The Unwanted Alpha [IC]

[Doc_Pippin]

Lilian

As you sit in the air you begin to notice turbulent winds but not to uncommon in a place with no wide blocks so it does not warrant attention at first but when you begin looking around you see far to the south an unnaturally massive sandstorm headed your direction. you can easily see it to miles wide and moving at an alarming rate. ((I will need a survival roll if you wish to estimate when it would hit you))

Though this demands most of your attention you also see what appears to be a small temple of some kind a few miles down the trail you had found. You also see a small dark blur that looks like it might be a caravan moving towards the temple. Farther north many many miles away you see what appears to be a floating mountain!

Everyone still on the ground

please roll a will save DC 14

EDIT: It is indeed of the enchantment variety

[Marlowe]

In the immortal words of Saddam Hussein; "50-50".

(1d20+4)[13]

EDIT:

EDIT: Wait, is this an enchantment effect? It makes a big difference.

[Eisen_Hammer]

Alright if it is not mind influencing take 2 off of my roll.

(1d20+7)[24]

Does not matter either way.

[sigma87]

Spoiler

Show

Ok guys, sorry if this is the umpteenth time I've posted this, but my phone has been acting really screwy and not showing my posts as updating.
(1d20+9)[14]

[Doc_Pippin]

So for those on the ground...

A small desert wind seems to sweep the gorund around you yet nothing stirs. A slow creeping feeling of dispair washs over you but it quickly dissipates, as an unnatural aura seems to eminate from the shattered remains of skeletons. Like a thin wispy smoke oozing out from the damage done to the bones. It swirls around you but as of yet has not done any harm.

[Marlowe]

"Feel like somebody just dug me a grave" mutters Starex. Then she turns her eyes torward Lilian, a speck in the sky, and puts her hand beside her mouth. "AHOY! Lilian, strange things are afoot! Anything visible? Because we would really like to leave this place sharpish!"

[RCgothic]

Lilian

Of course there's no way I could hear any of that, being at 3000ft with the wind in my ears, but that's OK, because I'd already reached the conclusion I'd been up here long enough already. Time to let the others know what I'd found. Executing a precisely controlled swan dive, I descend to the others at a fast but unhurried pace. The descent takes slightly more than two minutes, and with the rushing wind under my wings I realise I actually feel a bit exhilarated - the first positive thing I've felt since getting here.

I touch down lightly and relay to the others what I'd seen - a wide expanse of desert seemingly without limit - the impossibly distant, impossibly floating mountain - the temple and the caravan along the tracks - and of course the impending sandstorm.

"Does anyone have any idea what time it is here, or how long the day is? I tried to work it out but came up blank. It may be worth waiting until dark to set out - we can't go very far with this guy unconscious anyway, and we'll need less water at night. In this heat we'll need more than a gallon an hour between us, and even with 'create water' I think we're going to be tight. I think we should consider constructing a temporary shelter in the lee of a dune until it begins to cool."

[Marlowe]

"Or get used to being buried in sand. Not a joke. That may be our best survival approach during the day. I'm already sounding husky in this heat." she grounds her glaive and grits her teeth. "Sandstorm, you say? Not pleasant. I'd like to keep my eyes. How long? And from which direction? Since we're already talking about the Lee."

[Doc_Pippin]

Spoiler

Show

And now Mrs. Lilian since you are now touching the ground I need you to roll the save as well, it is an enchantment mind effect (coming from the ground so its pretty hard to dodge unless like you, your flying.

[RCgothic]

Lilian

Spoiler

Show

For the mountain thousands...beyond a non telescopic eye to tell it looks like a mountain that is about five miles off ground.

For the storm its really hard to tell with no points of reference to base the distance but you believe it to be 72 hours away. The temple is 15ish miles
with the blob being 9-11ish miles away so 4-6 miles from the temple.

As for moving as fast as you normally could... during night its possible during the day with all the negatives you would get I would fear death

I don't even notice the spell's effects, and I indicate again the directions and distances of everything I'd mentioned.

"Sandstorm's probably 72 hours away, but such things are notoriously difficult to judge. The temple's most of a day's travel away, possibly longer if the going is tough or the nights are short."

[Marlowe]

"Then; hold still 'till night...if we can have any idea how long that will be here. Then seek the temple and ride out the storm?" Starex says thoughfully. Then makes a dismissive gesture with her off hand. "Too passive. Too many unknowns. And this place is not somewhere near which I'd like to linger. Let's get the stiff on his feet, then make for the temple toot sweet. These tracks won't survive the storm anyway."

[RCgothic]

Lilian

I adopt a dubious expression. "Really? What if it's not even noon yet and the heat is going to get worse? Even with unlimited water there'd be no guarantee we'd make it, particularly as none of us came dressed for travel in a desert. I'm not saying we make camp here exactly-" I pause to grimace at the surrounding scene, all the while fanning myself gently with my wings against the heat "-but we could drag this silk stuff a thousand yards or so and make a shelter with it, and giving this guy more time to recover before waking him couldn't hurt."

I stare up into the sky, shading my eyes against the sun, and attempt to work out what time of day it is again.

Spoiler

Show

Survival(time of day): (1d20+2)[18]

[Marlowe]

Starex looks gloomy. "You didn't got hit with the feeling we just got. Something tried to bewitch us here. It may do so again. Yes, the heat may get worse. All the more reason to head for shelter. I'm all for moving at night, but how long is that? How long is the day here?"

[Eisen_Hammer]

Thinking after the attempted bewitchment. Gaher exclaims "I wonder if this man was bewitched by whatever attempted to get us and that is why he is unconscious. It may be a good idea to at least leave this burial ground."

[sigma87]

"I think it's definitely time to move on. At the very least, we need shelter and the temple seems to be the only place offering it, at least for now. And I think Gaher makes a fine point, there's something spooky in the air here and it will do us no good to stay here. I say we set off following these tracks for the temple, at least until we find some sort of shelter. If we lose the tracks Lilian can keep us oriented and moving in the right direction from the air. Gaher, you and I can take turns carrying our somnambulist friend until he rejoins the land of the waking."

Having said his piece, Balthasaar sheathes his sword, hoists the unconscious man onto his back, takes a swig of water, and waits expectantly for the group to begin moving.

[RCgothic]

Lilian

I finish my study of the suns and rejoin the discussion.

"I can certainly appreciate not wanting to be here, even without feeling what you all did - and I'm not suggesting we camp on this precise spot - but if you want to head for the temple before nightfall I'm afraid I have bad news and more bad news:

I think the days here are unusually long. Judging by the motion of the sun I'd estimate 32hr days with 19 hrs of light; I guess about five hours since dawn so still three and a half until noon. It's going to get hotter. Much hotter.

Secondly, the Temple is about 15 miles away and we're encumbered. That's what, nearly 8hrs march over good terrain, and this sand is not good terrain. So what you're suggesting is a forced march through the hottest part of the day - a day which is already unbearably hot - in unsuitable clothing. Even if we were to attempt that, my flask holds just half a gallon of water, and I've drunk some of that already, and as I've already mentioned, people die in these conditions even with plentiful water. We'd be dead before we got half-way!"

I point to the suns, the temple and the tracks to illustrate my point. Then I begin wriggling out of my chain shirt, which is already stiflingly warm. Better to be clothed in just my light and airy green dress than stewing under armour! I stow it in my pack.

"Far better to rest during the day. Balthasar can prepare more water spells, and we'll go a lot faster in the cool of the night, which should be easily long enough for us to get to the temple, even if we need to force a march. And even if we don't get there in one night we should still be able to get there before the storm.

Now if someone starts rolling up that silk stuff, I can scout for a decent camp site within a half-mile or so."

[Marlowe]

"I was afraid of such" says Starex. "Well, I'll grab all the silk I can carry. If we tide out the day and start at noon we should still make the temple before the storm hits." She glares across the sands to where Lililan's indicated the temple lies. "Let's hope there's nothing in it that resents our intrusion, or that if there is, that it bleeds."

[Doc_Pippin]

Spoiler

Show

Ok as long as every one can drink 1.5 times the needed water you normally would you may remove that amount from your inventory if you do not role a Fort save DC 15+1 for every half gallon you are missing if you fail you take 1d4+1 Non-lethal damage and are fatigued. You may then time skip to the sun setting in the south. Nothing happens except lounging or sleeping if you can do a DC 13 concentration check to ignore the heat.

As you observe the stranger and use some of your time to notice all the little details. You begin to notice that his sleep is not at all natural. His eyes are tainted black and the veins in his face and neck are slowly beginning to darken. Whatever sought to enchant you must have gotten him before you had awoke.

and thats about it... Unless you all still have more to discuss with each other.

[Marlowe]

((I honestly have no idea how much water is needed normally, or what a half-gallon is))

[Doc_Pippin]

Spoiler

Show

1 gallon = 3.78Liters of water
most medium creatures need 1 Gallon a day which is how much a water skin holds so you would need 1 and one half water skins of water, or some on to fill yours back up.

[Marlowe]

(('K. She's short a 1/2 gallon then.

Fort save DC 15. (1d20+5)[16]))

[sigma87]

Seeing Starex remains a little short on water, Balthasaar shares half his second skin with her.
"Everyone drink as much as you can now, I can refill about four gallons right now, and six more after we rest. So no sense going thirsty."

Once his skins are empty, Balthasaar refills them each with a muttered word of celestial. Offering to refill anyone elses containers. Once everyone has been refilled, he walks off from the group and begins a litany of mixed draconic and celestial, replenishing his spells and divine power.

Spoiler

Show

Two castings of 'Create Water,' and as I pray I switch my spells to: LvL 0: create water X3, LvL 1: Bless X2, Protection From evil X1, and Mage Armor as my domain spell.

[RCgothic]

Lilian

After making camp, I finish my waterskin and accept a refill from Balthasar, ensuring I remain fully topped up. I share out the hunks of bread and cheese I had in my pack amongst the others - they won't keep in this heat. After eating, I settle down in the shadiest patch under the sheet that I can find and manage to drift off to sleep on my third attempt. My rest is curiously dreamless - for which I five thanks, there's plenty of stuff I'm trying not to dwell on right now.

On waking I tend to our patient, and his condition has me concerned.
"What do you guys think of this?"

[Marlowe]

"That he's a problem." says Starex, grateful for the extra water, and inwardly furious she was unable to provide any. "If not but for him, we could just about keep up with the need for water, thanks to Balthazar, but he puts us into a downward spiral even without reckoning that we have to carry him about"

"I'm not sage enough to tell what's wrong with him. I'm not strong enough to deal with carrying him."

"Still, I've a sneaking though that it was because of him that we're stuck here, which would make him possibly the key to getting back. And we can hardly leave him"

[RCgothic]

Lilian

"I had hoped whatever it was would wear off by now, but he seems like he's getting worse. I haven't seen anything exactly like this before. It may be a curse, or maybe even possession? If it's possession it could be serious, and a threat to all of us. Maybe there'd be someone at the temple who could help.

In fact, I wonder if a blessing might help..."

[Eisen_Hammer]

Have enough water traveler's cloak was a great investment.

"So now what?"

[sigma87]

"Hm, well I have two options here that may help our guest. One is a general blessing that will make us all a bit more resilient and effective in combat. The other I can only cast on him, but it will provide him with great protection from evil forces, particularly those that target the mind. In either case, I can make the spell last for 1 day before refreshing it."

Balthasaar kneels before the prone form and examines his condition for some clue as to what may be affecting him.

Spoiler

Show

Knowledge religion check: (1d20+8)[23]

"Whatever we decide, we should move quickly to reach better shelter before dawn, and the storm."

[Doc_Pippin]

For Knowledge Religion

Spoiler

Show

You realize that a powerful curse has been put on this man, how or why is unknown but his spirit has been forcefully linked to the souls of the dead. The negative symptoms are a result of the evil forcing it's way into his soul. His 'sleep' is him struggling to stay in the realm of the living. This is a potent evil and you believe your magics will delay the progression for a while but you will need much more powerful healing to save this man. Much of the nature of the affliction is still a mystery though and you cannot be sure how long he will survive even with your aid.

[sigma87]

"This mans curse seems to be drawing his spirit into the land of the dead. My spell will delay it temporarily, but we will need more powerful magic than I posses to help them."

Balthasaar bears his his holy symbol, and prays over the unconscious man. Channeling divine magic to protect him from the influences of evil.
Once the protection is cast, Balthasaar also calls on his inherited abilities, granting himself sight beyond sight.

Spoiler

Show

Persistent Protection From Evil: 3 turning attempts remaining.
Eldritch Invocation: See the unseen

[RCgothic]

Lilian
"Do what you can for him, and then we had better get moving. It's a long way to the temple and we should try and reach it tonight if possible."