Overlord Styled Sandbox (IC)- The Council of Wyrms

[ThreadNecro5]

Spoiler: Link to the OOC Thread

Show

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...5#post22876875

The Council of Wyrms:
The server clock ticks over. You all stand among your fellows waiting for the end even as the interface bugs out. All the while the city around you churns to life, all the NPCs all have their activity scripts activate at once.

[Quantumphear]

The Council of Wyrms:

Myrsirim the Mad

As the clock ticks closer to the server shutdown, the great throne room of the Council is deathly silent, save for a single sonorous voice.

"And it is with great pride and no small amount of sorrow that I bring this guild to a close. Now I know we all couldn't make it here tonight, but I'd like to thank everyone in the Council for their hard work and dedication. We made this guild great, and we did it by putting our hearts and souls into the game - I know that many of us, most of all myself, have very little idea what we'll do once this is gone. Please join me in counting down the last few seconds before we bring this grand, glorious chapter to a close.

Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven..."

Phalnirr

Phalnirr looks around him, dreading what is to come. As he counts along with his guild leader, he looks towards the village, gazing upon the masses of Kobolds, Wyvarans, and more that would normally be going about their usual routine. Now though, they all stand still, with that same blank look most nameless NPC's have. Skyrr moves through his idle animation for the third time since the council arrived.

Most of Phalnirr's buffs ran out a couple hours ago, and that's probably for the better; Best to go out in the purest, most permanent form possible, right? This game's been better than he could've asked for, given him everything he's ever wanted out of life, and more than he might've imagined.

"Six. Five...."

Krysalis, the Dream Crawler

Khrysalis stirred restlessly, feeling the moments stretch before her. This had been far more than a game to her - it had been a second life, a chance for something greater that she hadn't wanted to end. But here she was now, in Genesis' final moments. At least she was surrounded by her guild members, the only ones who she had ever truly considered as friends. And maybe someday, they would find each other again.

She felt a shiver run down her virtual scales, a form she wished she never had to give up...

"Four... Three..."

Aria, the Lunatic Sorceress

A small ruby colored crystal floats behind Aria. As irreverent to the somber tone as she usually is, Aria has started livestreaming the event. After assuring the guild master that she wouldn’t stream anything revealing about the Wyrmspire, of course. Inside of the crystal, a bead of light occasionally moves around, growing and shrinking like a focusing eye. It does a quick lap of the Council to show the remaining members, before settling in front of Aria now, who waved at the “camera.” Aria noticed that only a few dozen people were left on the stream. At her highpoint there had been thousands who would watch her fight bosses, try out new cosmetic items, and even watch her grind for hours, trying to find that rare loot. But it seemed like all that remained were a small core of viewers, about the number she had started with right before she took off. Aria liked to think that maybe these were the people who had followed her since the beginning, seeing her character and guild evolve. A fleeting fantasy, though it gave her a little bit of hope.

Originally she had never planned on sticking with one guild for this long, or even sticking with one game. But with the Council she actually had fun, and her viewcount reflected her passion. She hadn't planned on anything else yet, because nothing else could recreate the same feeling.

Aria looked straight at the crystal, to her viewers, one last time.

“Two... one…”

The Council of Wyrms:
The server clock ticks over. You all stand among your fellows waiting for the end even as the interface bugs out. All the while the city around you churns to life, all the NPCs all have their activity scripts activate at once.

[Arenabait]

Phalnirr sits for a moment, closing his eyes as the clock reaches 0. After a few moments, when he hasn't been booted out by the game yet, he reopens them and looks around im, twitchily.

"Uhh... you guys still there? My HUD's gone and I was expecting it to log me out automatically. Did I disconnect?"

[Draconium]

"I don't think so, I'm having the same issues here." Khrysalis looked around for a moment, blinking a little, then made a well-practiced motion with her claw. "... And my menu's not opening either. The hell's going on here?"

[Quantumphear]

Myrsirim the Mad Level 20 Druid/Stalker/Umbral Dragon| AC:107, DR 15/Good | HP:560/560 Myrsirim shakes his head, green eyes sweeping back and forth as he tries to assess the situation. "Some kind of interface bug, no doubt. Let me try something, I remember this being implemented back when the game first launched; you wouldn't believe the kind of bugs were commonplace then. Err... What were the words... Oh yes." He extends his head upwards, raising his voice until a titanic roar echoes throughout the hall and beyond. "SUMMON GREATER DEVELOPER!" Dust and detritus slowly drifts down in the wake of his shout as he waits for a response...

[Rarkasha]

Aria

Unlike almost all other times in game, Aria is quite silent. A light blue claw taps the side of her cheek idly as her mind races. Not only was she unable to access her menus, but her stream chat had cut out entirely. Any attempts to access the overlay app or any other feature was not going through.

"I can't seem to access any of my out of game chats. And I can't reach anyone else outside of here. Let's try the in game features.

Aria tried to find the command for the telepathy chat. But rather than a prompt called up by the game, she could actually feel her thoughts activating the link.

"Hello? Is this working?" said Aria, through the link to everyone. To her surprise, an unfamiliar voice responded. Smooth and calm, it cut through the tension like a guiding light.

"I hear you, Lord Aria. Are you conducting a test today?"

"A test? Wait, who is this?"

"Hmm... this is irregular. I am Dogen, your humble servant. I was not aware of any effect causing memory loss being cast. I will attempt to repair the damage, one I can prepare that power." Dogen's telepathic voice betrays no surprise at all, as if this sort of thing was as natural as treating a cold.

"Hold on, no. Let's not go through my mind at the moment. Where are you?"

"As you wish. As instructed, I am at the temple. Ah, if you have forgotten, then you should know that Jugemu is here too."

"No... I remember giving that order. Okay, one moment Dogen,"

"Um - You all heard that right? Should we go?" says Aria, out loud now. Her humanoid face appears completely nonplussed, overwhelmed with the information she needs to process.

[ThreadNecro5]

He extends his head upwards, raising his voice until a titanic roar echoes throughout the hall and beyond.

"SUMMON GREATER DEVELOPER!"

Dust and detritus slowly drifts down in the wake of his shout as he waits for a response...

Your roar reverberates all around...

...And nothing.

Nearby a wide-eyed kobold with a mop and bucket is staring about, no doubt trying to witness the 'summoning'.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

If the thing with the kobold janitor makes no sense for the guild just say so and I'll remove it. Just trying to add something to react to.

[Arenabait]

Phalnirr, Magnificent Monstrousity Level 18 Abjuration Wizard//Level 20 Mindchemist Alchemist Phalnirr turns his head towards the small creature. The NPC's usually ignore the goings on around them, unless something's being attacked. He slowly moves closer to the Kobold to get a better look at what might be making it act the way that it is. "That's odd..." he mumbles under his breath as he crawls along the ground with 6 of his 8 limbs, getting close to the tiny creature, moving so that the tip of his comparatively enormous head is less than a foot in front of it. As the kobold backs away, he turns his head over his shoulder to look at his guild-mates. "Did they do that before? I'm not seeing any magical effects or enchantments on him, so I doubt it's the work of another player. Atop that, Dogen seems to be acting outside of the usual scripting, and our HUD and such seem to be gone. Something's not normal here." the multi-limbed dragon says, his voice rumbling with an almost tin-like sound.

[Draconium]

Khrysalis the Dream Crawler Nightmare Dragon - Assassin//Psychic "It's not just that..." Khrysalis shakes her head as it attempting to clear it. "That telepathy... It wasn't a chat like normal, it felt more real than it should have. Everything seems to be different than before, but..." The dark-scaled dragon stood up fully, gazing around the chamber with her four white eyes. "I don't think this is supposed to happen. Something must have gone wrong when the server closed, some sort of glitch or... Hell, I don't know. But maybe we should check outside of the base, see if there's any players or mods nearby who are also experiencing this."

[Rarkasha]

Aria

"Hah... I must be losing it. I guess there's worse places to go crazy," said Aria, starting to stretch. Physically the smallest of the four Council members thanks to her shapeshifting magic, she had plenty of room. While everything felt different in terms of sensation, she still knew how to move her body. If anything, it felt more responsive than usual.

"Well boss, it's still your guild," said Aria, turning to Myrsirim, hands on her hips,"What's our next move? We can check topside, see what's going on over there. And if the telepathic link works, I should be able to use communication magic as well. You want to contact Blue Rose, or HARM maybe?"

[Quantumphear]

Myrsirim the Mad Level 20 Druid/Stalker/Umbral Dragon| AC:107, DR 15/Good | HP: 560/560 As confusion sets into the guild-members around him, Myrsirim slowly taps his claws against the polished stone floor and growls an order to any NPCs that are still in the room. "Leave us. Now. You will not speak of this." Once they have scurried away he gestures for the other players to come closer, and speaks in a hushed whisper. "We have no idea where we are or what is going on, and the first thing you want to do is loudly announce our presence? Whatever is going on, that is a very bad idea. Before we start attracting attention, we need more information, and we need to figure out who or what is trustworthy. Phalnirr, find your golems. Find out if they can still be commanded. Check the library and treasury and find out what supplies are there. Aria, I need you to investigate the other NPCs and see if they are loyal to us. The Veiled Master NPCs should be in charge of the guild defenses - if they are disloyal then they could be a threat, even as low level as they are. Dogen should also be investigated for his loyalty. Khrysalis, make sure the guild is exactly as we created it. This room is the same, but there may be other places that are... changed. Check the portal, including the other side as well. Meet me back here in 24 hours, or report via telepathy if you find something important." After delivering his instructions, Myrsirim turns and stalks towards where he remembers his quarters being located. It's rather obvious to everyone else that he is rattled, and trying to act imperious rather than show it.

[Arenabait]

Phalnirr, Magnificent Monstrousity Level 18 Abjuration Wizard//Level 20 Mindchemist Alchemist Phalnirr quickly moves to follow his orders, somewhat shaken himself. Rather than bothering to walk, Phalnirr Dimension Door's far into the fabricated sky above the roof, and begins making his way towards where he remembers keeping his pride and joy of construct creation: Bulk Bogan. Spoiler: Bulk Bogan Show His Sheet He had originally been an incredible undertaking, involving hundreds of thousands of gold worth of the guild's collective hoard, but it had been worth it in the end. 4000 pounds of Adamantine skin, Mithral Musculature, Platinum etching, and Gold circuitry resulted in what can only be described as almost completely unkillable, and undoubtedly the most powerful NPC ever created by a player in the history. Over the course of 8 hours per day, during over one and a half real life years, Bulk was created. He is a 20ft tall Adamantine Golem, loaded to the teeth with Magic Items that are integrated into his body, completely inseparable. Upon his physical completion, there was one final task to attend to. Awakening the construct over the course of twenty four, very real hours, during which time Phalnirr had to maintain complete concentration on the spell, lest he lose the slot, and the maximized metamagic gem created to aid in the awakening. Near the end of the awakening ritual, the core members of the Council gathered to discuss the Golem's name. Drunkenly, Aria suggested Bulk Bogan, making light of the fact that it was created as the champion of grappling that would be matched by none. In his sleep deprived state, Phalnirr agreed. And so came Bulk Bogan, who's personality description pins him as "Literally just Hulk Hogan but even more stereotypical uses of Brother, and having a ton of love for everyone, even the people he's actively killing." As Phalnirr approaches the streets that Bulk patrols, he sees the enormous golem, and lands just in front of it. "Bulk, what's going on? Follow me around for a bit, I need to ask you some questions."

[Draconium]

Khrysalis the Dream Crawler Nightmare Dragon - Assassin//Psychic Khrysalis hurriedly takes off from the room, winging her way towards the portal while keeping an eye on the town below. She didn't see anything obviously different, but then, she wasn't exactly moving slow, so she didn't expect any real differences to leap out at her. Soon, she had reached the portal. Deciding that it may be prudent to take additional measures for her safety, Khrysalis landed before entering the portal and called upon her innate magic. She watched, impatient, as her scales faded in color and and vanished over the course of a few seconds. The moment the Invisibility finished casting, she took off once again, flying through to portal to see what was on the other side...

[Rarkasha]

Aria the Lunatic Sorceress Level 20 Avowed/Incanter/Lunar Dragon| Status: Peeved | Form: Hybrid

Aria crosses her arms as Myrsirim leaves, mouth agape.

“Hey hey, really boss?” says Aria, recovering. “Really, I need to talk to a bunch of NPCs? Come on!”

She looks around, seeing a now empty throne room, cleared of both NPCs and players. Claws balled into a fist, she straightens up and strides out of the room, but not before taking one last look at the throne.


“Chh! When are you gonna learn to keep us in the loop, old man. We’re all in the dark together here. Ahh, don’t tell me, ‘baseless speculation leads to ill informed conclusions,’ or something like that,” says Aria, pacing down the hall to her chambers. Like her physical form, it was a smaller tunnel, though still large enough for her true form. The walk helped focus her. Aria could play the calm and collected manipulator when dealing with players, but ultimately it was an act. And her emotions seemed even more heightened now. The only solution seemed to be the one she often grasped in order to better play her roles.

“Come on, you’re the Mad Dragon of the Council. You take any role, any task. This is your stage,” thought Aria, as she pulled out a old iron key. In the center of the room was a large iron door. The lock was not particularly fancy. Nor was there anything special about the door. Mostly, the door was built this way to prevent NPCs inside the base from wandering in. Also it was too heavy for most of them to move. After unlocking the door and stepping back a bit, it swung open with a thought and a flick of her wrist. Aria hesitates for a moment as she looks at the glowing multi-hued portal. With her feelings running wild and her senses heightened, there was a twinge of fear about stepping into the unknown.

“Stop thinking about it and just do it,” says Aria out loud, stepping through the portal.

The dark grey temple is sparingly adorned. Colorful curtains are draped across the high ceiling, and some cushions are on the floor of the central dais, but they were all placed by Aria for decoration. Dogen sits on the floor, legs crossed, eyes closed, having no need of these things. Though he does not open his eyes, he smiles slightly in response to Aria's presence.

"Welcome back."

[ThreadNecro5]

Phalnirr quickly moves to follow his orders, somewhat shaken himself. Rather than bothering to walk, Phalnirr Dimension Door's far into the fabricated sky above the roof, and begins making his way towards where he remembers keeping his pride and joy of construct creation: Bulk Bogan.

Spoiler: Bulk Bogan

Show

His Sheet

He had originally been an incredible undertaking, involving hundreds of thousands of gold worth of the guild's collective hoard, but it had been worth it in the end. 4000 pounds of Adamantine skin, Mithral Musculature, Platinum etching, and Gold circuitry resulted in what can only be described as almost completely unkillable, and undoubtedly the most powerful NPC ever created by a player in the history. Over the course of 8 hours per day, during over one and a half real life years, Bulk was created. He is a 20ft tall Adamantine Golem, loaded to the teeth with Magic Items that are integrated into his body, completely inseparable.

Upon his physical completion, there was one final task to attend to. Awakening the construct over the course of twenty four, very real hours, during which time Phalnirr had to maintain complete concentration on the spell, lest he lose the slot, and the maximized metamagic gem created to aid in the awakening. Near the end of the awakening ritual, the core members of the Council gathered to discuss the Golem's name. Drunkenly, Aria suggested Bulk Bogan, making light of the fact that it was created as the champion of grappling that would be matched by none. In his sleep deprived state, Phalnirr agreed.

And so came Bulk Bogan, who's personality description pins him as "Literally just Hulk Hogan but even more stereotypical uses of Brother, and having a ton of love for everyone, even the people he's actively killing."

As Phalnirr approaches the streets that Bulk patrols, he sees the enormous golem, and lands just in front of it.

"Bulk, what's going on? Follow me around for a bit, I need to ask you some questions."

"Sure thing boss. Did I miss something? 'cos if something's giving us a problem you don't worry yourself, you leave 'em to ME!" says Bulk posing in absence of a shirt to remove.

Spoiler

Show

Do you mind listing more detail on stereotypical Hulk Hogan behaviour, I have no real knowledge of professional wrestling to base Bulk's speech around and can't find details on the character when on stage. I just spent a while trawling YouTube and Wikipedia to little benifit.

Khrysalis hurriedly takes off from the room, winging her way towards the portal while keeping an eye on the town below. She didn't see anything obviously different, but then, she wasn't exactly moving slow, so she didn't expect any real differences to leap out at her.

Soon, she had reached the portal. Deciding that it may be prudent to take additional measures for her safety, Khrysalis landed before entering the portal and called upon her innate magic. She watched, impatient, as her scales faded in color and and vanished over the course of a few seconds. The moment the Invisibility finished casting, she took off once again, flying through to portal to see what was on the other side...

Out the other side you find yourself surrounded by the scent of the sea on a tropical island large enough that a human would take over a day to circle it. Long sandy-white beaches stretching along the cost while inland great trees grow ever thicker and, off centre of the oval shaped atoll, the land sharply rises into a mountaintop. Looking out to sea the waves are calm and the reef large. Dawn only looks to have been recent were one to judge the horizon's crimson crest.

[Quantumphear]

Myrsirim the Mad Level 20 Druid/Stalker/Umbral Dragon| AC:107, DR 15/Good | HP: 560/560 As the last guild-member leaves the room, Myrsirim breathes a sigh of relief. Or tries to, at least. Instead a heavy, wheezing noise hacks forth from him, unused lungs suddenly flaring into action. He is suddenly reminded of one of the many zombie movies he's watched in his life - and now it seems he's become one, in a roundabout way. "What in God's name has happened to me... No heartbeat, no breath, no pulse... Am I truly undead?" With trembling limbs he feels his leathery skin, his gem-like eyes, his blackened and stony horns. With every moment he begins to panic more, until he suddenly remembers that he spent an exorbitant amount of in-game funds on an exquisite liquor cabinet, even if it didn't do anything in the game. Perhaps just a little something to settle the nerves would do him good. "... I need a drink. By whatever powers brought us here, please let me at the very least be able to drink!"

[ThreadNecro5]

"... I need a drink. By whatever powers brought us here, please let me at the very least be able to drink!"

The alcohol tastes... odd and dulled upon a dead tongue and mealy pools within your flesh. Even should you drink to excess no inebriation follows.

[Rarkasha]

Aria the Lunatic Sorceress Level 20 Avowed/Incanter/Lunar Dragon| Status: Haughty | Form: Hybrid

Aria walked up to Dogen’s dais, searching his figure for any clues. Useless, of course, as his serene expression said very little about his intentions. He looked just like he did as an NPC. Aria knew Jugemu would be around here somewhere, but she had no idea how Jugemu would act. Better to focus on Dogen, who seemed loyal enough on the surface.

“Dogen, do you remember when I… created you?” said Aria, walking around him. He didn’t seem to mind the interruption to his meditation, and continued speaking with his eyes closed.

“Of course, my Lord. You gave me a purpose, for which I am eternally grateful,” said Dogen.

“I see… even if that purpose is to serve?”

“If the alternative is to live with no direction or desire, then yes, even servitude is preferable. I would live life eternally, unchanging, without the Council. Each day brings new things to learn and observe under your guidance.”

“Well, I hope you don’t follow in my example then,” thought Aria. Dogen was acting loyal, but could be be trusted to stay loyal? Suppose someone else more interesting came along? Aria raised one hand, out towards a non-existant sun shining through the roof of the temple. She curled her hand into a fist, as if to steal that source of light away. “Dogen. Let’s take it.”

Dogen finally opened his eyes. “Take what?”

“Why, everything, of course. I want it all! Not the boring parts of course. Maybe I’ll let Myrsirim stay in charge of those. But don’t you think we could do so much more without the Council?”

Dogen’s eyes crease into a frown. “Forgive my impudence, my Lord. But I do not wish to turn my back to the esteemed members of the Council who have accepted me. And Myrsirim is our exalted guild leader. I will not act independently without his approval.” said Dogen.

“Boooo. Even for your creator? Fine, fine, I’ll let it go for now. Running the guild sounds like a lot of work, let alone everything.” Aria huffed, but took a seat on a cushion near Dogen. Through her own magic, she sent a private message to Myrsirim. “Testing my own magic, this is more private. Not what I expected, but Dogen's following the rules I wrote. I bet he will message you.”

Shortly after Aria, Myrsirim is contacted by Dogen on a private telepathic channel. “My Overlord, forgive my insolence in contacting you about my Lord, whose perceptiveness surely overshadows my own. But Lord Aria is acting… more strangely than usual. I have been growing more concerned ever since her memory loss. I profess my ignorance, and humbly submit to your guidance.”

[Draconium]

Khrysalis the Dream Crawler Nightmare Dragon - Assassin//Psychic Khrysalis was struck still for a moment by her surroundings. They were beautiful, sure, but that wasn't the issue. No, the issue was that they were not supposed to be anywhere near a tropical island. When she had logged less than an hour ago, their base was somewhere in the Alibon Desert, completely landlocked and days away from any real source of outside water. Well offensive teleportation was a possibility, she had a nagging feeling that it wasn't the case here - for one thing, despite the Council's records of exploration, this island looked completely unfamiliar. Still, she had about 20 minutes before her spell-like ability wore off. Khrysalis spread her wings and soared off the ledge, taking a quick circle around the Behemoth Golem their portal sat atop before winging away for a quick look around the island, keeping an eye out for any potential danger - or potential NPC presence. Spoiler: OOC Show Perception Check: (1d20+33)[38]

[Quantumphear]

Myrsirim the Mad Level 20 Druid/Stalker/Umbral Dragon | Status: Worried | Location: ? After some twenty minutes of sampling the various liqueurs Myrsirim places the last bottle upon its rack and sighs in despair. However, the process has calmed him somewhat, and he speaks aloud to himself, confident that no-one is listening. 'Disgusting. I might as well be drinking sewage. Ah, and I thought playing an undead creature would have few drawbacks. That being said, the advantages were appealing at the time. I wonder... Can I still activate those powers?' With a pensive expression he begins to look around his quarters, but starts in surprise as both Aria and Dogen's voice appear in his head. It takes him a moment to collect his thoughts before responding, first to the concerned NPC. The deferential attitude from Dogen surprises him, but he takes a moment to put on an imperious facade. "Your concern is noted, my loyal servant. Rest assured that Aria has her own reasons to act as she does, and I trust her completely. That being said, I would like you to spread an alert amongst all the guild servants - It appears we are in a situation of some danger. I want the entire guild under maximum security until further notice. No-one besides myself or the other Council members is to enter or leave the demiplane. In addition, I want the Veiled Masters to report to Aria immediately." As he ends the message to Dogen, he composes a response to Aria. "As usual, good work Aria. It seems our magic really does work according to the game rules as they were implemented. I'm going to conduct some tests - you should probably make sure all your usual defenses work the way they're supposed to. It seems Dogen is just as you wrote him to be, but the Veiled Masters should be making their way to you soon."

[Quantumphear]

The Veiled Masters Within moments, a trio of voices chorus in the telepathic connection to Aria "We hear and we obey." "Your will is our command." "Say but a word and we will destroy your enemies." It takes but a score of minutes before a cloaked and hooded trio enter the room and prostate themselves before Aria. The only thing that differentiates the three of them are the colours of their cloaks and the expressions on their faces. Apollo is a vivid red with cheery complexion, Thoth wears a thoughtful frown with his golden yellow robes, while blue Odin scowls with impatience. The Veiled Masters await her command.

[ThreadNecro5]

Khrysalis was struck still for a moment by her surroundings. They were beautiful, sure, but that wasn't the issue. No, the issue was that they were not supposed to be anywhere near a tropical island. When she had logged less than an hour ago, their base was somewhere in the Alibon Desert, completely landlocked and days away from any real source of outside water. Well offensive teleportation was a possibility, she had a nagging feeling that it wasn't the case here - for one thing, despite the Council's records of exploration, this island looked completely unfamiliar.

Still, she had about 20 minutes before her spell-like ability wore off. Khrysalis spread her wings and soared off the ledge, taking a quick circle around the Behemoth Golem their portal sat atop before winging away for a quick look around the island, keeping an eye out for any potential danger - or potential NPC presence.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Perception Check: [roll0]

The island is presciently uninhabited but there are signs of civilisation in the old and water logged, but undeniably worked wooden beams embedded in the sand near the coast. The island is otherwise uninhabited. Deeper in the treeline old white-stoned buildings can be spotted and a short ziggurat is visible.

Flying higher and other islands come into view, and further off orange sails.

[Rarkasha]

Aria the Lunatic Sorceress Level 20 Avowed/Incanter/Lunar Dragon| Status: Haughty | Form: Hybrid

While Aria waits for the trio to arrive, she considers her options. Trying the same tactic twice was unwise. Not only was Dogen right next to her, she wasn't as familiar with the flavor text for these NPCs. Despite being an NPC, she trusted that Dogen would fill the same function as he did in the game: dedicated to the preservation of the Guild as a whole rather than any individual members. Dogen would give her some leeway as it wasn't in the bests interests of the Guild for him to persecute with reckless abandon. This would have to take a bit longer. But on the other hand, it would be a good opportunity to gather information.

This'll be a work in progress. I'll see how they react to us, don't worry. But the real test is what they do when they think no one is watching," Aria said over a direct connection to Myrsirim.

When they arrive, Aria straightens her back, looking down at the veiled masters with a confident smile. She almost breaks character for a moment, realizing how different a smile felt when you had a mouth that had large fangs. She rests her thumb and forefinger on her chin, and considers the trio for a moment before responding, “Very good. Your prompt attention reflects well on you. It is needed in these trying times. The Council has sensed a shift in our great realm. Change is a double edge sword, as you may be aware. It represents opportunity, but it also tests our foundations. Whatever weaknesses and cracks may appear threaten the stability we so prize. And so it is the task of those who can walk through the shadow to find what dares hides from the might of the dragons. Both you and I have work to do. But before we begin, tell me if there is anything unusual you have spotted. It may lead to a clue as to our current status.”

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Aria will be making a Sense Motive check to see if the Veiled Masters are lying or otherwise concealing any information.(1d20+29)[41]

[ThreadNecro5]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Aria will be making a Sense Motive check to see if the Veiled Masters are lying or otherwise concealing any information.[roll0]

Spoiler: OOC

Show

As Quantumphear seems to have taken responsibility of controlling the Masters I'll leave the response to him but As handling rolls is my responsibility I will say that, unless Quantumphear runs them that way, they would not be lying or concealing information.

"We haven't encountered any irregularity's thus far thankfully." relies Apollo.

"What's the problem?" asks Odin.

[Arenabait]

Because I'm at a loss what to do from here, I'm going to try and kick this back into gear, acting as though Phalnirr had a good long talk with the Bluff rank-less Bulk Bogan, and confirmed he was safe. I was busy all the past 2 weeks with my schools production of Footloose, but it's done now, so time to try and keep this from dying.

Phalnirr, Magnificent Monstrousity Level 18 Abjuration Wizard//Level 20 Mindchemist Alchemist Phalnirr contacts the rest of the council mentally, through Dogen. "It seems that Bulk is still dedicated to the Council, albeit rather crude, and the more mundane golems are as robotic as can be expected, but they follow orders to a T, which has it's merits, I suppose. How are things on your ends, Khrys, Aria?"

[Quantumphear]

Myrsirim the Mad Level 20 Druid/Stalker/Umbral Dragon | Status: Worried | Location: ? As Phalnirr chimes in with his report, Myrsirim performs a number of experiments with his spellcasting to test the capabilities of his magic. Spoiler: Myrsirim casts the following spells: Show Heightened Awareness, Mud Buddy, Scale Spikes, Ancestral Memory, Foresight. Basically seeing what various spells that alter his mind and body do, with a minor summons besides. Once these are done and he has 'digested' the results, he taps one of his massive claws against one of his fangs thoughtfully. "So magic works... but in Genesis the lore spoke of deities that one could pray to for guidance and power. It's not a far-fetched idea for something similar to be here in this... situation." With that, he uses his Tooth of Lehran Darv to cast Miracle, with an unorthodox goal in mind. "Reveal yourself to me."

[Rarkasha]

Aria the Lunatic Sorceress Level 20 Avowed/Incanter/Lunar Dragon| Status: Haughty | Form: Hybrid

“For starters, several of our magics are no longer producing the expected results. While the majority of our powers function normally, some have been altered. While it is no obstacle, this sort of tampering is concerning. Go around the Spire, see if any among the populace are aware that anything is amiss. If I am correct, almost all will not have noticed anything wrong. But those who seem to act strangely are to be monitored until we can bring them in for further questioning. In fact, no interrogations are to be conducted until the Council has discussed the evidence.” Aria sends the group off with a casual wave of her hand.

“Start immediately. You may determine amongst yourselves how this task is to be split, but this is our primary concern. Even if there are other tasks to be done I want at least one of you on this investigation, unless you obtain permission from myself or the Guild Master. Oh, and one last thing.”

With the assigned tasks addressed, Aria addresses the communication from Phalnir, limiting her message to her fellow players. "Dogen is exactly how I wrote him, but more so. He follows the backstory I wrote, the NPC personality presets for scripted messages, and his personality even takes into account features related to his creation, such as the rules I wrote into his healing scripts. Moreover, it's like... someone filled in the blanks. That alone isn't enough to create a personality, but rather its as if he is acting as if I... no, we had all been interacting with him as a person since his creation."

[ThreadNecro5]

“For starters, several of our magics are no longer producing the expected results. While the majority of our powers function normally, some have been altered. While it is no obstacle, this sort of tampering is concerning. Go around the Spire, see if any among the populace are aware that anything is amiss. If I am correct, almost all will not have noticed anything wrong. But those who seem to act strangely are to be monitored until we can bring them in for further questioning. In fact, no interrogations are to be conducted until the Council has discussed the evidence.” Aria sends the group off with a casual wave of her hand.

“Start immediately. You may determine amongst yourselves how this task is to be split, but this is our primary concern. Even if there are other tasks to be done I want at least one of you on this investigation, unless you obtain permission from myself or the Guild Master. Oh, and one last thing.”

The Masters as one nod and respond in a manner befitting themselves as they turn to leave, no doubt discussion how to carry out these orders telepathically.

As Phalnirr chimes in with his report, Myrsirim performs a number of experiments with his spellcasting to test the capabilities of his magic.

Spoiler: Myrsirim casts the following spells:

Show

Heightened Awareness, Mud Buddy, Scale Spikes, Ancestral Memory, Foresight.

Basically seeing what various spells that alter his mind and body do, with a minor summons besides.

With Heightened Awareness your sight sharpens, you become more aware at the sensation of the air in and around you, colours are more distinct, hearing improves, and your mind becomes more orderly, not just knowing things but with minimal effort you know you know things.

You even have a serviceable if dull sense of taste.

Next up is your Mud Buddy, a Halfling sized creature pulling itself together and looking around on the spot, waiting for instruction.

Scale Spikes just fails, you are not living.

Ancestral Memory's results are interesting, you may lack ancestors by blood but your newfound species still grants you visions of those that came before. most are of the viewpoint you have now, a dragon, and are seemingly native to this world. None have been in the same circumstances as you presently find yourselves in.

Foresight gives you nothing as of yet, being safe yourself. An observation that a dragon wizard by the name of Trophorodius would support going by his memories of is own experiment logs. Ancestral Memory is still functioning.

Once these are done and he has 'digested' the results, he taps one of his massive claws against one of his fangs thoughtfully.

"So magic works... but in Genesis the lore spoke of deities that one could pray to for guidance and power. It's not a far-fetched idea for something similar to be here in this... situation."

With that, he uses his Tooth of Lehran Darv to cast Miracle, with an unorthodox goal in mind.

"Reveal yourself to me."

You get the sudden feeling of something quietly staring you down. The shadows nearby deepen and lights fade, one shadow forming a corridor where there wasn't one before and at its end the darkness ripples. You just know a Gate has opened and waits for you.

All members of the Council of Wyrms suddenly know they are expected.

[Draconium]

Khrysalis the Dream Crawler Nightmare Dragon - Assassin//Psychic Satisfied with her surveillance, Khrysalis glided back down to the portal and re-entered the Council's demiplane. She began to contact the others to report what she had found, only to be cut off by the sense of expectancy that flooded her mind. The assassin grimaced and reached out to her peers even as she winged her way back to the Council chambers. Okay, guys, I've got a sense of our surroundings - and lemme tell you, we aren't in Kansas anymore - but before that, anyone wanna explain what the hell just happened?

[Rarkasha]

Aria the Lunatic Sorceress Level 20 Avowed/Incanter/Lunar Dragon| Status: Haughty | Form: Hybrid

The sensation makes Aria feel fear for the first time since coming here. Up until now everything had been strange, yet familiar. But this was entirely unknown. On an open telepathic channel, Aria sends out a new message.

"Jugemu, meet me at my room, we're going. I have no idea what is going on, but I feel it. Something is calling us. Let's be prepared."

With that, Aria calls on her blade and armor. The pieces of her mythril breastplate stream out from many small portals, and assemble themselves together. Her sword hovers around her head, rotating slowly around her.

Spoiler

Show

Aria is using Extradimensional Assembly to call on her equipment as a swift action. The +5 Greatsword will be in her Orbit, which allows her to threaten and use AOOs without focusing on Telekinesis.