Something Wicked this way Comes...

[Barthac]

Ah there you are, he says to the kneeling figure, This poor fella, he thumbs over his shoulder at the lost soul, Needs a place to stay. See that he gets taken care of for me. Also, try and see if there are any other lost souls floating around here. Wouldn't want them gettin' eaten in the afterlife. You might need help with that, though.

He turns back to meet shocked expressions, Did I forget to mention that part? He shrugs.

[Mr. X]

The angel's eyes turn on the soul. It moves forward, taking the man gently in its arms, and with another crack of thunder, it vanishes.

The rest remain staring at you in stunned silence.

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Karazi, I'll let you take the lead here.

[LordDice]

Somewhat stunned by this turn of events he looks towards his brother much like the others. "Um. Brother I must have missed something. Err, When did you get uh...Minions ?"

[Barthac]

Taalkar glances at Claudus and Freddy before answering with a shrug, You pick up some things along the way.

Taalkar stares at his foot for a second before looking back up, I don't just sit around waiting all day for you guys to finish drawing your circles, ya know.

[Mr. X]

Fredric blinks, but then chuckles.

"Heh, indeed. And perhaps, therefore, there may yet be hope for us all."

Turning his back to you, he indicates the surrounding flagstones, stretching off into the mists, with a sweeping gesture.

"I fear our plan here may be for naught, however... If the denizens of this realm feed upon the souls passing through, no doubt bringing a large number of people here can only spell disaster for them, if they cannot be secured somehow."

He glances at Karazi, and then at Sid.

"Even if we were to erect a city here to hold all the people, we would still, no doubt be facing a heavy and ongoing battle to defend it."

He turns back to Taalkar,

"Though, defending it might not be so impossible if your 'minions' may be brought to bear... Can they?"

[LordDice]

"Aye, Although it saddens me to agree....I'd have never imagined such a thing awaiting us. I guess Nature has it's predators everywhere...even the places between places"

"I'm not even sure how we'd go about defending from such things, it was hard to notice...and took over a strong mind like your own with ease it seems."

"Minions or no, it would still be quite dangerous here..."

[Barthac]

I honestly don't know what they are capable of... he glances down at his hand remembering what happened with his fist a moment ago, It's all new to me and there's no one left to show me what I can do...

He looks up with a grin Couldn't we just ask them??, turning his back he yells out into the void-black abyss of the astral plane, Oy there youshiny eyed flying gnome herders... come over 'ere a second...

[Mr. X]

For Taalkar:

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Please roll 1d20+20 to determine the number of angels who heed your call.

[Barthac]

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Angels:(1d20+20)[36]

[Mr. X]

Your call echoes out into the mists, ultimately to fall into silence in the padding of the gray mists...

...

... For a moment, it seems that your call has fallen on deaf ears, and that none shall answer...

... But then turning, you find your host surrounding you... Dozens of them... Standing still as statues, their faces placid as carved stone.

None move, or make any acknowledgement of you, but you are acutely aware that they are in your service, and that they await your command.

[LordDice]

Chuckling to himself a bit "You really do have minions ! But they don't seem to do much without instruction I guess...just kind of staring there"

[Barthac]

Taalkar looks blankly at the angels, unsure of what to do...

Can one of ya talk? I need some scouting of this area and I need to figure out if'n we can protect a bunch o' refugees if they were to stay here.

[Mr. X]

At your mere suggestion, a dozen of the angels surround you in a defensive ring, and begin marching outwards, as though walking along the spokes of a wheel. The rest spread their wings and take flight, quickly disappearing into the mists.

A single angel remains standing before you...

"I am Tourel, the Tongue. I shall speak for your servants, my brethren, oh lord."

It's voice is soft, and oddly almost effeminate... Like a mother cooing to a child.

After only a short moment, it continues.

"The stone upon which we stand, extends a length of one hundred meters in each of the four prime directions, forming a platform two hundred meters square.

Beyond this, the stone terrain ends, and stable foundation cannot be found.

The denizens of this plane shy from my brethren, but with so much ground to cover, it would be irresponsible to claim that we few might ensure the safety of the several hundred thousand my lord hopes to house here."

The creaure's burning eyes turn on Karazi.

"Perhaps if your sibling's allies and servants were to join our ranks, the scales might be tilted more in our favor."

[Barthac]

Taalkar turns his head to look at Karazi... Well??

[LordDice]

"Can safely say I can't remember having any lil floating guys like you around, There's always been Sid here...but he's always been with me....Now I did have a dream about some little floating rocks the other night, but I think that was just dinner.

[Mr. X]

Sid flows up, standing stoically beside you, and resting a heavy fist upon your shoulder.

At your uncertainty, he rumbles quietly in Terran.

"... Home.."

[LordDice]

"There were others there ?, So focused upon my Brother that ...I need to go back soon."

Losing his train of thought for a moment as he contemplates.

"We'd need more stone overall if .. muttering to himself now.

Looking back up at his brothers servant Tourel

"Allies you say...perhaps I can call them as my brother did ? ...worth a shot though"

Sliding his hand into the stone stab he summoned earlier he grinds out a single word in Terran .. Help ..

[Mr. X]

The stone slabs hum under your touch, instantly responding to your word... And a moment later, earthen shapes begin forming up around you...

A dozen at first, but then more, and then more... Some tower enormously over you, others are hardly more than the pebbles taking life. Some are vaguely humanoid, but many are merely shifting formations of rock, indestinguishable from normal terrain when they sit still.

In the end, a multitude of forms huddle before you...

The grinding, cracking, and rumbling of the shifting stones, you suddenly realize is a steady Terran chant.

"He is our shepherd, and we are his flock..."

[Barthac]

Taalkar rolls his eyes... Some people just have to show off.

[LordDice]

Addressing the multitude of Elementals nearby he tells them in common. "You are to guard this place, with my Brothers angels. We hope to move people here for a safe haven"

"Will you help me in this matter ?"

[Mr. X]

The elementals respond as one.

"It shall be done! It shall be done!!"

They begin spreading out, taking up defensive positions. Many quickly vanish into the mists, while several remain, surrounding you.

[LordDice]

"Well, maybe that'll be enough to protect us from the dangers of this place. Although I'm thinking we could stand some serious magics as well protecting the area. I'm sure somebody has figured out some decent magical wards at the college ...if not we better get some of those wizards on it "

[Barthac]

Well, those two can figure out that stuff

Taalkar turns to Tourel, Tourel, the Tongue of Taalkar... has a nice ring to it.

Come here a sec laddie, I was wonderin' if I could send you on a special mission but I just met ya and I dunno what you can even do. So, here's how this is going to work. I'm going to tell you what you I am thinking and I want you to tell me what you think of it. Can you do it, can you not do it, is there something I missed or need to know... that kind of thing.

There's a large group of dwarves huddled in deepmote, hiding deep. Then there's whats left of the army from Beluvah heading east and south I think. Can you go talk to them for me? Well, really just say something to them. Maybe something about the old gods dying and new ones being born. Tell them about Taalkar and how I now sit in Moradin's throne. See if you can get them to start following me, even prayers would help right now.

Can you do that, Tourel, the Tongue of Taalkar, Messenger of the gods?

[Mr. X]

Tourel nods, and vanishes in a crack of thunder.

Alone again, but for a few of Karazi's elementals, Fredric turns to you.

"The College has a number of wards and protections it can provide, both against physical assailants, and spiritual ones.

I'll need to return for reference material, as I do not currently have the spells prepared... Though, to that end, perhaps I ought to delegate the casting, as I have proven to be something of a liability in this realm."

[Barthac]

Taalkar looks around at the area, This is certainly dire times to be bringin' so many people to such a place. Brother, ya got your work cut out for you tryin' to create something new here.

While we plan for defense here I don't think we give up over there, either. We need to start gathering together those we can and try and fight the blight again.

[LordDice]

"Give up, no....But we can't waste many resources defending that place in the end. Have the wizards working on building this place out and maybe we can survive."

"Everyone works in groups of 5 or more here for now, constant vigilance on any kind of odd behavior. I'm going to take a detour before heading back to the College. I need to revisit that place I shifted to during the fight...Seems like it might be important. At the very least I can pick up some more materials to work with and get a good nights rest. Nothing so restful as being surrounded by stone"

[Mr. X]

Fredric nods.

"Very well. We shall return to the Collage and make ready for your return."

So saying, he takes Taalkar and Claudus by the shoulders, and with a chanted word, they vanish.

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Fredric casts Plane Shift.
Arrive (5d100)[279] miles off target
(1d4)[3] (For direction)

[Mr. X]

For Taalkar:

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While Fredric's means of teleportation have never been terribly comfortable, Vark's formula for plane-surfing is nothing short of topsy turvy... And it doesn't help that it never seems to set you precicely on the ground.

When you appear, you have just a moment to view the immense rippled yellow wall stretching out in all directions before you, before you smash face first into it, and get a mouthful of sand.

Vertigo takes you as the world swims around you, and your brain bends itself trying to associate 'down' with the correct direction.

You flounder in the sand for a moment, before sorting yourself out.

Even in what is now the dead of winter, it is uncomfortably hot here. The sand all but sizzles against your skin, and as Frdeic and Claudus get their bearings beside you, you have a chance to take a look around.

The first thing that catches your eye, is a grinning skull, staring up at you.

The skeleton sits against a short outcropping of rock, just a little ways away, and is scorched black... As is the stone. And it is not the only one... Looking around, the area is scattered with the bones of the dead. Humanoids and animals alike, along with the burnt out remains of what must once have been trees and foliage.

A hot wind blows, the sands stinging your eye, and making it difficult to see clearly.

Far off to the north, waivering in the heat, you can see the shadow of a rise or ridge... A low mountains, perhaps, or high hills.

In every other direction, there is little as far as the eye can see... Just the sands, and the scattered bones.

[LordDice]

Seeing them leave he turns to Sid ""Back Home for us, at least for a bit" Magics whirl about his feet as the stone beneath him forms a portal.

[Mr. X]

For Karazi:
Where waters and winds are difficult to grasp, and the planes layer weirdly over one another, stone is a comfortingly honest and unchanging constant.

Sliding into the stones, you slip easily between the planes, and emerge back in the chamber you formed on your first visit to this place.

The veins of diamonds and sapphires still glitter, starlike overhead, the walls are still intricately carven like those of the Falgen halls you knew as a child...

... The funerary slab where you laid your brother still dominates the space...

Seeing it sends a flash of memory through you, like a knife thrust into your gut... You remember Sid laying him there... Remember watching helplessly as Malthos impaled him on that blighted crystalline spike...

Malthos... Whom now you must consider turning to for help in dealing with the Titan...

...

...

... As the memories fade, you become aware of many entities peering uncertainly at you... The very stones of this place themselves, you realize, are very much alive, and they watch you. Waiting.