Heart of Gheddon

[Archmage1]

"So, Ori, what exactly are you planning on doing with this stone? and what is it?"

Mariel divides the equipment into 2 piles: The stuff that she can pack away, and the stuff that she can't. She places the items she can carry into her pack, and then she goes to pick up the stone.

into pack

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11 x Signet Ring (5 gp)
Arcane Scroll (Protection from Chaos)
Arcane Scroll (Phantom Trap)
Amethyst (110 gp)
Banded Agate (13 gp)
Deep Blue Spinel (500 gp)
Red Garnet (90 gp)
Rock Crystal (30 gp)
Rock Crystal (60 gp)
Smoky Quartz (40 gp)
800g in silver powder
10 one-lb silver bars
A pair of goggles
450g
50cp

8 x High Boots (3 gp, 4 lb)
Full Plate (Medium)

[Tharione]

The stone weighs five pounds.

"I believe it is the key... actually being the first of my line to lay eyes on it in thousands of years is... overwhelming."

Ori shakes her head

"I apologize. Now is not the time for sentimentality, know that it, along with the map I carry will lead us to the means to re-imprison Gheddon."

She holds out her hand, beckoning you to grant her the stone.

[Archmage1]

"From looking at the stone, I know what it is. This is not a key. This is a door."

[Tharione]

"A tool can be many things. It is also the key to my map. Without it my map cannot be understood, without my map it will not guide us to the shards."

She puts her hand down

"Still, I wish to know what you mean by this. All the legends say is that it will guide the map bearer to the shards."

[Archmage1]

"It seems to be a gatestone. One of many. They can be used to open gates in certain places, and they will guide a user to those places. They will also protect travelers from the dangers of traveling in other planes. I have never heard of one that guides someone to the location of other gatestones, however."

[Tharione]

"We are not seeking other gate-stones, to my knowledge at least. If that is all it does then it must be the magic of my map that does the rest."

[Archmage1]

"Why don't we see what I can make of your map, if it has any magic? If it does, and if that magic is similar to the gatestone's magic, we can consider combining them. I don't think that doing so here is a good idea, though, considering the formians."

[Tharione]

in angrier tones Ori speaks,
"I did not come all this way to find this key and not use it, I imagine you did not either."


She takes a moment and calms herself. Then speaks in apologetic tones.

"Do you need to see the map itself in order to investigate its magic or can you do so through the wrappings?"

[Archmage1]

"Forgive me, I did not mean to anger you. I have no objections to using it, just not in a location that enemies can see into. I can try seeing through the wrappings, but it may not work. I will almost certainly get better results without them."

[Tharione]

she sighs and turns away from you, slowly undoing her white wrappings. Starting at her head and slowly working downwards revealing her shoulders and back.

The vast majority of her deeply tanned skin is covered in tattoos of red, black, silver, and golden ink. The vast majority of which appear to be randomly distributed double circles of varied sizes, some overlapping each other, some off alone, in the small of her back is a prominent black symbol. On each of her shoulders and hands are smaller, different symbols. and another is to be found at the base of her neck along the spine.

She remains facing away from you and stands perfectly still waiting for your inspection to finish.

Mariel:

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You are able to narrow down one of the auras usually affecting her as being based in the tattoos.

[Archmage1]

"Thank you, this should not take too long. Do you mind if I touch them? It may help determine their properties. They are magnificent, are they not? However, I don't imagine it was much fun getting them."

Mariel examines the tattoos closely, trying to determine what their properties are.

Assuming Ori does not mind if Mariel touches her
She also prods Ori, trying to see if the Tattoos are made in ink, and how they react to touch.

(1d20+23)[42] planes
(1d20+23)[30] arcana
(1d20+28)[33] spellcraft

[Tharione]

"You may. They are indeed a thing of beauty, thank you. Receiving them was indeed painful, but to be map-bearer was enough of an honor to help me endure it."

The tattoos are permanent, metallic inks needled into the lower layers of skin. They do not react in any way to touch.

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planes: The symbols you can see are symbols from the written form of High-Infernal, a dialect of infernal typically only spoken or written by arch-devils.
Alas, you cannot read them.

The map itself seems to be a highly complex mapping of the multi-verse along 'the great wheel' theoretical model of the multi-verse. Each circle represents a plane (although there is no indication as to which is which) and those that overlap indicate coterminous planes. The model would seem incomplete to some, lacking an astral plane to which all others would be coterminous, but a realization that her body itself likely represents this finds you.

Arcana: The inks used in this map appear to be magically reactive, in more than one way.

SpellCraft: The magic the tattoos radiate is moderate divination and faint abjuration. The magics themselves are incomplete, like a spell trigger item. Waiting for some magical trigger to release.

[Archmage1]

"Thank you. Do you know what the runes say? The rest of it is a truly amazing piece of work. It looks like it will indeed act as a guide, and possibly as a defense. However, using the map before ensuring we have no observers seems... foolish"

[Tharione]

"I was told they were keyed to each of the locations of the shards. I do not know if they even have a literal translation. I also know that they are in a similar script to infernal symbols, thus why i hide them from those who might misinterpret their presence on my body."

She begins rewinding the bindings around herself.

[Archmage1]

"Well, similar to infernal, yes. Are they actually infernal? No. Best I can tell, they are written in High Infernal, the language of the Archdevils. Translating them would prove to be... difficult. Do you know how your order learned them?"

[Tharione]

"I do not, it seems most likely they were simply ancient names for the locations that my ancestors learned. Or perhaps old magic already within those places."

[Archmage1]

"I doubt that. Such names would be in a more common language, such as celestial, infernal, or draconic. High Infernal is rather rare. It is possible they learned it fighting Gheddon, but why write in a language that you know your adversary knows? I think we need to translate them somehow. Going into this plan more or less blind is a bad idea. We need information. In the more short term, Do you want to find the source of this incursion of Formians, or to simply leave?"

Mariel goes to lift the armor, thinking about carrying, but after much effort, she manages to pick it up, strain showing clearly on her arms and legs. After a few seconds, she drops it.

"Axile, do you have some means of carrying this? It seems likely to be magical, and if we are going to translate the runes, we will probably need the gold. Might as well take the boots as well."

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Does Mariel know of any places that might have the knowledge to translate High infernal?

[Tharione]

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Baator would probably be the best place to look, but that has obvious problems.
You know of nowhere on the prime material.

Ori finishes redressing, deigning to leave her head uncovered and let the unwound bindings drape around her neck like a scarf.
Turning to face you, you can see she definitively has the angular features of an elf. Her expression is soft yet stern. On her forehead is an additional symbol like the others.

"Gheddon was a demon lord, if this is the language of arch-devils they did not learn it from him..."

She hefts the armor onto her shoulders, seeing Mariel struggle with it.

"I would rather not go searching for more foes at the moment, not when we finally have the maps key."

[Archmage1]

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Sigil it is then.
(I might have just gotten planescape torment from GOG)

"Thank you. I am afraid that my training did not including lifting things heavier than a book. Now, Shall we continue deeper into this place, or shall we leave?"

[bindin garoth]

Finally free! Oh, he was going to get Mariel back for that...... He doesn't care that she was suffering from the same effect! It's no fun being trapped in a dome with almost no light.

But he's unsure of what to make of this new room. On the one hand...... Treasure! But what of this stone they have found? Axile doesn't get a good feeling from it. No, not a good feeling at all.......

'So, this is the key.........' The man thinks to himself. But it's the revelation of the tattoos Ori possesses that are truly stunning. It was an art he had rarely seen since he was..... Awoken from his frozen state. He had thought the art was lost! Well, not that he every really practiced the art....

Still, the fact that they were in High Infernal was disturbing. Then again, only a few days ago, he had been willing to cut open a demon in an attempt to regain some of his powers.........

"How long do you need for the map Ori? Shall I open up another dimensional resting point?"

[Tharione]

"I haven't actually used it before. All I was told was to hold the stone and it would guide me."

Ori passes on the armor to Axile so he can store it in his bag. She looks thoughtful for a moment.

"A rope trick... would an extra-dimensional space be safe enough from prying eyes Mariel?"

[Archmage1]

"It should be safe enough, indeed. Besides, we need to find out how the stone reacts to extra-dimensional spaces."

[bindin garoth]

"Yup, should be no problem. Do you need me to set up a separate space for you? I don't know if you need to be away from us while using that stone." Axile asks, as he prepares to cast his rope trick spell.

[Tharione]

"I do not know why I would, if you desire it I will use a second."

[Tharione]

Axile casts a rope trick spell and the party retreats to the safety of its confines.

[Archmage1]

Mariel passes Ori the gatestone.

[Tharione]

Ori takes the gatestone and holds it in both hands. The symbol on her forehead glows briefly, the wheel tattoos visible on her arm begin turning slowly and shift their position. Ori stares at the stone, transfixed.

"Down."

[Archmage1]

Mariel tries to analyze the effects of the turning on the overall map, trying to gather enough information to later identify which plane corresponds to which wheel...

(1d20+23)[43] planes
(1d20+23)[33] arcana
(1d20+28)[32] spellcraft

[Tharione]

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Your knowledge of the planes tells you that the map may have been outdated due to planar drift and is probably re-aligning itself. You still get no additional indicators as to which plane is which

your other two skills tell you that its magic is finally complete and active.

[Archmage1]

"It would seem that we have our goal. Looks like we will be finding that formian queen after all. Shall we proceed, or do we need to rest first?"