The Necromancer's Pact: Private Conversations

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan does not say anything instantly in reply. He quietly continues to walk around the platforms until stopping in front of the Manticore. I suppose I should not be bitter towards them. They are only concerned with the groups well being. Still, it does seem wrong they would want to kill me, or that troll, or to some degree even Sethra. They know there is something that must be dealt with, perhaps, but to think that continued murder solves them? It doesn't seem to stop Sethra to kill him.

Cautiously, Elthan climbs on top of the Manticore platform and extends his hand to help Callos up as well. "Come on, let's get out of here. We'll grab Aeroz and Trinark, then see if there is a route to take us to the Iron Lord within these towers."

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

"Hold on now, I want to know how you work this thing before we go anywhere. In case something goes wrong or you get hurt, I need to know in case I can use this thing. Only then am I gonna jump up on that or any of the other platforms."

He says determindedly, crossing his arms over his chest while waiting for some sort of explanation. It was only after he gets it that he takes the offered hand with his unwrapped one and hauled himself up unto the platform with Elthan.

[Dr._Bob]

Medusa tower

Elthan just shrugs and looks at Callos until finally the necromancer's shoulders sag and he climbs up onto the "manticore" platform next to the half-elf, clutching his cloak-wrapped arm.

The walls dissolve, revealing the rising sun on the horizon. Dense jungle stretches in all directions for as far as the eye can see until it is all blotted out by darkness. The vertigo returns, then fades ...

Manticore tower

Aeroz and Trinark trudge back up the stairs back to the platform chamber. As the sun rises, a thin gray light filters up the open stairway, past the rotting doors, and allows both elves to continue to examine the various platforms. They step gingerly between the platforms examining the different sigils carefully.

A faint humming fills their sensitive ears, and they both turn to each other as if to say, "What did you just do?"

There is a brief flash of darkness, and then Callos and Elthan appear, standing on the "manticore" platform. Callos looks drawn and paler than usual. He is clutching his arm, which is wrapped in his shadowstuff cloak. Elthan wears his usual detached expression, though a raised eyebrow suggests that the half-elf is pleased to see the four of you reunited ...

[Frojoe21]

Aeroz

A relieved expression washes over Aeroz's face as he sees Callos and Elthan appear through the platform. Upon realization that this could very well be a trick of the tower, he unsheathes one of the daggers strapped to his wrist and tucks it loosely in his sleeve.
"Welcome to the middle of nowhere friends! Do either of you know exactly what just happened, other us being transported elsewhere? And what happened to your arm?"

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

"Hmph. The towers can teleport between the other towers apparently. As Elthan just showed me, which means we have an advantage of sorts. Knowing how our friends are impatient and have probably already left the dragon tower, except Fizahn because I don't know were he went, Elthan and I are going to check where the other towers go to see if one of them is actually closer to the Iron Lord before making the trek. Care to join us?"

At the question about his arm though, Callos merely glanced down and held it out just the tiniest bit. "A successful experiment, nothing more my fine elf. Granted I do believe I'm bleeding still but I'm sure Trinark can fix that with the cloak still wrapped around it. Wouldn't want you two having nightmares." For once, in a long time at least, Callos sounded downright pleasent.

[Frojoe21]

Aeroz

"Why is it when you say 'experiment' I get this uneasy feeling?" Stopping himself, and realizing that when Callos refers to things giving one nightmares it is best not to ask he notes that only Callos would say something like that.

"Well, if you know how to get us out of here, then please, by all means get us out of here."

[Dr._Bob]

Trinark shakes his head disapprovingly at Callos, though the drow says nothing.

When Aeroz suggests getting out of here, Trinark concurs. "This tower appears to be situated on a tiny atoll in the middle of an ocean. Certainly any other tower is likely to be closer to our destination than this one ..."

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

"With your recent brushes with arcane experimentation of a most possibly darker side I can hardly begrudge you a sense of ill omen. However I can only reassure you that such feelings are unfounded and met with good nature. I've never felt better and absolutely nobody got hurt...er...no one else got hurt." Came again with the cheerfullness as Callos gave a somewhat indifferent shrug to the skeptism and disapproving look he received. How else could he react?

But he did give a slight stare when he heard that they couldn't possibly be farther away then a little island in the middle of the ocean. "I just came from the jungle. The jungle! I don't even know where there is a jungle! Believe me, we can most definitly get farther away then this."

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

"Indeed. I first came upon a desert, which strikes me as the antithesis of our intended frostscape.

"There's no reason to stay around any of those desolate places. We'll work around the platforms clockwise until we find someplace suitable to continue on from." Elthan climbs up to the next platform and helps pull the others up before the floor fully dissolves.

Spoiler

Show

In order of destination;
hippogriff (1)
chimera (2)
manticore
basilisk (3)
medusa
falling angel?
dragon?
ettin
gynosphinx (4)
harpy (5)
serpent (6)
minotaur (7)
beholder(8)

[Dr._Bob]

When Callos mentions Fizahn, Trinark reminds him that the loyal gnome was lost in the Underdark, along with Thokk and Yix ...

The "hippogriff" tower stands on an isolated mountain peak. Stretching around in all directions are lesser peaks. There is no telling where this mountain range stands as the bases of the mountains are obscured under a blanket of clouds.

Disaster strikes when the four of you teleport into the "chimera" tower. The chamber is flooded and the four of you find yourselves floating in chilly, pitch black water. Death is only a matter of minutes away for each of you ...

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos the Aqua-man

Callos didn't like swimming. He didn't know how to. One could almost say he had a deep overriding fear of being underwater. The human could distinctly remember his father tossing him off a dock and saying

"Swim or die youngin'. If you make it then dinner's at sundown!"

Needless to say suddenly appearing Mystara knows how far below the surface was a terrifying and motivating expeirence. Desperately flailing around in the water, tugging the heavy pack on his back with him as he flailed-paddled towards the basilisk platform. Small bubbles escaped past his closed lips as he struggled to lower himself in the water so his feet were touching the platform while wide panicked eyes desperately pleaded for his compatriots to hurry up!

Spoiler

Show

OOC: Swim check. I didn't think I was going to make this roll. I really didn't, not with a -7 penalty...but whadda know?

1d20-7=13

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan
Chimera Tower

Elthan had never swam before, mostly because of a lack of opportunity. Trapped inside of a submerged tower with no training at all, he begins to panic and flounder about underwater as he tries to push himself towards the next platform. After the brief failure of propulsion, Elthan calms down as much as one can when drowning. Grasping the concept of aquatic maneuvering, he pulls himself against the water and joins Callos at the platform, grasping onto it's edge from the center hoping for it to activate.

Spoiler

Show

Elthan can hold his breath for a minute and twelve seconds, but cannot take succeed on a swim check by taking ten.

Checks for move action in calm water.
Swim (1d20-1=8)
Swim (1d20-1=14)

[Frojoe21]

Aeroz

There was very little swimming to be done in the heat of the desert. Aeroz had been in larger pools before, but they were shallow enough to stand in, and one could see the bottom. Aeroz streamlines himself and lets himself sink, maneuvering with his hands and feeling around with his feet to find the nearest platform to stand on.

Spoiler

Show

If Aeroz does not feel a platform under him, he will move as far as he will search for another one. I am assuming pitch black means that we cannot see our hands in front of us. Aeroz can hold his breath for 20 (Constitution x2) rounds

[Dr._Bob]

Callos and Aeroz feel hands grab them and pull them downward towards a platform. Dim light filters down from fathoms above when the walls dissolve, then everything goes dark again.

The four of you collapse into a sodden lump as you arrive at the next tower. Again, the chamber is lightless. Only Elthan and Trinark can see the serpent symbol carved into the center of the floor.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

It was a great relief to be out of the freezing water, shivering as he wringed the water out of his wet garments. But that didn't mean that this place was any safer. If anything it was even more terrifying. It brought up the horrible memories of the Underdark and the terrors that had occurred there.

"Somebody...please tell me I'm wrong...but are we back in the Underdark?...And if so...when are we leaving?"

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Elthan scrambles up to the wall from the point he was teleported to. He stiffens his back and takes a few deep, noisy breaths as he recovers from the previous towers 'surprise'.

As he recovers, he stands up and addresses Callos' concern."That's certainly one possibility for where we are now, and we'll most likely leave as soon as we find that to be the case."

He passes the Serpent symbol on the way to the door and stops momentarily, as if some thought was on the edge of his mind but did not want to make itself known. There existed a feeling of familiarity and uncertainty that made Elthan feel uneasy. Eager still to continue on, he shrugs of the feeling of uneasiness and turns to the others.

"Shall we?"

[Frojoe21]

Aeroz

After taking in large gasps of air, Aeroz quickly composes himself.

"Yes. Please, let's leave this place. Hopefully somewhere with better lighting than the last two places"

[Dr._Bob]

You work your way down to the base of the "serpent" tower, finding sunlight outlining the oak entrance door.

Cracking open the front door, you see windswept hills. The temperature is chilly, but more temperate than the land by Lake Ashane. The hills do seem vaguely familiar somehow ...

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

Callos followed on the way down to the ground floor of the tower and looked around with the rest of them before turning to look at Elthan and Aeroz. "I don't suppose that either of you know where this is. I have this feeling that...I don't really know. Like we've been here before, but if we have then that means we've gone backwards instead of forwards."

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Considering all the places he had traveled to, and how far he had gone, Elthan had gotten quite used to seeing new places. Returning to a place he had already been was bizarre. His only recollection of returning anywhere was short to say unpleasant, and he had nothing to make of this place but a feeling of deja vu.

"I'm not sure I'm too eager about staying to find out if we have gone backwards, Callos. However, this is the first place the towers have taken me that I don't feel as if it might stretch for miles on end without civilization.", he says with a hint of nervousness. His eyes dart back and forward in reaction to his thoughts, but he presses on the one he was already speaking of. "This being a first, might it be helpful to search a slight bit and find out where we have arrived?"

[Frojoe21]

Aeroz

Aeroz heaves a heavy sigh as he sees the new location. He draws his rapier and takes a few steps forward.

"So if we are going to find 'civilization', which direction should we head?"

[Dr._Bob]

Outside the Serpent

It is a beautiful day. Cool and clear.

Although hills stretch for miles, the terrain seems to slope gradually to the southeast. In that direction, glints of sunlight reveal a body of water - a large lake or sea perhaps.

It is Aeroz who finds the area most familiar. Elthan, too, is reminded of his "origin" in the Vilhon Reach. Callos, still cradling his arm, appreciates the temperate climate but has not traveled to this region before as best he can tell.

Aeroz's rapier speaks up, "We are close to home, my lord."

Aeroz's arm moves involuntarily towards the south, like a compass needle. "The City is there," the rapier states.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

It was awfully nice to be out of the cold, the wet, the incrediably humid, and the dark into the nice sunny region. Of course then the inanimate piece of metal had to start talking.

"Did...did your intelligent rapier just start talking to us?...And what city?"

(Gah, a short post before I'm off to school.)

[Frojoe21]

Aeroz

"Yes...yes it just did...and it is saying that we go that way..." Aeroz stammers as he looks in shock at what his sword is doing.

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan

Raises his brow as the sword speaks up. There was not very much strange in a talking magical device, least of all on a carried object such as a weapon. Perhaps the only troubling thought was that it did not speak up until just now.

Elthan shrugs his shoulders, and stops just short of heading out alone. "Well, I say we go. Intelligent weaponry or not, those are the only directions I've heard all day."

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

"Alright...we'll follow the magical stabbing implement's directions for now...but once we get to this 'city' we get proper directions....and perhaps a knowledgable wizard to teleport us to our destination." Callos grudingly said. Who could blame him though since he was talking about deferring to a metal stick. Sure it was giving them directions, but surely he was smarter then a talking stick!

Grudgingly, he started to walk in the rapier's pointed direction, clutching his arm in one hand and focusing his eyes on a single point in the horizon.

[Dr._Bob]

The rapier has little else to say apparently.

Wrapping himself tightly to shield himself from the sun, Trinark joins the rest of you as you trudge downhill towards the coast.

By late afternoon, you can see the city in the distance. It is a busy port, even at this time of the year. The antique architecture, the walled city within the city, and the polished green stone make the city easily recognizable to Aeroz - Hlondeth, the Emerald City.

Elthan realizes that he is not far from his "birthplace". Oden Homm and the Wetwoods must be only a few days travel back to the west.

[Frojoe21]

Aeroz

"Well, this isn't the best place for me to be today, tomorrow, or sometime in the next century or so..." Aeroz says as he dons his cloak to cover his face.

"Well, maybe we can find Prozen. He might be able to help."

[Callos_DeTerran]

Callos

"What do you mean this isn't the best place to be? Where are we? I'm guessing this isn't Rashemi so....why is it bad to be here?...And who's Prozen?" Callos wasn't used to being confused as much as he was at this moment over soemthing mundane. It was always something extraordinary that caught his eye or something of that nature. But then again to some an emerald city could qualify as just that, but it was more the fact that Aeroz was worried that confused Callos.

They had faced down evil beings, undead, and giants and now he was getting worried becase of a city? Maybe they really shouldn't be here...

[King_of_GRiffins]

Elthan II

Elthan stood still while gazing at the city. Yes, he was close to Oden Homm, where he was... created. Was I? he thinks, for the first time in a while. It seems so odd to think it. I've... I've had a lot of Elthans thoughts, and I think for a while I even convinced myself I was him. That dream back then... It wasn't even mine, just memories of events I was never apart of.

Quietly, Elthan pulls his own red hood up and follow Aeroz. To think, I was even planning to go find his father after all of this was over. How could I be so silly? "Oh, I'm your sons clone." If nothing else, I need to focus more on the task at hand.