A Resurrectionists Visit, Part 3
Log Info
- Title: A Resurrectionist's Visit, Part 3
- GM: Whirlpool
- Place: Mountains on Alexandros's East Border
- Summary: A 'lower level' investigation of a magical phenomenon at the behest of Griva Brassbinger, local head of the Resurrectionists of Animus. Now with added support.
<<Previous: A Ressurrrectionist's Visit, Part 2>>
Were the full moon visible, it would be particularly helpful on a night like tonight. With the slippery ground and the shadow of the mountains over you, it is *dark* up here. Very dark. With the help of your animals, you're at least able to avoid the worst possibilities: falling to your death through a missed step. Lowlight vision, too, aids in its obvious ways. After a cautious couple hours of movement, you come around a bend in the pass and see in the distance blue embers, sparking off a central flame of azure hue, rising up out of the earth. There are shapes around it, humanoid ones that shift on occasion, and one of them is particularly large. Farland lets out a breath -- again -- and proceeds to fish his scrolls out, intending to get the magic working on each of you for your own protection. It doesn't take too long, and at least it should offer you some protection from some kinds of compulsion. But there you have it, and there you are.
GAME: Fidget casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16 GAME: Fidget casts Endure Elements. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16 GAME: Thoth casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15 GAME: Thoth casts Shield. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15
Thoth is not the stealthiest of the bunch, but at least it's not the loudest either. Its little talons clicking along the mountain road's dirt and stone as it proceeds onwards after the scrolls are applied. The Goal - to investigate the origin of these blue flames, while the Troll and the various bugbears are distracted by its mesmerizing light. "This one hopes they do not wake up." It remarks quietly while on approach, looking at the embers and the flame itself. Believing in the magics cast upon it.
GAME: Thoth rolls Stealth: (17)+3: 20 GAME: Fidget rolls stealth: (12)+11: 23 <OOC> Reithak loots Thoth's roll by swapping to stealth synergy <OOC> Reithak says, "for 27 stealth total"
So far, they don't appear to be noticing you. Stealth, in fact, appears to be working. You don't kick any rocks over, even.
"Oooh, shiny." Fidget coos as the flame comes into view, "So, we're gonna just slip up to them and poke at the fire? Metaphorically poke. Probably metaphorically poke. Maybe we send the familiar ahead to see if they react to it, or are totally enthralled?" She's not sure exactly how to approach this problem. Though someone kicking a troll into the flames is definitely plan C.
Reithak is surprisingly stealthy bird, at least after taking off the garish white hat for the time being. Taking up the rear so she wasn't the first obvious target, too. "Well, seems good so far, fingers and toes crossed." The inquisitor hums quietly, peeking over into the clearing. "Lucky they're conked out for now. What's the plan going forward?"
Farland rubs his face. "I don't have a plan just yet, myself, so I'm open to suggestions. We can't leave them like this, hostile or no." His voice is a low whisper.
Thoth slips closer amidst the Bugbears and Troll, quietly click-clacking with its taloned feet. It was told they were mesmerized by the flames, so it will assume that if it is quiet, they will not notice the added presence of its metallic-golden body. Ra is moving ahead of it, checking out for any creatures that might stir ahead of time - and will let Thoth know if it needs to flee. For now though, it is approaching the flame straight on.
... Thoth's assumption proves correct. They may notice him, it's hard to tell, but it's clear that the flame is thus far having a pacifying impact. They don't engage.
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Thoth, roll will. :)" GAME: Thoth rolls Will+2+4: (18)+4+2+4: 28 <OOC> Thoth says, "+4 from being War Golem, +2 if this is evil" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Fidget, you roll too :)" GAME: Fidget rolls will: (14)+6: 20
Following in Thoth's claw-prints, Fidget sneaks up to the flames herself, to investigate them close up, and see what's going on. Obviously the first thing you do is find out if they're real flames. She gets out a stick and pokes at the fire to see if it transfers to the stick as normal fire would, though ready to toss the stick down the hole should it spread unexpectedly quickly. She did say 'probably metaphorically', and she knows everyone knew it meant 'probably poke'.
Bringing up the rear, Reithak creeps slowly into the camp. The large egalrin peers at the flame, and shrugs. "So, what, do we just dump water on it?" The egalrin asks quietly once it seems nothing is an immediate threat.
GAME: Thoth rolls Spellcraft: (3)+10: 13 GAME: Thoth rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
Thoth, getting close to the fire, seems to be unaffected by its mesmerizing presence. It tilts its head like a confused bird, trying to get a better look at it, to seek out its magical touch. But the Sea of Mana has changed so much since it was last actively around - the Kulthian period of time still had Animus around. So it is having trouble connecting this back...
GAME: Fidget rolls knowledge/arcana: (10)+14: 24 GAME: Fidget rolls spellcraft: (4)+16: 20
"I don't know if water would do anything." Noting that the fire does not, in fact, burn the stick she put in it, Fidget draws back the stick and wiggles it at the others to show the lack of burning. Then she moves to the next part of science, poking it with your hand. She grabs a small vial from somewhere in her frills, and shuffles closer until she can reach out and put the vial into the flames and see if it can be scooped up. Also to see if it does anything to her hand while it's touching the blue flames. It might tickle, it might burn, it might give her superpowers!
"Is it not even burning? Just what is this, if it's not even acting like fire?" The large egalrin wonders, resting her beak on one hand and huffing. "Hey, is that a good idea? I don't know how much I can do if you get badly hurt by that thing. What even put this here?"
GAME: Victor rolls will: (19)+6: 25 GAME: Reithak rolls will: (12)+6: 18
Victor edges closer to the flame. It is why they came of course. "You've heard of Animus, I'm sure? And the theory of the Resurrectionists that Shards of his being are being discovered throughout the lands?" Victor tries to gauge where the center of the fire is and moves around to look at it from different directions, with an occasional look at the monstrous creatures nearby.
Farland smiles at Victor's words, nodding. "That's not ALL we do, of course," he adds. "We also investigate magical phenomenon like this on behalf of Rune. Looks like they're all well and truly ensorcelled. If that spell I cast is helping that's... not a good sign." He clears his throat.
The fire doesn't even flicker when Fidget touches it with a stick, let alone their hand. Farland is frowning rather direly at it.
<OOC> Thoth will aid Ra in a Perception check inside of the flame to see if there's anything to grab within. GAME: Thoth rolls Perception: (3)+2: 5 GAME: Thoth (Familiar: Ra) rolls 10+3: (13)+10+3: 26
"No burning, if anything, it's cold." Fidget reports as she pulls her hand and a vial that remains indignantly empty out of the flame. "Some kind of mana leakage, perhaps a leyline or a vein of magicite underground. Certainly something worth investigating further." Slipping the vial back into the recesses of her dresses, Fidget adds "Doesn't seem to have turned me evil either, which I realize is a slim but present possibility, if we're thinking this might be some kind of evil. Not that I've seen any sign of such yet. Next, detect magic? Could rouse the bystanders." She idly warns the others, giving them a few precious seconds to object if they choose.
GAME: Fidget casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 6 DC: 15
Farland kneels down on his haunches beside the flame, studying it intensely. "Makes me wish Griva was here. Girl has arcane sight on her eyes. Well, her good eye anyway." He places his hands on his knees, speculating. A glance towards Thoth, Reithak and Victor. he's keeping an eye on them after holding his breath while Fidget poked the potentially dangerous magical fire.
GAME: Reithak rolls knowledge/religion: (14)+6: 20 <OOC> Reithak is an inquisitor of Ceinara if that would affect anything in regards to fire knowledge
Thoth inquires; "So you are saying, there might be something within this flame?" It asks as Fidget sticks her hand inside and seems to be... fine. Ra lands on its shoulder, and the two chirp a bit at each other. Thoth's avian sounds far more metallic than the magical beast sitting on its shoulder. Trying to peek into the blue flame amidst the deep darkness. "Ra feels the magic flowing from closely beneath the surface." Thoth then points out, reaching its hand out and pointing. "If this is magicite, this is dangerous. But we could dig it out, release the energy."
"Y'know, you'd think I could be more helpful about this, but Ceinara's more of a metaphorical page, suppose." Reithak shrugs, clacking her beak irritatedly. The inquisitor takes another look, and shakes her head. "This ain't magicite I don't think though, it's not fluctuating enough, too steady. And what with the leylines getting more knots tied in it than an Althean marriage festival, I'd say that's more likely." "Which leaves the question, if that's the case, can we even fix it up here?"
"Whilst I don't have arcane sight yet, I make do with my cantrip. Enchantment magic, probably from a leyline, as you say. So, the simplest solution, and I am using that term loosely, would probably be landscaping the area, right? If it weren't for the audience, anyways. They might object to us messing with their cool fire. Which, I understand, really." Fidget pauses for a moment, looking around with her enchanted sight to see if there are any other signs of magic around the likely leyline, or on the trolls, which could be interacting with the raw magic flow here.
Thoth looks back to the one who has traveled with them and inquires; "Do you carry any Holy Water? This one fears it does not normally carry such things. But if thine shield of the divine is suppressing this flame's influence, perhaps such a matter can aid us here?"
Victor nods in understanding. Not necessarily understanding of the arcane effects he is seeing, but certainly at Fidget's explanation. "We've learned a bit about this flame and the source of it. Perhaps we should return and tell our sponsors what we have learned." He casts another look at the nearby Bugbears. "It doesn't seem there's any special urgency to acting now. Or any imminent danger from the creatures. Unless," he adds after a moment, "We were to stir them up in some way."
When Holy Water is introduced to the fire, there is some effect. It sparks and dims a little. It seems that Holy Water is at least interacting with whatever 'evil' taint is present in this flame. Secondly, detecting evil comes back as a 'positive'. One is able to narrow down that the flame has some faint evil taint to it, dimmed by the recent introduction of holy water and, of course, that the troll and bugbears present are not exactly your friends. At the moment, they still seem rather sedated and entranced for some reason that isn't applying fully to you. Perhaps its the magic Farland cast, and also renewed. He's keeping busy. You don't seem to be in any imminent danger yet. Farland, for his part, looks *very* worried about the fact that holy water had an impact.
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Knowledge/the planes if you've got it :)"
"Hey now, maybe that will do something, there's an idea! Even if it isn't burning quite like any fire I've ever seen." The egalrin offers as she keeps an eye on the flames. "And well, that thing isn't good. I mean, it's a bad thing, but there's something _evil_ bout it." She adds, staring a bit intently at it. "Sure didn't like that water, whatever's going on is still there, but seems a bit weaker after that."
GAME: Reithak rolls knowledge/The Planes: (11)+6: 17 GAME: Victor rolls knowledge/the planes: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Thoth rolls Knowledge/The Planes: (6)+10: 16 GAME: Fidget rolls knowledge/the planes: (16)+14: 30
Thoth notices the way the flame seems to spark and dim. And when it's revealed that this flame contains an evil 'taint' to it, it turns. "It may be dangerous to release this. But it is stated that Animus was killed by an evil God, correct? If you believe this to be tied to Animus, would it not make sense for there to be remnants of this evil god on such shards?" It inquires. It then looks back. "This one does not believe we have enough Holy Water. It may be best to make it less... 'evil'? This one does not know how to calculate Evil, and whether or not something is sufficiently 'less evil' for it to be wise to release it." It is giving Reithak and Farland an expecting look. "Outsider energy or Undead energy. Is it not?" Birdy head-tilt.
<OOC> Fidget says, "Would Dispel Magic do anything here?" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "I mean, it'd suppress the flame." <OOC> Whirlpool says, "And likely end the entrancement. You could, for example, cast dispel magic from a distance and hide and it might cause your friends to snap out of their trance if you wanted to see what would happen. xD" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Consecrate would also definitely help :)" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "If its undead I mean" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "And I think with evil outsider too! I'd have to check."
"Yes, I think that makes sense - since it's evil, we could Dispel it. It would suppress it for a while, and would break the enchantment effect. It probably wouldn't stop it long term, though. But if it's doing anything concerning, it would give us a little more time to find a long term solution. It's an option, but we'd suddenly have an unfriendly audience." Fidget suggests, pondering if there's a good way to convince some of the threats to leave.
<OOC> Fidget will walk up to the Troll, and Suggest that there is an even more amazing blue mana flame over that way, just keep going until you see it. GAME: Fidget casts Suggestion. Caster Level: 6 DC: 18 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20-5: (17)+-5: 12
Thoth remarks; "The Troll, it was drawn here, I think. Either because of the pretty flames, or because of something else." It proposes to the team. "Even if we get them to leave, they may simply come back. Or more will come." It looks to Reithak. "This one thinks, perhaps this place is also a 'Magnet'?" The best way it can think to explain this. "Perhaps we go back, find a group of holy-men..." It looks to Farland, then back to the group; "To sanctify this location. Then we deal with the expulsion of energy."
"Let me try to remove one of the problems first, then." Fidget says, and confidently strides up to the troll, standing right in front of it, "Uh, hi, Troll-person!" she greets it to almost no response, a flicker of the eyes downwards, then immediately back to the flickering flame behind her. It's probably good that she's not tall enough to block the view. "I've found an even more awesome blue mana flame, just like this one, but bigger and stronger. It's over that way. ~If you just walk that way, you'll find it, just keep walking until you see it~" she says, lacing her words with magical intent. Fidget startles a little when the troll locks eyes with her immediately, its pupils blown wide and saturated with the normally subtle purple of her enchantment. It grunts in acknowledgement and starts trudging off in the direction she had pointed it, away from any settlements she's aware of, which is good because it'll be walking that way for the next 6 hours. Rejoining the others, she says "That was strange. It has almost no resistance to enchantment. The flame must be sapping its willpower away." After a brief pause, "Probably ours too. We should make sure no-one lingers here for too long at one time."
"I'm not too certain, but there's more here than last time, isn't there?" Reithak offers, taking a look around at the slumbering creatures. "Wouldn't be surprised if they come back, and I'm worried if we go to get help, there'll be even more when we get back, or too many to deal with. Seems either something undead or something from off plane, but I'm not sure how best to clear that." Reithak keeps an eye on the departing Troll, and they offer a brief prayer directed at the scabbard at their side. "So, I don't really want to, but those around us are evil just like the flame, unless it's twisting them, can't say for certain."
Thoth remarks; "This one's master always said, a good plan is better than a rushed plan. It is better to cleanse this place with those who are better suited for this, than to commit violence and perhaps make matters worse." It suggests to the group at large, even as Fidget manages to get the Troll to wander off. "But if these have no more willpower. Perhaps, we can get them to just... walk away when we return with better resources." Like a lot more holy water!
"...don't really want to go back to town again. Why don't I send a message for us? If you want a Holy Man, I can arrange for one to join us." Farland looks on, worriedly.
Thoth nods its head. "If Other - Farland - could. Tell the Holy Man to hurry. And bring ways to consecrate and hallow. Yes?" It nods its head. It then approaches one of the Bugbears and tries to speak to it; "You should leave this place now. Walk a day and a night away from this place."
GAME: Thoth rolls Diplomacy: (4)+0: 4
At least the troll is gone... ...because now all the bugbears are, as a unit, slowly turning to stare at Thoth. Uh oh.
<<Next: A Resurrectionists Visit, Part 4>>