DM Jamie Thursday February 10th, 2005 9:15:06 AM
Olyn, the child looks to be in a deep sleep now. Although she is still not waking she looks much better.
Theodore, as you concentrate on Macaw you see one of the emple priests outside of the house. He is yelling into the house for you to hurry. The child has taken a turn for the worse suddenly. When you place your hand on the wall it is not cold.
Rose you pick up 8 assorted jewels. While you are picking them up you notice there seem to be some drag marks on the floor that someone tried to cover hastily. They head in the direction of where the gate used to be projected.
Vorelle, you come to the same conclusion as Olyn. That the girl is in a depe sleep.
Theodore and Macaw Thursday February 10th, 2005 9:18:25 AM
Theodore turns abruptly to the rest of the group. "The child has taken a turn for the worse," he says loudly. "We must leave now, and return if necessary. The way ahead is clear."
Theodore begins to hustle back to the point where his group descended into the cave.
Dietrich Thursday February 10th, 2005 10:38:19 AM
Dietrich listens to Vauhwyt and agrees with some points, but there is the urge to get to the temple.
He suggests to split the group and keep some people as guards in the cave till all can come back (as there doesn't seem to be any great danger in splitting the group now). Olyn, the child, Theo, Vorelle could go, while the rest search the place thoroughly. By the way, Zayne suddenly disappeared, which is not very normal either.
But there is also another problem. The party has been seen entering the house by a lot of people and won't be able to keep many secrets from the temple anyway. Dietrich also believes that the Prince will ask them pretty soon about this adventure and he doesn't think it a good idea to try keeping secrets from the Prince too.
Vauhwyt and Mookie Thursday February 10th, 2005 12:31:14 PM
Vauhwyt agrees with Dietrich. Split the party, send the undead head and the girl with Olyn, Vorelle, and Theo to the temple.
The rest can search and guard the place. Olyn, Vorelle, and Theo can return as soon as possible.
"Yes, alas, the cat is way way out of the bag," says Vauhwyt. "But the kitten is still in the bag, and we can keep it therre."
"We have to say that we were herre. We have to say that we killed this undead thing. But we do not have to talk about this machine, or the Paladin, or the Gate. Not just yet. We should keep those cards close to our chest. That way we can investigate furtherr. Okay?"
"Olyn, Theo, and Vorelle, please don't tell the temple about the machine. We came doen here, killed some undead, and here is the boss undead's head to heal the boy. That's it."
"Theo, why don't we trade familairs? You take mine and I'll take yours. So if there is trouble in either group, the other group can have a warning."
Olyn Thursday February 10th, 2005 3:48:18 PM
Theo, grab the head, Vorelle, lead the way out.
Olyn follows Vorelle hurridly.
Vorelle d20+7=11 d20+7=13 Thursday February 10th, 2005 4:46:31 PM
Relieved that she's not the one carrying the head, Vorelle leads the way up through the deserted bakery. She tries to keep alert for trouble, but she is clearly distracted.
[Spot 11; Listen 13. Sheesh!]
Berlon [S.O Dietrich (1h 35 m), Detect Magic (3m) fire res 2] Thursday February 10th, 2005 5:15:41 PM
Berlon still seems a little frazzled over the recent events, but tries to remain focused. He closes his eyes and clasps his hands together, casting Detect Magic (duration 3 minutes) trying to see if there's anything else magical in the area.
If time allows, he'll help do a last, thorough check of the room, taking a 20 on a Search check if time allows.
"Friends, we should make sure to do a final check of the bakery as well..."
DM Jamie Friday February 11th, 2005 9:43:57 AM sorry for the late post today
Olyn, Theo, and Vorelle as you emerge from the hole into the bakery everything seems just as you left it. There are a few looky-loos loitering outside of the bakery, but other than that there is nothing. You make it to the temple with little notice. As you step into the temple the girl snaps straight out of her slumber, looks around, and in a meek voice says, "Am I going to get beat today?" As she finishes she trembles a bit and a single tear rolls down her cheek.
The rest of you do a very complete search of the cave, tunnel, and bakery. You find that at one point in time something else was positioned on top of the dias, but has since been removed and dragged towards where the portal was. The drag marks stop there. On the verticle face of the dias there was once writing, but someone or something has gone and removed alot of it.
When detect magic is cast you find that there is a spot on the dias that faintly glows. In the center of it there is a rectangle shape roughly 3 foot wide and 6 foot long. It is residual magic from whatever used to sit upon it. You also have a faint glow on the wall where the gate used to be projected. You can not make out the type of magic.
Dietrich Friday February 11th, 2005 10:05:38 AM
Dietrich agrees with VAuhwyt's allegorie of cats and kittens and helps in the search.
The warrior can't make very much of the findings though and will wait for his religious and arcane friends to share their wisdom.
He hopes both children can be cured and frowns at the evil they have been fighting. Not only were there a connection between Marteus and Gaal, now there is also a distorted Undead cult in it. The group definitely needs to discuss what to do.
Berlon d20+12=17 Friday February 11th, 2005 12:44:13 PM
Once it seems everything has been resolved, Berlon uses up the last of his spells for the day, spontaneously casting Cure Minor Wounds in place of Read Magic, healing 1 hp on Dietrich.
"If anyone else needs healing, I will be more than happy to do so tomorrow. All Friends are always welcome at my lab. Also, can someone remind Friend Theo that I can Identify that ring for him without any of those expensive spell components."
Once he gets back to his lab, Berlon will get some last work in before some well earned sleep. First, he will use up 3 gp and 33 cp worth of ingredients to whip up an easy and quick (for him, anyway) flask of acid. (Carft Alchemy check 17 vs DC 15, progress = 255 out of 100 sp, item complete)
He will also take one of the bags of powdered silver he keeps at the lab and put it in his backpack.
Olyn Friday February 11th, 2005 1:08:59 PM
sitting down on a pew, with her on his lap, he wipes the tear from her cheek and says: you are safe little one. the bad bad person who hurt you has been punished and I promise that no more hurt will come to you.
/pointing to one of the acolytes and motioning the girl to come over
this nice girl is going to take you to the healer, and make the sting on your back go away, she is also going to bathe you and get you some nice clean clothes and something to eat. maybe some sweetcakes too.
if she goes with the acolyte, Olyn will wave at her til she is out of sight, then head to the young boy to see how the other healers cure him, taking mental notes of the process.
if she is reluctant to go with the acolyte, Olyn will then excuse the acolyte and take her himself to do what was stated above.
Theodore and Macaw Friday February 11th, 2005 1:46:42 PM
"Okay," says Theodore to Vauhwyt's proposal to switch familiars for a bit.
When Olyn tells the soft-hearted wizard to pick up the undead head, Theodore shudders visibly, but moves towards the hideous thing. With a bunched nose, squinted eyes, and a grimace, he slowly grabs the head from either side and lifts it. He quickly drops the head and runs about making horrid gurgling noises in the back of his throat and vigorously scrubbing his hands together to get any head residue off.
After calming himself, taking a few deep breaths and such, Theodore approaches the head once more, this time with two daggers drawn. He proceeds to pierce each temple of the head with a dagger. The whole thing looks like some horrible cob of corn on large corn stickers. The fickle mage holds grips the handle of each dagger, holding the head well away from his body, and trounces through the bakery and outside.
He sends Macaw into the house to stay with Vauhwyt and then proceeds to race through the tunnels of Dirt City with the undead head stretched before him, the whole time emitting a pathetic, high-pitched wail as he moves towards the temple.
Once inside, he quickly dumps the head, daggers and all, on the temple floor and goes to stand very far away from it until Vorelle and Olyn arrive.
Mookie Friday February 11th, 2005 3:27:03 PM
Mookie flies just ahead of Theo, cawing, "Make way for the Head! Make way for the Head!"
Vorelle Friday February 11th, 2005 6:51:36 PM
A slight frown creases Vorelle's forehead as she watches Olyn with the little girl. Odd that he should assume that only the undead creature had ever beaten the child. When Vorelle herself was small, she'd been beaten by both parents, her elder brother, neighborhood kids, and the occasional random adult. This was Dirt City, after all, and beating seemed to be a primary method of communication.
In that light, she's not sure it's wise to promise the child that she'll never be beaten again. She opens her mouth to speak, then decides that it's a topic best raised later on, in private.
Instead she turns to offer belated help to Theo, carrying the head in.
Vauhwyt (and Macaw) Saturday February 12th, 2005 2:07:30 PM
Vauhwyt makes sure she picks up every piece of the broken machine. "Help me look for bits, Macaw, please."
She stows them all away.
She also looks around for any hidden exits. How high is the ceiling? She'll poke around up there with her longspear.
After the main room is finished, she goes upstairs and searches up there.
DM jamie d20=1 d20=8 d20=13 d20=15 d10=10 Monday February 14th, 2005 6:07:30 AM
The continued search of the cavern, tunnel, and bakery produces no other information or clues.
Olyn, she agrees to go with the acolyte as long as she can come back to you when she is finished.
The priest comes rushing out when informed that you have entered the temple. He takes one look at the head and then one look at the group. "You are most blessed for being able to defeat this creature. If it is what I think it is you are blessed indeeed."
He picks up the head and takes it into the room with the Timmi. "We will see what we can do." He is gone for some time before the door opens again. He walks back out and their is sweat running down his forehead. He looks like he has bee weakened considerably.
"He will live. Although because of the taint he came in contact with he will always carry the spiritual scar with him. That is the way of the bodak. Those slain by a creature of such evil always rise the next night as a bodak. In this case we were able to bring him back to the land of the living, but it will always be a part of him."
During this lapse in time the rest of the group finishes with their search and found nothing more.
Olyn, the little girl is returned to you, minus all of the dirt and grime of course. She is a little human girl. Her blond hair has been pulled back into a long pony tail that runs to the middle of her back. She has eyes the color of the deep ocean. She has been drressed in a simple white gown of the acolytes.
Dietrich d20+4=21 Monday February 14th, 2005 7:06:49 AM
Dietrich gladly receives Berlon's healing and says the Gnome goodbye.
He has to smile at Theo bringing the head away and Mookie as his herald, though he doesn't like it to call people's attention.
Finally, before the group definetely leaves the cave, Dietrich inspects it and the remainings of the artifact with his stonemason craftmanship.
Stonemasonry 21
He trys to find out: how old is the building/artifact who might have build it (style, techniques etc) similarities with other places the group has been to
Then the warrior waits for the rest of the group to arrive.
Olyn Monday February 14th, 2005 9:08:17 AM
smiling when the little girl returns and sits down next to her on a pew.
so, what shall we call you, little one? *waits for an answer* who are your parents, <name>? *waits for an answer* where does she live, <name>? *waits for an answer*
pulling out a piece of cheesecloth from the folds of his shirt, he opens it, revealing 2 pieces of red, sweet, rockcandy. Olyn lets the little girl take 1 piece, then pops the other piece into his mouth, smiling at the little girl while he sucks on it.
Vauhwyt (and Macaw) Monday February 14th, 2005 11:35:44 AM
Vauhwyt finishes looking around, then goes up to the Bakery. She waits there for the others to arrive.
"I wonder when my package from the Catacombs will arrive?" she thinks.
DM Jamie additional post Monday February 14th, 2005 2:51:51 PM
Vauhwyt, in a flash of green billowing smoke an imp appears in front of you. "Brave warrior, "He begins with a deep gutteral voice," Here is your....." He errupts in a fit of coughing and sputtering.....
"Here is your package." He says in a very meek and wheezy voice. "I need to work on the smoke. I'm an asthmatic you know." And with that he poofs off.
He handed you a package wrapped in lambskin. And then tied off in red ribbon. There is a message on the ribbon. It reads: In celebration of the holiday of love we have wrapped your gift with the lovely red ribbon.
She opens her package and puts on an amulet and gloves right away. She admires how they look.
She tucks the rest of the package away.
Berlon d20+12=17 Monday February 14th, 2005 3:54:23 PM
The next morning Berlon performs his devotions, including prayers to Alemi for guidance and prayer memorization. Once he is done with his spells, he will use up the last of his powdered silver to cast Bless Water.
He takes the newly made holy water, along with the flask of acid he mixed together the previous day, and gently places them in his backpack.
He then starts the preparations for another Tanglefoot Bag. He frowns a little as he is running out of ingredients. He'll have to do some restocking soon, but he uses up 17 gp and 7 sp worth on the new project.
Unfortunately, it doesn't start very well and the bag leaks (Craft Alchemy check 17). He'll have to start again, another 8 and a half gp down the drain tomorrow...
He cleans up the mess and tends to anyone who comes by the lab, then slaps the side of his head. "Friend Theo! I've got to get to him before he spends his money on a lobster claw or eye of newt or whatever it is he uses..."
With that, he closes up the lab and tries to find Theodore. If he does, and if Theo hasn't already had the spell cast, he will touch his holy symbol to the ring the group found and cast Identify.
Theodore and Macaw Monday February 14th, 2005 7:10:17 PM
Theodore is much obliged to be rid of the head, retrieving his dagger and placing them gingerly in a pouch for a thorough scrubbing later on. The good health of Timmi and the little girl is also a relief to Theodore, and it seems as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He stands a little straighter, a little taller.
When Olyn and Vorelle decide to move out, Theodore follows them, eager to get back to the others and see if they've found anything of interest. He also happily hands over the ring to Berlon for the gnome to examine, on the condition that he allows the mage to observe his magic in action. Any use of the Art, be it arcane or divine, is quite intriguing to the inspired pupil.
Vorelle Monday February 14th, 2005 11:04:04 PM
Vorelle listens solemnly as the priest tells them of Timmi's condition. She lingers with the boy a little, thinking he might be glad of a friendly face.
[Is Timmi's dad here, or back at the house?]
Rose Tuesday February 15th, 2005 1:59:23 AM
Rose waits to speak to the others and the priests when none of the children are around.
"That thing said it would come back, do you know a way we can prevent it?
What do you mean Timmi will bear the mark of what happened his whole life? How will that affect him?"
Rose seems unusually quiet and somber as you return to the houses. That night Vauhwyt and Vorelle are woken by Rose screaming during a nightmare.
DM Jamie d100=35 d100=98 d20=12 d20=7 Tuesday February 15th, 2005 6:45:40 AM
Olyn, meekly the girls tells you that her name is runt. She doesn't remember her mother or her father. She thinks she remembers the orcs saying something about her being from the north. "Olyn," she says. "I don't like it here very much. Everyone keeps staring at me. Can we go. I want to see where you live."
Deitrich, upon close examination you really can only tell that the artifacts and the dias were made about the same time. And that was a great many centuries ago. The way they were all formed looks as if they meerly were. The craftsmanship even rivals that of the dwarfs.
Vauhwyt, you find nothing more on your way out to the surface.
Berlon, you discover it is a ring of regeneration.
Vorelle, you do not see his father. When you walk into Timmi's room you see the father still sitting next to him. He is clasping his hand and his head is laying on the bed.
Rose, the old priest turns to you. "He is a little closer now, to the shadowlands. What exactly that means, I can not say. He will have a dark power now and as he grows it will determine his destiny. He could use it to become a bastion of the undead and wreck havok upon the land of the living. Or he could use it for the forces of good and help drive the undead back to the shadowlands. It all depends on how strong his willpower is."
Dietrich Tuesday February 15th, 2005 7:17:50 AM
Despite the circumstances, Dietrich has to admire the craftmanship. He passes any insights on to his friends and hopes someone skilled in lores can make something of it.
When his friends come back he asks: "So, is Timmi alright? What kind of *&£$~# monster was it?"
He is quite worried about what he hears regarding Timmis future and surely recomends to keep an eye on him.
When the party goes home, Dietrich remembers Zayne's strange disappering (ooc I know, but the character finds it really strange, after all, the party lives partially in Zayne's appartment). He opens a small barrel of ale to commemorate their success and suggests the group discuss and plan their next move.
Vauhwyt and Mookie Tuesday February 15th, 2005 8:11:06 AM
Mookie, who has returned from the temple, says to Vauhwyt, "Boss, there's nothing else happening here! Why don't we make like sludge and hit the sewers?"
"We have to wait for everyone to get back herre," Vauhwyt replies. "And we can't just leave this place unattended. Either we take responsibility for it and lock it up, or we get someone in authority to take overr."
"Since gossip is going to make it clear that this place is something, we can't just leave it."
Olyn Tuesday February 15th, 2005 9:57:27 AM
looking at the little girl he says: runt is not a name fitting a beautiful little girl like you. if you could be called anything, what name would you like to be called?
*thinking to himself: they want me to go back to the bakers' house to regroup, and this little girl seems attatched to me, and there is no way in Garguls' home I am taking her back to that place*
turning and seeing Deitrich saying: Deitrich my friend, when you go back to the Bakers' house, will you tell them there I will meet tham at the apartment, I am going to take this lovely little girl to the market to get some clothes, and then a toy or 10, then take her back to the apartment for a little while.
turning to the little girl saying: wanna go shopping?
Berlon Tuesday February 15th, 2005 11:05:09 AM
Berlon closes his eyes as he touches his holy symbol to the ring in Theodore's hands. His eyes open suddenly! "Regeneration! How... interesting! Friend Theodore, I must one day tell you the story of how one of these turned the tide in my village's battle with an invading group of goblins and zombies."
"But for now I think we should get back to the bakery and make sure everything is all right."
Berlon will head off to the bakery to meet up with Vauhwyt. Once he's there, he'll cast Detect Magic, just to be sure.
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