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

[silphael]

Sending more sparks, Maeni adds toward Flair :

"Grin your teeth, it's not over, it'll keep going for around half a minute !"

She focuses her attention on the psychic, to be sure she doesn't miss his next action.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

So, Jolt again. Yay.

Attack - (1d20+3)[4]
Damage - (1d3)[2]

[lostsole31]

R17T21: Moving closer to battle, Maeni adds toward Flair, "Grit your teeth, it's not over. It'll keep going for around half a minute!" She focuses her attention on the psychic, to be sure she doesn't miss his next action. She was so focused on helping Flair that she didn't notice her firing hand accidentally drop, for at the moment of release her hand had dropped and she was just brushing her leg, and electricity courses through her. While it doesn't do physical harm, it does cause unseen injury as she takes 2 DEX damage.

R17T19: Dorn looks to Corbin and says, "Take my place," as he sidles to the southwest. He attacks with a single hammer stroke this time, hitting Ulver in the side of the chest for 8.

R17T17: Flair, the pain is playing havoc with your skeletal system, weakening you across the board. Even your face feels like its on fire from this horror. Roll a Fort save, then declare your action.

Brother Jaume on deck, Ulver in the hole ...

[digiman619]

Flair drops to one knee in pain from agony enveloping his body. His voice, though wracked in pain, still held the steel of his determination. "The only 'me' that matters is the me I choose to be. And I choose to stop you." And with that, he stood and spoke his psuedo-Celestial and punched him in the face.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

5 foot step northwest (as to flank with Dorn)
MA: Put my totem back up, spend my last SP to make it last 2 rounds.
FA: Use my Pugnacious trait to increase my fist's size.
FA: Use the last 2 points of my inspiration pool to aid my attack.
SA: Punch this @$$. (1d20+5)[15] (includes flank) + 5 (rolled inspiration on Discord), so 20 to attack. (1d8+2)[8]

[lostsole31]

R17T17: Flair drops to one knee in pain from agony enveloping his body (he takes 6 NL, 1 DEX, 1 CON, and -10' speed). His voice, though wracked in pain, still held the steel of his determination. "The only 'me' that matters is the me I choose to be. And I choose to stop you." And with that, he stood and spoke his psuedo-Celestial and punched him in the face for 8.

R17T16: Brother Jaume, what do you do? Do you maintain growth?

Ulver on deck, Corbin in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

“By Erastil’s Hairy Balls, why won’t you die!”shouts the frustrated Brother Jaume.
He steps forward as he shrinks down to normal size to flank with Flair and attacks with powerful staff strikes.

Spoiler

Show

full attack, PA, flurry of blows, normal size
to hit #1 (1d20+6)[12]
to damage #1(1d6+9)[14]
to hit #2(1d20+6)[9]
to damage #2 (1d6+9)[11]

[lostsole31]

R17T16: “By Erastil’s Hairy Balls, why won’t you die!”shouts the frustrated Brother Jaume. He steps forward as he shrinks down to normal size to flank with Flair and attacks with powerful staff strikes. His first strike beats against magical protections, where the strange deflective ability of Zandalus' magic throws the monk's second attack off even further.

R17T15.5: Ulver steps to the side and goes back to studying Jens. That is when Flair realizes that it seems he didn't hit Ulver nearly as hard as he thought he had. In fat, while blood trickles from his nose, it seems that Flair actually only did 3 mod, and not 8 like he had thought. Ulver returns to studying Jens and after carefully concentrating he sends more mental energy down the line to the psionicist (23 mental damage, and 2 bleed)!

R17T15: Corbin, Uver moved away from you (and out of flank). What do you do?

Jens on deck (bleeding from his ears), Nadya on deck ...

[ClockworkCorvid]

Corbin ditches his crossbow to get in Ulver's face, thrashing away with his claws and beak.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

5 Foot step into square to the left of Ulver, drop crossbow, Full attack.
Bite: (1d20+6)[16] Damage: (1d3+3)[6]
Claw: (1d20+5)[12] Damage: (1d3+2)[3]
Claw: (1d20+5)[8] Damage: (1d3+2)[5]

[lostsole31]

R17T15: Corbin ditches his crossbow to get in Ulver's face, thrashing away with his claws and beak, scoring a bite in Ulver's left elbow for 6.

R17T14: Jens, you take 2 bleed out of your ears. What do you do?

Nadya on deck, Maeni in the hole ...

[bcool999]

Jens

Jens would like to say that he stoically bore the pain of the most recent mental assault, but that would be a lie. Jens whimpered as the assault landed on his mind and he felt something crack in spite of the non-physical nature of the attack as blood started flowing down his ears.

Jens started to retreat back down the hallway and into the nearest room and out of sight muttering ”Don’t break. Don’t break. Don’t break.” to himself over and over as he does so. Part of him hopes that Ulver requires line of sight to attack him another part just hopes he will get distracted with someone else. Most of all, Jens is glad that his drain doesn’t require anything more than being in the collective.

Spoiler: Ooc

Show

Move action: move into that open room to the right on the map to break LOS between Jens and Ulver.

Standard action: drain health on Ulver to heal Jens. Will save 15 (with -2 penalty) or lose 10 hp. 5 hp loss on a successful save.

[lostsole31]

R17T14: Jens would like to say that he stoically bore the pain of the most recent mental assault, but that would be a lie. Jens whimpered as the assault landed on his mind and he felt something crack in spite of the non-physical nature of the attack as blood started flowing down his ears.

Jens started to retreat back down the hallway and into the nearest room and out of sight muttering ”Don’t break. Don’t break. Don’t break.” to himself over and over as he does so. Part of him hopes that Ulver requires line of sight to attack him another part just hopes he will get distracted with someone else. Most of all, Jens is glad that his drain doesn’t require anything more than being in the collective. The tactic must have been successful, as Ulver suffers a drain of 10 and Jens receives the same healing (and the bleeding is stopped).

End Round 17, Begin Round 18 ...

R18T28: Nadya belches out a weak amount of lightning while the line is clear, hitting Ulver for 3 electricity while she maintains her altitude. The walls reverberate from the thunder.

R18T21: Maeni, what do you do?

Dorn on deck, Flair in the hole ...

[silphael]

Suffering from her former shock but lacking other options, Maeni keeps sending sparks.

I'm slowing us down...

Spoiler: OOC

Show

5 foot step directly to the right.

Standard action, Jolt, again.

Attack - (1d20+2)[10]
Damage - (1d3)[2]

[lostsole31]

R18T21: Suffering from her former shock but lacking other options, Maeni keeps sending sparks. I'm slowing us down...

R18T19: Seeing the "softer" members of the party in possible peril as the warriors stack to the west, Dorn tries to move acrobatically past Brother Jaume but Ulver catches him with the mace in the stomach as he goes by, but not actually hurting the saint. Dorn continues past Nadya - and notes that Ulver doesn't attack again - and then holds the breech to the eastern passageway to protect Maeni and Jens (wherever he is). Dorn attacks, his warhammer skipping off of Ulver's forcefield.

R18T17: Flair, you are in pain ... the pain did not stop. However, through force of will you did keep the spell from further affecting you for a few more seconds. Even in these dire straits, you realize your ability to note your environment is no longer "limited" because of your current stress, but you see, hear, and sense things as easily as you otherwise would, despite being doubled over in pain. What do you do?

Brother Jaume on deck, Ulver in the hole ...

[digiman619]

Flair pulls back and flattens his hand, intent on causing a bleeding wound rather than his usual bruising force.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

MA: Martial Flexibility into Bleeding Attack
(1d20+3)[18] Not counting flanking/other buffs (1d6)[5] (plus buffs) damage + (1d4)[3] bleed

[lostsole31]

R18T17: Flair pulls back and flattens his hand, intent on causing a bleeding wound rather than his usual bruising force. He strikes Ulver right in the groin 2 mod (and the beginnings of internal hemorrhaging.

R18T16: Brother Jaume, what do you do? That pillar is providing cover for Ulver at your current position (you have to strike around it), though if you take a 5' step to the east you would be standing under Nadya and not suffer cover penalties.

Ulver on deck, Corbin in the hole...

[Blackhawk101]

Brother Jaume move quickly to the SW before he form swells again to heroic proportions. His quarter staff flicks past over Corbin to strike at Ulver.

Spoiler

Show

five foot step, FAA, Enlarge , PA , flurry of Blows.
to hit #1(1d20+6)[26]
to damage #1(1d8+10)[13]
to hit #2(1d20+6)[8]
to damage #2(1d8+10)[17]

[lostsole31]

R18T16: Brother Jaume move quickly to the SW before he form swells again to heroic proportions. His quarter staff flicks past over Corbin to strike at Ulver's right thigh, possibly causing a break, for 19 mod. Had he been wearing actual armor, instead of an armor-like spell, perhaps it would've saved him. Brother Jaume is committed to the psychic's destruction and breaks the lower back of the man.

R18T15: Corbin, Ulver is down, possibly dead (you're not sure). What do you do?

Jens on deck, Nadya in the hole ...

[lostsole31]

R18T15: Corbin starts to look over Ulver, but he is creeped out as his wounds and orifices begin spewing clouds of thick, yellow smoke. More out of a sense of self-preservation Corbin backs up onto his feet.

R18T14: Jens, you are hiding in the dark of a choked off passageway. You know of Zandalus' demise, and the death of a human of that power was disturbing, even though you were able to fight off most of the horror of that reality. What do you do?

Nadya on deck, Maeni in the hole ...

[bcool999]

Jens

Breathing deeply to calm himself down, Jens spends some time healing before he walks back out to see the others.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Spend 3 Temp PP on Natural Healing for Jens to heal for 9 (33 total after healing)
Next round stated action: Spend 3 Temp PP on vigor with Spirit of Many giving Flair and Corbin 10 THP each.

After spending the Temp PP will walk out to rejoin the others.

[lostsole31]

R18T14: Breathing deeply to calm himself down, Jens spends some time healing before he walks back out to see the others.

End Round 18, Begin Round 19 ...

R19T28: Nadya lands and asks, "What is happening to his body?"

R19T21: Maeni, what do you do? Ulver is down, no apparent enemies, and yellow mist rising from the wounds and orifices on Ulver's body.

Dorn on deck, Flair in the hole ...

[digiman619]

Flair squints at the rising mist, trying to determine its cause and any danger it might bring.

[silphael]

Maeni closes the distance, both to stay near her allies, but also to study what's happening to the body.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Moving beside Dorn near Ulver's body, and trying to know what is happening. Readying an action to move away in case it proves dangerous.

[lostsole31]

R19T21: Maeni closes the distance, both to stay near her allies, but also to study what's happening to the body.

R19T19: "I will try to find Jens; tepe or call if something happens," says Dorn as he moves out. He heads east along the passageway and sees Jens. He steps up to Jens and prays to Torag to heal Jens' current injuries, putting a hand on him and healing Jens fully.

R19T17: Flair squints at the rising mist, trying to determine its cause and any danger it might bring, even as he senses his war totem fail. And there it is, like a shining beacon in his mind ... vast wealth of knowledge beyond anything that would normally be his to command with his mortal mind .... and even more parts of it that seem sequestered from him. But he is filled with a dread certainty of what is to come.

Flair, take a look at the information I DM you, then take your action ...

[digiman619]

Flair noted the mists and in a rapid fire chain of connections understood. "Oh, cazzo" he swore in Infernal. He then turned to the rest of the party. "Okay, this is bad. We aren't being overlaid with the Dimension of Dreams like I thought, we've been transported to it, and our recently deceased friend here was keeping the Tatterman at bay, and the Tatterman is an ancient menace who is not to be trifled with. Judging by the mist rising from the body, it's likely to become the host for the Tatterman, so we need to disable the body before it wakes up. Someone with a blade, cut his head off while we have the chance!" He then summoned his tether and stabbed it into the corpse's heart; if this was going to be the avatar of the Tatterman, a steady source of damage would be their best bet.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Hit the body with the tether. Even with my crappy rolls, this should be automatic, so I won't roll unless you make me. As soon as I have a tether, I retreat past Brother Jaume; I don't exactly have a great AC.

[lostsole31]

Spoiler: ALCON OOC

Show

Because you aren't in the stress of combat, I doubt everyone has something specific and useful they would like to do, and most people are out of anything they would have with which to "do something on their turn." In reality, you would be "ready for anything" but you would be listening to Flair. Only Jens really has a thing that he specifically wanted to do.

R19T17: Flair, fighting off the pain, noted the mists and in a rapid fire chain of connections understood. "Oh, cazzo!" he swore in Infernal. He then turned to the rest of the party. "Okay, this is bad. We aren't being overlaid with the Dimension of Dreams like I thought ..."

R19T14: Jens, not wanting to waste Ulver's "sacrifice," prepares Flair and Corbin for any possible continued aggression. Both Corbin and Flair feel a buoying of health from Jens.

R20T17: As the mist grows and fills the space with Zandalus' corpse, Flair grimaces in pain from Ulver's spell, still affecting him even in the psychic's death (7 NL, 1 DEX, 1 CON; he is now crippled and can no longer move from his spot). "...we've been transported to it, and our recently deceased friend here was keeping the Tatterman at bay, and the Tatterman is an ancient menace who is not to be trifled with."

R20T12: Maeni feels her bless fail, and the little bit of battle lust and ability to overcome fearful things that folks were enjoying now goes away.

R21T17: Flair still suffers from the pain and wracking malformations (5 NL, 1 DEX, 1 CON), even as his body fights against it. The mists now fill a 5' burst around Ulver's body. "Judging by the mist rising from the body, it's likely to become the host for the Tatterman, so we need to disable the body before it wakes up."

R22T17: Flair feels the last gasps of the terrible spell (5 NL, 1 DEX, 1 CON). He is able to move his feet again. The base of the pain (NL and ability damage) is still with him, but his flexibility has returned."Someone with a blade, cut his head off while we have the chance!"

He then summons his tether and stabs it into the corpse's heart; if this was going to be the avatar of the Tatterman, a steady source of damage would be their best bet. At this point, a 5-foot-square of thick yellow mist surrounds Ulver's body, so that anyone outside the mist can't see the body anymore.

Brother Jaume, Maeni, Corbin, Jens .... do you do anything to prepare .... move to surround the body? Run in terror? Pray for deliverance?

[ClockworkCorvid]

Corbin, now visibly panicked, grabs his crossbow and stows it on his back, while slowly backing away.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Pick up and stow crossbow, back up 5' to the northwest. Full defense with the rest of my time. Gunslingers Dodge in a random applicable direction if something spooky gets shot at me.

[Blackhawk101]

Seeing Flair’s distress , Brother Jaume moves forward to render him aid.
“Rest easy now son. Let me ease your suffering.”

Spoiler

Show

BJ will spam Calming Touch to help Flair. This is a domain ability.
Calming Touch (Sp): You can touch a creature as a standard action to heal it of 1d6 points of nonlethal damage + 1 point per cleric level. This touch also removes the fatigued, shaken, and sickened conditions (but has no effect on more severe conditions). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.

when Flair finishes speaking;
Lacking a blade, BJ moves forward and does his best to reduce the head of the corpse to paste by pounding it into the ground with his staff.

[silphael]

Calling her claws, Maeni decides to surrender her lust for mysteries for the sake of safety, and tries to behead the corpse with it.

"Don't we risk seeing the Tatterman in another body ?"

[bcool999]

Jens

Listening to the tone of Flair's explanation, Jens prepares for more trouble. He manifests Vigor upon himself and Maeni and moves towards the corpse to assist in crippling it.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

So there are a few rounds being used for speaking there so, 1 round Vigor for 3 PP using spirit of Many to give 10 THP to Jens and Maeni. Next Round move up to the corpse in preparation of attacking the corpse. Not sure how many rounds I have but basically Jens should be down to 2 PP with Vigor on Flair, Corbin, Maeni and himself and adjacent to the corpse by the time Flair finishes with his Decapitation suggestion.

[digiman619]

Flair practically melted into Brother Jaume's touch. The madman's spell had weakened him quite a bit and left him with aches all over his body, which Jaume was easing away. He then responded to Maeni somewhat loopily (as the removal of pain is sometimes akin to a drug in it's own right). "I don't really know; the tomes said that he "would be a portal to the Tatterman", which I thought meant he'd become an avatar for it, but it looks like it might be a tad more literal."

[lostsole31]

Semi-Retcon (filling in gaps, not replacing any of the time marks above ... these are additive, not replacing or overwriting)...

R19T16: Seeing Flair’s distress , Brother Jaume moves forward to render him aid. “Rest easy now son. Let me ease your suffering.”

Over the next several rounds, Brother Jaume gives a calming touch to Flair. It doesn't help fight off the spell, but it does alleviate a lot of the pain that Flair suffers from it.

R19T15: Corbin grabs his crossbow, and then backs off from the mist just a little. He still ends up in the mist, just not at "ground zero" with Ulver's corpse.

R20T14-13: Jens and Dorn return together, with the latter putting himself in a peculiarly vulnerable position against the wall in the corner. Jens realizes that his vigor is solidly on Maeni for close to another two minutes, so he performs vigor/ Spirit of Many on himself and Dorn.

---

Flair finishes first speech.

---

In the following few seconds ...

Calling her claws, Maeni decides to surrender her lust for mysteries for the sake of safety, and beheads the corpse with them. (It is easy to forget that while she is no warrior, she is actually among the stronger members of the party!) "Don't we risk seeing the Tatterman in another body?"

Flair practically melted into Brother Jaume's touch in the past few rounds. The madman's spell had weakened him quite a bit and left him with aches all over his body, which Jaume was easing away. He then responded to Maeni somewhat loopily (as the removal of pain is sometimes akin to a drug in it's own right). "I don't really know; the tomes said that he "would be a portal to the Tatterman", which I thought meant he'd become an avatar for it, but it looks like it might be a tad more literal."

When Flair finishes speaking, and lacking a blade of his own, Brother Jaume moves forward and does his best to reduce the severedhead of the corpse to paste by pounding it into the ground with his staff. It might not be paste, but Ulver's head is now completely mashed in.

And yet, for all of that, the party only created more holes, wounds, cuts, and openings for mist to come pouring through faster and faster.

And there, within the mists, only Dorn, Flair, and Jens sees the danger.

Surprise Round ...

S22: Only those three barely notice in the cloying mists, the figure standing where Ulver lay, but everyone feels a wash of terror! "Thank you for freeing me, now embrace my reward!" comes the voice within the fog.

Everyone needs to make a Will save vs. a fear effect (Label: Fear effect #1)!

He makes a quick motion, and Nadya and Dorn see Jens get attacked a small blade of some type. Jens gets slashed across the left shoulder for 5 to his THP. The terrifying man-thing steps south, out of view of Maeni, Nadya, and Jens.

Jens, you were terrified when he spoke, and now you are actually performing some manner of excretory function when he/it attacked you!

S20: Jens, roll a SAN check. Meanwhile, Jens moves in pure panic down the hallway, but instead of running as far as he can, he instead stops at the first door on his right, possibly mulling over in his terror-addled mind about hiding in a side closet.

S19: Flair, you feel your blood turn to ice, and yet it has the aspect of stealing your body against the initial sense of fear. And yet, as you see this terrifying creature in the mists, it speaks of something you as a mortal were never meant to see. What do you do?