Strange Aeons: In Search of Sanity II [IC - Group #1]

[Blackhawk101]

The burly monk envelopes Winter in a bear hug, oblivious to her cries of protest.
“Thank you kind lady! You have been a welcome respite from the madness of this place. I will see to anyone who is recovering before hitting the sack.”

Spoiler

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BJ will swap a spell for water to wine.
spells for the morrow except domain:
(1) air bubble, magic weapon, detect evil
(2) hold person, weapon of awe

[pfm1995]

Jean has nothing to add - having been absent from the earlier expedition, he learned all this secondhand just as Winter did.

[lostsole31]

When Brother Jaume wraps Winter in a bear hug, he notices an almost radiant warmth or energy he can't put his finger on, but nothing that is crazy. Her demeanor doesn't quite match her inner warmth, however, as she uncomfortably seeks to extricate herself from the squeeze. She awkwardly thanks Brother Jaume with a half-hearted, "Sure."

Assuming someone escorts her, Nadya will go to the library and "check out" a few books on the local flora and fauna. It seems all of this urban dungeon + yellow mist has her yearning for something other than what she's been forced to see and endure. After getting some psychology texts from the library as well, Lord Hanley has a rousing discussion on modern psychology with Winter, Akbar, and Dorn. Jean is more of a passive participant, but pays special attention to those points when Lord Hanley talks about depression. Brother Jaume is in too cheerful and accomplished of a mood, and after his "communal wellness checks" he does his normal enhance water and guzzles some wine .... perhaps drinking too much himself, and sharing too little.

The night goes by peacefully, and there is a slight dinging sound above Akbar's head as he sleeps.

Unfortunately, come the morning, things will once again have changed ...

[lostsole31]

Day 13 (or is it Day 16?)

Spoiler: Akbar, Heck, Jean (& Javert)

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You wake up in the sanctuary (as expected), but you notice that you no longer see Brother Jaume, Dorn, or Nadya. Instead, you see the batch of misfits below...some you might know, some you might not.

Spoiler: Björn, Haru, Gaye, Zoo

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Having whatever dreams you had (as previously described in G2), you wake up not in Dr. Elbourne's makeshift hospital, but in the Sanctuary! You no longer see Corbin, Flair, Jens, or Maeni, but the batch of misfits above ... some you might know, some you might not.

What do you do?

[BuckGodot]

Roaring as he gets to his feet drawing his sword... "BY ALL THE GODS!!! THIS GROWS TIRESOME!!!"

[SwordChucks]

Zoo winces at the roaring. "You're not wrong Björn. Hi again everyone. Don't suppose you'd fill us in on what's happened since I last saw you?" He says with a dejected look.

[meemaas]

Haru jumps to his feet in surprise as soon as he realizes he's waking up. "When did I even fall asleep? Why did this happen? Seriously. I want out of this place already."

Spoiler

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Seeing as my color (Fire Brick) is already owned by Heck, I have changed my speaking color to Teal, since the previous owner of that color has moved to group 2.

[Swami Monsoon]

Akbar stands up and looks around...

"You. Have. To. Be. F%@#ing. S&*$ing. Me."

He sighs.

"Well, good morning, everybody. Who's ready to start searching this place all over again? For the third time. Or is it the fourth now?"

[lostsole31]

Gaye Kóbor looks around, safely in the Sanctuary, and says. "Yes," she says to Zoo. "We got rid of that ridiculous peacock with the red boots!" she says with an exalted cheer.

Lord Hanley nods his head and begins ..... and tells the story in a moderately entertaining fashion.

Spoiler: Everybody, especially the newcomers.

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17 on Perform [oratory] check.

Read this thread as far back as you need. You are now caught up .... unless you didn't read, which otherwise is on you.

[SwordChucks]

"That peacock is my friend." Zoo says with a huff even as he makes a mental note to try becoming a peacock at some point.

Spoiler: Zoo Description

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Zoo is a tall wiry man in a tattered patient's uniform. He carries no weapons or armor. The only thing he has with him is his pack with cooking supplies. He looks disheartened and occasionally runs his tongue over his canines when he thinks no one is looking, as if he's making sure they're still there.

[pfm1995]

"I can only pray," Jean says, rubbing his temples with one hand, "that new monsters haven't arisen to take the places of those we may have killed. We will need to move cautiously."

[BuckGodot]

Björn sheaths his sword grumbling to himself... The blonde haired, blue eyed mountain of a man, cautiously approaches the others, nodding to those he knows from the previous... Jump? They will notice that little has changed about him. He still carries the longsword and has two daggers strapped to his body, one clearly shining brighter than the other. He has what appears to be half-plate armour encompasing his body, but with a few additional spikes here and there that weren't there before. He shares the same haggard look that everyone has from dealing with the stresses of this environment and while his eyes still jump from place to place, scanning the dark shadows of the room, he seems to have more confidence and a more solid grasp on what is happening around him.

[SwordChucks]

"So if I understand everything correctly, you lot were ready to assault the Zandalus camp and try and take out the guy causing all of this mess. Then we showed up and now the party is radically different."

"Well I suppose I should let you all know what I can do so we can plan. I can make trees and plants, turn into animals, dogs mostly, and enhance myself physically. Oh, and this." he says as he extends and retracts his claws a couple times for demonstration.

[pfm1995]

Jean raises one wildly-feathered eyebrow at the clawed man and his hand goes to his sword. "If that was meant to inspire confidence, or anything besides an interest in your ligature, it failed. Still, if the rest of these folk don't feel the need to cut you down..." He sighs, and relaxes slightly. "Yes, you have the right of it."

[BuckGodot]

After Hanley concludes his story, Björn will ask, ""Wait... So if I understand correctly, you determined before that you were in Akbars... reality? Could it be then that we are... leaping? To the realities of each person? Whose reality are we in now?"

[Swami Monsoon]

"That... is the million dollar question."

[lostsole31]

"I don't think we are in anyone's possessive realities, all things considered," says Lord Hanley. "And while intriguing, Akbar, I don't think it is a question that visits any sorrows, let a million of them."

[pfm1995]

"Do you all feel up to moving out? I would like to see you all in action." Jean says.

[BuckGodot]

"Where are we going this time? I'm not sure what's been checked and what's not?"

[pfm1995]

"It would be best, I think, to carefully re-trace our- my steps from the past day and ensure nothing has changed. If it has not, we may go to the second floor."

[lostsole31]

"A fair plan," says Lord Hanley.

Is that what you do?

[SwordChucks]

"Works for me. Björn and I are likely the best bets to walk in front of the group."

Zoo thinks back to Lord Hanley's recounting and remembers something. "There's someone I definitely want to talk to before we leave. I think you said her name was Ivory?"

[lostsole31]

Lord Hanley can make an introduction between Ivory and Zoo, if he'd like.

[lostsole31]

So, more to think about ....

Björn has the sniffles. He has contracted filth fever, but other than it beginning to show today, he does not show any signs of deterioration.

Zoo is the same way ... sniffles, but right now in the first stage of having filth fever.

Lord Hanley, who was previously sick, seems to have fully shaken off his bout of filth fever.

Javert (Jean's large raven), what had filth fever, now is even sicker. Javert is in Stage 2 of filth fever, and suffers all of the effects of the sickened and fatigued conditions.

---

Also, before the group heads out, does anybody care to look at what the group has in a pile for inventory and useful items?

[BuckGodot]

Björn would like to see the inventory provided he’s allowed.

[lostsole31]

Here is the inventory as this group has. It is stored in the chapel with your things when you bed down.

Spoiler: Group #1 Inventory

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Unknown magical wand (school unknown, abilities unknown).

Unknown Talisman (Not identified, aura of moderate conjuration)

Masterwork Silver Dagger

Alchemist’s Kindness (2 vials)

Chain, 10’
Hammer
Holy symbol, wooden, Pharasma
Lantern
Manacles
Sunrods (2)
Winter Blankets (2)

Dr. Arosh Chawaar’s notes on hydrocephalus and other trauma and deformities of the head and brain (800 gp, not appraised).

• If returned to his sister Anya Chawaar in Katheer, she would likely pay much, much more.

[pfm1995]

Jean is more than happy to let Bjorn and the newcomer lead the way; he himself follows with his scimitar in one hand and Javert carried in the crook of his off-arm. The asylum, quieter now than it was, seemed almost eerier now than it did before - the susurrus of the strange mist against the windows filled the halls with whispers, like the talk of half-remembered dreams. Jean - or Adezimeh, as he ought to be calling himself - shivered, and pulled Javert a little tighter. At this point, he would do much to get out of this place.

[lostsole31]

Alright, Björn, you've seen the inventory, and folks are looking to you for guidance. What do you do?

Also, Lord Hanley would like to take the masterwork silver dagger so he can have some desperate defense if pressed. Any dissensions?

[BuckGodot]

Björn is fine with Hanley taking the dagger. "Right... Let us retrace Jeans steps.. ::sniff::" and he begins heading out if the group is ready.

[pfm1995]

Jean follows Bjorn out the door.