Heroes into Hell

[Quxelopqr]

Nick nods to the azer, believing that it is telling the truth. He draws his weapons and goes through the portal as the party does, ready to face whatever is on the other side.

[....]

The other side of the portal is pitch black. The only sound that can be heard is the howling of a wind that whips savagely through whatever place you've come to.

After Gryfe walks through the portal, the azer steps through, still carrying its companion. The wind tears at the flames around their bodies, but cannot extenguish them. The azer puts its key away and the portal closes.

The light from the fire around the azer illuminates bleak grayish stone under your feet and behind the portal you came through. Other than that you see nothing but blackness, even darkvision shows nothing but more dull rock.

The azer's mouth opens and it seems to speak, but the howling wind tears the words from its mouth. After a moment it motions for you all to follow and starts its careful way over the rock, body hunched against the force of the wind.

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Anyone who tries to do anything more than walk here will have to make dexterity checks to keep from falling over, so strong is the wind. A Knowledge: the planes check could illuminate some more information, assuming you don't already guess where you are.

[dyslexicfaser]

Sonny

Sonny looked around at their new surroundings with interest as he tagged along behind the otherworldly dwarf. The nearly featureless void was tickling something at the back of his mind. He was sure he knew this place, but the knowledge remained frustratingly out of reach.

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Knowledge (Planes): (1d20+12)[16](28)

[Dorizzit]

Korral looks around him grimly, his sword naked in his hand. He says a single word, carried away before his companions can hear it: Pandemonium. He watches all sides, attempting to see anything that tries to get near the group.

[Quxelopqr]

Nick holds his two swords close, following after the dwarf. He cycles through his memory, trying to think of what this place is and anything interesting about it.

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bardic knowledge: (d20+17)[24]

[Neftren]

Gryfe

As soon as he emerged from the portal, he had a sudden instinct. Pandemonium. They said that even the silver ore here could cause a person to panic and run...

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Since I'm a Dexterity Masher, what's the DC to make Listen/Spot/Search checks here?

[....]

Gryfe

As soon as he emerged from the portal, he had a sudden instinct. Pandemonium. They said that even the silver ore here could cause a person to panic and run...

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Since I'm a Dexterity Masher, what's the DC to make Listen/Spot/Search checks here?

(I'd say listen checks are near to impossible, DC 50 at the very least. Spot won't be hard assuming you can see, nor will Search, although lets say the distraction of the constant wind ass +10 to any searches unprotected.)

[Tyrolin]

Feng stands tall against the wind, mocking its power, before following the Azer. As he watches it, he realizes that being an eternal torch might be fun...

[Zimmia]

Mimosa

Mimosa huddles closer to Laille and moves nearer the group in general, to get some cover from the howling wind. It's obvious that for several reasons she's not very happy. She hums a song quietly to herself, in an apparent attempt at self-distraction.

[....]

The azer points ahead, where you can all see a tall rock wall. It starts to move faster, pulling another scuplted key out from a pouch and preparing to raise it.

Mimosa huddles next to her cat, the wind nearly lifting her little body off the ground. She feels a slight prickle along her neck, and glances to the right to see two sets of smouldering red eyes. Before she has a chance to cry out, a giant red monster that looks like some mix of man and frog leaps from the shadows. Mimosa's scream is unheard over the roaring wind, and the beast hits her hard, wrapping its scaly arms around her and dragging her into the shadows of Pandemonium.

Laille roars mutely and follows into the gloom. For a moment there is nothing, and then Mimosa's head rolls back into view, like some grotesque tumbleweed buffeted by the otherworldly winds. It picks up speed and vanishes from view.

The azer turns and runs faster to the gate, waving its key and opening it, motioning for everyone to hurry through.

[Dorizzit]

Korral swears soundlessly and closes his eyes, relying on his other senses. He faces the way the party has come from, easily maneuvering over the terrain while running backwards, entering the hideout last.

[Quxelopqr]

:Mimosa!!!" Nick's yell is unheard with through the intense winds. He hesitates for several seconds, seeming to want to charge into the darkness and avenge her. He actually starts to run forward, but then collects himself soon after seeing Mimosa's head, realizing that there probably isn't anything he can do. He spits on the ground, then follows the party and goes into the hideout. I didn't want to lose anyone else...

[Cyrus112]

Connor snarls but follows the rest of the group.

I would stand and fight, but I imagine one wouldn't have much of a chance of survival where many might.

As he follows the group, Connor wracks his brains to figure out what this place is and what that thing could have possibly been.

((Knowledge: The Planes: (1d20+17)[33]

[dyslexicfaser]

Sonny

Sonny started badly as Mimosa vanished, staring about in fright. He had no problem imagining his own severed head in place of the halfling's. He began muttering and waving his arms in short, sharp little movements as he scurried after the rest.

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Casting Magic Vestment, Greater Magic Weapon, and Deathwatch on himself, in anticipation of trouble.

[WhiteKnight777]

Melanthus

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I assume it's a Slaad, but I'll make a knowledge(Planes) check just in case.

Planes - (1d20+26)[38]

Melanthum roars, unheard by the wind as Mimosa is dragged off by the creature. He of all people knew that death could come suddenly when going a-wandering, but it always struck home... still, it seemed there was little to do but pray that their companion's death had been swift, and press on to try to avoid a similar fate themselves.

[Tyrolin]

Feng stares into the darkness, confused.

[....]

The portal leads to the inside of what seems to be a small house. The change from ceasless, roaring wind to still, quiet study is very jarring.

The house has stone walls and very little furniture. For the most part the bare stone floor is swept clean and has no other adornments. There are two large bronze firepits in the middle of the room, one of them alight. Pushed into the far corner of the room is the only furniture apparent, a high red leather chair and a broad oak desk, acient and gleaming. Sitting in the chair is a human woman with dark blond hair, shot with streaks of red.

There are two door apparent from the portal you came in from, which is set against the western wall. One door is in the northern wall, the other in the east, across from the portal.

[Dorizzit]

Entering last, Korral opens his eyes and sheathes his sword, going to lean against one of the walls.

[Zimmia]

Is'ara

Coming out of her chair, the woman crosses to the Azer and his companions. She is armored and wears a medallion with the symbol of the sun god on it. She looks like it's been a long time since she's had a worry-free night of sleep. "Thank the gods you're all right," she says as she casts an appraising eye over the others are they enter. "Where is Sluk?"

[dyslexicfaser]

Sonny

Sonny flopped onto the ground and there was grim humor on his thin face. "Halfling?" he surmised. "Left for dead. We run like rabbits." He made a hopping motion with his hands to indicate them leaving their comrade behind in the hands of the Slaad.

[Tyrolin]

Feng enters silently, and immediately begins crafting a doll, which - as people watch - slowly begins to look like Mimosa

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Craft(doll) check against DC 15 (+10 to DC to finish quickly): (1d20+18)[19]

Edit: .... and I get a natural one...

[Cyrus112]

Connor looks saddened by the loss oh his comrade, though he barely knew her.

"I should have acted faster. I could have saved her. I could have done more to save her."

Connor looks down at his hands and then clenches them tight.

"What information do you have for our group?"

He tries to make his tone civil, but try though he might, it still comes out impolite.

[Quxelopqr]

Nick

"Challa? The halfling's name was Mimosa. Did you send another Azer?" Nick leans against the wall after sheathing his swords. He looks puzzled, but it could just be the change from mind numbing wind to silence.

[Zimmia]

Is'sara

'I'm certainly sorry you lost one of your companions," the woman says as everyone files into the room. "I too, have lost dear friends and we're going to do our best to do what we can to stop this thing." Her voice trails off a bit as though her thoughts are far away. "Challa here and his friend went to meet you; we have had to do a bit of scurrying of late to stay ahead of unpleasantness. I didn't send anyone though, we're all working together. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Is'sara Yareth and it's very welcome to meet those from my home plane. "

[....]

Challa, the azer who was carrying the other, nods to Is'sara, "These are the ones they sent from Ab'Esra. One of them was taken by the slaadi in Pandemonium. I do not kno how much long that portal will be safe from those monsters."

Challa help Sluk to the middle of the room and lays him down, "Sluk was nearly killed by Galxakx, but we made it out alright." Challa turns to the party.

"Now, I apologize for the suddeness of my arrival, but as you saw, these are dangerous times. My name is Challa, and I am an azer from the elemental plane of fire. My brother Sluk and I left our home several years ago, after discovering a certain book."

Challa motions towards the book Is'sara was reading, "It details the monster that attacked your home plane. We came to Sigil to investigate further, since the book is written in many languages and sometimes coded. We had only just discovered the signs of the monster's escape when we heard about the situation on the Prime Material. And you should know the rest... we sent word for people to be sent so we could help stop the monster. And here you are."

Challa looks down at his brother, "The people chasing us call themselves the Void-Born. They have some lunatic desire to unleash that monster on all the multiverse, think it is some sort god that will recreate reality into paradise or some such nonsense. As far as we can tell, they are led by an eye tyrant that calls itself Galxakx. Earlier today, Galxaks and twenty of his cultists attacked our home. Is'sara here fled with the Brass Book, and Sluk and I took a different route. We were seperated, and apparently Galxakx caught up with him before he caught up with you.

"So, is there anything else you were wondering? If not, I invite you all to take some rest while you can, we are very close to discovering how to bind the monster again, just a few more pages of code to translate. Is'sara can show you to the bedrooms. There are only two, but I suppose that you adventurers are used to roughing it."

[Tyrolin]

Feng, angry and sad, ruins the doll he was creating. With a large sigh, he salvages what he can as he gets up and says "Bed good. Need rest. Bad day."

[dyslexicfaser]

Sonny

"Sonny could be back in his mountains already," Sonny grumbled in dismay. "But nooo, Sonny wanted to save the world. Stupid Sonny."

Still mumbling to himself - the words 'eye tyrant' and 'stupid Sonny' are repeated fervently and repeatedly - Sonny went to bed.

[Dorizzit]

Korral nods. "Rest...will be good. I, however, need not occupy space in one of the rooms." He slides into a cross-legged seating position with his sword over his lap, eyes closed in deep meditation.

[Cyrus112]

Connor nods briefly.

"I am used to sparse conditions. I'll gladly take a spare patch of floor and use my bedroll if others would rather have the beds. Rest will do us all good I think."

[Zimmia]

Is'sara

Is'sara nods as she moves to one of the doors. "Indeed, comfort isn't something one really considers at a time like this," she says as she shows them the way to the rooms. "What we have is meager, but you are welcome to share," she comments, then moves back to the main room to tend to Sluk.