Start of #Odal buffer: Tue Dec 22 21:23:33 2009 [17:06:00] * When last we left our heroes, the idol of Orcus had absorbed one of the souls of the cultists, and begun to wake up. Its had moves uneasily, swinging from side to side as it focused on group members, and utters blasphemies under its tremendous breath. A black spindle orbits its head rapidly. [17:06:41] * "Rend." It booms. "This world will be torn in two." [17:06:45] [Session start] [17:08:05] * Charles changes topic to 'Xan, 28. Soul 2, 22. Eilenia, 20. Cultist 4, 18. Eve, 15. Paera, Soul, 14. Hostage taker 1&2, 8.' [17:08:40] * Charles changes topic to 'Xan, 28. Orcine Idol, 25. Soul 2, 22. Eilenia, 20. Cultist 4, 18. Eve, 15. Paera, Soul, 14. Hostage taker 1&2, 8.' [17:09:19] "The only thing that is being rent is being your head!" [17:09:33] * Eve_Kasnora looks just about ready to charge the statue. [17:09:39] The captives! [17:11:17] * One of the captives makes a break for it, as the cultist is distracted by the invisible cultist he's wrestling with. The struggle continues as the cultist tries to force an invisble man to the ground [17:12:48] * The idol whips its head around and glares at Paera and Eilenia. It barks an indescribable blasphemy, and the stone around its head pulses. [17:18:23] * Tabita, who has been taking cover inside a distant house, is alerted by the commotion and shots. Our heroes can barely make out, "The stone! It's ... ... ritual!" [17:20:27] * Eve_Kasnora looks at Tabitha, then at the stone circling the statue's head. [17:20:35] "It is being the Ioun Stone!" [17:21:28] * Paera 's eyes widen. "Oh no." [17:21:48] * Eilenia reels from the attack. "Perfect, that means we're about to win." [17:22:31] * The ground tears open beneath Paera and Eilenia, or perhaps it's better to say it rots. Like an open wound, the energies of the Abyss begin corruscating over them, bathing them in corrupt elemental energy. [17:28:56] * One of the souls rushes towards the idol, and fades into it, and another piece of the idol comes to life, a clawed arm flexing into life as it seeks out living prey, before falling into line with the movements of the head [17:29:00] [Eilenia's turn] [17:39:17] * Eilenia vanishes, then appears in a burst of verdant fey energy near the hostages and cultist. She thrusts out her hands, creating an explosion of thunder that staggers the cultist holding onto the rope, sending him back [17:41:02] * The cultist cracks his head on a rock and passes out. [17:41:11] [Eve's turn] [17:47:15] [Paera's turn] [17:48:33] * Xan (rustangel@ip-118-219.atvci.net) has joined #Odal [17:50:17] * Eve_Kasnora charges the statue and leaps onto its foot, putting away her off-hand blade. She grits her teeth and begins climbing, trying to find purchase to get up to its head. "You will not be entering this world TODAY!" [17:57:18] [Xan's turn] [18:02:09] The hostages are free, take this thing down! [18:02:46] * Paera takes a step back and breathes a prayer, a column of light piercing the darkness and descending on the statue. [18:04:15] * Eilenia is healed as well. "Thank you, Paera!" [18:05:48] * Eve_Kasnora feels the blessing of Erathis wash over her as she clings to the torn flesh drapped over the jagged metal of the blasphemous statue. Eve takes what little respite in it she can. [18:05:52] * The idol grabs at Eve with his animated arm, but goes wide, and barks out another curse at Paera. [18:10:09] * The ground withers away again below her, creating another abyssal sore [18:11:43] * Another hostage-taker and hostage emerge from a house to the north-east, as the cultist begins marching his prisoner towards the statue [18:11:58] Again? [18:12:08] [Eilenia's turn] [18:13:45] They're BREEDING. [18:14:26] * Eilenia makes her way towards the cultist with a hostage, summoning a swarm of fey daggers from her orb and sending them at the deranged being. [18:14:47] [Eve [18:14:50] 's turn] [18:18:15] * Eve_Kasnora sees the incoming animated hand and pushes off from the leg she's climbing, making the hand miss her. Then she twists in midair and hooks the head of one of her handaxes into a jagged outcropping of metal on the arm. She swings up onto its wrist as it recovers from the missed grab. [18:19:19] * Eve_Kasnora steadies herself on the top of the thing's arm, keeping her knees from locking and throwing her off balance. She eyes one of the less animated portions of the idol, ready to leap for it. [18:20:05] [Paera's turn] [18:25:37] * Paera staggers away from the sore on the ground. [18:27:37] [Xan's turn] [18:35:08] * The idol roars. "You will not prevent me from entering this realm, worm! I will destroy the nameless queen!" He turns his hand so that Eve is between it and the mass of jagged metal and rotting flesh that makes up his terrible form, and slams her into himself. Eve manages to grasp onto the statue to keep from falling any further, supported in no small part by the jagged spikes of a candelabra that jut through her torso. [18:35:25] [Eilenia's turn] [18:36:49] * Eve_Kasnora grits her teeth as she's slammed between two walls of jagged metal. She does not scream. [18:37:35] "Ghrh... you are... nnng... not.... winning... while I.. gurrk..... am drawing breath!" [18:39:16] * Another cultist ducks out of a building, eager to feed more souls to their idol [18:39:24] [Eve's turn] [18:39:41] * Eilenia sees another cultist with hostage come out. She heads around the statue, counter-clockwise, and hurls another spread of fey daggers at the cultist. They miss, but they hover nearby, ready to make another attack. [18:43:01] * Eve_Kasnora PULLS herself off the impaling spikes of junk. She then uses the jutting piece of metal covered in her own blood as a foothold to climb higher. She growls through gritten teeth. "You... will not... be stopping me..." [18:45:36] * The Ioun Stone wirls just barely out of Eve's reach as she climbs up to the idol's head, and the idol begins shaking rapidly, screaming at her as it climbs him [18:45:38] [Paera [18:45:41] 's turn] [18:46:48] * Eve_Kasnora grabs onto the faux-collar bone of the statue and hauls herself up to be on eye-level with the beastial visage. "ARE YOU HEARING ME?! YOU ARE NOT STOPPING ME!" [18:50:09] * In response, the idol simply spits another unspeakable blasphemy at Eve, the very abyssal vileness of the word burning at her flesh [18:52:47] * Eve_Kasnora feels the vileness wash over her, but around her. "The gods deny your blasphemy." [18:54:31] * Paera grits her teeth, glaring at the statue. "No. You have to get past us first, and that's not happening." She whispers another prayer, and another bolt of light strikes the statue. [18:55:40] * The statue roars, and tries to pry Eve off of its face [19:01:08] "NOT WHILE I DRAW BREATH WILL YOU SET FOOT IN THIS WORLD!" [19:01:21] * The idol of Orcus pries Eve off of its head and pivots its arm back as far as it can to try and throw her into the distance. As it pitches her, Eve finds herself within arm's reach of the black spindle rapidly spinning around the head of the idol [19:04:23] * Eve_Kasnora reaches out, straining to catch it but it is too far. As the idol reverses it's momentum and begins hauling her forward, she kicks out with her foot, knocking the stone out of orbit into her waiting hand. [19:05:57] * As Eve knocks the stone out of its orbit, the idol stops in mid-swing, but the momentum it already has it more than enough to send her sailing out of its grip and into the wall of a distant mausoleum. The statue stands, silent and immobile, as Eve lies on the ground, broken and battered, breathing raggedly [19:06:53] * Eve_Kasnora is still holding the stone in a death grip, even as the corrosive blasphemy of the abyss continues to eat away at her flesh. [19:07:42] Oh dear. [19:08:32] EVE! [19:09:05] * Paera rushes to Eve's side, tripping over herself a bit as she does so [19:12:29] * Eve_Kasnora eye's snap open as she takes a huge gasping inhale as Erathis's healing is channeled into her from Paera's prayers. Eve's hand grips down tighter on the Ioun Stone as she awakens. "Did... DID I GET IT?!" She looks around bewildered. [19:13:20] Absolutely! You pulled through great. [19:13:29] We were worried you weren't going to make it. [19:13:34] * Paera lets out a relieved sigh. "You're...still holding it." [19:13:42] Anyss watched over you every night. [19:14:29] * Paera stares at Elena. "First of all, no he didn't. Second, that's really creepy." [19:15:41] * Eve_Kasnora blinks, looking down at the stone. "Who is being Anyss?" She says absentmindedly, as if she isn't even realizing that she's holding a conversation. [19:16:07] * Eilenia sets about tying up cultists and checking on hostages. [19:16:30] Oh dear. She has amnesia. [19:16:34] * Paera looks back at Eve. "I was worried...when you went flying like that...you looked like you were dead." [19:17:10] * Eve_Kasnora takes stock of the stone, then looks around the battlefield. [19:17:56] * Eve_Kasnora sees everything wrapped up and she sighs with relief, then grins at Paera. "Am I not striking you as being to stubborn to die?" [19:18:09] * Eve_Kasnora shakily stands too her feet [19:18:34] * Paera laughs sheepishly. "I guess you've got a point." [19:18:50] In any case, well-done. [19:19:27] * Xan steps in from a nearby archway, out of nowhere, seemingly, his blade honed sharply, sense alert. He pauses for a moment, then comes up from his crouch. "Wrong door." [19:19:36] * Xan looks around. "Nice work." [19:19:39] * Eve_Kasnora coughs up some blood into the back of her hand, then grimmaces and holds her hand to her punctured side. [19:20:03] Paera, take care of her. Oh, I do hope my mentor was watching. [19:21:40] * Xan walks over to Eve. "If I could, I would help you walk." [19:21:51] * The necropolis seems to be silent, except for the quick, measured sound of Tabita making her way up the pathway. The shadar-kai priestess seems worried. "I, ah, don't want to rush you, but I think we should get that back as soon as we can. The longer it's away from the master, the longer we're in danger of having to go through this again." [19:22:55] "Let's go." [19:23:34] * Paera nods. "Can you walk, Eve?" [19:24:08] How are you feeling? [19:24:08] * Eve_Kasnora nods, waving them off. "I am just needing rest." [19:24:13] You seem rather taken by that stone. [19:24:46] "She is being right. We can rest when stone is safe." [19:24:52] * Eve_Kasnora nods to Tabitha. [19:25:15] "We are... in Shadowfell, yes? Are you knowing way directly back to temple, or are we needing to cross to World again?" [19:26:00] * She frowns. "I'm not sure, but I think if we use the stone to try and stabilize the world, we can get back without going through a gate." [19:26:19] "You... are knowing how?" [19:26:33] * Eve_Kasnora looks down at the Ioun Stone in her grip. [19:27:09] * "Well, not really. But that's what the stone's for." [19:27:29] "Hmm." [19:27:46] * Eve_Kasnora looks at the stone and... thinks to it. /Hello?/ [19:28:49] * Eve is met with a distant response, a pulse of awareness that, if anything, is barely acknowledging its own presence. [19:29:38] * Eve_Kasnora blinks. [19:30:06] * Eve_Kasnora 's expression grows dim. /Tell me how to destroy the Eye of Vecna./ [19:31:42] * The pulse of awareness, again, but nothing more. [19:32:38] * Eve_Kasnora makes a dissappointed tick with her tongue. "I cannot get any information out of it." [19:32:45] Shall I give it a try? [19:32:48] * Eve_Kasnora hands it off to Elena. [19:32:54] "Please be doing so." [19:33:18] * Eilenia examines the stone. [19:33:30] * "It's an Ioun Stone. You need to, ah, float it." [19:33:42] Around the head, yes. [19:34:01] * Eilenia holds it out near her head, then lets go, gradually. [19:37:25] * The stone slowly orbits Eilenia's head, and begins picking up speed. Finally, it reaches a constant, rapid speed. Finally, a gentle voice speaks in Eilenia's head. /Planar Stone: Active. Hello, Shadowfell./ [19:38:42] * Eilenia looks curious. But analytical. /The planes are out of their proper configurations./ [19:39:52] * The stone slows in its rotation, but finally picks up speed again. /Confirmed./ [19:40:04] "What happened?" [19:40:09] "Why was it slowing?" [19:40:22] Oh, it's answreing a few questions. [19:40:34] "Ask it how to destroy Eye of Vecna." [19:40:51] * Eilenia speaks and thinks. "First things first. Can you repair the planar configuration?" [19:41:23] * Xan nods to Eilenia. [19:42:33] * Eilenia thinks and speaks again. "Enable audible feedback, if possible." [19:45:02] * Paera watches Elena curiously. [19:45:17] * Eilenia's mind is flooded with a barrage of information that describes the current state of the planes around Ivorgard. It's difficult to pick out the useful information from the useless, but she's able to do a better job than anyone else, who just hears a cacaphony of overlapping voices and noise over the course of several seconds. [19:45:43] "Well that is being useless." [19:46:22] * Shortly, Eilenia begins to understand that the stone contains, among other information, the ritual that was used to break the world which, if performed, might retore it to its proper order. [19:47:16] Oh, no. It's incredibly useful. [19:48:58] * Eilenia starts getting out her arcane reagents. [19:50:31] Hmm... well, first, we must return to the temple [19:50:39] This can only be performed there. [19:51:07] Let's take our prisoners and hostages, and... oh, let's let the former hostages hold the ropes with the cultists. [19:51:21] Wouldn't that be just delightful? [19:52:02] * Eve_Kasnora turns on the cultists. "I am being of half a mind to slay them where they lay. But... I am not knowing what brought them to such madness." [19:52:41] "Maybe they were being scared and did not know another way out." [19:54:25] Oh, perhaps. In the meantime, let's get going. [19:55:57] * Eve_Kasnora nods and helps the others round up all the cultists and former prisoners, leading them to the portal they took back to the worldly necropolis. [19:56:10] * Eilenia seems inordinately proud of herself. [19:56:39] * The prisoners and other, newer prisoners are herded through the portal back towards the world. [19:58:45] * Eilenia shortly leads the others back to the temple. With the help of the Planar Stone, she's able to stabilize the world around them and prevent the tears from sending them ricocheting between worlds [19:58:51] * Eve_Kasnora asks the necropolis spokesman to please look after the cultist-prisoners while they go and try to fix the world's instability. [20:02:22] * He agrees [20:05:11] * Eilenia continues onward after getting that dealt with [20:05:53] * Eilenia arrives at the temple of Ioun, the main prayer room as deathly quiet as it was when first they arrived [20:06:34] * Xan balances his blade out evenly as he walks, inspecting it as if curious on his own right, swiveling and pivoting it in complete control as if the blade were an extension of his own will. [20:06:50] * Eilenia looks over her ritual book and checks iwth the stone again for information on the ritual. [20:06:59] I have here, a ritual that will make the planes better. [20:07:42] * The stone repeats the information on the ritual back into Eilenia's head. It seems as though it will function as a ritual book. [20:08:22] Everything is safe, yes? [20:08:53] "It's never all safe. You need to get back to your home plane." [20:08:58] * Eilenia starts drawing three circles, underscored by a line. [20:09:15] "Is there any way I can assist you?" asks the armless Gith. [20:10:33] * Eve_Kasnora leans against a wall and watches Elena do her thing and waits. She looks over to Xan and his blade. "Took my advice, I am seeing." [20:11:26] He's going to be so proud... oh. Just ensure that nothing interferes with me. ... oh, Paera, Eve, I suppose the two of you may be able to help. Tabitha too. [20:11:38] "I focused my will. This is a form resemblant of a karach, a holy blade used by the chosen warriors of my people. [20:12:30] * Tabita nods, and stands in one of the circles. [20:13:35] Right, what do we do? [20:13:38] The Shadowfell, the World, and the Feywild... [20:13:44] * Eve_Kasnora nods. "Wield it with holy purpose then. I am glad you will no longer be tossing shards of your life away at worthless rabble. Just to make a point." [20:14:23] * Eve_Kasnora stands up when Elena calls her. "How may I be assisting?" [20:14:23] * Eilenia looks to the stone. Which is a little hard when it's circling around her head. "Just listen to its instructions." [20:15:08] "I unlocked a portion of my mind." [20:16:32] I will need to move the planes apart a bit. Then place them back in any configuration. [20:17:36] "Please be putting them back the way they were being." [20:17:43] Uh. Is that...safe? [20:18:15] "Well... she did receive a 'tolerable' grade from her teacher." [20:19:15] Oh, of course I'll put them back the way they were [20:20:57] * Eilenia begins the ritual. [20:21:31] "Otherwise, she'd end up like the quarry that brought us here to begin with." [20:22:02] No death threats, please. [20:22:30] "I am speaking of ethics, Eilenia." [20:22:36] "Coldheart warped the planes." [20:22:38] "I don't believe he was threatening you, Elena." [20:22:39] * Eilenia looks... a little pissed off. She has never looked pissed off in front of you before. [20:22:43] Oh! Perfect, then! [20:22:46] * Eilenia smiles happily. [20:22:55] * Eve_Kasnora blinks, recoiling a bit. [20:23:23] * Eve_Kasnora looks at Paera. [20:23:31] * Xan looks to Eve. [20:23:50] * Eve_Kasnora looks to Xan. [20:24:22] "I can't help but notice that my blade is larger than those you carry." [20:25:20] * Paera shrugs at Eve. [20:25:21] * Eve_Kasnora eyes Xan with a qurked eyebrow. She seems bemused that Xan is starting a pissing contest with her. "I can't help but notice I have hands to carry them." [20:27:08] * There is a sudden and terrible noise as the planes are torn apart, and ever so briefly you feel as though you are drowning in a cross-section of an incomprehensibly vast being, swimming in a direction you can't understand in a sea that you pray you'll never comprehend, and then, with a sudden and terrible silence, the visitation is gone. You're left with the feeling that you only narrowly avoided the attention of something that is as far beyond yours [20:28:50] * Eilenia, with great concentration over what feels like hours, with the guidance of the Planar Stone, reunites the planes in their proper order. When she finishes, you feel something like great relief, albeit weighed down by the malaise of the Shadowfell. Tabita finally relaxes [20:28:58] yourselves as you are beyond drawings scratched on the walls of a goblin's hovel. [20:30:25] "I can't help but notice that I don't need hands, either." [20:31:07] "Whatever you say, gimpy." [20:31:16] * Eve_Kasnora shakes her head. "Did anyone else feel that?" [20:31:41] * Eilenia has a seat, wearily. "Stone, confirm correction of planes? Also, identify all planes interacted with during the ritual." [20:31:46] * Xan looks arouns cautiously. [20:32:11] "It seems you have a new companion, Eilenia." [20:33:19] * The stone hums. /Aligned: Feywild. Shadowfell. Prime. Far Realm. Chance of contamination negligable. Alignment successful." [20:34:02] I felt...something. [20:34:11] The Far.... how did that happen? [20:34:32] * Eilenia pales. [20:34:44] But the world hasn't changed into something strange and inexplicable yet so...what's wrong, Eilenia?" [20:35:03] Oh, nothing's wrong. [20:35:07] Nothing at all. [20:35:15] Something could have been wrong, but nothing is. [20:35:26] "Are you being sure?" [20:36:36] The chance of contamination is negligible, the stone said. [20:36:50] Do you remember our encounter in Harborhead, by any chance? [20:37:07] ...y...yeah? [20:37:11] "...With those horrible parasites?" [20:37:22] * /Query: How did that happen? Answer: Far Realm exists above/below/beyond known planes. Known planes create a seal, preventing infection. In event of planar disjointment, chance of contamination increases drastically./ [20:38:01] Oh, good, you do remember. [20:39:01] * Paera swallows nervously. [20:39:34] I suppose that explains the beholderkin. [20:40:02] Stone, can you identify the presence of any aberrations or aberrant contamination in the area? [20:40:39] But...we fixed that now, right? [20:40:46] * /Unavailable./ [20:41:16] * Eve_Kasnora looks to Tabitha. "Will your mentor know if the ritual was being performed correctly?" [20:42:22] * She nods. "It's possib-" [20:42:27] * "Yes." [20:43:04] * A ghostly form emerges from the stairwell. He looks somewhat less substantial than before. [20:43:11] I'm certain the ritual was performed correctly. It's just that each time the ritual is performed, the planes pop out of alignment. [20:43:18] * Eve_Kasnora turns to the ghostly priest. [20:43:20] Then we see what happens in that moment when there are no planes. [20:44:42] "Then we are fairly lucky the original performance of the ritual wasn't being even more catastrophically interrupted." [20:46:36] I suppose we should go find the people who live around here, such as the librarian, and let them know everything's fixed if they haven't figured it out already. [20:48:20] "Wait. Please be asking the stone about by Eye first." [20:48:49] Oh, fine. [20:49:03] Stone, how do we destroy or limit the observational powers of the Eye of Vecna? [20:52:25] * /Unknown. Searching./ The stone goes quiet. [20:53:02] * The ghostly priest frowns. "There is no need. I cannot use the stone anymore, and the stone likely will not know. However, I may have discovered a solution while you were out." [20:53:47] Oh? Good to see you again. What is that? [20:54:51] "We would greatly appreciate your assistance." [20:59:01] In the Inland Sea, there is a temple that had sank beneath the waves before the era of Bael'Turath. It is only mentioned in the barest of phrases by the library-crytals, but I believe that it was there that Vecna began his quest for apotheosis, after his exile from his homeland. If you can brave the depths of the temple, you may find a way to destroy his power." [21:00:54] Beneath the water? [21:01:54] "I had no idea... Brother Eye was probably searching for it while he was being on the Float." [21:02:33] * The priest frowns. "As for blinding the eye, it may be difficult, but I feel that a properly warded case may be a step in the right direction. And yes, under the water." He concentrates, and conjures a map of the region, pointing at a spot on the spectral map with his equally spectral finger [21:02:34] * Paera slaps her forehead. "Of course! That makes so much sense." [21:02:54] * Eilenia looks at it. [21:03:05] I suppose we'll have to acquire some sort of apparatus. [21:04:34] Do you know where we could get a warded case? [21:05:19] * "You might have found one here, before the world broke. Your best bet, now, might be Harborhead. Many strange things pass through there." [21:06:28] * Eilenia nods. [21:07:16] * "Perhaps you could make one yourself. Clearly, you're an arcanist of no small skill." [21:07:30] Well... I suppose we should leave for there, then. If you get any... sightings of unnatural abominations, try to get in contact with us somehow [21:07:45] * Eilenia nods. [21:08:28] Through a side effect of the ritual, there is a minimal, but non-zero chance that a Far Realm aberration might have come through. [21:08:54] * The ghost nods. "As long as I remain here, I will stay vigilant." [21:09:14] * Eve_Kasnora nods to Tabitha. "Keep in touch." [21:10:05] You know how to reach us, right? [21:10:21] * Tabita smiles. "I wish I could say it was fun, but, ah, it was exciting. And, um, thanks for rescuing me." [21:10:30] Who knows, we'll probably have to come back at some point. [21:10:40] * She shrugs. "I've learned Sending, though I can't say if it works across the planes." [21:11:48] * Eilenia nods. [21:11:59] Well... do you know how to reach Odal's Fen? [21:12:05] * "But if I can find a way into the World, I'll send word. Ah, thanks again." [21:12:08] * She shakes her head. [21:12:28] I shall give you the sequence. Just in case. [21:13:06] "Oh! Right! I was thinking we were going to be walking back for a month." [21:13:40] * Eilenia tells her the linked portal sequence. [21:14:46] * Tabita nods. [21:15:09] Now... we need to get out to that section of the sea. Then descend. [21:15:34] * Eilenia thinks. "We may have to return to my mentor for this." [21:16:04] I did not expect to be returning again so soon. But I suppose it's convenient for all of us. [21:17:02] "Oh that is right. You just got here yesterday." [21:17:19] * The crystal hums. /Planar anamoly detected. Gate: Prime./ With a tugging in the back of her mind, Eilenia finds herself drawn towards one of the rapidly-disappearing rifts between the planes. [21:18:40] Oh, there's our route back to our home plane. [21:18:49] * Eilenia heads over! [21:18:57] Quickly, now. [21:19:36] * And so, our heroes find themselves nearly finished in their efforts to save Horbek's Glory. [21:19:55] * I mean Ivorgard. [21:20:06] * This is why I'm calling the session now. :saddowns: [21:20:11] [Session End] [21:23:13] * Eilenia is now known as Demota End of #Odal buffer Tue Dec 22 21:23:33 2009