Void by the Sea (Part 1)
<OOC> Telamon says, "Everyone make a Wisdom check."
GAME: Cesran rolls wisdom: (5)+5: 10 GAME: Murder rolls wisdom: (8)+4: 12 GAME: Skyler rolls wisdom: (13)+2: 15
<OOC> Telamon says, "Anyways. You all realize this house from the outside only has a single floor. It doesn't have a second story. But for some reason there are stairs. Also, if you peer through the windows, -none- of the views match what you should see outside."
<OOC> Telamon says, "Continue :)" <OOC> Cesran says, "Are the views in each window different or the same?" <OOC> Murder says, "My guess is, different. The owner of the house was messing with extradimension stuff, think making rooms of the house into different pocket dimensions or on different planes of existence." <OOC> Telamon says, "Different."
"Phew.", Murder says as they step inside, her nose wrinkling, "This place smells awful." She squints, looking out one of the windows, then taking in the stairs.
"Stairs going up... in a one story house. I have a bad feeling about this. What is with you wizards and having to magically fuck around with everything. Can't you be happy with how things are naturally?" She rubs at her face.
<OOC> Cesran says, "Any other exits or is this an open floor plan?" <OOC> Telamon says, "More or less open floor plan."
As the telepathic bond settles, there's a humming noise that invades the linked minds. Is it a side effect of the sorcery that's causing the house to appear out of nowhere?
Dum dum DUUUUM dum dum dum dUm!
An off tune whistle is added to the humming, and it becomes clear what's happening. Skyler's brain has a constant singing to it, off key and off tune. He turns to Murder, and shrugs. "I think most wizards were bullied as kids, so they're compensating." He says mentally, "Oh shit. Can everyone here this? Or just Murder? Oh no! I apologize in advance, coz this is gunna get awkward and shit and I can't help it but did you see that one wizard pick his nose and wipe it on his fri..." And then the mental babble is broken off, and Skyler closes his eyes, a bead of sweat on his temple. The humming continues though. He doesn't have *that* much self control. "Sorry. Do we want to focus on floor by floor together? Or split up and rely on the telepathic bond?"
Cesran tests the link with Sven and in his head he reaches out, including everyone on the conversation, “Sven we have made it inside, everything looks like a normal house the most part. We’ll continue on and let you know what we find.” He hmms, “I’m getting some weird feedback when I try to talk to Sven. Besides Skyler’s voice.”
Cesran starts to look around and he relates to Sven on the outside about the windows that seem to have a different landscape as well as what appears to be a second story to the house. He shrugs, “I can’t attest to this wizard’s motivations, but most of the time it’s just to see if they can. I’ve tried to outgrow that particular motivation.”
Cesran continues to look around carefully, “I would like for us to stay together if possible. If we need to make a quick escape it will be easier with everyone close to me. So shall we continue to explore this first level or head upstairs to the floor that shouldn’t be there.”
From the aforementioned second floor, a voice can be heard, calmly speaking as though in a lecture hall.
"The nature of art is to question, to challenge. To transgress, one might say. The greater the art, the greater the transgression, the riposte against conventional thinking. One simply cannot create true art without stepping on a few toes."
GAME: Murder rolls stealth: (12)+8: 20
The Goblin stares daggers at Skyler as he starts humming and then whistling. She rolls her eyes and gives her head a shake. <<Yes a telapathic bond is shared by everyone who is bonded by the spell. So stray surface thoughts will also get messaged to everyone, so focus on the task at hand.>> Her tone is clear.
Her ears perk up slightly. <<You guys hear that? Sounds like a lecture... or a manifesto. Is it possibly the wizard in question? Trapped here and gone mad? Let's make as little noise as possible...">> She begins treading a bit more slowly, and she carefully puts her foot down on the first stair, at the point where the stair meets the wall.
GAME: Cesran rolls stealth: (1)+25: 26 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Skyler rolls stealth: (13)+5: 18
<< Oh god even worse than a crazy wizard: a frustrated artist. >> Skyler's brain practically sings with horror at the idea, interrupting the song he's humming quietly in his head like the background music in a tavern.
Briefly, at least.
It starts back up as he reaches up to grab his sword hilt to prevent it from rattling as he tippy toes after Murder, << Do we engage with him? I mean, subjectively speaking, his art lacks any appreciation for balance and, like, sucks. But he might get mad if I tell him that. >>
Cesran hears the voice coming from upstairs and he switches over to telepathy as well, << Agreed let’s keep our thoughts in line and use this for communication purposes only. >> He nods his head, << I did, it could be both or a rant or the ravings of a madman. Agreed, I’ll follow your lead. >>
Cesran starts to go carefully as he can up the stairs, but his long robes drag along the steps and kick up dust as he moves. He feels the twitching of his nose and he tries to ignore it. He wrinkles his nose, and he tries to as quietly as he can rub his nose, but that only makes it worse. He finally must bury his face in his robed elbow as he tries to muzzle the sneeze the best he can. Cesran freezes and looks around to see if he just gave them away or if the ranting will continue, << Sorry. >> A very contrite message passes through the bond.
The stairs up to the second floor don't creak. They feel kind of... strange in fact. Halfway up they transition from wood to stone, as the group ascends to the shouldn't-be-there second story.
This floor is round, walls, ceiling, and floor all made of fitted stone. Looks like the floor in a wizard's tower. A large window dominates the west wall, but it doesn't look out onto the Alexandria outskirts. It's just... dark. But not empty.
A humanoid figure, clad in black, stands there outside at the window, staring in with a cool, almost blank expression. At the arrival of the heroes, though, his head turns minutely, and something vaguely approaching interest makes its way onto his face.
The Goblin turns to stare at Cesran, an open-mouth frown forming on her face. <>, she thinks, mostly at Cesran. Once at the top of the stairs, she looks around, and then locks eyes with the figure //outside// the window.
<<Uh oh, tall, dark and ugly looking our way...>>
<< Why do they always wear black? >> Skyler mentally sighs, even as his brain (somehow) continues to provide a constant soundtrack to the situation. << Just for once, can the mysterious wizard wear mauve? Or chartreuse. A lovely chartreuse would look good against the stone! >>
He doesn't criticize Cesran for his loudness; but he does give the wizard a sympathetic wince and a shake of his head, before adding, << I think stealth is out of the picture. Let's just brute force this. >>
"HI! So your little cottage is kinda creepy, man." He says brightly, stepping out and offering a friendly little wave, "So are you okay, or are you some sort of void-sent abomination we need to kill? Between Corpse Eater and that Kol freak, I'm ready to meet a friendly void-sent abomination." Beat. "Also, if this is your art, it's kind of derivative of other people's work. Have you considered getting into embroidery?"
Cesran sees the transition from wood to stone steps, and he privately wonders if they are going to another plane of existence, perhaps a pocket dimension like a magnificent mansion. He has seen this type of decor before in other wizards’ towers. He grimaces at Murder’s thoughts and he too spots the wizard gaze on them, << Well let’s introduce ourselves then, perhaps we can talk to him and find out some information. Or I will and try to distract him. >>
Cesran straightens up to his full height and steps out into the room, “Greetings. I am Archmage Cesran from the city of Alexandria. Your home appeared just outside of the city. Are you in need of any assistance? I’m aware of the tragic accident that happened in this house. Perhaps we could find a way to anchor this house back to reality and allow you to depart from it.” He winces a bit as Skyler starts to talk about the man’s art, but he continues to watch the other wizard’s expression.
<OOC> Telamon says, "If you have Knowledge/The Planes, roll it :)"
GAME: Skyler rolls Knowledge/the planes: (18)+1: 19 GAME: Murder rolls knowledge/the planes: (15)+23: 38 GAME: Cesran rolls knowledge/The planes: (2)+28: 30
As the group approaches, details become clear -- although they aren't good ones. The humanoid standing 'outside' is bald, his pale face and head lined with disturbing symmetrical scarring, suggestive of jagged edges or a stylized skull superimposed over his patrician features. His eyes are completely black orbs, flanking a narrow nose. The robes he wears are black, and an array of adamantine-tipped tools hang from his belt.
This is no void-spawned creature. This is a kyton. And when it is addressed, it nods its head, before looking at Skyler with a knowing gaze before its voice, low and rumbling, sounds in their heads.
<< This place is not my doing, for it stinks of the -nothing- that I abhor. Know this, mortals, I am Zenofon, and it is my wish that you purge the void. >> The kyton raises one long fingered hand, tipped with black, razor-sharp nails. << The void would consume all, leave nothing behind. Without flesh, how may I perfect my works? >>
The moment the cloak is thrown off, Skyler's brain goes silent...
And then the horrors start. Memories of a woman scarred and pierced, flesh wet with blood that gleams in a pale, grey-green light. Eyes staring at Skyler, pupils dilated with pleasure. Her hands are wrapped in ropey lengths of guts as she laughs, "I can feel your love. This is but a taste, a taste of the joys you could experience!"
The laughter is interrupted with a wet gurgle as Skyler's blade slices trachea and artery, before continuing wetly.
Skyler then leaps into action, sword tearing out of the baldric across his back as he lashes at the creature with a snarl. And in his mind, the Kyton woman's voice, singing a sweet little song: << Flesh so fine, so fine to tear, to gnash the skin; skin to strip, to plait, so nice to plait the strips, so nice, so red the drops that fall; blood so red, so red, so sweet; sweet screams, pretty screams, singing screams, scream your song, sing your screams.. >> The swashbuckler's pale grey-green eyes are black as his pupils are blown out with terror and something nastier, something not entirely sane...
GAME: Murder rolls strength: (12)+5: 17
Murder's gasp is audible in the shared connection of telepathy, and she sighs, reaching up to slowly pull her blade from its place on her back. The weapon immediately begins to glow a pale blue. <<And people thought /I/ had issues.>>
The Goblin steps to Skyler, and reaches up for his belt, tugging on it as hard as she can. "Hold on a second while we get crazy pants sorted here, fiend...", she voices out loud.
Cesran’s eyes go wide as he see the figure before them. He instantly knows what he sees and thankfully until now has only read about them. The name of Zenofon sends a chill down his spine as that is the name of one of the kyton demagogues, a being of such vast power and cruelty that even archdevils are wary of them. He has no wish to insult such a being. He tries to reach Skyler telepathically as Murder goes to restrain him physically, << Skyler if you fight this being you will die or worse and we need you to be with us. They are not the cause of this house, if they were we’d already be dead. We need to move on, please. >>
Cesran waits to see if his words do anything to bring Skyler back into focus as he readies a spell to try to restrain the swashbuckler. He does eye the spiral staircase that goes up, << Murder if you get a hold of him try to bring him towards the stairs, I think we’ll have to climb. >>