Privateers of Lssthp II [IC]

[TriciaOso]

"They're each a little different," Djodi said, "but not sso you couldn't recognize it. The one took had a ladle in t' one hand and a dagger in t' other. If you'd like to have a peek and a word with the Lady up closse, that would be fine too, sso long as it'ss resspectful-like."

"Iss there ought elsse you need from me? I ssee you've got a fine map there." He peers at it. "I'm glad to take ye as far as the uplandss and the firsst bridge, but all you really have to do is follow yon shore..." He points down the beach, where the terrain steadily climbs, following the curve of the cliffs.

"That'll bring ye to the northern edge of thiss map. Or ye can go back out to sea and come at 'er from the wesst, comin' at the waterss o' Bridge Cove firsst, and if ye're concerned of misssin' it I'll accompany ye. I'm at your sservice, gentss, jusst ssay the word."

[Dirty]

"Good to know Djodi, thanks. We'll let you know once we figure out what route we'll take." Fork said politely after Djodo offered his services. He rolled up the maps and walked over to the totem, looking around and investigating the area as he did. He regarded the totem with interest.

"So someone stole from you.." He mused to himself. "A ladle and a dagger. I wonder what significance that holds." He said to the gang. "Strange thing for these stones to be displaced just before we get here. I wonder if there's a mayor or constable that can tell us more.

If he didn't get much argument from the party he'd head into Marilfjord seeking out some form of official government to parlay with, with whoever wanted to join along.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

At the suggestion of talking to the 'Lady' up close, Ttharg mulls it over for a second - on the one hand he was a cleric of Bahamut, his faith and service was already secured by another deity, but on the other hand perhaps he was the best suited to ask as he was more closely connected to the Gods than the other members of the crew. "Aye, I might do just that. Give me a moment lads." Ttharg begins to trudge up to the totem.

He approaches the totem to stand in front of the bonfire, looking up at the face of Maril. "I'm only used to speakin' with Bahamut, so I beg ye forgiveness for any offence I might accidentally cause; but I understand someone stole part o' ye presence here. We believe we may be huntin' the lubbers who stole it. If ye could help guide us to ye missing piece we will endeavour to return it here."

[TriciaOso]

"Good to know Djodi, thanks. We'll let you know once we figure out what route we'll take." Fork said politely after Djodo offered his services. He rolled up the maps and walked over to the totem, looking around and investigating the area as he did. He regarded the totem with interest.

"So someone stole from you.." He mused to himself. "A ladle and a dagger. I wonder what significance that holds." He said to the gang. "Strange thing for these stones to be displaced just before we get here. I wonder if there's a mayor or constable that can tell us more.

If he didn't get much argument from the party he'd head into Marilfjord seeking out some form of official government to parlay with, with whoever wanted to join along.

The village is largely deserted; it seems like most of the village who aren't too old, too young, or too infirm go out with the fishing fleet. The few who linger on the shore -- cooking, repairing nets or boats, gathering herbs on the edges of the village -- do not speak Draconic.

However, comparing the totem to the fishing boats that remain on shore provides a small insight. The boats are narrow canoe-like vessels, formed from a single tree trunk. The likely source is the evergreen forest on the top of the cliff. It looks like each segment of the totem is carved from the stern of a canoe that is no longer serviceable, and the arms crafted from oars. There was nothing intrinsically valuable about what was stolen -- you could easily steal the raw materials for three or four more right now. You also see many ladles, fishing spears, knives and bows just like the ones held by the totem.

Ttharg Krixkrux

At the suggestion of talking to the 'Lady' up close, Ttharg mulls it over for a second - on the one hand he was a cleric of Bahamut, his faith and service was already secured by another deity, but on the other hand perhaps he was the best suited to ask as he was more closely connected to the Gods than the other members of the crew. "Aye, I might do just that. Give me a moment lads." Ttharg begins to trudge up to the totem.

He approaches the totem to stand in front of the bonfire, looking up at the face of Maril. "I'm only used to speakin' with Bahamut, so I beg ye forgiveness for any offence I might accidentally cause; but I understand someone stole part o' ye presence here. We believe we may be huntin' the lubbers who stole it. If ye could help guide us to ye missing piece we will endeavour to return it here."

You open your mind to the divine, and receive a brief flash of images in response. The totem lying struck to the ground, with only the stone pillar of the tail still standing, as a hooded, flying figure stoops over the pieces. Skeletal hands placing the totem segment on a log in a rude shelter. A vision of yourself, placing the stolen segment in the beacon fire that burns in front of the totem.

Examining the beacon, you see in addition to the huge pile of wood a mix of charred bones from burnt offerings, mostly fish. Mostly. Although you cannot see the remains of any previous segments, you know instinctively that they are burned here once they become too weathered to hold up the tarnished copper head.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Ttharg nods in response to the vision. He regroups with the rest of the party and reports on what he's seen. "I saw a vision of a hooded, flying figure sabotage the totem. Saw skeletal hands placing the segment down somewhere sheltered. Almost seems like someone was taking it to start their own private worship or somethin'. In any case, we need to return the segment and burn it in the brazier. In any case, one of our foes be someone capable o' flight."

[J-H]

Servius
"It sounds like Dom - ... the flameharrow. I don't know what an undead would want with that, but whatever shrine it was making is likely around here. Let's keep an eye out as we retrieve the devices. If we don't find it, we can search afterwards."

[Dirty]

"Interesting place this, but it's giving me the creeps somehow." Fork shared his opinion about Marilfjord as they gathered to plan their approach to the mission at hand. "Let's hit the sea first?" He asked to confirm with everyone.

"I hope we don't encounter another one of those flameharrow of your Servius, that thing was an abomination."

[J-H]

Servius
"That should be the only one. I agree... it sounds like the totem is on land somewhere, so we can check the sea and then proceed up the cliffs from there. With easy access to flight, the flameharrow probably placed it at a higher altitude."
Servius suddenly ponders... why doesn't he have the Fly spell? He should branch out.

[TriciaOso]

"I don't think we should take Mr. Djodi," says Cauda. "He seems a pleasant fellow, and very knowledgeable, but if these rifts pose any danger I'd be more worried about him than anything."

Now that you have agreed on a course of action, she steers back out into the bay and towards the area known as Bridge Cove. As you enter from the West, the sun is just beginning to shrink out of sight as it rolls over the world beyond the Hic Sunt. The islands rise before you to varying heights, forming a loose stair-step up to the high cliff of the inner shore, which is thick with trees and snow. The water between the islands is shallow; it's low tide.



As you begin to pass beneath the first of the intact bridges, you can see one of the crates bobbing in the shallows about 100 feet ahead. To the north by about sixty feet are the fallen ruins of another bridge or staircase.

[J-H]

Servius
Before they approach further, Servius takes several minutes to consult his spellbook. His eyes take on a faint glow as he begins watching for signs of magic.
(Ritual cast Detect Magic, makes magic within 30' visible). Using this information, he guides them on a safe path as they disembark from the tender and approach.

[TriciaOso]

Servius
Before they approach further, Servius takes several minutes to consult his spellbook. His eyes take on a faint glow as he begins watching for signs of magic.
(Ritual cast Detect Magic, makes magic within 30' visible). Using this information, he guides them on a safe path as they disembark from the tender and approach.

As you move towards the crate, you can see that the crate has partially smashed, revealing part of the device and shedding packing material in to the water. There is a low warbling hum coming from the damaged crate, and through Detect Magic, you can see a tangled haze of Conjuration magic around it at a radius of 10 feet.

[J-H]

Servius
"Now for the tricky part. It's part in this world, and part in..." Servius approaches it slowly, his arms extended to keep it as far as possible from his face while he makes the necessary adjustments.

Charisma save (1d20+3)[23], (1d20+3)[20] (advantage on saves vs spells and other magical effects)

[TriciaOso]

As you wade closer to the damaged crate, you become aware of a faint buzzing that underlies the warbling-saw-blade noise of the rift around it. Soon you can see bees swarming around the spot; fat, golden and thumb-sized. Nibum, you recognize them as the Mellifera, the bees of Arcadia. When they touch the wander they vanish with a sizzle. Occasionally, one of the feather serpents who nest on the cliffs swoops down to snatch one out of the air, but extraplanar beings aren't edible, either. Their frustrated cries are deafening.

Cauda looks thoughtfully at this and then wild-shapes into one of the sea-wyverns, flying up to socialize.

As you approach the 10 foot radius of conjuration magic around the crate, Servius waves you back and takes the lead. Servius, as you enter the magical haze around the crate that only you can see, you feel a giddy sort of lurch. For a moment you see not the shallow waters of the cove, but an endless tessellation of hexagons filled with wax and honey, stretching into the infinite. You get an impression of much larger bees circling the crate on that side, but only for a moment.

A wisdom save is an effort of will and self-knowledge; an intelligence save a test of cleverness and mental fortitude. But resisting conjuration magic uses a charisma save, a test of your personal identity and sense of self. Bolstered by your victory over a pale shadow of your future, Servius, you are able to assert yourself over this magic: you know who you are, and you know where you belong, and you are able to tell the universe, and the universe listens.

As you carefully defuse the wildly resonating device, you feel the magic pluck at your sleeve again and again, but you hold firm to the sea cove and the darkening sky. As you work, you realize the smash wasn't sufficient to create this effect; someone else has worked on this device and set it conjuring this rift, for some reason. Still, the defusing goes smoothly; you feel like the changes are intuitive, and at times it feels like someone else is working alongside you just out of sight. It takes you less than a minute to stabilize the device. At the last moment you have a brief, vivid flash of a short, stout humanoid figure with a face that is a blank disc of woven wicker, working on the device with you; and then the haze of conjuration magic fades away.



This device is stable.

Spoiler: OOC

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Each unstable crate is surrounded by a rift with a radius of 10 to 40 feet. The CHA save DC is 15 when you are at the outer edge of the rift and increases by 5 with each 10 feet of movement until you reach the crate at the center. You repeat the check every round you are in the rift, until you roll a natural 20 or fail.

Stabilizing the device is a cumulative Arcana check of 10d10+50, made over successive rounds. Anyone proficient in Arcana can contribute each round. A natural 20 will give you advantage on all following checks for that device; a natural 1 will give you disadvantage and counts as failing the CHA save.

This crate had a radius of 10 feet and a stabilization DC of 108. It took 6 rounds to stabilize this one (16, 21, 29, 15, 26, 10 = 117)

The crate can now be loaded onto a floating disc with a DC 15 Athletics or Sleight of Hand check. One person needs to make the roll, but it can be assumed they have the help action.

Three devices remain down here. About 120 feet to the south, crate D1 is jammed among some man-sized rocks, while crates D5 and D6 lie inside a small pool further east, each about 150 feet away.

[J-H]

Servius
"It is stabilized... it was shifted partway into a giant bee-hive of sorts. Strange. Would someone help lift it, please?"

[Dirty]

"You sure it's stable?!" Fork asked as he gingerly walked up to Servius to lend a hand. He rolled up his sleeves in a very machismo way, and together with Rumble and some ropes he started pulling but the crate.. that wouldn't move an inch. After several painfully long moments of intense exertion, he had to give up.

[zylodrizzt]

Tho the crate is too large to move with the diminutive bots they can drape a rope and tighten it for triceratool. Triceratool pulls and pulls til the crate is aboard. Once the floating disc is conjured triceratool places it upon it for added stability

[TriciaOso]

A flying snake spirals down, transforming back into Cauda. "Oh my, they've seen a lot, these gull-snakes," she says. "A 'big flapping thing' came here and set up a nest. Sounds quite like our flameharrow." She points up to one of the island cliffs, the one across a ruined stair from the uplands. (The home of crate D3.)

"It was here before the shipment came, but when the cart did come along the 'flapping thing' attacked it."

"Apparently, when the expedition from the university came to investigate, the Yuan Ti from the university were crossing the stair towards the nest when a fireball destroyed the stair. The bodies are still in that wreckage." She gestures north. "They may have been, er, nibbled a bit."

She looks contemplative. "I wonder why he came here. I know he was waiting for us to leave the port, but there are so many other lonely places he could've used as a lair, where he never would've run into anyone. Did he want one of those devices? Maybe so he couldn't be banished?" She shakes her head.

"Which way next? The gull-snakes say the crate to the south is more dangerous. They give all the crates a wide berth, but that one... well, they didn't really have the words for it, of course, but I think they meant that the rift around that one is much bigger. It bangs against those rocks when the tide comes in, that can't be good for it."

[J-H]

Servius
"Let's get another less dangerous one first."

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

"Maybe someone's been seekin' allies or artifacts from the other planes?" Ttharg muses.

Ttharg makes himself available to help move crates; but his Arcane knowledge is somewhat lacking and he follows Servius' lead on whether it's safe to approach crates or how to handle them.

[TriciaOso]

You proceed into the sheltered pool on the far eastern edge of your map, where two of the crates are located. You navigate past another fallen bridge; this one's destruction is much older, and much of the wreckage has been cleared or washed away. Still, it's a tight fit for the tender, and you leave it there and return to wading through the ankle-deep water. The water here is strangely warm, warmer than the rest of the cove.

One crate is about fifty feet to the north, near a small sandbar peeking out of the water; it's probably covered at high tide, but right now you can see that several of the silver fish-automatons are beached on it, lying still.

The other crate is about the same distance to the south. Steam is rising around the sides of the crate. Servius, if you get within forty feet of either, you can see that their aura of conjuration magic only extends to about ten feet, like the one you already defused.

[J-H]

Servius

Servius approaches the one with mechanical fish beached near it.

Spoiler

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1
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[21] or (1d20+3)[12]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[25]

2
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[10] or (1d20+3)[8]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[27]

3
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[23] or (1d20+3)[12]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[13]

4
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[14] or (1d20+3)[8]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[13]

5
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[5] or (1d20+3)[9]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[18]

6
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[12] or (1d20+3)[11]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[13]

7
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[11] or (1d20+3)[21]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[22]

8
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[11] or (1d20+3)[20]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[11]

9
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[12] or (1d20+3)[12]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[15]

10
Cha save, adv from being Yuan-ti
(1d20+3)[14] or (1d20+3)[19]
Arcana check
(1d20+9)[14]

[TriciaOso]

Servius approaches the crate and begins to defuse and still the reverberating device. He detaches a flywheel and sets it carefully aside, steeling his sense of sense of self to remain anchored to the material plane.

25/105


As he makes his second repair to the apparatus--

52/105

--the flange arm phases straight through his fingers, startling him, and in the moment of broken concentration the conjuration magic engulfs him and he vanishes. The rest of the group is left staring at the half-phased crate in shock.

Spoiler: Servius

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Suddenly, the water around your tail vanishes and the sand beneath your scales turns cold, hard and solid. The little pool in Bridge Cove is replaced by a landscape of cogs and gears, stretching infinitely to the horizon and across the sky in complex patterns and intricate symmetry. It is similar to the brief vision of the infinite honeycomb, but instead of that organic vista, this is a sky of endless clockwork. The smooth whirrs and clicks of a mechanical universe turning cleanly on its axle are undermined by the unearthly warbling of the Majari device, which seems twice as loud and incredibly upsetting on this side of the divide.

Halt.

Says a voice. It is not a language you know, but it's a language so innately logical and obvious that you understand the words immediately.



You look around hastily, still trying to process everything to see following your sudden re-location. The speaker appears to be a strange creature; it looks like a large mechanical snake, with nine robotic arms and a single giant organic eye and weirdly organic lips. There are also two other creatures present, flanking the crate; one is standing upright while one seems slumped on the ground. Your impression of the standing one is a brain in a jar, set atop a short squat construct to which it is connected by a thick knot of cables and hoses that proceed from the front of the tank and hang down over the construct's chest. If you were a mammal, it might resemble a beard to you.

The speaker says:

Step away from the device. Are you responsible for this trespass?

Spoiler: Summary

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INITIATIVE
22 - Fork
20 - Nibum
19 - Algorith Dwarves / Nonaton Modron
15 - Cauda
8 - Servius
3 - Ttharg

[J-H]

Servius Calventius Pamphilius Yuan-ti Evoker AC: 17, 18 if within 5 miles of White Cliff HP: 42/50 PPer: 11 PInv: 19 PIst: 11 Conditions: Blink (1 minute) Concentrating: --

Servius raises his hands, but does not move away. He speaks firmly and plainly, without hurrying. "No. The device was lost and damaged several days ago. I am attempting to repair it, which will return it to its proper place within the planes. Completing the repairs should not take long. May I proceed?"

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Ttharg wasn't sure where Servius might have ended up, and he could be in trouble. He wades closer to the crate. "Servius? Servius! Can ye hear me lad?!" He turns to the rest of the party. "I'm going to see if I can find him an' bring him back. At worst, I may have to spend a day whether he has ended up; until I can banish myself back here." He attempts to be pulled into whatever plane Servius ended up being pulled into (he'll fail his Cha saves).

[TriciaOso]

Cauda follows on Ttharg's heels, and both of you vanish from the pool and appear near Servius in the infinite gearscape.

You are able to see, now, that the slumped construct body beside the crate is a similar creature to the standing one, but the tank on top has been smashed and the brain is gone.

In response to Servius's statement, the living construct--the Algorith Dwarf--barks something in an unfamiliar language at the snake-like modron.

[zylodrizzt]

Knowing kinda what happened nibum spurs triceratool forward willing himself to let the conjuration magic effect him. Dont resist he says to himself as much as triceratool. Perhaps he hoped somewhat that this would happen. The fish the bees what else might he find?

[TriciaOso]

The nonaton modron surveys the group, which grows visibly as it watches, and then seems to lock in on Triceratool.

Greetings. Are you aware there is a reptile on your back? Are there more tresspassers incoming?

It appears to listen to something none of you can hear, then continues addressing the construct.

Two (2) of these contraband devices have interposed themselves on our plane. 
One was repaired and sent back by repair modrons. 
This one has drawn the attention of a fugitive at large in Mechanus. 
Multiple repair modrons, and now this algorith dwarf assigned to stand guard, have been attacked.

The other algorith dwarf, its brain still intact and floating in its jar, says something in a language none of you speak. It sounds like a curse.

The fugitive arrived here on a crashing interplanar vessel. 
It is an illithid and relies on the consumption of cerebral tissues. 
It has consumed the brains of its fellow fugitives.
It has has now begun attempting to nourish itself on axiomatic tissue.
This has resulted in mutation and deviation. 
It must be destroyed. 
This contraband has been designated 'bait,' as the fugitive greatly desires to leave this plane.

It attacked these two guards earlier, but retreated after seizing one (1) brain. 
It will return. 
I am supplementing this guard until a suitable replacement is assigned.

We recognize the reason for your trespass and it will not be sanctioned. 
Go in peace. 
Your contraband will be returned when the mission is completed.

Spoiler: Perception 20+

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You catch a glipse of something pale and strangely textured, moving between the gears below.

[The Commander]

Ttharg Krixkrux

Ttharg watches the strange creatures and slowly sidles up to Servius. "Ye alright lad?" Seeing Servius is unharmed, Ttharg turns his attention to their location in general, and spots the strange thing; he points it out. "Ho, there! Be that what ye lookin' for?" He cries, directing the others to where he's seen it.

[TriciaOso]

Spoiler: Summary

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INITIATIVE
22 - Fork
20 - Nibum
19 - Cubist Illithid / Algorith Dwarf / Nonaton Modron
15 - Cauda
8 - Servius
3 - Ttharg

[Dirty]

Fork crouched down, confused with his surroundings. He listened as the others discussed and when he looked over he almost couldn't believe his eyes. It took a moment before it computed in his own mind that this was in fact a mindflayer.

In a sort of muscle memory kind of way he cast hunters mark on it. Then, without further fanfare, he proceeded to start blasting bolts at it as fast as he could.

The mechanisms in his crossbow seemed to respond exceptionally well in this environment, as the first bolt he fired was pure mechanical perfection. One second it was laying in the chamber, the next it was gone.. leaving a space to be occupied by the next bolt and the gears had whirred and clicked along as if the first bolt was never there.

Rumble gave the bolt a little kiss of cold as it sped through the air, eager to perform its function of damaging.

Spoiler: actions

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Bonus action: cast hunters mark
Actions: Attack action; 1st attack: natural 20 to hit for 26 damage (6 cold). 2nd attack: 21 to hit for 12 damage.