Void by the Sea (Part 3)
Having concluded the conversation with Periandr, the group begins to ascend the stairs upward. Between one step at the next, the material changes again... this time to a dark-hued crystal of some kind. Like quartz, to be honest, as the group ascends to the next floor. Hopefully, the last?
As they reach the next floor, it appears it is indeed the last as there are no more stairs to be seen. The floor of this round, domed chamber is wrought of slabs of deep violet crystal, like the stairs. Inset into the curving walls are... windows. Or mirrors. Or perhaps both. Some display weirdly distorted reflections, while others show views of worlds -- or creatures. Some of those creatures are aware, staring back with interest or suspicion. Others seem to not notice their viewers, unaware they are being watched.
In the center of the room is something that looks like a large crystal formation that has become intertwined with the flesh and bone of a man. Violet quartz jutting from his flesh, a brown eye staring out blankly. It almost looks like it -exploded- inside him, and then stopped in mid-detonation, leaving a rather disturbing view of his organs all tangled with the crystal. From the horror's lips, a familiar voice comes.
"And so the most perfect expression of art is the void, to wipe away all competing visions, to bring forth silence in its wake. No more arguments of merit, only the bliss of oblivion..."
<OOC> Telamon whoops, lemme add something.
Beyond the crystalline monstrosity, a long scroll -- ten feet long if an inch -- hangs from the far wall, covered in intricate eldritch runes.
GAME: Skyler rolls fortitude+1: (2)+9+1: 12
Cesran warily climbs the stairs to what appears to be the last floor. His bespelled eyes take in everything as he studies this room closely. Each surface is regarded as he takes in the sight before him. Having this many portals open to so many different places, this has become a nexus, a crossroad of realities. He’d love to spend time studying them and know where each one leads, but he doubts he’ll get that chance.
Cesran turns his attention to the center of the room and he looks over the large crystal formation that has become fused with what remains of a man, no doubt the wizard artist that they were told about. The voice they have heard as they journeyed through this tower, still rambling about art and the void. Cesran isn’t here to argue the merits of art, he’s here to find the lynchpin holding this place together and he thinks he might have found it.
Cesran tilts his head to see beyond the crystal man structure in the center of the room and he focuses in on the scroll hanging from the far wall and tries to decern what it’s doing based on the eldritch runes.
At first, silence from the resident swashbuckler as he just stares at the tableau in front of him. Crystalline monstrosity, eldritch runes. The familiar voice. He goes a little green around the gills, for sure, breath catching and one hand going to his chest as if trying to force down the bile. But then...
"I never did like surrealism. 'Ooo I put his nose where his ear should be, aren't I *artistic*?'" Skyler says conversationally, but with a mocking edge as he mimes his face distorted at weird angles, "I mean, just take some lessons and admit you suck at art." He draws his sword, and glances at the others. Mentally: << You see the scroll? Cessie, you think you can nab it with a mage hand if we draw his attention and keep it? >>
The Goblin wrinkles her nose at the exploded crystal and the display of internal organs. She blinks a few times. "That uh that looks painful.", she says to no one in particular. Her eyes focus on the scroll on the far wall. Her grin is frightening, too broad, and too many teeth. Her head tilts from side to side, vertebrae in her neck crackling.
A little hand is raised, and she snaps her fingers, little flames licking at the fingertips.
"I see something that needs burning." Murder cackles.
Dirk flicks his gaze back and forth as he warily climbs up the stairs. He snaps his thunderbelcher from left to right, upside down, and inside out and, round and round, and--oh, wait... Dirk slowly lowers his thunderbelcher as he claps eyes on that hideous amalgamation of mineral and flesh. He's seen some terrible things in his day. And the gods know he's not stranger to guts and viscera. But seeing it so... -artfully- arranged (and, still more to the point, -still alive-) has his face turning white as his beard. "Beards o' me sweet tapdancin' fathers," he says, gulping hard. He fights back the sudden stream of 'don'tthrowupdon'tthrowupdon'tthrowup' to project at his friends. <<This is him, aye? This is the one we get tae blast? Oh -please- say we get tae blast 'im. Lookit that -face-. It's just -beggin'- fer a blastin'.>>
Tap. Tap tap. The crystal creaks weirdly, and the eye is suddenly focused on the party. The fingers twitch, and then the mouth moves. "You are imperfect. Only by inspecting your imperfections can you remove them. We need a comparison though."
And then some of those mirrors with distorted reflections move on their own... stretching into reality, to stand next to the crystal-impaled man.
They're... you. But not. Oh, so not. The man in the lead looks like Skyler, with a wicked scar across his cheek, dressed in blood-red leathers and a jaunty hat... and a cruel grin to match. Behind him, a Cesran who might have been had he gone down a darker path, dressed in black robes with his face tattooed with a skull on his brow.
To the other side, a white-bearded duplicate of Dirk smiles mirthlessly, his belt adorned with a half-dozen shrunken heads as he draws a cruelly-barbed arrow from a quiver. And in front of not-Dirk, a Murder apparently bereft of magic, of everything except bloodlust as she slavers, gripping a heavy flail.
"Kill them."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Telamon has dropped a TIMESTOP!
Please +init, then cease all roleplay and actions immediately and wait for Telamon to instruct you further. You may earn RPP by logging a scene for a GM.
For in-combat commands, type: +thelp.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
GAME: Skyler refreshes special ability pools.
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 28.
It is now NotDirk's turn! Skyler is next!
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+14: (5)+14: 19 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+9: (11)+9: 20 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+4: (7)+4: 11
Unsurprisingly, Dirk's alter-ego shoots first. "Aye, the thrill o'the hunt beckons... and I can use another 'ead for me belt." The worst part is that he sounds like Dirk -- if the old dwarf was cruel and vicious rather than warm and kind. A trio of arrows go speeding out towards the counterpart, but ricochet off Dirk's armor and bounce off the mirrored walls.
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 25.
It is now Skyler's turn! Murder is next!
<OOC> Telamon says, "Skyler, you are up."
<OOC> Skyler says, "Bitchin'"
<OOC> Telamon says, "Before you act: Perception check."
GAME: Skyler rolls perception+4: (8)+21+4: 33
<OOC> Telamon says, "Page sent."
<OOC> Skyler says, "I'm rushing Narsec, activating boots for double movement, acrobatics check to avoid AoO from Yks, and then swinging on squisher"
<OOC> Telamon says, "Roll acro check."
<OOC> Skyler says, "Sec"
<OOC> Skyler says, "I'm aiming for 7,5 to end my movement btw"
GAME: Skyler rolls acrobatics+5+1: (18)+20+5+1: 44
<OOC> Telamon says, "Done. You pass acro check btw."
<OOC> Skyler says, "Okay! So no AoO and I get +2 from passing check <3"
GAME: Skyler rolls weapon1+2+1: (8)+23+2+1: 34
<OOC> Telamon says, "Hits!"
GAME: Skyler rolls damage1+swashbuckler: aliased to 1d6+14+swashbuckler: (2)+14+12: 28
<OOC> Skyler says, "How bad that look like it hurt?"
<OOC> Telamon says, "It looks like a decent hit, but he's not down yet. You got the impression you broke some kind of magical enhancement on him. (i.e. you wiped out his false life HP)"
<OOC> Telamon says, "All done?"
<OOC> Skyler says, "Yup! I'm in position to start wailing on him next round full rounds XD"
<OOC> Telamon nods! Pose it.
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 25.
It is now Murder's turn! Cesran is next! GAME: Murder rolls 12d6: (34): 34
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+14: (1)+14: 15 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+13: (10)+13: 23 GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 24.
It is now Cesran's turn! Dirk is next!
<OOC> Cesran says, "Move Action: Draw Rod of Greater Quickening. Swift Action: Cast Time Stop!"
GAME: Cesran casts Time Stop. Caster Level: 20 DC: 32
<OOC> Cesran says, "Round 1: Summon Monster IX – Celestial T-rexes" <OOC> Cesran says, "Round 2: Quick Cast Shape Change, Cast Spell Turning" <OOC> Cesran says, "Round 3: Quick Cast Crushing Hand, Cast Shield, Stow Greater Rod of Quickening"
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4
"Looks dumber than you? That's a rather low bar to get under, doncha think?", the Goblin retorts. She cracks her knuckles then. "I'll do what I can t'tie a couple up, distract them. Give the Dorf and Archie some time to pluck away at them." Her eyes light up then, glowing red, as she becomes a little more imposing. And then suddenly... there are ten of her. Her cackle is a cacophany, for there's a Murder of Murders now.
The gaggle of Goblins pace forward, little fingers tracing out an arcane pattern. They all inahle deeply and exhale sharply, breathing out a multitude of lightning bolts that strike at Murder's and Dirk's alternates.
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (9)+20: 29 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (1)+20: 21 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (4)+20: 24 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (20)+20: 40 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (1)+20: 21 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Cesran rolls 4d6+40: (20)+40: 60 GAME: Cesran rolls 4d6+40: (10)+40: 50 GAME: Cesran rolls 4d6+40: (18)+40: 58 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+32: (1)+32: 33 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+32: (15)+32: 47 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+32: (16)+32: 48 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+33: (11)+33: 44 GAME: Cesran rolls 2d6+12: (7)+12: 19 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d100: (7): 7 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d4+6: (1)+6: 7 GAME: Cesran casts Chain Lightning. Caster Level: 20 DC: 31 GAME: Cesran casts Summon Monster IX. Caster Level: 20 DC: 32 GAME: Cesran casts Shapechange. Caster Level: 20 DC: 32 GAME: Cesran casts Spell Turning. Caster Level: 20 DC: 30 GAME: Cesran casts Shield. Caster Level: 20 DC: 24 GAME: Cesran casts Crushing Hand. Caster Level: 20 DC: 34
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+11: (9)+11: 20 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+14: (15)+14: 29 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+13: (13)+13: 26 GAME: Cesran rolls 20d6+10: (86)+10: 96
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 24.
It is now Dirk's turn! NotCesran is next!
<OOC> Telamon says, "Knowledge/The Planes"
GAME: Dirk rolls Knowledge/The Planes: (13)+4: 17
<OOC> Dirk says, "If he's an evil outsider, add +2"
Cesran nods, << Yes I see it, I don’t think mage hand will do it. I would like to try to understand it first before I do anything to it, I think it might be the lynchpin we were told about, but the crystal structure could be it as well. Or they both could be. I need to study both to be sure so I’d like to move closer, but we’ll probably have to engage with the creature that is merged with the crystal structure. >>
Cesran frowns as he watches the evil duplicates of them appear from the mirrors and he takes a deep breath, << I guess we’ll find out what the scroll and the crystal structure are later. >>
The wizard reaches to draw an decorated rod from his belt and he quickly says the words of the spell in a loud commanding voice. Time slows down for everyone, but Cesran as he starts to rapidly cast spells. The first thing he does is summons 4 celestial T-rexes to confront the duplicates that are in front of him. The casting continues as he casts spells upon himself to let him change his shape and to turn back spells directed at him.
Cesran takes out a soft looking glove from his spell component pouch and quickly casts another spell, an ephemeral hand made from pure force appears. Cesran casts another spell on himself as a shield of force appears before him. He stows away the decorated rod on his belt.
As time starts again four 4 celestial T-rexes all smite down on their targets, only missing the faux Murder. From behind the fake Cesran the hand goes to grab him, but is turned back towards the real Cesran. There is a momentary distortion in reality before the hand just dissolves. With that out of the way Cesran takes out a bit of fur, a piece of amber, and a crystal rod, the fur has 20 silver pins placed in it. He points his staff towards his fake self, “There can be only one.”
Ral-sara’s mouth opens wide as lightning leaps from her maw and slams into the fake Cersan, the lightning then scatters, hitting all the fakes around, it slams into all of them as well as the crystal structure. Only fake Murder is left standing as well as the crystal structure that seems to have absorbed the energy from the lightning.
A mighty roar goes up from each of the Celstial T-rexes as their foes are vanquished.
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 20.
It is now NotCesran's turn! NotSkyler is next!
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 17.
It is now NotSkyler's turn! NotMurder is next!
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 10.
It is now NotMurder's turn! NotDirk is next!
<OOC> Telamon says, "NotMurder 5' steps and attacks the t-rex."
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+26: (1)+26: 27 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+21: (1)+21: 22 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+16: (16)+16: 32 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d20+11: (13)+11: 24 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d8+13+2d6: (6)+13+(7): 26 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d8+13+2d6: (7)+13+(6): 26
<OOC> Telamon says, "After DR, she deals 32 damage."
<OOC> Telamon says, "Everyone make perception checks."
GAME: Cesran rolls perception: (8)+25: 33 GAME: Murder rolls perception: (5)+27: 32 GAME: Skyler rolls perception: (17)+21: 38
GAME: Murder rolls perception: (8)+27: 35
Dirk's beard bristles as those copies are brought into being. In -particular-, he doesn't care for the cut of Krid's jib -or- his beard. He looks at all the opponents arrayed before him. He racks the slide on his thunderbelcher, causing the runes blessing its barrel to light up like sun dappling through the trees. As his double launches a volley of arrows, he briskly turns his hefty torso into profile--first left, then right, then left again. The arrows whistle by without so much as lofting a whisker.
His gaze is drawn to the crystalline horror. His gaze takes in its horrific geometries, its twisted anatomies. "You," he growls as realization dawns. "I know what you -are-. You--" Time stops. An invisible clock ticks. To Dirk, it's faster than the blink of his eyes. Four mighty, heavenly bellows. A crackle of lightning. Magic at its utmost level unleashed without restraint. The wind from the impacts sends his cloak flapping behind him and the plume on his tricorne dancing. Eyes wide as teacups blink owlishly. "Heek?"
Blink. Blink blink. He gives himself a shake and resumes his march forward. As he goes, he levels a finger at the crystalline creature. "You cannae hide from -me-, filth," he growls, bringing his thunderbelcher up. "Wherever ye go, I'll -find- ye. Ye got nae place in -our- world!"
GAME: Dirk rolls Perception+2: (15)+21+2: 38
<OOC> Telamon says, "You all realize, to your horror, that the downed dopplegangers are -regenerating-. Violet crystal grows out of their wounds and then transforms back to flesh."
The maddened, not-Murder of course behaves as badly as one might bereft of Murder's cheerful demeanor. The goblin whirls, and charges the nearest dinosaur, whacking it repeatedly with its flail. Flashes of incandescent energy crackle with every strike, as the false-Murder frothes at the mouth and screams incoherently.
The horrid figure trapped in the crystal speaks, its voice hollow and dull. "True art does not suffer the interference of other, lesser artisans. Or their pets." A withered-looking hand gestures at one of the tyrannosaurs -- and suddenly it is just /gone/. No flash, no crackle of light, just a faint 'whoosh' of displaced air from the space where it stood.
GAME: Telamon rolls 1d4: (2): 2
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 28.
It is now NotDirk's turn! Skyler is next!
<OOC> Telamon says, "NotDirk is regenerating."
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 25.
It is now Skyler's turn! Murder is next!
<OOC> Telamon says, "Skyler, make a Wisdom check."
GAME: Skyler rolls wisdom+1: (18)+2+1: 21
"Your art is exploitive and shock, without any specific point of view or emotional evocation!" Skyler sneers at the crystal figure, even as he suddenly throws his arms wide, the front of his coat billowing open to show the fine armor underneath... And seem to almost transform into wings as he kicks off and heads for the scroll covered in eldritch runes. "You aren't an artist! You're just a print-maker that can't even come up with original materiel, but regurgitates other people's work. And badly at that!" He begins to fly back over the crystal on wings of shadowy energy veined with light.
It's wobbly, and not the most graceful of flight given Skyler on the battlefield is a TERROR, but he does get to the safety of the rest of the party. "Dammit, how does this shit work? Do I just bang it on stuff?" And he bangs the scroll on his buckler.
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 25.
It is now Murder's turn! Cesran is next!
GAME: Murder rolls weapon42+3: (14)+29+3: 46 GAME: Murder rolls damage42+1d10+1d10+3: aliased to 1d10+12+1d10+1d10+3: (8)+12+(2)+(4)+3: 29 GAME: Murder rolls 2d6: (5): 5 GAME: Telamon rolls 1d100: (35): 35
<OOC> Telamon says, "As you swing, you feel the very air around it try to nudge your strike aside, but you push through and slam your blade into the crystal. It does damage, though not as much as you expected."
GAME: Telamon advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 24.
It is now Cesran's turn! Dirk is next!
<OOC> Telamon says, "Cesran!"
<OOC> Telamon says, "You can make that Know/Arcana check now."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Sure"
GAME: Cesran rolls knowledge/arcana: (4)+38: 42 GAME: Cesran rolls knowledge/the planes: (11)+28: 39
The Goblins watch as the battle unfolds, marvelling at the celestial t-rexes. "Perhaps I chose the wrong spells...", she muses to herself. "Riding one of those into battle could be a lot of fun."
Her gaze goes to the three dopplegangers who are slowly recovering from their fatal wounds... and the NotMurder copy of herself is busy with a t-rex.
"Right, that means time to smack the big bad evil guy." The Murder of Murders yells at the top of their lungs, and each one suddenly sprouts white, feathery wings. As one, they leap into the air and fly right at the half-man, half-crystaline thing. While the effect is perhaps not as satisfactory as she'd like, the Goblin's attack does leave a crack and dent in the crystal structure.
GAME: Cesran rolls intelligence: (18)+13: 31
<OOC> Cesran says, "Okay I'm going to move and with Skyler's permission take the scroll and then twist it and connect it into a mobius strip."
<OOC> Skyler says, "sure"
<OOC> Telamon says, "Go ahead and pose it :)"
<OOC> Cesran says, "The three t-rexes are gonna bite, is there smite still up?"
GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (6)+20: 26 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (9)+20: 29 GAME: Cesran rolls 1d20+20: (11)+20: 31
Cesran get as a good look at the scroll as Skyler brings it over. He can see that each side has runes that seem inimical to each other. He takes a moment to think about it and he chuckles to himself as it was one of his earliest lessons. He moves over towards Skyler, << Please just let me see it. >>
Cesran takes the scroll from Skyler and he gives it one half a turn and then connects the ends together to form a Mobius Strip. He looks down at the scroll as he waits for a reaction.
As Cesran brings the ends of the scroll together, forming a single surface, the parchment becomes hot in the wizard's hands. Suddenly it catches fire, like flashpowder, disintegrating in an instant.
Everything has stopped. The crystal-tangled form of Colin -- or at least, the void creature wearing his face -- is frozen as it started to stand up. The monstrous duplicates are also motionless, with the Murder-duplicate standing, ready for another swing at the tyrannosaur.
All the mirrors have gone dark too, except for one. This one shows what is clearly a dragon, with two backswept horns and a rather wry countenance. Deliberately, he brings his forepaws together, applauding. And he speaks, in a cheerful, charming tone. "Some stories deserve to be written, not consigned to the void. No matter what happens, I'll be remembering yours." He tosses off a salute, and then... that mirror goes dark. There's a sense of falling, of stars flashing past -- or are those walls? -- before suddenly--
Your feet hit the turf as you see the walls of the house disintegrating into ash. Sunlight pouring down. Alexandria again, thankfully. The house by the sea consigned to memory again, just as it should be.