Adventure in Eberron: Beyond the Sea

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

"AH!! Akk'vadak!!" He blows on his hand as his tentacle whines and unfurls again, twitching in pain. "Jeez oh man... Sorry for the profanity... f**kin' hurt."
Vaasth looks up as is opens and blinks. "Oh... Heh, told you I could do it." He then follows everyone else in and looks around and walks almost immediately to the control panel in the center and look it over a few times. "Anyone... know how to work this thing? If not I can take a whack at it."

[pingcode20]

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As I said, feel free to block as necessary.

For that matter, Irmaet's pretty distinctive himself, what with the whole black robes thing, and the mysteriously silent bodyguard with the huge **** off poleaxe strapped to his back.

If nothing else, the huge poleaxe.

---

Interestingly, as far as power goes, Irmaet actually outheals Kyrek - both in terms of spell level and caster level, thanks to Kyrek's multiclassing. It's not so much a arcane/divine divide as a quality/quantity divide.

Irmaet the Black

Irmaet laughs along with Vaasth. "Mr Bones ended up surfacing with pretty much every bit of junk dropped in there."

---

As Vaasth manages to set off the Bathysphere, Irmaet raises an eyebrow at the object's response. No doubt Mr Bones would have triggered whatever defence mechanisms it had, although the gauntlets might have stopped that.

He ducks in last, finding a place to sit down while Mr Bones negotiates the hatch.

"Duck, and then enter, Mr Bones."

*Click Click*

"Don't think I haven't forgotten what happened at the conference."

*Click.*

Irmaet peers at QB's sodden form, watching him set out all his things to dry. "Ah yes, I'd forgotten how magic makes such trifles so much simpler. Hold still for a moment, this will not take long." he said, as he methodically waved a hand across QB and his possessions, the water flicking itself from him and his possessions as his hand passed across them. He then proceeds to dry off anyone else still soaking, before nodding with satisfaction.

"Much better. It wouldn't do to die of a cold after surviving such a crash."

Then, with the all-important matter of dampness taken care of, Irmaet turns his attentions to Vaasth.

"I trust your hand is okay? I believe I may have a dweomer on hand if it's hurt."

[The Demented One]

As Vaasth asks if anyone knows, the bathysphere's voice (which quit babbling about ice cream after a few loops) replies. "This Atlas Scientific Industries Model IV Elemental Bathysphere will automatically descend to a depth of over four miles, with no need for manual input from its passengers. Once all detected lifeforms have entered the bathysphere, the sphere's Atlas Scientific Industries Leviathan-class water elemental engine will cause it to descend at an expeditious but comfortable speed, depositing you safely in New Xethia Harbor."

[Philistine]

QB:

QB stops dead in his tracks as his clothing suddenly seems to dry itself. "Hey, that's nice! Thank you, sir!" He steps back out of the bathysphere and gives his equipment a quick once-over before briskly packing it back up. "That's a very handy trick, Irmaet! Thanks again!"

As he rises, he looks around one last time, then shrugs. "It does seem like we're meant to board that thing and ride it down; there certainly doesn't seem to be any other way off the island, or anything at all here in the way of provisions. I just hope the device itself functions properly after being neglected for years. That... voice... didn't exactly fill me with confidence. But I guess there's only one way to find out." Shouldering quiver and pack, he marches back into the bathysphere and takes a seat on the bench, opposite the controls.

[dyslexicfaser]

Hector

Hector wonders aloud, "'New Xethia?' What kind of harbor would there be 4 miles underground? Or, since this is an island, four miles underwater, I suppose."

He finally shrugs, deciding it's in Fate's hands, now. He answers his own question with, "I suspect we'll find out soon enough. It'll probably be educational."

[pingcode20]

Irmaet the Black
"It's nothing but a simple wizard's trick. You're welcome." smiles Irmaet back.

"I doubt this lighthouse will prove to be sufficient accommodations until I can prepare teleportation magics. We had best travel to wherever this bathysphere wishes to take us - perhaps the people responsible are below and can assist us."

[Karaswanton]

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Heh. If you take the Touch of Healing feat from Complete Champion you'll be even better at it.

On the other hand, Mr.Bones can't be used to channel your heals. George can channel my heals. :P

I don't like it boss. Curiousity killed the cat.

Oh come now George, you can't tell me aren't curious. Let's go.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Vaasth raises an eyebrow and looks up, as if that's where the voice is coming from, "Leviathan? That's... pretty cool. Sooo... are all detected lifeforms on board? I wanna go 4 miles below." He says almost like he's been waiting to go deep below the ocean since he was little.
He sits down on one of the uncomfortable benches and sort of restlessly bounces up and down in the seat, his tentacle making small noises like a dog(if a dog were a tentacle) that's excited.

[The Demented One]

The bathyspere chimes in, seemingly answering Vaasth's rhetorical questions. "A complete panoptic arcane resonance scan along a three-axis coordinate system with full contrast gradients indicates the presence of six life-forms within the tolerated range of variations for 'Human', one life-form within the tolerated range of variations for 'Ape', and one unregistered life-form whose plasmometric differential indicates likely artificial origin. Unregistered life-form detects as symbiont-class depenendant on a life-form within the tolerated range of variations for 'Human,' issuing temporary authorization to unregistered life-form. All detected life forms are within the bathysphere."

The bathysphere's door swings shut, and it starts to descend. Its movement is gentle and controlled, much slower than a normal metal ball full of weight would drop through the ocean. About five dozen yards down, you emerge into the sea; apparently the island was only a relatively thin piece of earth somehow afloat in the sea.

"Upon your arrival at New Xethia, please report to the....ice cream store. I would like three scoops of chocolate, three scoops of stawberry, three scoops of deadly neurotoxin, three scoops of vanilla..."

At this point, the old and poorly-maintained bathysphere gives up the struggle. The lighting spell shuts off, and the ring of control crystals around the bound water elemental explode, spraying tiny flakes of crystal harmlessly throughout the bathysphere. With the connection between the dragonshard and the bathysphere severed, it begins to fall faster and faster, bereft of the gentle control of the Leviathan-engine. The bathysphere's voice has just enough time to speak its last words, and then it decrescendos to nothing: "Thank you for participating in this Atlas Scientific Industries bathyspheric test program....you...will...be...MISSED."

[dyslexicfaser]

Hector

Hector grips the bench beneath him tightly, and his thoughts race. It's only after a number of seconds that he realizes that nothing in his vast armory of offensive spells and arcane defenses are equipped to deal with a metal sphere hurtling four miles downwards at breakneck speeds.

"Damn it, I should've known," he finally mumbled gloomily. "That's just my damn luck. I manage to survive death-by-falling-airship once today, so now... well. Sure am wishing I'd learned that Mass Fly spell now, instead of Sonic Blasts and Walls of Stone. Hell, I'd take a Feather Fall right about now. Hindsight's a bitch, and I hate it."

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Exactly how big is the bathysphere? Would it be big enough for me to summon a few 9-foot-long, 1000 pound hippogriffs for us to ride? I'm guessing not.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Vaasth seems excited once the vessel has begun to move downward into the ocean, and expressing boyish glee at the sight of oceanic descent. Once the voice rings out about them being missed, the daelkyr halfblood's smile is removed and replaced with a look of mild confusion. "Wait... Heh, no I won't. I don't even have a family." He nudges the person next to him with his elbow and laughs. "Joke's on them."

[Philistine]

QB:

QB chuckles grimly. "Guess that makes two of us then, Vaasth. Hey, Kyrek, Irmaet - any chance either of you could get us some light in here? I've got a packet of candles, but I'm afraid they'd foul the air in a closed space like this."

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The question is directed specifically to those two because QB has already seen each of them do things that are, well, magical (shapeshifting for Kyrek, the drying thing for Irmaet). I don't think he's seen any such indication from Hector yet, otherwise he'd have been included in the query as well.

[The Demented One]

Eventually the bathysphere comes to rest with a heavy metallic clud, and an impact that knocks you all of your feet. You can't see clearly through the portholes, but you would appear to be on a rail of some sort, a rail stretching across the floor of the sea. This would be confirmed by the fact that the bathysphere begins slowly moving, pulled along the track by some unseen force.

And then you see it. One minute there's empty sea, shoals of fish, the occasional unearthly-looking tentacle monster, and the next, there is a city, a city of beautiful glass domes on the bottom of the sea. It is as if you have passed through some illusionary barrier, and now can see what really was there. Eventually, the bathysphere's rail comes to the dome nearest to you, and a large metallic gate on the dome's outside opens, unfolding like a metallic iris or sphincter. The bathysphere enters what seems to be a small, dark chamber, and you can see the water slowly draining away. It would seem to be some sort of water lock.

Eventually a voice, much like that of the bathysphere but coming from outside, announces, "Welcome to New Xethia!" The door of the bathysphere then swings open. There seems to be a small platform on the other side of the chamber, within a short hop's distance from the bathysphere, on the other side of which is a large, imposing-looking gateway, much like that of the lighthouse.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Vaasth scrambles from the ground wordlessly and runs to the door and hops through and lands and looks from side to side giving the whole place a good look over. He once again wears his little smile and his tentacle twitches gleefully.
"Eheheha... I feel like I'm at a faire."

[The Demented One]

As Vaasth gets out, there is a loud bang from the other side of the door, and a few sparks of electricity shoot from it, singing him. What sounds like speech can be hard from the other side.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

He takes a little leap back and the smile is gone from his face, he now just stares at the door with eyes somewhat wide, ready to draw his sword and grow some armor.

[Philistine]

QB:

QB scrambles to his feet and quietly moves along the interior wall of the bathysphere to stand just beside the door. As he scans the visible area, he whispers, "Vaasth! Are you all right? What happened? Did you see anyone, or anything, out there?"

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Surveying the area around the bathysphere - what I can see of it, at least - with Spot ((1d20+17)[33]) and Listen ((1d20+17)[33]). And Blindsense, if there's anything within 30'.

[Karaswanton]

Kyrek

Well, it seems that the need for light is no longer a concern. George, perhaps you should have your hammer ready.

George readies his hammer and walks towards the door. Kyrek backs away from the door, and is ready to cast a buff spell on George should anything aggressively approach.

So tell me, my boney friend...what exactly happened when you crossed the threshold?

[The Demented One]

For Quentin

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There's nothing of any real note in the bathysphere chamber. The bathysphere itself, and the door, which appears to be locked from your side, are the only decor of note.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

"I... think... I've been electrocuted." He feels his own hair to see if it's standing on end, having been shocked plenty in his life before this point. "Also, there's talking on the other side of the door." He points at the door.

[dyslexicfaser]

Hector

"Inhabitants after all?" Hector wondered, rather hopefully. "I suppose we'd best.. greet our new neighbors." People who had apparently not visited their above ground exit, the lighthouse, in some time.

He edges out, eyeing the door a little mistrustfully, before heading outside the bathysphere.

((OOC: I'm starting to feel like an extra in the horror movie of your choice. 'Oh, surely there's no harm in splitting up ..?'))

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Vaasth scratches his chin as he ponders and looks at the door. "You only live once... right?" He walks over to the door and tries opening it with as little stealth as possible without trying to be noticed.

[pingcode20]

Irmaet the Black
Irmaet ambles slowly out of the bathysphere, after the others, having been thrown to the ground and taking time to climb to his feet with help from Mr Bones.

"Thank you, Mr Bones."

*Click Click.*

As he sees the commotion, he whistles sharply, Mr Bones quickly coming to attention and unshouldering his heavy poleaxe in anticipation of combat. Irmaet himself doesn't act, waiting to see what comes through before making to cast any spells - he wasn't much of an evoker, nor was it ever in line with decorum to curse someone for walking out their own front door.

Instead, he simply stands and waits, assuming for the time being that whatever happened to Vaasth was merely accidental, he responds to George's indirect query for the ever-silent Mr Bones.

"If you're referring to Mr Bones, I believe it was something along the lines of a very sharp blade, and then pottering off to the Abyss or whatever pit such ruffians go to."

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

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If by 'bony friend' he was referring to Vaasth, then I must remind everyone that no one's seen Vaasth with his bone-armor on. It's activatable and he rarely puts it on outside of combat.

[Philistine]

QB:

QB frowns. "Best I can tell, Vaasth, there's nothing out there to have hit you," he says. "Though that could just mean they're doing a curst good job of hiding. Anyway, there doesn't appear to be anything in here," nodding toward the darkened console of the bathysphere, "worth staying for." He steps to the threshhold and jumps to the nearby platform, landing in a crouch.

[Karaswanton]

Kyrek

George looks at Mr.Bones
Ah. You don't talk, do you? Shame that.

Then he looks at Irmaet
Hopefully whatever it eh'nt from the Abyss. We've 'ad a bad 'nuf day already I reckon.

Yes, we have, haven't we. Let's keep moving on, shall we?

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I didn't know the armor was retractable, but I just "retconned" that George meant Mr.Bones to keep things moving.

Also, I have no idea how to type a Cockney accent.

[The Demented One]

Vaasth tries to open the door, but it resists him with iron force. Eventually, however, his tentacle takes notice of the locking mechanism, and flips it open. There is a great creaking and a burst of steam, and the wall slides open. The next room contains a pier, an extension of the platform you stand on, connected to a larger platform by a small bridge. Beneath there is a pool of water, foul and brackish. The walls are dingy and rust-stained, tarnished by years of neglect.

Just outside the door, grinning toothily, is a man of bloated, disproportionate size, standing at least ten feet tall. He wears the tattered remnants of a tuxedo, and hefts a huge hammer which crackles with electricity. Upon seeing Vaasth, he screams "We're all alone! Alone! Get away!"

Behind the bloated man, there are three others just as malformed as he. There is a warforged holding a greatsword, who seems to be directing the others. Blood - proper blood, not the alchemic fluid of the warforged - leaks from his joints constantly, and flows from his metallic grin. There what looks to be a feral shifter, shaking and trembling uncontrollably and swinging a rapier. And finally, there is a once-beautiful woman with a veil over her face. The swathe of black fabric is not enough to cover the gaping holes drilled into her skull.

Both sides being well aware of each other, they rush into battle at the same time.

Initiative
1. Quentin
2. Splicer #2
3. Splicer #4
4. Irmaet and Mr. Bones
5. Splicer #3
6. Kyrek and George
7. Hector
8. Splicer #1
9. Vaasth


Map

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Legend:
Grey squares are floor
Blue Squares are water
S1 is the large Splicer with the hammer
S2 is the Warforged Splicer with the greatsword
S3 is the Shifter Splicer with the rapier
S4 is the female Splicer
Q: Quentin
I: Irmaet
Mr. B: Mr. Bones
K: Kyrek
G: George (and yes, it looks like a squiggly C)
H: Hector
V: Vaasth

Quentin's Turn

[Philistine]

QB:

Quentin launches himself toward the rapier-armed Shifter, his axes seeming to appear in his hands as if by magic. Dodging erratically to deny his foe any oportunity to strike a return blow, he swings both axes together toward the creature's midsection; then springs back again, covering roughly half the distance back to the point he started from.

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Moving 10' straight in to attack S3; AC increases to 27, and 31 vs any AoOs. Also declaring Dodge vs the big joker with the hammer; AC 28 vs S1.

Tumble check vs DC 15 to avoid provoking AoO: (1d20+21)[37].

MH (Adamantine) Attack: (1d20+14)[16](30)
Threat: (1d20+14)[30]
Damage: (1d6+4)[9], plus (3d6)[15] for Skirmishing.

OH (Byeshk) Attack: (1d20+14)[2](16)
Threat: (1d20+14)[22]
Damage: (1d6+3)[5], plus (3d6)[11] for Skirmishing.

And then moving 5' straight back again, with another Tumble check vs DC 15 to deny the AoO as I leave: (1d20+21)[31].

[pingcode20]

Irmaet the Black
"Oh no, that's where whoever Mr Bones was is lounging about now. Mr Bones is just his skeleton on negative energy."

---

Irmaet sighs. "Ruffians? We had enough of that in Sharn." he mutters, as he takes a step backwards, followed in unison by Mr Bones.

"Incapacitate them, Mr Bones. We do not have time for this."

*Click Click CLICK*

With a mighty heft, Mr Bones brings his enormous poleaxe (named 'Not Freudian at All') over his head and brings it down on the splicer, the weapon crashing to the floor and fracturing it. With a second movement, Mr Bones pulls the poleaxe from the ground and makes a broad sweep on the unfortunate hammer-wielder.

"Well, I suppose there's no helping a fight. Hum. What was that dweomer again? Ah yes, I remember now."

He produces a pair of iron rods from his pouch, and mutters something about lightning striking the same place twice. A small arc of electricity starts to crackle between the Iron rods, gradually speeding up, until finally he pulls them apart and an enormous arc of lightning tears through several of the splicers.

"Oh? Smells like rain."

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Irmaet takes a 5' step to the right, positioning himself behind Vaasth, while Mr Bones takes a 5' step backwards.

Mr Bones makes a full attack on S1 with the heavy poleaxe.

Attack - (1d20+11)[25]
Damage - (2d6+7)[13]
Attack - (1d20+6)[21]
Damage - (2d6+7)[19]

Irmaet casts Arc of Lightning (a conjuration spell), forming a line of lightning between two splicers, hitting them both and anyone between them.

Reflex DC 23 for half.

eg. E1 ----------- E2

He aims to catch as many splicers as possible within the effect for 12d6 damage.

EDIT: Without electrocuting QB.

[The Demented One]

Quentin's first blow hits true, nearly severing the creature's left arm. It hisses in pain, and its blood, brackish and foul-smelling, splatters over Quentin. His second blow, however, is deflected by a parry from the Shifter's rapier.

The blood-stained warforged moves forward, and makes to impale Vaasth on his greatsword. The blade neatly skewers Vaasth, and as it does, a surge of light seems to run down its length and suffuse Vaasth's body, burning him with a radiant light. The pain is unbearable; the Half-Daelkyr can only stand with effort after the blow. (53 damage)

Meanwhile, the veiled woman's hands crackle with electricity, and lightning arcs out towards all of you. The lightning burns like jagged knives running through your flesh, though some of you are able to dodge the worst of the blow. (Quentin takes no damage, Irmaet takes 18 damage, Hector takes 18 damage, Kyrek takes 36 damage, Vaasth takes 36 damage)

Both of Mr. Bones's attack strike true, leaving twin gashes in the oversized warrior that bleed profusely. The wounded madman bellows like a pained elephant, while Mr. Bones looks on with a skeletal grin.

Irmaet can only catch two of his foes in his electrical arc, and goes for the two nearest him. There is a sizzling, and then a huge arc of lightning appears between the hammer-wielder and the warforged. The oversized warior smells like burning flesh, and can barely stand. The warforged is slightly less bad off, but it visibly burned, arcs of lightning still crackling along its plating.

The wounded shifter moves in on Quentin, eager for its revenge. Suddenly, its blade bursts into flames, and it lashes out at the scout, eagerly thrusting his ardent blade. The blow lands, skewering Quentin's arm and setting him ablaze. (25 damage)

Initiative
1. Quentin
2. Splicer #2
3. Splicer #4
4. Irmaet and Mr. Bones
5. Splicer #3
6. Kyrek and George
7. Hector
8. Splicer #1
9. Vaasth

Map

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Kyrek's Turn