Ishmael Mk III

[planswalker]

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well, you found your way not just to the plane of shadows, but to the part of it full of big bad scary shadows, as opposed to the nightwalkers in the safer section. Your hide check is relevant.

You creep along through the Docks, and come to where the bridge over to Aldhaven proper should be. Instead of a bridge and a gatehouse, there is just a bare island in the middle of the river.

[Monodominant]

Interesting.... he thinks as he looks around.

He tries to see any patches of land that might allow passage towards the city.

[planswalker]

The Docks are otherwise exactly like they are in the city, with the sewers emptying out into the river and taken down to the bay south of Aldhaven. There does not appear to be any bridges or small islands across to the other side.

[Monodominant]

Tapping his finger on his chin he considers his options. He tries to judge how far the one shore is from the other or at least from one side to the island where the fortress normally is located.

[planswalker]

You guess it's about 150 feet to the island, and about 300 further on to the city proper.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael curses softly under his breath... too far for him to jump with his abilities and he would not risk swimming in the waters of the Plane of Shadow...

Considering his options he heads back towards the Slums... perhaps the fact that the hobgoblins kept away from deal with Sphendrix could mean it would be easier to exit this plane from their side...

[planswalker]

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well, so much for the plan to have you swim across a shadow river.

Unless Ishmael wishes to walk openly through the Shadow Docks, he'll want to creep along.

[Monodominant]

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Yea right... low strength, check... almost no ranks in swimming, check... and armor on top of that, check.

So no, no swimming in the real world let alone in the Plane of Shadows.

Ishmael finds it a queer idea to have to hide in the shadows in such a plane but he sticks to it, careful not to stumble on any... living or unliving ones.

He also remembers he might have some way to avoid accidentally bumping into an enemy given his lack of keen eyesight and he focuses on the powers unlocked by the Devourer.

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Using Detect Spirits to make sure I dont get any sudden surprises... and

hide (1d20+29)[30]
ms (1d20+27)[30]

[planswalker]

Your spirit senses tell you of many feasts long before you'd run into them. They in turn do not see you as you navigate past the Docks. When you cross the border into the Slums, suddenly the entire plane seems to be tinged blue.

Be wary. Something that hunts for us and seeks our demise resides here.

[Monodominant]

Interesting... how can the plane of shadow be tainted blue? I thought this was only occuring in the dreamscape as you called it...

[planswalker]

It occurs wherever that serpent's energy infuses the area... It apparently gives power to things in the Slums.

[Monodominant]

Interesting. Let us indeed be careful then.

Ishmael continues walking around, or rather skulking around, the area trying to find a means to exit into the real world.

[planswalker]

As you are walking around, you come across a gathering of spirits that your detections read as an "appetizer". They are huddled around a blue flame in the middle of what would be the material world's arena.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael inches closer and tries to see or hear whats going on.

[planswalker]

As you inch closer, you see that the spirits huddled around the flame are in fact spirit projections of hobgoblins. They are slightly translucent and seem to be communing with the flame.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael decides this is not an opportunity to pass by. He focuses his thoughts and projects to the Cat.

Do you think we can consume the spirits or even the flame here? I realise you mentioned danger but this is not the dreamscape but the Plane of Shadows and thus reality is not as mutable...

If these hobgoblins work for this serpent you mentioned, removing them would be a blow to the Blue Hand clan as well as to the serpent. And how about the flame? If its a spirit form servant of the serpent, draining it also has the same effect...

He also analyses the power of the spirit forms he sees.

[planswalker]

strangely, although they are communing with the flame, your senses register it as "not-food"...

you ask my permission to devour? That's rich. Of course you should eat.

[Monodominant]

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Even the blue flame registers as no-food?

Ishmael growls.

You warned me against the Blue thing... thats why I ask if its appropriate to eat them here... also they register as no food... or no spirits at least... what could that mean?

[planswalker]

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no, the hob spirits are food, the blue flame isn't.

If you don't register the flame as food, that probably means you can't eat it.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael will walk carefully from behind them and try to drain their souls away. These hobs have done nothing wrong but the intrusion of a hob in Skulk territory had to be somehow punished and this seemed like a good time to do so.

[planswalker]

You easily consume the appetizers and feel a tinge of the blue power again flow around you and into the plane. Things take on an azure tinge for a moment before fading.

The flame recoils at your sudden intrusion and cutting off of the spirits communication with it, and it assume the form of a brilliant yellow sphere.

What dares to desecrate my communion?

[Monodominant]

Not planning to start something like that he looks around.

The spirit had chosen this point for communication probably because it was a 'shallow' point between worlds. Trying to sense that tear or close proximity and evade without having to deal with the angered spirit.

[planswalker]

The orb spins and begins to pick up flashes of other colors. A small radius of bright, rainbow-colored light begins to expand outward from it. Your senses give you a tantalizing smell of souls beyond a crack in space near the spinning sphere.

[Monodominant]

Still not planning to risk it by staying longer Ishmael uses his cloak to move next to the rent in space and tries to pass through it.

[planswalker]

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that'll be a tumble check, please

[Monodominant]

Skill and grace was his whispered hope as he tries to tumble away (1d20+10)[16]!

[planswalker]

You tumble through and avoid the sphere's tendrils with agility. You pass through the tear, and you suddenly find yourself in the center of the Arena at night.

[Monodominant]

Ishmael goes invisible right away and seeks shelter in any nearby shadows. Worried the hobs might catch him here he tries his best to stay hidden until he can assess the situation.

[planswalker]

It is the dead of night, and you find it very easy to hide. While there are guards around, they are focused on looking for trouble ENTERING the arena, not someone already inside.

[Monodominant]

Deciding to use the opportunity since he is here Ishmael first alters his form using the hat and then his kit, better safe than sorry.

Once done he stays hidden and invisible like a vengeful shadow. He explores the arena for anything peculiar and of interest, including the offices of the hobgoblin necromancer he had met before.