Crossing the Worldwalls: Prologue [IC]

[Neftren]

Approaching the "emperor", Hargil kneels and then lowly signs a message to the emperor in Ghost Elven Codesign*, "Lord, I suggest you have him try the drink first. There are those who would wish to poison the emperor." He winks at Huu.

Addressing the suspicious man directly, "Fair sir, perhaps if you were to taste the drink for the emperor? I find that when trying new things, it is often a custom of mine to see the bearer of the object to try the object in question. Perhaps you yourself could taste this drink and be the judge as to whether the quality is fit for our great emperor. I'm sure an old, wise man such as yourself could be an excellent judge."

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That'd be suppressing my end of the earring. I assume that Huu has not, so he can understand me? If not, just swap it with a language that nobody will ever understand but ourselves.

I will spend this time to advance in combat range of the man and prepare to manifest the mind blade and gut him if he does anything violent. Of course this isn't the smartest idea in a crowded marketplace, but hey, that's what 6 Cha gets you.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Huu gives a look to both the old man and Hargil that implies his great nobility(albeit a false one, even if it's convincing...) and speaks up. "Yes, in fact should you attempt to avoid drinking any of it, my men," Gestures to them to get ready, "will not hesitate to arrest you."

[MorkaisChosen]

Erasmus frowns. "No, I don't think anyone mentioned a specialisation to me, but from what I know, he has an interest in some of the more unusual types of magic- ones not commonly seen around here."

[Illiterate Scribe]

Azariah

Thankyou Erys, you are most kind. So Ho Dim is a nexus of information, is he? All the better. And pets? My skill with animals ... is ... uh ... worse than non-existent. You, Ebony?

[Neftren]

Hargil twitches again. Eying the man cautiously, he slowly intones, "Drink it. Of course, if there is nothing in it, then there should be no issue."

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If he refuses to drink it, Hargil will take the cup, hand it to a guard, then knock the man down. He will proceed to rip the wig off and manifest the mind blade as a free action.

If he does drink it and nothing happens, then I'll make another post.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Just to let everyone know, the DM is currently overrun with school stuff and is graduating highschool this year, so posting will resume when he gets back. But that doesn't mean he won't at all until then, that's just when he'll post at a decent rate.

[Ellas Aramond]

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Okay, I'm obviously not explaining these ear cuffs well enough. Think of them as walkie-talkies. If you turn them off, then you can't understand each other unless you speak a specific language that you both know. Planar languages work well for this sort of thing.

The man's eyes dart from Hargil to the "emperor" a few times before he finally decides on an action. moving cautiously, he un-corks the bottle and holds it up as though making a toast. "If this is how it must go, then so be it."

In a burst of speed, he flings the bottle of liquid into the face of one of the guards, while drawing a dagger from the folds of his robe. In the same movement, he sticks it into Huu (18 Damage+Fort save). As soon as it plunges in, the changeling can feel icy tendrils shoot through his body.

"Gurtha a'than!" The the man says softly to him.

For Krimm's Eyes Only

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For some reason, you cannot understand the phrase he speaks to you. But the language is unmistakable. It is the dialect of those that inhabit the world of Rygos.

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The young woman gives Erasmus an odd look, but it quickly vanishes, as though she is used to thins kind of thing.

"So you need a way to contact him? I can give you the information, but I'll need to see some authorization first." She holds out her hand, waiting for you to hand something over.

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"Animals? I wish it was that simple?" Eyrs says, "Lets just say that Ho Dim has some creatures that you do not want to meet up with."

A few moments later, footsteps can be head to your side. Two children, a boy and a girl, come skipping out from around a corner. There is obviously something wrong with them, for instead of the normal gleeful look of younglings, the expressions on their faces look dead. As if to add to the strangeness, a faint buzzing noise can be heard.

"Why are you here?" The children stare directly at the group with unblinking eyes.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

"AAUGHaugh!!" He grips the wound as his blood squirts out. His eyes wide and his teeth bared, he looks terrified. "W-what did you-?!" He looks at the man that stabbed him. "GET HIM!!"

DM only.

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Fort: (1d20+4)[13]
Huu begins to feel an almost overwhelming sense of sadness and panic when he hears the Rygosian words...

[Illiterate Scribe]

Azariah pulls to a stop, looking slightly anxious, as if she can sense something strange in the air. She shakes her head, trying to clear her vision, and smiles warmly to the two children.

Good morning, young ones.

We seek to speak to Ho Dim, if that would be alright. He lives around these parts, doesn't he?

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Spellcraft - (1d20+16)[28] - she may pick something up, even though she's not actively looking for anything strange.

[MorkaisChosen]

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Oh for a Jedi mind trick!

Not completely expecting this development, Erasmus still has the sense- born of his time in the Order of the Torch- to stay calm. He decides to play the absent-minded academe- hopefully not too difficult, given the odd look. "Ah, my authorisation. I knew there was something I'd forgoten- back in a tic!" he says, increasingly loudly- the last phrase is thrown over his shoulder as he jogs off- quickly, but not unusually so.

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I s'pose that's a Bluff check (although it's basically true...), so [roll]=1d20+1[/roll]

[Storm Bringer]

Talask was rather unsettled by these children. He glanced round, unsure of where this was going. His hand settled on the hilt of his main sword without talask really thinking about it.

ooc:

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not much to say, other than i'm here and not taking any actions

[Illiterate Scribe]

Unconsciously, without looking, Azariah's hand slips back to stay Talask's - but as she draws it back, it absent mindedly plays over the concealed loop of fabric carrying the Trinitite Rod.

[Neftren]

With a flash, Hargil manifests the glowing green blade of pure mental power. Bringing it up, he wields it gracefully, attempting to disable the man before he can escape.

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Do I get an Attack of Opportunity on the guy if he draws the dagger and stabs the "Emperor"? I'll make the rolls anyway. The goal is non-lethal, attempting to disable the guy's legs, so I'll assess the -4 penalty on that.

(1d20+8)[20] to hit the guy for an AoO.
(1d6+4)[7] Damage, Non-Lethal.

(1d20+8)[23] to hit the guy for a normal attack.
(1d6+4)[8] Damage, Non-Lethal.

[Ellas Aramond]

The assassin staggers as he is hit by Hargil's attacks, but never-the-less remains standing.

"It's simply a gift, your highness," he snarls, pulling out three light brown gems from a hidden pocket, and throwing them to the ground around him, "From someone who is infinitely more powerful than you ever could have been!"

As he speaks, the ground around the thrown gems ripples and re-shapes into three hulking, vaguely humanoid forms. Huu's body also seems to become weaker all of a sudden as the ice continues to flow through his veins. (2 Dex damage)

As Erasmus walks out of the Ministry build, he sees crowds of terrified people all running away from these newly arrived figures.

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Battle Time
Init:
18 Hargil
18 Elementals (3)
17 Assassin
10 Huu
7 Erasmus
6 Guards (3)
3 Kurzick Warrior+Luxon Mage

Knowledge (The Planes) DC 15:

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Earth ekementals are slow, but physically powerful creatures. They have the ability to literally move through the ground, and their strength is increased as long as it is touching the earth.

DC 20:

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They rarely leave their home plane unless summoned, and when they do, they obey whoever brought them.

DC 25:

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When they choose to, they speak in an earth-rumbling terran.

DC 30:

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[Insert earth elemental fact here]

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The two children turn their gaze to Azariah, as though staring her down. As she looks them over, she notices that their blank stares and pale skin is more then just unusual. The fact that their chests do not rise and fall with breath gives it away, these children no longer number along the living.

But this fact does little to help her, for they decide to speak once again, this time sounding like there is more then just two of them speaking.

"You have come here only to see Ho Dim? We think not. We think you are lying!"

The bodies seem to explode, but instead of blood and guts, out comes a cloud of tiny insects, flying straight towards the three.

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Battle Time
Init:
21 Talask
19 Erys
18 Azariah
15 Swarms (2)

[Storm Bringer]

Talask reacts almost instantly. He lept foreward, seeking to protect Azariah form the swarms. His blades appeared without seeming to traverse the space between their scabbards and his hands, with a only neat line of dead insects falling out of the sky to mark it's passage.

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If i can claim the swarms are flat footed (fat chance), IaIjutsu Focus! 1d20+5=15
i
attack one: 1d20+10=20
attack two: 1d20+5=24

Damage one: 1d10+4=12
damage two: 1d10+4=7


this assumes i am in fact close enough to make a full attack. If not, discount the second attack and damage.

[MorkaisChosen]

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Ordinary plain Knowledge: Planes check (will almost certainly use Dark Knowledge later, but that's an action).

(1d20+14)[30]

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

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As emperor, I'm going to take a wink of time to do this.

"By the gods! Someone get me a healer!" The false emperor shouts in a way that's a bit too similar to Huu's own panicked personality when stabbed.

[Ellas Aramond]

With his two mighty swings, Talask sends his blades slicing the thick cloud of insects; but while knocking a few out of the air, doesn't seem to harm them much.

"Damn that Ho Dim." Erys says angrily, whipping a ornate staff set with a blue gem at the top from his back. He aims the crystal at the swarm and lets fly an orb of icy energy, but fails to get a hit in as the bugs simply fly around the frost.

Illiterate's Turn

[Illiterate Scribe]

Azariah

I don't know if your swords will be very effectual here - got any fire?

Stepping backwards, Azariah whispers a few words, and moves her hands in a complex, geometric pattern around the trinitite rod - something changes about it, as if it was the centre of a great, invisible thunderhead.

She holds it up.

I know that you can understand me. Know that this rod contains, I would estimate, sufficient power to blow you up. Sufficient power that seeks to help, and be helped by, Ho Dim, not hurt him. Stand back.

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Casting blast rod on the trinitite rod.

Damn and blast. No decent anti-swarm weapons.

Also, Azariah is simply stating fact, rather than trying to intimidate the swarm for effect; if she needs to roll, it would be a (1d20+2)[20] + any circumstance modifiers. She's going on the thought that, if the 'children' were sapient, then whatever was animating them was also able to comprehend her.

[Neftren]

Hargil once again attempts to knock out the man.

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(1d20+8)[28] To Hit
(1d6+4)[9] Non-Lethal Damage

[Neftren]

He strikes true and attempts to utterly knock the man senseless.
He cries out to the guards, "Take out those things, and someone find the Emperor a healer!"

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(1d20+8)[10] To Confirm Critical
(1d6+4)[7] Extra Damage

[Ellas Aramond]

Hargil's blade strikes the assassin right in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground. Besides from the rise and fall of his breathing, he appears to stay unmoving.

As if to take out it's master's attacker, one of the elementals swings a rocky fist at the soulknife. Hargil is able to dodge it though, due to his fast reflexes. The guards, however, do not ware as well. Two of them both take heavy blows, and one of those falls to the ground unconscious.

Krimm's Turn

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As Azariah speaks, the swarm seems to pause in its advance, and everyone gets the feeling that those same lifeless eyes of the children are staring at them again. The buzzing of their many wings dies down, and the swarm parts down the middle, as though allowing you passage.

Battle ended
400 XP for Hargil, 440XP for Illiterate

[Illiterate Scribe]

Thankyou most graciously. We shall not make your trust in vain.

She slowly lowers the rod, and its charge fades.

Turning to the other two, Azariah smiles.

So, shall we see our man?

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OoC:Now that was lucky. Dismissing the blast rod spell.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

The emperor looks up at the elementals with some fear in his eyes, and jumps backwards, staggering and almost falling down but just glad to be even five feet further away from the creatures. He then concentrates and begins uttering the words of a spell and moving his hands and when he's done a blurred outline of a tower shield appears right in front of him.

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Casting shield.

[Ellas Aramond]

Morkais' Turn

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Hearing Azariah's almost laid back attitude towards the event, Erys looks back at her with a look of confounded amazement. "How did you do that?"

After she gives her response, he does his best to shrug off the look. "Well, we'd best get going, before anything else tries to attack us.

An uneventful ten minutes goes by, and the three finally arrive at a building, which like most of the the others in the immediate area, is run down.

"This is where Ho Dim stays." the mesmer says to the two, "Just remember my warnings."

He goes up to knock on the door, but before he gets the chance, it opens wide; revealing a slightly shorter man in green robes and a mask of the same color. "Erys, my friend. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Don't start, Finder. Those were your pets that attacked us! You said I had safe passage through Wajjun."

"Settle down, du Heltzer. They were simply looking out for my saftey. You are unharmed, correct? I believe you can thank your companions for that fact." With that, he turns and offers Azariah a smile, "Young miss, I must thank you for not killing them, unlike most of the Jadelanders that come around here."

"But who am I to keep you out in the street? Erys, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak with these two first, if you don't mind. So feel free to sit down. If you would come with me." he gestures to Talask and Azariah.

As you go through the building, it appears much more lavish then the outside. The rooms are adorned with items in countless different cultural styles. He leads you into a similarly decorated room and quickly closes the door.

"So, I think I'd be correct in assuming that you two are the agents Gallifrey sent here. You may call me Ho Dim."

[Storm Bringer]

seeing little point in being scrective any more, talask answered the man "Yes. We've been sent to find a man called Yeago Dornahall, a wizard."

[MorkaisChosen]

Erasmus, The Academe

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Dark Knowledge: Tactics check: (1d20+14)[30]

4 daily uses left

EDIT: Everyone gets +3 to hit the Earth Elementals

Erasmus sees the appearing creatures and shouts to the others, "Earth elementals. Nothing special- they'll obey their summoner unquestioningly. Less fast than many types of extraplanar creatures, but stronger, especially when they're touching the ground- try to get under their guard."

He draws his spear and watches for an opening.

[Ellas Aramond]

"Stay behind us, your highness!" The guards shout as they rush over to get between Huu and the elementals, their swords and shields raised, preparing for the worst.

Meanwhile, the two warriors from the Vassal-lands grab up their weapons from off the ground and charge the elementals. The fighter rushes up to one of the elementals and roars, hitting it with a mighty blow, and taking a great chunk out of its body. The mage however, hangs back and starts humming. He brings his arms out from his sides and looks to the sky, seeming to rise off the ground ever so slightly.

Neftren's Turn

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"Exactly as I had hoped." Ho Dim says, taking off his mask and setting it on a table. "It would appear that the council still trusts my word, although I never expected for you to come to me so quickly. But tell me, how can I help?"

[Illiterate Scribe]

Ah, evidently we are that obvious. Anyway, to the matters at hand: the Council of Gallifrey seeks to restrain, curb, and generally call a halt to the actions of a certain Yeago Dornahall. He is a wizard who arrived in your world recently, and has been playing an unfortunately unacceptable role in the manipulation of the civil war here - playing both sides, and so on. We do not know more than this, I am afraid - our primary brief was to find out what he is doing in the first place.

We sought you out as one of the primary conduits of magical trade in the city - our - and thus Dornahall's - system of arcana being different to that of this world, his use of magical components cannot be easily hidden. We can track his spellcasting by these - for example, to scry, one of possibly the most powerful magics possessed by a non-Kanith mage, he would need nitric acid, as well as purified zinc. Our reasoning was that such demands may be somethat evident to an observer, while the pursuit thereof would not alert him as much as other actions could have done. Since, however, you already know who we are, and all of that difficult 'we're from another world' business can be omitted, could we perhaps ask for some other advice and intelligence?

[Storm Bringer]

"And, if I understand your comment correctly, you are the person who brought Dornahall to the attention of our masters. I take it his recent actions have given cause for concern? Our brief was well.....brief. Find Dornahall, find out what he was doing, and stop him if needed."