Start of #Odal buffer: Fri Sep 04 15:03:12 2009 [16:26:32] * Now talking in #Odal [19:14:32] * As Eve rushes the zombies, the floor shifts underneath her, and a pair of razor blades snaps together. Eve evades just in time [19:15:21] * Eve cartwheels into a handstand, her legs flying up over the razrs just as they snap closed. [19:15:41] *Vaults back onto her feet, carrying her further away from the tap. "Watch out!" [19:15:46] * In front of you is a crudely-made temple, dug out of the foundation of a building above. Books are stacked along the walls, and across the floor, and a crude altar is made out of a flagstone, bloody and ritually defaced [19:15:50] [Sessopn start] [19:16:03] * Charles changes topic to '' [19:18:43] Eve, are you alright? [19:19:52] * One of the zombies shables up to Eve and grabs on to her, pulling at her armor [19:20:09] [Xan's turn] [19:21:57] Eve! [19:28:44] * Xan halts his rush, stopping just short of the trap. He fires a bolt of silver into the attacking creature's body. [19:28:50] "Sorry." [19:33:11] * Another pair of zombies stumble up to Eve, grabbing at her, but missing piteously [19:33:20] [Paera's turn] [19:35:33] * Paera begins to pray, holding her holy symbol aloft. One of the zombies attacking Eve explodes. [19:35:52] [Eilenia's turn] [19:36:05] That almost got bits on me! [19:37:25] * Eilenia summons her fey daggers and positions them around o ne of the zombies next to Eve, wher ethey hover and fly about [19:37:40] * Another zombie stumbles up to Eve, grasping at her to little avail [19:38:15] * Eve_Kasnora is engulfed in the explosion of foul rotting flesh and necrotic energies, but she emerges from the blast with a faint luminescent sheen. "Much thanks being to Erathis!" [19:39:31] * Finally, a fleshy, malformed orb drops from the ceiling, and stops abruptly above the altar. Slowly, it rotates in the air until, facing you, is one wide eye in a cracked, scaly face, split by a wide, fanged mouth. Above its head, a quartet of eyes on stalks twitch spasmodically. [19:39:54] * Xan grunts. [19:39:57] "wh... what?" [19:46:10] * It fixes Eve with a glare from its central eye, and then one of its eyestalks turns to her and stares, her body stumbling backwards across the trap, only narrowly missing being bisected by the razors. A second eye turns to Xan, and shoots a ray of flame, scorching him [19:46:37] * Paera stares in horror. "Wha...what IS that thing?" [19:46:58] * Eve_Kasnora snaps back to her senses as she feels the bite of the trap. "Agh! You will be PAYING for that, vile creature!" [19:47:11] "It is being DEAD MEAT PAERA!" [19:49:18] "Beholderkin." [19:49:26] "I'll take it out." [19:49:54] * Eve_Kasnora angrily sheaths her sword and draws a throwing hammer from near the small of her back. "YOU! DEAD THING! OUT OF MY WAY!" [19:50:30] * Eve_Kasnora HURLS it at the zombie between her and the "beholderkin", smashing its skull in, causing it the rupture like a popped zit. [19:50:47] * The zombie explodes into a burst of necrotic energy as she hits it, the nebulous shadowy force not effecting the zombies next to it [19:51:29] What a fascinating technique [19:56:58] * Charles changes topic to 'Xan, Zombie priest 23; Paera 18 Eilenia, Zombie 4 Gauth 8; Eve 5' [19:58:45] * The zombie priest lurches after Eve and lunges with his longsword. The attack strikes true, and as the zombie stagger low, the razor trap snaps shut above him [19:58:52] [Paera's turn] [20:03:11] Eve, would you like that zombie moved? [20:03:40] * Xan (rustangel@ip-114-188.atvci.net) Quit (Ping timeout: 180 seconds) [20:05:49] [Eilenia's turn] [20:07:52] * Eve_Kasnora changes her expression of fury to a polite smile as she turns to Elena. "Yes, would you?" [20:08:39] Certainly. [20:09:42] * Eilenia steps up next to Xan, and unleashes a thunderous explosion of noise to try to force the zombie away from them. [20:12:02] * Eilenia doesn't quite summon enough strength, then looks at another zombie nearby. "What about you? Would you kindly go away?" [20:12:21] * The zombie pops [20:12:27] Thank you. [20:13:33] * The gauth moves forwards, seemings perturbed by the loss of its zombies. But, with its strange gibbering and its senseless expression, it's difficult to tell how angry it is, if it's angry at all. It fixes Xan with its center eye to no effect, then a pair of eye stalks send a red and a black beam at Eilenia and Eve [20:14:28] * Charles changes topic to 'Xan, Zombie priest 23; Paera 18 Eilenia, Gauth 8; Eve 5' [20:14:31] [Eve's turn] [20:16:55] * Xan (rustangel@ip-118-219.atvci.net) has joined #Odal [20:19:29] [Xan's turn] [20:21:17] * Takes the black beam square in the chest and she turns pale and her glowing sword seems heavier in her hand. "Filthy creature!" She takes deep breaths then stares at the undead priest. "And YOU! RETURN TO THE GRAVE!" Her shout draws the attention of the undead beast, just as her sword glows even brighter as it slashes across its tattered flesh. [20:21:33] * Eve_Kasnora grits her teeth and stands taller, her sword pulsing with warmth. [20:22:45] * Xan narrows his eyes, two solid, flat-tipped bolts pelting into the gauth, forcing it back with the impacts of the shots [20:23:40] * The zombie priest grabs at Eve, pressing its hand against her face and gripping tight [20:23:46] [Paera's turn] [20:26:13] [Eilenia's turn] [20:26:19] * Paera continues to pray desperately at the rear of the group. [20:27:12] * Eilenia unleahses another shockwave of sound to force the zombie away, but unsuccessfully [20:29:08] * The Gauth fires off a blast at Eilenia and Xan [20:31:55] [Eve's turn] [20:32:22] * Eilenia is caught in one of the blasts. She doesn't look good [20:34:23] [Xan's turn] [20:35:43] * Eve_Kasnora launches into a flurry of distracting attacks as she draws her other sword, feints with it as if it was her favored weapon all along, then cunning launches an attack under the undead priest's guard, hitting him with the sunblade as it burns with a pure radiance. [20:39:34] * Xan fires out two bolts, one connecting, the other blurring and spattering against the beholder's form weakly as he falls unconscious. [20:39:38] * The zombie groans and slashes at Eve, catching her off guard, as it continues its grip [20:39:45] [Paera's turn] [20:40:19] * Eve_Kasnora glances at the telling wounds on the Gauth, then at Xan, perhaps imagining him growing older before her eyes as he falls to the ground. [20:40:46] "Hm.. good. Rest Xan, we can be taking it from here..." [20:45:25] [Eilenia's turn[ [20:45:38] * Paera raises her holy symbol. "In the name of Erathis...be cleansed!" A burst of holy fire surges up around the priest, burning it to ash. [20:48:08] * Eilenia hurls a shimmering ball of force at the beholder-thing. It lands just before it, then pulses and explodes, knocking it to the ground and creating a large burning patch on the ground. [20:49:46] * The Gauth floats uneasily up, screeching and whining, and snaps off a pair of eye-beam shots at Eve and Eilenia [20:59:41] * Eve_Kasnora is blasted with fire, covering her face with her arms. She staggers back then slashes her swords to her sides as the fire sub-sides, looking much worse for wear. She merely backs up, ready to make a running jump over the trapped flagstones, and grits her teeth angrily. [20:59:56] [Xan's turn] [21:01:53] [Paera's turn] [21:02:29] * Xan fires a long, singular arrow from the ground, rising to his feet as it jams itself into the corner of the gauth's eye. [21:02:47] "Xan! No!" [21:03:04] "We can be taking it from here! Don't waste your life on this filth!" [21:03:24] "I would rather die than be ineffective." [21:03:56] "So you'd rather be stupid and dead than think tactically and alive?" [21:04:32] "I am thinking tactically. There's no saving me, Eve, so I may as well spend the rest of my time slaughtering filth. [21:04:37] "Is this DISGUSTING ABOMINATION" - Eve glares at it with fury. -"worth your remaining lifeforce? I think not." [21:05:21] Xan, let us handle it. [21:05:32] "Beholders are dangerous creatures. It is a genuine threat to us, and as a result, it must go down." [21:05:42] * Paera turns to focus on the Gauth. "Burn." [21:06:02] * And so it does [21:06:07] * Paera raises her hand, and a pillar of light explodes from beneath the monster. [21:06:23] * Eve_Kasnora looks over and watches the beholder die by Erathis's grace. "I am not knowing what a beholder is being, but you did your part. No need to use your soul when Paera's prayers can suffice." [21:06:42] What a strange creature. [21:06:50] Like a ball floating off the edge of a cliff. [21:07:18] * Paera lowers her hand and sighs, wiping sweat off her forehead as she does so. "That was...a little close." [21:07:23] "If you were thinking tactically, you'd realize that spending un-renewable resources is not wise when renewable options are being available." [21:09:11] "Stop telling me not to fight, Eve. It's all I know. " [21:09:22] You must know other things. [21:09:26] I recall you mentioned a school. [21:10:24] "It's where I sent my pay." [21:10:48] I'd like to hear more... but perhaps later. [21:10:48] "I'm not saying not to fight, Xan. I'm just saying to calculate your best objectives. What if there is being an aspect of orcus as the end of these catacombs and you wasted all your silver on trash?" [21:11:25] "If you see a fight wrapping up, do not be stubbornly throwing away your life." [21:11:37] * Xan looks to Eve. [21:11:39] "Almost literally, even!" [21:11:46] "Look, I only have so much time left." [21:12:03] "I can die in slow misery, or I can die feeling like I've accomplished something." [21:12:24] You have a month, maybe, right? [21:12:35] "I have lived an amoral, evil life." [21:12:42] "That is what I am trying to say, Xan. Save your silver for the accomplishments." [21:12:48] "I will do what I can to correct it.:" [21:12:53] How about you just DON'T DIE?! We're not gonna give up on finding a way to save you, so you shouldn't give up either! [21:13:25] We're working quickly to find a solution, but not THAT quickly. [21:13:27] * Eve_Kasnora looks to Paera. "I was thinking that to, but I am just not believing he wants to hear it." [21:13:37] * Xan looks about five years older. He sighs. "I will not. There is no cure." [21:13:58] "Your clerical magic can do nothing. I am bleeding out." [21:14:15] "Let me live my last days in vibrancy, please." [21:15:05] "You telling me not to fight alongside you is like telling me to die inside before my soul even wanes." [21:15:29] * Eve_Kasnora throws her hands out to her sides. "Are you even listening?!" [21:15:44] "I am not telling you not to fight, tiamat take you!" [21:16:02] "I am saying I WANT you to be fighting by my side! But when it's IMPORTANT!" [21:16:07] * As you argue, you begin to hear a thumping from underneath the altar [21:16:15] "That WAS important. That creature was dangerous." [21:16:21] "No it was not!" [21:16:30] * Xan deftly leaps over the trapped tiles, moving towards the altar. [21:16:38] "We see things differently." [21:16:44] "Had you not attacked it, Elena and I would have dispatched it before it could attack us furhter, I am being sure." [21:16:53] Did anyone else hear that? [21:16:54] "I accept your dissenting opinion, but respectfully disagree." [21:17:00] "There was no reason to waste your two shots, Xan!" [21:17:05] * Xan nods as he steps towards the altar. [21:17:19] * Eve_Kasnora shakes her head. [21:17:52] * Eve_Kasnora sheaths her swords and takes a look at the tiles, then the wall. [21:18:25] * Paera folds her arms. "Well, even if you give up, I'm not going to." [21:18:56] We will win this. [21:19:13] "If I had given up, I would not be fighting." [21:19:37] * Eve_Kasnora takes a running leap at the wall, planting her foot on it to begin running across. But the damp catacomb walls are too slick and she falls on her rump. [21:19:46] oof! [21:19:52] * Xan turns. "You alright?" [21:20:07] "Yes. I've taken worse falls." [21:20:10] "I am afraid that I can't offer you a hand." [21:20:13] * Eve_Kasnora mutters something about kobolds. [21:20:47] Are you certain? I hope you didn't break your eyes. [21:21:03] * Eve_Kasnora gets up and backs away from the traps, then runs at the opposite wall, but it's just as slippery. [21:21:22] * Paera gives Elena an odd look. [21:21:48] Humans, they have those odd little circles on their eyes. [21:21:55] The ones that constnatly shift. [21:22:14] I don't know how they don't go mad, with the sound of the constant shifting and sloshing in their heads. [21:23:05] * Eve_Kasnora gets up again and dusts her gloves off. [21:23:24] "Well. Lets see how good my long jump is being." [21:23:41] * Paera stares at Elena. "I, uh, don't think that's how they work." [21:23:45] * Eve_Kasnora backs up again, further this time, and takes a running leap across the trapped flagstones. [21:24:14] No? [21:24:59] "You could have ducked under it, Eve." [21:25:27] * Eve_Kasnora lands just beyond the tiles, clearing barely over five feet of distance. [21:25:50] * Eve_Kasnora looks up at Xan. "Oh. Now you're thinking logically." [21:25:56] * Xan smirks. "Just a tactical suggestion." [21:26:22] "But, you know, I'm the one that's not thinking logically here." [21:27:08] Fomorians are terrible and insane, and they usually only have one of those things swirling around right next to their brains. [21:27:23] "Oh, quite." [21:27:35] * Eilenia crawls on the tiles and crosses [21:28:01] "You call me a fantatic sometimes, but you can't see that you're being just as fanatical about sticking to your beliefs when you should be acting practically." [21:28:28] * Eve_Kasnora walks up to Xan by the alter and then looks down at it. "So what are we dealing with here?" [21:28:33] * Paera crawls across the tiles as well, carefully keeping her tail down. "I don't speak from experience, Elena, but I'm pretty sure they don't make a sound." [21:30:13] No? [21:30:56] Fomorians have but one, and they're mad as mad can be, but that eye creature we fought seemed worse. [21:31:00] I wonder how it hears without ears. [21:31:53] Perhaps having an even number provides a balance and doesn't drive one mad. [21:31:59] ...Okay, let me try putting it to you this way. [21:32:08] "It was practical. I was putting down hostile targets." [21:32:08] Do you think Eve is more insane than a Fomorian? [21:32:25] "I am not afraid of death, Eve." [21:32:30] "You were putting down hostile targets too weak to actually be much of a threat." [21:32:34] "Good, neither am I." [21:32:41] Hmmm... [21:32:43] No, she does not. [21:32:45] "But there is fighting for good and charging at a balor." [21:32:53] "Perhaps you have never fought a caged animal." [21:32:57] "Or a cornered one." [21:33:10] "Until an enemy is defeated, it is a genuine threat.:" [21:33:11] "Xan, it died, no?" [21:33:14] And if it's a balance thing, both of her eyes are at the front of her head. Not very balanced, wouldn't you say? [21:33:24] "Wasn't my judgement correct?" [21:33:25] "It was alive when I was shooting at it." [21:33:45] I suppose not. [21:33:48] "I told you we could handle it before it died. But you just had to have been getting your last shots in." [21:34:10] "We could have finished up without wasting your silver, is all I am saying. Is that not correct?" [21:34:24] "Beyond your personal values, as a statment of fact, is that not being correct?" [21:34:49] Still, its purpose is strange. [21:35:35] "Eve, I do not think you are incorrect, but I do not think I am incorrect, either. There is a third truth. We are both correct." [21:36:00] "We are quarreling over something you and I have no control over, and we have more pressing matters." [21:36:26] "You do have control Xan. Just like you "couldn't" help us defeat Coldheart, but then chose to do so." [21:36:45] "Eve, this has nothing to do with contracts, it has to do with who I am." [21:36:55] "And how I choose to redeem myself before my time arrives." [21:37:00] "You have control over your actions, and you can choose to accept my judgement of when a battle is wrapping up, so that you may preserve your arrows for a bigger fight." [21:37:16] < Eilenia> It just... points at whatever they're looking at [21:37:20] It's so unsubtle. [21:37:36] * The dull thumping under the echoes continues, and as you approach it, you can hear a hoarse roar coming from beneath it [21:37:40] "Every fight is dangerous. I will not stop fighting until the threats are completely eliminated. Period. You will NEVER change this about me." [21:37:43] "What would be more redeeming? Making sure you have enough arrows to save this acolyte of the priest you murderered, or squandering your lifeblood before you get the chance?" [21:37:46] "So stop." [21:37:57] Well, I guess I can't disagree with you there. They certainly don't improve eyesight. [21:38:08] "Please." [21:38:24] * Paera looks thoughtful, honestly pondering Elena's train of thought. [21:38:38] * Xan approaches the altar. "Hello?" [21:38:42] Do you suppose it's like... they CAN'T look at something without those things pointing at them? [21:39:07] * Eve_Kasnora crosses her arms. "I suppose it would be the pot calling the kettle black if I told you you were being foolish." [21:39:12] ...I'm pretty sure that's how it works, yes. [21:39:35] "You have your ways, and I respect them. Please respect mine. This is my path to redemption." [21:39:43] "You do?" [21:39:51] "Yes." [21:40:03] * The thumping stops, and a hoarse voice calls out. "Hello!" [21:40:16] * Eve_Kasnora glances back down at the alter. [21:40:18] Oh.. [21:40:26] I was waiting for monster to appear. [21:40:35] "Hello! Who are you?" [21:40:54] "Stay calm in there. We can get you out." [21:40:56] * "Let me out!" [21:41:11] "As soon as you prove to us that you aren't a threat." [21:41:13] * Eilenia blinks [21:41:31] * Paera turns to look over at where Eve and Xan are. "I...guess we should be paying attention." She looks more than a little embarassed. [21:42:16] "I would normally be saying to throw the lid off regardless of threat or no, but if it is being threat, I do not want you wasting more of your life." [21:42:36] Oh. Oh, yes. Let us continue this discussion later. [21:42:37] * "I'm TRAPPED under a fucking ROCK! How threatening can I be?" [21:42:47] He makes a convincing case. [21:42:56] * Eilenia looks at the rock. [21:43:02] "You could be priestess of orcus sealed away, awaiting fools to break your wards." [21:43:32] You wouldn't have happened to have seen an acolyte around, would you? [21:43:40] * Xan starts attempting to move the tomb. [21:43:53] * "That's ME! I'M the acolyte! Let me out!" [21:43:54] * Eve_Kasnora helps Xan. [21:44:49] "Working on it. [21:44:52] "Huh. I suppose the acolyte WAS being in the Shadowfell." [21:44:57] * Xan pushes with his back. [21:45:16] * Eve_Kasnora uses her arms. The bitch. [21:45:17] * Paera groans quietly. "I'm such an idiot." [21:46:19] * The altar begins to slide, and it's clear that it was meant to cover a depression in the ground. In the depression is a young Shadar-Kai woman, a tattoo of the eye of Ioun tattooed over her right eye. She has a hole in her nose that looks like whoever put her here had taken jewelry out of it. Her long black hair is tangled and matted, and she looks no small degree of panicked. [21:46:51] * Eve_Kasnora reaches into the depression. "Take my hand." [21:46:54] "Greetings." [21:49:50] * The Shadar-Kai woman reaches out and grabs Eve's hand, and begins scrambling up the side of the depression [21:50:10] * Eve_Kasnora helps her along. [21:50:30] "We need to get back as soon as possible." [21:50:49] Absolutely. [21:51:08] "Your mentor requested your safe return to the temple." [21:53:31] Yeah, we'd, um, better get going. [21:53:37] * Eilenia nods. [21:53:48] * She nods. "There's still an ioun stone somewhere around here." She catches her breath and begins digging through the papers of the Orcus cult [21:54:57] "Ioun stone?" [21:55:04] "I am afraid I can't aid in the search." [21:57:11] * "When the cultists kidnapped me, I was bringing a stone to the Last Resort. Apparently, Boros - ah, the ghost, that is - wanted old Mal to take a look at it. Supposed to have some pretty heavy mojo." [21:58:01] * "Heavy enough that the cultists wanted it for whatever went on down here..." She looks around the room. "Ioun's right eye! What the hell happened while I was down there?" [21:59:06] "Why? What is different?" [21:59:13] I, uh, dunno. [21:59:36] "You know you are being in the Shadowfell reflection of Ivorgard, yes?" [22:00:28] * "Yeah, of course. It's where I live, you know?" She pauses. "What're you guys doing here? Most people from the, ah, livelier planes don't really come here often." [22:00:43] "We took a portal from the feywild." [22:01:04] * "But I guess, looking around, the main difference is that when I went down, there wasn't a charred beholder and the cultists hasn't quite exploded yet. That's a pretty significant change." [22:01:14] "From the world, actually." [22:01:39] "Oh. Were they already being undead?" [22:01:58] * "Oh, no, they were alive. But, you know, still not exploded." [22:02:14] "We exploded them." [22:02:15] * She smells the air. "Huh. They *were* undead. Eugh." [22:02:18] "They errupted with necrotic taint. They were dead before we arrived." [22:03:24] "As for the beholder... if that is what you are refering to" -She gestures at the charred, fleshy orb- "Then that is being new to me as well. I have never seen such a thing before, though I think the charring is being an improvement." [22:04:54] * She laughs. "Yeah, can't say I disagree. Though I've never smelled anything that... uncannny before." She continues looking through the books, and her smile fades. "Vecna's rotten skull! They must have taken the stone!" [22:05:08] What is this stone? [22:05:19] Oh, that's just _wonderful_/ [22:06:28] * "It was the ioun stone that Father Boros was wearing during his last experiment. How he used to record his findings. Not so much use for a ghost, so I was sent to get it made into something more, uh, workable for him." [22:06:44] * "And then I got jumped and stuffed in that gods-damned hole. [22:07:21] "Unfortunate." [22:07:25] * Eve_Kasnora frowns. [22:07:40] "Father Boros requested your return, he said nothing of the stone." [22:07:54] "Perhaps it would be best to return to him and show him those books." [22:08:20] Uh, actually... [22:08:45] * Xan is now known as Mechazawa [22:09:20] "Oh wait! The relic, yes. I am just used to thinking of relics as preserved bones of saints. Perhaps that is just being a Bahamutian thing." [22:11:42] "So... Orcus is wanting the stone that holds information on rending the planes apart." [22:12:06] "Or... acutally bringing them crashing together. Is he trying to merge his domain with the Shadowfell? To get to the Raven Queen?" [22:12:09] ...oh, hell. [22:12:35] * Eve_Kasnora eyes go wide as Paera realizes it too. [22:12:56] I wonder if Vecna had a hand in this. [22:13:00] "FUCKING SHEET! SHEET! SHEET! CAN THINGS NOT BE GETTING ANY WORSE?!" [22:13:21] * Eve_Kasnora throws her hands up in disgust. [22:13:25] [Session end] End of #Odal buffer Fri Sep 04 15:03:12 2009