient weapon just for me at the top of that mountain," Skaya admits. "Ah, does the whole swimming in stone thing look like it might work to get past this guard?"
22:01 <Devar> "I could also just fly around it." Devar suggests.
22:02 <Skaya> "This is true. Let's retreat out of sight and then you could try something?"
22:03 <Devar> "I'll see if I can spot any other elementals too." Devar says. "That might be the only one guarding it."
22:03 <•Kotono> "Go longways around, but they're fire elementals, not air elementals," Rina says, "Just be careful."
22:07 <Devar> OOC: Plan will be to fly up and around, scout for any other elementals. If there aren't any, I'll carry everyone to the other side out of the way of the fire elemental and put them down somewhere up the path so they aren't noticed.
22:08 <Devar> OOC: If there's more than one guard that will change the plan
22:11 <•Kotono> OPOC: Okay,w e'll pick up with that next time. Good job surviving!

[Corwin]

18:23 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay then, off Devar goes. Give me Perception just for my own reference.
18:24 <Devar> roll 1d20+9
18:24 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9 --> [ 1d20=13 ]{22}
18:26 <•Kotono> Devar flies around. There's no other fire elementals around, but no other paths for whatever that's worth to someone who can fly. However, in the distance on the far end? Looking ahead, Devar can see a wavy patch of air, like a barrier of heat haze. Past it he can see another mountain, another fire atop it. However, this fire burns a clear orange-white.
18:29 <Devar> Curious. Devar will fly back to the others to report that! No need to rush this.
18:31 <•Kotono> The return is uneventful. On it, "Another mountain and another fire? It sounds about right for here," Rina remarks.
18:31 <•Kotono> "Another repetition." Sanda says, "I wonder if the elementals go to all of them?"?
18:31 <Skaya> "But past a barrier of haze?" Skaya muses. "Isn't that different from how things have been so far?"
18:33 <Devar> "Indeed." Devar agrees.
18:34 <Skaya> "I wonder if it means planar bullshit or that crossing it would actually be dangerous," Skaya voices, sounding excited. "Let's go take a closer look?"
18:34 <•Kotono> "It could be the heat, but you're right." Anne murmurs to herself, in thought. After a moment, "That suggests something unusual. Also, I think it means it's less likely that whatever this flame is, that it's the source of our trouble."
18:35 <Skaya> "Oh!" Skaya slaps her forehead lightly. "I didn't think the source was there, I just thought something magical and useful could be found."
18:36 <•Kotono> "So then, how do we proceed?" Anne asks. OOC: Ball's in y'all's court, how are you approaching this?
18:37 <Devar> "I can carry us to it." Devar offers. "Or if you want, I can carry Skaya and we can get a closer look first? Whatever works."
18:38 <Skaya> "Let's stick together," Skaya decides. "It's honestly safer, and in the unlikely chance we're caught and don't want to fight most of you could dodge underground for a moment while I lead the opponent away. Then Devar could come flying to rescue me."
18:40 <Devar> OOC: In that case I'll just carry everyone to close to the heat haze barrier, assuming there's somewhere for them to stand.
18:41 <•Kotono> "Alright," Rina agrees, as Devar goes and carries. There's a far side slope that's not too bad and should be standable, and in view of the heat haze. Carrying people over is uneventful enough, at least right now.
18:41 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
18:41 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=81 ]{81}
18:45 <•Kotono> OOC: Ball's in your court, just to be clear.
18:46 <Skaya> OOC: Just to clarify, we are at the top of the mountain and nothing is there? But to the side we see the heat haze with another mountain?
18:49 <•Kotono> OOC: You're on the back slope of this mountain, lookinga head to the heat haze that Devar saw.
18:50 <Skaya> OOC: So there's the heat haze to the side, and we can alternatively climb up? What do we see from higher up the mountain?
18:57 <•Kotono> OOC: See #elysium.
18:58 <Skaya> "I really wish we'd learned teleport," Skaya laments. "Sanda, you can learn the short-distance versions already, yeah?"
19:00 <Devar> "We could ask the fire elemental if it knows what the other one is?" Devar asks. "Or we can just try and fly to it, if you'd like."
19:00 <•Kotono> "Extremely short distances," Sanda answers, peering ahead at it, one hand over her eyes. "Numerically, it's one person at a time and a very short distance, so it's not good for bringing everyone over and then back."
19:01 <Skaya> "It's good for scouting, though! And escaping, probably." Nodding to herself, she turns towards Anne. "Should I run past the barrier and see what happens?"
19:02 <•Kotono> Anne sideeyes Skaya, "Why not do something safer, like tossing a rock through it first? I only have so many healing spells and channelings I can manage."
19:02 <•Kotono> "A rock and a body may react differently," Sanda points out right away.
19:03 — Skaya picks up a rock, aims carefully, and then tosses it!
19:03 <•Kotono> Taking a quiet breath and promptly ignoring Sanda, Anne watches as the rock flies through - and vanishes as it goes through the heat haze. There's a long moment of silence before, "Well, there's no dust," Sanda says, "So it's not disintegration, but more likely teleportation or displacement."
19:04 — Skaya ties a length of rope to another, larger rock, and then tosses it through the barrier!
19:04 <Skaya> OOC: While holding the rope
19:04 <•Kotono> OOC: Will save, Skaya. +2 bonus.
19:05 <Skaya> roll 1d20+5+6+2
19:05 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+5+6+2 --> [ 1d20=1 ]{14}
19:06 <•Kotono> The rock flies and suddenly it, the rope and Skaya vanish! OOC: #evildunes, Skaya.

[Corwin]

19:07 <•Kotono> ----
19:07 <•Kotono> roll 5d6 damage Skaya
19:07 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 5d6 damage Skaya --> [ 5d6=17 ]{17}
19:07 → Devar joined (~ryan.scud@lunarnet-59A8E809.res.spectrum.com)
19:08 <•Kotono> Pain. Suddenly the rock flies and Skaya is face down, hurting all over. Everything hurts and her head rings with a throbbing headache. What-huh? What happened?
19:09 <Skaya> "Fuck! Why?!"
19:11 <•Kotono> "Hey Skaya, you alright?" A nudge and a familiar voice, a hand on your shoulder. "Do you need Anne to heal you?"
19:11 <•Kotono> "Probably," Starre's voice, "She looks banged up, and probably bruising."
19:11 <Skaya> "Always," Skaya groans, struggling to turn over twice before managing to flop over like a particularly feisty and uncoordinated fish.
19:13 <•Kotono> Standing over yo uon the mountain side is Starre - in her gear, including what she gave away - as well as Milla. Milla offers you a hand up, "Come on, keep it together."
19:14 <Skaya> "What date is it?" Skaya asks, looking between the two of them before accepting Milla's hand to climb to her feet. The higher viewpoint should show her their surroundings better.
19:17 <•Kotono> Anne comes over - huh. She's in her armor, but her holy symbol is different. It's of a shield as she looks you over. "It's the tenth day of Hortun," She murmurs magic, healing soothing your body.
19:17 <•Kotono> roll 2d8+5
19:17 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 2d8+5 --> [ 2d8=10 ]{15}
19:17 <•Kotono> "Her bellg ot run," Milla speculates, "Badly if she's not sure what day it is."
19:17 <Skaya> OOC: What was our date? Is it the same?
19:18 <Skaya> "It's okay, this isn't the first time I hit my head!" Skaya proclaims. "Where are Rina and Regis?"
19:19 <•Kotono> "Those two? They're back on the surface before they go on their holy quest," Starre shakes her head, "We could really use their talents."
19:19 <•Kotono> "At least they're free of this," Anne scowls, "Cursed ruins that these are."
19:24 <Skaya> "Ooh, this is a nice... huh." Skaya taps her lips. "This isn't time-travel, because in my timeline Regis was killed by Brachidos. And the dates are different, but that could be simple divergence. Actually, a really weird one, since Anne following a different deity or you coming along on the investigation was all plausible, and same with Starre choosing to go below instead of up top," she tells Milla.
19:24 <Skaya> "So this could be a fancy dream, benign or hostile, or it could be a parallel timeline. Since we're exploring the cursed ruins of parallel iterations, I really want to believe in the latter. So! Let's pool our information gained from investigating this terrible place together. When I'm able to return it'll help me, and the same to you girls."
19:24 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+13 planes (+4 ???)
19:24 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+13 planes (+4 ???) --> [ 1d20=3 ]{16}
19:25 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+6
19:25 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+6 --> [ 1d20=7 ]{13}
19:25 <•Kotono> "That's-" Anne stops cold.
19:25 <Skaya> "Oh, where's Sanda? Did she decide the adventuring life is not for her and stay home?"
19:26 <•Kotono> "Devar was murdered by Brachidos," Milla shakes her head, "Sanda too. They didn't get out of the mine fast enough."
19:26 <•Kotono> Starre looks away, "More blood ont hat madman's hands."
19:27 <Skaya> "Ah, hell. There's always some shitty plot. It was a watermill for us, plus some minion with exploding runes on his chest or something. Wasn't much left of that guy."
19:27 <•Kotono> "Alyssa has Devar now, and Mystra Sanda. They're at peace," Anne points out, "It's also possible your mind has been altered, Skaya."
19:28 <•Kotono> "I find that more likely," Milla points out, "And best we move. I'm getting hungry."
19:29 <Skaya> "Yes but also no?" Skaya says with a shrug. "Head injuries granting altered memories is a myth, that's not how things work. And while I could've had my memories rewritten that's usually accompanied by compulsions or unnatural feelings. Like this pair of awesome boots I suddenly wanted to wear before you convinced me to set them aside, that sort of thing. Those were cursed. Ah! So before we move, how did you find this place?"
19:31 <•Kotono> "I wasn't aware you were a trained healer," Anne's voice clips, "To diagnose your own injuries."
19:32 <•Kotono> "Down," Starre murmurs to Anne, who glowers at Skaya and steps back.
19:32 <•Kotono> "Someone who acts as their own doctor has a fool for a patient," Anne steps backa nd away.
19:33 <Skaya> "I'm trained in everything!" Skaya chirps, tilting her head. "You don't seem to like me much. How come?"
19:34 <•Kotono> "Because the only reason you aren't dead is luck that would rival Donald Smurth to counter your stunning lack of common sense," The retort comes back hot, "How many times have I wasted healing magic because of that?"
19:35 <•Kotono> Starre sighs quietly, "Anne, calm yourself."
19:35 <•Kotono> Anne mutters something in a language Skaya doesn't know and shakes her head.
19:36 <Skaya> "That's what healing magic is for," Skaya points out. "It's not gold you can ration and save up. A bit of recklessness gives you a great deal of experimental data to work on, and I'd prefer to put myself at risk rather than lose someone I ordered to his death. Don't you understand this, Anne?"
19:37 <•Kotono> Rumble. A shake. A shudder. Conversation halts as Milla curses, "That elemental must be moving!" She takes to the air, flying as if it's entirely natural. She zips up for a higher view.
19:38 <Skaya> Is this place like Limbo?! Skaya tries to fly like it is entirely natural as well! She wishes for it with all her heart!
19:40 <•Kotono> Alas, Skaya does not fly. "It's coming!" Milla darts back down, "The thing can move, too!"
19:40 <•Kotono> "Earth elementals are slow!" Anne immediately retorts.
19:40 <•Kotono> "Not this one!" Milla cracks her knuckles, "Fight or flee, we have to choose now."
19:42 <Skaya> OOC: I see a heat haze and an orange flame at the top of this mountain? What do I see past the heat haze?
19:44 <•Kotono> OOC: The same. Another repetition, perhaps.
19:46 <Skaya> "Why is there a heat haze when it's an earth elemental?" Skaya muses, tapping her chin. "The rest of the changes make some sense or remain plausible, even Milla spontaneously flying, Devar did that after all. But this is absolutely pointless." It must be a dream after all! Or some illusion! Those can be broken out if you interact with concrete proof they're fake, right? So Skaya tries.
19:49 <•Kotono> OOC: Will.
19:50 <Skaya> roll 1d20+5+6
19:50 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+5+6 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{25}
19:53 <•Kotono> Shudder. Cracks run through reality. Cracks run through realitya s Skaya tosses and turns, as she whirls about. Snap-crack. It's like taffy pulled too far and snapping back violently. It stings her fingers, her hand, her body. A sense of weightless nausea and pressurized pain. Being thrown, being hurtled before...
19:53 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
19:53 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=65 ]{65}
19:53 <•Kotono> roll 1d100 subtable lower the better here
19:53 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 subtable lower the better here --> [ 1d100=46 ]{46}
19:54 <•Kotono> It's pitch black. Where ever Skaya is now, it's pitch black. She's violently ill, her stomach protesting all of her life choices. But she's nto where she was before, whatever that was. Fortunately, her darkvision helps. She's in a former home of some kind, a kitchen by the looks of it. Burnt and smoky.  OOC: Sickened until further notice.
19:55 <Skaya> OOC: What is my HP? Did DreamAnne's healing happen or not?
19:55 <Skaya> Ugh. If there's a kitchen, won't there be a sink? Skaya makes her way towards it via sheer force of will before letting go of her reservations and lunch alike.
19:59 <•Kotono> OOC: Yes.
20:00 <•Kotono> Nos ink, but there's an old cook pot and needs must, so business is dealt with. Skaya feels much better afterwards. OOC: Sickened is gone.
20:02 <Skaya> So. Alone and stranded. Is she out of the illusion? Skaya will give it some time before seeing again. Who knows how many layers there would be? She didn't go deeper, hopefully. "So I'm good aside from this desire to speak out loud when there's no one around," she voices, cleaning her mouth with some of her water and spitting it into the unfortunate pot before going around exploring.
20:04 <•Kotono> Hm? As you recover you notice something. Where you appeared is something. A bag - a bag you dimly recall seeing on Milla's side moments ago.
20:04 <Skaya> Riches! That's why she's exploring this place, after all. Skaya skips over to it and takes a look inside! After checking it for traps.
20:05 <•Kotono> Inside looks to be several familiar heavy gold coins, from your mountain treasure hunting. There's also two stoppered vials in there.
20:07 <Skaya> A shame the girls didn't want to talk more. They really could've exchanged knowledge... though how? Clearly it was a fake reality created by this broken place. But did it pull possibilities out of alternate timelines, or did it draw things based on Skaya's perceptions? She really should've asked the girls if they had any embarrassing secrets or hidden moles, then checked back in reality.
20:09 — Skaya makes a thorough check of the kitchen to make sure no further riches got transported or hidden here!
20:11 <•Kotono> OOC: Perception.
20:11 <Skaya> roll 1d20+16
20:11 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+16 --> [ 1d20=8 ]{24}
20:12 <•Kotono> Nothing else that Skaya can lay hands on.
20:12 — Skaya decides to leave the room and explore her new surroundings.
20:14 <•Kotono> It's a small stone house, scorched by fire. She manages to find the door out, back into semi familiar streets - at least the burning mountain in the distance looks familiar, anyway. Not even that far away.
20:15 <Skaya> What color is the fire on top of the mountain?
20:16 <•Kotono> The same color as the first one, on a glance.
20:17 <Skaya> Nodding to herself, Skaya heads back to the door to the destroyed glass room. If her friends had passed through it to regroup, then great. If not, she'll leave them a message before going up the mountain again.
20:17 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:17 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=98 ]{98}
20:17 <•Kotono> roll 1d100 subtable
20:17 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 subtable --> [ 1d100=22 ]{22}
20:17 <•Kotono> You walk back and as you do...OOC: What's the range on your darkvision?
20:18 <Skaya> OOC: 60ft
20:19 <•Kotono> You turn the corner and come in sight of the glass room. It's subtle, but you see little shards of glass fly through the air, into the glass room.
20:21 <Skaya> They killed the glass golem! With magic! Surely this is another illusion! Faced with such a sight, Skaya disbelieves the reality before her eyes.
20:25 <•Kotono> Nothing seems to happen.
20:26 <Skaya> Oh that's bullshit! Is she stuck in this place? Unhappy but resigned, Skaya heads towards the mountain. At least she'll get to climb the building that's in the way, but then she'll just circle around the mountain to avoid that huge fire elemental down the road.
20:31 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:31 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=81 ]{81}
20:31 <•Kotono> OOC: Give me a climb check then.
20:32 <Skaya> roll 1d20+13
20:32 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+13 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{17}
20:34 <•Kotono> It's not too hard to scamper over, at least, and Skaya makes it right over.
20:35 <Skaya> She's already gone there, and then saw it all from the air as Devar flew her over. This is more time-consuming, but since there's no ring of fire elementals on the way to the back of the mountain, she'll just proceed towards the last spot she'd seen her team.
20:36 <•Kotono> Skaya approaches the mountain. In the dark the fire stands out all the more, as does the fire elemental. However, by that fire atop the mountain? She can see her friends, right before the fire and illuminated by its light.
20:36 <Skaya> Awesome! She'll make her way up and see if their stories check out!
20:39 <•Kotono> There's still a large fire elemental blocking the direct path up. As you had Devar fly you over last time, how are you getting past it?
20:40 <Skaya> OOC: There is a singular fire elemental on the path leading up the mountain, but I described circling around and scaling it from the other side. Unless there's a ring of fire elementals, then I'll try sneaking past them.
20:43 <•Kotono> OOC: Sure, that works. Climb again.
20:43 <Skaya> OOC: I'll take ten and use inspiration for 29
20:46 <•Kotono> Climbing up si slow and steady, and...OOC: More, #dunes.

[Corwin]

19:06 <•Kotono> Anne blows out a breath which turns into a gasp before, "Skaya!"
19:07 <•Kotono> Rina stares and says, "She's probably just been teleported somewhere."
19:07 <Devar> "Somewhere, but we don't know where." Devar says with a frown.
19:08 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 35/39 Rina 49/52
19:09 <•Kotono> "Maybe we should-" Rina ventures, but stops, "No, that's foolishness. For all we know..."
19:10 <•Kotono> Anne rubs her face with her hand, "We don't know, all we can do is trust Skaya. Rushing in after her imperils us for uncertain gain at best."
19:10 <Devar> "We can't just assume it goes somewhere deadly." Devar says. "But we also don't know where it goes. Sanda, if we get a bit closer, do you think you can investigate it for magic? If it is teleportation, then there should be some lingering, right?"
19:12 <•Kotono> "I can try," Sanda offers, "Take me closer."
19:12 <Devar> Devar will lift Sanda up and move closer - gauging the range of the haze to what he knows about detect magic.
19:13 <•Kotono> Sanda gets closer before...
19:14 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 Spellcraft
19:14 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 Spellcraft --> [ 1d20=7 ]{19}
19:14 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 Planes
19:14 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 Planes --> [ 1d20=16 ]{28}
19:14 <•Kotono> Sanda studies it before, "It's some manner of planar distortion, but beyond that, I don't know."
19:15 <Devar> Devar tries for himself - there's no harm in giving it a shot, anyway...
19:15 <Devar> roll 1d20+12 Spellcraft
19:15 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+12 Spellcraft --> [ 1d20=1 ]{13}
19:18 <•Kotono> Devar can't puzzle it out - it's far from elementary.
19:21 <Devar> He takes Sanda back over. "We could try and ask that fire elemental if it knows what this is? I don't know that it'd be terribly talkative..." He hums once, looking at the haze. "Hm...." Devar leans down and throws another few rocks himself. "I wonder, in theory if she's on the 'other side' of this, then the rocks should show up there, right? I wonder if she could throw them back."
19:22 <•Kotono> Each rock vanishes, "Well, we haven't seen one back," Sanda says, "Ic ould still try and teleport over."
19:23 <Devar> "I don't love that idea." Devar says. "We know this is some sort of planar distortion, if you add new teleportation magic into the mix you might end up stranded on the Astral plane or something."
19:23 <•Kotono> "Or worse," Anne agrees, then sighs, "But standing here avails us nothing."
19:24 <•Kotono> "Why not investigate the flame we came allt his way to in the first place?" Rina suggests.
19:24 <Devar> "We are up here." Devar agrees. "And we know where we can run if we get into trouble."
19:27 <Devar> OOC: Is there a path up to the fire on this mountain we can follow or do I need to help people up?
19:28 <•Kotono> OOC: Help people up.
19:29 <Devar> OOC: Okay!
19:29 <Devar> Devar will help the remaining folks up closer to the fire, keeping an eye out for any other elementals while he does so. Hopefully they can't see them up here anyway...
19:30 <•Kotono> The flame is a large, crackling fire. A single path leads up to it, the party before it. There's no barrier to it as you feel the immense heat it radiates. The elemental isn't looking your way as of now.
19:31 <Devar> "I mean it just looks like a bonfire to me..." Devar says, looking around for any magic anyway.
19:31 <Devar> roll 1d20+12 Spellcraft
19:31 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+12 Spellcraft --> [ 1d20=9 ]{21}
19:33 <•Kotono> There's strong magic here. It seems to do something if you step into the fire, as best you can tell.
19:35 <Devar> "...Well, all I can make out is 'something happens if you step into the fire' which does not fill me with a great amount of optimism." He says.
19:38 <•Kotono> "Nor I," Anne agrees, as Sanda picks up a rock and gives her a curious look.
19:38 <•Kotono> "Why not?" Anne says, "Just do it quietly."
19:38 <•Kotono> The rock is tossed. It lands in the fire and nothing visible happens.
19:40 <Devar> "Anne, I'm sorry in advance." Devar says as he steps into the fire, wincing pre-emptively.
19:41 <•Kotono> "Deva-" Is all Devar hears, before...OOC: Fortitude save.
19:41 <Devar> roll 1d20+14
19:41 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+14 --> [ 1d20=16 ]{30}
19:42 <•Kotono> roll 12d6 halve this you got real lucky
19:42 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 12d6 halve this you got real lucky --> [ 12d6=40 ]{40}
19:43 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 37/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 35/39 Rina 49/52
19:43 <•Kotono> Devar burns. What did he think was going to happen besides the unreal pain of burning alive? Not that he can think of much else at the moment in the unspeakable agony, but it's odd. He can almost feel a warmthw ithin himself, growting.
19:45 <Devar> Well, the good news is is that he can heal himself - he fights through the pain to do so, hopefully sparing Anne any needed healing. OOC: Lay on hands for 15, assuming I'm able to do so.
19:49 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay, it doesn't require a concentrationc heck to use. More.
19:49 <•Kotono> OOC: Fort again then.
19:49 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 52/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 35/39 Rina 49/52
19:49 <Devar> roll 1d20+14
19:49 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+14 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{23}
19:49 <•Kotono> roll 12d6 full owwies
19:49 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 12d6 full owwies --> [ 12d6=32 ]{32}
19:50 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 25/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 35/39 Rina 49/52
19:50 <•Kotono> Devar's still burning alive. The screams of his companions? Sure. Anne's healing magic, her channeling able to reach him even here? That helps too.
19:50 <•Kotono> roll 3d6
19:50 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d6 --> [ 3d6=14 ]{14}
19:50 <•Kotono> OOC: 21 total.
19:50 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 25/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
19:50 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 46/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 35/39 Rina 49/52
19:51 <•Kotono> Devar feels hotter and hotter inside. A heat is definitely building within him.
19:52 <Devar> He'd breathe if he could, but he can't, so for now he continues to endure this...!
19:55 <•Kotono> OOC: Fort again.
19:55 <Devar> roll 1d20+14
19:55 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+14 --> [ 1d20=6 ]{20}
19:55 <•Kotono> roll 12d6 fire owwies
19:55 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 12d6 fire owwies --> [ 12d6=49 ]{49}
19:56 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 17/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 35/39 Rina 49/52
19:56 <Devar> OOC: Using my other lay on hands to heal from 2 to 17
19:57 <•Kotono> A horrific explosion outwards, Devar launched out from the flames before...OOC: More, PM.
20:08 <•Kotono> Devar lands in agony. He burns, he crackles. Anne's there, whispering healing magic and adding, "You Abyss-cursed idiot," she hisses.
20:08 <•Kotono> roll 3d8+5
20:08 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d8+5 --> [ 3d8=13 ]{18}
20:09 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 17/52 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
20:09 <•Kotono> Sanda's there as well, "You walked right in," she says, eyes wide.
20:09 <•Kotono> A beat, "Was it worth it?"
20:09 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 35/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 35/39 Rina 49/52
20:09 <Devar> A breath, another breath, labored.
20:09 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 35/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
20:11 <Devar> "It...... ugh." Another breath. "Yes, but if we do it again we should have my healing ready to supplement it." He manages to get out. "If you stand in it, you start to absorb some elements of fire. Because I stood in it so long, I can feel... stronger, but it sapped some of my magical strength too. If any of you did it, I'd say only stand in there briefly."
20:12 <•Kotono> Sanda perks up, "Wait, it can empower you?"
20:12 <•Kotono> "Seriously?" Rina asks, standing back.
20:13 <•Kotono> More healing comes, thankfully.
20:13 <•Kotono> roll 3d8+5
20:13 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d8+5 --> [ 3d8=14 ]{19}
20:14 <Devar> Devar moves to get to his feet. "Yes. I'm not sure how to demonstrate it exactly..." He murmurs. "But I wouldn't want to tax Anne any further than I already did by being selfish."
20:16 <•Kotono> Devar's clothes are scorched and burnt, as expected. Meanwhile Anne takes a long breath, closes her eyes and exhales. "How much can it bolster you?" Rina asks, eyeing it. "We need to estrength to kill Brachidos."
20:16 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 54/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 52/52
20:19 <Devar> "If you were to stay in as long as I did, I'd say all of your physical attributes get much stronger. I can feel it myself - I'm stronger, more hearty... but it does sap other portions. I'm definitely feeling a bit less... 'there' mentally, if that makes sense?" He says. "It's... just a hunch but I think I'm more resistant to fire now. Which... I guess is obvious."
20:20 <•Kotono> Sanda eyes it and Anne takes a breath, "No, Sanda."
20:21 <•Kotono> "I'm just considering, but of course not since it saps magic," Sanda says, "Only an idiot would-" Then without a word or indication, Rina steps intot he fires.
20:21 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 fort
20:21 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 fort --> [ 1d20=20 ]{30}
20:21 <•Kotono> roll 12d6 lucky halved
20:21 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 12d6 lucky halved --> [ 12d6=44 ]{44}
20:22 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 54/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 30/52
20:22 <•Kotono> "Rina!" Anne cries, a look of shock matched by Sanda's own look. Rina screams within, loud and long, as Anne bites off a few unpleasant words before, "Lady Jetina, please, because even you had to tolerate fools."
20:22 <•Kotono> roll 3d6
20:22 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 3d6 --> [ 3d6=12 ]{12}
20:22 <•Kotono> OOC: 18.
20:23 <Devar> Devar knows that look and immediately channels divine energy to try and help as much as he can!
20:23 <•Kotono> OOC: Alsog ets Devar.
20:23 <Devar> roll 1d6 mine is still inferior
20:23 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d6 mine is still inferior --> [ 1d6=1 ]{1}
20:23 <Devar> OOC: thanks kobot
20:23 Devar set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 30/52
20:23 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 49/52
20:23 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10
20:23 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 --> [ 1d20=3 ]{13}
20:23 <•Kotono> roll 12d6
20:23 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 12d6 --> [ 12d6=45 ]{45}
20:23 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 4/52
20:24 <•Kotono> Burning, blackening and charred, Rina staggers out, more dead than alive. She's burning as she falls to the ground, twitching violently as Anne grabs her burning side bag, pulling out her potions before they fry. "Madness!" she cries, uncorking one as...
20:24 <•Kotono> roll 2d8+3 more
20:24 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 2d8+3 more --> [ 2d8=7 ]{10}
20:25 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 14/52
20:25 <Devar> "Maybe let us recover our strength before we do this again." Devar says. "This mountain isn't going anywhere... Well, I say that, but..."
20:26 <Devar> Devar spends a moment channeling energy to help out!
20:26 <Devar> roll 3d6 healing
20:26 <Kobot> Devar rolled 3d6 healing --> [ 3d6=7 ]{7}
20:27 <•Kotono> OOC: 3d6? Did you use like three in a row or something?
20:27 <Devar> OOC: Yeah that's what I was intending
20:27 <•Kotono> roll 1d8+1 meanwhile Anne's using up Rina's potions.
20:27 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d8+1 meanwhile Anne's using up Rina's potions. --> [ 1d8=8 ]{9}
20:27 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 34/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 30/52
20:28 <•Kotono> The burns are fading, Rina recovering. Anne slumps and then looks Rina in the eye, "Do you want to catch up to him that badly?"
20:28 <•Kotono> A few weak coughs, "Either I...Either we're reunited, or Brachidos dies." Rina says, not much ofa nything but pain in her voice.
20:30 <Devar> "Well, we have a story to tell Skaya when we find her. But it still leaves us in a rather precarious situation." Devar says. "Assuming she got shunted to some different part of this... maze, let's call it, if she was able to get back to where we were, where do you all think she'd go? The Eldathian church, maybe?"
20:32 <•Kotono> "That would be my guess," Sanda says, side-eyeing Rina all the while.
20:32 <•Kotono> Anne bows her head and slumps, "Yes, probably so." Anne says tonelessly.
20:33 <Devar> "Well, we can also wait up here for a bit." Devar offers. "She might come back through down there."
20:34 <•Kotono> OOC: Going to just wait then?
20:35 <Devar> OOC: Let's wait say half an hour?
20:35 <Devar> OOC: And if no sign of anything we'll head back.
20:36 <•Kotono> OOC: Sure.
20:39 <•Kotono> OOC: Waiting since Cor's doing things.

[Corwin]

20:47 <•Kotono> You wait. It takes about twenty minutes, but soon enough? Skaya climbs on up and around, rejoining the party and having scaled the way up herself. OOC: Go ahead all.
20:47 <Skaya> "Hey girls and guy!" Skaya greets them with a smile. "Am I back in the right reality? Tell me something I don't know."
20:48 <Devar> "...the right what?" Devar asks. "Uhh, wouldn't it be easier if we told you something we experienced together...?"
20:49 <•Kotono> "What?" Sanda asks, "Explain that, because it sounds really interesting!"
20:50 <•Kotono> Rina is notably burnt but alive, a grimace as she watches Skaya, "Glad tos ee you're back after you vanished."
20:51 <Skaya> "I even brought some gold an alternate me found in those dragon ruins," Skaya tells them, peering at Rina and Devar. "You look toasty. Why?"
20:51 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 42/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 30/52
20:52 <Devar> "We figured out what this does." Devar says with a gesture to the fire. "It burns you badly but gives you strength. The longer you stand in it, the more it works, but it saps your mental faculties to stand in it for too long."
20:52 <Devar> "And... wait, alternate you?" Devar asks. "Where exactly did you end up...?"
20:53 <Skaya> "Wait, wait, this is more interesting," Skaya interrupts Devar. "How long can you stand there without becoming an idiot?"
20:54 <Devar> "Not long." Is Devar's answer. "But it does bolster your strength, but I'm not sure the tradeoff is worth it for you."

[Corwin]

19:03 <•Kotono> "Yes, because immolating yourself is the wise choice," Anne sounds drained, "At least take off your clothes before you step in, I'll not waste magic repairing them after this."
19:05 — Skaya tilts her head.
19:06 <•Kotono> "Forgive me, Skaya, but I dislike seeing my friends decide to plunge headlong into the fires like this." Anne meets her gaze. "And don't take what I said out of context."
19:07 <Devar> "We can just rest and recover before we try it again." Devar says. "I don't have anymore on-demand healing to be able to help, and I'd prefer to be able to if we consider this further. We could also prepare some magic to further resist fire."
19:07 <Skaya> "I already did, but don't mind that," Skaya responds to Anne. "It's just that alternate timeline you was very upset about wasting energy on healing spells, so I'm glad you just dislike the repair stuff."
19:08 <•Kotono> "Yes, imagine doing that before you two decided to unilaterally throw yourself into a bonfire." Anne says, as Sanda and Rina both give her looks.
19:08 <•Kotono> "If I disliked healing, then I've greviously mischosen my profession," Anne comments.
19:09 <Skaya> "I know, right? Your healing is there to be used!" Skaya agrees, before snapping her fingers. "Also, I think the glass golem is reforming. I doubled back to check if you guys returned and there were flying glass shards."
19:09 <•Kotono> "...sorry." Rina says quietly, "Going for power made me think of Brachidos, and-" She stops. "Sorry."
19:09 <•Kotono> "Wonderful," Sanda says, "Thena gain, that's a good study opportunity. I wonder if we could learn something from that?"
19:10 <Skaya> "It hurts when glass shards cut you."
19:10 <•Kotono> "You bleed when cut," Anne says, deadpan.
19:11 <Skaya> "Do you want to try going on a pseudo-planar trip together?" Skaya offers, eyeing the fire. "Maybe we can reach the orange flame and it would be nicer and kinder to people."
19:11 <•Kotono> Sanda sniffs, "Statistically speaking, most golems don't reform when destroyed. So is it really a golem or something else?"
19:11 <Skaya> "Maybe it's the ghost of a glass golem?"
19:12 <Devar> Devar does summon Storm's Eye while the others are talking, curiously looking at the fire.
19:12 <•Kotono> "Golems can't have ghosts, they're the wrong kind of spirit for it," Rina pipes up.
19:12 <•Kotono> Anne and Sanda both turn to her at that, a beat before, "A job Regis and I had before this. Long story." Rina almost smiles at that.
19:13 <Skaya> "So do you want to try? If we tie everyone together we'll probably be transported together."
19:14 <•Kotono> Storm's Eye yawns long before, "Look at that. Lots of fire. Shame it's not lightning, but that's sure a great big fire you dunked yourself in."
19:14 <•Kotono> "If it can be escaped, perhaps so," Anne says, "Or we'll all be tossed to where you were or worse."
19:14 <Devar> "Do you want to see if you get absorb any of it?" Devar asks. "I don't know if it would work for you." To Skaya, Devar nods. "As long as we're together, I think it's fine."
19:15 <Skaya> "I'm pretty sure I broke out when I disbelieved it as a reality, but some things there were certainly real. It's a weird place."
19:15 <•Kotono> "Let me get a little sniff of it?" Storm's Eye says, "Put me right next to it."
19:16 <Devar> Devar moves closer to do so, putting Storm's Eye near the edge of the fire.
19:18 <•Kotono> "Hm, hm. No, it's not right for me," Storm's Eye declares, "Too fiery. A bit like Skaya there. Lots of heat, fire and passion. You got good taste."
19:20 <Skaya> "No, you've got great taste! Apparently!"
19:21 <Devar> Devar dismisses the spear with a sigh. "Either way, I'm fine if we want to go - but if for some reason we get separated, let's remember we can get out by disbelieving in it?"
19:22 <Skaya> "Like any illusion, if it strongly counters reality I think it should be doable. In my case, I just couldn't believe the mountain was used by earth elementals while there was a fire on top and a fire haze to get between the mountains."
19:25 <•Kotono> "So focus on what's wrong if we need to," Sanda says, "Like any other illusion."
19:27 <Skaya> "Since we're not doing any more experiments with the red fire here, let's just go for the haze and see what happens. Ah, if we get separated anyway, let's regroup near the building that barred our way before Devar flew us across? There shouldn't be any dangers from glass shards or fire elementals there."
19:27 <Devar> Devar nods.
19:27 — Skaya also taps Rina to heal her up!
19:27 <Skaya> OOC: +16hp
19:28 •Kotono set the topic: Skaya: 42/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 46/52
19:28 <•Kotono> From there, the trip to the haze is straightforward. How are y'all approaching this?
19:29 — Skaya ties them all with a length of rope and then holds Anne and Sanda's hands for good measure. "Let's just stay in touch, quite literally, and then all of us step forward towards it?"
19:32 <Devar> "Sure." Devar agrees.
19:32 <•Kotono> "Let's go," Sanda says, rope tied and hands taken. Who is going first?
19:33 <Skaya> "On three, as usual. One, two--" Skaya steps forwards to the haze as she says, "Three."
19:36 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay again, who is going first?
19:36 <Skaya> OOC: Ideally we're all going together, but if you absolutely need someone it can be me
19:37 <•Kotono> OOC: It's up to y'all, it's possible to go all step thruogh at the same time, or one at a time, or however you want.
19:38 <Skaya> OOC: Let's step through together
19:39 <•Kotono> The party steps through together. Everyone save Skaya flickers ina nd out several times, while Skaya stays rock solid. There's a groaning sound and all of you are pushed ahead, the party together and intact.
19:39 <•Kotono> Rina stumbles and quickly rights herself, "What was that?"
19:40 <Skaya> "Maybe it only allows for one trip if you escape by disbelieving it? And since we're going together, I anchored everyone?"
19:40 <•Kotono> Sanda turns, "If I had to bet on it, I'd say Skaya acted as some sort of anchor to here. Like you can't drag a ship along if it's anchor is stuck and not moving."
19:40 — Skaya grins at Sanda.
19:40 <•Kotono> "Exactly," Sanda agrees, smiling back.
19:40 <Devar> "So I take it we didn't end up where you did?" Devar asks.
19:41 <Skaya> "Yeah, Devar. Let's just explore and see what's here first? Then the rest of you could try and take the trip together if you want to, I can wait."
19:41 <Skaya> In the meantime, she looks to see what's here. Is that mountain with the orange fire still visible?
19:43 <•Kotono> It is still visible, in case you wisht o climb or get flown up to it.
19:44 — Skaya takes a moment to untie everyone and then leads the way to it! If the mountain cannot truly be climbed by ordinary people, they'll use Devar's flying services.
19:46 <•Kotono> On a quick check it's climable but it won't be easy.
19:46 <Skaya> "Devar, how about you help us get to the top? I'll go first!"
19:48 <Devar> "Sure." He says, and will carry them up to the fire at the top.
19:52 <•Kotono> One after another the party is airlifted via Devar to the top. The flame is a bright orange-white, an intense, potent heat radiating from it. It's uncomfortable to get even with about 20ft of it, let alone within it.
19:52 — Skaya looks around to see if there are more parallel iterations here!
19:59 <•Kotono> Ahead you can see darkness, too far to see much, but in the distance a fire elemental does provide ag limpse of a ruined city ahead.
20:00 <Skaya> "What would you prefer to do now?" Skaya asks the others. "Want to camp out somewhere here and rest for the day, then try experimenting with the fire? Go out into this town and see what's there? Try the fire immediately?" She pauses before peering at Sanda. "Can you actually prepare fire resistance if you want to?"
20:02 <Devar> "If we're going to experiment with the fire further a rest would be ideal." Devar says.
20:03 <•Kotono> "I can," Sanda says, as Anne adds, "As can I."
20:03 <•Kotono> Rina hms, "On the other hand, if we don't go back today, we may send up alarm."
20:05 <Skaya> "I don't really know if we can even resolve this mess within a day."
20:05 <Devar> "I think they'll just think we're exploring." Devar says. "I wouldn't worry about it."
20:09 <Skaya> "Where does this leave us? Want to explore this town, then?"
20:09 <•Kotono> "It may be wise," Anne agrees, peering down, "As long as we avoid the fire elemental."
20:10 <Skaya> "Devar, we'll need your help again! Let's find a route away from it into the city."
20:11 <Devar> "Sure." Devar says. "Skaya, come on." He'll lift Skaya up and go to scout around to try and find a safe spot to put everyone away from the elemental and closer to the city.
20:12 <•Kotono> It's not hard to go around, and as Devar does...OOC: Perception Devar.
20:13 <Devar> roll 1d20+8
20:13 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=1 ]{9}
20:17 <•Kotono> The trip to a street near the side of the mountain is safe enough. This city is likewise burnt out, smoking and forgotten. Nothing new seems to be here.
20:18 <Skaya> Skaya looks for the places she can recognize, whether it would be that church or the glass room.
20:19 <•Kotono> You'd need to go further i the city for that, but yo ucould certainly go exploring if you wanted.
20:20 <Skaya> Once everyone is here, Skaya will lead the way there!
20:20 <•Kotono> roll 1d100+40
20:20 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100+40 --> [ 1d100=27 ]{67}
20:20 <•Kotono> roll 1d100+40
20:20 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100+40 --> [ 1d100=28 ]{68}
20:21 <•Kotono> You walk a single street. You soon notice oddities. Holes burrowed into the solid stone, big enough for a man to jump down. Here and there, dug out from the ground.
20:21 — Skaya peers into one of them. She has darkvision!
20:22 <•Kotono> It's a burrowhole. Sanda comes up at the same time and peers down as you see depths that curve and go deeper into the earth. "Are these ankheg holes?" Sanda asks aloud, "Remember when we first fought one?"
20:22 <•Kotono> Rina comes up as well, "That's distressingly possible," she comments, "We do keep coming on them."
20:23 <Skaya> "Distressing is right, if there is one behind every hole we'll die."
20:24 <•Kotono> "They have been unusually active lately," Anne murmurs as she peers down herself, "So is this area possibly an ankheg nest?"
20:24 <Devar> "Weren't there some notes from that crazed guy mentioning these were being driven by something?" Devar asks. "I don't remember the details, but I feel like it was mentioned in his notebook."
20:25 <•Kotono> OOC: Perception all.
20:25 <Devar> roll 1d20+8 surely I can't roll a one again
20:25 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8 surely I can't roll a one again --> [ 1d20=3 ]{11}
20:25 <Skaya> roll 1d20+16
20:25 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+16 --> [ 1d20=14 ]{30}
20:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d20-1 Sanda tries anyway
20:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20-1 Sanda tries anyway --> [ 1d20=8 ]{7}
20:27 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 Anne could get lucky
20:27 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 Anne could get lucky --> [ 1d20=17 ]{22}
20:27 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+13 Rina
20:27 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+13 Rina --> [ 1d20=10 ]{23}
20:27 <•Kotono> It's quiet. Subtle. Skaya can just hear a skittering, moving noise somewhere to the side - one of the buildings nearby. A window?
20:28 <Skaya> "Nope. Nope nope nope." Turning towards the window suspiciously, Skaya says, "Let's just return to the mountain?"
20:29 <Devar> "I can fly over and see if we can find something else if you guys want to back out?" Devar offers. "Ankhegs can't fly, after all."
20:31 <•Kotono> Skaya turns at the window - just int ime to see the barest glimpse an ankheg, spitting acid right at her! OOC: Ref save. Avoided a nasty penalty to it and possibly more.
20:32 <Skaya> roll 1d20+6+6 evasion
20:32 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+6 evasion --> [ 1d20=4 ]{16}
20:32 <•Kotono> roll 6d4 acid full owwies
20:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 6d4 acid full owwies --> [ 6d4=17 ]{17}
20:32 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 30/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 46/52
20:33 <•Kotono> Skaya's caught partially flatfooted. Enough to get a splash of acid on her upraised arm and wrist, blocking it painfully. It saves her face from worse however, as...OOC: Init. You have someone who doesn't much like you, it seems. Good luck, try not to die. The ankheg was glimpsed in a building about 25ft away, peeking out a window.
20:33 <•Kotono> roll 1d20 Sanda
20:33 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20 Sanda --> [ 1d20=1 ]{1}
20:33 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+2 Anne
20:33 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+2 Anne --> [ 1d20=9 ]{11}
20:33 <Skaya> roll 1d20+8
20:33 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=10 ]{18}
20:33 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+10 Rina
20:33 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+10 Rina --> [ 1d20=12 ]{22}
20:34 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+4 ankheg
20:34 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+4 ankheg --> [ 1d20=9 ]{13}
20:35 <Devar> roll 1d20+3
20:35 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+3 --> [ 1d20=18 ]{21}
20:35 <•Kotono> Init is Rina (22) > Devar (21) > Skaya (18) > Ankheg (13) > Anne (11) > Sanda (1)
20:36 <•Kotono> Rina immediately sprints without a word, even as Anne already has her holy symbol out. She sprints to the building's open door and makes it in, sword drawn and...
20:36 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12
20:36 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 --> [ 1d20=5 ]{17}
20:36 <•Kotono> Whatever happens you can't see from here, Rina's superior speed enough to make it. OOC: Devar.
20:37 <•Kotono> "Was that predator tactics?" Sanda wonders aloud, momentarily still and flatfooted.
20:38 <Devar> Devar will fly after Rina! OOC: I can move 50 feet, so can I catch up to Rina and get to it with that?
20:40 <Skaya> "Why does this always happen to me?!" Skaya complains, hissing at the state of her arm.
20:42 <•Kotono> Devar flies in after Rina. Looking over her shoulder, you see in the dim light it is an ankheg, standing just in a burrow tunnel. It's just turned towards Rina, nos ign of her swipe managing to land.
20:43 <Devar> Devar summons Storm's Eye and flies over to strike the ankheg from the other side!
20:44 <Devar> roll 1d20+9+2 stabbity
20:44 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+9+2 stabbity --> [ 1d20=10 ]{21}
20:45 <Devar> roll 1d8+4+1d6 elec
20:45 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d8+4+1d6 elec --> [ 1d8=1 1d6=5 ]{10}
20:47 <•Kotono> A hit - the ankheg crackles with lightning as Storm's Eye laughs, "Oh, is it time for a fight? Show them what for!" As Devar pierces the ankheg's side it convulses from the hit, as...OOC: Skaya, go.
20:48 <Skaya> Reluctantly, Skaya follows Devar and Rina into the building. She doesn't get into melee, however, merely taking out the wand of magic missiles when the ankheg is in sight and then returning the favor with a flick of the wand.
20:48 <Skaya> roll 2d4+2+5
20:48 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2+5 --> [ 2d4=6 ]{13}
20:53 <•Kotono> Missiles pelt the ankheg, slamming into it high and low. It's knocked back further - and withdraws into its burrow tunnel,r etreating away and down into it, out of immediate sight. Meanwhile Anne advances forward to join the party, "Skaya, do you need healing," she calls, staying back.
20:57 <Skaya> "It can't hurt."
20:58 <•Kotono> OOC: She'll do that next turn since she's trying to save channel energies and isn't as mobile as the rest of you. More.
20:58 <•Kotono> roll 1d20-1 Sanda
20:58 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20-1 Sanda --> [ 1d20=4 ]{3}
20:58 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+11 (+2 charge)
20:58 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+11 (+2 charge) --> [ 1d20=4 ]{15}
20:59 <•Kotono> "Kyaaaaah!" Sanda suddenly screams as the ground beneath her crumbles away. At the last second she leaps back, avoiding an ankheg that bursts through, mandibles snapping and dripping sizzling, clear green acid. OOC: Sanda's now up.
21:00 <•Kotono> Init is Rina (22) > Devar (21) > Skaya (18) > Ankheg (13) > Anne (11) > Ankheg 2 (7) > Sanda (1)
21:01 <•Kotono> Sanda's staff comes down in retort, a direct application of shocking staff to ankheg forehead.
21:01 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 shocking grasp arcane cahnneling used
21:01 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 shocking grasp arcane cahnneling used --> [ 1d20=8 ]{20}
21:02 <•Kotono> roll 1d6+4+5d6
21:02 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d6+4+5d6 --> [ 1d6=5 5d6=18 ]{27}
21:03 <•Kotono> WHAM! A direct hit that makes the ankheg shudder violently and tremble all over. Its head is cracked open, blood flowing freely from the injury as its mandibles snap erratically. It's not going still quite yet as Rina turns, "Oh for-" she mutters, leaping out the window and dashing back to Sanda.  OOC: Taking 10 on acrobatics.
21:03 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12
21:03 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{23}
21:03 <•Kotono> roll 1d6+2+2d6
21:03 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d6+2+2d6 --> [ 1d6=1 2d6=10 ]{13}
21:04 <•Kotono> A slice cuts into its wounded forehead and goes deeply in, gray matter flicked aside once the short sword is pulled out. This ankheg falls over, moving no more. OOC: Devar, go.
21:04 <•Kotono> Init is Rina (22) > Devar (21) > Skaya (18) > Ankheg (13) > Anne (11) > Sanda (1)
21:04 <•Kotono> "Didn't we just fight enemies like this?" Sanda complains, breathing heavily.
21:05 <•Kotono> "And I have a sudden thought that this is where he got some of his inspiration!" Anne snaps back.
21:05 <Devar> OOC: I'll hold my action pending on the retreating or new ones showing up. I will fly off the ground for now though to prevent falling or anything though.
21:05 <•Kotono> OOC: Skaya then, go.
21:07 — Skaya returns to regroup with Sanda and Rina for now.
21:10 <•Kotono> Skaya returns to them, one dead ankheg before them. Meanwhile no sign of the other, as Anne comes to her and mends her wounds. OOC: I'm going to call free action here since no more obvious enemies, at least for the moment. More as I figure out what spell Anne's going to convert.
21:11 <•Kotono> roll 2d8+5 make whole flies away until tomorrow, converted into CMW
21:11 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 2d8+5 make whole flies away until tomorrow, converted into CMW --> [ 2d8=12 ]{17}
21:12 <Devar> Devar will fly over to the others then! "Do you want to head back for now?" Devar asks. "Or want me to carry you all up higher for now and we scout around?"
21:12 <•Kotono> Nudging the dead ankheg with her staff, "Usually it's just one ankheg, that's unusual."
21:13 <•Kotono> Once Skaya's healed, "There may be some merit in rooting out this infestation," Anne remarks, "In case they manage to find their way to the surface. The real surface."
21:13 <•Kotono> Once Skaya's healed, "There may be some merit in rooting out this infestation," Anne remarks, "In case they manage to find their way to the surface. The real surface." Anne remarks, keeping her eyes open and glancing around.
21:14 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 42/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 46/52
21:14 — Skaya looks at all the dug holes and tries to estimate how many ankhegs there might be here.
21:16 <•Kotono> They're holes. If they're dug by the same or multiple ankheg is a question beyond merely peering at the holes.
21:18 <Skaya> OOC: Same width and size?
21:18 <Skaya> "I guess we can give it a try," Skaya tells Anne. "Then let's go towards the glass room and see what's happening in this mirror world over there, and take out any hiding bugs along the way."
21:20 <•Kotono> OOC: Roughly on a glance, sure.
21:21 <•Kotono> Anne nods and readies her shield, while Rina keeps looking about, How are you going to do this then?
21:22 <Skaya> OOC: Skaya leads, Anne in the back, Sanda and Rina together in the center. Devar flying a bit further ahead, let's say 30ft.
21:24 <•Kotono> OOC: Sure. Give me Perception all, this matters here.
21:24 <•Kotono> roll 1d20-1 Sanda
21:24 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20-1 Sanda --> [ 1d20=13 ]{12}
21:24 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+5 Anne
21:24 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 Anne --> [ 1d20=16 ]{21}
21:24 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+13 Rina
21:24 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+13 Rina --> [ 1d20=1 ]{14}
21:24 <Skaya> roll 1d20+16
21:24 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+16 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{25}
21:24 <Devar> roll 1d20+8
21:24 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{28}
21:29 <•Kotono> It's barely a few steps in when in the distance, thanks to his darkvision, that Devar can see them. Ankhegs, at least half a dozen, scurrying about and taking positions. Going into buildings, coming out of existing holes. Moving, manning positions, glimpsed thanks to his front facing position. All in tandem, moving together smoothly.
21:30 <Devar> "Stop." Devar says immediately. "At least six - they're all... they're moving as a unit. Something is definitely off here, but we need to find an exit strategy and quickly."
21:32 <•Kotono> "Retreat back, then?" Anne suggests.
21:32 <•Kotono> "That many together? That's strange," Rina remarks, "It's almost always single ankhegs that I hear about, rarely a pair."
21:33 <Skaya> "Let's get on the roof of one of the more solid buildings here," Skaya proposes, searching for one in their immediate surroundings.
21:35 <•Kotono> As it's a ruined city, there's several to choose from, one or two stories tall.
21:35 <•Kotono> "Good idea," Sanda says, eyes more on the ground than anything else, tapping it with the butt of her staff every so foten.
21:35 — Skaya leads the way to a two-story building. From the roof, they'd be able to contain the attack vectors at the very least.
21:35 <Devar> Devar will keep an eye on the front as he flies backwards to follow the others!
21:41 <•Kotono> The party gets up to the roof quickly. Out of immediate ankheg range at least, for the moment. So now what?
21:42 <Skaya> "Devar, keep an eye out on the ankhegs from the sky," Skaya requests of him. "If you stay fifty feet in the air it might be enough to ensure your safety. Let's see where they go."
21:43 <Devar> Devar does just that, staying about 50-55ft above where they were to watch them.
21:45 <•Kotono> Anne meanwhile peers down, but shakes her head, "They can use the dark and we can't," she remarks, "We're at a disadvantage even with Devar, but he helps."
21:46 <•Kotono> "I know," Rina stands next to her as Devar takes position, no ankhegs immediately visible. "Don't like the idea of ankheg assault teams."
21:46 <Skaya> "I can see in the dark and the range is decent for using magic missile," Skaya says with a shrug. "If they charge all the way up, you'll see them then."
21:46 <Skaya> OOC: I will MM any ankhegs that can be seen within MM range
21:46 <•Kotono> OOC: Waht's the range on MM?
21:47 <Skaya> OOC: Medium, so at CL3 that's 130ft
21:48 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay. More.
21:49 <•Kotono> Devar keeps an eye out. It's subtle but with darkvision and knowing the enemy, he can still spot them. Several burrows int he earth, enough to distort the ground but not enough to emerge. Tunnels just beneath the surface, all moving towards your building. One, two, three, five, seven, nine...a lot of them. Yeah, a lot of them.
21:51 <Devar> "There are more of them coming." Devar warns them. "They're all converging on the building, but... well, they could probably try and sink it, but I don't know that they're that smart." He says. "But for now, how about I just fly us to a different building and we get out of here?"
21:51 <Skaya> "Let's retreat, sure."
21:53 <•Kotono> "Retreat," Rina agrees, "They're not supposed to be that smart, but they're also not supposed to act like this."
21:53 <•Kotono> "Swiftly," Anne agrees, "We saw no sign of them at the mountain, at least."
21:54 <Devar> Devar will take Sanda off to another nearby building back the way they came, and assuming he has the time will do the same for the others, keeping an eye on the ground. Can they burrow up through the buildings? Surely not...
21:56 <•Kotono> OOC: In what order are you moving people over?
21:58 <Devar> OOC: Sanda Anne Rina Skaya unless there's a request for a different order
21:58 <Skaya> OOC: Let's do this
22:01 <•Kotono> They're burrowing as yo ugo, all clustering beneath the building you were on. By the time you get Sanda and Anne over, the building's starting to tremble a little bit beneath Skaya and Rina's feet. Rina stares down, "Are they trying to collapse the building?"
22:02 <Skaya> "Seems like it," Skaya agrees, holding onto Rina to keep her stable. "If Devar gets back in time I'll hold them off. And if not, I'll have us jump over to the next rooftop."
22:03 <Devar> Devar nods, hastening his pace to get everyone over! Even if they do collapse the building it's worse for the ankhegs than the rest of them, dealing with that much rubble.
22:03 <•Kotono> Rina holds on tight as Devar flies back fast. Rina virtually leaps into Devar's arms, "Hurry," she says, as Devar can swear her hears Storm's Eye laughing.
22:04 <•Kotono> *he hears
22:04 <Skaya> Flight would've been so nice. Will she have to purchase it with money one day? Skaya doesn't linger on such thoughts, however, checking to see if there's a safe jump to a nearby building from this roof to buy some time.
22:05 <Devar> "Skaya, if you need to jump, I can catch you." Devar calls out, heading back over to grab her after he deposits Rina.
22:05 <•Kotono> Skaya thinks so as the entire building lurches and sags. It won't be an easy jump, but that or jumping right to Devar might work.
22:06 — Skaya will jump for the neighboring building! Devar can just scoop her from it once he's back.
22:07 <Skaya> OOC: Acrobatics 10 for 32 with inspiration
22:09 <•Kotono> Skaya makes a heroic leap, making it with plenty to spare. The building you were on sags inward a second time, slumping down. Safe? At least for the moment, anyway.
22:10 — Skaya waits for Devar to bring her away, and then they can make their way back to the mountain.
22:10 <Devar> Devar will indeed sweep over to grab Skaya and deposit her with the others!
22:11 <•Kotono> From there the party manages a flying retreat to the mountains - at least no signs of the ankhegs following you that far. So...now what?
22:13 <Skaya> "So again, we have some options. Let's put them to the vote, shall we?" Skaya proposes once they're all safe for the time being. "Returning to the other world and the glass room and taking on that sealed door above is one. Just me going flying with Devar to investigate that room here in this world is another. Then we can try jumping into the exciting orange fire. Or we could rest till morning and do one of those."
22:15 <Devar> "I vote for resting and then dealing with the fire, since they're immediately present." Devar says. "And we have a pretty good understanding of what they do already."
22:18 <•Kotono> "As much as I dislike it, resting and trying the fire is better than ankheg swarms," Anne remarks, glancing up at it. She's quiet as she stares into it, "The alternative is worse."
22:19 <•Kotono> "It is better," Sanda agrees, "I vote for the fire, if only to see."
22:20 <•Kotono> "I say we go back for now, but the fire tempts," Rina says, her own clothing badly burnt and not doing a lot for her looks right now. "It was thew orst pain I've ever felt, but I don't want to be so weak that Brachidos keeps going."
22:21 <Skaya> "This fire is nastier, but if we prepare enough protections against it the rewards might be better," Skaya muses. "Alright, then. That's a lot of votes for resting and recovering our strength. None for checking out what lies past the ankhegs in this world, then?"
22:21 <Devar> "I'm all for doing that after this." Devar offers. "You and I can scout easily and they can't do anything about it."
22:22 <Skaya> "Then if there's no objection from the girls we could do that?"
22:23 <•Kotono> You don't get any, at least. Instead, "I thinkt hat's fine for now," Rina says, "Worth a try."
22:24 <Devar> Devar nods. "Sure, it's easily enough done." He agrees.
22:27 <Skaya> OOC: In that case, let's have Devar fly with me to the location of the glass room in this world
22:28 <•Kotono> OOC: Sure. We'll do that...next time!

[Corwin]

18:03 <•Kotono> The flight over is in the dark. The two of you can see thanks to your improved vision as you hover over it. The same building is here as you'd expect, no sign of anything awry in this version of it, at least from the outside.
18:04 <Devar> "Do you want to take a look inside?" Devar asks, still in the air.
18:04 <Skaya> "Yeah. We can do it carefully, since we never broke any glass in this world."
18:06 <Devar> Devar will land right outside the building then!
18:08 <•Kotono> The two of you land. Nothing unusual here, not at all. Besides the rattling of metal from within, loud enough to be heard even out here.
18:09 <Skaya> "A metal golem might actually be worse."
18:10 <Devar> "It might be." Devar agrees. "But I say we at least crack the door open and see what's going on."
18:10 <Skaya> "Sure, go for it?"
18:10 <Skaya> Worst case, they can lead the golem to the ankhegs!
18:11 <Devar> Devar will approach and open the door very slightly to peek inside!
18:12 <•Kotono> The door opened slight-! With a BANG the door flies open, knocking Devar back. A huge hand of whirling metal shards throws it open, as a massive figure of whirling metal stares at you. It has but one eye, a red glow in center mass that balefully glares at the two of you. Behind it you can see red light tinted gold and treasure, only a glimpse of it as a nightmare reaches out for the party. OOC:
18:12 <•Kotono> Unfortunately, you were anticipated somehow or another. Init.
18:12 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+4 ???
18:12 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+4 ??? --> [ 1d20=20 ]{24}
18:13 <Skaya> roll 1d20+8
18:13 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=4 ]{12}
18:13 <Devar> roll 1d20+3
18:13 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+3 --> [ 1d20=12 ]{15}
18:15 <•Kotono> Init is Metal Creature (24) > Devar (15) > Skaya (12)
18:16 ↔ •Kotono (promoted to owner, opped) nipped out 
18:17 <•Kotono> Before either of you can react, the hand reaches out for Devar, a direct blow as from the eye within, ab eam of searing red lances out at Skaya.
18:17 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+11 vs Devar
18:17 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+11 vs Devar --> [ 1d20=5 ]{16}
18:17 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8 touch AC Skaya, both are flatfooted
18:17 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 touch AC Skaya, both are flatfooted --> [ 1d20=3 ]{11}
18:17 <Devar> OOC: Mine's 23 due to flat-footedness at the moment
18:17 <Skaya> OOC: AC22 flat-footed
18:18 <Skaya> OOC: Sorry, touch AC flatfooted would be 19
18:18 <Skaya> OOC: To figure out stuff about the golem and its strengths and weaknesses, would it be a K:A roll?
18:18 <•Kotono> OOC: Freel free to try, sure, once I resolve this.
18:19 <•Kotono> Yet pure speed and luck avail both of them. Devar is able to weave back as the beam zips just over Skaya's shoulder, leaving both of them safe for the moment. OOC: Devar, go.
18:19 <Skaya> roll 1d20+14 K:A
18:19 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+14 K:A --> [ 1d20=8 ]{22}
18:19 <Devar> "Run for now?!" Devar calls out. "I don't love our chances here!" But it is made of metal, so Storm's Eye might...
18:21 <Skaya> "We can try!"
18:21 <Devar> "To run!?"
18:21 <Skaya> "Sure!"
18:22 <Devar> Devar will go to grab Skaya and fly away then - unless she has another plan! OOC: So he'll move over to Skaya, grab her, then fly up as far as he'll go - he has 50ft movement for flying.
18:22 <•Kotono> Skaya has no idea what it is, but it looks terrifying!
18:23 <•Kotono> Devar grabs Skaya and begins to fly up and away, as...OOC: Doing anything, Skaya?
18:24 — Skaya decides to check if Magic Missiles will work! If it's a golem it really shouldn't, but if it hits then it's clearly something else!
18:25 <Skaya> roll 2d4+2+5
18:25 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2+5 --> [ 2d4=6 ]{13}
18:25 <•Kotono> Magic missiles fly and plunk the metal. The metal is dented and hit, but there's one problem. Like a whirling comet of metal shards the creature follows, all encasing the red eye in the center. It's only 20ft behind, as a duo of burning red beams fly from it towards Devar. Gah!
18:25 <•Kotono> roll 2#1d20+8 touch AC
18:25 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 2#1d20+8 touch AC --> [ 1d20=20 ]{28}, [ 1d20=2 ]{10}
18:26 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8 touch AC crit?
18:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 touch AC crit? --> [ 1d20=6 ]{14}
18:26 <•Kotono> OOC: Touch AC, Devar/
18:26 <Devar> OOC: 20
18:26 <•Kotono> roll 4d6 fire damage
18:26 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 4d6 fire damage --> [ 4d6=15 ]{15}
18:27 <Devar> OOC: I negate all of the fire damage
18:27 <•Kotono> One of the beams hits Devar head on - and does little indeed, his newfound tolerance to fire enough to negate it. OOC: Devar, go.
18:28 <Devar> "Well, uh, ideas? Lead it back to the others?" Devar asks. "Or do you want to go grab the treasure while I fly?"
18:29 <Skaya> "Let's give fighting it a try, drop me off on the ground and try to see if Stormy can damage it. I'll play support."
18:31 <Devar> Devar does just that, moving down and dropping Skaya at around 15 feet in the air, before he summons Storm's Eye!
18:31 <•Kotono> OOC: Have anything to negate the fall damage, Skaya?
18:31 <Skaya> OOC: I do indeed! Slow fall 20ft.
18:31 <Devar> "I call upon you, avatar of Storms!" Devar calls out. OOC: Using the summon lightning power if I can this round
18:45 <•Kotono> OOC: Go for it Devar, that's a move-swift-standard I believe. Your'e good Skaya, I'll describe that and the lightning at once.
18:45 <Devar> OOC: All righty
18:45 <Devar> Devar summons Storm's Eye to strike the (hopefully vulnerable to lightning) metal golem!
18:45 <Devar> roll 5d8 lightning DC 20 reflex
18:45 <Kobot> Devar rolled 5d8 lightning DC 20 reflex --> [ 5d8=23 ]{23}
18:49 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+7
18:49 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+7 --> [ 1d20=15 ]{22}
18:50 <•Kotono> The storm of metal is fast, fast enough to dodge some of the shock. Not all, voltage crackling through ita s Skaya skids against a building wall and lands safely, before...OOC: Go Skaya.
18:50 — Skaya shoots their enemy again with magic missiles!
18:50 <Devar> Well, he was hopeful that was going to do more, but so it goes!
18:50 <Skaya> roll 2d4+2+5
18:50 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2+5 --> [ 2d4=6 ]{13}
18:54 <•Kotono> More missles hit and slam the creature, but the mass of shards shows nos igns of stopping. It goes backa nd forth before diving down at Skaya, a storm of metal hell surrounding her, trying to shred her to bits every whichw ay. OOC: Ref save.
18:55 <Skaya> roll 1d20+6+6 evasion
18:55 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+6+6 evasion --> [ 1d20=5 ]{17}
18:55 <•Kotono> roll 5d8+5 full owwies
18:55 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 5d8+5 full owwies --> [ 5d8=26 ]{31}
18:55 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 11/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 46/52
18:56 <•Kotono> Metal flies past and through Skaya. She's cut a dozen times and a dozen more, shredded top to bottom. Blood blossoms all over her body, a plentiful harvest of wounds. One eyes obscured with blood and out of focus now, and she feels warm blood trickling down her legs, her stomach, her arms, her sides. Yet it blows past her and is now behind her, the entire mass's red eye glaring balefully at
18:56 <•Kotono> her once more. OOC: Devar, go.
18:58 <Devar> Definitely time to leave! Devar hurtles himself down to grab Skaya and take off again! "If it follows us then the others can help!" He calls out. "I'll shield you!" OOC: Doing the same thing as last time, since we know it can fly he isn't concerned with getting high or low, just distance - So 15 to go down and grab her and then 35 back the way we came and away.
19:00 <•Kotono> Devar takes to the air with a bloodied Skaya in hand, booking it to flee. For her part, injured but alive, Skaya...OOC: Go Skaya.
19:00 — Skaya heals herself silently. The emulated divine power should patch the worst of her wounds enough that she doesn't leave a trail of her entrails....
19:00 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 27/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 46/52
19:01 <•Kotono> The staunches the worst of the bleeding - and as the two of you flee, it doesn't pursue thist ime. H owever, it fires off a pair of burning beams at Devar, just for good measure.
19:01 <•Kotono> roll 2#1d20+8 touch AC
19:01 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 2#1d20+8 touch AC --> [ 1d20=10 ]{18}, [ 1d20=10 ]{18}
19:01 <•Kotono> Yet they both whizz past Devar's shoulders as thet wo of you flee, out of range and escaping the worst of the danger - for now. OOC: Free act, it's not pursuing.
19:02 <Devar> "Let's add that to the list of things we deal with tomorrow." Devar says.
19:02 <Skaya> "Or you could heal me and we'll try again, this time from the sky?"
19:03 <Devar> "You really want to risk it?" Devar asks, stopping in his flight. "I don't have much on-demand healing left, but if you want me to just fly around while you shoot at it..."
19:04 <Skaya> "Everything we do is a risk," Skaya says quite reasonably. "We've decided this would be the last thing we do today, so let's give it our best. Just... make sure I don't expire if it hits me again?"
19:04 <Devar> "Sure, hold on a second, I can still do this." Devar says, channeling divine energy a few times!
19:04 <Devar> roll 3d6 3 channels here
19:04 <Kobot> Devar rolled 3d6 3 channels here --> [ 3d6=11 ]{11}
19:04 Skaya set the topic: Skaya: 38/42 Devar 57/57 Anne 60/60 Sanda 39/39 Rina 46/52
19:05 <Devar> With that, he turns back and heads back towards the building!
19:05 <Skaya> "Thanks, that should do it," Skaya responds, breathing out a sigh of relief. "I wish I brought more clean outfits, or actually knew a few useful cantrips to clean and mend them. Alright! My range is 130ft, so let's hover or pass within 120ft and see how it goes? If you spot the missiles not doing much, let me know!"
19:06 <Devar> "You got it." Devar agrees.
19:06 <•Kotono> You don't see the creature as you begin to fly back. Wherever it went, it didn'ts tay where it was at least.
19:08 <Devar> Devar will get closer to the ground - the door must still be opened to the glass shop, so they can easily see if it's still inside from a good distance away!
19:10 <•Kotono> From a distance, you can see the door has been closed once more.
19:11 <Devar> "We could stand on the other side of the door and open it?" Devar offers. "Then it wouldn't surprise us when it comes out and then I fly away?"
19:12 <Skaya> "This is plainly ridiculous," Skaya can't help but comment. "Sure, let's try this."
19:12 <Devar> Devar moves over, Treant's Wrath ready as he goes to open the door so that he'd fully be behind the door as it opens this time!
19:14 <•Kotono> The door is opened. The creature is within - now a maelstrom of metal, gold, jewels and treasure. More and more treasure flies into its orbit byt he second, as...OOC: Most likely init here, depending on what you're doing.
19:15 <Skaya> roll 1d20+8
19:15 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 1d20+8 --> [ 1d20=2 ]{10}
19:15 <Devar> He was expecting it to burst out at them! Oh well, nothing for it but to try their plan anew!
19:15 <Devar> roll 1d20+3
19:15 <Kobot> Devar rolled 1d20+3 --> [ 1d20=8 ]{11}
19:16 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+4
19:16 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+4 --> [ 1d20=8 ]{12}
19:16 <•Kotono> Init is Red Eye Creature (12) > Devar (11) > Skaya (10)
19:16 <•Kotono> All the treasure is now part of the creature, further encasing and shielding the eye within. It finishes gathering and...OOC: Goa head, Devar.
19:17 <Skaya> OOC: How does it look compared to before? Buffer? Or does it still have those dents?
19:17 <•Kotono> OOC: It has the dents but it's added more mass in the form of all the treasure here.
19:17 <Devar> Devar will grab Skaya and fly 50ft away from it! "Uhh, maybe aim for the eye?" Devar offers. "If you can?"
19:17 <Skaya> "Let's try to lead it towards the ankhegs! And I can't! It's hidden!"
19:18 <Devar> "Sure!" Devar agrees.
19:20 <•Kotono> The two retreat thena nd...OOC: Doing anything at all, Skaya?
19:21 <Skaya> Someone has to bait the monster into chasing after them, right? And bringing over their treasure? So it's magic missiles time again!
19:21 <Skaya> roll 2d4+2+5
19:21 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2+5 --> [ 2d4=2 ]{9}
19:25 <•Kotono> More missiles fly and hit the mass - denting metal and treasure alike, hitting hard. It's enough to make it reach out and slam the door shut in return, blocking your view of it. OOC: Go Devar.
19:26 <Devar> "That's not fair at all!" Devar bemoans.
19:27 <Skaya> "I don't mind you opening the door and it closing it repeatedly."
19:27 <Devar> Devar will put Skaya down 50 feet away, fly back over, and open the door again while staying behind it!
19:28 — Skaya is ready to shoot more missiles!
19:30 <•Kotono> The door opens - and you see that the a door in the back has been opened, and the creature is fleeing through it, one shard of metal and gold coin at a time.
19:31 <Skaya> Still within range!
19:31 <Skaya> roll 2d4+2+5
19:31 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2+5 --> [ 2d4=4 ]{11}
19:31 — Skaya pursues on the heels of the missiles!
19:33 <•Kotono> Missiles hit it again, Skaya racing in. How far is she racing in exactly?
19:34 <Skaya> OOC: Since I used a standard action to shoot it, I can only move 40ft this turn. Then it's Devar's go!
19:34 <Skaya> "It's running! So clearly, we must give chase!"
19:34 <Devar> "I don't know about that but okay!"
19:36 → Iddy joined (uid408070@lunarnet-423F0355.irccloud.com)
19:37 <•Kotono> Skaya peppers in with missiles as it continues to escape - before a  diamond, now a cloud of tiny shards, flies at Skaya's head - her eyes in particular.
19:37 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8 touch AC?
19:37 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 touch AC? --> [ 1d20=1 ]{9}
19:37 <Skaya> OOC: 21 touch
19:37 <•Kotono> Which misses entirely, as it flees entirely and the door is slammed shut, blocking further immediate access to it. OOC: Devar.
19:37 <Devar> Devar flies in and after, opening the door!
19:41 <•Kotono> The door is opened. In this room is more treasure - and it's all joining the vortext. By now the red eye is entirely hidden and more mass is joining it by the moment.
19:41 <Skaya> These pseudo-golems are the worst! And shouldn't it be nearing death anyway? What passes for death for it? Those thoughts go through Skaya's mind even as she activates her wand of magic missiles once more.
19:41 <Skaya> roll 2d4+2+5
19:41 <Kobot> Skaya rolled 2d4+2+5 --> [ 2d4=4 ]{11}
19:43 <•Kotono> Tink. This time the missiles can't seem to penetrate. If anything it's getting bigger and bigger, and starting to push against the ceiling.
19:46 <•Kotono> You see the creature - it's growing larger, and with a CRACK the ceiling gives way, stone joining the whirling mass of metal, gold, gems and now rubble. OOC: Devar, go.
19:47 <Devar> "This is seemingly worse than before!" Devar says as he tries to see what effect lightning has on it now, summong Storm's Eye to hurl a bolt of lightning at it! Maybe it's slower because it's bigger? OOC: Call lightning again
19:47 <Devar> roll 5d8 lightning DC 20 reflex
19:47 <Kobot> Devar rolled 5d8 lightning DC 20 reflex --> [ 5d8=23 ]{23}
19:47 <Skaya> "Nothing seeming about it!"
19:50 <•Kotono> It doesn't dodge and takes it head on. Lightning runs through the metal but it's not downed by it. It's just gathering more and more and more and more in by the moment! OOC: Skaya.
19:51 <Skaya> "It's painful but we're cutting our losses," Skaya decides, gritting her teeth. She gives the golem a baleful look before dashing outside and waiting by the outer door. She'll slam it closed once Devar has followed her out.
19:54 <•Kotono> More and more mass is gathered as...OOC: Devar, go.
19:54 <Devar> Devar flies out, shutting the inner door for all the good it does, then moving to Skaya!
19:55 <Skaya> "So hateful!"
19:56 <Devar> "This does seem like it's just a spiteful creature to us specifically." Devar agrees.
19:56 <Skaya> "Let's just go back."
19:57 <•Kotono> As you flee? Crashes and rumbles. The building's starting to give way, and rising from it is a massive whirling figure of rubble and more.
19:58 <Devar> Devar will grab Skaya and start flying away, hoping the creature just stays wherever it is and doesn't pursue them!
19:59 <•Kotono> Like this thet wo of you flee and escape - you hear more crashes in the dark, followed by one massive one as you flee further and further, back towards the mountain.
20:00 <Devar> "If that one resets tomorrow or whatever it is that happens here, now we know how to approach it." Devar says. "I actually have an idea if we do run into it again, but I don't know if it will work - we could use our power to pass through stone to try and wrench that eye out of the thing."
20:01 <Skaya> "It absolutely won't reset. In fact, it'll probably pursue us."
20:02 <Devar> "I don't like the sound of that, but maybe the idea of coming near fire elementals will give it pause." Devar says, flying back to the others.
20:03 <Skaya> "I think my trip to the parallel timeline had an encounter with it. Don't worry, our alternates didn't beat it either."
20:03 <•Kotono> No obvious pursuit at least, and the others await you. "Well?" Rina asks as you come back, "How'd it go?"
20:03 <Skaya> "I have bad news and more bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"
20:08 <•Kotono> Anne takes a long breath, "The worst news."
20:08 <•Kotono> Sanda hms, "Statistically speaking, I'd say start with the best and go to the worst, tobuild up to it. It goes down smoother that way."
20:09 <Skaya> "That glass golem might actually just be a telekinetic trash golem that grows stronger and stronger and regenerates after being killed," Skaya says, giving Sanda an apologetic look. "Anne spoke first and also there are no good news whatsover, sorry."
20:11 <Skaya> "I won't keep you in suspense, so the rest of the bad news are that there was a cloud of stuff golem-like creature here as well, but it used metals instead. At first. Then it almost killed me in a single hit, and destroyed all the treasure and then the building itself it was all in. Now it's a huge golem that possibly wants to kill us still."
20:11 <•Kotono> There's a long pause before Rina says, "Soooooooooooo," Drawing that out, "Want to go back and try another path?"
20:12 <•Kotono> "I hear the other paths are nice," Sanda agrees tot hat.
20:12 — Skaya snaps her fingers. "Oh! One bit of good news. Even though all this blood is mine it didn't kill me!"
20:13 <•Kotono> Anne gives Skaya a long look at that, before, "What say you, Devar?"
20:13 <Skaya> Blinking, Skaya looks between Rina and Sanda, voicing, "I feel like I'm missing something here. What other paths are there?"
20:14 <Devar> "I don't know if resting out here is safe." Devar says to Anne. "I'm still fine with us investigating these flames once we recover."
20:25 <•Kotono> "I think so?" Rina says, "Didn't we leave a locked door back the way we came, or am I confuseD?"
20:26 <•Kotono> ""It may not be," Anne agrees, "A safer sanctuary is likely preferable."
20:26 <Devar> "I say we rest, then we can come back here and investigate the flames if we want to, or the other locked door we ran into before coming this way." Devar says.
20:26 <Skaya> "We must pass by a regenerating glass or maybe everything golem first, and then it can regenerate again and again," Skaya points out. "And we decided to rest a bit before taking on that locked door. That's the only path unexplored for now, no?"
20:27 <•Kotono> "I think so," Anne says after some thought, "Which puts us in a dangerous situation."
20:28 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+8 meanwhile
20:28 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+8 meanwhile --> [ 1d20=15 ]{23}
20:28 <•Kotono> In the distance is a loud, crashing rumble, back from where Devar and Skaya just returned from.
20:29 <Skaya> "We can move back past that pseudo-planar distortion," Skaya proposes. "Maybe it can't follow us there." And she also tells them every little detail she remembers about this golem, in case Sanda can identify some weakness she'd missed herself.
20:29 <Skaya> OOC: Let's go back to our red fire mountain
20:29 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+12 Sanda
20:29 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+12 Sanda --> [ 1d20=3 ]{15}
20:29 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:29 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=22 ]{22}
20:30 <•Kotono> The trip back past the distortion is uneventful, and you make it past it with the same strategy as last time.
20:32 <Skaya> "Now let's find an apartment in the second floor of some abandoned building in town and rest," Skaya says tiredly.
20:32 <•Kotono> "Rest appeals," Is all Rina says in agreement,a s...
20:32 <•Kotono> roll 1d100
20:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 --> [ 1d100=91 ]{91}
20:32 <•Kotono> roll 1d100 subtable
20:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 subtable --> [ 1d100=89 ]{89}
20:32 <•Kotono> roll 1d5 topic order
20:32 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d5 topic order --> [ 1d5=5 ]{5}
20:33 <•Kotono> roll 1d20+9 Ref
20:33 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+9 Ref --> [ 1d20=17 ]{26}
20:34 <•Kotono> You return to the city. As you begin to do that? Suddenly Rina smoothly dodges to the side, as a bit of nearby building abruptly gives. Her speed lets her avoid getting smashed or worse, and amid calls of alarm, "I'm fine!"
20:35 <Skaya> Heartened by Rina's call of being safe, Skaya makes her way over to see what caused this! After casting mirror image.
20:37 <•Kotono> Anne's right behind Skaya. A chunk of a building's side gave way, raining stone and bricks where she was. Fortunately, Rina was faster than that.
20:38 <Skaya> Does it look like something made it collapse? Perhaps by digging at the foundation? They already ran into ankhegs in the other world.
20:39 <•Kotono> On a glance, no.
20:40 <Skaya> "So perhaps resting in a building is a bad idea. Let's find a square?"

[Corwin]

18:05 <•Kotono> It's not too hard to find a square int his dark, burnt city. An open place, nothing around but the ruin of an ancient city, boxed in above by new development and stranger magic. Are you all taking any defensive measures?
18:05 <Skaya> OOC: Standard watch rotation, let's use the topic listing
18:08 <•Kotono> roll 1d100 first of all
18:08 <Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 first of all --> [ 1d100=58 ]{58}
18:09 <•Kotono> OOC: Okay, Skaya in here and Devar in #evil.

[Corwin]

18:11 <•Kotono> When you get up to deal with certain natural business, Anne follows, "Devar, a few moments," she says, falling in with you as you get some distance from the others.
18:12 <Devar> "Everything all right?" He asks, turning to her.
18:17 <•Kotono> "That's what I wish to ask you, "Turning to face you, "What possessed you to take such a risk as to immolate yourself? It was so spontaneous, and I'm torn between horror that it happened, fury that you did it and desperate relief that you're still alive."
18:21 <Devar> "I had faith that I could get through it." Devar says. "But... in all honesty? I haven't felt like I've done much for the rest of you. I saw that it would grant some sort of power by standing in it, and I made a split-second decision to try." He adds, looking out into the darkness. "I shouldn't have, and in the future I plan to be more careful. I'm aware that it could've gone a lot worse,
18:21 <Devar> and I only have you to thank for it not happening."
18:27 <•Kotono> Anne looks away, a fist balled up tightly. "I'll thank you not to give me another funeral to conduct. I already pray for our safety, please don't make it any harder on Moore to help answer that prayer."
18:29 <Devar> "I won't. I'm sure Eldath will have words for me as well, but I did not do it for a selfish reason." He says. "Nonetheless, you've given me a lot to think about as we've been journeying - I don't think I can ever heal as well as you can, but I've been reading up on more abjuration and protective magic to keep us safe from harm. I'm hopeful to be able to put it to use."
18:34 <•Kotono> "Do that," Anne says, and suddenly slumps, "I'll ask you again. Please don't make me conduct another funeral. Please." A note of pleading in that last word, before Anne turns away from you. "And I hope Eldath tells you a lot of what I've already told you." A beat, "Was what you got in the fire at least worth it?"
18:36 <Devar> "I think so. I think we all should benefit from it, if we can." Devar says. "And... well, I would've sacrified my life when we were fighting that necromancer if it meant the rest of you were able to live. But... I will do my best to not let it come to that."
18:39 <•Kotono> A terse nod as Anne begins to walk away, back towards the camp.
18:40 <Devar> Devar will finish what he originally came out to do before heading back! Hopefully they can all get some rest.