The Wizard's Pawns (IC)

[NoDot]

Ning

Sheathing his weapon, Ning looks around cautiously. Examining his companions each in turn, he saw that he was the youngest there, and none of their faced looked familiar. Since the first time since Zeng was banished to Prime Material, Ning missed his brother.

No use worrying about him now. Ning chuckled. I pity whoever has to put up with him.

He decided to stay quiet until addressed. He wasn't going to draw undue attention if he could help it.

Knowledge: Arcana - (1d20+1)[10]

((Zeng is a character I'm playing in another game. One of the posters hasn't posted since the first day, so the DM asked if I was still interested in playing the character. Rather odd symmetry, no? I look forward to exploring this family...))

[MammonAzrael]

A dark man still rests on his back and elbows where he was first deposited, looking around, taking especial note of the frozen stream of acid.

"Well...I told Jaleh that if she kept eating like that, she'd soon consume all of Kurush. I just never imagined she would go and prove me right."

Getting up, he brushes his fine clothes and bows to his companions.

Hello all. I have to honor of being Nasim of Saeed. I trust none of you were able to outrun Jaleh's lust for exotic foods either? He grins as he speaks.

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Knowledge (The Planes) check : (1d20+6)[10]
Knowledge (Arcana) check : (1d20+6)[8]

OOC: I'm assuming I'm in the game, since I saw nothing to the contrary in the original thread. If not, sorry fo the interuption! ^_^

[Roland Deschain]

Olaf, who stood still while his companions hacked at the walls around him, obsrving (knowledge arcana check (1d20)[16]) and finally speaks up to say "well my name is olaf, and i kill things with magic...what do you all do?"

[Meloku]

Speaking up for the first time, the changeling looks up at the group of people surrounding him. Walking over to one of the suspended drops of acid, he says "Greetings. I'm Erro. I do... well, I do this", as his features shift into something a bit more like, well, the one introduced as Olaf. A passable imitation, at least.

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Knowledge (arcana) (1d20+8)[20]
Also, Disguising myself as Olaf, using Minor Change shape (to see how well I did it, (1d20+12)[17]

[FlyMolo]

I'd really appreciate it if you lot could put your name in your personal color at the top of all your posts. It's a little annoying, but helps me a lot.
Know(arcana) check results!
PirateJesus, Zimmia, Ning

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Time has stopped. You're not sure how long for.

Roland

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Time has stopped, but not for your companions. That takes a lot of power to maintain. A lot.

Meloku,Memnarch

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Time has stopped, but not for you. That's hard to do, but time seems unlikely to speed back up suddenly. Something exceedingly powerful is holding time still. Something with deity-level power.

Just waiting on PocketRocket and Memnarch, and we can get this show on the road.

[memnarch]

ooc

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sorry, am slightly busy right now, can post more often at night

"Knowledge arcana" - (1d20+5)[22] (4 ranks) (4 ranks)

introduces himself. "Hello.... My name is Memnarch. I would just be an elf who likes magic. Is everyone feeling ok now that everything seems to have stopped?"

[Meloku]

Erro

"Perfectly fine. And I have a feeling we'll be staying this way for as long as it remains convenient to whatever being has separated us from our predicament wishes us to return there."

[PocketRocket]

OOC:

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Sorry I was so late a moved into a new apartment this weekend

Strong Arm

A very large half-orc finally comes to a tries to make sense of his frozen surroundings. "Where am I?" he looks around and hears Memnarch introduce himself so he has, "Me Strong Arm" and flexes his muscles as if to get the point across.

[MammonAzrael]

Nasim

"Well, it should please me to meet you all, though truth be told I'd prefer an introduction from our mysterious captor." He glances around, peering at each of you, "I don't suppose any of you may have an inkling as to their identity?"

[BizzaroStormy]

Garrus


All I know is that I'm bored and out of ale, and I seriously doubt this wierd dimension has a tavern.

[JeminiZero]

Jaegar

Seeing that everyone had finally come to, he decided to introduce himself again.

"I am Jaegar Xorn, a hunter. And while I do not know who we may have been captured by, I doubt he would be very happy after what we did to his, uh stomach."

[Zimmia]

Amatae

"It seems right now as though we are at his... or her... mercy. Hopefully they will be quick about getting us out of here.

[Roland Deschain]

"well i suppose our captor will introduce himself to us when he has the time to do so...heh...seriously though, I can only think of a few things powerful enough to stop time for us, let alone keep it stopped, so when he finally shows himself, lets be polite ok?"

[FlyMolo]

After a minute or two, a wizard dressed in a simple long robe steps through the floor, as though it wasn't there. Looking around him, he apologizes profusely. "So sorry, so many appointments, so little time! I'm sure you know how it is? You can call me The Wizard. Or Albert Ziraphale, if you're feeling less formal. Interestingly, some call me Time, but although I direct its flow, I'm not really time. At best, I could call myself an avatar of time, Time made flesh...but I digress. I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here, and why such an... uncomfortable fate awaits you just seconds away. I feel I owe you an explanation, starting with where, exactly, you are. You are 400 miles northwest and 370 miles below The Cluster, on the Plane of Flesh. Think of the largest animal you've ever seen, and then imagine you are a gnat inside it. The Plane is even larger. In fact, it's infinite in size! Imagine that. The more astute of you will be wondering how such a large place gets all the food it needs to survive. And the answer is all around you. Rooms like this one dot the Plane, dragging random bits of biomass from several planes at random. Delightfully eclectic, and ever so handy. Especially since the flow of time on the Plane of Flesh isn't linked so well to the time around it. This allows me to pull little tricks like this." At this, the wizard gestures to the gouts of acid, frozen in place. "If I tried this on the Prime Material, those celestial watchdogs would be all over me in a second. The paperwork is murder, I tell you. But I digress. I do pontificate so, don't I? Ah! There I go again! The reason I am here is because I need your help. You know Asmodeus, right? Archfiend of the Nine Hells, etcetera? We've had a bit of a game going on these last few centuries. Don't ask about the rules. It's more complex than you can handle, I'm sure. Ah! I'm going on and on again! You have a choice. Either you come with me and work as pieces on a cosmic chessboard, so to speak, or I return you to your normal place in the time stream. I regret giving you no real choice, but it's a necessity of strategy. By plucking you the grasp of complete annihilation, it becomes impossible to see whether I've interfered or not. No sense in showing my hand! In any case, do you accept? Raise your hand if you accept not be to devoured in acid, and I will instantly teleport you to a...'home base' of sorts. This offer stands for the next 30 seconds. Any questions?" He stands back and grins smugly at everyone.

[memnarch]

Memnarch

raises his hand and asks, "Will we get returned to where we were before if you 'win' your game or something? I would like to know so I don't get my hopes up one way or another. I'll assume you will tell us more about this 'game' at 'home base'." looks at his companions to see what they decide.

[NoDot]

Ning

Know Asmodeus? Ning closed his eyes and let a smile come to his face. I remember that trip. That... creature was certainly frightening. He chuckled. I'm sure he also has that imprint from my father's axe to this day.

"If there is such a thing as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity,' this is it. I'm in."

[Zimmia]

Amatae

"Choose between being digested or getting out of here and working for you? Hardly a choice to make if you ask me," Amatae says as she looks closely at the wizard. "Count me in"

[JeminiZero]

Jaegar


"So... let me get this straight." Jaegar began.

"This isn't *your* stomach, it is merely a place where you can exert your powers without the Gods breathing down your neck."

"It was purely by chance that this... thing plucked us from wherever we were, and dropped us here."

"You did not cause the Stomach to suddenly gush acid, thereby forcing our decision to the next 30 seconds. The acid gushing is a result of our futile attacks on its walls."

"And it is also purely coincidence that you are here to save us, in return for our services, in this game of yours."

"A game against an Archfiend, the highest Lord of Hell no less, who will doubtlessly come up with far more torturous and excruciating fates than drowning in acid, should we somehow fall into his hands."

"You did not instigate this massive stomach to bring us here, just so you could make us your slaves by threatening our lives. The stomach was just doing came naturally, and you were here to pick up the pieces. Have I got it about right so far?"

[FlyMolo]

Amatae, Ning and Memnarch vanish suddenly.

The wizard nods at Jaegar. "You got it exactly right. But these stomachs would have done that anyway. They picked you up to digest you, after all. So don't blame yourselves. Also, there are certain rules to the game, and Asmodeus is bound by them, so theres many things he isn't allowed to do. Demons are good at loopholes, but not good at creativity. Anyone else?"

People who have accepted

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You appear in a wide stone room, about 50 feet across. A deep voice booms through the room. "You didn't think I'd accept just anyone, would you? If you make to the other end of the Test, you will officially be in my employ, with all the rights and privileges thereby earned and given. Good luck."

[JeminiZero]

Jaegar
The hunter gave a tired sigh.

"I suppose I shall have to accept your offer. As much as all this seems wrong to me, I do like to carry on living."

[Meloku]

Erro

"Well, I suppose. Given the choice between ultimate annihilation or possible annihilation..."

Slowly, reluctantly, raising his hand, he continues

"I'm forced to act in the interest of self preservation. Even if it may end up worse for me soon."

[bchilders]

Talon

"As long as I can continue to worship the god of storms, I don't mind lending you both of our aid. Though his I can see being a little more beneficial," Talon says as he raises his hand while laughing at his comments.

[BizzaroStormy]

Fine, as long as the next place we go has ale an some attractive women I'm in.

[PocketRocket]

Strong Arm

Strong Arm looks around him and raises his hand as well. By the look on his face an observer would be hardpressed to tell if he knew why he was raising his hand or if he was just doing what everyone else was.

[MammonAzrael]

Nasim

"Well...I don't fancy being digested, and Jaleh would make no end of it. He shakes his head in dismay.I guess I'm in too, Al. Though I hope you're saner than gaming with an arch-devil implies.

[memnarch]

Memnarch

decides it would be a good idea to cast "detect magic" as he finds himself in a new area.

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oocnotesp# = 0lvl, 4; 1lvl, 3

"detect magic" is link to DnD wiki

[FlyMolo]

Cyre, Nasim, Strong Arm, Talon, Erro, and Jaegar all flicker and vanish, leaving only Olaf all alone, still thinking. The Wizard looks at the sheep, nearly forgotten in the confusion, and raises his eyebrows. The sheep bleats quietly, and then vanishes.

[everyone except Olaf]

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You are in a large circular room made of roughly worked stone. There's a wide square doorway, about 10 feet on a side, leading into a corrider that stretches off about 30 feet before it turns a corner.

Amatae, Ning, and Memnarch are already here, looking around. They seem a little surprised. Memnarch is studying the corridor ahead of him.

[Memnarch]

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You detect no magic immediately ahead of you, but there's a wash of power at the edges of your vision, bleeding into your vision from behind you.

[Zimmia]

Amatae

Grumbling to herself as the voice indicates that more 'tests' are to follow, Amatae inspects her clothings for signs of damage from the acid and then takes a good look around her.

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I'm looking for general impressions - is it furnished? Does someone seem to live here? What wealth level is seen, etc etc.

[memnarch]

Memnarch

Refocuses his spell behind him.

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oocspellnote; assuming one round passed there. 54sec left in spell

[bchilders]

Talon

"Well if Time himself wants us to pass a test then lets....although tests have never been my strong suit," Talon says out loud as he pictures in his mind throwing lightning bolts at former childhood teachers. He continues his musing as he walks to the doorway and tries to open it.