Strange Aeons: In Search of Sanity II [IC - Group #2]

[digiman619]

Once the task of reproducing the drawings was completed, Flair asks Jens if he can use his geomancy to move the debris to make a wall to keep the apostles out while the party tried to figure out a way out of the Dimension of Dreams. Assuming he agrees, he will call back Corbin so he won't be trapped outside.

[ClockworkCorvid]

"Well uh... What if the fact that this place hasnt... fallen apart or something means that the bad guys arnt dead yet? We just killed two, dosnt mean there cant be more.. watching... waiting..." He mutters on as he rejoins the others, pointedly not looking at the sketches... ".... So whos getting what?" He asks with a poor attempt at mirth.

[Blackhawk101]

Brother Jaume will pull Flair aside to examine the strange (in the real world anyway) marks that appeared on his face.
“Do you know that your face is now marked after you pulled on it? Why did it do that?”

[lostsole31]

Neither of the NPCs (Dorn, Nadya) have a mirror or similar for Flair to use.

[digiman619]

Flair brings his hand to his face once Brother Jaume informs him of the markings. Rubbing against it and pulling his hand back brought back minimal results, so he wasn't entirely convinced. "Really? I don't feel any different." Looking away from Jaume for a moment, he addresses the rest of the party. "Does anyone have a mirror? I think I have something on my face." In the mean time, he began setting up for his divination ritual, picking up the ring the Tatterman had worn. Other waiting for Dorn to finish up the book or Jens to erect the wall, there wasn't much else that he cold do at the moment.

[lostsole31]

It took Flair 30 minutes with Maeni collecting sketches from the south wall of the oneirogen room. Another seven minutes collecting Corbin and dealing with the short conversation while getting a sense of things.

Because Jens is limited in what he can form for his geokinetic barriers, and they don't stack, he can't seal off their position on Ulver's with a "big barrier." instead, the best he can do is choke off the passageway itself as an archer's wall. It still provides for a very long passage to be able to see down, so partial blockage and no ability (known) for a force of apostles to come down is a decent tactical setup, but not a perfectly sealed redoubt.

Dorn is still reading, with another 20+ minutes to go (by his estimation).

This gives Flair a chance to go over all of the magic items to verify auras (backed by Maeni), and for Flair in turn to assist Maeni in determining actual properties of the items in question.

Spoiler: Identifications ...Repeat from Above, with Bold Being Flair/Maeni's observations

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From Ulver's Person
Potion #1: It is a runny red substance with an unidentifiable smell. It has a faint aura of evocation. Brother Jaume recognizes it as an oil of magic weapon .... to be poured over a weapon, not imbibed. Verified.
Potion #2: Sunset orange, thick, with a smell reminiscent of meat. It has a faint aura of conjuration, specifically the healing subschool, but exact properties are unknown. Verified; no new data.
Potion #3: Raw umber and bubbly, with a smell similar to the first potion. It carries a faint aura of illusion, properties unknown. Potion of invisibility.
Potion #4: Bubbly and blue-violet in color, with the very same smell as potions #1 & #3. Faint aura of unknown school. Properties unknown. Aura of faint transmutation; potion of bear's endurance.

Light Mace: Faint aura of evocation. Properties unknown. Verified; +1 light mace.

From Tatterman
War Razor: faint aura of evocation, properties unknown. Verfied; +1 war razor.
Ring: faint aura of abjuration properties unknown. Verified; ring of protection +1.

From Ulver's Mattress Stash
Wand: This wand is made out of ebony wood, which has a strong affinity for spoken magics. The handle is made out of buckeye wood, which favors leader types. However, this particular combination of ebony and buckeye woods means the wand will seek out somebody with a strong sense of righteousness. Faint aura of enchantment. Brother Jaume IDs it as a wand of command (38 charges remaining). Aura verified; identification not verified, but assumed that Brother Jaume got it right.

Potion #5: Orange-red and clumpy, with a strong smell reminiscent of mustard. Faint aura, unknown. Verified; elixir of truth.
Scroll: Scroll of Summon Monster III. Verified.

Also, the Chain of Nights registers as magical, but Dorn is currently reading it, and the magic is not the entire book, but rather several emanations from within the book. Not ID'd at this time.

By the time Flair and Maeni complete looking carefully over each item to identify or verify identification, Dorn is finishing up reading the Chain of Nights. The 50-year-old man almost seems 60 and haunted.

"I have done it. It is a surprisingly fast read," says Dorn to the heroes collected before him. "There were many sections I just couldn't understand and are beyond my comprehension - be they magical spells (I don't have read magic prepared), which I don't think are quite - but there are also sections which I am sure that only I, Brother Jaume, or Jens could have a chance of understanding.

"Within this text is a powerful occult ritual called Release Nightmare, and I believe that is what will be needed to destroy the fabric of this nightmare, returning all of Briarstone Asylum and its occupants back to the 'real' world. But the ritual is flawed, or engineered to be imperfect. The dangers are extreme.

"There is one who must be the primary participant. The ritual can have up to 12 participants. We will need a candle flame flickering in a darkened room, so after the candle is lit, no other light sources. Flair, I need you to be primary-secondary, and as many helpful people we an get. I volunteer as the primary because medical knowledge outstrips the need for understanding cosmology, but both skills are held in high regard for understanding the ritual. I can guide everyone through the ritual once started, and everyone does not need to read the book ..... except Flair.

"Flair, I don't understand the worlds beyond our own, but the book will help your knowledge of the Dimension of Dreams. If you are to be my secondary caster, it will aid you incredibly for your part .... but reading this book has come with a price on my soul that I can't quantify. You can forgo reading it, but the aid would be of great help once we begin the ritual.

"I also recommend someone go down and try to secret that young doctor out of there, and bring him up here to help with the ritual. If he really is a talented doctor, I will need his help along with the brother and Jens."

[digiman619]

Flair brings his hand to his chin. "I think I can convince the doctor to come up here, but I can't do that and read the book at the same time. And the longer we delay, the greater the chances that the Apostles-" He stopped as an idea struck him. "Jens, how good are you at stealth? Because if you can get close enough to get him into the collective, preferably without being seen, I can probably talk him into coming up." Assuming that Jens agrees, Flair will set himself up somewhere close enough to be within range and begins to read the book.

[ClockworkCorvid]

Corbin chimes in, after listening intenly to the description of the ritual. He looks at the book with equal parts apprehension and curiosity."I... I uh... I can get the doctor. I think I shouldnt have any problem skulking back down there, or convincing him to come along. Unless you think Im too unstable to do it...
"

[digiman619]

Flair turned to Corbin. "I'm not doubting your stealth capabilities or your mental state. I am wondering how you plan on getting him to come up here, though. I don't really think bird man is his type."

[ClockworkCorvid]

Corbin shrugs. "You never know. ... I'm probably not the most convincing. It's up to you." He looks unsure for a moment. "It could be a two... uh... man job. So to speak. I can at the very least try to make sure there's a clear route both ways."

[digiman619]

Flair pauses. "Okay, scout ahead and keep the path clear for Jens and the Doctor. If everything turns out well, the Wren will come up and leave the Apostles none the wiser, but in case there is a problem, giving them support could be vital in giving us the time we'd need to finish this."

[bcool999]

Jens

To say that Jens was disappointed that they were still trapped in this Dimension of Dreams after killing the Tatterman wouldn't be inaccurate. Jens is pulled out of his angst when asked to sneak to the doctor for a potentially dangerous ritual to free them of this place. Jens ponders a moment before saying, "I could try going down and join him to the collective. However, remember that the collective does have a maximum range. I may be able to join him only to lose your connection Flair. I am willing to make the attempt though. I should also take that potion of invisibility with me. It may help convince the doctor to sneak out."

[lostsole31]

So, Corbin as overwatch for Jens, who would sneak down with a potion of invisibility to attempt to get the doctor here. Meanwhile, Flair gets crack-a-lackin' on reading Chain of Nights.

Are we good with this plan?

[ClockworkCorvid]

Corbin has no objections.

[Blackhawk101]

BJ supports this plan.

[silphael]

After an heavy look at Nadya and what seems to be deep thinking, Maeni finally speaks :

"That won't do. I will go to the doctor and convince him, and I don't need the collective for that. You better prepare all you can together, I'll catch up with you once I'm back."

With a flick or her hand, she cleans herself.

"That will do for now."

Spoiler: OOC

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Simply casting Prestidigitation to stay clean.

[digiman619]

Flair raises a finger to object, but stops himself. He had been planning to send Jens so he could both read the book and get the doctor, but other than the fact that he had the collective, he wasn't the all that great a spokesman. Meani definitely had the people skills needed and he had to to trust his team without micromanaging everything. Still, it wouldn't help to cover her while she worked. "Do it" he said simply. "Corbin, stay on overwatch, but otherwise let her work. Jens, you can stay back and be ready to move the barricade to let them in. As for me, I've got a book to read" He then began to read the book, which if Dorn's countenance was any clue, was going to be a less than pleasant experience.

[lostsole31]

Flair begins to read the Chain of Nights. Dorn directs a feather-headed Nadya to help him clear the area in the main part of Ulver's room (the northwest section) in preparation for the ritual. As Flair is focused, the Toragdan chats with Nadya out of the way about something.

Jens, Maeni, and their escort Corbin go down the hallway to the east to the oneirogen room. They then head south and then west to the rubble-filled passageway and horsehoe back around to the east to and into the guardroom. It was in entering the rubble-filled passageway that Jens lost contact with Flair, Dorn, and Nadya, who are no longer in the collective. The trio go through the guardroom and down the stairs. Corbin loads a durable bolt but otherwise stays on the landing around the corner, so as not to be seen, but still in contact with Jens and Maeni through the collective.

Jens and Maeni try to go down the stairs stealthily, but find that a lot of apostles are staring up the stairs towards them, and their hopes for stealth are dashed. Noticed, they can do little now but either hope things won't become violent, or run upstairs ... which would surely have a couple dozen enraged apostles going up there after them, and likely overrunning the heroes' position upstairs.

Wren comes out of the little clinic room when he senses the mood in the larger room shift and murmurs pass around to "kill the infidels."

Corbin, suddenly appearing just in front of your concealed position, but on the landing as if he stepped out from where you are - coming as if from nowhere - is the recently deceased Ulver Zandalus!!

He steps to the landing and calls out (getting Jens' and Maeni's attention, who are halfway down the stairs), "My Apostles in Orpiment, a beautiful day is upon us, for I have received a vision of our salvation!"

Begin Round One ...

R1T19: Corbin, you are not in "combat" (yet), but I am using initiative to determine how you react. What do you do?

[ClockworkCorvid]

Corbin freezes, not even daring to breath. His thoughts come confused and crazed through the collective...

Spoiler: Collective

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"Is this real!? Am I really seeing this!?"

Tensing up, he readies himself to either run or fight...

Spoiler: OOC

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Readying an action to take a shot from my hiding spot if Z Does anything hostile.

[lostsole31]

R1T19: Corbin freezes, not even daring to breath. His thoughts come confused and crazed through the collective.

Spoiler: Corbin >>> Collective (Jens, Maeni only)

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"Is this real!? Am I really seeing this!?"

Tensing up, he readies himself to either run or fight.

R1T14: Jens, Ulver just came from upstairs, and surely passed Corbin and spoke outwards to the apostles, and then you perceived Corbin's frantic tepe. Ulver is 10' above you at the top of the landing. What do you do?

[bcool999]

Jens

Seeing the crowd of zealots before him, and their dead leader making a dramatic appearance behind, Jens knows that the day was only going downhill from here. Thinking through his options, Jens realizes he has only bad and worse options. Sighing in resignation, Jens palms the potion of invisibility to Maeni and tepes the collective.

Spoiler: Jens >>> Collective

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"Maeni, drink what I just gave you and run and warn the others, I will try to buy some time here."

Out loud, Jens asks, "What is your vision Ulver? I suppose it involves slaughtering my friends and I?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Move action to pass the potion to Maeni so she can escape. Part of me wants to force Ulver into the collective but that would likely start combat so I will let him monologue a while.

[lostsole31]

R1T14: Seeing the crowd of zealots before him, and their dead leader making a dramatic appearance behind, Jens knows that the day was only going downhill from here. Thinking through his options, Jens realizes he has only bad and worse options. Sighing in resignation, Jens palms the potion of invisibility to Maeni and tepes the collective.

Spoiler: Jens>>>Collective (Maeni, Corbin)

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"Maeni, drink what I just gave you and run and warn the others, I will try to buy some time here."

Out loud, Jens asks, "What is your vision Ulver? I suppose it involves slaughtering my friends and I?"

R1T12: The congregation of apostles, bristle, sensing that they might have non-believers in their midst. Crowbars, table-legs, chunks of rock rubble, saps, and other normal and makeshift weapons are brandished, but they wait for their leader to continue.

R1T8: Ulver looks to Jens, "Slaughter you? No, for your friends made the ultimate sacrifice and found the traitors in our midst."

Looking to the rest of the apostles he says, "My people, my visions reached other survivors that were called up to me. These two here - Jens and Maeni - are heroes. For they uncovered the treachery that the Bag Lady and her confederates attempted. Loomis and the traitorous apostles are now dead, slain by these heroes hands. I am safe, and I go with these two to reward them, for hear me, the hour of my apotheosis is at hand!"

A cheer wells up at these words.

"Eat, make love, enjoy these hours, my children. But for now, I have sent Jens and Maeni to fetch Dr. Wren for me. For he, too, has a part to play in our glorious ascension!"

A huge cheer now wells, and Jens and Maeni think that it might .... be for them?

Ulver turns and heads out of sight, presumably heading up the stairs.

Spoiler: Corbin

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Ulver turns to you, and doesn't seem to notice you at all, looking past you as he heads your way. As soon as he passes beyond view of those downstairs, he disappears, a split-second before you were likely to shoot him just for coming close!

Dr. Wren looks at Jens and Maeni. "Let's go now, my fellow celebrants."

R1T5: Maeni, what do you do?

Corbin on deck, Jens in the hole ....

[lostsole31]

I am just going to assume that Jens and Maeni collect Dr. Elbourne ... and then Corbin (which shocks Dr. Elbourne, who didn't know he was there).

Jens/ Maeni/ Corbin, if you want to ask Dr. Elbourne any questions, use the IC-Interactive, please.

---

The four persons arrive at Ulver's old chambers. Dorn and Nadya are finishing up clearing away rubble for some ritual. Brother Jaume can fill in Dr. Elbourne with the request, and Flair is busy reading a book. So busy, in fact, Flair is rather unaware of what goes on around him.

Nadya has offered, but it is up to the group. She is pretty sure she can sneak to get Winter. Do you want to try to get Winter Klasczka here, or not?

[ClockworkCorvid]

After the close call on the stairs, Corbin will loudly and vehemently object to any plan not related to just getting this done.

[lostsole31]

So, that's a no from Corbin? Please give an example of your volume and vehemence.

[silphael]

Maeni doesn't seem to be happy with Nadya's offer of infiltration.

"Anyone that might be up to the task at hand ?"

[lostsole31]

"oh," says Nadya a bit vacantly, "perhaps it's not a good idea."

[lostsole31]

Dorn looks at Jens and Maeni, "What happened? I thought the worst when I heard an incredible cheer, but then you all came back with the young Doctor Wren."

[bcool999]

Jens

"I believe we are getting some outside assistance. When we went down to the landing, the entire congregation was there waiting for us. Before we could run or fight, Ulver, or at least, a very convincing illusion of him appeared and told them that we are great heros to the cause and that the time of their ascension is nigh so they should celebrate while we assist in preparation." Jens shakes his head and says, "If you can get past the massive orgy down there you have a fair chance of getting Winter here assuming she wishes to come... careful where you step though."

[lostsole31]

Dorn is taken aback. "Outside assistance..." he muses. "That makes things simpler. Nadya, and .... Maeni," and here he gives Maeni a stern look, "and myself will go bring Winter here, perhaps with some candles from the chapel, as I don't think we don't have any, and that's required for the ritual anyway. Maeni, I want you to go with us, since you have some doubt in your teammate's abilities."

Maeni, do you object?

Anyone else?