The Threshold IC II (D&D E6, low-op, story based)

[WalkingTheShade]

To Jon: "Good catch man. That's something we need to add in, if we go that route."

Jon beams proudly at the praise.

[Kaptin Keen]

Hmm ... There is no thoughtful facial expression to accompany Lothars pensive pose, but he clearly considers Jon's words before answering.

I will append 'without significant inconvenience to the dead. Will that suit you? I cannot break the contract once made, and it might be argued that my methods for posing questions is 'inconvenient' - but frankly, not significantly so.

[iTookUrNick]

"That would be fair, I guess. The gods know we inconvenienced enough people ourselves in our team." concedes Jack.

[Kaptin Keen]

Excellent! Lothar signs in an elegant hand, his script clearly archaic but readable. He passes the pen and scroll to you.

[Woggle]

Bobin reaches out and accepts the pen and scroll, hesitating for only a half-second before scribbling down his signature.

"I must say, I've become rather curious about how the mirror works. I wonder why, or for what precise purpose, it was made in the first place... If all goes well with our problem, I'm hard pressed to come up with a reason we'd need to use the mirror again." Bobin gives a little shrug. But maybe I just don't have the imagination."

[Kaptin Keen]

I can answer all of that - as soon as we have a signed agreement.

[WalkingTheShade]

Hmm ... There is no thoughtful facial expression to accompany Lothars pensive pose, but he clearly considers Jon's words before answering.

I will append 'without significant inconvenience to the dead. Will that suit you? I cannot break the contract once made, and it might be argued that my methods for posing questions is 'inconvenient' - but frankly, not significantly so.

Jon scowls. It's hard to say if that means he's slowly thinking it through or slowly searching for words to refuse the proposal. But then, Jack intervenes.

"That would be fair, I guess. The gods know we inconvenienced enough people ourselves in our team." concedes Jack.

"We did?" Jon's scowl deepens. He drops his eyes to the ground as he tries to wrap his head around Jack's statement. Seeing Bobin sign the paper hammers the last nail into the coffin of Jon's defiance. With a sigh, Jon takes the pen from Bobin, and slowly, deliberately, with again his tongue sticking out, he signs a misshapen "Jon Turnip" at the bottom of the scroll.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Yeah, that's again one of these things we'll somehow regret in hindsight. I've been somewhat busy, and it's going to keep up for some more time. Please go on without waiting on me.

[iTookUrNick]

"We did?" Jon's scowl deepens.

"We did." confirms Jack "But most of them deserved it, or worse. Sometime you can't do any good without at least inconveniencing someone."

Jack was still on the fence about which option to choose, but Bobin makes the choice for all of them.

"All right. Make sure it's clearly stated that you will keep it safe and available for the officially appointed officers of Silverbrook in perpetuity, and you have my signature, too."

[Kaptin Keen]

Lothar gives the Sky Captain a long, hard stare. It's a stare to crumble mountains - and it's very nearly a stare to crumble Sky Captains, but Jack Swindle meets it levelly and never flinches.

Perpetuity is a relevant consideration for me - but not for you, and not for Silverbrook. The ramifications and consequences, down the line, are unforeseeable and potentially dire. Thousands of people - millions even - could become 'officially appointed officers of Silverbrook'.

No, such a loophole I will not allow. I will grant you three free uses of the mirror, at any time in perpetuity you should need them.

[iTookUrNick]

"Transferable?" inquires Jack, understanding the skeleton's concern.

[Kaptin Keen]

... sure - why not?

[iTookUrNick]

"Deal." says Jack, taking the quill and signing his own name with a flourish. 'There, it is done' he thinks

[Kaptin Keen]

Most excellent!

Lothar rubs his hands in a way that only briefly makes you think of a second hand horse trader who just managed to get away with an absolute steal.

The Mirror is a far more complex magic item than it's appearance might lead one to expect. It's purpose is the transfer of souls, and it's a little unclear to me whether the original creator had some benign purpose in mind. Frankly I think not.

It can be used to absorb the soul of the target reflected in it. To do this, one needs to name the target.

Once the soul is secured in the Mirror, options are open: The soul can be transferred to another body, or swapped for the soul of the holder of the mirror, or ... well, there are other possibilities.

Historically, it's been used by the holder of the mirror to secure eternal life for himself. Or herself. The process is simple: Find an appropriate body, steal the soul, but at the same time trigger the destruction of your own body. By the time the body dies, you've swapped the soul in the mirror, and when the mirror is dropped - the soul in the mirror returns to the other body. Instant rejuvination.

We want something else. The mirror can also actually ressurect a body, if need be. I'm pretty sure that's a safeguard in case you just immolated your own body, and the body you're trying to steal is somehow not viable - for instance, if the target resisted your attempt to steal it.

For this to happen, you need just enough of the original body for the ressurection spell to work. In your case, you need to wet a blade with the blood of your mind flayer. Then you name the girl, and the Mirror will ressurrect her - new body and everything.

This is magic of the very highest order. Used it with care!

And thus, your solution is at hand. But of course, no real salesman would just make it that easy.

Now, I wonder ... how are you going to resist the mind blast of said mind flayer?

You'd have sworn, just up to this very moment, that there's no way for a lich to smile.

[iTookUrNick]

Jack listens attentively at the lich's speech. The mirror seems to be exactly what they need.

"We have not yet addressed that last part. But you are about to suggest something, aren't you? With your knowledge of undeath in all of its facets, I'm sure you'd be eminently qualified to provide some sort of protection against mind-affecting effects. Please correct me if I am wrong."

[Kaptin Keen]

Lothar makes a casual gesture with one bony hand. From a shelf somewhere in the salon, a skull drifts forward. It's clearly not human, having a round hole instead of a mouth, and further holes around that central feeding orifice.

I do indeed know a lot about undeath - but I can do better than that. I can give you the best ways of protection, not from the horse's mouth, but from the illithids mind.

Of course, my .. standard fee would apply.

The skull settles on the table between you. Even this thoroughly dead, there is something menacing about the mind flayer shape, something fundamentally alien and frightful about how it looks, what it is .. how it feeds and procreates.

But surely, if anyone would know how to foil it's attacks ....

Spoiler: Pic

Show

[Woggle]

Bobin pulls out some parchment and scribbles down the mirror's instructions as Lothar list's them. He looks up just in time to watch the skull drift softly down onto the table. A small shiver runs up the halfling's spine, and it's all he can do to wrench his eyes away and face Lothar once more.

"It's a price that's hard to judge, If I'm completely honest." Bobin furrows his brow. "But it beats having one's mind blasted apart, or enthralled, or worse. I guess I'd like to think that if I were ever consumed and resurrected or whatever it is exactly by a mind-eating creature there'd be someone out there willing to pay a high price to bring me back. I assume just one of us needs to pay? If that's the case, then I'll agree to it."

Bobin glances back to the skull. "Is it completely safe to, uh, commune with it? Even now?"

[iTookUrNick]

Jack holds up a hand towards Bobin as if to stop him. Then, he addresses the Litch.
"Look, you got yourself a tremendous deal here. Pat yourself in the back and all that.
Now, I think it would be entirely reasonable for you to protect your investment and give this one away for free.
I mean, would you not be at least inconvenienced if we were to fall to the mind-flayer's attack and join the ranks of the elder brain, mirror and all?
If you really want our knowledge, I'm sure we will have time to make other arrangements in the future.""

[Kaptin Keen]

Bobin pulls out some parchment and scribbles down the mirror's instructions as Lothar list's them. He looks up just in time to watch the skull drift softly down onto the table. A small shiver runs up the halfling's spine, and it's all he can do to wrench his eyes away and face Lothar once more.

"It's a price that's hard to judge, If I'm completely honest." Bobin furrows his brow. "But it beats having one's mind blasted apart, or enthralled, or worse. I guess I'd like to think that if I were ever consumed and resurrected or whatever it is exactly by a mind-eating creature there'd be someone out there willing to pay a high price to bring me back. I assume just one of us needs to pay? If that's the case, then I'll agree to it."

Bobin glances back to the skull. "Is it completely safe to, uh, commune with it? Even now?"

Nothing of the mind flayer remains in this dead skull. It's merely a focus for the spells I cast.

Jack holds up a hand towards Bobin as if to stop him. Then, he addresses the Litch.
"Look, you got yourself a tremendous deal here. Pat yourself in the back and all that.
Now, I think it would be entirely reasonable for you to protect your investment and give this one away for free.
I mean, would you not be at least inconvenienced if we were to fall to the mind-flayer's attack and join the ranks of the elder brain, mirror and all?
If you really want our knowledge, I'm sure we will have time to make other arrangements in the future.""

I'm immune to almost anything a mind flayer is capable of - I certainly don't have brains for it to feed on. I'll come to some form of arrangement with it to retain my property, should you fail. Of this, I am quite sure.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Attempts to sway creatures should generally be accompanied by rolls =)

[iTookUrNick]

Spoiler: Ooc

Show

Sorry, I keep expecting the DM to ask for rolls if required. My bad.
diplomacy - (1d20+10)[18]
Edit: someone give me a hnd. Let's see if that cuts it.

[Woggle]

Nothing of the mind flayer remains in this dead skull. It's merely a focus for the spells I cast.



I'm immune to almost anything a mind flayer is capable of - I certainly don't have brains for it to feed on. I'll come to some form of arrangement with it to retain my property, should you fail. Of this, I am quite sure.

Bobin taps his chin, maybe realizing the full weight of what he had proposed, and then raises his finger. "Ah, but you're making a --rather bold, I think-- assumption that the mindflayer or its mind will still be around even if we fail in our endeavour. You see, my companions and I are trying to deal with the mindflayer in the least violent way possible. There is another interested party who I am sure will not hesitate to raze half the countryside to the ground if it ensures the mindflayer's destruction. If we fail, there will be nothing left, I assure you."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Bobin will roll an aid another check to add a +2 to Jack's diplomacy check.

AidDiplo - (1d20-1)[16]

[WalkingTheShade]

"And, y'know, m'be the squid guy can be convinced t'do it without a fight, 'cause, y'know, it's not like it's gonna hurt 'im too much, an' then, everyone's leavin' 'im alone an' all. So, m'be we don't gotta fight 'im at all."

Jon looks around after he's said his piece, but nobody seems to be paying him any attention. He sighs.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Helping Jack, Diplomacy - (1d20+2)[4]. EDIT: Nobody cares about Jon talking.Rational is: we might avoid a fight, thus information about resisting mind-flayer powers is not as much valuable as if we had the certainty of fighting.

[Kaptin Keen]

I have full confidence in my ability to retain or reclaim my property, should you use it. But yes, mayhap it's worth avoiding the possibility of a fight. Very well, let's ask our bygone illithid friend here what he knows.

Lothar waves his hands, and mumbles strange, forbidden formulae in some ancient, forgotten language. Shadows deepen, whispers and murmering surround you, and wisps of dark magic swirl throughout the salon. After some moments, the skull drifts slowly into the air, and swivels to face you. A voice from well beyond the grave sounds in your minds, dripping with venom and malice:

Gah, what is this - livestock and slave races! You bear weapons and armor and dress like free citizens. DIE!

Nothing at all happens after this, but after some seconds of stunned surprise, the mind flayer speaks again.

Something ... isn't right. What have you done to me? Oh, your torture will be spectacular once I free myself.

At this point, Lothar raises a finger, and the mind flayer falls silent.

You will answer any question these good people have for you!

Though it's voice strains for resistance, it promptly answers: Yes.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Ask away. Technically, there's a limit to the number of questions, but Lothar's effective caster level is quite high. We needn't roleplay a long Q&A, you can just post a list of questions, and I'll provide answers.

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon seems somewhat perplexed by the conversation occurring in front of him. "Huh... Hi, I'm Jon Turnip, these are my friends, an' huuuuuh, nice to meet you, how are y—"

Feeling social pressure of other people looking at him, Jon self-consciously stops talking and makes a swallowing sound. "Yeah, huh, Da 'lways tell me to think 'fore talkin' an', y'know," Jon takes a deeper, more commanding voice, "'don't you ask stupid questions from good polite folk, son', he always said me."

[Kaptin Keen]

You paternal elder makes astute observations for such lowly stock, slave caste, replies the dead mind flayer. Did you have any non-stupid questions for me?

[Woggle]

Bobin lets the jab at his companion slide, considering the situation. It was understandable that some long-dead spirit would be generally grumpy.

"Two to begin with: What would be the most effective way to prevent our thoughts from being detected by a mindflayer or elder brain, and second, is there anyway to mask only certain thoughts? So as to not arouse suspicion?"

[Kaptin Keen]

We didn't rule the multiverse for countless milennia because the lower races could just prevent our powers. Magics on a divine scale may block our powers, but you won't find those. Same for certain enchanted items. There is a sliver of protection bought by common spells known by most clerics, but only a fool trusts in such feeble magics - they can easily be dispelled.

There is a powerful spell that will make you invisible to the Elder Brain and to mindsight, and I suppose that might be within your grasp.

Some slave caste members developed simple tricks and techniques to cheat us. One was The Box, which - laughably - is just what it sounds like. Think of a box, and nothing but the box. It's size, it's texture, it's color and shape. That will apparently provide some protection, as well as hiding you from mindsight.

Another such trick that I've heard of is to adopt the mind of, say, a mouse. Hard to do, but if you can think like a mouse, mindsight will .. see a mouse.

[WalkingTheShade]

You paternal elder makes astute observations for such lowly stock, slave caste, replies the dead mind flayer.

Jon smiles and nods, happy that the skull is acknowledging him.

There is a powerful spell that will make you invisible to the Elder Brain and to mindsight, and I suppose that might be within your grasp.

Jon frowns and unpacks the big book Ma' Gertrude gave him from his backpack. He shuffles the pages around, and points something out. "Yeah, you right, there's some spell called Kelvar's Elegant Ward Against Detection. Wait wait wait..." Jon goes on reading from the page. "Yeah, it looks like it can do it."

Jon looks troubled for an instant and shakes his head. His voice changes once again into monotone. "Processing information. Power not currently available. Can be emulated with potion or imbued spell completion item."

[Kaptin Keen]

As Jon's voice suddenly changes, Lothar leans in uncomfortably close, peering very closely at him.

Well, well well - who are you then?

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon blinks a few times and rubs his eyes as if waking up. He startles to notice Lothar's skull so close to his own face. "Ah! I... I... I'm Jon Turnip? But I a'eady tell you before ?" Jon makes a swallowing sound.

Jon tries to find something to busy himself with that doesn't involve looking anywhere towards Lothar, and finally goes back to aimlessly turning pages from his book. "So, huh, guys, we got other questions fo' that illicit skull guy, or we can, like, go back home?"

[Kaptin Keen]

Lothar continues to make facial expressions work without the need for an actual face - looking pensively at Jon for a long, silent moment.

I'd be willing to provide you with protection from the abilities of a mind flayer. He does the hand thing again, and a small chest floats towards you from somewhere in the salon. From it, he produces a small band, translucent and blueish, like someone compressed ether and beat it into a ring.

This is a ring of mind shielding. It will render one of you immune to all mental attacks. I shall require only Jon's memories in payment, upon his eventual demise.