[25] The enemy of my enemy...

[Merc]

Session Start: Sun Sep 12 16:32:19 2010

<Merc> After a few days' travel away from the town, taking care to hide their tracks and so forth to avoid possible pursuers, knocking out captives as necessary, and so forth, our heroic group of royal kidnappers are setting up camp, finally ready to interrogate and get the answers they require!
* Namagomi is now known as Aleph
<Merc> Also, a welcome surprise as Anassia's undead minions have found their way to their mistress!
<Merc> Well, possibly welcome. Probably can't be easy to be subtle with a giant undead snake (although they haven't heard any news of undead monstrosities prowling either...on the other hand, they haven't been near towns lately for that matter!)
<Aleph> "...How'd they find us after all this time?"
<Anassia> "I honestly have no idea," she admits, blinking to them. "But I'm glad they're back," she admits with a faint stretch.
<Maya_Mahabala> "Is everyone ready?  We need to be careful here.  If the prince picks up on a bad message, we might start a war anyway."
<Aleph> "Well, I figure I can't do too much more than watch in this case." Aleph shrugs.
<Maya_Mahabala> "Why not?  We're going to scare him so much he wants to stop the war immediately and turn on his allies with all the fury of Vyrdam."
<Anassia> "Fair enough," Anassia says, leaning against a tree.  "Honestly, Maya, I think that you might have the opposite affect."
<Maya_Mahabala> "Hmm?" The beautiful gypsy wondered at Anassia's words.
<Anassia> "You're not exactly intimidating."
<Maya_Mahabala> "Well...maybe not.  You up to it?" She pouted a bit at the taller woman.
<Aleph> "I'm not intimidating either.  Especially when I lack alchemical stuff to threaten him with...hey, Anassia, you did all the scary magic stuff before."
<Aleph> "Figure you could get them to speak with that?"
<Anassia> "Yeah," she says, straightening slightly.  "And I suppose I could do this."
<Anassia> "Although I think I am going to have to change," she ponders with a glace down.  "These clothes aren't going to help my case any..."
<Maya_Mahabala> "Alright.  Let's wake him up.  We'll get this started and hang him out to dry somewhere he can be found, hungry angry, humiliated and ready to turn on his former ally.  Huh?  Oh, a scary costume?" Maya was treating it more like a theater production.
<Anassia> "Not really, but something that doesn't reveal enough skin to make me look more a strumpet than kidnapper," she comments with a faint grin as she reaches into her bag to pull out the dress from before.
<Elise> "I agree," Elise says. "He's not going to feel appropriately threatened if he's too busy staring at your thighs!"
<Aleph> "Though that may let him take leave of his mental facilities long enough anyway."
<Maya_Mahabala> "Well, we all have nice thighs.  All that walking really helps," Maya smirked and leaned back.  "So how shall we help?  Fearsome blood hungry assassins in the wing?"
<Aleph> "I've got a bow, so that helps." Aleph snrks.  "Though I'm going to just check if he's bullshitting."
<Anassia> "I somehow doubt that my thighs are quite so powerful, Aleph," she quips back, pullling the dress over her head.  Once she's finishing adjusting it for comfort she glances to the snake, which quickly coils about the knight, fangs bared near his head.  "Do as you will," she comments back to Maya.
<Maya_Mahabala> "Mmm, I guess your undead snake kind of tops the lot of us for being scary." Maya shrugged.
<Aleph> "That it does."  Aleph comments while, tempted by Anassia's comment, he does take a quick look over at the dancer.
<Anassia> "That is the point," she says, smirking over to the two.  "Got to put on a good show."
<Maya_Mahabala> "That I definitely agree with," Maya smirked.  "Mama would never let me hear the end of it if we couldn't trick a spoiled rich boy." She teased.
<Anassia> "This is going to be a little different than getting some coin, Maya," she says flatly.
<Aleph> "Eh, a con's a con."
<Elise> "What should I do?" Elise wonders. "Stand here and look ominous with my hammer? Threaten to hit them if they don't cooperate? I do kind of want to hit them still, after all."
<Aleph> "Don't hit them.  That'll knock them out, most likely.  Looking ominous and threatening might help, though."
<Maya_Mahabala> "I'll be in the shadows if he tries to run.  Aleph can get a good position for shooting his legs out.  You should stay by Anassia and look threatening."
<Anassia> "The threat should be implied rather than be spoken aloud," she comments.
<Elise> "Right." Elise has weapon in hand, ready to loom appropriately!
* Aleph nods. "Let's do this, then."
* Maya_Mahabala slips behind the trees.
* Aleph checks where they are
<Aleph> ...namely, how close is it to a trail
<Anassia> roll 1d20+9 Concetration
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 14 > [d20=5]
* Aleph decides, then, to slip behind a different group of trees, keeping himself within earshot of the conversation, but with bow ready in case either tries to bolt
* Anassia nods to Aleph, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opens them, they've regained their demonic luster and glow. A glance and the other skeletons move to lift the prince into a kneeling position while she settles herself on a convienient fallen log.
* Elise takes up station next to Anassia and begins looming!
* Anassia will have one of the skeletons upend whichever convienient water source is nearby before continuing its vigil. Undead slaves are so convienient.
<Merc> The prince splutters and blinks rapidly as he shakes the water off himself, not really picking up on his situation. "...where?" he mutters before his eyes settles on Anassia and Elise, and remembers what happened. "...Blast it all."
<Anassia> "Ah, you're awake, princeling," Anassia says coldly.  "How nice of you to join us."
<Merc> The prince snorts at that. "Yes, well, not much choice in the matter, right?" he replies with a sardonic smirk.
<Anassia> "Now, now.  You should watch your manners lest someone get... hurt," she glances pointedly over to the knight.
<Merc> The prince turns his head and frowns. "...well I'm admittedly surprised at the forethought of not murdering all my men. So you have hostages too. How positively devious," he says flatly. "So? What is it you want to know? Given you went through all this trouble of kidnapping me?"
<Merc> ooc: sense motive checks
<Anassia> roll 1d20+7
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 19 > [d20=12]
<Elise> roll 1d20-2 this is always epic
<Penuche> Elise invokes Penuche's magic: < 3 > [d20=5]
<Aleph> roll 1d20+10
<Penuche> Aleph invokes Penuche's magic: < 25 > [d20=15]
<Merc> roll d20+11 robo-taru
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 12 > [d20=1]
<Maya_Mahabala> roll 1d20+0
<Penuche> Maya_Mahabala invokes Penuche's magic: < 15 > [d20=15]
<Merc> Anassia can briefly see the prince's face crack with concern at the sight of his knight, Davan, all tied-up and unconscious, as well as hear his voice briefly crack while speaking of hostages (which Aleph also hears). The others, they miss the cues though, and the prince continues to sound as if he's taking his situation lightly. Surprising possibly for Maya, who remembers how the prince spoke of Davan when they fought in the streets.
* Anassia smirks faintly. "I'm afraid I shall be asking the questions today, lest my snake need to be fed."
<Merc> "...You realize, of course, that you have yet to ask a single question, correct?"
<Anassia> "Of course.  Whom do you serve, princeling?"
<Merc> "I'm a prince. Why would I serve anybody besides myself? Well, I suppose I could say I serve my father, but we don't really get along well, just so you know," he replies.
<Anassia> "I know you are not plotting your little war on your own.  Quite good work at it, too, I might add."
<Merc> He frowns. "Well, I'd say thank you, but I'm quite positive you didn't mean that as a compliment."
<Anassia> "Quite the contrary, actually.  You might be surprised how many have tried as you and failed before the task."  Anassia smirks again.  "You will tell me whom is collaborating with you."
<Merc> He pauses. "Ah, well, I didn't see anybody here besides Davan, so I assume you've killed Lord Killigan and were not referring to him?" he asks for clarification, and before you can reply continues on. "No, of course you were not referring to him. How silly of me. Perhaps, then, you swish to speak of Lord Ranus?"
* Anassia nods a single time, continuing to watch the prince.
<Merc> "Well then..." he pauses, and narrows his eyes, focusing on Anassia. "While I know you did state you'll be asking the questions, I'll have to interject one question before I answer that. What do you plan to do with my knight and I, if I answer your questions?"
<Anassia> "Assuming you cooperate fully, your pathetic lives shall be spared."
<Anassia> "How droll, always worrying over your wellbeing."
<Aleph> 'Lord Ranus?'  Aleph thought...he hasn't heard of that guy before.
<Merc> Prince Victor nods after a few seconds, apparently believing Anassia. "Well, really, you should be thankful. How would you trust the word of a man who doesn't give a damn about his life?" he asks, pausing as if recollecting his thoughts. "Lord Ranus...well, he's a pretty reclusive fellow, can't say very much about him, I'm afraid. I -do- know that he's a mage from Dalewyn, though no idea if he's affiliated with Norwic."
<Merc> ooc: still typing
<Merc> "I've met him a few times, four I believe. As I said, he's a reclusive fellow, and I admit being thankful for it. I'd much rather deal with his intermediary, Killigan. Not a pleasant fellow, I'll admit, but still better to deal with," the prince answers. He pauses, waiting to see if that's sufficient or not.
<Anassia> "Where might we find this Lord Ranus?" Anassia asks, quirking an eyebrow slightly.
* Aleph continues to listen
<Merc> "Well, as I said, he is from Dalewyn. I'd imagine you'd have the most luck finding him there. Then again, of the four times I met with him, only once was in Dalewyn. The other three times were in some place Killigan took me that was in the Farvona lands, supposedly. I cannot say for sure. Killigan had this necklace of some sort, from his master, that took us there."
<Anassia> "Ahh, yes.  And how did this necklace work, exactly?"  She asks, curiously.
<Merc> He looks at Anassia incredelously. "I am no mage, how would I know? Killigan simply grasped it and myself, and suddenly, we were elsewhere. I actually should have met with him back when...well, when you interrupted, but apparently the necklace was not an option for some reason. I didn't really think much about it, as I've said, I would rather work with Killigan than Lord Ranus."
<Merc> ooc: Note to Maya, you recall the necklace when Killigan ported outof the t-rex
<Anassia> "Fair enough. I must admit, however, my curiosity as to your reasoning behind starting this war.  It is hardly something undertaken on a whim."
<Merc> The prince purses his lips. "I believe I said earlier that my father and I do not see eye to eye on many things," he hedges.
<Aleph> 'Wonderful.  More magic stuff that I don't get' Aleph thinks
<Anassia> "To spite your father?"  Anassia asks, rolling her eyes slightly.
<Merc> He snorts. "Oh, please. Spite? No, nothing so droll. I simply needed something to blame when I poisoned him. Though I admit my allegiance with Lord Ranus seems to have complicated things..."
* Aleph rolls his eyes from behind his cover
<Merc> ooc: sense motive
<Maya_Mahabala> roll 1d20
<Penuche> Maya_Mahabala invokes Penuche's magic: < 15 > [d20=15]
<Aleph> roll 1d20+10
<Anassia> roll 1d20+7
<Penuche> Aleph invokes Penuche's magic: < 26 > [d20=16]
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 16 > [d20=9]
<Merc> roll d20+11 robo-taru
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 12 > [d20=1]
<Anassia> (( Isn't that the second 1 for Sense motive for robo? ))
<Merc> ooc: It is indeed
<Elise> roll 1d20-2 this is always epic mk. 2
<Penuche> Elise invokes Penuche's magic: < 9 > [d20=11]
<Merc> As Aleph rolls his eyes, he ponders the words of the prince, and feels like something is still being left unsaid...
<Aleph> "Oh?  Nothing more?  I'm pretty sure starting a war for the sake of succession, even with just covering your own ass, is rather excessive in and of itself"  Aleph says, trying to add to the interrogation as he slowly, menacingly, nocks an arrow for the sound.
<Anassia> Anassia glances over towards Aleph, before back to the prince.  "Continue."
<Merc> The prince frowns as his head turns to where Aleph is hiding. "Ah, of course. For a moment, I forgot there were more of you lot involved," he comments, apparently having spotted Aleph somewhat. He looks around for a bit, apparently looking for Maya and Jack, before deciding it's not important. "Well, I'll admit I'd rather not be king, if it really matters anything to you, although that was apparently the part that Lord Ranus and Killigan were hoping for."
<Merc> ooc: cut off - and Killigan were hoping for."
<Merc> He smirks sardonically again. "I -did- say there were complications with my allegiance."
<Anassia> "They sought to become King." Anassia says, nodding slightly.  "A clever power-play."
<Merc> ooc: I've got nothing to say right now, unless you want to prod him for more or something. You can almost consider his previous line as a follow-up to Anassia's comment, if you wish.
<Anassia> "Very well."  She glances over to Aleph.  "Any questions?" she asks, simply.
<Aleph> "None here.  He's already said enough." Aleph says, loosening up on the arrow
<Anassia> "Very well."  She looks to the prince.  "There is only one thing left for you to do, then."
<Merc> "If you say it's 'to die', I am going to be very, very angry, just so you know," he quips, with a hint of nervousness.
<Anassia> "Far from it.  You're going to take us to the nearest of your brothers' manors to confess your crimes."
<Merc> "Well, that will be a tad difficult what with you holding me captive and us being miles away from the capital, you know. Not to mention, one of my brothers isn't even at the capital," he remarks, before pausing. "Actually, I suppose I have no idea how far we actually are from the capital, come to think of it."
<Anassia> "Surely one of them has a home far from the capitol that was nearer?"
<Merc> "Nope, we're not like you Adallians, with your fancy manors and meadows and whatever else you have," the prince remarks without missing a beat. OOC: Sense motive, particularly for Elise!
<Anassia> roll 1d20+7
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 19 > [d20=12]
<Maya_Mahabala> roll 1d20
<Penuche> Maya_Mahabala invokes Penuche's magic: < 11 > [d20=11]
<Merc> roll d20+11 robo-taru
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 26 > [d20=15]
<Aleph> roll 1d20+10
<Penuche> Aleph invokes Penuche's magic: < 12 > [d20=2]
<Elise> roll 1d20-2 ?
<Penuche> Elise invokes Penuche's magic: < 8 > [d20=10]
<Merc> The prince's attempt to get a rise out of them, curious to see if he can get one of them to admit to being from Adallia, doesn't even phase Anassia, Jack or Aleph, who immediately realize that nobody mentioned being from Adallia. Neither Maya or Elise seem to catch on for some reason, and the way he said it somehow...irks them.
<Elise> "You're right, you're NOT anything like us," Elise says. "There's only one person here who's plotted to kill his father, and he's not from Adallia. I should smite you right now and send you to the special hell reserved for patricides! Attempted ones, I mean."
<Aleph> "...Oi, easy there."
* Anassia sighs slightly at Elise's outburst. "Some of our number may be from Adallia," she admits flatly.
* Aleph rolls his eyes, with a thought. 'Anassia...-wrong- way to go about it.'
<Merc> "...uhuh," the prince replies flatly. "Well, at least that explains things somewhat. So...what's the plan? Still going to drag me to the capital to confess to my brothers, while avoiding the patrols that are surely hunting for you all?"
<Elise> "You're making that sound really difficult, so MAYBE it would just be easier to get rid of you right now."
<Anassia> "By no means are we all from Adallia," she says with a shrug, glancing back to the prince.  "I doubt we could expect you to carry through if we were to simply turn you free..."
<Merc> "Well, probably not, no. I doubt my brothers would kill me, but I'd honestly rather they weren't aware of what I did," he admits, for whatever reason.
<Aleph> "Alright.  You'd rather your brothers not find this out, and we don't want to get caught by whatever angry mobs are about."
<Aleph> "I would say we should compromise on this matter, but I still find it difficult to trust you."
<Merc> "Well, I am rather partial to you pointing all the blame to Lord Ranus, if you're feeling charitable," Victor suggests, not being able to resist piping in on Aleph's comments.
<Anassia> "And how are we to know you would not simply do as you've done again once the blame has been shifted from you?"
<Maya_Mahabala> "Why would we care?  As long as they leave Adallia out of it.  They should know we can come at any time, find them wherever they are, and put them back in this state," Maya remarked from out of view.
<Merc> "It is a bit distressing to know that you Adallians can sneak in and capture royalty just like that, yes. Certainly doesn't make me want to wage war with you lot anymore, if that helps," Victor says.
* Anassia eyes Victor slightly. "If we hear your father is to meet any... unnatural demise we may have to pay you a visit in the future."
<Merc> "...that might be a problem," Victor admits.
<Elise> "Then don't kill him! Then you never have to see us again! It isn't complicated."
<Merc> "Well, yes, but then we're back at the original problem. Sure, I don't exactly want war with you lot anymore, but my dad -really- has to go. Either that, or you'd have to find me a group of kidnappers as good as you lot," Victor says flatly.
<Merc> ooc: change dad to father. more formal.
<Anassia> "Simply finger Lord Ranus," Anassia suggests.
<Merc> "Well, yes, that was my current plan," Victor notes.
<Anassia> "Why do you seek your father's demise, anyway?" Anassia asks, quirking an idea.
<Merc> "...I'd rather not explain, but let me frame it this way. My father and I do not get along. My brothers and I -do-. Work your way to whatever conclusion you wish from that," he hedges, once more.
<Anassia> "Which of your brothers would earn the throne following your father's demise?" she asks, curious.
<Merc> He raises an eyebrow, wondering what conclusions Anassia has reached about him. "My brother Ophius. Following him would probably be William, although one could argue for myself, as we are twins."
<Aleph> "I see."
<Anassia> "Fair enough," she says with a nod.  "Although I know little of your brothers."
<Maya_Mahabala> "So what do we do about Lord Ranus in the meantime?" Maya asked.  Still staying out of view.
<Anassia> "We take him out of the picture," Anassia says grimly.
<Merc> If Anassia is asking for more information on his brothers, Victor doesn't seem to pick up on it, as he ponders Maya's question. "Well, we met in the port town of Dalewyn once, you could try for information on him there. Or you could search for his hideout in Farvona, though I doubt it'd be easy without Killigan and his necklace."
<Anassia> "What did this necklace look like, exactly?  And is there nothing else you can tell us about it?"
<Merc> "Uhm, it was just some brownish metal chain links, with a circular locket hanging from it. I might be mistaken, but he once opened it, it -looked- like a bright glowing red orb embedded inside. It glowed red, anyway, from what I could tell before he shut it again."
<Aleph> "Intriguing."
<Anassia> "He opened it?"
<Merc> "Only once, as if checking on something, before we teleported. He never did so the other two times," the prince clarifies.
<Anassia> "And he used it by simply grasping it?"  A pause.  "Where did you say this hideout was and how you got back?
<Merc> He nods at the first question, and for the second... "I'm assuming it was Farvona from the jungle I saw outside, and the heat, though I'll admit I can't be certain. But really, where else could it be? As for getting back, after meeting with Lord Ranus, I would simply go to Killigan again, and he'd grasp the necklace again, then we'd be back where I'd left Davan and my guards."
<Anassia> "And you saw no difference in the two uses?" she asks, quirking an eyebrow.  "Interesting.  We shall keep an eye out for this amulet."
<Merc> "It was the same very same amulet, and same just grasping it. Not sure why it would be different..." he states, wondering at the questions, a bit.
<Anassia> She nods once, before glancing to the two others visible.  "Does this sound agreeable?"
* Elise just shrugs. She doesn't like the prince much, but he's not the mastermind, right? The sooner they can get out of his presence and get searching for the real villain, the better.
<Aleph> "Fine with me." Aleph replies from his position in cover.  It wasn't a comforting thought to be accessory to murder like this, but at the same time...he doesn't even know much about the king to begin with.  For all he knew, the bad blood could be well-deserved.
<Anassia> "Now, Davan," she says, looking over to the knight still guarded by the massive skeletal snape.
<Merc> ooc: Now, about* Davan (log edit, whenever I get 'em up)
<Merc> "...what about him?" Victor asks, a bit alarmed at how he's being brought up. What did the knight have to do with anything with their current deal?
<Anassia> "We're not going to kill him," Anassia says, blinking a few times at his alarm.  They're not murderers.  ....well, they're not /all/ murderers.
<Merc> "...okay then?" Victor does seem a bit more at ease, but still a bit alarmed and curious.
<Anassia> "We could use his aid in hunting down Ranus."
<Anassia> She does not, however, say that he makes a convienient hostage.
<Merc> ooc: bluff check, since you do want to keep that part hidden.
<Anassia> roll 1d20+11
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 31 > [d20=20]
<Merc> ooc: right, you auto-win. He can't even beat that.
<Merc> The prince slowly starts to nod, though he seems displeased with the idea as well. "I...suppose I could see the benefit in having more people with you," he says hesitantly.
<Anassia> "Another swordarm may hasten our quest that much more," she says, not mentioning that that will aid him as well, since he's going to have a sacrifical goat that sooner.
<Merc> He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes, and exhales. Opening them, he nods. "You may take him with you. Just...do not let him die in your quest. He will not do so easily, but even he can be bested, as you lot have proven."
<Anassia> Anassia nods, although she wonders exactly how hard it is to best him if some farmboys, a gypsy, a hammer-weilding nut and a mage-would-be overcome him...  "We shall do our best, I assure you."
<Merc> ooc: ...harsh, woman. Harsh.
<Aleph> "Understood.  He will likely be helpful, at the very least."  Aleph would be complaining like crazy if Anassia said that out loud.  Thankfully, she didn't, and thus he has no idea she thought of him as a simple 'farmboy'.
<Merc> "Well, I suppose we should explain things to him then...I don't suppose you trust me enough to untie me and telling these monstrosities to let me down?"
* Anassia nods, unsheathing the dagger and cutting the prince and knights bonds, having her creations back off for the time being.
* Aleph decides that there's no more need on stealthy mysterious-ish covered listening-in, now that there's an (uneasy) agreement, and decides to instead try sneaking over to the cover Maya is behind instead.

[Merc]

Session Time: Thu Sep 23 00:00:00 2010

<Merc> Merc: Having finished discussing things with the prince and coming to something of an agreement, Anassia splits off from the group as they help the knight, Davan, come back to consciousness and get him caught up with their plan of action.
<Merc> Merc: Grabbing the bag that they took from Killigan's body, Anassia begins searching it.
<Merc> Merc: Inside are various exotic knick-knacks, 100 gold coins, a framed picture of a woman, some rations, and a-ha! The necklace they'd been discussing, with it's lid closed and everything.
<Merc> Merc: One ponders if it's safe to grab it, considering that's apparently all it takes to make it do... whatever it does.
<Merc> Anassia: Anassia, ever being cautious about magical teleporting necklaces that might or might not land her in a random house halfway around the world decides to do the sane thing and pick it up by the chain rather than the actual possibly-transporting bit itself.  Hell, she has no idea how this thing might work.
<Merc> Merc: Nothing unexpected happens when you pick it up by the chain, thankfully. It's pretty much a normal chain necklace as far as you can tell from a glance, even if you know better.
<Merc> Anassia: She watches it for a few seconds, expectantly.  Magical items are supposed to glow, right?  Or shriek?  Bleed?  Something like that.  They always do in the tales, at least.
<Merc> Anassia: It is a disappointing few moments.  Once she's established that there's nothing overtly magical about it, she sets it down on a nearby flat surface to get a better look at it, still making an effort to not touch the locket itself.
<Merc> Anassia: Spellcraft:  1d20+17; 8+17 = 25
* Retrieving #truesteel modes...
<Merc> As you examine the necklace using your expertise on magic to guide you, you come to the conclusion that whatever magic comes from the necklace must be whatever Prince Victor had said was glowing inside the locket. At the very least, nothing screams 'magic' about the craftsmanship, nothing that looks like magical runes, for example.
<Anassia> With much trepidation will she lean foward to open the locket carefully; if squeezing it can cause teleportation, who knows what opening it can do!
<Merc> IT EXPLODES! ...no, not really. It opens slowly under your careful care, though there's no show of that glowing red energy that the prince claims to have seen. It is in fact not glowing at all. There is only a dull dark red gemstone, just a little bit of luster to it, and carved with some odd symbols on it.
<Anassia> Anassia blinks a few times before reaching out to pick up the gemstone.  Normally, this would be intriguing, but, instead, it is kind of anticlimactic.  A gemstone, afterall, is less interesting than randomly red glowy light.
<Merc> ooc: will save
<Anassia> roll 1d20+4  Go go shit saves!
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 9 > [d20=5]
<Anassia> (( And Penuche delivers. ))
<Merc> roll d6
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 1 > [d6=1]
<Merc> Your hand tingles a little, and you can see a very brief dim red glow shine through the symbols before it starts to die...until you feel a sharp pain shooting through your hand, causing you to drop the stone reflexively as it bursts alight with red even as it hits the ground. The light quickly starts to vanish, however, and after a few seconds, is back to a dull black-red.
<Merc> ooc: You've lost one point of magic, btw
<Anassia> She blinks a few times at the fallen stone before frowning down at her hand, flexing her fingers a few times.  "Huh."
<Anassia> (( Oh noes, not.... one point. ))
<Merc> ooc: =p
<Merc> ooc: nothing else is happening with the stone while it's on the ground.
<Anassia> After a few seconds of flexing (and making sure hand is still working), she bends over to pick the stone up, steeling herself this time, as she knows it's not entirely the friendliest gemstone the world around.
<Merc> ooc: will save again
<Anassia> roll 1d20+4
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 8 > [d20=4]
<Merc> roll d6
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 4 > [d6=4]
<Anassia> (( Yes, I hate you too, Penuche
<Merc> Ouch! Another jolt of pain, this one stronger through your arm this time! The gem continues glowing for a while longer as you hold it this time, having steeled yourself to the pain. OOC: Continue holding or dropping it?
<Anassia> Hold.  It's starting to glow, so that must be a good sign, right?  Clearly the pain is only temporary....
<Anassia> (( "The pain will only be temporary.  You should survive to process." ))
<Merc> You continue to feel your magical energy continually drain from your body as you continue holding the stone, and instead of returning to its dull color, it continues glowing, getting brighter in fact.
<Merc> OOC: spellcraft
<Anassia> roll 1d20+17
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 28 > [d20=11]
<Anassia> (( "Do you even realize your potential?"  "More. Intruders.  Have entered. The Complex.  Master."  "They act sooner than we had anticipated!" ))
<Anassia> (( it is alarming I can remember this entire scene. ))
<Merc> ooc: I don't recognize the quotes =p
<Merc> The gemstone is obviously leeching your magical energy. It's apparently some sort of...battery-powered magical device or something, that's how it works. You're not entirely sure you're charging it the way you're supposed to, but hey, it's working, right? Even if it is kind of painful...
<Anassia> (( Le gasp.  Baldur's Gate 2, opening scene.  I missed the 'Ah, the Godchild has awoken.  It is time for more.... /experiments/.' though. ))
<Merc> ooc: You going to keep holding it until your mana runs out, it does something besides glow, or what?
<Merc> ooc: heh, I've not played that.
<Anassia> (( ... You are a monster. ))
<Merc> ooc: yeah, yeah.
<Merc> ooc: Maybe one day I'll play it. It -is- on my list.
<Anassia> She will put it into the amulet, considering that pain wasn't described to her, exactly.  And to see if the 'charge' is holding.
<Merc> ooc: Anyhow, it's starting to look more like what Victor described, and you mostly suspect that's not how you charge it because Killigan was mentioned as having to check the locket.
<Anassia> (( Honestly, I think it's the best ERPG done.  It's yet to be surpassed. You're only doing yourself a disservice :P ))
<Anassia> She will flex her hand a few times after putting it back, rubbing her arm.  CLearly, whomever designed this was a masochist.  Or should have put instructions on it- hey!  She'll see if she can read the rune!
<Merc> You wouldn't be able to read the runes while it's glowing...Then again, as she puts the gem back in the locket, the light immediately ceases to emit from the gemstone as a whole! Huh...scratch 'non-magical' about the locket. You can still feel the magic, -your- magic, centered in the gemstone though, but there's obviously some sort of connection between the locket and gem as a whole device. The runes in the gem occassionally flash with red.
<Merc> ooc: spellcraft again to analyze runes.
<Anassia> roll 1d20+17
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 25 > [d20=8]
<Merc> Hrm...you're not entirely sure what's going on. You recognize one rune involving movement, remembering it from the books you learned magic from, but there really wasn't much on magical items besides the dangers of them. You somewhat make an intuitive guess at various runes near the movement rune to combine to give that teleportation effect, but that just leaves some other runes unknown.
<Anassia> (( Are the runes cycling with each flicker? ))
<Merc> ooc: yes, it always cycles in the same order, going in this order: Unknown rune, Unknown rune, Rune related to movement, rune related to movement, unknown rune, rune of movement, splits to three remaining runes related to movement, then vanishes. After a bit, it starts again.
<Merc> ooc: actually, one sec.
<Merc> Given the pain from the transfer holding the stone directly, you also suspect the first rune involves power regulation/transfer.
<Anassia> She watches it for a few cycles, before touching it on the first unknown rune, experimentally.
<Merc> ooc: the one you suspect to be about power regulation, or the one right after?
<Anassia> The power one
<Merc> ooc: will save
<Anassia> roll 1d20+4
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 5 > [d20=1]
<Merc> ooc: *snorts*
<Anassia> (( Holy hell. ))
<Merc> roll 2d6
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 6 > [d6=2,4]
<Anassia> (( Penuche is bound and determined to fuck her up. ))
<Merc> Ow! Is it -supposed- to hurt more each time you touch the damn stone?!? Okay, sure, it's not -really- causing her physical damage, but it hurts and she feels more drained every time the stone glows more.
<Anassia> Anassia decides that's enough powering for now.  At least it should be plenty charged, right?  Another flex of her hand and she waits for the runes to cycle again, touching the second this time.
<Merc> As she takes care to touch only the one rune, nothing really happens from touching it and the stone it's on...wait, no, you feel a tingle, but none of that sharp pain from before or draining feeling.
<Anassia> She blinks a few times.  A rune that makes you tingle?  That seems a little.... pointless.  She shrugs again, taking care to not press the movement runes as she continues to fiddle with the locket.
<Merc> You still feel the tingling as you handle the locket.
<Anassia> She frowns a little; what little she knows about magical tingling makes her think it's not very good when it's a continual thing... Still, she presses the next unknown rune.
<Merc> Still tingling. Nothing else happens.
<Merc> ooc: Note, you only feel the tingling when you touch the locket or the stone not in the first rune.
<Anassia> (( Not in the first rune? )_
<Merc> ooc: Also, I'm going to say you're currently down to 8 mana points, from the draining. And you think you feel it from the first rune too, maybe, but it kind of HURTSOHMYFUCKINGGODOOOOOOWWWWWWW almost immediately after.
<Anassia> (( AHa.))
<Anassia> She'll wait for the second rune, pressing it again, frowning slightly.
<Merc> Stiiiiiill tingles.
<Anassia> She's noticably more freaked out now.  The tingliong is similar, so maybe the first rune will be better, now....  She tries it
<Merc> ooc: fun will save time! *tosses Penuche a cookie*
<Anassia> roll 1d20+4
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 6 > [d20=2]
<Merc> ooc: man he is -hating- on you tonight.
<Anassia> (( High will save roll so far is a /4/ ))
<Anassia> (( It's nothing new! ))
<Merc> ooc: nah, your first roll was a 5, for a total 9.
<Merc> roll d6
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 4 > [d6=4]
<Anassia> (( I think either way, it's the same
<Anassia> (( Sucky rolls :P ))
<Merc> You knew it was coming. Still, didn't hurt as much as the last time...about the same as the second, maybe? Hard to tell as your hand pulls away.
<Merc> ooc: down to 4/27
<Anassia> She shakes her hand off, frowning, and waits a few seconds for the pain to die down to see if she's still tingling.
<Merc> The hand only tingles whenever you're handling the stone or the locket.
* Topic is 'Bad Navi/Cid! Bad! Game moved to 9/12!'
* Set by Merc on Sun Sep 05 19:57:48
<Anassia> She moves the locket to the other hand, curious!  Maybe it's just bound to her hand!
<Merc> Nope, now the tingling is on the other hand.
<Merc> ooc: getting sleepy, so we'll try to finish tomorrow. If for some reason we don't, I'll just use what we did to guess how much PAIN it takes for you to work your way through the device!
<Anassia> (( KK.  ANd pain is the best teacher! ))